Heralds Digest

  “Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone!”” ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭13‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Unless in our contemporary world, where losers are celebrated with deceptive praise-singing and celebration of waywardness, sexual immorality has always been an open expression of emotional weakness, intellectual shame, and social disgrace. Therefore, after Amnon has displayed his weakness, shame, and disgrace, Amnon hated Tamar exceedingly and accordingly, as if she was the source of his character flaws. Since losers do not truly love themselves, they lack the capacity to express the right emotion of love for others. Unfortunately, Amnon lost everything that the prince's rights entailed; and eventually lost his life, after 2 years of coverups, humiliation, and shame. Likewise, losers’ love in today’s world is a smokescreen and the expression of popular war against rejection an...

  “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” ‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ It is noteworthy that while David’s first wilderness experience was triggered by the incidence of the Holy Spirit’s Impaction, his second wilderness experience was self-propelled by idle indulgence. At the time when kings go out to battle, David was roaming or idling in the palace attics turned into Satan’s workshop. Unfortunately, no one has ever dined with the Devil and escaped without a scratch on his face; and David wouldn’t be an exception. A man who was singled out as the epitome of God’s abiding presence suddenly turned out as adulterer, murderer, and abuser of God’s grace. Through idle indulgence, “ And the Lord preserved David wherever he went ” became “ But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord...

  “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 ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ After David experienced rest from the storms in his life, he desired to reciprocate the abiding presence of God with the building of a cedar house for the Ark of the Lord - the representation of God’s presence. But instead of getting God’s approval of his good gesture, he got a new concept of a lasting shield. A shield from God Himself, instead of the most beautiful shield that the hands of man can build. Actually, we all know that the shield we labour to build here on earth for ourselves and legacies doesn’t last forever. God said to David, apparently, ‘How about this, let me build you a house that will last forever ’. The most adorable essence of God’s abiding presence in the life and affairs of His beloved is the building of a lasting house through us and for His o...

  “But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all adversity, when someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news.” II Samuel‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The enthronement of David confirmed the fact that the redemption story is not complete without extolling the virtue of righteousness. And whoever will share a righteous story must be prepared to stop the robbers on the redemption highway. Such were the likes of the Amalekite who lied about killing Saul for David, and these two brothers (Rechab and Baanah) who actually killed Ishbosheth for David. They were all stopped by David from taking the glory of the righteous Redeemer. When David said “ As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all adversity “, he testified to the sufficiency of...

  “May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as the Lord has sworn to him— to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”” II Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The Will of man is always like a flip of coin, between strong standoff and weak war, mostly in disobedience to the counsel of God. Unfortunately, at the strongest standoff, not many people care about giving attention to the counsels of God, sometimes describing them as idle words, senseless suggestions, and unappealing outbursts. For example, king Saul knew about the Will of God concerning the switching of the kingdom from him to David, but he fought against it with the last drop of his blood. Even after the death of Saul and his son Jonathan, his servant Abner continued the deviant war in protection of his self-interest. Now, at the obvious but disappointing switch from strong standoff to weak war, he suddenly felt compelled...

  “Then the young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my Lord.”” II Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬, ‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Dishonesty in almost all of life’s affairs is aimed at manipulating favour from men, and not from God. Actually, it is always a sincere indication of disbelief in the existence of God; or the support of His impotence in the distribution of favour in life. The layers of truth in the message from the Amalekite man was clear to everyone: Saul and his sons were killed in the battle, as evidenced by the king’s crown and bracelet in the hands of the reporter. However, these messages were sandwiched with lies about his responsibility and excuse for killin...

  “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”” I Samuel‬ ‭30‬:‭6‬, ‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Unlike spiritual strength, there is a limit to human leverage and the celebration of physical strength in life. Since the last celebration of Goliath’s defeat by David was echoed with “ Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands ” by the excited women in Israel, David had faced the consequences with attacks, betrayals, rejections, and devastation. And with those who chose to identify with David through this wilderness experience, these consequences have been manageable…until these loyal men spoke of stoning David at the height of another d...