Month: September 2023

2 Samuel 22:4, 7 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies….In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

After the Lord delivered David out of the hands of his enemies, and of Saul. He sang and prayed the words of 2 Samuel 22, also recorded in Psalm 18. His response to the Lord’s deliverance and victory was to call upon the Lord, in the present (I will call) and in the past (I called). There are two reasons to call upon the Lord: 1) to thank and praise Him for deliverance, giving credit to God; 2) to pray and cry for help in distress.

We may, and we do, call upon the Lord every day. For one thing, we are always in some kind of distress or other. We need His help for something and His deliverance from something. And when we call, we know He answers. He hears our voice out of His temple. The temple is our very body which He indwells. He is that close, and He is that ready to hear. Our first response to any distress is to call and pray. Ask for help. We can remember when He did it in the past, and we can be sure that He will do it again today.

For the second thing, the Lord is always, daily, saving us from our enemies, instantly forgiving sin, answering prayer needs, and delivering us from distress. Therefore, we are constantly praising and thanking Him. He is always worthy to be praised, no matter what the circumstances are. Our life is always being lived out with thanks on our lips and praise in our heart. Life flows much better.

Our response to both good times and bad times is always the same: call upon the Lord, either to express a need or to express thanksgiving.

2 Samuel 21:3 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? And wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the Lord?

The Lord had sent a famine, and David inquired of the Lord. He answered, “It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.” They were Amorites who avoided war with Joshua by deceiving him into making a peace treaty. Israel signed the pact and was bound to it. But Saul broke the treaty; therefore the Lord sent this punishment. In response, David called the Gibeonites to a meeting to work something out. He sought to make atonement with the Gibeonites, that they might dwell together peacefully and become a blessing.

Jesus, God Himself, has come to make atonement between God and people, healing the rift that was caused by our sin. And now that we are reconciled to God we are given the ministry of reconciliation with others. “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation [2 Corinthians 5:19].”

Atonement pleases the offended party and reconciles the separation. This is what Christ did for us, bringing us back together with God; and now we have this message of reconciliation to bring us all together with God and one another. So we pray: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.” Atonement = Reconciliation = the Gospel, which is the strongest force in the universe.

2 Samuel 20:17, 19 And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaiden. And he answered, I do hear….I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel; thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?

Joab and his men were pursuing Sheba, and they besieged the city of Abel of Beth-maachah. They were about to batter down the gates, when an unnamed wise woman came out to negotiate with Joab. This woman courageously spoke out and stopped Joab’s attack, not with weapons, but with wise words, negotiation, and a plan of action.

How often the courage to speak a few sensible words prevents a great disaster. This response by a wise woman can be an example for us to avoid physical argumentation by wisely negotiating and humble pleading. The Book of Proverbs contains several verses about the peaceful use of the tongue: “A wise answer turneth away wrath.” Calm discussion with sensible words can be more effective for peacemakers than physical violence. Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker who gives the Spirit to speak wisely through us.

2 Samuel 19:23, 29, 33 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him….And the king said unto him (Mephibosheth), Why speakest any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land….And the king said to Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.

The one who is in power may have the authority to either judge and execute or to show mercy and set free. When David came back to Jerusalem and was restored to power, he decided to exercise that power by being merciful. Justice is required in a sovereign, but mercy is a choice.

David chose not to execute Shimei, who had earlier cursed David. Now David had the opportunity to execute judgment for his crime, but he let him go and set him free. Mephibosheth was a potential enemy, being of the house of Saul, but David decided to be merciful and show kindness and invite him to his table. Barzillai had supported David and supplied him during his flight from Absalom, and David did not forget his kindness and repaid him with mercy by inviting the old and weakened man to his palace.

Our Almighty God is the one with supreme authority and power over us. He can justly judge and condemn us to eternal separation from life, but in love He has chosen to show mercy and give life to those who have offended Him and sinned against God. “God so loved….” We have within us the life of God which holds and dispenses the power of God to give mercy and forgiveness.

2 Samuel 19:2, 5-6 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto the people….And Joab came into the house of the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of thy servants….In that thou lovest thine enemies and hateth thy friends.

David had turned victory into mourning by weeping publicly over Absalom. It was not becoming for the king to think more highly of his enemy than of the lives of all those who fought for him. Instead of commending the army for victory, he shamed them, and Joab, for killing his son, the enemy.

As difficult as it was, Joab felt it necessary to reprove the king for not being kingly. Personal confrontation of those in authority is never easy, but sometimes we must speak truth to power. Joab was risking the king’s displeasure by confronting him, but he saw what had to be done. His actions are a helpful example to us. Sometimes we may be called upon to respond by speaking the truth in love. No one likes to confront, but there may be times when we need to use the help of the Word and the Spirit to speak boldly. There would have been no Reformation if Luther had not had the faith and courage to confront error.

2 Samuel 18:33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

Joab, and anyone, would have thought that David would rejoice at the news that Absalom was dead. After the usurper for his throne was gone and the rebellion crushed, David should been happy about that. He could have thanked Joab. But No! He was much moved, deeply grieved, and wept sore. He was certainly grieved over the loss of his so, but also he was probably weeping over his own failure as a father, his own failed example, his lack of care, and neglect to discipline his family.

But an even deeper cause for his weeping was for the Sin of humanity that was being played out in his own life and family. Jesus also wept for the human condition and the overriding power of sin and death. But Jesus, being the God of tremendous love, was able to do something about it through the forgiveness of sin and the resurrection to life. We too will grieve over the loss of a loved one or weep over a son or daughter who becomes enmeshed in sin and misery. In the midst of death we have life and a Father who personally wipes away the tears.

2 Samuel 18:14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

Absalom and his army was soundly defeated in battle. Before the battle, David had charged his three generals, “Deal gently with my son Absalom.” And everyone heard it. But in the battle Absalom got caught in an oak tree, and remained there defenseless. The man who found him told Joab. Joab asked why he didn’t kill him. The man replied that he heard King David command them not to touch Absalom, so he refused.

Then Joab himself went to kill him with three spears. He was bent on evil. Those about to do evil usually do not consider the morality of what they are about to do. They don’t care if it is right or wrong. He probably thought David would reward him instead of punish him.

Usually, our sins are not deliberate and intentional; but sometimes we just go ahead and commit a sin even though we know it is wrong, if we think we will gain something from it. The human heart is so sinful and bent on evil that it will not even consider the morality of right and wrong.

Jesus died to forgive evil intent as well as unintentional sins. “Father, forgive them, for the know not what they do.” The believer responds to the gospel by stopping to consider whether what he about to do is right or wrong.

2 Samuel 16:11-12 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.

During David’s flight from Jerusalem, Shimei walked alongside David and his band of men throwing stones and hurling curses at David. He endured the unjust criticism and the curses of Shimei. (David did not kill Saul.) He did not retaliate or defend himself, but he gave it to God and trusted the Lord to take care of the matter and repay him good. This response required great faith on David’s part.

It is not easy for us to endure unjust criticism without defending ourself or retaliating in some way. But with God’s help and strength we can maintain our composure in the face of unjustified criticism. We can’t stop the criticism, but we can ignore it and leave to God to handle. God knows what you are enduring, and he will vindicate you if you are in the right. We may suffer injustice for a time, but in His time the Lord will put everything to rights. Trust it to the Lord.

2 Samuel 15:30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

King David had to flee Jerusalem, for Absalom was coming with a large force to take over the kingdom. To escape Jerusalem he and his contingent had to go up the Mount of Olives east of the city. He and all his people were weeping as they went up the slope. They were weeping and mourning the loss of the kingdom to Absalom’s rebellion, the loss of the city, and the loss of the kingship.

David in this instance was like a type of Christ, weeping on the way up the Mount of Olives. On this slope was the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus would one day weep, pray, and sweat blood. Evil had taken over in Jesus’ experience as well, causing him to feel great anguish and agony. He desperately wanted the Father to remove the cup of suffering, but resigned to the will of God. There was no other way to pay for our sins than to suffer and die. Jesus looked upon you and I with the love that compelled him to lose his life for us on the cross.

It felt to both David and Jesus that Evil had won and usurped the Kingdom that was prepared for us. Thus the weeping and mourning and praying. But both of them kept the faith and believed the promise of the Father that He would turn things around and give the Kingdom to His beloved people. And so He did.

We also experience hard times because of Sin and Evil. We weep. Then we remember that our Savior has walked this way before us, trusted God, and won the victory to give us life and a kingdom. “This too shall pass.” Evil will not win. We wait in hope, though meanwhile we weep.

2 Samuel 15:12-13 And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

Absalom always had the political ambition to be king, but without a heart for God. On the other hand, David might have had similar ambitions, but first of all he had a heart for God and would wait God’s timing. Absalom looked the part of a king by outward appearance, and he was worldly-wise to give the people what they wanted. In a short while many of the people followed after Absalom in his rebellion, while a smaller, loyal contingent supported David.

It is a natural worldly response to follow after outward appearance and after leaders who give us what we want. It is a spiritual response of faith to follow after the inward heart of God and after leaders who have a heart for God. We are all drawn to what we can see with our eyes and bodies. However, the eyes of faith sees things differently. For this reason, God gives us the revelation of the unseen things of God in His Word.

There will always be a struggle within us for the attraction of the worldly things we can see and the heavenly things we can’t see. These are apprehended by faith, which itself is a gift of God through the Gospel. We need a constant exposure to the Word of God and the Gospel of Christ to open the eyes of the heart to grasp the things of God that we really need. Otherwise we will be deceived by the world into giving our heart to that which is either empty vapor or full of evil.