The Place of the Skull--Parading around the head of your enemy

I've been doing some chewing on the life of David. He was called "A man after God's own heart" (Acts 13) and yet we know he was so far from keeping the Law of Moses and seemed to willfully choose sin. It would seem that his decisions would have doomed him to a passionless relationship with God but we see the just the opposite is true in his life. How did this man under the Old Covenant (keeping the Law) seem to grasp the concept of God's grace?

In Psalm 16:5 is a clue for us. "LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure" David had a revelation that he was not producing his own righteousness. He somehow knew that keeping the Law was not his security. Many times we read that "David inquired of the LORD." He had developed a relationship not based on rules but KNOWING his Father's heart. David messed up more than ANY other person we read about in the Word of God and yet he was abundantly blessed.

David was also a man of war. I've been focused on one particular verse of scripture for quite some time now near the end of the famous story of David defeating Goliath. This one verse has opened up an understanding for me about what David knew as a man of war and what it means to go forth victorious with a defeated enemy underfoot.

"David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent." Ps 17:54

Now I should give you a little background info. You know the story of David choosing a smooth stone and with a sling that stone SUNK into the forehead of the giant named Goliath. Interestingly enough, the same word for SUNK is used in Exodus 15 when the Egyptian army sunk into the floor of the Red Sea before they drown. The Hebrew people crossed with no problem--millions crossing to safety BUT the enemy was SUNK. This is how God chose to deliver David's enemy to him. David only flung the stone but God caused it to be SUNK into his skull.

David then picked up the sword of his enemy and removed his head.(this word for head is ro'sh and means a top of a mountain or the most important part of something.) This is significant since it demonstrated to those looking on that not only did David conquer the champion of the Philistine's but also the whole Philistine army. This signaled to Saul's army that they were already victorious. God had DELIVERED their enemy into their hand. It also foreshadows that God would use the enemy's weapon (the Cross) to destroy our enemy. No coincidence that Goliath's sword (kept in David's tent) stood end to end would have appeared as a very large cross. That little detail alone should excite you!

It says that David took the head to Jerusalem. But it was not just that simple. First of all Jerusalem was at that time still in occupied territory. We have to read in 2 Samuel 5:6–10 paralleled in 1 Chronicles 11:4–9 that David did not capture and make Jerusalem the capital of Israel until a much later date.

For a season the head was with Saul. It was kept as an artifact just gathering dust. But David used the head (by this time a skull with no flesh upon it) as a symbol to those who followed David that the ENEMY of God is a defeated foe. God delivered Goliath into David's hand and the Philistine army into the hands of God's people.

The head of Goliath remained with Saul until David was King. You know what? I bet there were lots of folks who wondered if David really did kill this infamous enemy. So being a man of war, David took the head of Goliath paraded it all around the divided kingdom (Judah and Israel) and eventually buried it in a place that became known as Golgotha or the Place of the Skull in Jerusalem.

So for centuries before Jesus the Messiah came on the scene this place had a reputation of being where the enemy was put under foot. Defeated! And the whole army of Israel paraded this head with David to it's final destination and it became known as the Place of the Skull.

Our enemy was defeated at the Cross. Jesus said, "It is finished". We have heard the Good News that He paid for all our sin, sorrow, sickness and any lack. But what are we parading around? Are we parading around a defeated enemy or parading our lack? David knew as a man of war that he needed to parade around the head of his enemy.

Okay, time to start a parade. Jesus removed the head of our enemy 2000 years ago at the cross. He delivered the death blow. Now we confess what we believe --not to convince the enemy of his defeat---he's needs no convincing---not to convince God--NO! Our Father in Heaven needs no convincing. But to convince ourselves and encourage those around us. We need to be fully persuaded about what Jesus has accomplished on our behalf.

"And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform." Romans 4:21

Here's the definition of Salvation in case you need a refresher:

Soteria or Sozo (saved) From the Strong's concordance.

to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction
a) one (from injury or peril)
* to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health
* to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue

Jesus said, "It is FINISHED" so start parading around the head of your enemy! You ARE VICTORIOUS! Jesus paid the price for you to have 100% salvation in any area of your life. You just need to know it for yourself.

Excerpt Chapt 5: "Hedged in by God's Grace" Establishing My Heart for Healing

Excerpt chapt 5 Establishing My Heart for Healing

The Holy Spirit wanted me to learn to take control of my sloppy boundaries with friends and family issues. I was also getting a glimpse of truth that God wanted me to discontinue allowing Satan to bully me by stealing my peace, joy and health. The Holy Spirit continued to encourage me to believe for a life free from depression and severe anxiety.

Although the depression was better, and I was having less anxiety due to the new medication, I continued with the bouts of an overly sensitive immune system. I had sore throats and swollen glands nearly all the time. My neck and shoulders felt like they were tied in knots and tenderness ravaged my joints. Pain and fatigue were a constant companion.

The pains that attacked my body, can only be explained as non-localized pain that bounced from one part of my body to another. I had a good idea why some people think that pain, coinciding with depression, is just in a person’s head. There was no way to point to an exact place in my body where I felt the pain. Stress headaches and intestinal issues were a daily problem. All of this misery was lumped together as symptoms of depression. I have to tell you that at age 38, I felt very old.

So what happened between my 39th and 40th birthdays to make such a huge difference in my life?

I recognized the years of trying to unrealistically please people and please God had taken its toll, and I wanted to be healthy for the next season of my life. I didn’t know if this meant I would be free from depression, but I knew that God wanted something better for me. I had a renewed hope since the new medication was working relatively well.

This lull in my brain chemical storm, allowed me to study God’s Word in a depth. I had not been able to study God’s Word with that type of fervor since my college years and the experience of the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit”. Confusion was replaced with a fire that burned in my soul.

I felt led by the Holy Spirit to do a study in the Bible on the words “gate, hedge, wall, and boundary”. Hundreds of scriptures were posted to my computer screen after inputting these words into an online Bible database.

After months of studying these scripture, it became evident to me that Psalm 16 was to become the outline for what a person needed to know about God’s safety zone or hedge of protection. I knew there were dozens of good books written by professionals concerning healthy boundaries and I had read most of them published. However, those books written were about healthy boundaries in relationships, but none were about the hedge of grace that God desires for His people.

The issue of knowing our authority in Jesus’ Name and recognizing when Satan has crossed the Christian’s boundaries, seemed to be nonexistent in any of those other very good books. I was seeing a trilateral purpose in Psalms 16 to accomplish the work that was needed in my heart. In this chapter from the Psalms, I saw a perfect example for healthy boundaries with our Heavenly Father, our relationships with people and understanding when Satan tried to cross our boundaries to steal what belonged to us as God’s children.

So for nearly a year, I poured over these scriptures and prayed for wisdom to know how to overcome the unhealthy tendencies in my life. Like a seed of hope that had started to grow, it was then I had some optimism for the first time in many years. I knew that the principles I was discovering were key to me living a victorious life. My heart had become established to receive the manifestation of God’s healing. Hope moved into faith. In Proverbs 13:12 it states, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes it is a tree of life.”

In April 2008, with my doctor’s cooperation, I started the process of weaning myself off the depression medication. By the end of June, I no longer needed the medication. I knew I was free. It was scary and exciting at the same time. At age 40, and the first time in my adult life, I was no longer dependent on medication to function and live my life.

I wondered if it was similar to how Peter felt when he stepped out of the boat and walked on water with Jesus. But just like Peter, Jesus would have to teach me more about faith and how to stand on my healing to maintain the good work that He had begun in me.