Looking Ahead

This week’s study in 2 Samuel 23 caused me to imagine what it will be like when Christ rules the earth. Verse 4 is part of the oracle of God channeled through David near the end of David’s life. This oracle is a prophecy and is different from David’s other songs and psalms in that verses 1-2 identifies it as the utterance or oracle directly from God (and not from David’s own thoughts). When we get to verse 4 it talks about what it will be like when there is a ruler over the people ruling in the fear of God (verse 3).

2 Samuel 23:4: “like the morning light at sunrise on a cloudless day that makes the grass on the earth sparkle after a rain” (CJB). Picture in your mind the most glorious cloudless day and the total sparkling of the greenest grass after a nice rain. This brought to mind some of the images various Scriptures (old and new testaments) gives us about the earth when Jesus is ruling over it in the end times. One commentary put it this way:

“Imagine a world where the curse is removed, where the environment is restored to the pristine purity of the Garden of Eden” (See Summary of Millennial Kingdom by clicking here.)

It is hard for me to imagine such a world, but it does cause me to look forward with great anticipation to such a beautiful time and place (the commentary listed several other wonderful characteristics of those times).

In contrast, for those who are not a part of God’s kingdom, 2 Samuel 23:6-7 tell us of what the ungodly are like and what they can expect in those times.

But the ungodly are like thorn bushes to be pushed aside, every one of them. They cannot be taken in one’s hand; To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft, and then only to burn them where they lie. (CJB)

The aforementioned commentary also explains more about that. It is a contrast that is not missed by me: beautiful Eden-like creation vs. useless thorns thrown into a fire.

As part of God’s kingdom, I’m rejoicing and, as I said, looking forward to such a glorious time.

Misconceptions

There’s a Psalm of David neatly tucked away in 2 Samuel 22. In studying the chapter, I found out Psalm 18 duplicates 2 Samuel 22 almost word for word. However, some of the common words used in verse 33 of 2 Samuel (and verse 32 in Psalm 18) meant something different than I have thought in the past. I’m going to look at the 2 Samuel verse (and compare it to a familiar verse in Proverbs (3:6).

“God is my strength and protection; he makes my way go straight” (2 Samuel 22:33 CJB). The question I had was what does “my way go straight” mean. Does it mean that He will never let me take the wrong path? Does it mean that everything in my life will go smoothly? After looking the words “way” and “straight” up in a Hebrew concordance and dictionary (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible), the definitions gave me new insight into the passage (and Proverbs 3:6).

“Way” does not mean a path or direction. The Hebrew sense of the word means a course of life or mode of action. Another description of it said, “manner and behavior.” This is not a physical pathway to be followed, but a moral and spiritual manner of living.

Straight (or in the King James Version, perfect), means having integrity, truth, and being without blemish, and undefiled. More simply it means “true, without deception or fault.” Again, this is not a physical, easy, not difficult pathway, but a set of character qualities that He desires to develop in us.

So I rewrote 2 Samuel 22:33 and Proverbs 3:6 to use these explanations of these words that we have taken for granted that we understood:

2 Samuel 22:33: “God is my strength and protection; He makes my manners and behaviors go true and without deception.”

Proverbs 3:6: “In all your behaviors and manner acknowledge Him, And He will make your spiritual journey on this earth true and without deception.”

Both imply an ongoing process of growth and change in those committed to following His teachings. It’s not a “get out of jail free” card. There’s a cost for us to live the way He desires. Kris, my Bible study partner, put it this way: “If you honor Him, He will help you to honor Him more.” This happens as He teaches us exactly what character traits He wants to develop in us.