DAVID'S SERVICE

“Indeed I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the Lord one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond measure, for it is so abundant. I have prepared timber and stone also, and you may add to them (1 Chron. 22:14 NKJV).

Summoning Solomon to a private meeting, David charged his son to build a magnificent house for the Lord. Our verse speaks specifically of David’s service concerning the Temple. Thus we want to note: the problems for service, the price of service, and the proclamation for service in what David says.

Problems for service – “I have taken much trouble to prepare for the house of the Lord.” The word translated “trouble” in our text means affliction or misery. David is referring to the many troubles of his life and reign. If we are going to serve God, we will have to learn to serve Him in spite of our troubles. We will have to serve even when we do not feel like serving. Many times troubles oppress and distract us and the temptation is to focus on our trouble instead of on God and our service for Him. In spite of this, we must still strive to serve God. It is a good way to conquer your troubles.

Price of service – “Gold . . . silver . . . bronze . . . iron beyond measure . . . it is so abundant.” David served the Lord with great dedication and gave very liberally. He was not a tightwad figuring his tithe to the penny. The only kind of service that is acceptable is to give liberally. God gave His Son for our salvation, surely that ought to inspire us to be more generous in our service to God. True service has a price and it is expensive. But it is also worth it!

Proclamation for service – “You may add to them.” After telling Solomon what had already been done for the Temple, David then told him he could add to the gifts. Solomon was not exempt from service just because David had given so much. Rather David’s service should inspire Solomon to give. We are not to let others do it all; we are to serve, too!

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading NT)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“No sacrifice we make is too great for the One who sacrificed His all!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Not believe / disbelieve

In Rom. 3:3 we read, “For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?” (NKJV).

Not believe / disbelieve is the Greek is the Greek word apisteo (ἀπιστέω = ap-is-teh'o). It is made up of two words: “a” the alpha negative, and “pisteo” which means to believing, faithful. Thus the word means to disbelieve, to doubt or not to acknowledge. Further, it carries the idea of betraying a trust. Unbelief is a failure to respond to God with trust. Literally, the word means without believing.

In Classical Greek, apisteo can also mean to disobey. Apisteo does not appear in the canonical writings of the Septuagint. In the New Testament apisteo invariably appears in a religious sense and carries the idea of disbelief and an attitude of incredulity (inability or unwillingness to believe). Here in the Book of Romans Paul is saying that even the ‘disbelief’ of the Jews would not nullify God’s faithfulness.

This statement by Paul also has a modern day application for the professing church (and for skeptics). The fact that many people today reject the Scriptures, even alleging that the Bible has been disproved by modern science and reason, means nothing. God’s Word has forever been settled in Heaven and will endure forever, even after this present earth has passed away (Mt 24:35). God’s revealed Word is absolute truth, and will judge all its detractors in the last day.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – That they would gamble for His garments (Ps. 22:18)

New Testament Fulfillment – Matt. 27:35; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24

Bible Facts

The fact that God once flooded the earth would be denied (2 Peter 3:5-6). God flooded the earth during the time of Noah. There is a mass of fossil evidence to prove this fact, yet it is flatly ignored by most of the scientific world because it was God’s judgment on man’s wickedness.

Bible Quiz

What nation considered eating with the Hebrews an abomination?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: What wood did God tell Moses to have the Ark of the Covenant made of? Shittim (acacia) wood (Exodus 25:10).

That’s in the Bible

"You can’t take it with you”

“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:7 NKJV).

All our possessions and all our worldly accomplishments will not follow us into heaven. We do come ‘full circle’ back to where we started - with nothing. We were born with nothing, not even clothes on our back. And nothing is exactly what we will take with us when we leave this earth. The only thing that we can take with us is whatever works we have done for the Lord. 1 Cor. 3:13–14 states, “Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” Our life down here will determine our rewards up there. As some have said, “its hard work, but the benefits are out of this world.”

Did You Know – Christian History

John Cornelius Stam was born January 18, 1907. He and his wife Elisabeth were American Christian missionaries to China, with the China Inland Mission (CIM), during the Chinese Civil War.

The need of the Chinese people for Christ gnawed at him. In a letter to his brother, John wrote “a million a month pass into Christless graves over there (China).” Believing that God would use him if he was broken and obedient, he studied at Moody Bible Institute and prepared himself for mission work. Every weekend he would traveled 200 miles to minister in a small church and trudged the streets, reaching out to the lost. Back in Chicago, he attended a weekly China prayer meeting, preparing to offer himself to work in the toughest areas of that great, ancient land.

It was at the China prayer meeting that John met and fell in love with Betty Scott; she, too, was preparing for China. Recognizing that marriage was not yet possible, he committed the matter to the Lord. After being accepted for service in China, John set sail for China in 1932. As only the Lord can work, John and Betty met again in Shanghai and were soon married. Their daughter Helen Priscilla Stam was born in 1934. Shortly thereafter, the Stams were captured by Communist bandits. The Communists discussed aloud whether to kill the baby and rid themselves of the nuisance. An old farmer pleaded for her life. “It’s your life for hers, then,” said the Communists, and killed him on the spot. A few days later, John and Betty Stam and loyal Chinese Christians were beheaded. John died, an expression of joy on his face. Moments before, he had pleaded with his captors to spare the life of a Chinese Christian. Betty quivered once and accepted her fate. Pastor and Mrs. Lo brought their daughter, Helen Priscilla Stam, to safety.

A Little Humor

A man who was sick wanted so badly to go to church the next day, so he took a heavy dosage of Benadryl. The next morning he wouldn’t wake up! So his wife went to church without him. When the Pastor asked her where her husband was she said “he went to Bedtime Baptist Church with Pastor Pillow and Sister Sheets.” The Pastor looked at her with kind of a weird expression and said “I have never heard of that church, what part of town is it at?”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“No one is too good - nor too bad - to be a candidate for salvation!”