who is Abiathar?
(Part 3 of Abiathar...)
© by Gary W. Crisp
••••› This Teaching has recently been updated (10/6/2000) ‹ ••••
Abiathar: “the Father of Liberality”
• Delighting in the things of men •
• Witchcraft in City Hall •
Abiathar, “the Liberal”That is the meaning of the name, Abiathar. It “sounds good”, doesn’t it? “Liberality”...and Abiathar is usually very appealing and “looks good”, as well, but that is not the criteria with which we, as Christians, are supposed to choose those who “lead us”, minister “to us” or rule “over us”. Jesus constantly dealt with the urge His disciples had to be “led by appearance” rather than by the heart and spirit. He told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan. You are an offence to me; for you do not savour (have an interest in or want to do) the things of God, but (instead you delight in) those things that are of men” (Matthew 16:23). And all Peter thought he was doing was “looking out” for the Lord’s welfare. Jesus also rebuked James and John in Luke 9:55 & 56: “He turned, and rebuked them, saying, ‘You don’t know what manner of spirit you are of (or are being influenced by). For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them’.” Again...like Peter, they thought what they were doing was proper and
“acceptable”, but, to the Lord, it was not.
As we come to Part 3 of the teaching on Abiathar and Part 8 of the overall teaching on Moving the Church from A to Z, one of the things I hope we have learned is the difference between the flesh and the spirit and the difference between the Way of the Lord and our own selfish, soulish ways. Let’s take a closer look at Abiathar now, and see “what makes him tick”. Having discussed pretty thoroughly, in several areas, who Zadok is, now let us get better acquainted with this Abiathar character, remembering that we are still speaking of the “flesh and carnal ways” when we use the terms Abiathar minister or Abaithar spirit. Please let me not confuse you by using the names of “Abiathar” and “Zadok” to describe two very different and opposing types of worshippers, ministers or ministry in the Body of Christ.
As already shown, the name Abiathar means: “The Father of Liberality”. While many of God’s traits we want to be liberal (such as longsuffering, lovingkindness, and forgiveness), the kind of liberality in Abiathar is more to be related to what liberal means today. Most true Christians consider themselves “conservative” in thinking, in actions, and in socio-political views. True Christianity is not an all-embracing religion, and yet much of what is happening in the world today “pushes” Christians to a very dangerous place of compromise. We are harangued with cries of “prejudice” when we refuse to accept homosexual views; we are also branded with that same accusation of “prejudice” when we refuse to accept “other religious views”. And as startlingly amazing as this may seem, we are
called “narrow-minded”, “arrogant” and “ignorant” when we refuse to accept and embrace the practioners of witchcraft!
Witchcraft in City Hall
Sound “crazy” to some of you? Even so, this just happened in Dallas, Texas, near where we live: A Wiccan priest (who called himself a “minister”) was refused the right to “pray over” the City Council Meeting...!!! Whether out of pure ignorance or whether he just didn’t care, days later Mayor Ron Kirk (much to his shame) recanted and withdrew from his position. This came about as a result of some name-calling (“prejudice!”, of course) and much controversy, and last night (on October 4, 2000) several news stations had special reports on the local Wiccan witches in our area, showing them gathered and chanting to their gods. It also showed this Wiccan priest finally getting his chance to “pray over” the City Council Meeting and the city, as well. (Of course, local Christians were outraged, but I’m certain Dallas is not an isolated case.) Also, one interesting note: This Wiccan priest commented that all they were praying for was that all religions “come together in unity, purpose and peace”. He also lamented over the fact that Christians were much too hasty to condemn and judge his group as “witches” (which they clearly are), and he said that if “they (meaning us, the Christian community) would just get to know us, they would see that we don’t ‘worship the devil’ or ‘sacrifice little babies’.”
I find that extremely interesting, especially when it is a clear and obvious self-indictment against his own knowledge (or great lack thereof) of Christianity. If he would do the same as he accuses us of not doing ourselves...i.e. “just get to know us”, and if he understood just the simplest and most basic fundamentals of True Christianity, he would know that the Lord has seriously and solemnly declared: “You shall have no other gods before Me”, and that’s just for starters. That is, of course, the First of the Ten Commandments, which all pagan religions and many current
“modern” denominations have conveniently “done away with”.
For, whether they want to address the truth of the issue or not, the Wiccans and all pagan religions worship “other gods”. While he did not “pray to” these gods in his prayer before City Hall, the two special news features we watched clearly showed them and other Wiccan groups praying to the “many gods and godesses” in nature and all of creation. For example: There is a moon god and godess, a sun god and godess, gods of the earth, wind, sky, etc., much like (and this Wiccan priest even said so in the news report) the Native American Indian form of religion -- which doesn’t even come close to honoring God, the Father, Jesus Christ, the Son, or the Holy Spirit.
As I said, Christianity is not an all-embracing religion, and truly following Christ will cost us, forcing us into a narrow, conservative viewpoint. We must get this into our heads and into our hearts, and we cannot and we must not be forced into anything except following and honoring the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot embrace or condone any religion, group, cult or people who do not embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as the only means of Salvation and Hope for mankind. We can love them and pray for them and witness to them about His Saving Grace, but we cannot accept them or their idolatry. While the old adage claims: “All roads lead to Rome”, we know that “not all paths lead to Heaven”. True, Biblical Christianity is exclusive, not inclusive, and yet today we see and hear many so-called Christians (who are not really Christians) attempting to embrace all forms of belief systems. Only the blood of Jesus Christ, the Holy Lamb of God, can redeem a soul from hell. Not good works, not a good heart, not a lifetime of good deeds. We, as Christians, do not need to apologize for these Truths and Principles which our God has set forth.
A Path Through Jesus...Not Good Works
Several years ago (in the Fall of 1997), the world mourned the loss of two “great” women -- great in the eyes of the world, anyway. One was a princess and the other was a woman called a saint. Here were two women whose deeds (if we could gather all of their “good deeds” into one place) would fill and, no doubt, overflow the very largest of sports stadiums. And yet, here is a simple little fact which many people chose to casually overlook: Unless the hearts of these women were redeemed and covered by the Precious Blood of Jesus, and unless they knew Him as their own Personal Lord and Savior, all of their works, all of their good deeds, all of their efforts will be revealed as meaningless...worse than wood, hay and stubble! I did not say this...the apostle Paul said it, in 1st Corinthians 3:10-15. And furthermore, unless they were truly “Born Again”, their lives of “sacrifice” will be “meaningless” in the eyes of God. I do not know the status of these women, but I have heard so many people quickly exclaim: “Oh, yes, yes! They were definitely Christians! Certainly they knew the Lord...look at all the good they did in the world. Of course they were Christians...! Certainly they were Christians!! They must have been Christians!!!”
I understand this thinking. I really and truly do. All of our “heroes” we want to “claim for heaven”, and although my next little story is not of the same caliber as those saintly women and all the good they did in the world, still I will share it. Several years ago -- when one of my childhood idols (a Hall of Fame baseball player) was dying of cancer -- I thought, surely he must be a Christian, especially since he made some news conferences from a church during his last few days on this earth. But not once did I hear any such references to the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior or Sovereign Lord of his life. I wished I had heard such a report (and maybe there was such a report and I somehow missed it), but I had not. I continued to pray for the man, but I still do not know -- in light of today’s worldly religiosity -- if my childhood idol had ever accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior! Oh, he was a true hero to millions of Americans, and he was a Hall of Famer who held countless Major League records... but, in the light of eternity, that would count for absolutely nothing!
Now, in contrast to this man’s passing into eternity, just last year (1999) another well-known sports figure died, but this man had a lengthy legacy of proclaiming and extolling Christ. This man was well-known, among players, coaches -- and even rival sports people -- to have openly professed his belief in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. What a contrast between the two men. This man was also a Hall-of-Famer, except his sport was football. He also had millions of fans and countless honors bestowed upon him. But all of his awards and honors and accolades he gained while on earth are meaningless...and he positively knew that, not only as he died, but all throughout the years he played and coached. His heart and life were already “in” eternity; his heart was already “in” heaven. Dying was just the next, natural step of a long, long journey.
In light of these two men, let us also take a look at the case of one Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews; a man who came to Jesus under the cover and safety of night. But, as popular or as prominent as this man might have been, the Lord did not consider his deeds, his status or his lineage. He simply told him, “You must be born again.” (see John 3:1-21) I only say this to make a point: It has been said that the pathway to hell is lined with “good intentions”. And scripture plainly states: The pathway to Heaven is a very narrow pathway (Matthew 7:13, 14). Let us not lose sight of the simple fact: No one’s “good works” can or will get them to heaven. It won’t even raise them one foot off the ground in heaven’s direction.
Speaking of a “narrow pathway”, one meaning of narrow is “illiberal”, which is the opposite of liberal. Narrow, as defined by most dictionaries means,
“intolerant; close-minded or small-minded; not favoring civil liberties and social progress; even constrictive”. No wonder
“conservative Christians” have a reputation of being close-minded, intolerant, ignorant and “opposed to many social and civil liberties”. Take, for example, the very recent (October, 2000) ruling where the FDA approved the new abortion pill, RU-486. Should Christians approve and accept this “social and civil liberty”? Of course not, but the world would have us think otherwise.
No wonder the world hates us so, and one of the problems in the church has been where weak, young baby Christians have been allowed to formulate a scenario in which the world does not hate them so much. However, if we will follow the True Cause of Christ, truly adhering to His Word and His Ways, then we will not be as popular and well-liked as some Christian leaders are suggesting. Even though the Scriptures declare that we are, indeed, the head and not the tail, we should be willing to understand that this Promise is one of those Very Important Conditional Promises...“if you will, I will” -- see Deuteronomy 28:1,13,15 & 44. Nowhere in Scripture will you find that we will never suffer or never be rejected and harrassed by the world. But sadly, there have been few wiser and older saints who have spoken out in protective and corrective love against such thinking. Why is that, when even Jesus said that if the world hated Him, it would also hate us. How dare we try to avoid such conflict? Do we think we’re better than our Lord? Apparently some of us do. Some of us have taken a path of least resistance, where we have met none other than the likes of Abiathar and his crowd.
Abiathar...Shame and Dishonor
Abiathar isn’t directly mentioned in Ezekiel 44, but it is more than implied that the references of “the Levites that are gone away far from Me” speak directly of Abiathar during the time of King David. Abiathar and Zadok were both High Priests during David’s reign. It is my belief that the mention of Zadok in chapter 44 is as an honor unto Zadok, whereas the omission of Abiathar’s name is to his shame and dishonor. We will see, in 1st and 2nd Samuel, and in 1st Kings and in 1st Chronicles, the story of Abiathar and Zadok: How one served himself, and one served his King; one served the flesh, and one served the Spirit.
As in most situations (and like so many churches I mentioned), Abiathar started out well. 1st Samuel 21 & 22 tell of one of the many times David was fleeing the hand of Saul. Chapter 21:1-9 shows how David came to Nob and spoke to Ahimelech, the priest. Here David was given some of the holy bread from the table of showbread for sustenance, and the sword of Goliath because he had no weapon. Later, when Saul found out that the priest had aided David, he was very angry and ordered all of the priests to be slain. Eighty-five priests were killed and Nob, the city of priests, was destroyed. Every man, women and child, and even all the cattle were killed (22:17-19) -- he “utterly destroyed Nob”. (Abiathar escaped, but we’ll get to that a bit later.) This is really quite remarkable when we recall that Saul’s great sin (which cost him the kingdom, to begin with) was the fact that he refused to “utterly destroy Amalek” (see 1st Samuel 15:3-28), which was a heathen, ungodly, troublesome people (1st Sam.15:2). It’s interesting, because Saul would not destroy this ungodly people, the Amalekites, but he did not even hesitate to stretch out his hand against not only his own kinsmen (those of the house of Israel), but especially the priests, who were holy and set apart by the Lord. This is the life of one who has an Abiathar heart.
Even though all of Nob was destroyed, somehow one of Ahimelech’s sons escaped. It was Abiathar, and he fled to seek refuge with David (1st Samuel 22:20). So, his start was gallant and noble, and we can surely sympathize with the circumstances of his loss, but somewhere along the way he strayed. Let us look at how this orphaned priest may have been swayed from serving the King. We are told in 1st Samuel 23, verses 6 and 9, that when Abiathar came to David for refuge he brought with him “an ephod in his hand.” We are not told why Abiathar had an ephod, or even if he knew the importance of this priestly garment. It was the girdle or shoulder-piece that was ascribed primarily to the high priest, for ministry to the Lord as well as for the king (David in this instance). David asked specifically for Abiathar and the ephod while he sought guidance from the Lord. He did not ask advice of Abiathar...he asked advice of the Lord. We do not hear of Abiathar again until chapter 30, verse 7, where once again David is concerned only with the ephod while he inquires of the Lord.
Not until 2nd Samuel, chapter 8, will we hear of Abiathar, and here he is mentioned only in passing along with Zadok, who is listed first. In the Old Testament especially, being listed “first” is commonly known as the
“Law of First Mention”, and it usually implies a person, place or thing “of greater importance” or one with higher authority. It is also a “marker”, of sorts, revealing many kinds of firsts, such as “first sin committed”; “first sacrifice”; “first war”; or “first altar”. The Old Testament is filled with “firsts”, and all of them are important, in one way or another, to us today. In this particular case, Zadok appeared to have precedence over Abiathar. Do we smell jealousy brewing?
Zadok...Righteousness & Faith
When David fled the rebellion of his own son, Absalom (2nd Sam.15), he was joined by Zadok and Abiathar (verses 24-29), but once again we see Zadok mentioned first. David tells them to return the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem and wait until the day he returns. He also refers to Zadok as “a seer”, or prophet (verse 27), which is another note of significance. Verse 36 shows us that now the sons of these two priests enter the mix -- Ahimaaz is Zadok’s; Jonathan is Abiathar’s. We do not see a clear picture of what went amiss with Abiathar until King David is “old and stricken in years...” In 1st Kings, chapter one, we see the decline of David’s health and an attempt by one of his sons to usurp the throne from his father. In verse 5, Adonijah, David’s fourth-born son, declares, “I will be king” (that sounds oddly like Lucifer’s heart in Isaiah 14:12-14). The name, Adonijah, means: “lord, master, ruler, or controller of Jah; to be the worshipper of Jah, the Self-existent One”. In this case, he seems to have taken on a little too much control and decided to do some ruling of his own.
As Adonijah seeks to gain power, he gathers horses and chariots and men to follow after him, and then we have the first glimpse of Abiathar’s folly: 1st Kings 1:7 & 8: “And he (Adonijah) conferred with Joab... and with Abiathar, the priest, and they followed Adonijah and helped him, But Zadok the priest... (who) belonged to David, (was) not with Adonijah.” Here we see a weakness in Abiathar’s armor; a weakness in his resolve; a propensity for sin and for leaning the wrong way. Later, David calls for Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to come and anoint Solomon, the rightful heir to the throne. This breaks up the insurrection brought forth by the treachery of Adonijah and Abiathar, and Adonijah is later put to death for further mischief (chapter 2:13-25). Abiathar, on the other hand, is banished to his own land, there to live in exile, never to serve as a priest before the Lord again (verses 26 & 27).
Abiathar...Cursed
This is the point in time where Abiathar and his sons were cursed as servants of the Lord. They would only serve the people in the temple (Ezekiel 44:10-14), while the faithfulness of Zadok to his King passed on to every generation after him, and the sons of Zadok would be close and minister unto the Lord Himself. Even a daughter of Zadok would play an important role in the kingdom of Judah. Jerusha, a daughter of Zadok (2nd Kings 15: 32-38), helped her son, Jotham, rule a righteous sixteen years in Jerusalem. It wasn’t “perfect”, but it was a righteous and Godly reign.
Please...if you get nothing else from reading any of these articles and lessons, please understand this: Zadok does not strive to be “perfect”, though many will accuse a Zadok minister of such a thing. Abiathar is the one who strives and toils and pushes for perfection. Abiathar will beat himself senseless, along with those around him, trying to arrive at perfection. In his mind that is the “only thing that will truly please God”. Zadok knows full well that this is not so; God is always pleased with a heart that sincerely and honestly worships Him, no matter the manner in which it may be done or presented.
The blessings of the Zadok ministers are apparent, while the curse against Abiathar cannot be overlooked. Ezekiel 40:46; 43:19; 44:15 & 16; and 48:11 explain how God views Zadok’s faithfulness, and how serious He is about righteous and holy dealings when it comes to ministry in His House. It is not a light thing to serve the Lord. The responsibility is great and too many ministers today have forgotten Who they work for and why they work for Him.
It is not a simple enough thing to suggest that Abiathar was merely “jealous” of Zadok, who seemed to have preferential treatment and a higher recognition than Abiathar. As I mentioned, Abiathar had a weakness within his heart that kept him from making the right decision. His flesh prevented him from following after the king, being David, as well as the King, being the Lord. I believe that there are, as with anyone in any circumstance, always various underlying motives and hidden agendas. That is why Paul admonished Timothy (1st Tim. 3:6) not to allow a “novice” (a newcomer to the faith) a position of headship or ruling, like a bishop. It isn’t that they may not be “righteous” enough or “perfect” enough; it’s just that they may not have enough maturity and experience to resist the temptation of being “lifted up in pride”.
Justified by Faith
That’s what Paul speaks of in the fifth chapter of Romans, verses 1-5: “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by Whom also we have access by faith into this Grace wherein we stand, and we rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God. And not only this, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation yields patience; and patience teaches experience; and experience brings hope. And we need to know this: Hope will never make us ashamed in any way, because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Who has been so freely given to us.”
I’ve highlighted some words to help make a point. For example, it took me the better part of thirteen years to fully and completely understand and appreciate the words
“justified by faith”. To finally know and believe that my faith in Him and of Him is more important to God and to my own life than any of the things my heart and mind might conjure up for me to do. I am justified by the faith that He has given me, and to the degree that I “see it” and “believe it”, to that degree I will have the Peace of Christ in my life -- and “all things come through Jesus Christ, my Lord”. Herein lies our dilemma -- and herein is the Great Controversy of our hearts...we want to think and believe that God expects the best of us, and He does. It is only when our much doing and our striving to be the best comes in the place of our delight in doing that we get into trouble. If I can truly know Him and be obedient to Him, then my faith in Him will justify me and make me feel acceptable to Him. It’s when I foolishly try to prove my worth by endless works and feverish doings that I hinder the very faith I desire to have! It is a real dilemma to many hearts, I know. It was for me for many, many years.
As I have already said, Abiathar and the flesh must “do” in order to feel “justified”; he is not satisfied to believe that he can be “justified by faith”. So he strives and struggles and hinders all who will get in his way. And...he never really has the Peace of Christ in his life, for much of what Abiathar does results in the grieving of the Spirit of the Lord. Why is this? The bottom line: The Abiathar minister is filled with, motivated by and uses almost exclusively the things and the works of the flesh, and as we have already hopefully established...the flesh cannot and will not please God. Instead, it grieves Him.
Grieve Not the Holy Spirit
For Grieving Him Hinders Us
Now here is where I take such a firm stand in what I said earlier: It is important not to grieve the Spirit of the Lord. It is important on several levels. First, I have “access to His Grace”, and I mustn’t allow anything to affect that. I have this access to His Grace by virtue of my faith, and if I allow anything (whether it be my doings or my tolerance or allowance of someone else’s doings) to grieve the Holy Spirit, it will directly affect my faith. If I am in the midst of abominations and I “wink my eyes” (i.e., close my eyes to it), I must not be so foolish as to think that God winks His.
Now, true -- as a young, innocent Christian, I do not have this responsibilty. But as I grow in Grace and mature in Faith, then I become more and more accountable. That’s how so very many ministers in the last ten or fifteen years have “fallen”. They have refused to come under any guidelines of “accountability". I have sat with ministers who admit they “close their eyes” (as well as their ears) to many things that are going on in their churches, but they have only managed to deceive themselves into thinking there are no consequences. Not only is their own faith greatly hindered; every soul in the “sphere of influence” suffers. And, as we suffer, and as our faith dwindles, so does our ability to rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God.
So, our Peace is affected, the outpouring of Grace is hindered, and we find it more and more difficult to sincerely rejoice in the presence of the Lord, because our level of Hope has been severely diminished. The second part, or reason, why it is so dangerous to be a party to grieving the Holy Spirit of God: When tribulation comes, we cannot be ready to stand, because of the level of (or the lack of) our faith. If we are in the atmosphere of grieving the Holy Spirit, our faith is not what it should be. I don’t care how much we may pray, or how many chapters of the Bible we may read, or even how many prayer meetings we may attend. It won’t even matter how often we are in the church we may be attending. As a matter of fact (and here I will lose many of you --- so be forewarned!), the very church we may be attending could be the cause of our “lack of faith” and our inability to successfully “endure” any of our tribulations.
As I’ve said: I attended the same church for the first 13 or so years of my being a Christian. What I haven’t said is: I had a terrible struggle with several areas of my life during those years. I cannot tell you how many times I thought I would be consumed, vanquished, or completely destroyed because of these areas of my life. I prayed and pleaded and begged God to help me; I sought advice from practically every minister in that church. I prayed, I studied, I fasted, and I prayed some more. I went to this meeting, to that meeting, to every prayer line that I thought I could get help from. All to no avail. Why? Because I had no faith? Because I was unworthy? Because I needed to do “just one more thing” --- then, perhaps God would be happy with me? A resounding “No, no, no!” to all of this. And yet...I felt all of these things, as I’m sure many of you have. I was completely at a loss as to why, in certain areas of my life, I could not be victorious. It seemed that all those around me were victorious. Of course, I would find out later that this was not true.
Ministering to Him Brings Us Deliverance
Anyway...1983 came. The year that this small group of people met and prayed once a week. Did I find deliverance in this? Yes. Simply put, yes I did, but not so much in the act of praying or the obedience of praying. I can truthfully say, both then and even looking back in retrospect, that what happened that year was a very sovereign act of God. We sometimes tend to overlook the sovereign acts of God. We even tend to take them for granted, somehow musing that certain things happen because of our actions, our faith or even our goodness. How very preposterous and arrogant of us!
Sometimes God takes a handful of people and uses them (in spite of themselves) to accomplish some task that He might not even reveal. Then, as days and weeks and months go by, He does a little thing here, a small touch of Grace there, a dose of Mercy on this one...then, before you know it, He has done a work of splendid Grace in the lives and hearts of those He has used. The recipients of that wonderful Work may not even notice the changes deep in their hearts; they may not have had the slightest hint of sovereignty at work until months or even years later.
I do know this: all that happened that year (that seemed to go by all too quickly) became a foundation for things that would occur in my life for years to come. First, I realized that I needed to leave the church I was at. Of course, convincing my wife of that was one great task. Second, sensing the will, or the leading of God, brought about some changes. Being in the will of God is quite a unique place to be. You might not always know when you are there, even as you may not know when you are not. But being where God wants you to be, doing the small things He may ask you to do, will result in several things. Clarity is one of them; direction is another; rest will always be a by-product; and maturity is an ongoing process. Growth, growth, growth is an endless state. As long as God’s Grace is feeding you, the fruit of the Spirit is the only fruit that will mature and age and ripen, but never rotten. Here’s another reason to not grieve God’s Spirit: “...grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby (we) are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). I certainly do not want to do anything that might damage or harm the protective seal that God has placed upon my life.
My simple act of obedience, in leaving the only church I had ever really known as “home”, was the beginning of a long and arduous journey; a journey that found me continuously bumping into that sly old fox of a character, Abiathar. I didn’t really “know” who he was until the latter part of the '80s or the early part of the '90s. I just knew that I could not “abide his doings”...i.e., his manipulation, his intimidation, and the dominating way in which he went about “serving” God at the pain and expense of anyone and everyone who “got in his way”. I ran into him the very next place that my wife and I went to church. It was also the place that I attended Bible college -- that was one of the reasons I told my long-time pastor that I needed to leave: To gain some more Bible instruction and obtain a certificate, a degree or something that I could hold in my hand and declare: “Look, I work for God, now! I am legitimate!” Oh, but little “foolish me” didn’t know that God was so very many steps ahead of me.
1983...Looking Back - The High Calling
I have referred to the year 1983 on more than one occasion, causing some to wonder: Just what did happen during that year? I have shared some, some I cannot share, and some I will try and share later, in an adjoining teaching. First, let me make a statement -- a word about
“looking back”. Generally, it is an unhealthy thing to look backwards. At anything. A mountain climber does not look back as he climbs upward and forward. It would be too dangerous; too perilous. The only times he might look back is for “reference”, or to judge his progress, knowing that time is of the essence. He may also look back to check on weather conditions. All of these “looking backs” are only for verification.
The same is true of any hiker or explorer or anyone travelling to get somewhere. They only look back for reference, to see where they are in relation to their goal; to see if there is anything that could hinder them from their goal. We all have a rear-view mirror in our cars (or outside side mirrors), but we can not get to our destination by constantly looking into those mirrors -- instead, we must focus forward, not backward, or else we run the very real risk of colliding with someone or some thing. But none of these -- the climber, the hiker, the explorer or even us in our cars -- focus on “what’s behind” as a means of reaching and achieving the goal.
And so it is with us: we must focus on that before us, not worrying about or fearing what is behind us.
This is what Paul speaks of in Phillipians 3:13 & 14-- “...but this one thing I do: forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the Mark for the Prize of the High Calling of God in Jesus Christ”. This isn’t to say that Paul never actually remembered or ever thought of what had happened in his past. He had to have; else how could he have written all that he wrote? Yes, I know the Spirit of God brought things to his remembrance (see John 14:26, 2nd Timothy 3:16 & 2nd Peter 1:20,21), but Paul still freely “refers” to things of his past, and usually in making a point that needs making. He uses many examples of things in his and other’s past, but all for the sake of teaching and explaining some Truth.
“Don’t look back...
somethin’ might be gainin’ on ya”
So, “looking back” for the purpose of reference is acceptable. It’s when we look back in fear or in doubt that we get into trouble. Even a man of the world, Satchel Paige, of the old Negro Baseball League, had his philosophy correct when he said, “Don’t look back... somethin’ might be gainin’ on ya.” We may smile at his phraseology, but he knew what it meant to “look back” and lose one’s focus. And when we lose our focus, the goal is that much harder to obtain. If we could survey our lives and see the many times that our “looking back” has hindered our forward progress, kept us from a desired goal, or even slowed us greatly from reaching that goal, we would be amazed, if not downright disheartened. After all,
“Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32), and let us press toward the Mark for the Prize of the High Calling of God in Jesus Christ!
The year of 1983 was truly a landmark year for me; much more important than any other time of my life. I still am realizing the most wonderful and gracious things that the Lord did for me and in me during that year, but I do not look back longingly and relish in those times. I am thankful for all that He did, and I will thank Him continually for more that He shows me about that time, but I do try to “press onward and forward”. I try not to look back, although I know too many people that literally “live in the past”, reliving and rehashing past blessings and old scenarios. God is here and now. He draws us to Himself; we must follow. He has things for us to accomplish now; we must obey. He has a place He desires to take us; much more exciting than we’ve ever been before...we would be foolish not to gladly and willingly follow.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry: ‘Abba, Father’. The Spirit Himself bears witness that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs. Heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; if, indeed, we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.
“But I suppose that these sufferings of the present moment are nothing compared with the glory which will be revealed in us. For we know that all creation groans and travails in pain together until now. And not only them, but we also, who are the firstfruits of the Spirit; we groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption: the redemption of our body.”
This concludes the series of teachings on Zadok and Abiathar. In summary, let me simply say: Abiathar represents the flesh and the things of the flesh (carnal thinking, carnal ways, man’s plans, ideas and machinations, etc.), and the flesh is always opposed --- even to the point of desiring to kill --- to the things and ways of God. Zadok, on the other hand, is pleased to do things God’s Way, delighting to be obedient to the Voice of the Spirit of God. It is the oldest conflict known to man: The flesh versus the Spirit; man’s devious and cunning ways versus God’s Will, God’s Plan and God’s Spirit. It isn’t an easy battle to overcome, and it isn’t even easy to understand sometimes. But with God’s Grace, the help of the Spirit and the Gifts of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:10 & 11), we will reach our goal of pleasing the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen and amen.
If you have questions or any helpful comments, send us an E-mail. We will reply as soon as possible. We certainly realize that some of this teaching takes a rather “hard view” of some things that are considered “untouchable” and/or
“sacred” within the church, but it is my firm belief that God, by His Spirit, greatly desires to touch and deal with these very things which we have addressed. If you disagree, or if you have similar thoughts you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you.
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