Seven Prayers
Of David And Of Asaph
by
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (12/22/2013)
“He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment” (Psalm 72, verse 2, King James Version [David prayed for Solomon]).
Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,
My brothers and sisters, the New Year is upon us as we dwell in the seven day count down to Christmas (2013), the seven day count down to New Year (2014) is not afar off. May we praise God's Holy Name, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. If I asked you, “Where are you in your vision and understanding of the will of God and the faith of Christ Jesus?” then, “Where would you be in your heart and in your mind?” And, “Where is your house?” Are you hiding in the Christ Jesus' House of Prayer afraid to deal with the social ills of your house---the malpractices of your house, the nature of your house, and the behavior patterns of your house?
When we think of a house, “What do you think of?” Most importantly, “What is your understanding of a house?” Those of you with bible studies in your understanding might say you think of the House of Israel, as one house, of which 12 sons of Jacob signify the one house of Israel. Additionally, of the 12 sons of Jacob, known as Israel, Judah received his own house called the House of Judah. Furthermore, to that same understanding of a house, of the House of Judah, David received his own house called the House of David.
Of which, we know, Christ Jesus came out of the House of David. There are those who see only a house as a building with a physical structure of comfort and attraction, not the building of a kingdom. However, there are those who see a house as one a building with a description and the same a people with a name. Hypothetically speaking, when you see a name attached to an address of a house, do you think of the people of the house? We know David continuously prayed for a house (“That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains...Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in [II Samuel 7: 2, 5, KJV God's covenant with David])?
Chronologically speaking, we know kings received their own house which was their kingdom. Now, the House of King Saul was a bloody house because he killed the Gibeonites. We also know there was a long war between Saul and David (“Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker” [II Samuel 3:1, KJV]). How many of you in leadership with your families and with God feel you know God's judgment against you because of the situations in your life? In the United States of America, when you file federal taxes you might establish yourself as head of your household.
The idea, head of household, is not a new idea, for the seer or Prophet Samuel said, “Then David returned to bless his household...” (II Samuel 6:20, KJV). Henceforth, the idea of heads of households created leadership and the idea of the House of Israel, the House of Judah and the House of David expanded the leadership role to groups of one people, a kingdom, kingship, rulers, and chiefs, to name a few in head leadership roles beyond the one-unit family. Who is the head of your family in your house? What kind of a house are you?
In my experiences of hearing rumors I heard people describe houses as a den of thieves, wolves in sheep's clothing, and we know God judged King Saul's house as a bloody house (“Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites” (II Samuel 21:1, KJV [Seven of Saul's sons hanged]). It was not a rare experience for me to hear, it is a poor
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house; it is a house of death; it is a whore house. Sometimes descriptions like poor house, house of death, and whore house were more a matter of circumstances in situations of a temporary endurance, making it through an insufferable struggle than the definitive nature of a house of people because famine and death comes and goes, in a cyclical nature; it is not always attached to a house as a cloud of darkness following every member in the house for even in a matter of being curse eventually those cursed will come to the end of the duration of the curse. This is why they say, “Is it over yet?”
This lets you know it is temporary but in the temporary duration the possibility of great sufferings do exist. What about blessed house, do you hear people calling out a house as a blessed house? (“And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God...”, II Samuel 6:12, KJV; “So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD...”, II Samuel 6:15, KJV).
Most people want to hear they are of a blessed house, hardly anyone I think of want to hear negative descriptions of the house they are a member of except those folks who are cynics, masochists and tunnel vision folks (possibly mental problems), who prefer evil thoughts of death over good thoughts of abundant life simply because they cannot see themselves beyond their current situation of disability or hardship. We know out of the mouth is life or death.
You should know by now who you are and the reputation of your family. Now King Saul came from the bloody House of Benjamin (one of the 12 sons of Jacob [Israel]), not only because of killing the Gibeonites, the House of Benjamin raped and killed the concubine wife of a Levite (Levi) priest, which caused Israel to war and separate from the House of Benjamin (Judges chapters 19, 20, and 21, KJV), only for God to forgive Benjamin and raise up Saul out of Benjamin to be King over all of Israel since the war that almost wiped out the tribe of Benjamin. The bloody House of Benjamin did not stop for King Saul became envious of David and sought to kill him because of his weak nature which made him disobedient to God and in fear of the people God raised him up over as their king, which made God reject him as king. Some might say the character flaws of Benjamin were inherent because they were present in Gibeah, in the men of the Belial family that killed the Levite priest's concubine wife, the character flaws were present in the men of Israel who lost control under King Saul's leadership, a Benjamite leadership and caused them to kill the Gibeonites (Amorites) without God giving them permission to do so and the character flaw of weakness was present in King Saul when he became envious of David and sought to kill him even though his son, Jonathan and the people of Israel loved David.
King Saul's weak character could not deal with the rebellious nature of Israel so God rejected him as king for his disobedience. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice” I Samuel 15: 23-24, KJV [Saul rejected for disobedience]. Is it over yet for the House of Benjamin?
What about Levi and Simeon (two of the 12 sons of Jacob [Israel]) heading up the killing of Shechem, the prince of the Hivites (Ham's grandchildren), Hamor, the king of the Hivites (Ham's grandchildren), and all the males of the Hivite tribe (Ham's grandchildren) because Shechem ravished Dinah, Leah's and Jacob's daughter when she went out to see the daughters of the land (Genesis chapter 34, KJV [Shechem ravished Dinah])? Jacob said his two sons, Levi and Simeon had instruments of cruelty in their habitations (Genesis chapter 49, KJV [Jacob told his sons what the future held for them because of their behavior in the past]). Understandably, Levi held strong opinions about how a man must respect a woman with his brother Simeon in the past over the situation that happened to their sister Dinah so quite naturally the Levite priest still held the same level of respect as his elder of the Levite tribe and insisted on death and separation from the whole Benjamite tribe because of the Belial
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family over the actions of rape and death of the Levite's concubine wife. Israel also agreed not to let any of the women from the other 11 tribes of Israel marry into the Benjamite tribe because of how they would possibly treat them with disrespect.
What about the Levite tribe who killed 3,000 of Israel in the valley of Mount Sinai since God led them to escape Egyptian slavery through the Red Sea? They lost patience waiting for Moses to return from Mount Sinai where God appeared to give him the ten commandments, while Israel made a golden calf to worship as the Egyptians committing idolatry. “And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men” (Exodus 32:28, KJV, [The idolaters slain]). The Levite tribe became the chief priests of Israel since that situation and ruled over Israel with such a severity until it became corruption, leaving Israel little opportunity to afford to pay for and seek forgiveness from God for sins and be subjected to raids on their homesteads and villages, with killings of the people occurring so frequently even door-to-door pursuits of injustice until the people cried for the promised savior. If the Levite priests did not persecute Israel in a diaspora of illiteracy and dire circumstances of poverty in need of help everyday then the Roman government ruled over them with such insufferable severity perhaps because of the severity of the Romans the Levite priests felt they needed to rule over their own people with the same insufferable harsh stick of discipline, until the people felt the prophesied promised savior, Jesus had to become the high priest (the great intercessor) during that generation to save them (“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” Isaiah 53:5, KJV [Messiah's sufferings foretold]).
For example, the case in point--- “Jesus saves”gives us an opportunity to journey through the bible stories to see Jacob's (Abraham's grandson through Isaac; in the line of Shem, Noah's son) and Shechem's (Hivite's grandson through Canaan; in the line of Ham, Noah's son) interaction that went badly to show us our connection to God's love. Shechem defiled Dinah before he proposed marriage began many more stories in the bible so much so until it seemed their interactions were just what God intended and might have something to do with why God gave Abraham (his chosen family) many of the grandchildren of Ham, when he promised Abraham nations---those nations promised by God to Abraham (Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaims, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites [Genesis 15:18-21, 10:15-20, 13:12-18, KJV Abraham's inheritance lands and nations]) were Ham's grandchildren, especially Ham's son, Canaan's children (called the Canaanite's), who interacted with Abraham and sold Abraham his burial land (Genesis 23:2-6, 16-18, KJV [Abraham's burying place sepulchre]). Abraham did not want Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman, a distant cousin and sent his servant to get his brother Nahor's daughter; this decision kept Isaac in the line of Shem (Genesis 10:1, 6, 15-19, 11:26, 17;5, 8, KJV [God's covenant]; I Chronicles 1:24-27, KJV [The posterity of Abraham]). “And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell;” ( 24:37, KJV [Servant meeteth Rebekah]). Likewise, Isaac and Rebekah were grieved over Esau's marriage to the Hittite daughters (Canaan's grandchildren through Heth; in the line of Ham). “And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah” (26:34-35, KJV [Esau married daughters of the Canaanites).
Furthermore, “Esau took his wives of the daughters of Cannan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth” (36:2-3, KJV [Esau married daughters of the Canaanite's and Esau married Ishmael's daughter, Abraham's son by the Egyptian bondwoman, Hagar [21:12-13, God made Ishmael a nation because Abraham's child with Sarah---Isaac carried the chosen line]). Let us say it was not uncommon for Abraham (Shem) to squabble or disagree over marriage with their distant
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cousins. Whereas, Jacob's daughter Dinah did not marry Shechem the Hivite prince because Simeon
and Levi disagreed because he ravished her before he proposed marriage, Esau did marry Aholibamah one of the daughters of the Hivites. Whereas, Abraham did not want Isaac to marry the daughters of the Canaanite's, Esau did marry two of the daughters of the Canaanite's. Whereas, Ishmael had to separate from his father, Abraham because his mother Hagar the Egyptian bondwoman was cast out when Sarah pleaded with Abraham to do so since she caught Ishmael mocking Isaac, Esau did marry Ishmael's daughter and was able to live with all his wives (21:9-13, KJV [Isaac is born]).
Some people might feel that some people will not change much but God still forgives them. Some people might feel it is impossible for those people who will not change much to become new creatures, to transform their hearts and their minds to the grace of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus yet God still forgives them. Is your house still captive held hostage or held in bondage time and time again for the weakness of your nature, your weak conscious that enslaves you to man because of a dark heart and a mind that is not sound? Jesus saves!
Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that those brethren with knowledge of how to behave should do so to save their brethren in order to lead those with a weak conscience because Jesus also died for the brethren with a weak conscience. Hence, those with knowledge who wrongly behaved could further wound and offend the brethren with a weak conscience because they followed the lead of those with knowledge, which is a sin of those brethren with knowledge against Christ Jesus. In this regard he spoke of sitting to the table and eating meats offered in the idol's temple (I Corinthians 8:10-13, KJV
[Of meats offered to idols]). I think of the wholeness of God's children in worship in the House of Prayer---the church, the family of God and I think of the prayer of David (Psalm 72, A Psalm for Solomon):
“Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. The
mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and
shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and
moon endure, throughout all generations.
He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the
earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as
the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river
unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him;
and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and the isles shall bring
presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. For he
shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He
shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood
be in his sight. And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba:
prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.
There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains;
the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like
grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued
as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him
blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous
things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be
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filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. The prayers of David the son of Jesse
are ended.”
I also think of Psalm 35 (A Psalm of David for safety), Psalm 18 (A Psalm of David for deliverance from Saul and all other enemies), Psalm 65 (A Psalm of David for blessedness of God's chosen), Psalm
63 (A Psalm of David in the wilderness of Judah), Psalm 70 (A Psalm of David to bring to
remembrance), and Psalm 73 (A Psalm of Asaph for help). Those are the prayers of David and Asaph,
which are the seven prayers for the New Year (2014). May God rest your souls and bless you as you continually pray, for ever drawing nigh to God as he draws nigh to you, letting nothing separate you from God's love, which delivers you everyday even in the hour of the weakness of your conscious, He delivers you. Praise God. Jesus saves!
