[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (SSEU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]
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"I
am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me;
your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women."
Well,
this verse is only a thing of imagination for me! π
I
have never known the love of a woman nor do I have any such good friends ever!
But I know the love of Someone which is greater than any love. His love
surpasses all understanding and imagination: The Love of God!
Nobody
is in love deficit those who have the love of God!
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"Abner
said to him, "Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one
of the young men and take his spoil." But Asahel would not turn aside from
following him."
This
chapter, its war is grotesque, but I admire the respect the leaders had for
each other!
I
remember from my Social Science textbook in my school days how Alexander
conquered India and captured King Porus. When Alexander asked the defeated
Porus how he should be treated, Porus was said to have replied, "A king
must be treated like a king." Wow!
David
respected King Saul till his death. Even Jehu ordered his men to give a proper
burial for Jezebel. Even the angel Michael just said "The Lord rebuke
you" to the Devil. Respect one another!
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"Now
Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And
Ish-bosheth said to Abner, ‘Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?’"
God
is Great!
God
used the sin of Abner to solidify the kingship of David. Abner was sinful in
committing adultery. When Ish-bosheth confronted him, instead of repenting, he
was angry sinfully.
He
switched his loyalty to David. Well, David accepted him for his political gain.
[BTW, the politics of Israel mattered because they were under God, unique among
nations. And, in this case, it was not wrong to accept the sinfully arrogant
unrepentant Abner to be his commander].
Well,
in an interesting way, Abner was killed on that day. Did his sin find him out?
And another interesting narration is that David eulogized Abner!
Now,
if an unrepentant sinner left his church and come to my church for a
membership, should I accept him? Well, that's a different question. I would
want to reply with a line from one of Shania Twain's songs, "Don't be
stupid!" Hahaha!
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"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?"
Jonathan, a righteous man fought by his father's side and died as a war hero. Saul was
unworthy of Jonathan, but Jonathan knew the big picture.
Ishbosheth
didn't go to war. Yet he died anyway, a cold-blooded murder! The Hebrew meaning
of his name is "Man of shame" perhaps because he abdicated his
responsibility in choosing not to go and die [fight] with his dad and brother.
Well,
David lamented the death of Jonathan. And he killed the murderer of Ishbosheth.
He was not happy with the news of their death, though they were necessary for
his enthronement. And no surprise the Scriptures said that God is not pleased
with the death of the wicked.
The
Bible authors narrated in such a way that God used the stupidity and the sins
of others to exalt David. And we often see David weeping for their sins. Not
that he was unhappy with God, but with the sins of his people.
Happiness
or a smiley face is certainly not the best representation of a godly man even
in his successes. Have you ever seen Jesus laughing or smiling? For that matter,
anyone in the Bible? Yet we want to present ourselves on social media, online
like that, that life is cool, and happy, which we ourselves never have and will
never have. And we feel jealous when we see others 'pretending' to be.
All
the cool updates on Instagram, WhatsApp, and wherever are wrong! π
They aren't as cool as they presented (pretended) to
be.... π
π Take time to weep for others, both in prayer and action!
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"David
was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years."
Most
of us in this group [a WhatsApp group] are older or as old as this David. He
was a mature man. He had written a lot of Psalms already by now!
Guys,
never think you are still young. We are too old already. Slap, punch, box
anyone who treats you like you're a kid. π
Do yourselves this favor if you are acting like kids.
Let's act like a mature man: in thinking, action, and responsibility.
Another
man, whose name is David, changed the modern mission world when he was at this
age, the great David Brainerd!
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"And
when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the
ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the
LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his
error, and he died there beside the ark of God."
It's
a mercy of God that we are still alive! God has the right to strike us anytime.
It's stupid to question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
Nobody is good. Even as redeemed people, we are still filthy. Forget about God,
even I want to kill these and those people sometimes! π
God
struck Uzzah! He struck Ananias and Saphira too! Remember the Mercy and Justice of God!
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"And
Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD
is with you." But that same night the word of the LORD came to
Nathan"
I
am wowed with this narration. Very relevant and yet sublime.
Obviously,
David knew Nathan to be a man of God. So, he concurred with what he wanted to
do. Nathan also recognized David to be a man after God's own heart, so he trusted
him. What a trust between them! Nathan had no suggestion, no objection, no
interference, no competition, no agenda, and no opinion!
People
love to give opinions. This is about the temple, which Nathan [being a prophet]
would know more [from God] than David. David was more of a political man.
Nathan was the right person to be consulted for an opinion. Nathan had no
opinion. He would speak only the word of God.
And
as expected of him, when the word of God came to him, he was brave enough to
break David’s heart's desire; to tell, David was disqualified to build the
temple. He forbade him. He withdrew his support!
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"So
David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all
his people."
That's
what’s expected of a godly leader. He administers justice and equity. Not all
the time because nobody can. Not in all things, because nobody can.
So,
let's be wise when we hear praises and criticism of leaders. They may be better
or worse. Steve Lawson said that when people criticize you, probably you are
not as bad as they say; also, when they compliment you, you aren't as good as
they say.
Well, God, who knows all things, vindicates a person. And here we have an inspired account about David. God chose to overlook some of the injustices of David and declared him and his administration just.