Seeking and Giving Forgiveness

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

SEEKING AND GIVING FORGIVENESS

2 Sam 14:1-8

14:1 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom. 2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don't use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead. 3 Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab put the words in her mouth. 4 When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, "Help me, O king!" 5 The king asked her, "What is troubling you?" She said, "I am indeed a widow; my husband is dead. 6 I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. 7 Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir as well.' They would put out the only burning coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth." 8 The king said to the woman, "Go home, and I will issue an order in your behalf."

NIV

Joab is a wise servant of King David, as well as knowing all that goes on in the kingdom of Israel, especially in regards to the family of the king. He has set up a scenario that will cause David to make a proper judgment for the woman, but in essence, for his own situation with his son Absalom. Of course, that will be the rest of the story, yet we still have a lesson to learn from this portion. Although this is just a ploy to get David to see the story is about him and his son Absalom, who had his brother Amnon killed because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. From the previous verses about David wanting to console Absalom, we wonder if the Hebrew word, because of the negative application, did not mean, he wanted to avenge himself against Absalom, and that is why Joab set up this ruse to get David to see the truth about himself. Nevertheless, the lesson is still about forgiveness rather than revenge. This does not, or should not, set aside justice for a crime of murder, but then Jesus taught that to hate another faces judgment just as someone who killed another. Could we then say that if we harbor any kind of anger or hatred toward another, forfeiting the opportunity to forgive, we are in danger of judgment on that final day? Does this coincide with when Jesus said to those who professed they did so much in his name, that he never knew them? How can a believer say they love the Lord and not forgive? Jesus made it clear that if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven, and if we are not forgiven, then we are in danger of judgment and  of the fires of hell. Strong language, but truth, so we must always be in a constant state of forgiveness, which also means living humbly before our Lord and others. It is when we think more about ourselves, our being hurt, our feelings being offended, that we are thinking more highly of ourselves than we should, then either unforgiveness or revengefulness starts to creep in. Let us always seek forgiveness and give forgiveness. 

No Fear Only Hope

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

NO FEAR, ONLY HOPE

2 Sam 13:30-39

30 While they were on their way, the report came to David: "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons; not one of them is left." 31 The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. 32 But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, "My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom's expressed intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. 33 My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead." 34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, "I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill."   35 Jonadab said to the king, "See, the king's sons are here; it has happened just as your servant said." 36 As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his servants wept very bitterly. 37 Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned for his son every day. 38 After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. 39 And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death.

NIV

One FDR once said that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. It appears that David was filled with fear that all his sons were dead, and he acted on his fear, rather than on hope. Of course, he was acting on false information, without any investigation of his own. However, David’s brother was thinking more clearly about Absalom’s intent to kill Amnon for having raped his sister. As it turned out, the rest of David’s sons showed up; however, David mourned the loss of Amnon, as did the other sons. But our story is about this fear of the worst without having hope in the Lord and knowing the truth. We are told many times throughout the Word of God not to be afraid, not to have fear, or live with fear. Although we are told the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, that word fear means reverence, not being afraid of God. People who reject Jesus ought to be afraid of God; however, they even reject God or his existence. We, on the other hand, have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and therefore we should not be living in fear, for that is the opposite of hope. David’s fear was without hope, but we live with hope because we know the Lord and we have the guarantor, the Holy Spirit, dwelling within, influencing our hearts, as well as doing this transformational work within us, so that we will live more like Jesus. Hope dispenses with fear. The two cannot live compatible with each other; we either serve the Lord, or we serve fear, which comes from self, or the self-concern, as David was concerned about himself, now having no sons. When Jesus appeared to his disciples as they were fighting the winds and waves and showed himself to them, they were afraid because they thought he was a ghost. He told them not to be afraid, it was He, and when Jesus climbed into the boat, everything became calm. In another account, Peter asked Jesus to bid him to come, and Jesus told Peter to come to him, and that is when Peter walked on the water, until he looked at his circumstances and fear set in, but Jesus was there to lift him up. Fear is a horrible way to live, but it cannot co-exist with hope. Occasionally, we will see in the back window of a pickup a “No fear” decal. Although it has nothing to do with hope in the Lord, let us keep another slogan in our hearts and minds. “No Fear, only hope.”

 

Respectfulness

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

RESPECTFULNESS

2 Sam 13:15-29

15 Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and get out!" 16 "No!" she said to him. "Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me." But he refused to listen to her. 17 He called his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of here and bolt the door after her." 18 So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing a richly ornamented robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. 19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went. 20 Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman. 21 When King David heard all this, he was furious. 22 Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. 23 Two years later, when Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king's sons to come there. 24 Absalom went to the king and said, "Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his officials please join me?" 25 "No, my son," the king replied. "All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go, but gave him his blessing. 26 Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?" 27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons. 28 Absalom ordered his men, "Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' then kill him. Don't be afraid. Have not I given you this order? Be strong and brave." 29 So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.

NIV

Justice had been served, for Amnon had done an offensive act, first raping his own sister, then rejecting her with as much hatred toward her as he had first had love or lusted for her. How disgraceful his actions were toward Tamar, and now his brother will serve the justice without the knowledge of their father, King David. However, how do we make sense of this that would be relevant for our lives? With one son raping his sister and another son making plans to murder his brother, there was no respect for each other, and maybe we might even think they had no respect for life. Did Amnon deserve some form of punishment for his crime against his sister? Of course, but was death a little too strong a punishment? However, maybe the point we should consider is having mutual respect for each other, even when we feel someone has offended us, or someone we love. We have witnessed there have been times when an offended believer disrespects the person they felt offended them, by getting upset and leaving the local church to find another church, leaving the situation unresolved, harboring that hurt, and that unforgiveness. We wonder how anyone who has those anger issues with unforgiveness in their heart can even worship the Lord. Any tension within the body of Christ, specifically within a local church, disrupts the ability of true worship, for God loves true worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth. If there is any tension, any unforgiveness, any type of disharmony, then there is no truth, and they also lack the Spirit. Let us put all else aside except pure love for each other, having mutual respectfulness, so that our worship will be pleasing and acceptable to our Lord. 

The Ploy

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

THE PLOY

2 Sam 13:1-14

13:1 In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David. 2 Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her. 3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4 He asked Amnon, "Why do you, the king's son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." 5 "Go to bed and pretend to be ill," Jonadab said. "When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.'" 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand." 7 David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him." 8 So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. 9 Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat. "Send everyone out of here," Amnon said. So everyone left him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand." And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. 11 But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, my sister." 12 "Don't, my brother!" she said to him. "Don't force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don't do this wicked thing. 13 What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you." 14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.

NIV

What do we do with this awful thing that was done by Amnon? What can we learn for our lives from this immoral act, no, actually a criminal act of rape against his own sister? It was a sinister plot, a ploy to get her alone in his chamber so that he could fulfil his sinful lust for his sister. This may be the truth we are sensing regarding plots or ploys to achieve a goal we have in mind. We might want to consider our plot as more of a plan of how we will get what we want. The word plan seems less offensive than a plot. We wonder, because of the gender differences, that the plot or the ploy we use could be different. We have observed women might try some methods men would never conceive, while we men have our own secret ploys or cunning plans or actions designed to turn a situation to our own advantage, to achieve our way. Then we should consider how we live in this world and how many of our days are filled with our own plans or plots to gain success in our endeavors to achieve goals for monetary or material accumulation. Do we forget that the Lord knows our thoughts are not his thoughts, nor are our ways his ways. Should not we always be looking for his ways, his thoughts about what we are going to do, or how we are going to respond or interact with others? No plot, plan, or ploy should be part of our relationship with others. Should we not just be honest, which means we need to be able to express ourselves freely, and accept others' feelings as well as responses, so we need no ploy to get our way? Let us be careful not to use a ploy. 

Labor or Freedom

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

LABOR OR FREEDOM

2 Sam 12:24-31

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; 25 and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.   26 Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. 27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. 28 Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me." 29 So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. 30 He took the crown from the head of their king-its weight was a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones — and it was placed on David's head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city 31 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. He did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

NIV

While David was comforting Bathsheba, Joab was out doing the business of war against the Ammonites. He sent messengers to David, and he responded by leaving Jerusalem and going to war with the rest of his army. Interestingly, he captured the town of Rabbah and took a seventy-five-pound crown from its king and put it on David’s head. They put them all to work making bricks, which is also interesting, as it was this same work the Egyptians put on the Israelites. What do we learn from this narrative? The victor puts the defeated to hard labor is the point we should ponder. We are in war, although not in the sense that David and Joab were at war with the Ammonites. We war against the forces of this dark world, the rulers, principalities, and the evil forces in the spiritual realm. Our battle is not for land, but for our lives. However, because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, who wears the crown of crowns, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, he stands before us, and through his power, we have already become the victor. Some poor souls have been or are being defeated by the evil forces of this world, as with the Ammonites, they will be consigned to heavy labor, without the chance of freedom. But there is another problem that could exist within the church. If we are simply doing church, that is being religious, or having a form of Pharisaical righteousness, then we might be under some kind of labor to the law, without realizing we are living a defeated life. We have the power of the Holy Spirit available within so that we can live the victorious lives we have been given by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us walk in His light, fully armed in His armor, and standing our ground, as the victor over all the forces of this dark world. Let us stand humbly before our Lord who gives us that victory, who has set us free, and because Jesus set us free, we are free indeed. We will never be consigned to hard labor. What a joy to know the difference between labor and freedom. 

His Sovereignty

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

HIS SOVEREIGNTY

2 Sam 12:15-25

15 After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. 18 On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate." 19 David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes," they replied, "he is dead." 20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. 21 His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!" 22 He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." 24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; 25 and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.  

NIV

There are several truths within this narrative that we need to explore. First, it is all within the power of the Sovereign God to sustain life or take it. The child was innocent, having no say in its conception or birth, yet the Lord determined the child would not live because of the sinful act by David, and the willing submission of Bathsheba. We should never be so bold as to think we have anything to do with the longevity of our days. Culture is consumed with various ways to improve our bodies, either to enhance our physical appearance or to extend our lives. Although there is no specific one verse that tells us God has numbered the exact days of each person, we know that Hezekiah was given an extra fifteen years. However, we could use that verse in Job when he said, “Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed”, to show the sovereignty of the Almighty God and our lives are in his hands. So he took that child to be with him. The second truth is how David reacted, first, beseeching the LORD to save the life of his child, a heavy, deep seeking of the favor of the LORD After all, who knows, the Lord could have been gracious to him and allowed the child to live. But when he realized the sovereignty of God, he got up and restored himself and went to comfort his wife. We are not told what emotional turmoil Bathsheba went through losing her baby. We also do not know if she and Uriah ever had any children, and if they had none, this would have been her first child, and to have God take it from her, we believe she would have been devastated, hurt, and in need of her husband’s comfort. For the most part, women may have deeper emotional hurts than men, although that is not an exact science, but when a wife is hurting, should not the husband comfort her? Maybe we men fail too often in that area, and we need to be more sensitive to the needs of our wives. David comforted Bathsheba, and at some point she bore him the son God wanted, Solomon. Nathan named him Jedidiah, which means, loved by God. He would be the one who would be known as the wisest man to live and who would build the temple for God in Jerusalem. Oh, Sovereign, who am I that you have taken me this far? We live and breathe and have our being in you, Oh Sovereign Lord. 

Taken Away

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

TAKEN AWAY

2 Sam 12:1-14

12:1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. 4 "Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him." 5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." 7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.' 11 "This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'" 13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die."

NIV

You are the man! That is as direct as it can be. Interestingly, Nathan set up a scenario or an analogy to illustrate what David had done with Uriah and Bathsheba. The Lord was not going to allow this child, who was conceived in that sinful way live. We think from the scriptures that it was a punishment for David, and the Lord was going to bring calamity to the house of David. Surely sin does not go unpunished under the Covenant of the men of the Old Testament. David did confess that he had sinned against the Lord, and Nathan told him, “The Lord has taken away your sin; you are not going to die.” This shows us the mercy of the Lord, His forgiveness, but it also shows us a forerunner, fore shadow of what Jesus did on the cross, taking away our sin. Once again, although we do not commit any heinous sins, we are still plagued with sin in our lives. It could be being prideful, judgmental, or critical of others, envy, jealousy, and that could be of another’s abilities or position, or possessions. This sin of gossip, or as the scripture says, slander, for that is what gossip does, slander someone’s good name. Maybe one of the most difficult to acknowledge is unforgiveness or harboring hurt or ill feelings toward someone. That may be because we think too highly of ourselves, or that we are self-centered, it is all about us. But these are all a secret, as we keep it deep within. Nathan told David that what he did in secret, the Lord would do in broad daylight. When we try to keep our sins a secret, we might fool other people, as we pretend to be righteous, holy, upright, and a “Good Christian”; we can never fool the Lord. Surely he brings to light any of our secret sins, so that we can confess them and receive his grace, his forgiveness. Surely, as Nathan told David, he would not die, we can be assured that as we confess our sin before the Lord, we will not die, for Jesus took our sin away, or actually took our sin upon himself, and paid that price for us. However, that does not give us the right to keep any secret sin within, as we are to rid ourselves of them, and the way we do is to confess them before the Lord, and he will take them away.

 

Looking Inward

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

LOOKING INWARD

2 Sam 11:18-27

18 Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19 He instructed the messenger: "When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, 20 the king's anger may flare up, and he may ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn't a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?' If he asks you this, then say to him, 'Also, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'" 22 The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. 23 The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance to the city gate. 24 Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead." 25 David told the messenger, "Say this to Joab: 'Don't let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.' Say this to encourage Joab." 26 When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the LORD.

NIV

There had been nothing negative about David throughout the previous portion of scripture; in fact, he was a great man of God whom God even testified that he found a man after his own heart, and he would do what the Lord wanted. But now, this awful act of unrighteousness, first, taking Bathsheba, second, having Uriah put in the front of the battle to ensure he would be killed. The whole idea is that what David did displeased the LORD. Although David committed this awful act, is any sin greater than any other sin? Doesn’t all sin displease the Lord? Of course, we now live under that new covenant and have the Lord Jesus, who took our sins upon himself on that cross, and we have been forgiven and live in the grace of God. Still, we sin; we cannot live a perfect life, like Jesus did, so we fall and we sin. Maybe our sins are so little compared to what David did, and we want to judge him or think poorly of him, yet that kind of thinking leads to being judgmental, which displeases the Lord. It’s that log and speck truth that we have to keep in mind. If we are going to be critical of any sin, we need to look within. Sure, we have not killed anyone, done any other major crimes against another person, yet being prideful, boastful, self-edifying, gossiping, or this almost self-righteousness that the Pharisees had are still acts or attitudes that are displeasing to the Lord. We know that whole list of attitudes and behaviors we are to rid ourselves of, and we wonder how well we are or have accomplished that list. It always comes down to looking inward and asking the Lord to show us if we are failing in some area, to examine our hearts to see if there are any anxious thoughts, and to see if there are any offensive ways in us. Let us not be hasty in finding faults in others, as it could become a habit without our awareness. Let us not be too quick to think more highly of ourselves, for that too may become a pattern of life. If we ask the Lord to show us the way everlasting, to be active in our lives, transforming us into the likeness of Jesus, he will do the work within us. When we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior and want to follow Him, and when the Holy Spirit comes within us to lead, guide, correct, rebuke, teach, and train us in righteousness, we are in a state of transformation, and that should reflect in our lives. That is, we should be reflecting the glory of the Lord in ever-increasing glory. Show us the way, Lord, examine our hearts, then we would not be looking at others, like judging David, but looking inward, judging self.

 

The Plan

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

THE PLAN

2 Sam 11:6-27

6 So David sent this word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master's servants and did not go down to his house. 10 When David was told, "Uriah did not go home," he asked him, "Haven't you just come from a distance? Why didn't you go home?" 11 Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!" 12 Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David's invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master's servants; he did not go home. 14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die." 16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

This was the plan that David had devised so that Uriah would spend the night with his wife, and that would be a good cover-up for what David had done. But that plan was not to be, and so David devised another plan that would cost the life of Uriah, then no cover-up would be needed, and he could have Bathsheba for himself, after all, he was the king. However, this was not a good plan, as we will be told the Lord was not pleased with what David had done. Once again, we might find ourselves in this picture. Can we make our own plans to prosper our own agenda without consulting the Lord? Do we want what we want, no matter what the cost to others, to have it our way? One of the major burger chains advertises that we can have it our way. We have seen ads from a specific brewing company, which we only go around once, so grab all the gusto we can. It seems the world is fixated on the satisfaction of self or that it is all about having the pleasures of life, looking the best we can, even stopping the ageing wrinkles on our faces. David wanted what he wanted, even at the cost of committing murder. Of course, not with his own hands, but with his heart, or more correctly, with his lust. We cannot afford to be that self-centered, especially at the cost of others. Are we not told to put others before ourselves? Are we not told to serve rather than be served? Jesus told us that is exactly what he came not to be served, but to serve. It is difficult not to get caught up in the ways of the world while saying we want to follow Jesus. But we cannot do both, or at least we are not supposed to try to do both. How can we follow Jesus and the world? It has to be one or the other, so we chose to follow Jesus, yet how do we still want some of those good things of the world? It does seem simple: if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, he will provide us with what we need to live in this world. That means we should not chase after things, but chase after Jesus. David chased after the things, and God was not pleased, and we know it cost David dearly. Let us not be concerned about the things, but only about following Jesus. It is far better to follow his plan rather than our plan. 

Giving In

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

GIVING IN

2 Sam 11:1-5

11:1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant."

NIV

This is not the best time in the life of David, who was a man after God’s own heart, but David was still just a man and fell to the weakness of men. However, there is a difference in that David was the king and had the power to do as he pleased, and the temptation did not have to remain just a temptation, for he was able to fulfill his desire for Bathsheba. David should have been out with Joab and the fighting men of Israel, but for whatever reason, the king stayed home, and that was the beginning of an awful event. Was Bathsheba complicit in bathing on her roof in view of the king’s palace? We are not told, but it was still David's problem, for he was the one who sent for her so that he might be with her. The story will unfold further and become a deeper problem for David, which we know results in the murder of Uriah, but the story is about temptations. We all are subject to one form or another of temptation, and as men or women, because we are in this corruptible flesh, not that we should make excuses for our flesh, we will yield from time to time to some temptation. How do we justify our yielding to our flesh? We all have yielded to many different kinds of wrongdoing, or should we just say, sin. The fact is, there is no level of sin, as some might think. Jesus did not make any distinction between disobedience. We are told as far as the law was concerned, if a man was guilty of one law, he was guilty of the whole law. When Jesus said that he fulfilled the law, but that the two greatest commands are to love the Lord with our whole being, and to love others as ourselves, that carried a whole meaning apart from the law. However, God did not leave us alone, for he knew we needed a Savior, and because of Jesus, we will not have to be dead in our sin, but have life. Yet, that is no excuse to continue to sin, yet we do. Can we not help ourselves? Can we not live upright without yielding to a temptation? It is sad, but it seems to be true that no matter how we try, we are not going to be sinless, yet at the same time, God has declared us innocent because of Jesus. David was not innocent, and in the reality of our lives, we are not innocent, yet we are in the truth of God. Thank you, Lord, for you have set us free. David had to pay a price for his actions in the present, and we might have to pay for our actions in the present, but Jesus paid the price for ours for eternity. But how can we still fail? We just cannot attain perfection. Why are we still giving in? 

Victory

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

VICTORY

2 Sam 10:15-19

15 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped. 16 Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the River; they went to Helam, with Shobach the commander of Hadadezer's army leading them. 17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there. 19 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

NIV

David made sure the Arameans would never want to come to the aid of the Ammonites again, because he so defeated them, killing so many, that what army they had wasn’t enough to fight anyone, and they were filled with fear of David and the Israelites. Sometimes we wonder why God included all these wars with all the killing of the enemies of Israel. Yet, they were his chosen people, and any nation that came against them, the LORD did what was right in his sight. Because we know that God does not show favoritism, we wonder why Israel was considered His chosen people, for that would seem to indicate that He favored them. However, we believe He chose Israel to reveal Himself to the world, showing His mighty power and sovereignty. We also know from what God inspired Paul to write that Israel, or his chosen people, is not Israel because of physical circumcision, but true Israel is the people whom God has circumcised their hearts. Therefore, there is no army or followers of the evil one who can stand against the power of God or the hand of God upon us. In fact, they already know he is defeated, and they are afraid to come to his aid in trying to draw up battle lines against us. The Lord will always do what is right in his sight, which includes destroying any forces of evil that attempt to fight against us. In fact, the Lord has dressed us, or given us his armor, and we must put it on, so that we can take our stand against all the forces of evil both in the world and in the heavenly or spiritual realms. In fact, the vassals of Satan have become subject to us, as they were to the disciples when they were able to drive out demons because Jesus gave them the authority. We have that authority through Jesus and his armor to stand our ground, to not be defeated, but to defeat evil, so that it will be afraid to fight us. The problem is that we forget we have God’s armor, and we allow the forces is evil to take its stand against us, and force its way into our lives, pushing us around, causing havoc and chaos in our lives, and then we become afraid, living defeated lives, without the available power of God. Will our bodies cause us some pain on occasion? Sure, we still live within a perishable form, and age will wear on it, but that does not mean our spirits will perish; but can stand strong, as we live with courageous endurance till we finish the race. When we stand with God, he stands with us, and no enemy can prevail against us, for we already have the victory. 

Right in His Sight

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

RIGHT IN HIS SIGHT

2 Sam 10:6-14

6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench in David's nostrils, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob. 7 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country. 9 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 10 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites. 11 Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. 12 Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight." 13 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

NIV

We have the battle plan that was set up between Joab and his brother Abishai, with each to look out for the other, in case the forces they are faced with become too strong for them. But the idea here is that although they were to be strong and fight bravely, it is the LORD who will do what is good in his sight. Here is where we have this idea that we might make our plans, but the Lord orders our footsteps. It might be good to make plans or to have a plan for how we are going to win, or be successful, or become what we want to be, or do what we think is the best method to achieve our goals, but whatever we think is best, it will be the Lord who will do what is good in his sight. We are to be strong and live with courageous endurance, but that is under the direction of our supreme commander in chief, the Lord of all, who will always do what is good in his sight, and that will be for our best. The Lord always has our best interests when he orders our footsteps. He leads us to the greenest pastures, he causes us to lie down beside still waters, and he is the one who restored and continues to restore our souls. How can we want anything that does not come from the hand of God? How can we even think that our plan is the best for us? Robert Burns’s poem about the best laid plans of mice and men shows us the unpredictability of life and that even the most carefully crafted plans can go awry. However, if we are walking with the Lord, that is taking his yoke upon us and learning from him, we will know his plans will not go awry, but will happen in accordance with his good pleasure. Let us always consult with our Lord as to how we should proceed in life, remembering we are told that we should not say that our plans to go here and make this much, or go there for a year and do this or that, but we should always be aware of making sure it is the Lord’s will that we do anything, for he will do what is right in his sight. 

Disrespectful

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

DISRESPECTFUL

2 Sam 10:1-5

10:1 In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, "I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David's men came to the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite nobles said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think David is honoring your father by sending men to you to express sympathy? Hasn't David sent them to you to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?" 4 So Hanun seized David's men, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, "Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back."

NIV

Why was an act or an expression of kindness met with an act or expression of disrespect? Once again, we see David responding to kindness with kindness, but the son of Nahash did not care about that; but listened to his advisors and acted in a manner that was rude, cruel, and disrespectful to David, but even more so to the delegation David sent to express sympathy. We would think that would never happen in the community of faith today, because we all live in harmony and peace with one another. We would never act in any manner of disrespect toward each other, but then we think about how gossip might be a form of disrespect. Then we think about how being prideful can be disrespectful or how jealousy or envy could be signs of disrespect. Anything that would lead us to think more highly of ourselves than others brings us right into the expression of disrespect. It might be possible that we may even cause someone to become humiliated when we correct them, even with truth, but have no grace. No one enjoys being told they had acted or thought wrongly just for the sake of proving we are right, even with the motive of helping them, for to be humiliated, such as the men of David’s delegation were, is simply unkind or unthinking. David had the men hide themselves until they could face others with mutual respect. This is the truth of the gospel, mutual respect and love, as all are equal in the eyes of the Lord. He does not show favoritism and therefore, if we are being transformed into his likeness, as we are told, we should make every effort to live in peace with everyone. In Addition, because we are filled with the Spirit, we should be showing the signs of his fruit within us, which include kindness, gentleness, goodness, patience, love, joy, peace, and self-control, so that we would never be disrespectful. 

Eat at the Table

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

EAT AT THE TABLE

2 Sam 9

9:1 David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" 2 Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" "Your servant," he replied. 3 The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet." 4 "Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar." 5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, "Mephibosheth!" "Your servant," he replied. 7 "Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table." 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?" 9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) 11 Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table, and he was crippled in both feet.

NIV

We are not sure why we are told twice that Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was cripped in both feet. There is no clue from the Hebrew that he could still walk, as the only and direct meaning is lame. How did he get to the table to eat? Was he carried by servants wherever he went? However, what we see in the narrative that we could apply to our lives is the great compassion David had regarding the son of his dearest and closest friend, Jonathan, who was the son of Saul, the first king of Israel, and now both of them are dead. So David brings the last remaining member of the household of Saul to live in Jerusalem and always has a place at King David’s table. David also restored all the land that belonged to Saul to his grandson and had the servant Ziba ensure it was farmed, harvested, and the proceeds were in the hands of Mephibosheth. He may have gone from a cripped man with nothing to a wealthy man cripped in both feet and having the honor of eating at the king’s table. Can we not see that we were once poorly crippled, not lame in our feet, but in our spirits? However, maybe we were also lame in our feet, as if we were blind and could not find our way in the dark, so we stumbled around. But now we have the honor to eat at the King of Kings’ table. We have been brought to live in the kingdom of our Lord, as Mephibosheth was brought into Jerusalem. Of course, we will be brought into the new city of Jerusalem when He brings it down out of heaven onto the new earth. Because we have bowed low to the Lord, accepting His lordship over us, we have the right to eat at the table, which we see in two ways. First, we have been blessed to be a part of the Lord’s blessings. As David blessed the son of Jonathan with all the land and servants to farm it, taking him from poverty to wealth, the Lord has taken us from the poverty, or deadness of our spirits, to live and live abundantly. In Fact, the Lord has done more for us than David did for the son of Jonathan, because we have gone from being dead to being alive. Secondly, we now have the right to eat at the Lord’s table, taking the bread, his body that was broken for us, and the wine, his blood that was shed for us, because not only have we been brought into the Lord’s kingdom, but we have also been adopted as His children. What a wonderful blessing that we can eat at the table. 

His Presence

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

HIS PRESENCE

2 Sam 8:7-18

7 David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze. 9 When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 10 he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze. 11 King David dedicated these articles to the LORD, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: 12 Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. 13 And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 14 He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went. 15 David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. 16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary; 18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were royal advisers.  

NIV

All of this plunder is being gathered so that Solomon can use all of it in the construction of the Temple, where the ark of God will be placed in the Holy of Holies. Although we could rehash the fact that the LORD gave David victory wherever he went, and how we could take that same victory because the Lord is with us, there are other stories. The first is that David did what was just and right for all his people. In Hebrew, a more literal meaning is that David served justice with righteousness. He acted correctly as the leader of the people, causing what is just in the land, judging fairly over disputes, and declaring decrees that served the welfare of the people because the presence of the LORD was with him. It would behoove all of us believers to serve others rightly and for their benefit. Still, it is especially incumbent for any who serves in some leadership, or rather servanthood position, to serve justly and rightly for all the people of God. The second story is about all the plunder being gathered that will be used to build a temple for the LORD. Interestingly, the LORD’s presence was represented by or through the ark of God; however, it was hidden away deep within the holy of holies, behind a thick, heavy curtain with only one priest to enter in once a year. How was it they could contain the presence of the LORD in such a secluded place? Did not the LORD God meet with Moses in the tent of meeting, and his presence filled the place, covering the tent with smoke, and the glory of the LORD filled that place? The rest of the story is where we can break in for it was God, himself, who when he came in the form of man and hung on that cross for us, the veil in the temple was torn down the middle giving us all full access to the Lord God Almighty and his presence now fills the new temple, our bodies, or as we offer ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice. No longer is God hidden away from us, nor do we have to wait to meet with him on Sunday in the sanctuary of the church. He is always with us, and He will be with us forever, and He will never forsake us. We live in His presence continually, and we respond to His presence with praise, worship, and obedience. 

Victory in Jesus

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

VICTORY IN JESUS

2 Sam 8:1-6

8:1 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines. 2 David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute. 3 Moreover, David fought Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control along the Euphrates River. 4 David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses. 5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6 He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

NIV

It seems this is a lot of war with the killing of the enemies of Israel. To capture one thousand chariots, but perhaps the most interesting is that David subdued the Philistines. He had been fighting with them from the beginning, when he was still just a shepherd, and he killed Goliath in front of both the Philistine and Israeli armies. Yet our story is about the fact that the LORD gave victory wherever he went. Can we take that as a promise from the LORD for our lives? Certainly, the Lord would not want us to live a defeated life, but rather a life of victory over our adversaries. We know the enemy of our souls is roaming about seeking whom he can devour. We also know he has already devoured all those who live in the darkness of this world. Our culture is full of every kind of perversity as it’s under the devil’s hideous influence. But it is the children of God, us believers, that he is roaming about trying to devour. But, like David, we can have the victory over the dark powers of this world and the rulers and principalities and the forces of evil in the spiritual realm, because we know the Lord is with us. We do not fight alone; in fact, it is the Lord who fights the battle for us, yet we are to take our stand and stand firm, holding our ground, giving no ground to the enemy of our souls. We may not have won the war completely against sin, but someday we Jesus comes back to take us to where he is, we will have won the victory. Yet, at the same time, as we live out our lives, we know that we can have those daily victories, conquering our enemy, putting to death that old self, leaving only the life the Lord has given us through that rebirth, as he caused us to be a new creation, born from above.  Because the Lord does not want his people to walk in defeat, we can know, just as the LORD gave David victory wherever he went, the Lord gives us that victory wherever we go.

None Like You

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

NONE LIKE YOU

2 Sam 7:22-24

22 "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel — the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?   24 You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.

NIV

Once again, we look at the response of David to that revelation that was given to Nathan. These words of David put our Sovereign Lord right where he is, as a God where there is none like him. How could there ever be any god that would be anything like the Almighty God of heaven and earth? Any god that could exist would be one made by human hands, and that would be nothing more than an idol. A man-made god could be made of stone, metal, gems, gold, silver, or even printed paper. Anything like that cannot hear, see, or speak, but we can hear with our ears when God speaks to us, and He can hear when we speak to him, and we can see the works of his mighty hand every day. The Lord God has redeemed the one nation of Israel as his chosen people so that he can reveal himself to the whole world. However, we also know that God has redeemed us to make a name for Himself. Yes, if we are going to boast, it will not be about us, but about how awesome the Lord is, and we will testify of all the mighty acts you perform. We know Israel is a nation, yet you have also told us the true Israel is the people who have had their hearts circumcised by your mighty, yet gentle hand. Your O Sovereign Lord has established us, your people, whom you have redeemed, as your very own forever. O Lord, you have become and will forever be our God, for there is none like you. 

This Far

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

THIS  FAR

2 Sam 7:17-29

17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation. 18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:

"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD? 20 "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant. 22 "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel — the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?   24 You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God. 25 "And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer. 28 O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever."

NIV

We should stay on this response of David for days, if not weeks. To begin, we surely should be able to identify with those words of David, “Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family that you have brought me this far?” We are not a king over all Israel, but we are a child of the Sovereign Lord God Almighty, the creator of all of heaven and all the earth. We have been brought from the poorest of circumstances, doomed to death, to be given life and life abundantly, eternal life, through the gracious act of you, O Sovereign Lord. But who am I, but from the poorest of families, the least of people, living in the darkness that you brought us into your wonderful light, and lifted us up so that we might serve you and your people. And then, if that is not enough, you have spoken about the future of our house, your dwelling place. By your will, you have done this great thing and have made it known to your servants. We can be assured that our future rests in your divine presence because of your Son, Jesus, who paid that price for our sins. Although David wanted to build a house, a temple for the LORD, we cannot build this temple for the LORD; however, through the power of the Holy Spirit, you, O Sovereign Lord, are building your own temple within us. How far have you taken us, O Sovereign Lord? How awesome is your power that you have done this for your servants, yet it is for the sake of your own name, and we will praise you as long as we have breath. Thank you, Lord, for taking this far, for your Name’s sake. Thank you, Lord, for saving our souls and making us whole. Thank you for taking us this far. 

A Temple for God

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

A TEMPLE FOR GOD

2 Sam 7:1-16

7:1 After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent." 3 Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you." 4 That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying: 5 "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" '  8 "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"

NIV

There is much to find in this revelation the LORD gave to Nathan, and he will report this to King David, and he will give a response, but first, we want to focus for a moment on that first truth we find in the conversation between Nathan and David. Even before that, we see the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies. We can take that truth to the bank, so to speak. The Lord has given us rest from all of our enemies. Of course, we really don't have the type of enemies David or Israel did, yet that old enemy of our souls is still out there trying to ensnare us or entangle us with one of his schemes. However, because of Jesus, who has given us his peace, we can say that we have peace in our hearts and the LORD has given us peace with any and all enemies. David showed humility once again, thinking how he lived in such a great cedar palace, but the LORD was in a tent. Now, it is not that the LORD can be confined to a tent, but the idea that Israel saw that the ark of God represented the presence of the LORD. When David mentioned what he wanted to do, Nathan made this great statement. “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you.” However, the LORD spoke a revelation to Nathan, and that David would not be the one to build a place for the LORD, but his son Solomon would. Nevertheless, the truth of the LORD being with David is where we can enter the narrative. We know the LORD is with us, because first, he sent Jesus to show us the way, teach us, so that we can learn from him, for he is gentle and humble of heart. Then, because he went to the cross and took all our sins upon himself and took that penalty of death, we no longer have that penalty of death. Still, he gave us life as he was resurrected, and when he ascended back to the right hand of the Father, he sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, a temple not built by human hands, or by the will of man, but by the hand of God, as he gave us a new birth, born from above. This new creation is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we can say with confidence, the Lord is with us, for he is within us. Solomon may have built a wonderful temple for the ark of the LORD, which was destroyed, but the Lord has built a temple in us for himself, that will never be destroyed, even through death, for we will still live. So we can say, “We are a temple for God”. 

Being Foolish

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

BEING FOOLISH

2 Sam 6:12-23

12 Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, 15 while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. 17 They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes. 20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" 21 David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel — I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." 23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

NIV

There is only one lesson we see in this portion of Scripture, and it is about the humbling of himself that David did before the Ark of the Lord. His own wife thought he was acting like a fool, dancing in only a linen Ephod, simple and plain piece of cloth that barely covered his body. He humbled himself before the LORD, and that is where our story breaks into this narrative. Yes, this is all about bringing the ark of the LORD into the City of David, Jerusalem, and that is where it will remain and be placed in the Holy of Holies, in the temple that Solomon will build. But our truth is about making a fool of ourselves before the Lord. We do not understand how we have become so sophisticated that we do not look foolish in front of others. No, Lord, we will dance before you, raise our hearts and our hands in worship of you and your Holy Name. We know that we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is our spiritual act of worship. When we think of how you offered yourself, Jesus, on that cross as a sacrifice for our sins, and how you were humiliated, stripped bare of all covering, naked, and bloodied from the whipping you endured, it makes us wonder if we worship in the holy way we should. If we are sacrificing ourselves before you as worship, then we think we should humble ourselves, even make a fool of ourselves. We should strip off all that hinders us from true worship. We need to throw off anything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us.  Then we can run that race that is marked out for us, and we can worship the Lord God Almighty in a way that He so rightly deserves, even if we look foolish, as Michal thought David was. Let us be foolish, Lord, if that is what it takes to fully worship you. 

No Stumbling

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

NO STUMBLING

2 Sam 6:1-11

6:1 David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. 2 He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. 3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4 with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals. 6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.   9 David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" 10 He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household.

NIV

We wonder why David did not call upon the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of God in the traditional manner it had always been carried. It seems to us that David was being disrespectful of God by putting the ark on a cart pulled by oxen. At least it was a new cart, but still a cart pulled by oxen would have been subject to the topography of the land, as when they reach the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled which must have caused to cart to wobble and that is why Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark of God, but that was a big mistake, for God struck him dead. Who and how did someone put the ark of God on the cart without touching it? Why did they live, and Uzzah did not? Who was going to be able to take the Ark of God off the cart without touching it? Maybe it was more about a man trying to save God rather than a man respecting the power of God. Uzzah did not respect the power of the Almighty God to watch over the very Ark of God that he instructed Moses to build, and now held within it, the tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments, the jar of manna, and Arron’s staff. This Ark represented the very presence of God, and a man reached out his hand to steady God. That is our lesson. There is nothing we can do to steady God, or to hold him up. Yes, we should give witness to the power of the Almighty God to save people through the work of Jesus on the cross. Yes, we are to give witness to the power of the Almighty God and what he has done in our lives. But we cannot lift our hand out to help or steady God because we might think he will stumble, as Uzzah thought. God is the all-powerful, ever-powerful supreme and divine power and authority over all of heaven and earth. He will never stumble; in fact, he keeps out feet from stumbling. The Psalmist wrote, “If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not  fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” Jesus made it clear that if we walk in the light, we will not stumble, but anyone who walks in the dark will stumble.  Let us not mistake thinking we have any power or put out our hand to secure the Lord God Almighty. It is his hand that has reached out to secure us from stumbling. Yet, we are not pulled by oxen, but we are yoked with Jesus, just as a pair of oxen were yoked as they pulled that cart with the ark of God. Jesus takes us by the hand and leads us on level paths, so we will not stumble. We give God all the honor and respect he is due. We are weak, but He is strong. He will keep us from stumbling.

 

His Plan

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

HIS PLAN

2 Sam 5:11-25

11 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. 13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet. 17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 19 so David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you." 20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim.   21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off. 22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, "Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." 25 So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

NIV

Once again, we are faced with the truth about seeking the Lord's direction for everything we do. David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him. This was a constant battle between Israel and the Philistines, and David had been at the center of this conflict since he was a young lad, having killed the Philistine giant Goliath. The LORD even gave David specific instructions about how to attack, to watch for the sign that the LORD God Almighty would be rushing through the top of the trees before him. As wonderful as this truth is, we should learn that lesson and continue to inquire of the Lord regarding all things in our lives, what we are to do, where we are to go, and how we are to do that which he directs us to do. There is another truth sort of hidden in this passage. We are given the names of some of the sons of David; two of them are of great importance. Solomon and Nathan both have descendants from whom the Savior of the world came in the form of man. Joseph, the husband of Mary, was a descendant of Solomon and thus David. Mary was a descendant of Nathan and thus David. Here is where the throne of David will be forever, for Jesus, as the Son of Man, came directly through the line of David. This is the pure hand of God at work, choosing David through the prophet Samuel, anointing him king over all Israel. David was in the line of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. These men were all used by the hand of God to be part of the coming of the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Messiah, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Savior of the world, Jesus, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit within Mary, whose husband was Joseph. God brings about his sovereign will to save his creation from death and give them, which includes us, life and life abundantly, meaning eternal life. When we see how God worked through all those generations to have two specific people live at His specified time, to have Jesus come as a man, we have to know that our lives are in the here and now are for a specific purpose of the Almighty Sovereign God of heaven and earth. All we need to do is inquire of the Lord, what, where, and how we do what he has designed us to do, for God has a plan for us. Lord, show us your plan. 

The Lord God Almighty is With us

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY IS WITH US

2 Sam 5:1-10

5:1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.'" 3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years. 6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, "You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off." They thought, "David cannot get in here." 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David. 8 On that day, David said, "Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those 'lame and blind' who are David's enemies." That is why they say, "The 'blind and lame' will not enter the palace." 9 David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward. 10 And he became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him.

NIV

This story is all about David becoming or being anointed king over all of Israel, but the most important part of his story, or his life, is the fact that he became more and more powerful because the LORD God Almighty was with him. The Hebrew puts it that Yahweh Elohyim of hosts caused David to grow and grow great. Could this not also be our story? There are many people who put their trust in themselves and become great in our society or in the world, including amassing great wealth and power. But all their wealth and power, as long as their trust is in their own abilities, will gain them nothing in the eternal realm of God; in fact, they will lose everything, including their lives. God testified about David that He had found a man after his own heart and that he would do everything He wanted him to do. That is the truth we need to see for our lives. First, we have done that one act of faith the Lord wanted us to do, and that was to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That is the Lord’s will for all people; however, some will refuse, but we did not, and so we can say that we have done at least one major act the Lord wants us to do. We have also accepted the baptism of the Holy Spirit; that is, we have opened our hearts to him, allowing him to influence our lives. As he fills us, he brings his gifts and fruit into our lives, giving us power to live in accordance with the will of God. We can say with confidence, the Lord God Almighty is with us. Because He is, we will grow and grow greater, reflecting his glory in ever-increasing glory. This was the work or the hand of God upon David that made him king over all of Israel. This is the hand of God who has made us a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who belong to Him. It is the work of God within us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, who brings about this change in us, and gives us the power to be an overcomer. It is the very word of God, His testimony regarding us, that we are holy and blameless in his sight. We have the very power of God upon and within us, because the Lord God Almighty is with us. 

Justice Served

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

JUSTICE SERVED

2 Sam 4

4:1 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. 2 Now Saul's son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin-Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin, 3 because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day. 4(Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.) 5 Now Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest. 6 They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah slipped away. 7 They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah. 8 They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to take your life. This day the LORD has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring." 9 David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble, 10 when a man told me, 'Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news! 11 How much more — when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed — should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!" 12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron.

NIV

This is a horrible story about two men who thought their evil deed was a good deed. How can it be alright to slip into a man’s bedroom and kill him in his sleep and then disfigure him? How did they think it would bring them honor and a reward from King David for killing Saul’s son? Did they not hear that King David had the men who killed Abner put to death, for Abner was a trusted man of Saul? King David served up the same justice to these two men for their act of evil against Ish-Bosheth. What can we learn here other than it is never right to commit any unrighteous act, and that would include thoughts, against other persons. It is our thinking that can get us into that unrighteous state, even if no visible act has been committed. Of course, that was a different time and culture, and killing or murder was more common then in our time and culture. Some acts of violence were just a part of war, just as they are in our time. We may also see that in some of our larger metropolitan cities, there are large acts of murder and other violence that should not be, according to the law of our land. Evil will always exist until Jesus returns and puts an end to the influencer of all evil thoughts and acts. We should be aware of our attitudes, feelings, thoughts, and even our possible negativity. Anything that disturbs our relationship with our Lord and with others is not appropriate for any believer. Yet, how do we still struggle with our attitudes and feelings? Is it because we are held captive in this flesh that is perishable and corruptible? However, we are not supposed to make any provisions for the flesh or excuses that we are only human. If we are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus, then we should be more like him in our attitudes and feelings, which are the driving force of our actions, or at a minimum, our words. Jesus made that clear that it is what comes out of our mouth that defiles our bodies because what we say comes from within our heart, attitude, or feelings. Can we put forth an effort, or do we need to submit more to the Lord, to have the right or righteous attitudes and feelings in our relationship with others? David showed us that justice will be served against any evil act. God will serve justice, and thank you, Lord Jesus, for serving justice for us, freeing us from the penalty of death. Yet, we still should be aware of our transformation as a result of the Spirit who dwells within. Let us live in submission and live in peace and harmony with each other, especially in our attitudes and feelings, or our thoughts, for we live in Jesus, as justice was served on that cross.