Category: 2 Samuel

The last words of David…kind of.  We see quite a few more after this.  Oh well.

Anyway, his words here are very interesting.  Apparently they were words God gave him when David became king. 

One would only wish that all leaders would take them to heart.

When one rules over people in righteousness,
when he rules in the fear of God,
he is like the light of morning at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
that brings grass from the earth. (2 Samuel 23:3-4)

How often do we see bad rulers who rule neither in righteousness nor in the fear of God. 

Too often, we see leaders that are only after their own political and personal gain.  Which unfortunately is why politicians have such a poor reputation in just about every country. 

How many leaders can we say are “like the light of morning at sunrise…like the brightness that brings grass from the earth?”

But not only that, David points out,

If my house were not right with God,
surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant,
arranged and secured in every part;
surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation
and grant me my every desire. (5)

David actually struggled in this area as we have already seen.  By the end of his life, perhaps things were better, but even before his death, we see a power struggle between Adonijah and Solomon.

But it brings up the point that a good leader should have his house in order.  And when he doesn’t, it doesn’t speak well for his leadership skills.  How can you be a good leader if you can’t even lead your own family?

And so for all of us, how are we at home?  Is our house right before God?  Do we treat one another with love and respect?  Do our kids honor us?  Or is it chaos?

When you step outside of your home, in whatever leadership position you may be in, do you do lead in such a way that you’re looking out after the people under you? 

And do you lead in a way that would be pleasing to God?  Do you raise and nurture and bring joy to the people under you?  Or do you only bring hurt and bitterness?

What are your traits as a leader? 

Enthusiasm is a great thing, especially when it comes to doing things for God and his people.  God takes great joy when his people do things out of love for him.  Except.

Except?  Yes, there is an exception.  You see, God is not just interested in our zeal.  He’s also interested in that we do what is right.  And when in our zeal we do things that are wrong, he is not pleased.

That’s the point of this story.  It says in verse 2,

Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them. (2 Samuel 21:2)

This goes back to the time of Joshua, when the Gibeonites deceived the Israelites into signing a peace treaty between the two peoples.  (Joshua 9). 

Deceived or not, the Israelites were bound to keep the covenant.  But Saul in his zeal for Israel, and perhaps for God (or so he thought), tried to wipe them out. 

It seems from verse 1, that his family was involved in this act as well.  (God not only mentioned Saul, but his “blood-stained house.”)

As a result, a famine came upon the land, and it was only after David dealt with this matter that the famine ended.

Throughout history, you see this kind of problem, however. 

You see this in the crusades and the inquisition, two stains on the Christian world.  People who were zealous for God and yet did some atrocious things.

Even today, you see this problem, and not only in terms of violence. 

There are many cultists such as Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses who are very zealous for God.  They go on mission trips and knock on people’s doors to share their faith. 

But they’re sharing a faith whose teaching has been corrupted. And God takes no pleasure in their activities.

Almost every year you hear of people that are convinced Jesus is coming back this year, and so they sell all their possessions, quit their jobs, and wait in expectation.  They too are zealous, but wrong.

What’s the problem?  The apostle Paul pinpoints it for us in Romans 10:2.

For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.

Paul is specifically talking about the Israelites here, namely the ones who were trying to be justified before God through the law. 

But the truth is a general one.  If you have a zeal that’s not based on knowledge of the truth, you often end up doing things that displease God.

Where do we get the truth?  From God’s word.

So the question you need to ask yourself is this:  ”How well do I know God’s word?  Do I have zeal without knowledge of what God’s will is?”

If you do, the day may come when you stand before God expecting his praise, only to find out that you weren’t pleasing him at all.

Do you have zeal without knowledge?

Pride.  How often does pride cause problems in our lives?  How often does it break our relationships?  How often does it cause us to do things that we know are wrong?

It’s hardly a new problem.  You see it all the way back from the beginning of the Bible, when pride, at least in part, caused Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of the knowledege of good and evil. 

“You will be like God,” Satan said.  And so they ate.

You see the same problem in this passage.

Ten of the tribes of Israel had decided to ask David to be their king once again, but for some reason, Judah, the tribe from which David came, hesitated. 

But David reached out to them, and they decided to follow him too, and in fact escorted him across the Jordan.

At this point, the rest of the tribes got upset.  Apparently, they felt that they should’ve been included among the escort. 

“After all,” they said, “We asked him to be our king first.”  (19:43).

It was such a petty thing.  And yet, they chose to make it a bigger deal than it was.  Things weren’t helped when the men of Judah replied harshly.  And so what started as a petty issue, turned into something big. 

Why?  Pride.

How often does the same thing happen to us?  How often do we get into fights with others because of a perceived slight.  And rather than smoothing things over, the other person returns harsh word for harsh word. 

Pride on your part over your bruised ego. 

Pride on their part in not being willing to bend a little, recognizing that justifiably or not, you felt hurt, and should be shown a little grace. 

And unless you or the other person is willing to let go of your pride, great damage can be done to your relationship.  Or worse.

A bruised ego on the part of Sheba caused him to lead another rebellion against David, and eventually it cost him his life. 

Likewise, Joab had his pride hurt when he heard that David was planning to replace him as commander of the armies with Amasa.  And so he murdered Amasa. 

That too, ultimately resulted in Joab’s death.  (I Kings 2:5-6, 28-34)

The question you need to ask yourself is this:  “Do you own your pride, or does your pride own you?”

To own your pride means to know that your self-worth comes from God.  That God made you, that you are his special creation, and that your value comes from him. 

As a result, you have no need to compare yourself with others.  You’re content with who you are and what you have. 

And when you perceive slights from others, you are able to overlook them because you’re not getting your value from them, but from God. 

In other words, since your pride comes from the praise of God, it doesn’t control your actions.  Rather, your only desire is to please Him.

To let your pride own you means that your pride dictates your actions, no matter who it hurts or what harm it causes. 

You’re always comparing yourself with others and competing with others.  And in order to satisfy your pride and prove you’re better than them, you will step on or over anyone that gets in your way.

Further, when people hurt you, you let it affect your relationship with them.  Your pride was hurt, so you hold grudges.  You try to hurt them back.  You want them to feel pain for what they did. 

As a result, your relationships fall apart.

How about you?  Do you own your pride?  Or does it own you?

In many ways, King David is a type of Christ, as well as being an ancestor.  Betrayed by those he loved, having his throne usurped, and then returning to his rightful place.

In the same way, Christ was betrayed by those he loved and had his throne usurped as we rebelled against him, thus allowing Satan to become ruler of this world.  But the day is coming when he will reclaim his throne here on earth.

And as with David’s return in this passage, we will see three things at the return of Christ:  mercy, judgment, and rewards.

Mercy. 

Shimei deserved punishment, perhaps even death, for cursing the king.  Abishai certainly was in favor of killing Shimei. 

But David showed mercy.  Though Shimei deserved punishment, David stayed his hand. 

In the same way, when Christ comes, we who are Christians will come before him, deserving punishment, deserving death. 

And yet, because of what Jesus did on the cross and our faith in his work there, we, like Shimei, will receive mercy.

I should point out, however, that there is a big difference in the mercy we receive and the mercy Shimei received. 

There was no price paid for the mercy Shimei received, and as a result of his further actions, he would be judged and killed by David’s son Solomon. 

The mercy we receive, on the other hand, came at the price of Christ’s blood.  And as a result of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, our mercy will never be revoked.

Judgment. 

All of us will be judged for what we do, both the good and the bad, when Jesus returns.  And that includes Christians. 

The apostle Paul wrote,

[Jesus] will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.

At that time each will receive his praise from God.  (1 Corinthians 4:5)

This is not to say, that we will go to hell for the evil that we do.  But God will shine his light on every aspect of our lives, and based on what we’ve done, will receive his praise or rebuke.

David called Mephibosheth to account for not supporting him when he was running from Absalom. 

It is my impression that it was actually Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, that was in the wrong.  That he had been seeking to slander his master, that he might receive rewards from David. 

But David did not have the wisdom to discern who was lying, and so he just split the property of Saul between them.

Unlike David, however, nothing is hidden from God.  He knows our hearts and our every motive, and he will give perfectly just judgments.

Rewards. 

A rich man named Barzillai had come out to help David and his men in his time of need, and so when David’s throne was restored, he offered rewards to him. 

In the same way, Jesus will do the same with us when he returns.  Jesus said,

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me…

I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’  (Matthew 25:34-36,40)

Christ will return to claim his throne someday.  What will he say when he sees you?

It’s pretty clear by this point that David was fed up with Joab. 

On top of having murdered Abner when David was trying to unify Israel, now he had killed David’s own son, against David’s own express wishes. 

It’s never expressly stated that David found this out, but as one of Joab’s soldiers put it, “nothing is hidden from the king”  (2 Samuel 18:13). 

Also add to the fact that he was ready to take on Absalom’s general to head his own armies and David’s words of disgust to Joab’s brother Abishai when he wanted to kill Shimei (2 Samuel 19:22).

All in all, I think there can be no doubt that David had had enough.

Joab was a blood-thirsty, self-serving man.  But in this passage he gave David some good advice. 

David was weeping so much for Absalom that he didn’t realize how it was affecting the men who had fought and given their lives for him.  Because they heard that David was weeping, they came into the city, hanging their heads.

And Joab told David,

You love those who hate you and hate those who love you.

You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. 

Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall.

This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now.  (2 Samuel 19:6-7)

It would’ve been so easy for David to reject Joab’s advice out of hand.  To let his anger cause him to shut out Joab’s words, painful though they were. 

Especially painful since it was by Joab’s own hand that Absalom died.

But David was able to filter out the good advice from the source it came from.  And he went out to his men to thank and encourage them.

Sometimes we have to do the same thing that David did.

There may be a person we dislike.  It may be a relative.  It may be a boss or someone at work.  It may be someone at church.  And maybe they have done things to upset us or hurt us. 

But every once in a while, they may say something that’s for our good.  And like David we need to filter out the good advice they have from the dislike that we feel for them.

That takes humility.  And it takes a heart that’s willing to listen. 

Sometimes the words of God can come from the most unexpected people.  Be sure that you don’t miss them because of your feelings for another.

So often when wicked people perish, we tend to rejoice.  And I can certainly understand it. 

I’ve mentioned this before, but when Osama Bin Ladin died, many people in America rejoiced over it.

But how does God feel when the wicked perish.  I think we catch a glimpse when we see David, someone who God said was a man after his own heart.

When David heard his son Absalom had died, the same Absalom who had hated him, the same Absalom who had tried to usurp the throne from him, it says in verse 33 that David wept, saying,

O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son! (2 Samuel 18:33)

And if you think about it, that was the heart of God. 

God is heart-broken when we, who hate him, we who try to usurp his rightful place in our hearts, die in our sin. 

He is so heart-broken, that 2000 years ago, he came down to this earth and died for us.  He took the punishment that we ourselves deserve in order that we might have life.

Paul wrote,

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (Romans 5:7-8)

It’s easier for us to understand God dying for someone who’s basically good. 

But the truth is, we are all sinners, deserving hell.  Still, God loved us so much that though we deserved hell, he died so that we wouldn’t have to go there.

How do you feel when the wicked perish?  How do you feel when you see someone who has hurt you hurting?  How do you feel when you see someone who has wronged you suffer? 

May we remember the grace that God has shown us as sinners and have the same attitude towards them that God has towards us.

Ahithophel is probably not the most well known figure in the Bible.  I never really gave him much thought until I started rereading the story of Absalom’s rebellion this year.

But as I mentioned in an earlier blog, in addition to being David’s advisor, he was also most likely the grandfather of Bathsheba, the woman David seduced and committed adultery with.

If one wonders why Ahithophel turned against David, you probably have no need to look further than this event. 

David, by committing adultery and murder, threw a dark shadow on Ahithophel’s family, disgracing his granddaughter and thus his family name.

And so when Absalom recruited Ahithophel to his cause, Ahithophel never hesitated. 

He first suggested that Absalom sleep with his father’s concubines, no doubt thinking it would only be poetic justice that David should suffer this way.

But then you see just how personally he took things in his advice to Absalom concerning the attack on David and his men.

Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight. 

I will come upon him while he is weary and exhausted and terrify him, so that all the people who are with him will flee.

Then I will strike down the king alone, and I will bring back all the people to you.  (2 Samuel 17:1-3 NASB)

Note his words.  “Let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David.  I will come upon him…Then I will strike down the king.”

Ahithophel was so intent on revenge, that it seems that he wanted to lead the attack himself and kill David with his own hands.

Of course that didn’t happen.  Absalom asked the advice of Hushai, David’s friend who pretended to be on Absalom’s side.

And Hushai not only contradicted Ahithophel’s advice, but warned David about both Ahithophel’s advice and the advice he himself had given Absalom.

When Ahithophel saw that Absalom had taken Hushai’s advice, he no doubt saw that Absalom would eventually fall, and so he went and hung himself.

What happens when we let our desire for revenge consume us?

1.  We forget the grace that God showed us.  More, we start to resent the grace God shows others. 

Ahithophel was right to be angry at David for what he had done.  But what Ahithophel failed to realize was that he was a sinner too and needed God’s grace as well. 

Because he forgot that, he couldn’t find it in his heart to forgive David as God had.

2.  It leads us to make foolish decisions. 

I don’t know how far Ahithophel really would have gone in leading the attack.  You’d think he’d at least have been in his 60s when this all happened.  Did he really think he would’ve survived an attack on David and his men? 

But by being so consumed with his need for revenge, he was willing to put his own life in jeopardy.

3.  It ultimately destroys us. 

Even if the desire for revenge doesn’t lead to death, it takes joy and peace from our lives. 

We focus so much on the hurt that was caused us, that we can no longer enjoy the good things in life.  And we miss out on the good plans that God has for us.

How about you?  Have you been wronged?  Have you been hurt by another? 

Let go of the hurt.  Let go of the bitterness.  Let go of your need for revenge. 

Because in the end, the person you really hurt is yourself.

I suppose I could’ve used the word “patience” when titling this blog, but “longsuffering” seems to fit better. 

David certainly suffered a lot during this time with his son taking over his kingdom, his wisest counselor betraying him, and his best friend’s son doing the same. (Supposedly, anyway. We’ll get to that in another blog,)

Now this uncouth man named Shimei, a relative of King Saul, was cursing David out.

It would’ve been easy for that to be the tipping point to David going over the edge: to do as his nephew Abishai suggested and to have this “dead dog’s” head cut off. 

But despite all he was going through at that time, all the hurt he had received from people close to him and that he loved, David refused to take his anger out on this more or less stranger, no matter how much provocation Shimei gave him.

David said,

My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite!

Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 

It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today. (2 Samuel 16:11-12)

How do you respond to people when they hurt you or insult you? 

Do you lash back? 

Or do you let it go?  Do you put your suffering in the hands of God?

It’s not easy.  And I’m not necessarily saying that if people hurt you that you should just keep your mouth shut.  You should try to reconcile with that person, and make peace. 

That may not be possible, however.  Certainly, Shimei was in no mood to make peace with David.  And reconciliation has to be a two-way thing. 

But as much as it depends on you, make peace.

And if it’s not possible, then take your hurt to God and let him deal with it.  Ask for his help to forgive and for wisdom on how to deal with the situation. 

Let us be like Jesus, who,

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.  (1 Peter 2:23)

Betrayal and undying loyalty seem to be the themes in this chapter. 

Betrayal by David’s son Absalom and David’s closest advisor Ahithophel. 

Loyalty from Ittai, the priests, and Hushai, David’s friends.

But Ittai stands out to me the most. 

He was a foreigner, and in exile from his own country.  David had apparently taken him in, and with David now in exile himself, Ittai was willing to join him. 

David tried to convince him to go back to Jerusalem, saying,

Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom.

You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going?

Go back, and take your countrymen. May kindness and faithfulness be with you.  (2 Samuel 15:19-20)

But Ittai replied,

As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.  (21)

David had shown great kindness to Ittai, and as a result, Ittai was determined to follow after him, no matter what.

That’s the kind of commitment and love Jesus wants from us.  Jesus said almost the same thing to one of his would-be followers that David said to Ittai.

Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.  (Matthew 8:20)

In other words, following Christ is not always easy.  It’s not always comfortable.  And so we have to ask ourselves a question.  How much do we really love him? 

He has rescued us from Satan’s kingdom, forgiven us our sins, and made us a child of God.  Are we grateful enough that we’re willing to follow him when things aren’t easy?

For Ittai, there was no hesitation.  Because of his love for David, he followed him even though things were tough.

For the would-be follower, we don’t know what happened, whether he followed, or decided the cost was too high and walked away.

What will you choose?

David faced a conundrum.  He loved his son Absalom.  But because Absalom had murdered his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar, Absalom was exiled from Israel.

Yet, in 2 Samuel 13:39, it says,

And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.

How to balance justice and mercy.  It was unfortunately something David never did figure out.

At Joab’s urging, he allowed Absalom back in Israel yet refused to let Absalom see his face.

This in turn led to further resentment on Absalom’s part, as he told David through Joab, “I might as well still be in exile.”  (2 Samuel 14:32)

Finally, David did reconcile himself to Absalom.  But at a cost.  Justice never was served.

God too faced a conundrum.  He loved us, but like Absalom, we were exiled from him because of our sin.  How could he reconcile his love for us and his holiness?  How could he reconcile justice and mercy?

God loved us so much, that he found a way.  I love the words of the woman that Joab sent to David.

Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die.

But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.  (2 Samuel 14:14)

And God’s way to restore our relationship with him came through the cross of Christ.  Two thousand years ago, Jesus came to this earth, and died on the cross to take the punishment for our sin.

Peter wrote,

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  (1 Peter 3:18)

By Jesus taking the punishment for our sin, justice was served.  And now mercy is shown to anyone who will receive it.

John writes,

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.  (John 1:12)

Have you received God’s mercy and forgiveness?

Sin often has unintended consequences.  And I think you see this in chapter 13 of 2 Samuel.

David sinned with Bathsheba, committing adultery, and then murdering her husband. 

Would he still have done it, knowing what would happen to his family afterward?

There is an old saying, “Like father, like son.” 

In other words, children often follow the example of their father.  And that’s exactly what David’s oldest son Amnon did. 

Like his father, he lusted after a woman.  And like his father, he took her in a way that was shameful, and disgraceful.  In short, he raped his own half-sister, Tamar.

David failed Amnon in that he was a terrible example for his son on how to deal with his sexual desires.  But he also failed in that when he found out what his son had done, he did…nothing.

In verse 21, it says that when David heard of what Amnon did, he was furious.  But the silence concerning what he did about it is deafening.

What was the result?  It planted seeds of resentment and anger in Absalom, who was Tamar’s full-brother. 

Not only was Absalom angry and resentful toward his brother, you see that he felt the same way toward his own father. Eventually, he would lead a rebellion against David that nearly cost David his life.

And because David did nothing when he found out about the rape of Tamar, Absalom took things in his own hands, and murdered Amnon.

Why didn’t David do anything?  It’s hard to say.  Perhaps it was because Amnon was his first-born.

But if I were to guess, it was because he felt morally compromised because of the incident with Bathsheba. 

Perhaps he felt, “How can I punish Amnon for doing something I myself am guilty of, sexual immorality?”

But in doing nothing, he failed as a father.

As parents, we have a big responsibility, given by God, to raise our children. 

I’ve got to be honest.  I don’t feel qualified.  Often times, I struggle with what’s the right way to raise my daughter. 

But I have a responsibility to her to be a godly example to her, to teach her what is right, and to discipline her even when it’s unpleasant to do so. 

I pray that I would be the parent God calls me to be.

How about you?  What kind of parent are you? 

Are you a good example to your kids?  Are you disciplining them when needed?  Are you teaching them to do what’s right? 

If we fail to do these things, we fail our children.  And we fail in the responsibility that God himself has given us.

David was well and truly caught. 

Nathan the prophet brilliantly confronted David with his sin by telling him a story he knew would strike a chord with David: the love of a man for his sheep. 

Knowing David’s background as a shepherd, Nathan told him a story of a rich man taking the beloved lamb of a poor man, killing it, and cooking it for a guest.

David was outraged.  “That man deserves to die!”

Nathan looked right into the eyes of David and said, “You are the man.”

And with that, all David’s thoughts that his actions had gone unnoticed crumbled to the ground.

Nathan’s words are most striking.

You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.  (1 Samuel 12:9)

In other words, just because it wasn’t David’s hand that did the killing, God still held him responsible for it because it was due to David’s plotting that Uriah died.

Nathan went further,

“Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes…you despised [the Lord] and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.”  (9-10)

How often do we think of what we’re doing when we sin? Not only are we doing evil, but we’re despising God and his word. 

We’re telling God, “I don’t care what you said in your word.  I don’t care about all the goodness and love you’ve shown me.  I don’t care how much my actions will hurt you.  I’m going to do what pleases me.”

Not only that, when we sin, it allows the people around us to blaspheme God.  Nathan told David,

You have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme.  (14)

How often do our actions cause people to say, “Is this what Christianity is about?  If it is, I don’t see any need to become a Christian.  They’re just like me.”

But on top of that, when we sin, there are consequences.  And despite David’s repentance,  despite his pleas, the child born to Bathsheba as a result of David’s sin died.

God forgave David. 

“The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die,” Nathan said. (13)

The eternal consequences were dealt with.  But the consequences on earth remained, and they would affect David and his family well into the future.

Paul writes,

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  (Galatians 6:7-8)

Sin is a serious thing.  Let us never deceive ourselves into thinking it’s not.

I love murder mysteries, especially those by Agatha Christie.  Columbo is also a lot of fun. 

I love Agatha Christie, because I like trying to guess who the murderer is.  But I like Columbo because I like seeing how the murderer gets found out.

God once told the Israelites, “You may be sure that your sin will find you out.”  (Numbers 32:23). 

And that’s exactly what happened with David.

David thought he had committed the perfect crime.  That nobody knew what he had done.  He had slept with a man’s wife, and when she got pregnant, David killed her husband.

But in 2 Samuel 11:27, it says,

But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.

In other words, God knew exactly what David had done.  Despite all of David’s efforts to hide his sin, God knew.

But I think David would have been very naive to think that he had fooled everyone else too.  Joab certainly knew about it.  Did Joab tell anyone else?

Surely the messenger was highly suspicious when he was told to give the message of Uriah’s death to David. 

“Why is Uriah’s death so important?”  he must have thought to himself. 

But then when found out Bathsheba was pregnant and that David had immediately married her, he must have guessed the reasons for Joab’s message.  What whispers did he start?

How about David’s army?  Did anyone who heard the battle plan question it? 

Uriah was one of David’s top soldiers.  Surely someone must have said, “Why are we doing this?  It’s such a stupid battle plan.  Somebody’s going to get killed.” 

And all Joab could say was, “Shut up and do what you’re told.”

What whispers went on within the army when they found out that David had married a pregnant Bathsheba.

Then there’s Ahithophel, David’s counselor, grandfather of Bathsheba, and father of another of David’s top soldiers, Eliam. 

What whispers did he hear from his son about the battle that killed Uriah?  And what suspicions did he have when he saw David marry his granddaughter.

I’m not sure, but I have to wonder if this is one of the reasons he supported Absalom in his attempted coup of David’s kingdom.  Certainly there’s some irony behind Ahithophel’s advice to Absalom.

Lie with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace.

Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench in your father’s nostrils, and the hands of everyone with you will be strengthened.  (2 Samuel 16:21)

Was part of Ahithophel’s thinking, “It would only serve David right for what he did to Uriah and my granddaughter?”

The point is, we cannot hide our sin.  People will find out.  We may think we’re fooling them, but often times, they see much more than we expect. 

Even if we do manage to fool them, however, we’re not fooling God.  And as he did with David, he will call us to account.

How about you?  Are you hiding sin in your life?  Do you feel like you’re fooling everyone? 

You’re not fooling everyone.  And even if you are, you aren’t fooling God. 

So don’t deceive yourself.  When you sin, deal with it quickly.  Don’t try to hide it.  Confess it. 

It will come out sooner or later.  Either on this earth, or on the day of judgment. 

And it’s much better for you if you deal with it now than in the hereafter.

I’ve read through the Bible more than a few times, and I’ve probably read or heard this story dozens of times in my life. But today, I saw something for the first time. 

In verse 3, David says,

Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?

The key phrase here is “God’s kindness.” 

David didn’t just say, “Is there anyone from Saul’s family that I can show kindness to?” 

He said, “Who can I show God’s kindness too?”

As I look at that, I can’t help but think that David looked back at God’s kindness in his own life.  That though he had been a poor shepherd boy, the youngest in his family, a nobody, still God singled him out to bless him. 

Because of that, David wanted to do the same for someone from Saul’s family, for Jonathan’s sake.

Here was Mephibosheth, descendant of Saul, someone that David could’ve considered a threat to the throne. 

Here was Mephibosheth, crippled after an accident when he was a boy, brought before David, probably thinking he was going to die.

And David showed God’s kindness to him, not only letting him live, but restoring his grandfather’s land to him, and having him eat at the king’s table for the rest of his life.

What is God’s kindness?  God’s kindness gives us what we don’t deserve. 

We don’t deserve salvation.   We don’t deserve any gift God gives us.  And yet he gives these things to us anyway.  That’s grace. 

We deserve punishment for our sin.  We deserve death.  Yet God forgives us.  He doesn’t give us what we do deserve.  That’s mercy.  That’s God’s kindness.

Do you show God’s kindness to the people around you?  Just as you have received mercy and grace from God, do you show these things to your family, to your neighbors, to your coworkers, to the people around you?

Let us be like David, seeking to show God’s love and kindness, making a difference in a world that desperately needs him.

Ish-Bosheth’s reign certainly didn’t last very long.  It came to an abrupt end when his own men killed him and took his head to David.

Of course, David didn’t take kindly to this, and so he had the men executed.  (Much different from his response to Joab’s murder of Abner, I might add, to whom he did…nothing.)

But as I read this passage, it’s the first verse that strikes me.

When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. (2 Samuel 4:1)

One gets the impression that the reason his men turned against him was because Ish-Bosheth was anything but a strong leader.  He relied on Abner so much that when Abner died, Ish-Bosheth lost all hope. 

The problem is that when a leader fails to lead in times of trouble, it affects all the people under him.  His fear became the all of Israel’s fear.

What kind of leader are you? 

You might say to me, “I’m no leader.”

But if you’re a parent, you’re a leader to your children. 

If you’re a teacher or Sunday school teacher, you’re a leader to your students. 

If there is anyone who looks up to you and follows you, you are a leader to them.  And as such, they look to you when times get tough.

How do you respond when tough times come? 

Are you reliant on others and the strength they can give?  It’s good to have people like that around you, of course. 

But if they’re not there to support you, do you start to panic?  Or do you turn to God and ask for his help and his wisdom?

That’s the kind of leaders we need to be.  People who stand first and foremost on their relationship with God.  And when we don’t, we start to panic like Ish-Bosheth and that trickles down to the people under us. 

Ultimately, that leads to disaster, for us and for them.

What kind of leader are you?

A lot of political intrigue going on here.  But as I look at this passage, it makes me think how important it is to examine our motives as we do things.

For Abner, he did the right thing, supporting David, but for the wrong reasons. 

Either he supported David because he was hurt by a false accusation by Ishbosheth, or the accusation was true, and Abner didn’t like being called out on it. 

Either way, Abner knew God had chosen David to be the next king but didn’t support him until Ishbosheth accused him of wrongdoing.

Joab, on the other hand, did the wrong thing for the wrong reasons. 

He killed Abner for killing his brother in battle.  And Joab didn’t do it in battle or even in a duel.  Rather, he caught Abner unaware and killed him with no mercy. 

It’s also highly likely Joab killed Abner because he was afraid David was going to appoint him in Joab’s place as chief general.

David’s actions are a little hard to fathom as well. 

Was he right in demanding his wife Michal back?  That’s hard to say. 

I can see why he did so, but Michal had been given to another man in marriage by Saul.  And the man did love Michal. 

How Michal felt, we have no idea.  But considering her later actions, it’s possible she loved this other man too. 

At the very least, David should have asked her what she wanted to do.  But in addition to getting his first wife back, perhaps he also wanted to solidify his claim to the throne, having married Saul’s daughter. 

Whatever the reason, one wonders if he did the right thing here.

But the last thing I wonder about is why he didn’t deal with Joab’s treachery. 

By God’s law, Joab should have been put to death.  But David didn’t do so.  Why? 

One thing David said was that Joab was too strong for him.  (verse 39)

It’s possible David didn’t think he could do without Joab’s leadership of his army.  For all his faults, he was a good general. 

It’s also possible that he didn’t want to kill his own nephew.  He did later ask his son Solomon to deal with Joab, but in David’s lifetime, he never did.  And I do think he made a wrong decision there.

What do we do in our lives and why do we do them? 

Ultimately, the one we have to answer to is God.  Someday we will have to give an account to him of all our actions, and why we did them. 

When we stand before God, can we give to him a good account? 

Or will we stand embarrassed before him because of our actions and the motives behind them?

If there was a consistent weakness in the character of David, it seems to be with women.  He just couldn’t seem to stop himself from collecting the beautiful women around him. 

Of course, he didn’t come close to taking it to the extent that his son Solomon would.  But nevertheless, he went well beyond God’s intention that one man should be with one woman. 

God didn’t make Adam and Eve and Mary and Sarah.  He made Adam and Eve.

But people started to depart from that ideal shortly after the fall, and it was a common practice in David’s day, especially among rulers.

This weakness came to a head the day David saw Bathsheba, but it has its roots here.  Even here, you can see some evidence of the negative effects of his weakness just by looking at the names of his sons.

Amnon, his oldest son,  would rape his half-sister Tamar, the daughter of David’s third wife Maacah. 

Absalom, Tamar’s brother, would consequently kill Amnon for this, and would also try to steal his father’s throne. 

Adonijah, the son of David’s fifth wife, later tried to take the throne from his brother Solomon (the son of the aforementioned Bathsheba) whom David had chosen as his successor.

In other words, David’s family was a complete mess, in part because of his lack of self-control when it came to women.

But this is what happens when give into our weaknesses and stray from the plans God has for our lives.  It makes our lives a mess.

For some people, that weakness may be women or men.  For others, it may be gambling, or alcohol, or pornography.  These would be obvious things. 

But it could also be overeating, playing X-box or Wii too much, or overindulging in your other hobbies to the detriment of your family.

Basically, anything taken to an extreme can be harmful to you, to your family, or to the people around you.  And it can make your life a mess.

What about you?  Is there anything controlling your life?  Something you cannot seem to stop doing even though you know it’s causing harm to your life? 

It’s best to deal with it now before it becomes an even bigger monster in your life.  Take it before God. 

It might be a good idea to take it before some close Christian friends and ask for their help, praying for you and keeping accountable. 

But don’t just let these things go unchecked in your life.　　Because in the end, it can make a mess of your life and even destroy the things that you hold dear.

I’m stubborn.  I admit it.  And there are times in the course of an argument when I’ll think, “This is stupid.  Why am I arguing about this?” and yet I’ll continue to hold my position.

But there are times when it simply isn’t worth it to keep fighting, and to just let it go.

Asahel was David’s nephew and one of his best soldiers.  Unfortunately, he didn’t know when to stop fighting. 

He was chasing after Abner, the general of Ishbosheth’s (the son of Saul) army, and would not break off pursuit. 

Perhaps he was thinking, “This is my chance to be the hero.  If I kill Abner, David will surely become king.

When Abner saw Asahel chasing him, twice he warned Asahel to turn aside, but Asahel refused to do so. 

Finally, Abner turned and killed Asahel.

Later, Abner was able to regroup his men, and shouted down at Joab, Asahel’s brother,

Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness?

How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers? (2 Samuel 2:26)

But unlike his brother, Joab knew when to stop fighting.  He answered,

As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit of their brothers until morning. (27)

He then blew his trumpet, stopping his men’s pursuit, and everyone went to their homes.

Sometimes we get involved in arguments or fights, and as we’re doing so, we start to realize that no good is coming out of it.  That all that’s happening is people are getting angry or hurt. 

What do you do in that situation?  Do you keep fighting?  Or do you back off.

Now, there are times we have to make a stand and not back down. 

But there are also times, we need to just agree to disagree and let go of the argument.  And in some cases, it means giving in to the other person, even when you disagree.

How can you tell when to make a stand and when to back down? 

I suppose the big question to ask is which will do more harm.  Would the only harm to backing down be to your pride?  If that’s the case, then it’s probably better to back down. 

If, on the other hand, there is a real harm possible to you or the other person if you back down, then it’s better to make a stand.

In either case, it’s often a good idea to just take a step back from the argument and cool down. 

When you do that, it allows you to get away from the heat of the moment so that you can judge the situation more rationally.

Do you know when to stop fighting?

As I look at the lament of David, it’s not surprising that he would weep for Jonathan.  They were, after all, best friends. 

But that he would weep for Saul as he did is amazing to me.  And the gracious words he had for Saul is almost beyond my comprehension.

“Saul and Jonathan—
in life they were loved and gracious,
and in death they were not parted.

They were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions.”

“O daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.”
(2 Samuel 1:23-24)

I suppose it is because of that kind of gracious attitude towards one that hated him that God could call David a man after his own heart.

After all, Jesus himself said,

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.(Matthew 5:43-45)

For a lot of people those words are just that:  words.  Nice words.  But a bit too idealistic.  Not really practical in the real world. 

But to David, they were very real.

How in the world do we love those who hate us? 

I think the key is in seeing them as God sees them.  To see beyond their attitudes, their character, their words, or their actions, and to see them instead as how God intended them to be. 

As we do that, instead of viewing them in bitterness or anger, we start to view them with pity and compassion. 

We become sad that Satan has robbed them of the kind of life that God intended for them.  And we start to see that these are broken people just as we were broken.  That they’re the way they are because they have been broken by sin.

And if we can view people in that way, we’re a step closer to seeing them as God does.  

That said, it’s easier said than done.

Lord, give me your eyes.  There are people who have hurt me.  People who hate me.  Give me your compassion for them. 

Satan has robbed them of the joy and life that should be theirs, and as a result, they are the way they are. 

Send your mercy upon them and heal their brokenness just as you did with me.  And if you can use me to touch their lives, please do so.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Who’s it going to hurt?

That was probably what the Amalekite was thinking when he went to David to give him the news of Saul’s death. 

But instead of just giving him the straight truth, he fudged it a bit.  At a guess, he saw the exchange between Saul and his armor-bearer where Saul asked that his armor-bearer kill him.

Perhaps thinking that there might be a reward in it for him if he said that he had killed Saul, David’s enemy, with his own hand, the Amalekite told David that he had killed Saul at Saul’s request. 

He may have thought, “Who could my lie hurt?  Saul is already dead.  And if I can profit by his death, well then…”

But David’s response was not at all what the Amalekite expected.  Instead of getting rewarded, he was killed.  David told him,

Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’ (2 Samuel 1:16)

Who did his actions hurt?  Ultimately, they hurt himself. 

That’s what all sin does.  It destroys us.  Even the small, seemingly insignificant ones. 

Adam and Eve probably thought the same thing in the garden of Eden.  “Who could it hurt, eating this fruit?” 

But the end result was their deaths.

The Bible says that, “The wages of sin is death.”  (Romans 6:23) 

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a “big” sin or a “small” sin.  All sin leads to death in the end.

So let’s not fool ourselves by saying, “It’s just a little sin.  Who could it hurt?” 

God takes all sin seriously and so should we.

As Peter wrote,

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”  (1 Peter 1:14-16)