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If YOU were\u00a0 the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 17<\/span><\/a>, and Jesus looked at YOU and told you to sell everything you had, how would YOU feel?\u00a0 What would Jesus’ expression be as He looked\u00a0 into YOUR eyes?\u00a0 Would the other people be looking at you for your reaction?\u00a0 What attitude would their faces display?\u00a0 Would you feel embarrassed or that you were on the spot?\u00a0 Would you get the feeling that you were interrupting the trip and slowing things down?\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Bible, especially the Old Testament, is full of many interesting stories.\u00a0 It’s frequently like a movie about war, crime, and love.\u00a0 It’s history.\u00a0 It’s disturbing.\u00a0 It’s violent.\u00a0 It’s brutal.\u00a0 It’s- well- a lot like the world we’re living in.\u00a0 How can we learn from theses passages?<\/p>\n One such story is in the opening chapters of the book of 2 Samuel. Scan through\u00a0 chapters 1-4<\/a><\/span>, to get the gist of the story.\u00a0 Here are some thoughts on the two main characters…\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Try reading the king’s name this way:\u00a0 ISH-bo-sheth<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n King Saul died and David became king of the tribe of Judah.\u00a0 But Ishbosheth (a son of King Saul) became king of the other 11 tribes (collectively named “Israel”).\u00a0 But we get the impression that Isbosheth wasn’t necessarily made of the “right stuff” to be king.\u00a0 In fact, he was elevated to the throne by Saul’s commander of the army, Abner.\u00a0 King Ishbosheth totally depended on Abner; not only for getting him to the throne, but also for keeping it.<\/p>\n In his one moment of recorded courage, Ishbosheth confronted Abner when Abner slept with one of Saul’s concubines.\u00a0 This wasn’t necessarily a moral issue for the king, but it was a personal affront to the king’s “power” (which ultimately was controlled by Abner).\u00a0<\/p>\n In response, Abner decides to jump ship and make peace with David.\u00a0 He heads south to Hebron, meets with David, and the king accepts his petition.\u00a0 But on his return, some of David’s men take matters into their own hands and kill Abner.<\/p>\n The death of Abner was like pulling the rug out from poor King Ishbosheth.\u00a0 In 4:1, we read that he “lost all courage” when Abner died.\u00a0 He held out in his bedroom scared and paralyzed.\u00a0 He had trusted Abner for everything and was probably kicking himself for doing the right thing in confronting Abner about his wrong act.\u00a0 While he was moping around and sleeping in his bedroom, two men (named Rechab and Baanah<\/span>) came in and killed Ishbosheth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rechab and Baanah (the men who killed David’s rival king)<\/span>, packed up Ishbosheth’s head confidently dashed off to Hebron to meet with David.\u00a0 They presented the gruesome evidence to King David thinking that they would be rewarded for securing the kingdom for But David surprised them.\u00a0 His trust was coming from another source.\u00a0 His “ways were not like their ways.” \u00a0<\/p>\n Many years ago, Samuel had anointed David as king.\u00a0 But life for David after his anointing was anything but royal.\u00a0 For years, he was attacked by Philistines, hounded by King Saul, and frequently left hiding on his own in a cave.\u00a0 God anointed him king, but he wasn’t king.<\/p>\n David had many chances to kill Saul, but he didn’t do it.\u00a0 In a scene similar to the one in this passage, someone came to David claiming to be the one who killed Saul.\u00a0 But David said, “how dare you kill the Lord’s anointed”, and David surprisingly had this supposed hero killed.<\/p>\n And so when the killers of Ishbosheth triumphantly stood before David with their hands out for a reward, David’s “reward” was not what they expected.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This may seem like a typical Old Testament story of intrigue and violence.\u00a0 It might even seem offensive and it might make us feel a bit uncomfortable.\u00a0 But, as we read the scriptures- which are about people much like us- what can we learn about ourselves?\u00a0 If the Bible is God’s Word, He’s trying to tell us something!\u00a0 How are we like Ishbosheth or like David? Ishbosheth trusted Abner.\u00a0 All of his worth and power came from the fact that Abner promoted and protected him.\u00a0 When Abner was gone, so was Ishbosheth.<\/p>\n But look at David. God made a promise to him and he trusted God.\u00a0 David had many opportunities to take things in his own hands and force God’s hand to make him king.\u00a0 He could have killed Saul.\u00a0 He could have rewarded the man who did kill Saul (or claimed to).\u00a0 He could have paraded king Ishbosheth’s head all over Israel and claimed the throne.\u00a0<\/p>\n But David was patient.\u00a0 David constantly looked for God’s will.\u00a0 David always trusted God.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are you able to put yourself in that story and truly say that you would have trusted God too?\u00a0<\/p>\n When we read a passage like this it’s easy to distance ourselves; all of this happened a long time ago, in a different culture, and it was played out by people who were in power.\u00a0 It doesn’t fit my life.\u00a0 Or does it?\u00a0 Read it over a few times and put yourself into the story.\u00a0 Have you ever totally depended on someone like Ishbosheth relied on Abner?\u00a0 Have you ever done what you thought was a good deed that would bring you a reward, only to discover that your “good deed” was really a “bad deed”?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Regardless of the passage; regardless of how distant it might seem, put yourself into the story.\u00a0 Work at it, and see what God might be trying to tell you about yourself.<\/p>\n The Bible:\u00a0 Take it Personally!<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In his July 2017 message during the Pitman Camp Meeting, he gave a great example of “Personalizing the Scripture” in the story of the the Paralytic who was lowered through a hole cut into the roof of Peter’s house (Mark chapter 2).<\/span><\/p>\n Check\u00a0 out this\u00a0 post…<\/span><\/p>\n You Were There! (Camp Meeting, 7\/16\/17)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nGive it a Try!<\/span><\/h3>\n
Ishbosheth<\/span><\/h4>\n
David<\/span><\/h4>\n
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<\/a>David.\u00a0 They trusted in their plan.<\/p>\nTake this Passage Personally!
\n <\/span><\/h3>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWhat did David Trust?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
What do I Trust?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n