June 15/16, Days 22& 23; 1 Sam 28- 2 Sam 21

If God is for us, who can be against us? This is the phrase that keeps running through my head as I read scripture for the last two days. I recorded in my last post about how I wish I had the live narration on during my life that we're privy to as we read the Bible. I long for it in my own life, almost like a special track on a DVD where you can turn on the directors narration... "In this scene we had to re-shoot it several times because Jim kept messing up... but after 32 attempts he finally got it right." OR... "If you're watching very closely you'll see that God is with him in this attempt and has enabled him to nail it on the first try, but just watch and see where Jim takes all the credit and leaves God high and dry - AGAIN." It is so obvious as I read this how I can identify with both Saul and David. There have been times when I have felt the Lord right there with me. I know he is the one responsible for my success. And I feel like David who keeps himself humble and is able to do all things. And at other times, I can identify with Saul. Who has let pride and jealousy creep into his life and "the Lord leaves him" only to turn him over to his selfish ways. When Saul focuses on self and self-preservation he has become unable to receive the Lord's direction. We see when God is on our side, nothing can slow us down. David could do no wrong, and after Saul pushed God away, he could do no right.

Ultimately Saul's death at the end of 1 Samuel gives me a warning for the world in which we live today. The fighting grew more intense and when the enemy had stabbed him, rather than fight back or draw upon God for help, he felt the only way out was to fall on his own sword and take his own life. If only people around us today wouldn't fall on their own sword. Too many feel too alone and don't realize that God will always receive us back when we have a repentant heart. Yet pride, all the way up unto the death, will always separate us from His love. Won't you learn this lesson from Saul as well?

In 2 Sam, I find myself reflecting on Joab. He is not one who gets a lot of press when it comes to Bible study, but already in the first chapters of 2 Sam, there is quite about told of him. He is the son of David's sister Zeruiah. He must have been quite the warrior because he is always willing to go to battle or pursue someone. Joab is recorded to have killed Abner after Abner killed his brother. Joab was the prince of the king's army. And always seemed ready at a moments notice to do what David asked. Because God was with David, seemingly Joab was blessed in return. Because if God had told David He would deliver the enemies of Israel to them, then Joab's victories were much more certain. However, his willingness to serve the king also cost him quite a bit because of his lack of discernment. He willingly participated in the killing of Uriah as a cover up for David's sin. Ultimately, he ended up siding with Adonijah in preference to Solomon when David was dying.

So a few of applications from this.... 1) My sin will have impacts on other people - even if I try to hide it. 2) By asking others to cover up for me, I'm only further withdraw the Lord's blessing on us a people and 3) If I get so caught up in serving man, I can actually forget to serve God first... and that lack of discernment can be my downfall

Lastly, I gain a lot of application from David. Perhaps not in the usual sense however. More so this time in his role as a father. Certainly David gets a lot of press because of his role in leading Israel and following God. But you've never really seen David written up in the Father's Hall of Fame. Why is that? For one, the man had more than 6 wives. That alone could be the cause of downfall. While God never expressly condemns this in the Bible, there is nothing attractive that comes from a marriage situation like this... just look at the chaos in David's life. Then we see that various children of David.... there was incest going on, rape, murder, and lots of jealousy. What was dysfunctional because of the multiple wives has now taken on a new definition of dysfunctional. Where was David's rebuke in all of this. We see when Amnon raped Tamar it was left to Absalom to deal with. The way he chose to deal with it was not to do anything about it until his anger took over and he killed Amnon. Then the root of bitterness took over and Absalom's rebellion against his father really took off. But again where was David? It says he knew all of this was going on and lamented for his son. But yet, he never did anything to talk to his son, call out the sin, or lead his son to seek God in the process. Rather I think David got a little sloppy with his agape. I have learned already (though my children are just 3 and 4) that you can get yourself in trouble as a parent when you want to be your children's friend more than their parent. It think David was having such a terrible time managing all of his wives that he decided to try to be equal with his children and befriend them. There are times when he could have and should have set more appropriate boundaries and caused them to experience the consequences of some of their bad decisions. Yet David compounds bad decision up on bad decision by allowing Absalom to move back home without repentance for his previous actions. And thus... David himself is chased from his own home in defense. It says David, with his head covered and barefoot, wept as he climbed the Mount of Olives. Was he weeping for Absalom's bad decisions... or because of his failings as a parent? Either way the result was not good. Take heed my friend. The best parents are not always the best friends!