DEVOTIONAL

The lights fade on 2 Samuel after one of the most incredible scenes in all of scripture in my opinion. In 2 Samuel 23-24 King David stands strong and prominent in his final address to Israel. Then, King David is humbled to his knees as he builds an altar and offers sacrifices to the Lord. This picture of King David resembles the ebbs and flows of my relationship with the Lord too.

King David’s last words to Israel opens 2 Samuel 23. The phrase “the last words” makes me think it is the final public address for King David. All of Israel is gathered. Because David led in the fear of the Lord, he testifies to the fruit in 2 Samuel 23:4: the favor of the Lord, prosperous people, and a hopeful future. The most faithful group to follow David’s leadership are the mighty men of Israel. What is their motivation to follow David?

Josheb-basshebeth was chief and wielded his spear against eight hundred men... And the Lord brought about a great victory... Shammah took his stand in the midst of the plot... Benaiah snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him.

2 Samuel 23:10,12,22

The passage highlights specific mighty men who killed 800 men, stepped up when others retreated, and lived courageously without fear of man (2 Samuel 23:10,12,22). There is no mention of complaints or jealousy when one guy killed more men than another. These men were in the fight together to show us the commitment and depths of authentic community. You show up. And the mighty men did exactly that.

During King David’s final address, maybe the thought crosses his mind of how far the crowd expands. Can his eyes see the people in the very back? Now David wants to know exactly how many he set his eyes on that day. Isn’t Satan good at planting a seed?

Unfortunately, David acts on it instead of asking why he wants to know the total number in Israel. Is it to glorify God or glorify David? He knows it is to serve the latter and yet, here goes the census. For nine months and twenty days David sends men from Dan (northern Israel) to Beersheba (southern Israel) to tally up every last person. Make sure you get them all. This is important.

Q: How much time do I devote to getting results to magnify myself? What is compromised in the meantime? (ex: how many hours I work for the promotion and bigger salary; the number of parties I plan or attend to affirm people like me)

As soon as the census results are read, conviction hits King David. Have you experienced that moment when you chase after a thing you know in your gut goes against God and once you catch it, you hate it? Maybe just me. David is hit so hard by his sin that immediately we see David repent to God in 2 Samuel 24:10. Before we get too far into the last section of 2 Samuel, let me confess I am still learning the depths of what God packs into this part of the story. Also, I encourage you to read 2 Samuel 24:10-25 a few times over the next week. It is powerful.

The rhythm I found in 2 Samuel 24:10-25 is as follows:

  • Repentance (v.10)
  • Atonement (v.15)
  • God’s Mercy (v.16)
  • Repentance (v.17)
  • Atonement (v.24-25)
  • God’s Mercy (v.25)

There are a few powerful statements I want to highlight. First, David chooses three days of pestilence or fatal epidemic disease because he would rather be in the hands of the Lord instead of man. Why? The mercy of the Lord is great. Write the phrase at the top of a piece of paper and tell me in ten minutes your page is not filled with all the mercies of the Lord.

 

Next, the Lord decides to relent and commands the angel to stop killing the men of Israel because “It is enough” in 2 Samuel 24:16. The Lord does not want all of Jerusalem destroyed. They are His people, remember? He does. Lastly, the passage mentions David at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite when the Lord calls off the angel. The threshing floor represents the place of judgement.

I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.

2 Samuel 24:14

The wrath of the Lord poured out against sin cannot be avoided. He is the Holy One of Israel without sin. The final scenes play out where David offers a bought sacrifice to the Lord on the threshing floor and the Lord responds to the atonement for sin by ending the pestilence on Israel. Do you know where I’m going with this? How can I not??

This closing scene illuminates the Greater Story for me. Jesus is the bought sacrifice that shed His blood on the altar for my atonement and endured the wrath of judgement that I deserved. When I read how much David believes the Lord’s mercy is great, I am challenged to ask myself if I trust the better place to be is in the hands of the Lord and not in the hands of man. Also, how would I live differently if I heard the Lord say, “It is enough” and opened my eyes to see His mercies in everyday life?

Like David, I want to live with honest confession, repentance, and humility with the Lord because His mercy is great.

Q: What confession do you need to make before the Lord? Where do you see great mercies in your life from the Lord?

Additional reading: Psalm 57, 95, 97-99