2 Samuel 19-21

In chapter 19, verses 1-8 we are reminded that there are times when those who lead need to be pressed by someone on their core team as we see Joab pressing David. The lead person must be willing to let those they trust speak to them as Joab spoke to David. We all have blind spots, moments of weakness, etc and must trust that those closest to us will speak honestly to us.

But in chapter 20, we see the vulnerability of someone on the core team, a weakness inherent to being one of the trusted persons of the lead person. We can begin to covet our influence more than our love for the one leading. We see this same dynamic between Abner and Ishbosheth in 2 Samuel 3.

Moving on to chapter 21, these verse are truly perplexing. Why would God punish a whole nation for the sins of Saul, who himself had already suffered judgment, indeed his whole house has already suffered what seems to be ample judgment commensurate to his many sins? In addition, why would God allow those who appear to be innocent to take on the sin of others, to His ultimate appeasement (see verse 14b)?

Because we are temporal in our thinking, overly bound to this life, thus leading to our being perplexed by such texts. May we never see being chosen by God to be a prophetic picture to the world of Jesus' death, in His complete innocence, but still His ultimate destruction, in exchange for our freedom...as being accursed by God. The sons of Rizpah and Merab are some of the most highly honored of all of Scripture, the picture of Jesus slain on a hill (see vs. 9) for the people of God to be restored to their Father.

There is also a broader stroke of truth as well in chapter 21, in looking at verses 1-14 in conjunction with verses 15-22, we learn that there will be no victory over the giants in our lives until we are first reconciled to God through Jesus!

Pastor Fred