Bittersweet
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 18 – 19 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
Second Milers also read – Matthew 25 – 26; Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
Read the “0413 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.” – (2 Samuel 19:2)
This was a “no win” situation for David. David won the nation back, but lost his son. After his son Absalom rebelled against David, and forced him to flee from Jerusalem with all of his men, David had to do something. Absalom certainly wanted to see his father dead; but David, however, wanted somehow to undo the damage that Absalom had done to the nation, and still keep him as a son. He asked his men in the final battle to “deal gently… with the young man”, which they did not do. The men were right. Absalom had to die. David should have realized that. I can understand, though, how David felt. He did not blame Absalom for the way he turned out. I think David blamed himself. And even though David and his men won the victory and got the kingdom back, he still wished that he could go back and re-do some things with his son Absalom.
I can relate to that. I wish that I could go back and re-do some things with my family as well. I know one thing that I would change is that I would give each one of them a little more of my time. Instead of consuming my life with my goals and ambitions, I would give a little more of myself to helping them reach theirs. David ignored his son Absalom for a long time, and now he wished that he had the opportunity to give him his attention. The rebellion of Absalom grew with every passing day that his father neglected him. All of my children are grown now, but I am trying to spend more time with them even now. I cannot re-claim what I missed, but I can make the most of what I have left. If you still have children to influence, I encourage you to take every opportunity to do it. I bet you if David was to do it all over again, he would trade some of his successes as king for a better relationship with his children.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Samuel by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
I Smell A Rat
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 15 – 17 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 23 – 24; Proverbs 12; Psalms 56 – 60
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Read a previous post from this passage – “Let Him Curse“
Read the “0412 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!” – (2 Samuel 15:3-4)
In today’s reading, we see the gradual rise to power of Absalom, David’s son. Absalom has developed into a calculating, sneaky, and conspiring rebel, who slowly stole the hearts of the people of Israel away from their God-chosen leader. In the verses above, he is standing in the gate and pulling people aside before they go into the king. He befriends them and promises them that if he were the king things would be different, things would be better. No doubt, he is bad-mouthing the king to everyone who would listen. Absalom is a snake; a rat. He has done nothing on his own; he has built nothing, conquered nothing. Instead, he is a destroyer and a stealer of that which belongs to another man.
I have observed people like this throughout the years. They steal wives away from husbands; they steal the hearts of children away from fathers; they steal churches away from pastors. They tell the wife who may be having some struggles in her marriage that if he were her husband, he would never mistreat her. They do the same to church members. They want people to come to them. They usually use flattery. They always tear down God-ordained authority. Beware of the Absalom’s of life. God is never for them. Even when it looks like they have all the right answers, you need to stay faithful to the Lord and be supportive of the leaders that God has given you.
Additional note from the passage – In yesterday’s devotion we discussed that David’s problem with Absalom was caused because of his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:10). You will notice from the reading today that there was a man, named Ahithophel, who was once David’s friend and counselor who turned against David and instead offered his advice to Absalom (2 Samuel 15:31). Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grandfather (see 2 Samuel 23:34 and 2 Samuel 11:3). Could it be that Ahithophel’s betrayal was yet another result of what David did to Bathsheba?
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Samuel by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Amnon Had A Friend
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 12 – 14 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 21 – 22; Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
Read the “0411 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “The Consequences of Sin”
“But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.” (2 Samuel 13:3)
This is another tragic story in the Bible of a man who blew it because he allowed someone into his life that influenced him away from the will of God. Amnon was one of David’s sons and he was in love with his half sister, Tamar. Whether or not this was a wholesome attraction is a matter for another debate. Nevertheless, Amnon didn’t know what to do about it but he had a “friend” that did. This friend, however, was not the kind of friend your parents would like for you to run with. This was a sneaky guy (subtil). This was the kind of guy that acts like an “A” honor roll student when he is around your folks, but when he has you alone he is bringing out dirty magazines and dope. Amnon’s “good friend,” Jonadab, convinces Amnon to trick the king into bringing his daughter Tamar into the lair of Amnon. Unfortunately, as a result of this counselor’s advice, Amnon eventually ends up dead because of what he does to Tamar.
There are two applications that we can make here:
1 Jonadab is like the devil. He is a liar and a deceiver, and he will always try to seduce you into going against the will of God. Notice how Jonadab just convinces Amnon to do what he already wants to do. He just had to give him a little nudge. Satan knows your temptations and he throws them in front of you, nudging you to yield to them. And he always plays both sides. Notice later on in the chapter how Jonadab is defending the guy who kills Amnon (vs. 32 – 35). The Devil convinces you to sin and then he accuses you to God.
2 Jonadab is also a type of some of the friends that you and I might have in our life. And we know who they are. They are the people who are not concerned about the will of God; they live for themselves and they are always trying to get you to join them. Identify the Jonadabs in your life and remove them. Surround yourself with people who will tell you to do what’s right, which is what a true friend does.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Samuel by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
Fake News
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 8 – 11 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 19 – 20; Proverbs 10; Psalms 46 – 50
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
Read the “0410 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” (2 Samuel 10:2-3)
In our passage today from 2 Samuel 10, we read about some “fake news” that initiated a war between Israel, and the people of Ammon. Nahash, the king of Ammon who was a friend to David, had died. David wanted to send his condolences to Hanun, the deceased king’s son. David sent some ambassadors into the land of Ammon to pay David’s respects to Hanun. Unfortunately, Hanun’s counselors misinterpreted David’s intentions. They thought David sent the men into Ammon to spy out the land for a future conquest. This simply was not true – it was fake news. The Ammonites humiliated the servants of David and sent them back into Israel, naked and with their beards cut off. This “fake news” originating from some wicked men in Ammon ending up causing a war between Israel and Ammon, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of men.
We are living in a day where we are literally bombarded with information, coming at us from every direction and perspective. Unfortunately, much of the news we are receiving is at best slanted, or, at worst, totally false. The catch phrase of the day is “fake news.” The official definition of the term would probably be any news that is not true. In today’s culture, though, “fake news” is probably any information that I don’t agree with or like. We see it on the news channels every day. Turn to Fox News, and you will hear mostly positive news regarding the Republican Party, but if you turn to CNN or pretty much all of the other stations, you will not hear anything good about them. Even when they are commenting on the exact same news event, there is a wide disparity as to what is reported as truth.
Social media is also replete with “fake news.” People are duped every day into believing (and reposting) some of the most outrageous claims, without making any attempt to verify whether or not they are true. Some of these lies, or exaggerations, are silly and fairly harmless, but others can be very serious and cause a great deal of harm.
Christians, we need to be very careful that we are not “sucked in” to believing all of these unsubstantiated stories that are flying around in the airwaves and on the world-wide web. And we need to be especially mindful that we do not participate in the furthering of “fake news.” God’s people are supposed to be people of the Truth. If you absolutely feel compelled to share something with others, share the Bible with them. The Word of God is always true. Just a thought!
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from 2 Samuel by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
Patience
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 4 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:1 – 4
Read the “0409 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from today’s reading – “Check With God First.”
Ishbosheth is Killed
“5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon. 6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night. 8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed. 9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: 11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? 12 And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.” (2 Samuel 4:5-12)
David is Anointed King
“1 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.” (2 Samuel 5:1-5)
David’s Pity on Saul
David was anointed by God through the prophet Samuel to be king over all of Israel about twenty years or so prior to his actually becoming the king. He had many opportunities to hasten the timing of his actually becoming the king, but David was patient. He knew that God would eventually do for him what he promised that He would do. He had two opportunities and the human justification to take out his predecessor Saul. After all, Saul was trying desperately to kill David so David would just have been defending himself. However, twice David stated that he would not put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed (See 1 Samuel 24 and 26).
David’s Punishment of Ishbosheth’s Assassins
In our reading today, in chapter four, Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, was assassinated by some of his own men because they thought that was what David would have wanted. Remember, Ishbosheth was made the king by Abner after Saul’s death. David has the assassinators assassinated for what they did. David understood that God was working and moving, and that the people of Israel were moving in the direction of recognizing him as God’s choice to be king over Israel. Some people within the kingdom, however, were not willing to wait; they wanted to take matters into their own hands to make it happen.
David’s Patience in Waiting for Kingdom
It can be very frustrating for a leader to wait for God to work out His will. We often want to take the reins out of His hands and make things happen for ourselves. There is a fine line between moving forward in His will and getting ahead of God’s will, or worse, getting out of God’s will, in order to move forward. David’s men were willing to murder the King of Israel so that David could take his place on the throne that he would eventually occupy anyway. David was willing to wait; to do it God’s way.
“35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:35-36)
David’s Perseverance While Waiting
Another thought regarding this subject is that it is also very possible for people to get so frustrated and discouraged while waiting for something to happen that they quit doing what God has called them to do; they leave the perfect will of God in search of something else. If you are in the place that God wants you to be and you are doing what God wants you to do, don’t quit. Be faithful to where the Lord has you and to what He has you doing. Remember, He is the One who determines success anyway. You may not ever achieve greatness in the eyes of men but if you are faithfully serving in the will of God, you will be rewarded by the Lord for meeting His expectations for your life.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from 2 Samuel and tagged 2 Samuel 4, 2 Samuel 5, David, David Becomes King, Don't Quit, Faithfulness, Ishbosheth, Patience, The Will of God, Waiting by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Stay in the City of Refuge
Listen to today’s passage – 2 Samuel 1 – 3
Read along on Blue Letter Bible – 2 Samuel 1
Second Milers also read – Matthew 15 – 16; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25
Read the “0408 Evening and Morning” devotion by Charles Spurgeon.
“And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.” – (2 Samuel 3:27)
These first few chapters of 2 Samuel make for some exciting reading, as well as for some valuable truth. In the verse above, we see the murder of Abner by Joab. To fully understand what is happening here, there is an underlying principle that we must learn, as well as some additional background information.
First let me give you the principle. The city where this killing took place was Hebron, which was known as a City of Refuge. You can read all about the cities of refuge in Numbers 35:9 – 34, and Joshua 20. Basically, a city of refuge was a place where somebody who was guilty of what we would call manslaughter could flee to for safety. You see, the law in Israel stated that if you killed somebody in wartime, or if you unintentionally killed somebody (not pre-meditated murder) that the family of the dead person could avenge the blood of their relative without any legal action being taken against them. But if the person who committed the “manslaughter” could get inside one of the six cities of refuge, then he would be granted safety and refuge as long as he remained inside of the city, but if he was to leave at any time, he was fair game for the “avengers of blood.”
Now let’s look at the background to this story. Chapter two tells us that Joab and Abishai had a brother named Asahel that was killed by Abner during a previous battle. Naturally, Joab and Abishai had never forgotten what Abner did to their brother, and even though the act was committed during a time of war, they wanted Abner to pay for their brother’s death. The problem was, however, that they had to get him outside the gate of the city. Notice our text tells us that Joab pulls him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly (privately). But why would Abner willingly leave the protection of the city in order to speak with a man that wanted him dead? Because Joab had deceived him into thinking that he meant no harm. As soon as he gets him outside, however, he kills him.
Now let’s make an application. The city of refuge is a picture of the will of God and Joab is a picture of the devil. The devil cannot touch us directly as long as we are inside the walls of the will of God, so what he does is try to lure us out of the city so that he can kill our ministry for the Lord. The moral to the story is: stay inside the city. Don’t stray from God’s perfect will for your life. Don’t let Satan convince you that life will be better outside of the walls of the city. Stay in the Word of God; stay in the prayer closet; stay in church; stay out soul winning; stay separated. Stay in the City!
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Pet 5:8)
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from 2 Samuel and tagged 2 Samuel 2, Asahel, Avengers of Blood, Cities of Refuge, Joab, Joshua 20, Numbers 35, The Devil, The Will of God by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
How Many?
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 23 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 1 – 2; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17
Read the “0415 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.” – (2 Samuel 24:1)
“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1)
“And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.” – (2 Samuel 24:17)
This is one of those passages of Scripture that I have a difficult time understanding. The Scripture clearly says in verse 1 (above) that God moved David against Israel; but then in verse 17, David confesses what he had done against Israel to the Lord as sin. Here we have another example of the sovereignty of God in conjunction with the free will of man. To complicate matters even more, look at what it says in 1 Chronicles 21 about the same event: the blame here is placed upon Satan. In our passage today it certainly looks as if God was forcing David to sin against Him, which in turn brings about the wrath of God upon the people of Israel. What is going on here? Did God command it, or did Satan tempt David to do it? I believe that it was in David’s heart to number the people long before the actual numbering took place. Man’s heart is desperately wicked. There are all kinds of sins inside of it. The idea to number the people originated with Satan, because he wanted to get David to take his eyes off of God, and instead trust in his military strength. I think that God kept David from fulfilling what was in his heart for a while, but then because of His anger at Israel (and David), He eventually allows it. I believe the same thing happened with Pharaoh of Egypt. The Scripture says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but it also says that Pharaoh’s heart was already hardened. I don’t think that God caused Pharaoh to hate Israel. He already did. God finally just removed the restraint that was keeping Pharaoh back. Satan is on a leash too. He can only do what God allows him to do.
This brings me to an application of this principle in our lives. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit of God is the restraining power that keeps all evil from breaking loose on the earth. The bottom line in all of this is that Satan will tempt you to sin, but God will not cause you to sin; but He will allow you to sin, and allow you to be tempted. However, I also believe that there are many times when He keeps us from sinning against Him through His indwelling Holy Spirit.
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” – (James 1:13-14)
By the way. You may be wondering why God would be against the numbering of the people. The reason is simple. He did not want Israel trusting in their numbers. He wanted them to trust in Him. They could beat any opposing army out there, regardless of size, as long as they were right with God.
Additional Thought:
“So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.“ (2 Samuel 24:15)
Cindy and I were discussing this passage and we both agreed that verse fifteen bears a striking resemblance to our situation today. God sent pestilence (disease) into Israel because David had committed the sin of numbering the people. This pestilence resulted in the deaths of seventy-thousand men. The Covid-19 pandemic had killed millions throughout the world. I think we should ask ourselves why is God allowing this to happen to our world. Is God trying to get our attention? Is He chastening us for our sin? Is he purifying His people? Perhaps the answer is: “all of the above.”
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Samuel by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Be In Your Place
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 8 – 11 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 19 – 20; Proverbs 10; Psalms 46 – 50
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
Read the “0410 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.” (2 Samuel 11:1-2)
This morning I want to pass along a very simple but important truth. In our passage today, in chapter 11, we read about the very familiar yet tragic story of David and Bathsheba. David is out on his rooftop and from his vantage point spots a beautiful woman who is bathing. David, who already has a few wives, sends a servant to bring the woman to him so he can sleep with her, but the woman is married. David takes the woman anyway, and ends up adding murder to his sin of adultery because he has her husband sentenced to death by placing him on the front lines of Israel’s war with the Ammonites. There is more to the story, but I have covered enough here to deliver my point.
We would all agree that adultery and murder are two very serious sins that were both punishable by death according to the Old Testament Law, but I would like to point out here that the sin precipitated these was David’s sin of not being where he was supposed to be. David was the king, and should have been fighting the battle with his men, but instead, he was home relaxing on his rooftop. Had David been leading his army in battle, this adultery and murder would have never taken place.
I find that we often get ourselves into trouble by not being where we should be. Did you know that there is a specific place where God wants you to be at any given moment? For instance, God has a time and a place where He wants you to meet with Him in devotion (Bible reading and prayer), and we need to be very careful to keep that appointment. There is also a time and a place when we need to be with other Christians, gathered in fellowship around the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. We also need to be busy at the place of our employment. These are just examples. We all have different responsibilities with different schedules, but we all have a specific place where we need to be at any given time, and being where we need to be will help us to be what we need to be and to do what we should be doing. Just a thought.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Samuel by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
One To Care And One To Curse – The Saturday Morning Post
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 15 – 17 (Click on the references to listen to the audio –Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 23 – 24; Proverbs 12; Psalms 56 – 60)
Scripture Memorization for April – Verses I commonly use when sharing the gospel.
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Read a previous post from this passage – “Let Him Curse“
Read the “0412 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.” (2Samuel 16:1-2)
“And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.” (2Samuel 16:5-8)
Good morning. Two different kinds of people come to king David at the beginning of 2Samuel 16: one to care and one to curse: one to build up and one to tare down: one to encourage and one to discourage: one to edify and one to destroy. God’s Word teaches us to try and restore those who have fallen, but many will kick a person when He’s down.
“Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.” (Proverbs 12:25)
How hard could it be to speak a “good word” and encourage someone. These days: hard. In the second miler readings, in Matthew 24, Jesus talks about the love of many shall become cold…
“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24:3-12)
We may have to encourage ourselves as David did…
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” (1Samuel 30:6)
Didn’t anyone realize that the Amalekites had taken David’s wives also, and that he was hurting as much as his men were? They should be comforting each other, but they talked of stoning David.
In a world where a child can’t pray in school for his or hers food: a world where sexual perverseness and hatred is running rampant: a world where it’s okay to say allah, buddha, and not Jesus Christ (unless it’s being taken in vain) the love of many will wax cold… but be encouraged… and be a Ziba, not a Shimei.
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1Theselonians 4:13-18)
“We’ve been told: God’s done warned us: Jesus is coming soon.” (Blind Willie Johnson 1897-1945: Jesus Is Coming Soon)Peace. (Revelation 22:20-21)
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Samuel by Pastor Ted Stahl with 2 comments.
God Doesn’t Forget
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 20 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 27 – 28; Proverbs 14; Psalms 66 – 70
Scripture Memorization for March – John 1:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt – “The Dangers of Depletion“
Read the “0414 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.” (2 Samuel 21:1)
Remember back in 1 Samuel when King Saul was mad at the priests because they had helped David. (See 1 Samuel 21 & 22) Saul ended up killing all of the priests (85 of them) and then proceeded to wipe out Nob, the city that the priests lived in. What Saul did to the priests and to their families was bad enough; but there was also a group of people who lived in Nob as servants to the priests who were not Israelites: they were Gibeonites. Now you may also remember from the book of Joshua that the Gibeonites were the people who tricked Joshua into making a covenant with them. Joshua promised these people with an oath that Israel would let them live, and in return the Gibeonites would be Israel’s servants. God never forgot that covenant, so when Saul (acting on behalf of Israel) broke the covenant and slew the Gibeonites living in Nob; God held them (Israel – not just Saul) accountable. God doesn’t forget, even when we want to. Here an entire nation is suffering for the decision of one man.
We should be admonished when we read passages like this. First of all, we should realize that our actions affect more people than we think; and we should carefully consider the outcome on others around us from the decisions we make today as well as the impact they will have on future generations. Secondly, we need to think about any unfinished business we may have with God or other people. We are so quick to promise things; but so slow to deliver the things that we promise. God never forgot the promise that Israel made with the Gibeonites.
Note – A separate thought from this passage of Scripture. Notice in 21:8 that five of the ”sons of Saul” (actually grandsons) that were to be killed were the sons of Michal, David’s first wife. Michal had lived a troubled life due to men who have used her for their own gain. Saul promised her to David and reluctantly gives her to be his wife; later Saul took her back and gave her to another man; After Sauls death when David is in power he takes her back, away from a man that loves her; and now here she is losing her sons.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Samuel by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.