Dressed In White
There is only one king who can clothe you in white, cover your sins, and care for you with an everlasting love. Jesus is our Holy King and Righteous Shepherd.
“When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain…they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights…the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king”
1 Samuel 8:1, 3, 5-22
The age-old struggle between following God or following the ways of the world is present as much here and now as it was an ancient times as evidenced in this text. In the United States, there is a struggle for the highest power every four years. In our own lives, there can be a daily struggle. We each have a choice to make. Who do we follow? Who has authority in my life?
Do you want to be like everyone else? Power matters. There is a reason why people pursue power in the work place, at home, or in the broader community. In the world, power often comes through a position or through material possessions. Do you wish you had more power? The people in this text rejected God as the highest power and authority. They wanted an earthly king, yet truth tells us that God did not design us to have earthly kings.
Do you want to be one of God’s chosen people who is set apart and surrenders authority to Him? Do you want a Shepherd to guide you? Or do you want to go with the flow and be guided by what you see is popular in contemporary culture? God so compassionate that He allows us to choose. He wanted them to make an informed choice so He warned the people of what was to come. The text says that despite the warning they would not listen because they wanted what everyone else had. Why would they not listen to God? What does that say about their hearts' desires?
You might say that you would never reject God. Maybe, in a larger sense you do no, but what about the small daily choices. How do the little decisions throughout your day reflect what you want most? God wants to teach us to view everything in light of our relationship with him. If we sin, we sin against him. If we are faithful, we are faithful to him. It’s important to always remember God’s original design was walking with us side-by-side in the garden of Eden without worry.
“Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? The Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile. Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.”
Psalms 94:9, 11-22
Consider the contrast between the faithfulness of God and the fickle nature of mankind. Our devotion can take a quick detour if something we desire is suddenly available to us. How does God respond when we have rejected following him? He remains faithful and righteous. His love is not conditional and his voice is always calling us to come home.
Consider the prodigal son. He rejected his father and wanted the pleasures of the world. The moment he came back home, the father came running. God wants us to give our hearts to Him. David says that God has become his fortress. A fortress helps you feel safe and secure. There’s a process to learning to trust God at all times and learning to surrender control. Surrender can be hard because it makes us feel vulnerable, but God tells us that He protects those who trust Him. It does not say that God was always David’s fortress, rather he had to learn and become. David reminds us that even when everything in the world seems out of order, God still sees and hear us. Where could you use a rock, a fortress, a refuge? How could the faithfulness of God help strengthen you.
“Under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all…the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife…For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” Ecclesiastes 9:3-10
Jesus said change the way you think. Do you see yourself as someone clothed in white approved by God? Solomon says always be clothed in white, learn to eat with gladness, drink with a joyful heart and walk with the understanding that God has already approved what you do. He says to everything to the best of your ability every day under the sun. How does this passage hit you? Is your heart full of joy and gladness? Are you walking in victory because your clothes in white knowing that Jesus paid the price on the cross? Are you finding meaning in your work or just trying to make it through the day?
Think about how Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden. Think about God’s original design. The life that Solomon describes is very different than what you might be experiencing or what we see in the world around us. Can you think of a time where you knew someone was pleased with you? God wants you to go through your life with a sense of wholeness knowing you are loved as you are. How many people spend every minute of their life pursuing the temporary things that will never satisfy the needs of their souls? How often do people work long hours, but have little to show for all the effort? Have you ever thought about how little Jesus owned? He didn’t have a bank account, a big house, or any sort of buying power. Yet no one has changed the world like he has. He models for us what it is to walk clothed in white, anointed in oil, creating love everywhere He went. Does your life align with the life of Jesus?
“The flock detested me…Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock” Zechariah 11:7,17
God does not want even one person to perish which is why He sent his son that all who believe might find eternal life. But God gives us a choice. Jesus said the people preferred the darkness to the light. In Samuel, the people preferred an earthly king to a Heavenly King. God doesn’t make us follow him. He pursues us, invites us, and calls us, but He let us choose our response.
The world is full of people that you can follow, unfortunately not all roads lead to everlasting glory and redeeming grace. How is your journey going? Do you feel close to Jesus? Jesus is quoted in John 10 as saying that He is the good Shepherd. Consider all the ways that a shepherd cares for his flock. He is attentive, protective, and nurturing. Jesus wants to personally meet you where you are, care for you, and guide you as you hear His voice and follow him.
“Then I saw another angel…He called out in a loud voice…I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb…These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” Revelation 7:2-17
Have you ever wondered what your further reward is after you live out your days on earth? The Angel tells about the people who came out of the great tribulation. Tribulation is not a terrific present. Tribulation comes from the Greek word that means pressure. The pressure we feel can lead us in different directions depending on how we process that pressure. Pressure can lead to stress and negatively affect the quality of one's life. Yet, pressure also can produce diamonds. Pressure can help clarify and refine what is most important. Pressure can produce character, trust, and hope.
Some people throw in the towel and give in to pressure. They toss the white flag giving in to temporary coping mechanisms rather than being clothed in white. They give up. They stop trying. They say the pain is just not worth it. The truth is life on earth is not easy. You’re going to face hard times. The word tribulation does not translate to peaceful days having a picnic in a park. In fact, the more you pursue your God given purpose the more likely you will experience more pressure. The key is understanding that you do not bear the burden alone and you have a Shepherd whose strength is released in our weakness. Where do you need Jesus to take pressure off something you have been carrying?
We live in a world that is not in alignment with God amongst people who do not follow God. It is out of the tribulation that Jesus guides us to springs of living water. Within all of the perils of our lives, we have a promise. We are promised that Jesus is our ever present Shepherd and Savior. We have a hope, a future, and a further reward beyond this life. At the same time we do not have to wait until the end of our lives to find balance. Wisdom tells us that we can find meaning in our lives now and make a difference in the world around us. So we can be people who serve our King now and when we stand before the throne. We can drink the living water now with joy in our hearts and eat what God provides with gladness. We can experience the love of God as we love the people around us. We can find meaning in our work as we work with all our might.
But we have to choose who our king is. Who will be your king? Is Jesus your King? Does He have full authority over every aspect of your life? Full authority over your checkbook and your calendar? Which kingdom will you serve? Jesus is the Good Shepherd who anoints your head with oil and clothes you in white so you can be free to love like He does and let rivers of living water lead you in how you love the people around you. Today is both a day of resurrection and rejection. It is a day of letting the power of the Holy Spirit resurrect your heart and it is a day to reject the ways of the world.