Category: 2 Samuel

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

David mourns for Absalom in a very different way from that of his first child by Bathsheba. David’s grief here leads him to lose control of himself and to almost lose his followers. Jesus’ grief is seen at Lazarus’ grave. One is overcome, and the Other overcomes!

SJA Notes

* God in Heaven, incline Your ear and answer us, please preserve our life – save us Your servants, who trust in You! You are our God.

“But you are worth ten thousand of us.”

Here is the importance of the king!

We see both parallels and differences between David and Jesus.

Both kings have followers who would die for them. These followers hold their king in high regard. They would suffer for their king.

However.

David mourns in a very different way to Jesus.

David’s breakdown here almost loses him the kingdom.

We need a king whose kingship is stable and rock-solid. A king who mourns with hope, who grows angry at enemies and injustice, who goes to battle and emerges victorious, saving the lost and lonely, those who cannot help themselves.

We need Jesus, hallelujah!

When the world seeks to make us feel embarrassment, to disown Jesus, we are to hold fast to His promises,

“The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27

* Dear God,

Thank You for Your grace, that You give to us what we do not deserve.

Thank You for Your mercy, that You do not give to us what we deserve.

Thank You for Jesus, our King who reigns on high.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

David is met with both blessing and cursing. David too has a Judas, his close friend and confidante Ahithophel. A like end comes to both – death by hanging. You wonder if Judas did not choose to hang himself because he realised the parallels. The Messiah will be a suffering Messiah.

SJA Notes

* Dear God, please show us Your steadfast love and grant us Your salvation.

“Now in those days the counsel of Ahithophel was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.”

What does it say that not only the pretender Absalom but also David himself, the Lord’s Christ, esteemed the counsel of Ahithophel so highly?

We see that Ahithophel does not have the same heart after God’s own that David does.

Ahithophel works to kill David, the Lord’s anointed.

What does this mean for us then?

It is the same thing we have seen time and time again.

David was only a man. As great a king as he was, he was more a broken sinner who made faulty decision based on limited understanding and foolish behaviour.

We need a king who knows the hearts of man!

As the Lord Himself told Samuel,

“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

We need a king who looks on our hearts.

What a joy and a solid hope it is that in Jesus we have such a king!

* Gracious God Above,

Thank You that even when our hearts were dead in sin and trespass, You gave up Yourself to take the penalty and punishment, to completed resolve our situation.

Because of You we who were once in darkness now walk in light.

Because of You we who were once dead in our sins are now alive in Christ.

Because of You we now have the hope of eternal life!

Thank You!

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Absalom’s faith is not his father’s. David said: the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed (Christ). 1 Samuel 26:9 Absalom did not scruple to lay hands on the LORD’s Christ. Absalom’s kingdom cannot stand.

SJA Notes

* How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! Our soul longs for Your courts, our heart and flesh sing for joy to You, the living God.

“And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, …”

Across the span of four years Absalom engineered a coup, taking control of the kingdom at the expense of his father.

Four years of patient and intentional subterfuge, stealing the hearts of the men of Israel.

He roused Israel in support, and when David heard he fled the throne.

Stealing hearts.

What for us then, but to be thankful and grateful that in Jesus we have the sure and steady hope of our hearts having being created anew, born again!

In Christ Jesus, our hearts cannot be stolen. He is the great Shepherd of the sheep who holds us close in His arms.

We read in John ch 10,

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

It is a wonderful hope we read in these words, a strong and steady assurance.

Jesus, God in the Person of the Son, holds us tight.

God, the Person of the Father, holds us tight.

Jesus and the Father are one! One God. Three Persons.

We are held close by God and no power, no strong man, no principality or entity can steal our hearts away.

Praise God for His everlasting arms!

* Gracious Loving God,

The whole earth is Yours, praise You O God!

You are the King that never loses, is never undermined and can never be dethroned.

You hold us in Your everlasting arms, and no-one can steal our hearts from You.

Thank You Lord!

Amen.