1 Chronicles 20
20 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it.
2 And David took the crown of their king from his head. He found that it weighed a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone. And it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount.
3 And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and axes. And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites.
Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4 And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued. 5 And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
6 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants.
7 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, struck him down.
8 These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Spring is going to arrive.
Ok, one more of those stories of war. Except - this is Scripture and this is Living and True. Filled with goodness.
Lions, Tigers and Bears.
Ammonites Philistines Sibbecai Hushathite - why doesn't God want His Children to have fellowship with them? They have a problem. The gods they worship like infant sacrifice for prosperity. Take the infant of your family - slit the throat and shake out blood and baby into the field. If you go to the Hardware store - you find Bone Meal. Excellent for plant growth. Horrid.
We don't see the Phoenician nation listed. They are an Ally. Tyre. Ally.
Recently we watched the Viking Dane invasion of England - the TV program "Last Kingdom". This happened for hundreds of years. And what the Danes began to discover is outraged Goodness Rises up. The Nation of the U.K. became whole. The murdered, the raped, the outrageous violence - cried out for God and the Nation rose up in God to find His Strength. Alfred became The Great. Alfred put the practices of God - "The Real Jesus" - first. World War II was the same. Comfort was second.
Eventually, the Danes wanted to live as the English, with the English, who believe in Jesus Christ. And they were baptized to be allowed to stay.
David is different than Saul. His people loot. Why? I couldn't exactly tell you. I have some guesses with the correct answer - God knows. The English began to look over the Danes and keep their weapons, warfare, ships and clothing. With the idea the Danes had been murderous and this was this. God had never intended Saul to prosper. It could be God wanted the housing to rot, the animals to rot and become natural fertilizer. God has His Good Reasons. Where Ammonites Philistines Sibbecai Hushathite murderous? Yes, as the nomads of Israel lived in the complete wasteland of the desert - the Ammonites Philistines Sibbecai Hushathite wanted them dead. Why? Lots of people and the desert now had shade, cloud, water and warmth. Cloud by day, fire by night. And food. Ammonites Philistines Sibbecai Hushathite provided murder and murderous intent. Probably not the people you'd send your children to play with either.
David - does not kill - David makes work.
Now where is the heartwarming aspect of the God of Love?
David. David has not put emphasis in taking the crown and melting it down and making something new of something old. David merely puts a crown on his head. The movies have David Victorious. David was not - - - Victorious like the movies. David has very small victories which begin to line up. David actually loses the crown place of Israel three times to Saul's grandson and to Saul's concubines sons.
David's entire life has David working to see Faith when Faith is Unseen.
David is going to keep his donkey for loyalty when the Huge Crowning Day arrives. David says "I'm me. I'm God's Child. I like my Donkey and I have done the work. The Crown doesn't have to melted down and made pretty. I'm borrowing from Phoenician culture to build my dream house out of the City Safety Walls. I trust God to keep me safe."
Heartwarming - the crown is - plop - this one will due. It's pretty. The mode of arrival? The Donkey. David's favorite.
Does David make a speech to the crowd (us - the millenniums of God's Believers) about his - this and that - decision making? No, we have to study David to see if he is looking for the heart of all matters - God. The details of David add up. He is pleasing God.
Points of Interest
The Giants. No one will - not - think twice about a Giant. We need Archaeology. We do have Archaeology found in The Israel Museum.
And God has given us a memory device. Bones are not found in Israel. We have not found Giant bones. The Prophets tell us the bones rise. We don't find bones in dry and bone collectible Israel. The bones are Gone. Only 200 bones were found in all of the 1990s and fewer still after that. Ossuaries - yes. Tombs - yes. Bones - no. Prophets tell us bones rebuild and rise up. Like reported in the Gospels.
God is putting the pieces together. Goliath is found in Goliath's hometown and mentioned with David. We can see this today in The Israel Museum.
The Scriptures repeat. Moses took the Children of God safely through the Red Sea by the Power of God. There is Archeological flood evidence of the Jordan flooding from Joshua taking the Children of God safely through to Jericho. A local queen's tomb is found. And in the tomb, found by Princeton Archaeological Studies in early 1960s, the story of the Jordan flowing backwards. This repeated on video in the last 10 years during the blessing of the Jordan with an Orthodox Church. 100's of people witnessed and videoed the Jordan River flow backwards. Actually this is recorded on video several times only during the Blessing Ceremony.
The Giant rears up to say defeat. The Scriptures tell us faith is living daily in the belief God is in control. In the evidence, in the history, in the truth, in the enduring Love of God - we go forth with God in His Love, Glory and Victory.
With God's Love in us, we want to see the upbuilding of our marriage, our family, each other, our nation, our Churches, our schools and universities, our Nation and other Nations to rise in God also.
All things are possible with God.
Abba,
As we pray, we ask the Blessing of Jesus.
James knew Jesus marvelously well as His Brother.
And as we pray with You, we remember what James wanted to say first about Jesus:
We will persevere in the perfect Law of Liberty, with Jesus living within us. We will be a doer of God, who acts as a Child of God because of His Willing Love to us. Blessed to be a doing Child of God.
We will not deceive our hearts, but make our words pure. Worthless talk shows we are merely religious. Remembering as we ask Your Blessing, not to speak unwisely and ask Your curse using Your Name. We will remember, as we see Your Children, to bear with the affliction in the world - visiting widows and orphans. The goal is knowing the world has a stain and we will not swim in this.
Seeing wisely every blessing, seeking to see the Good. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Encouraging others we Love with gentleness. Pointing out to the ones we Love, what we Love and see in them - God sees more of.
All things are possible with You. Fill us, fill our loved ones. Sweep our lives, the lives of all those who pray and we Will notice, with rejoicing, more and more blessings to rejoice in.
To God be the Glory and here we will truly Rejoice.
Amen in Jesus!
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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