Category: Bible Trekking

Absalom defeated

May 15, 2020

Do you remember Ziba, the servant of Saul that took charge of the land for Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s crippled son?  In 2 Samuel 16, he meets the fleeing king of Israel with food, wine, and transportation.  When asked where his master is, he tells that he is waiting in Jerusalem for the Kingdom of his grandfather to be returned to him.  David lets this ride.

Another man from the clan of Benjamin, Shimei, meets them along the road, but he does not have provisions.  He is cursing the King and his people as they pass.  Some of the men want to teach him a lesson, but David will not allow it.  He is running from a son who wants to kill him.  This man’s words are not a threat.

One of David’s own advisers is with Absalom and David has left another to help defeat the plans that Ahithophel comes up with.  Hushai must be careful at first to gain the confidence of the interloper.  Later, he will be of much more use to David than to his son.

Ahithophel has an idea in 2 Samuel 17 that they should go after King David and attack him while he is unprepared.  Hushai is called for and reminds Absalom of the kind of fighting that David perfected while running from Saul.  How he hid in caves and popped out where he was not expected.  He was used to running from other enemies and fighting for his life.

God blessed what Hushai said by having the young men around Absalom agree that it was good advice.  Two people who were loyal to David were dispatched to warn the fleeing Monarch.  They were forced to hide in a well to avoid the King’s son’s men.  Their friends were where Ahithophel had predicted, but moved immediately, in case the other advisor got his way.

Ahithophel was so upset because his advice was ignored that he apparently knew they were doomed and went home and took his own life.  Absalom sets out with the troops the next morning as advised and begins what turns out to be a fatal mistake.

In 2 Samuel 18, David is about to make one mistake and makes another one.  The first error was going with one of the three groups which he intended to do.  He was convinced not to be on the front lines with the soldiers.  He stayed behind in the walled city.  He then requests his men to not hurt Absalom.

As the battle ensues, the trees in the forest cause more casualties than the weapons.  The King’s son is one of them.  His long hair is caught in the branches of an oak tree.    Joab violates David’s request and kills the young man.  And now the King must be advised of his son’s death.

Two men run to tell the news to everyone in the city.  David is waiting and has a watchman on the wall.  They see the first one and then another messenger.  The first one tells that they have won.  When asked about Absalom he leads The King to believe that he does not know.  The second runner repeats the news of the first and adds that the King’s son is dead.  This leads to a huge mistake for David when he cries for his son and vocally wishes that he could have given his life for the boy.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

Holiness and silence

May 14, 2020

David speaks to Jehovah about his problems in many of the Psalms. Psalm 3 is one of these. It was written at the time Absalom tried to over-through his Father. Although this is happening, he calls the Lord his shield around him. The sustaining power of his God allows him to slumber and awaken. David calls Him his deliverer.

Mercy and joy seem to be recurrent themes in the psalms and Psalm four is one of those. Are you a faithful servant of the Lord? If so, David is talking about you. He says that Jehovah has set you apart for Himself. He hears when you pray. This should encourage us to call on Him more.

One thing the Shepherd King says here I need to pay more attention to is, search your hearts and be silent. I have the searching part learned well. I need help with being quiet. No Amen, please. We often forget to thank Him for the safety He provides.

We all fall victim to depression and feel like everyone in the world is evil like David does in Psalm 12. The disloyalty, falsehoods, flattering, and deception have gotten to him. He asks Jehovah to silence those who speak against him. As in other songs, the Lord is praised for His care and faithfulness to those that seek to be holy as He is holy.

In Psalm 13 the Lord is asked how long will he continue to allow others to triumph over him? We all have thoughts that cause us sorrow. We think of the people that seem to want us dead. Our salvation is guaranteed if we have a personal relationship with Jesus. When that is true, we like David can praise the Lord.

Sometimes we think that God has stopped listening to us just as David does in Psalm 28. Despite this, he calls Jehovah his rock. What does he mean by this? A rock is solid. A big rock is often hard to move. They were used for foundations, projectiles in battle, and sometimes a hand to hand combat weapon. He also refers to Yahweh as his strength and shield, a fortress, and a shepherd. He declares he will praise Him with a song.

Another prayer is given by David in Psalm 55. As in other Psalms, he complains of his enemies. He asks to be able to fly away from his problems. We all have times when we want to escape.

Destructive forces are around him. He almost sounds paranoid, doesn’t he? In the King’s case, his enemy was a friend. This is not unusual. Those closest to us often become our foes. Our relationships change, but Jehovah does not. That is why we should trust Him as the Psalmist did.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

Absalom attacks the government

May 14, 2020

As we begin, we need to define love and lust before moving on to 2 Samuel 13.  Love is patient, kind and I can go through the rest of the list from 1 Corinthians 13 if you want me to.  We need to understand that what Amnon felt for Tamar was lust.  Looking at the way he treated her after he raped her, rules out love.  Love is never self-seeking.

Jonadab is often overlooked as an enabler.  He helped his cousin to seduce the girl.  According to modern law, he was an accomplice.  Would you accept his help as just one guy encouraging another to win a woman’s love?  Once again, compare love and lust.  Lust, when dead becomes hate.

Absalom learns of this attack and decides to bide his time and ultimately can murder his half-brother.  His sympathy is with his sister and not her assailant.  The violence Nathan predicted is starting.

David is confronted with a dilemma in 2 Samuel 14 about Absalom.  Joab wants the King to bring his son back to Jerusalem.  He devises a plan to get his boss to talk about the problem.  It’s time to put these things behind them and move on.  David agrees and the prince returns.

Once again, he is a favorite of the Israelites.  He has three children, but his father continues to avoid seeing him.  Eventually, Absalom destroys a field that belongs to Joab to get his attention and the soldier convinces David to reunite with his boy.  They do not live happily ever after, though.

Absalom begins a plan to depose his father in 2 Samuel 15.  He was as charismatic as the king was when he was younger.  Almost everyone admires him.  The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.  Four years of preparation and the time is right.

When David is made aware of the young man’s intentions he flees with his most loyal men and most of his family.  They travel lightly and move as fast as they can.  Even as they run the former shepherd leaves strategic friends in the palace to provide intelligence he will need later.  The displacement has just begun.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

David’s song of remorse

May 13, 2020

We are blessed because we are forgiven, our sins are covered, the Lord does not count sins against us, and there is no deceit in us, not because we earned it ourselves, but because Christ gave it to us, we are told in Psalm 32. Our salvation is dependent on admitting we are sinners.

The song ends with Jehovah talking to us. He teaches and instructs us but does not lead as an animal is led by a bit and bridle. It ends with a command to rejoice.

Another Davidic Psalm is 51. This is the song David wrote to Jehovah after the prophet Nathan confronts him about his one-night stand with Bathsheba. He admits his sin, asks for forgiveness, and praises his Lord in these verses. He views his transgressions as in violation of Yahweh alone. As King of Israel, adultery, and murder at his discretion is completely acceptable to most people. Sin begins at birth for all of us. Salvation can come only through God. David knew this. He was aware that King’s sin like everyone else. Spiritual renewal can cleanse your heart. Once this is accomplished, every follower of God must become a leader. They are to lead others back to a relationship with the living God and His Son, Jesus.

David asks Jehovah to do some things for him in Psalm 86. Listen to me and give me an answer is first. Have you ever felt that your prayers went no higher than the ceiling? King David was just like us. Guard me, save me, have mercy on me, bring me joy, teach me, and give me an undivided heart, are the others.

He calls Him forgiving and good and says there is no other god like Yahweh. He asks God to save him because he serves Him just as his mother did. We know Jesse, David’s father. Not much is known about his mother, except this. She was God’s servant just like her son. Do your children follow the same God you followed when they were being raised?

David’s love and commitment to Jehovah are apparent in Psalm 122. The shepherd King chose Jerusalem to be his seat of government. It was easier to protect after the Judeans conquered it. He was determined to take the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem despite a failed first attempt. The House of the Lord at that time was the Tabernacle that had been constructed by Moses. Everyone was invited to worship Yahweh in Jerusalem. The peace of Jerusalem was needed to allow for this worship.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

David, Bathsheba, and Uriah

May 13, 2020

In the day of King David, the main way to grow your kingdom was to attack another country and take a portion or all their property for yourself.  In 2 Samuel 11, this is what is happening.  It is the time of year that wars take place.  Joab goes and the King stays home.  This was the first bad decision that turned into a tragedy for him.  The Ammonites are destroyed, and they move onto the next battle.

He sees a beautiful woman bathing on a rooftop.  She has just finished her period.  David had many wives.  He decided he wanted Bathsheba as well.  She was brought to him.  Mistake number two.  Later she let the monarch know that she was pregnant.  Her husband was brought home.  He was more dedicated to Israel than his King.  He refused to go into his house and see Bathsheba.

David makes mistake number three by sending a note to Joab with Uriah.  The instructions are to have the messenger die in battle.  Not only does he perish, but others are also casualties as well.  When word reaches the King, he sends back a message of encouragement to the commander.  David not only killed Uriah but these men as well.

After a period of mourning, Bathsheba becomes the King’s wife and the son that is born is considered as David’s, but many knew the truth.  Most importantly Jehovah disapproved of this behavior.

Would you like to be the one to tell the King that Yahweh is going to punish him for this sin?  2 Samuel 12 tells about Nathan doing just that.  To do so, God gave him a story to tell David.  It was about two men.  One was wealthy and the other poor.  The second man had only one lamb.  When the rich man had a visitor arrive, he took the other’s sheep and had it prepared for his guest to eat.

Nathan’s audience became extremely angry when he heard this.  He passes the death penalty sentence and adds that he must pay four times what the lamb was worth.  “You are the man!” is how the prophet answers the King.  All the things that Yahweh gave him are enumerated and then the penalty for David’s sin is given.

The child will die.  One of his family will punish him by seizing his wives.  Violence will never leave the King’s family and he will be disgraced publicly.  The death of the newborn son distresses David and throws the palace into confusion.  The bad decisions, like ours, cause irreparable damage in the land.  Eventually, another child is born to Bathsheba and David.  Even this does not stop the pain of their loss.

The story of David and Bathsheba is not given in 1 Chronicles 20, even though it details Joab’s attack of Rabbah. 2 Samuel 11 lists the attack on Rabbah as the battle where Uriah is killed. The King of Israel celebrates the victory by wearing the crown of Rabbah. Nothing is mentioned here about the affair, pregnancy, or murder.

Again, we have the recounting of the defeat and death of three Philistines that are like Goliath in size. One of them was his brother. The fourth man that was listed in 2 Samuel is deleted for some reason.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

Shout for joy to the Lord

May 13, 2020

Psalm 65 seems to be an answer to the plea against foolishness that we saw in the 53rd chapter. The wise person praises the God who answers prayers. He forgives our sins. The strength and power of the Lord are evident to all those who understand. Yahweh is the one who makes everything grow in abundance and the flocks to multiply rapidly.

When was the last time you shouted? Was it at a ball game, or at your children? Was it for joy, anger, or some other reason? In Psalm 66 we are encouraged to shout for joy to the Lord. Praise is for God and His strength. Again, the parting of the Red Sea is remembered. Praise is encouraged. The refining of His people by crises are accepted. Worship through sacrifice is mentioned. Today we worship through self-sacrifice, not animal sacrifices. Testimony is used by the Psalmist to help us find reasons to follow his example.

Psalm 67 asks for God to be gracious and bless us. This song is one of joy and praise. A good harvest and respect for Jehovah are good reasons to trust Him.

When we feel like we are going under for the third time, we can be like King David in Psalm 69, and ask Jehovah for help. We may feel the waters are up to our necks or that we don’t fit into our own families. Whatever our problem is, Yahweh is the source of rescue.

Verse twenty-one is quoted in the New Testament where Jesus was given vinegar on the cross. Many of the prophetic verses appear to have nothing to do with the Messiah until it is pointed out in the Gospels

We don’t know when Psalm 70 was written by David. It includes two opposing views. He asks for shame and confusion to come on those who seek to destroy him. This happened with Saul, the Philistines, and other nations and even his own son. The opposite is also shown. Those who seek Jehovah should rejoice and be glad. He proclaims himself poor and needy and asks God to come quickly.

David often describes Jehovah as his fortress and Psalm 59 is one. Those who are after his blood is Saul. The men who waited to kill him as he left his house, used to be friends. Our strength is the Lord. They will betray themselves.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

The mistake Ammon made

May 12, 2020

David had created a truce with the Ammonites, but in 2 Samuel chapter 10, their King has died.  As is usual, when a new monarch listens to his contemporaries, it is a mistake.  They humiliate the Hebrew representatives by sending them back with their beards mutilated and their rears showing through the robs.

The Israelite King is angered enough to return to Ammon and take revenge.  The Arameans join forces against Jehovah’s Kingdom.  Through great strategy, God gives the battle to Joab and his forces.  Both enemies fled and eventually returned to their homelands and remained there for some time.

Have you noticed how little wisdom is shown by people in the Bible? 1 Chronicles 19 is another example of this. The son of the king of Ammon listens to his advisors and sends David’s men away in shame and disgrace. Israel retaliates by destroying the city. Not one of the smartest things they ever did.

Even the Arameans were helping the Ammonites. Joab and the Army showed such wisdom in strategy, they were able to defeat both foes. The wisest thing said in this chapter was that the Arameans did not fight with the Ammonites again when they went to war against God’s chosen people.

King David lists things that he asks Jehovah for the readers of Psalm 20. These include answering us, granting all our requests, sending help, give us the desires of our hearts, and make all our plans succeed. This Psalm includes the famous line, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

Psalms of Asaph

May 12, 2020

We continue with Asaph as our Psalmist in number fifty. The mighty one summons the Earth and the heavens. These same heavens proclaim His righteousness. Animal sacrifices mean nothing to our God. He does not eat and needs no food. Sacrifice does the wicked no good. Their disobedience enslaves them.  In the church age, this means that our salvation is due to our acceptance of Christ through faith, not because of anything we can do.

How about a rerun today in Psalm 53 from 14 Psalm? It begins, “The fool says in his heart there is no God.” Many of the words seem to be copied from this previous song. Everyone is corrupt, they are vile, and Jehovah is searching for someone that is seeking him. David and some of his people wanted to obey Yahweh. The same is true today. We still feel overwhelmed by foolishness. Once again, he ends with a cry for salvation from Israel and as we said yesterday, that was in Christ Jesus.

Do you ever put new words to an old melody? David did this in Psalm 60. The preface tells us that this song should be sung to the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” This tune is not one that is even recognized by Jews or historians. We cannot sing it the way it was in David’s time. We can agree with the author that we have times that we feel that Jehovah has rejected us. And when that happens, we accept the power and strength of the Lord as the Shepherd King described when he said that Yahweh raised a banner.

The victory is praised, and God is acknowledged as the savior of His people. Israel’s King recognizes that his armies have failed without the assistance of the creator of the universe.

If we knew what the tune of “Do Not Destroy” was we could sing the 75th Psalm as the ancient Hebrews did. They sang the praises of God, His name, and His actions. Yahweh judges everyone and everything just as he did in Genesis one and He says, “It was good.” The arrogant are to boast no longer. The wicked are to become peaceful, but the righteous will be exalted.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

David conquers the other nations

May 12, 2020

The new King of all of Israel returns to opposing all the enemies that have not been exterminated from the land as they were instructed.  2 Samuel 8 tells about the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, and others.  The horrors of war are illustrated in these passages.  Jehovah warned His people to destroy those who worshiped other gods.  Even David doesn’t go as far as he might.

The odd thing in this chapter is the final statement that David’s sons were priests.  Priests were to be from the Levitical clan.  Jesse was a Judean.  Appointing his sons as additional priests violated this part of the law of Yahweh.  Even a man after God’s own heart violated the Lord’s statutes at times.

Despite his being human, David does something almost Godlike in 2 Samuel 9.  He remembers his pledge to Jonathan and asks about Saul’s descendants.  Mephibosheth is a cripple and is summoned to the palace.  The restoration of the family land is typical behavior for an Israelite king.

The symbolism of eating at the King’s table is significant.  Prophecy tells of the marriage supper of the lamb.  Feasts were special occasions for Jehovah’s chosen people, just as they are today for Christians.  Nothing shows the family connection like sharing a meal.  Jonathan’s only surviving child is honored as a member of David’s family.

We receive a list of nations conquered by the King in 1st Chronicles chapter 18. The Philistines, Moabite, Hadadezer, and the Arameans are named. This included many cities and villages that were plundered, and all the occupants captured and enslaved or killed.

What would you do with all the gold, silver, precious metals, and gemstones that he accumulated? They are stored to be used for the construction of a house for The Ark of the Covenant. These were some of the first materials given for the Temple, Solomon would build years later.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger

Jehovah enthroned over the flood

May 11, 2020

David expressed his trust in the Lord in Psalm 25. He asked Jehovah to teach him how he should live. Yahweh is good, loving. and faithful and all his followers should be also. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways. Keep my paths straight. The Psalmist knows that the Lord will make a way for our salvation.

What was King David experiencing or thinking about in Psalm 29? He mentions the voice of the Lord. It is over the waters, powerful, majestic, breaks the cedars of Lebanon, strikes with flashes of lightning, and twists oaks. This sounds to me like a hurricane, cyclone, or an old-fashioned Missouri tornado. The destructiveness of nature is described by the King. With all the kingdom’s authority and influence, he still must sit inside and wait for this storm to pass. That is why he ends with the Lord sitting enthroned over the flood and blessing His people.

Singing praise is part of most of the Psalms including chapter 33. God’s word is identified as how everything was created. This is also what John 1 tells us. Reverence and fear are two forms of praise to Jehovah. David wanted to build a permanent place for Yahweh to live. Heaven is that place. Because He resides there, we put our hope in Him. Those who have chosen Him and been selected by God are able to accomplish more than anyone who rejects the Lord.

Do you know anyone personally that rejects Jesus as the creator and Lord of the universe? In Psalm 36 the Psalmist David mentions those who have no respect for Yahweh. Selfishness and pride are two of the main ways to discern someone who does not really believe in Christ. The King knew that some of these people try to disguise themselves as believers.

The wicked will be punished eternally while Jehovah blesses those who follow Him. Sacrifices in David’s day and church attendance in our own are not methods to discover our true stance as followers of God and Jesus. Look for those who exhibit the Lord’s love. They are real Christians not just church people.

One of the most difficult things for me is to hold my tongue. In Psalm 39, King David says that he would keep silent if he could. No one knows how long they will live. The Psalmist asks Jehovah to show him the length of his days. He also requests that his sins be forgiven. He knew that the only one who could help them was Yahweh.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger