Acts 17 - The Berean Call

… they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Acts 17:11

Mission Statement

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

The Lord has called us to a life of holiness before Him and to live our life in humility.  We are to love and respect our spouses and raise up our children to know, love and respect the Lord our God.  In studying God’s Word, we will draw closer to Him and receive the power for Jesus Christ to live his life through us.  It is the purpose of the Acts 17 class to equip God’s children to be the spouse and parent God has called them to be.  In so doing, we will also be equipped for the work of ministry and for edifying the body of Christ so that we will not be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but will be able to cast down the arguments of the enemy, bringing them into subjection, even unto the obedience of Christ.

The Twilight Series

 

The deceiver, Satan, is very subtle and plants thoughts into our minds so many times and we are not aware of it. One of his devices is to spread lies through riveting, emotional stories which have characters many of us can identify with and have compassion for.... even though it's just fiction. I enjoy an "edge of your seat" novel as much as the next person, but after years of studying the Bible and also reading "The Screwtape Letters", I have been able to see many of Satan's subtleties which I couldn't see before.

Before this series ever came out the Holy Spirit showed me that the whole idea of vampires is an attack by Satan on the precious blood of Jesus. Remember, Jesus told the multitudes that to be His disciples, they must eat of His flesh and drink His blood. We know that He did not mean to literally drink His blood. If it were not for his sacrifice, we could not have eternal life. Yet, in these fictitious stories, the vampire who does drink blood, rather than having an abundant, rewarding life is tormented and wishes he could die. This is to plant the thought in our minds that eternal life is not a good thing.

Philippians 4:8 8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

I think I'll read the true word of God rather than man's fiction (another word for “not true”... i.e. a lie)

 

The Church Headed Down the Broad Way

Matthew 24:3-4 ³Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” ⁴And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.”

Of all the messages I have listened to concerning end time events, hardly any focus on the very first sign Jesus gave as a sign of the coming of Christ and the end of the age. The very first sign is spiritual deception. I would like to address this very briefly.

I have read large portions of the Purpose Driven Life and while I did not feel particularly inspired, I did not see anything wrong with it at that time.  However, after reading some conservative writers who apparently know more than me, I can see now that this book is intended to get our eyes off of the grace of God and onto our own works and eventually the New Spirituality. These writers have done some tremendous documented research on the New Age's infiltration into the church. One writer, Warren Smith, was actually in the New Age movement in the 1980’s and was miraculously saved from it. With his knowledge of the New Age, or referred to now as New Spirituality or New World View, their teachings stand out as red flags to him. The uninformed, which I did not consider myself to be among, read right over it and saw only the Christian terminology and bad Bible translations, which Mr. Warren so cunningly twists.

Rick Warren’s choice of people to quote in the Purpose Driven Life is disturbing. Below are just two of several such people I feel should make Mr. Warren’s whole book suspect just on the grounds that

1. Bertrand Russell was a famous, avowed atheist, yet Warren starts off his book with an unqualified quote from a man who never accepted Christ. Why would Rick Warren do this? Are there not enough wonderfully intelligent Christians to quote from? Why introduce your congregation or your readers to a man in a positive light who has rejected God and was made famous for doing so. He may have been able to quote him if he would have qualified it by saying that he did not agree with him but that even an atheist sees thus and so, but Mr. Warren did not do that. To introduce your congregation and readers to a person who is anti-Christian opens their mind up to accept what that person writes as being valid.
2. Anais Nin was an erotic novelist. At the beginning of chapter 5, Warren quotes this immoral woman without telling who she is. While the words themselves may be harmless, if it strikes a chord with readers, they will be sure to find out who she was. Anais had a ten year incestuous affair with her father after he had been out of her life for twenty years. She had many affairs with other writers and loved to write about them in great detail in her novels as well as her published diaries.

Now look at Rick Warren's endorsement of Barak Obama and how he stated that either Barak Obama or John McCain would be a fine president. When Barak Hussein Obama (mmm, mmm, mmm¹) announced that he would have an openly gay "pastor" pray at the inaugural ceremonies, Rick Warren said,  "President-elect Obama has again demonstrated his genuine commitment to bringing all Americans of goodwill together in search of common ground...I applaud his desire to be the president of every citizen.²"
Mr. Warren is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations³, the globalist elite think-tank group which is running and ruining our great nation. Also, Rick Warren is working hand in hand with the United Nations in his global P.E.A.C.E. plan⁴.  With the U.N.'s history of Christian bashing, what kind of pastor is it that they willingly and openly endorse? Look at how the corporate world, which doesn't have the Holy Spirit, has embraced the Purpose Driven Life and spoken so highly of it and then consider Luke 6:26 in which Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."

His books are also being used for the acceptance of socialism by the entire nation; much like Hitler used the Lutheran church just before he came into his full power. Remember, Nazi is a shortened term for National Socialism in German. By the time you reach chapter 38 on this roller coaster ride, a ride of going up a list of biblical terms to only come down into a list of socialist activities, you are being told that to be a good Christian, you have to be involved in “community” or “global” experiences. This is where his P.E.A.C.E. plan fits in. It was only after it was too late that some of the conservative Lutheran pastors in Nazi Germany realized they had been duped.  We hear about the 6 million Jews who were killed in the holocaust, and it is tragic indeed.  However, Hitler also killed over ten million German Protestants who dared to take a stand against him as well. Think of it, ten million of his own people, and we never hear about that anymore, even though it is well documented in history.
More disturbing than this is Rick Warren’s speech in which he lauded the passion and commitment of the followers of Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany, Vladimir Lenin of the Communist Soviet Union and Communist China’s Mao Zedong as being radical enough to get things done and asking Christians to be just as radical⁵. What he fails to mention is that these men were demon possessed and led millions upon millions to their death and then their final destiny in hell.

God has given His church “watchmen on the wall.” We must be as the Bereans were in the book of Acts, and take what these watchmen are warning us about and evaluate Rick Warren and others like him by the light of God’s word. If it does not line up with the Word of Almighty God, I do not want it, no matter how successful they are or promise me I will be.

1.) Reference to a chant taught to school children. See YouTube video.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6IxvNTKsWY]

 

2.) Huffington Post - Jan. 15, 2009

3.) http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/006/pd-deception.htm

4.) http://www.crossroad.to/charts/millennium-goals-peace.htm

5.) Watch this video of Warren encouraging people to emulate the followers of

Hitler, Lenin and Mao. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRctKSeyQ-s&feature=related

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRctKSeyQ-s]

The Twilight Series

 

The deceiver satan is very subtle and plants thoughts into our minds so many times and we are not aware of it. One of his devices is to spread lies through riveting, emotional stories which have characters many of us can identify with and have compassion for.... even though it's just fiction. I enjoy an "edge of your seat" novel as much as the next person, but after years of studying the Bible and also reading "The Screwtape Letters", I have been able to see many of satan’s subtleties which I couldn't see before.

Before this series ever came out the Holy Spirit showed me that the whole idea of vampires is an attack by satan on the precious blood of Jesus. Remember, Jesus told the multitudes that to be His disciples, they must eat of His flesh and drink His blood. We know that He did not mean to literally drink His blood. If it were not for his sacrifice, we could not have eternal life. Yet, in these fictitious stories, the vampire who does drink blood, rather than having an abundant, rewarding life is tormented and wishes he could die. This is to plant the thought in our minds that eternal life is not a good thing.

Philippians 4:8 8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

I think I'll read the true word of God rather than man's fiction (another word for “not true”... i.e. a lie)

 

The Church Headed Down the Broad Way

Matthew 24:3-4 ³Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” ⁴And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.”

Of all the messages I have listened to concerning end time events, hardly any focus on the very first sign Jesus gave as a sign of the coming of Christ and the end of the age. The very first sign is spiritual deception. I would like to address this very briefly.

I have read large portions of the Purpose Driven Life and while I did not feel particularly inspired, I did not see anything wrong with it at that time.  However, after reading some conservative writers who apparently know more than me, I can see now that this book is intended to get our eyes off of the grace of God and onto our own works and eventually the New Spirituality. These writers have done some tremendous documented research on the New Age's infiltration into the church. One writer, Warren Smith, was actually in the New Age movement in the 1980’s and was miraculously saved from it. With his knowledge of the New Age, or referred to now as New Spirituality or New World View, their teachings stand out as red flags to him. The uninformed, which I did not consider myself to be among, read right over it and saw only the Christian terminology and bad Bible translations, which Mr. Warren so cunningly twists.

Rick Warren’s choice of people to quote in the Purpose Driven Life is disturbing. Below are just two of several such people I feel should make Mr. Warren’s whole book suspect just on the grounds that

1. Bertrand Russell was a famous, avowed atheist, yet Warren starts off his book with an unqualified quote from a man who never accepted Christ. Why would Rick Warren do this? Are there not enough wonderfully intelligent Christians to quote from? Why introduce your congregation or your readers to a man in a positive light who has rejected God and was made famous for doing so. He may have been able to quote him if he would have qualified it by saying that he did not agree with him but that even an atheist sees thus and so, but Mr. Warren did not do that. To introduce your congregation and readers to a person who is anti-Christian opens their mind up to accept what that person writes as being valid.
2. Anais Nin was an erotic novelist. At the beginning of chapter 5, Warren quotes this immoral woman without telling who she is. While the words themselves may be harmless, if it strikes a chord with readers, they will be sure to find out who she was. Anais had a ten year incestuous affair with her father after he had been out of her life for twenty years. She had many affairs with other writers and loved to write about them in great detail in her novels as well as her published diaries.

Now look at Rick Warren's endorsement of Barak Obama and how he stated that either Barak Obama or John McCain would be a fine president. When Barak Hussein Obama (mmm, mmm, mmm¹) announced that he would have an openly gay "pastor" pray at the inaugural ceremonies, Rick Warren said,  "President-elect Obama has again demonstrated his genuine commitment to bringing all Americans of goodwill together in search of common ground...I applaud his desire to be the president of every citizen.²"
Mr. Warren is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations³, the globalist elite think-tank group which is running and ruining our great nation. Also, Rick Warren is working hand in hand with the United Nations in his global P.E.A.C.E. plan⁴.  With the U.N.'s history of Christian bashing, what kind of pastor is it that they willingly and openly endorse? Look at how the corporate world, which doesn't have the Holy Spirit, has embraced the Purpose Driven Life and spoken so highly of it and then consider Luke 6:26 in which Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."

His books are also being used for the acceptance of socialism by the entire nation; much like Hitler used the Lutheran church just before he came into his full power. Remember, Nazi is a shortened term for National Socialism in German. By the time you reach chapter 38 on this roller coaster ride, a ride of going up a list of biblical terms to only come down into a list of socialist activities, you are being told that to be a good Christian, you have to be involved in “community” or “global” experiences. This is where his P.E.A.C.E. plan fits in. It was only after it was too late that some of the conservative Lutheran pastors in Nazi Germany realized they had been duped.  We hear about the 6 million Jews who were killed in the holocaust, and it is tragic indeed.  However, Hitler also killed over ten million German Protestants who dared to take a stand against him as well. Think of it, ten million of his own people, and we never hear about that anymore, even though it is well documented in history.
More disturbing than this is Rick Warren’s speech in which he lauded the passion and commitment of the followers of Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany, Vladimir Lenin of the Communist Soviet Union and Communist China’s Mao Zedong as being radical enough to get things done and asking Christians to be just as radical⁵. What he fails to mention is that these men were demon possessed and led millions upon millions to their death and then their final destiny in hell.

God has given His church “watchmen on the wall.” We must be as the Bereans were in the book of Acts, and take what these watchmen are warning us about and evaluate Rick Warren and others like him by the light of God’s word. If it does not line up with the Word of Almighty God, I do not want it, no matter how successful they are or promise me I will be.

1.) Reference to a chant taught to school children. See YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6IxvNTKsWY&feature=related

2.) Huffington Post - Jan. 15, 2009

3.) http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/006/pd-deception.htm

4.) http://www.crossroad.to/charts/millennium-goals-peace.htm

5.) Watch this video of Warren encouraging people to emulate the followers of Hitler, Stalin and Mao. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRctKSeyQ-s&feature=related

Faith for the Ages

Proverbs 22:1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

Almost everyone would like a good name. But just who do you want to recognize your name? Well, most people would like everyone to hold them in high regard, however this is unrealistic. So what is one to do?

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

“13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

It’s apparent that we are to seek to have a good name before God. And in many cases a good name with God means a despised name with man, at least the people outside of the church. But we still need to find out how to obtain a good name.

The world attributes a good name to anyone who displays a moderate to high level of success in the corporate sector, the entertainment world or whatever their vocation may be. Of course if they are beautiful or handsome that increases their good name with the world as well; some having a good name strictly because of their looks. But “… the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7) And in Romans 4:3 “… “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

We see here that faith, or trust in God’s person, character, word and works is what God looks at when He evaluates us. It’s not enough just to believe that He exists, you have to trust His promises. You have to trust that He Who has promised is faithful to perform what He said He’ll perform. He is not looking for our mental or physical ability to do our job. He is not looking at the beauty of our hair or the smoothness of our skin. He is looking for those who will trust what He says is true.

Hebrews 11:1-4 1Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (confidence) of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. 4By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

Wow! Can you imagine that? God, the very Creator of the universe, testifying that you are righteous because of your faith. God letting everyone else know that your trust in Him and His word has brought you favor in His sight. We have an awesome and good God who wants nothing but good for us. That being said, He will let us go through trials in order to build up our faith, but then if it builds up our faith, then He is more pleased with us.

Hebrews 11:5-6 5By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Did you see that? Abel lost his life because of his faith and Enoch did not have to taste death because of his faith yet both had God testifying that they were righteous because they had put their hope and trust in God. This is in stark contrast to what many teach from the pulpits today. They teach that if you are healthy, without troubles and rich that you must be exhibiting faith and receiving the blessings of God. At the same time, they will teach that if your life is in constant turmoil and pain then you are under the curse from unbelief. There is actually no scriptural basis for this. Many of the saints of old endured trials constantly yet they put their trust in God and He saw them through.

Now let us move on to verse six. There are many in the church today who believe God is, yet they do not know that they must diligently seek Him. This means you must chase after Him. You must keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking until that which you desire is given to you or if it is something against His will you hear a resounding “My grace is sufficient for thee.” As one church sign said, “Delay does not mean denial.” Praise the Lord that church kept the sign up for three months straight because it helped me through a very tough time. Just because we don’t get our answer immediately doesn’t mean we will never receive it, it just means He may be testing our faith.

On a side note, one other reason for delay could be answered by asking the question, “How will this answered prayer affect others?” It is possible that answering the prayer may affect others so drastically that it will take time to reposition everyone involved to a place where no one else’s faith is harmed. Remember, He is the God of the universe, but He is also the God of each individual who puts their hope and trust in Him. Your request may be conflicting with another person’s prayer and more often than not, His answered prayers are in the form of the miracles of everyday events rather than obvious miracles.

Hebrews 11:11-12 11By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

Abraham and Sarah were well advanced in years before they even received the promise of a son, Sarah’s womb long past functioning properly. It also says that Abraham was as good as dead because of his age. Don’t you know that they prayed when they were in their youth for children? Don’t you think they went into their middle age hoping for a child? Yet God did not promise them a child until Abraham was 75 years old and Sarah was 65. The part that most people do not stop to think about is that they had to act in faith on this promise because this child, Isaac, was conceived the same way you and I were. And for twenty five years they tried to conceive until Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90, yet it says, “she judged Him faithful who had promised.” Most modern teachers would say, “well, if they would have had more faith earlier on, they would not have had to wait so long.” Again, there is no basis in scripture that bears this out. Sometimes we just have to wait for God’s appointed time, otherwise if we try to rush things along, we could cause problems of enormous proportions. Along the way, Abraham and Sarah tried to help God along and Ishmael was born whose descendents are still fighting against the world today.

Hebrews 11:24-26 24By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

Moses lived in Egypt for 40 years, then in the desert for 40 years before God ever called him to be the great, albeit reluctant, prophet that he was and he led the children of Israel for 40 years.

Joseph, after being sold into slavery at the age of 14, made his way up in Potiphar’s house. Then he was put into prison for eleven years for something he did not do, but he did not give up on his promise that one day he would rule over his brothers.

David, after being anointed king over Israel had to endure the hardship of living in the desert, running for his life from Saul for eighteen long years. Yet he kept his eyes on God’s promise and look at the Psalms he wrote. Some of them are from deep despair and others are in triumphant victory, but either way, he was diligently seeking God and clinging to the promise that he would be king.

Paul, the apostle, had to wait fourteen years before his 1st missionary trip in which God performed mighty miracles. He went through more trials than probably anyone else in the Bible but he knew that God was faithful and he put his whole heart to trusting Him.

Hebrews 11:32-40 32And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35Women received their dead raised to life again.

Did you know that Jesus Himself had to put His faith in God the Father and His word? Here is the proof.

John 12:42-50 42Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. 44Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

We must be in God’s Word and following the direction of His Spirit at all times. Remember, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”(Romans 10:17) It does not say faith comes by hearing the word of God. But to translate, it says that we must be in the word of God to open our spiritual ears and then the Holy Spirit can make His word come alive in our hearts and mind and that will bring faith, which in turn will please God.

Let us be of the testimony that we love the praise of God more than the praise of men so that on that day, He will say, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Dennis Tolar
© June 20, 2009

The Message of the Cross In the Life of David

Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? John 3:10

In years past I often wondered what Jesus meant when he asked Nicodemus this question. No one alive during Jesus’ time could comprehend what God’s true plan of salvation was, so why was He putting Nicodemus on the spot like this? Even Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, admits that the plan of salvation by Jesus Christ and Him crucified was hidden during earlier times and that it was the church’s purpose to make known “…to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:10-11)

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a ruler and teacher of the Jews, therefore he should have been fully familiar with the Word of God and most likely had much of it memorized. However, since Jesus had not yet died, risen and ascended into heaven, and the Holy Spirit had not yet been given, he did not have the enlightenment of the Spirit of Truth upon the Word of God. When the Jews read the scriptures they saw the meaning of the names of people, places and things. However, the translators who translated from Hebrew to English merely transliterated the names for us, finding an English spelling which would give us a similar sound, when it came to proper nouns, rather than translating their meaning. This is why Jesus asked Nicodemus "Are you the teacher of Israel and you do not know these things?" when he asked Jesus what He meant by “you must be born again”. Anyone in Israel who studied the scriptures should have been able to see these things clearly, yet having eyes, they did not see. While I am aware that one can over-spiritualize many things in scripture, I am convinced that this story played out in reality just as the Bible says it did. However, God made sure that the names of the people and places in the story of David also told the story of Christ’s victory on the cross.

1 Samuel 16


1Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”  2And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul (asked or demand) hears it, he will kill me.”

Here Saul is symbolic of the system of law. First and foremost, the law was given to Moses, which was good and right, and it was the “handwriting of requirements that was against us” (Col. 2:14) It was what God asked or demanded of us. However, it lacked the power and ability to forgive; it lacked the power ability to set free; it lacked the power and ability to stop death which was the punishment for not keeping the whole law. God had already rejected Saul for his incomplete obedience of God’s word. The law can tell us what God demands of us, yet it does not help us in our fallen, weakened state to obey. It merely required sacrifice to atone for our incomplete obedience of God’s Word. This is why God had rejected Saul to rule and reign over His people. And as we will see in chapter 17, Saul, symbolic of the law, was powerless against death.

But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3Then invite Jesse (Yahweh exists) to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.” 4So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice. 6So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’S anointed is before Him!” 7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 8So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 10Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.”

The names of David's three oldest brothers are Eliab (God is father), Abinadab (the father is generous), and Shammah (waste or ruin). These are symbolic of the three primary ways that man attempts to present himself righteous before God.

The name Eliab sounds holy, but we can see in 1 Samuel 17:28 that his heart was not right just as God had said. 

1 Samuel 17:28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

There are many who sound and look holy outwardly but take no thought of God's will. They may claim to be of God and put on a good outward show, but deep inside they are “whitewashed tombs… full of dead men’s bones”. They may think they are righteous either by their works, past standing in the church or their relationship to others in the church, but they are relying on all of the wrong things to show themselves righteous before the Lord.

Abinadab apparently liked to do good works, as his name implies, but as God said, He had rejected him. Many people do good works but it is out of selfish ambition to make a name for themselves rather than to please God. The Pharisees were like this. Whenever they would do a charitable deed, they would stand on a street corner and announce it to everyone, yet they would not help the man who had been beaten and left for dead, laying in a ditch. This is becoming more and more common in the church today. People doing good deeds for others, but because they think this will save them and present them righteous, they do not bother to tell others about Jesus and their need for the Savior. They may have a wonderfully organized program, they may have the entire community involved, but if the gospel isn’t preached, then it does no one any good.

Shammah is the brother who believes that he must give everything up for the sake of suffering itself, rather than suffering for the sake of Jesus and the gospel. We see people like this so much in the world and they are making their way into the church as well. They are much like a Catholic monk, trying to put their body through much pain and depravation, but God has rejected this as well. We cannot suffer enough to please God. Our suffering will not save us. It is only by the once and for all shed blood of Jesus that we can be declared just and righteous before a Holy God.

The scriptures do not mention the other brothers’ names but these three represent the three most common ways man attempts to show himself righteous. The number seven represents completeness. Therefore, the fact that seven brothers appear and are rejected shows that God has rejected each and every one of man's attempts to be righteous in his own strength.

11And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David (well beloved) from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

David is a type and a shadow of Jesus Christ. His name means "well beloved" just as God said of Jesus, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." David is in stark contrast to Saul. While Saul sought to make a name for himself among the nations by not completely obeying God because he thought God’s instructions were too severe, David put his dedication to obeying God’s Word first in spite of what others thought. Then Saul sought to atone for his sin by offering up sacrifices for himself without a priest, which was unlawful. Saul was more concerned with doing his own will then sacrificing to cover his sin. David was more concerned with obeying God’s will to start with and glorifying Him, rather than offering up sacrifices. This brings to mind a contrast between the law and Jesus which is explained in Hebrews 10:1-10

1For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
5Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’”
8Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

We also see in Acts 13:22 that David was a man after God’s own heart.

22And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’

Jesus testified of Himself in John 14:49-50.

49For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Even though Jesus is the Son of God and equal with God the Father in power, authority, and substance, He still submitted to the Father’s will and was obedient “even unto death”.

14But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. 15And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”  17So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.” 18Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him.” 19Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. 21So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

We see in verse 20 that David brought to Saul bread, a skin of wine and a young goat, all on the back of a donkey. Jesus said, “I Am the Bread of Life”. He told them that their fathers ate manna in the wilderness but were now dead, but whoever ate of Him, the Bread of Life, would not die. The bread He was offering them was His flesh; another reference to the cross.


Also, Jesus brought to us the “new wine” of the Holy Spirit, which can only be received if we have been born again by His blood sacrifice on the cross. Jesus taught His disciples that you do not put new wine in old wine skins, otherwise they would burst. A wineskin consisted of the skin of a goat or sheep, which had been specially treated and sealed to hold the wine. Once a skin had been used, it had to be “made new” before it could be reused otherwise pressure from the gases inside as the wine aged would cause it to burst. The process for making the skin new included turning the skin inside out and treating it with olive oil to make the skin supple and pliable once again so that it could expand and not burst. This paints a beautiful picture of a believer being born again; God turning the believer inside out and making them supple and pliable to do His will by the application of the oil of His Holy Spirit.

The young goat points to the Old Testament sin offering. Different offerings or sacrifices had different meanings and functions, but they all pointed to Christ’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross which encompassed all sacrifices which must be offered up to God. The young goat was used as a sin offering and would later be referred to the animal as a “scape goat”. Even though the animal had done nothing worthy of death, the sins of the one offering it were laid on the goat symbolically by him laying his hands on its head to transfer the sins to the animal. This was the animal which was supposed to take the sins away from the one offering it.

However, in Hebrews 10:4, we read “4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Therefore, Christ had to die on Calvary to take away our sins.


These three gifts to Saul paint a picture of the New Testament covenant which we have in Jesus Christ and they were presented to Saul riding on a donkey. What is the significance of this? Jesus rode into Jerusalem just before His crucifixion on the back of a donkey. In the Middle East, during the time the Bible was written, if a king were to enter a city with the intent of war, then he would ride in on horseback. However, if he were coming in peace, then he would ride in on the back of a donkey to show his lack of aggression.

Jesus was offering a new covenant, also seen in the Lord’s supper with the bread and wine signifying His death on the cross. Just as Jesus told His disciples, the bread was His flesh and the wine was His blood and we must partake of them, in the figurative sense, in order to be His. Hebrews 10:9 reads, “9then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.:” David had been anointed to be king to take Saul’s place. Saul is symbolic of the law and David is symbolic of Jesus. Jesus was riding into Jerusalem, the seat of Jewish worship under the law in a non-aggressive way to offer the New Covenant, which is Jesus Himself, to those who were worshipping under the law.