READ 2 Samuel 20–24
In my part of the world, one political party recently elected a new leader and the leader of another political party is going after her like a wounded animal or a child angry at another child for playing with her toys. The new leader has basically ignored the attacks, but the media is making much of it. Where will it end? Likely not soon.
Today’s reading begins with an event that reminds me how power struggles are not a new thing. David defeated Absalom’s attempt to usurp his throne and is on his way back to Jerusalem . . .
Now there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba . . . a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said, “We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!” So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba . . . But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 20:1–2)
After this, David’s men were sent to deal with Sheba. In the course of events, Joab killed Amasa, David’s new military leader and took his place as before. Then he made sure Sheba was destroyed. After that, a famine happened with the Lord telling David it was because of Saul’s sin. David righted the wrong and “God responded to the plea for the land.” (21:13)
Then there was war again with the Philistines and Israel. David’s men killed the giants descended from the one David had killed many years before and David wrote a song of deliverance that eventually worked its way into the book of Psalms. Near the end of 2 Samuel, his “last words” were also words of praise beginning with:
“The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth . . . .” (23:2–7)
As the narration ends, David’s “mighty men” are listed. Then David made a mistake; he decided to number the people of Israel and Judah. Even though the Lord incited him to do it, he realized afterwards that this was not right. He said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
The Lord gave him a choice of consequences through his seer, Gad. David said to Gad, “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.” So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel and 70,000 men died. And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.”
David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people: “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.” (24:14–17)
When a man offered his oxen for a burnt offering and the wood needed, David again revealed his heart by saying, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” After the sacrifice was made, “the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.” (24:22–25)
Thinking of the people, and David, and God’s dealings in this reading, I thought about current politics and godless events. I also wondered about God’s reasons for our recent pandemic. In David’s story, didn’t pestilence happen because David counted his people to evaluate his strength, relying on his power instead of trusting the power of God? In our day, could our ‘pestilence’ be related to the declaration that humans have the power to control the climate, despite what the Word of God says about His control over the weather? Could pestilence be a consequence of giving humanity credit that does not belong to us? Do we dare evaluate human power above God’s power?
I am not claiming this thought as a revelation from God, even though it could be. God is sovereign and to claim that my abilities are better, greater, wiser or in any way superior to His seems to me the most foolish idea that I could have. If my sins were not already paid for by the blood of Christ, I would think it righteous of God to strike me down. Only by God’s mercy did David survive — and the same is true for me and for all others who put their faith in Him.
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