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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
2 Sam. 19
I like Mephibosheth’s attitude in this passage. I think it is the same attitude that I, as one saved by God’s grace, should have. He knew that he deserved death because he was part of Saul’s family. So he understood the great grace David had shown him by bringing him to the King’s table. That is what God does for us. Though we deserved to die because of our sinful nature, He invites us to His table.
Additionally, Mephibosheth was so grateful just to be in the King’s grace that he let that grace flow through him to Ziba, the one who had slandered him. He knew that he had all he needed. So, too, should God’s great grace flow through us to those who wrong us. We have all we need in Christ, our King, and nobody can ever take that away.
2 Sam. 20
I see that the ten tribes of Israel had divided hearts from the start. It’s no wonder that they later abandoned Solomon’s son, dividing the kingdom for good. And it’s no wonder that new kingdom of Israel remained faithless and in turmoil throughout their history. They just couldn’t take a stand and remain committed to anything! “…but the men of Judah from the Jordan all the way to Jerusalem remained loyal to their king.” (2 Sam. 20:2b). That’s what I want said about me. I think there is no greater calling than to remain loyal to our King, who is the King of all kings. I can’t say I do a much better job at that than the nation of Judah ultimately did. But I am grateful for God’s discipline, grace, and faithfulness to His promise to save me from my wayward tendencies and make me wholly His.
2 Sam. 21
I don’t know what these stories tell me about God or His plan to redeem the world through His promised Messiah, Jesus. What I do see, though, is that our actions have consequences, even long after we’re gone. The story of the Gibeonites goes way back to Joshua, when he led Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua’s failure to seek wisdom and discernment from God led him into making a treaty with a people group God intended for them to destroy. Later Saul, in his zeal to rid the land of the nations God despised, broke this oath. As a result of that action, an entire nation suffered three years of famine and two women lost their sons.
This passage is just one of many in the Bible in which I can’t say that the good and bad, right and wrong are crystal clear to me. The Gibeonites may have been wrong in deceiving Joshua, but it seems to me that they became faithful servants of God because of it. Joshua may have also been wrong in falling into their deception, but Saul’s breaking that oath in an effort to do what Joshua perhaps should have done in the first place seems even worse. And why did these two women end up taking the brunt of all these poor decisions? All I know for certain is that when people do their own thing apart from God, it always results in a big mess. However, God is always willing and able to bring good things out of the messes we make.