CONFLICT RESOLUTION

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In Christ, Mark

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Meanwhile, Abner, son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri, and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.

Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. The length of time David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Abner, son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. Joab, son of Zeruiah, and David's men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.

Then Abner said to Joab, "Let's have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us."

"All right, let them do it," Joab said.

So they stood up and were counted off—twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and twelve for David. Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent's side and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.

The battle that day was very fierce and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's men.

The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle. He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. Abner looked behind him and asked, "Is that you, Asahel?"

"It is," he answered.

Then Abner said to him, "Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons."

But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

Again Abner warned Asahel, "Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?"

But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel's stomach and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon. Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.

Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?"

Joab answered, "As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit of their brothers until morning." So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, continued through the whole Bithron and came to Mahanaim.

Then Joab returned from pursuing Abner and assembled all his men. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David's men were found missing. But David's men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner. They took Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.

The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

Sons were born to David in Hebron:

His firstborn was Amnon. the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel; his second, Kileab, the son of Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom, the son of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah, the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, the son of David's wife Eglah.

These were born to David in Hebron.

2 Samuel 2:8-32, 3:1-5

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

With David anointed king of Judah and Saul dead, Israel was left without a king. And although it had already been determined by God that David would become king of all Israel, that had not happened yet.

For we read in chapter 2 of 2nd Samuel that “Abner…the commander of Saul's army” appointed “Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul” to be king over Gilead, Ashuri, and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. This lets us know that all of Saul’s sons weren’t killed in the battle with the Philistines. We also learn where his army commander, Abner, also survived the battle.

Well, Abner’s actions resulted in two ruling parties in Israel and laid the foundation for what was to come as they would compete for absolute power, property, and authority, and while doing so, clearly show the deep cost that comes with conflict.

The plan to determine who would have ultimate rule over all of Israel began at “the pool of Gibeon”. There, “Abner…together with the men of Ish-Bosheth” met “Joab…and David's men” with one group (sitting) down on one side of the pool and one group (sitting) on the other side”. Once there, Abner and Joab agree to try and settle the matter through hand-to-hand combat between a small faction of each group.

And so each group stood and “were counted off — twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth…and twelve for David. Ironically, the number of men chosen coincided with the number of tribes in Israel. We read where the combat began but ended quickly when “each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent's side, and they fell down together” All men, twelve from each side, fell dead and so nothing was resolved except for needless death.

Of note, we should see that neither Abner or Joab asked God what they should do. Rather, they devised their own plan as to how they would resolve the conflict and the outcome was tragic.

So would they realize that mistake and seek God’s guidance now?

We see that they didn’t for after the twenty-four men fell dead from the hand-to-hand combat, a very fierce battle ensued which resulted in “Abner and the men of Israel” being “defeated by David's men”.

Now, not wishing to die himself, we read where Abner fled the battle scene but was far from being out of danger. For in hot pursuit was Joab’s brother, Asahel, who was described as being “as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle”. Asahel used this speed to chase down Abner, “turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him”.

Well, Abner, seeing Asahel following him, asks him to break off his chase and “turn aside to the right or to the left” to “take on one of the young men”. Through his words, we see where Abner didn’t want to harm Asahel and so he tried to convince him to go after someone else that he had a better chance of defeating but unfortunately, Asahel refused to listen and continued the chase.

The scriptures tell us that Abner warned Asahel once again saying:

“Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?"

Abner knew he would easily be able to kill Asahel if he had to but Asahel was stubbornly committed in his desire to fight Abner and “refused to give up the pursuit”. It was a decision that led to his death as Abner turned and “thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel's stomach”. Asahel’s forward momentum was so great that “the spear came out through his back” and “he fell there and died on the spot”.

As for the rest of David’s men, we read where they ran forward and when they “came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died”, they stopped, not wanting to die as he did. But “Joab and Abishai” carried on, pursuing Abner with an obvious thirst for avenging their brother’s death.

With this, would there be more bloodshed to follow as “the sun was setting” and both groups met again, taking their stand on “the hill of Ammah, near Giah”?

The answer would have been a definite “yes” had it not been for a change of attitude from each side.

For we see where “Abner called out to Joab”, attempting to inject some reason into what was happening as he said:

"Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?"

Indeed, Joab’s brother was already dead as well as the twelve men who died in the combat at the pool of Gibeon and nineteen other men of David. The loss was even greater on Abner’s side as “three hundred and sixty Benjamites” who were with him died along with the twelve men at Gibeon. Given all this, Abner’s words were timely and effective.

For we read where Joab answered:

"As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit of their brothers until morning.”

And with that, “Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore”. A truce had been made and the fighting ended, each side returning to their respective homes with Asahel being buried in his father's tomb at Bethlehem as David’s men returned to Hebron.

Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be the last clash between “the house of Saul and the house of David”. Scripture tells us that their war “lasted a long time” with David’s side growing “stronger and stronger” while “the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker”. It would only be a matter of time before David would end up where God intended him to be…king over all of Israel.

Today’s scripture passage underscores the dangerous nature of conflict. And although, this account dealt with the perils on the battlefield, we know that conflict isn’t only found in the context of war where death so often occurs.

For what about when we get into disputes with others? Can’t these non-lethal clashes spiral out of control and lead to damaged relationships with others?

The answer is obviously “yes” and maybe you have had the displeasure of being in the midst of one of these situations.

I know I have.

You see, arguments and disagreements, if unchecked, sow seeds of dissent, hatred, and anger…emotions that will suck the very life out of the kind of relationship that God expects us to have with one another. These negative emotions breed contempt and resentment…and when they go unchecked, it can lead people to go to with one another…sometimes with fatal results.

So what are we to do in life when we are faced with conflict?

We need to avoid making the mistake that Abner and Joab did and turn to the Lord Jesus, the One that God the Father sent to show us how to live…both now and forever. For our Savior, as He did in all things, gave us clear guidance as to how we’re to deal with enemies when they come upon us. Consider these words:

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:27-36

The Old Testament way of dealing with enemies was an eye for an eye. You would do unto others as they did unto you or someone you loved. It was an attitude that was conflict-driven.

Jesus turned this attitude completely upside down and changed it so to be centered on the one thing that defined him more than any other…love. For we read where He instructs us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us…to bless those who curse us and pray for those who mistreat us. The world would say that approach is crazy but that’s what Jesus wants. He always seeks to grab the world’s attention to His ways by radically putting them on display through His actions and those of His disciples.

Think about it for a moment.

If a Christian behaves the same way as their enemies, then how are they any better or different?

This is what Jesus is trying to get across when He said:

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.”

It’s obvious He doesn’t expect His followers to act as the world acts. Rather, they are to act as He acted. After all, isn’t the base root of the word Christian, “Christ”? If we’re truly going to profess the identity of “Christian”, then we need to show everyone how He lived through our lives…and when we do, then and only then will we be able to be merciful as our Father, His Father, is merciful.

Friends, it’s inevitable that we will run into enemies as we live this thing called life, enemies through which we will enter into conflict with. Thankfully, we know how to resolve those disputes when they happen for Jesus has shown us the way.

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.

THE LORD'S DELIGHTS

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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The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They cut off his head and stripped off his armor and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their valiant men journeyed through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh and they fasted seven days.

1 Samuel 31:8-13

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When David was told that it was the men of Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul, he sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead to say to them, "The Lord bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."

2 Samuel 2:4b-7

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

At the end of 1st Samuel, we read of Saul’s death…how he fell on his own sword after being critically injured by the Philistines. He did this to avoid being killed by them but as we read in chapter 31, the Philistines didn’t stop from abusing Saul even when dead.

For the scriptures tell us that they beheaded him, stripped him of his armor, placed his armor in the idol worshipping temple of the Ashtoreths, and then fastened him and his sons to the wall of Beth Shan. One could have seen this as a fitting end to Saul’s story given his disobedient sinfulness during his rule but as we see, not everyone viewed Saul that way.

In support of this, we should recall that David certainly didn’t hold Saul’s murderous attitude against him but instead refused to kill Saul when the opportunity presented itself…not just once, but twice…because Saul, despite his faults, was still an anointed one of God…the king of Israel.

Further, we see where the people of Jabesh Gilead had similar feelings for the fallen king for after hearing about what the Philistines had done to their king, they “journeyed through the night to Beth Shan” and “took down the bodies of Saul and his sons”. They then took the bodies to Jabesh where they cremated them and gave them a proper burial, placing their bones “under a tamarisk tree” before fasting seven days in mourning over what had happened.

As we turn to the second chapter of 2nd Samuel, we read where David, the newly anointed king of Judah, gets word about what the people of Jabesh Gilead did for Saul and so he “sent messengers” to deliver the following word:

"The Lord bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."

Through this, we find Israel’s new king acknowledging the noble actions of the people in Jabesh Gilead, proclaiming them not only as acts of reverence but kindness as well. For there was definitely a degree of risk involved as they went into Philistine territory to retrieve the bodies of Saul and his sons but they shirked any possible danger in order to do the right thing…the honorable thing by properly honoring Saul and his sons.

To recognize their bravery, we read where David wishes that the Lord’s blessings be upon the people of Jabesh Gilead…blessings of faithfulness and kindness and favor…blessings that David himself promised them as well. And then he (David) did something else that would be important regarding his future ascent into leadership over all of Israel. For we see where he made it clear that although the people of Jabesh Gilead had lost their king, they were going to be fine because he had been anointed as their new king. This would allow them to remain strong and brave.

At the heart of this passage, we see the theme of kindness. Kindness showed to a deceased Saul and his sons by the people of Jabesh Gilead…a kindness hoped for from the Lord in response to the kindness they displayed…and a kindness and favor granted to them by David.

This matter of kindness should be important to us as well because God expects it. Consider this from the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah:

This is what the Lord says:

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24

If we’re in the Lord…and we should be because He created us in His own image (Genesis 1:27)…then we should exercise all the things that He exercises and that includes righteousness, justice, and kindness on earth.

Why?

Because the Lord delights in these things. He favors and blesses those who live for Him and submit to His leading and guiding in life. For those He leads and guides will exercise all the things He delights in because what they do is in accordance with His will and way. He is embedded in their very souls through the person of the Holy Spirit and when the Spirit is actively working within a believer then they will produce the following fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

In today’s scripture passages, we can see where the Lord’s Spirit was within the hearts of the people of Jabesh Gilead, leading them to bless their fallen King Saul and his sons with a suitable burial.

He’s willing to do a multitude of kind acts through you as well if you will only allow Him to. My prayer is that you’ll fully surrender to the Holy Spirit within, allowing him to control your heart and mind so to bear the fruit He desires to harvest from you. And when you adopt this life approach, the Lord will take care of the rest, leading you to more opportunities to be kind and loving to others that you could ever ask for. Largely because He delights in these things…and wants to delight in you as well.

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.

ASK, LISTEN, DO

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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In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked.

The Lord said, "Go up."

David asked, "Where shall I go?"

"To Hebron," the Lord answered.

So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns. Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

2 Samuel 2:1-4a

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

As we go through life, it seems we always seem to face the following question over and over as we deal with a multitude of life circumstances:

“What should I do?”

We encounter problems at work and wonder what how we should handle them.

We face economic challenges and wonder how we’re going to acquire or manage money to solve them.

We encounter difficulties in any number of the relationships we have in life and wonder what we need to do to resolve things.

Overall, as we step back and look at our lives, I think we can see where it’s an endless procession of different situations that involve us having to make choices in regard to dealing with them.

OK…so what should we do?

Unfortunately, we do everything except what we should be doing most of the time.

I say this because we tend to respond to our problems in one of two ways when they arise in our lives…neither of which provide the proper guidance we need.

The first mistake we make is trying to deal with the problems ourselves. We think we can figure it out or work it out or find the way through by using our wisdom and intellect. And too often, we find that we fail miserably when we try to do things this way.

I know I have.

And when we can’t seem to work things out ourselves, we tend to turn toward another option which is mistake number two.

For after we can’t seem to get things straightened out, we turn to someone else to try and help us figure out what we should do. And there is no shortage of “experts” out there who are ready to give us their opinion or advice.

Think about it for a moment for isn’t it easy to tell someone else what they should do when there’s nothing at stake in it for you?

If you give them bad advice, then they suffer from it and the worst thing that happens to you is that they don’t ask your advice again. And that’s fine because there are plenty of other people who will ask you. Meanwhile, the one who is trying to find their way through their problems often finds themselves mired deeper in those problems, feeling like they are at the end of what they can do…and they’re right, at least from a worldly perspective.

And so when someone gets to this point, when a person seems to have exhausted every earthly asset available, it’s only then that they end up turning to the One…the Lord…that they should have turned to at the very start…the One who would have provided them with perfectly reliable direction to handle the matter at hand, all while offering strength, comfort, peace, and love at the same time.

Indeed, God and God alone is our very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1) and our trusting Counselor when we need guidance (Psalm 32:8).

Turning to our scripture passage from the opening verses of 2 Samuel, chapter 2, we see where David fully embraced those truths and demonstrated the right way to approach seeking guidance in times of need.

To set the scene, we know that David, his men, and their families were living in Philistine territory after King Achish gave them the town of Ziklag. Unsure about when he and the others should depart Philistia and head back to Judah now that Saul was dead, we see David turning to the Lord and asking:

"Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?"

The scriptures tell us that the Lord told David to do so but keep in mind that Judah was a large territory and David wanted to make sure he went exactly where the Lord wanted him to go. And so he followed up his first question with a second:

“Where shall I go?”

To which God replied:

“To Hebron."

With this, we can see where David knew exactly what he needed to do and where the Lord wanted him to go because he asked Him directly and this carried with it an added benefit. For by responding to God’s guidance in obedience, David would know that the Lord’s approval would be on his actions.

And so David went to “Hebron and its towns”, settling there “with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel” along with “the men who were with him, each with his family”. It was there that “the men of Judah came” and officially “anointed David king over the house of Judah”.

My friends, through David’s actions we’re given a three step formula toward dealing with our life circumstances so to ensure that we’ll always be making decisions and behaving in ways that the Lord desires.

First, we need to ask…not any human being but God …and do it first.

Not after we have thought about what we should do on our own.

Not after we have asked someone else what we should do.

No…the Lord expects that we turn to Him and Him alone when we need guidance before anyone or anything else…and since we’re in this advanced technological age, that includes AI. For He and He alone provides the perfect advisement we need to make sure we are heading in the right direction to accomplish what He wants…and He does this every time we seek Him.

Secondly, David shows us that we need to listen.

When God told him what to do, David heard Him…and we need to do the same.

David didn’t challenge God’s answer saying, “Are you sure you want me to go to Judah Lord?”

or

“Wouldn’t another town be better than Hebron Lord?”

No…David asked and then David listened to God’s reply before showing us the final important step. Because after David asked and listened, he obediently did what God told him to do.

Now, we have seen throughout our Old Testament study from Genesis up to now, that God expects and blesses obedience more than almost anything else. And yet, over and over again, we have watched the people of Israel be anything but compliant…and unfortunately, we still see it happening today.

In our scripture passage, we see that David was anything but disobedient. God told him to go to Judah and settle in Hebron…and David took his family as well as his men and their families and did as God ordered. In return, we see where the Lord blessed him, anointing him as king of Judah…and soon his leadership would expand over all Israel, just as God had promised and purposed. Given this, we need to remember that He has a specific purpose for us in our lives as well…no matter where He leads us.

So there you have it. In just four verses from the second chapter of 2nd Samuel, God gives us three simple steps to make sure we always know what to do, no matter our circumstances…three steps modeled by David.

First, ask the Lord first regarding your situation and how to proceed.

Second, listen patiently for His direction.

And finally, respond to His direction with absolute obedience, doing exactly as He commands.

Rest assured of this, God will always put us where He wants us to be when we seek Him and while we’re there, He will always reveal His purpose for us in that place.

For David, his family, and his men and their families, it was to go to Judah and settle in Hebron where David would officially become Judah’s new king.

What will it be for you and me?

Well, all we need do is ask God, listen to Him, and do just what he tells us to do for it’s only then that we can discover and experience the glory of God’s plan for our lives.

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.

LAMENT BORN FROM LOVE AND FORGIVENESS

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

** 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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David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):

"Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on Your heights. How the mighty have fallen!

Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.

O mountains of Gilboa, may you have neither dew nor rain, nor fields that yield offerings of grain.

For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the flesh of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.

Saul and Jonathan — in life, they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.

How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights. I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.

How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!"

2 Samuel 1:17-27

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

The first chapter of 2 Samuel begins with bad news.

Fresh off his victory over the Amalekites and the rescue of his abducted people and livestock, David receives word that Saul and Jonathan had died in the battle against the Philistines. This report leads David and his men to mourn, weep, and fast over the loss before he pens a lament for his fallen friends…a lament that makes us the remainder of chapter 1.

Checking the dictionary, we find that “to lament” means “to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for…often demonstratively…or to regret strongly. Certainly, we feel the deep love and caring that David had for both Saul and Jonathan…surprising in a way in Saul’s case because of the way that he had relentlessly pursued David in a quest to kill him. Despite this, we should note that David doesn’t curse Saul but instead praises him.

You know, I wonder if we, put in the same circumstances as David, would have done likewise.

For it would be easy to sing the admiration of someone who was in the same spirit as you were…one who loved you as himself…one that would place himself in grave danger just to protect you. Jonathan did all these things and so it was easy to see how David could say this about him:

“Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.”

There’s probably little doubt that we would have felt the same if we had someone like Jonathan in our own lives.

But when it comes to one who has done wrong to you for no good reason…one who tried multiple times to pin you to the wall with a spear…one who pursued you persistently with murderous intent, causing you to be constantly on the run to stay alive…I think most any person wouldn’t consider saying anything nice about such an adversary, no matter how much good they may have done at some time in their life. Indeed, it would be very hard to see where praise would not be in order and no one would blame if it was withheld. Actually, it would be expected that one would feel relief and maybe even satisfaction because their enemy had met their demise and therefore would no longer be a problem.

Maybe you’ve had an enemy or two in your life, someone who never seemed to take a break from mistreating or harassing you in some way…so much so that their actions bred feelings of contempt in your heart for them.

Now, imagine that you get news that this person died.

Would you deeply mourn their passing?

Would you turn around and deliver a praise-filled eulogy at their funeral?

Most people wouldn’t…but David wasn’t like most people. For as we see in his lament, David doesn’t condemn Israel’s first king, the man he would replace on the throne. Rather, he chose to focus on the good things about Saul.

He underscored Saul and Jonathan’s bravery in battle.

He highlighted their strength and agility in vanquishing Israel’s foes during Saul’s reign.

And he exhorted others in Israel to join him in mourning them both as “the mighty ones” who had fallen…the “weapons of war” that had perished…the ones who were “loved and gracious” in life.

Yes, David could have denounced and criticized Saul…and there was plenty to charge him with…but instead he lamented. Perhaps, this is because he was a man after God’s own heart…a God that is merciful and forgiving and loving…a God who will bring the same out in us when we surrender our hearts and minds to Him…and become like-minded with Him.

Our message today challenges us to self-examine our attitudes against our enemies…and we all have them, if we’re honest.

If they were to die tomorrow, would we rejoice over their passing or feel sorrow…would we feel a sense of celebration or mourn…would we revel or sense remorse?

Before any of us try and answer these questions on our own, we need to seek our Lord first…reading His Word and seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit before we decide how to feel. For when we do, we’ll find these words from Jesus, the One we are to model our lives after as Christians:

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28

and

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15

Later, a falsely accused and convicted Jesus would utter these words while hanging crucified on Calvary’s cross while being derided and insulted by those below:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

Truly, the scriptures teach us that love and forgiveness condition our hearts to the place where God wants them to be…to the place where Jesus’ heart was…and the place David’s heart was as well…to a place of lament over a man who wanted him dead.

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.

THE DANGER OF DECEPTION

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In Christ, Mark

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After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. On the third day, a man arrived from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.

"Where have you come from?" David asked him.

He answered, "I have escaped from the Israelite camp."

"What happened?" David asked. "Tell me."

He said, "The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

"I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," the young man said, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him. When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, 'What can I do?’”

“He asked me, 'Who are you?'"

“'An Amalekite,' I answered.”

"Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I'm still alive.'”

"So I stood over him and killed him because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord."

Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the army of the Lord and the house of Israel because they had fallen by the sword.

David said to the young man who brought him the report, "Where are you from?"

"I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite," he answered.

David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"

Then David called one of his men and said, "Go, strike him down!"

So he struck him down, and he died. For David had said to him, "Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, 'I killed the Lord's anointed.'"

2 Samuel 1:1-15

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

A prevailing theme throughout the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel is the matter of deception.

In 1 Samuel, we’ve already seen Saul use it when he tried to justify his disobedience after failing to carry out God’s order to destroy the Amalekites…an act that Samuel framed as the main cause for God removing His favor from Israel’s first king (1 Samuel 28:16-19).

Then, we saw David mislead the Philistine king, Achish, when he went to Gath after running away from Saul. Afraid that he might be harmed, David acted as if he was insane during custody, prompting Achish to order him sent away (1 Samuel 21:12-15).

Finally, we saw David use it again when he lied to cover up his attacks on Philistine territories (the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites), telling King Achish (yes, the same king he duped into believing he was crazy before) that he had instead attacked the Israelites in the Negev of Judah, the Negev of Jerahmeel, and the Negev of the Kenites. Further, David doubled down on his sin by executing all the people in the territories he raided to ensure no one could report back to Achish what he had done (1 Samuel 27:8-11).

With all this, we shouldn’t be too surprised to see the matter of deception at the forefront as we being our study of 2 Samuel. Look again at those verses here:

After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. On the third day, a man arrived from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.

"Where have you come from?" David asked him.

He answered, "I have escaped from the Israelite camp."

"What happened?" David asked. "Tell me."

He said, "The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

"I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," the young man said, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him. When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, 'What can I do?’”

“He asked me, 'Who are you?'"

“'An Amalekite,' I answered.”

"Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I'm still alive.'”

"So I stood over him and killed him because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord."

Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the army of the Lord and the house of Israel because they had fallen by the sword.

David said to the young man who brought him the report, "Where are you from?"

"I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite," he answered.

David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"

Then David called one of his men and said, "Go, strike him down!"

So he struck him down, and he died. For David had said to him, "Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, 'I killed the Lord's anointed.'"  2 Samuel 1:1-15

The chapter begins with David and his people already having stayed in Ziklag for two days after returning from their victory over the Amalekites who had attacked and pillaged Ziklag as David and his men were off with the Philistine army advancing to fight Israel.

You’ll remember that after being rejected by the untrusting Philistine commanders, David and his men returned to find their town in ruin and their families and livestock stolen by the Amalekites. And after consulting the Lord for His will in the matter, David and his men pursued, found, and soundly defeated the Amalekites, getting everything back that had been taken from them.

And so David, his men, and their families were reunited and trying to get back on their feet in Ziklag when a “man arrived from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and with dust on his head” on the third day after they had returned. The scriptures tell us that the man went to David and “fell to the ground to pay him honor.

After discovering that the man had come from the Israelite camp, David quickly asked about what had happened for after being sent back to Ziklag and not permitted to fight alongside King Achish, he knew that there was going to be fighting but was unaware of the outcome. So given that he had no first-hand knowledge about what really happened, David had to rely on this man’s testimony…a dangerous proposition because what if the man didn’t tell the truth? What if he was only there to try and gain something for himself and take advantage of David?

Going back to the scriptures, we find the man give David the following report:

"The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

Now, imagine the impact that had on David. You’ll remember that Jonathan, Saul’s son,  was his sworn friend who had looked after him and protected him faithfully in times of danger, even going against his own father to keep David alive. And even though Saul continuously tried to kill David, David would not do the same to Saul when the opportunity presented itself, not just once (in the cave) but twice (as Saul slept in his camp). In each incident, David exhorted Saul as being the Lord’s anointed, meaning that in his view, God was the only One who could rightfully pass judgment on Saul.

Well, after the shock of the man’s words hit home, we sense that David is in a sense of disbelief right away because he asks the man immediately:

“How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

Again, the man gives David his account on what happened, saying:

"I happened to be on Mount Gilboa…and there was Saul, leaning on his spear with the chariots and riders almost upon him. When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, 'What can I do?' He asked me, 'Who are you?'  'An Amalekite,' I answered. Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I'm still alive.' So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord."

Now. We know that there was an obvious problem with the man’s story because we have read about what really happened in the scriptures where we see that Saul killed himself after his armor bearer refused to do it (1 Samuel 31:3-4). Unfortunately, David didn’t have that benefit and so he had to rely on the man’s word.

And so the man’s fabricated story made it sound as if he had done something noble for the critically wounded king, as if he had followed Saul’s order to finish him off since he was in the throes of death. Perhaps the man had heard Saul tell his armor bearer to kill him before the Philistines could and used that part of Saul’s words to construct his lie.

Whatever the case, the man clearly knew David was next in line to be king and through his actions, which included bringing Saul’s crown and armband, hoped to gain some kind of special favor.

Little did he know that his scheme would have an unexpected ending.

For when someone plots and concocts what they see as devious plans meant to deceive others, they forget one important thing…God sees everything and can never be deceived. In fact, His very Word promises that vile scheming done in the dark shadows of evil will be exposed and brought to light (1 Corinthians 4:5) with the motives of hearts revealed.

So would the man get away with his lie?

Well, we read where his testimony caused deep mourning for David and his men as they “took hold of their clothes and tore them” before weeping and fasting until evening.

And then David turns to the man and confronts him with a few more questions. For after asking where he was from and learning he was an Amalekite who had been living in the midst of the Israelites as an alien, he then asked him:

“Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"

Uh-oh.

Immediately, a flaw was exposed in the man’s plot. For if he had truly been living amongst the Israelites as an alien, he would have been very aware that any person would be absolutely terrified at the prospect of killing anyone who had been anointed…or specially set apart and selected .by the Lord. In the real story of what happened, Saul’s armor bearer was a perfect example of this.

The Amalekite man should have been likewise unless he actually didn’t kill Saul but it was too late for he had already confessed to doing just that. And it was because of that confession…that he knowingly killed God’s anointed one…that the man sealed his own fate, an execution that was carried out by one of David’s men upon the following order:

“Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, 'I killed the Lord's anointed.'"

Friends, the Lord is sending us a strong message in these first fifteen verses of 2 Samuel. For any deceitful scheming meant to get over on another person is sin…plain and simple..committed in plain sight of a God who hates sin. In fact, He hates it so much that He will judge it and correct those who decide to do it…and in the case of the Amalekite man, it cost him his life.

We too will pay a cost if we choose to do as he did.

In the end translation, my prayer is that all of us as believers will adopt and follow the words of the Psalmist who wrote the following:

“Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good…” (Psalm 34:12-14).

The bottom is that God’s word instructs us not exercise deception and He expects us to be uncompromisingly obedient to His word. He’ll always be watching to see if we comply…and that’s the truth.

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.