Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Wednesday.
I’ve spent the past two days in Chicago at a large family reunion, but it wasn’t a party, it was a funeral. Would you agree few things affect a family more than the death of its patriarch or matriarch? In this case, as with most, the death experience was anticipated long before it actually occurred, thus the family had ample time to prepare and gather.
Despite prolonged times of tears over the past two days, the respect this family has for their patriarch is profound and every member of this large family confidently, joyfully, gratefully carries the significant influence of their deceased father and grandfather. As they disperse today, returning to their homes, they go with a renewed sense of purpose to carry on his legacy.
But as you and I both know, not every funeral is like this. As we’ve seen in our Biblical journey over the past few months, funerals are an important part of God’s ‘Grand Narrative’, aren’t they? Why? Funerals are historic events which cause us to pause and engage prolonged reflection considering the life and legacy of the deceased person. Funerals are like mirrors and repeatedly through the funeral experience we think about ourselves...our life journey, our values and priorities, our accomplishments and failures, our reputations and our legacies.
In our continuing journey with Israel’s King David, yesterday I left you with David and most of his family and closest friends as they were actually fleeing from Jerusalem, weeping in fear and shame. (2 Samuel 15:30) It’s a remarkable picture often overlooked in the life story of David which has such amazing victories, but also some terrible, shameful failures.
This is one of the important realities of the Bible, my friends: God does not overlook or hide the dark realities of our human race or even our personal life stories. God deals in truth and calls us to step out of the shadows into the light of His truth and deal honestly with the stuff we’d prefer to overlook or hide.
1 John 1:5- 2:2 speaks so powerfully to EVERY person with this God truth… “This is the message we have heard from Him (Jesus Christ) and declare to you: God is light, in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him but walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth…if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One…” (1 John 1:5-2:2) Oh that’s powerful my friends!
Today, I invite us to continue the journey with David as he too faces the heart wrenching reality of death, this time his son Absalom. (2 Samuel 16-18) You’ll recall King David was fleeing Jerusalem because his son, Prince Absalom, had been leading a covert plan, actually seeking to steal the throne of Israel from his father David! (2 Samuel 15) As David FLED Jerusalem in fear and shame, Absalom ENTERED Jerusalem and began to establish himself as king in his father’s palace.
In a horrific scene of defiance, Absalom was urged by his advisors to actually further DEFILE his father’s legacy by sleeping with King David’s concubines which David had left behind to care for his palace. 2 Samuel 16:20-22 describes that historic, shameful scene which fulfilled God’s judgment message, given by Nathan the prophet to David, while David pridefully continued to hide his sin. (2 Samuel 12:11,12)
Furthermore, Prince Absalom was urged, by his advisors, to rally his soldiers and pursue his fleeing father King David. (2 Samuel 17:1-4) Why? If Absalom was to be king, he must destroy any and all opposition, including his own father! Do you see the depth of despair and devilish darkness things had reached in the family story of David, once a pure hearted, God loving and God honoring man? Oh, the ravages of unrepentant moral failure!
Movies have been made of the events found in 2 Samuel 17,18 as Absalom; his advisors and his army pursued his father, King David. It’s a captivating story, which comes to a dramatic conclusion with Prince Absalom dangling by his long hair from the branches of a large oak tree!! (2 Samuel 18:9)
Perhaps we would think King David would be relieved when word finally reached him that his rebellious son Absalom was dead? But as you know the heart of a parent still deeply loves, even when their child lives in rebellion, right? So, David’s heart was crushed when he heard of Absalom’s death. David’s grief was so profound it actually caused his friend and army commander Joab to confront King David with how his public grief was affecting his family and faithful soldiers!
Joab said: “Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your family. You love those who hate you and you hate those who love you… now go out and encourage your men…” (2 Samuel 19:5-8)
Our response to the reality of death, especially the death of those we love, is significant, isn’t it my friends? Have you given thought to how you want people to respond when they someday hear of your death? As I stood at the graveside yesterday, watching a casket lowered into the ground, I had just read to the grieving family these words of our Lord Jesus, which Jesus said at the graveside of his friend Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never perish.” (John 11:24,25)
Oh, I am so thankful for the certain HOPE of eternal life with God, provided to us in Jesus! Have you trusted Jesus for salvation from your sins and His assurance of your future in heaven when you die?
More study notes are in the “Grand Narrative” link below, and of course a wonderful worship song link. And I’ll be here ready to continue this exciting journey with you tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: 2 Samuel 16-18.
Choose below to read or listen.
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2 Samuel 17
2 Samuel 18
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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