The Heart of God (2)
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The Heart of God
The Heart of God
What’s our view of God? Do we misunderstand his nature?
18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Authoritarian God
Distant God
Critical God.
22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
One way we can get a glimpse of God’s heart is to read about David since he was “a man after God’s own heart.”
1 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied. 3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.” 4 “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” 5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
4 (Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)
i. David’s question showed a great love because Saul made himself an enemy of David. It was customary in those days for the king of a new dynasty to completely massacre anyone connected with the prior dynasty. David went against the principle of revenge and against the principle of self-preservation and asked what he could do for the family of his enemy.
Lo-Debar Place-name variously spelled in Hebrew to mean “no word” or “to him a word” or “to speak.” No Pasture. Pasture-less. n house. Instead, he lived in the house of another man.
Mephibosheth lived a life knowing what was done to him and the condition he lived in wasn’t his fault.
Running from God cripples us.
We usually find ourselves in places like Lo- Debar
Mephibosheth was in hiding.
Lo-Debar Place-name variously spelled in Hebrew to mean “no word” or “to him a word” or “to speak.” No Pasture. Pastureless.
Alpaugh, Or Tatooine, Anakin Skywalker. A lothed, disgusting place to hide.
He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel: This speaks of Mephibosheth’s low station in life. He didn’t even have his own house. Instead, he lived in the house of another man.
He fell on his face and prostrated himself: According to the custom of the times, Mephibosheth had a lot to fear from David. Yet his fear of David was not founded in fact, only on assumption.
We assume God is an authoritarian. Fact, He’s a loving God.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
We assume God is critical. Fact, He’s accepting and affirming .
We are hardwired for affirmation.
Opposite: denial, rejection, disowning, abandonment.
21 God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. 22 By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.
We assume God is distant. Fact, He desires long walks with us.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
It’s God’s heart to restore your worth.
8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
To share in His provision.
10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
To adopt us and place us in a loving family.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.
To be sustained in our weakness.
13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
You will be better off.
18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”