Short Thoughts

“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God,
fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption”
~ Acts 13:36

The verse before us is part of the message that Paul preached in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia. He makes an almost incidental statement saying that David, “after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers.” Paul was demonstrating the fact that David’s prophecy in the Psalms was not of himself since he had died and seen corruption. His intention was to prove that Jesus was the Christ, as is seen in the very next verse.

He further preached Christ to them showing how that he fulfilled that prophecy by His resurrection. Verse 36 seems as merely supplementary evidence to support Paul’s argument, so we may pass by quickly. While it certainly serves that purpose, this verse is worthy of our attention for greater instruction. Charles Spurgeon preached a great sermon from this text where he expounded the idea that David “had served his own generation.” Many felt that Spurgeon preached his own funeral sermon in that message. I shall endeavor to bring some thoughts to light after this same manner.

We need only appeal “To the law and to the testimony” to learn that David was a great man. But what made him great? Our text furnishes some clues. This verse further confirms what Jesus taught His disciples that true greatness is only found in service. “And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all” (Mark 10:44). Our text declares that David “served his own generation” and that “by the will of God.” Potential greatness is no greatness at all. Your gifts and abilities matter little if they are “kept laid up in a napkin.” David did not hide his light. He placed it on the lamp stand and gave light to all that were in the house. No one asked him, “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” He “served his own generation” and then “fell on sleep.”

A call to greatness is a call to service. One does not achieve greatness by pursuing it, but rather by serving “his own generation.” Few are willing to answer the door when that opportunity knocks. They would rather come into greatness “some other way.” Service leads to greatness and humility leads to service for “before honour is humility.” Many are far too proud to be of much service.

We notice that David served “his own generation.” In that sense he was like the woman that anointed the Lord for His burial. Christ said, “She hath wrought a good work on me . . . She hath done what she could.” David was not permitted to choose his time. He could only choose to rise above the mediocrity and instead of being a man of the times, be the man for the times.

You will notice in the book of Daniel that of all the Hebrews in captivity only a few “certain” ones refused to defile themselves with the King’s portion. Like those faithful Hebrews and like Esther, we must ponder whether we “art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” We have been placed in a generation of the Lord’s choosing. That generation beckons a servant. We cannot call on David, Solomon, Elijah, Daniel, The Baptist, Peter or Paul. “Who will go for us?” Pray the Lord that some Isaiah today will say, “Here am I; send me.”

We further observe that David’s time was fixed to his own generation and then he “fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers.” David was a great man but he could not go beyond that appointed time. There is “a time to be born, and a time to die.” The very greatest of men must finish their course and depart this life. History has supplied us with many great men. We look back and believe that “there were giants in the earth in those days,” great men “of whom the world was not worthy.” They are a great “cloud of witnesses” to whom we are greatly indebted.

The past saints served their own generations. They have all now finished their course and departed to great rejoicing in heaven. But, what about our time? What about our generation? We might almost feel as the Psalmist who cried, “Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men” (Psalm 12:1). But let us not sit down under Elijah’s Juniper tree just yet. Let us all be in double earnest and seek a double portion of our brethren’s spirit that we might serve our own generation. Let us trust in the Lord with all assuredness, knowing that God always has a man. He has not left “himself without witness.” Whatever time we have, may it all be for the glory of God. Amen.

And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat,
in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water:
and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice,
an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
~ Leviticus 1:8-9

The burnt offering was a sweet savor offering. It was not an offering for sin to appease just wrath. It was rather an offering of worship to please God. God also had offerings that were for sin. We see from this that man has a two-fold problem. He owes divine justice for his transgression of the holy law. He also owes the holiness of God to fulfill all righteousness. There is a negative and a positive side. Now the offerings prefigure Christ, the one that was to come. We read in Ephesians 5:2, “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Christ did satisfy divine justice, suffering for sin. He also pleased the Father, walking in righteousness.

In particular now, the burnt offering is the object of our attention. And in this offering, certain aspects of the service of Jehovah’s servant can be seen. Let us now note how some of the particulars here are related to service. We are considering the highest grade of the offering, which was a bullock. The ox was a laboring beast and very strong. The picture is of Christ as an untiring servant always working the works of the Father that sent Him. Peter spoke of Christ, saying He “went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” He was always busy doing the work. Oftentimes He was so involved in service that He had “no leisure so much as to eat.”

God gave directions for every part of the animal to be used. He mentions the head, the fat, the legs, and the inwards. We see from this that our whole man is to be involved in this service. The head speaks of the intelligence. We must learn and grow if we are to serve God acceptably. The fat speaks of strength, vigor, and vitality. We must put forth an effort and expend our energy. How often was Christ weary and when involved in the work, virtue would go out of Him? The legs speak of our physical body and our walk. Christ went about doing good works. The inwards speak of our heart and soul. Nothing is to be kept back. We must employ all our faculties in God’s service. We read that the entire animal was to be burnt. We are to be consumed in God’s service. It was said of Christ in Psalms 69:9, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” Oh, to spend and be spent should be our aim.

The bullock was also the highest grade of the offering. The ox was much more valuable than a lamb or turtledoves. The ox was a very valuable animal indeed to the owner. Solomon said, “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox” (Pr 14:4). To own such an animal was very profitable. In making this offering to God, it wasn’t just a bullock that was required, but the male without blemish. It was the best of the herd. We ought to serve God with the very best that we have. We should spare ourselves no expense in His blessed employment. We should be as the woman that came bearing an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard. It was very precious and she poured it out upon the Savior. Christian, what are you keeping back? What is just too precious to let go? Pour it out upon the Lord. Solomon said, “There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt” (Ec 5:13). Take the best that you have and offer it to God. He deserves no less, and a great deal more.

Lastly, we see that the offering was burnt with fire. The fire is the holiness of God. The service meets with God’s holiness and finds His approval. Our text says, “it is a sweet savour unto the LORD.” Note that it pleases the “Lord.” If you serve the Lord in this manner, giving your all, don’t expect your service to be accepted of men. Sometimes even our brethren will question, “To what purpose is this waste?” The Lord’s own family thought that He was beside himself and tried to take Him home. You may be a fanatic to some. But, never mind that, just keep endeavoring to “do always those things that please him.” He is the righteous judge and is able to keep that which we have committed to Him against that day. Great blessings await those that serve in this manner. “To obey is better than sacrifice.” As the hymn writer said,

But we never can prove, The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.