Hearing the Music

The Lord Brought About a Great Victory

As we come to the end of 2nd Samuel (just 2 more weeks!), we pick up where Michael left off last week in chapter 23:8. However, rather than a continuation of David's farewell speech, we come to the annals of the exploits of David's mighty men. In some ways, it is a little jarring to find these exploits recorded in scripture. Does scripture celebrate war and killing? Are these the types of exploits that are required to qualify as a "mighty man"? The answer to those questions is no and no. While scripture does recount the exploits of war, it does so in the context of a story about good and evil. It is a story about a King and his struggle to regain his kingdom from tyrants. It is a story where the King will sacrifice his own life in order to save his subjects. We must be careful not to discuss concepts such as war and killing apart from their context in the greater story that the Bible is telling.

As far as the Bible's characterization of what qualifies as a "mighty man", we must maintain the same level of nuance that the scripture does. The men of  these annals gathered initially to David as weak outcasts who could not find a home. 1 Sam 22 puts it this way, "And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him." These were men who were equally marked by weakness as strength. David himself was a man of valor having destroyed the giant, Goliath. But he was also the sweet Psalm singer of Israel, as comfortable with a harp as with a sword. David was also a man deeply in touch with his emotions and is known as a man after God's heart largely for his ability to confess his sin and seek repentance. The Bible's portrayal of a "mighty man" is complex.

Perhaps more than anything, the annals of the mighty men in David's retinue remind us that though we are often called to deeds of valor and hearts of loyalty, it is always God working through us to achieve great victories (cf 2 Sam 23:10,12). In the end, as we have seen week by week, David is the recipient of the God's promise and is the king, but he is not THE KING that our hearts ultimately long for.  

Photo by Ricardo Cruz on Unsplash

Orphans no more! Reaching college students.

In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.  Ephesians 1:5-6 

Late one night in 2011, I walked into the dorms to lead a Bible study with 8 Division I baseball players. My palms were sweaty, my heart was racing, and my nerves were screaming, “Just turn back! It’s not too late to bail on this one.” These guys were tough. They had little interest in God and sneakily called me Bible Kenny (I found that little fact out about 2 years later!). The decision to hang in there led to God not only saving a set of twin pitchers on the team, but so much more. I vividly remember gathering 3 years later in my living room with friends on the soccer team who came to Christ as well as their girlfriends on the volleyball team who had chosen to follow Jesus. It was truly amazing! Little did I know where this journey would take me or what God would do with my meager plans. 

Laura and I adopted Maria Klaire, our fourth child, as a result of a seed that was planted in my heart during that Bible study with baby Christians. First, through studying Ephesians 1:6, God showed me how He adopted me into His family. Second, God compelled me to live an outward-facing life built off the motto “orphans no more.” Laura and I began a two-year journey that ended with bringing our daughter home. There were two distinct moments I gave up, but God kept us going. It was not easy, but great things never are. And we were reminded how God, the Great Evangelist and our Heavenly Father, has never given up when gathering His orphaned children home.

This Fall, I have a similar opportunity with the Calvin football team (helping lead a weekly Bible study) and I cannot wait to see once again how God works beyond us. As a church, we have a similar opportunity with all the CAM students in our midst. Please be praying with me that God would use us to help connect spiritual orphans to the Heavenly Father we all desperately need.

Photo by Jake Ingle on Unsplash

Grace-filled Community

I do like some classic movie series and books, but 2 Samuel has been a real tearjerker: David found guilty of an affair and murder, Tamar's heart-wrenching abuse, Amnon and Absalom are dead, and I still cry.

Ernest Hemingway's short story, The Capital of the World, comes to mind. In it, we meet Paco and his father living in Spain, where Paco is a very ordinary, common name. After another unpleasant confrontation between the two, Paco packs his belongings and leaves home. After some time, his father can't stand it any longer and decides to go look for him. He travels to Madrid, for big cities always attracted Paco, and puts an ad in the most prominent paper of Madrid with a message along these lines: "Paco, meet me at the Hotel Montana at noon on Tuesday. All is forgiven. Love, Papa." That Tuesday at noon he is astonished to discover 800 young men named Paco waiting to embrace their father's forgiveness.

Every person longs for forgiveness and grace, for a space where you're not held to account for what you have done or didn't do, where you don't have to earn love. 

Our challenge is to be that graceful, grace-filled, correcting community, where your past will not all of a sudden mercilessly be used against you, where your real life, with what looks orderly and what is a chaos, unconditionally is accepted and loved. Where Davids, Tamars, Amnons, and Absaloms find a listening ear and a helping hand to dry their tears.


Photo: Emma van der Veen