Overview
2 Samuel: Abner,
the commander of Saul’s army made Ish-bosheth, one of Saul’s sons, king over
Israel. Then Abner and Ish-bosheth’s servants went to meet Joab and David’s
servants at Gibeon. The two commanders agreed to have twelve young men for each
side compete with each other. They killed each other and the rest of the armies
began to fight. Asahel, Joab’s brother chased Abner and wouldn’t let up, so
Abner killed him. Then Joab and his other brother, Abishai pursued Abner.
Abner’s troops rallied at the top of a hill and Abner convinced Joab to stop
the fighting. Nineteen of David’s men died and 360 of Abner’s men died.
War
continued between Judah following David and Israel following Saul’s son. Judah
became stronger and Israel became weaker. David also had children and another
wife during this time. Even though Israel was growing weaker, Abner was running
the kingdom. When Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth accused Abner of sleeping with his
father’s concubine, Abner was insulted and told Ish-bosheth that he was going
to make sure David became king over all Israel as the Lord had promised.
Ish-bosheth was afraid to speak against Abner.
Abner sent
messengers to David to set up the transfer. David agreed if Abner brought
Michal, his wife. So, Abner took her from her husband, Paltiel. Abner talked to
the elders of Israel and Benjamin reminding them that the Lord had promised
David to be king over all Israel. They all agreed and Abner went to Hebron to
tell David. David had a feast for Abner and the men who came with him.
Joab had
been on a raid and came back just after Abner left. When he found out that
Abner had been there, he told David that Abner had only come to spy on him.
Joab left David and sent a messenger to bring Abner back. When Abner came back,
Joab killed him.
David found
out put a curse on Joab and his family. David tore his clothes and made the
people and Joab do it also. They put on sackcloth and mourned for Abner. David
fasted and the people took notice so it pleased them and all Israel. They knew
David was innocent.
Psalm:
Those who follow the Law of the Lord are blessed. They do what is right. The
Psalmist wants to do that and avoid shame. He will be upright in heart and ask
not to be forsaken.
He can keep
his ways pure by living by God’s word, seeking God with his whole heart, and
memorizing God’s word. He asks for the Lord to teach him as he speaks of God’s
word, delights in it, meditates on it, and fixes his eyes on it.
Proverbs: The
Lord doesn’t come near the wicked to hear his prayers but he does come near and
hears the righteous person’s prayers. Light and good news help provide joyful
hearts and renewed strength.
John: Jesus
knew it was time to depart and return to the Father. At the Passover supper, he
washed the disciples’ feet. Peter resisted but submitted when Jesus told him he
wouldn’t have any share in Jesus unless he did. Jesus said they were clean but not
all. Though clean, they needed to wash their feet.
He
explained that washing their feet was an example of how to be a servant to
others. He is Lord and Master but stooped to wash their feet. However, a
servant is not greater than his master. Knowing this, they will be blessed if
they follow Jesus’ example. But not everyone will because one will betray him
according to Scripture. He told them this so that when it happens, they will
believe in him. Whoever receives the one Jesus sends receives Jesus and anyone
who receives Jesus receives the one he sends.
Jesus is
troubled in spirit and plainly says one will betray him. They all wonder who
and Peter asks John to find out. It turns out to be Judas and Satan enters him.
Jesus tells him to do it quickly. Judas leaves but the other don’t understand.
What Stood Out
2 Samuel: “So
Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother
Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon” (2 Sam 3:30).
Psalm: “Blessed
are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who
also do no wrong, but walk in his ways” (Ps 119:2-3)!
Proverbs: “The
light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones” (Prov
15:30).
John: “Jesus
answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me’” (John 13:8).
Insight
2 Samuel: The
next strange story is when Joab and Abner seem to have an amenable meeting and
then decide to have some of their young men have a contest. The contest is more
ruthless than the seemingly friendly terms between Joab and Abner. 24 young men
end up killing each other quickly and then the two armies join in a huge
battle.
The Lord
doesn’t shed any light on the battle between Joab and Abner. It isn’t until later
that we find out that Joab carries a grudge against Abner. This is presented as
a background for later events. It shows that the Lord will use people’s ungodly
actions to set up event later to achieve his purposes. It doesn’t mean that God
condones these things or causes evil, it means that in God’s sovereignty, he
uses even bizarre battles to shape history in the way he wants.
Joab’s
vengeance several years later is a shock. He is deceitful and distrustful. He
doesn’t show respect for David’s leadership. His wickedness could very well be
a result of his anger over his brother’s death in battle. It took years and it
festered until he was willing to do whatever he could, including defying the
king to work his vengeance.
Unforgiveness
only causes bitterness and sin. It never accomplishes God’s purposes in the way
he would want it. It is something that we all need to consider when we have
been wronged or we think we’ve been wronged. It is better to do as David did
and let the Lord take care of the matter.
Psalm: There
are some verses in the Bible that are crisp summations of how to live for the
Lord. Psalm 119:2-3 is one of these. They aren’t intended to be a complete and
comprehensive explanation of salvation or how to live a sanctified life but are
significant as following them will lead to other ways of honoring God with holy
living. Keeping God’s testimonies would refer to keeping God’s laws, obeying everything
Jesus commanded us would be a good example. Seeking God with our whole hearts
would be putting God above all other things. There certainly wouldn’t be any
problems with false gods or conflicting motives. Keeping God’s commands would
seem to preclude doing wrong but the Psalmist reminds us that includes not doing
wrong and walking in God’s ways. We will be blessed if we do this.
Proverbs: When
I read that light brings joy to the heart, I thought about people who suffer
from SAD, seasonal affective disorder. The long days of winter and days without
sunshine bring depression to some people. From a spiritual standpoint, long
periods without Bible study, prayer, and worship will do the same thing.
However, the spiritual depression is much more serious than the physical
depression. It reveals an underlying heart problem where the person may
actually need to be saved in the first place. Without the good news to refresh
and create a new heart in a person, the season of depression for the lost is
eternal. Sometimes, Christians need to re-hear the good news of the gospel as
well so they can see the light again and break out of life enslaving sins.
John: When
Jesus washed the Apostle’s feet, he told the Apostles they would understand
what he was doing afterward. Then, Peter objects to having Jesus wash his feet.
Jesus’ response is to tell him that if he wants to have any part in Jesus, he
must let Jesus wash him. How much of this do we really understand? Certainly,
Jesus clarified that he was setting an example for servanthood among believers.
But there is more. That more can only be understood in the context of Jesus’
comments to Peter.
Unless
Jesus washes us, we have nothing to do with him. Note that this is something
Jesus does to us. It isn’t something we can do for ourselves. Paul explains it,
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his
mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy
Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus
3:5-6 NIV). Jesus also told them whoever receives the one he sends receives him
and vice versa. Since the Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus and the Holy Spirit
renews and washes us, it fits. We have the Holy Spirit the minute we are saved.
Jesus
washing the Apostles’ feet was a prefigure of what happens to believers when we
are saved. We shouldn’t be self-sufficient like Peter who didn’t want Jesus to
wash his feet. And we shouldn’t be like Peter who then wanted a total bath. Once
saved, we will never need to be saved again, but we will need to confess our
sins and wash the dirt of the world from our feet.
Application
I need to
confess my sins, the thing I do wrong because I’m not yet in heaven with a
glorified, sin-free body. I need the daily cleansing of God’s word to lead me.
I need to seek Jesus daily, hourly, and minute by minute.
No comments:
Post a Comment