Archive for the ‘2 Samuel’ Category

Day 137: 2 Samuel 16:1-18:18; Luke 23:13-31 — Betray or Be Faithful ?

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Ahithophel cannot wait to turn on David when the usurper Absalom rose to power. Hushai remained faithful in the face of a new and awesome threat. The Jewish leadership cannot wait to have the Romans crucify Jesus. The disciples do not know what to do, frightened, they will watch at a distance, but watch. “Institutionalized religion, the church, the old God, is not for me.” versus “I will cling to the old rugged cross.” Absalom represents the new order, the fresh look at the world, bold, uncharted, powerful. David’s faithful know this is just not right. Jesus threatened the world as they knew it, threatened the entire system by which they understood, ruled, were comfortable, safe. Jesus’ disciples know that He has brought a new age from God Himself. “My God would not stand for these old ways, these dry, narrow minds. The Bible needs new eyes for a new age — perhaps no Bible at all. God is in me and you. We are all gods and goddesses.” versus “Jesus loves me this I know, because the Bible tells me so.”

How so human. How so full of self. Full of rebellion. Full of Satan. When God’s anointed is not what we want Him to be, then we proudly proclaim from our dark emptiness of ignorance, “I know better.” When the Creator does not reflect our image then man decides that is not the real God, there surely must be another that looks more like, well, like me!

Then the others, so determined to be faithful in the face of death itself; so committed to the One Who truly loves them. Not knowing but yet trusting the One Who leads. These are blessed, walking by faith, not by sight.

Ahithophel and Absalom died cruelly. David retook the throne and planned the end of his enemies. The anointed of God ruled the dominion given to him. Jesus arose from the grave, astounding all who saw Him, frustrating all of his enemies who heard, “He lives.” The will of our Creator cannot be stopped, will not be frustrated. We can either work with Him and be blessed or stand — momentarily — in His way and find our best human wisdom thwarted and ground to dust by the Rock of Ages.

The next time we find faith untenable, obedience unfathomable, spirituality an unsolvable puzzle and life that makes no sense, remember those faithful of ages past. The risks, which were no risks at all to those who could truly “see.”

Prayer: Holy, Righteous, True and Faithful One, may we be faithful to You in this day.

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Day 130: 1 Samuel 30:16-2 Samuel 2:7; Luke 20:20-38 — Respect for God’s anointed

Monday, May 10th, 2010

He was impatient, self-willed, foolish, jealous, and afraid. Even so, Saul, king of Israel, was the anointed of God to lead these people. David had many opportunities to disgrace or to kill Saul, but took none of them. David counted the life of Saul as precious because he was the anointed of God. News of the death of Saul and Jonathan struck at David’s heart. The young Amalekite, thinking he would find favor with David, said that he had mercifully killed the wounded Saul. No understanding of that servant of God and respect for the anointed. What a harsh reprisal, we may think, as David commanded his execution! “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” David had such great reverence for the Lord that he counted even those deemed fools by others to be worthy of honor.

He was young, idealistic, powerful, compassionate, the Anointed One. Yet the leaders of the age could not accept Him as the Leader of their world, not as they knew it. “We will trap him! We will confound his wisdom and expose him to the world as a fraud!” The “best and brightest” of that Age come to confound the Rock of Ages. No understanding of that servant of God and respect for His Anointed. “Shall we pay taxes?” Ah, this will divide the people! Say, “Yes” and the common man will hate him, say, “No” and He is an insurrectionist to be arrested. Either way He is out of here! His answer still convicts us, asking whom we really serve. Then the question which still divides our friends today, is there life beyond the grave? Is there marriage in heaven? Once more the question came from those who did not even understand or truly reverence the One whose temple they occupied. Truly a conundrum, we have him now! The Anointed One turns it back on them, turning back on them the Scriptures from which the Sadducees derived their own power. We see the answers in today’s world as, yes there is life beyond the veil, we shall have no need of gender or race or color, all will be the children of God.

What is the real center of these passages? Reverence of God and respect for His Anointed. When we do not understand God’s will, when Jesus just does not make sense, when holiness and righteous living are far outside the scope of practice for the “modern” world, who is out of kilter? Who lacks a connection to reality? Who fails to understand the needs of emerging cultures and countercultures? It is man, we are the uninitiated, ignorant ones who kill the Anointed thinking we are doing the powers of this world a favor. Let us revere our Creator, follow His anointed so that the true life, the true order of the universe, the Reality of our being comes back into the service of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.

Prayer: Today, almighty God, help us to understand what steps we must take today to follow your will, to glorify Your name, and respect Your Anointed One, Jesus of Nazareth. For Jesus’ sake, thank You for hearing us, help us to hear You.

Posted in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, Jesus, Luke | Comments Off