Thank You Jesus!!!

Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins.  Have you thanked him yet?  Would you like to know the best way to thank Him?  By accepting Him to lead your life.  Just simply ask Jesus to come into your life and take over.  "Dear Jesus...."

Do You Ever Just Skip Parts Of the Bible?

I've got to admit that there are some things in the Bible that just bore me to death and I skip over them.  Today is one of those days.

I realize that the Bible speaks to people in different ways at different times.  However there are parts of the Bible that I quite frankly don't understand how they will ever speak to me.  Let me give you an example.

In 1 Kings, King Solomon is finishing up the Temple of the Lord.  He brings in a great bronze worker from Tyre.  Here is a bit of that Scripture.

1 Kings 7:15-18(NKJV)

15And he cast two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of each. 

16Then he made two capitals of cast bronze, to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 

17He made a lattice network, with wreaths of chainwork, for the capitals which were on top of the pillars: seven chains for one capital and seven for the other capital. 

18So he made the pillars, and two rows of pomegranates above the network all around to cover the capitals that were on top; and thus he did for the other capital.

The detail here is what I don't get.  What am I supposed to learn from all of this detail?  Do I really need to know that there were two rows of bronze pomegranates? 

So when I come to stuff like this, while I have tried to read it in the past I found that my eyes were just scanning the words on the page but it wasn't really registering.  Now I just skip those parts entirely.

As I've written before I think that maybe God threw some stuff in the Bible just to see if we were paying attention.  Is this one of His ways of teaching us discernment?  Learning what is important and what isn't?

I really don't know.  But here is one thing I do know.  That because I have accepted Jesus I have the Holy Spirit to guide me.  He will make sure that I learn what I need to learn when I need to learn it.  Would you like to have that type of guidance? 

Then just ask Jesus to come into your life and guide you as well.  "Dear Jesus…." 

How Closely Do We Have To Toe the Line?

Every now and then I run across something that just makes me wonder.  Today is one of those days.

This has to do with Solomon building the Temple.  If you recall King David was told by God not to build the Temple because David was a man of war.  That job was for Solomon.

Now both King David and King Solomon are described as men after God's heart.  We know that King David slept with Bathsheba and then had her husband killed.  David then takes her as his wife and she bears him a son, Solomon, the future king.  But what about Solomon?

How closely did he toe the line so to speak?  How closely did he adhere to all of God's commands? 

1 Kings 3:3(NKJV)

3And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.

Solomon got most of it right, but not all.  And yet God continued to think highly of and bless Solomon.  That led me to ask "What does God expect of us?"

Does God expect perfection?  Is God sitting there waiting to play Whack A Mole with us the minute we do one thing wrong?  Or does He look deeper than that?  Does he look at the total us instead of this part or that part?  How important are our intentions, does He take those into account?

My conclusion is that this is an example of God looking at our hearts.  Even though we may be getting a thing or two wrong, is our heart in the right place?  Are we striving to get to know God better and do His will?  If so then I think God is willing to give us a break and allow us to grow.

Now what is the best way to let God know that your heart is in the right place?  By accepting God's son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  When you ask Jesus into your life to guide you, you are letting God know right up front that you believe Him and you trust Him. 

Have you done that yet?  Why not do it right now?  Simply ask Jesus to come into your life to lead you.  Have a conversation with Him.  "Dear Jesus…."

Your Blood Is On Your Head

 

1 Kings 2:36-37(NKJV)

36Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere. 

37For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

One of my pet peeves in life is people who won't take responsibility for their actions.  People that are always looking to blame others.  I think this verse does a good job in illustrating that when you know the boundaries and purposely go outside of those boundaries, you have no one but yourself to blame for any trouble that befalls you from your actions.

I think another good example of that is in response to people who ask "how could God send someone to hell?"  The answer is God didn't send someone to hell.  They chose to go there.  Again God has laid out the rules.  Believe that Jesus, God's Son, died for all of our sins and was raised from the dead; and you will be saved.  Chose not to believe  that and you won't be saved.  Who has total control in this situation?  You do.  Who is to blame if you chose to go to hell?  You are. 

As the Scripture above says "your blood shall be on your own head."  Wouldn't it be easier to just believe?  Give it a try!

Are You Using Your Platform?

What is the number one charge for us Christians?  To spread the good news.  From where ever we are we are to share the good news.  We all have our own centers of influence.  Are we using them effectively?

God uses us imperfect people to spread His message.  He set it up that way.  We simply have to be willing to follow God's lead and let Him use us.  Today I'd like to offer three short videos of a family that is doing just that.

Have any of you seen the show Duck Dynasty?  It's about a family business in Louisiana that makes duck calls.  The Robertson family.  The show is a hoot!

If you want to check out the show you will find it here.

http://www.aetv.com/duck-dynasty/

Here is Jase Robertson explaining how they understand that God uses imperfect people to spread His word.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot6ORdhYR34

This next clip is of the father, Phil Roberston, giving his testimony.  Phil was a pretty good college football quarterback.  He was good enough to keep former Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw on the bench for two years.   And you'd never think it when you look at him but he has a Masters Degree in Education!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KwrmlTPI8w

And finally a clip of Willie, the CEO of the company and one of Phil's kids. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEsDA3bvUDE

I hope you enjoyed those clips.  We all have a center of influence.  Now let's go do what God sent us here to do!

"Ask! What shall I give you?"

What would you ask for if God said to you "Ask!  What shall I give you?" 

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  Look what Solomon asked for.

1 Kings 3:5(NKJV)

5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

1 Kings 3:6-9(NKJV)

6And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 

7Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 

8And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 

9Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

First Solomon acknowledges what God has already done for him and his family and he is grateful for that.  Then Solomon acknowledges his short comings, his weaknesses.

Finally, feeling the weight of leadership Solomon doesn't ask for anything to enrich himself.  He asks God for "an understanding heart" so that he can perform his duty as judge of his people.  Specifically Solomon asks that he may be able to discern between good and evil.

What a great example.  God was so impressed with Solomon's request that He gave Solomon riches and glory and all of the things that he didn't ask for in addition to the wisdom to judge. 

And what was the key?  Solomon's true desire to serve others as witnessed by his asking for the skills needed to carry out his responsibility to others!

Folks, it's a fact.  The more you give the more you get.  The more generous you are with your time, talents, and treasurers; the more you will get back out of life.  It worked in Solomon's day and it works today as well!

Be Strong, Therefore, And Prove Yourself A Man!

I'm always struck by the contrast between the Old Testament and the New Testament.  In the NT we are told "the meek shall inherit the earth".  In the OT we have "be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man".  As I've written many times, the Bible is a book of balance.  Let's see what we can learn from King David's instructions to Solomon as King David lay on his death bed.

1 Kings 2:1-4(NKJV)

1Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 

2“I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 

3And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; 

4that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

We start with the overall instruction "be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man".  King David is letting Solomon know up front that it takes strength to be successful in life.  It isn't easy.  It takes hard work.

Then King David goes on to tell Solomon how to accomplish that goal.  How do we do that?  "Walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies."  And who is King David referring to?  God!  Always walk in God's ways.  Now that was good instruction for Solomon but do you think it would work equally well for us?

King David goes on to give Solomon the reason he should do all these things.  "that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn."  Seems like a pretty good reason to me. 

And finally King David answers the question "How do we know that it will turn out this way?"  Because God has promised us in His Word that it will be that way and God doesn't break His promises!

Remember God wants good things for His people who walk in His way.  He wants them to be successful.  He wants them to prosper.  As I look at King David's instructions I think we could all use those same instructions today.  And what is the number one step in walking in God's ways?

Accepting Jesus Christ, God's son, as your personal Lord and Savior.  God sent His son to pay the price for our sins and then to lead us and guide us the rest of our lives.  Have you accepted Jesus yet?  It's easy.  Simply have a conversation with Jesus.  Share with Him what is on your heart and ask Him to take over and guide your life.  "Dear Jesus…."

Why So Much Intrigue?

One of the things that strikes me about the transition of power once King David got old is the "palace intrigue" of the thing.  What I mean by that is the competition between the brothers to follow in the footsteps of  King David. 

1 Kings 1:5-8(NKJV)

5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 

6(And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.) 

7Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah. 

8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.

1 Kings 1:11-14(NKJV)

11So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 

12Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 

13Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 

14Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”

What really strikes me about this is that it shows that even when you are favored by God as both King David and King Solomon were, that doesn't mean that everything goes smoothly.  You still have to deal with everyday problems in life.

It's no different today.  Even if you have already accepted Jesus as your savior, you still have to deal with the daily crap.  Many times things will go smoothly but sometimes it won't.  I always taught my kids to expect good things and good things usually happen.  Usually, but not always.

So one might wonder, what good does it do being a Christian then?  Well first off it insures that you are going to heaven and that is the most important thing.  But in addition to that, we get the peace that surpasses all understanding for when we have to deal with the crap. 

What I mean by that is those of us that have accepted Christ have a deep sense that no matter how bad things get, God will work it all out in the end.

Would you like to know how to have that inner peace?  Simply ask Jesus to come into your life and guide you.  "Dear Jesus…."

God Loves A Warrior!

The thing that struck me about this passage is that God is talking about the mighty men of David.  As he lists those great men, what is God focusing on?

2 Samuel 23:8-39(NKJV)

8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: £Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among £the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. 

9And after him was Eleazar the son of £Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. 

10He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder. 

11And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. 

12But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.

13Then three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam. And the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 

14David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 

15And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 

16So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. 

17And he said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.

18Now Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of £another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. 

19Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three.

20Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 

21And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 

22These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. 

23He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard.

24Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 

25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 

26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 

27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 

28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 

29Heleb the son of Baanah (the Netophathite), Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 

30Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash, 

31abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 

32Eliahba the Shaalbonite (of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan, 

33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 

34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 

35£Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 

36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 

37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), 

38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 

39and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

Their skills as a warrior! 

Now there are many ways to be a warrior for God.  One of the ways we can all do that is by being a prayer warrior.  We are told to pray without ceasing.  That's awfully hard to do.  It takes a strong person to do it.  It takes a warrior.  God loves a warrior!

Rock, Fortress, Deliverer

2 Samuel 22:2-7(NKJV)

2And he said:£      “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

3    The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;     My shield and the horn of my salvation,     My stronghold and my refuge;     My Savior, You save me from violence.

4    I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;     So shall I be saved from my enemies.

5    “When the waves of death surrounded me,      The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

6    The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;     The snares of death confronted me.

7    In my distress I called upon the Lord,     And cried out to my God;     He heard my voice from His temple,     And my cry entered His ears.

Love the beginning of this song that Kind David is reciting to God.  Look at how completely David trusts in God.  Look at the words that he uses to describe his relationship with God.

Rock, fortress, deliverer, strength, shield, stronghold, and refuge.  Nothing wishy washy about that is there?  And then note that David has total confidence that God hears him from anywhere that God is at.

Do you have that kind of support and backup in your life?  If you are a believer in God's son, Jesus Christ, you do.  When you go to God in prayer you don't have to go, meekly, hoping that God may hear your petition.  You can go boldly, with total certainty that God will hear.

Are you a believer in God's son?  Have you asked Jesus to come into your life to lead you?  Why not do it right now.  Just ask Jesus to come into your life and take over.  "Dear Jesus…."

What Was the Deal With the Philistines?

 

2 Samuel 21:18-22(NKJV)

18Now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite killed £Saph, who was one of the sons of the giant. 

19Again there was war at Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of £Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

20Yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was born to the giant. 

21So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of £Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.

22These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

It seems like Israel fought the Philistines more than any other group of people.    Why is that?  I don't know for sure but here is the lesson that I take from it.  There are certain battles that you will have to refight through out your life.

We all have to fight our own personal battles in life and that battle is different for each of us.  And obviously there is more than one.  But what I have found is that there is usually one or two battles that you have to keep refighting for your entire life.  For me that main battle would probably be procrastination.

It's an issue I've dealt with repeatedly throughout life.  One might say it is my Philistine Battle.  What is your Philistine Battle?  Whatever it is, don't be discouraged.  Rely on Jesus and you can win that battle over and over again, just like David did!

Off With His Head, And Other Biblical Stories!

2 Samuel 20:14-22(NKJV)

14And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel and Beth Maachah and all the Berites. So they were gathered together and also went after £Sheba. 

15Then they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maachah; and they cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood by the rampart. And all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.

16Then a wise woman cried out from the city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come nearby, that I may speak with you.’” 

17When he had come near to her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your maidservant.” And he answered, “I am listening.”

18So she spoke, saying, “They used to talk in former times, saying, ‘They shall surely seek guidance at Abel,’ and so they would end disputes. 

19I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?”

20And Joab answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy! 

21That is not so. But a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.” So the woman said to Joab, “Watch, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” 

22Then the woman in her wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. Then he blew a trumpet, and they withdrew from the city, every man to his tent. So Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.

Wow!  Chopped the dudes head off and threw it over the wall.  That's pretty gruesome.  That was a pretty big price to pay.  And for what?  What did he do?  He simply crossed the King.

Are you ready to pay that price when you cross the King?  What am I talking about?  I think you know don't you?  When we cross God, we are crossing the King of the Universe. 

Is God going to say "off with your head!"?

That depends.  And here is the cool thing.  It depends on a decision that you make and nothing else.  God won't force this choice on you.  He gives you free will to decide. 

What is the decision that you have to make?  Whether you believe that Jesus truly is the Son of God as we are told in the Bible.  And whether Jesus was crucified for our sins and that He rose again on the 3rd day.

Because when you say that what you are really saying is "I believe you God".   I believe what you are telling me through your word, the Bible.  I believe you when you say that Jesus paid for all of my sins, if I will simply confess His name. 
 

Have you done that yet?  Have you had that conversation with Jesus?  Have you invited Him to take over your life?  Why not do it right now.  "Dear Jesus…."

Oh and BTW, that whole off with your head thing?  As long as you've invited Jesus to take over your life, you don't even have to worry about it.  You are good to go! 

Will We Never Learn?

Why is it in some things we never learn?  I wrote on Tuesday about doing the right thing, don't make exceptions.  We were looking at how King David extended mercy to his son Absalom, going against the way prescribed by God.

Do you remember how that turned out?  It came back to bite King David in the butt!  His son comes back and drives King David out of Jerusalem  and tries to hunt him down and kill him.  Well look at this!

2 Samuel 18:5(NKJV)

5Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.

David turns around and does it again!

The sad part is, we all do that don't we?  We do something the wrong way, we know better and yet we turn around and do it again.  Want to avoid that?  Stay focused on God's Word!

It's All In The Attitude and Expectation

 

2 Samuel 16:5-9(NKJV)

5Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. 

6And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 

7Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! 

8The Lord has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!”

9Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”

That's an understandable response.  But check out what King David had to say.

2 Samuel 16:11-13(NKJV)

11And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him. 

12It may be that the Lord will look on £my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing this day.” 

13And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and kicked up dust. 

Many of us in this situation would be mad.  We'd want to take the guy out.  We'd probably be feeling a bit like we were being punished.  But not David.   His first line of thought is that "Hey God can always turn this into something good!"  Expect good things to happen and they usually will! 

Do The Right Thing, Don't Make Exceptions

Because look what happens when you do.

2 Samuel 14:21-24(NKJV)

21And the king said to Joab, “All right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.”

22Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and thanked the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.” 

23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 

24And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king’s face.

To bring you up to speed, Absalom whose father is King David, killed one of David's sons by a different mother, and many would say justifiably so because the other son had raped Absalom's daughter.  But the fact was the Absalom plotted and deceived in order to kill the other son and so Absalom was banished from the Kingdom.

But here is where King David made a mistake.  He knew banishing Absalom was the correct thing to do but he also missed his son.  He let others talk him in to allowing Absalom to return.

Now some would say he was showing mercy but let's see how it turned out. 

2 Samuel 15:1-6(NKJV)

1After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 

2Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. So it was, whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and say, “What city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel.” 

3Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your case is good and right; but there is no deputy of the king to hear you.” 

4Moreover Absalom would say, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.” 

5And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. 

6In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

2 Samuel 15:10-13(NKJV)

10Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’” 

11And with Absalom went two hundred men invited from Jerusalem, and they went along innocently and did not know anything. 

12Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city—from Giloh—while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased in number.

13Now a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”

And as a result King David had to flee from the son he had shown mercy to.

Here is the lesson that I take from this.  There was a system of rules and laws in place that governed the killing of another man.  There were cities of refuge where you could go for safety but you had to stay there until the next Jubilee.  King David knew all that but he over rode the law and made an exception.  In other words he substituted his judgment for God's law and look how that turned out. 

Things Done In Secret

 

2 Samuel 13:9-12(NKJV)

9And she took the pan and placed them out before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, “Have everyone go out from me.” And they all went out from him. 

10Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to Amnon her brother in the bedroom. 

11Now when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

12But she answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! 

Here's a simple warning.  When someone suggests to you a course of action and they remove all witnesses and insist it be done in secret, RUN!  It's generally not a good thing.  It is not on the up and up.  It's probably not going to turn out well. 

I Never Realized Solomon Had A Nickname

 

2 Samuel 12:24-25(NKJV)

24Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he£ called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him, 

25and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So £he called his name £Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

I've read this passage many times over the years and yet I never really picked up on the fact that Solomon had a nickname.  Jedidiah.

Now the whole story of Solomon I find interesting.  Solomon came from the union of King David and Bathsheba who King David took from another man and then ended up having the other man killed to cover up what King David had done.

Think of that.  David had always been a man after God's heart and yet he did this extremely sinful thing.  And yet out of that God produces the heir to King David's throne and the continuation of the line to Jesus.

And by the way, what does Solomon's nickname, Jedidiah, mean?  Beloved of the Lord!

Now if God can love Solomon like that after all the sin that brought him into the world, just think how much God can love us when we ask forgiveness for all the sins in our past! 

And how do we get that love and forgiveness?  By simply accepting Jesus, God's son, as our Lord and Savior.  Have you done that yet?  If not there is no better time that right now.  Just ask Jesus to come into your life and take over.  "Dear Jesus…."