demonstrating his kindness

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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demonstrating his kindness

2 Samuel 9:1-13 (JDV)

2 Samuel 9:1 David said, “Is there anyone remaining from the family of Saul I can show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake?”
2 Samuel 9:2 There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied.
2 Samuel 9:3 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was crippled in both feet.”
2 Samuel 9:4 The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.”
2 Samuel 9:5 So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.
2 Samuel 9:6 Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, fell facedown, and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “I am your servant, ” he replied.
2 Samuel 9:7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.”
2 Samuel 9:8 Mephibosheth paid homage and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?”
2 Samuel 9:9 Then the king summoned Saul’s attendant Ziba and said to him, “I have given to your master’s grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family.
2 Samuel 9:10 You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in the crops so your master’s grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, is always to eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
2 Samuel 9:11 Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do all my lord the king commands.” So, Mephibosheth ate at David’s table just like one of the king’s sons.
2 Samuel 9:12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All those living in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants.
2 Samuel 9:13 However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king’s table. His feet had been crippled.

demonstrating his kindness

Jonathan was dead and gone, but his kindness to David was still alive, as David sought to repay him by showing good will to Mephibosheth and Ziba. That is how the kindness of God works. Your acts of love result in gratitude, which produces other acts of love, which result in gratitude, etc. It may be something as simple as a pleasant conversation, or looking out for someone’s interest. We will never know how deep the ripple of an act of kindness may go.

LORD, may we never forget to be thoughtful of others. Show us ways to demonstrate your kindness.

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administering justice and righteousness

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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administering justice and righteousness

2 Samuel 8:1-18 (JDV)

2 Samuel 8:1 After this, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from Philistine control.
2 Samuel 8:2 He also defeated the Moabites, and after making them lie down on the ground, he measured them off with a cord. He measured every two cord lengths of those to be put to death and one full length of those to be kept alive. So, the Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.
2 Samuel 8:3 David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control at the Euphrates River.
2 Samuel 8:4 David captured seventeen hundred horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers from him, and he hamstrung all the horses and kept a hundred chariots.
2 Samuel 8:5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to assist King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand Aramean men.
2 Samuel 8:6 Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. Yahveh made David victorious wherever he went.
2 Samuel 8:7 David took the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 8:8 King David also took huge quantities of bronze from Betah and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities.
2 Samuel 8:9 When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
2 Samuel 8:10 he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Toi and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Joram had items of silver, gold, and bronze with him.
2 Samuel 8:11 King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued–
2 Samuel 8:12 from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Amalekites, and the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
2 Samuel 8:13 David made a reputation for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in Salt Valley.
2 Samuel 8:14 He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. Yahveh made David victorious wherever he went.
2 Samuel 8:15 So David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people.
2 Samuel 8:16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was court historian;
2 Samuel 8:17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was court secretary;
2 Samuel 8:18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials.

administering justice and righteousness

After succeeding in gaining control over the nation, David wins battles which cause his enemies to fear him, and the wise nations to respect him. He then sets his heart to administer justice and equity to all his people (15). He believed his people were endowed by their creator with unalienable rights, and that his government was instituted among men to secure these rights.

LORD, instill in us a commitment to govern well, and to respect those who do.

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instruction for humanity

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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instruction for humanity

2 Samuel 7:18-29 (JDV)

2 Samuel 7:18 Then King David went in, sat in Yahveh’s presence, and said, who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far?
2 Samuel 7:19 What you have done so far was a little thing to you, Lord Yahveh, for you have also spoken about your servant’s house in the distant future. And this is instruction for humanity, Lord Yahveh.
2 Samuel 7:20 What more can David say to you? You know your servant, Lord Yahveh.
2 Samuel 7:21 Because of your word and according to your will, you have revealed all these great things to your servant.
2 Samuel 7:22 This is why you are great, Lord Yahveh. There is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, as all we have heard confirms.
2 Samuel 7:23 And who is like your people Israel? God came to one nation on land in order to redeem a people for himself, to make a name for himself, and to perform for them great and awesome acts, driving out nations and their gods before your people you redeemed for yourself from Egypt.
2 Samuel 7:24 You established your people Israel to be your own people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
2 Samuel 7:25 Now, Yahveh God, fulfill the promise forever that you have made to your servant and his house. Do as you have promised,
2 Samuel 7:26 so that your name will be exalted forever, when it is said, “Yahveh of Armies is God over Israel.” The house of your servant David will be established before you
2 Samuel 7:27 since you, Yahveh of Armies, God of Israel, have revealed this to your servant when you said, “I will build a house for you.” Therefore, your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to you.
2 Samuel 7:28 Lord Yahveh, you are God; your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.
2 Samuel 7:29 Now, please bless your servant’s house so that it will continue before you forever. For you, Lord Yahveh, have spoken, and with your blessing, your servant’s house will be blessed forever.

instruction for humanity

David’s reaction shows his heart for God, and a willingness to be corrected by the LORD. May we learn from his experience, and treat our disappointments with humility.

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the house he built

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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the house he built

2 Samuel 7:1-17 (JDV)

2 Samuel 7:1 When the king had settled into his palace and Yahveh had given him relief on every side from all his enemies,
2 Samuel 7:2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See, I am living in a cedar house while the ark of God sits inside tent curtains.”
2 Samuel 7:3 So Nathan told the king, “Go and do all that is on your mind, for Yahveh is with you.”
2 Samuel 7:4 But that night the word of Yahveh came to Nathan:
2 Samuel 7:5 “Go to my servant David and say, ‘This is what Yahveh says: Are you to build me a house to dwell in?
2 Samuel 7:6 From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today I have not dwelt in a house; instead, I have been moving around with a tent as my dwelling.
2 Samuel 7:7 In all my journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever spoken a word to one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, asking: Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?’
2 Samuel 7:8 “So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what Yahveh of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel.
2 Samuel 7:9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a great name for you like that of the greatest on the land.
2 Samuel 7:10 I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them, so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have been doing
2 Samuel 7:11 ever since the day I ordered judges to be over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. ” ‘Yahveh declares to you: Yahveh himself will make a house for you.
2 Samuel 7:12 When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your seed, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
2 Samuel 7:13 He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
2 Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and blows from mortals.
2 Samuel 7:15 But my faithful love will never leave him as it did when I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
2 Samuel 7:16 Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.'”
2 Samuel 7:17 Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.

the house he built

David had determined to build a house (temple) for God. God said no. Instead, the LORD responded to David’s intention by promising to build David a house (dynasty). David’s dynasty lives on to this day in the kingdom of his son, and God’s Son – Jesus Christ. The LORD does not need us to do anything for him. But he responds favorably to our desire to honor him in what we do.

Thank you, LORD, for the house you built David. Thank you that we can be part of that house.

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incorrect correction

Posted on May 13, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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incorrect correction

2 Samuel 6:1-23 (JDV)

2 Samuel 6:1 David again gathered all the fit young men in Israel: thirty thousand.
2 Samuel 6:2 He and all his troops set out to bring the ark of God from Baalah in Judah. The ark bears the Name, the name of Yahveh of Armies who is enthroned between the cherubim.
2 Samuel 6:3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and transported it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart
2 Samuel 6:4 and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark.
2 Samuel 6:5 David and the whole house of Israel were dancing before Yahveh with all kinds of fir wood instruments, lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.
2 Samuel 6:6 When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled.
2 Samuel 6:7 Then Yahveh’s anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God.
2 Samuel 6:8 David was angry because of Yahveh’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah, as it is today.
2 Samuel 6:9 David feared Yahveh that day and said, “How can the ark of Yahveh ever come to me?”
2 Samuel 6:10 So he was not willing to bring the ark of Yahveh to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.
2 Samuel 6:11 The ark of Yahveh remained in his house three months, and Yahveh blessed Obed-edom and his whole family.
2 Samuel 6:12 It was reported to King David: “Yahveh has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So, David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing.
2 Samuel 6:13 When those carrying the ark of Yahveh advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.
2 Samuel 6:14 David was dancing with all his might before Yahveh wearing a linen ephod.
2 Samuel 6:15 He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of Yahveh with shouts and the sound of the ram’s horn.
2 Samuel 6:16 As the ark of Yahveh was entering the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.
2 Samuel 6:17 They brought the ark of Yahveh and set it in its place inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in Yahveh’s presence.
2 Samuel 6:18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahveh of Armies.
2 Samuel 6:19 Then he distributed a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake to each one in the entire Israelite community, both men and women. Then all the people went home.
2 Samuel 6:20 When David returned home to bless his household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel honored himself today!” she said. “He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself.”
2 Samuel 6:21 David replied to Michal, “It was before Yahveh who chose me over your father and his whole family to appoint me ruler over Yahveh’s people Israel. I will dance before the Lord,
2 Samuel 6:22 and I will dishonor myself and humble myself even more. However, by the slave girls you spoke about, I will be honored.”
2 Samuel 6:23 And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.

incorrect correction

This chapter records two mistakes with dire consequences. First, Uzzah sees the oxen stumble, and reaches out his hands to stabilize the ark of the covenant. He is struck dead because he presumed to correct something that God had not called him to correct. Michal sees her husband dancing about in a linen ephod and is incensed that he chose not to wear his royal robes. She is embarrassed at David’s choice of worship. Her sarcastic remarks to David had consequences as well. When we presume to criticize that which is holy, we run the risk of similar fates.

LORD, may our love for you keep us from seeking to correct others in their worship. That is between them and you.

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The king’s Commander

Posted on May 12, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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The king’s Commander

2 Samuel 5:17-25 (JDV)

2 Samuel 5:17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went in search of David, but he heard about it and went down to the stronghold.
2 Samuel 5:18 So the Philistines came and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
2 Samuel 5:19 Then David inquired of the Lord: “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” Yahveh replied to David, “Attack, for I will certainly give the Philistines to your hand.”
2 Samuel 5:20 So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated them there and said, “Like a bursting flood, Yahveh has burst out against my enemies before me.” Therefore, he named that place Baal-perazim (the Lord Bursts Out).
2 Samuel 5:21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.
2 Samuel 5:22 The Philistines came up again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
2 Samuel 5:23 So David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not attack directly, but circle around behind them and come at them opposite the balsam trees.
2 Samuel 5:24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act decisively, for then Yahveh will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”
2 Samuel 5:25 So David did exactly as Yahveh commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Geba to Gezer.

the king’s Commander

With the entire nation now united under him, David realizes the tremendous responsibility he has to lead them. One mistake from him and the entire kingdom may be lost. So, David devises an important battle tactic. Before each engagement, he inquires of the LORD. He does not presume that the last battle’s orders still apply. He keeps close to his Commander. No Commander-in-Chief should make decisions without him.

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enduring ‘almost’

Posted on May 11, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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enduring ‘almost’

2 Samuel 5:1-16 (JDV)

2 Samuel 5:1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
2 Samuel 5:2 Even while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led us out to battle and brought us back. Yahveh also said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be ruler over Israel.'”
2 Samuel 5:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. King David made a covenant with them at Hebron in Yahveh’s presence, and they anointed David king over Israel.
2 Samuel 5:4 David was thirty years old when he began his reign; he reigned forty years.
2 Samuel 5:5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
2 Samuel 5:6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites had said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you” thinking, “David can’t get in here.”
2 Samuel 5:7 Yet David did capture the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
2 Samuel 5:8 He said that day, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must go through the water shaft to reach the lame and the blind who are despised by David.” For this reason, it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the house.”
2 Samuel 5:9 David took up residence in the stronghold, which he named the city of David. He built it up all the way around from the supporting terraces inward.
2 Samuel 5:10 David became more and more powerful, and Yahveh God of Armies was with him.
2 Samuel 5:11 King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David; he also sent cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.
2 Samuel 5:12 Then David knew that Yahveh had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
2 Samuel 5:13 After he arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
2 Samuel 5:14 These are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
2 Samuel 5:15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,
2 Samuel 5:16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

enduring ‘almost’

David reigned in Hebron over Judah for 7 1/2 years before he was finally accepted as king of all Israel. It took time for the people to accept David as king because they had been loyal to Saul, and both they and the Philistines had been convinced that David had attached himself to them. Only after David took Jerusalem did the Philistines finally realize that he had been loyal to Israel all along. David had the patience to put up with “almost” for a long time.

LORD, give us patience to endure a life of “almost” right until you can work out your perfect will.

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not impressed

Posted on May 10, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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not impressed

2 Samuel 4:1-12 (JDV)

2 Samuel 4:1 When Saul’s son Ish-bosheth heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he gave up, and all Israel was dismayed.
2 Samuel 4:2 Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding parties: one named Baanah and the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the Benjaminites. Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin,
2 Samuel 4:3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and still reside there as aliens today.
2 Samuel 4:4 Saul’s son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nanny picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
2 Samuel 4:5 Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at Ish-bosheth’s house during the heat of the day while the king was taking his midday nap.
2 Samuel 4:6 They entered the interior of the house as if to get wheat and stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped.
2 Samuel 4:7 They had entered the house while Ish-bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom and stabbed and killed him. They removed his head, took it, and traveled by way of the Arabah all night.
2 Samuel 4:8 They brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here’s the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who intended to take your life. Today Yahveh has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”
2 Samuel 4:9 But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As Yahveh lives, the one who has redeemed my life from every distress,
2 Samuel 4:10 when the person told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ he thought he was a bearer of good news, but I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was my reward to him for his news!
2 Samuel 4:11 How much more when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house on his own bed! So now, should I not require his blood from you and purge you from the land?”
2 Samuel 4:12 So David gave orders to the young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

not impressed

You would think that Rechab and Baanah would know better than to try and impress David by killing Ishbosheth. But, no, they march confidently into his presence, the severed head of their former king prominently displayed. God’s people do not appreciate treachery and wrongdoing, even if done ostensibly for their benefit.

LORD, if we cannot be successful, we will settle for having been faithful.

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protecting our reputations

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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protecting our reputations

2 Samuel 3:22-39 (JDV)

2 Samuel 3:22 Notice David’s servants and Joab returned from a raid and brought a large amount of plundered goods with them. Abner was not with David in Hebron because David had dismissed him, and he had gone in peace.
2 Samuel 3:23 When Joab and his whole army arrived, Joab was informed, “Abner son of Ner came to see the king, the king dismissed him, and he went in peace.”
2 Samuel 3:24 Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look here, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he’s getting away.
2 Samuel 3:25 You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to find out about your military activities and everything you’re doing.”
2 Samuel 3:26 Then Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah, but David was unaware of it.
2 Samuel 3:27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside to the middle of the city gate, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So, Abner died in revenge for the death of Asahel, Joab’s brother.
2 Samuel 3:28 David heard about it later and said: “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before Yahveh concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.
2 Samuel 3:29 May it hang over Joab’s head and his father’s whole house and may the house of Joab never be without someone who has a discharge or a skin disease, or a man who can only work a spindle, or someone who falls by the sword or starves.”
2 Samuel 3:30 Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.
2 Samuel 3:31 David then ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” And King David walked behind the coffin.
2 Samuel 3:32 When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept,
2 Samuel 3:33 and the king sang a lament for Abner: Should Abner die as a fool dies?
2 Samuel 3:34 Your hands were not bound, your feet not placed in bronze shackles. You fell like one who falls victim to criminals. And all the people wept over him even more.
2 Samuel 3:35 Then they came to urge David to eat food while it was still day, but David took an oath: “May God punish me and do so severely if I taste bread or anything else before sunset!”
2 Samuel 3:36 All the people took note of this, and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased them.
2 Samuel 3:37 On that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the killing of Abner son of Ner.
2 Samuel 3:38 Then the king said to his soldiers, “You must know that a great leader has fallen in Israel today.
2 Samuel 3:39 As for me, even though I am the anointed king, I have little power today. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May Yahveh repay the evildoer according to his evil!”

protecting our reputations

David saw in Abner not only a great warrior, but also a means by which the long war between David’s men and Saul’s could have been shortened. Joab’s vengeance ruined those hopes. It also put David’s reputation in Danger. David was wise to spend extra time and effort proving that Abner’s death was not at David’s command. If he had not, the gains made by Abner before his death would have been complete losses.

Protecting our reputations is important, but it should never happen just to cover up the truth. The first priority is being persons of integrity. If we have faults, we should confess them. But if something happens to give the impression that we did wrong, we should not ignore the misunderstanding.

LORD, give us wisdom to protect our reputations, so that your name is not blasphemed.

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trophy wives

Posted on May 8, 2024 by Jefferson Vann

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trophy wives

2 Samuel 3:6-21 (JDV)

2 Samuel 3:6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner kept acquiring more power in the house of Saul.
2 Samuel 3:7 Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you come into my father’s concubine?”
2 Samuel 3:8 Abner was very angry about Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I a dog’s head who belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I’ve been loyal to the family of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends and haven’t betrayed you to David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman!
2 Samuel 3:9 May God punish Abner and do so severely if I don’t do for David what Yahveh swore to him:
2 Samuel 3:10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beer-sheba.”
2 Samuel 3:11 Ish-bosheth did not dare respond to Abner because he was afraid of him.
2 Samuel 3:12 Abner sent messengers as his representatives to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make your covenant with me, and you can be certain I am on your side to turn all Israel over to you.”
2 Samuel 3:13 David replied, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. However, there’s one thing I require of you: You will not see my face unless you first bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”
2 Samuel 3:14 Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal. I was engaged to her for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
2 Samuel 3:15 So Ish-bosheth sent someone to take her away from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish.
2 Samuel 3:16 Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he went back.
2 Samuel 3:17 Abner conferred with the elders of Israel: “In the past you wanted David to be king over you.
2 Samuel 3:18 Now act, because Yahveh has spoken concerning David: ‘Through my servant David I will save my people Israel from the power of the Philistines and the power of all Israel’s enemies.'”
2 Samuel 3:19 Abner also informed the Benjaminites and went to Hebron to inform David about all that was agreed on by Israel and the whole house of Benjamin.
2 Samuel 3:20 When Abner and twenty men came to David at Hebron, David held a banquet for him and his men.
2 Samuel 3:21 Abner said to David, “Let me now go and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you, and you will reign over all you desire.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.

trophy wives

This story reveals two women who are pawns in a game of politics and revenge. They are victims of men behaving badly. The men are using them for their own selfish means. Ish-bosheth’s accusation and David’s request both reveal a character flaw in these men — and such actions should not be thought of as normal for believing men today. The Bible tells the truth, and sometimes it is an ugly truth. God gave Adam a gift to be appreciated, but too often we men abuse the gift.

LORD, give us the integrity we claim to have — especially with regard to our wives.

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