Readings for today: 2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17, Psalms 1-2, 33, 127, 132
Humility is the crown of all character traits. It helps us maintain proper perspective. It keeps us in our proper position before the Lord. It is the key to living a joyful, peaceful Christian life. David was a humble man. At least at this point in his life. When God rejects David’s plan to build Him a Temple and instead tells David that He will build David a house, David immediately responds with humble prayer. “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family that you have brought me this far?” (1 Samuel 7:18b NLT) Some might argue David’s getting the better end of the deal here so of course he submits but that’s not totally the case. Temples in the ancient world were symbols of divine power and authority. They granted divine sanction to the rule of kings. There is a loss here for David that’s fairly significant in that he will not enjoy the same kind of “divine right of kingship” that many of his peers would in other cultures. At the same time, David is wise enough and humble enough to realize his “divine right” doesn’t come from a building but from the Lord. He expresses complete confidence in God as the one who would “build” David’s house. “And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever.” (1 Samuel 7:25 NLT) Not only that but David looks beyond himself to the true purposes behind God’s plans. It’s not to make David great but to make the name of the Lord great among the nations. This is why God is going to bless the household of David. “And may your name be honored for ever so that everyone will say, “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!” (1 Samuel 7:26 NLT)
What is godly humility? It is first and foremost a recognition of our position before God. We are mere mortals. Our lives are like the grass that withers and fades away. We are forgotten within a generation or two. All that we accomplish in this life turns to dust pretty quickly. God, on the other hand, is the sovereign Lord of the universe. He holds all of life in His hands. He stands outside of time and space. He reigns in glory forever. There is truly none like God. Not in heaven. Not on earth. Not under the earth. Not in the past. Not in the present. Not in the future. God alone is worthy of all worship and adoration and reverence and awe for He is holy and awesome in power. Second, humility is expressed in our complete confidence that God will do what He has promised. David believed God when He said He would make David’s name great and build him a dynasty that would last for all generations. Like Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah and Rachel, Moses, Joshua, and all those who had come before him, David trusted God and it was credited to him as righteousness. He had full confidence that God was able to do what He had promised. Finally, humility never seeks to elevate self. It never engages in self-promotion. It never seeks attention. It always looks beyond itself to the true object of our devotion which is God Himself. The truly humble person places themselves in God’s hands to use as He sees fit for His glorious purposes in the world. They are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of God’s mission in the world so that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
This begs the question…how does one become humble? How does one cultivate a spirit of humility? Psalm 1:2 gives us the answer. “They delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.” If you want to become a humble person before the Lord, the way to do it is to spend time in His Word every day. “Thrilling to God’s Word”, as Eugene Peterson says so beautifully in the Message, “Chewing on Scripture day and night.”
Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 8-9, 1 Chronicles 18