Whatever Seems Right

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

WHATEVER SEEMS GOOD

2 Sam 15:16-26

16 The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17 So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at a place some distance away. 18 All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king. 19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. 20 You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your countrymen. May kindness and faithfulness be with you." 21 But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be." 22 David said to Ittai, "Go ahead, march on." So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him. 23 The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the desert. 24 Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. 26 But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him."

NIV

We are still in the narrative of the dispute between King David and his son Absalom, who wants to take over or overthrow his father and become the king of Israel. However, there is a truth within this narrative that is presented to us in two different ways. The first is within the conversation between David and Ittai. David thought that because Ittai was a foreigner, not being an Israelite, that he should not be burdened with having to wander away from the comfort of the city to somewhere unknown. Ittai’s response is our truth we should take to heart. He said, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will be your servant be”. Is that not our confession of faith to our Lord and Savior, Jesus? “ As surely as our Lord lives”, and he does live, “Whether it means life or death,” we will follow our Lord. The Lord may lead us into comfortable places, or he may lead us into uncomfortable places, but it is our confession of faith that he is our Lord and that means whether he takes us here or there, whether it be pleasant or painful, we will be there with Him, by His side, praising His name, doing whatever he leads us to do. This same truth is illustrated for us in the statement David made that he wants to know that if he finds favor in the LORD’s eyes, he will bring him back to Jerusalem to see the dwelling place of the LORD’s ark. But if the LORD says that He is not pleased with David, then he is ready; “let him do to me whatever seems good to him”. There again is this truth that we take to heart. First, we would hope the Lord is pleased with us. After all, we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are believers, Christians. However, could there be some question in our hearts as to how we live our lives, whether we live subject to the leading of the Lord, or our own leading? That is, do we find ways to please ourselves in how we live? Do we decide where we live, work, play, worship, and yes, even what kind of service we do for the benefit of the kingdom? On the other hand, do we seek the direction of our Lord for all things in our lives? Do we say to the Lord, "No matter where you lead, we will follow. "If it is do this or that, whatever position you put us in within your church, we will serve with all our hearts." "Do with us whatever seems right and good to You". 

Worship

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

WORSHIP

2 Sam 15:7-15

7 At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the LORD. 8 While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: 'If the LORD takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.'" 9 The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he went to Hebron. 10 Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'" 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom's following kept on increasing. 13 A messenger came and told David, "The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom." 4 Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, "Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin upon us and put the city to the sword." 15 The king's officials answered him, "Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses."

NIV

This story is unfolding regarding the conspiracy of Absalom to overtake the throne from his father, King David. However, there is a truth we should focus on from the heart of David. When Absalom asked the king to let him worship the LORD in Hebron, David was thrilled to hear his son wanted to worship the LORD. He told him to go in peace. It is always a good thing to want someone to worship the Lord. This should be our desire for others to want to worship the Lord. We must understand that attending church is good, but that does not imply worship. We can worship the Lord anywhere, any place, any time, for he is always with us. In fact, the Spirit dwells within us and He leads us in the way of righteousness, leading us to Jesus, and giving us this overwhelming desire to worship our Lord and Savior. Although Absalom was being deceptive as he asked to be allowed to worship in Hebron, we cannot be deceptive in our worship. That is, we cannot just go through the motions, especially when we are with others at church, so we look like we are worshiping, but our hearts are not in worship, but somewhere else. The second truth is that when David learns of the motive of Absalom, he is concerned about all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem. His heart was for his people, wanting to protect them from Absalom’s motive of taking over Jerusalem, and in the process, he would have killed anyone who followed David. This teaches us that we should always have a concern for the lives of others in our presence, which would include those who worship within the local church. When we think of protecting their lives, we think of their eternal lives, and that would include encouraging their faith, their walk with Jesus, and building them up so that we all have unity in the faith. Let us always look after one another in love, for love always protects, trusts, and hopes, and let us worship with our whole hearts in truth and in spirit. 

Conspiracy

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

CONSPIRACY

2 Sam 15:1-6

15:1 In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, "What town are you from?" He would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel." 3 Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you." 4 And Absalom would add, "If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice." 5 Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

NIV

This is the beginning of a great conspiracy of Absalom to overtake the throne of his father, David. It is not going to end well, as we later learn, during what might be called a preparation for battle, Absalom is killed as he hangs from a tree. However, for now, he is trying to make himself the ruler, the judge of the people’s complaints or cases they bring to King David. It is always a bad idea to be involved in a conspiracy. We know how the Pharisees and priests, along with the whole Sanhedrin, conspired against Jesus. Although that may well have been God’s will so that Jesus would get to the cross. We have seen conspiracies in the church over the years, and we wonder why believers would engage in such an activity. We wonder if we can conspire on a personal level to gain our own way or to make ourselves better than someone. Perhaps it comes down to what our motive is for anything we say or do. Absalom’s motive was to become the king, to take the place of his father. What is our motive for anything or everything we say or do? Are we engaged in any conspiracy in order to gain something for ourselves? How could we, since we are commanded to love one another, just as Jesus loved us? Absalom wanted his own way, to win the hearts of the men of Israel. We are not supposed to want our own way, but to walk the path the Lord has laid out for us humbly. Whatever our path, it is the path he has shown and directed us so that we are all doing his bidding for the benefit of the whole assembly of believers. This is especially true within the local church. Yet, we have witnessed divisions, dissentions, hurt feelings, bad-biting, or gossip that may well come from a conspiracy to gain personal attention or popularity. We have witnessed men leave churches, mounting a conspiracy with others to start their own church. But the issue comes back to the personal level, and we should never try to overturn, or overpower, or make ourselves look better than another, for that is not love. Let us never conspire in any way for any reason.  

Being Kissed

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

BEING KISSED

2 Sam 14:23-33

23 Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 But the king said, "He must go to his own house; he must not see my face." So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king. 25 In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. 26 Whenever he cut the hair of his head — he used to cut his hair from time to time when it became too heavy for him — he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard. 27 Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. The daughter's name was Tamar, and she became a beautiful woman. 8 Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king's face. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come. 30 Then he said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the field on fire. 31 Then Joab did go to Absalom's house and he said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?" 32 Absalom said to Joab, "Look, I sent word to you and said, 'Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there!" ' Now then, I want to see the king's face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death." 33 So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.

NIV

We have finally come to the place of reconciliation. That is the story here as Absalom bowed with his face to the ground before the king. David was Absalom’s father, but it is not recorded that he bowed before his father; however, he did bow before his king. We do wonder why we are told that Absalom had no blemish in him. He was a very handsome man, and that might give us a better understanding of his bowing before his king. It does not matter how good we look, or our well our financial portfolio looks, or our position in the body of Christ, or any other advantage we might think we have, we still need to bow face down before our King. There was reconciliation between David and Absalom; however, even with bowing with his face to the ground, it was the king who kissed Absalom. That would have required the king to raise Absalom up from his face to the ground to kiss him. We have been reconciled to God, and the story is the same. First, we must come to the presence of the Lord God Almighty, bowing before him, and accepting his grace, Jesus, as our Lord and Savior. Because we have bowed ourselves before Him, it is through the work of Jesus on that cross, He did all the work and reconciled us to Himself. It is a free gift, but we believe it comes to the one who bows before the King of kings, Almighty God. This takes absolute humility; there can be no pride, no self-righteousness, only bowing our face to the ground. Of course, we don’t physically do that, as Absalom did, but we must bow our hearts and minds, and maybe we should consider lying face down or on our knees, even if we have already been reconciled and our King has raised us up and kissed us. It is overwhelming  to think that our King has kissed us. 

All Things Are Possible

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

2 Sam 14:18-22

18 Then the king said to the woman, "Do not keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you." "Let my lord the king speak," the woman said. 19 The king asked, "Isn't the hand of Joab with you in all this?" The woman answered, "As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant. 20 Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God — he knows everything that happens in the land." 21 The king said to Joab, "Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom." 22 Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, "Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant's request."

NIV

We have not yet come to the conclusion of this story about David, Joab, and Absalom, but we are faced with several truths within the words of this woman who spoke to King David. First, was David just that smart, to know that Joab brought this woman and gave her the words to say so that he would relent about avenging the death of Amnon on Absalom, or was that truth revealed to him by the LORD? We would believe it was the LORD, as we know how Lord Jesus used these kinds of parallels in stories to make a point. Secondly, this woman said that David had the wisdom like that of an angel of God, that he knew everything that happened in the land. This is prophetic about our Lord Jesus because he knows everything that happens in this land, or the earth. Thirdly, we see this petition laid out before the king, for the express reason of getting a change made in the present situation. We could see this as prophetic in some sense. First, that we can lay out our petition before our Lord, the King of kings, so that he might make a change in our present situation. That could be our sickness, or infirmity, or some change in our service to him, or our financial situation. There are so many ways our situation might need to be changed, but then we also know that our Lord is Sovereign and his way will always be best. In that case, we should learn to be content in whatever situation, yet Jesus told us to ask him anything, and as the words of David are just as prophetic, Jesus says if we ask in his name, he will say, “Very well, I will do it”. We can come to our Lord because he wants us to come to him in faith, believing that what we ask for will be done. We cannot have doubts or disbelief, thinking that he can do it, but will he do it? He said, Ask and he will do it. We know that a father asked Jesus to drive out the evil spirit from his son. He said if you can do anything, and Jesus said, somewhat snarky, “If you can?” then he said, “Everything is possible for him who believes”. There it is, everything is possible, we need only believe. Through this woman, Joab got David to change his heart; he believed it was possible because he knew his king. We know our King, and we know that all things are possible if we believe. 

Discernment

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

DISCERNMENT

2 Sam 14:9-17

9 But the woman from Tekoa said to him, "My lord the king, let the blame rest on me and on my father's family, and let the king and his throne be without guilt." 10 The king replied, "If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you again." 11 She said, "Then let the king invoke the LORD his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed." "As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "not one hair of your son's head will fall to the ground." 12 Then the woman said, "Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." "Speak," he replied. 13 The woman said, "Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son? 14 Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. 15 "And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, 'I will speak to the king; perhaps he will do what his servant asks. 16 Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from the inheritance God gave us.' 17 "And now your servant says, 'May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil. May the LORD your God be with you.'"

NIV

Although all that this woman said was from the mouth of Joab, which we will see that David finally figured out, there is something in this narrative that she said to David that is simply not true. This woman told David that he is like an angel of God, discerning good from evil. In some sense, we should be able to discern evil from good, but only because of the indwelling Holy Spirit, gifting us with discernment. When we think of the testimony of God regarding all mankind before the flood, that their hearts were bent toward evil all the time, how can that be any different in the time of David, and for that matter, in the present age? We believers would not agree that our hearts are bent toward evil all the time, but we also cannot say that our hearts are bent toward God all the time. If we even think that we never have any evil or sinful thoughts or deeds within us, we would be just like the Pharisees, filled with self-righteousness, pride, and hypocrisy. Sometimes we might try to appear all holy and righteous in front of other believers, for who wants to admit to having any unrighteous thoughts or deeds. We have heard people criticize certain government officials for not being transparent, yet we wonder just how transparent we are with each other. David was praised for being able to discern good from evil, but we must praise the Lord for giving us that ability, although sometimes we might blur the line between the two. The  Apostle Paul was more honest about his not just blurring the line, but right out crossing it when he testified that what he wants to do, he does not, and what he does not want to do, he does. Let us always be open to the discernment of the Spirit concerning our hearts and minds, that we might have an honest assessment within. 

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”.