{"id":34122,"date":"2025-01-06T22:00:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T05:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2-samuel_19_31-43-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-12-31T13:06:09","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T20:06:09","slug":"2-samuel_20_1-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2-samuel_20_1-13\/","title":{"rendered":"Left Unchecked, This Can Kill"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 Samuel 20:1-13 \u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Samuel 20:1-13.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.\u00a0 See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Samuel<\/em><\/strong>\u00a020<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em><\/strong>1<\/em><\/strong>–<\/em><\/strong>2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n1<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!”\u00a0<\/em>
\n2<\/sup>\u00a0So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses\u00a01-2:\u00a0 Just as Sheba led a revolt against David by convincing the people that David was not for them, so\u00a0Satan wants you to believe that God is not good, that He is not for you but against you, or that you simply don\u2019t need him.\u00a0 If you believe those lies, you will end up deserting Jesus the Son of David<\/strong>, just like all the men of Israel deserted King David (v2).\u00a0\u00a0May we be like the men of Judah who \u201cstayed by their king all the way\u201d (v2).<\/strong><\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Samuel<\/em><\/strong>\u00a020<\/em><\/strong>:3 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but did not lie with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 3:\u00a0 Finally toward the latter part of his life, David confronts a sin that had plagued him for decades: his taking many wives and concubines.\u00a0 David knew that God\u2019s Word prohibited a king from taking many wives and concubines (Deuteronomy\u00a017:17), but for decades David stubbornly resisted God\u2019s Word.\u00a0 Finally, after seeing how his taking of many wives and his penchant for adultery had nearly destroyed him and his family, as just as Deuteronomy\u00a017:17\u00a0had warned, David\u2019s heart on the issue finally changes.\u00a0 He repents by no longer sleeping with his concubines but continues to provide for them and protects them with a security guard.\u00a0 He treats them as \u201cwidows\u201d, meaning he no longer saw them as bound to him and allowed them to live normal lives, as much as could be done for women whom he had treated for years as his sex slaves.\u00a0 That David treated them as \u201cwidows\u201d also suggests that the old David \u2013 the one that had insisted on doing relationships and sex the world\u2019s way \u2013 had died and a new David, one that was intentional about honouring God in this area, had taken his place.<\/p>\n

Is there a sin that has plagued you for a long time that you need to finally confront and cut off? \u00a0\u00a0For example, maybe like David you have been approaching the area of relationships and sex the world\u2019s way and have suffered because of it.\u00a0 Perhaps it\u2019s time that the old you \u2013 the one that insisted on doing it the world\u2019s way \u2013 be replaced with a new you, one that is intentional about honouring God in this area and experiencing His blessing as a result.<\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Samuel<\/em><\/strong>\u00a020<\/em><\/strong>:4-7 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me\u00a0within three days, and be here yourself.”\u00a0<\/em>
\n5\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.\u00a0<\/em>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bicri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”\u00a0<\/em>
\n7\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>So Joab’s men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 4-7:\u00a0 Amasa was David\u2019s new military commander in chief (2 Samuel 19:13), but when David told Amasa to have his men ready to fight Sheba within 3 days, Amasa couldn\u2019t get the job done in time (v4-5).\u00a0 So David commissioned Abishai to lead the charge against Sheba instead (v6-7).<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the lesson here?\u00a0\u00a0When you agree to get something done within a certain time, keep your word and get it done within that time.<\/strong>\u00a0 Otherwise, you will be seen as unreliable or not very capable, and future opportunities that could have gone to you will go to someone else.<\/p>\n

What if you can\u2019t get something done in time?\u00a0 Don\u2019t wait until the deadline has already passed to tell the person you can’t make it.\u00a0 Rather, go and tell that person as early as you can that you won\u2019t be able to meet the deadline. Apologize to them and humbly request a reasonable extension of time.<\/p>\n

2 Samuel 20:8-13 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0After Amasa had been removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 8-13:\u00a0 David had chosen Amasa to replace Joab as military commander in chief (2 Samuel 19:13).\u00a0 Envious of Amasa and bitter at his demotion, Joab deceptively murders Amasa in cold blood.\u00a0 Similar to how he murdered Abner in 2 Samuel 3, Joab approaches Amasa warmly as a friend and stabs him in the stomach when Amasa least expects it.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Left unchecked, envy and bitterness can kill.<\/strong>\u00a0 You need to find healthy ways to deal with envy and bitterness lest they wreak havoc in and through your life.\u00a0 It\u2019s no wonder the Bible tells us to \u201cget rid of all bitterness\u201d (Ephesians 4:31).<\/p>\n

As James 3:13-18 says:
\n13\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0Who are the wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good lives, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.<\/em>
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.<\/em><\/p>\n

Father, I pray that I would not be a slave to bitterness and envy.\u00a0 Rather, any bitter or envious feelings I surrender to You.\u00a0 Please help me to handle those feelings in a healthy way that glorifies You and is healthy for me.\u00a0\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

opyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Samuel 20:1-13.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.\u00a0 See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!\u00a0<\/p>\n

2\u00a0Samuel\u00a020:1-2\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0
\n1\u00a0Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!”\u00a0
\n2\u00a0So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

On verses\u00a01-2:\u00a0 Just as Sheba led a revolt against David by convincing the people that David was not for them, so\u00a0Satan wants you to believe that God is not good, that He is not for you but against you, or that you simply don\u2019t need him.\u00a0 If you believe those lies, you will end up deserting Jesus the Son of David, just like all the men of Israel deserted King David (v2).\u00a0\u00a0May we be like the men of Judah who \u201cstayed by their king all the way\u201d (v2).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34124,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34122"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34125,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34122\/revisions\/34125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}