I'm Following Jesus – Page 1121 – Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Chapters: II Samuel 1-3, Psalm 18
Message: Patience And Perseverance

Hello My Friend,

I was watching the news about this guilty verdict of the police officer when not only the president, but Speaker of the House had to go on national television and commend the jury for basically keeping this police officer, who I am sure had never intended things to get that far out of hand, locked up for the rest of his life. There is this great need these days to not only condone, but promote the evil in this world for fear of these thugs who take great joy in the evil, destroying lives and the livelihoods of the very people they claim they represent. Let me tell you, America is the biggest laughingstock of the entire world right now as our leaders succumb to these thugs. However, this is God’s country, and He will take it back, when the time is right, with a little patience and some perseverance in our faith, His people will prevail.

[Revelation 3:8,10,12 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.]

The Book of II Samuel contains twenty-four chapters, it is probable that David wrote it because 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, [II Samuel 22:7 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.]

Behind the strength of any nation is a group of God fearing saved souls, willing to stand up to their faith and the true freedoms that come from their leading it under the direction that God gives them. Those freedoms that we enjoy often come with the price of others who gave their lives for them, but there is always someone willing to take advantage of those freedoms for their own advances. During the battle between Israel and the Philistines, many Israelites lost their lives, including Saul and three of his sons, including Jonathan. Three days after the battle, this young man, who obviously knew about David and his relationship with Jonathan, thought he might get some kind of points by telling David a lie about how Saul died.

[II Samuel 1:4,6,9-10,14-16 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. 6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. 10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. 14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed? 15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. 16 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.]

[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. The world thinks that God is pleased with the death of the fallen, and that is simply not true. God does not want to see one soul in hell! We are to never rejoice in the death of an enemy or someone who is lost and ended up in hell because of their wicked ways. And speaking of wicked, while Judah readily accept David king, the rest of Israel did not, Abner, the wicked captain of Saul’s army made Saul’s next eldest living son, Ishbosheth king.

[II Samuel 2:1-3,8-11 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. 2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite. 3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. 8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10 Ishbosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.]

[And he said, Unto Hebron.] Now, David was supposed to be king of all on Israel so, why did God tell him to just go to the people of Judah? Well, Judah was family, they gladly accepted him as their king, but the rest of them were not quite ready. Also, David was not quite ready either to be king of the entire nation, some things needed to get squared away before that would happen. Nevertheless, with patience and perseverance in His faith, David would become king of all of Israel. David takes some time to reflect and praise God for delivering him out of the hand of his enemies, [Psalms 18:1-3 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. Psalms 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.]

Abner, another wicked person, seeking his own advances, did not want Ishbosheth to be king because he would have rightfully been the only living son to reign in his fathers steed, he did so in some sort of attempt to make his name in the world. In an attempt to find out Abner’s plan, Asahel, a promising young man in David’s army, was killed by Abner.

[II Samuel 2:12,14,17-19,21,23 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. 17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David. 18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. 19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him. 23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.]

[and died in the same place:] Asahel, the brother of Joab, proud of his relation to David and Joab, eagerly pursues Abner to his death. And now with Asahel out of the picture Abner thought he was in the clear, but things were about to unravel for him as king Ishbosheth called him out.

[II Samuel 3:1,6-11 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker. 6 And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul. 7 And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine? 8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman? 9 So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him; 10 To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba. 11 And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.]

[that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.] Abner is basically telling him that if it were not for him he would not even be king. And after Ishbosheth confronts him, and fearing for his life, he runs to David trying to escape death, deceiving him also.

[II Samuel 3:17-18,23-27 And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you: 18 Now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies. 23 When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace. 24 Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone? 25 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest. 26 And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not. 27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.]

[that he came to deceive thee,] Is that not just like the wicked when their plans are not working out, and people start catching on to them? They try to deceive someone else. This would have been a very wrong move on David’s part, even though he did not know what happened. We must be careful not to be too quick to accept partnerships with anyone, we must always take the time to look into everything, so that we will not be fooled by the wicked. When Joab got word that David had let Abner go, he was angry with David, and killed Abner himself. When Abner’s death was brought to David’s attention, he had the same response as he did when it was told of Saul’s death.

[II Samuel 3:31-36 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier. 32 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. 33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? 34 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. 35 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. 36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.]

[Died Abner as a fool dieth?] David did not condone what the Abner did, but he knew that it is God who gives and takes life, not man. The makings of a great king is not about things taking into our own hands, it is about knowing our limits, how to handle them in the way God would, and waiting on His timing. With a little bit of patience, some perseverance, and our continual faith in God, we will prevail, and we will see every promise of God come to pass, [Hebrews 10:35-36 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.]

Jesus Christ Magnified: [II Samuel 1:17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:]

Today’s Prayer: God, You are the giver and taker of life, and no matter how wicked someone is, You will deal with them Your way, and in Your time. You have proven time and time again that lying, cheating, stealing, or deception of any kind will not get us anywhere, but killed, ourselves, but with a little bit of patience, some perseverance, and faith, we will prevail. Thank You for giving Your Son so that we might be saved from the punishment of eternal death and hell through our faith in Him alone. You truly are our KING, and we can rejoice in knowing that our salvation is in You alone, and not of our own works. I pray this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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