Short Reflection from 2 Samuel 15-24

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

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟝:𝟚𝟛

"While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people passed over. The king also passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness."

It must have been a very emotional and memorable scene! There are such comparable moments in our life too, I suppose!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟞:𝟙𝟡

"Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father's presence, so I will be in your presence."

A very big declaration but a lie. Beware of people who are very convincing! But if one is convincing, how will we doubt, huh? Interesting!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟟:𝟙𝟜

"Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.’ For the LORD had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring calamity on Absalom."

David sent Hushai for such strategy. Hushai made use of his reputation to save David. God was with this strategy to let Absalom fall.

God works through human agents!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟠:𝟙𝟜, 𝟛𝟛

"Then Joab said, ‘I will not waste time here with you.’ So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak."

"The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

Hmmm! What has become of the friendship between Joab and Absalom? Absalom set Joab's field on fire and Joab speared him to death.

Compare that to the enduring love of David. Absalom did everything to kill David, he even raped all of David's wives (concubines) in front of all. Yet, David would want to die on behalf of Absalom.

David was upset and perhaps angry with the conspiracy of Absalom, but he wouldn't forsake his love for his son.

That's something God has for us too. He will never forsake us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. David was just wishing to die for his wicked son. Jesus actually died for us!

May we all have an enduring love for one another!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟡:𝟚𝟠

"For all my father's household was nothing but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right do I have yet that I should complain anymore to the king?"

I like this guy Mephibosheth. He has no complaints, only gratefulness.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟘:𝟚𝟚

"Then the woman wisely came to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, each to his tent. Joab also returned to the king at Jerusalem."

There were some instances where the people refuse to deliver the culprits and fight along with them. It takes wisdom and courage to deliver even the culprit to the other party.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟙:𝟟

"But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, ‘You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.’"

The mighty giant (Goliath) killer David was also just a human who needed help and protection from other men. This time, this smaller giant was about to kill him.

We need each other!

 

[7:08 am, 28/06/2022] S.R: 𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟚:𝟛𝟙

"As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him."

God doesn't commit any mistakes. God doesn't deceive anyone. God doesn't rejoice in the death of the wicked or the suffering of the ungodly; He wants them to repent and enjoy His forgiveness.

God plans and actually does everything good. Happy is the one who doesn't find fault in God!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟛:𝟚𝟛

"He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard."

We are equal before God as humans. We are (should be) equal before the law too. But we aren't equal in most things in the world. And that's alright and (should be) good.

There are some who are mightier, smarter, braver, and more hardworking. There have to be classes of people. Yes, even those who get more respect and less respect, more salary and less salary, more attention and less attention, more work and less work.

Socialism (Marxism) is not a seriously thought philosophy. We all know it's not the quantity of work, it's the quality of work that matters most.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟜:𝟙𝟚, 𝟙𝟜, 𝟙𝟟

"Go and speak to David, 'Thus the LORD says, ‘I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.’'"

"Then David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.’"

"Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, ‘Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father's house.’"

Human justice at its best is still injustice. When they are victims they exacted harsher punishment, when they are the perpetrators, they settled for lenient compensation.

Relying on God is much better, safer, and right!

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!

Bible Reading Reflection from 2 Samuel 17-24

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (SSEU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝟚 𝕊𝔸𝕄𝕌𝔼𝕃 𝟙𝟟:𝟚𝟛

"Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father."

David had written many Psalms against this betrayal mentioned in this chapter. His own counselor had taken pleasure to kill him.

And look at the irony. Ahithophel suggested striking dead the king alone (v2), and indeed, ironically, Ahithophel killed only one person, himself.

Imagine yourself in the presence of the king. Ahithophel walked in with that suggestion. Then Hushai walked in. Ahithophel must be very curious knowing this wise formidable secret opponent. And after Hushai had spoken, he knew better than everyone that his game was over. So, he went and hanged himself. Another betrayer, Judas Iscariot hanged himself. Jesus, BTW, used David's Psalm to talk of His betrayal.

Don't devise evil schemes against your neighbor or your friend. You never know they may work against you.

A story is told about a man who wanted to kill his neighbor's son. He kept a poisoned fruit in the barn of his neighbor. Unfortunately, his own son visited that barn and ate the fruit, and died. And so, our Rongmei proverb goes, "Wishing to kill somebody's son will lead to the death of your own son"

 

𝟚 𝕊𝔸𝕄𝕌𝔼𝕃 𝟙𝟠:𝟙𝟜

"Joab said, "I will not waste time like this with you." And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak."

Joab was a man of no mercy, selfish, breathing only revenge. He killed Abner the commander of Israel, and Absalom, the King's son.

David still associated with him because he was a brave warrior. But is that a good reason? Actually, Joab hid the sin of David at least once. Joab must be blackmailing David or taking advantage of David in many areas, who knows?

In the end, David commanded his son to kill Joab.

What a strange relationship? Also, Joab and Absalom were friends, still, Joab killed him. David and Joab were friends, still, David killed Joab. It's like a mafia movie!

Maybe one of your friendships is exactly like these, partnering only in unrighteousness!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝔸𝕄𝕌𝔼𝕃 𝟙𝟡:𝟝

"Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, "Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who today have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines."

Let's be quick to forgive David in this story. Yea, he was wrong, he was selfish, he wasn't wise.

Instead of thanking God for delivering the kingdom, he was mourning. Instead of commending the soldiers who laid down their lives, he was silent. On and on...

But this is what human often does.

Let's learn to be thankful to God and others.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝔸𝕄𝕌𝔼𝕃 𝟚𝟘:𝟙𝟘

"But Amasa was not on guard against the sword which was in Joab's hand so he struck him in the belly with it and poured out his inward parts on the ground, and did not strike him again, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri."

David, the King himself couldn't do anything. Joab was a 'necessary evil' for his kingship. v22, Joab was welcomed like a hero. And he became commander again in v23. Under whom? The man after God's own heart!

Now, when politicians have hitmen, you may slander them like they are worse than any people. But perhaps they were as hapless as David. And if we compare against David, no one will say he is worse than us!

I heard from my friends that Tamenglong's DC Armstrong is demoted, transferred, and removed from his DC job after the murder of Athon Abonmai by NSCN-IM, a few weeks ago. And many police personnel were suspended.

UPSC aspirants seem to think cracking UPSC exams and becoming DC is everything. Well, IAS Armstrong couldn't do anything, rather he was removed.

Don't put your trust in a man, not even godly people. They are human. Put your trust in God.

And don't play God, we aren't. We will always fail.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝔸𝕄𝕌𝔼𝕃 𝟚𝟙:𝟞

"Let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will hang them before the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD." And the king said, "I will give them."

This is not easy to understand, except that Justice shall be served, and keeping [respecting] Covenant matters to God.

In recent years, I have become more aware that some people are really good at not keeping their words. Keep your word!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝔸𝕄𝕌𝔼𝕃 𝟚𝟚:𝟠-𝟡

"Then the earth shook and quaked, The foundations of heaven were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry. ‘Smoke went up out of His nostrils, Fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.’"

Have you ever spoken of God like this?

Have you ever said a prayer (publicly or privately) like this?

Have you ever pictured God like this? Thought like this?

People who are far from you think you are cool. The online profile of almost everyone is cool. I can even look handsome with Photoshop.

But those who live in our house know our not-so-cool stuff.

Those who know God know not only the lovely stuff but also His wrath against sinners.

Up your knowledge of God!

 

𝟚 𝕊𝔸𝕄𝕌𝔼𝕃 𝟚𝟛:𝟙

“Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel.”

4 descriptions of David, his legacy, how he is remembered:

1. The son of Jesse

2. Who was raised on high

3. The anointed of the God of Jacob

4. The sweet Psalmist of Israel.

How would people remember us after we die? Somebody said most people cease to exist 30 years after their death. How many of you know the names of your great great great grandfather? If the family members do not know, nobody knows.

 

𝟚 𝕊𝔸𝕄𝕌𝔼𝕃 𝟚𝟜:𝟚𝟜

"However, the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."

I am glad when people admire what I do, but I am gladder when they imitate what they think is good at what I do: Moving beyond Appreciation to Imitation. Apostles Paul and John had the same exhortation on this.

We all love David. We love to even narrate this very chapter and verse about how David offered to the Lord. We need to imitate him, and start applying this truth in our lives.

Offering to God must cost us, right?

Stretching the application: it's reasonable to spend money for your auto fare to go to church. It's reasonable to "waste" your time in the fellowship of the saints. It's reasonable to risk your health [covid fear] in going out for a church program. Even following Jesus is costly. It costs us everything. Let's live like that.

We Indian love freebies and goodies. David on the other hand was a generous man.