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 18:33,
"The king [David] was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: 'O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!'"
This is the account of David's reaction upon hearing about the death of his son, Absalom. Absalom attempted to overthrow his father as king, and when David's men ended the threat by killing Absalom (against David's wishes), he was heartbroken.
The whole affair reminds me of the nature of this lost and fallen world we live in. Populated by people with sinful natures that live their lives in opposition to God, this world will not provide for the happiness, joy, purposefulness and fulfillment that God originally designed life in this world to be. Mankind changed that in the garden of Eden, when, as the race of mankind, we turned our backs on our Creator. David was a man after God's own heart, Acts 13:22, and here we see a broken man, a man of sorrow and a man whose experiences in this life brought him both shame and disgrace (Bathsheba and Uriah), as well as pain as in the loss of a son, as we see in this passage.
I am appalled at the churches today that promote the lie that we can have our earthly lives free from pain, from heartache, from sorrow, from disappointment. If we would but just join their "ministry" and contribute financially, we could have lives that are prosperous, without pain and sorrow in this world... in short, they peddle the notion that they can provide us in this life what will be ours only in the resurrection. It is all a lie.
The very best life we can have in this life is one with the Lord at our side. Having the Lord brings us the very best in this life and paradise in the next. But, to deceive people into thinking they can escape the disappointments and heartache a lost and fallen world provides for is not helpful whatsoever to the gospel message. We only set folks up for later disillusionment and disappointment when we promise false hopes.
David suffered in this life as a man after God's own heart. I will suffer in this life and you will too, no matter how devoted we are to God. He has promised us eternal life in his family, eternal pleasures at his right hand, Psalm 16:11, a share of the inheritance of his Son, Jesus Christ, Romans 8:17, but, with only a taste of it in this life, and not fully realized until the next. In Romans 8:17 we read that as those who will share in all Jesus Christ inherits from his Father, we won't receive it apart from suffering, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
"The king [David] was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: 'O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!'"
This is the account of David's reaction upon hearing about the death of his son, Absalom. Absalom attempted to overthrow his father as king, and when David's men ended the threat by killing Absalom (against David's wishes), he was heartbroken.
The whole affair reminds me of the nature of this lost and fallen world we live in. Populated by people with sinful natures that live their lives in opposition to God, this world will not provide for the happiness, joy, purposefulness and fulfillment that God originally designed life in this world to be. Mankind changed that in the garden of Eden, when, as the race of mankind, we turned our backs on our Creator. David was a man after God's own heart, Acts 13:22, and here we see a broken man, a man of sorrow and a man whose experiences in this life brought him both shame and disgrace (Bathsheba and Uriah), as well as pain as in the loss of a son, as we see in this passage.
I am appalled at the churches today that promote the lie that we can have our earthly lives free from pain, from heartache, from sorrow, from disappointment. If we would but just join their "ministry" and contribute financially, we could have lives that are prosperous, without pain and sorrow in this world... in short, they peddle the notion that they can provide us in this life what will be ours only in the resurrection. It is all a lie.
The very best life we can have in this life is one with the Lord at our side. Having the Lord brings us the very best in this life and paradise in the next. But, to deceive people into thinking they can escape the disappointments and heartache a lost and fallen world provides for is not helpful whatsoever to the gospel message. We only set folks up for later disillusionment and disappointment when we promise false hopes.
David suffered in this life as a man after God's own heart. I will suffer in this life and you will too, no matter how devoted we are to God. He has promised us eternal life in his family, eternal pleasures at his right hand, Psalm 16:11, a share of the inheritance of his Son, Jesus Christ, Romans 8:17, but, with only a taste of it in this life, and not fully realized until the next. In Romans 8:17 we read that as those who will share in all Jesus Christ inherits from his Father, we won't receive it apart from suffering, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
Don't believe the lies of those who seek to build up their congregations by offering false hopes of the avoidance of suffering in this life. The avoidance of suffering eluded David and it eludes all of those who share in the hope God's kingdom offers us.
We need to strengthen our hearts and prepare ourselves for those times of suffering. God has promised that those who are his will suffer, but... just look at what will be ours for an eternity!
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
No comments:
Post a Comment