Gary Gleans

Communication is a very difficult thing at times, but it is vital for the health of any relationship.  Absalom and David have had a complete breakdown in communication.  Absalom assumed that David did not care about the rape of Tamar so he took matters into his own hands without communicating with David.  He then assumes that David is too angry to forgive him so he stays in exile.  At the same time, David stays quiet about his feelings for Tamar as well as his broken heart over Absalom.  We have two strong men who both want the same thing, but neither of them knows what the other one wants or thinks because the lines of communication have been cut off.  We must learn to be more effective with our communication in order to prevent broken relationships from overtaking our lives. JOAB MANIPULATES DAVID INTO SENDING FOR ABSALOM: The lines of communication between David and Absalom have been cut off to the point that neither of the two men knows what the other desires.  This is not su

The story of David’s family has all the makings of a Hollywood soap opera.  We must not miss the fact that this story of sin and treachery within David’s family follows the chapter about the consequences of the sin between David and Bathsheba.  Suffering, heartache and division are only a few of the results of the sin, there will be many, many more.  It becomes very apparent that David was negligent as a father and that there were some very evil influences that contaminated the family even more.  David becomes angry over the sin of Ammon, but he does nothing about it.  David is broken hearted over Absalom, but he does nothing about it.  Passivity is not a very good quality in the life of a father.  A passive father contributes to the proliferation of sin in the lives of his children.  These are just a few of the sins that David’s passivity permitted. RAPE: Ammon was sick with lust for his half sister Tamar.  She was a beautiful woman, but Ammon knew that he could not marry his si

There is no such thing as “secret sin,” sometimes we live under the impression that there are some things that are done in secret.  The reality is that secrecy is only a myth.  Nothing is secret because God knows everything and sees everything we; He even know everything that we think and what our motives are in every situation.  Many of our sins are hidden from men, but none of our sins are ever hidden from God.  As we have seen so very often, man is able to choose to obey or to sin; what man is not able to choose, are the consequences of his sin.  David enjoyed his sin very briefly, but then when Bathsheba became pregnant his pleasure turned to panic as he scrambled to keep his sin private.  Now he finds himself facing even more drastic consequences from the hand of God.  We must be careful not to live under the delusion of secret sin and be clearly warned of the dreadful consequences that sin brings about. DAVID IS CONFRONTED WITH HIS SIN: Nathan comes to David and confronts h

This is one of the darkest days in the history of Israel and the life of David.  The Bible is honest to paint the lives of the heroes with all of their failures and imperfections.  It is a very sad thing when leaders fail morally.  We often call this “falling into sin” but this passage shows us very clearly that that is not really what happens.  David did not “fall” he steadily walked in the direction of sin and kept on walking in that direction in a very purposeful way.  When we start down the path to sin, there are several warning signs along the way that alert us to the dangers ahead.  If we ignore those warning signs, with time we start to get used to them and our conscience no longer bothers us as we continue to walk deeper and deeper down the path of sin.  This is what happens with David as his conscience is seared to the point that he does not recognize the warning signals going off all around him. DAVID WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE: David’s place was on the battle field with hi

Fear is a very dangerous thing as it can cause us to do some very stupid things.  The Ammonites were at peace with Israel and David had respect for the help that they had been to him while he was in need.  However, when the king died, his son had a great fear of David and that fear caused him to provoke the very war that he hoped to avoid.  Many times our fears become self fulfilling.  The fear of getting sick can make us ill.  We would do well to replace our fears with faith. THE AMMONITES PROVOKE: David sent a commission of men to mourn the death of the king of the Ammonites who had provided protection and refuge to David when he was running from Saul.  The king listened to his advisers who claimed that these me were spies and ended up provoking the very war that they feared by embarrassing the men and shaving off half of their beards.  David was livid and gathered his men to go to war against them.  David had no intention of going to war with them but this act of aggression, D

We serve a gracious God who blesses us far beyond or merits.  It glorifies Him when His children reflect His attributes.  David demonstrates a graciousness in this passage that is a clear reflection of the grace of God in his own life.  Saul had made David’s life very miserable for a very long time.  Despite that fact, David remained loyal to Saul and spared his life on numerous occasions.  Now, years later, David is still showing this same loyalty to Saul’s family and remembering his special friendship with Saul’s son Jonathan.  May God grant us a gracious spirit to bless those who have hurt us. DAVID REMEMBERS HIS LOVE FOR JONATHAN: David’s kingdom has grown and his fame is at an all time high.  It is said that for every 100 men who can handle adversity well there is only 1 man who can handle success well.  David has demonstrated his ability to be faithful and loyal in the face of adversity and now he demonstrates his ability to handle success well.  At the very height of his k

It is a wonderful thing to be under the blessing hand of God.  David had spent many years of his life running away from Saul and living in exile in the land of the Philistines.  I am sure that there were many times during that period of time that David wondered if God had forgotten all of the promises He had made to him.  However, in God’s timing and in a wonderful way God delivered David, established him has king and blessed him in ways that David never dreamed could have been possible.  It is important for us to remember that this is the God that we serve.  He delights in blessing His children and doing the impossible or unexpected.  It is also important for us to remember that David passed through some dark days and high waters in order to get to this place.  We should not be discouraged by difficulties; rather, we should trust the Lord and wait on Him to show Himself strong in our lives according to His will. DAVID WAS UNDEFEATED IN BATTLE: David was lead by God into battle a

The blessings of God are always so far and above what any of us could deserve.  Our relationship with God is often difficult because we desire to give back to Him at least a portion of what He has given to us; but we always feel like we come so far short.  The truth is that God does not need anything from us.  He is complete in Himself and has no needs.  Any service we might render to Him is a far greater blessing to us than it is to Him.  Of course that does not mean that we should stop serving Him or giving to Him; it simply means that we should stop imagining that by doing these things we are doing Him a favor.  We must recognize that we serve, honor and worship Him because it is our joy and pleasure to do so.  We were created for this purpose and will never find fulfillment in life apart from doing that for which we were created to do. DAVID DESIRES TO BUILD A TEMPLE FOR THE LORD: David feels guilty about the fact that he is living in a big beautiful house made of cedar while

Good intentions are not always enough.  David decided that he wanted to bring the Ark back into the city of Jerusalem.  His intentions were very good.  The celebration was cut short when Uzzah was killed for touching the Ark in order to prevent it from falling off of the new cart on which it was being transported.  Once again, Uzzah’s intentions were very good, yet he lost his life in the process.  David becomes angry with God and fearful of God and decides to leave the Ark in a nearby home instead of bringing it to Jerusalem.  This is a great illustration of the fact that God is not only concerned with what we do; but that He is also very concerned with how we do it.  God had left very clear instructions on how the Ark was to be transported.  David and Uzzah did not follow those instructions, which is what lead to the death of Uzzah. DAVID’S DISOBEDIENCE OF THE LORD LEADS TO THE DEATH UZZAH: The Ark of the Lord has been outside of Jerusalem since the Philistines sent it back whe

Someone once said that good things come to those who wait.   That saying seems to be very true in David’s life.   He waited many years to become king of part of Israel.   Then after Saul’s death he waited another seven years in Hebron until he was finally made king of all of Israel.   God had anointed David as the next king through Samuel, yet it took about two decades for this to actually take place in David’s life.   Waiting is a hard thing for us to do, because we want what we want and when we want it, but that is rarely the plan of God.   If we are going to be faithful to the Lord and be used of Him; we must learn to wait. DAVID IS RECOGNIZED AS KING OVER ISRAEL: After the death of Ish-bosheth, David is established as the unrivaled king of Israel.   The elders of Israel recognize that David had been their military leader in the past, they trust his judgment and they desire to unite the kingdom once again.   David did not start a civil war in order to accomplish his kingdom; i

We have learned with David to expect the unexpected.   When Abner died, it greatly weakened the position of Ish-bosheth.   Many of the soldiers were loyal to Abner and would have followed him to David anyway.   This becomes very obvious when two of the top officials under Ish-bosheth come into his home and kill him in his sleep.   We would expect that David would be pleased to have his rival king out of the way, but things are not as we expect them to be.   David was not a man who was hungry for power and recognition.   He was willing to serve as king since God had appointed him, but he was more than willing to wait for God to make this happen without taking these matters into his own hands.   David is a patient and just man which is one of the reasons he is called a man after God’s own heart. ISH-BOSHETH IS ASSASINATED: When Abner defected to David, Ish-bosheth became very vulnerable.   Abner had served under Saul and had the respect and loyalty of the army of Israel.   The two

Bitterness is a very dangerous thing; it destroys relationships and leads men into great sin.  Abner and Joab were great warriors who defended and fought for opposite kings.  Joab was David’s general and Abner was Ish-bosheth’s general.  The story told in this chapter is a drama fit for prime time television with many twists and turns.  However, it reveals the dangers associated with bitterness and the thirst for revenge when we are offended.  Relationships are important, complicated and very fragile.  We all have a variety of relationships on different levels and in different circumstances.  We must be careful to protect these relationships in a way that will be pleasing to the Lord.  There are many lessons to be learned from the various relationships in this passage. ABNER IS OFFENDED BY ISH-BOSHETH: Saul had a concubine with whom Abner apparently had a relationship.  Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son called Abner out on this in a way that was humiliating.  It is hard to tell from the te

Israel has become a divided nation.  David was anointed king in Judah, while Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, was made king in Israel.  It is definitely a difficult time for the nation and there is not a priest like Samuel to make the will of God known to all of the people, so they are all going on what they feel or think should be done.  The civil war that follows is tragic and demonstrates the consequences of not having a man like Samuel to give direction to the people.  Division is always a very dangerous thing and it is a tactic that Satan has repeatedly used to hinder the work and the people of God.  Many believers and churches today are in a state of civil war.  They don’t take up arms and try to kill one another, but they are divided none the less and do not cooperate for the work of the kingdom of God.  This happens because of a lack of spiritual sensitivity and leadership. THE ANOINTING OF TWO KINGS: David has been in exile to this point, even though he is the anointed King

David’s response to Saul’s death is unexpected, at least from a natural point of view.  Saul has been persecuting David for years and cost him tremendous suffering.  We would normally expect for David to rejoice and celebrate the death of the source of this suffering and humiliation.  Instead David mourns his death.  We see that David’ heart was truly loyal to his king and to his nation.  The death of Saul represents the loss of such great potential for the nation and a defeat of the nation of Israel.  David truly is more concerned about the people of his nation than he is about his own position or safety.  This is a true demonstration of biblical leadership.  A leader is first of all concerned about his people and their well being over his own.  God is still looking for loyal leaders who will humbly and sacrificially serve His people. DAVID LEARNS ABOUT SAUL’S DEATH: Saul and his sons have all been killed on the battlefield, but David was far away from there.  When he hears the

It is a great tragedy when a man, like Saul, who started so well; has such a terrible ending.  Saul started his reign as a humble man who feared God and sought to serve the people.  When his life ended he was proud, fearful of men and manipulated other into serving him.  Saul acts much more like a lunatic than a king and his life ended together with the life of his sons all on the same day.  When Saul began to take matters into his own hands and do things according to his own way of understanding instead of doing them according to the will of God; his life began to unravel.  He would constantly make excuses and shift the blame for his sin instead of repenting and asking for God’s forgiveness.  He would make promises and not keep them and was controlled by his jealousy and desire to stay in power as opposed to faithfully and humbly serving the Lord.  The story of Saul is truly a tragedy. SAUL AND HIS SONS ARE DESTROYED AND DEFILED: The Philistines overtake the army of Israel and S

Adversity is always a great test of character and will usually show us where we are in our walk with the Lord.  David has been sent away from the battlefield to return to his home in Ziklag.  However, when he arrives he discovered that the city has been burned down and that all of the women and children have been taken captive.  Fortunately, none of them had been killed; but they were all gone and their homes had been destroyed.  This is one of those times where we see how David will respond in the face of extreme adversity.  It is easy to be a man “after God’s own heart” when everything is going right; but when trouble strikes is when we see David’s true character.  We must never expect that God will prevent all adversity from coming into our lives.  This type of expectation is often used by Satan to discourage us.  We must recognize that God will use adversity to help us to grown and to strengthen our faith. DAVID STRENGTHENS HIMSELF IN THE LORD: When David and his men found th