Tag: king david

2 Samuel 1:4-27

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year C2 Comments
            In the evangelical church today it is sometimes looked down upon to grieve since we know the reality of heaven.  This is both wrongheaded and unbiblical.  Bereavement in Scripture is a reality and recognized as an important part of coming to grips with death.  Far from stuffing his feelings, David personally expressed his grief and agony over the death of his best friend.
 
            Here are a few observations about David’s lament:  it was not only personal, but was voiced publically, meaning that others were invited to grieve along with him; it affirmed the tragedy of death and its deep impact upon us; it focused on remembering the positive characteristics of the deceased; and, it was verbalized with heartfelt thoughts and emotions.
 
            Grief and lament is as individual as a fingerprint; there is not fixed process to a person’s bereavement.  Therefore we cannot pigeon-hole ourselves or someone else to fit a certain way of grieving.  But no matter how we grieve, we must do it so that we come to a point of making sense how to live without the person’s presence and relationship.  David was close to the Lord, and God’s presence was the most decisive factor in helping him move on to the demands of serving others as their new king.
 

 

            Compassionate God, you are present with all who grieve and lament this day.  Let your Holy Spirit come alongside and encourage those in bereavement, and enable me to be a conduit of blessing to them.  May your grace be sufficient for us all; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Psalm 31:9-16

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment


            David of old knew first-hand about suffering through hard circumstances.  There were times when he felt completely overwhelmed by evil people who were trying to take his life.  If we could put ourselves in David’s sandals we might totally understand why he was worn-out to the point of not sleeping, not eating well, even with a hint of paranoia.  David entrusted himself to God, and truly believed he was in the Lord’s hands – and that fact was his go-to truth.
             There are times when we all struggle with why afflictions happen to us, in whatever form they might take in us.  Yet, it is in the times of being forgotten by others that we are most remembered by God; it is in the situations of trouble that God is the expert in deliverance; it is when people revile us, say terrible things about us, and talk behind our backs that God comes alongside and whispers his grace and steadfast love to us.  In other words, it is only when life is downright hard that we can see a soft-hearted God standing to help us and hold us.
             So, the psalms are the consummate place to run when we are most in need.  They provide the means to lift up heartfelt prayers when our own words fail us.  The psalms give us structure and meaning when the world around us makes no sense.  The psalms do not always give us answers to our most vexing questions, but they do point us to the God who can do something about the sin of this fallen world – Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
             Sovereign God, life can often treat me poorly, yet you are always good to me.  Work in me a heart of faith and devotion to the point where my anxieties melt away, and trust takes over through the power of the Spirit.  Amen.

1 Kings 1:1-30

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            A person’s impending death can bring out a lot of different behaviors in the people around the dying.  Death really ought to teach us how to live, how to face our limitations, and how to accept the inevitable.  Notice some of the responses of various people in today’s Old Testament lesson concerning the last days of the aged King David.
 
            The servants of David treat the king’s declining health as some sort of problem to be solved in order to avoid or put off his death.  Maybe David would be aroused through giving him a beautiful virgin, and he would get back to his old kingly self.  David’s son, Adonijah, on the other hand, has just the opposite response; he is impatient to see his father die so that he can pursue his own kingly aspirations.  Bathsheba, one of David’s wives and the mother of Solomon, wants to make sure her son becomes king.  It seems David is just a pawn who can help her negotiate a difficult situation.  Finally, there is Abishag, the young woman who was with David in his final days.  It is interesting that we do not have recorded a single word of what she said.  She merely serves as a witness to David’s deteriorating health. 
 
            Out of these different people, it is Abishag that perhaps teaches us more about death than anyone else.  She was simply present and served the king; Abishag was like the ancient version of a hospice volunteer.  When faced with the eventual death of a friend or family member, to be present, to listen, and to serve are likely the best forms of dealing with the situation.
 
            The Lord Jesus faced death.  He didn’t try to avoid it; he wasn’t impatient to get it over with; and, it was not a difficulty to stoically endure.  His death is our life.  Christ’s death has brought meaning to both life and to our eventual death.
 

 

            Gracious Lord Jesus, you faced the agony of death so that I could have life.  Thank you for your sacrifice, and for giving my life meaning and purpose.  May I live for you in life and in death.  Amen.

2 Samuel 2:1-7

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            “David inquired of the LORD.”  This is a wonderful commentary that characterized the life of King David.  Saul had pursued David, seeking his life.  But now Saul had been killed in battle.  Any other person in the sandals of David would have immediately set about to do away with any rival factions, any people who had been loyal to the previous ruler.  But David was not just any other run-of-the-mill kind of king.  He did not presume to act on his own accord, or know exactly what he should do.  Instead, he inquired of the Lord.
 
            David not only did an astounding thing by not wiping out those loyal to Saul, but he did one better:  he showed steadfast love to the men of Jabesh-Gilead who had been devoted to Saul.  David blessed instead of cursed; he acted kindly instead of coldly; he honored the memory of Saul instead of stamping out any vestige of him from the land.  David did not venture to immediately consolidate his power and rule over Israel and Judah.  Rather, he sought God, and his actions reflected the nature and character of God.
 
            Perhaps our words and actions do not always reflect the character of God because we dare to speak and act apart from inquiry of the Lord.  Maybe we only seek the Lord if we have enough discretionary time at the end of the day, or if we are in a pickle we want to get out of.  What if we began each day with seeking the Lord?  What if our default disposition and immediate knee-jerk reaction to everything was to ask God what we should do?  If we carve plenty of time to do so each morning, maybe we will be known as people who show steadfast love, and people who are after God’s own heart.
 

 

            Loving God, you are attentive to all I say and do.  Let my words reflect your gracious character, and my actions work in accord with your good purposes to the glory of Jesus.  Amen.