KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday, April 21, 2017
Chapters: II Samuel 1-3
Message: God Is Judge Alone
Hello My Friend,
The Book of II Samuel contains twenty-four chapters, it is uncertain who wrote it, but it is probable that it is David as it only contains his life, and it was first addressed to Israel. The timeline for these events took place approximately 1056 BC to 1017 BC. The purpose of the book was to record David’s forty year reign as king and how God dealt with him and all His people during that time. What we are to learn from the book is that God carries out His plan through those who are obedient to Him despite their occasional mishaps. We are to remain in the will of God through all our walks of life, even if we fall God is with us and will pick us back up as long as we call upon Him. “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.” – II Samuel 22:7.
As Christians, we can expect that God is the giver and taker of life, that He judges us in our works, and yet it is not our works that saves us from death and hell, but what few expect is that God sees every life as one that needs to be saved. II Samuel continues where I Samuel left off, it had been three days since Saul and three of his sons were killed in a fierce battle with the Philistines. A man, whom quite clearly seeks some sort of reward, finds David and tells him the news of his and Jonathan’s death and got a response that he was not expecting.
“Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed? And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed.” – II Samuel 1:11-16.
“for thy mouth hath testified against thee,” This man lost his life because he lied in hopes of receiving some kind of compensation as if it pleased David to see Saul dead. You know, as much as we would like to believe that God picks certain people to be saved, the truth is, we would all be in hell if we stood before God without Christ because we are all sinners, and since the punishment for a liar and a murderer is the same when we die, our mouths would testify against us. “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.” – Romans 2:9-11.
With God, all things have to be done in the right time, we may be destined for something, but it is God who decides when that will be. It would have been easy for David to take the throne after Saul died since he was God’s anointed, but instead of taking it full force, David sought advice from God and got a different answer.
“And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron. So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite. And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.” – II Samuel 2:1-4.
“that David enquired of the LORD,” I was praying last night and actually asked God to teach me how to pray like David so I can hear Him speak to me. This morning He told me to pray the way Jesus taught me to pray. We do not realize it, but God does respond whenever we inquire of Him, the issue is that we may not always agree with His answer, and that is why we keep asking the same thing over and over again. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” – James 4:2-3.
Time and time again we learn why it is important to do things in God’s way and time, too many people have lost their lives because they attempted to take things into their own hands. Now, Saul’s captain, Abner, in some sort of attempt to make his name in the world, convinced every other tribe to make Saul’s son Ishbosheth king. In an attempt to find out Abner’s plan, Asahel, a promising young man in the army of David was killed by Abner in an attempt to find our his plan. Fearing for his life, Abner ran to David trying to escape death, deceiving him also, but all of his wicked pursuits ended in his death when Joab, Asahel’s brother, killed him the same way he killed his brother. Abner’s death was brought to David’s attention, and yet David had the same response as he did when it was told of Saul’s death.
“And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him. And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down. And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people. For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner. And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.” – II Samuel 3:33-39.
“Died Abner as a fool dieth?” Here is the thing, of course, these men had judgment coming to them, but it is not for us to be the judge, God is the judge, and if we take things into our own hands they will always result in more problems, not less, and it will certainly do no good for us. Those who seek prosperity by wickedness lose by wickedness, Joab also suffered for taking things into his own hands. When we allow God to handle things, we save ourselves from a lot of pain, suffering, and perhaps even premature death. “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” – I Peter 3:10-12,17,18.
Jesus Christ Magnified: Today, Jesus is revealed through David as he lamented over the deaths of Saul, and Abner, two men whom deserved death, yet still had compassion upon them. Jesus does not want one soul to perish without Him, but sadly many die as fools. “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” – John 3:18.
Today’s Prayer: God, When we come to You regarding the situations that we don’t quite understand or have no personal ability to change we find peace and stability in our lives. Lord, help me to let go and let You handle all the situations in my life, all I am doing is hurting myself and hindering You from showing me the blessings of these situations. When I seek You I will find peace and an end to my suffering, it is so difficult, but I know You can show me something mighty as I trust and depend on You to take care of these things for me in Your time. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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