Bible study Daily, explanation and encouragement - 2 Samuel
Soon after, David sought the Lord's direction as to returning to Judah, and was instructed to go to Hebron, about twenty miles southwest of Jerusalem. There (in Hebron) its inhabitants came together and anointed DAVID to King over the house of Judah.
In verses 1-4 we can see the "discovery and attitude of doing God's will". Transforming circumstances must bring our minds back to the path that God would have us take.
God's direction is sometimes very specific.
Human obedience must follow divine direction.
Blessing follows obedience.
It is always good to pray before making decisions, seeking the will of God, and doing what he directs.
The exact way in which this occurred is not reported to us, but perhaps it was due to the same shrill sound of a marching battalion, which should have been the signal for David. This time the victory was complete and decisive. The text of 1 Chronicles 14:17 adds the following commentary on the fame of this victory: "And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations".
With spiritual and non-carnal weapons (2 Cor 10:14); we can see in verses 22-25: a call to take up arms. Because?
- Our battle is against the great opposite situations
- It must be performed with prayer for God's direction and help.
- It must be performed under divine direction.
- We must unite in times of crisis. Seek people to pray with and for you.
- The result will be victorious.
We often see certain things happen to certain people and we think ... look! What an injustice ... it was too much ... it did not deserve that much. We judge by what we see there at the moment; It happened to me to irritate me with some news in the newspapers or on TV, or on the internet, when we read a headline and when we read the news, we realize that the headline makes us think wrong about the case. We feel manipulated!
When I was a teenager and read this story for the first time I thought that God was too hard on the poor man, after all he just wanted to help. But studying more in depth we observe some facts.
One of them is: For some unexplained reason, the ark was placed in a new cart verse 3, instead of being transported as determined by God, on the shoulders of the priests.
All happy, the detachment followed, David and those who were with him, were rejoicing before the Lord with various types of instruments. On the way, oxen stumbled and toppled the ark, and Uzza reached out to hold it. The result was an instant death, because (another important fact) human hands could never touch that sacred object (Ex 25:14,15; Num 4:15,20). For this imprudence which also means 'error' or 'Negligence'. The text in 1 Chronicles 13:10 adds: "for having reached out to the ark".
Various attempts have been made to soften the severity of this judgment on Uzza. Israel must have learned to observe its own law, and God's amazing majesty must never be obscured. Since the ark had been in Abinadab's home all of Uzza's life, he should have known how to treat it with care and proper respect. The fact is that we do not know enough about Uzzah's attitudes, training and inspiration to judge the spirit in which he acted, or the justice of the judgment that came upon him. We can only know that the judge of all the earth has always done and will always do what is right (Gen. 18:25).
In the begiining of this chapter 6, David went to get the ark whicht was in Obed-edom's house. In verse 13 it says: those who carried the ark - it was now being carried properly, on the shoulders of the appointed priests. David jumped (or danced) before the Lord, a form of religious rejoicing that expressed the joy of the occasion. David wore a linen vest that indicates the religious nature of the celebration.
Saul's daughter Michal was obviously not interested in the whole procedure. Instead of joining the festivities, she was looking out the window as a spectator, rather than being a participant. Most criticism comes from those who merely observe during religious activities without taking part in them. Since an emotion that is not understandably shared, usually bothers, Michal despised David in her heart. Her sarcastic comment and results are described in verses 20:23 and 24.
Michal's resentment was twofold: that the king had exchanged the royal robes for the linen vest of the priests; and for mixing with the common people. David's response was that he would humble himself even more. Michal's attitude cost her dearly, as she became sterile, the biggest disapproval that an oriental woman could come up with.
Chapter 11 is a vivid lesson in how sins accumulate.
How much better it would have been if he had gone with the troops to the battlefield! THE LUST OPENS DOORS FOR ALL TYPES OF TEMPTATION. Evil begets evil, and one sin leads to another. After seeing the woman on her porch, trying to find out who she was, relating to her ... she got pregnant. Now David begins a great effort to hide sin. And sins were only accumulating.
- David stayed home when kings went out to war.
- Idleness led to the appearance of evil and lust.
- Lust led to immorality and danger of exposure.
- The danger led to attempts to cover up a sinful past.
- The failure of deception led to murder.
- God's judgment on the path of iniquity.
God's attitude towards sin is seen in chapter 12:1-14.
There we see (1) an appeal to common justice, (2) God speaks to man's conscience (3) we also see the devastating results of sin, (4) Repentance and forgiveness, (5) The consequences that endure.
At that moment, David's repentance was quick and sincere. He said: I have sinned against the Lord. There were no attempts to cover up or excuse these acts. The prophet secured the Lord's forgiveness. But the consequences still followed. His son Solomon was a lustful son, his lust destroyed the kingdom.
2 Samuel 12:16
WHAT TO DO ON THE DAY OF EMERGENCY?
- David received a death sentence for his newborn son from the prophet Nathan. In the preceding verses you read the entire situation that led to this outcome. David himself knows the facts, when he got this news, he did not go through the palace screaming and passing out and crying in the arms of his advisers or someone else.
Yes, he was sad. Yes, he suffered. Yes, he was crying. But he did not seek the aid of his fellows and royal members. He cried for the one who could change the situation. He used grief and tears productively. Seeking God's help and comfort. The text says that he besought God (begged, earnestly seeking, entreated fervently). He also fasted and spent the night lying on the ground in humiliation and praying to God. After 7 days the child died. Only then did he get up, washed, changed, used perfume. Then he entered the Sanctuary of the Lord and worshiped God. Then he went back to the palace and asked for food and ate.
- Note that God did NOT give what David wanted, keeping the child alive. David did not go home depressed or disappointed either, verse 20 says he loved the Lord. The people around him did not understand David's behavior, why? Because someone who has no relationship with God will never understand the commitment to God. And David explains in verse 22: While the child was alive, I fasted and cried. I thought: who knows? Maybe the Lord will have mercy on me and let the child live. But why should I fast now that it is dead?
- Conclusion. When the true Christian receives bad news or goes through death situations, the recipe is to yield to God in prayer, fasting, and supplication. Do not go crying in despair to other people, they cannot do anything ... Find the one who can do EVERYTHING. Cry for Him. When your heart hurts so much, your pain is so great, fall to the ground like David did, but for the Lord. Ultimately, even if He does not give you the way out you want, but leaves your spirit renewed in the ways of the Lord, comforted, strength and understanding.
God bless you!
The message: "God's work is more important than the worker" is illustrated by David's attitude in sending God's ark back to the city from which it fled.
- The ark symbolized God's covenant with his people,
- It was important in the lives of those who would find God's favor,
- David was more interested in the will of God than in personal advantages.
When David reigned over Israel, there was a very severe famine. He consulted the Lord, and the Lord guided him on what should be done. Years ago, Israel had entered into an alliance with the Gibeonites, swearing protection. Meanwhile King Saul, in his zeal, had killed many of them. And now, seven men of his offspring were to be hanged to end the drought. Among them, the two sons that Rispa had from Saul were killed. She took a sackcloth, held it out to herself on a rock, and did not let the birds come in the day to peck at the bodies of her children. And at night she scared the beasts. This lasted for many days, from the beginning of the harvest until the rain fell on the land. David was told about it, and the king ordered the bodies of the youth to be buried.
Rispa became the example of a mother who is always at her post. Although the children were already dead, she was there preventing the humiliation of having their bodies eaten by birds or beasts. Rispa reminds mothers, whose children are "dead" in their crimes and sins, that it is necessary to fight for them in prayer. Place yourself in the watchtower and do not let birds or beasts (demons of darkness) come to destroy you.
The Lord brings life to those "dead in their sins." There is great power in a mother's tears before the King.
Pray with me: Father, we pray for those who are rotting in their sins away from you and the joy your life brings. Restore with your breath, oh Holy Spirit, the full life in the hearts of those for whom we intercede. Let the scent of your life come upon the children, whose mothers shed tears before you. Amen.
WORSHIP AND PRAISE MUST BE AMONG OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES.
Learn to praise God for all spiritual victories and gains.
Understand that this increases your chances of winning other battles.
Worship the Lord with all your being as an appropriate response to His presence.
Express your gratitude, your praise, your worship! Jump, dance in His presence!
David's response is one of the great statements in the scriptures about the priority of sacrifice and administration in the Lord's work.
This verse has many things to show us about "the high price of true worship". David's words present a great truth:
- Worship is required of all, even of a king,
- There can be a type of worship without cost,
- Worship that has no cost is also worthless,
- The worship that involves willingness to sacrifice is rewarded with results.