II SAMUEL

It's Sunday!!  This morning, I read II Samuel chapters 1 through 20.  So many things in the life of David are spelled out here and everyone of them have great truths in them.  Allow me just to mention a few on this fine Sunday Morning!! 1) I AM AN AMALEKITE- II Sam. 1:8 says this.  Saul was to have taken out all of the Amalekites early on in his reign you recall that God told him to avenge the children of Israel against the Amalekites, but he did not wipe them out.  Now... we see that an Amalekite is responsible for his death.  The chickens come home to roost!! 2) USE THE BOW- In II Samuel chapter one, we see that not only was Saul slain,but his son Jonathan as well. Jonathan used the bow.  You remember when he and David met in the field and Jonathan shot an arrow a long way and told his servant it was much further to tell David that he should flee from his father, Saul.  Well, here in verse 18, David had the children of Israel learn the use of the bow because of Jonathan.  It would be a way that he would be remembered, and it worked.  Later, we see that the children of Benjamin, (Jonathan's tribe), could shoot an arrow within an hairs breath.  That is pretty good shooting!! 3) UP TO A CHALLENGE? Well, David was!  In II Sam. 5:6, the Jebusites said that David could not take their city because it's walls were so great.  They said that even the lame and blind could defend their city, and that "David cannot come in hither."  But... in verse 7, we read: "Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David."  He was up for the challenge.  Are we?  Certainly there are challenges that face us each day as well. Now, alone, we are not up to many challenges, but with Christ and through Christ we can conquer the hard challenges before us.  Let us be a people who are up to the task!! 4) HUMILITY- God used David greatly because of his humility.  Humility gets God's attention!!  In II Sam. 7:18, the Bible says: "Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto?"  Are we humble enough for God to use us, or would we take His glory.  The temptation is to take the glory for things that only God did, so we had best learn to walk humbly before our Lord.  It catches His attention!! 5) PLAY THE MEN- I love this verse in II Sam. 10:12- "Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good."  Joab said this and it was perhaps the wisest thing he had ever said.  I love this verse!!  We men, ought to "act like men"!  6) HE DID NOTHING!  In II Sam. 13:21, David was very mad at Amnon for defiling his sister, but he did nothing... as a results, Absalom killed Amnon.  What might had changed if David had did something!?  In verse 39, the "soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom", but he again did nothing!  If we see our mates, tell them we love them, don't do nothing!  When you see your children, tell them you love them...give them a hug, don't do nothing!!  When something must be dealt with, deal with it!  Don't do nothing!!  Lord, give us wisdom on this we pray! 7) RIGHT COUNSEL FOR THE WRONG SIDE!  II Sam. 16:23, the counsel of Ahithophel was as though he had inquired at the oracle of God."  Oracle means: "mouthpiece", meaning the counsel comes right from the mouth of God!  But the problem was that it was the right counsel for the wrong side!  It was for Absalom and his rebellion against his father, King David!  Let have good counsel, but for the right side and purposes!! Well, my time has come and gone, Do have a blessed Day this Sunday!! Dr. Mike Mutchler, Pastor