April 26 - 2 Samuel 2:1

After this, David asked the Lord,

"Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?"

"Yes," the Lord replied.

2 Samuel 2:1

 

The first few chapters of 2 Samuel are full of political intrigue. Who would succeed Saul?

• Normal rights of succession, of course, went to Saul's son, Ishbosheth.
• Ishbosheth's cause was furthered when an army general, Abner, lent him his muscle. 
• The succession was cemented when a segment of the population -- the northern tribes, called Israel -- choose to support Ishbosheth. 

This line succession sounds normal and natural, right?

 

Well, lines of human power are always complicated. Pride, arrogance, and sin almost always enter in.

• Ishbosheth, for example, offended his general.
• Therefore, General Abner gave his alliegence to other side -- King David who was reigning down in Judah.
• There were battles and bloodshed.
• Abner died.
• Ishbosheth "4:1 lost all courage and all Israel became paralyzed with fear."
• Two men murdered Ishbosheth, thinking David would reward them. 
• But their murdering was repaid with their own death. 
• Finally, a chaotic Israel bowed to David, and ultimately the kingdom was united under David as king.

Yes, the lines of human power are always complicated.

 

Let me say that more simply, human ways are always complicated.

 

And here's the one, holy, and only wise solution: Be like David. Everyone else operated on their own desires and assumptions. David -- from our very first verse in today's reading -- "asked the Lord" and listen for God's "repl[y]."

 

When we do things on our own, we'll get inconsistent results at best. It's better to wait on the Lord.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants to keep

first things first

(in this case, the first verse first)