Sun.’s Devo - David’s Kingdom is Established

Read: 2 Samuel 4:1-6:23; John 13:31-14:14; Psalm 119:17-32; Proverbs 15:31-32 Baanah and Rechab were the captains of Saul’s raiding bands. When they heard that Abner had been killed at Hebron, so they went to Ish-bosheth’s house and killed him in his bed. They cut off his head and took it to David expecting a reward. Instead, they got the same reward as the man who gave David the news that Saul had been killed. David commanded his men to kill them and cut off their hands and feet and hang them beside the pool at Hebron. Their hands and feet had done a terrible sin. *** All the tribes of Israel came to Hebron to make David their king. David was 30 years old and reigned for 40 years over all Israel. *** David took his army to Jerusalem to fight the Jebusites who had said that even the blind and the lame could win over David. He took the city and named it the city of David. *** When Hiram the king of Tyre sent cedar trees, carpenters, and masons to build David a house, David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel. He would finally have a permanent house in Israel. Even other nations were recognizing him and honoring him. *** David began to build his family with more concubines and wives. But, when the Philstines learned that David had become king of Israel, they were not as welcoming. They came to kill him. *** David asked the Lord if he should go out against the Philistines and if He would give them success. The Lord told him to go and he would win. David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines. Davids’ men carried the Philistine idols away with them. *** The Philisines then went to the Valley of Rephaim. God told David to do a rear attack. God would chase them right into their hands. David’s army struck them down and chased them from Geba to Gezer. *** David then gathered all the chosen men of Israel which were 30,000 at Baale-Judah to bring up the ark of God. They brought it on a new cart out of the house of Abinadab. *** David danced before the Lord to the music of all kinds of instruments. Abinadab’s house was on a hill and when the ark came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled. Uzzah put out his hand to the steady the ark. God was so angry, he killed him. *** David was angry and afraid of the Lord because he killed Uzzah. He wondered how he would ever get to bring the ark up to him. He left the ark at the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite. It stayed there for 3 months. During that short time, God blessed the house of Obed-edom. *** When David learned that God had so blessed Obed-edom, he felt confident to bring the ark to the city of David. This time, he brought the ark on the shoulders of priests and sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal every 6 steps. He rejoiced and danced before the ark with all his might. *** David had prepared a tent to house the ark and when the ark arrived there, David offered burnt offerings and peace offering before the Lord. He then blessed the people in the name of the Lord and gave them all bread, meat and some raisins. The people went home. *** When David arrived at his house, Michal, his wife who was Saul’s daughter came to meet him. She mocked how he had danced without his kingly garments before the people. She called him vulgar and shameless. David rebuked her and told her that he had done this before the Lord who had chosen him to be king over her father. He would become more dishonorable to her than this. From that day, Michal was not able to have children. *** In John, Jesus told his disciples that God was now going to be glorified in him. They had just left the place where they had their last supper together. He told them he was leaving them and they couldn’t come where he was going. He then gave them a new commandment. Instead of loving others as they love themselves, they were to love others as he had loved them. He had demonstrated to them and would demonstrate what that meant. It would mean laying down your lives for someone else which was much more powerful than loving others the same as you love yourself. *** Of course, Peter wanted to know where Jesus was going that they couldn’t come. Peter offered to lay down his life for Jesus, but Jesus let Peter know that he was not ready to do that. Before the rooster crowed he would have denied knowing him three times. *** Jesus told his disciples not to worry, but believe in God and in himself. He is going to prepare a place for them to come. He told them they knew where he was going. Thomas assured him, they did not know where he was going, so how would they know how to find him. Jesus told him that he was the way, the truth, and the life. God was in Jesus and because they had seen him, they had seen God. *** Phillip still didn’t get it and asked Jesus to show them God. Jesus said, ‘have I been with you for all this time and you still haven’t understood?’ It is God in him who says what he says and does all he does. Whoever believes in him will also do the works he does and greater works because he is going to his Father. He told them that whatever they ask in his name, he will do it so that God would be glorified. *** Jesus, we believe that you are who you say you are and that you answer all our prayers accordingly to your promises. Lord God, may you be glorified in our lives.