DISCOVERING STABILITY

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In Christ, Mark

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"Now you yourself know what Joab, son of Zeruiah, did to me — what he did to the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner, son of Ner, and Amasa, son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle and with that blood stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. Deal with him according to your wisdom but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.“

"But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.”

"And remember, you have with you Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: 'I will not put you to death by the sword.' But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood."

Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David and his rule was firmly established.

Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. Bathsheba asked him, "Do you come peacefully?"

He answered, "Yes, peacefully." Then he added, "I have something to say to you."

"You may say it," she replied.

"As you know," he said, "the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me."

"You may make it," she said.

So he continued, "Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife."

"Very well," Bathsheba replied, "I will speak to the king for you."

When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king's mother and she sat down at his right hand.

"I have one small request to make of you," she said. "Do not refuse me."

The king replied, "Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you."

So she said, "Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah."

King Solomon answered his mother, "Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him — after all, he is my older brother — yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab, son of Zeruiah!"

Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! And now, as surely as the Lord lives — he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised—Adonijah shall be put to death today!"

So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.

To Abiathar the priest, the king said, "Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die but I will not put you to death now because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father's hardships."

So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord, fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.

When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar. King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, "Go, strike him down!"

So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, "The king says, 'Come out!'"

But he answered, "No, I will die here."

Benaiah reported to the king, "This is how Joab answered me."

Then the king commanded Benaiah, "Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my father's house of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed because without the knowledge of my father David he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them — Abner, son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa, son of Jether, commander of Judah's army—were better men and more upright than he. May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord's peace forever."

So Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, went up and struck down Joab and killed him and he was buried on his own land in the desert. The king put Benaiah, son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab's position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.

Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there but do not go anywhere else. The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head."

Shimei answered the king, "What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said." And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.

But three years later, two of Shimei's slaves ran off to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, "Your slaves are in Gath." At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.

When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, the king summoned Shimei and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, 'On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die?’ At that time you said to me, 'What you say is good. I will obey.' Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?"

The king also said to Shimei, "You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. But King Solomon will be blessed and David's throne will remain secure before the Lord forever."

Then the king gave the order to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and killed him.

The kingdom was now firmly established in Solomon's hands.

1 Kings 2:5-46

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As chapter 2 of 1st Kings opened, we found David close to death and giving his son Solomon, Israel’s new king, a special charge which included things he needed to do in order to have a prosperous reign. Following this, as we see at the start of today’s passage, we find David pivot to some closing instructions…instructions that would take care of unfinished business which revolved around dealing with those who could possibly cause instability during his rule.

The first person David warned about was Joab. You may remember that Joab did try and do David a little good when he attempted to get David to see the wrong in taking a census of his fighting men but beyond that, he had a history of defying the king, murdering when he saw fit and even participating in Adonijah’s treasonous attempt to take the throne from his father.

David highlights the bad side of Joab as he tells Solomon how he killed two of his commanders, Abner and Amasa, “shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle” and “staining the belt around his waist and sandals on his feet” with their blood. David exhorted Solomon to deal with Joab “according to (his) wisdom” but encouraged him not to allow Joab to “go down to the grave in peace.“

The second person David warned Solomon about was Shimei who you’ll recall cursed David as he fled Jerusalem after the threat of another of his sons, Absalom. Later, Shimei asked for David’s forgiveness and mercy at the Jordan as David was returning to Jerusalem following Absalom’s death and David took an oath “by the Lord” to not harm him. However, now that he was about to die, he told Solomon to “not consider him innocent” but rather bring him “down to the grave in blood”.

So happened to Joab and Shimei after David’s death?

Well, let’s look at Joab first.

We see in our passage where his fate was tied to Adonijah, who Joab had decided to side with against David. After his father passed away, Adonijah reentered the scene and went to Bathsheba, requesting to marry Abishag, the young Shunammite virgin who had laid with David to keep him warm after he had gotten older. The scriptures tell us that Bathsheba took this request to Solomon who immediately sensed that Adonijah was up to no good. For you see there was a cultural rule that would have given Adonijah claim to the throne if he married a member of the king’s harem. And so under the surface, Adonijah had not given up trying to become king by whatever means possible.

In other words, he had evil intentions and you’ll remember that Solomon had told him earlier that this would lead to his death after he pardoned Adonijah before for scheming against him (1 Kings 1:52-53). Given this, we see Solomon give this verdict:

"May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! And now, as surely as the Lord lives — he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised — Adonijah shall be put to death today!"

And with that, Solomon “gave orders to Benaiah” and “he struck down” and killed Adonijah.

Well, this news traveled fast and found its way to Joab who then “fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar”. When Solomon was told of Joab’s whereabouts, he gave Benaiah the following order:

"Go, strike him down!"

So Benaiah entered the tent where the altar was and told Joab to come out but he refused saying:

“No, I will die here."

And so Benaiah took the news to Solomon and inquired about what the king wanted him to do. Again, we find Israel’s new king issue a verdict:

"Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my father's house of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without the knowledge of my father David he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them — Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army—were better men and more upright than he. May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord's peace forever."

And with that, Benaiah “went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried on his own land in the desert”. Solomon then appointed the trustworthy Benaiah as the new commander of the Israelite army.

With this, Joab and Adonijah were eliminated and out of the way. They would no longer pose a threat to Solomon and Israel’s throne. And so we find Solomon turning his attention to one more adversary mentioned by David, the man named Shimei “the Benjamite from Bahurim”.  

Would he experience the same fate as Adonijah and Joab before him?

The scriptures show us that he did but not immediately for Solomon first gave him an opportunity to show himself as trustworthy, giving him the following edict:

"Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there but do not go anywhere else. The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head."

In other words, Shimei’s fate was in his own hands. All he had to do is obey the king and he would live a long life in Jerusalem. He did this for three years but then something happened that challenged his integrity. For we read where “two of (his) slaves ran off to Achish” and after Shimei was informed of their escape, he decided to “saddle his donkey and travel to Achish at Gath” where he found his slaves and brought them back.

Well, the news of Shimei’s trip to Gath made it back to Solomon who summoned him. Once there, he (Solomon) said the following:

“Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, 'On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die?’ At that time you said to me, 'What you say is good. I will obey.' Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”

“You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. But King Solomon will be blessed and David's throne will remain secure before the Lord forever."

And with that, Solomon “gave the order to Benaiah” and he “went out, …struck Shimei down and killed him”.

Another potential adversary was gone.

As we look at the remainder of this scripture passage, we see where Solomon took a few other actions, replacing Abiathar, who had conspired with Adonijah, with Zadok and showing “kindness to the sons of Barzillai” who stood by David when he fled from Absalom and thus gained access to eat at Solomon’s table. The latter was the last things Solomon needed to do to carry out his father David’s wishes

And so 1 Kings, chapter 2 ends with Solomon having tied up all the loose ends from his father’s reign and now he was now ready to write his own chapter of royal leadership over Israel as the kingdom was firmly established under his rule...a rule he could only hope would be as prosperous as his father’s during his 40 year reign.

Solomon had followed the wise counsel of his father who was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) and found his way to steadiness and security within his kingship and kingdom. Today, we will do the same if we first seek and then carry out the Lord’s will, submitting to His constant guidance and doing what He desires. For just as Solomon received instruction from his father as to how he could find stability in his rule so too will our Father in Heaven show us the way to stability in our own lives.

In the Proverbs, we find Solomon share these words…words we need to be put into practice every single day:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. 3:5-6

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com

CHARGED

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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"I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in His ways and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep His promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live and if they walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'“

1 Kings 2:1-4

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the first chapter of 1st Kings, we read about the formal anointing of Solomon as the new king of Israel. In his later years and nearing the end of his life, you’ll remember how David appointed Solomon after another son, Adonijah, attempted to steal the kingship away.

With this in place, we see where David provides special guidance to King Solomon in the opening four verses of chapter 2, giving him a charge with specific instructions before he went “the way of all the earth” (code for dying). Here are the precise things that David called Solomon to do:

1. “Be strong.”

David knew all too well that being king was a real challenge after having to overcome countless adversaries which included his own sons. Before Adonijah, you’ll recall there was Absalom who conspired against David, causing him to flee Jerusalem for fear of his life.

There was little doubt that Solomon would face adversity himself while on the throne and so David exhorted him to “be strong” as he ruled over Israel.

2. “Show yourself a man.”

It’s estimated that Solomon was around 20 years old when he was made king and so David’s words were meant to encourage his successor to lead as if he were a man and not a youth. Any perceived vulnerability would open a window of opportunity for an opponent and so David knew it would be important for Solomon to lead with maturity if he was going to be successful.

3. “Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in His ways and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do.”

There was no gray area here…no room for Solomon to wonder what he should do as king for David lets him know that ruling properly meant seeking and doing “what the Lord” required.

First, Solomon was to walk in the Lord’s ways. This meant that Solomon was to surrender himself to the will of God which would ensure he went where the Lord wanted him to go and so to do what the Lord wanted him to do.

Secondly, David told Solomon to keep the Lord’s decrees, commands, laws, and requirements. God didn’t leave room for doubt when it came to what He expected of His people. Rather, He provided clear direction through His word. For us today, we have the added benefit of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus as Savior…a Spirit that illuminates the Word of God and brings us discernment and understanding. All we need to do is be fully obedient to His instructions…just as David was calling Solomon to do.

So what was in this for Solomon? What would he have to gain by following his father’s direction and staying obedient to God?

The answer is found in this scripture passage for we see the following benefits laid out for Israel’s new king if he submitted all he did to the Lord who blessed him with the chance to reign:

1. Prosperity in everything he did…wherever he went.

2. Fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to his father, David.

That promise was as follows:

“If your descendants watch how they live and if they walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.”

Since Solomon was a descendant of David, all he needed to do was watch how he lived, allowing God to lead his life so to walk faithfully before Him with his heart and soul…and in turn the Lord would continue to ensure the one on the throne of Israel would be in David’s lineage.

And so as we close this message, we see where Solomon had been charged by his father regarding how he was to conduct his affairs as Israel’s king.

But what about us? Do we have a charge that we’re to follow in our own lives?

Well. the answer is a resounding “YES”!

For our Savior Jesus, before He ascended to sit in power over all things in Heaven and on earth, gave His followers their charge…a charge grounded in carrying on the work that He began. Here’s what He commanded:

“All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Note that the key orders here are all action items:

1. “Go.”

As Christians, we’re required to be proactive. Jesus doesn’t expect us to sit and be complacent. He expects us to get out and about to tell others about Him. There’s no other option given but to go and get to work in His name to help others find their salvation in Him.

2. “Make…disciples of all nations.”

Note how making disciples (Jesus believers) is our main goal as we go. And this disciple making is not restricted to a certain place or a certain select group. Rather, we are to go and make disciples of all nations which means we need to be ready to go anywhere the Lord calls us to go and seek anyone He leads us to. This is the essence of evangelism in the purest sense…evangelism that every believer is charged to carry out.

3. “Baptize…in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

As we work to make disciples, helping them to be saved by Jesus, we’re to facilitate them being baptized in His name as well as the name of His Father and the Holy Spirit…the Holy Trinity that is Three in One. As these new Christians are baptized, they make a public proclamation of an internal change of faith…first dying to their old selves when going under the water so to emerge washed clean and resurrected as new creations in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). While baptism in and of itself doesn’t save anyone, it does let others know that they have accepted Jesus as their Savior.

4. "Teach…them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Once the disciple accepts Jesus as Savior and experiences the symbolic spiritual death and resurrection through Jesus found in baptism, they’re prepared to learn all about their Savior. Believers are charged to teach them about Christ and everything He commanded…and this means that we need to know what He commanded to do so. This is why daily Bible reading and study is so critical as a part of our spiritual discipline as Christians. The bottom line is that we can’t even hope to teach others about Jesus if we don’t know Him ourselves.

Friends, Jesus gave it all for us, dying on the cross and willingly sacrificing everything He had in this world so He (and we) could gain access to God (His Father and ours) forever. He saved us and charged us to go to the unsaved ourselves, promising that we will never do it alone when He said:

“I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus doesn’t just charge His followers to go anywhere and everywhere to share the Gospel with anyone…and then leave them to it. Rather, He walks alongside us every single second of every minute of every hour of every day. He promised He would and perfectly carries out everything He says He will do.

So the question today is this:

How well are you carrying out the charge Jesus gave?

One thing is for sure…it’s not optional. Jesus made it clear that Christians are to Go and  Make disciples before Baptizing them and Teaching obedience to His commandments. .

It’s time to get busy my friends. For indeed, the harvest is plenty but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37-38) but Jesus stands ready every day to help us reap a bounty as we commit ourselves to carry our His Great Commission.  

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

COMING TO THE ALTAR

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, "What's the meaning of all the noise in the city?"

Even as he was speaking, Jonathan, son of Abiathar, the priest arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news."

"Not at all!" Jonathan answered. "Our lord King David has made Solomon king. The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king's mule, and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering and the city resounds with it. That's the noise you hear.”

“Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make Solomon's name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!' And the king bowed in worship on his bed and said, 'Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.'"

At this, all Adonijah's guests rose in alarm and dispersed. But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. Then Solomon was told, "Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'"

Solomon replied, "If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die." Then King Solomon sent men and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, "Go to your home."

1 Kings 1:41-53

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As David, the king of Israel, was reaching the end of his life, little did he know there would be one more threat to his throne, a threat from his son Adonijah that required sudden, decisive action to make sure Solomon was his successor as promised.

You’ll remember that Adonijah schemed behind David’s back to overthrow him and when this news reached Jerusalem, David sent Zadok the priest, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites to anoint Solomon as the new king of Israel at Gihon. The coronation brought great celebration as the trumpets sounded and people cheered so loudly that the ground shook, drawing the attention of the treasonous Adonijah and his conspirators as they feasted. When Joab asked about what had occurred, Jonathan, son of the priest Abiathar, delivered the news that David had appointed and anointed Solomon Israel’s king.

Well unsurprisingly, this news caused great distress in Adonijah’s camp. We read where all of his “guests rose in alarm and dispersed”, showing just superficial their allegiance to him really was for they left Adonijah to fend for himself. Knowing he was in a place where he could be executed for his betrayal, the scriptures tell us that Adonijah “took hold of the horns of the altar”, fearful for his life.

Why cling to the horns of the altar?

Well, the vertical projections from the altar corners were believed to be symbols of hope and refuge…both needed by Adonijah at that very moment. Additionally, the horns had were also associated with atonement for during sacrifices, the law called for some of the blood to be placed on the horns of the altar to make reparation for sin. Obviously, Adonijah saw himself in desperate need of atonement for his evil, devious plot against his father.

This reaction from Adonijah after he knew his sin had been exposed got me thinking about myself and other Christian believers and how I/we have had our sin laid bare by a God who sees everything, even the things we think are hidden. In those times, when my transgressions bring the Lord’s conviction, I find myself going to the altar of God to seek forgiveness and pardon through repentance. I pray you have done the same.

We should all be grateful that although we all are sinners who fall short of His glory (Romans 3:23), our Lord is still a Father who disciplines while still loving us as His dear children. He corrects but He also extends His mercy and grace as He seeks to raise us up to be the people He wants us to be.

So what happened in the case of Adonijah?

Back to the scriptures where we see that word about Adonijah got back to Solomon, his brother and now the new king of Israel. Solomon learned that Adonijah was afraid and “clinging to the horns of the altar”. His very words to Solomon showed he was seeking mercy as he said:

“Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword."

So what did Solomon decide to do?

Well, he could have very well ordered Adonijah’s execution and no one would have disputed it. Such was the severity of betraying a king like David. But Solomon, a man who would gain a great reputation for wisdom, allowed Adonijah to dictate his own fate. We read that if Adonijah showed “himself to be a worthy man” then he would not be harmed…or as Solomon put it, “not a hair of his head will fall to the ground”. However if Adonijah returned to his evil ways, then Solomon promised that he would be put to death.

And with that, a pardon was established. At least at the moment, Adonijah would live to see another day as he came down from the altar and bowed before Solomon…saved by his brother’s grace and forgiveness but also expected to change his ways and turn from  sin.

My friends, this is exactly what happens to us as well when we confess our sins, repent, and commit to turning from our evil ways. In doing this, we come to God’s altar and throw ourselves down hoping for the Lord’s pardon…and pardon is exactly what He gives because we have placed our belief and trust in Jesus, the Lamb of God (John 1:29) who shed His atoning blood on the cross who we might be washed clean and saved.

It’s because on this establishment of God’s salvation that we need to be working every day as Christians to carry out the Great Commission and bring the Gospel to the unsaved (Matthew 28:18-20). For the raw truth of the matter is that there is no pardon…no full forgiveness…no cleansing of sin…and no way to spend eternity with God in Heaven without Jesus. Without Him, only everlasting torment, suffering, and damnation in Hell awaits.

The bottom line is there’s a lot at stake. Let’s not rest in this life without helping non-believers come to the altar of God to find their Savior Jesus…and gain the hope that all Christians enjoy, the hope of living forever in the glory of the Kingdom with our Maker and Master, and His Son, the Savior of the world.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

RECOGNIZING THE TRUE KING

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. So his servants said to him, "Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm."

Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him but the king had no intimate relations with her.

Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, "I will be king." So he got chariots and horses ready with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never interfered with him by asking, "Why do you behave as you do?" He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)

Adonijah conferred with Joab, son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, and Rei, and David's special guard did not join Adonijah.

Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal officials but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother, Solomon.

Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David's knowing it? Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. Go in to King David and say to him, 'My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?' While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said."

So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king.

"What is it you want?" the king asked.

She said to him, "My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: 'Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.' But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon, your servant. My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals."

While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. And they told the king, "Nathan the prophet is here." So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.

Nathan said, "Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you and that he will sit on your throne? Today, he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king's sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, 'Long live King Adonijah!' But me your servant and Zadok the priest and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"

Then King David said, "Call in Bathsheba." So she came into the king's presence and stood before him.

The king then took an oath: "As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon, your son, shall be king after me and he will sit on my throne in my place."

Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the king, said, "May my lord King David live forever!"

King David said, "Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada."

When they came before the king, he said to them: "Take your lord's servants with you and set Solomon my son on my own mule and take him down to Gihon. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!' Then you are to go up with him and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah."

Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, answered the king, "Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!"

So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon. Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"

And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.

1 Kings 1:1-40

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we look at the nations of our world today, we see many different forms of government, all with different processes for appointing those who would lead their nation. Typically, those nations will rise and fall depending on the decisions and actions of those leaders so it was critically important to make sure the right person was in charge.

Stable leadership with effective policies that equally and justly benefit the nation and the people seem to thrive and do well. Conversely, we find that corrupt or ineffective leadership can lead a nation and its people into ruin.

Thus far in our study of the Old Testament, we have found this true with Israel. You’ll recall that for the longest time following the advent of mankind, God had been the King over His nation Israel, putting rulers in place to guide His people as needed. This lasted through the period of the judges but then something happened that drastically altered the way the Israelites would be governed. For the people decided that they wanted a king to rule over them like other surrounding nations.

And so God, seemingly always ready to allow His people to have their way just to show them how much His ways are better, allowed Israel to have what they wanted. This led to the anointing and appointing of Saul as Israel’s first king. Through the scriptures, we know Saul started well but then things went off the rails. Just as God had warned, the people of Israel would soon regret wanting a king to reign over them. And as for God, you’ll remember that He literally grieved over even selecting Saul in the first place, highlighting just how much of a disappointment Israel’s first king was.

To try and remedy this, we know God went with a second choice for king, sending Samuel, a prophet and Israel’s last Judge, to anoint a young shepherd boy named David. He would rule well for the most part and eventually end up in the family lineage of Jesus, the Messiah.

Well, as we start our study of the Old Testament book of 1st Kings, it seems only fitting that we would begin with David, now up in years and on the decline health-wise. Chapter 1 opens with him “old and well advanced in years”. In fact, he “could not keep warm even when they put covers over him” and so his servants looked for a “young virgin to attend the king and take care of him”. We read where they selected Abishag who the scriptures described as “very beautiful”. We should note that her role here wasn’t sexual in nature. In fact, we read where David had “no intimate relations with her” as she was only there to “lie beside” him and keep him warm.

Given all this, we can see where David’s reign as king is coming to a close and this leads us into what follows for we see where one of his (David’s) sons, Adonijah, decided to “put himself forward” and show his desire to become the new king of Israel, despite neither being endorsed by his father nor rightfully next in line to the throne. We read where he “got chariots and horses ready with fifty men to run ahead of him” and also gained the support of Joab, the commander of the army…who we know had recently had a dispute with David…as well as Abiathar, the priest. Both chose to turn on David.

Well, there was one very big problem with Adonijah’s plan for David had already selected his successor and it would be his son, Solomon.

We go onto see that not everyone decided to traitorously betray David and side with Adonijah for Zadok the priest, Benaiah, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's special guard stayed loyal and remained on his side. Unfortunately, this didn’t stop Adonijah from beginning to take steps to the throne. For he “sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel”, inviting “all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal officials” to the feast. Obviously, this invitation wasn’t extended to anyone who chose to remain faithful to David and this included “Nathan the prophet…Benaiah…the special guard or…Solomon”.

It seemed like things were building to a point similar to when David’s son, Absalom, tried to overthrow his father before but the big difference now was that David was in no condition to be able to flee Jerusalem.

So would anything stop Adonijah’s plan from succeeding?

Well, we find the answer in our scripture passage as the prophet Nathan wasn’t ready to concede anything and began to take steps to derail Adonijah’s attempted power grab.

First, we went to David’s wife and Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, and asked:

“Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David's knowing it? Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. Go in to King David and say to him, 'My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?' While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said."

The plan was simple.

Bathsheba was to tell David about what Adonijah was up to and protest his actions given that Israel’s king had already vowed Solomon would be his successor. After this, Nathan would then enter and reinforce everything Bathsheba said with the hope David would take immediate action to appoint Solomon as king.

Fortunately, the plan worked out just as they had planned. For after Bathsheba shared the news of Adonijah’s betrayal and Nathan confirmed it, we read where David reaffirmed his prior oath saying:

“As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon, your son, shall be king after me and he will sit on my throne in my place."

With this, David called on Zadok the priest and Benaiah, giving them the following orders:

"Take your lord's servants with you and set Solomon my son on my own mule and take him down to Gihon. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!' Then you are to go up with him and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah."

So that’s what happened. Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah were joined by the “Kerethites and the Pelethites” as they “went down and put Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon”. Once there, Zadok “took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon” as king after which a trumpet sounded and the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!" The scriptures tell us that the celebration was so great with “all the people…playing flutes and rejoicing” that “the ground shook with the sound”. The nation of Israel had a new king and it was Solomon…the man God wanted to lead them into the future.

In this first message from 1 Kings, we see the Lord underscoring the importance of making sure the right leader is appointed over any group of His people but ultimately, we need to come away from this understanding that we have a supreme Leader that all others are accountable to and that is King Jesus…the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…the eternal Ruler and Savior over all…the only One through which anyone can find themselves to God, His Father and ours (John 14:6).

And so as we face worldly elections…and they are happening all the time…let us take comfort as believers that no matter the outcome…no matter if someone ends up being put into some office of leadership who runs counter to the scriptures, such as many of the kings who we will see rule Israel or Judah…Jesus is and will always be our King (capital “K”). He has, is, and will always rule over all created things as He sits at God’s right hand until that day still to come when He will return to earth and reign supreme.

Indeed, now and forever more, all hail King Jesus, giving Him all honor, glory, and praise.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

MAKING RESTITUTION

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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On that day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad.

When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?"

"To buy your threshing floor," David answered, "so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped."

Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. O king, Araunah gives all this to the king." Araunah also said to him, "May the Lord your God accept you."

But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."

So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer in behalf of the land and the plague on Israel was stopped.

2 Samuel 24:18-25

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As 2 Samuel ends, we find David placing himself and Israel in a tough situation because he had put his faith in the wrong places…ordering a census so he could feel confident in the large number of fighting men at his disposal instead of simply acknowledging that all the might and power over Israel came from God alone.

You’ll recall from yesterday’s message that after David had confessed his sinfulness, God offered him three options through the prophet Gad…each a consequence sent as judgment. Of the three, David chose to have Israel suffer a plague for three days and this led to 70 thousand of his people dying before God stopped His destructive angel just before he attacked Jerusalem. It was at this point that David asked for mercy upon his people…arguing that he and his family should be the ones suffering because it was his sin that had angered God.

And so in the closing verses of chapter 24, we find David seeking to reconcile things with God so to end the plague and save his people. We see where this reconciliation started and ended with a return to worship where God was given the full honor, glory, and praise that He deserved. It was the only appropriate thing for David to do and it’s what we need to do as believers as well, especially when we need to get right with God in our lives.

Back to the scriptures where we see the prophet Gad going to David with this demand from the Lord:

“Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."

It was an order David obeyed and as he went to Araunah, we read where he bowed before his king, wondering why he had come. David tells Araunah that he was there to buy his threshing floor to “build an altar to the Lord” so that “the plague on the people may be stopped”. And with that, Araunah doesn’t hesitate to give David what he wanted…free of charge. Through his words, we see where he was willing to surrender whatever David needed to build the altar and offer the proper sacrifices to God to resolve the judgment, hoping that the Lord might accept the offerings.

Well, David had one problem with Araunah’s offer. We read where he refused to accept it unless he could pay Araunah for everything because he wouldn’t “sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." And so “David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them” before building “an altar to the Lord” and sacrificing “burnt offerings and fellowship offerings”. His actions led to the Lord answering the “prayer in behalf of the land” and stopping “the plague on Israel”.

Through David’s actions, we see where returning to the Lord’s favor after committing sin requires sacrifice, not in the way of offerings burnt on an altar but rather through offering up one’s heart to Him. David didn’t seek a free ride back to God’s favor but showed through his actions that he was willing to lay down whatever was needed to make things right, saving himself and his people in the process.

You know, before God sent His only Son Jesus from Heaven to earth, all people were in a state of enmity with God, sinners who fell short of His glory (Romans 3:23). Restitution was needed but it needed to be a divine sacrifice in order to atone for the transgressions of every single person who had been created. Without such a sacrifice, mankind was destined for destruction and an eternity in Hell.

So what did God do?

He willingly surrendered His only Son, sending Him to earth to be the Savior of the world. In turn, Jesus willingly carried out the will of His Father and laid His life down so to save sinners like you and me.

Friends, if God and Jesus could give up so much for us, then surely we can surrender to them today, giving them our lives so they can lead us in ways of righteousness. After all, isn’t being a Christian mean one needs to be Christ-like?

Just because we’re saved doesn’t mean we won’t sin. Unfortunately, it’s a part of who we are as humans. But we can drastically minimize the times we commit wrongs before God by committing to live the way Jesus did and when we error, making proper restitution with the Lord through repentance so to get back on good terms with Him.

Thanks be to God for His salvation plan and for His Son Jesus who instituted it. Let’s honor them both by honoring them with the way we live each and every day.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

PUTTING OUR FAITH IN THE WRONG PLACES

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are."

But Joab replied, "May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord's subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?"

The king's word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel, there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.

But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king's command was repulsive to him. This command was also evil in the sight of God; so He punished Israel.

1 Chronicles 21:1-7

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Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel and He incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."

So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men so that I may know how many there are."

But Joab replied to the king, "May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?"

The king's word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.

After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.

After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel, there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword and in Judah five hundred thousand.

David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men and he said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of Your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."

Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer: "Go and tell David, 'This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for Me to carry out against you.'"

So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the One who sent me."

David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."

So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let Your hand fall upon me and my family."

2 Samuel 24:1-17

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As 2 Samuel, chapter 24 opens, we find David making a decision he later would regret. For as we see in our scripture passages for today, he orders a census to be taken of “Israel and Judah” but not all people were counted. Only those who were of age and able to fight were to be included.

What led David to order the count is interesting to say the least for if you only read 2nd Samuel, chapter 24, then you would be led to believe that it was the Lord who “incited David against (Israel)”. But as we so often see in the Bible, particularly when we study the Gospels, there are often parallel texts that offer a different perspective, helping us reach a deeper level of understanding.

Such a passage can be found in 1st Chronicles, chapter 21, where we learn that it was actually Satan who “rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census”, something that we know he (David) did.

So why would one passage say that the Lord incited David while the other attributes it to Satan?

Well, we have seen before in the scriptures where the Lord is the Lord of all, having power over good and evil. And so as David was on the brink of sinful behavior, the Lord didn’t stop that sin from happening but instead allowed Satan to enter in and lead David to order the count. The devil never does anything outside of the permission of God. He is a created being who is always under God’s sovereign control.

Going back to our scripture passages, we see that not everyone was onboard with David’s idea and in some instances such as this, we have seen where someone can enter the scene to serve as the voice of reason, someone who can seek to change the direction one is leaning towards so to prevent them from making a bad choice. In this case, we see where it’s Joab who sees David’s plan as ill-advised and says this to Israel’s king:

"May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord's subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?"

Here we find Joab highlighting the root of the problem found within David’s order. For any success that Israel had experienced in battle wasn’t as a result of the number of troops that were sent forth to fight but rather because the Lord was with them when they went. In fact, we saw in chapter 23 where single mighty men had great success fighting alone…all because they had God alongside, leading them to victory.

And so David’s desire to count all his men was done more out of a desire to boast about his power found in the sheer number of fighting men instead of faith in the only One needed to win in any battle…the Lord God Almighty.

You know, I wonder how often we make the same mistake as David, placing our faith in all the wrong places?

Maybe we feel pride over our longevity, boasting about the number of years we’ve lived because of how we took care of ourselves or have done this or that, choosing to take credit for the blessing of long life instead of attributing it to the Lord’s mercy, grace, and providence.

Maybe we’ve found success in the workplace, climbing the ladder of promotion while receiving monetary gains and prestige along the way. When others want to know the keys to our accomplishments, we choose to tell of how hard we worked to set ourselves apart from our competition so to get where we are…but in doing this, we forget to attribute our achievements to God’s blessings and provision.

Or maybe, we reached financial wealth through any of a number of means, investing wisely or following the advice of a financial advisor. Or perhaps we gained a hefty inheritance, receiving a bounty from a deceased loved one.

Regardless of how we may have gained our fortune, too often it makes us adopt a laissez-faire, care-free lifestyle as we don’t have to fret over paying the bills anymore or be concerned over putting food on the table. Unfortunately, this can also include losing sight of the Lord, the One who the scriptures assure gives every good and percept gift from above (James 1:17).

Just as Satan led David down the road of sin as he turned his attention away from God and towards his own will, we too can easily fall into the same trap, allowing ourselves to be blinded by pride and self accomplishment…and in doing so, failing to give the Lord the honor and glory He deserves.

Well, as we’ve seen in the scriptures and will continue to see, if we don’t give God the attention He deserves, then He’ll get our attention and show us the wrongs of our ways. For as David overrules Joab’s voiced concerns and sends him off to do the census, we read where his command was not only repulsive to him (Joab) but also “evil in the sight of God”.

And so God chose to punish Israel…but as we will see, He did it in a very interesting way…one that would teach David a valuable lesson.

For after the “end of nine months and twenty days”, Joab returned from the census and reported to David that “the number of the fighting men…were eight hundred thousand…who could handle a sword”. In Judah, we read where there were “five hundred thousand” but as we look at the 1st Chronicles account, we see that the numbers are different. This can be attributed to different people giving the accounts and those recollections can lead to differences sometimes. What’s really important here is that we remain focused on the intent of David to take pride in the size of his fighting force instead of his relationship with God and His role in bringing every victory.

So what often happens when we do wrong in life…when we choose sin over obedience?

Well, the Lord will find a way to convict us of our wrongs…and as we see, this is what happened to David. For we read where he becomes “conscience-stricken” after the census, leading him to turn to God and confess:

“I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of Your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."

Here, we see David taking the first necessary step in reconciling himself with the Lord…confessing his wrongs. But as we’ve seen in the scriptures…and have experienced ourselves at some level…the Lord will often discipline us to teach us a life lesson, a deterrent to keep us from committing the same sin again. In David’s case, the punishment was especially costly.

For after David’s confession, we read where the Lord sent him a message through the prophet Gad, giving three penalties of which David would have to select one.

What were the three judgment options?

The first involved famine…three years worth that God would send on Israel.

The second involved David himself, covering three months through which he would have to flee from the pursuit of his enemies…something David was familiar with since he had done it before.

The third choice, again involving all of Israel, was of shorter duration…three days of plague which would come upon the nation’s people.

We should note here that David couldn’t choose “none of the above”. Rather, he had to choose one of the three penalties and there’s no questioning that it was a tough decision to make. In fact, look at the words of Gad after giving the message to the king:

“…think it over and decide how I should answer the One who sent me."

So…what would you do if you were in David’s place? Which of the three options would you pick?

After I thought about these questions, I decided to choose going through three months of pursuit by my enemies. After all, I (putting myself in David’s place) had made the decision to do the census in the first place. It was my choice that led to the Lord’s disfavor and so why would I want to place any consequences on my people. To avoid this, it would be better in my view to bear the punishment and spare others.

Going back to our passage for today, we see where David didn’t quite see things the same way and I do. For after pondering the three choices, he says this to Gad:

"I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."

David had faced the pursuit of enemies before and so he knew how hard it was. Obviously, he didn’t want to go through it again as we see him throw himself and the Israelites “into the hands of the Lord”…into God’s mercy that David affirmed was great.

Now, maybe David thought that his decision would cause the Lord to show leniency…that the God of great mercy might lessen the sentence for the people of Israel, sparing them for the sin of David’s action. But that’s far from what happened. For after David decided to allow all of Israel to face God’s judgment for his sin, the Lord did what He promised He would do, sending three days of plague “from that morning until the end of the time designated”. And when all was said and done, there was a significant toll that occurred as “seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died”. The destruction didn’t halt until God called for it. For we see where He ordered His destroying angel to withdraw as he “stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem”.

In the end, God had indeed exercised mercy but not before many Israelites had perished.

Now…imagine that you’re David. You have witnessed 70,000 of your people struck down by plague…all because you had sinned…all because you chose the plague out of the three proposed judgments.

How would you feel?

Well, I suspect we might all respond as David did for as he witnessed his people dying, he cried out to the Lord saying:

“I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let Your hand fall upon me and my family."

It’s interesting that it was only now that David decided to take personal accountability for his actions but it was too late. His sin caused a multitude of his people to perish.

Friends, this same thing happens too often when we willingly decide to sin, placing our faith in all the wrong places (like ourselves) with the goal of taking credit for matters instead of allowing that recognition and honor to go to God. In these instances, others sometime get hurt and bear consequences that should have been on us.

Today and every day, let us ponder this as we live for Jesus and remember His journey to Calvary’s cross…the place where He bore the judgment of our poor choices and the resultant sinfulness…dying the death that sinners like us deserved, even though He was perfectly sinless. To honor what He did to save us, let’s surrender our lives fully to Him so that we will model all He did in word, thought, or deed. May we always make His will our own…a will that will always lead us to do right…a will that will always ensure that our decisions are His decisions…a will that will always ensure that we place our faith in the only right place…in Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.