Looking Ahead

This week’s study in 2 Samuel 23 caused me to imagine what it will be like when Christ rules the earth. Verse 4 is part of the oracle of God channeled through David near the end of David’s life. This oracle is a prophecy and is different from David’s other songs and psalms in that verses 1-2 identifies it as the utterance or oracle directly from God (and not from David’s own thoughts). When we get to verse 4 it talks about what it will be like when there is a ruler over the people ruling in the fear of God (verse 3).

2 Samuel 23:4: “like the morning light at sunrise on a cloudless day that makes the grass on the earth sparkle after a rain” (CJB). Picture in your mind the most glorious cloudless day and the total sparkling of the greenest grass after a nice rain. This brought to mind some of the images various Scriptures (old and new testaments) gives us about the earth when Jesus is ruling over it in the end times. One commentary put it this way:

“Imagine a world where the curse is removed, where the environment is restored to the pristine purity of the Garden of Eden” (See Summary of Millennial Kingdom by clicking here.)

It is hard for me to imagine such a world, but it does cause me to look forward with great anticipation to such a beautiful time and place (the commentary listed several other wonderful characteristics of those times).

In contrast, for those who are not a part of God’s kingdom, 2 Samuel 23:6-7 tell us of what the ungodly are like and what they can expect in those times.

But the ungodly are like thorn bushes to be pushed aside, every one of them. They cannot be taken in one’s hand; To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft, and then only to burn them where they lie. (CJB)

The aforementioned commentary also explains more about that. It is a contrast that is not missed by me: beautiful Eden-like creation vs. useless thorns thrown into a fire.

As part of God’s kingdom, I’m rejoicing and, as I said, looking forward to such a glorious time.

Misconceptions

There’s a Psalm of David neatly tucked away in 2 Samuel 22. In studying the chapter, I found out Psalm 18 duplicates 2 Samuel 22 almost word for word. However, some of the common words used in verse 33 of 2 Samuel (and verse 32 in Psalm 18) meant something different than I have thought in the past. I’m going to look at the 2 Samuel verse (and compare it to a familiar verse in Proverbs (3:6).

“God is my strength and protection; he makes my way go straight” (2 Samuel 22:33 CJB). The question I had was what does “my way go straight” mean. Does it mean that He will never let me take the wrong path? Does it mean that everything in my life will go smoothly? After looking the words “way” and “straight” up in a Hebrew concordance and dictionary (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible), the definitions gave me new insight into the passage (and Proverbs 3:6).

“Way” does not mean a path or direction. The Hebrew sense of the word means a course of life or mode of action. Another description of it said, “manner and behavior.” This is not a physical pathway to be followed, but a moral and spiritual manner of living.

Straight (or in the King James Version, perfect), means having integrity, truth, and being without blemish, and undefiled. More simply it means “true, without deception or fault.” Again, this is not a physical, easy, not difficult pathway, but a set of character qualities that He desires to develop in us.

So I rewrote 2 Samuel 22:33 and Proverbs 3:6 to use these explanations of these words that we have taken for granted that we understood:

2 Samuel 22:33: “God is my strength and protection; He makes my manners and behaviors go true and without deception.”

Proverbs 3:6: “In all your behaviors and manner acknowledge Him, And He will make your spiritual journey on this earth true and without deception.”

Both imply an ongoing process of growth and change in those committed to following His teachings. It’s not a “get out of jail free” card. There’s a cost for us to live the way He desires. Kris, my Bible study partner, put it this way: “If you honor Him, He will help you to honor Him more.” This happens as He teaches us exactly what character traits He wants to develop in us.

Past Behavior, Present Behavior

Why are we surprised when people who have done wrong things in the past do it again? In 2 Samuel 20 there’s an account of David sending out his new general, Amasa, to raise an army and go after a man who instigated a rebellion once David returned to the throne in Jerusalem. Sheba’s revolt was unorganized and unsuccessful, but David did not want Sheba to raise any more trouble, so David wanted him killed.

Amasa had been Absalom’s general and David, in an attempt to pacify Absalom’s followers, had elevated Amasa to the commander of his army. David’s nephew, Joab, had been the captain of the army for many years. When Amasa did not rally the necessary troops in the time David had allowed, David sent Joab, and troops faithful to Joab, out to find Sheba. On his way Joab’s army met Amasa’s army. And treachery occurred.

Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰ Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri (NASB, 2 Samuel 20: 9-10).

Joab had no orders to harm Amasa, so why did he kill him? Just like in 2 Samuel 3:26-30 when Joab killed another potential commander of David’s army (Abner), Joab was out to keep his rank in David’s kingdom. He ruthlessly murdered his rivals for the 2^nd in command of David’s kingdom. He had done it before, so we should not be surprised that he does it again. Joab used deception to draw the unsuspecting Abner to his death by Joab’s hand, and here Joab does it again. He greets Amasa, his cousin, with kindness and apparent friendliness as one would a family member. Once Amasa is close enough, Joab fatally stabs him.

Maybe we don’t go to the point of killing our rivals, but where do we act in a way that undermines someone else’s position or authority? Self-promotion at the expense of others runs rampant in our society. We are ordered by Christ to look out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3-4 NASB: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”) This does not mean we don’t take care of our needs, but it means taking other people’s needs into account in all we do.

Priorities

My Bible studies this week overlapped. We can see some messed up priorities in David’s life. While my other study was about determining and implementing Biblical priorities.

Basically as David’s army in exile began their march into battle against Absalom and his forces, David made a firm plea to his military leaders and to each group of soldiers leaving through the gates of the city he is currently taking refuge in. “The king gave orders to Joab, Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom’ (2 Samuel 18:5, CJB). While it seems like this was a compassionate and loving thing to do, David was actually putting his family above sound military procedures that would protect David’s followers. Keeping Absalom alive was increasing the chances of a continued struggle, and more death and destruction for Israel. “David had been putting his family above his duties to Yehoveh for a very long time, and the outcome was disastrous” (Bradford, Torah Class, Lesson 27).

In Christian circles we often hear the saying “God comes first and family second.” However, many Christians make decisions based solely on what is best for their family. In the NavPress study on how to live as a mature Christian (Bearing Fruit in God’s Family), there’s two sessions on priorities. In the second part there’s a chart that places God first, followed by Family, Work, and Other. All these are realistic priorities. However, another illustration shows how our relationships with others, including our family, improve as we focus on becoming more Christ-like. The goal is to have everybody pursuing God’s interests. On each side of the base of a triangle are people, and God is at the top point. As the people get closer to God, they move up the sides of the triangle and actually get closer to each other as they do. (I wish I could draw a picture for you but I’m not that skilled on a computer.) Try diagraming this for yourself.

David’s example shows that he was not drawing closer to God but trying desperately to improve his relationship with Absalom setting aside the God guidelines he was supposed to be focusing on. It’s not wrong to want closer relationships with our family members and others. It just doesn’t truly happen until everyone is pursuing God.

July 4, 2019

Patriotic ideas reel around this date in American historical annuls. There were issues of patriotism in the Israel of David’s era as well. Who would the people support? David and be forced to flee Jerusalem? Or Absalom and reign in Jerusalem rebelling against God’s anointed king?

Just like in our day and age, pretty sounding words and decisive actions drew people to Absalom. The people were drawn to king Saul in the same way. Absalom appeared as a kingly figure. Absalom did things to please and sway the people. Underlying those actions was self-aggrandizement going on. Absalom was seeking to better his reputation, influence and power over the state of Israel. He felt he deserved the right to rule. He’d been planning it for a long time (all the way back to when he killed his half-brother, Amnon, to eliminate the competition for the throne).

As we live in America today, we need to be evaluating those that wish to lead our nation. Are they using pretty sounding words? Are they appealing to the vanity of different people groups? What are their true motives? Does their plans really aid our nation as a whole or just certain segments of our society? I realize, as I struggle to get real answers to these questions myself, that it seems impossible to evaluate those in leadership in our country on a national scale. We find ourselves forced into “reading between the lines” and looking for “off-the-record” comments to determine what’s real. I feel powerless to know for certain what is right, although I do have my opinions.

So, I do what I can. I pray – a lot. I learn to apply Scripture to my own actions and try to evaluate whether the behavior of these would-be leaders agree with Scripture’s commands. And, I bring it closer to home. I look at local leaders I can get to know for myself (instead of relying on Facebook or newspapers). I apply the Scriptural commands to their ideas and behaviors. Furthermore, I look at my church leaders. How are they measuring up? And I ask myself, and pray some more, about what I can or should be doing to uphold the principles of God. In my own life, in the life of local leaders, and in the way I vote.

That’s what I’m thinking about on this 4^th of July. This is what I’m praying about on this 4^th of July. I desire to be patriotic, but my heart longs to be right with God.

Truth Reinforced

Between 2 Samuel 15 and our Pastor’s church sermon from John 4, an vital truth can be seen (along with many other places in Scripture). Whether we look at the Old or the New Testaments, it is clear that God is not confined to a building, a tent, a city, or a country. He is not confined to the Ark of the Covenant.

Especially in the time of King David, many Middle Eastern religious beliefs had infiltrated the beliefs of the nation of Israel. I’ve addressed this before. The predominate view was that the gods were only present when and where the idols were present. As a result the various armies took their idols with them into battle. Most of Israel believed the same thing about the ark – God was only present when the ark was present.

So in 2 Samuel 15, David is being ousted as king as the people rallied behind David’s son, Absalom. As David fled, the priests brought the ark along. David responded to the high priest in such a way that showed David had at least an inkling that God was everywhere:

2 Samuel 15:25-26: The king said to Zadok [the high priest], “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation. But if He should say thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him (NASB).

David appeared confident that God could and would deal with him, no matter where he was and no matter where the ark was.

Jesus gives us this same message in the gospels. In John 4:1-42, Jesus does a very non-culturally appropriate thing. He has a conversation with a Samaritan woman. The woman asks Jesus where people should worship – on the mountain in Samaria or in Jerusalem. Jesus answers in verses 21 and 23-24:

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. . . But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Jesus emphasizes that the place to worship God is not important. I need to remember this and focus on God wherever I go and whatever I am doing. God is not confined to my office in the morning or in church on Sundays. He is present everywhere at the same time.

Natural Consequences . . . Or

Or Supernatural punishment? I think there’s a bit of both in the aftermath of David’s sinning situation surrounding the Bathsheba incident. If we look back for a moment at 2 Samuel 12:9-13, we see God’s pronouncement of judgment and His pronouncement of forgiveness.

Starting in verse 10 (in the CJB) the punishment/consequences of the sins and the forgiveness are told to David by God, through Nathan the prophet:

“Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house – because you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own wife. Here is what ADONAI says, ‘I will generate evil against you out of your own household. I will take your wives before your very eyes and give them to your neighbor; he will go to bed with your wives, and everyone will know about it. For you did it secretly, but I will do this before all Israel in broad daylight.’ David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against ADONAI.’ Nathan said to David, ‘ADONAI also has taken away your sin. You will not die.’”

There’s the playing out of earthly judgment (you might say natural consequences) and the proclamation of a spiritual redemption – “You will not die.” Of course God did not mean David would never physically die – a spiritual death is being addressed here. But, ahh, the consequences would come.

In 2 Samuel 13, we see the beginnings of this judgment being played out in David’s household. First David’s first-in-line son for king, Amnon, connives so that he can rape his half sister, Tamar. Tamar happens to be Absalom’s full sister (additional children of David). There’s several background issues going on in these events, but one is that Absalom is angered and he plots to murder Amnon when Amnon would not expect it. The deed is carried out two years later, and David is down one more son – by the sword, as God indicated would happen.

As 2 Samuel continues there will be further accounts of God’s judgment being unleashed in the physical realm regarding David’s household. The killing by the sword is not over.

I know I like to pretend that once God forgives my sins, everything will work out hunky-dory. Yet, in this example, we see the consequences of sin, as designated by God, being carried out in the lives of people. This challenges me to not be cavalier about my salvation. That is a spiritual event. My actions (i.e. sins) in this life may have natural consequences in agreement with God’s ordained patterns set down throughout time and throughout the Scriptures.

I’m not sure in my thinking about whether all natural consequences for my sinful behavior are direct punishment from God or not. I just need to remember that in God’s economy, sin will have punishments or consequences, even as He forgives me and guarantees my salvation on an eternal spiritual basis.

Belief vs. Trust

In 2 Samuel 11 and 12 we again see the contrast between King Saul and King David. God left Saul in that when Saul decided not to turn to God, “God left him” (1 Samuel 16:14). However, with David, even when he committed grave sins, God did not leave him. What was different about these two men?

It wasn’t that David believed in God and Saul didn’t. They both acknowledged God’s existence. They both seemed to have a healthy understanding of God’s nature, character, and sovereignty. They both believed in God. Yet we have Scripture telling us that God left Saul. We need to remember that the Holy Spirit wasn’t available to Old Testament people. So in 1 Samuel 16 where it says that God’s spirit left him, it wasn’t talking about the Holy Spirit leaving Saul’s internal being. It means that God pulled back his blessings and support for Saul’s endeavors.

The next question is why did God not pull back from David after he sinned? It’s simply a difference in trusting versus believing. David repented and placed his trust in God for his redemption. Saul tried to bargain with God and perform sacrifices without a contrite heart. So, even though David committed adultery and murder, right standing with God was returned to him. (You can read David’s confession to God for these sins in Psalm 51).

So is “belief” enough to gain salvation? We need to be careful what we mean by “belief.” “Belief is the level of relationship between God and His created beings that even the demons possess. Belief is merely acknowledgment of God’s existence . . . but belief does not include appropriate worship of Him or response to Him” (Bradford). So what are the missing ingredients? Trust and a complete reliance on God in every aspect of our lives. “Trust is when we allow belief to turn to God-centered inner transformation of our hearts . . . that then produces obedience” (Bradford).

I think I know some people who believe in God, but have not fully allowed God to transform their lives. Are they “believers” then? I’m not pretending to know what is in the heart of every man. I don’t know the extent of their relationship with God. I think this is a question each individual has to ask of themselves. I think it’s an urgent question. Believing is not enough. Fully worship and trust in the Almighty God is the way to salvation.

God's Gifts

Appointments, Mother’s Day, Birthdays. These things kept me from spending a lot of time in Bible study prep this week. As a result, there is a lot left to study in 2 Samuel 12 for this coming week. I did, however, undergo a bit of conviction this week from verse 8.

In chapter 11, David committed adultery and murder. God saw it as evil (as we should). In Chapter 12, God dishes out His reproof and sentence for David’s evil. In verses 7- 8 in the CJB it says,

Here is what Adonai, the God of Isra’el says; ‘I anointed you king over Isra’el. I rescued you from the power of [Saul]. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives to embrace. I gave you the house of Isra’el and the house of [Judah]. And if that had been too little, I would have added to you a lot more.

Basically, according to the various commentators, God is saying, I gave you wonderful gifts, all you could ever want, but it wasn’t enough for you. David still wanted something that wasn’t his to have. He wanted Bathsheba despite all that God had given him and would give him if David had asked.

Tom Bradford in his study of 2 Samuel gives us a warning. We are not much different than David. David desired good gifts that God did not intend for him to have. I’ve done the same thing. God distributed gifts of the Spirit to us. Each person handpicked by God for the gifts, talents, abilities He’s intended for them to have. Yet we, at least I know I have, desired other gifts – or to not have the ones I do have. Some people want the “showy” gifts: teaching, leadership, generous giving, and performing miracles. But the behind the scenes gifts are just as valuable in God’s economy: mercy, hospitality, service. Romans 12:6 in the NASB, says, “And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly.” Instead of pining after other gifts, let us exercise the gifts God has given each of us. 

Just Doing My Job

Have you ever been asked to do something that you knew was wrong? How did you respond? Sometimes it’s a close friend who asks you to lie, or a boss who says to fudge the numbers. Sometimes you may ask someone to cover up for you. I have, in the past, been put into a position to violate my integrity in one way or another. Have you?

We may feel like we are in a tight place, between a rock and a hard place. Either choice you make may bring trouble for you. You might be afraid your boss will fire you if you don’t do it. You might be afraid the boss will put any fallout from the situation on your shoulders. You might think, “I’ll do it just this one time.” The decision should not be as difficult as we try to make it.

It’s about integrity before God and acting as He would want. We need to be careful that we don’t think that the dishonest action is somehow what God wants. He’s given us a guidebook and a guide, but we have to know both in order to get clear direction from God. Whether you initiate the situation by putting someone else in the position of the fall guy, or giving into the pressure from a higher authority to do wrong, you are guilty.

In the 11^th chapter of 2 Samuel we come across a familiar story: David and Bathsheba. However, I never looked closely at the entire story. David chose to go against God’s laws, and then chose to try to hide it. David failed at hiding it by himself, so he brought his army commander into the situation. He directed Joab to set it up so Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, would be mortally injured in battle. Joab went ahead blindly and followed David’s orders. Joab was doing a very unusual thing by putting Uriah in front, closest to the wall of the city they had laid in siege. Uriah was a commander under Joab, and a close contact of David’s. The toughest defenders of the city “went out and fought Joab; a number of people fell, including some of David’s servants, with Uriah the Hittite among the dead” (verse 17). David’s goal of getting rid of Uriah succeeded and that left Bathsheba free to marry.

Not many of us are commanded or paid to kill someone, but we do other things that are unscrupulous so we don’t make waves, or will keep our jobs. We may say, “I’m just doing my job.” Unfortunately, in God’s eyes every party involved in the action is guilty and will receive punishment from God. Our guilt is not erased by not actually doing the questionable action, even as we get someone else to do it. There are two situations in this Scripture passage. 1. David is guilty for trying to cover up his unlawful action, and for arranging for Uriah’s murder. 2. Joab is guilty for carrying out the plan (which he probably knew was fishy since it was not sound military action).

We need to be careful to not use the excuse, “I’m just doing my job,” and have integrity and do what the Bible and the Holy Spirit direct. In order to hear God’s truth, we need to know His truth. That only comes by immersing ourselves daily in the Word of God.

Suspicions and Misunderstandings

Coming to chapter 10 of 2 Samuel, we see some more incidences of battles recorded. These battles happened because of suspicions and misunderstandings. When the king of the Ammonites dies, his son, Hanun, becomes ruler. David sincerely sent a diplomatic detachment to Amon to pay respect and give condolences to Hanun. But Hanun’s advisors said it was all a trick. Let’s read 2 Samuel 10:2b-3 in the CJB:

So David sent his servants to pass him a message of comfort concerning his father. David’s servants entered the territory of the people of ‘Amon; ³ but the leaders of the people of ‘Amon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending people to comfort you? Hasn’t David actually sent his servants to you in order to look the city over, reconnoiter it and overthrow it?”

I was impressed by the fact that governments around the world still get into wars and skirmishes because of perceived threats and suspicions. The hard part is telling when it’s a real threat to the safety of one nation’s people, and when it is not. As I look at the Middle East, I do not begin to understand which perceived threats are real and which are not. What I do understand is that Israel is God-ordained to rule over the Promised Land. How that comes about in its entirety we have yet to see, but in the meantime, we need to remember that God still loves Israel and desires for them to return to all the teachings in the Old Testament. A time will come where everything will happen in Israel. God is not finished with Israel yet.

This challenges my attitudes about Israel’s current political and military condition. They are still trying to deal with the threats from their neighbors. We have seen incidences where those threats were real and carried out (suicide bombers, missile launches into Israeli lands, other things we don’t see readily reported in the news). All we get is accounts of Israel’s responses to those attacks, and Israel is seen as an aggressor. My views have been warped by the current trends in some of the media. I’m adjusting to this new way of thinking. I wish there was a way for Israel to regain the entire Promised Land without wars, skirmishes, violence of any kind, and without being perceived as violating human rights. I can keep praying for that, but these conditions originated long ago when Israel failed to carry out God’s orders to rid the land of other nations. The battle continues today.

Friendship

2 Samuel 9 is all about David keeping his promise to Jonathan from way back in 1 Samuel 20:11-17. David made an oath in God’s name to preserve Jonathan’s bloodline. The custom in the Middle East (and we can see it throughout history in Europe also) was to eliminate competition for the throne by new, incoming kings. That usually meant killing all the offspring from the deposed king assuring that there would be no claims on the throne from those descendants. Jonathan asked David to spare his linage (which was Saul’s linage as Jonathan was Saul’s son). David said he would, but it’s been several years into David’s reign and he has not even tried to do so.

We are not told what sparked David’s sudden interest in keeping his promise to Jonathan. We are just told that, “David inquired, ‘Is there anyone still alive from the family of Saul, to whom, for Jonathan’s sake, I can show kindness” (2 Samuel 9:1 CJB). One such person was located and he happened to be the lame son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth. He was accidently made lame by his nurse dropping him as they fled what they thought would be David’s revenge on the family of Saul after Saul’s death. (David had no intention of doing that, but the nurse did not know that.)

Later in the passage (verse3), David asks the question in a slightly different way (according to the various English translations), but the meanings were the same. “The king said, ‘Is there anyone still alive from the family of Saul, to whom I can show God’s grace?’” (CJB). David’s desire was to keep his promise to his closest friend, Jonathan, and show God’s special brand of grace.

While Mephibosheth was afraid David had ill intentions lined up for him, David tells him to not be afraid (verse 7). Then David goes on to tell Mephibosheth how his grace and kindness are going to be played out. “for I am determined to be kind to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. I will restore to you all the land of Saul your [grand]father, and you will always eat at my table.” David suddenly made Mephibosheth a very rich man. David went above and beyond what Jonathan asked him to do. Due to his friendship with Jonathan – for Jonathan’s sake – David was extremely generous. (David had the right to claim all of Saul’s possessions as his as Saul didn’t appear to have any legitimate heirs.)

I thought to myself, “How good of a friend am I?” Am I generous? Would I go out of the way to help a friend’s child? At the very least, do I pray for my friends and their families? Sometimes I can say, “Yes!” to all those questions (or at least some of them). But this idea of good friendship challenges me to be more intent in praying for my friends and their families. Intentional friendship is what God calls us to.

He Is With Us Wherever We Go

Last week in 2 Samuel 7, I touched on how God is not stuck in a temple. The other nations of the Middle East thought their gods had power limited to their nation’s boundaries. If their gods were going to go with them to battle, they would have to carry a statue with them. David made some assumptions that the same is true of his God. So David desired to build a temple to “put God in.”

God corrected David by saying He was never in a temple before and that the tabernacle did not need to be present for David and his armies to be successful in battle. It seems like David may have learned something about that. We see in 2 Samuel 8 David’s conquest of many different nations. David recognizes that God went with the armies wherever they went. At the end of verse 14 it is recorded that, “ADONAI gave victory to David wherever he went” (CJB).

I found it interesting to me, during my current emotional downturn, that David traveled far and wide from Jerusalem in his war campaigns. David’s assignment from God was to physically subjugate all the original areas of the Promised Land to rule under one king. David’s objective was to create a united kingdom ruling over all the territories God promised Israel when they came to the Promised Land. And, so God was with him and working wonders in David’s life (as seen in the Psalms David wrote) and through David’s life for the benefit of all 12 tribes of Israel.

Today my battles are different. Most are tied up in my mental illness and other issues I face on a daily basis. Whether I’m sinking into a depression with the lethargy and lack of motivation, or zooming into a mania with its irrationality and irritability, I need to take the message in this chapter to heart: God is with me wherever I go. And the victory is His just as it was in David’s battles.

I need to recognize that God has already won victory for me. It says in John 16:33 (where Jesus is talking to His disciples shortly before His arrest), “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (NASB). He has overcome all the problems and situations this world can throw at me, and I may have peace as a result. Dropping everything going on in my thoughts down before Jesus, I can find that peace. It takes practice, but when I’m able to get my heart and mind into trusting Jesus, peace does come.

Hearts vs. God's Will

In Samuel 7 we see David’s good heart and desire to glorify God. But it’s misguided.

He desired to build a house for God since his own palace was so very much nicer than the tent the Ark (and supposedly, God) was in. He thought God’s house ought to be more glorious than his own. There are a couple of problems with that. When David told his friend and prophet, Nathan what he planned in his heart to do, Nathan responded, “Good, do everything that is in your heart, for ADONAI is with you” (vs. 3, CJB).

David and Nathan made an assumption that whatever was in David’s heart was okay with God. “But that same night the word of ADONAI came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David that this is what ADONAI  says:. . .” (vs. 4). God goes on to explain a myriad of things to Nathan and David, which basically says He doesn’t want David to build Him a house, even as David thought it was what God wanted. In 1 Kings 8:18 we are told a little more about this from Solomon, David’s son’s, vantage point: “but ADONAI said to David my father, ‘Although it was in your heart to build a house for my name, and you did well that it was in your heart . . .”

The caution for us: when we think we are getting some kind of message from God in our hearts we should know it can’t be trusted. Jeremiah 17:9 (and other passages tell us not to trust our hearts): “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (NASB). We should not confuse God’s will for what we feel or think in our hearts. When making decisions, we need to have much stronger backing for them than just what we feel or think. The truth we need is found in God’s revealed will – the Bible. Sometimes the Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what to do, but we should still not confuse our feelings or thoughts on a matter as God’s will for us.

Also, David had come to believe that, just like the other Middle Eastern nations, God was actually living in that tent – that He was confined to the tent. David missed the point that He was everywhere and could move about as He wished, but God reviewed that truth with David in verses 5-7:

Go and tell my servant David that this is what ADONAI says: “You are going to build me a house to live in? Since the day I brought the people of Isra’el out of Egypt until today, I never lived in a house; rather, I traveled in a tent and a tabernacle. Every where I traveled with all the people of Isra’el, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Isra’el, whom I ordered to shepherd my people Isra’el, asking ‘Why haven’t you built me a cedar-wood house?’”

We, likewise, need to know our God is not confined to a building, a place, or to one nation. He can be everywhere at once. He goes with us wherever we go. Psalm 139:5 tells us, “You have hemmed me in both behind and in front and laid your hand on me.” He’s not confined to church on Sundays. We need to remember He is with us and act as His emissaries throughout the week wherever we are.

Respectful Awe vs. Comfortable Familiarity

I had a second thought from 2 Samuel 6 I want to share. This is quite tricky because we need to have a balance. We cannot be so cavalier as to think God is there only for our benefit. And we cannot view God as so distant that He has nothing to do with us. In fact, He wants us to be completely satisfied by His entirety.

What do I mean? Let’s look at 2 Samuel 6:5 in the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB).

David and the whole house of Isra’el celebrated in the presence of ADONAI with all kinds of musical instruments made of cypress-wood, including lyres, lutes, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.

At first glance, what happened may seem like a good occurrence; however, the key to understanding what David and the rest of Israel did wrong is found in the Hebrew word translated “celebrate.” The word written in English is “sachaq.” It has the connotations of laughter, mocking, making merry, jesting, and joking all in a frivolous manner. This is not the attitude God desires of us when we approach Him or desire to worship Him.

How is this different than what David and the people did later? The second half of verse 12 says,

So David went and joyously brought the ark of God up from the house of ‘Oved-Edom into the City of David (CJB).

Isn’t celebrating the same as being joyous. After all later in the chapter we see David and the people dancing and playing the shofar (a kind of horn made from a ram’s horn). This time we look at the Hebrew word for “joyous.” It is “simchah” and means inner joy and gladness of heart. It’s not an outward or showy celebration that focuses on the happiness of the participants.

What this all means for me is that we need to be careful not to lower our standards of worship to a raucous party-like atmosphere. While dancing and singing and playing of instruments are not wrong in and of themselves, it’s the condition of our hearts that God is looking for. He wants us to approach Him with a sense of awe and wonder. He wants us to have inner joy and a deep gladness in our hearts. And, he does want us to come to Him with our problems, concerns and joys. It’s a balance between respectful awe and comfortable familiarity.

Making Decisions

Recently I had the thought to revamp my weekly schedule. I came up with a “brilliant” idea all by myself. The goal was to make more time for writing. As I mapped out in my head what I was going to do, I made assumptions based on my superior intellect. I assumed I’d be stellar in my writing performance without the activities I was cutting out. One was an AA meeting at 8:15 on Monday mornings, and the other was my volunteer work at a mission in my town on Thursday mornings. As I said, I had it all mapped out in my head.

As I said last week, last Tuesday I spent some extended time with God, reading His Word and asking for guidance. I also said that a key thing I received from that time was ideas about how, when, and who to be praying (basically it was before, during, and after I write). The other main lesson was that I should make writing (God’s calling on my life) a priority in my schedule. So I decided to schedule writing time into the time slots I freed up by skipping the meeting and volunteering. I should’ve prayed some more . . .

In 2 Samuel 6 we have the story of David moving the ark of God to Jerusalem. David also made some assumptions about how things should be done. He decided to move the ark the way the Philistines had returned it to Israel (that account is found in 1 Samuel 6). David did not even consider searching the Scriptures or asking the priests to examine the Scriptures to see if God had given any instructions in how to move the ark. As a result, tragedy struck and one of the attendants tried to steady the ark as the oxcart it was in looked like it was going to turn over. That attendant, Uzzah, died immediately upon touching the ark.

David decided to leave the ark in a nearby lodging of some Levites and go back to Jerusalem without the ark. The passage in 2 Samuel 6 says David was upset and frightened of God that day (vs. 8-9). He was afraid of what trouble the ark of God might cause for him and he didn’t want it in or near his capital city. After three months everyone was talking about how the people the ark was left with were prospering above and beyond what was normal. So David decided to move it again.

This time he must have studied the Scriptures and found the passages that explain how God’s ark is to be handled . . . using rods through the designed rings on the ark and having the Levite clan of Korhath bear the ark on their shoulders. It doesn’t say in the text that David did his research and/or consulted wise counsel, but he must have because he knew how to move the ark this time.

Back to my story. My scheduling plan was to take action without consulting God or wise counsel. But I paused – probably the Holy Spirit’s nudging – and sought counsel. My therapist and AA sponsor both told me the same things. Start with every other week so I can keep my accountability in AA and continue to serve world missions by the volunteer work. With further counsel and much more specific prayer, I freed up one day a week to devote to writing by going to the meeting and the volunteering opposite every other weeks. A much healthier plan than I thought should be done.

Are there areas or decisions or actions on which you need to be consulting God? I know there are many other situations in my life where I try to make the decisions for myself and the results do not work out as well as I thought. My goal is to seek God’s Scripture wisdom before I act.

Key to Success

Sometimes getting things done seems like a huge task. I get weighed down with the weight of my concerns, worries, and even the things I’m looking forward to. I’m so caught up in these concerns that I don’t recognize when or if I’m successful. And, I fail to acknowledge the One who was successful thinking it was all my doing. I won’t recognize true success unless I’m focused on whom the success comes from.

It doesn’t matter what skills, intellect, talents, education, or experiences I have that can aid me in achieving tasks. Those things are just gifts from God. We can learn a lot about true success by looking at some aspects of King David’s life. We’ve already discovered some areas where David deviated from the Torah (Old Testament) Laws, yet he was successful in many of his endeavors.

In 2 Samuel 5, two battles against the Philistines are recorded (2 Samuel 5:17-21; 22-25). David succeeded in routing the Philistines both times, a task Saul had been unable to achieve many times while he was king. David’s army beat the Philistines so badly that the Philistines basically ceased to exist. What was the key to David’s success?

He gave the Lord God of Israel all the credit. We read in vs. 10, “David grew greater and greater, because Adonai the God of Armies was with him” (CJB). And in vs. 12 it says, “David then knew that Adonai had set him up as king over Isra’el and increased his royal power for the sake of his people.” In vs. 19, “David consulted Adonai, asking, ‘Should I attack the P’lishtim? Will you hand them over to me?’ Adonai answered David, ‘Attack; I will certainly hand the P’lishtim over to you’” (Again the CJB). In vs. 20b we again see David giving credit to God: “He said, ‘Adonai has broken through my enemies for me like a river breaking through its banks.’” Getting the picture? More references to David and his consulting and crediting God are verses 23 and 25.

I think I need to be seeking God, praying, and giving God credit for the outcomes. Today I spent some extended time with God evaluating what He’s been speaking to me about since January (used my daily Bible reading journals to see a pattern). One of the two things was to be praying more and for more things. In the back of my mind I’ve thought it might be good to pray before I write each week. I’ve heard other Christian writers say they pray for their audiences. I’ve heard stories of people who were devoted to prayer and as they expected, saw God’s answers played out in their lives. These are some of the things and ways I need to be involved in when I’m praying. What specific situations would God have you praying about? What answers are you expectantly waiting for? And, finally, what do you need to be giving credit to God for in your lives?

(CJB stands for The Complete Jewish Bible)

Know It

Hypocrisy. King David did not always do things according to the Laws of God. Saul was mutilated after his death. The Philistines cut off his head and strung his body up outside the walls of a chief city (1 Samuel 31:9). This upset David. Mutilating people after their deaths was not customarily done (especially to kings). Yet, in 2 Samuel 4, we see David ordering the hands and feet of Ishbosheth's killers cut off and hanging what was left of their bodies by the pool at Hebron (2 Samuel 4:12). Ishbosheth was the son of Saul and designated leader of the northern tribes of Israel. So David was playing fast and loose with the Laws God had given His people so many years ago.

This is another example of the people corrupting the Old Testament Laws. The people, including David, no longer knew what the Law said. They had forgotten it and had not passed it down to their children. They were violating it in many ways – just as Christians often do today.

Why does this happen? People are just not immersed in the Word of God. They don’t even know what it says so they can’t tell if they are following it or not. Unfortunately, my experiences indicate that this is especially true for those calling themselves Christians. Many mainline denominations have decided to interpret certain passages of Scripture so that they are convinced it can and does mesh with current cultural biases. Individuals rely on others to teach them what the Word of God says without investigating Scripture for themselves.

In a separate study of God’s Word I’m doing with a friend from my church, there are examples of ways to investigate God’s Word as individual people. (Early Christians were commended for searching the Scriptures to see whether what the preachers were preaching was in line with Scripture (Acts 17:10-11). It’s not just something we can do; it’s something we should be doing. I’m going to briefly look at the suggested ways for getting into and understanding God’s Word found in the NavPress Bearing Fruit in God’s Family.

1.     Paraphrase a verse or passage. Start by looking at various translations of the Bible. Some of my favorites are the New International Version, the New American Standard Bible, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Amplified Bible, the New Living Translation, and the paraphrase, The Message. You can find all these translations at https://www.biblegateway.com/After reading the same verse(s) in a few translations (not necessarily all the ones mentioned above), write the verse(s) out using your own words or borrowing bits and pieces from the various translations until you truly understand what it’s saying.

2.     Questions to be asked. Ask who, what, when, where, why, and how questions of the passage. Also note questions that come to your mind as you read the verse(s) through a few times (possibly also referring to a variety of translations).

3.     Pray through the verse or passage. Look at each phrase or sentence and pray about how it applies to your life and your life circumstances.

4.     Emphasize each word separately as you read through the passage several times. Each word is there for a reason (2 Timothy 3:16). Determine what is the significance of each key word (don’t be fooled; even the word “in” could be significant).

5.     Cross-References. Find them by using a concordance or use Google. What you are looking for are verses that say similar things to the verse you are looking at. You are looking for other verses in Scripture that support the basic concept. You may be surprised how many there are for each verse. I recently used this technique for John 14:21 and found at least 5 Old and New Testament passages that support the concept of keeping God’s Words. (Look up John 14:21 to see what I’m talking about).

6.     Applications to be made. This is a key to true spiritual growth. What specific and measurable step can you take based on the truth(s) in a particular passage. I recommend attempting to make an application for each passage you look at each day. Make it something you can do in one day. For instance, for Philippians 4:6, an application might be to pray each day for a week being careful to give thanksgiving for what has already happened and the promised (yet unseen) answers to come.

Try one of these techniques today. I suggest choosing a different one each day this week and use it in a passage of Scripture you are reading (or should be reading). As a side note, another helpful aid is a little booklet called Woven Writing by Cassie Showerman. This booklet can be purchased at https://godshapedmom.com/shop/ I am using its suggestions and gaining new insight into familiar and not-so-familiar passages of Scripture. Many of the suggestions in this booklet use the same techniques I outlined above.

Not Straying From True Obedience

Abner’s folly was starting a fight (2 Samuel 2; see last week’s article). But that wasn’t the end of the story. During the chase across the countryside, Abner killed one of Joab’s brothers, in self-defense on the field of battle. This set into motion a scenario in which Joab perverted the Torah law to accomplish his own agenda.

Joab’s brother, Asahel, pursued Abner, and even when Abner stopped running and yelled to Asahel to stop because he (Abner) did not want to have to kill him, Asahel kept coming after Abner. Asahel is described as “fleet-footed as a gazelle in an open field” (2 Samuel 2:18) so Asahel was sure to catch up to Abner. Abner, after warning Asahel to stop, used Asahel’s own speed and carelessness to stab him and Asahel fell dead. When Joab found out, he became filled with blood lust and determined to avenge Asahel’s death. That’s the background needed to get to my point from 2 Samuel 3.

In chapter 3, through a series of events, Abner approaches David with the proposition of becoming allies. David agrees to talk it over with Abner in Hebron (David’s headquarters at this time). During this meeting, either by design or by happenstance, Joab is out on a raid. When Joab returns to Hebron, with all kinds of plunder to give to David, he was feeling pretty good about his position in David’s court. Then he hears of the agreement, treaty, David made with Abner in his absence. Joab becomes enraged and rails at David. Joab then sends messengers to chase Abner down (Abner was not far from Hebron at this time) to ask Abner to come and meet with him. It’s important to note at this point that Hebron was one of the Levite sanctuary cities set up in the Torah (Old Testament Law) for those who had committed manslaughter or an accidental killing. Death in a battle would come under this category.

Joab lured Abner to just outside the city. Between the outer and inner gates of Hebron to be exact. So close to sanctuary, but not actually in it. Joab took action and killed Abner for the death of his brother. Or that’s the excuse he used. There were two problems with this excuse. First, Joab claimed it was according to the Law that he avenged his brother’s death; however, the Law made exceptions for those killing in battle or in self-defense so Abner should not have been eligible for avenge killing. Second, Joab was also experiencing some jealousy and self-centered fear that Abner, with his treaty with David, would replace him as second in command in David’s kingdom. Generally speaking, it was the top military man in a Middle Eastern nation that was considered next in line should something happen to the king.

Basically, Joab twisted the Scriptures to his desires. Now we can ridicule Joab for doing this, but we need to be careful. I, for one, have misapplied Scripture to fit my desires. I didn’t necessarily do it knowingly, but the way I interpreted Scripture at various points in my life, led me to deviate from God’s plans. For instance, I do not always remember to turn away from temptations or acknowledge God’s way as being better. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” How many times do I allow myself to watch unwholesome television or movies? How many times do I excuse it as harmless fun? And, how many times even when I am convicted by going ahead and participating in viewing things that are in bad taste or contrary to God’s guidelines and fail to be truly repentant of it and do something different instead, do I do it anyway? I often say, perverting the intent of God’s Word, “Well God will forgive me, and cleanse me from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9)?

I could give other examples in my life that I’ve not handled accurately the Word of truth. I think, if you’re honest, you could think of some in your own life as well. Joab paid a price (which comes out in the following chapters of 2 Samuel), and there will be a price for us to pay, also, if we do not repent and work hard at applying the Word of God accurately to our lives.

Abner's Folly

Today I’m looking at 2 Samuel, chapter 2. This chapter starts out with David consulting the Lord about his next steps. There’s a principle in this section about going to God in prayer and then moving out to let God do His work through us, but I’m going to look at another portion of the passage, with a different (but overlapping) principle.

We find out that Abner (Saul’s military leader) tries to establish Israel under the authority of Saul’s remaining son, Ishbosheth. There is quite a bit of speculation as to why Ishbosheth wasn’t on the battlefield with Saul and Saul’s other sons, but for reasons not given in Scripture Ishbosheth did not go to war. So, Abner sets Ishbosheth up as the new king of Israel. This is the beginning to an Israelite civil war between Abner’s (Ishbosheth’s) territories and men, and David’s territories and men.

In the course of time, a faction of Abner’s military rest by a pool, the pool at Gibeon. At the same time, Joab (David’s military leader) had a faction of David’s army also camp on the other side of the same pool. What were they to do? No one is said to have gone to God in prayer. Scripture does not say they consulted priests. So, out of Abner’s own mind, without input from God, he proposes a plan to Joab. “Abner said to Joab, ‘If it’s all right with you, let’s have the young men get up and fight it out between themselves while we watch’ . . .” (2 Samuel 2:14, CJB). The NASB says that they would “hold a contest.” This is the same type of contest there was between the Philistine representative, Goliath, and the Israelite representative, David. We know how that turned out . . . David won but the Philistines did not surrender as agreed upon. The end of this contest does not resolve the conflict either. Each side put up twelve men. As Abner and Joab and the rest of their armies watched, “Each one grabbed his partner by the head and drove his sword into his side, so that they fell down together . . .” (verse 16). The contest was inconclusive as all the champions on both sides died and a general battle broke out between the armies. Abner’s army was routed and chased across the countryside.

The principle that struck me was that we should be careful about picking fights. Being the aggressor, as Abner was, may have disastrous results. Abner obviously thought he had the upper hand, but he failed to recognize God’s role in the battle. As David with his army were the anointed of God, they would have a distinct advantage even if their army looked smaller or less experienced. Bible commentator Matthew Henry gave the following cross-reference to the events in this passage: Proverbs 25:8. “Do not go out hastily to argue your case; Otherwise, what will you do in the end, When your neighbor puts you to shame” (NASB).

I took this as a warning to me. I simply thought, “Don’t ‘create’ strife with the people in my life; it could come back to bite me.” I know that David eventually wins the civil war, but this battle may have been avoided if Abner had not been so quick to start something. What battles in my life could have been avoided if I didn’t start the argument? I’m sure there are some, which I conveniently don’t remember. But now I’ve been warned. I do not have to start things in the future.