[Linux4christians] Saturday - 2 Samuel 16

Fri Jan 21 21:25:16 EST 2011

    Saturday

      2 Samuel 16

David Receives Gifts from Ziba

16:1 When David had gone a short way beyond the summit, Ziba the servant 
of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a couple of donkeys that 
were saddled, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred 
raisin cakes, a hundred baskets of summer fruit, and a container of wine.

16:2 The king asked Ziba, "Why did you bring these things?" Ziba 
replied, "The donkeys are for the king's family to ride on, the loaves 
of bread and the summer fruit are for the attendants to eat, and the 
wine is for those who get exhausted in the desert." 16:3 The king asked, 
"Where is your master's grandson?" Ziba replied to the king, "He remains 
in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will give back to 
me my grandfather's kingdom.'" 16:4 The king said to Ziba, "Everything 
that was Mephibosheth's now belongs to you." Ziba replied, "I bow before 
you. May I find favor in your sight, my lord the king."

Shimei Curses David and His Men

16:5 Then King David reached Bahurim. There a man from Saul's extended 
family named Shimei son of Gera came out, yelling curses as he 
approached. 16:6 He threw stones at David and all of King David's 
servants, as well as all the people and the soldiers who were on his 
right and on his left. 16:7 As he yelled curses, Shimei said, "Leave! 
Leave! You man of bloodshed, you wicked man! 16:8 The Lord has punished 
you for all the spilled blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you 
rule. Now the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son 
Absalom. Disaster has overtaken you, for you are a man of bloodshed!"

16:9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead 
dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!" 16:10 
But the king said, "What do we have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If 
he curses because the Lord has said to him, 'Curse David!', who can say 
to him, 'Why have you done this?'" 16:11 Then David said to Abishai and 
to all his servants, "My own son, my very own flesh and blood, is trying 
to take my life. So also now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone so that 
he can curse, for the Lord has spoken to him. 16:12 Perhaps the Lord 
will notice my affliction and this day grant me good in place of his curse."

16:13 So David and his men went on their way. But Shimei kept going 
along the side of the hill opposite him, yelling curses as he threw 
stones and dirt at them. 16:14 The king and all the people who were with 
him arrived exhausted at their destination, where David refreshed himself.

The Advice of Ahithophel

16:15 Now when Absalom and all the men of Israel arrived in Jerusalem, 
Ahithophel was with him. 16:16 When David's friend Hushai the Arkite 
came to Absalom, Hushai said to him, "Long live the king! Long live the 
king!"

16:17 Absalom said to Hushai, "Do you call this loyalty to your friend? 
Why didn't you go with your friend?" 16:18 Hushai replied to Absalom, 
"No, I will be loyal to the one whom the Lord, these people, and all the 
men of Israel have chosen. 16:19 Moreover, whom should I serve? Should 
it not be his son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you."

16:20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give us your advice. What should 
we do?" 16:21 Ahithophel replied to Absalom, "Have sex with your 
father's concubines whom he left to care for the palace. All Israel will 
hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. Then your 
followers will be motivated to support you." 16:22 So they pitched a 
tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom had sex with his father's 
concubines in the sight of all Israel.

16:23 In those days Ahithophel's advice was considered as valuable as a 
prophetic revelation. Both David and Absalom highly regarded the advice 
of Ahithophel.

      Prayer

Lord, You have warned us that the heart of humankind is deceitful and 
selfish, but that we still share Your blessings and trust You to care 
for us. May I be as generous with what I have received from You as You 
have been with Your loving provision for me.

      Commentary

The handicapped son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth, whom David had treated as 
family and blessed with the gift of all of his father and grandfather 
(Saul's) personal possessions had remained in Jerusalem. Ungrateful and 
greedy, Mephibosheth lusted for the throne and hoped that David's 
departure would result in the return of Saul's family to royal standing 
over Israel.

Ziba, whom David had assigned to care for Mephibosheth's property and 
other resources, had decided that Mephibosheth's actions forfeited them 
to David. Ziba brought food and wine and donkeys to David, and his 
fellow refugees, from those resources.

Along the way a distant relative of Saul cursed David and threw dirt and 
rocks at he and his entourage. One of David's assistants offered to kill 
him, but David chose to ignore him and hope that God would answer his 
curses with blessings.

Meanwhile Absalom arrived in Jerusalem and was greeted by Hushai. 
Although initially suspicious he trusted Ahithophel's counsel to accept 
Hushai.

Absalom also asked Ahithophel how to solidify his power and was told by 
Ahithophel to publicly rape David's twenty concubines, which he did, as 
he valued Ahithophel's counsel as David did -- as if Ahithophel was a 
prophet (which he was not).

      Interaction

        Consider

The text does not say so explicitly, but Ahithophel may have been the 
instigator of some of David's poor choices in the matter of Absalom, 
Amnon, and Tamar.

        Discuss

How powerful must the evil influences in Saul's life that even after 
David was so kind to Mephibosheth he still turned against David at the 
first opportunity?

        Reflect

The Lord God blessed David with the fruits of Saul's grandson 
Mephibosheth, through Ziba, because David had so generously supplied 
them to Mephibosheth.

        Share

When have you experienced or observed blessings coming from an 
unexpected source at just the right moment?

      Faith in Action

        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to be a blessing to someone in need as the resources 
He has given you are not yours alone but are intended to bless brothers 
and sisters in Christ as well.

        Action:

Today I will generously share from the bounty, great or small, which the 
Lord has given me. I will do so quietly, without need for public 
recognition, and will pray that the brother or sister in Christ will 
bless others in the same way when given the opportunity.

        Be Specific ______________________________________________________

             Sunday's text will be: 2 Samuel 17

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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