STOLEN HEARTS

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 15

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

On the east side of the Old City of Jerusalem is the Kidron Valley, where thousands of graves are located. The bodies were placed with the feet pointed toward the Eastern Gate in the wall of the city, with the expectation that at the resurrection they would stand up and be facing that gate into which Messiah will enter. In today’s reading, King David escaped through this valley toward the east and the Jordan River, 25 miles away.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: 2 Samuel 15:31

Then someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”

Now, David prays. He’s in big trouble. From Chapter 12 onward, David’s story, and that of his family, reads like a horror novel. There is incest, murder, palace intrigue, outright treason, and civil war. David’s much-loved son, Absalom, after four years of political manipulation, makes his move to seize power, usurping his father’s throne. To King David, nothing was more threatening than that Ahithophel, David’s most trusted and wise counsellor, was part of the plot. David reasoned that if he could just outwit Ahithophel’s counsel, Absalom’s rule would be shortened and he would return to his throne. It’s worthwhile to note how David sets out to accomplish this. Firstly, David prays, not against Ahithophel personally, but against the counsel Ahithophel is giving to Absalom. Secondly, David composes the 3rd Psalm, David’s prayer and confession of confidence in God. To read David’s own words, click here.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray for wisdom. May I learn to always put my trust in You, worshipping You and confessing my confidence in You, even when I may not feel like it. Please give me grace to back up my prayers with obedience. In the Name of the One who always does this, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

For about six months of the three years that Norma-Jean, our four little children, and I lived in Deep River, Ontario, the Atomic Energy of Canada’s residential area, we lived in half of a double house. In the other half of the house lived Amnon Gilat, along with his wife and son who was named Ittai. This is the same name as found in our reading. Amnon was an Israeli nuclear physicist on an exchange program between Israel and Canada. Mrs. Gilat had entered and won the annual Israel Bible knowledge contest. We had some great Bible studies together. I asked them one day as to why they had named their son Ittai. Ittai’s Mom quoted verse 21 of today’s reading and said that they hoped and prayed that their little Ittai would grow up to be as loyal to Israel and its legitimate government as the Ittai who was totally loyal to King David. My son, Reynold, who is our photographer for this blog, and Ittai played together almost every day when they were two years old.

Also, I can’t help contrasting David’s entrance into Jerusalem from the opposite side of the city to his departure now. He entered with singing and dancing (2 Samuel 6:12-15), and now departs and “All the country wept with a loud voice.” Sin really messes everything up! No wonder God hates sin, but He loves sinners (Romans 5:6-8).

Yours for repentance and reconciliation with God, which results in rejoicing,

David

P.S. Perhaps I should point out that this chapter gives an example of a mistake in copying the original manuscript. In 15:7, it infers that Absalom was stealing the hearts of the people over a period of 40 years. We know that David’s reign spanned only 40 years. So what’s the problem? Perhaps 100 years after the original historically correct manuscript had been written, a copyist’s pen slipped and made the number 40 rather than 4. One little dot on the manuscript could’ve caused this and future scribes continued to copy a mistake. Josephus, the Jewish historian, may have gotten it right when he wrote that Absalom was four years undermining David’s rule and manipulating the people into rebellion. This in no way changes the “inerrancy” and “verbal inspiration” of the original writing. After sharing a scribal mistake, I need a lift. I found a rather irreverent piece of artwork of David entering Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant. If it looked anything like this, no wonder David’s wife, the daughter of Saul, was embarrassed at her husband’s gyrations (notice her in the window). Enjoy!