From: stevek
Date: Sun Jan 18 13:44:20 MST 2004
Subject: 2 Samuel 23 - 24

These are the final 2 chapters of 2 Samuel. They do not occur in any particular chronological sequence, but that's how the Hebrews wrote. I'm so linear that this has been a good exercise for me to dig into God's word for gems, and not have the luxery (to my neatly divided brain hemispheres)of reading it like a story which flows through time. Instead, in these final 2 chapters the Lord has put the final touches on demonstrating the sort of heart He wants to develop in me/us. That is, a heart ready to worship and honor Him regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Chapter 23 is a summary by David of the many men who had gone to battle for him - those who had fought against terrible odds, but by God's providence had prevailed. Men facing on David's behalf odds like 800:1, fighting against armies which were technologically superior, and one who stood his ground "until his had grew tired and froze to the sword." At one point David thirsts and 3 of his men take their lives into their own hands to infiltrate enemy territory simply to bring him back water to drink. It is at this point that God shows the heart He wants me to develop. David recognizes how unworthy of such devotion he is, and instead of drinking the water, pours it on the ground as a drink offering to the Lord. He gives God the credit for those who stand along side of him in support/we call it community. These people are brought to David not because he's such a great guy, but by the grace and love of His God - our God. A church isn't some victorian parlor where everything is properly in it's place and we're surrounded by people we have chosen. It's a messy family room in which we find the people God has given us to be around. Even though it ain't pretty some of the time, it's God's people, we're God's people, and we're called to act with the humility David showed in offering his thanks and worship to God for bringing people to him who were such blessings. Sometimes we receive/sometimes we give. It's kingdom work by which the body is made strong. Sometimes those people who serve us do so in the form of their pointing out to us our own sin. That's what we see in Chapter 24. David orders a census against the pleadings of his men. I'm not sure why taking a census is sinful/probably isn't in and of itself/but I sense that David's motive was prideful; that is, he wanted to see and revel in how large "his" kingdom was. God's not impressed with our little kingdoms, and so He sends a prophet (Gad) to David to let him know that the Lord was not pleased with the work David had ordered. In response to the sin, God gives David his choice of consequences. We're not often given the opportunity to pick our poisen with God, but we're always given the opportunity to avoid sin before we step into it, just as David was. A plague comes on Israel, but when it reaches Jerusalem, the Lord stops it. David sees that and at the instruction of Gad he goes to build an altar to God in thanksgiving/worship. It is interesting to me that the place at which the plague was stopped was on the mountain where Abraham had been ready to sacrifice Isaac to God, the place where the temple would later be built, in which was the ark of the covenant (containing God's mercy seat), and the hill on which Jesus would later be sacrificed for our sin. God knew the hill was not just any hill, but stood for the eventual final sacrifice He would Himself offer on our behalf. So, the plague was not allowed to consume those on that hill (Mt. Moriah - now we call it temple mount, and down a ravine from it is Golgatha)and David went to make his offering. The owner of the place told David that he would donate all of what was necessary to make the worship to God; the animals, the fire, the wood...But David recognized that to be an offering to God, there must be some cost to himself. God's not impressed with our little kingdoms, and He is equally unimpressed with our cheap worship and offerings. David purchased what was needed and built the altar - the plague ceased. In the midst of recognizing that his own sin had brought sorrow to those around him, David fell on his face before God - again. How many times in the 2 books of Samuel have we seen that from David. How many times should God see that from us? The Bible calls David a man after God's own heart. That's why. He recognizes his weaknesses, and turns back to the Lord in contrition and repentence. That's an act of worship which pleases our God. Jesus taught us to count the cost of following Him. One of those costs is living with the convicting of the Holy Spirit when we walk in impurity. But Christ is all about forgiveness. It's all over Scripture/it's all over my life - and yours if you've given it to Him and we come to His throne as David continually did when he saw that he had walked off from God's path. We are made to worship. Judgement comes in order to set us free to do that. We have a sense of worship not when we're bound by our sin, but when we are freed from it through God's grace. All through the Samuel books we have seen David bind himself by bad decisions, but then become free, and worshipful by turning back to our God for forgiveness. The task of the Gospel in not to move us to talk about God. It is to move us to talk to Him. satan hates it when we humble ourselves and speak to our Creator. The world is a busy place/people are too busy to listen, but God offers us dignity by listening to our prayers, even amid all of the chaos around us. As David did, so should we/humbly confess, and receive the gift of reconciliation God offers when He sees us walking down that dirty road, back towards home - remember, He's on the porch looking out for us, and He'll come running to greet us when He sees us turn.

Edit this blog
Write a response Email the author

---

Write a blog