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What Would We Have God Remember?

1 Remember, O LORD, on David's behalf,
All his affliction;
2 How he swore to the LORD,
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,

Affliction

Vows

God takes His vows seriously. He expects His people to take their vows seriously. They are not a light matter, to be set aside when passions cool. Examples abound in Scripture of those who, in spite of the foolishness of their vows, yet knew better than to break them.

Ecc 5:4-5

4 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!
5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Even when God had told him that he would not be the one to build, David was faithful to his vow. Truly, he did not rest, knowing the temple was not built, even knowing it would not be built in his lifetime. And what was the result?

2Ch 6:8 But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.

It was the right attitude for his heart, but it was the wrong time for its fulfillment. In accepting God's decision, David continued to show that his heart was right.

A Test

We are always ready to remind God of how much we, or a loved one, has suffered as we pray. It's one of our favorite tactics! Look, God, how long they've suffered. Look at what they've gone through, all the while trusting in You! Now don't You feel bad? Don't You see that You really should bless them? They've earned it, after all! Sure, we know better, but it's all we have to offer up, so up it goes. We forget ourselves, we forget our place, and we forget Whom we are talking to. Thank God that He is patient with His children.

The question is: are we as anxious for Him to remember all we have done on His behalf? Are we all that anxious that He should look upon the truth of our works? Do we really want to stand on our own merit? We might convince ourselves that we have a leg to stand on in this regard, but it would only be ourselves we'd convince.

Here's an even harder question: Do you want Him to remember all the promises you've made to Him? How many have you kept? It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay, and yet, how often have we done just that? When the time of trial comes, would that I could, like David, willingly offer myself up for inspection, reminding God of every bit of my life. David couldn't do it because he was somehow more perfect than us. He made his share of mistakes, and some quite horrible, at that. Yet, he had a heart after God, he had a heart quick to repent when sin was found, he had a burning desire to be made in God's image, and he was willing to pursue such godly goals, even when he knew they were unattainable. Indeed, he was a man of faith. May we be found with such a faith.

Zeal for Thy House

3 "Surely I will not enter my house,
Nor lie on my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes,
Or slumber to my eyelids;
5 Until I find a place for the LORD,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob. "

David's Passion (Ps 69:1-10)

David's passionate pursuit of God's glory is well known. Everywhere we read his prayers that God's glory might be made known to all. Why was he so anxious that God's house be built? Because he wanted God's glory to be clearly manifest to one and all. He wanted the world to know about this God of his. He wanted the world to understand Who it was that had set him on the throne of Israel. He was not willing that his own praise should block sight of God's praises in any way.

If David was to have a magnificent house, he wanted God to have one all the more magnificent. As God was far above David in magnificence, so, reasoned David, should His house surpass David's house in magnificence. In this, he did well that it was in his heart. Yet, to obey is better than sacrifice. More important to God than all the stockpiling of materials that David did was the obedience he showed in not pursuing the project further than God allowed.

David was consumed by zeal for God. Knowing that all he had and was depended on God, he wanted to show his gratefulness in every possible way. He would dance before the LORD, for the joy of the LORD could not be bound up. He would sing to the LORD, as indeed he had done since his youth. More than that, he would use his earthly power to ensure that when he could not sing, there would always be those before God's face singing in his place. It was by his arrangement that the offering of praise before the ark of God's covenant was never silenced. He would live a life that reflected the glorious ways of his LORD.

It was David who wrote "Zeal for Thy house consumes me." (Ps 69:9a). This was far more than a matter of pretty words. It was the lifeblood of David. Truly, all his life, he had shown a hunger and thirst for the ways of God. Truly, he knew how to wait upon God as no other (Ps 69:3). Truly, he was concerned that his example not cause any to stumble (Ps 69:6 - Let none who wait for You be ashamed because of me, nor be dishonored in my actions, O God.) Zeal for God's house consumed him, indeed.

Jesus' Passion (Jn 2:13-17)

Jesus was another that knew what it meant to be consumed by passion for God's house.

Jn 2:13-17

13 And the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers seated. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the moneychangers, and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a house of merchandise." 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Thy house will consume me."

As I read this today, I have to ask myself, what have we made of God's house? Christian merchandising is a growth market today. We throng to buy the latest books and CDs. We ooh and ah over all the cute decorations. Much of the preaching in the world today is about selling. The words are no longer aimed at salvation, but at suggesting you might want to buy a copy of the tape for later. Why listen attentively now? Why take any notes? You can do that later. Just buy, buy, buy! I really have to wonder what God makes of all this. Is He pleased?

Our Passion (Mt 8:19-20)

Where are we at in all this? How is it with us? Are we more interested in the merchandise than the message? Are we more concerned about the appearance than the reality?

Jn 14:15 - If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

How are we doing with that? Are we even trying? Have we learned to love Him with all our hearts, soul, and mind?

Mt 8:19-20

19 And a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." 20 And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

We have made this same claim. This is what we said (whether in those exact words) when we confessed our faith in Him. How did Jesus respond then? He told the scribe that He had no home. Imagine! In the days when the Temple was still standing, here was God, just outside the place that claimed to be His house, saying "I have no home."

1Co 3:16 - Don't you know that you are God's temple, in which His Spirit dwells?

1Co 6:19 - Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, given by God? You are not your own!

2Co 6:16 - We are the temple of the living God who said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

These things we know. These things we rejoice in. Yet, I hear Christ standing just outside His temple today, and asking, "Do I have a place to rest here?" We, like the scribe have said we will follow. We, like David, have declared a desire to make for God a house. God has not refused us. In fact, He has begun the work already. But, Jesus has a question for us. We who seek to enter His rest, how indeed can we rest until we have made ourselves a dwelling place for Him, for the God of Jacob, for the Most High God? How can we enter into His rest, when we have not yet given Him His place of rest?

The Holy of Holies is a place purified, sanctified, set apart unto the LORD alone. The Holy of Holies was once in a building made by man. Now, it is in a building made of man, made by the very hand of God. We are called to Levitical service in the temple of our own heart, to offer the continual praises that are His, to keep clean the altars of His worship, to keep burning the eternal flame of His presence, to give our all to the One who gave all for us. We can no longer offer a sacrifice, for the only sacrifice that matters has already been made. We can only offer to keep ready a place for our God to rest. Be consumed by a zeal for the house of God! This was the covenant you signed, this was the vow you made to Him. Don't be late in paying it.