THE CURIOUS
CASE OF THE
FOOLISH AMALEKITE ...
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News comes to David and his men at Ziklag (1:1) that
the Philistines have won the battle on Mt Gilboa and that Saul and his sons are
dead. David questions this messenger,
who actually claims to have killed Saul (vs. 6-10).
And the messenger is an Amalekite!! (v. 8).
1: Now it came to pass after
the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the
Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;
2: It came even to pass on
the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his
clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David,
that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
3: And David said unto him,
From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I
escaped.
4: And David said unto him,
How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are
fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul
and Jonathan his son are dead also.
5: And David said unto the
young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be
dead?
6: And the young man that
told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned
upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
7: And when he looked behind
him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
8: And he said unto me, Who
art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
9: And he said unto me
again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me,
because my life is yet whole in me.
10: So I stood upon him, and
slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen:
and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his
arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.
There is little doubt that he expects David to
reward him. Instead he finds himself at
the end of a sword-point for slaying the Lords anointed (vs. 15-16).
2 Sam 1. 15: And David called one of the
young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
16: And David said
unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against
thee, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed.
All of which illustrates an important New Testament
truth. Paul tells us to put to death the works of the old sinful nature
(Galatians 5:16). If not
sin is
likely to slay you!!
..
Back in 1 Samuel 15 the Lord had commanded Saul to
exterminate the Amalekites. He had
disobeyed and received a tongue-lashing from prophet Samuel. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft! the
prophet had told the disobedient king (1 Samuel 15:22-23).
·
And now
because Saul did not slay the Amalekites, an Amalekite
claims to have slain him!
James 1:14-15: But a
person is tempted when he is drawn away and trapped by his own evil
desire. Then his evil desire conceives
and gives birth to sin; and sin, when
it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
The good news is that the indwelling Holy Spirit
is able to grant believers victory over those sins that so easily beset us
and bring the riches of Gods blessings into the life.
Romans 8:12-13:
So then, my brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to live as
our human nature wants us to. For if
you live according to your human nature, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death your
sinful actions, you will live.
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Died Abner as a fool dieth? asks King David (3:33).
To find the answer to his question we must needs
back-track to the Law of Moses
as found in the Book of Numbers!!
..
1. THE
CITIES OF REFUGE
Among the numerous laws given by God, through Moses,
to the people of Israel is that which concerns the cities of refuge (Numbers
35:9-15).
Numbers
35: 9 And the LORD spake unto
Moses, saying, 10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and
say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
11 Then ye shall
appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee
thither, which killeth any person at unawares.
12 And they shall
be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not,
until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
13 And of these
cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.
14 Ye shall give
three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of
Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.
15 These six
cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the
stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any
person unawares may flee thither.
These six cities (v. 13), strategically placed
throughout the land of Israel will be a refuge for the person guilty of
manslaughter (not murder). Therein he
will be safe from the slain persons relative who is permitted to kill him (v.
12). If he flees to one of these six
cities he will be safe until the High Priest dies (v. 28)
if he leaves before that time the relative is not held
responsible for killing him!
These cities were to be easily accessible and
were available for all, not just the Jew but any Gentile who may
accidentally kill someone (v. 15).
..
2. THE REBELLION OF ISRAEL
After the death of Saul David seeks the Lords
guidance as to what he should do. He
journeys to Hebron (in Judah), where he is crowned King by that tribe (2 Samuel
2:3-4).
However, the rest of Israel follow Sauls son,
Ishbosheth
who is placed upon the throne at Mahanaim, but the General of
Sauls army
Abner! (vs. 8-10).
2 Sam. 2:1: And it came to pass after
this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities
of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go
up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
2: So David went up
thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's
wife the Carmelite.
3: And his men that
were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt
in the cities of Hebron.
4: And the men of
Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And
they told David, saying, That the men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried
Saul.
5: And David sent
messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of
the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and
have buried him.
6: And now the LORD
shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness,
because ye have done this thing.
7: Therefore now let
your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead,
and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
8: But Abner the son
of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought
him over to Mahanaim;
9: And made him king
over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and
over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10: Ish-bosheth
Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned
two years. But the house of Judah followed David
This is the Abner whom David
had taunted for sleeping on the job!! (1 Samuel 26:14-16).
Eventually Civil Ward erupts between the army of
David, led by General Joab, and the army of Ishbosheth
led by Abner. The first skirmish takes place at Gibeon
and continues for about seven years (v. 3). During that first encounter Abner
is pursued by Joabs youngest brother, Asahel, who is fleet of foot! (v.
18-19).
18: And there were three sons
of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of
foot as a wild roe.
19: And Asahel
pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the
left from following Abner.
20: Then Abner looked
behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.
21: And Abner said to
him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one
of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside
from following of him.
22: And Abner said
again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite
thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?
23: Howbeit he
refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote
him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down
there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to
the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
24: Joab also and
Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the
hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
25: And the children
of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and
stood on the top of an hill.
26: Then Abner called
to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it
will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid
the people return from following their brethren?
27: And Joab said, As
God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had
gone up every one from following his brother.
28: So Joab blew a
trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more,
neither fought they any more.
29: And Abner and his
men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went
through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.
30: And Joab returned
from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there
lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.
31: But the servants
of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and
threescore men died.
32: And they took up
Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem.
And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.
Abner, the seasoned warrior, bids this young,
armour-less Asahel, to go home.(v.21) Asahel refuses to do so. Abner smites Asahel with the hind end of his
spear (v. 23), probably hoping to stun him.
But Asahel is killed. (Often the
rear end of a spear was pointed for sticking in the ground, see 1 Samuel 26:7).
..
3. THE
FOLLY OF ABNER
There is a falling out between Abner and
Ishbosheth
over a woman! (3:6-11).
2 Sam. 3:6: And it came to pass, while
there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made
himself strong for the house of Saul.
7: And Saul had a concubine,
whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner,
Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?
8: Then was Abner very wroth
for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah
do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren,
and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that
thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?
9: So do God to Abner, and
more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;
10: To translate the kingdom
from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over
Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba.
11: And he could not answer
Abner a word again, because he feared him.
Mind you, to
take the concubine of the previous king was an act of treason. Abner tells Ishbosheth that he wants Rizpah
and he is not going to be kicked around like a dogs head! Wow!
As a result Abner meets with the leaders of the
other tribes, and tells them that he is negotiating with David to desert
Ishbosheth and throw his weight behind Gods chosen king. He meets with David at Hebron (3:20). David
says that he wants his wife, Michal, returned to him (v. 14; cf 1 Samuel 25:44).
20: So Abner came to David to
Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were
with him a feast.
21: And Abner said
unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the
king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over
all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
22: And, Behold, the
servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great
spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him
away, and he was gone in peace.
23: When Joab and all
the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of
Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
24: Then Joab came to
the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is
it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?
25: Thou knowest
Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out
and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.
26: And when Joab was
come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again
from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not.
27: And when Abner
was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him
quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood
of Asahel his brother.
28: And afterward
when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD
for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
29: Let it rest on
the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from
the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth
on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
30: So Joab and
Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at
Gibeon in the battle.
31: And David said to
Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you
with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the
bier.
32: And they buried
Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of
Abner; and all the people wept.
33: And the king
lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?
Yes, Abner died like a fool! For Hebron was a City of Refuge!
(Joshua 20:7). And at the very gate (2 Samuel 3:27) Joab slays this one who had
slain his brother (3:27, 30)! Abner was
one step from safety!!
* * * * * * * * * *
And there are thousands today just as foolish as
this Old Testament general. The Lord
Jesus is the Refuge
available for all and easily accessible! By faith, one sincere step, we enter in and
are safe until our High Priest dies (which is never!! Hebrews 7:25).
Never entered in to that Divinely appointed
Refuge? Tarrying outside where
judgement is imminent? Why not talk to
Pastor Don about it?
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2 Samuel 5:1-5,
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So it is David is eventually enthroned as King over
the twelve tribes of Israel.
The writer of Chronicles describes the joy of the
coronation and the unity of Davids subjects, (1 Chron. 12:38.)
For the next 33 years he will lead the nation of
Israel to political greatness. There si
little doubt that he was a born leader, inspiring his people to confidence
and loyalty. And a survey of the first five chapters of 2 Samuel reveals
something of the way he captured the hearts of
the northern tribes which, at first, were rebellious against him.
.
(1) THE SLAYING OF THE AMALEKITE (1:13-16)
He who thought David would be pleased with the news
that he had slain Saul
found that David has ordered his execution. Twice previously David had refused to kill
Saul in spite of the opportunity to do so. ( 1 Sam. 24:11; 26:8-10). So this Amalekite is put to death. In so doing David probably won for himself
some supporters from the northern tribes.
..
(2) THE LAMENT OVER SAUL AND JONATHAN. (
(1:17-27)
2 Sam. 1:17: And David lamented with
this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
18: (Also he bade them teach
the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of
Jasher.)
19: The beauty of Israel is
slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
20: Tell it not in Gath,
publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines
rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21: Ye mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of
offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield
of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
22: From the blood of the
slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the
sword of Saul returned not empty.
23: Saul and Jonathan were
lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided:
they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24: Ye daughters of Israel,
weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on
ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
25: How are the mighty
fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou was slain in thine high
places.
26: I am distressed for
thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me
was wonderful, passing the love of women.
27: How are the mighty
fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
This funeral dirge was also enshrined in an ancient
book, ( now lost) of Jasher. (1:18) It remains to this day a classic piece of
literature.
David displays no bitterness toward the one who had
so long sought his life. He truly grieves over the death of Saul
and his
friend, Prince Jonathan. The people in the tribes that had thrown in their lot
behind Ishbosheth (and General Abner) must have been moved by Davids attitude.
(3) THE PRAISE FOR JABESH GILEAD (2:5-7)
2 Sam. 2:5: And David sent messengers
unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD,
that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have
buried him.
6: And now the LORD
shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness,
because ye have done this thing.
7: Therefore now let
your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead,
and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
David commends them for their bravery in reclaiming
the bodies of Saul and Jonathan from Philistine territory. (1 Sam. 31:11-13)
Jabesh-Gilead is in the tribe of Gad, as yet not following David.
.
(4) THE RETREAT OF JOAB. (2:24-29)
2 Sam. 2: 24: Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner:
and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth
before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
25: And the children
of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and
stood on the top of an hill.
26: Then Abner called
to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it
will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid
the people return from following their brethren?
27: And Joab said, As
God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had
gone up every one from following his brother.
28: So Joab blew a
trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more,
neither fought they any more.
29: And Abner and his
men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went
through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.
Here is a curious thing.
Joabs army is winning. They even trap the Israelite
army (under Abner) on a hill-top.( 24-25) Their General, Abner, cries out for a cease-fire ( now that he is
on the losing side) and Joab and the men of Judah agree ! They return to Hebron
where David is King.
Why??
It is probably Davids orders that Joab and his men
withdraw. In so doing David wins more friends in Israel.
..
(5) THE RETURN OF MICHAL ( 3:13)
2 Sam. 3:12: And Abner sent messengers
to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league
with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel
unto thee.
13: And he said, Well; I
will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou
shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when
thou comest to see my face.
..
David refuses to parley with Abner about bringing
the Israelite army under his control until his wife, Michal, is returned to
him. Saul had given his daughter to
another after David had been forced to flee as an outlaw. ( 1 Sam. 18:20;
25:44)
Asking for Michals return had tremendous political
implications. She was Sauls daughter! What better way to unify the nation than
by bringing her back as one of Davids queens ?
(6) THE GRIEF OVER ABNER (3:37-38)
2 Sam. 3: 37: For all the people and all Israel understood
that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.
38: And the king said
unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen
this day in Israel?
39: And I am this day
weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me:
the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness
After the death of Abner, David grieves as he had
done for Saul. And all Israel knew. (3:37) Was Davids grief real
or a
political expedient to win the allegiance of those in the northern tribes ?
..
(7) THE EXECUTION OF THE
ASSASSINS. ((4:1-12)
Two of Ishbosheths captains murder him
and bring
his head to David. And thats the end of them !!
Now Israel has no leader
no Saul , no Abner, no
Ishbosheth, nor these two captains.
David is ready to fill that gap. He is recognised for his quality of
leadership. Plus the fact that God had chosen him to be Sauls successor.
2
Sam.4: 1: And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron,
his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
2: And Saul's son had
two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the
name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of
Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:
3: And the
Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)
4: And Jonathan,
Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the
tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up,
and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and
became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5: And the sons of
Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the
day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.
6: And they came
thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat;
and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother
escaped.
7: For when they came
into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and
slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the
plain all night.
8: And they brought
the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the
head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the
LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
9: And David answered
Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto
them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
10: When one told me,
saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took
hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a
reward for his tidings:
11: How much more,
when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed?
shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away
from the earth?
12: And David
commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their
feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of
Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
At this stage David is crowned King over all Israel.
And he continues to display astute leadership in his next move
(8)
THE CHOICE OF A CAPITAL ( 2 Sam. 5:6-12)
2 Sam. 5:6: And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the
Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except
thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking,
David cannot come in hither.
7: Nevertheless David took the strong
hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.
8: And David said on that day, Whosoever
getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the
blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore
they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.
9: So David dwelt in the fort, and
called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
10: And David went on, and grew
great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.
11: And Hiram king of Tyre sent
messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they
built David an house.
12: And David perceived that the LORD
had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for
his people Israel's sake.
To remain in Hebron is unwise. It is too far south
and the northern tribes may consider it as favouritism to Judah. But on the border of Judah ( Davids tribe)
and Benjamin ( Sauls tribe ) is a
neutral city that has long been in the hands of a heathen tribe for 400 years
the Jebusites !( Judges 1:21)
Once called Salem, then Jerusalem , then Jebus, it
is the Gibralta of Palestine. It is eminently suitable for a capital city. So
David attacks.
From atop
their massive walls the inhabitants mock the men of Israel. But David
challenges his men to get up the gutter
apparently a reference to the water
shaft that connected the city to the Gihon spring outside wall.
Joab does it. ( 1 Chronicles 11:6)
This shaft was discovered and climbed by Sir Charles
Warren in 1867. Again an historical detail in the Scriptures had been verified.
Davids reign at Jerusalem is a reminder of His
Greater Son who sits enthroned in the Heavenly Jerusalem, and Who invites men
and women , boys and girls, to submit to Him.
(2 Samuel 6)
..
For something like 70 years the Ark of the Covenant,
Israels most sacred object
that which symbolised the very presence of God in
their midst
had been at Kirjath-Jearim.
After the ark was returned to Bethshemesh a dreadful
slaughter had taken place and the ark was then removed to the house of
Abinadab. (1 Samuel 5 & 6) Now David has a new capital
Jerusalem
it is
decided to bring the ark there.
It is placed on a new cart pulled by oxen.
Abinadabs sons accompany the procession. But the oxen stumble (2 Sam. 6:6) and
the ark begins to slide off the cart.
Uzzah puts forth his hand to steady it
and God smites him dead !!!
2 Sam. 6:3: And they set the ark of God
upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in
Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
4: And they brought
it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of
God: and Ahio went before the ark.
5: And David and all
the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of
fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and
on cymbals.
6: And when they came
to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and
took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
7: And the anger of the LORD was
kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died
by the ark of God.
An angry David removes the ark to a nearby house,
that of Obed-edom, and there it remains for three months. Now read on
2
Sam. 6: 8: And David was displeased, because
the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place
Perez-uzzah to this day.
9: And David was afraid of the LORD
that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?
10: So David would not remove the ark
of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into
the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
11: And the ark of the LORD continued
in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed
Obed-edom, and all his household.
12: And it was told king David, saying,
The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him,
because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the
house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness.
.
LESSON No. 1
God means what He says ! And says what He means !!
In Numbers 4:15 He said that if anyone touched the
ark, they would die. Let the ark topple
if need be but touch it not !!
Actually we would have more trouble with this
narrative if Uzzah had not died!! What kind of a God would He be
if His word could not be trusted? If He
said that anyone who touched the ark would die (and He did) then we should not
be surprised or shocked to read that one who touched the ark did
die. Gods promises, be they of blessing
or judgment, can be relied upon.
LESSON No. 2 Gods physical judgments are not necessarily spiritual judgments.
That is to say, just because Uzzah was struck dead,
it does not necessarily follow that he went to Hell.
In 1 Corinthians 11:28-30 we read of Christians who
were punished with physical death. But it is described as sleep
a term used
in the New Testament to describe those who have died but are awaiting the
Lords coming to take them Home. Uzzah
was punished for his disobedience but that does not mean he went to a lost
Eternity.
LESSON No. 3. Acquaintance with Holy things must not lead to a lack of reverence.
That which one once held in awe may become
common-place with the passing of time.
The ark in the home of Abinadab had lost its significance. Perhaps it had just become another piece of
furniture in his eyes of his son Uzzah? It had been there when Uzzah was born
.
Likewise in our Christian life, the ordinances may
lose their awe if we are not careful. A weekly observance of the Lords Supper
can easily become just a habit.
Some churches indulge in giving Jesus a big hand,
or a J-E-S-U-S- yell! All of which seems far removed from Isaiahs vision of
the Lord upon the throne surrounded by angels crying Holy, Holy, Holy !
(Isaiah 6)
LESSON No. 4. Gods work is to be done in Gods way.
The Philistines had used a new cart, now David does
the same. (1 Sam. 6:7; 2 Sam. 6:3) But God had said the ark was to be carried
on staves by the tribe of Kohath.
(Numbers 4:6) (Exodus 25:12-15)
If David had been reading his Bible this tragedy with Uzzah would never
have happened. Three months later the ark continues its journey to Jerusalem
and is carried on staves! (2 Sam. 6:13)
The Philistines did not know any better with their
new cart, but David should have ! Failure to obey Gods word invites
disaster. (Joshua 1:8)
LESSON No. 5 Blessings follow when the Lord is given pride of place in the
heart.
Obed-edom opened his home to the Lord and blessings
came in too. (2 Sam. 6:11)
2 Sam. 6: 12: And it was told king David,
saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth
unto him, because of the ark of God
And those who open the hearts door to the Saviour
will experience the joy of sins forgiven and peace with God.
How do I know? Because He promised.
(Revelation 3:20) And He says what He means and means what He says !
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UPS & DOWNS IN
THE LIFE OF DAVID
. ( 2 Sam. 6-7)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Like the rest of us King David had his high points
and low points in his daily walk
and here are four of them.
..
(1) DAVID LEAPING HIGH !
. With joy unspeakable and
full of glory the Ark of the Covenant
continues its journey to the City of David. And the King leads the celebration
, leaping and praising God.
2
Samuel 6: 12: And it was told king
David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that
pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up
the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with
gladness.
13: And it was so, that when
they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and
fatlings.
14: And David danced before
the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
15: So David and all the
house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the
sound of the trumpet.
There is nothing sinful about being happy in the
Lord. There is something
wrong if being a Christian makes one a kill-joy ! Jesus came that our joy
might be full ( John 15:11) There is
joy in Heaven ! (Luke 15:7) Joy is a fruit of the Spirits indwelling.
(Galatians 5:22)
This joy displayed by David and the people of Israel was not manipulated
by some charismatic worship leader
nor carefully choreographed
it was a
result of joy in the heart filtering down to the toes.
And notice !!!
there was a sacrifice before the
singing. ( vs. 13) The basis of our joy is the sacrifice of Calvary. No
redemption, no rejoicing ! No salvation
no song!
Romans 5: 11 And not only
so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now
received the atonement.( reconciliation.
)
Hallelujah !
..
(2) DAVID REELING BACK !
Home he goes to his family only to receive a tongue
lashing from one of his wives !
2
Samuel 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.
17: And they brought in the
ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that
David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings
before the LORD.
18: And as soon as David had
made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the
people in the name of the LORD of hosts.
19: And he dealt among all
the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as
men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of
wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.
20: Then David returned to
bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David,
and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to
day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows
shamelessly uncovereth himself!
Michal obviously considered
it unbecoming for a King to lay aside
his royal robes and praise the Lord. It
might be compared to a Bishops wife disgusted at the thought of her husband
serving in a soup kitchen for down and outs.
David quietly replies that he was worshipping his
God. His royal robes were set aside
that no glory might accrue to him. And that he was even willing to be more
lowly in Gods eyes if that was needful.
2
Samuel 6: 21: And David said unto Michal,
It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his
house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore
will I play before the LORD.
22: And I will yet be more
vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants
which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.
23: Therefore Michal the
daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
Again we are
reminded of the danger of an unequal yoke.
Apart from the choice of making the Lord Jesus ones own personal Saviour,
next comes the choice of a marriage
partner. Michal, recall, was a daughter of King Saul. Perhaps this is the time, when she abuses
him , the seeds are sown for Davids future unfaithfulness in the sad story of
his adultery with Bathsheba.
.
(3) DAVID LOOKING AHEAD
In Chapter 7 we read of Davids intention to build a
Temple for the Lord.
2 Samuel 7: 1: And it came to pass, when the king sat in his
house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;
2: That the king said unto
Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God
dwelleth within curtains.
3: And Nathan said to the
king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
4: And it came to pass that
night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
5: Go and tell my servant
David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
6: Whereas I have not dwelt
in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of
Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
7: In all the places wherein
I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the
tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build
ye not me an house of cedar?
8: Now therefore so shalt
thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from
the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over
Israel:
9: And I was with thee
whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy
sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men
that are in the earth.
10: Moreover I will appoint
a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a
place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness
afflict them any more, as beforetime,
11: And as since the time
that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to
rest from all thine enemies
..
After all, David has his palace. But the Ark of the
Covenant, the symbol of Gods presence, dwelt in a tent ! Even the prophet
Nathan agrees that this is a good idea.
2 Sam. 7:11: And as since the time that
I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest
from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an
house.
12: And when thy days be
fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after
thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13: He shall build an house
for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14: I will be his father,
and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod
of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
15: But my mercy shall not
depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
16: And thine house and thy
kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be
established for ever.
But that night God speaks to the prophet. He is to
tell the King that he is forbidden to carry out his plan.
After the
death of David, his son will build a house for the Lord.
This is fulfilled in two ways.
(a) Solomon, Davids son, did build a literal
Temple. ( 1 Kings 6)
(b) But Davids Greater Son, the Lord Jesus, is
building a spiritual Temple
His church !
Christ Himself is the foundation. Christians are the
living stones. (Ephesians 2:20-21; 1 Peter 2:5)
..
(4) DAVID BOWING LOW
So Nathan tells David that his plan is disallowed.
What does David do ?
Complain? Argue? Pout? Put in his resignation?
Get angry as
he had when Uzzah was slain ? (6:8)
No. He submits to the Lords will. After all, He
knows best.
.
In 1 Chronicles 22:8 it is revealed that David was
forbidden to build the Temple because of the bloodshed he had caused
hitherto. The House of God , both
literal and spiritual
was to be built by a King of Peace.
But the main lesson is surely to follow Davids
example when things go contrary to our desire.
Be it financial troubles or thwarted plans or persecution or
misunderstanding by loved ones (6:20)
or whatever
remember He is on the throne and submit to Him. Father
knows best
and thats Father with a capital F.
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The Curious Case
of the Lame Prince.
( 2 Samuel 9)
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We are now introduced to the delightful story of
Mephibosheth, son of Davids late friend, Jonathan.
He had been born some 20 years previous and crippled
as an infant when a nurse had accidentally dropped him. She had been fleeing from the Philistines
the warfare recorded in 1 Samuel 31.
(1) Thus Mephibosheth becomes a wonderful illustration of the sinners condition.
2 Sam..9:1: And David said, Is there
yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for
Jonathan's sake?
2: And there was of the
house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto
David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
3: And the king said, Is
there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God
unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame
on his feet.
4: And the king said unto
him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of
Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.
5: Then king David sent, and
fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
6: Now when Mephibosheth,
the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face,
and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy
servant!
7: And David said unto him,
Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake,
and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread
at my table continually.
8: And he bowed himself, and
said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I
am?
9: Then the king called to
Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all
that pertained to Saul and to all his house.
10: Thou therefore, and thy
sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in
the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy
master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and
twenty servants.
11: Then said Ziba unto the
king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so
shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my
table, as one of the king's sons.
12: And Mephibosheth had a
young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were
servants unto Mephibosheth.
13: So Mephibosheth dwelt in
Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both
his feet.
(a) HE WAS FALLEN (vs.
4)
and mankind, apart from God, are
fallen creatures.
Theologians speak of the sin in the Garden of Eden
as The Fall
the event that brought sin into the human race.
(b) HE WAS FLEEING In
the arms of his nurse Mephibosheth was in flight. And the Bible pictures the sinner as running away from God. The
doctrine of repentance is a reminder that the sinner needs to change direction
to turn to God instead of fleeing from Him.
(c) HE WAS FEEBLE
Crippled Mephibosheth is an illustration of the sinner being unable to
save himself. Paul depicts the unsaved person as being without
strength. (Romans 5:6)
(d) HE WAS FAR OFF In 2 Samuel 9:4 we are told that Mephibosheth lived at
Lo-debar
in the north of Israel, east of the Jordan River. Lo-debar means without pasture, a picture of the sinners
spiritual barrenness
in the far country where the dew of Gods blessing does
not fall.
(2) But King David becomes a illustration of
the Gracious God.
(a) DAVIDS INITIATIVE. ( 2 Samuel 9:4-5)
He enquires as to whether any of Sauls descendants
are still living. The servant, Ziba, informs him of Mephibosheths whereabouts.
David sends for him.
John reminds us that when we were far-off and feeble
and fallen , God took the initiative and sent His Son to save us.
We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
(b) DAVIDS INVITATION
(2 Sam. 9:6-9)
Thus it is the lame prince finds himself the
recipient of blessings galore.
* He becomes one of the family.
* He feasts at Davids table.
* His fortunes are restored, plus great possessions
are given to him. (9)
* His fears are
pacified. Fear not, said the King. (7)
Of course, to partake of all these blessings
Mephibosheth had to respond to Davids invitation. Like a fool he could have
chosen to stay in Lodebar. And these blessings are available to the sinner who
responds to the Lords invitation by faith. There is sonship and fellowship and
spiritual blessings and peace awaiting those who lay hold of Gods provided
salvation.
(c) DAVIDS INCENTIVE
Why did David show kindness to this lame prince?
Pity? Or
because Mephibosheth had earned such a favour?
No. Twice we are told that it was for Jonathans
sake. (9:1,7)
And the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that
God, the Father, reaches out to us , not because of anything we have done, but
solely because of His grace
His great love to those who are lost in sin. And
by the death of His Son salvation and blessings galore are offered to those who
come to Him in repentance (vs.8) and faith.
Paul tells us that it was for Christs sake we
are offered forgiveness and fellowship in the family of God. ( Ephesians 4:32)
The story of Mephibosheth is one of the most
delightful illustrations of the Gospel found in the pages of the Old Testament.
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Study No. 27
(2 Samuel 5, 8 & 10)
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These various chapters contain accounts of some of Davids various conquests Philistia, Moab, Syria, Edom and Ammon. Finding these places on the map will assist in understanding.
We are reminded that the New Testament also uses military figures of speech for the Church. Christians are likened to the army of the Lord , marching neath the banner of the Cross! Our Captain is Davids greater Son who leads us on to victory.
(1) DAVIDS PSALM
and a lesson in Inspiration.
It was at this time David penned Psalm 2. It contains a reference to his current situation as well as having a Messianic fulfilment. He pictures the nations arrayed against him but is confident that his God will laugh mock at their puny efforts.
Psalm
2: 1Why do the heathen rage, and
the people imagine a vain thing?
2The kings of
the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the
LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3Let us break
their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4He that sitteth
in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
5Then shall he
speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6Yet have I set
my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Interestingly, this Psalm is quoted in Acts 4 and applied to the opposition facing Christ and His Church.
Acts
4: 25Who by the mouth of thy servant
David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26The kings of
the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and
against his Christ.
27For of a truth
against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius
Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Notice vs. 25 again. It was not just the word of David but the Holy Spirit who inspired him. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Tim.3:16) The Bible is Gods word in a unique sense.
(2) DAVIDS STRATEGY
and a lesson in Supplication
(Ch. 5)
The Philistines have invaded southern Judah. David enquires of the Lord as to whether he should attack.
The Lord says Go so he does and wins the battle. (5:19-20)
2
Sam.5:18: The Philistines
also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
19: And David inquired
of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into
mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver
the Philistines into thine hand.
20: And David came to
Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said, The LORD hath broken forth
upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the
name of that place Baal-perazim.
21: And there they left
their images, and David and his men burned them.
But the Philistines regroup their forces
same enemy
same conditions
same
place. But again David enquires of the Lord before going into battle.
Just as well ! This time the Lord gives a different answer ! (5: 22-24)
2 Sam. 5:22: And the Philistines came up yet
again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
23: And when David inquired of the LORD,
he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon
them over against the mulberry trees.
24: And let it be, when thou hearest the
sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir
thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the
Philistines.
25: And David did so, as the LORD had
commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.
We need to continually seek the Lords guidance. The hymn writer assures us
Each victory
will help you
Some other to
win
But only if it drives us back to the Lord each time. There is a danger that the previous victory may foster self-confidence. The I can do it again attitude. David could very easily plunged into war with the Philistines employing the same strategy as he had previously and would have suffered defeat. Beware of running ahead of the Lord only to find that He has different plans for you.
.
(3) DAVIDS SERVANTS
and a lesson in Consecration.
2 Sam.10:
1: And it came to pass after this,
that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his
stead.
2: Then said David, I will
shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto
me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father.
And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3: And the princes of the
children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth
honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David
rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and
to overthrow it?
4: Wherefore Hanun took
David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off
their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5: When they told it unto
David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king
said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
Nahash, King of the Ammonites has died. He was probably son of the Nahash of whom we read in the days of King Saul. (1 Samuel 11) This Nahash had been a friend of David. So David sends some of his servants to express his condolences.
But this new King of the Ammonites, Hanun, uses the visit to pick a fight with Israel, humiliating Davids servants by shaving off half their beards and cutting away half their garments. ( vs. 4) They return to David and stand ashamed before him.
( And one day you and I will stand before Davids Greater Son. The New Testament tells us there will be those who are ashamed to do so because of their half-hearted allegiance to Him. 1 John 2:28. Neither hot nor cold but lukewarm. Revelation 3:14-16.
How will I how will you stand before the Lord on that Day ?)
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Study No. 28
DAVIDS GREAT SIN
..
(2 Samuel 11-12)
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For ten chapters we have seen the national triumphs of this great King of Israel but now commences the chapters dealing with his domestic trials. It has been pointed out that one of the marks of the Divine inspiration of Scripture is that it does not cover up the sins of its heroes. We have a stark reminder in these chapters that even a man after Gods own heart could fall into terrible sin.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(1) THE COMMENCEMENT OF
THE SIN
David looks from his rooftop and sees Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, bathing.
(a) The first look was not a sin it was accidental. The second look was.
(b) Besides which, David should have been leading his army against the Ammonites.
Ch. 11: 1And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time
when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him,
and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah.
But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
(c) Pride ? Like Nebuchadnezzar walked around his palace to boast of his accomplishments. ( Dan. 4) Is David proud of what he has done ?
(d) Or did it all begin when Michal, his wife, gave him an unjust tongue lashing ?
(2 Samuel 6:14-16)
(2) THE CURRENT OF THE
SIN
Having committed adultery with Bathsheba the King now seeks to cover his tracks. But one sin leads to another. It is like being trapped in a stream that has suddenly turned into rapids.
11:
6And David sent to Joab, saying, Send
me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7And when Uriah
was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did,
and how the war prospered.
8And David said
to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of
the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
9But Uriah slept
at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not
down to his house.
10And when they
had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto
Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto
thine house?
11And Uriah said
unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab,
and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go
into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest,
and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
12And David said
to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So
Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
13And when David
had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at
even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not
down to his house.
14And it came to
pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand
of Uriah.
15And he wrote in
the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and
retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
Uriah is recalled from the battlefield. The
suggestion is made that he return home and spend a night with his wife.
(8) But Uriah, loyal soldier that he is
, refuses to do so whilst his fellows are still in the heat of the battle. (11:11)
The next night David gets him drunk but still Uriah refuses to go home. (11:13)
So David sends a letter
by the hand of Uriah
back to Joab. Uriah is to be
placed in the front line of the battle and then be left to die.
11: 16And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he
assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. 17And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and
there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite
died also.
Thus David was left free to marry Bathsheba who is about to give birth to his child.
11: 26And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was
dead, she mourned for her husband. 27And when the
mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his
wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the
LORD.
Notice the current of the sin Lust, Covetousness, Adultery, Deceit, Lying, Murder !
(3) THE CONSEQUENCES OF
THE SIN
No man liveth unto himself. ( Romans 14:7) What we do effects others. And here is a powerful illustration of that fact.
Joab once Davids loyal General will never respect him again.
Uriah no braver soldier in Davids army, lies dead at the walls of Rabbah.
Ammon Davids son will follow his fathers example and bring shame upon his half-sister.
Absalom another son of David will be guilty of murder and lead the nation into a civil war.
The child born to Bathsheba will die. The surrounding nations will blaspheme the God of Israel. (12:14)
12: 14Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion
to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee
shall surely die.
And before long David will find himself an outlaw once more as he had been in the days of King Saul. He will be hounded from the palace, living in caves , threatened by his son and saying to himself , All because of that second look !
..
(4) THE CONFRONTATION OF
THE SIN
It is about a year later that God sends the prophet, Nathan, to confront David concerning his sin. He tells the story of a rich man who had plenty of sheep and yet stole a poor mans pet lamb. David is incensed at such wickedness only to find he has condemned himself.
12:
1And the LORD sent Nathan unto David.
And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the
one rich, and the other poor.
2The rich man
had exceeding many flocks and herds:
3But the poor
man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished
up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his
own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a
daughter.
4And there came
a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of
his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took
the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5And David's
anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD
liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
6And he shall
restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no
pity.
7And Nathan said
to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee
king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8And I gave thee
thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the
house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover
have given unto thee such and such things.
9Wherefore hast
thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast
killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy
wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10Now therefore
the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me,
and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11Thus saith the
LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I
will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he
shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12For thou didst
it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
.
(5) THE CONFESSION OF THE
SIN
12:
13And David said
unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The
LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
It is at this time David composes his great penitential Psalm 51.
King Saul had said I have sinned but it came from an insincere heart. Not so with David.
And Those who confess and forsake their sin shall find mercy. ( Proverbs 28:13)
They will find their sin removed as far as the East is from the West. (Psalm 103:12)
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
True there are still consequences of Davids sin that were set in motion. But he is pardoned, forgiven , cleansed.
It is a picture of the Grace of God at its brightest and best. And it is a grace that still awaits the sinner who is truly repentant
12:
24And David comforted Bathsheba his
wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called
his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
25And he sent by
the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the
LORD.
26And Joab fought
against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
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Study No. 29
THE CRY OF
THE KING !!
(Psalm 51)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Psalm 51 was on the lips of many a martyr as they went to a fiery death.
John Huss, Savonarola, Lady Jane Grey, George Wishart and many more contemplated this greatest of the seven Penitential Psalms as their death drew nigh.
It appears in the life of Bunyan, of Augustine and of Carey. It met their need at a time of crisis.
It is , writes Dr. Boreham , the chiefest and choicest gem of all devotional literature.
(Mountains in the Mist p. 68)
Ant it comes from the lips and heart of King David after the prophet Nathan has confronted him concerning his sin of adultery, and murder, ( See Study 28)
Notice the three things for which David prays in this Psalm .
..
(1) Lord ! Cleanse my heart ! (2, 7, 10.)
1: Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender
mercies blot out my transgressions.
2: Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3: For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.
4: Against thee, thee only, have I
sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when
thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5: Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and
in sin did my mother conceive me.
6: Behold, thou desirest truth in the
inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be
clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
..
10: Create in
me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
within me.
Sin had broken the fellowship he had once enjoyed with God. He now realises the depravity of his heart and cries out that God will make it whiter than snow.
The prophet Isaiah assures us that those who come sincerely to the Lord in repentance and faith will experience that very blessing. ( Isaiah 1:18)
The old Sankey hymn expressed it so well
Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul.
Break down every idol, cast out every foe;
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Refrain
Whiter than snow, yes, whiter
than snow.
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
..
Lord Jesus, Thou seest I patiently wait,
Come now, and within me a new heart create;
To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst No,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
..
David found it to be wonderfully true
..
(2) Lord !
Open my ears ! (8,12,)
8: Make me to hear joy and
gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9: Hide thy face from my sins, and blot
out all mine iniquities.
10: Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
11: Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12: Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
No-one is so miserable as the sinner who is conscious of estrangement from God. David prays that ythe spirit of mourning will be taken from him. He wants to hear Heavens joybells a-ringing in his soul once more ! And it is a joy that none but the blood-washed know.
(3) Lord ! Loose my tongue ! (14-15)
14: Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of
my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15: O Lord, open thou my lips; and my
mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16: For thou desirest not sacrifice; else
would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17: The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18: Do good in thy good pleasure unto
Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19: Then shalt thou be pleased with the
sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then
shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
Instead of weping, let their be songs of praise ! Such is Davids plea.
Let me sing again of the great God who is my Rock and Light and Saviour.
And let my lips be loosed for another reason to be a witness to others. (13)
13: Then will I teach
transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Oh! for a tongue that is not ashamed to speak a good word for the Lord. The ungodly do not hesitate to take His Name in vain , Their speech betrayeth them so why should I fail to speak it out to others ?
David came back to the Lord and walked in fellowship with Him again. Do you ?
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Study No. 30.
The Woman of Tekoa
(2 Samuel 13-14)
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(1) THE PROBLEM OF THE
SON
(a) Absaloms crime.
Chapter 13 tells the sordid
and sorry story of Davids eldest son Amnon,
and the crime he commits with his half-sister, Tamar. But Tamar has a brother, Absalom , who bides
his time for two years and then slays this one who perpetrated such wickedness.
13: 28Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now
when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon;
then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be
valiant.
29And the
servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the
king's sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.
30And it came to
pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom
hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.
Davids domestic troubles
are just beginning. His sin with Bathsheba is bringing forth a bitter harvest.
He grieves for the murdered Amnon (13:37) and Absalom flees to his wifes home
in Geshur. ( 2 Sam.3:3; 13:38) For two years this popular prince of Israel is
estranged from his father.
.
(b) Joabs cunning
13:38So Absalom
fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39And
the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted
concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
14: 1Now Joab the
son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom. 2And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and
said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now
mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a
long time mourned for the dead:
3And come to the
king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
Joab, Davids General, plans
to have Absalom restored to Jerusalem . There are political motivations here.
Absalom is heir to the throne and Joab is anxious to curry favour with
him. So he hires a woman from Tekoa to
trap the King into bringing back his son
.
(c) The Womans
confrontation.
She is ushered into Davids
presence with a sob story. One of her sons , so she says , killed another and
now the relatives clamour for his death.
Would David grant him a Royal pardon ? He is only too willing to do so.
14: 6And thy handmaid
had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to
part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
7And, behold,
the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him
that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom
he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal
which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder
upon the earth.
8And the king
said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
9And the woman
of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my
father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.
10And the king
said, Whoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee
any more.
11Then said she,
I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not
suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son.
And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to
the earth.
Now she applies her
fabricated story to David
for he, too, has a son who needs a Royal Pardon !
Bring him home before it is too late, she argues,
for life is short. It is like water spilt on the ground. And
after all, God Himself finds ways of restoring His erring ones !
14: 12Then the woman
said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king.
And he said, Say on.
13And the woman
said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God?
for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king
doth not fetch home again his banished.
14For we must
needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up
again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his
banished be not expelled from him.
The pardon David granted her
fictitious son has become a boomerang
that bounces back upon his own head !
Thus it is Absalom returns
to Jerusalem, unpunished, and it seems , unrepentant. There is no full
reconciliation between him and His father.
2 Sam. 14: 28So Absalom
dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(2) THE PROBLEM OF THE
SINNER (a)
(a) Sin !
In like manner , sinful man
is estranged from God
who is both
King and Father. It is God who must effect the reconciliation.
David showed mercy to
Absalom in granting him a pardon, but David did not satisfy the claim of
Justice. He turned a blind eye to Absaloms sin.
God does not do that.
His perfect righteousness
demands that sin be punished. The soul that sinneth , it shall die. (Ezekiel
18:4) He may long to show mercy but not
at the expense of His justice. How
could He be both Just and the justifier of the sinner ? ( Romans 3:25-26)
How could He devise means
whereby His banished be not expelled from Him ?
(2 Samuel 14:14 )
(b) Substitution
The answer lies at
Calvary. Twas there the Son of God
offered Himself as a Substitute for the sins of the world. He was punished in our stead.
He bore our sins in His own
body on the tree. (1 Peter 2:24) WE
deserved the punishment but He willingly took it upon Himself.
He was wounded for our transgressions
and bruised for our iniquities. (Isaiah 53:5)
The punishment for sin was
meted out , the Justice of God was appeased , and His mercy reached out to all
who would place their faith in His Son.
Romans 3: 24-25
He paid a debt He did not owe
I owed a debt I could not pay,
I needed Someone to wash my sins away;
And now I sing a brand new song,
Amazing Grace, the whole day long ,
Christ Jesus paid the debt
that I could never pay.
(c) Salvation
David made it possible for his erring son to be restored to fellowship with himself. But it was not effective. Absalom remained apart from his father.
And although God has opened the way for the sinner to come home , yet it still needs a commitment on the sinners part repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus for that reconciliation to be effective.
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Study No. 31
Reaping the
Whirlwind
2 Samuel 15.
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They have
sown to the wind , they shall reap the
whirlwind. ( Hosea 8:7)
Such a text well describes the aftermath of Davids
great sin. Little did he realise when he took that second lustful look at
Bathsheba that it would lead to murder and civil war and exile. But these are
some of the consequences he reaps
.
..
(1) THE REBELLION OF ABSALOM
This young prince and heir to the throne, apparently
Davids favourite son and favourite of the people of Israel, now plots a
rebellion against his father.
2
Samuel 15: 1And it came to
pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men
to run before him.
2And Absalom
rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when
any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom
called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of
one of the tribes of Israel.
3And Absalom
said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed
of the king to hear thee.
4Absalom said
moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any
suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
5And it was so,
that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand,
and took him, and kissed him.
6And on this
manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom
stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
(a) His Ruse.
He puts on a big show of worldly splendour.( 15:1) He implies that his
father is not just toward those who seek his decisions, whereas, says Absalom,
I would be. He gradually steals the allegiance of the Israelites over a period
of 4 years ( not 40 as the K.J.Version has it. )
(b) His Reason
Why this act of anarchy? Because of Davids sin. Who can tell the effect
this had on his young mind ? And possibly his own mothers demotion. There was
a time she had been Davids favourite wife but Bathsheba had taken that place.
And his own pride
2
Samuel 14: 25But in all
Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the
sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
26And when he
polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the
hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head
at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.
This is a vain young man (polled means cut ). And
when he had his annual hair cut it weighed 3 lbs.
commentators suggest the excessive weight was due to gold-dust
sprinkled in it.
Besides which both Old and New Testaments forbid men
having lady-like long hair.
( 1 Corinthians 11:15)
Absalom was angry, proud, vain and disobedient to
Gods law.
..
(2) THE RENUNCIATION OF AHITHOPHEL
2
Samuel 16: 20Then said
Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. 21And Ahithophel said
unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep
the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then
shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
22So they spread
Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's
concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those
days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel
of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
Ahithophel is one of Davids trusted counsellors. The wisest man in Israel !! And in Hebron, away from Davids influence,
Absalom launches his rebellion and gets Ahithophel on his side.
2 Samuel 15: 12And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's
counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And
the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.
Why did Ahithophel renounce his allegiance to David ?
Because Ahithophel was the father of Eliam (2 Samuel
23:34) and Eliam was the father of Bathsheba. (2 Samuel 11:3) Ahithophel never forgave David ( although
God did ) for what he had done to this favourite grand-daughter.
Davids grief at this time , the rebellion of Absalom
and desertion of Ahithopel into the enemy camp, causes David to pen Psalm 55.
1Give ear to my
prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. 2Attend unto me, and
hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
3Because of the
voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast
iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4My heart is sore pained within me: and the
terrors of death are fallen upon me.
.. 12For it was not
an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that
hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from
him: 13But it
was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 14We took sweet
counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
(3) THE RESPONSE OF ITTAI
As David and his faithful men leave Jerusalem ( he has
no wish to fight his son; besides. Is not his own conscience smiting him afresh
?)
he notices Ittai the Gittite among his followers.
The King bids Ittai return to Jerusalem, after all, he
is not even an Israelite. Absalom will not harm him. Why through in his
lot with the King and live the life of
a hunted outlaw ?
2
Samuel 15: 19Then said the
king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy
place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.
20Whereas thou
camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us?
seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and
truth be with thee.
21And Ittai
answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king
liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or
life, even there also will thy servant be.
Atta-boy Ittai !!
And that is just the kind of response Davids greater
Son awaits to hear from men and women , boys and girls, today.
He, too, is a King in exile. The Prince of this
world (John 12:31) has stolen the hearts of those for whom He gave His life on
Calvary.
Is your response like that of Ittai the Gittite
or
like that of Ahithophel, the deserter ?
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Study No. 32
THE GREAT REBELLION
2 Samuel 17-19
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The revolt of Absalom is in full swing. Civil war
tears the nation asunder.
Absalom has claimed Kingship ( at Hebron) and David has
fled from Jerusalem. Weeping !!
2
Samuel 15: 30And David went
up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head
covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered
every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
There was no weeping in the days when he fled
from King Saul. But now the enemy is his own son
and David knows in his own
conscience that his sin with Bathsheba was a contributing factor in Absaloms
delinquency.
.
(1) THE STRATEGY OF DAVID.
He does two things
(a) He prays.
15:
31And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among
the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the
counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
After all, Ahithophel is the wisest man in Israel and he has cast in his lot with Absalom.
16: 23And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those
days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel
of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
(b) He plans.
Hushai, his aged friend, is sent back to Jerusalem to
counter the suggestions of Ahithophel.
15: 32And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of
the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him
with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:
33Unto whom David
said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me:
34But if thou
return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I
have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant:
then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.
35And hast thou
not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that
what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it
to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
Thus it is Hushai returns to act as a
counter-espionage agent in the court
of Absolom.
Ahithophel advices that Absalom and his army pursue
David now !
17: 1Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out
twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:
2And I will come
upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all
the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:
3And I will
bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all
returned: so all the people shall be in peace.
4And the saying
pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
His speech reveals a hatred of David ( because of what
David had done to his grand-daughter, Bathsheba, ) and wisdom in that what he
said was true. David was weary
.. his followers were few, and only about 10 miles away. He had not even
crossed the Jordan river at this time. But Hushai gives a speech also, playing
for time that David and his men might get further away, cross Jordan , refresh
themselves, mobilize his forces and find a place of safety.
17: 7And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel
hath given is not good at this time.
8For, said
Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they
be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy
father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
9Behold, he is
hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when
some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say,
There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
10And he also
that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for
all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him
are valiant men.
11Therefore I
counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to
Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to
battle in thine own person.
David is not feeling like an angry she-bear but a
weary draught-horse. (16:14)
But Absalom accepts Hushais advice and David has time
to find refuge at Mahanaim.
Hushais advice also gets Absalom onto the
battlefield, personally. It will solve Davids problem , albeit sadly.
..
(2) THE CENTRALITY OF DAVID
He is after his people. (15:17)
He is beside his people. ( 15:18a)
He is before his people. (15:18b.)
He is with his people. (16:14)
His people are on his right hand and on his left.
(16:6)
And King Jesus, Davids Greater Son , is in the midst
of His people today.
We meet three dear old land-owners who come to David
with supplies. It has been suggested that David has about 4 000 followers plus women and children, whereas Absalom is
in hot pursuit with about 30 000.
So Shobi, Makir and Barzillai bring lots of goodies
to Mahanaim.
17: 27And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that
Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son
of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
28Brought beds,
and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched
corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,
29And honey, and
butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were
with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty,
in the wilderness.
Too old to fight in the forthcoming battle
fair
enough
but not too old to help the King and his followers as best they could.
.
(3) THE PSALM OF DAVID
It is at this time
maybe twilight
the night before
the battle that David sits alone on a hillside overlooking the plains of
Gilead. In the distance he sees a shepherd returning home with his flock. He
picks up his lyre and sings
.
The Lord is my Shepherd
yes He is !
Just like that fellow leading his sheep
and caring for them
so the Lord
cares for me.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
I thought it would be the comforts of the palace from now on. Silken couches
and all that. But here I am again with grass for my carpet and stars for my
chandeliers.
He restoreth my soul !
Yes! I
sinned. But He has restored to me the
joy of my salvation. ( Psalm 51:12) He
has brought me back into fellowship with Himself. Who is a pardoning God like
Thee?
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
Ive learned my lesson. Better to
walk the way He doth choose. And safer.
Yea , though I walk through the valley of the
shadow
Ill be doing that
again tomorrow. Another battle. More bloodshed. But Thou art with me. And youll protect me, Lord
just like that shepherd I see uses his
rod and his staff to protect his sheep.
And all that abundance of food that Barzillai and his
friends brought my men and me
wow !
Truly, Lord. Thou
preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. My cup runneth over
and my
saucer too !
Lord, you chose me to be King over your people. And
you had your servant, Samuel, anoint me with oil.
Ah! there are blessings galore in following you. Surely
goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.
Even if I die in the battle tomorrow
so what ? I
will dwell in the house of the Lord forever !
..
CONCLUSION
So David wrote down his new song
Psalm 23
then he
stretched out beneath Gods starry sky and slept as sound as a babe.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Study No. 33
THE SONS OF DAVID ( 2
Samuel 18)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The rebellion of Absalom is in full swing. And an interesting pattern emerges as we
contrast him with Davids Greater Son.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(1) ABSALOMS DISOBEDIENCE.
Again and again he breaks Gods commandments.
(a) There is no honouring his parents. (2 Sam. 15;
Exodus 20:12)
(b) There is lying. (2 Sam. 15:7; Exodus 20:16)
(c) There is murder. ( 2 Sam. 13:28) Even nohe is
seeking Davids life. (17:24 ; Exodus 20:13)
(d) There is covetousness
(2 Sam. 15:4; Exodus 20:17)
(e) There is adultery with Davids concubines. (2 Sam.
16:22; Exodus 20:14)
..
(2) ABSALOMS PRIDE
There are various indications of this.
(a) His flamboyant showmanship
hiring 50 men to
run before him ! (2 Sam. 15:1)
(b) His hair
which was only cut annually. ( 2 Sam.
14:26)
(c) His monument. (2 Sam. 18:18) .. built by himself
to perpetuate his memory.
A building known as Absaloms Pillar may be seen today
in the Kidron Valley (S.W. of Jerusalem. ) It is 40 feet high and no Jew ever
passes it without throwing a stone against it. It is probable that this
monument stands where the pillar of Ansalom once stood. The present building, however, was built
some time later.
2 Sam. 18:
18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared
up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no
son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own
name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.
.
(3) ABSALOMS DESTRUCTION
The battle against Davids army and the numerically
superior forces of Absalom takes place in the Wood of Ephraim.
This gives David the advantage; his men are familiar
with the dangers of that area whilst Absaloms troops are not.
Also David
divides his army into three sections (under three Generals, Joab, Abishai and
Ittai ) whereas Absalom has 30-40 000 men under one General, Amasa. There is
most probably a communication breakdown among the latters troops.
The battle goes in Davids favour. The rebel army
flees into the woods, and find themselves falling over crevices, being
entangled in undergrowth, lost and disorientated
all these suggestions are
made by commentators to explain verse 8.
2
Sam. 18: 6So the people went out into
the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; 7Where the people of
Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great
slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
8For the battle
was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured
more people that day than the sword devoured.
Even Absalom, as he seeks to escape, finds his head )
hair ??) entangled in the branch of a tree whilst his mule keeps a-going !
2
Sam. 18: 9And Absalom met
the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under
the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he
was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him
went away.
One of Joabs men reports that he has seen Absaloms
predicament.
Did you kill him ? asks Joab.
No comes the reply , for David had already spoken
that Absalom , if captured, was not to be harmed.
2
Sam. 19: 5And Joab came into the house
to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants,
which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy
daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;
6In that thou
lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day,
that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that
if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee
well.
The soldier reminds Joab of this.
18: 12And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a
thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand
against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai
and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
But Joab has no qualms about thrusting three darts in
the heart of Davids son. (18:14) It brings the war to an end and Joab sends
word to David at Mahanaim. The King has not personally been on the battle
field. ( 18:2-3)
Two runners set out; Cushi the Ethiopian and Ahimaaz,
son of Zadok the priest.
18: 19Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear
the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.
20And Joab said
unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings
another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is
dead.
21Then said Joab
to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto
Joab, and ran.
22Then said
Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee,
also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing
that thou hast no tidings ready?
23But howsoever,
said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of
the plain, and overran Cushi.
Ahimaaz arrives first but is reluctant to tell David
the news that Absalom is dead. Cushi, however, arrives and blurts it out. And
Davids great heart breaks
2
Sam. 18: 28And Ahimaaz called, and said
unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before
the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the
men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
29And the king
said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the
king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what
it was.
30And the king
said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood
still.
31And, behold,
Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath
avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
32And the king
said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies
of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that
young man is.
33And the king
was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he
went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had
died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
After a time of mourning David returns to Jerusalem.
CONCLUSION
In contrast to Absalom we rad the new Testament
witness to the great Son of David.
(a) Not disobedient but at all times obedient
to His Fathers will. ( Hebrews 10:5-7)
(b) Not proud but humble. Not coming to be
ministered unto but to minister. ( Mark
)
(c) Not destroyed but exalted to the throne of
his father David when He rose triumphant from the dead. (Luke 1:30-33; Acts
2:29-36)
Hallelujah !
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Study No. 34
WHEN THE KING COMES BACK !!
(2 Samuel 19)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(a) NEW
TESTAMENT AFFIRMATIONS
There are a number of verses in the New Testament that
speak of King Jesus rewarding His servants at the time of His return. For
example , Revelation 22:12 echoes this truth
Behold I come quickly, and my
reward is with me to give to every man
according to his work.
That is not to say that every believer receives an
equal reward; on the contrary, some will be saved yet so as by fire. ( 1
Corinth. 3:14-15) The righteous, godly, whole-hearted servant oif Christ will
receive a greater reward than the half-hearted, lazy Christian who failed to
build his like according to the Lords plan for him.
Likewise, the arrogant blasphemous hater of all things
spiritual may well find that Hell is twice as hot for him than it is for the
next door neighbour who lives a decent life but rejects the Saviour. Such is the determining factor
ones
salvation depends upon ones relationship to the Lord Jesus. But rewards depend
upon our service.
Salvation is a gift , based upon what Christ has done
for us. Rewards arearned by our obedience to Him.
The Parable of the Pounds teaches the same truth
some will be rewarded at the Lords return with rule over ten cities whilst another is only given rule over five
cities. Moreover, some will scrape
into Heaven without any reward
and some will be punished in Hell in varying
degrees. ( Luke 19:17-18)
Verses that indicate degrees o punishment in Hell are
Matthew 10:15; 11:21-24; 23:14 and
James 3:1
Matthew
11: 22But I say unto
you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than
for you.
23And thou,
Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if
the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it
would have remained until this day.
24But I say unto
you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of
judgment, than for thee.
The greater the light rejected, the greater the
consequences.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(b) OLD TESTAMENT ILLUSTRATION
Now if all
that is the New Testament affirmation , in the life of King David we have an
Old Testament illustration. For King
David returned to Jerusalem after his exile and meted out rewards to some folk
and judgment to others.
Absaloms rebellion is over. But ill-feeling exists
between the tribe of Judah ( who were leaders in the civil war) and the rest of
the nation that had sided with David.
Now Gods aoointed King returns
and in so doing seems to make some
errors in judgment.
(1) AMASA
who had been Absaloms General is
now promoted to next-in-command to David. And JOAB is demoted!
2
Sam. 19: 13And say ye to
Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more
also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of
Joab.
14And he bowed
the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they
sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.
15So the king
returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king,
to conduct the king over Jordan.
Amasa is Davids nephew ( vs. 13) ( 2 Samuel 17:25) (
I think !!! ) and is instrumental in swaying the feelings of the tribe of Judah to return to Davidic
allegiance.
..
(2) JOAB however has disobeyed David in slaying
Absalom.
2
Samuel 18: 11And Joab said
unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou
not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of
silver, and a girdle.
12And the man
said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine
hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our
hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch
the young man Absalom.
13Otherwise I
should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid
from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
14Then said Joab,
I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust
them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the
oak.
And he shares
the Kings guilty secret concerning the murder of Uriah ( 2 Samuel 11:14-18).
But he was not the kind of fellow who would take being
demoted
as we shall see.
(3) SHIMEI
is the nasty character who had vented his scorn on David some two years
previous when the rebellion had taken place. ( 2 Samuel 16:5-6)
Now David returns it is a different story
2
Samuel 19: 16And Shimei the
son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the
men of Judah to meet king David.
17And there were
a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul,
and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over
Jordan before the king.
18And there went
over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought
good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over
Jordan;
19And said unto
the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember
that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of
Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.
20For thy servant
doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day
of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
Abishai, another of Davids Generals, (18:2; 19:21)
wants to kill Shimei, but David spares his life.
2
Samuel 19: 21But Abishai the
son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this,
because he cursed the LORD's anointed?
22And David said,
What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be
adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel?
for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?
.
(4) MEPHIBOSHETH . Why did not Mephibosheth ,
Jonathans son, share in Davids exile?
Why did he remain in Jerusalem?
His servant, Ziba, says that Mephibosheth had changed
sides and thrown his allegiance behind Absalom. But Mephibosheth says Ziba is
lying and he was unable to follow David because of his lameness.
Who to believe ?
2
Samuel 19: 24And Mephibosheth
the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet,
nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed
until the day he came again in peace.
25And it came to
pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him,
Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?
26And he
answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will
saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy
servant is lame.
27And he hath
slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an
angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.
28For all of my
father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set
thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore
have I yet to cry any more unto the king?
29And the king
said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and
Ziba divide the land.
30And
Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord
the king is come again in peace unto his own house.
David divides Mephibosheths land between the two. (
vs. 29)
..
(5) BARZILLAI
this 80-year old saint had
furnished David and his men with food during the days of exile. ( 2 Samuel
17:27-29) Now he is rewarded.
2
Samuel 19: 31And Barzillai the
Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to
conduct him over Jordan.
32Now Barzillai
was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of
sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
33And the king
said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in
Jerusalem.
34And Barzillai
said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king
unto Jerusalem?
35I am this day
fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant
taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men
and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my
lord the king?
36Thy servant
will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king
recompense it me with such a reward?
37Let thy
servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be
buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant
Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem
good unto thee.
38And the king
answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall
seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do
for thee.
39And all the
people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king kissed
Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
40Then the king
went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah
conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.
..
CONCLUSION
When David returned from exile he may have made a few errors of
judgment. Was it wise to appoint the rebrl General as his top man? Was
Mephibosheth telling the truth ? Or lying ?
But this we know
when Davids Greater Son returns to
reward or to punish
there will be no mistakes. ( 1 Corinth. 4:5)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Study No. 35
TRUMPET BLUES !
2 Samuel 20
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
On his return from Mahanaim , whence he had fled from
Absalom , David now encounters more trouble. Having crossed over Jordan he
finds that dissension has erupted between the tribe of Judah ( and
Benjamin)
and the rest of the nation.
.
(1) REBELLIOUS TONGUES
2
Samuel 19: 40Then the king
went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah
conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.
41And, behold,
all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our
brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his
household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?
42And all the men
of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us:
wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's
cost? or hath he given us any gift?
43And the men of
Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and
we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our
advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the
men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
This war of words becomes a war of weapons as a
hot-head named Sheba blew a trumpet and led the northern tribes in open
rebellion. (20:1 see Living Bible.)
20: 1And there happened to be there a man of
Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a
trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the
son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
2So every man of
Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the
men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
David, in this latter half of 2 Samuel faces one
problem after another. And it all began when he sinned with Bathsheba. The sin
was forgiven but the repercussions are not yet over.
James reminds us of the need to let the Lord control
our tongue. Just a spark may cause a bush-fir. So an angry word can start a
war.
If you would
guard your lips from slips ,
Five rules
observe with care;
To whom you
speak, of whom you speak,
And how and
when and where.
.
(2) HYPOCRITICAL TONGUES
King David , now back in Jerusalem, appoints his new
General, Amasa, to rally the warriors of Judah. But three days later he has
still been unable to do so. (20:4-5)
The men of Judah were happy enough to welcome David
back as their King but fighting for him is another matter ! Is it not so often
the case the many a Christian is happy to have Jesus as Saviour but reluctant
to stand up for Him when it may result in
persecution. Paul reminds
Timothy that he is in the Lords army
and he needs be quick to obey the
Captain of his salvation. ( 2 Timothy 2:3-4)
Abishai and Joab are sent to rectify the delay ( vs.
6)
they meet Amasa at Gibeon and Joab does a Judas
greets him with
friendly words and then smites him with the sword. Joab is General again.
20: 8When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa
went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him,
and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath
thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.
9And Joab said
to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with
the right hand to kiss him.
10But Amasa took
no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the
fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and
he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
Joab was not the kind of fellow to take his demotion
lying down ! And it had been a foolish decision on the part of David to promote
Amasa.
One is reminded of the hypocritical words of
Ahithophel
Psalm 55:
21The words of his mouth were smoother than
butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they
drawn swords.
Beware the hypocritical tongue.
..
(3) A WISE TONGUE
Sheba flees to Abel-beth-maacah
a walled city. Joab
and his troops pursue, lay siege, and get out the battering rams ! A wise woman
intercedes for her city
. And Shebas head is tossed over the city wall. Joab
returns to Jerusalem.
20: 15And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and
they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the
people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
16Then cried a
wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near
hither, that I may speak with thee.
17And when he was
come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he.
Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do
hear.
18Then she spake,
saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask
counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.
19I am one of
them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city
and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?
20And Joab
answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or
destroy.
21The matter is
not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath
lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and
I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head
shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
There was no peace for the city of Abel-beth-maacah
until he who had rebelled against David was slain. And there is no peace in the
city of Mans Soul until the old sinful nature is crucified. ( Galatians 5:24)
Baptism , by immersion, is a picture of death to the old way of life, the
rebel of sin is buried. (Romans 6:3-6)
..
(4) A SILENT TONGUE
In the midst of all these troubles David has no word
of complaint against Gods dealings with him. It was all his own fault.
Such had been the message of Nathan, the prophet, to
David.
2
Samuel 12: 9Wherefore hast
thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast
killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy
wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10Now therefore
the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me,
and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife
Davids tongue
is silent. He is reaping that which he had sown.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Study No. 36.
7 Gallows for 7
Brothers
2 Samuel 21.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Another little-known episode in the life of David
takes us cross-country to Calvary.
(1) THE HISTORICAL
INCIDENT
(a) The Problem of the King James Version.
21:
8But the king took the two sons of Rizpah
the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the
five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the
son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
This chapter is not in chronological order. The events
here recorded probably took place whilst Absalom was plotting his rebellion.
And Michal ( vs. 8) had no children. ( 2 Samuel 6:23)
It may be a copyists error for Merab or else she brought up the children of
Merab after their mothers death.
(b) The Treaty with Joshua. ( Joshua 9:15)
Four hundred
years previous the Gibeonites had deceived Joshua into making a peace
treaty with them. They had apparently become servants to the Levites. ( Joshua
9:19)
(c) The Treachery of King Saul.
He had massacred many of the Gibeonites.
2 Sam. 21:
1Then there was a famine in the days of David
three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD
answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the
Gibeonites.
This may be the story told in 1 Samuel 22:18-19 where
a slaughter had taken place at the priestly city of Nob.
(d) The Request of the Gibeonites.
How, asks David, shall we atone for this crime of Saul
? How will Gods punishment upon us
of three years of famine
be removed ?
(21:3)
The men of Gibeon request the death penalty
for the
seven sons of Saul !
21: 3Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for
you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the
inheritance of the LORD?
4And the
Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his
house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye
shall say, that will I do for you.
5And they
answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that
we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,
6Let seven men
of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in
Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
7But the king
spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD's
oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
8But the king
took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul,
Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom
she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
9And he
delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the
hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death
in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.
These seven brothers are hung or impaled (NIV) on
a hill
an object lesson for all Israel to see.
Rizpah, mother of two of the sons, keeps watch lest
vultures or wild animals tear the bodies to pieces !
21: 10And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread
it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped
upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on
them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
11And it was told
David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
There she remains until the famine is ended,
indicating the effectiveness of the atonement. The heaven bring forth their
rain oonce more. It may have been just
a few days. The story concludes with
these seven sons of Saul buried alongside their father in Jabesh-Gilead.
21: 12And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of
Jonathan his son from the men of Jabeshgilead, which had stolen them from the
street of Bethshan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines
had slain Saul in Gilboa:
13And he brought
up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they
gathered the bones of them that were hanged.
14And the bones
of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah,
in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king
commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.
..
(2) THE SPIRITUAL
ILLUSTRATION
(a) The Broken Covenant
At Sinai the Israelites promised to keep Gods
covenant
an agreement based on the law revealed to Moses. ( Exodus 19:8) But
over and over again they broke it.
(b) The Perfect Atonement
Just as the punishment that came as a result of Sauls broken covenant with the
Gibeonites was allayed by the sacrifice of his sons , so the punishment due to
Israel for not keeping Gods covenant was turned away by the death of His Son.
The fact that there were seven sons of Saul may well
remind us of the completeness and
perfection of the Saviours sacrifice.
( 7 is a number that denotes completeness.)
And it happened
both the death of Sauls sons and
that of the Son of God
at Passover time. ( vs. 9)
And a mother kept vigil
( John 19:25)
Of course the Lords death did not only provide
atonement for Israel but for all people
Jew and Gentile
for all have
sinned. Nor does it automatically save
everyone but only those who reach out to Him in repentance and faith.
.
(c) The Heaven-sent Rain
Just as the sacrifice of the seven sons resulted in
the end of the famine and the heavens being opened, so it is that those who
share in the benefits of the Saviours death will find life transformed. The
hard heart and the barren soul give way to the fruit of the Spirit.
Love ! Joy! Peace !
Thats what Peter said in his sermon
Acts 3:19
There shall be showers of blessing,
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing
Sent from the Saviour above
.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Study
No. 37
Sons of Goliath !
..
2
Samuel 21:15-22
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
21: 15Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and
David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines:
and David waxed faint.
16And Ishbibenob,
which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three
hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought
to have slain David.
17But Abishai the
son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then
the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to
battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
18And it came to
pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob:
then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.
19And there was
again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of
Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff
of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
20And there was
yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand
six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also
was born to the giant.
21And when he
defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him.
22These four were
born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of
his servants.
These verses record another battle with the
Philistines
some time during the reign of King David. It is generally agreed
that the chapter is not in chronological order and may have happened before the
rebellion of Absalom.
We learn the giant in Gath (22) had four sons
or
descendants and we need to note that brother in verse 19 ( KJV) is not in the
original Hebrew but added by the translators.
Thus it is we meet Ishbi-benob (16) Saph (18) Goliath
Jnr. (or his name may be Lahmi 2 Sam. 21:19; 1 Chron. 20:15) and an un-named fellow with extra fingers
and toes. Such abnormalities are rare but not unknown to medical science. To be
born with extra toes or fingers is called hexadactylism. Anne Bolelyn had six
fingers on one hand.
And an article in the IVF Bible Dictionary tells of
skeletons found in Palestine of similar stature and roughly the same period.
(Article:- Goliath.)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(1) THE DEFEAT OF DAVID
21: 15Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and
David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines:
and David waxed faint.
16And Ishbibenob,
which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three
hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought
to have slain David.
17But Abishai the
son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then
the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to
battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
Learn the lesson that we need to recognize our
capabilities
and our limitations. Young David may have slain Goliath 40 years
ago but old David is soon exhausted. There are some things a young person can
do that a senior citizen cannot !
Romans 12:3-8 Living Bible.
We are not all skilled in all facets of Christian
warfare. Some may be expert in taking on the Giant Evolutionary Theory ,
another may specialize in defeating Giant Social Problems. Another wields the
sword of Evangelism effectively whilst another finds skill in combating Giant
Cults.
Different Christians are more proficient in doing
battle with some opponents of the Faith
than others. Just because we slew Goliath does not mean we are necessarily
skilled in slaying Isbhi-benob.
Again, it may well be that Dvid entered this conflict
self-confident. I slew Goliath, he
said to himself, No trouble in bowling this fellow over ! But each victory does not help us some other
to win
unless of course, it is a reminder that we need to depend upon the
Lord for every victory.
Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall. (1
Corinthians 10:12)
(2) THE DESCENDANTS OF GOLIATH.
What Goliath Snr. May not be able to achieve
in
bringing down Gods children,
yet Goliath Jnr. may accomplish. It is not the
Sin of Idolatry that may bring you down
but maybe Giant
Sleeping-in-on-Sunday-Morning may do so.
Giant Murder is no problem to over come
but what about Giant Grudge
.
???
So often it is the little foxes that spoil the
vines,
those little sins that cause damage to our spiritual life. (Song of
Solomon 2:15)
(3) THE DEVOTION OF ABISHAI
When his King is threatened by Ishbi-benob , Abishai
leaps to the rescue in spite of danger to his own life. And the Son of David,
our Lord Jesus, calls for warriors in his army of the same whole-hearted
commitment.
John G. Paton and his new bride set sail for the South
Seas well knowing previous missionaries had been eaten by cannibals.
Africa in those early days was known as The White
Mans Grave but still the missionaries went forth with the gospel. Soldiers of
the Cross, every one of them , to do battle with Giant Heathenism.
Thank God our Captain never grows weary as David did ,
but still He calls men and women to join Him in the warfare against Giant Evil
that stalks the land.
Am I a soldier of the Cross?
A follower
of the Lamb ?
And shall I
fear to own his cause
Or blush to
speak His Name ?
Sure I must
fight if I would reign,
Increase my
courage, Lord !
Ill bear
the toil, endure the pain,
supported by
Thy Word !
( I
. Watts )
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Study 38
SOMETHING TO SING
ABOUT
2 Samuel
22
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This is David at his best , ( Tyndale Com.)
This great song of Thanksgiving is also found, with minor
alterations for the Temple choir to sing, in Psalm 18.
Read it carefully
and prayerfully.
* Remember
as you read
that this comes from Davids early days ( vs. 1) ,
long before his sin with Bathsheba.
( vs. 24 etc.)
* Remember
as you read
that this is poetry. God does
not literally have smoke pouring from His nostrils , nor fire from his mouth.
It is a poetic picture of His wrath. ( vs. 9)
*
Remember
as you read
that this is the OLD Testament.
God promised Old Testament saints material blessings. ( Deuteronomy
28:2-14) He promises New Testament
believers spiritual blessings. Not long life ( as O.T.) but Eternal Life. Not
victory over enemies ( vs. 18) but from the penalty and power of sin.
Like
David, Christians have much to sing about. Even more !!
..
1 And David spake unto the LORD the words of this
song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his
enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my
fortress, and my deliverer;
3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my
shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour;
thou savest me from violence.
4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be
praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods
of ungodly men made me afraid;
6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the
snares of death prevented me;
7 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried
to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter
into his ears.
8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the
foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and
fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and
darkness was under his feet.
11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he
was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him,
dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
13 Through the brightness before him were coals of
fire kindled.
14 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High
uttered his voice.
15 And he sent out arrows, and scattered them;
lightning, and discomfited them.
16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the
foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the
blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of
many waters;
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from
them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but
the LORD was my stay.
20 He brought me forth also into a large place: he
delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 The LORD rewarded me according to my
righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have
not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his judgments were before me: and as for
his statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I was also upright before him, and have kept
myself from mine iniquity.
25 Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according
to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself
merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and
with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but
thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.
29 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will
lighten my darkness.
30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God
have I leaped over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the
LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock,
save our God?
33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my
way perfect.
34 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth
me upon my high places.
35 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of
steel is broken by mine arms.
36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy
salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.
37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my
feet did not slip.
38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them;
and turned not again until I had consumed them.
39 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that
they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle:
them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine
enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; even
unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the
earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
44 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of
my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew
not shall serve me.
45 Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as
soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
46 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be
afraid out of their close places.
47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and
exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
48 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth
down the people under me.
49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies:
thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou
hast delivered me from the violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD,
among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and
sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lets do a spot of Bible study. Make a list of all the descriptions David
heaps upon his God.
Vs. 2
God is a Rock , a place of refuge.
Vs.
2 again ... God is a fortress.
Vs.2
again.
God is a Saviour.
Vs, 3
God is a hiding place.
Vs. 3
again
Hes a Rock
but it is a different Hebrew word to that translated
rock in verse 1. And in this same verse He is likened to a refuge, a shield
and a Saviour.
Vs. 4
He is a prayer-hearing God.
Vs. 4
again
a Praise-worthy God.
Vs. 7
He is one who hears the faintest cry of His children.
So it
goes throughout the chapter.
See
how many such descriptions you can find.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Some
commentators see herein not only Davids thankfulness for what is past in his life
but a forview of things to
come.
At
the end of the Age his greater Son will return in flaming fire ( 2 Thess
1:7-8) and the events here
described ( vs. 8-16) could well be a
word-picture of that Day
a Day when Gods people shall give thanks for the
final victory over sin and death and Hell.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Study No. 39.
The
Costly Drink
and the Thirsty King !
(2
Samuel 23)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
2
Samuel 23: 13And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David
in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines
pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
14And David was
then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15And David
longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of
Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
16And the three
mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the
well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David:
nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.
Here is an incident from the early days of Davids
reign. It may be connected with the
events recorded in 2 Samuel 5:17-25. War with the Philistines ( who have made
inroads into the land of Israel as far as Bethlehem
at least ! ) forces David
and his men to flee to the cave of Adullam. ( Vs. 13)
Longingly he wishes he could drink again from
Bethlehems well as he had done in his boyhood. And three of his men go on a commando raid , down through the
enemy camp, to fulfil their Kings desire.
And there in lies some lessons for every child of God.
!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(1) THE COURAGE THAT SUSTAINED THEM .
This brave trio rished their lives to fetch a drink
for David. And the New Testament reminds us that we are called to be soldiers
in the service of our King. 2 Tim. 2:3;
2 Tim. 1:7 and 1 Corinth. 16:31, for example , all exhort us to be courageous
for the Captain of our salvation.
Be brave ! ( 1 Corinth. 16:31 Good News Bible trans. )
Like Paul and Barnabas who hazarded their lives for
their Heavenly King. ( Acts 15:25-26)
Like Aquila and Priscilla who were willing to Lay
down their necks for the sake of the Gosp[el. ( Romans 16:3-4)
Like Epaphroditus, Pauls fellow-soldier, who nearly
died not regarding his life as he
pressed on in the spiritual warfare. ( Philipp. 2:25-29)
Like thousands of missionaries and Christian workers
who have displayed this same God-given courage in the good fight.
(2) THE CO-OPERATION THAT STRENGTHENED THEM.
A three-fold cord is not easily broken.
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
Whereas one alone may stumble and fall
two together
might encourage one another in the fray. And three is even better.
The New Testament places great emphasis on the need
for Christian fellowship
. It knows nothing of the Lone Ranger kind of
Christian. We follow conversion with
joining the Church ( of which Baptism
is the initiatory sign ) and in that church we enjoy fellowship with
like-minded believers.
Alas ! some church business meetings are the biggest
warfare some Christians get to see ! But our real enemies are outside
The
world, the flesh and the Devil.
.
(3) THE
CONSTRAINT THAT MOTIVATED THEM
Why risk their lives for a pail of water ? Because
they loved their King !
Thou, David, art worth ten thousand of us ! ( 2 Samuel 18:2-3)
And they were willing to go through hell and high
water to meet his wishes. It was not even a command on his part. But oh !, how they wanted to please him !
What a lesson for us .
The love of
Christ constraineth us, wrote Paul. ( 2 Corinth. 5:14 . What He;s done for
us
and what we want to do for Him !
..
(4) THE CAPTAIN WHO APPRECIATED THEM
David refused to drink the water ! ( vs. 16)
To him it was more than water
it represented the
devotion and dedication of these three brave soldiers. Their sacrificial act is far greater than he
can receive
it was a deed that was
worthy of something higher and greater than he deserved. So he offers it
pours it out
to God. Like a drink offering. ( Leviticus 23:13)
It was not wine as the Mosaic law commanded, just
water
but that water spoke of something with which the Lord was
well-pleased. Davids appreciation of
what his men had done is a picture of the Lord Jesus who sees our service for
Him
and smiles upon it. And He who
records our deeds will one day say , Well done ! good and faithful servant
to all such who have served Him faithfully.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Study No. 40
STOPPING THE
PLAGUE
(
2 Samuel 24 )
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Another incident from the life of David coming from earlier in his career. This chapter is not in chronological sequence.
The story is also found in 1 Chronicles 21.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David numbers his army in spite of protestations from his General, Joab.
2
Sam. 24: 2For the king said
to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the
tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I
may know the number of the people.
3And Joab said
unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they
be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth
my lord the king delight in this thing?
After the census where it is recorded that 1,100,000 Israelites are to be found in Davids kingdom, David is convicted of his sin.
What sin ??
Presumably the sin of pride. His hope of victory over his enemies lies in his military strength rather than in his God. Maybe it was after this story was over he penned Psalm 33
Psalm
33: 16There is no king saved by the
multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
17An horse is a
vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
18Behold, the eye
of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
19To deliver
their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
20Our soul
waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
21For our heart
shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his
The prophet, Gad, confronts David with a choice ofthree punishments famine, flight before his enemies or plague.
2
Sam. 24: 13So Gad came to
David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto
thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while
they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now
advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
David opts for the plague !And this dreadful
scourge sweeps across the land of Israel slaying ( if the number is translated
correctly.. which is doubtful ! ) 70,000 people. ( vs. 15)
The King cries out to God in sincere repentance and asks that the judgment be averted. He is told to erect an altar in Jerusalem, his new capital, recently taken from the Jebusites. (2 Samuel 5.) He is to offer sacrifices.
So this David does
2 Samuel 24 25And David built there an altar unto
the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was
intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
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(1) A TEXT FOR THE CRITIC
2
Sam. 24: 24And the king said unto
Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer
burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So
David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
But 1 Chronicles 21 says it was Satan who provoked David
1 Chron. 21: 1And
Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
Putting the two texts together we can see that whilst it was Satan who did the actual tempting , it was God who permitted him to tempt David. God does permit such activity to draw us closer to Himself and to test our faith.
..
11So Gad came to
David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee
12Either three
years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the
sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the
LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying
throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I
shall bring again to him that sent me.
Hey ! Wait a minute In 2 Samuel 24:13 it said 7 years famine !
Scholars believe the7 years is a copyists mistake. Whilst the original manuscripts are inspired and free from error, it is not true of our translations. Some minor errors havecrept in. It is the task of researchers to compare the many manuscripts to discover what the original text did say.
.
Araunah the Jebusite was paid how much ??
2
Samuel 24: 24And the king said
unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I
offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing.
So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
1
Chron. 21: 25So David gave to
Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
2 Samuel records the initial price paid for the threshing floor only later David purchased the whole area for 600 shekels. The Book of Chronicles was written about 400 years after the event. The writer even tells us that it was here Solomon built the Temple . (2 Chron. 3:1)
The price mentioned in 1 Chronicles simply refers to a subsequent purchase.
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(2) A TEXT FOR THE CHRISTIAN
Araunah wants to give David the threshing floor. But David insists on buying it.
2
Sam. 24: 22And Araunah said unto David,
Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here
be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of
the oxen for wood. 23All these things did Araunah,
as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God
accept thee.
A religion that costs us nothing is probably worth nothing !
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(3) A TEXT FOR A CRISIS !!
God erected an altar at Calvary to stay the plaque of sin in your life and mine. And it cost Him !! Have you responded to that proffered salvation ?
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Study
No. 41
THE SWORD OF ELEAZER !!
(
2 Samuel 23: 8-10)
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2
Sam. 23: 9And after him was Eleazar the
son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they
defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men
of Israel were gone away:
10He arose, and
smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the
sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned
after him only to spoil.
Here we have the account of one of the Kings mighty
men ! Ithe incident here related tells
of Eleazers victory over thePhilistine host
and only then did the rest of
Davids men join in the fray !
And notice
when Eleazer went to lay down his sword
after the battle was dove , his hand clave unto his sword. ( vs. 10)
Warriors cramp ! For hehad held that sword so so long
and so tghtly it was now necessary to
prise his fingers open to release his grip on that trusty weapon. And thereby
hangs a lesson for us.
As soldiers in the army of Davids Greater Son, we,
too, must cleave to our sword
which is the
Word of God. (Ephesians 6:17)
.
(1) CLEAVE TO THE SWORD FOR SALVATION
2
Timothy 3: 14But continue
thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of
whom thou hast learned them;
15And that from a
child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise
unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
It is as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to
the heart of sinners that conviction will come. And conversion
if they decide for Christ.
The Bibleis a signpost on the way to the Celestial
City
pointing as it does to the only One in whom salvation is to be found. (
Acts 4:12)
(2) CLEAVE TO THE SWORD FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
2
Timothy 3: 16All scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17That the man of
God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
A student of Gods Word will become more mature in his
Christian walk. First the milk of the
word is ones nourishment ; then the strong meat ! ( 2 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:12) We will never progress or be
useful in our service for the Lord unless we feast uponHis word. Man does not
live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,
( Matthew 4:4)
.
(3) CLEAVE TO THE SWORD DESPITE THE CRITICS.
Some old Philistine may have bidden Eleazer to throw
away his sword because it was too old , and not in accord with the latest technology
! Too cumbersome or rusty.
The reply he would have received would have been a
quick thrust of the mighty mans sword !
And there are critics today who feign would tell us
our Bible is outmoded. They dispute its
miracles, disregard its morality, discount its history, and deny its Divine
inspiration.
But the Bible stands
Like a rock undaunted
Mid the
raging storms of time,
Its pages
burn with a truth eternal
And they
glow with a light divine
Todays spiritual Philistines are like those who seek
to attack Gibraltar with a pea-shooter.
Cleave to the Bible !
(4) CLEAVE TO THE SWORD IN TAKING CAPTIVES
Or should we say , in setting the captives free ! Eleazer and Davids other warriors would
conquer the enemy and release the prisoners they had captured. And with the
Sword of the Spirit Christians are called to attack Satans kingdom and set the
captives free.
Do I
do you
know how to wield my sword effectively
that I might lead a soul to know the freedom that is in Christ ?
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Study No. 42
DAVIDS LAST WORDS
2 Samuel 23
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2 Samuel 23 is not in chronological order: we will get
to the actual death of David in
1Kings 1.
1 Now these be the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the
anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
2The Spirit of
the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
Three things arise out of the verses before us.
.
(1) THE INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES
Notice verse 2. David is saying that the Holy Spirit
spoke through him. What was written down was not just Davids word
but the Holy Spirit superintended to
keep it free from error.
The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 95 and says
Hebrews
4: 7Again, he limiteth a certain day,
saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will
hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Then he quotes Psalm 95 again and says
Hebrews
3: 6But Christ as a son over his own
house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of
the hope firm unto the end.
7Wherefore (as
the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Notice : first
he said it was David who said it , then he says it was the Holy Spirit who said
it. Both are true !
Acts 1:15-16 puts the two together in the same verse
Acts
1: 15And in those days Peter stood up
in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were
about an hundred and twenty,)
16Men and
brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy
Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was
guide to them that took Jesus.
This applies to all Scripture
Holy men of God spoke
as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21) ( 2 Timothy 3:16)
.
(2) THE INCARNATION OF THE SON OF GOD
2
Samuel 23: 2The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my
tongue.
3The God of
Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be
just, ruling in the fear of God.
4And he shall be
as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without
clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after
rain.
Back in 2 Samuel 7 we read of the prophet Nathan
announcing to the King that he was not to build a Temple for the Lord, but that
his son would do so.
It was an everlasting covenant.
So we have these dying words which concern Davids son
and there was a minor fulfilment when Solomon built an earthly Temple.
But there is a far greater fulfilment ( as the New
Testament writers point out ) in Davids Greater Son , the Lord Jesus ,
building a spiritual Temple with living stones. ( 1 Peter 2:5)
To Mary came the angels word that her child would
sit upon the Throne of His father, David. (Luke 1:32-33)
And Peter maskes it abundantly clear that at our
Lords ascension He arose to sit at the right hand of God the Father in
fulfilment of this promise.
Acts
2: 29Men and brethren, let me
freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried,
and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30Therefore being
a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the
fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on
his throne;
31He seeing this
before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell,
neither his flesh did see corruption.
32This Jesus hath
God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33Therefore being
by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise
of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
The Kingdom of Christ is already established. He
already reigns. ( Colossians 1:13)
All believers are part of His kingdom.
It is not some future earthly kingdom with its capital
at Jerusalem, as some teach.
But now
He reigns over the lives of those who crown
Him Lord ! And He rules justly ( vs. 2)
His reign brings refreshment and new life to those who trust in Him
like the clear shining after rain.
..
(3) THE IMPRECATION UPON THE UNSAVED !
(
Imprecation = a curse !)
2
Sam. 23: 6But the sons of
Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken
with hands:
7But the man
that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and
they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.
Many of todays modern theologians get uptight
concerning verses such as these.
But David is not venting his personal vengeance upon
the wicked, the Holy Spirit is speaking through him and telling us what will
ultimately happen. It is God who is pronouncing judgment upon those who reject
the Kingship of His Son.
Such a theme is found in the New Testament as well as
the Old. Our Lord Jesus gave many a
dire warning concerning the fate of the unsaved. Hell is no joke.
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