Read Psalm 31
The other day I spoke at a church in Michigan. I had pastored in the area a number of years ago. And as I began to teach, I saw a friend I had been on staff with many years ago. I was so excited she came to hear me speak. I was looking forward to saying "Hi" and catching up after the service. After the service ended, I greeted a few people and then I noticed my friend walk out to leave. I was a bit surprised and hurt. When I finally finished the conversation I was in, I went out to see if she had not drove off yet. I wanted to see if I had offended her in someway. Why else would she not stay and talk? I found her downstairs waiting on her husband and so I went up to hug her as I said, "Beth, it's been so long". To which she replied, "Who's Beth?" Awkward! I explained to her that I could have sworn she was someone else. We both got a good laugh out of it.
Have you ever seen someone and you thought it was someone else? They resembled someone you knew. I am so often on the other side of it. I can't tell you how many times people come up to me thinking I'm Tom Cruise. I know, pastor's shouldn't lie. All this to say, if characters in the Old Testament sometimes remind us of Jesus, that's intentional. Not meaning looks because we don't know what Jesus looked like. But their example or something they've said that Jesus said. When this happens in the Bible it's called a "typology". A typology is a prophetic symbol oftentimes represented by a person. And many times the person they represent is Jesus.
David is the one who most often represented the coming Messiah. When he defeated Goliath it was a prophetic sign of when Jesus would come and fight on our behalf, just as David fought on behalf of the army of Israel. Jesus defeated our enemy, Satan, just as David defeated their enemy, Goliath. We reap the benefit of Jesus' victory just as the army did of David's victory. And there's more, but you get the idea.
In today's chapter we see a familiar saying that Jesus used when He was hanging on the cross, paying for our sins. It's found in v. 5a, "Into your hand I commit my spirit". He spoke it as act of faith and dependency on the Father who was his "rock" and "fortress" (v. 3). He was committed his life and future to the Father.
Just used the phrase in Luke 23:46: "Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!' And having said this he breathed his last." Jesus would rise from the dead and that's what makes it possible, despite our sinful nature, to have a loving Father who we know will always be a good, good Father and will be our rock and our fortress! Praise Jesus today, He is the better David!
Can you think of some other ways that David or other Old Testament characters were a typology of Jesus? If so, write the ways down and take time to praise Jesus today.
How can remembering that the 'better David" (Jesus) defeated the "bigger Goliath" (Satan) be a source of encouragement to you today?
Prayer for the day: "Dear Father, think you that you sent your Son to defeat Satan on my behalf. Thank you that He is now at work, interceding at your right side. Thank you that His resurrection power is with me so that I can defeat sin in my life. Help me to remember that today. For your glory, amen."