Page 20 - The Divine Quest

The Divine Quest Page 17

Is this not the difference between these two men, Saul and David; Saul failed to trust
in the character of God, believing that God would abandon him, while David
maintained his trust in the character of god? The Psalms of David are filled with
words of trust in God’s character.

Psalms 4:3-5
But know that Yahweh has set apart the godly man for Himself; Yahweh hears when
I call to Him... Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in Yahweh.

Psalms 9:9-10
Yahweh also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble;
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, O Yahweh, have
not forsaken those who seek You.

Psalms 27:1-3
Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
Yahweh is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?
When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies,
they stumbled and fell.
Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident.

One of the greatest themes of the Psalms of David is trust in God’s holy character. To
be established in faith means that we have confidence in God’s character. The author
of Hebrews summed it up with these words:

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

It is not enough to believe that God exists. It is not enough to be convinced of His
mighty power. One must also believe that He rewards those who seek Him. This is
confidence in His character. It is testifying that we believe that He is just, He is
righteous, and He will do that which is right. Abraham, the father of faith, exclaimed
his own confidence in the character of God with the words:

Genesis 18:25
Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Those who receive the testimony that they are pleasing to God are those who hold to
their confidence in the holy character of God. Saul failed to maintain this confidence.
Eve failed to maintain this confidence. The children of Israel at the Red Sea failed to