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!

Short Reflection from 1 Samuel 18-31

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

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟠:𝟛𝟘

"Then the commanders of the Philistines went out to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul. So his name was highly esteemed."

Behavior, manner, discipline will save a man from many troubles!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟡:𝟙𝟙

"Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, ‘If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.’"

Michal is the opposite character of Delilah! God is sovereign!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟘:𝟛𝟟-𝟛𝟠

"When the lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?" And Jonathan called after the lad, "Hurry, be quick, do not stay!" And Jonathan's lad picked up the arrow and came to his master."

This drama always fascinates me whenever I read. But I think I would do the same if I were there. It was a brilliant idea, but I think I would be brilliant too. My point is not to say I am brilliant but to say this is very realistic. And therefore, the Bible has to be a true history that happened in a real place, in real time, with real people. The Bible is not just an ancient document, it's a real history.

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟙:𝟚

“David said to Ahimelech the priest, ‘The king has commissioned me with a matter and has said to me, 'Let no one know anything about the matter on which I am sending you and with which I have commissioned you; and I have directed the young men to a certain place.'’”

David was a liar, not just this and that for what he was known for. This lie led to the death of many priests!

 

[3:39 pm, 26/07/2022] S.R: 𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟚:𝟚𝟚

"Then David said to Abiathar, 'I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have brought about the death of every person in your father's household.'"

I do not have the skin of David to endure such trials. David had caused the death of many, priests of God. If somebody is in trouble on account of me, I think I will be terrified.

David had to go through a lot of criticism and attacks, verbally and physically. Yet he never gave up. And he had the strength and passion to comfort others.

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟛:𝟚

"So David inquired of the LORD, saying, 'Shall I go and attack these Philistines?' And the LORD said to David, 'Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah.'"

God told David to help the citizens of Keilah from the enemies. And these citizens of Keilah would not return the favor. They would give David to Saul to be executed. David might be suspicious of that too. Anyway, God told him to go and he went. And David fled Keilah after helping them. How many of us would be happy with that betrayal? Yet, the actions and obedience of David honored God.

We can honor God even in deep betrayal.

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟜:𝟙𝟛

"As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness'; but my hand shall not be against you."

I must constantly remind myself that I shall not return evil for evil, and that I should be good even when other harms me.

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟝:𝟙𝟝-𝟙𝟞

"Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not insulted, nor did we miss anything as long as we went about with them, while we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them tending the sheep."

There's a similarity in the recruitment of David's soldiers and Manipur underground (insurgency), but their conducts are way different from each other. David, being God's anointed and since he knew that, he behaved righteously and so were his men.

All my villagers had a desire that all the NSCN-IM cadres posted at my village in 2018 were dead by some plague because they weren't like David soldiers but harassing the villagers.

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟞:𝟙𝟙

"The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD'S anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go."

I don't need to do God's work; He will do it. I don't need to help God; He can do it. It's God who would kill Saul at the hands of a random Philistine soldier. David didn't need to seize the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. He knew God was alive, active, and alert!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟟:𝟙𝟚

"So Achish believed David, saying, ‘He has surely made himself odious among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever.’"

Both were tricksters. We aren't told whether they were right or wrong. But one thing is sure: they were military men, though kind of allies now, they had been enemies.

Military strategies are to deceive in order to win.

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚𝟠:𝟞

"And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets."

Scriptures have mentioned many times that the way of a transgressor is hard. Saul was desperate. He had to seek after the devil, disguised himself as someone who disregarded a king's order, went after a woman, disobeyed his own order, and had no strength even to walk or eat.

And he perished at the hand of an ordinary soldier. A big lesson for all Christians to not forsake their first love!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝔸𝕄𝕌𝔼𝕃 𝟚𝟡:𝟠

"And David said to Achish, ‘But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?’"

What a bluff master! Anyway, he wasted his time there and his town was raided by enemies.

Was David stupid or extraordinarily cunning? But the Lord prevented him from the battle. At the same time, the Lord sent enemies to raid his own town.

He was busy bluffing when his own home was burnt down!

Just an observation for tonight!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟘:𝟚

"and they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way."

David used to terrorize others’ towns and kill every one of them. And these people didn't kill anyone of David's people. Hmmm!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟛𝟙:𝟡

"They cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people."

I guess I have been reading this account without careful attention or my memory is just not that good. It looks like this is the first time I read the beheading of Saul. Ought to read Bible again and again!