2 Samuel Series - Week 4: Honoring God’s Holiness

  For my fourth grade year, my parents moved from the little town of Fiddletown into the town proper of Ione. We moved into a neighborhood that was brand-new, and had lots of young families. Catty-corner to my houses there lived a family with three boys. They were pretty red-neck, rowdy, and I had a blast with them. They let me ride their dirt bikes, one of which I broke. They had a trampoline close to the house so that you could jump off the roof onto it. We'd built forts out in the fields close by. We’d swim in the creek when it was running. We did all sorts of things. 

When I first met the boys, I saw that something was different about their youngest. He was a year younger than me, and his skin was deformed on one side of his body. I asked him what had happened and he told me that when he was a few years younger his mom was cooking in the kitchen. She’d tell him to get out, but one time, when her back was turned, he reached up and grabbed a pot off the burner. It was boiling water and it fell on him. He was scarred for life, because he hadn’t listen to his mother to stay out of the kitchen. Though he was outwardly scarred, it didn’t slow him down. And we were pretty good friends for that year.

It’s this idea of not listening and experiencing the consequences that brings us back into our summer series where we’ll be picking it back up in Second Samuel, Chapter 6, starting in verse 1. And as we open up to Second Samuel 6:1, let’s review our last few weeks.

In our first week, we looked at the love David had for Saul’s family, and we saw how that showed, through David’s mourning of both Saul and his son Ish-bosheth, even though, both were out to kill him. That love even extended to Saul’s grandson, who, if David wanted to follow what kings normally did, would have killed him to secure his dynasty. Instead, David brings the boy into his care and provides for him. From David’s love for Saul’s family, we walked away with the understanding that God is calling us to be people seeking the good for others, even when they seek our harm.

In the second week, we then looked at the last days of Abner, who seemed to try to act in righteousness. He did this by making sure the next heir of Saul was made king, and by trying to avoid unneeded bloodshed. Yet, he was killed in a wicked act of vengeance. We walked away for his life with the understanding that, wickedness will come against God’s people, but he calls us to trust in his faithfulness, when the wickedness comes against us.

Finally, last week, we looked at the monumental occasion when David finally becomes king of Israel. After several decades of waiting, and a whole book leading up to the moment, we finally saw the fulfillment of Ruth’s hope. Yet even though God was with David as king, we also saw the seeds of sin in David’s life start to flower. We saw how he was vindictive against those who mocked him, and how he was in direct violation of God’s command for kings to not take many wives. We saw in God’s address to how kings were to keep their hearts with God, that, we are to starve our sinful desires by making God’s word a priority in our lives. God’s word keeps us aware of our sin and focused on him to overcome it. Something we’ll see doesn’t happen in David’s life.

Now, that we’re refreshed on the last few weeks, we can dive into Second Samuel 6, where we’re going to take the chapter in a part one and part two. Part one this week, and part two next week. It’s one thought, but deals with two issues that we need to zero in on separately. Let’s read together starting in 6:1.

1 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3 And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, 4 with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

Let’s stop there for this week. David is on an upswing. He’s been made king, his internal enemies have been dealt with, his external enemies have been routed, and other nations are making peace with him. David is sitting as undisputed and the only recognized king of the once land of Canaan, now the land of Israel.  He’s loved by his people and feared by his enemies. 

So, David decides to bring the symbol of God’s presence and favor, the Ark of the Covenant, to the new capital city of Israel. If you don’t remember, back in First Samuel chapters 4-6, the ark had been captured by the Philistines, just for God to bring it back to the Israelites. The Israelites feared the Lord, and so anointed the son of Abinadab, Eleazar, to watch over the ark. And there it sat until David came and got it.

But we see that on the ark’s way to David’s city, an ox stumbles, and the ark begins to slide off the cart that was carrying it. A son of Abinadab, Uzzah, tries to keep it from hitting the ground, but is struck down by God. 

Now, the question that should pop up in our heads should be, “Why?” Why would God be angry at Uzzah? He was trying to keep God’s ark from hitting the ground, isn’t that a good thing?

This is where we need to take a step back and realize what is happening. See there are issues at play, that if we don’t know the whole context of the Scriptures, will go right over our heads. The primary issue here is that the people, including David are not treating God as holy, but instead treating the ark as a trophy.

See God gave specific instructions about the ark through his law. By not following those instructions the people are downplaying the holiness of God. Something that God adamantly instructs them to focus on (need Scripture verse). God’s holiness is the primary issue of the Old Testament. In order to understand the grace that is found in Jesus, we must first understand the weight of sin. Sin is rebellion against God’s will and purpose. And since God is holy, meaning he perfect in all things, that sin has to be dealt with. The only two options is that sin is either dealt within the person who sins, or by proxy of something else. This was the purpose of the sacrificial system. It showed God’s willingness to extend grace to people, by placing their sin on another. In this way, when Jesus comes to pay the sin, there’s an understanding of the weight of his sacrifice. He’s our proxy who takes on our sin, which satisfies God’s holiness and his grace. 

Knowing that, we can see that there are two problems that are within the text. First, back in the book of Numbers (see Num. 3:3, 4:15; 7:9), God gave specific instructions on who was to take care of and transport the ark. The family of Kohath were the only ones designated to take care of and transport the ark. Though Abinadab’s son was designated to watch over the ark, he wasn’t a son of Kohath. So when Abinadab’s sons, most likely grandsons at this point, try to take on that role, they are in violation of God’s commands. Since Uzzah isn’t from the family of Kohath, he is not permitted to touch the ark, so when he does, he dies. 

Secondly, the way in which the ark was transported is in violation of God’s commands. The ark was supposed to be carried with wooden poles by people (see Ex.25:12-25). But here it is put on a new cart. This might seem frivolous, but the Israelites are actually following a pagan example rather than a biblical one. God called them to carry the ark with poles, instead they’re doing what the Philistines did back in First Samuel. The Philistines would carry their idols on new carts, and to get rid of the ark, the Philistines put it on a new cart to deliver back to the Israelites. Instead of following God’s commands, they were following pagan practices. This is another reason of why what is going on is in direct opposition to God’s holiness. The Israelites are acting as pagans, rather than in keeping with their holy God.

The result of this sends a holy reverent fear into David. Something that needed to happen, because he had already begun to sway from God. We talked about David’s seeds of sin flowering last week. God will sometimes send things to shock us back to the right path, and it seems, at least a little bit, in this case it works. David is so fearful that he sends the ark to Obed-edom a Gittie. Now that word, Gittite has two possible interpretations, but is most likely a reference to the town of Gath-rimmon, which is a Levitical city later on referenced in First Chronicles 15.

In other words, David sends the ark to the priests where it should have went originally. And God blesses the house of Obed-edom, in a sign that David did the right thing. 

Dropping down to verses 12-15, we find out that when David hears of God blessing Obed-edom, he seeks to bring the ark to the city of David once again. Except this time he does it right. In verse 13, it references, “those who bore” the ark, meaning, it wasn’t on a cart this time, it was being carried, most likely by the priests. Since David and the people are now trying to do as God commanded, there is a lot of rejoicing and David dances in front of the ark as it proceeds into the city. That dancing is going to get David into trouble with his wife, but we’ll leave that for next week.

For now, let’s see what we can walk away with this week. Though, we as believers in Jesus, live under the new covenant of grace, God is still holy. He is still to be revered. We are still to have a reverent fear of God. Not that we cower before him, but that we understand that he is God, and we are not. He is completely perfect and only through Jesus are we. 

See the cross represents the collision of God’s holiness with his love. In that moment God provided a pathway for sinful humanity to be forgiven and to enter into his holiness.

Yet, even after the cross, when Ananias and Sapphira tried to deceive the Church, the Holy Spirit struck them down. We read the result in Acts 5:11, “And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.” Just like what happened to David, a holy reverent fear came over the Church (see Acts 5:1-11).

In his letter to the Corinthian Church, Paul addresses how the communion table was being taken in an unworthy manner and because of that some in the congregation became sick. He writes this, “ Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. (1 Cor. 11:27-32)”

Though we have access to the Father through Jesus and are forgiven because of his work, though we can call on our Father and are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, we must still understand that God is holy, and not think that we can be frivolous with him.

Today we are approaching the table of the Lord in communion. As we pass the elements today, we need to first examine ourselves. This is a moment were we intentionally approach God in something he has prescribed for us.

Just as God prescribed who and how the ark was to be carried, Jesus prescribed the Lord’s supper for us. Paul writes in First Corinthians 11:23-26, “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”

This is your challenge for this week. As we partake in communion, before we pass the elements, let’s take a moment and go before the Lord and seek him in his holiness. Let us not treat this as something that we do, because we do it, but remember the holy act it represents. God’s punishment for our sin was placed on another. Jesus bore our guilt and shame that we may bear his eternal life. Let us not make that payment cheap by seeking after things that are not of God. 

Let us not treat the table of the Lord as the Israelites were treating the ark, as something that represents God, but without respect for God who spoke how to treat it. Instead, let us seek God to reveal and deal with the sin that still holds on to us. That when we come to the table we are not being deceitful of who we are, but we are honest with the Lord.

We can still take communion, even if we are struggling with sin, because its our honesty the Lord seeks. If we have already accepted what Jesus has done for us, then that sin has been paid for, but we need to still not try to hide it from God, who already knows it. Instead, let us be honest at the Lord’s table today. 

And if you feel like you’re taking the elements in an unworthy manner, it would be better for you not to take it, then to be dishonest. There is no judgment for those who seek the Lord in honesty. So when the elements are passed, only take them if you believe you are taking them to honor God in holiness. But also, if you know that you would be taking in an unworthy manner, let it pass by, and then in that act, you too will be honoring God in his holiness. 

God is seeking us to be holy as he is holy. Our holiness comes through the work of Jesus, and he calls us to act in that holiness as we read and follow his word. Let us be his holy people this week. Amen.

2 Samuel Series - Week 3: Hearts Locked On God’s Word

  One of the most influential spiritual books I have read is Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership. I would recommend this book, not simply as a leadership book for leaders, but as a book to everyone. It’s full of stories of some prominent leaders inside and outside the Church. People like Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Church, or Presidents Lincoln and Clinton. Each story is similar, there’s a hidden thing in these leaders’ lives that drives them to great things, and at the same time, destroys them if they have dealt with it properly. At its core, the book seeks to help God’s people deal with hidden darkness within our lives so that it doesn’t destroy what God is doing.  

If David had this book things might have turned out different. Because it’s those seedlings of sin that we’re going to see as we get back into our summer series on the book of Second Samuel, where we’ll be picking it back up in Second Samuel Chapter 5, verses 1-25. And as we turn to Second Samuel 5:1, let’s look back on the last few weeks.

In week one, we saw how the love of David for Saul’s family showed through his mourning of Saul and Ish-bosheth’s death, and how he took care of Jonathan’s lamed son. Though Saul had sought David’s life, though Ish-bosheth stood in opposition to David’s coronation, and though leaving Jonathan’s son alive could be a potential problem, David’s desire to do good by Saul’s family is a consistent theme and ties First and Second Samuel together. From this we walked away with the understanding that, God is calling us to be people seeking the good for others, even when they seek our harm.

Then last week, we saw David’s coronation over the tribe of Judah, and Ish-bosheth’s coronation over the rest of Israel. We then saw how the first conflict led to Ish-bosheth’s loss, and his dwindling power. Because of this, Abner, who seemingly was trying to do righteous things, was accused of trying to usurp Ish-bosheth’s power from within, and was eventually killed by Joab, though he was seeking peace with David. Out of this week, we walked away with the understanding that, wickedness will come against God’s people, but he calls us to trust in his faithfulness, when the wickedness comes against us.

With these two weeks refreshed in our minds, we can now read, starting in Second Samuel 5:1.

1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 8 And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David's soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” 9 And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. 10 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

11 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. 12 And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

Finally, we have the pay off from Ruth Chapter 4 (v.17). See, if we follow the story which starts back in the Book of Joshua, we see a cohesive narrative building. Joshua leads the people of Israel into the Promise Land, but tells them to put away idols and follow God. The people agree, but just a few generations later, Israel is falling into sin. The era of the Judges dawns, but though the Judges start off strong, they end poorly, showing the decline of Israel into sin. The book of Judges ends with Israel’s first civil war, and no hope of the future. But then there’s the Book of Ruth. The story of a non-Israelite woman who is faithful to her Israelite mother-in-law, and who eventually re-marries an Israelite man. From Ruth, the hope of David comes. We then spend sixteen chapters of First Samuel before meeting David.

But David isn’t what a king should be from the outside, yet it’s his inner desire to follow God makes him the perfect choice. We then spend the rest of First Samuel and the first four chapters of Second Samuel, before finally, in Chapter 5 we see the culmination of decades of preparation. David is finally king. And his first victory, is over the city where God’s temple will be built. We are then told, in verse 10, “And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.”

We can see this establishment and how he became greater by dropping down to verse 17, where we read, “17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 19 And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. 21 And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

“22 And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 24 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.”

Those pesky Philistines, who David has had problems with since day one, where he stepped in front of Goliath, are also being defeated by David. Everything is looking up for the new king of Israel. Except, like we saw throughout First Samuel, there are moments of great victory for David in the sight of Israel and the world, but in the background, the seeds of sin are rooting deep into David’s life.

We already saw in the first passage that David was taunted with how the lame and blind could keep David out of Jerusalem and how David responded with calling his men to attack the blind and the lame. David was spiteful in his response to this taunt. But as we read we skipped over verses 13-16. Going back to verse 13, we read, “13 And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.”

I want to to focus in on this verse because, in our day we might wince at this, thinking, “Why is David taking so many wives and concubines?” Well, that’s how kings operated. If you were in power, you showed that power through the taking on as many lovers as you could. The more you had, the greater you were. Every great ancient empire saw their king surround himself with wives, usually given through alliances, and concubines which were either given as tribute or came by way of simple lust. David, like Saul before him, and Solomon after him, showed that he was truly a world power, through his many wives and concubines. 

Yet this is one of the places where we see the distortion of God’s word in David’s life. David thought that having wives and concubines showed that he had made it and was truly a king. Yet, what it showed, was how he was slipping in his faith.

See, Deuteronomy 17:14-20, gives us the stipulation that God handed down for the kings of Israel. God says this, “14 When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.”

Why did Saul fall, because he did not take seriously his position as an under-king to God. He sought his own glory over God’s and did not follow the purposes set down for him in Deuteronomy 17. We see the same thing happening to David. He had already began to take on multiple wives back in First Samuel, now, as king, he was adding to that harem.

The reason why God puts the stipulation to not amass wives, is for the reason, “… lest his heart turn away … (v.17)” There’s a lot of ways our hearts can turn away from God, the pleasure of the flesh and the focus on lust is one way, that men are especially susceptible to. Across all relationships, about 1 in 3 men have committed infidelity; for women its around 1 in 5. The use of pornography for men is around 9 out of 10, while women are around 6 out of 10. Lust destroys relationships. We could all probably tell of a story of a person we knew who was cheated on or cheated on someone, and how devastating that was. Relationally our sexual desires can lead to destruction, but even the use of pornography has a detrimental effect on us. Pornography has been linked to anxiety and depression. 

The reason for this is because our hearts were meant to be given to one other person, bound together with them to become one flesh. We have a hard time functioning outside of that God designed model, and when we do, not only do we experience physical and mental breakdowns, but our relationship with God also breaks down.

And we’ll see that very thing with David as time goes on. His lustful desires do not end with these wives and concubines, and end up having greater repercussions for his kingdom. The seeds of sin from taking on multiple waves, root themselves, and grow into devastating flowers.

And this is something God tries to teach us. From our heart’s desires flows our sin, and that sin walks us away from God. Jesus states in Matthew 15, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (v.19)”

Peter writes in his first letter, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. (1 Pet. 2:11)"

And to the Galatians Paul writes about the passion of the flesh and the call on the disciple of Jesus’ life. "16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (v.5:16-25)”

God is calling his people to bring their hearts and desires to him that we might find our fulfillment in him. To the kings of Israel God gave them a way in which to keep their hearts towards him. Deuteronomy 17:18-19 reads, “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes …” 

Reading God’s word is a must, not an option. If we’re not reading the Bible, we are putting ourselves into a vulnerable position. There are many different was to practice this. You could read a daily verse, or get on a Bible reading plan, or pick a book in the Bible and start reading it. OR listen audibly to the Bible through the YouVersion App. No matter how you approach it, we must be actively reading our Bibles if we want our hearts to be where God created them to rest. 

The second thing God tells the kings to do to keep their hearts towards him is, “… and doing them … (v.18)” In other words, we must actually do what God says. We must practice love, we must engage in prayer, we must worship him in Spirit and in Truth. We must not just be hearers of the word, or readers, but doers. I cannot hope to stay close to God if I’m not willing to actively stay close. 

When my kids were young, they would hold my hand as hard as they could to see if they could hurt me. In times where we were out in crowds of people, I would grip there hands tightly too. But eventually their hands would loosen as they were distracted by the sights and sounds around them. Our Father wants to hold our hand, but we must be active in holding his as well.

My challenge for you this week then is this, read through Psalm 119. It’s the longest chapter in the Bible, and will take you about 20 minutes to read through. The reason I’m encouraging you to read Psalm 119 is because it is the most comprehensive life Psalm of the Bible. It deals with a lot, but one of the stanzas in it says this, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. 35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! 37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. 38 Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. 39 Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. 40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life! (v.33-40)”

God’s word is vital for our lives, without it we stumble in our walk with him. God has richly blessed us today with having it in bounded form and on our phones. Since we have it, let’s use it to draw closer to him.

Let us be a people who are secure in God’s word, that our hearts would be locked with his. Amen. 

2 Samuel Series - Week 2: Faithfulness in Wickedness

 In 1996, Atlanta, Georgia was hosting the Summer Olympics. While at the games, one of the security guards noticed a strange backpack. The security guard notified the police, but as he was clearing people away from the scene, the backpack exploded, killing one person and injuring another 111 people. The FBI came into investigate, and pinned the bombing on the security guard because he fit the profile of a lone bomber. Where once he was a hero, now he was the prime suspect. He was never arrested, but the media and FBI hounded him for three months. His life unraveled, as some accused him of placing the bomb so that he could play the hero. Eventually in the Fall of 1996, he was cleared by the Justice Department of any wrong doing. The real bomber confessed and pleaded guilty in 2005. The security officer, Richard Jewell, died in 2007, fully exonerated and seen as the hero he was. 

It’s this idea of doing what’s right and still being seen as doing wrong that brings us back to our summer series in the book of Second Samuel, where we’ll be picking it back up in Second Samuel Chapter 2 verse 1. And as we open up to Second Samuel 2:1, let’s remind ourselves where we are so far. 

In week one, we covered the three sections of First Samuel, because First and Second Samuel are really one cohesive story of the transition from the era of Judges, to the era of the monarchy, and to the Davidic kingdom. In understating this, we briefly looked at one of the themes that carries over from First Samuel to Second Samuel, and that’s David’s love for Saul’s family. We saw how David grieved over Saul and Ish-bosheth, two men trying to hold onto their dynasty, and who were trying to kill David. Yet at their deaths, David mourned for them. Then we saw how David brought in and took care of the last remaining descendant of Saul, Jonathan’s son. Through all of this we saw how deep David’s love for Saul’s family was. And we walked away from last week with the understanding that, God is calling us to be people seeking the good for others, even when they seek our harm.

With that now fresh in our minds, we can move into the second chapter of Samuel, where again, we won’t cover every verse, because our purpose in these summer series is to see the big picture of the Bible. So let’s read starting in Second Samuel 2:1. 

2:1 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. 6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

The after this is when he heard about Saul’s death, mourned it, and taught the people of Judah a song to remember their first king. Notice that David does the best thing he could do, he “inquired of the Lord.” Now he won’t always do this, and he hasn’t always done this, but this is one time, when he gets it right, we need to point it out. 

David inquires of God, because he’s in a place of limbo. Saul’s dead, and David had been anointed by Samuel to be king, however, what’s next? The best place to go is to God to find out what’s the next step. God tells David to move to Hebron, which is a city south of Jerusalem. He takes his whole family, including the fighting men who had been with him for years.

While in Hebron, the tribe of Judah creates a rift in Israel. They crown David as their king, however, he is only over their tribe. But, as we see in verse 8-11, Ish-bosheth is crowned kind of the other eleven tribes. This makes sense because he’s the next in line to the throne. But because there are now two kings in Israel, we get this line in Chapter 3, verse 1, “There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.”

In other words, the nation of Israel, within the span of a few hundred years, experienced their second civil war. The first being between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel in Judges, Chapter 20.

Dropping down to verse 12 in Chapter 2, we see the first battle of this civil war. The armies of David and Ish-bosheth meet at Gibeon, a city just north of Jerusalem. There Joab on David’s side, and Abner on Ish-bosheth’s side send their men out to fight. David’s men win, while Ish-bosheth’s lose. At the end of the battle three things happen: First, we find out that Abner kills Joab’s brother, Asahel (v.21-23), this will be important for later. Second, David wins, losing only nineteen men, to Ish-bosheth’s three-hundred and sixty (v.30-31). Finally, we get an insight into the power structure of Ish-bosheth. When describing how many men died for which side, we’re told this in verse 31, “But the servants of David struck down of Benjamin 360, of Abner’s men.”

Abner’s men? Shouldn’t it read, Ish-bosheth’s men? This let’s us know that Ish-bosheth might not be the power behind the throne. Remember what I just read from Chapter 3 verse 1? “And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.” This is juxtaposed with verse 6 of Chapter 3 which reads, “While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.”

While David is growing strong as king of Judah, Ish-bosheth is losing power. Yet under his nose, so to speak, his greatest general is gaining power. But I don’t think Abner does so through malice

Let’s pick it back up in verse 7, where we see the power struggle within Ish-bosheth’s house.

7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?” 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog's head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman. 9 God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” 11 And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

Here we see Ish-bosheth, watching as| Abner is gaining strength, and probably a little insecure, like his father Saul was, accuses Abner of sleeping with one of Saul’s concubines. Now, usually when a king died, his concubines and other possessions transferred to their successor. If Abner did in fact sleep with the concubine, it would mean Abner was making a political play for the throne. However, it doesn’t seem to be in keeping with Abner’s track record. Just in chapters 2 and 3, we know it was Abner who crowned Ish-bosheth (v.2:6), and that he tried to not kill Joab’s brother (v.2:21-22). Then when accused, Abner responds with, “To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David.” Abner appears to be hurt by the accusations because of all his years of service to Saul’s family. And it seems that this is the final straw, because right after this, in verse 12, Abner sends messengers to David to make a covenant. 

Then in verses 17-19, Abner gathers the elders of Israel, who are following Ish-bosheth, and agrees with them to make David their king.

Following this course of action, Abner meets with David and the two agree to join forces. However, Abner doesn’t get to see this alliance come to pass, because Joab finds out about what is happening. Remember, Abner is the one who killed Joab’s brother. He tired to avoid, it but it still happened. Let’s read Joab’s response, starting in verse 22 in Chapter 3.

22 Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has let him go, and he has gone in peace.” 24 Then Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, so that he is gone? 25 You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.”

26 When Joab came out from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know about it. 27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!” 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

So Joab does not like that David made a peace agreement with his brother’s killer. So, he takes matter in his own hands and kills Abner. 

Now David’s response is to mourn Abner’s death. Now, as far as we know, Abner appears to do everything honorably. Even supporting Ish-bosheth over David is honorable, because, technically, David’s not Saul’s successor. We’re no longer in the Judges era, where anyone could succeed. In the era of monarchy, it’s through the linage of the king, and that linage runs and that’s Ish-bosheth, not David. So Abner is honorable in crowning Ish-bosheth. And we see that honorable nature, when he tries to avoid killing Joab’s brother.

So David mourns Abner, and actually chastises Joab and his men for killing him. Starting in verse 33 it reads, “And the king lamented for Abner, saying, ‘Should Abner die as a fool dies? Your hands were not bound; your feet were not fettered; as one falls before the wicked you have fallen (v.3:33-34).’”

David’s upset that Joab would kill Abner, who David considered righteous, and calls those who did it wicked. In fact the chapter ends with David’s servants trying to get him to eat, but he’s too upset, and in verse 38 we read, “And the king said to his servants, ‘Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!’ (v.3:38-39)”

David views Joab as a evil men, performing a wicked act. Yet, as we’ll see later on, when David does his own wickedness, he brings Joab in on his plans to murder someone. 

But that’s later in David’s story. For now, David sees what Joab and his brother did was wicked, and so he mourns for Abner.

As we step away from this series of events in Chapters 2 and 3 of Second Samuel, we can look at Abner, who tried to be an honorable and righteous man, yet was murdered by wicked men. And here’s the reality, you could be the best person, do all things right, and still end up the victim of evil. Yet God is calls us to trust in his faithfulness, when the wickedness comes against us.

Jesus said this in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” There are two things that are guaranteed to the disciple of Jesus: We will have tribulation. That means we’re going to experience hardships. And in the midst of that tribulation, Jesus’ words bring peace.

The path of Jesus isn’t like some preachers will tell you. It’s not blessings of material things. It’s not us telling God that we deserve this or that, and him giving us it. The path of Jesus, is God, who created all things, being with us in the day-to-day of this life. If we think that we are good and shouldn’t experience evil, remember Jesus was the best of the best. The Scriptures state in Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Unlike us who sin all the time, Jesus never succumbed to it, yet the most righteous, the person who live in perfect perfection, was brought down by wickedness.

In fact Jesus said, “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (Jn 15:20)”

No matter how close we get to God, or how good we do in this world, wicked people will do wicked things. We need to accept that reality and do what God has called us to, do not respond to evil with evil, but with good (Rom. 12:17).

Wickedness will come against God’s people, but he calls us to trust in his faithfulness, when the wickedness comes against us.. This is why Paul writes in Second Thessalonians 3:3, reminding us, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” That evil one could be the wicked devil, or the person seeking to cause us harm. We must trust God with those who are wicked, and stand in his goodness. 

Its hard to respond to wicked people with the goodness of God, because what we want is to pop them upside the head. And there are times for that, but God is seeking his people to respond to wickedness with his goodness.

So my challenge is this, last week, I challenged you to pray for one person that you see bringing harm to others. This week, I want to challenge you to write a letter to that person. Now, I’m not asking you to send it, but what I am asking you to do, is write a letter to that person who is causing or has caused harm, and communicate the Gospel to them. Tell them about how God created them, how our sins separate us from him, how sins can’t be removed by good deeds, how Jesus died to remove those sins, how anyone who trusts in Jesus has eternal life, and how that eternal life can begin today and lasts into eternity. After you write what the Gospel is, then write a prayer of blessing for them. Ask God’s blessing in their lives, that they would turn from wickedness and to him. 

Let us be a people, who have the goodness of God in our lives, pour it out from our inner being so that the world may know the God we serve. Amen.