2020 5/6 #27 - King over The Least of Men

The old saying is that a picture is worth a thousand words. But sometimes, a few words can paint a picture that is worth thousands and thousands more. Such are the 2 pictures painted for us in just the first 2 verses of 1 Samuel 22.

We’ll take a brief look at those pictures today on Through the Word in 2020. I’m Reid Ferguson - thank you for joining us today.

As you know, everyday we have 3 readings from the Scripture as we work our way through the entire Bible by the end of the year.

Today our selection from the Gospels is Mark 9:14-29. From the rest of the New Testament we have 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:4 and from the Old Testament - 1 Samuel 20-22. Not today, but every other day we also have a Psalm to read.

Back to 1 Samuel and the account of David fleeing from Saul, and setting up a field headquarters in the cave of Adullam - a rugged outpost in the Judean wilderness.

Note first what a picture this is of the humility of Christ.

David, as the quintessential pre-figuring of Christ as King over God’s people, serves to give us some interesting insight here. As the text says His army, His people, His family were not the cream of the crop. Neither are Christ’s.

Verse 2 says that David’s group was composed of those who were in distress, in debt and bitter in soul. So it is with those Jesus gathers around Himself as well.

Bear in mind, we are all adopted into His family, and not many as very young, but most - full grown and having exhibited the long standing habits of our sinfulness and rebellion against God. And still He took us as His own.

I don’t know about you, but I take great comfort in the fact that He knew ahead of time all of my faults, failures and the depths of my sin before making me His own. He is not shocked or surprised - though certainly grieved - but not caught off guard by either your sin or mine. At our failure to love and serve Him.

He knew what He signed on for before we were ever born. And He made us His own anyway. Knowing fully how He would have to die in our place to pay the price for our sin;, and then in grace strive against our sin until He at last conforms us to His own image.

And so it is with all of us who are Christ’s by faith.

As Paul would write in 1 Corinthians 1:26

1 Corinthians 1:26 ESV

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

Secondly, what a picture this is of the Church. And what qualifies us to be allied with our King: Distress of soul. Poverty of spirit. Bitterness from the ravages of sin.

A poor army indeed, but brought to serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord's. Distress, debt and discontent are no barriers to grace - they are the very admission fee.

As John Newton would write on this passage many years ago -

"But there are a few, like David’s men, distressed in conscience, deeply in debt to the law of God, and discontented with the bondage of sin, who see and believe that He, and He only, is able to save them. To these labouring and heavy laden souls, he still says, “Come unto me, and I will give you rest.”'"

What a Savior and King He is!

Let that sink into your soul today Believer.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.