"I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments." - PSALM 119:60
Live for God!
"I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments." - PSALM 119:60
Live for God!
2Sa 1:17 Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son…
Grief is multi-faceted. Not only do we grieve the loss of the person him/herself but the loss of things that person did for us or the activities we shared that we can no longer share. Saul and Jonathan were brave and valiant warriors who had helped the Israelites overcome their enemies on previous occasions – but no more. “How the mighty have fallen!” The nation of Israel had benefitted from the spoils of Saul’s battles, v.24. David’s personal grief is the loss of his extra-ordinary friendship with Jonathan, who “strengthened him in God,” and the loss of their dream of David ruling the land with Jonathan at his side, 1 Sam.23:16-17. David memorialized Saul and Jonathan by means of a song which he encouraged the men of Judah to learn, and had it written down in the Book of Jasher (or “the Book of the Upright”).
Today I want to encourage those of you who are grieving to write down all the good things you have lost because you have lost your loved one, all he/she meant to you and the dreams you shared – and grieve each one. Making a memory book of the good things you want to remember (like David’s song) will help you to heal because it will provide a way forward to remember your loved one with joy as well as with pain. The process you go through and things you remember will be a source of encouragement to yourself and possibly even to others, just as David’s example of grieving is a model and source of encouragement for us.
Dear Lord, we thank you for the lives of all the many people who influenced us for good but have departed this life, and we pray that, as long as You give us life, we will use our life to be a source of encouragement to others to pursue a relationship with You so that we can all live together with You eternally. We also pray for all who are grieving the loss of loved ones. May they turn to You and Your word for comfort and a path to healing.
2Sa 2:4 Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
2Sa 2:8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 and he made him king over… Benjamin, and over all Israel.
To understand this chapter, we need to understand a bit about David and Saul’s family trees. Saul’s father was Kish and his father was Abiel, 1 Sam.9:1. Abiel had another son, Ner, and his son was Abner, 1 Sam.14:50. So Saul and Abner were first cousins, and it is easy to see why he would want Saul’s kingdom to continue. Zeruriah, the mother of Joab, Abishai and Asahel, was the sister of David, 1 Chr.2:16, so that made these three men David’s nephews, and it is easy to see why they would be loyal to him. So the two armies faced off, and Abner proposed a contest of warriors, a test of strength, perhaps thinking it might motivate Joab to surrender. However, Joab’s most valiant men were a match for Abner’s most seasoned warriors, and the contest turned into a fierce battle, with Abner being forced into a precarious position on the top of a hill. He who was so confident in the morning, and who was forced into a position whereby he has even further enraged David’s general by killing his brother, is now pleading for mercy on the basis of their tribal brotherhood. Fortunately, Joab listened to reason, and this likely paved the way for a later unification of the kingdom.
Dear Lord, King of kings, please help me to remember that my loyalty is first to You, and only then to my family or other loved ones.
2Sa 3:8 Then Abner became very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and said, … 9 “May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as the LORD has sworn to him— 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba."
2Sa 3:30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
Motives are so important. Abner knew all along – before he lost the 360 men in the initial battle and others in the years that followed – that it was God’s will for David to reign over all Israel, but it took a blow to his pride and the resultant anger to motivate him to do what he should have done all along. Abishai and Joab, who was probably right in his assessment of Abner’s character, could have been instruments of God to protect David from Abner’s possible insincerity. But they were driven by anger and hatred to cold-bloodedly murder Abner for what he had done to their brother in self-defense. Here we also see a crack in David’s righteous armor. David should not have allowed his nephews to get away with insubordination and murder, but, instead of trusting in God, he made an excuse that his kingdom was too new and he was not yet strong enough. “The sons of Zeruiah are too harsh for me. The Lord shall repay the evil-doer according to his wickedness,” v.39. This is a “cop-out” David will have cause to regret.
Dear Lord, You are most holy and righteous. We are so often tempted to ignore the evil that we should speak out against or take a stand against, especially when we are afraid of damaging the relationship we have with that person – particularly our close relatives, particularly our children. Please help us to realize that evil never just goes away – it is Your will that we take a stand for what is right.
2Sa 4:12 So David commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.
Pro 6:16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
David does not fear any repercussions from his army should he execute these men, and so it is obvious to him what needs to be done. He is so horrified that he displays an “object lesson” that his subjects will never forget.
O righteous and holy God, I cannot imagine that anyone of us would be capable of committing such a horrific crime as Baanah and Rechab; but yet, Lord, it would be so easy to say or do something that discourages an unbeliever from obeying the gospel, or discourages a brother or sister to the point that they fall away – something with horrific eternal consequences. O Lord, we pray today from the depths of our hearts that none of us should ever do such a thing!
2Sa 5:8 Now David said on that day, "Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul), he shall be chief and captain." Therefore they say, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house."
1Ch 11:6 David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander." And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.
Although the water shaft David speaks of here has not been discovered for certain, archaeologists have discovered a huge wall, over 26 feet tall (!), protecting the path to the water supply that dates back to the time of the patriarchs. (See https://ferrelljenkins.blog/2009/09/03/impressive-canaanite-fortification-in-city-of-david/). The “lame and blind who are hated by David’s soul” are the Jebusites who arrogantly affirmed that, even if they were lame and blind, they would be able to defend Jerusalem against attack. Note that Joab was the one who obtained the prize. A lower part of the city had been conquered by the men of Judah and Benjamin shortly after the death of Joshua, Judges 1:8. However the fortress on the higher mountain of Zion was still inhabited by the Jebusites. When it was conquered by David, it became “the city of David,” the perfect place for David to make his capital city, thus taking for himself no property already owned by any Israelites.
Dear God, as we dwell in Your spiritual Jerusalem today, let us not have a haughty spirit as did the Jebusites, but humbly acknowledge that it is only by Your grace and by our obedience to You that we are spiritually secure.
2Sa 6:16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
Michal has not had an easy life. Her father, king Saul, had heard about her love for David and used it to try to get David killed by the Philistines, 1 Sam.18:20ff. Imagine how you would feel about that if you were Michal! When Saul’s scheme back-fired, he gave Michal to David, but later sent men to kill David in his own house. However, Michal, who evidently still loved him, saved him, 1 Sam.19:11ff. Then, during the several years that Saul sought David’s life, Saul gave Michal to another man, 1 Sam.25:44. When Abner defected to David, and Isbosheth, Saul’s son, asked for a treaty with David, David’s first demand was that Michal be returned to him. So Isbosheth did that, but her second husband, who obviously loved her, followed behind her, weeping, a long way, 2 Sam.3:12ff. There is no doubt that, by the law of God, David was Michal’s true husband and she needed to go back to him, but she is not going back as the sole object of his affection; he has in the meantime acquired at least 6 other wives, 1 Chr.3:1ff. David’s seemingly undignified behavior evidently was a spark to the tinder of Michal’s emotions; and she was judged for her attitude, either by David having no more relations with her or by God closing her womb. Whichever way it was, it only made Michal’s situation worse, not better.
Dear God, we all sometimes feel that we have been treated unfairly and let our emotions get the better of us. Then it becomes so easy for us to assume that the actions of those who hurt us spring from bad motives. When someone has hurt us multiple times, help us not to despise them in our hearts so that we wrongly judge any of their actions.
[David refers to this promise and other Messianic prophecies in Psalms 16, 89, 110, 132.]
2Sa 7:22 Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
2 Samuel 7 is one of the monumental chapters of the Bible. Since the “sceptre” promise given to Judah in Genesis 49, there has been no communication from God regarding the “Seed” of the woman except, as we can see from hindsight, the lawgiver Prophet like Moses, Dt.18:15. Here God gives David an amazing promise: descendants that may be chastised, but a kingdom and throne that will be established forever by a “seed” from David’s body. David humbly responds, “Who am I, O Lord God?” Then he expresses his faith in our awesome God, being fully confident that He will bring it all to pass.
Almighty God, You know the end from the beginning and accomplish all that You purpose. We give all praise, honor and glory to You for Your promises of old – promises that still to this day prove Your divinity, as there is no other god worshipped among men who has prophesied of his purpose beforehand and brought it to pass. Thank you for giving us a way to be confident in our belief and in Your word that instructs us how to properly approach You so that our thoughts, words and deeds can be beautiful in Your eyes.
2Sa 8:15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people.
Now, finally, under the leadership of David, the land promised to Abraham (except for the bit between Syria and the River Euphrates, which came under Solomon’s control) has been conquered. “Metheg Ammah” (NKJV, ESV) is literally “the bridle of the mother city” (ASV). According to the parallel account in Chronicles, the Philistine “mother city” must be Gath, 1 Chr.18:1-2. This was the home town of Goliath, the town where David feigned insanity, and where he later lived and pulled the wool over king Achish’s eyes. Notice in verse 4 that David hamstrung the horses (cut a certain tendon) so that they could no longer be used in battle, only for slow work. This was in accordance with Dt.17:16, where the king was not to depend on horses and chariots to win battles. David dedicated to the Lord a good deal of the gold, silver and bronze from the spoils of war and the tribute brought to him. No wonder “the Lord preserved David wherever he went.” Even more impressive than his victories is the fact that he “administered judgment and justice to all his people.” For a “commentary” on this verse, see Psalm 101.
Lord, thank You for this picture of a man “after Your own heart” – a person who trusts You enough to put his life at risk to do Your will, who overcomes the temptation to put his trust in earthly things (horses & chariots), who gives generously back to You and who has a heart to serve others. Today Lord, help me to meditate on my own heart and think of ways I could be more like David, more like a person after Your own heart.
2Sa 9:3 Then the king said, "Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet."
How many times do we make an assertion or even purpose in our hearts that we will do something good – and somehow we just never get around to doing it! On the day that Jonathan was killed in battle, his nurse, running away in fear, dropped Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth so that he became lame in his feet, 2 Sam.4:4. Here in 2 Samuel 9, Mephibosheth has a young son named Micha, so several years have passed since David made his covenant with Jonathan – maybe as many as 20, although David did not reign over the entire country all those years, and he also had to spend much time away in battles and running his kingdom. However, the important thing is, that for whatever reason David did not act sooner, the day came when he did act. And so it can be with us!
Today I encourage each of us to think of some area where we have been procrastinating – or some good deed we have been intending to do – and do it! Or at least start doing it – today!
2Sa 10:12 Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight."
It seems that the Ammonites were confident that they could pick a fight with Israel and win, especially with the help of their allies. The Syrians seemed to be the dominant force in the region, receiving tribute from several kings that were neighbors to Israel, (v.19), and so perhaps they got involved in the fight to protect their interests. They devised a clever battle strategy, but they did not realize that God was fighting for Israel. The conquering of Syria added as much territory to the nation of Israel as what the entire nation controlled in the time of Saul. The previous conquering of Moab and Edom did the same. So now David is administering three times the territory Saul reigned over, receiving much tribute, and benefitting from the forced labor of those he has conquered. The Lord has prospered him!
Dear Lord, may all of us who are in Your army be of good courage for the sake of our fellow brethren and for congregations of Your church – and may You do what is good in Your sight.
Sa 11:1 It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
Unless a person works very hard to maintain his spirituality, being “full” in a physical sense, as David is at this time, can easily lead to spiritual emptiness. David has decided to take it easy rather than endure the rigors of war, and he has become used to having anything he wants – including many wives and concubines. With so many women to satisfy his sexual desires, it seems that he has missed out on the deeply satisfying “bone-of-my-bones” relationship that God designed to happen in a monogamous relationship; and that left him sexually vulnerable as well as spiritually vulnerable. He did not turn his eyes away; he did not busy himself with other things to redirect his thoughts; he was not thankful for the wives he already had (to say nothing of all his other blessings); he was self-focussed instead of focussing on how much he owed to Uriah, one of his select thirty mighty men, 2 Sam.23:39.
Dear Lord, thank you for this reminder from David that ALL of us need to keep working to maintain our purity. Help those of us who are married to work hard at building the “bone-of-my-bones” relationship with our mates that you have designed for us. Help those who are single to make the necessary effort, no matter how difficult, to be pure – for You and also for the sake of their possible future marriages. Help all of us to be others-focussed, never doing anything that could be a stumbling block to others.
2Sa 12:7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!
SIN…. 1) Is worthy of death (v.5); 2) Is deceitful/blinding (v.7a); 3) Arises from a heart of ingratitude, selfishness and discontent (v.7b-8a); 4) Is insulting to God (v.8b); 5) Is rebellion against God (v.9a); 6) Leads to more sin (v.9b); 7) Has painful consequences (v.10); 8) Is more destructive, humiliating and shameful than you can imagine (v.11); 9) Is impossible to hide (v.12)
Dear Lord, all of us who come to you today can truly say of ourselves, “I am the man!” And we cannot thank and praise You enough for your amazing grace and forgiveness to us and to David through Jesus Christ. Today I also want to pray for all who are suffering the consequences of bad choices. Help us to be so grateful for the life that You extend to us sinners, that we patiently endure these consequences, trusting that the lessons we have learned will be useful to help others not to go down the same path that You may be glorified!
2Sa 13:21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.
It is so often the case that great leaders have children who go astray. We have seen this with Eli & Samuel – and now with David. Perhaps David was so busy seeing to his kingdom that he neglected his own house. Perhaps David, who was so competent in addressing sin among those in his kingdom, had a weakness, due to being emotionally involved, when it came to dealing with sin among family members. Whatever his problem, it was certainly exacerbated by his polygamy. So David was angry at the sin committed by his son … but he did nothing about it. Justice was not administered, and this led to further grievous sin.
Lord today we humbly come to You on behalf of the parents we know. We pray that they will take whatever time and effort is necessary to train their children in the ways of the Lord, and that they will not fail to discipline them when they need it. We pray especially for parents of teens, that they will daily spend time helping them learn how to use Your word to solve the challenges they face – so that their faith in You grows more and more, and their rebellious attitudes diminish.
2Sa 14:32 Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent word to you, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still." Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.'"
Two of David’s sons have now followed in his footsteps, committing fornication and murder. But there is one striking difference between David and his sons: repentance. Did Amnon repent of his fornication? Did Absalom come to the king in sorrow, asking forgiveness? “If there is guilt in me...” IF? What an arrogant statement on Absalom’s part! Perhaps David felt inadequate or hypocritical to follow God’s law of punishment with regards to his children, when he himself had committed the very same sins. It seems that Absalom has picked up on David’s feelings and is almost mocking David when he says, “let him put me to death.” It is not easy to confront someone who needs to repent – because all of us know we have our own sins. David chose rather to avoid the issue: “Let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face.” So often, we also choose to ignore issues. But that does not really help the person who sinned, does it?
Dear Lord, You know our hearts. When we realize that we need to speak to someone about repenting, help us not to ignore the problem, but to speak in a spirit of love and meekness, humbly realizing that we, too, are sinners. And if the person we speak to accuses us of wrongdoing, let us also humbly repent if we have done or said hurtful things.
2Sa 15:31 And it was told David, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness." 32 Now it happened …
Psa 41:9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.
Absalom is a sad example of how anger can turn to hate, then to murderous revenge, and then to even being willing to murder one’s own father. Hebron was the former capital of David’s kingdom, and Absalom’s birthplace, so it might have seemed a logical place for a feast in David’s eyes. Perhaps Absalom had many friends there: friends who would be willing to make up his powerbase – and it was only 19 miles from Jerusalem. However, the conspiracy of Absalom really hinged on just one person – Ahithophel. It was his wisdom and advice that was going to ensure Absalom’s success, and David knew this very well. So David turned to his Helper and prayed to Him in 2 Sam.15:31. Look at the next words in verse 32: “Now it happened…” What happened? God answered David’s prayer! Not miraculously, but providentially – just the way He answers prayer today.
O God, our Helper, thank You for answering so many of our prayers in the past! Please help us to pray in faith and then have the wisdom to LOOK as David did, to see the doors You open to us because of our prayers, and take proper action.
2Sa 16:12 It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day."
2Sa 12:11 Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.' "
David is very conscious of the reason why all these calamities have befallen him, and he humbly accepts the consequences. How many times do we let others down and then feel upset when they don’t trust us? How many times do we say hurtful things with our tongues and then expect those we have hurt to turn around and treat us with sympathy and understanding? How many times are we neglectful of our relationship with You and are then surprised how easily we get discouraged?
Dear Lord, just as you were gracious to David and did not demand his life for Uriah’s life, You have been so very gracious to provide a way for us to escape the consequence of sin: spiritual death. I pray that all of us, with gratitude in our hearts for our spiritual lives, will humbly accept the other consequences of our sins that we often experience here on earth – and even more so, that we will use those consequences to motivate us to truly repent and never repeat those sinful actions.
2Sa 17:21 Now it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said to David, "Arise and cross over the water quickly. For thus has Ahithophel advised against you."
This danger is far worse than what David had previously faced from King Saul. For one thing, when he was fleeing from Saul, David knew that God would preserve his life because God had prophesied that he would be king. Now David has no certainty that God will spare him personally, although he can trust in God’s promise that one of his descendants will be the Messiah. For another thing, instead of just a few followers, David has the responsibility on his shoulders of doing what is best for the whole nation. And then of course, he has the emotional agony of wondering, “Where did I go wrong? Why is my own son doing this to me?” So what did David do? “Your face, Lord, I will seek,” Ps.27:8.
Today I want to encourage each one of us who is in trouble of any kind, from worry to depression to a life-threatening illness, to turn to the Psalms listed above. You will find verses that resonate within your heart and give you courage and strength to face whatever you need to face. Praise God for this wonderful resource!
2Sa 18:33 Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: "O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!"
When David’s infant son died, he stopped fasting, washed himself, and went into the house of God to worship. He said, “Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” In contrast, Absalom’s death has thrown him into such agony of despair that he cannot function properly. Almost every parent has experienced times when they are so worried about one of their children that it consumes their mental energy and they are unable to set their minds to what they really need to be doing. How much more so if, God forbid, one of their children should die in rebellion to God.
Father, we know that in Your great love, You are not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance; and that Your pain at the loss of any soul must be even greater than ours. We pray for those who are struggling with the same agonizing grief as David had. Help them to be comforted by knowing that You care and understand their grief. Please be with each of us who are parents. We recognize that our children are the most precious gift You have given to us. Help us to live lives of impeccable example and interact with our children according to Your wisdom, even when painfully difficult, not according to our own wisdom, so that our words and actions draw our children only closer to You.
2Sa 19:13 And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab.' "
Joab is a person who is hard to figure out. He seems to be brilliant at accomplishing what needs to be done, but he acts without regard to law, either David’s law or God’s law. It seems that David is not impressed with Joab’s disobedience of his direct order to spare Absalom. How much more so it is with God! No matter how capable a person is or what he achieves, God is not happy unless a person is motivated by love and trust to obey Him completely.
Dear almighty God, when we are at times tempted to bend Your truths because we think it would in some way be “better,” help us to realize just what an insult that is to Your sovereignty – that You are our Creator and Your laws are only for our good always.
2Sa 20:16 Then a wise woman cried out from the city, "Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, 'Come nearby, that I may speak with you.' "
Before David can even re-establish himself as king, Sheba, a Benjamite who possibly resented the kingdom passing from a Benjamite (Saul) to someone from Judah, gets all of Israel except the tribe of Judah to follow him. David commissions Amasa to collect the men of Judah to put down the rebellion but he delays. David then commissions Abishai, Joab’s brother, to go after Sheba with his standing army. Joab seizes this opportunity to murder Amasa in order to regain control of the regular army. Furthermore, Joab is prepared to annihilate an entire city of Israel with his typical disregard for God’s authority, Dt.20:10-12. Fortunately for Abel Beth Maachah, a city over 100 miles north of Jerusalem, a wise woman intervenes to save them. How was this “mother in Israel” able to do this great thing? She had proved her wisdom in service to the people of her city many times over a period of years; thus they were willing to have her speak in their behalf.
Many times we women feel that we cannot really make a difference in our congregations. Today I want to encourage each of us to seek after wisdom “as for hidden treasures,” Prov.2:4, and then use that wisdom to serve our families and brethren. Who knows? Maybe someday God will use us to accomplish great things for Him – perhaps to save souls from spiritual death!
2Sa 21:1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, "It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites."
With the passing of time, the memory of sins we have committed tends to fade – sins we have committed personally, as a congregation and even as a nation. However, God does not forget. The nation is suffering because the land is polluted, Numbers 35:33. As per Ex.34:7, Saul’s house must atone for Saul’s sins. David did the right thing by inquiring of the Lord. We make inquiry by reading of God’s statutes and judgments, seeing where we went wrong, repenting, confessing to God and to the person sinned against, and making restitution if possible – no matter how long ago we wronged them.
Dear merciful God, how thankful we are that under Your new covenant You no longer visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, nor do you remember our sins anymore! However, help us never to take Your mercy for granted, realizing that unrepentant sin will be remembered by You.
Psa 18:1 I will love You, O LORD, my strength. Psa 18:3 & 2Sa 22:4 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
2 Samuel 22 is virtually word-for-word the same as Psalm 18. In it we get a glimpse of how David could have such a close personal relationship with God. It is because he meditated on who God IS and what God DOES. “I will love you, O Lord…” because ……
Today I want to encourage us to take a pencil (or colored pencil) and highlight each adjective that describes who God is. Do the same with the verbs that describe what God does. Then meditate on these attributes and tell God why we love Him! Telling anyone why we love them is surely the way to a closer relationship with that person!
2Sa 23:1 Now these are the last words of David.
What would be your last words to your loved ones? David’s last words involved what God had done for him, (v.1); where he got his authority for the things he did (v.2); an encouragement to his successor to be just, (v.3); and the blessings that would follow, (v.4). He closes by reminding his successors of the Messianic promise that will come to pass and a warning about what happens to the “sons of rebellion,” (v.6-7). So today, I can think of no better words of encouragement to give to the generations who will follow me.
Dear Lord, may what You have done for us always be on our lips, may our actions always be according to Your word, may we encourage and warn our loved ones to stay in the narrow way, and may each of us rest our hope fully on Your promises: the grace that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Lord, we pray that our lives will be a legacy that we can leave to future generations.
2Sa 24:1 Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."
From passages such as 1 Samuel 26:19 and 2 Samuel 16:10, we see that God sometimes uses sinners to punish evil-doers. Here God used the evil desires of David’s heart, perhaps pride or lack of trust in God’s power, to instigate David to do something whereby the nation would incur God’s punishment, and thus David and the nation would be motivated to repent. Today, if we feel compelled to complain about the injustices and evil deeds of those in power, we must never forget that perhaps God is angry with us (the nation as a whole), and that could be the reason why we are suffering under bad leadership – to punish the nation for its wickedness and to motivate those who are sinning to repent. “Again the anger of the Lord….” – In chapter 21, we read that the nation suffered three years of drought because, under Saul, they had killed the Gibeonites. If things are going well in our nation at the moment, help us to remember that there will come a time when God will punish our nation if our nation practices ungodliness.
Dear God of righteousness, as we are surrounded by those who practice lawlessness, help us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world so that we may influence others for good and preserve our nation from Your judgment.