ESOCS Devotional 22 October 2022
TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 18:19-33
MEMORY VERSE: “Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: “O my son Absalom-my son, my son Absalom-if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!” 2 Samuel 18:33
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
Grace remains a very important factor in achieving greatness in life and in succeeding in what you do; but moral rectitude and self-control is key in keeping things in place, for a slip or wrong action can introduce unintended variables that will either change your destiny or water down God’s blessings for you. The story of David is very instructive. He was a man God had chosen and anointed for greatness and uncommon blessings. God was with him wherever he went and in whatsoever he did, gave him victory on all fronts and no one was able to prevail against him.
One evening, as he lazed around walking on the roof of the house, he saw a naked woman bathing herself and lusted after her. The fact that she was the wife of another man did not deter him. He took her and slept with her; and to cover his sin, he set up her husband, killed him, and married her. The consequences of this sin changed God’s perfect will for him and brought in events that caused him much sorrow and pain. In delivering God’s judgment on him, the Prophet Nathan said to him: “Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from thine house…. Thus said the Lord, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thine wives before thine eyes, and give thine neighbor and he shall lie with thine wives before the sun.”
This judgment changed the sequence of David’s life. What we see in this text is the culmination of this judgment, which started with the rape of Tamar the daughter of David, Absalom’s sister by Amnon son of David, for which Absalom murdered him in revenge and went into exile. When he came back from exile he schemed and planned against his father David, sacked him from the throne and publicly desecrated him by sleeping with his concubines in the open. He fought against his father, chased after him with the intention of shedding his father’s blood. But God’s grace had not departed from David. He was still the man after God’s heart. God fought for David and defeated his enemies and Absalom died in that battle. This painfully fulfills God’s judgment on David. And David wept bitterly. Joab did not understand why David should weep thus and rebuked the king. But the king had a good reason to weep, not only because Absalom was his son but mostly because the death of Absalom was the fruit of the seed he planted in the killing of Uriah. He was reaping what he sowed and had every reason to weep. He knew it was first his fault before Absalom’s and wept, “O my son my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you.” He covered his face and cried aloud and the victory that day was turned to mourning.
CHALLENGES
- Where do you think David made mistakes in the sin he committed with Uriah’s wife?
- Having committed adultery, how should David have handled it to protect his family from these terrible events?
PRAYERSMerciful God, in many ways we have sinned and complicated our lives. Please forgive us and free us from all the evil that sin has bought into our life. Help us to love you supremely and to live in righteousness before you. Amen
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ESOCS Devotional 23 October 2022
