Today, as we read Psalm 28, 55, and 2 Samuel 19-20, there are moments of betrayal, victory, rebuke, restoration, clarity. It's complicated, Probably just like your life right now. But when we read the Psalms of David, I should impressed by the intimacy and the confidence he has to come before the Lord in all circumstances. He has been forced to recognize God as his protector, provider, sustainer, help, salvation, and joy. And I believe it was stewarded in times of loneliness and trial. It's a reminder for us as moms to try to not protect our kids from the difficult times they might encounter on this Earth. Many of us can see that pattern in our own lives. And if you're a mom whose kids are encountering health struggles or friendship trials or academic challenges, and you wish you could spare them, I pray today that you could treasure the closeness David has with his Lord, realize it was hard fought for, and be patient in the lives of your kids and in your own life because you know it's worth it.

Today's Scripture: 2 Samuel 19-20, Psalm 28 and 55

Cross References: Isaiah 40:11 and John 10:11

Do you feel like you've blown it in your parenting? Can God redeem those mistakes and sins? Yes, He truly can! Entrusted with a Child's Heart can encourage you to embrace the fresh start God has for you. This quick episode explains how this biblical parenting study can guide moms, bless your church, and actually help the leaders! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-again-podcast-for-christian-moms-encouragement-in/id1700555502

Don't forget to check out the Again Podcast! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-again-podcast-for-christian-moms-encouragement-in/id1700555502

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary, Spurgeon's Treasury of David

Welcome to The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

2

I'm Stephanie Hickox.

3

Today, as I read Psalm twenty-eight

and fifty-five and Second Samuel,

4

chapters nineteen and twenty, there

are moments of betrayal, victory,

5

rebuke, restoration, clarity.

6

It's complicated, Probably

just like your life right now.

7

But when I read the Psalms of David,

I'm impressed by the intimacy and

8

the confidence he has to come before

the Lord in all circumstances.

9

He has been forced to recognize

God as his protector, provider,

10

sustainer, help, salvation, and joy.

11

And I believe it was stewarded

in times of loneliness and trial.

12

It's a reminder for me as a mom to try

to not protect my kids from the difficult

13

times they might encounter on this Earth.

14

I can see that pattern in my own life,

it's those times that God really proved

15

his faithfulness and his nearness to me.

16

And if you're a mom whose kids are

encountering health struggles or

17

friendship trials or academic challenges,

and you wish you could spare them,

18

I pray today that you could treasure

the closeness David has with his Lord.

19

Realize it was hard fought for,

and be patient in the lives of

20

your kids and in your own life

because you know it's worth it.

21

We don't know when David wrote

Psalm twenty-eight, but there's a

22

variety of emotion displayed, David

came before God with all of it.

23

To you, O Lord, I call; my rock,

be not deaf to me, lest if you

24

be silent to me, I become like

those who go down to the pit.

25

Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy when

I cry to you for help, when I lift my

26

hands toward your most holy sanctuary.

27

Do not drag me off with the wicked,

with the workers of evil who

28

speak peace with their neighbors

while evil is in their hearts.

29

Give to them according to their work,

and according to the evil of their deeds;

30

give to them according to the work of

their hands; render them their due reward.

31

Because they do not regard the works of

the Lord or the work of His hands, He will

32

tear them down and build them up no more

33

" Blessed be the Lord, for He has heard

the voice of my pleas for mercy.

34

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped.

35

My heart exults, and with my

song I give thanks to Him.

36

The Lord is the strength of His people;

He is the saving refuge of His anointed.

37

Oh, save Your people

and bless Your heritage.

38

There were two verses that really

gripped me there in verse seven, " The

39

Lord is my strength and my shield; in

Him my heart trusts, and I am helped.

40

My heart exults, and with my

song I give thanks to Him."

41

There again is that promise

that God will be our help.

42

It's so humbling, isn't it?

43

And then that last line, " Be their

shepherd and carry them forever."

44

Hmm.

45

Is there a sweeter picture than

Jesus holding us in His arms?

46

We can know that nothing will touch us

that He doesn't ordain or allow, and

47

that He's with us through all things.

48

It makes me think of that tender

49

tend His flock like a shepherd.

50

He will gather the lambs in His arms.

51

He will carry them in His bosom and

gently lead those that are with young."

52

Whether you're overwhelmed by

decision-making or just exhausted

53

God is there for you to cling to,

and Jesus wants you to come to Him

54

through it all, I recently heard

a sermon about the Book of John.

55

When Jesus says He's the Good

Shepherd, apparently in the original

56

language, it would have read, " I

am the shepherd, the good one."

57

And Jesus was contrasting Himself

from the wicked Pharisees of the day

58

that weren't shepherding God's people

in love and tenderness and care,

59

which was so far from God's heart

60

as we turn to Psalm 55, David wrestles

with betrayal and wishing that

61

he could escape, and I find great

comfort in one of the concluding

62

verses: " Cast your burden on the Lord

and He will sustain you He will never

63

permit the righteous to be moved.

64

And on a more lighthearted note,

this chapter takes me back to

65

memories of watching ESPN clips

with my brother growing up.

66

Because verse 21 says, "His

speech was smooth as butter,

67

yet war was in his heart."

68

Did you ever hear the

commentators say, "He must be

69

butter, 'cause he is on a roll"?

70

I remember the first time I saw that

verse in scripture, and I thought, " God,

71

you're so hip and ahead of the times."

72

continuing that theme of coming to God

in all circumstances, and with life being

73

complex, Let's turn to 2 Samuel 19 and 20.

74

At this point, David is overcome

by grief for his son Absalom.

75

I had to peek back at the Davidic

Covenant, because God gave the

76

promise to David that there would

be a son to reign on his throne, but

77

it doesn't say which son it will be.

78

If you've been a student of scripture

for long at all, you might, like me, read

79

it and automatically picture Solomon,

but David didn't know which son would

80

reign, and Solomon wouldn't have been

born till years after that promise.

81

So, like most monarchies, the firstborn

is considered the heir to the throne.

82

That would've been Amnon.

83

And I'm sure David was grieving the loss

of an heir as well as the loss of a son

84

when Absalom took his brother's life.

85

David's second son was Abigail's son,

Chileab, because we don't read about

86

him again, most commentators believe

he would've died as a young child.

87

Then you get to David's

third born, Absalom.

88

David might have believed he would

be the next ruler, which got kind

89

of complicated as he murdered and

then conspired against his father.

90

But I'm sure the grief was complex.

91

And at this point, David is mourning

so deeply that Joab comes and

92

rebukes him, accusing him of robbing

the people's joy in their victory.

93

Instead of returning back

94

with pride, thankful that David

gets to remain king, they come back

95

in the same manner in which they

would have if they'd been defeated.

96

Joab says, "How dare you?

97

They protected your life.

98

You owe them some gratitude."

99

It's not clear if David knows that Joab

is the one that killed Absalom yet.

100

And Joab is just a complicated guy.

101

He's faithfully led David's armies for

decades and is an effective warrior.

102

But if at any point he thinks

you've crossed him or someone

103

he cares about, look out.

104

Also, I'm sure it was complex for

Joab that he was actually the one that

105

restored Absalom to come back to Jerusalem

106

I wonder if he carried some guilt

thinking, " Uh-oh, I might have

107

helped lead to this conspiracy."

108

Who knows?

109

but there's another tension we see in

this chapter, that the tribe of Judah and

110

the rest of Israel was not fully united.

111

And it's ironic that even though

David was from the house of

112

Judah, it's actually Israel that's

welcoming him back to be king.

113

He's trying to win over

the tribe of Judah,

114

Steph: and he offers to let Amasa be the

commander of his army instead of Joab.

115

This is probably because

Joab just rebuked him.

116

And this negotiation strategy

wins Judah over to follow David.

117

And you might miss this if you're

not focusing on those details and

118

genealogies, but Joab and Amasa were both

sons of David's sisters, so they were

119

cousins, and also cousins with Absalom.

120

And Amasa was the ruler of

Absalom's army in his rebellion.

121

Can you imagine asking the leader of your

opponent's army to come work for you?

122

But that's what David does

to bring peace to the nation.

123

Pause on that storyline for a moment.

124

Remember Shimei, the son of

Gera, that was cursing David

125

shimei knows his life is in

jeopardy because David is being

126

restored as king, probably something

he didn't expect to happen.

127

He humbly says, " Let not my lord

hold me guilty or remember how

128

your servant did wrong on the day,

my lord, the king left Jerusalem.

129

Do not let the king take it to heart, for

your servant knows that I have sinned."

130

And Abishai says, "I

wanted to kill him before.

131

You stopped me.

132

Can I kill him now?"

133

But David graciously and mercifully

issues basically a presidential pardon.

134

be watching to notice if he

gives David any reason to

135

change his mind on that oath.

136

Next, Mephibosheth comes.

137

He's thoroughly unkempt and

shows the signs of grieving, and

138

David asks him, " Why didn't you

go out with me, Mephibosheth?"

139

He answered, "My lord, O

king, my servant deceived me.

140

He has slandered your

servant to my lord the king.

141

David doesn't really know

who's telling the truth.

142

He decides to not look into it any

further and splits the land fifty-fifty

143

between Mephibosheth and the servant.

144

Then David rewards someone I consistently

see that about David, that when someone

145

was there for him in a time of need.

146

He faithfully takes

the time to repay that.

147

Now we have another conspiracy.

148

Sheba, the son of Bichri, a

Benjaminite, which was the tribe of

149

Saul, decides this is the right time

to make a play for the throne too.

150

Chapter twenty, verse two tells us, " So

all the men of Israel withdrew from David

151

and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri.

152

But the men of Judah followed their king

steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem."

153

There's that dividing line

again between the tribes.

154

David comes back home, and

those concubines that Absalom

155

had tried to claim for himself,

156

David puts them under guard, and while

still providing for them, never will

157

seek out their companionship again.

158

let's go back to Joab.

159

Perhaps he's jealous of

Amasa taking over the army.

160

And in Judas-like betrayal fashion,

Joab says to his cousin Amasa, " Is

161

it well with you, my brother?"

162

And Joab took Amasa by the beard

with his right hand to kiss him.

163

But Amasa did not observe the

sword that was in Joab's hand.

164

So Joab struck him with it in the

stomach and spilled his entrails

165

to the ground without striking

a second blow, and he died.

166

He's killing a commander from

his own army because he wants

167

to take his position back.

168

That's obviously pretty ruthless if

you would do that to your own cousin.

169

Speaker 39: with Joab as the

new commander, they pursue

170

Sheba, the son of Bichri.

171

He's decided to take cover

in Abel of Beth Maacah.

172

Joab and his army come against the

city, but we encounter the second wise

173

woman we've read about in 2 Samuel.

174

This wise woman says, I am peaceable

and faithful, and you don't

175

need to attack our whole city."

176

It calls her wise again as she goes

to her people, has them cut off the

177

head of Sheba, and then they throw

it over the wall to Joab, saying,

178

"Okay, stop attacking us now."

179

We have more than enough examples at this

point to set any misconception straight

180

that our God doesn't have important

or powerful roles for women to play.

181

I am so thankful for the way He uses

women to accomplish His purposes.

182

And because this God is all-powerful,

Let's turn to Him doing the

183

most important, powerful thing

we can do, praying His Word.

184

We thank You, God, that You are our

rock, you hear the voice of our pleas

185

for mercy when we cry to You for help.

186

We praise You that You are our strength

and our shield, and that our hearts

187

can trust in You for You to help us.

188

For every mom that feels tired or weary

today I pray that You would not just

189

sustain her, but give her joy as well,

190

that she has enough to actually

sing to You in gratitude.

191

Lord, be our refuge

and bless our children.

192

Be a shepherd to them and carry them.

193

And we ask that in all

circumstances of life,

194

whether they feel difficulty or

loneliness, that they would learn your

195

nearness and your tenderness through it

all, knowing they can cast their burdens

196

upon you help them to be righteous before

you, that they would never be moved.

197

Lord, we trust in you, but ask that you

would increase our faith in your goodness.

198

In the name of the Good

Shepherd Jesus, we pray.

199

Amen.