2 Samuel 4:1-12 ~ redeemed my life out of every adversity

 

According to Scripture, David placed his palace outside the city walls.

David felt God protected him, and he decided to see the view, knowing who and what was

arriving in Jerusalem.

Artifacts from David's Palace: Ivory eating tools,

and part of the ceiling decoration:

Steele, found in Tel Dan

who the rulers were at the time

and mentions the House of David.

View from David's Palace Today

When David began developing the land that would become Jerusalem,

Scriptures tell us he had a lot of work ahead of him.

Just as we see from David's Palace today.

David was not given the Garden of Eden.

2 Samuel 4:1-12

When Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth (for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; 3 the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).

4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. 6 And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped [The ancient Greek Septuagint adds And behold, the doorkeeper of the house had been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept]. So Rechab and Baanah his brother slipped in ] . 7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron.

And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.”

9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, 

   “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 

12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.

How does Scripture relate today? 

The vast changes we are seeing in the news. 

The real troubles life gives us.

After Saul's death, Ish-bosheth had been crowned King of Israel at age 40 (2 Samuel 2:10). Making David the third King of Israel.

The thrilling days when Israel was truly God's glory shining on earth. 

The Scriptures aren't Pollyanna sweet. David dealt with all kinds of selfish and shady characters, while David was trying mostly to Take the High Road. And David believed if you take God's High Road, God will win the Battles. Abner, Saul's nephew and general, had made peace with David in the last chapter. David gave clemency, but his general killed Abner after Abner threw in his support for David.

The events swirling around David were far from ideal, but David mostly does his best doing what God would want. Real life, real challenges. More than Sunday School stories.

David is like Jesus, David believes all things work together for good. 

You'd have to be a believer to be surrounded like this. David's golden ride into kingship??? These men act like 'Clemenza': It's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.

If this were a television program, about now the narrator would smoothly suggest David had complete control over the Biblical portions as he did the Tabernacle of the Lord. 

This was true of the non-davidic king, who did control the selection of priests, Herod. It did not end well for Herod. Any of the Herods. Yet if when you read I & II Samuel, all of Kings and all of Chronicles, you see the spin factor did NOT have control over the guilt or innocent of the kings. Even Ecclesiastes is very honest about the mistakes made by Solomon, who took David's shiny, new kingdom, used it as his playground, and personal display, and had it split before David's grandson could have time to shape his own kingdom.

This passage is also a reminder: 

This is not what Jesus, the Son of God, would have had to endure as an earthly king. Instead, we see Jesus as the healer, reconciles all to God and man. 

Not dealing with people being disemboweled and beheaded. 

Jesus returning the ear, intact, of the man's slave who came to destroy Jesus. Jesus offering all generations forgiveness from the cross He bore for us.

Psalm 17:8

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings

Psalm 19:14

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

    What would our God say to the mess

that is the Glory of Israel in His Story?

Psalm 87

On the holy mount stands the city He founded;

     the Lord loves the gates of Zion

    more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

Glorious things of you are spoken,

    O city of God. Selah

Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;

    behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—

    “This one was born there,” they say.

And of Zion it shall be said,

    “This one and that one were born in her”;

    for the Most High himself will establish her.

 The Lord records as he registers the peoples,

    “This one was born there.” Selah

Singers and dancers alike say,

    “All my springs are in you.”

Adversity

The Lord knew the Glory of Israel, the Glory in David's Story didn't begin easily. Didn't maintain easily. Wasn't Sunday School pure.  Just as David began, the Lord was looking in his heart and finding the Joy of the Lord is my strength.

When we live in Pandemic and all is effected, has changes, concerns, worries.  

This is the same as David's Nation was built. David didn't stay in discouragement. Instead, he took each calamity, honestly. With intent of the Lord and Dealt Fairly. David wanted the Nation of God to be rooted in Law and in mercy. David knew difficulty. His compromises were only as Justice allowed his mercy, and his strength was God would provide. David was building a Nation with the Laws of God to be the Pillars holding the roof up. The Shelter inside would find mercy and justice. Men knew what to expect and would prosper believing, with David, God would work this to the good of those working for the Lord.

Billy Graham took a filled Stadium in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. He turned off all the lights in the packed Stadium. He held up one candle.

Billy Graham said to the quiet stadium, studying the Light. The Light of Christ shines on. And we know Jesus is alive and He has changed the world. Jesus would change your life. And a revival started. One Dallas radio man, would feel compelled to travel to High School in  Birmingham, Alabama. And this proved to be correct. Woodlawn. The awakening stopped the many bombs. No longer would Birmingham be called 'Bombington'.

The Light of Christ dwells

 in you.

Abba, Father

We need You, Father.

Please Dwell in me.

Dwell in those I love.

The Truth is we cannot do 3,000 pages of Scripture. 

We do not do what we ought and we do what we ought not. 

Bless the innocent,

Lead us to protect the innocent.

Restore us in Jesus Christ, we pray.

No human being in the Bible ever did all You wanted of them. 

We need Jesus. Jesus, we need Your Grace. 

We need Jesus not just to fulfill the iotas and dots of Scripture,

 we need Jesus as our Shepherd. Daily.

Father God, with the Help of Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

 I will not suffer You to be my Waiter. 

You have said You are not human and our ways are not Your Way. 

We need Your Way, Your Life, Your Truth. 

We need Abundant Life to have the Joy, Faith and Hope

 to have all Your Fruit to live lives abiding in You.

Help us to seek You first

and finish well.

Help us to 

always

be in Your Plan.

Our Father
Who art in Heaven
Holy is Your Name.

Your Kingdom come
Your Will Be Done
on earth as in Heaven.

Give us this day!
Our daily Living Bread.

Please Forgive us our Trespasses,
as we forgive those who Trespass against us.

Lead us Not into Temptation.
Deliver us from evil.

For Thine is
The Kingdom
The Power
and the Glory.

Amen and Thank You 

for Jesus Christ.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Lord Jesus 

Psalm 147:12-20 ~ melts them

 

Psalm 147:12-20

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

13 For He strengthens the bars of your gates;

He blesses your children within you.

14 He makes peace in your borders;

He fills you with the finest of the wheat.

15 He sends out His command to the earth;

His word runs swiftly.

16 He gives snow like wool;

he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;

who can stand before His cold?

18 He sends out His Word, and melts them;

He makes His wind blow and the waters flow.

19 He declares His Word to Jacob,

His statutes and rules [just decrees] to Israel.

20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;

they do not know His rules [just decrees].

Praise the Lord!

This Psalm is perfect for the Hope of a: This is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life 

and It's Going to Be Alright, knowing we want to work in God's plan.

Almighty God, Abba, Heavenly Father, 

We live in Thee. 
We put out our hands to do the good works You've already planned for us. 

Lead us in Your paths; encourage us,

 let the words of our mouths and the thoughts of our heart 

be always pleasing to You. 

In Your Mercy,

Grow the seed of our faith, to become a mighty tree. 

Put out Your growing branches, 

to give us shelter & we will share in Your goodness, 

fellowship and rest. 

Give us eyes of faith, 

to see the hope of Your promises; 

the eagerness, like a child, 

to see them brought forth. 

In our Heart,

Help us to know we are flowers of the field

You are the Father giving Eternal Life,

Help us to Love

To not be angry, sorrow or have bitterness.

Instead, to have Joy and find You Plan

to Heal and Bring Us

Together.

To trust You 

and find Give us This Day

Strengthen our souls, 

let our lives reflect Your Light and Your Love. 

In the Highest name of Jesus Christ, 

we pray. 

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Psalm 103:6-13 ~ The Lord

 

Psalm 103:6-13

6 The LORD works righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,

his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

Matthew. Jesus called all of his disciples in this manner. Follow me. And they rose and followed Him. What did they have in common, these disciples: poor fishermen, rich fishermen, Rome-loving tax collectors doing Rome's work and pocketing money with a nod at Roman power, a zealot- hungry for a war against Rome, and a thief who would become a traitor?

This is an important question, why would all of these people put aside their lives and follow Jesus? Consider Nathanael or Zacchaeus - climbed a tree to see Jesus. His life was full, he had all he needed. Zacchaeus was seeking, he wanted someone to see him for who he really was and love him. Jesus saw Zacchaeus and knew him, loved him, didn't label him and invited him to be a friend and follower of Christ Jesus. 

Zacchaeus didn't even hesitate - his soul had been called, his life changed, his soul loved.

Pharisees. The Pharisees, by the 9th chapter of Matthew, are not comfortable asking Jesus and they ask the disciples to justify Jesus' actions. Why? Several reasons, Jesus is amazing to them. They see the authority, the miracles, the Words & the people following Jesus. The Spiritual Fruits are Astonishing.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law.

The Pharisees are interested by the disciples. Why? This is not purely hypocritical, this is the Wisdom of the Old Testament. Proverbs tells us to be wise in our companions, Psalms tells us to not be with the crooked of heart. The Law is about purification and sanctification. The Pharisees want to see if this Wonder Worker is real.

Ecclesiasticus, The Book of Sirach 6:6-17 ~ (New American Bible)

6 Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant.
7 When you gain a friend, first test him, and be not too ready to trust him
8 For one sort of friend is a friend when it suits him, but he will not be with you in time of distress.
9 Another is a friend who becomes an enemy, and tells of the quarrel to your shame.
10 Another is a friend, a boon companion, who will not be with you when sorrow comes.
11 When things go well, he is your other self, and lords it over your servants;
12 But if you are brought low, he turns against you and avoids meeting you.
13 Keep away from your enemies; be on your guard with your friends.
14 A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure.
15 A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth.
16 A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds;
17 For he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself.

These heartfelt examinations are, of course, true for the Pharisees like Nicodemus or Gamaliel, seeking God. The Word of God tells us to examine spiritual matters and guard our heart.

Matthew 24:38-44

For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

When Jesus described the end, He was not just speaking of the end of the world. He was telling us we live our lives as if it will continue indefinitely. So caught up in work, entertainment, our relationships - we sometimes miss the good portion.

Who will be saved?

With God all things are possible.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †