Show Me Where I Have Been Wrong

"Teach me, and I will be quiet;
show me where I have been wrong.

Job 6:24 (NIV)

Job's friends had come to him to help him figure out what he had done wrong to deserve all of the adversity that had come upon him. In his first response, Job is kind of upset. He thinks he's been punished to excess. Yet, in all of his complaining, he does stumble upon a little humility. He does want to be shown what he has done wrong. He doesn't really expect his friends to be able to do so, but if they will, he will be quiet and listen. This is a good attitude to happen. Do I ever want to be shown where I'm wrong? Not really. Yet, reality is I'm a sinner. I do wrong far more than I should. Do I want to listen if someone tells me that I've done wrong? No. However, I should accept God's grace and be humble and listen quietly when someone cares enough to show me where I've done wrong.

Pride

When Haman entered, the king asked him, "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?"

Now Haman thought to himself, "Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?"

Esther 6:6 (NIV)

Thanks to the movie One Night With The King, every time I read Esther and passages about Haman, I see Gaius Baltar from Sci-Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica. James Callis played both roles splendidly. Because I recognized him from one of my favorite TV shows, it made the part of Haman even more memorable to me.

Haman was an enemy of the Jewish people. He had risen to the top of the heap of advisers to King Xerxes. He was quite proud of himself. When the king sought to honor someone, he turned to Haman. Haman, of course, thought the king wanted to honor HIM and thus recommended the honor that he wanted. Haman was crushed when he found out it was his enemy Mordecai who the king wanted to honor and was humiliated as he had to honor Mordecai.

Imagine if you were up for an Academy Award. Not only were you up for the award, but all of the press are saying that you are a shoe-in for the award. Your bitter rival is up for the same award, but nobody saw that movie and the few who saw it hated it. You actually saw that movie, too, and definitely thought there was no way your rival would win the award. You have your acceptance speech all planned. You call the Academy and ask that since it's such a prestigious award you would like to present it. They agree. You're up on stage beaming with pride and in your best Shakespearan drama voice you say "The Award goes to..." You open the envelope... You see your rival's name. In front of a worldwide TV audience of 99 million you're supposed give the award to your rival, but you don't move because you're in shock. That's probably a little like how Haman felt. He was devestated.

⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James 4:8-10 (NIV)

Full hands

Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the LORD?"

1 Chronicles 29:5 (ESV)

David, in his final acts before his death as he turns over his throne to Solomon and charges Solomon with building the temple, gives from his own gold and silver to the "building fund" for the temple. Then he challenges the people to join him in the giving. Looking into the Hebrew behind the words translated "consecrate himself" brought about an interesting word picture. I usually think of consecrate as "to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of a deity..." but the Hebrew word male' implies "2) to consecrate, fill the hand". This immediately made me think of my seven year old son. "Son, can you help me unload the groceries from the car?" "Not now Dad, my hands are full." Usually when I get a response like this from him, his hands aren't really full - there's probably room for him to carry a loaf of bread or some English muffins in addition to the toys that he had in the car as we went to the store. Now me, at the time, I've probably got three or bags (thank God for bags with handles) with a box of Bisquick or something shoved under each arm (OK, maybe I'm exagerating a little). What would it look like if I gave to God with full hands? Sure today, the tithe check will go in the offering basket. I'll spend several hours up at church playing in the worship band giving of my time and talents. But are my hands full? Am I giving abundantly where my hands are truly full and can't hold any more? May I today give with my hands a little fuller than they were before.

Humility and Legacy

For David said, "Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it." So David provided materials in great quantity before his death.

1 Chronicles 22:5 (ESV)

¹²Only, may the LORD grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the LORD your God. ¹³Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.

1 Chronicles 22:12-13 (ESV)

David accepted with humility that he was not to build a temple for God. However, he did not put it out of his heart. He prepared for Solomon to build the temple both in materials and in preparing Solomon himself. David started putting into place the people who would build the temple and the materials to be used in building the temple. He prayed for wisdom for Solomon. Foremost, he charged Solomon to "keep the law of the Lord your God." What great humility David had. He very easily could have acted like a little kid and sulked and said If Solomon's going to build the temple then he's going to have to do it himself - I'm not going to help him! But no, David did everything in his power to set Solomon up to succeed in his task! David, as a father, earnestly desired to see his son bring glory to God and he prepared his son to do so.

As a father of two young boys, I too want to see them bring glory to God. Personally, I have not been given a vision of something that I won't accomplish for God that one of my sons will, but that doesn't matter. Yes, I have been trying to provide materially for their future success. More importantly, I have been doing what I can to prepare them spiritually. I read God's word daily not only for my own benefit, but also to set an example for my sons. I read God's word to them daily. I teach them daily as we have our family devotions.

I know how Solomon's story ended. He did build the temple. He was known as the wisest man in the world. He was immensely wealthy. He wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiates, Song of Solomon, and some of the Psalms. But he was enticed by foreign women. His heart turned to foreign gods. Ultimately his disobeyed the commandment "You shall have no other gods before me."

I don't know how my sons' stories will turn out. But I know that God knows what He's doing. We've been studying this for the last few weeks in our family devotions. May God continue to nurture in me a humble spirit earnestly seeking to prepare my sons to bring glory to God. May He change their hearts and grant them understanding so that they will have no other gods before Him.

Humility when God's plans are different

Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in.

1 Chronicles 17:4 (ESV)

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

1 Chronicles 17:16

David wanted to build a temple for God. A place where God would dwell and would sit in judgement of His people. A place where the other nations would be able to see how great God is. But that is not what God wanted. God wanted to establish David and his house - his lineage. It would be from David's line that Jesus would be born. God was more concerned with His overall plan of redemption than with a temple. David was humble in his acceptance of God's plan. David knew that he was not worthy of how God was blessing him. He knew God's surpassing greatness and was concerned that God's name would be magnified. May I be as aware of how great God is and be aware of His plans even when they differ from my own. May I be as humble before God and as concerned for His glory as David was.