The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 10:1-4,
"In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. David thought, 'I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.' So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David's men came to the land of the Ammonites, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, 'Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn't David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?' So Hanun seized David's envoys, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away."
This humiliation of David's men led to a war in which many thousands were killed. I can't help but note that the very best and sincere intentions of David were met with suspicion and hostility. The reaction of Hanun's commanders to David's expression of sympathy was unfounded, unreasonable, and communicated great hostility.
Today, we live in a day when so many fret over what must have western civilization done to Islamic militants such that they too are hostile, vicious and attack innocents without apparent provocation. And, as with so many things, today's pundits, politicians and talking heads are without a clue. This being the case they have bent over backwards to insure there be absolutely no potential for hurt feelings by Muslims. This is why granny gets the treatment by the TSA when she flies, so that when Muslim men in their twenties get frisked at the airport, they do not feel like they are being picked on... all these kinds of foolish reactions by many in our culture who don't, as I say, have a clue.
There is a very simple and truthful explanation for what so many do not understand. Both the Ammonites in David's day and today's jihadists belong to what I refer to as "Team Cain". Christians and Jews belong to "Team Abel". It isn't just exactly so, but generally speaking, Islamic militants, as members of Team Cain hate and seek to destroy Team Abel. Team Cain exists outside of God's tent, are hostile and resentful and seek to destroy what the Judaeo-Christian heritage has produced - western civilization. As such, the United States and Israel are in the cross-hairs of militant Islam and are slated for annihilation by them.
Team Cain, of course, is not just made up of jihadists. Any group that is hostile to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that is hostile to Jesus Christ and his church make their home in Team Cain. This is the group we see in Psalm 2:1-3 , "Why do the nations conspire [rage] and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 'Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.'"
Their rage is vented, not just against God, but also his people. John observed this in 1 John 3:12-13, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you."
Just as David destroyed the Ammonites, so God will ultimately destroy all of Team Cain. As we read in the next few verses of Psalm 2:4-6, "The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 'I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.'"
"In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. David thought, 'I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.' So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David's men came to the land of the Ammonites, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, 'Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn't David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?' So Hanun seized David's envoys, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away."
This humiliation of David's men led to a war in which many thousands were killed. I can't help but note that the very best and sincere intentions of David were met with suspicion and hostility. The reaction of Hanun's commanders to David's expression of sympathy was unfounded, unreasonable, and communicated great hostility.
Today, we live in a day when so many fret over what must have western civilization done to Islamic militants such that they too are hostile, vicious and attack innocents without apparent provocation. And, as with so many things, today's pundits, politicians and talking heads are without a clue. This being the case they have bent over backwards to insure there be absolutely no potential for hurt feelings by Muslims. This is why granny gets the treatment by the TSA when she flies, so that when Muslim men in their twenties get frisked at the airport, they do not feel like they are being picked on... all these kinds of foolish reactions by many in our culture who don't, as I say, have a clue.
There is a very simple and truthful explanation for what so many do not understand. Both the Ammonites in David's day and today's jihadists belong to what I refer to as "Team Cain". Christians and Jews belong to "Team Abel". It isn't just exactly so, but generally speaking, Islamic militants, as members of Team Cain hate and seek to destroy Team Abel. Team Cain exists outside of God's tent, are hostile and resentful and seek to destroy what the Judaeo-Christian heritage has produced - western civilization. As such, the United States and Israel are in the cross-hairs of militant Islam and are slated for annihilation by them.
Team Cain, of course, is not just made up of jihadists. Any group that is hostile to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that is hostile to Jesus Christ and his church make their home in Team Cain. This is the group we see in Psalm 2:1-3 , "Why do the nations conspire [rage] and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 'Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.'"
Their rage is vented, not just against God, but also his people. John observed this in 1 John 3:12-13, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you."
Just as David destroyed the Ammonites, so God will ultimately destroy all of Team Cain. As we read in the next few verses of Psalm 2:4-6, "The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 'I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.'"
There is no future in the long term for the members of Team Cain. No future for Islam or for the many groups right here in the United States that are hostile to God and his people. These will all find their inevitable end in a fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 21:8.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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