{"id":34126,"date":"2025-01-07T22:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T05:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2-samuel_20_1-13-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-12-31T13:13:06","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T20:13:06","slug":"2-samuel_20_14-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/2-samuel_20_14-26\/","title":{"rendered":"When You Are Besieged, Do Not Be Afraid"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 Samuel 20:14-26\u00a0 (CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 2 Samuel 20:14-26.\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 Samuel 20:14-22 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down,
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.”
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”\u00a0“I am,” he answered. She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.” “I’m listening,” he said.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it.
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the\u00a0LORD’s inheritance?”
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bicri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown to you from the wall.”
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses\u00a014-22: \u00a0Being chased by David’s army, Sheba hides in the city of Abel Beth Maakah (v14).\u00a0 David’s army starts a siege against the city of Abel Beth Maakah.\u00a0 They build a siege ramp and use a battering ram to try to knock down the city wall (v15).\u00a0 A wise woman from Abel Beth Maakah calls out to Joab, leader of David’s army, and questions him on why they are trying to destroy their peaceful city (v16-19).\u00a0 The wise woman and Joab agree that Joab’s troops will withdraw from the city if the people of Abel Beth Maakah will hand Sheba over to them (v20-21). The people of Abel Beth Maakah then execute Sheba, cut off his head and hand it to Joab, who commands the troops to leave the city alone (v22).<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 This wise woman from Abel Beth Maakah did not panic when her city was under siege.\u00a0 Instead, she wisely, courageously and diplomatically spoke with Joab and found a solution that satisfied both Joab’s troops and her people.\u00a0 Just as God used a wise woman to save her city, God used His Son Jesus Christ to speak on our behalf and to save us when we were besieged by the enemy.\u00a0 Because of Jesus, like David, we can say “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” (Psalm 27:3)<\/p>\n

So\u00a0if you are besieged today by problems, sorrow, uncertainties, or challenges that seem much greater than you, remember that there is one who speaks on your behalf and who will be sure to keep you safe.\u00a0 His name is Jesus.<\/strong><\/p>\n

2<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Samuel<\/em><\/strong>\u00a020<\/em><\/strong>:23-25 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n23\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Joab was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;\u00a0<\/em>
\n24\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Adoniram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;\u00a0<\/em>
\n25\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 23-25: \u00a0These verses list some of the key leaders during the latter part of David’s reign as king.\u00a0 When you compare this list to an earlier list from the early part of David’s reign (2\u00a0Samuel\u00a08:16-18), you will notice that some of the same individuals appear in power while others, such as Ira the Jairite (v26), Adoniram (v24) and and Secretary Sheva (v25), are new.\u00a0 It goes to show that every kingdom or organization can use older, experienced leaders and new, passionate leaders to help the team move forward.<\/p>\n

Father, thank You that just as Abel Beth Maakah had a wise woman to speak on its behalf and defend the city, I have someone even wiser and greater in my corner — Jesus the Son of David — who speaks on my behalf to defend me.\u00a0 Because Jesus is with me,\u00a0though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear and though war break out against me even then I will be confident.\u00a0 In Jesus’ name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

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<\/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 20:14-26.\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 Samuel 20:14-22 (NIV)
\n14\u00a0\u00a0Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
\n15\u00a0\u00a0All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down,
\n16\u00a0\u00a0a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.”<\/p>\n

On verses\u00a014-22: \u00a0Being chased by David’s army, Sheba hides in the city of Abel Beth Maakah (v14).\u00a0 David’s army starts a siege against the city of Abel Beth Maakah.\u00a0 They build a siege ramp and use a battering ram to try to knock down the city wall (v15).\u00a0 A wise woman from Abel Beth Maakah calls out to Joab, leader of David’s army, and questions him on why they are trying to destroy their peaceful city (v16-19).\u00a0 The wise woman and Joab agree that Joab’s troops will withdraw from the city if the people of Abel Beth Maakah will hand Sheba over to them (v20-21). The people of Abel Beth Maakah then execute Sheba, cut off his head and hand it to Joab, who commands the troops to leave the city alone (v22).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34128,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34126","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\/34126","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=34126"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34129,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34126\/revisions\/34129"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}