David enquired of the LORD yet again

Many Bible verses say that David inquired of God many times and God answered David's inquiries.

1Sa 23:2
Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.

1Sa 23:4
Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

2Sa 2:1
And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

2Sa 5:19
And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

2Sa 5:23
And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; [but] fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.

1Ch 14:14
Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.

However Saul did not inquire of the Lord as often as David and God was not as pleased to answer Saul's inquiries as He was to David's inquiries. Saul's great sin was to depend on himself and not to depend on God.

1Sa 28:6
And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

1Ch 10:13-14

So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, [even] against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire [of it];
And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

1Ch 13:3
And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.

How did David learn to inquire of the Lord? He knew that the Israelites gained the possession of the land not by their own sword or arm but God's right hand, God's arm, and the light of God's countenance, and the God's favor on them are the real reasons.

Psa 44:3
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

Psa 44:6
For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

A warrior as mighty as David was, he did not trust his own sword or arm; he depended on God's right hand and arm and sought after God's countenance and favor.

May I inquire of the Lord for His direction concerning my future. May I seek the light of His countenance and favor.

In God we boast all the day long

Psalms 44:1-8 read:

We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, [what] work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
[How] thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; [how] thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
...
For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
...
In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

It has always been God's right hand, God's arm, and the light of God's countenance; it was never with my sword or arm that saved me. May I learn not to trust in my bow or sword. May I utterly experience that my bow or sword does not save me so that I may boast in God all the day long and praise His name forever.

O God We Have Heard

Following the leading of the cloud

How easy and good it is when someone shows you what to do and where to go. How good would it be if the Lord God shows me the way and I simply follow him?

Numbers 9:16-23 read:

So it was alway: the cloud covered it [by day], and the appearance of fire by night.
And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.
And [so] it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
And [so] it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and [that] the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether [it was] by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
Or [whether it were] two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.
At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

How wonderful it is to follow the leading of the Lord God? When the Lord God, the Good Shepherd, calls me by name, I listen and follow him.

John 10:2-5 read:

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

I have been waiting for the leading of the Lord God concerning employment. The cloud is still tarrying and so shall I rest in the Lord God.

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee

This morning I have been listening to this beautiful song over and over.

Numbers 6:22 - 27 read:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

The Lord puts His name upon us and blesses us.

I am the Lord your God, which ...

In Leviticus chapters 19 to 21, God reminds me who He is. He is the Lord. He is the Lord my God. He is the Lord my God, who ....

Exd 6:7 - I [am] the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Lev 11:45 - For I [am] the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I [am] holy.

Lev 19:2 - Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God [am] holy.

Lev 20:7 - Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I [am] the LORD your God.

Lev 20:24 - I [am] the LORD your God, which have separated you from [other] people.

Lev 25:38 - I [am] the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, [and] to be your God.

Lev 26:13 - I [am] the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

Num 15:41 - I [am] the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I [am] the LORD your God.

Psalm 18:2 reads, "The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower."

For I am the LORD your God

The Lord my God reminds me this morning that He is the Lord my God.

When the Lord my God saved me, He had a very clear purpose as shown in Exodus 6:7:

And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

In Leviticus, the Lord my God reminds me who He is and what I need to do. In Leviticus 11:44, God commands me to sanctify myself, be holy, and not to defile myself with any manner of the unsaved:

For I [am] the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I [am] holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

In Leviticus 19:10, the Lord my God commands me to care for the poor and stranger:

And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather [every] grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I [am] the LORD your God.

In Leviticus 19:34, the Lord my God commands me to love the stranger that dwells with me:

[But] the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God.

In Leviticus 25:17, the Lord my God commands me not to oppress others, who are the servants unto the Lord my God, but to fear my God:

Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I [am] the LORD your God.

In Leviticus 26:1, the Lord my God commands me to not to worship idols:

Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up [any] image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I [am] the LORD your God.

May I "love the LORD [my] God with all [my] heart, and with all [my]soul, and with [my] might".

Wisdom and Zeal

Last Saturday Emily served with other sisters at a wedding of a brother and sister of the church. She said she washed dishes for several hours while other sisters were taking care of other tasks. She was impressed how sisters knew what to do and did the manual tasks so willingly without grumbling.

I then remembered verses from Exodus which I read recently. God put wisdom in men who were charged to work in building the sanctuary and stirred up the hearts of the Israelite to do the work of the Lord. The origin of wisdom and the zeal for the Lord is God!

Exodus 36:1-2 read:

Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, [even] every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:

May God put wisdom and understanding in me and my family to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. May he stir up our hearts to come unto the work to do it.

Face to Face

The first part of Exodus 33:11 reads "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Some other verses where the Lord spoke with man face to face include:

• Genesis 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
• Numbers 12:8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold.
• Deuteronomy 5:4 The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire.
• Deuternomony 34:10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.

In the Old Testament it seems that Jacob, Moses, and the Israelites saw or talked with God face to face. Maybe there are others who did so as well.

God's promises in both OT and NT include face-to-face communication with God:

• Ezekiel 20:35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
• 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Though I am now in a great trouble, my God speaks to me face to face and mouth to mouth, like the hymn FACE TO FACE WITH CHRIST, MY SAVIOR:

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face—what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ Who died for me?

Refrain

Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!

Only faintly now I see Him,
With the darkened veil between,
But a blessèd day is coming,
When His glory shall be seen.

Refrain

What rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
When the crooked ways are straightened,
And the dark things shall be plain.

Refrain

Face to face—oh, blissful moment!
Face to face—to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ Who loves me so.

Refrain

And they saw the God of Israel

Exodus 24 is a great chapter. I enjoyed the chapter very much this morning. 24:10-11 read:

And they saw the God of Israel: and [there was] under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in [his] clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

Although Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, the nobles of the children of Israel saw God, "he did not destroy them. In fact, they shared a meal together in God's presence!"

In reading the previous verses, I was able to see how they were able to see God and not not destroyed. 24:6-8 read:

And Moses took half of the blood, and put [it] in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

Hebrew 4:16 reads:

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

May I come boldly unto the presence of God, the throne of grace each day that I may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Surely this is the time of need and I need to obtain mercy and grace and God's help.

For I know him

In Genesis 18:19, the Lord said:

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment;

What does the Lord know about me? Does He think of me in the same way He thought of Abraham?

For I know [that] my redeemer liveth

As the three friends of Job continued their attacks on Job and he shared his anguish and sorrow with them in his replies, there was a jewel in Job's confession, "For I know [that] my redeemer liveth."

Job 19:25 - 27 read:

For I know [that] my redeemer liveth, and [that] he shall stand at the latter [day] upon the earth: And [though] after my skin [worms] destroy this [body], yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; [though] my reins be consumed within me.

In trials and sufferings came out the precious confession of Job's faith.

Here is a hymn I enjoyed this morning. Click http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/i/k/iknowtha.htm to listen to the music.

I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living Head.

He lives to bless me with His love,
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed,
He lives to help in time of need.

He lives triumphant from the grave,
He lives eternally to save,
He lives all glorious in the sky,
He lives exalted there on high.

He lives to grant me rich supply,
He lives to guide me with His eye,
He lives to comfort me when faint,
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears,
He lives to wipe away my tears
He lives to calm my troubled heart,
He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly Friend,
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death:
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives, all glory to His Name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same.
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives,
I know that my Redeemer lives!

Miserable Comforters

Job 2:11 reads:

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

Job 16:1 - 8 read:

Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters [are] ye all. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye [do]: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. [But] I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage [your grief]. Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and [though] I forbear, what am I eased? But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company. And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, [which] is a witness [against me]: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

Job's three friends came to mourn with Job and to comfort him. However to Job, they were "miserable comforters". Their words, though they might be correct, were vain words. Rather than comforting or strengthening Job, they made him more weary and desolate and filled him with wrinkles.

In contrast to Job's friends, we have much better Comforter.

2 Cor 1:3-5 read:

Blessed [be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

May I not be like Job's friends who added more miseries to Job by being self-righteous. May I first be comforted by my God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. May I then comfort others in trouble with the comfort I myself am comforted of God. Amen.