Month: December 2021

O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 2 Samuel 7:28 (2 Samuel 4-8, I Chronicles 3, 11-14,)

Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son who challenged David’s throne, is stabbed to death in his sleep. Again, David does not tolerate murder and serves justice and disgrace on the guilty.  Israel is now united under one king and Jerusalem is conquered and renamed, City of David. The fortress is strengthened and a palace built. The Ark of the Covenant is brought to Jerusalem and David makes plans to build a temple, a permanent home for the Ark. God has other plans and sends word that the Temple will be the next king’s legacy. David offers sincere praise for God’s faithful provision and redemption. 

David was very successful. He took an insignificant nation and turned it into a mighty kingdom, possibly the most powerful on earth at the time. God denied him the privilege of establishing a permanent home for the Ark, but instead, gave a greater promise. David’s house will be forever. Even though David did not build the Temple, he drew the plans, provided materials, wrote liturgy and music, and organized duties for worship. He left his mark and Jerusalem became both a religious and political capitol for God’s people.

David’s humble obedience makes possible divine resources, a blessing he would not have had otherwise. God’s power in our lives is often minimized by our inability to comprehend the possibility of what He alone can do when we simply trust and rely.

Love,

Gretchen

The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. II Samuel 3:1 (Chapters 2:8-3)

After the death of Saul, only Judah followed David.  The commander of Saul’s army, Abner, challenged David’s right to the throne, promoting Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth as the rightful king. A civil war ensues.

For two years the battles were bloody and brutal. It would be seven more years before the nation was united under David. Hebron, the burial place of Abraham, was David’s headquarters. His strength and family grew and Abner decided to give his allegiance to David.  He arrives in Hebron to propose an agreement. David sent Abner away in peace, but Joab, David’s commander and nephew, held an implacable hatred for him, felt he was deceiving David, and devised and carried out a plan to murder him. 

David again, led his people in grieving a lawless death and prays for justice to be served on the wicked. David’s faith in God’s sovereign authority was the foundation of his life’s work. He knew God would deal in truth and righteousness and he could rest in peace and assurance.

As the story plays out before men in 2018 A.D., God’s order is obvious, but as David lived it in real time it was a primitive era with years of tainted social order. David depended on a strong ethical and moral standard as his guide and God honored him. 

A straight plum line of consciousness is a very good helpmeet. When you do what’s right, God’s has a lot of room to do His good….for you and others.

Love,

Gretchen

Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” II Samuel 2:7 (II Samuel 2:1-7, I Chronicles 1-10)

With Saul’s death, David gives time to grieve and then inquires of God for his next move. David gives a blessing to the men that showed kindness by burying Saul and Jonathan and encourages them, as the transition from Saul’s house to David’s will have its turmoil. 

Chronologically the book of Chronicles parallels the narratives of Saul’s demise through the fall of Jerusalem and Babylon’s rise.  I Chronicles begins and continues for 9 chapters with the genealogy of God’s people from Adam to Saul. The writer is simply preserving history and interpreting it with this key fact: Peace and prosperity are residuals of obedience to God. Do not forget! Someone (Chronicles author) wanted to remind Israel, God’s judgement was a reality, but His promises awaited those who were faithful.

God promised David a lasting dynasty, a hope for all mankind.  This was fulfilled through a helpless, tiny baby, with a less than perfect family tree, and an infinite supply of mercy and grace. God’s covenant kept is our assurance of life eternal.  God is faithful.

Happy Thursday,

Gretchen

“How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights.” II Samuel 1:25 (Chapter 1)

Three days after the battle that took the lives of Saul and his two sons, a man from Saul’s camp arrived to inform David of the deaths.  David is grief stricken and leads his followers in appropriate demonstrations of respect and eulogy. David’s poem on the occasion of Saul and Jonathan’s death is one of the most beautiful of his works.

David’s repeated response to Saul’s aggressive and murderous behavior toward him is a model of action rather than reaction.  The conviction that Saul’s life, as king, was sacred, determined David’s choices and maneuvers. He did not react in defense to hatred. Although he would be king, he continued to act/subject himself to a Sovereign LORD, the One True God.

Be driven by noble character and live your life for an audience of One, the Creator and Lover of all things, especially you.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday,

Gretchen