Tues.’s Devo - David’s Victory- Our Victor

Read: 2 Samuel 18:11-19:10; John 20:1-31; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 16:14-15 David divided his men into three groups with Joab, Abishai, and Ittai over them. David wanted to go out with them but they persuaded him to stay behind. If something happened to David it was all over. He agreed and stayed commanded them to deal gently with Absalom. David had the heart of God for his son. No matter what Absalom had done, David still loved him. The battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim where the trees were so thick that the forest killed more men than the sword. Absalom had thick hair which go caught in the branches and left him hanging in the air. One of David’s men saw it and reported back to Joab. Joab was mad that he didn’t kill Absalom and told him he would have reward him with ten pieces of silver and a hero’s belt. The man replied that he would not have killed Absalom for a thousand pieces of silver because of what David had said. Joab killed Absalom and blew the ram’s horn to signal the victory. He threw Absalom’s body in a pit and covered it with stones. Zadok’s son, Ahimaaz wanted to run tell David the good news but Joab refused to let him go. He sent an Ethiopian instead, to tell David. Ahimaaz begged Joab to let him go also till finally he let him go. Ahimaaz took the short cut and got to David first. Ahimaaz wanted to tell David the good news only. He told him of their victory but not of Absalom. The Ethiopian had to break that news to David and he did it in a very kind way. David was overcome with emotion. I guess he was hoping to reconcile with Absalom and now that he was dead, there would be no closure. He ran to his room and stayed crying over Absalom. The soldiers heard of David’s grief and crept back feeling ashamed for fighting for him. Joab went and told David that if he didn’t go out and congratulate and thank his troops, they would turn on him and he would be worse off than before. David heeded his advise and went and sat at the town gate. Everyone went to hear him. The people who had supported Absalom were afraid to come out of their homes. The people decided to ask David to come back and be their king again. In John, Mary went to the tomb to find the stone rolled away and his body gone. she ran to get Peter. Peter and John ran to the tomb and saw the linen wrappings that he been around Jesus’ body. When Mary looked in, she saw two angels, one at the place of Jesus’ feet and the other where his head had been. They asked her why she was crying and she told them because someone had taken Jesus’ body. When she turned to leave she saw someone standing in the opening. He asked her the same thing. She thought he was the gardener and asked him if he had taken Jesus’ body. That was when Jesus said her name. She immediately went to hug him and he told her not to touch her because he hadn’t ascended to heaven yet. Mary went and told the disciples and as she was talking, Jesus walked through the walls into the room. He showed them the wounds in his hands and side and they were all filled with such joy. Jesus gave them his peace and then breathed on them the Holy Spirit. Thomas wasn’t with them at the time and when he heard they had seen Jesus, he told them he wouldn’t believe until he saw him for himself. Jesus appeared to him eight days later and showed him his hands so he would believe. Thomas believed. Jesus blessed all the people that would come in the future and believe him by faith. We are those people. We are not eye-witnesses to his miracles but we believe because of he things we have heard and the things we have seen his Spirit do. Lord, help us to believe even more. Help us to see the Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.