Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is 2 Samuel 14-15; 1 John 4
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: 2 Samuel 16-18; 1 John 5
With subtlety, Joab moves the king to show mercy instead of
administering justice. David is thereby reconciled with his son only outwardly.
Although fathers love even evil children, the children should not misuse this
love, as Absalom did. For Christ’s sake, God desires not to punish but to spare
His sinful and rebellious children.
Once Absalom has officially been reconciled to the king, he
begins to campaign for the throne. Soon he is no longer content to steal
hearts, so he plots to steal the throne. Coveting what God has not given, and
scheming sinfully to get it for ourselves, leads not to life but to death. Yet
Christ, who is truly righteous, has righteously coveted our life and
voluntarily laid down His life on our behalf. We are justified by His grace
alone, through faith in His forgiveness. David is forced to flee Jerusalem and
cross the brook Kidron. While his own son and countrymen conspire against him,
he receives fierce loyalty from foreigners. In suffering, we, like David,
should humble ourselves under God’s hand and commit ourselves and our paths
into His keeping. David’s Son, Christ Jesus, was rejected by many of His own,
but He called for disciples from all nations to take up the cross and follow
Him. It was He who crossed the brook Kidron, bearing our sin, on the way to the
cross.
In our NT reading, whenever a teacher speaks of a “Christ”
or a “Jesus” or a “God” who comes to us without human flesh, know this: it is a
demon speaking through a man, a demon who is seeking to destroy both your faith
and your soul everlastingly. As long as we remain in fellowship with the Father
through faith, we love one another and have no fear of Judgment Day. Whenever
we do not treat our brother with love as Jesus has loved us, we fear God’s
punishment. Because He sent His Son to
take away our sins, we gain confidence to stand before God without fear.
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: 2 Samuel 16-18; 1 John 5
4 comments:
It's interesting to see the difference in how Absalem tries to gain the throne and how David earlier gained the throne. One waits for God to give it to him, and God did as promised, the other cant wait and uses force, and doesn't succeed. Letting things play out the way God wants instead of forcing something will please God
So thankful for God's love and that we are able to love because He first loved us.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
When I think about how passionately Christians campaign against issues, such as Halloween, I think about the message of this verse. When we love in a way that show God's love, we draw people in. When we don't show love we are not modelling who God is.
God himself is love and has poured out his love on us, especially in Jesus' atoning sacrifice. We in turn must become channels of God's love in what we say and do.
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