Austin Bible Church
When God created mankind, He created a man and a woman. God did not create one Adam and five Eves. God did not create one Eve and five Adams. He created one of each. God also laid down a basic principle. You leave the in-laws and you must be mature enough to be on your own, sink or swim. Gen. 1:27; Gen. 2:24.
“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27, NASB)
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24, NASB)
When God created mankind, He created the man as the head, the initiator and the woman as a responder. After the Fall, the man became the breadwinner and authority leader in the marriage. The woman became the child-bearer and the responder to her husband in marriage.
“To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you."” (Genesis 3:16, NASB)
Man the Beast in a Time of National Degeneracy
Man can be a beast in a time of national degeneracy. The beasts are characterized by conspiracy, plotting to destroy, plotting to deceive and to ruin, behaving as a roaring lion much like the traditional bully, behaving like a bull in the china shop, breaking the law, breaking agreements and truces, having no discernment, behaving as ravenous wolves that shed blood, destroying souls, make gains dishonestly, lying compulsively, oppression, robbery and abusing the poor. Ezek. 22:25-29.
“"There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. "Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.” (Ezekiel 22:25-26, NASB)
“"Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. "Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' when the LORD has not spoken. "The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice.” (Ezekiel 22:27-29, NASB)
At certain points of history, man became a beast, an animal. Man is called a roaring lion, a ravenous wolf. This does not mean every man is a beast. There will always be strong, stable, cool-headed men in every generation. But when the beast index gets high in a country, everybody suffers. But when man is a beast, he does not protect his wife. He does not protect womanhood. Titus 1:15; Isaiah 3:24-26.
“To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.” (Titus 1:15, NASB)
“Now it will come about that instead of sweet perfume there will be putrefaction; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. Your men will fall by the sword And your mighty ones in battle. And her gates will lament and mourn, And deserted she will sit on the ground.” (Isaiah 3:24-26, NASB)
You see, even the believer can be a beast when out of fellowship. He may be married to his work with little capacity for family responsibilities and expression of love to his wife. He may be a hot-head, impatient, constantly disagreeing with his wife in public, and constantly irritable. He may be rough on everyone in the home with no understanding concerning the emotional and mental makeup of a woman.
Man, the Blessing in Any Time Period in History
A man is needed who will stand in the gap. This man first must be born-again. Ezek. 22:30.
“"I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30, NASB)
This man must have spiritual maturity or be developing in that direction. A man must be found who can respond to sound Bible doctrine. Titus 2:1-2.
“But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.” (Titus 2:1-2, NASB)
In Titus 2:1-2, “temperate” is νηφάλεος (nēphaleos) and means sober, alert, attentive to circumstances or consequences. This is self-discipline in old age. “Dignified” is σεμνός (semnos) and means honorable, to be regarded with admiration. Actually this is a relaxed mental attitude, freedom from mental attitude sins. Old age brings out the worst of the soul kinks, of the scar tissue, of mental attitude sins and you don’t have youth to cloak these defects. This is an old man who is relaxed, not bitter, and not jealous.
“Sensible” σώφρων (sōphrōn) and means a good, clear, stabilized mind. The older you become, the more clear your mind should become. You should be oriented to life. You should be oriented to grace. Begin now to get Bible doctrine so old age doesn’t creep up on you.
“Sound in faith” means to be healthy, to be correct, to be accurate by means of faith. This is the constant function of faith in the grace apparatus for perception. Transferring head knowledge (gnosis) to full knowledge (epignosis). “In love” refers to mental attitude love, no grudges, no axes to grind, no bitterness. “In perseverance” is the extension of the faith-rest life under pressure.
The emphasis is on soul maturity. Old age comes last because it is the best! The need then is for Bible doctrine. If Bible doctrine hasn’t been meaningful to you up to now and you’re pushing past 40, it’s time to get with it. These messages are not designed to win friends and influence people in some popularity contest. They, however, are designed to proclaim truth regarding the man of the species.
To be a maximum blessing, man must be born-again. Titus 2. This man must be responding to Bible doctrine and growing spiritually. That doesn’t mean the phony, weak Christianity you see today but the virile, powerful, stable, biblical Christianity - the man who will stand in the gap. Ezekiel 22:30.
“"I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30, NASB)
A man must be found who can respond to sound doctrine. A man is by nature an initiator. A woman is by nature a responder. So that in itself is why men do not respond to the Word often as quickly as women do, except one notable exception. Where doctrine is taught straight and dogmatically, the Word attracts and builds real men.
In Titus 2:2, the term “older men” is πρεσβύτης (presbutēs) and connotes an interesting principle. In old age, a man has the tendency to become too passive and an aged woman too active. You need balance.
“Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.” (Titus 2:2, NASB)
An Illustration of Beast to Blessing - David’s Mighty Men
Both men and women have everything going for them if they utilize the grace of God. Are you a man who will stand in the gap? We have looked at man from the standpoint of being either a beast or a blessing. In Ezekiel we saw him as a beast. In this condition, there is no man to stand in the gap. In Titus, we saw him as a blessing with tremendous spiritual ministry.
We are going to look at one of the great men in the Word of God - David, the king of Israel. David had his ups and downs, but he was a man after God’s own heart.
David - Goliath Experience
Why did he win? Why was he a blessing? He had respect for authority. 1 Sam. 17:20.
“So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry.” (1 Samuel 17:20, NASB)
He had courage without the mental attitude of fear. 1 Sam. 17:26.
“Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?"” (1 Samuel 17:26, NASB)
He had initiative. 1 Sam. 17:32.
“David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."” (1 Samuel 17:32, NASB)
He had confidence. He had already passed the lion and bear test. 1 Sam. 17:34-35
“But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.” (1 Samuel 17:34-35, NASB)
He had objectivity. 1 Sam. 17:36-37.
“"Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."” (1 Samuel 17:36-37, NASB)
He had Bible doctrine. 1 Sam. 17:45-47.
“Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands."” (1 Samuel 17:45-47, NASB)
He had victory. 1 Sam. 17:49-50.
“And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David's hand.” (1 Samuel 17:49-50, NASB)
David - Achish king of Gath
Why did he lose? Why was he a beast? This was the same David! He had fear. 1 Sam. 21:10; 2 Tim. 1:7.
“Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath.” (1 Samuel 21:10, NASB)
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NASB)
He had cowardice and fled. He was running like a whipped dog. He panicked. He had a change of behavior. 1 Sam. 21:11-12.
“But the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?" David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath.” (1 Samuel 21:11-12, NASB)
He had mimicked insanity. He had foamed at the mouth and let spit run out the corners of his mouth onto his beard. Had a change of locations. This was the same David in fellowship in 1 Samuel 17 and out of fellowship in 1 Samuel 21.
David’s Misfits
David was now back in fellowship. 1 Sam. 23:2.
“So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah."” (1 Samuel 23:2, NASB)
However, his men are still in distress. In the Hebrew it means narrowness, between a rock and a hard place, guys in trouble. They were men with discontent. They were bitter and had other mental attitude sins. David was still training them. 1 Sam. 23:3.
“But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?"” (1 Samuel 23:3, NASB)
David and about 600 of his mighty men delivered the city of Keilah from the Philistines. 1 Sam. 23:5; 1 Sam. 23:13.
“So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines; and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. Thus David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.” (1 Samuel 23:5, NASB)
“Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit.” (1 Samuel 23:13, NASB)
Later, when David had more spiritual maturity, the insult of Nabal was going to end in bloodshed of Nabal’s men. However, Abigail, Nabal’s wife, intervened and David understood her intervention and discernment was from the Lord. He accepted Abigail’s plea and Nabal’s men were spared. David exercised good judgment. 1 Sam. 25:5; 1 Sam. 25:9-10; 1 Sam. 25:12-13; 1 Sam. 25:32-33.
“So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, "Go up to Carmel, visit Nabal and greet him in my name;” (1 Samuel 25:5, NASB)
“When David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in David's name; then they waited. But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master.” (1 Samuel 25:9-10, NASB)
“So David's young men retraced their way and went back; and they came and told him according to all these words. David said to his men, "Each of you gird on his sword." So each man girded on his sword. And David also girded on his sword, and about four hundred men went up behind David while two hundred stayed with the baggage.” (1 Samuel 25:12-13, NASB)
“Then David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.” (1 Samuel 25:32-33, NASB)
In conclusion, what makes men great in God’s sight? The grace of God and Bible doctrine, which David taught them. David was God's appointed leadership. Today, the pastor-teacher is God's appointed leadership for the teaching of Bible doctrine in the local church for the spiritual equipping of the saints. Believers should have loyalty to their spiritual leadership and to each other.
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;” (Ephesians 4:12, NASB)