Intrigue


2 Samuel 15:13-37
It is very important that you read today’s passage for it is very detailed and more than a little interesting! The reason for the Daily Devotional is to get your head in the Word of God. It is far more important that you read His Words than mine. I’ve left you a link that will take you to an online Bible, or you can look it up in your own Bible, but READ IT!
http://www.esvbible.org/2 Samuel 15:13-37

One of the problems that people have with reading the Old Testament is the names of the characters involved in the action. They are very unfamiliar to us and that causes us to become confused as to what’s going on in the story. If that isn’t true for you, skip over this next little part. I want to make note of the “who’s who” in this passage. As you are reading the passage refer to the list below. It will be a great deal more interesting if you know who’s doing what.

David – Anointed King of Israel
Absalom – David’s oldest son (after he murdered Amnon)
Kerethites, Pelethites, Gittites – men from neighboring nations who had joined David as part of his army (mercenaries)
Ittai – Head of the Gittites (originally from Gath in Philistine territory) – faithful to David
Zadok – Priest in Jerusalem – loyal to David – sent into Jerusalem as a spy
Abiathar – Priest in Jerusalem – loyal to David – sent into Jerusalem as a spy
Ahimaaz – Priest and son of Zadok – sent into Jerusalem as a spy
Jonathan – Priest and son of Abiathar – sent into Jerusalem as a spy
Hushai –  trusted adviser to David – sent into Jerusalem as a spy
Ahithophel – Bathsheba’s grandfather! And adviser to David – defected over to Absalom

Absalom has declared himself king and is marching into Jerusalem. David hears of the insurrection and wisely moves his entire household out of harm’s way. These are dangerous times and David has no reason to believe that Absalom will have any kind of mercy on his own brothers and sisters. But David doesn’t just roll over either. He sends spies back into Jerusalem along with the Ark of the Covenant (note: David does NOT see the Ark as lucky charm like his predecessor Saul, but knows that God is wherever He wants to be) and the spies and the Ark arrive at the same time as Absalom. David's plan is rather ingenious and he strikes early in the power struggle, thus keeping Absalom slightly off balance. All he asks Hushai to do is make the traitor Ahithophel’s advise look like foolishness. Absalom’s arrogance makes him the perfect patsy for this type of attack.

Aside from the details of the story, we have here a remarkable passage of Scripture that falls under the title of “David is a Type for Jesus”. Loosely, that means that we see the story of Jesus played out in the lives of an Old Testament hero. Others who fall into that category include Joseph (from Genesis 35-50) and Moses. While we are reading the words of 2 Samuel 15 we cannot help but think of the Passion of Jesus. Jesus is betrayed by one of his 12 chosen Disciples, Judas. David is betrayed by one of his closest advisers, his grandfather-in-law, Ahithophel. David makes the long slow march up to the Mount of Olives (the Garden of Gethsemane) barefoot (a sign of great sorrow and mourning). Even the suicide of Judas is repeated as Ahithophel kills himself as well (see 2 Samuel 17:23).

Once again, the perfection of the Scriptures cannot be overstated. The Gospel writers certainly knew this story of David and saw the comparisons themselves. We too now get to read both stories and see the symmetry and beauty of God’s story as David, a man after God’s own heart, deals with the sorrow of betrayal and rebellions just as our Lord Jesus did. What we see in both stories is that both David and Jesus accepted the sovereign power of the Father and submitted to His holy will. It was not easy for either of them but they were both obedient to Him. When we find ourselves in a place of sorrow, we too can rely on that same sovereign God to care of us and every detail of our problem. Things may not turn out as we thought they might (as in David’s case – Jesus knew exactly what was coming) but circumstances always play out as God intends, for He is always extending grace and mercy to us all.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The...
Read more

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv...
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl...
Read more