2 Samuel 8:2 Two Or One Full Line?

 ”Then he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought tribute.“ ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”He defeated Moab, and measured them with a length of rope, making them lie down on the ground; he measured two lengths to [choose those to] put to death, and one full length to [choose those to] be kept alive. And the [surviving] Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.“ ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬ ‭AMP‬

a. He defeated Moab: David’s war against Moab and his harsh treatment of their army seemed out of place considering that David’s great-grandmother was a Moabite (Ruth) and that he entrusted his mother and father into the care of the Moabites (1 Samuel 22:3-4). It may be that the Moabites killed or mistreated David’s parents.

b. Brought tribute: God did not want Israel to destroy every neighbor nation. Generally, God wanted Israel to be so blessed and strong that other nations were “taxed” by Israel, thus recognizing their strength and dominance. (Guzik)

Two or One Full Line?

We don’t know why David did this as the Bible doesn’t mention it. 

I had read four different translations trying to understand the meaning of the two or one line length and it appears if they were small and possibly young David spared their lives?

The book of Ruth (David’s great grandmother) is a short, good book of God’s love and how He works in all circumstances for those who love him.

Do you love God?

Blessings 

2 Samuel 7:25-29 Appropriate His Promise!

 ”“Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You. “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”“ II Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬-‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Establish it forever and do as You have said: David’s prayer boldly asked God to do what He promised. This wasn’t a passive prayer that said, “Well God, do whatever You want to do – I don’t really care one way or another.” This wasn’t an arrogant prayer that said, “God, let me tell You what to do.” This was a bold prayer that said, “God, here is Your promise – now I trust You to fulfill it grandly and to be faithful to Your word.”

i. The phrase “therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You” emphasizes this. David said, “I’m only praying because You promised. You told me that this is what You want to do.”

ii. “God sent the promise on purpose to be used. If I see a Bank of England note, it is a promise for a certain amount of money, and I take it and use it. But oh I my friend, do try and use God’s promises; nothing pleases God better than to see his promises put in circulation; he loves to see his children bring them up to him, and say, ‘Lord, do as thou hast said.’ And let me tell you that it glorifies God to use his promises.” (Spurgeon)

iii. This kind of prayer appropriates God’s promise. Just because God promised doesn’t mean that we possess. Through believing prayer like this, God promises, and we appropriate. If we don’t appropriate in faith, God’s promise is left unclaimed.

· We may appropriate His promise for forgiveness: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

· We may appropriate His promise for peace: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

· We may appropriate His promise for guidance: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. (Psalm 32:8)

· We may appropriate His promise for growth: He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

· We may appropriate His promise for help: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

b. Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You: Notice that David prayed from the heart. Some people pray from a book, others pray from their heads. The right place to pray from is the heart.

i. It also says that David came before God to pray this prayer. Some prayers are not prayed. They are said or read or thought, but not prayed. “Not to say this prayer, but to pray this prayer. There is great force in the expression. Some prayers are never prayed, but are like arrows which are never shot from the bow. Scarcely may I call them prayers, for they are such as to form, and matter, and verbiage, but they are said, not prayed. The praying of prayer is the main matter.” (Spurgeon)

c. You are God, and Your words are true: This was David’s foundation of faith. He knew that God was God and that every word of His was true. He knew that God can be trusted.

(Guzik)

i. “The great sin of not believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is often spoken of very lightly and in a very trifling spirit, as though it were scarcely any sin at all; yet, according to my text, and, indeed, according to the whole tenor of the Scriptures, unbelief is the giving of God the lie, and what can be worse?” (Spurgeon)

Appropriate His Promise!

The Bible is full of promises and Jesus was the Maker of them! 

Let us follow David’s example and appropriate His promises of forgiveness, faith, peace, guidance, growth and help!

In my golden years, I appropriate the promise that the earth is not my home! I hold fast to it and look forward to sitting down at the Lords table of great feast and seeing my brothers and sisters in Christ!

I look forward to the room that Jesus prepared for me in His Father’s mansion!

I appropriate the promise of no more tears, or sorrow, or pain and suffering!

Like David I say and believe, You are God, and Your words are true!

Is there a particular promise that you appropriate and hold fast to?

Blessings 

2 Samuel 7:18-24 Who Am I?

 ”Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, know Your servant. For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God.“ ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭18‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Who am I, O Lord GOD?.... Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD: When David received this spectacular gift, he didn’t think it made him any greater. In David’s eyes, it made God greater.

i. David’s attitude wasn’t, “I am so great that even God gives me gifts.” His attitude was, “God is so great that He gives even me gifts.” We should receive salvation and every blessing with the same attitude. God’s giving reflects the greatness of the Giver, not the receiver.

b. Your servant: David’s humble reception of this gift is shown by the repetition of the phrase Your servant– ten times in this prayer.

(Guzik)

i. It shows that David humbly accepted God’s “no” when he wanted to build the temple. “There are some professors who would do a great thing if they might, but if they are not permitted to act a shining part they are in the sulks and angry with their God. David when his proposal was set aside found it in his heart not to murmur, but to pray.” (Spurgeon)

Who Am I?

As I reflect on my life and my past sinful ways I wonder who am I, O Lord God? 

We survived a great ice storm with very little damage and I have to wonder, did God put His Hand of protection over our household? I went to visit a friend who’s struggling and I couldn’t believe all the damage that I witnessed! It looks like a hurricane went through, tops of trees gone, rows of electric poles destroyed, roofs damaged and buildings destroyed! Another friend had so much red pine tree damage that he has to have a logging company remove them all for pennies on the dollar. 

When I contemplate the damage others received versus our property I have ask myself, Who am I, O Lord God?

Blessings 

2 Samuel 7:12-17 Promises!

”“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ” According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.“ ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. I will set up your seed after you: In this, God specifically promised a hereditary monarchy for the house of David. It was important for God to repeat this promise specifically because there had never yet been a king succeeded by his son in Israel.

i. “The family of Saul became totally extinct; the family of David remained till the incarnation.” (Clarke)

ii. This great promise that God made to David had only a future fulfillment. David would only benefit in his day from the promise through faith. If David had a “what’s-in-it-for-me-right-now” attitude, the promise would have meant nothing to him.

iii. “The joy which filled David’s bosom was a spiritual one, because he knew that Jesus would come of his race, and that an everlasting kingdom would be set up in his person, and in him should the Gentiles trust.” (Spurgeon)

b. He shall build a house for My name: Though David would not build a temple for God, David’s descendent would.

c. I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever: The family of David did rule over Israel for more than four centuries but was eventually removed because of evil added upon evil. Yet out of the “stump” of Jesse, God raised up a new branch that will reign forever and ever (Isaiah 11:1-2).

d. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him: This descendent of David will enjoy a special relationship with God. If he sins, God will not reject him. Instead, God will chasten him without rejecting him.

e. Your throne shall be established forever: God promised David that the reign of his dynasty would last forever.

i. Each of these great promises was partially fulfilled in Solomon, David’s son and successor to his throne.

· Solomon ruled on David’s throne.

· God’s mercies never departed from Solomon, though he sinned.

· Solomon built God a magnificent house.

ii. But the prophets foretold a greater fulfillment of these promises.

· Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth…. Now this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

· For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder…. Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it…from that time forward, even forever. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

· And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:31-33)

iii. God’s promise of a house for David is completely fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

· Jesus does reign and will reign on David’s throne forever.

· The Father’s mercies never departed from Jesus, even when He was made sin for us.

· Jesus is building the Father a magnificent house (Hebrews 3:3-6) in the sense that we are God’s temple (1 Peter 2:5) and the church is God’s new house. (Guzik)

Promises!

The promises God made to David reminds me of a New Testament verse when Jesus posed a question to the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes!

”If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”“

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭46‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ 

I can’t help myself when I read this verse and chuckle 🤭.

I hold on to the promises of Jesus, do you?

Blessings 

https://newsfromthethrone.blogspot.com/2015/03/blogging-bible-matt-2245-mind-blown.html

2 Samuel 7:10-11 But It Is Well!

 ”Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house.“

‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. I will appoint a place for My people Israel: God promised David that under his reign, He would establish a permanent and secure Israel. God promised this first because He knew that David, being a godly shepherd, was first concerned about the welfare of his people.

b. He will make you a house: God promised David that He would build him a house in the sense of establishing a dynasty for the house of David. This was an enduring legacy for David long after his death.

i. David wanted to build God a temple. God said, “Thank you David, but no thanks. Let Me build you a house instead.” This was a greater promise than David’s offer to God because David’s “house” (dynasty) would last longer and be more glorious than the temple David wanted to build.

ii. God honored what David gave Him, even though he only gave it to God in his sincere intention. There are some things that we want to give God but are prevented from giving. In these cases, God receives the intention as the gift.

iii. God said “No” to David’s offer because David was a man of war, and God wanted a man of peace to build His temple. 1 Chronicles 22:8-10 explains this: But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight…. a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest…. He shall build a house for My name.

iv. The explanation to David recorded in 1 Chronicles 22:8 came years afterward. We can surmise that for many years David did not know the exact reason why God didn’t want him to build the temple. (Guzik)

“It would have wounded David needlessly to have been told this at the time…. Meanwhile David possessed his soul in patience, and said to himself, ‘God has a reason; I cannot understand it, but it is well.’” (Meyer)

But It Is Well!

Like David when we don’t get the answer from God that we desire it would be good to think, ‘God has a reason; I cannot understand it, but it is well.’”

Recently we had a record ice storm that damaged the electrical grid in nine counties and 94% of our county was affected. We were without electricity for 9 days and we were restored yesterday at 12:35 pm.

When we were shopping at grocery store the other day my wife was talking to an employee and she believed God allowed this storm because the people have drifted from God. There is historical biblical evidence if we study the Israelites and what happened to them when they drifted from God.

So I believe as David, ‘God has a reason; I cannot understand it, but it is well.’”

God can use disasters in our lives to draw people closer to Him.

Our church was the only place in our area that sheltered up to 200 people daily, on generator power with a kitchen that cooked and fed them three meals a day. They sleep in the gym, chapel, hallways and classrooms. Ten people came from the hospital on oxygen and required 24/7 nursing care. The church called on members for nurses and God provided.

When we help those in need during bad times, do people see Jesus in us?

Blessings 

2 Samuel 7:8-9 I Have Been With You!

 ”Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.“ ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people: God took David from the pasture to the throne.

b. I have been with you wherever you have gone: God protected David from all his enemies.

c. Have made you a great name: God made David’s name great in all the earth. (Guzik)

I Have Been With You!

”Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”“

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Being followers of Jesus doesn’t mean we won’t suffer, but He says He will never leave you or forsake you!

In the midst of our suffering with the ice storm we experienced we have been without electricity for a week now. My sister commented that I was a survivalist and a friend told me he was impressed with my preparedness. I give the credit to the Lord who has helped me see what could be. We have a generator, we have food, we have wood heat, we have propane to run the generator and the hot water (hydronic) boiler for heat and hot water and the ability to fix things.

I give God all the credit, for we a surly blessed!

Yesterday the linemen were installing new electrical poles and had two of twenty five done. We were relieved to see them working. I wondered how they would install the new poles? See the attached photo.

Please pray for people without!

Blessings