A Dark Day For David

When David fled the city of Jerusalem during Absalom’s rebellion, he encountered six different encounters with people, three positive and three negative encounters. As David set out, there was no pomp in his departure from Jerusalem, only haste.

Ittai, the Committed Soldier, was the first person David encountered. David tried to get him and his six hundred followers to turn back, but Ittai would not. He replied to the King, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be” 2 Samuel 15:18-22).

Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, were there to follow David with the ark of the covenant. Zadok seemed to have assumed that where King David goes, there the ark must go. However, David insisted that the ark of God must not be part of his departure. The ark belonged to God, not the King. David did not want to presume that the ark of the covenant of God should be with him. It belonged in the city. It belonged to God. David trusted God’s promises and expected to return to Jerusalem. David asked Zadok, Abiathar, and their two sons to remain in Jerusalem and be his spies. They willingly placed their lives in danger for David (2 Sam 15:27-28).

Terrible news arrived at David’s worst moment: his most esteemed advisor, Ahithophel, had betrayed him. David prayed: “Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness” (2 Samuel 15:31). Later, David would write, “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me” (Psalm 41:9).

Hushai, David’s Loyal Friend, was there weeping and mourning as the rest of the people were. David requested that he go back and convince Absalom that he was joining forces with him, and, having prayed that the Lord would turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness, Hushai was the answer to his prayer: “help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice” (2 Sam 15:34).

Ziba, the opportunist, was there. Ziba came with donkeys and provisions for everyone. It looked like the gift everyone wanted. Ziba was an opportunist who betrayed his master, Mephibosheth, while he convinced David to give him all of Mephibosheth’s estate. Time would prove who he really was. When asked where his master was, he answered, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will restore to me my grandfather’s kingdom.’” (2 Sam 16:3). That was a lie!

Shimei, David’s enemy, was there cursing David. Shimei heaped all this abuse on David because he believed he could get away with it. Now that things had changed. His rage had made him completely irrational. Did he not think that David’s men would eliminate him in an instant? This is what resentment and hate do to a person.

Abishai, one of David’s soldiers, wanted to remove his head. Still, David replied:  “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’” (2 Samuel 16:10-12).

David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.  It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”

David accepted what was happening as the Lord’s will. He did not know how or when, but he hoped the Lord would show him mercy, and the Lord did.

We can reflect on these six encounters and ask ourselves who we are.

·         Ziba made a show of his devotion to the King, but it was false. He was the opportunist who was always looking out for himself.

·         Shimei abused the King, believing it was the end for David. His hatred came to light when he thought he was free to say and do what he had always wanted.

·         Abishai thought he could help his King by resorting to violence. He is the person who resorts to violence because they cannot see any other way to resolve their issues.

 

·         Ittai, the model disciple, only wanted to be “with” his King.

·         Zadok and Abiathar were willing to risk their lives to serve their King

·         Hushai was David’s friend who served the King well.

 

Giving Thanks

Gratitude has the power to transform our attitude and outlook on life. Gratitude is like a person traveling to their destination guided by GPS. To the contrary, the ungrateful struggles to reach his destination, making wrong turns, backtracking, and turning on one-way streets the wrong way. Most of all, he does not enjoy the journey, yelling at those in his way and blaming everyone but himself for his frustrating trip. Gratitude is like a power transformer, converting the powerful electrical current into usable electricity your house needs. Gratitude takes everything that comes at us and makes sense of it.

Have you noticed how being upset about something can change your whole day, while being thankful can make it better? For example, you find yourself anxious about a problem at work, waiting for it to get your attention. The more you think about it, the more nervous and irritated you become. Conversely, suppose you begin your day thinking about how fortunate you are to have your job. It’s a stable job that provides you with a good income despite the challenges that come along. Just thinking about what you have, rather than what you do not have, changes your mood. You are a very different person when you arrive at your workplace. Gratitude actually changes the way we think, act, and even look. It can even put a smile on your face. Gratitude gives a person a sense of purpose and adds meaning to their life.

This is a favorite holiday for many of us because it is a time to get together with family and relax. Even more, it is a time to reflect on the things we have to be thankful for. Life has a way of keeping us occupied, leaving us with very little time to reflect on our many blessings. Modern-day marketing focuses on what we do not have, thus making us incomplete until we buy what they promise will complete us. It is a strategy that has made billions for businesses but has left the consumer feeling very empty. The truth is that our contentment is not found in this world. It is found in our Creator. The more we know him, love him, and serve him, the more content we find ourselves.