General Articles

David: Sovereign Choice of God (1 Samuel 16:1-13) :: By Donald Whitchard

Published on: by RR10

Three thousand years ago, the LORD God chose a young man by the name of David to be the king of Israel. Out of all the sons of Jesse, God’s favor came to rest on David. He was the youngest son of Jesse, a poor farmer from the tiny hamlet of Bethlehem. David, on the surface, was a nobody from a family of nobodies. Yet, by the grace of God, he became the greatest king in the history of Israel, the ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is listed as one of the great heroes of the faith (Matthew 1:1; Hebrews 11:32).

Throughout his life, he received great promises and wondrous blessings from the hand of God. He is known as a man after God’s own heart, a testimony affirmed by God Himself (Acts 13:22). The life of David is one of achievement for the glory of God, and it is also a lesson in the consequences of disobedience against Him. A study of his life can teach us about these aspects and how to remain faithful and focused on God during both good and despondent times.

David is certainly no model of perfection – far from it. He failed and failed big, but he kept short accounts with the LORD. He sinned but was quick to confess and manifested genuine repentance. His life has much to teach us concerning obedience, faith, and worship. Therefore, as the LORD leads, I want to venture into the life of the man who had the LORD’s focus and within the depths of his heart.

We start with the incidents as recorded in the book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 16. Beginning with verse 1, we read where the LORD has told the prophet Samuel that He had rejected Saul as king of Israel due to his perpetual disobedience. Saul had been chosen as king because the people of Israel wanted to be like the nations around them (1 Samuel 8:1-5). Up to this point, God had ruled the nation, raising up judges as the leaders that Israel needed for that time. This process had worked from the time of Moses up to the days of the Judges. God warned them that elevating a man to the role of king would bring political corruption and trouble (1 Samuel 8:7-21).

When Saul was chosen to be the king, the people were elated. He was a fine physical specimen who stood head and shoulders above everyone else (1 Samuel 9:2). But his outward appearance did not reflect his inward character. The Bible says that Saul started well but soon grew egotistical, living for the praises of his subjects and tended to overstep his boundaries, disobeying the commandments of the LORD.

Saul’s behavior and reactions to correction proved to many in Israel the dangers of a human monarch, with God eventually rejecting Saul as the king of Israel. As a result of Saul’s rebellion, God chose a new king to rule over Israel. His choice would fall upon an unknown shepherd boy named David, who lived in what we would call the “backwater” of Israel, surrounded by obscurity and covered with anonymity.

All throughout Scripture, this is a characteristic God shows to us in that His ways are the best and that we are not to look on the outside in determining the destiny of an individual. It also shows that God holds every life as precious and having meaning, even in places where we think have no benefit or purpose.

The Bible says that God is Sovereign in the affairs of His creation. He has the final say in how and when things go. He has the final word in the lives and influences of people, whether for good or bad. He raises up the good and the bad rulers to show us the futility of trusting in ourselves alone and the consequences of ignoring His will in the directions of both our lives and the destinies of nations.

It is against this backdrop of rebellion and rejection that God begins the process of choosing Israel’s next king. He worked behind the scenes during those difficult times in Israel’s history to prepare the way for His plans to be fulfilled. Here, we see both His Sovereign Providence and Sovereign Planning in action. He told Samuel to fill his horn of oil and to go where he would find the next king. God had put everything into place at the right moment in history.

If you look back at David’s ancestry, God’s hand had been moving events and people into place. One of David’s ancestors was a woman named Rahab, known as a “harlot” (Joshua 2). She had been saved out of paganism and brought into the nation of Israel. She married a man named Salmon (Matthew 1:5) and became the mother of a man named Boaz (Ruth 4:20). Boaz would marry a Gentile girl also brought out of paganism. Her name was Ruth, and they became the great-grandparents of a boy who would be named David. None of this was mere coincidence or random chance, but instead, part of a perfect plan brought into existence by Almighty God.

Because the LORD God is Sovereign, there are no “accidents” in life. Everything that occurs is part of a larger plan. Things may catch us off guard or by surprise, but not so with God. He often works behind the scenes in ways that we cannot comprehend in order to accomplish His plans and purposes (Psalm 37:23; Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 4:15-17). Thanks be to God for being in absolute control even if all we see with our limited vision is chaotic!

Because God is Sovereign, He is well able to bring all of His plans to pass. He never proposes a plan that He is not able to accomplish. With Him, there is never a waste of good ideas like we would propose yet not come to fruition. Whether God’s plans include raising up an obscure young shepherd to become Israel’s greatest king, or a plan to work out His will in your life and mine, He is well able to see it through (Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; Luke 1:37; Ephesians 3:20). God’s Sovereign choices extend to every area of life.

I am not smart enough to understand everything, but I am assured in Scripture that God is in the business of working out all things according to His will and bringing His eternal purposes to pass in time (Isaiah 46:10-11; Ephesians 1:11).

All of this comes into being as we witness the transformation of this boy David, not even considered worthy to stand before Samuel at first, yet called from the obscurity of a field to end up as not only Israel’s greatest and most beloved king, but who would be the One God chose to bear the seed of a dynasty that would last for all time with the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return of the Son of David, the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we continue in our look at the life of David, we also see God in action, forming both David’s character and the destiny of His chosen people. God’s choices are surprising, but then again, aren’t we often surprised by what He has done in saving us from our sins and making us into new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) when the rest of the world would write us off?

What does God see in you? You are not a fluke or an accident. Turn to Him today and be amazed at what He can do in your life (Romans 10:9-10, 13).

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

www.youtube.com/@realitycityreview/streams

 

Our Common Heritage and Values :: By Daymond Duck

Published on: by RR10

On Monday, July 22, 2024, Israeli Prime Min Netanyahu arrived in the U.S.:

  • To meet with a group of Christian leaders on Tuesday.
  • To address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
  • To meet with Pres. Biden on Thursday.
  • And to meet with former Pres. Trump on Friday.

At his Tuesday meeting with a group of Christian leaders, Netanyahu said:

  • We have no better friends than you, and I don’t say that lightly or haphazardly. It comes from the heart. It also comes from knowing how deeply you are committed to Israel and how strongly you stand up for Israel, stand up for the truth, stand up for our common heritage and our common values.

A few of the things Christians and Jews have in common about our heritage and values (also called Judeo-Christian roots or values) are:

  • Both believe there is just one God, He is Jehovah, and He created us in His image.
  • Both believe He gave the Ten Commandments, we need these God-given rules, and we are accountable to Him.
  • Both believe we have free will and we sin, but Christians believe a Jew (Jesus) died on the cross to atone for our sins.
  • Most Jews deny that Jesus was their Messiah, but a few Jews (called Messianic Jews) believe Jesus was the Messiah, Christians believe Jesus was the Messiah, Christians believe the Church began with Jews, and all Israel will ultimately accept Him.
  • Both believe Someone called the King of the Jews (a Messiah) is coming soon to rule on this earth.
  • Jews believe Jehovah inspired the Old Testament, Christians believe He inspired the Old and New Testament, and both believe their Scriptures are God’s will for our lives.
  • Jews believe they are physical descendants of Abraham, and Christians believe they are spiritual descendants of Abraham by faith.
  • Jews believe Jehovah made a covenant with Abraham to establish their nation, the U.S. was established by Christians, and many citizens refer to America as a nation under God.

According to a well-known Jewish author, Dennis Prager,

  • Christians and Jews need each other.
  • Without the Old Testament, there is no New Testament.
  • Virtually every Christian moral principle derives from the Hebrew Bible (Jewish Scriptures).

At his Wednesday address before Congress, Netanyahu said:

  • When we stand together, something very simple happens; we win, they lose. I came here to assure you, my friends, of one thing—we will win.
  • Many anti-Israel protesters choose to stand with evil. Many stand with Hamas. They stand with rapists. They should be ashamed of themselves.
  • Don’t they know that the Land of Israel is where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob prayed, where Isaiah and Jeremiah preached, and where David and Solomon ruled?
  • For nearly four thousand years, the land of Israel has been the homeland of the Jewish people. It’s always been our home; it will always be our home.
  • Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini made a commitment to spread the Islamic Revolution worldwide, Khomeini said America is the major barrier to these ambitions, and he called America “the guardian of Western civilization” and “the world’s greatest power.”
  • For Iran, Israel is first, America is next. When Israel fights Hamas, we’re fighting Iran. When Israel fights Hezbollah, we’re fighting Iran. When we’re fighting the Houthis, we’re fighting Iran.
  • When we act to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon, we’re protecting you because Israel’s enemies are America’s enemies. Thus, our victory will be your victory.
  • I know that America has our back. I thank you for it—all sides of the aisle. America’s military help and intelligence benefits both nations. We help keep American boots off the ground, and your expedited U.S. aid could hasten the end of the war.

At Netanyahu’s Thursday meeting with Pres. Biden and Vice Pres. Harris:

  • Biden pushed the point that it is time to nail down a hostage release and ceasefire deal with Hamas.
  • Harris described her meeting with Netanyahu as “frank and constructive.”
  • Harris said she will not be silent on the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza.
  • Harris pushed the point that a Two-State Solution is the only path that ensures Israel remains a secure Jewish and democratic state and one that ensures Palestinians can finally realize the freedom, security, and prosperity that they rightly deserve.
  • Harris’ remarks drew furious Israeli complaints that they could complicate efforts to reach a deal with Hamas to free hostages and end the war in Gaza.

At Netanyahu’s Friday meeting with former Pres. Trump:

  • Trump urged Netanyahu to quickly end its war with Hamas. (My opinion: I do not think Trump was urging Netanyahu to make concessions to Hamas or to accept the Two-State Solution. I think Trump was urging Netanyahu to defeat Hamas as fast as he can.)

Netanyahu planned to wait until the end of the Sabbath (Saturday in Israel), but he left the U.S. early to rush back to Israel to deal with a heartbreaking Hezbollah attack on his nation.

(More: On July 27, 2024, Trump blamed a weak and ineffective Biden and Harris for the attack that killed and injured dozens of people.)

Here are some recent events that seem to indicate that the end of the age is near.

One, concerning the tracking of all buying and selling: Ancestry.com was founded in 1996.

It now has more than 22 million people in its AncestryDNA network, plus it has more than 20 billion records on people.

In Dec. 2020, a company called Blackstone (not Blackrock, although there are connections) bought Ancestry.com.

On July 25, 2024, it was reported that Blackstone CEO Steven Schwarzman is a member of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

This makes him a board member of the WEF and positions him to help fulfill the WEF’s global agenda.

This means the WEF now has access to millions of DNA records and billions of other records that will enable them to identify people if they get control of the world’s healthcare, finances, food consumption, etc.

Two, the coming New World Order will be a godless world government and false religion under the Antichrist and False Prophet, and I believe the Antichrist will come out of the EU (Revived Roman Empire).

On July 26, 2024, the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris, France (one of 27 nations in the EU) featured a repulsive godless parody of the Last Supper with gays dressed in drag.

This blasphemous, unbiblical ceremony was broadcast globally (perhaps viewed by more than 3 billion people).

(My opinion: It was not necessary for these transgender people to mock Jesus – or for the Olympic committee to allow it – but they did, and they will regret it for all eternity if they do not repent of their sins and accept Jesus as their Saviour. Jesus left heaven, lived a hard life, allowed Himself to be beaten, stripped naked, and crucified for their sins, and what they did is an affront to an all-powerful God that loves His Son with an unimaginable passion. These people need lots of prayer.)

(Note: Organizers of the Paris Olympics offered a very weak apology for this blasphemous event.)

(More: As of July 29, 2024, Pope Francis has remained silent about it.)

(More: On July 29, 2024, Jill Biden said the opening ceremony was spectacular.)

For Mark Hitchcock’s excellent comments on this, watch a 7 min. video at:

https://grandmageri422.me/2024/07/29/christian-raw-reaction-to-olympic-opening-ceremony-with-mark-hitchcock/

Three, concerning corruption or ineptness in the U.S. Secret Service: it has been reported that agents allowed a man with a rifle to climb a 16-ft. ladder onto a roof with a clear shot at Trump’s speaker’s stand, they let that armed man stay there for about 20 minutes, they let Trump go to the speaker’s stand, and allowed the shooter to shoot for about 16 seconds before they took him out.

It is reasonable to think that heads would roll, but on July 23, 2024, it was reported that the Secret Service suggested that Trump’s campaign should stop holding large campaign rallies.

The Secret Service blamed Trump, but one of his supporters suggested they need to focus on doing their job.

Senator Ron Johnson suggested that Trump’s campaign should hire an independent security expert to oversee security provided by the Secret Service.

(My question: If the Secret Service is so corrupt or inept that Trump’s campaign needs to hire someone to oversee what they are doing, why are they needed?)

Four, concerning world government: on July 24, 2024, the Activist Post posted an article by Derrick Broze (journalist, author, radio host, and more) titled “The UN Will Sign the Pact of the Future in 60 Days – Here’s Why It Matters.”

The entire article can be found at:

https://www.activistpost.com/2024/07/the-un-will-sign-the-pact-of-the-future-in-60-days-heres-why-it-matters.html

Here are just a few things Broze said:

  • The Summit of the Future will be voted on at the 79th UN General Assembly meeting in New York City on Sept. 22-23.
  • Member states are expected to declare a planetary emergency as part of the so-called Pact for the Future.
  • The Summit of the Future website says the outcome of the Pact for the Future will be “a world – and an international system – that is better prepared to manage the challenges we face now.”
  • It is likely to be another piece of the shift toward a world governed by unelected internationalist politicians.
  • UN member states are also likely to vote to radically alter the UN itself – what some are calling UN 2.0 – and the very nature of how nation-states make decisions regarding the future of the planet.

There is more, but the end goal appears to be to speed up the development of a world government.

This is just one step in that process, but it is a giant step.

Five, concerning war and rumors of wars: on July 27, 2024, Hezbollah fired an Iranian-made missile from Lebanon that fell in a soccer field in a Druze village on the Golan Heights (now part of Israel).

12 children were killed, about 40 people were injured, and:

  • Israel’s Defense Min. said Israel will strike Hezbollah hard.
  • Several Israeli politicians called for a fierce response.
  • Israel’s opposition leader called for an end to Israel’s abandonment of Jews in northern Israel.
  • Netanyahu promised that Israel will not let this pass in silence.

The U.S. said it fears that this incident could turn into an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Iran has said it will get involved on Hezbollah’s side if Israel launches an all-out war against Hezbollah.

The U.S. and UK have promised to support Israel in an all-out war with Hezbollah.

  • On July 28, 2024, Israel’s security cabinet met and gave Netanyahu and Defense Min. Gallant the authority to decide when and how to retaliate against Hezbollah for firing the missile that killed and injured people at the soccer field. Israel struck several sites deep inside Lebanon, and officials said this is not the end of Israel’s retaliation. Hezbollah is on high alert as it awaits more attacks.
  • On July 28, 2024, it was reported that first, “Iran has rushed to supply Hezbollah with electromagnetic bombs that can paralyze communications – in Israel – and disable radars as the risk of the border confrontation with Israel turning into a full-scale war grows.” Second, “Iran may seek to mobilize militias in Syria to threaten the Golan in order to create a second front in the event that escalation takes place on the Galilee front.”
  • On July 29, 2024, officials at the U.S. embassy in Lebanon warned Americans to leave, and they warned U.S. citizens not to visit relatives there.
  • On July 29, 2024, Iran’s new president warned that an Israeli attack on Lebanon will have severe consequences.
  • On July 30, 2024, Israeli jets carried out a retaliation strike in Beirut, Lebanon, and killed the Hezbollah leader (Fuad Shukr) responsible for firing a missile at the Golan Heights that killed 12 children on a soccer field. Shukr was a military advisor to Hassan Nasrallah and was involved in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks that killed 241 marines in Lebanon. He was wanted by the U.S. as well as Israel. The U.S. had a $5 million bounty on his head, and several members of Congress thanked Israel for taking him out.
  • On July 31, 2024, Israel assassinated Ismail Haniyeh in the capital of Iran. Haniyeh was a former prime minister of the PA, and he was chairman of the Hamas politburo. Iran and Hamas promised to avenge his death. (Note: In 12 hours, Israel assassinated important terrorist leaders in the capital of Lebanon and in the capital of Iran. Haniyeh was killed in a house about 150 meters from the residence of the Pres. of Iran. Israel is on high alert.)

(My opinion: Shukr and Haniyeh already realize they are not in paradise with 72 virgins and wishing that no more members of their family join them. Sad.)

Six, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others will attack Israel in the latter days and latter years.

On July 28, 2024, Turkish Pres. Erdoğan appeared to threaten to invade Israel in support of the Palestinians and to put an end to the nearly 10-month-old war Israel is fighting against Hamas in Gaza.

Erdoğan said:

  • Turkey must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these things to the Palestinians. Just as we entered [Nagorno-]Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we might do the same to them. There is nothing we can’t do. We must only be strong.

(My opinion: There is a lot that Turkey can’t do, and one of them is defeat Israel. God made a covenant to protect Israel, and no nation can destroy them.)

(More: On July 29, 2024, Israel’s foreign minister urged NATO to expel Turkey. It probably won’t happen, but we are seeing a growing animosity between Israel and Turkey.)

(More: On July 31, 2024, it was reported that if Turkey attacks Israel, Turkey will use some weapons that the Biden administration has sold and transferred to Turkey.)

Seven, concerning deceit: on July 22, 2024, it was reported that Kamala Harris is talking like she supports Israel, but she has clearly aligned herself with and supported the anti-Jewish Palestinian protestors in the U.S. that shout “from the river to the sea” and call for an intifada.

Eight, concerning the coming global economic collapse, the U.S. debt has now officially topped $35 trillion, and interest on that is close to $5 billion a day.

Here is my daily update on the Israel-Hamas war.

Wednesday, July 24, 2024 (Day 293): The two-hundred thirty-seventh day of the resumed war. Day 79 of the attack on Rafah.

  • Israel recovered the bodies of 5 Oct. 7 hostages in Khan Younis. Israel had intelligence that said Hamas killed 4 in the Oct. 7 attack and murdered 1 after he became a hostage.
  • The U.S. and UK destroyed 3 Houthi missile launchers in Yemen.

Thursday, July 25, 2024 (Day 294): The two-hundred thirty-eighth day of the resumed war. Day 80 of the attack on Rafah.

  • It was reported that the bodies of the 5 Oct. 7 hostages were found in a tunnel in a humanitarian zone in Khan Younis. Israeli troops have been criticized for entering humanitarian zones, and now we see why: that may be where Hamas and some of the hostages are.

Friday, July 26, 2024 (Day 295): The two-hundred thirty-nineth day of the resumed war. Day 81 of the attack on Rafah.

  • Israel took a 63-year-old Hamas leader who was in jail in Israel to the hospital where he died, and Hamas called for violent attacks against Jews to avenge his death.
  • Israel killed 2 more senior Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon.

Saturday, July 27, 2024 (Day 295): The two-hundred fortieth day of the resumed war. Day 82 of the attack on Rafah.

  • Based on intelligence that said Hamas troops were in Kahn Younis and some were in a humanitarian zone, Israel urged Palestinians to leave part of the humanitarian zone.
  • Israel struck Hamas terrorists and military facilities all over Gaza.
  • A UN expert endorsed a tweet that compared Netanyahu to Hitler.

Sunday, July 28, 2024 (Day 296): The two-hundred forty-first day of the resumed war. Day 83 of the attack on Rafah.

  • The Biden administration warned Israel not to attack Beirut because that is a red line for Hezbollah and could trigger an all-out war.

Monday, July 29, 2024 (Day 297): The two-hundred forty-second day of the resumed war. Day 84 of the attack on Rafah.

  • Israel shot down a Hezbollah drone that was headed toward an offshore Israeli natural gas rig.

Tuesday, July 30, 2024 (Day 298): The two-hundred forty-third day of the resumed war. Day 85 of the attack on Rafah.

  • S. Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin said the U.S. will help Israel defend itself if a full-scale war breaks out in Lebanon.
  • Israel’s military said they have destroyed more than 60 miles of tunnels underneath the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 war broke out.

Wednesday, July 31, 2024 (Day 299): The two-hundred forty-fourth day of the resumed war. Day 86 of the attack on Rafah.

  • The U.S. said Israel did not give it advance notice of Haniyeh’s assassination.
  • Israel’s security cabinet met to discuss the reaction of Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas to Haniyeh’s assassination.

FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com