Short Reflection from 2 Samuel 1-14

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[8:26 am, 07/06/2022] S.R: 𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙:𝟚𝟜

"O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel."

David didn't rewrite history. He didn't diminish the works of Saul. He eulogised him! If David could eulogize Saul, if David could ask the people to honor Saul, is there anyone I cannot eulogize? In the words of Steve Lawson, we can even eulogize the devil: that he is consistent.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚:𝟙𝟜

“Then Abner said to Joab, ‘Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us.’ And Joab said, ‘Let them arise’”

Hmm! What a gory scene! Can't imagine it. And the Scriptures didn't shy away from such event!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟛:𝟚𝟟

"So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother."

I have observed that almost every leader has someone who is like Joab, and how devastating they can be. And I say this not in sympathy with them but as an indictment. David wasn't wise or brave enough to change his commander.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟜:𝟠

"Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, ‘Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus the LORD has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his descendants.’"

They thought they were doing something great in the will of God. But David wasn't pleased with them.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟝:𝟙𝟚

"And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel."

Great things have been often done by those who believed God has called them.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟞:𝟡-𝟙𝟘

"So David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, ‘How can the ark of the LORD come to me?’ And David was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite."

It looks like a protest against God. I am afraid I have done like that sometimes.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟟:𝟙𝟠

"Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, ‘Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?’"

Let's learn to be grateful like David.

In this circumstance, David was disappointed because he wasn't allowed to build the house for God. He desired, planned, and was excited to build. The Lord forbade him, saying he was disqualified.

However, in the goodness of God, his son shall build the house of God. Actually, this is better because it means the kingdom will go on prosperous even after his death. Because if there's war and threat around the kingdom will not have the resources and strength to build the temple. In a sense, it was a double assurance about the prosperity of his descendants and the building of the temple.

God is good and great! Learn to recognize His greatness and goodness, and be grateful to Him!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟠:𝟙𝟝

"So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and righteousness for all his people."

Surely, David wasn't a perfect man, but his reign was well-commended. We need leaders like him.

But we need to honor leaders too. That includes forgiving their mistakes, overlooking their blunders sometimes, and speaking well of them.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟡:𝟞

"Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, ‘Mephibosheth.’ And he said, ‘Here is your servant!’"

I am still thinking about what to learn from this verse, or from this chapter for that matter! It happens, sometimes. 😬🙃

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟘:𝟛

"the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, ‘Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent consolers to you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?’"

Suspicion. Picking a fight with someone he cannot win.

Trust, Humility, Kindness are virtues even if they lead to death!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟙:𝟚𝟟

"When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD."

Indeed, God overlooks our sins. Yet He also doesn't overlook our sins. So, let's not play with sins. And let's be quick to repent of sin unto God!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟚:𝟜

"Now a traveler came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."

One of these days, I shall write a poem on this. This is a very relevant parable.

The rich robbing the poor!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟛:𝟚𝟙

"Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry."

David was a sinner in the lowest category of this kind, so, where would he draw moral courage to confront this wickedness?

Our sin will make us disqualify to correct others!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟜:𝟚𝟚

"Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king; then Joab said, ‘Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.’"

Joab didn't know what his alliance with Absalom would do to them. Were they partners in crime? What led this seemingly beautiful friendship to turn out to be later on?

Absalom would set the field of Joab on fire, and Joab would spear Absalom to death!

Beware of making friends with people of ill reputation!