Dave R Phillips

January 31, 2017

Division

Psalm 55 provides a striking picture of a friend turning his back on another, the worst kind of betrayal and reveals how we can respond to our friend-enemy: we turn to the Lord. Here are some key verses to remember:

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me, I could hide.
But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God,
as we walked about among the worshipers. Psalm 55:12-14

How do we respond?

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous be shaken.
But as for me, I trust in you. Psalm 55:22,23b

I thought about those who have had past experiences with a partner in church leadership as I read this morning—in contrast to 1 Kings 12 as the kingdom split begins. My heart breaks for those who have been betrayed by friends, the deepest kind of hurt on earth. It’s no wonder that Peter draws on this psalm in his advice, well, his mandate for elders in 1 Peter 5:1-6.

May the challenges of the past give you strength for the present and for the future.

Chapter 12 begins to describe the breakup of Israel and provides important background for understanding the rest of the Old Testament. Solomon’s son Rehoboam is an idiot, but Jeroboam is even worse! There’s a possibility we could recover from leadership of Rehoboam, but Jeroboam, well, that’s just a bridge too far.

Israel decides to make Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, their king. Jeroboam heard about this and decided the time was right to return from Egypt and unite the kingdom. It seemed like a good idea. Now that Solomon is dead, the forced labor will cease and the burdens of providing for the vast palace and lavish living are over, right? Nope. Rehoboam consults with two groups of advisors and decides to ignore wise counsel:

Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” 1 Kings 12:13-14

Strong words from a king that just took the throne. He really didn’t know what he was saying, but endorsing Jeroboam wasn’t a good idea either. It seems like a lose-lose proposition.

Jeroboam and most of Israel (all but the tribe of Judah, then Benjamin) take off! Rehoboam mounts and army from Judah and Benjamin and prepares to attack Jeroboam, but God spoke to Shemaiah, a man of God.

This is what the Lord says: “Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.” 1 Kings 12:24

Rehoboam, along with Judah and Benjamin return home.

Meanwhile, Jeroboam has a great idea. Since Jerusalem is off limits now, and we can’t go to the temple, let’s build our own! Jeroboam invents his own religion complete with two golden calves conveniently located for the people to worship. He creates new festivals to replace those the Lord put in place and get this: the people went along with his plans.

Wow! Where did all of this come from? The wisest man ever to walk the earth: Solomon. It seemed they were intent on worshipping the Lord, but even in all of this, they lost their way.

Here is the warning for us in our modern day, in our desire to build the church: don’t be an idiot. It’s the bride of Christ and he will build his church the way it needs to be built. Lord, I pray that we critically evaluate the words in this chapter, the beginning of the end, and learn how this applies to us today, to YOUR church. Help us to go out and make disciples of all nations, all people, and to stop building things for ourselves.

January 30, 2017

Queen of Sheba; Solomon’s Pagan Wives

1 Kings 9-11

The beginning of chapter 9 includes words from the Lord when He appeared to Solomon a second time. I haven’t kept track, but it is rare that we read, “the Lord appeared…” to anyone. The Lord speaks to prophets through visions, but rarely do we read about direct interaction.

The Lord said to him, “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.” 1 Kings 9:3

The Lord is pleased with the temple and Solomon’s prayers from the last chapter. The people have assurance that God is with them, his eyes and heart are there in the temple. I’m trying to imagine the effort it takes to make the journey from whatever distance to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices of the best at the temple. Step by step the journey would be a pleasure knowing that God is pleased.

The Lord assures Solomon that “if…and…and…” there will be a “successor on the throne” from his household. We have a lot of kings to account for and the conditions of “if you walk before me faithfully,” etc., is pretty easy for Solomon, but the other half is not so simple. “But if your descendants turn away…” well, that’s a recipe for disaster and a prophetic word to remember.

This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 1 Kings 9:8

The concept that such a magnificent place could become a heap of rubble would have incited a riot. Thousands were conscripted over the course of 20 years of construction. The kingdom invested heavily and offered 20 cities to Hiram as collateral. Surprisingly, this big business didn’t always go as well as planned. The story here is brief, but Hiram has a look at the cities Solomon offered and was not so impressed:

“What king of towns are these you have given me, my brother?” he asked. And he called them the Land of Kabul, a name they have to this day. 1 Kings 9:13

We have to look in 2 Chronicles 8 for a hint of how this gets resolved, but apparently the big business deal between Jerusalem and Tyre was not all smooth sailing.

Add to this an interesting fact, “But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites” (1 Kings 9:22). All those conscripted into service were among the people captured during wars, but not exterminated. The concept makes my head hurt! I can only imagine this embeds animosity and contempt toward the Israelites.

Chapter 10 focuses on the Queen of Sheba. She was impressed with his wisdom, “you have far exceeded the report I heard” (1 Kings 10:7). She offered words of praise for the Lord and for Solomon’s people. More than that, she balanced his account with Hiram by giving Solomon “120 talents of gold” (1 Kings 10:10) that would certainly cool Hiram’s concerns (1 Kings 9:14).

As I read about all the gold that was traded, I’m in awe about the mining operations of these ancient days. Machinery was extremely limited, yet they produced huge amounts of refined gold for covering shields and furnishings. The effort was enormous. It’s hard to get my mind around these little details that just slip through the narrative.

King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 1 Kings 10:23

Then we see the word, “however.”

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter–Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” 1 Kings 11:1-2

The stats here are often quoted in sermons: 700 wives, 300 concubines, etc. Really? Crazy stuff to be sure. Whatever the number and logistics involved, the sad reality is this:

his wives turned his heart after other dogs, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God…1 Kings 11:4

Solomon did what it took to please these women for his own pleasure. He built places for them to worship their gods. With all his wisdom, it’s incredible that he didn’t see that coming. God is not pleased. “I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates” (1 Kings 11:11).

All this time, we’ve heard nothing about war. No battles, no statements about “when kings go off to war,” or any such thing. That is about to change. The remainder of chapter 11 (vv 14-40) details Solomon’s adversaries and rebellion. Most sadly, though, we read how God implements his words, he divides the kingdom.

Jeroboam is a principle leader of Solomon’s regime. On a journey out into the country, he is visited by a prophet (Ahijah) who reveals God’s plan: ten of the twelve tribes will be under Jeroboam’s authority, he will be king over Israel (the Northern kingdom) and Solomon’s descendants will have two tribes to rule (the Southern kingdom). Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but that didn’t work out well. Division. Sad.

The end of this chapter quietly pronounces the death of Solomon. His son Rehoboam becomes king.

January 29, 2017

Dedication of the Temple

1 Kings 8 and Psalm 53

Chapter 8 contains three sections: 1) the Ark is brought into the temple, 2) Solomon’s prayer and 3) the initial sacrifices and celebration.

1. The Ark Brought to the Temple

Solomon certainly knew the history behind transporting the Ark, its proper transport and the problems that would arise if not handled well. The poles that are used by the priests to carry it were important. In this case, the “poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary” (1 Kings 8:8). I guess then were extra long to protect the carriers!

There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. 1 Kings 8:9

The Ark was placed in the inner sanctuary of the temple. Once the priests left, a cloud filled the temple and Solomon pats himself on the back: “I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.” (1 Kings 8:13) There are a few places here where King Solomon uses this personal pronoun that seems out of place. He conscripted thousands of men to labor for years, yet there is no hint of “we” in the description. Perhaps this is just indicative of the time, but it’s odd to read.

2. Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

Solomon’s lengthy prayer covers a lot of ground. The “bookends” for this section show his heart for the Lord:

Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you…
…may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.
1 Kings 8:23, 61

Here are some key points to remember:

Your promise to David is fulfilled this day
Don’t forget you promised there would always be a successor from David’s bloodline
The heavens cannot contain you, much less this temple
Hear from heaven and forgive us when we fail
- When (not if) we wrong our neighbor
- When we’re defeated by an enemy
- In times of draught
- When famine or plague comes
- When foreigners come and pray
- In times of war
- When they sin against you–for there is no one who does not sin
May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea

It is clear that God is the center of all, Solomon is not trying to take the limelight, all glory to God.

3. Initial Celebration

Having said all of that, let the party begin! Not just a week, but two weeks of celebration and sacrifices. Some 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats are sacrificed!

So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord. 1 Kings 8:63

Burnt offerings, grain, fellowship offerings, on and on. It was a great celebration.

On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel. 1 Kings 8:66

Well done King Solomon. Israel has come a long way since leaving captivity in Egypt.

January 28, 2017

Construction of the Temple and Palace

1 Kings 6-7

It’s difficult to appreciate how much time elapses in reading through the Old Testament. Chapter 6 begins by simply stating that Solomon’s construction project began in the fourth year of his reign as king. For three years he planned the construction effort. The foundation was laid in the fourth year and the temple completed in the eleventh year–eight years to build!

So Solomon built the temple and completed it. 1 Kings 6:14

Well, Solomon gets the credit, but thousands of workers actually built the temple!

Interestingly, he spent 13 years building his palace. At first, I thought this was a concurrent project that to an extended time because of the work on the Temple, but 2 Kings 9:10 tells us it took 20 years to complete both structures–20 years!

In the course of building, Solomon and Huram (king of Tyre) have no doubt established some significant bonds. In 2 Samuel 5, we read about the king of Tyre (Hiram) and his relationship with David, supplying cedars in particular. The notes on the Bible suggest that Hiram and Huram are either the same guy (really old by this time) or Huram is the son of Hiram who carried on the legacy. The reference in 2 Chronicles 2 identifies king Hiram of Tyre. Well…I’m not knowledgeable enough to know the importance, but it is quite interesting to know the deep connection between Jerusalem and Tyre.

Isaiah 23 provides a prophecy against Tyre as it appears the wealth and success, fame and fortune, led to arrogance and pride. Ezekiel 28 gives even more insight into the decay of Tyre. This important city is talked about in several parts of the Bible. It would be an interesting side study to research it a bit. Some day.

I’ve glossed over the details of the Temple and Palace, but it is obvious that much care was taken in creating each and every part of these structures; care for the architecture as well as everything inside and outside. For architects, this must sound like a beautiful song! Everything carefully made and placed for a very specific reason. Frank Lloyd Wright would be pleased. Perhaps this reinforces the concept of God as one of order and not chaos.

The good news is there is no lengthy description of someone creating a bigger-than-life statue of Solomon (or even David). No reference to Solomon drawing attention to himself. Everything that is built has a purpose and the intention is to honor God in every single detail.

When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated–the silver and gold and the furnishings–and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple. 1 Kings 7:51

Everything for God and for His Glory. I hope I can learn that lesson and give all I can for Christ today.

January 27, 2017

Solomon’s Wisdom

1 Kings 4-5 and Psalm 52

It seems all is well with Solomon at the helm of Israel,

The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.
During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree. 1 Kings 4:20,25

Spoiler alert: It’s interesting to note the phrase Judah and Israel, as if there are two separate kingdoms.

Solomon was notorious for his wisdom on all subjects.

Chapter 5 is the beginning of building the temple. Solomon makes a deal with the Hiram, King of Tyre to purchase cedars of Lebanon for the building of the temple. “There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon and the two of them made a treaty.” (1 Kings 5:12)

To effect this massive effort, Solomon “conscripted laborers” from Israel: 30,000 men were sent to Lebanon, 10,000 at a time spent a month in Lebanon, then home for two months. Force labor. Not so sure this group ate, drank and were happy!

The Israelite population is in the millions at this point, but forced labor on a few (percentage-wise) is simply not a good idea. Nonetheless, the building project begins and there is no mention of war.

January 26, 2017

Solomon Rules

1 Kings 2-3 and Psalm 51

Psalm 51 is one of my favorites, forever implanted in my memory. Nathan revealed King David’s horrible transgressions with Bathsheba and against Uriah (2 Samuel 11ff) and David confessed. A man after God’s heart, this psalm is attributed to David as his plea for forgiveness.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.” Psalm 51:10-13

Such great words! The tune is still in my mind from years ago when our high school a cappella choir sang these words…yes, a public high school with over 100 students in the choir singing these words in competitions throughout the state. Those were the days. Even today I reflect and request of God to restore the joy of my salvation, which he does every day as I sit and read and write these words. Thank you Lord for your love and your great desire to forgive, we would all be lost indeed without both!

Chapter 2 begins with David’s charge to Solomon to “be strong, act like a man” (1 Kings 2:2). I’ve seen this phrase in other places…interesting translation, but I don’t want to read too much into it, simply put: don’t be a child. David implores Solomon to wrap up a few loose ends he was never able to tie: Joab and Shimei. These two, David encourages Solomon to announce their death. For his friends during his escape from Absalom, peace.

Adonijah has one more card to play. He’s given up the idea that he can be the king, so he makes a move for the woman sent to comfort David in his last days by asking Bathsheba to ask Solomon. She doesn’t appear to appreciate the weight of the request when she asks, but Solomon immediately responds and Adonijah is killed for his foolishness–he violated the principal and Solomon removes him before any insurrection arises.

Joab gets the news and heads for the tent of the Lord and grabs the horns of the altar. This is the first time Joab has ever shown any fear. Interesting, though not for long, that is, Benaiah was dispatched to kill Joab. Done.

Shimei is next on the list. Solomon calls him in and gives him some strict orders, essentially allows him to live in Jerusalem, but not to leave and cross the Kidron Valley. Shimei agrees to the plan, but 3 years later he defied the orders and Benaiah strikes again. Shimei is dead.

Chapter 2 ends: “The kingdom was now established in Solomon’s hands.”

Solomon enters a pact with Egypt and marries one of Pharaoh’s daughters (strange customs in those days). Interesting to note:

Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. 1 Kings 3:3

Even with this exception, the Lord meets with Solomon and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5) Solomon’s answer is beyond wise:

So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. 1 Kings 3:9

The Lord is pleased with his answer and grants his desire and then some: “both wealth and honor.”

Solomon begins his governing with a wise ruling over two prostitutes arguing over a baby. The women both claim the child is theirs, so Solomon provides a solution: let’s cut the baby in half and you can each have your share! This, of course, identifies the true mother and the child is returned.

January 25, 2017

Aged David Makes Solomon King

1 Kings 1 and Psalm 50

Psalm 50 spoke to me this morning:

But to the wicked person, God says: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you…”Psalm 50:16-17

The psalm compares those who are good, striving to serve God and beginning in verse 16, those who are wicked. Currently, our nation is divided because of our elected president. Many people who claim to be Christ followers have taken sides. When I read the quote above I see there are many that fall into this camp, casting God’s words behind them. Simply makes me sad. Should I be mad as well? Should I join the throngs that march?

Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.Psalm 50:14-15

Lord, give me wisdom to offer thanks to you, to fulfill the vows to honor and give you all the glory.

David Makes Solomon King

David is so old that his attendants have to have someone sleep with him to keep him warm (not a sexual advance). He’s coming to the end of his days and everyone knows the time is nearly come.

Adonijah, the next son in succession after Absalom, takes it upon himself to become David’s successor. He doesn’t ask, but David hasn’t actually said anything in rebuke, so Adonijah presses on. He quite intentionally doesn’t invite Nathan (the prophet) and others close to David, but he does get the support of Joab and Abiathar the priest, so they head off to begin establishing themselves by offering sacrifices.

Nathan hears about this and confers with Bathsheba (Solomon’s mother). He advises her to go to David and tell him what is going on, assuming David doesn’t know, and remind him of his promise to the Lord that Solomon would become king after David. Nathan assures her he will follow right behind so David gets a one-two punch reminder of his oath.

Bathsheba goes in and reminds David, followed by Nathan. David doesn’t miss a beat. He recalls Bathsheba and proclaims “Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.” 1 Kings 1:30 Further, David gave instructions for Solomon’s anointing and presentation to the people.

Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and site on my throne and reign in my place.1 Kings 1:34-35

Meanwhile, Adonijah’s party hears the commotion and wonders what’s happening. Abiathar’s son Jonathan comes to give a report, not the news they wanted to hear, “Not at all!” (1 Kings 1:43) I’m sure he remembered that messengers bringing bad news to kings had fatal results, so Jonathan lets them know up front: I have bad news to tell!! He’s careful to report accurately without gloating or emotion, facts.

At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. 1 Kings 1:49

We’re outta here! Everyone, including Adonijah, is afraid of what’s next (although there’s no hint that Joab is concerned). He asks Solomon to swear that he will not be harmed. Solomon, already wise, even before asking for the blessing of wisdom replies:

If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die. 1 Kings 53

Adonijah comes and bows before Solomon and Solomon sends him home. The conclusion of this thread is in the next chapter. Spoiler alert: not so good for those who crossed David in the past!

And so we have the introduction to the Kings beyond David and the drama begins to unfold. I’ve never watched Game of Thrones, only seen ads and snippets, but it seems like it could be based on narratives such as this (okay, loosely based, but you get what I mean). Up and down. Lies and deceit. May we learn what was said in Psalm 50 and give God the honor and glory.

January 24, 2017

David’s Kingdom Reestablished; The Census

2 Samuel 21-24

The NIV Study Bible notes that this section is like an appendix to the story of 1st and 2nd Samuel. It contains narrative descriptions of David dealing with God’s wrath as a result of Saul, 2 Samuel 21:1-14 and his own errors, 2 Samuel 24:1-25.

Dealing with Saul’s Mess – The Gibeonites Avenged

There was a famine during David’s reign “on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death,” says the Lord! (2 Samuel 21:1) The penalty for Saul’s aggressive behavior is impossible to understand from our current, somewhat civilized perspective. David approaches the Gibeonites and asks what he can do to make amends. The Gibeonites have this brutal request:

As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul — The Lord’s chosen one. 2 Samuel 21:5-6

David complies. Seven men are killed, including a second Mephibosheth (not Jonathan’s son) and their bodies put on display. The rains commence. This story clearly falls into the category of that which is beyond my comprehension. To merely say this demonstrates obedience and David’s desire to make amends for Saul’s error is difficult to swallow. One could easily misinterpret this to suggest humans were sacrificed to appease God, after all, once they are on display, the rains begin. The warning here is to avoid taking things out of context and building a counter-story to support pagan aggression. Lord, give us peace and understanding as we read these histories.

Four Descendants of Rapha (giants)

Chapter 21 concludes with a brief description of David’s men protecting him by killing four giants: “These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.” 2 Samuel 21:22 The four include:

Ishbi-Benob: killed by Abishai (Joab’s brother)
Saph: killed by Sibbekai the Hushathite
brother of Goliath: killed by Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite
Six-toed, Six-fingered (24 in all): killed by Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother

Dealing with David’s Mess – David’s Census

Chapter 24 describes a time when David sent his army out to take a census, typically a prideful act merely meant to boast about the size of the kingdom. God did not prompt David. Surprisingly (to me), Joab objects, “why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” 2 Samuel 24:3 The census took nine months and twenty days (but who was counting!!).

David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” 2 Samuel 24:10

Through the prophet Gad, the Lord gives David three options:

three years of famine
three months of fleeing from your enemies
three days of plague

David picked option #3 and 70,000 people died. Seventy thousand.

When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.” 2 Samuel 24:17

Gad tells David to build an altar where the angel of death stopped, so he goes to Araunah to purchase the threshing floor to build an altar and offer a sacrifice. Araunah offers to give “whatever he wishes,” but David insists on paying for the property. The NIV Study Bible notes this will ultimately become the site of the temple.

The plague relented, the Lord answered David’s prayer.

Award Ceremony

2 Samuel 23:8-39 provides a list of valiant fighting men and give a snippet of their actions during David’s reign as king. This reads like an award ceremony as part of David’s concluding remarks near the end of his life.

David’s Song of Praise

2 Samuel 22:2-51 and Psalm 18 both include an overarching song that sings of God’s protection and strength in battles won because of the Lord. We can cherry-pick a few verses and feed our egos, but I’m pretty confident David is not gloating over victories nor his position as king:

Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever. 2 Samuel 22:50-51, Psalm 18:49-50

David’s Last Words

These include just a few words that, once again, point to God for his blessings,

If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part… 2 Samuel 23:5

Not quite the actual last words of David, but we’re getting close to his appointment of Solomon as we switch from Samuel to Kings.

January 23, 2017

Absalom’s Rebellion and Defeat

2 Samuel 15-20 and Psalm 48

The narrative for this story has several plot lines. The first involves Absalom’s deception and rise to power.

Absalom begins taking steps to establish himself as judge and then as king by acting as if he truly cared, “he stole the hearts of the people of Israel” (2 Samuel 15:6). Slowly and surely, Absalom turned people toward himself and away from David. Perhaps the people knew that David is getting older and a new king only made sense. David’s response: run!

David is a shrewd leader, far greater than his son Absalom and his charismatic style of leadership. David plants an informant (Hushai) inside Absalom’s advisor team to frustrate Ahithophel’s advice (2 Samuel 15:31-34). Hushai gives advice that seems better then Ahithophel to Absalom. Essentially, the first was a tactical strike that removed David, the second was a massive attack that fed Absalom’s ego and need for visibility.

Side note: Shimei son of Gera sees David and his men running off into hiding and decides it makes sense to protest, to throw dirt and stones at his men. David shrugs it off and lets him continue his tirade. Interesting that it’s mentioned here (2 Samuel 16:5-14). It’s concluded in 2 Samuel 19:16-23).

Absalom marches out on his donkey as a king riding onto certain victory. David deploys his troops strategically and they do what the do best, inflicting some 20,000 casualties immediately! David’s one order was to be kind to Absalom, but Joab is involved in this fight–not going to go well for sure!

Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule when under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going. 2 Samuel 18:9

Absalom was proud of his personal beauty, his lovely hair. His vanity now gets the best of him. As he is hanging there Joab learns of his location and tosses 3 javelins into his heart. Joab’s men make sure he’s dead. Joab has done what Joab does best. He knows the news will not go well, so he devises a plan to soften the blow. When David finds out Absalom is dead he grieves openly.

O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom, my son, my son! 2 Samuel 18:33

Joab is ticked! He confronts David and rebukes his behavior.

“Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you.” 2 Samuel 19:5-6

David does what Joab says, but puts Amasa in charge of the army in place of Joab (2 Samuel 19:13. Joab is cool and calculating as ever. He waits for the opportunity. Chapter 20 shows this doesn’t take long. A troublemaker, Bikri, decides to stir the pot. He musters the men of Israel (except Judah) to defy David. David tells Amasa to summon the men of Judah, so he goes out to deliver the message, but takes too long (he’s still new!). David then orders Abishai to find Bikri, so Abishai (and his brother Joab), set off to pursue Bikri.

Amasa meets Joab along the way. Not a good plan. Joab takes his dagger and splits open the belly of Amasa so his intestines fall out and leaves him in the middle of the road to wallow in his blood and die. The troops rally around Joab, their seasoned commander. Someone drags Amasa off the road and covers him with a garment to let him die.

Joab corners Bikri and builds a siege ramp in preparation to destroy the entire city.

While they were battering the wall to bring it down, a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.” 2 Samuel 20:18

A wise woman. Odd isn’t it? An army advances on a city, has time enough to build a siege ramp and begins battering down its walls and a woman appears to negotiate with this brutal warrior. Joab agrees to the meeting and somehow agrees to cease operations if she will deliver Bikri’s head.

The the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. 2 Samuel 20:22

End of Absalom. End of Amasa. End of Bikri. David is fully restored as king with Joab as the commander of the army.

As God promised David, his years would be filled with bloodshed, living by the sword.

[Nathan speaking] Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own. This is what the Lord says: “Our of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes i will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 2 Samuel 12:10-11

All this came to pass in this narrative. Absalom setup a tent and had sex with David’s concubines on the roof of the palace for all to see. Amasa was his own flesh and blood (somewhere in the lineage) and Absalom, of course, was one of his sons.

Through it all, David remains steadfast as a man of God. He openly expresses his anguish and joy throughout the psalms. One lesson I take from this narrative is simply this: I can only be fully responsible for my own actions, not that I should condone anyone else’s behavior, but I can decide to follow Christ, regardless of what goes on around me. There will be Shimei’s of the world to throw dirt and stones at me, even shout obscenities, but I must remain steadfast. Lord, help my actions, my words, my loyalty, my love to be ever yours in this day and age. Teach me to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, to be one worthy of making disciples who make disciples, even if that number is only one. May you be honored through all of my actions.

January 22, 2017

David’s Problem Sons

2 Samuel 13-14

Amnon, David’s first son, lusts after his beautiful sister Tamar to the point of obsession. He asks his advisor for a plan to get Tamar alone with him so he can seduce her. She refuses to be disgraced and Amnon rapes her then sends her out.

When King David heard all this, he was furious. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. 2 Samuel 13:21-22

Absalom’s anger boiled inside of him. Two years later, he exacts his revenge and has Amnon killed. It’s an odd story, but part of it includes David listening to Jonadab son of Shimeah, his brother, the same “advisor” that gave Amnon the plan to rape Tamar. In this narrative, Jonadab tells David the rumor of all of his sons being killed is inaccurate, “only Amnon is dead” (2 Samuel 13:32). Absalom fled and hid for three years. “And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.” (2 Samuel 13:39)

Chapter 14 describes Joab’s effort to reinstate Absalom by having David forgive him. Joab uses a wise women to tell David a story that convicts him and compels him to have Joab retrieve Absalom. Joab goes and gets Absalom with a proviso:

Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king. 2 Samuel 14:23-24

After another two years, Absalom demands to see the king, but Joab refuses to even come to him, so Absalom sets Joab’s field on fire to get his attention (I’m thinking it is not a good idea to make Joab angry).

So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom 2 Samuel 14:33

We pick up the story of Absalom tomorrow.

2 Samuel 3:2-3

Sons were born to David in Hebron:
His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel;
the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; …