I am sure someone will be SURPRISED!

Solomon?

Solomon!

Hardly a paragon of Christian living!

And yet the man prayed.

In fact, the longest prayer in the Bible flowed from the lips of this man, a son of King David. The prayer at the dedication of the Temple. The “Temple of Solomon” it’s called yet today.

On that grand day, worship of God was extravagant!

“Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which COULD NOT BE TOLD OR NUMBERED FOR MULTITUDE.” 2nd Chronicles 5:6

With musicians and singers (the whole allotment of them) and 120 priests sounding trumpets … “They lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD. So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.” 2nd Chronicles 5:13-14

Then, after reviewing a section of Israel’s history, Solomon began to pray: “And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands … and said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts.” The prayer obviously begins with praise, adoration! Here beginning with 2nd Chronicles 6:12.

We shall study this prayer for several days, I think.

Here’s the first request lodged with God. Merely asking God to fulfill His Word! (A God Who has never failed to do so, according to Joshua! “And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.” Joshua 23:14)

Here’s that beginning: “O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts. Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, KEEP WITH THY SERVANT DAVID MY FATHER THAT WHICH THOU HAST PROMISED, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me. Now then, O LORD God of Israel, LET THY WORD BE VERIFIED, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.” 2nd Chronicles 6:14-17

The Hebrew of the verb “be verified” is simply spelled “aman,” literally! It means: let Thy Word be “faithful, true, made sure, stand fast, continued!”

That’s great praying!

Reminding God of His Promises!

Praying God’s revealed Will! Something you already KNOW is going to occur! For example, in Ezekiel 36 God told the Jews His great plans for their future … then said, “I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.” In essence, “I promise this, but I still would have you pray for it,” Ezekiel 36:37, what a seminal verse!

Solomon is “on track!”

But, wait a minute. There are dozens of prayers in the Bible asking God to “keep His Word.” Why include the (at best questionable) Solomon as an example?

Because he, as King, is here praying for his whole Nation!

He is praying in the presence of all Israel!

This is congregational prayer, group prayer, corporate prayer!

Verse 12 (2nd Chronicles 6) told us, just before the prayer began: “And he (Solomon) stood before the altar of the Lord IN THE PRESENCE OF ALL THE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL, and spread forth his hands ….” And prayed for quite a while, with thousands upon thousands listening!

Oh … let me include one more element of his prayer today. “But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee: that thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place. Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; AND WHEN THOU HEAREST, FORGIVE.” 2nd Chronicles 6:18-21, ASKING FOR NATIONAL FORGIVENESS

Both individually … “if a man sin against his neighbor” … and as a Nation … “if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house; then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel” … quite amazing! 2nd Chronicles 6:22 and 24-25.

Confession of sin, potential sin anyway!

This is good praying!

And here in public!

Gathered as a Nation!

Wish America could see such days, once again!

The Lord willing, more Solomonic praying tomorrow morning.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

David has learned (of the Holy Spirit) the DEPTHS of the sin he has committed.

Then David too has scaled the HEIGHTS of the Mercy of God’s Character. Forgiveness has been granted. (“Thy MERCY, O LORD, is IN THE HEAVENS; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.” Psalm 36:5)

Now in today’s Lesson we will watch David ask for the “renewal” of his former spiritual passion!

Let me show you what I mean:

In Verse 6 David … knowing he has been very “foolish” in his sinning … requests “wisdom” in his life once again! The Wisdom of God, the very Wisdom his son Solomon sought as well.

In Verse 7 the Psalmist desires to again be “whiter than snow!” All the “stains” gone!

In Verse 8 he again wants to hear “joy and gladness!” Therefore we can deduct that unconfessed sin mutes any joy or gladness we might have previously been hearing! Makes us spiritually “deaf” to these blessings!

In Verse 10 he asks for “a right spirit!” Verse 11 mentions the “Holy Spirit” of God as well! David feels he CAN NOT LIVE without God’s Holy Spirit!

Then in Verse 12 he asks for security once again, to be “upheld” by God’s “Free Spirit!” I suspect the Holy Spirit Himself is again in David’s mind. The verb “samak” used here means “to support, to establish, to lean up against, to sustain,” thrilling!

And in Verse 15 he is trusting God for (once again, as in the days prior to his sin) “opened lips” with which to praise his wonderful Lord! Also with which “to teach sinners God’s Ways,” back in verse 13.

YES, THIS IS RENEWAL!

Not merely cessation of guilt.

Not merely abatement of wrath, God’s anger at an erring servant.

Not merely some sort of peace with his own conscience.

THIS IS REFRESHING, LIFE CHANGING EMPLOYMENT AGAIN IN THE THINGS OF GOD!

So to speak, the “broken” leg has mended and can “walk” again!

David is praying to a God Who can … “give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness.” Wow, Isaiah 61:3

And even “restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” Joel 2:25

Amazing Grace!

Not just forgiven!

RESTORED!

MADE LIKE NEW!

In the truest sense of the word, REVIVED!

Praise the Lord.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

 

 

I have thought for years that Psalm 23 is perhaps the most “sublime” Poem of them all, of the 150 in the Psalter. Of course the “balance” of Psalm 2 can never be surpassed. Or the “motivation” of Psalm 1. Or the “praise” of Psalm 150. Or the “participation” of Psalm 148. Or the stark “retribution” of Psalm 83. Well, it’s just a great Book!

But still, I have recently added Psalm 51 to my “list” of favorites!

I am beginning to think that here David saw the whole Bible concept of “Mercy” more clearly than some of the New Testament writers even! James, in particular.

Today I’d like to show you 4 views of “Forgiveness” in Psalm 51. Four parallel thoughts about God’s great Grace, Mercy, Love, willingness to pardon!

David has sinned.

David has chain sinned, serially so.

Lust, adultery, murder, lying … then covering it all as if innocent!

Until … conviction overwhelmed his soul.

Until he realized the depth of his sin.

His rebellion.

His perversion.

His great loss.

Yesterday’s Lesson is an exposition of the three foregoing definitions of sin.

But today the Psalmist prays for forgiveness.

Using four verbs.

Beginning with “blot out.”

Next, “wash me.”

Then, “cleanse me.”

Finally, “purge me with hyssop.”

These words are found in verses 1, 2 and 7, in that order.

Wow!

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies BLOT OUT my transgressions. ² WASH ME throughly from mine iniquity, and CLEANSE ME from my sin. ³ For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. ⁴ Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. ⁵ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. ⁶ Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. ⁷ PURGE ME WITH HYSSOP, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:1-7

 “Blot out” (used again in verse 9) is “machah” in Hebrew. It means “to exterminate.” Actually it is translated “to destroy” 6 times in the Old Testament! It has the idea of “wiping” something clean, too. In Exodus 17:14 “machah” is expressed: “put out” (of remembrance). That’s beautiful!

“Wash” is “kabas.” Itmeans “to clean” something by “stomping on it!” To tread it under foot! It’s the word used to describe what the ancient clothes cleaners did! They carried the garments to the river, applied plenty of strong soap (lye based) … and scrubbed and beat and walked all over (while in the water) the clothes … until the spots were gone! That’s what David is asking God to do to him! Is he serious about repentance? Yes!

“Cleanse” is “taher” in Hebrew, “made pure!” Folks, it’s one thing to be spot-free, quite another to be made “pure!” The ideas of Mercy and Forgiveness here are deepening, progressing! This (“taher”) is a quality ascribed to God Himself in Exodus 24:10. “And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his CLEARNESS.” A sinner, made pure, like God! That’s New Testament justification!

Lastly, “purge me with hyssop.” The verb “purge” as used here is hard to explain. It’s literally the verb “to sin,” spelled “chata.” And the (Mercy-filled) idea is likely that of “a sin offering.” If so, this implies blood, shed blood! And is a Picture of Jesus, the Lamb of God! An innocent little thing … dying for the sins of a guilty man! The addition of “hyssop” (a plant growing in Israel) links the request to the ritual of the cleansing of the “leper!” David is identifying himself as a moral “leper!” Unclean, terminally ill … unless touched by God! Remember too … the Jews Passover night applied the blood of the sacrificial lamb to the doorposts by means of a stalk of hyssop!

What views of God’s Lovingkindness!

Yet this is not “cheap” forgiveness!

God is Merciful, but still Righteous!

Sin’s consequences, ultimately, were met at Calvary!

Jesus paid it all.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

The Lord willing, more tomorrow about David, about Psalm 51.

 

 

 

I saw one Book on Prayer that called David’s “magnum opus” (Psalm 51) … the “Gospel” in the Old Testament! I suspect we have more of David’s prayers recorded in the Bible than any other person. A whole “collection” of them, really. For example, Psalm 72:20 declares, in a literary sense: “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.”

The 51st Psalm, our Text today and maybe again tomorrow, is a prayer of confession. Begging God for forgiveness! This great Bible Chapter is no doubt as thorough, every bit as complete … as is 1st John 1:9 in its theology, too! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

David’s prayer here (again, in Psalm 51) rises to the heights (or plunges to the depths) of Isaiah’s great ode to the Greatness of God (Isaiah 40), Habakkuk’s great statement of faith, resolve and determination (Habakkuk 3), John’s great description of the Second Coming of Jesus (Revelation 19), and certainly Paul’s detailed description of the downward spiral of sin (Romans 1).

Psalm 51 … which, because of these (still coming) thoughts being written here today … may become one of Dr. Bagwell’s Revival Texts for a week in the near future! I’d love to consecutively preach several Sermons from this great chapter, its 19 verses!

But for today, I’d like to show you David’s grasp of the Biblical idea of “sin.”

He is under heavy conviction now, his conscience paining him deeply, over his sin (make that sins) in the Bathsheba affair. Sins he had denied for months and months.

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my TRANSGRESSIONS. ² Wash me throughly from mine INIQUITY, and cleanse me from my SIN. ³ For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.” Psalm 51:1-3

The King is burdened over his “transgressions,” one of three terms for sin I’ve capitalized in the above Paragraph. The Hebrew here is “pesha,” basically meaning “rebellion!” In fact, it is translated exactly that way once in the King James Version of Scripture, “rebellion.” It is from a root verb meaning “to revolt,” to attempt to overthrow Someone! Now it’s no longer David, “the sweet Psalmist of Israel” (as in 2nd Samuel 23:1). Neither is it David, “man after God’s Own Heart” (as in Acts 13:22). But it is David THE REBEL! The rebel against God!

The next word used for David’s wrongdoing is “iniquity.” He is himself, under the Holy Spirit’s Touch, using words he knows to be true, the terrible reality of disobeying God! The noun “avon” (pronounced “avone”) means “perversity,” something that has been taken and “twisted, bent out of shape, distorted” from God’s original Purposes! Now it is David the “pervert!” REPROBATE AGAINST GOD!

See the “depth” of David’s sorrow?

Third, the noun “sin” translates “chattah,” built on a verb stem meaning “to miss the mark!” To go the “wrong way.” To disqualify oneself from his or her “inheritance!” Not to lose one’s soul salvation, but to forfeit rewards amassed for faithful service! So here is David the spiritually “bankrupt!” Or, if you will allow me, David the SINNER!

In a day that no longer (on the part of multitudes anyway) acknowledges sin in any form (even denying the existence of the very concept) … we critically need the first three verses of Psalm 51.

Written by (and for) David … who indeed loved God!

David … who had already written many a lovely Psalm, prayed (and had answered) many a sincere prayer … but also (shamefully) had fallen into sin!

A sin that could have been easily excused by any Monarch in those days long ago. (“Any may would have been tempted!” Or “I married her, didn’t I?” Or, “Doesn’t God forgive all wrongdoing?” Or, “Don’t mention this ‘stuff’ again!”)

But a sin that David now is realizing its shocking enormity!

REBELLION!!

PERVERSITY!

LOSS!

Wow!

And according to our Psalm (verse 3) David is now unable to get his “failure” off his mind. It is “ever before him.” He is just beginning to “know” the wrong he has committed! The verb “acknowledge” is “yada,” meaning “to know” the horrors of such sin!

Yes, David is finally “under conviction!”

And the closer to God we get … the more hideous our sin will appear.

So much so that Paul the Apostle, dozens of years after he was “saved,” still called himself “the chief of sinners!” 1st Timothy 1:15 is the reference. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

Let’s quit minimizing sin!

And start realizing the seriousness of our disobedience to Almighty God!

Anyone listening?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

Yes, Samuel!

I’ve never considered him to be among the more illustrious characters of the Bible. Yet he made one of the most truthful, incisive, statements about prayer ever uttered!

But first I remembered this about Samuel. He was conceived, born into an atmosphere of prayer! Hannah, His Mother, begging God for a son! And old Eli thinking she was intoxicated! As in 1st Samuel 1:11. “She (Hannah) vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life.”

Samuel also grew up in the House of God, communing with the Lord from a very early age. “Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth!” See 1st Samuel 3:9, words from the lad’s mouth!

But later, as a grown man, Samuel continued the art of prayer. The practice of prayer. And somehow he learned (from Hannah, from Eli, from the Holy Spirit?) the critical lesson of praying for others!

That’s called “intercession.”

He prayed for his whole nation, Israel.

He later prayed for his King, Saul.

In fact, he prayed for everybody.

About everything.

So much so, so structured was his life around intercessory prayer that he arrived at a conviction. At a conclusion the Lord wanted added to the truths of Scripture! And here it is:

“Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you.” 1st Samuel 12:23

Wow!

A SIN, not to pray for others!

The expression “forbid” in Hebrew means “far from me!”

The possibility of Samuel NOT praying for his people was a thousand miles away! It’s just a word picture but it certainly conveys the idea.

The verb “should sin” translates “chata” in Hebrew, meaning “to miss the mark!” God’s PLAN for Samuel was to pray for others! Really, that’s His Plan for us, too.

The preposition “against” is represented in the Text by the letter “lamed,” here simply spelled “la.” It means “to” or “toward” a person or thing. The sin of not loving and caring for Israel was a sin to/toward God! It at times can even mean “according to,” which might apply here as well.

“Ceasing” is “chadal,” meaning “to fail, to leave off, to forego, to forsake,” and once even “to rest from!” No break in the action! “Pray without ceasing,” Paul would have it.

Then the main verb, “to pray.” And “palal” means “to intervene!” To interpose, to intercede! To be a go-between! To plead with God on behalf of others!

Wow!

This may be prayer on its highest level, folks!

Then a closing prepositional phrase. “For you.” And the pronoun is plural, for the whole people!

What a Verse!

In the New Testament too, we are exhorted: “Confess your faults one to another, and PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER ….” James 5:16

The challenge has been made!

Let’s each make a prayer “list.”

And consistently pray for those we love.

Those who are in the Body of Christ!

Praying, like Samuel, for others!

Being intercessors!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

(Here’s the advantage of studying prayer biographically! Through the lives of those who modeled the ministry of prayer! Otherwise we might have missed today’s vital truth.)