NOTE: It was a long bus ride but I finally made it to my training site in South Carolina. Thanks for all your prayers as Grace and I begin what will be our last deployment separation from one another. We have had seven prior.
As I stated yesterday, I will continue to write while in training and on deployment but my post times might be erratic. Please bear with me and I pray all of you have a very blessed week.
In Christ, Mark.
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Soon all the men of Israel were coming to the king and saying to him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal the king away and bring him and his household across the Jordan, together with all his men
All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is closely related to us. Why are you angry about it? Have we eaten any of the king’s provisions? Have we taken anything for ourselves?”
Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king; and besides, we have a greater claim on David than you have. So why do you treat us with contempt? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?”
But the men of Judah responded even more harshly than the men of Israel.
Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!”
So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 19:41-43, 20:1-2
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
David was finally making his way back to Jerusalem after his brief exile from Absalom, a time of unrest and disruption for him and his people. No doubt, David was looking forward to getting things back to normal and experiencing a little peace. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for yet another conflict to arise. For as Chapter 19 closes, we see the men of Israel coming to David with a complaint.
The root of the complaint was anchored in David’s return to Jerusalem. As you’ll remember, the men of Judah went to David and were there when he crossed over before following him back home. This led to jealous feelings in the hearts and minds of the Israelites who came before David and accused the men of Judah of “stealing the king away” and “bringing him and his household across the Jordan together with all his men”.
Well, this accusation didn’t sit well with the men of Judah who responded to the Israelietes saying, “We did this because the king is closely related to us. Why are you angry about it? Have we eaten any of the king’s provisions? Have we taken anything for ourselves?”
Indeed, why were the Israelites angry about it? The men of Judah wished to see David home and so they did. They received no special favor or gain through their actions. And yet, the Israelites felt they had been violated…and, in doing so, allowed their envious attitude to escalate the discord at hand.
For the Israelites could have accepted the words of the men of Judah and dropped the whole matter right there but they didn’t.
Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever had someone start an argument with you about something petty and despite your best efforts to defend yourself and diffuse the situation, your adversary only tried to keep throwing more wood on the fire?
I know I have.
Well, this is what happens between Israel and Judah for Israel’s refuses to let the squabble end. Instead, they move from jealousy and envy to selfishness…another emotion that leads to divisiveness.
For we read where the Israelites suggest that they have a greater claim on the king than the men of Judah…like David was a piece of the Promised Land…as they said:
Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king; and besides, we have a greater claim on David than you have. So why do you treat us with contempt? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?”
Because the Israelites were composed of all tribes except for Judah and Simeon, they felt this gave them a greater share and more rights when it came to dealings with the king. And because of this the Israelites felt that the men of Judah should grant them what they thought was rightfully theirs. But since that didn’t happen, then the Israelites saw Judah as treating them with contempt.
So how did the men of Judah respond to the selfish, king-possessive attitude of the Israelites?
Well, as you might have predicted and God’s word confirms, they “responded even more harshly than the men of Israel”. And this led the contention to a breaking point. All that was needed was something or someone to cause the break to occur…and this happened in the way of a man named Sheba.
Do you think Satan uses people and circumstances to bring about conflict between people?
You bet he does. For Satan wants nothing more than to destroy every good and perfect thing that God puts together, especially relationships…and he’s willing to use anyone or anything to make that happen, exploiting the sin and weakness within people to breed strife and disrupt what God is trying to do in His kingdom here on earth.
Back to the scriptures where we’re introduced to a Benjamite named Sheba who is described in God’s word by one word…troublemaker. And trouble he certainly brings. For we read where he sounded a trumpet and shouted to his fellow Israelites, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!” And that was all that was needed to throw conflict into chaos.
Because we see where “all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba” while “the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem”. A split had occurred and the kingdom of Israel…a kingdom that God designed to be united became instead separated. And we see first hand the dangerous nature of divisiveness.
Friends, do we not see divisiveness all around us? In our local, state, federal and world governments? In our communities? In our relationships? And in our churches?
Truly, Satan is gaining more than his share of victories every day amongst the people of God and causing great disruption in His plans through divisiveness.
So what are we to do as a people of the Lord?
Don’t allow yourself to be a part of the problem.
In other words, recognize that Satan is ever seeking to breed divisiveness and is willing to use you at any time to play his game. Don’t allow him to do it. Instead, always turn to the One source of unity…the One through which we all can stand on common ground…the One who which would call us to peace and love and purpose…none of which one can gain from divisiveness.
Friends, it’s time we focused fully on the One thing that bonds us all together…the One who is constant and never changing…the One who will never leave us nor forsake us.
Scripture reminds us that the Lord Jesus…the Prince of Peace…is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8) And when Christians truly decide to surrender their hearts, minds and lives to Him, then and only then, will they become like Him and join together in perfect unity…making divisiveness a thing of the past. Let’s make this our daily prayer for this world we live in…God’s world. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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