DAVID ON THE RUN (2 Samuel 14-15)

A part of my heart breaks as I read of David's struggles with Absalom, and how far David fell.

God brought about the discipline He promised David because of his sin with Bathsheba: Trouble would arise out of his own family.

Absalom set himself up as king--in Hebron, no less, the town which first recognized David as king over

Judah. The town which should have been in David's corner instead crowned his son.

Why Absalom thought he should be king is beyond me.  He was third-born, after Ahinoam and Kileab. Not to mention the fact that he killed his brother Amnon, after he raped their sister. None of that would have mattered, of course, if God wanted Absalom to be king. He did nothing that David himself didn't do, but David had a heart after God and apparently Absalom didn't.

David obviously loved Absalom and saw him with a father's rose-colored glasses. But unlike his father, Absalom didn't wait for God's timing. David waited for seven years after Saul's death before he became king over all Israel. Absalom wrenched it out his father's hands while he was still alive.

David, however, still, always, aware of his dependence on God, refused to take the ark of the covenant with him. It didn't belong to him, but to God, and God's people. God wasn't a thing to be carted around at his convenience.

Today's reading ends in mid-story, before David was restored as king. I couldn't help but notice that David left Jerusalem by way of the Mount of Olives. At the very place where centuries later Jesus would spend hours in prayer, weeping, seeking a different way for our salvation--David ascended, head covered and barefooted, weeping.

God was kind to David. He didn't climb alone. The "whole army" went with him, crying as they went. I wonder if that brought David any comfort.

And God gave David the means to defeat Absalom in the person of Ahithophel.

Thoughts for us today?

• We reap what we sow.
• There is a right way and a wrong way to face adversity,
• God does not abandon us even when He disciplines us.
• God is at work even when we don't see it.
• Tears are okay.
• We can lean on others when we are grieving.

God bless, everyone!

CONFLICT RESOLUTION OR REVOLUTION (2 Samuel 12-13)

Today's devotional is written by Cleo Lampas.

            In this culture in which we live, it is fashionable for friends and family to conduct an intervention for a wayward loved one. As the group gathers around the person who is addicted, promiscuous or erring, each individual confronts the behavior by telling how it negatively affects their life. The hope is that the concern of family and friends will bring about change in actions and attitude of the targeted individual.

            God provided an intervention for David through his prophet. Nathan approached David with the desire to change the King’s sinful heart to repentance. Taking the role of storyteller, Nathan draws David into his account of the rich man with many herds of sheep taking the poor man’s only lamb. When David finished his outburst of rage against such injustice, Nathan says in a calm, cool voice: “Thou art the man.”(King James): The confrontation of sin is achieved with power and conviction. King David repents, but the consequence of his sin still is enforced. The child of his adultery and murder dies. But the matter is settled.

            When given the responsibility of holding an intervention for his lustful son, David fails to act. David should have learned the lesson about the effects of lingering sin when his son, Amnon, violates his half sister, Tamar. But King David reacts to the rape with anger and nothing else. He ignores confronting his son’s criminal behavior. Worse, he does nothing to gain justice for the victim. Because David failed to confront Amnon, then his other son, Absalom, grew bitter until Aabsalom erupted in the murder of Amnon. As head of the household and father of these children, David lacked control needed to confront the situation, which led to more sin and sorrow.

            As a teacher in a class of behavior disordered boys, one of my goals was to help each student take responsibility for their own actions. These students disliked parents, principals, teachers and other students to confront their bad choices. They learned that “other-control” is not as desirable as “self-control”. Interventions changed behavior.

            As Christians, we have intervention of our sin by the prodding of the Holy Spirit or the conviction of the Word of God. Sometimes we are confronted by people who speak the truth with love about us. Lord, let us see ourselves as You do, and repent of our sin.

Cleo Lampos, guest blogger

Author : Teaching Diamonds in the Tough:Mining the Potential in Every Child (Lighthouse of the Carolinas, 2012)

Second Chances, First Book in Series: Teachers of Diamond Project School (Oak Tara, Summer 2013)

www.cleolampos.com

clampos@sbcglobal.net

            

David the Priest?

Today I arrived at the story of David bringing the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem.

I already knew that when the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out an arm to steady the ark, and died as a result of mishandling the Ark. David left the ark right where it happened, with Obed-Edom. Three months later, David tried again.

Only somehow I thought that the second time, David had done it the right way, with the Levites placing poles through the rings on the Ark and carrying it on the shoulders.

No, they carried it in a cart again. What did change was that they stopped every six feet to offer prime animals. David dressed in a linen ephod, like a priest--a fact the Message emphasized which had never gotten through to me before. (Perhaps I have Michael's reaction to blame for that, but I'm not discussing Michal today.)

Whoa there. David dressed like a priest? And later, in chapter 8, we're told that David's sons were priests?

Didn't Saul lose the kingdom for offering the sacrifice before going into battle, a job that belonged to the priest?

So why did God bless David and dismiss Saul?

I would guess is has to do with God looking at what at the heart of a man.  One of my favorite hymns is "Himself" by A.B. Simpson.  In it, Simpson wrote, "Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord. Once it was the feeling, now it is His word. Once the gift I wanted, now the Giver own. Once I sought for healing, now Himself alone."

Saul wanted the blessing, the gift of military victory--and found neither on a regular basis.

David wanted God first and God alone--and the others things came with it.

Saul wanted things in his time.

David waited for God's timing.

Saul was all about himself.

David was all about God.

GOD'S CALL, GOD'S TIME

I'm tempted to write about one of my favorite lines ("these sons of Zeruiah are too much for me.")

 But then I read an even better line. 'David proceeded with a longer stride, a larger embrace since the God-of-the-Angel-Armies was with him." (2 Samuel 5:10, MSG)

Lack of confidence isn't a word I would ever have used to describe David.  He had abundant faith in God and sprang to action whenever God's honor was challenged. When needed, he asked for God's guidance and obeyed. I never see any hesitation. Have you?

This verse suggests a different spin. Maybe all those times he held back on doing things like killing Saul in the cave were because. . . gasp. . . he wasn't entirely sure that he had earned the right to walk in God's call on his life?

I'm not saying that David should have killed Saul. His restraint is rightly held up as an example for the rest of us..

But I find it very human that like Abraham who didn't have the son of promise until he was one hundred, or Noah who built a boat for a century, God called David to be king a long time before he was ready.

As a writer, I am blessed that age can be an advantage. That's not true for a lot of occupations.

David also apparently realized he wasn't ready yet. When the time came, he moved into the role quickly. He walked with a longer stride and a larger embrace. Ready to do what God called him to do.

Lord, may I walk with a stride that matches Your calling and
presence in my life. May I embrace all You have called me to be.

A Nation Divided (2 Samuel 2)

In yesterday's post, I almost wrote about a fantastic verse that says David strengthened himself by his faith in the Lord when his own men were ready to stone him. You see, other enemies, the Amalekites, had raided David's town and taken all their women and children captive.

David rallied the men and then went after the raiders. They were fighting the Amalekite threat while Saul and the army fought the Philistines.

It was his bad luck that an Amalekite brought the news of Saul's death to David. He claimed responsibility for Saul's death for himself, probably expecting a reward. Instead he lost his head.

You would think that after everything David had been through, he would have been the instant, obvious choice as king. No such luck. David asked God if he should return to Judah. When God said yes, he went home, and Judah crowned him.

The tribe of Benjamin crowned Saul's remaining son, Ish-bosheth, He was recognized as king by the remaining ten tribes. He last as king for two years. David ruled in Hebron for 7½ years.  It's unclear what the rest of Israel did for leadership in the interim.

One tragic thing did happen during those years: brother fought brother as Israel's army, led by Abner, and David's men, led by Joab, met in armed conflict. Abner is clearly a man of honor, not wanting to kill Joab's brother Asahel (but Asahel wouldn't leave him alone), and calling a halt to the fighting.  They parted ways, under a temporary truce.

And the nation remained divided. How glad I am that the story doesn't end there.

Oh, what was David doing through all of this? Acting like a head of state. He wrote a lament for Saul and Jonathan and thanked the citizens of Gibeon for giving them a decent burial. He didn't go to war with Joab on this occasion. He asked God before he rushed into the void created by Saul's death.

Annointed by God as a teenager, David was willing to wait and wait and wait some more.

Oh, to have that kind of patience.

The End of Saul (1 Samuel 31)

Oh, Saul, at the end you almost pulled it out.  In spite knowing God had deserted him, when the Philistines attacked, he led his people in war. Okay, they were losing. but he was there, doing his duty, providing encouragement for his people.

And then . . . there was always an "and then" with Saul, wasn't there? . . .

All three of sons were killed, in a single battle. As someone who has lost a single child, I can't imagine losing all of my children at once. Whatever courage or heart Saul had left must have dropped away at the news.

Then an archer got close enough to hit Saul with a fatal arrow. Saul begged his armor bearer to kill so the Philistines couldn't claim the credit. The faithful servant refused, so Saul did the deed himself. The armor bearer followed suit

The loss is summarized in these sad words: The men closest to him died together that day.

Sad, tragic, unbelievable--all of that, and more. But of course, there is even worse to come.

When the Philistines discovered Saul's dead, they hung his armor in the temple of their god and they hung his corpse on a wall for everyone to see.

Enter the brave men of Jabesh Gilead, who took back the corpse, burned away the flesh and buried the king properly.

Battle, national defeat, suicide, loyalty, patriotism, grief . . . a story of epic proportions that leaves the nation of Israel in the worst shape yet. The Philistines gloated over the victory, the Israelites were left without a designated leader, the armor taken away. (early I read that only Saul and Jonathan had armor; the loss was a severe one.)

But with God, the end is rarely the end. The man the Philistines considered an ally was about to emerge as Israel's greatest king.

New heroes and valliant men and women will come to the forefront.

Saul . . . everything he could have been and wasn't.

Which one am I?

I AIN'T AFRAID OF NO GHOSTS (1 Samuel 28)

Sorry, can't help it. Just heard Beckett saying the line to Castle on TNT's repeat of an old episode.

Okay, I said I was going to take a sabbatical. I have caught  up a lot of work. And at the same time, I am getting . . . bored. lonely. depressed. hungry.

Time to get back into the bread of God! And hope that focusing on what's important helps my spirits.

Today's scripture really is an honest-to-goodness ghost story.  The kind of thing that makes it difficult to explain away mediums as the blind leading the misguided.

And "wiccan" may have very real powers.

Yes, I've come to the witch of endor.

Samuel had died and God had abandoned Saul. The king was desperate, so he sought one of a breed he had hounded to oblivion years before. A witch.

I find her dance of evasion interesting. "If the king finds out. All right, all right, I'll do it."  I wonder how much money changed hands.

Have any of you read Liz Curtis Higgs' retelling of of the witch's tale? I believe it's in Really Bad Girls of the Bible. 

I'm not sure who was more surprised, the witch or Saul - or, for that matter, Samuel.

Things unravelled pretty quickly:
The witch recognized Saul as king and was terrified.  The image of "an old man, robed like a priest" terrified her more. Saul worshipped--Samuel? God? "Why have you disturbed me?" Samuel demands.  To keep hounding the man after he's dead  . . .

Saul's question hadn't changed. "Tell me what to do!"  Samuel basically said you made your bed by disobeying God, now you'll lie in it.  Saul was so frightened that he fell into a comatose state. The witch showed a shred of sanity by getting him something to eat. He revived and left.

A genuine, bonafide ghost story, featuring Samuel as the ghost and the ghosthunter who was a poor excuse of a man, let alone a king.

I don't even know where to begin with this one.

Who did Saul see? I have no doubt he actually saw Samuel.

What did Saul see? This is a trickier question. In the New Testament, Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration--easily identified by the three disciples who were born centuries after both men.  If probed, I would guess that their bodies were like Jesus' post-Resurrection body, like ours will one day be, immortal and no longer bound by the same physical laws as our bodies.

When . . . no real "when"questions jump to my mind.

Where did Samuel come from? It says he ascended from underground.  Descriptions like this, plus "the pit," must be why we talk about hell "down there" and heaven as "up there." Ephesians 4 talks about Jesus' descent during the days of His death. The Apostles' Creed echoes that with its wording, "He descended into hell."  A better wording is hades, a holding place for the dead before the death and resurrection of Christ.  This idea, however, fights against the idea of immortal, recognizable bodies that Moses, Elijah, and Samuel appear to have.

Why did Saul think he needed a dead Samuel's help?  Your answer is as good as mine.

This passage leaves me with far more questions than answers and a lot of uncertainties. With all its claims for connecting with the earth, wiccans here are clearly demonstrated to be in touch with the occult, dangerous practices, meddling in matters of life and death that belong to God alone.

Real or faked (and I believe there are people with real ability), the occult is strictly forbidden to Christians. There are Christians with some measure of psychical power. y mother was one of them, chosen for a study, until she became a Christian and turned her back on it. I'm not sure if in others, it becomes a gifting for discernment or how that works . . .

The "ghosts," or recognizable people from the past, we read about in the Bible, are all believers. They don't fit the image of people with unfinished business.

The ghosts we read about appear before Jesus' resurrection. Perhaps believers no longer can return. "absent from the body" means we are "present with the Lord." After death, we don't linger in hades (is hades the same kind of thing as purgatory?) but zoom straight to our Lord's side.

What does this mean for me today? Saul worshipped the wrong thing, a dead priest/prophet. God is the God of the living--He is and always will be the first One I should turn to. Even when I've sinned, as Saul had. (David was no saint but he knew where to go with his burdens.)

Oh, and as a final thought . . . . don't take this blog as a condemnation of Harry Potter and his kind.