Category Archives: 2 Samuel

Ever Feel Helpless – Part 2

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Weak as a king?THE STORY
Abner, the commander of Saul’s armies was faithful to Saul’s family even after Saul’s death. But Saul’s family insulted him and he defected to David’s side planning to bring his troops with him. This would have saved many Israeli lives, brought peace to the kingdom and immediately established David as king over all of Israel.

But the commander of David’s army, Joab wanted to kill Abner to avenge the death of his brother that Abner had killed in battle. Without David knowing it Joab deceived Abner and killed him before peace could be established. Upon hearing of this, David says this interesting thing:

THE PASSAGE
And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!” (2 Samuel 3:39)

THE APPLICATION
Do you ever feel helpless against evil people or situations in your life? Am I the only one that at times has wished I could stop being a king (Child of God) for just a few hours? “If I weren’t a Christian I could do this and then do that. But as a Christian I have to ‘turn the other cheek’, ‘bless those who do evil to me’, ‘pray for them’, love them.’ UGH! How can a king be so powerless to attack evil?” Continue reading →

Ever feel helpless?

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helplessA  story in 2 Samuel really caught my attention. Abner, the commander of Saul’s armies was faithful to Saul’s family even after Saul’s death. But they insulted him and he defected to David’s side planning to bring his troops with him. This would have saved many Israeli lives, brought peace to the kingdom and immediately established David as king over all of Israel. (Judah had already recognized him as king once Saul was killed in battle against the Philistines.)

But the commander of David’s army, Joab, wanted to kill Abner to avenge his brother who Abner had killed in battle. Without David knowing it Joab deceived Abner and killed him before peace could be established. Upon hearing of this, David says this interesting thing:

And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!” (2 Samuel 3:39)

Can you hear the frustration of David? I am king but I am still powerless against evil. These sons of my sister, Zeruiah, (yes, they were family) are out of control and do whatever they want. I am powerless. Continue reading →

A Message for Dads

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Absalom, Oh, AbsalomAbsalom is one of the villains of Scripture. He rebelled against his own father, the beloved King David.

But as I read his story my heart goes out to him. Look at some of the details and let me know what you think.
1. When a half-brother rapes his sister (2 Samuel 13) Absalom tenderly comforts her and takes her into his own home. He later names a daughter after this sister. What a kind, loving man he seems to be when we first meet him. But things start to change.
Continue reading →

The fire breathing God

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fireA friend of mine believes there is no hell and that all people will be saved.  “The church portrays God as an angry, fire breathing God to keep people in fear and obedient to the church.  God is love, not some fire breathing dragon.”

I thought of him when I read this song of David.

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
2 Samuel 22:7-9 NIV Continue reading →

I have a new hero.

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2 Samuel 15:21
“As surely as the Lord  lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”
___________________
I have a new hero – Ittai.  I am not even 100% sure how to pronounce his name but I certainly want to imitate his character.  When David was fleeing Jerusalem and his rebellious son, Absalom, Ittai and his 600 men accompanied him. But Ittai was a foreigner from Gath.  He had no reason to be loyal to David.

When I lived in Guatemala there was a coup.  The deposed president, who was a committed Christian and actually attended our church, had to flee the country (Yes, the US was involved and its actions were disappointing when viewed from a Guatemalan perspective.) Continue reading →