DCLM Daily Manna 2024: DCLM Daily Manna 12 September 2024: Danger of Delay
Text: 2 Samuel 20:1-13 (KJV)
1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
2 So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4 Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.
5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
6 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.
7 And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab’s garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.
9 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
11 And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.
12 And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.
13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
KEY VERSE: 2 Samuel 20:5
“So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.”
After David overcame the rebellion of his son Absalom, who died shamefully, another uprising led by Sheba came up. Sheba, the son of Bichri, led all Israel except Judah, to turn their backs against David.
Seeing the evil ploys of Sheba, David quickly called and instructed Amasa his nephew, who earlier pitched his tent with Absalom in his revolt, to assemble for him the men of Judah within three days and return to him. Amasa had just been appointed by David as commander-in-chief of his army to replace Joab who incurred the wrath of David for killing Absalom.
Amasa’s delay in assembling the soldiers of Judah within three days, made David to send Abishai, another faithful soldier to run after Sheba and dislodge him with his supporters. On hearing this, Joab joined the troop with a seemingly innocuous intention of pursuing Sheba. Eventually, he met Amasa, and he murdered him as a result of his bitterness, envy and jealousy. Amasa’s life could have been spared perhaps, had he not delayed.
There is danger in delay or procrastination. Whatever God asks believers to do should be done faithfully and with prompt obedience. There is time for everything on earth. What you are to do today should not be delayed till tomorrow. No wonder Jesus said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work”. When running errands or rendering services for God, we should make haste to get it done as specified. Remember that people who procrastinate can never serve God satisfactorily.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Delay in rendering service to God is as damnable as outright disobedience.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 8-10
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Daily Manna 12 September 2024
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