Second Kings 12-15

God’s message to me: God will tolerate wrong for only as long as necessary. He promise Jehu that his sons would sit on the throne to the 4th generation. Jehu and each generation after him, continued to lead the people in idolatry and Jehu’s great -great-grandson(the fourth generation) held the throne 6 months be fore being killed in a coup.

Promises: God’s covenant stands through all time. His blood covenant to keep Israel forever has never been taken back. Despite the sins of the Israelites, God never allowed the oppression they suffered as punishment to destroy them. God always preserved a remnant to keep his promise.

Commands: Follow God or suffer the consequences. Continued idolatry led to the nation of Israel losing more cities and territories to neighboring Syria and Assyria. Eventually, the failure to fully remove false worship in Judah led to similar attacks against them by neighbors including Israel.

Timeless principles: It’s hard to overcome momentum. While Judah, routinely, went through purges of false religion, the “high places” remained from the time of Solomon to the time of this passage and beyond. Many of the false religions sought to gain a closer relation ship with the gods by sacrificing, burning incense and worshiping at the highest point available. Natural high points, like hills and mountains were enhanced by building mounds to reach higher, places that lacked high points would add towers to large structures. The idea went back to the tower of Babel which was meant to be the ultimate high place.

People had a tendency to adapt these places to worshiping God. Tradition told them to go to a high place in order to be close to god so they felt that the high place brought them closer to God, the Father. Of course, it also left an opening for those who continued to practice false religions as well. After so many years of doing it momentum carried them along the same path even when they were trying to do right.

Christians today are no different. A large part of the mistakes made in modern churches come from momentum and adapting “good parts” of false worship to true worship. This has led to political correctness, acceptance of things the bible calls sin, protests against practices the bible endorses, and even the idea of biblical evolution. They are wrong but, they creep in and get accepted because people do not want to stand up for the word of God. They think if they attack what is wrong and preach what is right they will offend someone and cause them to leave the church.

Here’s a basic principle. If the truth causes someone to lose faith and leave God then they never had Him in the first place. The truth can be a jarring thing. Consider how many new Christians you know that would be offended by the passages we have been reading if they heard them and believed them. This is the reason they are so eager to see the bible as allegorical and inaccurate. It allows them to dismiss the parts they find offensive. If they cannot reconcile with God over the parts they don’t like then they are not His servants. You need to begin again to teach them the truth until God can help them accept it.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: When God gives you a task do it thoroughly. Even if it is silly, symbolic or hard to understand. Jeroboam was told to strike the ground with a bundle of arrows when he was told to strike Syria and destroy them. He struck the ground 3 times and Elisha told him that he would only strike Syria 3 times and not destroy them. I can’t say I would have done differently under the circumstances but, given what I learned here, I wouldn’t stop hitting the ground until I was told to. The order came from God and so the task was from God.

more to learn for in-depth study: Here is a quick rundown of several kings. The passage just touches on some highlights from each administration with emphasis on the kings relationship to God and the results of that relationship. They say “the good die young”. I have to say that the bible shows they get long lives and long administrations while the evil ones get proportionally shorter amounts of time to cause damage. Having studied the gunfighters of the Old West the same seemed to hold true there. Without wasting to much time on details, the ones who sold their skill for a fast buck and personal gratification at the expense of the innocent never lasted 20 years. From the day of their first gunfight to their death was always under the 20 year mark and often much less. A few, who served others and made their reputations as peace officers or helped peace officers, not only lived much longer but died peacefully.

Jehoash and the high priest establish the offering box in this portion. The priests had been ordered to bring all the offerings, that the law did not specifically grant to them, to the temple to be used for construction and repair. When they didn’t do it the box was established so that all offerings brought to the temple that were not, by law, dedicated to the priests, would be collected and used to fund the repair of the neglected Temple of God.

The year count seems to get more out of sync the farther we get from David and Solomon but that was not unexpected. These accounts were pieced together after the fact from multiple sources and dates could be a bit mangles since years are measured but not months. In these circumstances, 23 months would count as 2 years but so would 14, since portions of 2 years were involved. Worse yet, if a six month period included the new year it might be marked as 2 years or compare to 2 years in the other kingdom.(king 1 rules six months king 2 rules 12 years. King 2 took the throne at the same time as king 1 and king one died in the second year that he was on the throne. You see how, after several generation, this gets the time line skewed over 2 kingdoms) This lines are repeated elsewhere with more details so, for those keeping track of the time line like I am, you will find details later to make them more accurate. The coup of Shallum over Zachariah in Israel is a perfect example. Zechariah took the throne in the 38th year of Azariah’s reign and was replaced in the 39th year of his reign but he only held the throne for 6 months.

Case Study: Meneham was a strong king whose government was quite effective in it’s goals. He executed the king and took over. Then he attacked a revolting city and brutally murdered all pregnant women. He continued to lead the Israelites in Idolatry. When the king of Assyria came to attack Israel, Meneham hired taxed the rich and gave the money to the Assyrians as a bribe so that they would work with him to force the Israelites to serve him then leave. This evil ruler held the country in an iron grip through his reign and his son’s reign until the coup that killed his son.

tomorrow: Second Kings 16-17

Second Samuel 17-19

God’s message to me: God’s plan is not always what we want. W must learn to rejoice in His perfect will and recognize the good that has been done rather than complaining of the things we don’t like.

It’s easy to understand the pain David felt when his son was killed. Absalom betrayed his father and turned against God’s plan in creating a coup to replace him as king. He turned the Israelites against God’s will in convincing them to make him king and depose David. His sin wasn’t just a personal act but an act of evil which led most of the country into rebellion against God and the king God anointed over them.

Promises: God does not permit His plan to be undone. God appointed and anointed David to lead Israel. Absalom was of David’s lineage and convinced the people to follow him. God could have permitted him to continue on the throne and the promise would not be broken. God did not plan for Absalom to rule, He did not plan for David to be deposed, He did not plan for Israel to become a nation which simply went from one ruler to the next based on who was popular, stronger, or most convincing. Absalom and his followers were killed because they went against God. The key members were hung(Absalom and Ahithophel) which God had said marked them as cursed. Absalom was hung in a manner which could only be seen as an act of God.

Commands: We do not live alone. When we react to the ups and downs of life we must remember the example we set for others and we must also be accountable to those whom God has put under our leadership.

God made David king and the people were rightly proud of defeating Absalom’s coup attempt. David became so overwhelmed with self pity over the death of his son that his grief caused the people to act as though they had done wrong. Joab was acting in the best interests of his country when he chastised the king for so vocally and publicly bemoaning the loss of his traitorous son when the people should have been celebrating the return of the king God appointed for them.

Timeless principles: There is a way that seems good to a man but it’s end is death. I can’t repeat this enough. Showing love to his enemies seemed good to David. it was politically correct and made a great show of following God’s command. It was also quite a quick path to destruction. These people were correctly marked as enemies. They should have been dealt with as enemies. David was quick to promise good to those who would not return the favor.

Ronald Reagan often referenced a book whose title described the problem with David’s habits. The title was “the Treaty Trap”. The United States and Israel are often caught up in the same mistake David made. In an effort to gain peace we establish treaties of friendship with those who desire our harm and never live up to their end of the treaty. We also proceed to continue living up to these treaties long after they have been broken by the other side and, in some cases, even after the state we made the treaty with ceases to exist. (look at all the treaties we still live up to despite the disappearance of the Soviet Union which never lived up to any of them anyway)

God gave us a mind and a heart and ordered us to use both. We love our enemies but we should never let that disable us. Reagan was happy to provide humanitarian aid and food to the Soviets but walked away from the negotiation table any time they tried to get the US to sacrifice sovereignty or defensive capability in exchange for peace. Compare this to David who would have appointed Gorbachev to the Joint Chiefs and placed Qaddafi in the seat of honor at his dinner table each evening.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: I have been considering this heavily in the past hour or so as I took my daily walk. David was a man after God’s own heart and he displayed that in the love he showed to people who were clearly his enemies. God has told us to love our enemies. Hate the sin and love the sinner. David clearly showed love to his son and to Jonathon’s son and to Saul’s family and so many others who would turn against him.

Joab privately corrected the king for his public actions which undermined the nation. David repaid his good action by replacing him as commanding general with a man from among the rebels. From a diplomatic standpoint it may have seemed good but personally it was wrong.

When we take actions we must consider all the ramifications. We must live within God’s law and love those who may hate us. We must also consider the life of others. David’s public grief over the death of an enemy of the state did much more harm to the Israelites than good. Loving the enemy and mourning the death of a criminal are different things. We have people who believe it’s a contradiction to fight abortion and stand up for capital punishment. The bible is clear that abortion is murder and capital punishment is the duty of state. There is no contradiction in saying “turn the other cheek” and “execute the criminal”. The personal duty is to turn the other cheek. The individual often flees from oppression in the bible. The leaders do not have this option. The first duty of leadership is common defense which is why judges, prophets, kings, generals and others in the bible hunt down killers, go to war and execute prisoners. The duty of the individual is separate from the duty of state. Without the leaders acting to enforce justice civilization ends.

more to learn for in-depth study: This story will go on for many years of Israel's history and many of the enemies David protected will be executed under the rule of Solomon. The history of Israel is long and complicated but much more important than any other history we can learn as Christians. If you have trouble understanding don’t be afraid to reread portions and to make notes of your questions. The details of their story spread across first and second Samuel, first and second Kings, first and second Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the song of Solomon, and parts of the books of the various prophets. You will likely find yourself learning something new each time you read through these books.

tomorrow: Second Samuel 20-21

Second Samuel 15-16

God’s message to me: It’s easy to feel that an enemy which doesn’t play by the rules deserves similar treatment in return. Those who stand up and demand we act in accordance with our morals and treat enemies better than they treat us are not wrong. While this view does not make life easy it ensures that we remain honorable.

They say discretion is the better part of valor. Certainly David lived by that view when he chose to run from Saul and from Absalom rather than engaging in a bloody and dangerous fight. Had David stayed and fought for the throne the civil war might have torn Israel apart. Instead he cut and run leaving it in God’s hands to make a way for things to be put right.

We have every right to defend ourselves as a nation and to attack those who intend evil against us. That point is quite clear in the bible. We must remember to live up to a higher standard than our enemies if we are to find any meaning in that fight. If we overcome our enemy by acting like our enemy then all we are fighting for is already lost. We will have lost the very freedoms and values we sought to defend.

Promises: Doing the right thing always pays off with God. David lived a life that proves no good deed goes unpunished but, he still refused to return the favor. He continued to act in kindness to all. When battle was called for he fought with vigor but he would rather run from evil than attack those who acted from misguided views of entitlement among his fellow Israelites. He also treated no Israeli allies with all the kindness and friendship they had shown him and more. While his goodness was often repayed with evil he refused to stoop to that level.

Commands: “I want it and I claim it” does not equal “it’s mine.” I don’t care what the TV preacher told you, you can’t claim what isn’t yours. God didn’t anoint Absalom king. He didn’t choose him to rule Israel. He didn’t remove David from the throne. Absalom didn’t have a right to the throne but he wanted it, he claimed it and he got people to support him in that claim. It didn’t make him king in God’s eyes and didn’t mean he could have what wasn’t his.

Timeless principles: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. David’s kindness came back in pain. Absalom was forgiven for killing his brother and he stole the throne in return. Mephibosheth was treated like a son for Jonathan’s sake and he sided with Absalom hoping to get the kingdom back. Saul’s relatives cursed David as a traitor despite his constant efforts to be loyal to Saul and his house and his revenge on those who attacked Saul’s family. Ahithophel was David’s councilor but joined Absalom in treason to take the throne and sent the boy in to rape David’s concubines in order to make him seem powerful. David was forced to run into the wilderness in order to avoid murder by his own son. After his years on the throne he was right back where he had been when Saul was king.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: This application applies more to national philosophy. While it may be fashionable to apply all our rules to our enemies it is total nonsense to apply our legal system to a wartime situation. investigating and prosecuting acts of war and terrorism through our criminal system is a recipe for disaster that no sensible individual could justify. They are acts of war that must be dealt with militarily. By the same token, we cannot apply military sensibilities to civilian operations. Dealing with domestic terrorism does fall under the jurisdiction of our criminal justice system and we don’t have the right to treat US citizens as enemy soldiers outside of a full blown civil war. We also cannot change our values and sense of proper behavior to match an enemy who doesn't share our view.

Terrorism isn’t restricted to Islam as the resurgent Irish Republican Army is proving in Europe. It is, however, the primary source of danger to the United States. These Jihadists do not share our values or sense of decency and no amount of “playing nice” is going to change their behavior. They will continue to attack us and to torture prisoners and execute “infidels” in accordance with their beliefs until they are rendered harmless by military action. On the flip side of that coin, we cannot alter our behavior to match them.

In addition to the fact that this means we cannot treat their prisoners with the disdain that they treat ours it also means we should not sacrifice freedom for security. The recent actions by our government to restrict the activities of citizens in the name of security is precisely opposite of what should be done. Our founding fathers, guided by their faith in God and their understanding of scripture, set up a system which provided maximum freedom for the individual and depended on the individual desire for liberty to protect the nation.

Taking away arms from citizens makes them targets for armed thugs. Strip searching random citizens to satisfy a twisted sense of justice while ignoring individuals that fit the profile of known terrorists for the same reason infringes on freedom without delivering safety. The use of life threatening torture techniques in place of more traditional and effective methods of interrogation including lie detectors and chemical truth agents like sodium pentathal (I probably spelled that wrong) isn’t an improvement and it sacrifices our values. It is not better to gain the world and lose your own soul. I’d rather die fighting than sacrifice my beliefs to survive.

The simple fact is that the goal of Islamic terrorism is to force us to accept their way of life and “Submit” to their views. If we begin to behave like them in order to defeat them we have handed them the victory.

more to learn for in-depth study: Amnon’s crime against his sister was extreme and could bring the death penalty. In that, Absalom was not completely wrong to kill Amnon though his method of ambush was certainly questionable. David, who had a habit of making his own life miserable, forgave Absalom and brought him back to Jerusalem. Absalom returned the favor by turning the people to follow him and then conspiring to take the kingdom in a coup. Once again, David found himself on the run in the wilderness, hiding from a person claiming ruler ship of Israel. The 600 men that had stood by him against Saul were still there to run with him from his son.

tomorrow: Second Samuel 17-19