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From: stevek
Date: Sun Nov 30 13:21:02 MST 2003 Subject: 2 Samuel 15-19

As often happens in Scripture, these 5 chapters should read as one. They're all a part of a related series of incidents and lose continuity if broken apart (I feel the same way about breaking up Matthew 5, 6 & 7 - sermon on the mount.) The Readers Digest version of these 5 chapters is that David's standing as king is being threatened by his son Absalom. As things develop, the people begin to follow this son while David is in hiding. As a good thriller novel goes, David is given covert information that he needs to flee or he will be routed and overthrown by his son. Absalom is given poor intelligence information suggesting that he wait until his forces are stronger before he attack. David gets away, but as he's making his escape leaves word that he does not want his son killed in battle. Unfortunately for the son, the guy who finds him in a vulnerable position is Joab, the same one who delivered Bathsheeba's husband up for murder at David's request. Joab is basically a bloodthirsy guy and doesn't hold David in the highest regard. He ignores David's plea and kills Absalom. In a poigniant scene, David is broken hearted over the loss and cries out that he wished it had been his own life which had been taken. What a wrecked and twisted up life for one to whom so much had been given when he was walking steadfastly in his faith. Recall that when Nathan exposed to David his own sin that he said God would bring 4 specific consequences. First, that the child born of the illicit affair with Bathsheeba would die. That happened at the age of 3 months. Next that there would rise up from within David's own household one who would threaten his status. That happened with Absalom challenging him for the thrown (also remember that it was Abaslom who killed David's other son - the one who raped David's daughter/Ammnon.) Third, God said that the sword would never depart from David's house. From the age of about 55 when he had the Bathsheeba affair, until he died at around age 70, his home was in a constant state of conflict. The deaths of the three children just cited are good examples. And finally, God said that one 'close to' David would sleep with his wives in full view of everyone. Once again it's Absalom who fulfills that prophetic statement that came from Nathan (2 Samuel 16:22.) And to make it maybe a little more in David's face, he did it on the same rooftop from where David began this series of events by looking down on Bathsheeba bathing. The obvious message to take away from these chapters is that there are consequences which arise from our sin. The Bible says that God will not be mocked. We may feel that we've slid one by Him, but God bats last in this game, so we should guard against smugness, and instead be as one after His own heart (as was David) and come to Him in repentence. There still may be consequences from the messes we create, but God forgives the sin. But there were three other situations in the chapters that spoke more to me of the heart God wants us to show towards others. First, in chapter 16 a man named Shimei is throwing stones and cursing at David. When his bodyguard asks David if he wants him to kill the guy, David says 'no', but that God may see the persecution, and repay him with goodness for his sparing Shimei. Next, David's clear order to spare the life of his son Abaslom, even when the kid had killed one of his other sons and was now trying to overthrow David. Finally, David's reaction to Absalom's death was one of intense grief. Two thoughts; we're taught in Roman's 12:21, and all over Jesus' great Mt. Gethsamane discourse that we're not to repay evil with evil. Love our enemies. Pray for those who persecute us. Wash the feet of the Judas' in our lives. David does that in the first two incidents cited. That's the heart we're supposed to be walking with as recreated in the Holy Spirit. So why does Romans chapter 7 so often come into play? That is, I do what I do not want to do and treat others poorly/in the end do dishonor to the name of Jesus by the way I wear His name as a banner over my poor witness.
I believe we too often hide behind grace (Romans chapter 6 & 8 - walk as new beings, and don't sin just because it'll be covered) and we hide too often behind the idea of 'it's a process, and God's not through with me, yet.' Both are true, but they're not Christ-like. It's convicting to me. And finally, David's grief over the death of his son may have been more than the kin relationship part of it. He never was close to the kid (or to any of the more than 50 of them that he had), so I'm more inclined to believe that much of David's grief was the result of his realizing that it was his own sin that caused this eventual result. Nathan prophesied that the sword would not depart from David's home as a result of the Bathsheeba affair. David saw all of Nathan's prophecies come to fruition and it must have been a heavy burden to see what he had done result in so much pain for so many around him. How about the effect of our sin on those around us? Who do we hurt by our disobedience to God, other than ourselves? Those we love? Probably mostly those we love. When David saw his circumstances deteriorating as a direct result of what he had done, he did not rebel and raise a fist at God - chapter 15:32 - he went to the summit of a mountain in order to worship God. David kept in line the relationship and soverignty issues. Let's pray that in the midst of our own wrestling matches with God, even those we bring on ourselves, and which may well result in harm to others around us, that we not get into a blame game with Him, but continue to worship. The old axiom/we don't change when we see the light, but when we feel the heat/is ever true.

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