God Speaks
Wickedness and Political Intrigue in King David’s Family and Administration
Verse of the Day: [May people be as loyal to God-fearing leaders as Ittai was to King David.] But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.” (2 Samuel 15:21 NIV 2011) [May we also practice this kind of loyalty to the LORD as well.]
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding: II Samuel 13-15:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
II Samuel 13
1. God hates what the sins of incest and rape do to all involved; He will deal with the guilty parties in His time and in His way, now or in eternity.
2. Because of our sinful nature, people (like Amnon and Absalom) often do evil things.
II Samuel 14
1. God sees through our hidden motives.
2. People (like Joab) can be devious and deceitful for the purpose of ingratiating themselves with those in authority.
II Samuel 15
1. God sees what is going on behind the scenes even if people (like David) don’t.
2. People can and should pray, as King David did, for the LORD to thwart the counsel of their enemies.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding II Samuel 13-15?
Dear Sovereign LORD, thank You for Your omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence. You know the inner motives of people’s hearts, including my own. You do and will deal with the corruption in our hearts and lives, not because You are mean, angry, or vengeful but because You love us. Oh, loving Father, pour out Your love on those who have suffered from incest and rape. Reveal to them how much You correctly love and value them. You love the perpetrator as well as the victim. Draw them to know your healing and forgiveness beyond all doubt and fear. Truly our sinful nature causes much harm, but the love expressed by Jesus on the cross surpasses and soothes it all. You see all our hidden motives and devious, deceitful ways. You promise that, if we bring it all to You, You will remove our stone-hard hearts, forgive our sins, cleanse us of all unrighteousness, and give us fresh, clean hearts that are soft toward You and toward other people. Please shine the laser-light of Your love into all the dark, hidden places exposing the evil and corruption wherever or whatever it is. Then please give those in the position to take action to do so with wisdom, discernment, and grace. This will bring glory to Your name, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to II Samuel 13-15? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will seek biblically based counseling and help for someone who has experienced incest or rape.
- I will support ministries, like Prison Fellowship or a local jail ministry, who seek to bring the Gospel to the incarcerated.
- I will give prayerful thought about who I vote for, watching out for deceitfulness like Absalom’s.
- I will do whatever God directs me in order to reconcile family members.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.