Tuesday, March 22, 2011

1 Chronicles 20

8 comments:

Berry Girl said...

well I don't know if I have anything to say here. It was war, it was yucky, that is all.
God's hand was certainly with David and his men.
But cutting the people with saws and sharp instruments and axes? eww.

Unknown said...

crap, my comment just went into a big black hole

Unknown said...

sooo... let's try that again.

at first reading I was coming up empty. but I was curious as to why David didn't lead his army into battle. Here is what I found out;

"Kings normally went out to battle their enemies in the spring. The armies of that day were not “all weather” armies and they could not withstand the rigors of winter and warfare at the same time. But there was something abnormal about this spring. David sent Joab and the army out to battle, but he stayed in Jerusalem. On the surface this one sentence seems insignificant in Scripture, but read 2 Samuel 11 and see what happened when David stayed in Jerusalem.

It was during this time that David was delinquent in his duties as King that he committed his sin with Bathsheba. Yet, in the midst of this sin God was still merciful to David. God gave him victory over the Ammonites, He was merciful to David in His righteous judgment against Him regarding his sin of adultery and murder, and He continued to give him victory over his enemies, even the descendants of Goliath. 2 Samuel records 10 chapters in this period between the sin with Bathsheba and the final defeat of the giants of the Philistines in 2 Samuel 21."

The next part of the devotional really built on what I was thinking from yesterday's reading;

"Truth in Practice

God is merciful and long-suffering with His people. Even though we yet sin, God forgives and is faithful in keeping His promises to His people. God is faithful in calling His people to salvation even though they are sinners (Romans 5:8); God is faithful in forgiving His people when they sin (1 John 1:9); God is faithful in keeping His people from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13); and God is faithful to keep His people to the last day and fulfill all His promises to them (1 Corinthians 1:4-9)."

I will have to ponder the lessons for me in this, about slaying the giant of temptation I am guessing... David had giants (literally and figuratively) to slay in his life and he was remiss and in slacking off he left the door wide open for sin to creep in and ensnare him. I guess it makes me wonder if I am where I am supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to be doing, there is less chance for me to be sidetracked and bamboozled by wrong.

incidentally I can never read this account about the six fingered man without getting images of the six fingered man on horse back in the forest of Gilder in the Princess Bride =)

kschultz said...

Very well put Nicole! I like how this Chapter shows how important it is to continue in our God given duties lest we not fall into temptation. Reminds me of the Lords Prayer...

Denise said...

I have a quiet house (Sasha at school, Luke and Rob off to visit his mom, Jake sleeping). I think, “Oh, I can get all of my grading done for my classes!” But no, I stop. If I spend time in the Word I will be blessed with opportunity to get my work done as well as so many other blessings!

“Kings went out to battle following the spring harvest. At this time, farm work eased off, and the armies could live off the land. During the winter, they plotted and planned future conquests. Then, when fair weather permitted, their armies went to war. But David ignored this opportunity. He stayed home and sent Joab out to lead the army. It was during this time of inactivity that he sinned with Bathsheba. Look for the “springs” in your life, the times when God wants you to respond, take the initiative, and move out to do his will. It is during these critical times that we may be most sensitive to temptation. Resolve to take the action God has prescribed. Don’t give temptation a foothold in your inactivity.”

Unknown said...

I sense a theme here... very cool. Denise, so often the notes from your bible almost "weird" me out because they reflect (sometimes almost word for word)my own thought processes. Bizarre but cool.

Lois said...

Re: the comment about cutting the people with saws, etc..... could you have misread the passage? I think he forced the conquered people to do hard labour with saws, sharp instruments and axes. It's still war, but not quite as gruesome.

Berry Girl said...

yeah, I looked it up in other translations and you're right, but my translation says "He brought out the people who were in it, and cut them with saws and with sharp instruments and with axes" - I see that the NIV and some other translations don't say it like that.
Your way is less gross :)