Old Testament # 24 “Create in me a Clean Heart” 2 Samuel 11–12; Psalm 51

Old Testament # 24

“Create in me a Clean Heart”

2 Samuel 11–12; Psalm 51

Challenge from last week: How can you be a better friend with the Savior than you are of the world

Introduction

There are at least two things that stand out in this lesson: (1) when should you recognize you are on a destructive course and make the conscious decision to carry on or stop? and (2) what do you do when you realize you have done something wrong and that feeling of dread starts in your head and floods through your body? These two decision-making times happened to David as they happen to all of us. And I think that one of the reasons we have skipped the early, glorious years of David’s reign is that, as in 4th Nephi, there is little to be learned from when things are going well (not that his early reign wasn’t highly eventful, and certainly those chapters belong in our study). Grave times are ahead of David. You might think that uniting all the tribes of Israel after the rift caused by Saul’s hatred, and then being victorious over their enemies would be enough for one man, but  those victories come to naught when David puts his belief in his own power foremost and forgets Him from Whom all blessings flow. We saw how Saul felt his own rationalization was superior to God’s commands which led to the kingdom being taken away from him (1 Samuel 15:20–28). Now we see that David, who received so much more from the Lord, has so much more taken away. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48).

1. David commits adultery with Bathsheba and arranges the death of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. 2 Samuel 11.

I used to interpret for the French and German missionaries at the MTC—often on Sunday evenings for the Gospel Study time, when visitors would come and talk to them. One such often liked to quote this chapter to see by a show of hands if the missionaries could determine at which stage David started to go wrong. Try it for yourself, take each phrase in verse 2 and see which decision was the wrong one. One verse—a lifetime of service to the Lord destroyed. Here is what President Oaks has to say about David’s decision:

When we withdraw from the Spirit of the Lord, we become an enemy to righteousness, we have a lively sense of our guilt, and we “shrink from the presence of the Lord” (see Mosiah 2:36–38). “Mercy hath no claim on that man,” [King Benjamin] concluded; “therefore his final doom is to endure a never-ending torment” (Mosiah 2:39). Consider the tragic example of King David. Though a spiritual giant in Israel, he allowed himself to look upon something he should not have viewed (see 2 Sam. 11). Tempted by what he saw, he violated two of the Ten Commandments, beginning with “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14). In this way a prophet-king fell from his exaltation (see D&C 132:39).

I wonder how inoculated we have become against pornography and other sexual sin? How used are we to seeing evidences of such around us, especially in the media? In a few short years it has become acceptable to see it glorified in the most seemingly harmless TV shows and movies. Alternative lifestyles are not only accepted but promoted, and those who would speak out against them are vilified. A few weeks back we read how the children of Israel were infected by the misdeeds of Eli’s and Samuel’s sons, to the extent that they accepted and even joined in with their immorality. Our first responsibility in this is to ourselves. Here is a list of “how tos” from the manual:

Things to avoid	How to avoid them
Unclean or immoral thoughts	Fill your mind with uplifting thoughts.
Television shows, movies, magazines, books, and music that are pornographic or suggestive in any way	Choose media that will inspire you to do good.
Unwholesome dating activities	Follow the dating standards taught by latter-day prophets and outlined in For the Strength of Youth.
Flirting after marriage	Love your spouse with all your heart. Continue to “court” (develop your relationship with) your spouse.
Places or activities that will not enable you to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost	Ensure that the places you go and the activities you participate in will enable you to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

David, of course, didn’t do any of these things, instead he compounded his sin—not initially by taking Bathsheba away from Uriah; apparently he only took further action once he found out she was pregnant (2 Samuel 11:5–6). Saul had made David a captain in his army and sent him to battle, obviously hoping he would be killed. After trying to get Uriah to sleep with his wife and therefore assume the child was Uriah’s, David employed the same strategy as Saul, except this time telling Joab to put Uriah where he would be certain to be killed. Murder by proxy.

Here is a very sobering quote from Elder Richard G Scott:

 Do not take comfort in the fact that your transgressions are not known by others. That is like an ostrich with his head buried in the sand. He sees only darkness and feels comfortably hidden. In reality he is ridiculously conspicuous. Likewise our every act is seen by our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son. They know everything about us. … If you have seriously transgressed, you will not find any lasting satisfaction or comfort in what you have done. Excusing transgression with a cover-up may appear to fix the problem, but it does not. The tempter is intent on making public your most embarrassing acts at the most harmful time. Lies weave a pattern that is ever more confining and becomes a trap that Satan will spring to your detriment (Ensign,May 1995, 77).

2. David is told that he will be punished because of his sins 2 Samuel 12:1–23.

Samuel the prophet has died (1 Samuel 25) and his successor as the prophet is Nathan. Sometime after David took Bathsheba as his wife and their child is born, Nathan comes to David and tells him the parable of the lamb. When asked to comment, David goes into righteous indignation mode and solidly condemns the perpetrator, not realizing it is himself. Our ability to justify our own actions can sometimes be a curse. As a result Nathan tells him that the Lord will take away his posterity, his wives, and especially the son that Bathsheba bore. Here’s the difference—when Saul was told much the same thing, he carried on doing what he had been doing. David spends the rest of his life repenting which is where we get the book of Psalms from. 

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, commenting on David’s sin, said: “David committed a dreadful crime, and all his life afterwards sought for forgiveness. Some of the Psalms portray the anguish of his soul; yet David is still paying for his sin. He did not receive the resurrection at the time of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter declared that his body was still in the tomb, and the Prophet Joseph Smith has said, ‘David sought repentance at the hand of God carefully with tears, for the murder of Uriah; but he could only get it through hell: he got a promise that his soul should not be left in hell.’ Again we ask: Who wishes to spend a term in hell with the devil before being cleansed from sin?” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:74.)

Ultimately, David did not endure to the end. 

3. A repentant David seeks forgiveness.Psalm 51.

Psalm 51 has a progression that we all might follow as we prepare to take the sacrament each week. 

·  Acknowledge God and His mercy

·  Acknowledge our sins

·  Have a broken heart and a contrite spirit

·   

A long time ago Elder Packer talked about memorizing a favorite hymn and using that to drive away unwanted thoughts. At the time I was trying to learn to play “Jesus came to John the Baptist” from the Children’s Songbook. It was, and is, for me particularly difficult to play, but I loved the words and the tune. Still to this day, almost without conscious thought, it comes into my mind when something that shouldn’t be there intrudes. 

This has been a difficult blogpost given the gravity of the material. I am sure it will be just as difficult to teach next Sunday, but I hope that those of you who have taken the time to read this and to read the assigned scriptures will find renewed strength to resist the temptations of the world for yourself and those you love. 

Additional Material

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-20-to-look-upon?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/we-believe-in-being-chaste?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-069-blessings-of-repentance?lang=eng

Old Testament # 23 “The Lord Be Between Thee and Me For Ever” 1 Samuel 18–24

Old Testament # 23

“The Lord Be Between Thee and Me For Ever”

1 Samuel 18–24

Introduction

To have a true friend and to be a true friend, like David and Jonathan, is to sense what relationships will be like in the eternities. Ideally, that is your spouse, but it is also the relationship we strive to have with our Savior, Jesus Christ. The two videos at the end of this post, suggested by the Old Testament manual, help us understand the need—and way—to have and be true friends. Ministering is surely the pathway to that true kind of friendship. And it is a pathway we constantly walk along, especially in our ward family where sometimes we only have weeks to get to know someone before they move out of the area, or even just across the street into another ward. I wonder, will we meet everyone we have ever known when we cross the veil? It is a sobering thought. 

On a lighter note—I wonder if Saul just kept a stack of javelins by his side and whenever he was displeased he chucked it at someone. Personally, if I was in an audience with him and saw his hand reach out for a javelin, I would hightail it out of there, lickety split!

1. Jonathan and David make a covenant of friendship. Saul becomes jealous of David and tries to kill him.1 Samuel 18:1–16.

Elder Holland’s video talks about rejoicing in your friends’ successes. Here we have the contrasting reactions to David from Saul and his son Jonathan. First, Jonathan—here is Elder Didier:

We can learn a great lesson from the friendship of David and Jonathan, which was based on a covenant to be faithful to the Lord. Let me share some excerpts of the qualities of that friendship.

“The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” (1 Sam. 18:1.)

“Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father.” (1 Sam. 19:4.)

“And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever.” (1 Sam. 20:42.) As individuals, . . . what kinds of friends do we select, adopt, confide in, and visit with? Are we strong enough to refuse to be a friend of the world and its representatives? Are we strong enough to accept friendship with Christ? Is to be a friend to be complacent and surrender to lower standards, or is it to maintain Christlike standards and defend them? Do we consider mutual friendship as a way to maintain and develop the foundation of our testimony of Christ?[1]

Saul delighted in David’s success over Goliath, to the extent that he took him into his own household and gave him more opportunities to develop into a mighty warrior, but then that one verse: “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7). It might just have been a poetic form, but it was enough to create envy in Saul and turn his heart. It wounded Saul’s pride and put him farther on the path to abuse of power and self-destruction. 

2. Saul fails in three more attempts to take David’s life.1 Samuel 18:17–30; 19:1–18.

There is a terrible future echo here (if such a thing is possible); Saul puts David in jeopardy by not only sending him into a fierce battle, but requiring an almost impossible feat, the reward for which would be Saul’s daughter, Michal. But soon David will do the same thing with Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, except this time sending Uriah to certain death, so he can claim Bathsheba for himself. David is victorious against the Philistines (t least 100 of them!)—Uriah was slain (2 Samuel 11). One wonders if both Saul and David, reflecting on their decisions felt as John Greenleaf Whittier put it (which President Monson often quoted), “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!’”

Both Jonathan and Michal try to stem Saul’s resolve to kill David, in vain. Have we the courage to stand up to someone we love when we know they are in the wrong? It is an invidious position to be part of a conflict between people we love. 

3. David and Jonathan renew their covenant of friendship, and Jonathan saves David’s life.1 Samuel 20.

What we see with Saul’s persistent jealousy of David and fixation on his destruction, is what happens when we stop listening for and to the Spirit. In contrast, the bond between David and Jonathan strengthens as they live righteously. 

While searching in vain, really, for quotes about these topics, I came across this talk by Elder Maxwell given when he was first called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1976, which I highly recommend. First his opening paragraph is wonderful:

Now may I speak, not to the slackers in the Kingdom, but to those who carry their own load and more; not to those lulled into false security, but to those buffeted by false insecurity, who, though laboring devotedly in the Kingdom, have recurring feelings of falling forever short.

He offers 14 suggestions to combat inadequacy, but here is one that might pertain to our study:

We can add to each other’s storehouse of self-esteem by giving deserved, specific commendation more often, remembering, too, that those who are breathless from going the second mile need deserved praise just as the fallen need to be lifted up.[2]

4. Saul is consumed by hatred for David. David spares Saul’s life.  1 Samuel 23–24.

By this time in 1 Samuel, David’s army outnumbered Saul’s—so there was what might be termed a state of civil political war although they physically fought a common enemy. How does it feel to be on the same side and yet at odds with someone, to the extent that they seek your destruction? One more quote from that talk by Elder Maxwell. 

We can allow for the agency of others (including our children) beforewe assess our adequacy. Often our deliberate best is less effectual because of someone else’s worst.[3]

Here’s what the Institute manual had to say:

This chapter exhibits an aspect of David’s character that is much to be admired. Although anointed by God’s prophet to be king of Israel, and although Saul constantly sought his life, this chosen servant of the Lord still would not lift his hand against Saul so long as Saul lived (see vv. 5–6). David understood an important priesthood principle, that is, that one has loyalty to those called by the Lord to preside even when they may not function perfectly in their calling. Saul was failing miserably, but David knew that it was the Lord’s responsibility to remove Saul, not his.[4]

So I think this week we are maybe closer to gaining an understanding of what it means to minister and why President Nelson has asked us in the strongest possible terms to increase our “spiritual capacity to receive revelation.” Had Saul concentrated on that instead of his increasingly virulent jealousy and hatred for David, what might have happened? So, finally, in Elder Maxwell’s words,

We can make quiet but more honest inventories of our strengths, since, in this connection, most of us are dishonest bookkeepers and need confirming “outside auditors.” He who was thrust down in the first estate delights to have us put ourselves down. Self-contempt is of Satan; there is none of it in heaven. We should, of course, learn from our mistakes, but without forever studying the instant replays as if these were the game of life itself.

Additional Material

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-067-true-friend?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/dont-be-jealous?lang=eng

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[1]https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1983/10/friend-or-foe?lang=eng.

[2]https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1976/10/notwithstanding-my-weakness?lang=eng.

[3]https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1976/10/notwithstanding-my-weakness?lang=eng.

[4]https://www.lds.org/manual/old-testament-student-manual-genesis-2-samuel/1-samuel-16-31-king-davids-call-to-lead-israel?lang=eng.

Old Testament # 22 “The Lord Looketh on the Heart” 1 Samuel 9–17

Old Testament # 22

“The Lord Looketh on the Heart”

1 Samuel 9–17

Challenge from Lesson 21: do one thing from President Nelson’s talk that will enable you to improve your ability to receive revelation

Introduction

In Mosiah 29 King Mosiah changes the form of government from monarchy to judges. Keep in mind that this takes place around 1,000 years after Samuel, and for the most part Israel has been ruled by kings. But that was not the intent. From Adam to Moses, and from Moses to Samuel, there had been no kings, since Jehovah was their King. Even though the children of Israel had waxed and waned in their acknowledgment of Jehovah and their status as the Chosen people, as far as I am aware, up until this point, they had not gone so far as to set someone up as an earthly king. There is one mitigating factor and it comes from Mosiah 29:13

Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you.

This, then, apparently is the next, best thing—but a rarity to find. We just have to look at the Book of Ether to see that. And from now on, we basically look at flawed human beings who become kings of Israel first by divine investiture, but then . . . ?

If you will pardon a somewhat frivolous lead-in . . . I like science fiction. And one of my favorite characters from the Star Wars universe is Grand Admiral Thrawn (who doesn’t appear in the films—as yet!). He has the ability to see and understand body language to a depth that humans cannot, but despite that, he does not appear to be able to “look on the heart.” That appears to be a spiritual gift and I imagine is part of the gift of discernment. We often say that someone has a “good heart,” but what does that mean. I think we will see several examples of this in our reading this week.

 1. Saul seeks guidance from Samuel and is anointed to be king.  1 Samuel 9–11.

If we look at Saul’s heart, in these first chapters of our study this week, what do we find? The manual tells us:

·  He was diligent in his search for his father’s donkeys (1 Samuel 9:3–4).

·  He was willing to listen to and follow the wise counsel of his father’s servant (1 Samuel 9:5–10).

·  He trusted the prophet Samuel and communed with him (1 Samuel 9:18–25).

·  He was humble (1 Samuel 9:20–21).

·  He was spiritually reborn, and he prophesied (1 Samuel 10:6–10).

·  He forgave his critics (1 Samuel 11:11–13).

·  He recognized the help of the Lord in Israel’s victory over the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11:13).

So far so good. I am ashamed to say, as I have studied about Saul this week, that I looked into my own heart to see if I could remember a time when I was perfectly obedient. I can’t. I am hoping that there is a redeeming time in there when I was, and that maybe I am not as rebellious as I once was. But I find myself each week as I take the sacrament, asking for forgiveness for the same kinds of things—so the Lord, who looks on our hearts, reminds us with infinite love and infinite patience of what we need to do. 

Elder Uchtdorf helps us understand Saul a little better:

 Saul’s life began with great promise, but it had an unfortunate and tragic end. In the beginning, Saul was “a choice young man, … and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he.”Saul was personally chosen by God to be king.He had every advantage—he was physically imposing,and he came from an influential family.Of course, Saul had weaknesses, but the Lord promised to bless, uphold, and prosper him. The scriptures tell us that God promised to always be with him,give him another heart,and turn him into another man.When he had the Lord’s help, Saul was a magnificent king.[1]

2. Saul offers a burnt offering without the proper authority.1 Samuel 13:1–14.

It all comes down to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6). And here is where total obedience to the Lord comes in. Here is Elder Uchtdorf again:

Soon a much greater problem faced him—the Philistines, who had a terrible army with chariots and horsemen “and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude. . . . The young king needed help. The prophet Samuel sent word for him to wait and that he, the prophet, would come and offer sacrifice and seek counsel from the Lord. Saul waited seven days, and still the prophet Samuel had not arrived. Finally, Saul felt he could wait no longer. He gathered the people together and did something he had no priesthood authority to do—he offered the sacrifice himself. When Samuel arrived, he was brokenhearted. . . . On that day, the prophet Samuel recognized a critical weakness in Saul’s character. When pressured by outside influences, Saul did not have the self-discipline to stay on course, trust the Lord and His prophet, and follow the pattern God had established.

Saul got caught up in the performance of the ordinance, rather than the obedience principle behind it. As if he could command the Lord’s help by waving a wand. It wasn’t the sacrifice that brought the Lord’s counsel, it was obeying His commandment to offer sacrifice in the way the Lord prescribes. Exactness and honor. And by that one act, he lost so much. But he didn’t stop there.

3. Saul disobeys the Lord in the battle with the Amalekites and is rejected as king.1 Samuel 15.

It gets worse. Saul has now gone so far away from trusting in the Lord, that he feels he knows better. Case Wade, who lived in our ward and is still in our Stake, once said, “rationalization is easier than repentance.” And here Saul is rationalizing away his disobedience—making him diametrically opposed to King Benjamin’s description of how we should be “willing to submit.” Elder Maxwell had quite a bit to say about that:

Saul, when chosen, was “A choice young man, … and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he.” (1 Sam. 9:2.) Later, he became encrusted with ego and puffed by power. Samuel then recalled a time when Saul “wast little in [his] own sight.” (1 Sam. 15:17.) In contrast, true submissiveness greatly enlarges the soul, but withouthypocrisy and guile. (See D&C 121:42.) . . . Whether it is walking away without looking back from “great possessions” (Mark 10:22), or from a statusful place in the secular synagogue (see John 12:42–43), or from proud but erroneous attitudes accrued over the years, or merely “straightway” from fishing nets (Mark 1:18), the test is always the same. With honest, individualized introspection, each of us could name what we yet lack—and in my case more than one thing. Spiritual submissiveness is so much more than bended knee or bowed head. Alas, insofar as we “mind the things of the flesh” (Rom. 8:5), we simply cannot have the “mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16.)[2]

4. The Lord chooses David as king.  1 Samuel 16.

Saul has lost everything, but I don’t believe he really accepted that. He still felt his power as King of Judah. But the Lord had turned from him and Samuel was instructed to find a new king. This blogpost is getting over long, so I will leave you to find out for yourselves how Samuel went about this, but this chapter contains our all-important scripture: “The Lord looketh upon the heart.” This story, and that of David and Goliath are so well known, but there are still things we can learn from them. 

I’ll end with a quote from President Hinckley:

 “There are Goliaths all around you, hulking giants with evil intent to destroy you. These are not nine-foot-tall men, but they are men and institutions that control attractive but evil things that may challenge and weaken and destroy you. Included in these are beer and other liquors and tobacco. Those who market these products would like to enslave you into their use. There are drugs of various kinds which, I am told, are relatively easy to obtain in many high schools. For those who peddle them, this is a multimillion-dollar industry, a giant web of evil. There is pornography, seductive and interesting and inviting. It has become a giant industry, producing magazines, films, and other materials designed to take your money and lead you toward activities that would destroy you.

“The giants who are behind these efforts are formidable and skillful. They have gained vast experience in the war they are carrying on. They would like to ensnare you. It is almost impossible to entirely avoid exposure to their products. You see these materials on all sides. But you need not fear if you have the slingshot of truth in your hands. You have been counseled and taught and advised. You have the stones of virtue and honor and integrity to use against these enemies who would like to conquer you. Insofar as you are concerned, you can hit them ‘between the eyes,’ to use a figurative expression. You can triumph over them by disciplining yourselves to avoid them. You can say to the whole lot of them as David said to Goliath, ‘Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.’ “Victory will be yours. … You have His power within you to sustain you. You have the right to ministering angels about you to protect you. Do not let Goliath frighten you. Stand your ground and hold your place, and you will be triumphant” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1983, 66; or Ensign,May 1983, 46, 51).

Additional Material

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-066-the-lord-will-deliver-me?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/look-forward-to-your-future?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-065-measure-of-our-hearts?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-064-choose-to-be-humble?lang=eng

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[1]https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/a-matter-of-a-few-degrees?lang=eng.

[2]https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1985/04/willing-to-submit?lang=eng.