As we saw last week, it is through the prophet Nathan that David receives the word of God. His unity with God lies in inquiring, waiting, listening, being blessed, giving passionate thanks, and obeying God, even when he does not always understand God. By this approach to life, God vows to bless David’s household and kingdom forever (7:16).
In Chapters 8 to 10, David obeys God when he defeats the enemies of God who they are all idolaters. He defeats the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, Ammonites, Amalekites, and Edomites because “…the Lord helped David wherever he went” (8:6).
David also obeys God by collecting precious metals from all those he defeats and dedicates them to the Lord. Why is this obedience? Because God has told David that he will not build the temple to the Lord, so David decides to amass the riches that will be used in building the temple later to the glory of God. Notably, the writer of 2 Samuel repeats that “…the Lord helped David wherever he went” (8:14), because of his humble acceptance of God’s commandment.
Instead of being bitter about what God will not allow him to do, David enables others who will follow him. And he “administered justice and righteousness for all his people” (8:15). Unity with God by a leader appointed by God includes justice and distinguishes right from wrong, fairly, for all the people.
There is more. In Chapter 9, David shows astonishing kindness to the grandson of Saul, who despite being the Lord’s anointed over Israel became David’s vicious enemy. David shows grace to Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth by being invited to eat regularly at the king’s table. Unity with God also involves offering grace and restoration to defeated enemies.
David goes on to show kindness to Hanun, king of the Ammonites, because Hanun’s father had shown kindnesses to David when he was in great need fleeing from Saul. But Hanun’s princes suspect David of treachery and humiliate David’s servants who have been sent to Hanun in peace. David shows great compassion on his servants to ease their humiliation, but then turns on the Ammonites and Arameans, who continue to oppose the people of God. David does not desire more war, but he once again obeys God, declaring, “Be strong and let us show ourselves courageous…may the Lord do what is good in his sight” (10:12). This is also unity with God, when the odds are against us. The enemies of God flee in terror!
David’s strength rests in always “inquiring” of the Lord and then obeying. David uses his priest Nathan for this purpose, and God makes it clear that his blessing under this practice is forever!
So how do we as Christians “inquire” of the Lord? After all, we are not anointed kings over all the realm!
Ah, but we who know Jesus as Lord and Savior are princes, sons and daughters of King Jesus, children of God, and we have direct, hard-wired contact with the King through prayer, for inquiring of God through the Holy Spirit, and for listening and discerning what to do! We have Tri-Unity with God, but only if we exercise it as relentlessly as the tide flowing back and forth.
It is when our hard-wired connection fails that we get in trouble, as David will now demonstrate. God knows we are not perfect, but he longs for us to re-establish passionate, endless inquiring of Him through prayer and counsel of the Holy Spirit.
In Chapters 8 to 10, David obeys God when he defeats the enemies of God who they are all idolaters. He defeats the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, Ammonites, Amalekites, and Edomites because “…the Lord helped David wherever he went” (8:6).
David also obeys God by collecting precious metals from all those he defeats and dedicates them to the Lord. Why is this obedience? Because God has told David that he will not build the temple to the Lord, so David decides to amass the riches that will be used in building the temple later to the glory of God. Notably, the writer of 2 Samuel repeats that “…the Lord helped David wherever he went” (8:14), because of his humble acceptance of God’s commandment.
Instead of being bitter about what God will not allow him to do, David enables others who will follow him. And he “administered justice and righteousness for all his people” (8:15). Unity with God by a leader appointed by God includes justice and distinguishes right from wrong, fairly, for all the people.
There is more. In Chapter 9, David shows astonishing kindness to the grandson of Saul, who despite being the Lord’s anointed over Israel became David’s vicious enemy. David shows grace to Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth by being invited to eat regularly at the king’s table. Unity with God also involves offering grace and restoration to defeated enemies.
David goes on to show kindness to Hanun, king of the Ammonites, because Hanun’s father had shown kindnesses to David when he was in great need fleeing from Saul. But Hanun’s princes suspect David of treachery and humiliate David’s servants who have been sent to Hanun in peace. David shows great compassion on his servants to ease their humiliation, but then turns on the Ammonites and Arameans, who continue to oppose the people of God. David does not desire more war, but he once again obeys God, declaring, “Be strong and let us show ourselves courageous…may the Lord do what is good in his sight” (10:12). This is also unity with God, when the odds are against us. The enemies of God flee in terror!
David’s strength rests in always “inquiring” of the Lord and then obeying. David uses his priest Nathan for this purpose, and God makes it clear that his blessing under this practice is forever!
So how do we as Christians “inquire” of the Lord? After all, we are not anointed kings over all the realm!
Ah, but we who know Jesus as Lord and Savior are princes, sons and daughters of King Jesus, children of God, and we have direct, hard-wired contact with the King through prayer, for inquiring of God through the Holy Spirit, and for listening and discerning what to do! We have Tri-Unity with God, but only if we exercise it as relentlessly as the tide flowing back and forth.
It is when our hard-wired connection fails that we get in trouble, as David will now demonstrate. God knows we are not perfect, but he longs for us to re-establish passionate, endless inquiring of Him through prayer and counsel of the Holy Spirit.
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