Light in the Darkness

April 22, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

¹Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    till the storms of destruction pass by.
²I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
³He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

⁴My soul is in the midst of lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

⁶They set a net for my steps;
    my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
⁷My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
⁸    Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
⁹I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
¹⁰For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.

¹¹Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth! – Psalm 57:1-11 ESV

Because of Saul’s unjustified vendetta against him, David was forced to seek refuge in the wilderness. During his 13-year-long exile from Judah, David and his faithful band of men lived in constant fear for their lives, trying to stay one step ahead of Saul and his posse of well-trained mercenaries.

David wrote this psalm during this emotionally draining and confusing phase of his life. Yet despite the less-than-pleasant conditions in which he was forced to live, David remained confident in the Lord’s care and concern for him.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by. – Psalm 57:1 NLT

While caves had become a source of physical refuge, David never stopped trusting in God as his ultimate protector and provider. Even as he hid in the dark recesses of some dank and unhospitable cave, David trusted his fate to God, believing that the Almighty would one day restore his fortunes.

I cry out to God Most High,
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
disgracing those who hound me. – Psalm 57:2-23 NLT

Though David was renowned for his military prowess, he viewed himself as a helpless bird huddled under the protective wing of its mother. During his extended trial, David had found God to be a constant source of strength and encouragement, showing up at just the right time and delivering him from the hands of his enemies. His escape from King Achish and the Philistines had not resulted from his award-winning acting skills, but because God had intervened on his behalf (1 Samuel 21:10-15).

David was a realist and not an overly optimistic, glass-half-full kind of guy. He knew the desperate nature of his circumstances and was more than willing to paint his conditions in realist terms.

I am surrounded by fierce lions
who greedily devour human prey—
whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
and whose tongues cut like swords. – Psalm 57:4 NLT

But as he expressed in the previous psalm, David saw no reason to fear men as long as God was on his side.

…my enemies trample on me all day long,
    for many attack me proudly.
When I am afraid,
    I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me? – Psalm 56:2-4 ESV

This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me? – Psalm 56;9-11 ESV

David was in God’s leadership training school, where he received on-the-job training in trust and obedience. His path to the throne of Israel was proving to be anything but smooth and pleasant, but his awareness of God’s power and provision increased daily.

His life was an up-and-down, roller-coaster affair filled with constant threats to his life that required persistent reliance upon God. But even during his darkest moments, David never stopped viewing himself as a servant of God whose role was to shepherd and protect the people of God. At one point, he heard that the Philistines were stealing grain from the town of Keilah. Apalled by this act of aggression, David sought to know what God would have him do. When he asked the Lord, “Should I go and attack them?” (1 Samuel 23:2 NLT), he received a positive response.

So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah. – 1 Samuel 23:5 NLT

When Saul received news that David had rescued the town of Keilah, he didn’t rejoice in this unexpected defeat of the Philistines. Instead, he saw an opportunity to capture David.

“We’ve got him now! God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!” So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men. – 1 Samuel 23:7-8 NLT

Fresh off his victory over the Philistines, David soon received news that Saul was coming. What made this report so disturbing was the fact that Saul intended to destroy his own people just to capture David. So, David sought the will of God once again.

“O Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here. Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.” – 1 Samuel 23:10-11 NLT

God confirmed David’s suspicions, so rather than risk the lives of the people of Keilah, David and his men vacated the town and headed back into the wilderness.

So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all. David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him. – 1 Samuel 23:13-14 NLT

That last line is key and explains why David had such confidence in God. He understood that God was responsible for his safety and security. Yahweh had provided every last-minute escape and led them to just the right cave to serve as their “stronghold.”

Looking back at his circumstances, David crafted a song to tell others what he had learned about his God. He penned the lyrics to a hymn of praise that chronicled God’s goodness even in the worst of times. David was being chased and hounded. His very life was in danger. He was surrounded by enemies and facing seemingly insurmountable odds. Yet he had been anointed by the prophet Samuel and appointed by God to be the next king of Israel. That is why he kept trusting in and crying out to the one “who will fulfill His purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2 NLT). Despite all that had happened since his anointing, David continued to trust God for the future.

My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises! – Psalm 57:7 NLT

When Samuel traveled to Jesse’s house to find Saul’s replacement as king, David heard the Lord say, “This is the one; anoint him” (1 Samuel 16:12 NLT). Then Samuel poured the anointing oil on David’s head, and God poured His Spirit into David’s heart. In doing so, God promised David that he would one day be the next king of Israel. Yes, Saul was still on the throne and David was hiding out in a cave in the wilderness, but despite those circumstances, God would keep His promise.

David could sing God’s praises because He had learned to trust God’s promises. He didn’t delay his praise until God had fulfilled all his promises and he was sitting on the throne of Israel. No, David sang God’s praises from the depths of a cave in the middle of the wilderness, years before he ever put a crown on his head or set foot in the city of Jerusalem. David sang of God’s love and faithfulness in anticipation of God’s future fulfillment of His promises.

I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. – Psalm 57:9-10 NNLT

David had learned to praise God in the midst of his problems, not just after they were gone. He could sing in the darkness of the cave, when the light of God’s glory was difficult to discern and the hope of His promises was hidden from view.

Like David, we can praise God for what He has yet to do, because He always comes through. He keeps His word. The Lord never lies or reneges on His commitments.

God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through? – Numbers 23:19 NLT

David cried out to God, knowing that He would send help from heaven to rescue him. In due time, God would do what He had promised to do. And He still works the same way today. We can trust Him because He is trustworthy. We can sing in the cave because God is there. We can rejoice in the darkness because God’s light never diminishes or dims.

Father, may I be able to say, “My heart is confident in you, my heart is confident.” And may I be able to say it long before You’ve proven it true. May I praise You based on Your reputation for faithfulness, not just when I’ve seen it lived out. I tend to want to praise You when Your promises have been fulfilled in full. But David sang of Your greatness even when his circumstances painted a different picture. Strengthen my faith so that I might praise You even when I can’t see You. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Learning to Trust God

November 10, 2023November 10, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²⁴“If I have made gold my trust
    or called fine gold my confidence,
²⁵if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
    or because my hand had found much,
²⁶if I have looked at the sun when it shone,
    or the moon moving in splendor,
²⁷and my heart has been secretly enticed,
    and my mouth has kissed my hand,
²⁸this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
    for I would have been false to God above.

²⁹“If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
    or exulted when evil overtook him
³⁰(I have not let my mouth sin
    by asking for his life with a curse),
³¹if the men of my tent have not said,
    ‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?’
³²(the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
    I have opened my doors to the traveler),
³³if I have concealed my transgressions as others do
    by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
³⁴because I stood in great fear of the multitude,
    and the contempt of families terrified me,
    so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
³⁵Oh, that I had one to hear me!
    (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!)
    Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!
³⁶Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
    I would bind it on me as a crown;
³⁷I would give him an account of all my steps;
    like a prince I would approach him.

³⁸“If my land has cried out against me
    and its furrows have wept together,
³⁹if I have eaten its yield without payment
    and made its owners breathe their last,
⁴⁰let thorns grow instead of wheat,
    and foul weeds instead of barley.” – Job 31:24-40 ESV

Job continues his list of hypothetical if-then scenarios in an attempt to strengthen his claim of innocence. He produces a lengthy and wide-ranging catalogue of potential infractions that would warrant some kind of judgment from God. He is basically challenging his friends to come up with one solid piece of evidence that might provide proof of their charges of guilt. “If I am guilty,” Job says, “then God can punish me accordingly.”

But the obvious inference behind Job’s little speech is that he has done nothing wrong. He goes out of his way to list petty “crimes” that everyone commits everyday without suffering the kinds of loss he has faced. He is not trying to minimize the gravity of these “lesser” sins; he is simply pointing out their ubiquitous nature. Whether it’s the sin of lusting after another man’s wife or the mistreatment of household servants, Job claims that his hands are clean. He also demands that he is innocent of neglecting the poor and needy.

“No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father,
and all my life I have cared for widows.” – Job 31:18 NLT

He asserts that these kinds of selfish actions are commonplace and yet no one seems to incur the level of judgment that he has had to face. What makes matters worse is that he has refrained from doing these kinds of things and has still lost everything.

Job is demanding proportional justice. He is asking that his punishment match his crime. If he has committed a sin worthy of God’s wrath, then it seems only fair that his judgment be balanced and equitable. He is willing to accept God’s verdict but only asks that it be in keeping with whatever wrong he has committed.

“If I raised my hand against an orphan,
    knowing the judges would take my side,
then let my shoulder be wrenched out of place!
    Let my arm be torn from its socket!
That would be better than facing God’s judgment.
    For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there?” – Job 31:21-23 NLT

From Job’s perspective, his punishment has been disproportional to any sin he may have committed. This once wealthy man was now impoverished and destitute. Yet he declares that he never put his trust in money or gloated over his superior financial status. So, what would have caused God to take away all his material possessions?

Had Job been guilty of idolatry, worshiping the sun, moon, or stars in place of God Almighty, the judges of his community would have dealt with him severely. There were already laws and punishments in place for just such infractions. But what he suffered was far worse than any punitive measures an earthly judge would have meted out.

When Job looked back on all the disasters he had endured, he could more readily accept their occurence if he had been guilty of wishing that same fate on one of his enemies.

“Have I ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies,
or become excited when harm came their way?” – Job 31:29 NLT

The answer was, “No!” Job claims to have never wished ill-will on anyone. Yet, he was forced to endure a litany of devastating disasters that had left him nothing. That is the part he was wrestling to understand. He was willing to accept any and all punishment as long as it was deserved. But he could think of nothing he had done that was worthy of the kind of pain and suffering he had endured.

He had not lived a secret life, clandestinely committing his sins behind closed doors and hiding his indiscretions from the eyes of others.

“Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do,
    concealing my guilt in my heart?
Have I feared the crowd
    or the contempt of the masses,
    so that I kept quiet and stayed indoors?” – Job 31:33-34 NLT

Job wasn’t a hypocrite or a pretender. He couldn’t be accused of being a fraud or an impostor. His former life as an outstanding pillar of the Uz community had been anything but a sham. His righteousness had not been a cleverly crafted veneer designed to hide a secret life of sin and shame. He was exactly what he appeared to be. And yet, he had lost everything.

All Job is asking for is a fair trial. The vigilante justice of his three friends was wearing then and he longed for an opportunity to stand before God and defend himself from all their false accusations.

“If only someone would listen to me!
Look, I will sign my name to my defense.
Let the Almighty answer me.
Let my accuser write out the charges against me.” – Job 31:35 NLT

As far as Job could tell, no one had come up with a single piece of evidence that proved his guilt or adequately explained his losses. If they could produce the crime, Job would “wear it like a crown” (Job 31:36 NLT). In other words, he was so confident in his own innocence that he would take their indictment into the throne room of God and boldly give a defense of all his actions. But their accusations were all speculative and unspecific. They were forced to guess because they didn’t know the facts. But Job did and he was confident that God would decide in his favor.

Job was willing to accept punishment – if he was guilty. But that was the rub. He did not believe he had done anything to deserve what he had suffered. His judgment was way out of proportion to any sin he could have committed, and he firmly and consistently denied having done anything wrong at all.

There is little doubt that Job longed for relief from his pain and suffering. But his greatest desire was to have the integrity of his name restored. His reputation had been ruined, and it didn’t help that his three friends continued to drag his name through the mud as they hurled unsubstantiated rumors and allegations against him. None of this was done in a vacuum. This was a public trial that placed Job in the awkward position of being the “celebrity” defendant whose entire life was put on display for all to see. Rumors ran rampant. Gossip made its way through the streets of Uz as everyone debated the guilt or innocence of this former icon of the community.

This entire scene brings to mind another man who suffered unjust treatment at the hands of his fellow citizens. In this case, it was King David, as he fled from Jerusalem because his son, Absalom, had staged a coup and taken over the throne. As David and his royal retinue made their way out of the city in shame, he was met with a less-than-favorable reaction from one of his own citizens.

As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. “The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!” – 2 Samuel 16:5-8 NLT

David’s companions offered to kill Shimei for his mistreatment of the former king, but David restrained them. Instead, he took a more reasoned reaction to the reproach of Shimei.

“Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.” – 2 Samuel 16:11-12 NLT

David was willing to leave the matter in God’s hands. He was able to see the entire affair through the lens of God’s sovereignty. David had a firm belief that God was behind all that happened in his life. That doesn’t mean the pain wasn’t real or that Shimei’s words didn’t hurt. In fact, David would later record the state of his feelings at that very moment.

O Lord, I have so many enemies;
so many are against me.
So many are saying,
“God will never rescue him!” Interlude

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
I cried out to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy mountain. – Psalm 3:1-4 NLT

David went on to say that, despite the negative nature of his circumstances, he was able to sleep at night because he knew he was under the watchful gaze of God.

…the Lord was watching over me.
I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies
who surround me on every side. – Psalm 3:5-6 NLT

Job demanded resolution and restoration. He would not be happy until his lot in life had been remedied and his former lifestyle had been reinstated. But David was content to accept his situation and rest in the sovereign will of his all-knowing and ever-watchful God. This doesn’t mean that David didn’t desire rescue or vindication. He makes that point perfectly clear.

Arise, O Lord!
    Rescue me, my God!
Slap all my enemies in the face!
    Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
Victory comes from you, O Lord.
    May you bless your people. – Psalm 3:7-8 NLT

David didn’t waste time arguing his innocence or allowing the false attacks of his “ten thousand enemies” to get him down. He kept trusting in the Lord and patiently waiting on Him to set things right. He had full assurance that God would ultimately avenge him and all his enemies would get what they deserved. But in the meantime, he was able to sleep peacefully and wait patiently for God’s will to be done.

Job was having a difficult time resting in the will of God. He was far from content with his circumstances and less than willing to trust God to determine the outcome. It’s doubtful that Job was getting a lot of restful sleep, and it seems obvious that he didn’t share David’s view of God’s watchful and protective care. He felt abandoned by God. He believed he had received unfair treatment at the hands of God. And it’s hard to imagine Job saying, “you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high” (Psalm 3:3 NLT). But in time, he will come to see things from David’s perspective and learn to see God as a friend and not a foe.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

When Questioning God Becomes Playing God

October 14, 2023October 14, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹³“God will not turn back his anger;
    beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab.
¹⁴How then can I answer him,
    choosing my words with him?
¹⁵Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him;
    I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.
¹⁶If I summoned him and he answered me,
    I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
¹⁷For he crushes me with a tempest
    and multiplies my wounds without cause;
¹⁸he will not let me get my breath,
    but fills me with bitterness.
¹⁹If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty!
    If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?
²⁰Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me;
    though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.
²¹I am blameless; I regard not myself;
    I loathe my life.
²²It is all one; therefore I say,
    ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’
²³When disaster brings sudden death,
    he mocks at the calamity of the innocent.
²⁴The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
    he covers the faces of its judges—
    if it is not he, who then is it?” – Job 9:13-24 ESV

Job clings tenaciously to his claim of innocence but knows that he will have a difficult time proving it in the divine court of law. He is faced with the formidable task of having to present his case before the Judge of the universe and, as far as he can see, his prospects of success are small. Taking the advice of Bildad, Job inquired of bygone ages and considered what the fathers searched out (Job 8:8). He took a look at history and came to the conclusion that God doesn’t always side with the righteous. His ways are not always predictable.

Job makes mention of Rahab, likely a reference to Leviathan, a mythic creature (Job 26:12) that the Jews associated with the sea. Rahab is most often used in Scripture as a reference to the sea and God’s power over it. The God who can control the oceans of the earth cannot be defeated by the rhetoric of mortal men. Job mournfully concludes, “…who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him?” (Job 9:14 NLT).

The oceans bend to the will of God. The creatures of the earth must do His bidding. Nothing and no one can stand before Almighty God, so what hope does Job have of successfully stating his case and receiving justice? Even if he is right, he will be powerless before God. His words of self-defense will prove meaningless, leaving him with no other option than to plead for God’s mercy.

From Job’s perspective, God was the cause of all his troubles, and this conclusion led him to see no hope in arguing his case. As far as Job could see, God had made up His mind and He would not be swayed by some mortal’s pathetic pleas of innocence.

“For he attacks me with a storm
    and repeatedly wounds me without cause.
He will not let me catch my breath,
    but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one.
    If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court?” – Job 9:17-19 NLT

At this point in his life, Job’s conception of God had become marred by his circumstances. He saw God as the divine bully in the sky who was using His superior power to taunt a weaker and undeserving victim. Job’s theology had become warped by the recent events of his life. He was viewing God through eyes clouded by tears and a mind heavy with grief. Nothing made sense. God appeared to be uncaring, even callous. Job had reached the conclusion that the justice of God had less to do with righteousness and rightness than it did with His overwhelming power. Job had divorced God’s justice from His goodness. In his grief, Job had decided that the only difference between God and mortal men was His undiminished sovereignty and unaccountability. God answered to no one.

Because Job understood God to be just and right, it didn’t matter what he said. He could claim his innocence but it would do no good. Job could state his case but God would ultimately win any war of words and the divine verdict would be binding and non-negotiable. This pessimistic and defeatist mentality led Job to conclude, “Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked’” (Job 9:22 NLT).

But Job was wrong. His conclusions, though heartfelt and sincere, were inaccurate. His understanding of God was flawed, having been heavily influenced by his circumstances. The Scriptures paint a starkly different image of God.

This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. – Psalm 18:30 ESV

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! – Deuteronomy 32:4 NLT

“God’s way is perfect.
    All the Lord’s promises prove true.
    He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is God except the Lord?
    Who but our God is a solid rock?” – 2 Samuel 22:31-32 NLT

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. – Psalm 84:11 NIV

This last verse is particularly pertinent because it reminds us of God’s previous assessment of Job. The Lord had declared His servant to be “a blameless and upright man” (Job 1:8 ESV). He viewed Job as faithful and a man of integrity. But God had allowed Satan to test Job’s allegiance. The Almighty permitted the enemy to take away all that was near and dear to Job, except his life. Satan had conjectured that Job would turn his back on God if all the blessings of life were removed. And, in a way, it almost seems as if Satan was right.

Job still acknowledges the presence and power of God. He has refrained from following his wife’s advice to curse God and die. But Job does not come across as a man who has a healthy relationship with His Creator. He doesn’t seem to view the ways of God as perfect and favorable. He doesn’t refer to God as his rock, sun, or shield. And while he readily admits that God is just, Job doesn’t describe Him as faithful or fair. In fact, Job’s assessment of God is anything but favorable or optimistic.

“When a plague sweeps through,
    he laughs at the death of the innocent.
The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked,
    and God blinds the eyes of the judges.
    If he’s not the one who does it, who is?” – Job 9:23-24 NLT

What makes this statement so significant is that it comes from the same lips that earlier declared, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10 ESV). Job no longer appears willing to “receive evil” from the hand of God. He has had enough and demands that his innocence be acknowledged and his suffering come to an end. In a way, Job reveals that he knows what is best and is determined to get his way, and the only thing standing in his way is God. Whether he realizes it or not, Job has decided to play god and, in doing so, he has declared war on Yahweh. He has decided that Yahweh is unfair and ultimately, unjust in His dealings with men. Without realizing it, Job has succumbed to the same tactic that Satan used to deceive Eve in the garden. He has bought into the enemy’s tempting offer of autonomy.

“…your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” – Genesis 3:5 NLT

Job’s eyes had been “opened” by the lies of Satan and he believed that he knew what was best for himself. He decided that he was right and God was wrong. Without actually saying it, Job declared that his way would be better than God’s way. His brand of justice would be superior to that of God. His definition of right and wrong was the only one to consider and his preferred outcome was the only one he would accept. But Job had a lot to learn about the justice of God, and he would soon discover that his desperate desire to play god would not improve his circumstances. The solution to his problem was not the removal of all the problems from his life. What he needed most was a healthy understanding of the character of God.

Confidence In God’s Commitment

July 12, 2020July 12, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁸Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
    and passing over transgression
    for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
    because he delights in steadfast love.
¹⁹He will again have compassion on us;
    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
    into the depths of the sea.
²⁰You will show faithfulness to Jacob
    and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
    from the days of old. – Micah 7:18-20 ESV

God’s response to Micah’s prayer had a profound impact on him. Hearing Yahweh state that He would once again show His chosen people “marvelous things” (Micah 7:15 ESV), and restore the nation to its former glory, caused Micah to express his gratitude in worship. He acknowledges that God is totally unique and without equal, asking rhetorically, “Who is a God like you?” For Micah, the answer is clear: No one is like God. The false gods, byproducts of man’s fertile and sinful imagination, were all vengeful, unforgiving deities who ruled over mere mortals in anger and judgment, and for their own vainglory. But not Yahweh. He “pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people” (Micah 7:18 NLT).

This thought blew Micah away because he was well aware of the guilt of his people. He had witnessed it firsthand and had personal experience with their stubborn refusal to admit and confess that guilt. The people of Judah deserved all that was coming to them. They had repeatedly rejected the pleas of men like Micah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, calling them to repent and return to the Lord. And yet, God had graciously expressed His intent to redeem and restore a remnant of them.

And Micah knows that this gracious response from God is totally undeserved and unmerited. Any future forgiveness and restoration the people of God experience will be due to His mercy and love.

You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. – Micah 7:18 NLT

Micah’s words reflect his familiarity with the writings of Moses, found in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. In the book of Exodus, Moses recorded his encounter with God on top of Mount Sinai. This was his second trip to the top of the mountain. His first had resulted in God giving him the Ten Commandments, written on tablets of stone. But when Moses had returned to the Israelite base camp with God’s law in hand, he had discovered the people of God celebrating and worshiping in front of a golden calf, constructed for them by Aaron, his own brother.

Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. – Exodus 32:15-16 ESV

And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. – Exodus 32:19-20 ESV

God had just given Moses the law, His code of conduct for His chosen people. But when Moses had returned to camp, he found the people of God worshiping a false god, displaying the true condition of their hearts. When Moses had not returned in a timely fashion, they had feared the worst and decided to replace Moses with Aaron and the God of Moses with one of their own making.

And God punished all those who took part in the rebellion against Him by subjecting them to a devastating and deadly plague. The rest of the nation, those who had refused to take part in the idolatry and insubordination, He forgave. And when Moses had returned to the top of the mountain to receive the second set of tablets inscribed with God’s commands, He had received the following message from Yahweh.

“Yahweh! The Lord!
    The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
    I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.” – Exodus 34:6-7 NLT

This message from God was in direct response to a request from Moses that he might see God’s glory. Moses had heard from God. He had seen manifestations of God’s glory in the form of the burning bush and the pillars of fire and cloud. But with this request, he was asking to see God face to face. And God had told him, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exodus 33:19 ESV). But God made it clear that His glory was too great for Moses to handle.

“…you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” – Exodus 33:20 ESV

When Moses had returned to the top of Mount Sinai, God kept His promise and allowed Moses to get a fleeting glimpse of His glory. And it was then that He described Himself as the God of compassion and mercy, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. God’s character is the true essence of His glory. And Micah seemed to understand the reality of that sentiment.

He was completely blown away by God’s mercy and love. This great God who had made the universe and all it contained, was going to graciously forgive the sins of His rebellious people. And the thought of it left Micah struggling to put into words just how amazing this grace of God really was.

Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean! – Micah 7:19 NLT

Micah knew his people deserved nothing but the wrath of God. He was not blindly optimistic, somehow hoping that they would one day get their proverbial act together and return to God on their own accord. No, he knew that their pattern of stubbornness and spiritual infidelity would continue. And yet, he also knew that God would forgive. He knew what Zechariah, his fellow prophet, knew. God was going to show compassion on His wayward and sin-prone people.

“I will strengthen the house of Judah,
    and I will save the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back because I have compassion on them,
    and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,
    for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.” – Zechariah 10:6 ESV

Micah was confident in the compassion of God because he believed in the trustworthiness of God. He was intimately familiar with the promises that God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” – Genesis 12:2-3 ESV

“And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” – Genesis 17:7-8 ESV

“I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” – Genesis 35:11-12 ESV

Over and over again, God had recommitted Himself to Abraham and his descendants, guaranteeing His intentions to keep His promises. In spite of all their sinful ways, God had never reneged on His covenant promises. While they had proven themselves to be unfaithful, He had remained completely faithful and unwavering in His commitment to do all that He had said He would do. And Micah had taken God at His word. Which led him to boldly and confidently exclaim:

You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago. – Micah 7:20 NLT

For Micah, it wasn’t a matter of if, but only when. He knew that God was going to keep His word. He was completely confident that every single promise God had made would come to fulfillment – at just the right time and in just the right way. Because he knew this about his God:

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
– Numbers 23:19 NLT

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

rest in God

Light in the Darkness

Learning to Trust God

When Questioning God Becomes Playing God

Confidence In God’s Commitment