by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, (ESV)
In Jesus Christ a new harmony formed, not along the lines of race, family, or country, but in the basis of membership in the family of God. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:15 titled “Christ’s Way of Making Peace,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims the words of Paul, saying all who believe are adopted into God’s family and become inheritors with Christ of the whole world. In this new people there is neither Jew nor Gentile, for the people of God are those who are the children of Abraham by nature of their faith in Christ and their adoption into God’s family. This is why division in the church on the basis of age, race, and nationality are such a travesty. The peace of God transcends all divisions and walls. This peace, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes, is one that makes fallen men and women righteous before God and it also puts them in a right relationship with one another as brothers and sisters in the family of God. This new relationship is the first fruits of what is to come in the new creation that Christ will bring to completion when He returns in glory and judgment on the last day. The church should look to the peace that Christ has granted in the gospel as the greatest hope in the Christian life.
[This is another segment in the Music in the Bible series which begins in Genesis and finishes in Revelation.]
image source: wikiwand.com
Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound.(1 Kings 1:39-40)
If you've been following this series, you know by now that the Lord typically ordained trumpets and horns to signal a momentous event. Horns were also used on the battlefield, either to instill fear in the enemy to signal a retreat. Horns are cool and on this occasion marking Solomon's ascension to the throne of Israel, horns blasted the good news throughout the kingdom with so much vigor that the earth seemed to shake. Kind of like sitting in your car and turning up the volume bass so loud that the vehicle actually rocks and bumps a bit. After all, sound waves are a scientific phenomenon that have been proven to move things and to even break glass. Can you imagine the sound shock wave that will shake the earth when Christ returns and silences all the powers of evil? Scripture symbolically describes it in Revelation 19:15 and compares it to a 'rod of iron' that will rule the earth. Yikes!
[This is another segment in the Music in the Bible series which begins in Genesis and finishes in Revelation.]
image source: worldhistoryedu.com
He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five.(1 Kings 4:32)
People respect, or are at least fascinated by, a prolific artist. Add to that energy wisdom, wealth and ladies by the score, you have the envy and admiration of the world.
God blessed Solomon, King David's son, tremendously because when the Lord asked him what one thing he wished for before ascending the throne, he requested wisdom. Our Heavenly Father seems to respect and respond in gracious abundance to petitioners who are honest and humble. Witness Jesus' response when a Canaanite woman, who was outside of our Lord's earthly ministry mission at the time, pestered and begged him to release her daughter from demon control. He replied:
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
But the woman's quick retort about 'even dogs get to eat crumbs at their master's table," gained his respect and he granted her wish. Way to think on your feet! (Matthew 15:22-28)
The Almighty gave us critical reasoning powers to use and when we do so for His purposes, He is pleased and rewards beyond our imaginations. Solomon's wisdom has been recorded in Scripture in song, judgments and lyric. His brilliance (and Israel's rich splendor as a kingdom) was spoke of throughout the known world at the time. Even the Queen of Sheba made the arduous and long journey to be granted an audience with him. What a lucky man!
[This is another segment in the Music in the Bible series which begins in Genesis and finishes in Revelation.]
And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound. (1 Kings 1:40)
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In this biblical account, we come to the end of King David's life. As he is about to shed the mortal coil and pass to eternity, it is important for him to name his successor to the throne. Like the wise and loyal king he has always been, he seeks counsel from God and the prophets before officially making the decree that his son, Solomon, should reign after him. This announcement is made with much fanfare, music and merry making because Solomon's reign became the high point of Israel's earthly glory. The terrestrial stretch of the kingdom fulfilled God's promise of reaching from the Euphrates to Egypt and rulers and princes from all over the world came to his courts to marvel at the greatness and wisdom that the Lord bestowed upon his servant and his people. It was truly a concert that changed the world with its message!
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (ESV)
Many people vie for the opportunity to be a citizen of a great nation, but Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones dives into the reality that Christians have a far greater privilege and responsibility as citizens of the kingdom of God. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:19 titled “Privileges and Responsibilities,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the magnificent realities that entail being made a citizen of the kingdom. God is actively pursuing the good of each and every member of the kingdom. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes, “All the resources of the Godhead are for us.” Accordingly, Christians have been given all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places and find their pinnacle in access to God Himself. Dr. Lloyd-Jones turns the sermon to discuss some of the responsibilities of the Christian. By way of illustration, if a person is in the army, they are going to be expected and required to live, look, and act a certain way, and it will be the greatest joy to do so. They want to represent their king and kingdom well. How much greater is the weight of responsibility for the Christian who was brought into the kingdom by the blood of their King?
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (ESV)
Hardly anyone claiming the title “Christian” would deny the need for God’s power in salvation. There is, however, a fundamental difference between the person who says salvation is the power of God in addition to something they do, and those who say salvation is God’s power working in them and through them. The latter has roots in the apostolic testimony but the former does not. Neither is this a mere linguistic quibble, says Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, but one’s very assurance is at stake. In this sermon on Ephesians 1:19–23 titled “Power to Us-ward Who Believe,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones says Paul is not simply concerned with God’s power towards His people, but His power in them. This is ultimately the final grounds of the Christian’s assurance. When they consider all that glory entails, especially standing before a holy God and seeing Him face-to-face, how can they ever have confidence that they will be fit to stand? Given that the world, sin, and the devil are constantly at war against the Christian, how will they ever overcome? Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows how the apostle Paul’s prayer calls minds to the resurrection power of God in order to assure that glory will be attained by God’s saints. It is God and by His power alone Christians are made and not even death will keep them from glory.
King David's song here is almost identical with Psalm 18. You should read all of chapter 22 as it is a full ballad of deliverance and description of God's working in his life through all the tribulations he experienced. The warrior poet king magnifies the Lord's promises and deeds in peace and in war, testifying to the repeated declaration throughout Scripture that "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. I will repay."
If the Lord is on your side, who can be against you? What can man do to you? He might be able to destroy your body, but your redeemed soul belongs to Christ Jesus for all eternity and those that harm you because of your faith have sealed their own fate into damnation. How often we forget the victory celebration that awaits us as believers! How many times have we neglected to give thanks and praise God for what He has done through us so that others may know of his Goodness and Greatness! After all, that is what we our commanded to do in the gospels--let our lights shine before others so that our Father in heaven may be glorified! (Matthew 5:16)
It did not end well for Sheba, the rascal rebel horn man who tried to lead yet another uprising against Kind David. In fact, he was pursued by General Joab and was beheaded by his own townsfolk in order to stop the king's forces from sacking and razing the Israelite town. Rock anthems (or any genre anthem for that matter) has the potential to create a buzz with people that can end up badly in the long run depending upon the spiritual force behind the sound. My constant prayer is that the Lord examines my motivations not only in the musical realm but in all realms of my daily walk. Otherwise, there is no point in the show going on. That being said, Christ was the penultimate rebel in a good way by bringing truth to light and exposing the misunderstanding and hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. That's a rebel yell I can get behind!
Christians beware: the devil let loose in these end times is a roaring lion found everywhere. Last night I watched a 2021 documentary on Amazon Prime Video called Cryptopia: Bitcoins, Blockchains and the Future of the Internet. I couldn't help but fit it all into a Scriptural point of view tempo track so here's my take.
There's a certain sort of successful music promoter on the East Coast who claims to be follower of Jesus Christ (he won't deal with explicit music at all) and he has several irons in the fire within the industry from selling beats to selling bitcoins. Or at least he claims they are bitcoins. The documentary I watched explained how easy it is now to forge bitcoins into what is called 'bitcoin' cash and market the product over the Internet as the genuine item. I can't accuse him of that but since he's a Spotify playlist pusher for pay, red flags immediately go up for me. That's a shady venture to be into and it suckers people into paying to get their music heard for a limited time with very small fiduciary results that don't come near to matching the cost of the service. It's called vanity based marketing and Omari, in the name of Christ, appears to be good at manipulating the unsuspecting.
Those of us who read our Bibles are probably familiar with the lament of Ecclesiastes:
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity! (Eccles 1:2)
In other words, every action that a natural man makes is based in selfishness and I can't help but believe that the bitcoin phenomenon is also self serving although many of its proponents claim they are decentralizing currency for the good of mankind. Such altruism sounds skeptical even to the least educated but what would Jesus say and isn't that what really matters?
In Matthew 6:21, Christ says: "For wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also." In the documentary, the producer was allowed limited access to a massive, nuclear proof vault deep in the heart of the Swiss Alps somewhere to see and to show us where bitcoin digital keys are kept securely offline in mainframes protected by guards with shoot-to-kill orders without prejudice against unauthorized intruders. For me, it was a hellish descent into the bowels of the earth that reminded of the line from the Revelation 6:16:
And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.
I don't know about you but I don't want my heart buried kilometers beneath the earth's surface awaiting a resurrection of the damned. I would prefer that my thoughts and imaginations sing freely at the top of peaks overlooking the wonder of God's green earth and touching the lower atmosphere of heaven! Sure, money is important and music to me equals a currency that is magnified throughout the Bible as gift from the Creator to His people given so that they may sing His praises forevermore. That's the beat that I live for!
[This is another segment in the Music in the Bible series which begins in Genesis and finishes in Revelation.]
"Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’ ” (2 Samuel 15:10)
image source: eniolaositelu.com
There is always intrigue at play within any king's court and David, who had by this time been Israel's sovereign for 40 years, was not exempt to the evils of treason under his feet. His third son, Absalom, was a charming and manipulative prince who had his eye on the throne and you can almost sense a Satan type and shadow in his attitude and behavior. He was not happy with being favored among the Israelites and trusted by David. He wanted it all so he planned to usurp the king, his father, through a subtle grassroots rebellion that would come to fruition when he gave the signal to sound the trumpets after all his schemes had been laid out and his army had been prepared. How painful this betrayal was for David and the schism that arose because of it left a deep scar on the society as all civil wars do. Aside from intrigue and spy stuff being cool in its entertainment value, there was nothing else 'glamorous' to be found in this biblical account except for the way Absalom finally met his untimely death--his beautiful head of hair got caught in some low hanging tree branches and he ended up a swinging duck for the darts and spears of his enemies from David's camp. His mission failed.
[This is another segment in the Music in the Bible series which begins in Genesis and finishes in Revelation.]
"So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore." (2 Samuel 2:28)
image source: 8tracks.com
Anyone who likes rock music knows what a 'face melting' guitar solo is. The shred blows you away and immobilizes you with its searing riffs and causes you to pause and admire the sound of the performance.
In this passage, civil war has been raging in the Promised Land for seven years after King Saul's death between those who supported David and those who were still loyal to Saul's tribe. This particular battle takes place in the wilderness of Gibeon which was not far from Jerusalem. The limited but ferocious conflict was led by Joab from David's immediate clan and Abner of the Benjamites who were still loyal to Saul. Both sides fought bravely but Abner's men suffered greater losses and he called for a truce which Joab agreed to and signaled with the blowing of the trumpet that stopped everyone in their tracks--a face melt if you will and a purposeful solo to end the bloody game.
WARNING:THIS video may cause serious injury or death, side effects may include melting of face due to awesomeness, hair falling out, and eyes and ears to explode!
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)
It is through salvation that Christians instantly join the eternal family of Christ. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:10 titled “His Workmanship,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how redeemed men and women now live new lives that are marked by the work of Christ in their hearts. This continual work in the life of believers is what is commonly called sanctification. Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims that part of salvation is that all who are truly regenerated are continually formed and fashioned in holiness so that they imitate Christ. God uses many means to conform Christians to the image of Christ, but one of the main ones is the chastisements of God. When believers fall into sin, God brings rebuke and correction into their life as a good father would. This is both a great comfort and reassurance of salvation, for all whom are truly saved are sons and daughters of God and treated as such. Those who claim that one can be saved yet not be sanctified grossly misunderstand the Scriptures’ teaching. From start to finish, all of salvation is under the control of God. For this reason, God works so that those whom He saved will be brought to fulfillment through sanctification and glorification.
so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
God uses the salvation of guilty and rebellious sinners as a means to bring glory and honor to His name. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:7 titled “The Exceeding Riches of His Grace,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones brings this convicting truth as he speaks of God’s Son Jesus Christ who died a cruel and torturous death as a criminal upon a cross. He did not do this so that the world would be a more comfortable place to live or so that people would become more moral. He did this to redeem a people to the praise of God the Father. The sin He died to overcome was far more than a simple social phenomenon; it was rebellion against God the Creator. And this world He came to set free from sin was not simply a world that had problems, but it was ruled by the devil, the god of this world. All of creation looked forward to this great act of redemption. From the creation of the world to God allowing the fall, it all finds its meaning in Jesus Christ and His vicarious death on the cross. Because this salvation is of God and wholly by grace, those who receive it can never fall away. For all who God saves, He will bring to perfection on the last day when He returns.
[This is another segment in the Music in the Bible series which begins in Genesis and finishes in Revelation.]
"And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:
‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?” (1 Samuel 21:11)
image source: WRWH
We are all aware of the power of music in triggering an emotion or perhaps a memory of some (hopefully) past event in our lives. But did you know that hero songs were common in biblical times? Since there weren't any digital capabilities to capture and preserve sound, songs were learned and relearned to keep important people and their deeds fresh in the collective memory. But sometimes the blowback is not good.
In this case, David is fleeing from King Saul who wants to kill him out of jealously. When he ended up in foreign territory and was brought face to face with Achish the king of Gath, the king's servants reminded him of this song and David was afraid because he did not want his fame as a warrior to proceed him in these circumstances since he was looking for shelter. So he started acting weird and the king dismissed him as a madman. Safe by reason of insanity!
[This is another segment in the Music in the Bible series which begins in Genesis and finishes in Revelation.]
Now the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.(1 Samuel 19:9-10)
image source: Art Renewal
Back in Shakespeare's day, unhappy audiences threw rotten fruit at the stage and pelted the under performing actors to show their displeasure. In contemporary times, boos and jeers are often enough to show disgust. It's a frightening prospect for an entertainer to face an audience that doesn't like the show and bad reviews mean cancelled future bookings or no bookings at all. So what did David do wrong to get a spear thrown at him?
David had just returned from another successful battle against the Philistines and his reputation as a warrior was surpassing King Saul's whose sinful and envious jealousy was causing him disfavor not only with his own conscious but in the sight of God and men. So people can bring a lot of baggage to a show and a performer can never know what to expect. Every audience is different and every response to that unique crowd can be different also. Stay on your toes!
[This is another segment in the Music in the Bible series which begins in Genesis and finishes in Revelation.]
6 Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. 7 So the women sang as they danced, and said:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands.”
8 Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 So Saul eyed David from that day forward. (1 Samuel 18:6-10)
An unhappy King Saul
There are numerous condemnations against envy and jealously mentioned throughout Scripture. It is succinctly forbidden in the Ten Commandments: "Thou shall not covet.". It's one of the hardest and most insidious sins that can worm its way into our Christian walk particularly amongst professional musicians who depend upon recognition for their livelihood.
If I could offer a magic prayer or formula to help us all with this universal flaw in human nature, then I would but I can't. Just remember that envy was also Satan's downfall. He was not content being the most beautiful and powerful of all the angels. He was still envious of God and wanted to usurp His throne out of jealous ambition. So if some spirit like the devil fell victim to jealously, what chance as mere mortals do we have? Thank you Jesus for the blood.
