1 Kings 8

2 Chronicles gives us a little insight as to when this prayer of dedication took place. It was prayed right after the temple was built. It was prayed as a dedication for the temple. Solomon was not only given a word of wisdom when he spoke these words, he was given a word of prophesy.

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” (1Ki 8:27).

Humility is a beautiful thing. Imagine if we lived life with the constant idea that we are unworthy. Of course we realize this. We know we are not worthy creatures. We do not often live like this. Solomon realizes that he is completely unworthy and that this temple was unworthy, yet he asks in humility for the Lord to dwell in it.

And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.
(1Ki 8:30)

When you hang around people who love Jesus you will often hear the words, “I am not praying near enough.” This is a good thing. This shows that this person loves Jesus so much that they realize they need more of Him. In this verse we hear Solomon pray to God that when Israel prayed toward this temple, that He would hear them. What a wonderful supplication. Of course, the greatest example of this is Daniel. “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” (Dan 6:10) There was a decree out that threatened Daniel’s life should he kneel and pray. Yet Daniel knew of Solomon’s supplication toward God. Daniel that not only should he pray three times a day, but he should pray toward the temple in Jerusalem. Woe. I am convicted.

"When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple,” (1Ki 8:33).

For the next couple weeks we are going to see this instance over and over again. Israel will be defeated, divided, and destroyed because of their disobedience. Despite this, God is faithful, when they return to the Lord. I think of Jehosophat, Hezekiah, and Josiah. These three men led Israel to many years of peace. All three men had something in common, they served God.

"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance. (1Ki 8:35-36)

In just a few weeks we will be learning about Elijah. He shut up the heavens for three years and with one prayer before the Lord it rained down! This act is mentioned throughout the Bible including Revelation.

"When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers. (1Ki 8:37-40)

All of the above would happen to Israel. Read Joel to learn about when the plague of locusts came. Read through the life of Elisha (2 Kings) to learn of the desperate, poor state of Israel. One may start to think that Solomon is giving the Lord ideas, though we know that it was Solomon being given a tremendous word of Prophecy. Solomon continues his prayed of dedication concerning the temple. To see the Lord’s response you have to turn to 2 Chronicles 7:12-14 to hear the Lord’s answer:

Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2Ch 7:12-14)

If you need healing today, please note the above.

1 Kings 7

He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.
(1Ki 7:14)

I love the studying these type of people in the Bible. These are the guys who are so easy to look over, however held great responsibility. What did Hiram do? He furnished the entire temple of the Lord and hand crafted every piece of bronze in it! No doubt Hiram was elected for this job because he had a gift. He was skilled in the art of bronze therefore, being the best at what he does, he was asked to furnish the temple. Even in this, he was to be filled with “wisdom and understanding and skill.” In everything we do, whether it is a natural ability for us or something entirely new, we are to invite the Lord to be involved. Not only that, but we are to ask the Lord to grant us wisdom understanding and skill.

We also see this same principle when the tabernacle is being made.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. "And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle—the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base— (Exo 31:1-9).

These two men made everything in the Holy of Holies and everything in the tabernacle. They made the lamp stands and down to the utensils. Although they were no doubt naturally gifted for this occasion, they needed to be filled up by the Lord with His wisdom, that they might do His work.

Remember, if you want to serve the Lord to the best of your abilities you have to allow the Lord to use in every way. This means a complete surrendering of all your members. The Lord will fill you and use you in the most practical ways. I am always so encouraged when I watch VBS come together. You got all the crafts people doing their thing. You got the musicians doing their thing. You got the teachers doing their thing and you got the activity people doing their thing. Though these gifts differ in many ways, we have one great bond: we are all doing it for the Lord and we are all receiving our instruction from the Lord. As you go out and minister make yourself an instrument for the Lord to use, just like Hiram.

This Picture would be Herod's Temple. Herod's Temple was built as an addition to Solomon's temple. The foundations are all Solomon's. You can see that they built a massive courtyard on each side. You can see where this would become a great place to set up shop and kind of create a town center. Tables would be overturned.

More of Herod's courtyard.


This is a modest representation of the original Temple. Imagine that dipped in gold. I think Solomon's temple would have been a little more extravagant than this picture shows. This does give a nice view of the set up and the storage spaces on the side.


In our last picture this gives us a cool idea of what it would be like to walk up and see the temple. It looks fancier from this angle, which is more accurate. Also, notice the on the side the stairway leading to the second story! This was quite the structure.


Now the house which King Solomon built for the LORD, its length was sixty cubits, its width twenty, and its height thirty cubits. (1Ki 6:2)

A cubit equals 18 inches. Therefore if you do the math for the above you will find that the Temple structure itself was 90 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, and 45 ft. high. This would be a pretty significant size structure considering there were no cranes or mechanical devices to create this building. The temple had little chambers attached to the side. These were small rooms that could be used for storage, similar to a closet.
Solomon took the temple and essentially dipped it in gold. There were also two Cherubim (Angels) in the Holy of Holies. These creatures were 15 feet tall and had wings which were 7 ½ feet wide each. One wing would touch the wall and the other would touch the other Cherubim’s wing. When the priest came into the Holy of Holies, he would have these two 15 feet tall, 30 feet wide, statues of angels looking right at him!

1 Kings 5

Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: they were one month in Lebanon and two months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the labor force. (1Ki 5:13-14)

This temple was going to be big. Solomon had 10,000 men working in one month shifts. Let me start by saying this, these men worked hard. It only took them 7 years to build this temple. You may think 7 years sounds like a lot of time, but let me start by saying this; one of those tall buildings in the Reston Town Center takes about 3 years to build. That is only one building. Also, we have machinery. We have trucks to move supplies. We have cranes and bulldozers, dump truck and huge mechanical shovels (I forgot the name). They had none of this, and they built the temple in only seven years. What did they have instead? They had a wise leader, hard working men, and willing hearts.

This chapter challenges me. What would we be able to accomplish if we worked for the Lord like these men worked for the Lord? What would we be able to do if we were to allow the Lord to use all of our gifts together? This is why I love VBS and Ireland. You get to see the most different gifts come together to help out in one cause.

Jr. High and High Schoolers, I want to strongly encourage all of you to get out there and use your gifts for the Lord. I understand that many of you have loads of free time during the summer. See how you can use that free time for the Lord. See where you can get plugged in. Put together your own labor force for Jesus.

1 Kings 4

We remember in Numbers 34 that God gave the borders for the Land of Israel. Unfortunately Israel never conquered all that they were supposed to. They were to have all the Land south of them through the Wilderness of Zin. This would push their real estate right up against Egypt. In this chapter we find Israel has all of it!

“So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life” (1Ki 4:21)

They had conquered all the land up to “the River” Euphrates. This was a lot of land to cover Eastward, however, they had conquered all of it. They had conquered up to Mount Hor as Numbers 34:7 had commanded them. Unfortunately, there was this little sliver of land up against the Mediterranean Sea that the Philistines still occupied. Therefore, though this was Israel’s greatest kingdom yet, and greatest kingdom since, it is not the fulfillment of that greatest city to come. Israel will have all the land God promised them.

And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. (1Ki 4:29)

To whom did Israel owe all their success? It was to the Lord. God had given Solomon divine understanding. God had set up Solomon as the greatest, wisest, richest king this world had ever known. Remember, ultimately, it was the Lord governing Israel and Solomon was just the instrument God was using. Unfortunately, this would not always be the case. God was doing a work in Solomon but Solomon would have this very heart, a heart enlarged by God, turned for the things of this world. This is why Israel was always to have a Theocracy (God ruled), and not a Monarchy (Man ruled) government. Solomon was a great king when he allowed God to be king of his life. Once he stopped doing that, his story turns out to be quite depressing.

What we have we owe to God. He is the one who enlarges our hearts. He is the one who gives freely. Therefore everything we own belongs to Him. Do not allow the cares of the world to change your heart.

1 Kings 3

And Solomon said: "You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.
(1Ki 3:6-8)

What would you do if God were to come up to you and say, “I will give you anything you ask.” What in the world would you ask for? It could be anything. I think when the answer is presented in this way it would be easy to come up with the right answer. “I would ask for wisdom,” or “I would ask greater knowledge of the Word that might better know Jesus.” I am challenged here. Do I live this out? Do a live a life that is seeking to know Jesus more? I am truly seeking things of this world. If someone were to open up your heart today, unpack it, and lay the contents out, would they see a heart seeking Jesus or would they see a heart seeking something from this world?

Notice that Solomon did not only say the right thing, he was living it. He had come to the “high place” to give offerings. In fact, gave a thousand offerings. He had so much offering to give, that he just spent the night there. He probably spent quite some time there, just offering to the Lord. Have I ever done this??? Have I ever just said, “Today, I am going to offer praises and prayers to the Lord all day!” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 tells us, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.” Our lives are to always be shooting up prayers and praises to the Lord.

Gang, we might not be faced up with this question up front but we are faced with this question everyday through the decisions we make and the things we seek after. What do want from the Lord? Does your life scream, “More Jesus,” or is it running after the things of this world?

* Todays devo was posted late due to a Proverbs 6:9 moment. Apologies

1 Kings 2

"I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;

(1Ki 2:2-3)

I’ve pointed out before how much I love getting to read people’s last words. You can tell so much about what was really IMPORTANT to them. In this passage, we see David’s last words. They are not spoken to the masses, but to his son; a powerful exhortation to LIVE FOR THE LORD.

David tells Solomon BE STRONG, but not in the John Wayne/action hero sort of way. This is not strength he found in himself, but strength he found in the LORD. Let’s look at what David said, and what it means. I hope we can glean from what David had to say to Solomon… we should do the same things Solomon is told to do!

He starts by saying, “Keep the CHARGE of the Lord”. David tells Solomon to guard with all that he was what the Lord had given to him, what the Lord had called him to do. Is what the Lord has given to you and called you to do PRECIOUS to you? Do you keep it and guard it? Do you protect its place in your life?

What were the things the Lord had charged Solomon to do?

• Walk in His ways… (follow His path, not your own)

• Keep His statutes… (Things God has stated to be true)

• Keep His commandments… (Things God has said to do, or not to do)

• Keep His judgments… (The decisions God has made)

• Keep His testimonies… (His warnings)

All of these things can be found in the WORD OF GOD. You see, the way Solomon was to BE STRONG was by walking according to God’s word. He needed to follow the Lord’s path, and listen to what God said was true. He needed to do only what God said to do, and never what God said not to do. He needed to respect the decisions that God made, and heed all of God’s warnings. He needed to allow God to CONTROL HIS LIFE.

David’s biggest concern at the end of his life was simple, “I want my son to live according to the Word of God”.

What about you? Are you living by God’s Word? If you are, the promise David gives Solomon here can apply to you as well. “You will do well whatever you do and wherever you go”. Great advice… LET’S KEEP IT!

1 kings 1

David was dying. In his old age, he was growing weak and sickly; he could no longer stay warm, and was seemingly confined to his quarters. With his departure from this life drawing near, the question on everyone’s mind is clear; “Who will be king in his place?”

In the midst of this time of wondering what the future would hold, Absalom’s younger brother Adonijah decides that HE should be king. So, he actively begins to campaign for himself. He got our old friend Joab, and another shady character Abiathar to assist him in this effort to take the throne. (Notice Joab, he is only interested in Adonijah because he wants to maintain his own position.) The people Adonijah DOESN’T seek help from offer some further insight into this story. Nathan the prophet, Zadok the priest, David’s mighty men… these were all SPIRTIUAL LEADERS in the nation.

Listen to what Jesus said in the gospel of Luke. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:11) Adonijah had exalted himself, and he was about to be humbled in a big-time way. In a day, he goes from being the self-proclaimed king of Israel, to a man clinging to the horns of the altar hoping his life is spared. Solomon on the other hand didn’t seek anything for himself. Moved by the Lord, Bathsheba and Nathan told David what was going on and reminded him of his promise. David makes Solomon king, and the plans of Joab and his boys COME TO NOTHING.

It is important to remember that “unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it”. Maybe you desire something great for yourself. You want a certain position, accolade, or achievement. My advice to you is simple… Don’t go exalting yourself, stay humble and trust the Lord. Be a Solomon, if you are called, the lord will see to your promotion… if you aren’t you will be saved a whole lot of embarrassment and heartache. As we have already seen this week, self promotion is NEVER THE ANSWER.

2 Samuel 24

Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."

(2Sa 24:1)

Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.

(1Ch 21:1)

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

(Jas 1:13-14)

At first glance, this passage can be a little disturbing. What did David do wrong, and why does it seem that the Lord wanted him to do it? If we didn’t have the rest of God’s Word as a reference, I would be worried here… but when we see this passage in light of the REST OF GOD’S WORD, it makes sense.

Here in 2^nd Samuel, we read that GOD moved David… But if we flip over to 1^st Chronicles, we are told that Satan was responsible. Which is it; God or Satan? Whose fault is all of this anyway? The book of James gives us some thoughts that I think will help to shed some light on the subject here. In James chapter 1 we are told that God does not tempt anyone, but when we are tempted we are DRAWN AWAY BY OUR OWN LUSTS.

David had a pride problem. He wanted to know how many people were in the kingdom for no other reason than to be proud of his size and accomplishments. Satan saw David’s pride, and knew he had an opportunity to tempt him. Satan can do nothing without God ALLOWING it to happen. The reason that God allows this to happen was that ISRAEL WAS REBELLING AGAINST HIM. In all of their rebellion, God would allow Satan to tempt David and use the opportunity to judge Israel. In judging them, he was seeking to BRING THEM BACK to the place they were supposed to be, a place of humble reliance on Him.

When we get into trouble, we often ask “why God?!” as if it is His fault. We need to understand that NO ONE is to blame when we fall into sin but ourselves. It is your own lusts you are drawn away by, and the one who is leading you at that point is Satan. God often allows Satan to TEMPT us, because in the midst of the temptation God wants to TEST us to see how we will respond. He always gives us a way out, but He doesn’t keep us from ever having to face temptation. Ultimately, we are to blame when we fall.

What is in your heart? You know that Satan wants to tempt you; ultimately he wants to destroy you. But, he can only do what God allows him to. How are you dealing with the temptations in your life? God allowed this to happen to David because he wanted to rid David of this evil pride. What does God want to rid you of? Will you let it go the easy way, or are you going to do it the hard way? There is a way of escape, and believe it or not, Jesus is cheering for you. Don’t be like David here, say NO when the devil comes a knockin’.

2 Samuel 23

These are the names of the mighty men whom David had...

(2Sa 23:8)

In this chapter we get to read some of the great deeds of David’s 37 mighty men. When I look at these guys I think “Wow, they weren’t fooling around”. Some of the words that come to mind are Commitment, Faithfulness, Courage, Strength, Honor, Dedication, Fearless, and Devoted.

Just take a look at what some of them did:

• One guy killed 800 men at once.
• One guy fought so hard and long that his sword got stuck to his hand
• One guy defeated the Philistines single-handedly while standing in a field of beans
• Three guys fought through enemy line to get David a drink form the well in Bethlehem
• One guy killed 300 men with his spear
• One guy killed two scary Moabites that are described as “lion-like”; and another time the same guy killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day. His greatest accomplishment was when he attacked a “spectacular Egyptian” with his staff, stole the Egyptians spear and killed him with it.

These guys accomplished great things and were honored by their king. The king that we serve is Jesus, and the question I have for you today is this: What does it look like for US to be the LORD’S “Mighty Men of Valor”?

The Lord wants us to be mighty, but not necessarily in the same sense David’s men were. He wants us to be DEVOTED TO HIM. He wants us to be STRONG IN HIM. He wants us to not be fearful, but rather be men and women that are FULL OF COURAGE. He wants us to stand against the attacks of the enemy, to fight no matter what the odds may be.

To sum it all up, the Lord wants us to be men and women of faith. Not just men and women who believe; men and women that are so full of faith that they must take ACTION!

Let me know what you think it might look like to be one of these MIGHTY MEN today…

2 Samuel 22

And he said: "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.

(2Sa 22:2-3)

Today we are going to take a look at just 2 verses from this Psalm of praise that David sings to the Lord. What I want us to focus on is the way David speaks of the Lord, and the relationship he had with the Lord. It is clear from these verses that David didn’t just know about God, but he had EXPERIENCED RELATIONSHIP with God on SEVERAL DIFFERENT LEVELS. I hope that this description will spur all of us on to a deeper more intimate relationship with the Lord.

• MY ROCK – A cliff or a craggy rock. In a couple portions of scripture this describes a hollow place in a rock that one could hide in. David is calling the Lord his ROCK. The hard surface he could stand upon, but also a place of shelter and protection. At one point in David’s running from Saul we read that he took refuge in one of these “rocks” or craggy cliff shelters. Here he declares that ultimately the Lord was his rock. A place he could come to in trouble, a place where he could be sure to stand on solid ground, and have some protection from the world around. Is the Lord your rock? When you need a solid rock to stand on, and a solid place to hide in, do you go to the Lord?

• MY FORTRESS – This word obviously means a defense, or a place to hide… but it was also a place where you could store the supplies you needed for battle; a place that you knew would keep you and those supplies protected. For David, there was no better place to find the supplies he needed for the battles he fought than in the Lord. Where are you looking for supplies? Where are you storing up those things necessary for a successful battle campaign? I hope that you are looking to the Lord to be your FORTRESS… a place of protection, a place to return to when your supplies run low.

• MY DELIVERER – Here this word describes one who helps you escape. When it came down to it, if David was in a tight spot, and it looked like trouble for him, he looked to the Lord for DELIVERANCE. When we find ourselves hemmed in by trials and temptations, what do we look to as a way of escape? Are we leaning on our own understanding, or do we trust in the Lord? I hope that like David, we will see the Lord as the one who helps us escape from the clutches of the enemy.

• MY STRENGTH – David says that God was his STRENGTH, and the one he trusted in. Who or what do you look to in your life for strength or stability? Do you look to yourself, to your family, to money, or friends? David found his strength in the Lord. The Lord like a strong wall, something to keep the enemy from getting to you… a boulder, strong and immovable. Everything in this life is shakable, changeable, and moveable. Friends will come and go, finances can fail, you will grow weak, even your family can fail you. But if you look to the Lord to be your strength, He will never fail you!

• MY SHIELD – A shield is something you use for protection in battle. Often it was big enough that if you crouched behind it you would be protected from the attacks of your enemies. It is a weapon, and can be used both defensively and offensively. You can push in with it as you fight the enemy, allowing it to protect you as you gain more and more ground. David didn’t want to go into any battle situation open and uncovered. He needed protection, something to shield him, something he could hide behind, and something that could go before him and absorb the blows intended for him. The Lord was all of these things for David. What are you looking to for protection when the enemy comes in hard? Are you hiding behind the Lord, or something else? When you try and move forward in your walk, are you trying to do it alone, or is the Lord going before you absorbing the blows meant for you? Allow the Lord to be your SHIELD.

• HORN OF MY SALVATION – This is a beautiful phrase. It refers to something that we can have in the midst of strife and battle… it is not the idea of being taken OUT of battle, but being preserved in it. In this life, we are always on a battlefield… Though this world has been referred to as the “Devil's Playground”, it is really a spiritual battlefield. The Lord can be a HORN OF SALVATION for us. In other words, he can be a source of power and strength, to give us hope and keep us safe in the MIDST of the fighting. When the battle gets crazy, where are you looking for strength to keep fighting, with a hope that you will win, and you will come through unharmed? David looked to the Lord, and the Lord NEVER FAILED HIM!

• MY HIGH TOWER – In Ireland you see all of these towers. Many of them are towers that were constructed by the monks to keep them safe in the event of an attack by barbarians. The cool thing about these towers is that there is only one door in, and it is about 15 feet off of the ground. From there, you climb stairs to a big room in the very top. This meant you had to climb a ladder to get in, and only ONE GUY AT A TIME COULD CLIMB. Many monks’ lives were saved by towers just like this. David said the Lord was his tower. SWEET!

• MY REFUGE – Literally, a place you can retreat to. This “refuge” is a place you can run to and find peace and rest. When things get crazy where do you go? In Jesus, you can find PEACE and REST. “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He is our retreat, our place of rest!

• SAVES FROM VIOLENCE – It speaks of God bringing David out of a narrow place of danger and oppression, into a safe place with WIDE OPEN PASTURE. Do you feel like the world is closing in all around you? Like it is threatening to hurt, oppress, and even destroy you? The Lord can bring you out of that place, and into a place of safety! David is basically saying, “I was claustrophobic, the world was crushing down on me, I didn’t even have room to breathe! Then the Lord snatched me away, and He brought me to the most wide open, safe place I have ever been!"

You see, the Lord wants us to DEPEND UPON HIM. You may know a lot about Him, but do you really know Him… Do you really have a relationship with Him like David did? Thank the Lord today for all of the many things He can be in your life. Then, trust Him, and look to Him for EVERYTHING.

2 Samuel 21

When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint. Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, "You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."

(2Sa 21:15-17)

These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

(2Sa 21:22)

The Giant is here… and he wants to kill the king. ALL of the giants talked about in this chapter are sons of a Philistine giant named Rapha; they are relatives of goliath, and they are bent on destroying Israel. I want us to spend a few minutes looking at this giant that goes after David, and see if we can learn anything about the spiritual battles that we fight.

1. ALL of these giants came from the same place; yet they all had different characteristics. In this life, attacks may come from many different sides in the Christian life. We are attacked in different areas of our life, from different angles… but we know the attacks are all coming from the same place. Just like all of theses giants were sons of Rapha, all of our battles can be traced back to Satan. We need to recognize who our enemy is… and remember that it is HIM we are fighting. Sometimes the devil uses other people, maybe even people we love. Remember, they are not the enemy, HE is the enemy.

2. The giant attacked when David was weak. This is so like our enemy the devil. When I read this story, I get the sense that Ishbi-Benob was waiting and watching… he wasn’t going to attack until David was good and weak. The name “Ishbi-Benob” means “taking captive”. Isn’t that just like our enemy? He waits and watches us, looking for signs of weakness, then he attacks FULL FORCE and his desire is to TAKE US CAPTIVE. We need to be aware of the strategies of the enemy so we can KNOW when he might attack.

3. David wasn’t alone. Never fear, Abishai was near! The name Abishai means “a gift from my Father”, and in this situation Abishai was a gift from the heavenly father. When Abishai showed up we are told that he came to David’s aid. The King James says he “succored” David. The word succor literally means to come alongside someone and encourage or help them. This reminds me of a couple of things in the Christian life. We have the Holy Spirit as a helper, and He is ALWAYS available to us. He is here to teach, guide, direct, and empower us as we live the Christian life. When we are walking in the Spirit, we CAN’T LOSE in our battles with the enemy. It also reminds me of my brothers and sisters in Christ. The Lord has placed them in our lives to HELP and ENCOURAGE us as we fight the many battles we face in this life. Do you have Abashai’s in your life? Are their other believers ready to come to your aid and help fight your battles with you? A little word of advice… BE AN ABASHAI, and FIND AN ABASHAI. Find someone you can trust, someone you can share your struggles with, someone who can help you when you fight the battles. When the giants come, let that person or people know, so they can come alongside you and help to bring you to victory.

Notice that at the end of the chapter David is given credit for at least a part of this victory. That tells me that even when the Abashais in our lives come to our aid, we still need to play our part. That part is trusting the Lord. Read Ephesians 6:13-18 to see what YOU need to do to be prepared for battle!

2 Samuel 20

And there happened to be there a rebel… (2 Samuel 20:1)

Look at how this Rebel stirs things up. One moment the tribes of Israel are saying “we have ten parts in David”, the next they say “we have no part in him”. This radical change is accomplished by one man, a man we are told here is a REBEL. A rebel is a man who rejects and fights against that which he has allegiance to. This is exactly what Sheba does here. He actively revolts against David, and 10 tribes follow him.

In the King James he is called a man of Belial. The word “Belial” can literally translate as good for nothing, and carries with it the idea of WICKEDNESS. The man of Belial is one who leaves DESTRUCTION in his wake. Now why would these people forsake a man after God’s own heart to follow a wicked man that leaves a trail of destruction? They did it over a silly fight about who should have been able to bring David back to Jerusalem. The 10 Tribes of Israel claimed that THEY should have been the ones because there were more of them. The Tribe of Judah claimed to be CLOSER RELATIVES. David’s mistake was taking sides in this foolish argument. Words get twisted, tempers get heated, and Sheba sees an opportunity to take on the authority he longs for.

It is never a good idea to use evil circumstances like these to try and better your own position. The fight was of the flesh, and what was needed was men to stand up and say so. Instead we see Sheba taking advantage of the situation… Well Sheba, you reap what you sow! At the end of the chapter we see Sheba’s head get whacked off and thrown over a wall… Not really the kind of future Sheba was gunning for!

We see so much of this going on this chapter… Joab also uses these poor circumstances to better himself… He kills David’s new right hand man and puts himself back in his old position. Things in Israel are ugly… as God had said to David; the sword would not depart from his house.

Don’t be a Sheba or a Joab. Don’t take advantage of situations; always trying to see WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU. Instead, when we find ourselves surrounded by horrible circumstances like these, we need to be the men and women that turn things back to the Lord. Self-promotion isn’t cool, and it is NEVER WORTH IT. Living for the praises of men is a huge mistake because they are short lived… PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR MINDS FAST. The same guys that left David to follow Sheba ended up CUTTING HIS HEAD OFF. Jesus first, then others, yourself last. The Lord will take care of you.

2 Samuel 19

Then Joab came into the house to the king, and said, "Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well.
(2Sa 19:5-6)

Joab was the General in charge of David’s army. He held a powerful position. He was the guy who went out with David all those years before. He brought home victories. I can imagine it now, the stories of David and Joab, The Terrific Tandem. There was a problem now. David was growing older and getting to be a little softer. He no longer was venturing off into battle. Joab respects his king, however, Joab also has his own agenda. We remember in the last chapter how Joab simply disregarded what David said and killed Absalom.

You see, Joab was sick of it. He saw Absalom as a traitor, just like all the other enemies of God before. Absalom had come against the Lord’s anointed. Remember, that was the thing David was always preaching and even had men killed because they failed to recognize this. Now, Joab saw someone doing the same thing to his king. When he found Absalom hanging around, he quickly took full advantage of the opportunity to get rid of an enemy of Israel.

David is sobbing for his son and Joab has a thing or two to say to David. He approaches David and essentially tells him, “If you do not stop sobbing about that traitor who was your son, and start giving due thanks to those men who protect your life, we are turning against you.” David therefore sulks outside.

Joab was always trying to protect David. He did not always go about it the right way, however, he was there to correct David when David needed correction and he seemed to be the one man who could correct David. I think about that period in Saul’s career when he started to turn away from the Lord. Where were the people to correct him? Consider when Solomon started turning from the Lord. What men were around to correct him? We are all going to stumble, but as Christians, it is important we place men and women around us who are willing to give us the hard word. They might not always go about it the right way, but they get the message across, which should always be, “Return to Jesus.”

2 Samuel 18

Absalom is dead. It is an interesting that the very thing that Absalom gloried in ended up being his downfall. It would be like if Dillon Knighton were to be running underneath a tree and get his hair stuck in it. Though his hair is awesome, we would all agree that the hair was his downfall.

Joab and David add another notch to their unique relationship in this chapter:
“"Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." – David
"I cannot linger with you." And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom's heart,” –Joab

And so Absalom dies. Of course, the news has to be sent to David and of course Joab is a little hesitant at first. Nevertheless, after giving it a little time Joab sends a Cushite out to give the message to the king. Now a messenger’s job worked in two different ways. Somebody could tell the messenger to run and just report the following events. They could also tell the messenger exactly how they want the events given, like a tape recorder. Joab gives the Cushite very specific instructions on what to say.

I think of our relationship with the Lord. He did not ask us to just go and tell people any good news. He told us to of THE good news, which is given to us in the Bible. We are not to witness to others by telling them a bunch of good stuff about Christianity, but by telling them about Jesus. The only way we can do that is by knowing and reciting the Bible. We carry with us the most important message of all!

The Cushite takes off, all prepped and ready with his message. Here comes this other guy to Joab, named, Ahimaaz. He is super eager to tell news to the king. Therefore he begs Joab to let him run as well and tell the news he has. Joab asks the guy, “Why are you running? I have not even given you any news!” Nevertheless the guy continues to beg Joab and eventually, Joab just tells the guy, “Run.” He meant, “Go away.”

Now Ahimaaz was apparently really fast. He ends up passing the Cushite and getting to king first. Here lies the problem, he has no news. Followers of Jesus (Gang), the Bible tells us that we run a race. We need to run with a message. Ahimaaz had no message, so though he ran hard and ran fast, he ran in vain. If I were to go street witnessing, and I had the faith to go out, the faith to approach someone, the faith to talk about Jesus, but had no message, it would be useless! How do we know the message? We know it by spending more and more time in it. We know by taking the time to let our master tell us the message. We need to sit at Jesus’ feet like Mary (Luke 10). Sure, the Cushite arrived second, however the Cushite had a message! He gave David the bad news, and David was able to weep for his son. Carry a message, spend time with Jesus.

2 Samuel 17

The Civil War is one of the most fascinating wars to study. The idea is incredibly sad, one nation against its own nation. There were a lot of things that led up to the Civil War. We did not randomly decide to war against ourselves. There were men who believed in things, and those beliefs were met with adversity, and hence we have the war.

Israel was on the verge of their first civil war. There was a chunk of them who had grown faithful to Absalom and there was another side that was still faithful to David. In this chapter, we read of those very tense moments before the war and how they affected the war.

In our last chapter we read of Ahithophel’s advice to the king. It was rather perverse advice, but the basic understanding was to send a message that Absalom was king of Israel. This would encourage others to be faithful to Israel, so that when David attacked, they would come to Absalom’s aid. Now Hushai was a good friend of David. He realized that the only way David would beat so great an army is if they came to him and they all came in one big chunk. Hushai’s advice proposed just that. He said (Paraphrased), “We all know David can battle. Therefore just get everyone you can and overpower David.” Absalom’s ended up going with his advice and in the next chapter the pursuit begins. Keep in mind, Absalom is going to have a very large army who is going to have to travel. Because Hushai sent spies out to tell David to go beyond the Jordan, Absalom’s army is not going to be fully prepared for such a long hike. In fact, in our closing verses we read that David’s men were not ready for such a long hike. Fortunately for them, a few guys came brought loads of food. So while Absalom’s men are hiking and growing weary, David’s men are chilling and eating.

In civil war you have two sides. Either way, you are going to fight a battle. The difference is, one way is the right way and one is not. I like what Switchfoot says, “There are just two ways to lose yourself in this life, and neither way is safe…” Choose God, and the Bible says that you are going to run a race and fight a fight. Choose the world and the Bible tells us that you will be following the foolishness of this world and grow a slave to it. Eventually you will learn that you were fighting God. In civil war, you are going to fight a battle. In this life, you are going to fight a battle. There is no easy way. Neither way is safe. The only difference is, one you are fighting for what you believe in, and the other, you are fighting to be made a slave. If you have felt like it has been one of those weeks where you are fighting all the time, find rest in Jesus. You will have to battle, but we find rest in Him. Read Hebrews 4. Find out where our rest comes from!

THE GLAMMIES ARE COMING...

2 Samuel 16

“The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!"”

David is wandering through Israel, seeking a place to rest. This guy comes out and starts throwing stones at David. He is yelling cursing upon David. Shimei’s reasoning is absolutely ridiculous. Because bad things have happened to David, Shimei immediately blames it on David’s falling away from the Lord. The truth of the matter is that David has a rebellious son who is now willing to kill him. Shimei, like everybody else, has jumped on the new bandwagon and has a few things to say to David.

Humans are funny, especially religious ones. Shimei has based David’s exhile on the fact that he has committed bloodshed. Now David does not argue with Shimei due to the fact that there is an element of truth here. Most lies are mixed with truth. They make the lie harder to argue against. David had killed Uriah. Shimei’s motives are far from right. He is yelling at God’s appointed king. Remember how Nathan approached David when he was sent to explain David’s sin. Nathan never yelled or threw anything. Instead he came in silence.

We find David to be more peaceful than he had ever been before. Poor Abishai, having heard of David’s previous stories, is ready to go and cut off the guy’s head. We remember David’s fury with Nabal when he would not let David have anything to eat. Now there was a man throwing stones at them! David simply says, “It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day." David knows the way God works. He will not give up on giving God a chance to do a work. He knows God will take care of the rest, so very peacefully he sidesteps this crazy guy and instead goes somewhere to find rest.

Maybe you feel as though you are being slandered. Do what David did. Allow God to be the judge, and go find rest.

2 Samuel 15

For many long chapters we read of the rising of David to the throne of Israel. First he was unheard of. Later, he was known as a warrior. Slowly, word leaked around that he had been anointed by Samuel, nevertheless, David never asked for the throne. After running from Saul for a good portion of his life, he was finally granted kingship of Judah. Eventually, all of Israel came under his rule. The Lord used all of that to build David up to be a righteous king. Now his son, Absalom, is setting the kingdom up for himself.

Why would Absalom do such a thing? Why would Absalom take over the kingdom of his father? I do not believe that Absalom had it in his heart to kill his father, at least not at first. I believe this was simply a case of pride. Absalom saw his father, David, growing old. He saw that David was no longer as involved with the people as he used to be. He looked and saw that David had become like many of the kings, with multiple wives and concubines. When he saw these things he thought, “I could do a better job than he can.”

To a degree what Absalom said was true. He would stand at the gate and stop people who were going to see the king. Why? Because he probably was confident to know that they were never going to make it to the king. David was busy with important matters, and if he was not busy with those, he was probably just chilling. In all regards David was in a funk. Absalom took full advantage of David’s funk and was setting himself up as king.

God was going to use Absalom to wake David up. As we observe these next coming chapters we will once again read verses that remind us of David of old:

2 Samuel 15:32 David Praises God
2 Samuel 16:12 David trusts God
2 Samuel 18:1-2 David takes charge of his army

From this point on we will see David once again involved in the lives of Israel. Interesting that David would once again become the person Absalom set out to be. As for Absalom’s self appointed kingship, it was not to be. It was a work of the flesh, and far from the process of kingship God had made David go through.

2 Samuel 14

“And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king's face.” (2 Samuel 14:28).

Absalom killed his brother and ran away to Geshur. He was in Geshur for three years. At the end of chapter 13 it says that David longed for Absalom and mourned every day for him. This raises the question: If David longed for Absalom why was he still in exile?

You see, David knew the Jewish laws. He realized that his son was guilty of murder, and that his son deserved death. David was in fear that if he were to pardon Absalom that the people around him would flip out. David had grown more and more afraid of the general public, and less and less concerned with what God wanted for him. In this chapter we can perceive that David is very wise at this point, unfortunately, David is leaning on his own wisdom rather than the Lord’s. Remember those days where David would go into battle and before he would go he would ask the Lord first for instruction? David is going through a battle right now, yet he does not ask the Lord.

Through a clever scheme by Joab, David is convinced to bring his son back home. The problem now is that David will not look at him. Our verse above tells us that Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem without looking at the king, his father. Have you ever had tension between someone? Have you ever felt like you could feel their thoughts? Think about the tension here. Nothing was happening. All we read is two years went by. We do not read of any battles that took place. David was just chilling. We never read that he went to the Lord. Finally, Absalom cannot take the tension anymore and he flips out, burns Joab’s field and makes a way for himself to see the king. Meanwhile, David is just letting circumstances run his life.

Gang, I hope that your relationship with the Lord is never based on things from the past. I hope you’re not brought to this level of apathy that David was at. How sad to know that Israel’s greatest king was stuck in a runt, and not following courageously after the Lord. Imagine if he had prayed and had been told to retrieve his son. A lot of things could have worked out differently. Instead, David seemed like a man who was tired of following the Lord. Do not let this happen to you. You should be closer to God today than ever before. Even if awkward circumstances have com your way, allow the Lord Jesus to guide you. Go to God in prayer. Let Him be your strong tower. Too often we see the door wide open and we hear a voice beckoning us to come in, but for some reason we just sit there. Draw closer to God today and do not let apathy set another moment.

2 Samuel 13

“Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Arise, be gone!"” (2 Samuel 13:15).

Satan has three goals; kill, steal, and destroy. David sinned. David sinned and attempted to cover it up by having Uriah killed. Then David covered that up. Finally, we see the repercussions for David’s actions take place. David’s household would turn into complete turmoil. We can sense a strange perversion being the spirit behind all of it.

Our verse today is oh so true in this present culture. Now the entire nature of Amnon was perverted from the beginning because Tamar was his half-sister. However, Amnon felt justified because the surrounding nations often had this practice of marrying their half-sisters. It was also a common political move. Let us just say that Amnon could be justified in this (though in no way am I actually supporting this). Amnon’s love for Tamar was perverse because it was all based on lust. What he called “love” was actually nothing more than a selfish desire. The greatest perversion here is the perversion of the word “love,” which has become rampant in our culture today.

This world wants you to believe that “love” is how close you can get to someone. They want you to believe that it is how many one on one time you can have with them or how close you can get without going too far. The Bible says differently. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Meditate on this definition in comparison to our culture today. Are you all these things? Can you replace the word love with your name?

In a world which is perverting love, I just wanted to remind you what it is. We are called to love one another. We are called to love our family members around us. We are called to love the world. We are called to be ambassadors of Jesus, and 1 John tells us that “God is love.” Truly the name of Jesus can replace every “love” in our verses. Is it not interesting that the moment Amnon got what he wanted, his hatred became far greater than the love he ever had for Tamar. Why? It was not love. His “love” failed and failed miserably. It was all based on selfish motives and poor Tamar knew this and even said, "No, indeed! This evil of sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me."

God is love. God is the source of love. God is the fountain of love, and God is the reason to love. Any love that is not founded in God falls short of our definition above. Any love that does not flow from God turns into hatred when circumstances prevail. Therefore, if you seek to obey the first and second greatest commandment, intensely, with all your being, cling on to Jesus.

Chapter 12

Then the LORD sent Nathan to David…

(2Sa 12:1a)

So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."

(2Sa 12:13)

We all know the story, Nathan comes and presents this story about a rich man who took a poor mans only sheep and killed it. David responds in anger and says, “That man shall die!” Nathan tells David, “You are that man!”

The thing that sticks out me most is David’s response to Nathan. He realizes that the gig is up. There is no more secret here, Nathan knows. As the king, he could kill Nathan or have him silenced. He could continue to cover up his sin and act like every thing was fine. But, this is NOT what David does; instead he COMES CLEAN. Notice what David says… “I have sinned against the LORD”.

This is the key. David recognizes right here that he WAS NOT right wit God. His choice had separated him from the Lord, and broken their fellowship. David wanted to make things right. David came clean. This passage gives us some insight into why David is known as a man after God’s own heart. Here we see David not in his victory, but in his failure. The Lord sent a word his way, and David’s response shows that HIS HEART WAS STILL SEEKING AFTER THE LORD. If David had been all about himself, this story would have a much different ending. Instead, David recognized that it was necessary for him to CONFESS and REPENT. David realized the problem was between he and God, and he wasn’t going to let any more time go by without resolving it.

What about you? How do you deal with your sin? Do you see the way it affects your relationship with God? Do you recognize how DAMAGING it is? Do you cover it up? Or, do you do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get right with God? If there is sin in your life that needs to be dealt with, follow the example David sets in this psalm:

PSALM 51

Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love.

Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

Wash me clean from my guilt.

Purify me from my sin.

For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

Against You, and You alone, have I sinned;

I have done what is evil in Your sight.

You will be proved right in what You say, and Your judgment against me is just.

For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

But You desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Oh, give me back my joy again;

You have broken me—now let me rejoice.

Don't keep looking at my sins.

Remove the stain of my guilt.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Do not banish me from Your presence,

And don't take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You.

Then I will teach Your ways to rebels, and they will return to You.

Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;

then I will joyfully sing of Your forgiveness.

Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise You.

You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.

You do not want a burnt offering.

The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit.

You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Then You will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit

with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.

Then bulls will again be sacrificed on Your altar.

2 Samuel 11

It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.

(2Sa 11:1-2)

IT HAPPENED… twice in these first two verses we read this foreboding phrase. The King James translates it as “it came to pass”. This phrase appears over 3,500 times in the Old Testament, and it always refers to something happening, some new development arising, or a new season beginning. Here in the life of David, it marks one of the greatest failures of his life; his sin with Bathsheba, and the compounding of that sin by covering it up rather than confessing and coming clean.

The central HAPPENING of this story is David’s sin with Bathsheba; it is the gut-wrenching climax of this tragedy, the event that throws David into a real tailspin. However, the two occurrences of this phrase “It happened” point us to two previous events that brought about David’s sin. Both of these events, on closer inspection, are directly related to CHOICES that David made. Let’s take a look at these two HAPPENINGS, and see what we may be able to learn and apply to our own lives:

1. David WASN’T where he SHOULD have been – It happened… David should have GONE to battle, but he STAYED in Jerusalem. The work was out on the battlefield, but David was back at the castle. When he should have been fighting, he was freeloading. Rather than being OCCUPIED with the work of the Lord, He was IDLE; too relaxed and too content. This was David’s first mistake… there was somewhere the Lord wanted David to be, and he wasn’t there! What about you? Is there a work that the Lord has called you to, something He is doing that He wants you to be a part of, but you simply aren’t doing it? What would this first occurrence look like in your life? “At the time when everyone else was busy doing the Lord’s work, _________ decided to stay home and take it easy”. The first mistake is FAILING TO BE WHERE GOD WANTS YOU.
2. David WAS where he SHOULDN’T have been – It happened… David should have STAYED in bed, but he WENT up on the roof. I think David knew what he might see up on the roof. He obviously was not looking up at the stars, but was instead scanning the rooftops. I have heard people ask “why was Bathsheba on the roof?!” Fair question, but I ask, “What was David looking for?!” Maybe he didn’t know what he was looking for, but aimlessly looking around in the middle of the night is never a very good idea. When David should have stayed in bed, he went looking for diversion. When he should have turned to the Lord, he looked out into the world, to see if there was anything that might satisfy him. This is David’s second mistake… David was looking for something from the world that he already had in the Lord. Could this be your story? Do you ever find yourself looking to the world to gratify a desire, when the Lord is really all that you need? What could this look like in your life? “When he/she should have trusted the Lord, ______ went out to the world, to find a little satisfaction”. The second mistake is LOOKING TO THE WORLD FOR WHAT GOD ALONE CAN GIVE.

David’s two choices; one to stay and one to go, radically affected his life. It set him up for one of the biggest mistakes he ever made. Bathsheba, Uriah, the whole mess… those things were the FRUIT of David’s earlier choices. My final question for you today is this: "What will the fruit of your decisions be?"

2 Samuel 10

And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?"

(2Sa 10:3)

It is part of our human nature to be SUSPICIOUS. We are always looking for ulterior motives, for some secret hidden intention when people do something nice to us. When we behave this way, we are not behaving in love. David wanted to reach out to the Ammonites, to show them kindness… it really is a thoughtful gesture he is making here. Suspicious of this unexplainable action of David, the princes of Ammon say, “David is lying, these men are here to SPY on us”. Assuming that they are correct, the king takes the advice of these princes, and he TOTALLY HUMILIATES David’s men. They have no weapons; they had come in peace; yet the king of Ammon cuts off half of their beards, and cuts off the backs of their robes.

The Ammonites had jumped to a conclusion, and the conclusion was WRONG. We can learn a very important principle from this story: LOVE BELIEVES THE BEST. When we jump to conclusions, thinking we understand a matter, looking for ulterior motives, we don’t really believe the best. In fact, we often believe the worst. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that “Love believes the best”. When we are walking in love, we don’t make it our responsibility to uncover potential ulterior motives. Instead, we take things as they are presented to us. The Lord knows the truth, and He has promised to protect us and provide for us.

We need to realize that this is a part of “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you”. None of us want others to assume we are being sneaky and evil when we do something nice for them; we want them to be blessed! So, when someone does something nice for you, don’t go assuming they are after something. LOVE BELIEVES THE BEST.

The assumptions of the Ammonites cost them dearly because they proved to be wrong. When we make faulty assumptions, it can be costly as well. May we all be like David, looking for opportunities to bless even those who would consider themselves our enemies; and may we never be like the AMMONITES, assuming we know what’s up.

LOVE OTHERS AND TRUST JESUS.

2 Samuel 9

Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, "Mephibosheth?" And he answered, "Here is your servant!" So David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually." Then he bowed himself, and said, "What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?"

(2Sa 9:6-8)

Mephibosheth had every reason to believe that he was going to die. As Hector alluded to last week, it was the practice of kings in that day to destroy any blood relatives of a previous king, ensuring that HIS line would reign. To Mephibosheth, this was the only logical reason for why the king was calling for HIM. I imagine that Mephibosheth thought to himself, “I am a broken worthless man… I can’t even walk on my own. Why can’t David just let me be? Surely I am no threat to him.”

Little did Mephibosheth know that David had something completely different in mind… he wanted to pour out LOVE and BLESSING on Mephibosheth. This story reminds me so much of OUR STORY, and the way Jesus has poured out love on us. Check this out…

1. Just like Mephibosheth, we are broken individuals. We have “fallen”, and it has made us incredibly USELESS. We come into this world as spiritual cripples, unable to “walk” and live as we were created to live.
2. We are enemies of the king. Because of our sins, we are the ENEMIES of God. Just like David’s UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, the Lord chose to love us when we were still his enemies.
3. Our attitude should be the same as Mephibosheth’s, seeing ourselves as “dead dogs”, undeserving of ANY kind of attention from the LORD.
4. We become a part of God’s family. David made Mephibosheth a part of his family. Where he once had nothing, he now had EVERYTHING. The same is true of us. In Christ, we have EVERY BLESSING in HEAVENLY PLACES. This is the direct result of becoming a part of God’s family.
5. When Mephibosheth was seated at the Lord’s Table, you could not see his disability. When we come to Jesus, and are in fellowship with Him, our brokenness is healed. We are seen as whole in Him!

There is no other love in ALL OF THE EARTH that even begins to compare to the love of Jesus Christ. In Him, we go from worthless to having EVERYTHING. No more fear, only unbelievable joy as we experience relationship with the Lord. Let me leave you with the words of this song by Leeland. It is all about Mephibosheth, and I think it will bless you:

Wounded and forsaken
I was shattered by the fall
Broken and forgotten
Feeling lost and all alone
Summoned by the King
Into the Master’s courts
Lifted by the Savior
And cradled in His arms

I was carried to the table
Seated where I don’t belong
Carried to the table
Swept away by His love
And I don’t see my brokenness anymore
When I’m seated at the table of the Lord
I’m carried to the table
The table of the Lord

Fighting thoughts of fear
And wondering why He called my name
Am I good enough to share this cup
This world has left me lame
Even in my weakness
The Savior called my name
In His Holy presence
I’m healed and unashamed

I was carried to the table
Seated where I don’t belong
Carried to the table
Swept away by His love
And I don’t see my brokenness anymore
When I’m seated at the table of the Lord
I’m carried to the table
The table of the Lord

2 Samuel 8

… So the LORD preserved David wherever he went.

(2Sa 8:6)

… And the LORD preserved David wherever he went.

(2Sa 8:14)

Was the Lord playing favorites? Why was it that David was “preserved” when Saul had been destroyed? Was David just “lucky” and Saul “unlucky”? These are some of the questions that I think can naturally come up as you read through David’s conquests. On the one hand we have Saul who couldn’t seem to do anything right. On the other hand, we have David who can’t seem to do anything wrong! The overriding question is this: what did David do (if anything) that caused the Lord to PRESERVE him in this way?

From my vantage point, the answer is simple. As we look back over these 2 lives, we can see a real contrast develop. We have Saul, a man after HIS OWN BEST INTERESTS; and we have David, a man after GOD”S OWN HEART. It was the Lord that David was trying to please, and as long as he continued to seek the Lord, and put the LORD’S desires first, he was going to prosper.

When we look at the word PRESERVE in the Hebrew language, we see that it is a beautiful word picture. It paints a picture for us of the safety of a wide open field in contrast with the dangers of a narrow winding path hedged in on both sides. Think about some of the advantages of a wide open field:

• You can see your enemies from a long way off.
  

• There is no way for a “surprise attack” to take place.
  

• Your armies can stay together rather than be all spread apart.

The truth is, God had offered this kind of preservation to both David and Saul; they just had to accept it on HIS terms. Saul chose his narrow and dangerous confines when he failed to heed the voice of the Lord. You see, God provides protection, authority, and leadership; but He never forces it on anyone. As the scriptures make it clear, we must CHOOSE to follow HIM by TAKING UP OUR CROSS and DENYING OURSELVES.

Wouldn’t it be great to have this written on your tombstone? “The Lord preserved _____ wherever he went”. It CAN be our life story, the choice is OURS. So today, choose whom you will serve; and remember, a choice FOR YOURSELF is a choice AGAINST THE LORD. There is no middle ground. Hear His voice and follow it; allow the Lord to make your life an open field of protection and safety!