Ben Fourie
LORD, there is none like you; we have always known that you alone are God. 1 Chronicles 17:20, GNT
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; there is one God and Father of all, who is Lord of all, works through all, and is in all. Ephesians 4:5-6, GNT
Nothing and nobody in the world can compare with God, who alone is truly unique. Everywhere in the Bible, we come to know God as “one of a kind” and unique. It is this fact that God wants his people to understand, but it is often where they went astray by worshipping idols.
David, notwithstanding all his faults, was a king after God’s own heart, and yet God does not allow David to build the temple. One would think this was probably a bitter pill to swallow for David, but in this chapter from Chronicles, it does not seem to be the case. On the contrary, David is overjoyed that God has chosen one of his sons (we know it was Solomon) to build God’s temple.
When God told David about his son who would succeed him, saying: “He will be the one to build a temple for me, and I will make sure that his dynasty continues for ever” (2 Samuel 7:13), David went into the tent of the Lord’s presence and said: “There is none like you; we have always known that you alone are God” (2 Samuel 7:22b). It does not matter that they had heard of many other gods, the Lord is the one and only true God.
In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul wrote about the unity of the church. Like David, Paul points to the fact that “there is one Lord”. Because there is only one God, the church should also have: “one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of al”. It does not matter how many other gods we may have heard about. If we do not believe in the one true triune God, we cannot experience the indwelling presence of his Spirit.
Prayer: We want to proclaim with David and Paul that you, Lord, are the only God, and we thank you for changing our lives and above all, that your Spirit lives in us. Amen.
Ben Fourie
Daar is niemand soos U nie, Here! Buiten U is daar geen God nie, van hoeveel gode ons ook al gehoor het. 1 Kronieke 17:20, 1983-vertaling
Daar is net één Here, één geloof, één doop, één God en Vader van almal: Hy wat oor almal is, deur almal werk en in almal woon. Efesiërs 4:5-6, 1983-vertaling
Niks op aarde is enig of uniek nie, maar dwarsdeur die Bybel leer ons vir God ken as 'n enige God en juis hierdie kenmerk maak hom absoluut uniek. Dit is ook juis hierdie uniekheid wat Hy telkens aan sy volk beklemtoon, en dit is juis op hierdie terrein wat die volk dikwels oortree deur in afgode te glo.
Dawid was met sy foute en al 'n koning na God se hart, maar ten spyte hiervan wil Hy nie toelaat dat Dawid vir Hom 'n tempel bou nie. Mens sou dink dat dit vir Dawid maar 'n bitter pil sou wees om te sluk, maar as ons hierdie hoofstuk uit Kronieke lees, is dit allermins die geval. Inteendeel, Dawid is dankbaar dat 'n seun uit sy gesin – soos ons weet was dit Salomo – wel die taak sou kry om God se woning te bou.
Wanneer Dawid by God hoor oor sy seun: “Hy sal vir my 'n huis bou en Ek sal sy troon blywend vestig” (1 Kronieke 17:12) begin hy met lof aan God vir sy weldade en is ons teksvers die hoogtepunt: “Daar is niemand soos U nie, Here! Buiten U is daar geen God nie ...” Dit maak dus nie saak van hoeveel gode hulle al gehoor het nie, God is enig.
In die brief aan die Efesiërs skryf Paulus oor die eenheid van die kerk. Vir gelowiges om 'n eenheid te vorm wys hy dan na presies dit wat Dawid ook van praat. God is nie een van baie gode nie, daar is net één Here. Daarom moet daar by gelowiges ook net “één geloof, één doop, één God en Vader van almal” wees. Maak nie saak, soos Dawid sê, van hoeveel gode ons al gehoor het nie, daar is net een ware God. As ons dit nie glo nie, kan God nie in ons kom woon nie.
Gebed: Ons bely vandag saam met Dawid en Paulus dat U die enigste God is en ons dank U dat U ook in ons lewens werk en bo alles ook deur u Gees in ons woon. Amen.
Ben Fourie
The LORD is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe. He is my saviour; he protects me and saves me from violence. 2 Samuel 22:2-3, GNT
And the Lord will rescue me from all evil and take me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever! Amen. 2 Timothy 4:18, GNT
David and Paul. When these two talked about being saved, they spoke from experience and not from hearsay. They came through the crucible and experienced God as Saviour firsthand. Both of them can speak about God as Saviour with authority.
The song that is recorded here in 2 Samuel is also available as Psalm 18. At the beginning of 2 Samuel 22, it is said that this song was recorded when the Lord saved David from Saul and his other enemies.
David used many different titles for God to describe what he did for him in his time of need – protector, strong fortress, shield, and defence. The word that brings all of these together is the word saviour. To be saved by God is indeed as David said, to be freed, to be given protection and to have a shield that keeps all dangers away.
When Paul wrote to Timothy, his service to the Lord was questioned. It was not only in this instance that he experienced opposition. It happened at many points where he proclaimed the message about Jesus Christ. He mentioned, for instance, the metalworker, Alexander, who did him much harm. Paul also experienced that nobody stood by him when he had to defend himself before the court. But he also said that it does not matter, for: “the Lord will rescue me from all evil.”
To have God as our Saviour is not just about enemies in this dispensation. After all, the central message of the Bible is that God redeems us and saves us from eternal damnation. Like a lifesaver at the beach who saves people from drowning, God saves us from the second death. It is therefore fitting that we read: “And we have seen and tell others that the Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.” (1 John 4:14)
Prayer: We give you glory and praise, our Father, for being our Saviour when life becomes unbearable, but above all, that you deliver us from evil. Amen.
Ben Fourie
Die Here is my rots, my skuilplek en my redder, my God, my rots, by wie ek skuil, my skild en sterk verlosser, my veilige vesting, my toevlug en bevryder. Van geweld het U my verlos. 2 Samuel 22:2-3, 1983-vertaling
Die Here sal my red van elke onheil en my behoue in sy hemelse koninkryk bring. Aan Hom kom die eer toe tot in alle ewigheid! Amen. 2 Timoteus 4:18, 1983-vertaling
Dawid en Paulus. Wanneer hulle van redding praat, is dit nie sommer van hoorsê nie, hulle is twee mense wat deur die smeltkroes gekom het en God as redder eerstehands ervaar het. Albei van hulle kan dus met gesag daaroor praat.
Die lied wat hier in Samuel opgeteken is, is ook as Psalm 18 opgeteken. Aan die begin van 2 Samuel 22 word gesê dat die woorde van die lied opgeteken is toe die Here vir Dawid uit die mag van sy vyande en die mag van Saul gered het.
Luister hoe ryg Dawid die woorde in oor wat God vir hom beteken het in die tyd van nood: Rots, skuilplek, skild, sterk verlosser, veilige vesting, toevlug, bevryder. Die woord wat vir my al hierdie dinge bymekaarbring, is die woord redder. Om deur God gered te word beteken inderdaad dat 'n mens soos Dawid ervaar dat Hy jou bevry, skuilplek gee, verlos en soos 'n skild die gevare van jou weghou.
Wanneer Paulus sy woorde aan Timoteus skryf, ervaar hy teenstand teen sy bediening. Dit was natuurlik nie net hier die geval nie, maar oral waar hy die boodskap van Christus verkondig het. Hy noem enkele dinge soos dat die kopersmid, Alexander, hom baie kwaad aangedoen het en ook toe hy homself die eerste keer voor die hof moes verdedig en deur almal in die steek gelaat is. Dit alles maak nie regtig saak nie want, skryf hy in die teks van vandag: “Die Here sal my red van elke onheil.”
Om God as ons redder te hê, is natuurlik veel meer as net vir hierdie bestel. Oral in die Skrif hoor ons dat God ons redder is in die sin dat hy ons van die sonde verlos. Soos 'n lewensredder by die see mense red van 'n verdrinkingsdood, red God ons van die tweede dood. Ons lees mos in 1 Johannes 4:14: “En ons het gesien en is getuie daarvan dat die Vader die Seun as Redder van die wêreld gestuur het.”
Gebed: Ons loof en prys U, ons Vader, dat U ons red wanneer die lewe ons stief behandel, maar bo alles dat U ons red van die bose. Amen
Ruanne van Zyl
Wees veral versigtig met wat in jou hart omgaan, want dit bepaal jou hele lewe. Spreuke 4:23, 1983-vertaling
Die hart waarvan hierdie vers praat, is nie net emosies nie, maar die sentrum van ons gedagtes, begeertes en motiewe. Alles wat ons doen, begin hier. Daarom sê God ons moet dit “veral versigtig” bewaak.
Ons harte word daagliks beïnvloed deur wat ons sien, hoor en oor dink. Negatiewe woorde, vergelyking met ander, vrees en bitterheid kan stil-stil wortelskiet. As ons dit nie aanspreek nie, begin dit ons houding en optrede beheer. 'n Onbewaakte hart lei tot 'n onrustige lewe.
Om jou hart te bewaak, beteken nie om koud of afgesluit te wees nie. Dit beteken om doelbewus te kies wat jy toelaat om jou binneste te vorm. Dit vra dat ons gereeld ons gedagtes aan God se waarheid toets. Wanneer leuens soos “ek is nie goed genoeg nie” of “niks sal verander nie” opkom, moet ons dit vervang met wat God sê.
'n Gesonde hart bring lewe. Dit lei tot geduld, liefde en wysheid in moeilike situasies. Wanneer ons hart vol vrede is, reageer ons anders op druk en konflik. Die kwaliteit van ons lewe word dus direk beïnvloed deur die toestand van ons binneste wêreld.
God is nie net geïnteresseerd in ons dade nie, maar in wat dit dryf. Wanneer ons Hom toelaat om ons harte te reinig en te vernuwe, verander Hy ons van binne na buite.
Gebed: Here, wys my wat in my hart nie van U af kom nie. Help my om my gedagtes te vul met u waarheid en my hart te bewaak sodat my lewe U eer. Amen.