Day 84–2 Samuel 9-12; Mark 10

2 Samuel 9 shows us David’s compassion. After becoming solidly in charge of Israel, he asked whether anyone was left of Saul’s household to whom he could show kindness, because of his friendship with Jonathan. Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, was living. He had become lame in both feet, because he had been dropped by his nurse, when he was a boy. David restored to Mephibosheth all of Saul’s land, and gave him a place at his own table for meals. In other words, Mephibosheth lived in David’s home.  David called on Ziba, Saul’s servant to take charge of all of Saul’s land, and to care for it for Mephibosheth. In a time when victorious kings generally slaughtered everyone who was left of their predecessor’s family, we see why David was called a man after God’s own heart.

In 2 Samuel 10 we read of another act of compassion shown by David, which ended up with Israel defeating two nations in battle. The king of the Ammonites died, but when David sent a delegation to Hanun, the king’s son, to pay David’s respects, the princes of the Ammonites convinced Hanun that David’s motives weren’t to console him, but to spy out their situation. Thus, the Ammonites humiliated David’s delegation by cutting off half of each of their beards, and cutting off their robes at the hips. As a result, David went to battle against the Ammonites. As was common in that day, when a nation saw they were likely to lose in battle, the Ammonites called on the Syrians to fight on their behalf. David’s leaders, Joab and Abishai, went against the two nations and defeated them, but the Syrians mounted a counter-offensive. This time David gathered the whole army of Israel and defeated the Syrians soundly. The result was the Syrians paid tribute to Israel and were unwilling to fight for the Ammonites again. David’s power was reaching its apex. Soon, no nation would dare fight against Israel. God’s favor was upon him, and we can see why the Israelites would later refer to David’s reign as the golden age of their nation.

2 Samuel 11 marks a great and sad turning point in David’s life. It starts off with the statement, “In the spring of the year, the time kings go out to war, David sent Joab…” It was David’s task to go to war, but he sent his army commander, and stayed in Jerusalem. David shirked his work as king. As a result he was idle. One afternoon, after he got up from a nap, he went out and saw a beautiful woman taking a bath on her roof. He called for the woman, even though he knew she was married. He had sex with her and she became pregnant. The woman was Bathsheba. She was the wife of one of David’s bravest soldiers, Uriah the Hittite. When David realized what he had done, he called Uriah home from the battlefront to have some time with his wife. David’s plan was for Uriah to have sex with his wife and then he would assume the child was his when it was born. The plan failed, because Uriah was too honorable to go home and be with his wife, while the rest of the army remained in battle. He slept outside David’s palace. This went on for several days, and when David realized he couldn’t convince Uriah to go home to be with Bathsheba, he sent Uriah back to the front with a sealed message for Joab. The message was for Joab to see that Uriah was killed in battle. David planned to cover up his adultery with murder. The plan “worked.”

2 Samuel 12 shows us why I put “worked” in quotes. While David got away with murdering Uriah, and then took Bathsheba into his palace as his wife after her time of mourning was over, God sent the prophet Nathan to David to confront him over his sin. Nathan couched the confrontation in terms of a poor man who had a ewe lamb, who rich neighbor took it, killed it and served it for dinner when guests came rather than taking a lamb from his flock. Dave became so incensed at the story that he shouted, “That man deserves to die!” Nathan responded, “You are the man.” At once David recognized his sin. He repented, and God forgave him, but the consequences of his actions were grave. God told him there would always be internal conflict in his family, and one of his own sons would sleep with his concubines in broad daylight. The son born to Bathsheba would die.  This happened. We see once again no one is beyond God’s judgment, not even David the great king. Sin is sin. There’s always a consequence. Even if no one else knows about it God does. David’s story is a powerful reminder that we must live in God’s righteousness and the power of His Spirit. Otherwise, even the “best” among us will fall.

As we return to Mark 10, the chapter starts with Jesus affirming God’s plan for marriage as stated in Genesis 2: marriage between one man and one woman for life. He adds, “What God has joined let no one separate.” Then Jesus blesses children who have been brought to Him by their parents. The disciples protested that Jesus was too busy for this, but Jesus rebuked the disciples and reminded them the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children.

Next, we read the account of the rich young man who wanted Jesus to tell hi how to gain eternal life. When Jesus told him to obey the commandments, and the man said he had, Jesus told him he lacked one thing: he needed to sell all he had and give it to the poor, and then to come follow Him. the man declined the offer, because His wealth was too important to him. How sad that the man put money before a relationship with Jesus!

Jesus then tells the disciples a third time He was going to be crucified and rise again. This time James and John seeing the opportunity Jesus’ enthronement would bring, ask to sit at the right and the left side of His throne when He came into His Kingdom.  Jesus told them it wasn’t for Him to give this honor, and that it wasn’t for those who follow Jesus to seek it. Our task is to serve first, and let the LORD decide our position.

Finally, as is Mark’s custom, Jesus heals someone. This time it’s blind Bartimaeus. Jesus tells Bartimaeus it was his faith that healed him. Once again we see the connection between faith and healing. This time the person needing the healing had faith. At other times it was a friend’s faith. At others it was Jesus own faith and power that healed. Faith is always a key component when it comes to receiving God’s wholeness in our lives.

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