The Cure for Depression

David’s life began as a young shepherd boy keeping watch over his father’s flock as they grazed along the hillsides of Judea. Being the youngest son of Jesse, he was the one chosen by God to be the next king of Israel. The current king, Saul, showed great jealousy over the selection of David before the end of his reign had taken place, attempting to pin David to the wall of his palace with a javelin not once, but twice on two different occasions  (1 Samuel 18-19).

The Psalms are the writings of David as he experienced life as a shepherd boy and also as a man on the run, for his life, from the king. Throughout the Psalms David’s emotions are on full display, from triumphant in victories over the lion and bear attacking the flock and the defeat of Goliath, to the despair he felt in the forced separation from his best friend Jonathan, King Saul’s son. There were those who hailed David as victor for his acts of valor, and those in confederate with King Saul who sought to fulfill the King’s wishes in seeing David’s demise.

Many of David’s Psalms begin with hopelessness and despair but find their way to praising God for His goodness, faithfulness, longsuffering, deliverance, and/or salvation before their conclusion. David’s answer in Psalm 42 to being cast down and disquieted was to “Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God”  (v.11).

Psalm 3   “LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me,” (v.1).   “Arise, O LORD, save me… Salvation belongeth unto the Lord,” (vs.7-8).

Psalm 12  “Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth,” (v.1).  “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth,” (v.6).

Psalm 35   “Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me,” (v.1).  “My soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in His salvation,” (v.9).

Psalm 56  “Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up,” (v.1).  “In God will I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me,” (v.11).

1 CHRONICLES – Book of “Preparing to Build the Temple”

Key Verse:   I Chronicles 29:11,  “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine.” 

Adam to David Family Trees – Chapters 1-8

Priests & Levites to Serve in the Temple – Chapter 9

King Saul & His Family – Chapters 9-10

King David’s Reign – Chapters 11-23

Aaron’s Sons to Serve in the Temple – Chapters24-26

Captains, Rulers & Overseers of David’s Reign – Chapter 27

David’s Instructions & Plans for the Temple – Chapter 28

David Praises God – Chapter 29

 

Desiring a King

It was in the sovereignty of God that the Children of Israel were told before entering the Promised Land that there would come a time in their future when they would demand a king to rule over them. For over 2,500 years since man’s creation the LORD had been caring for His own, watching over them, leading them, providing their every need, but a time would come when they would desire to be like all the nations round about them by having their own earthly king to judge them, go out before them, and fight their battles for them (I Samuel 8). God revealed in Deuteronomy 17 how that king would come to rule and the guidelines he would abide by:

1. God would choose him (v.15)
2. He would be chosen from among their brethren (v.15)
3. He would not acquire a multitude of horses for himself (v.16)
4. He would not return the people to Egypt (v.16)
5. He would not acquire multiple wives (v.17)
6. He would not multiply to himself silver and gold (v.17)

Just as prophecy was fulfilled 350 years later in the anointing of the first king of Israel, King Saul, the following chapter of Deuteronomy also foretells of a coming Prophet whom God would raise up from among their brethren whom they should hear. They were further told God “will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him,” (18:15-19). It was outside the little town of Bethlehem shepherds keeping watch over their flock by night were told by the Heavenly Host the Prophet, Priest and King foretold of by God the Father 1,450 years earlier in the Old Testament had finally come. “Unto Him ye shall hearken.”

The Relevancy of Scripture

There are those who say God’s Word is not relevant for today, that it is outdated and old-fashioned. They say life is far different today and anything written in Scripture would not be applicable with what we are experiencing now. But God’s Word is as much relevant for today as it has been for every age in time past. The Psalmist wrote “For ever, O LORD, Thy Word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations,” (119:89-90).

The Bible, God’s Holy Word, is a unique book that has been relevant to generations of people since the time Moses began writing the first five books of the Old Testament under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Just as God’s Word does not change, people have not changed. They are still sinful, wretched, miserable, poor and blind (Revelation 3:17).

The things written of in Scripture were written for our example as Paul tells us in I Corinthians 10. Just in the area of jealousy which is still very much prevalent in our society, we read of Moses’ siblings, Miriam and Aaron, becoming jealous of Moses’ Ethiopian wife and the displeasure God had with their jealousy, sending leprosy upon Miriam who was shut out of the camp seven days until God healed her and allowed her to return (Numbers 12). We read of Korah of the sons of Levi, who became jealous of Moses’ leadership and led a rebellion against him to have Moses overthrown, but was destroyed himself when God opened the earth beneath him and swallowed up all that pertained unto Korah (Numbers 16). And then there was King Saul, whose jealousy of David was so great he and his army chased the slayer of the giant Goliath all over Judea in a desperate attempt to kill David. In the end it was the king who was destroyed in battle, along with David’s best friend, the king’s son, Jonathan (I Samuel 19-31).

God’s Word is as much relevant today as it has always been. It would behoove those who say it is not to set aside what they are doing and begin to read for themselves the wealth of relevancy found in the Scriptures. When they do, as with all who do, they will exclaim with Isaiah, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (6:5).