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

Exodus chapters 13-15

God’s message to me: When you are doing God’s will and you find your enemies hot on your heels it is time to rejoice. Through the power of their hands and their minds they expect to overcome you but, God is about to show them where the real power lies. He will show their power is nothing before your eyes and theirs and gain honor by defeating them in their hour of victory.

Israel had had this position since it was reformed in 1948. Every time they are attacked it is by a force so overwhelming that they stand no chance of victory or even survival. in every case they are found victorious and in control of much of their enemies territory in a matter of a couple of days to a week. The Lord gains honor each time in the eyes of those who pay attention because there is no way these victories could occur without Him.

Promises: God will protect you. He will provide all your needs. God will heal you and keep you from sickness.

Commands: Obey God and follow his laws and precepts.

Timeless principles: Freedom isn’t free. Liberty is an elusive goal in most countries because the people seek apparent security at the expense of liberty. Our founding fathers noted that those who would sacrifice liberty for the sake of security deserve neither. The people of Israel gained their freedom from Egypt. They watched as God brought one judgment after another on their oppressors while they suffered none of it. They saw God kill all the firstborn of Egypt without touching them. They left Egypt with a fortune in treasure, and livestock and food and clothing. Even with all that, the moment they saw a threat they complained that they should have been left in slavery where they were safe.

more to learn for in-depth study: There is a popular theory that the Israelites did not cross the red sea. Some say the name in was wrong and so it was another sea. Many say exactly what God said Pharaoh would say, “they are bewildered by the land”. In other words they were lost and didn’t know what body of water was before them. In Exodus 14:2 we see the truth. They knew precisely where they were. Imagine you set camp before Arlington, VA Between Fairfax, VA and the river. When you turn to enter Washington, DC, How likely are you to think you are crossing the Anacostia, south of DC? How likely are you to confuse DC with Alexandria even if you haven’t been there? The simple fact is they knew where they camped and what locations were around them so they would also know precisely where they crossed.

For those who are still scratching their heads, the Potomac runs North and south while the Anacostia branches East off of the Potomac and runs along the southern side of the capitol city.. Arlington and Fairfax are west of the city and, forming a triangle with Arlington in front of you and Fairfax on one side with the river on the other means your heading north and the only body of water in sight is the Potomac.

Genesis chapters 32-34

God's Message to me: God will fulfill his promises more fully than you can imagine. Jacob would have been happy to come home in peace but God brought him home to find his brother happy to see him and welcoming him back with open arms.

Promises: If God says it you can depend on it. Jacob was protected and made to prosper on his journey and returned home safely and with such wealth that large gifts to his brother and the price of land for his new ranch were pocket change.

Commands: Trust and follow God's commands. Jacob didn't leave Laban until God told him to. When he did leave he left as one of the wealthiest men in the land.

Timeless principles: God will not let you down.

How can I apply what I've learned: Seek God's guidance and follow it when I find it. It does no good to search for truth if you choose to do your own thing anyway. People today place great stock in "situational ethics". They give lip service to the "timeless wisdom of the 10 commandments" but ignore them when the feel that they get in the way. If your going to make up the rules as your going along why learn them in the first place?

More to learn for in-depth study: It is interesting to note that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all took precautions to ensure their safety and the safety of those around them. They did so despite promises from God that they would be protected. They were never rebuked for doing so. In point of fact this is a recurring theme through the entire bible and even Christ himself accepted that the better part of valor sometimes meant escaping to continue another day.

Throughout the bible our heroes have willingly given themselves into the hands of persecutors and killers when God's appointed time had come but, until they knew that was God's plan they made every effort to protect themselves and God prospered them for doing so.

We also see here that pre-marital sex was considered wrong long before the law of Moses. The son of the local ruler ignored that rule and violated Jacobs daughter. Had he come for marriage first it would not have been a violation, on the other hand, Jacob would probably have turned him away anyhow but, it would have been a lot less bloody.

This brings us to war. While Jacob may not have approved of the slaughter by two of his sons it seems clear to me that 2 young men with swords could not wipe out a city without the help of God. The fact that they had the swords in the first place shows the family was prepared for armed conflict. In fact, Abraham led a war against more than one city in order to free the people of Sodom and Gomorrah when they, along with his nephew, were taken as prisoners.

War is never pretty and rarely desirable but it is acceptable. God ordered many wars throughout the Old Testament. Some where surgical, taking out the fighting force but sparing the non combatants. Some where "all out" with orders to destroy everything and leave not even a memory of the enemy. It all depended on provocation and the record of the opponent.

Secondary thought: If God expects us to all live happily in poverty, why did He make so many biblical heroes rich? There is around 3 times as many verses on money management in the bible as there are verses on prayer. God expects you to be a good steward of your finances and, as in the parable of the servants and the talents, wise use which makes it grow will convince God to give much more into your stewardship. "you have been faithful in a little I will make you ruler over much." Jacob arrived with nothing and tended Labens flocks as carefully as if they were his own and ended his work with his uncle with great flocks of his own.

Genesis 20-23

This entry is quite late. Tomorrows will be quite early. Both are ready now.

God's Message to me: When God sent Abram from his homeland he asked his wife to tell everyone that she was his sister. He did this out of fear that people would kill him to get his wife because of her beauty.

God knew what He was doing. If God says going someplace will make your life better there is no need to worry. It is certainly reasonable to provide for self defense. God provides us that ability for a reason. It is not reasonable to do the wrong thing out of fear. Abraham lied to protect his life when God was there to protect him. God protected his wife from dishonor and Abraham from death and allowed the situations to become blessings for Abraham. What blessings might have come if the kings he placed in danger had embraced him as a visiting dignitary instead of a prince they feared.

Promises: God keeps his promises and asks for nothing He isn't prepared to provide.

Commands: Hold nothing back. Without God you wouldn't have it anyway.

Timeless principles: Everything comes from God and belongs to God.

How can I apply what I've learned: Treat all I posses as if it is borrowed from God and He can have it back whenever he asks. Failing that He can take it back anyway.