Don’t give up living before it’s time to die. Don’t give up cooperating because you can’t be in charge. Today we have two short stories, one about a man who didn’t want in when he was invited, and others who were angry because they were left out. We’re introduced to Barzillai who “was a very […]
Are we truly “content to let the world go by” just as long as the King has His rightful place? As David makes his way up to the royal city, his next recorded meeting is with Mephibosheth. Ziba, his steward, had fled with David, bringing along a supply of provisions. When David wondered aloud where […]
Read More… from January 30, 2024 — Mephibosheth Gets It Right
Fiction’s “I’ll be back” and history’s “I shall return” are nothing compared to prophecy’s “I will come again.” Awkward! What was the topic of discussion across Israel? “The king saved us from the hand of our enemies, he delivered us from the hand of the Philistines…But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in […]
The same old city heard “O Absalom” from David and “O Jerusalem” from his greater Son. Tragically, not all prodigals come home. What a contrast between the delight of the father’s house in Luke 15 and the lament of the father’s heart in 2 Samuel 18! Here’s how the story unfolds. Two runners bring news […]
Taking the rebel’s place, God’s Son went “about a stone’s throw” (Lk 22:41) to pray, “Not My will…” It was time for battle. So “David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them” (2 Sam 18:1). David chose the difficult terrain east of the Jordan, […]
How precious it must be to the Lord Jesus when His people stand with Him in the time of His exile. Based on an earlier arrangement, the sons of the priests, “Jonathan and Ahimaaz” (2 Sam 17:17), were sent on a secret mission to warn David of Absalom’s plan. Initially they were located at the […]
Serving our King behind enemy lines, we need to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Mt 10:16). “Meanwhile” (2 Sam 16:15), back at the palace in Jerusalem, Absalom is getting ready for his council of war. “When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom,…Hushai said to Absalom, ‘Long live the king!’” (v […]
The story of David and his Great Son overlap so seamlessly, often we can barely tell the difference! We read “the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased in number” (2 Sam 15:12). Especially painful was Ahithophel’s defection, David’s chief counselor. And why? A little research shows he was Bathsheba’s grandfather! Poison […]
There’s an old Russian proverb: “It’s better to be slapped with the truth than kissed with a lie.” Kisses carry messages; they are the secret code of the soul. We know of Orpah’s goodbye kiss (Ruth 1:14) and kisses between family and friends (Ex 18:7; 1 Sam 20:41). There are romantic kisses (Song 1:2) and […]