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 2:8-11,
"Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel. Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months."
When Saul, Israel's first king, displeased the Lord, the Lord had Samuel, Israel's last ruling judge, anoint David to replace Saul on the throne. However, when Saul died, the commander of his army took Saul's son, Ish-Bosheth and made him king over the norther territory of Israel. We are told in this passage that the tribe of Judah embraced David as their king. This resulted in a divided Israel.
The nation would soon unite. However, it is instructive to note that as Israel struggled in faithfulness to the Lord, it fractured. It became divided. It would later reunite under David and remain so under David's son's reign, (King Solomon), only to divide again following the death of Solomon.
Here is what happens when a people no longer embrace their God. Having lost its way, any people will drift from the God who is bigger than them, any people will drift from the God who provides for them, any people will drift from the God who has called them to be one people. A divided Israel, in fact, became God's judgment of the nation for no longer following him.
The church is called to be one entity, existing in unity. We make up all kinds of rationale for having a divided church, but this was not the Lord's will that the church be fractured today, as Israel was then. Jesus prayed to his Father that the church would remain united, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:20-23.
Paul stressed this need for unity within the church in Romans 15:5-6, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
"Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel. Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months."
When Saul, Israel's first king, displeased the Lord, the Lord had Samuel, Israel's last ruling judge, anoint David to replace Saul on the throne. However, when Saul died, the commander of his army took Saul's son, Ish-Bosheth and made him king over the norther territory of Israel. We are told in this passage that the tribe of Judah embraced David as their king. This resulted in a divided Israel.
The nation would soon unite. However, it is instructive to note that as Israel struggled in faithfulness to the Lord, it fractured. It became divided. It would later reunite under David and remain so under David's son's reign, (King Solomon), only to divide again following the death of Solomon.
Here is what happens when a people no longer embrace their God. Having lost its way, any people will drift from the God who is bigger than them, any people will drift from the God who provides for them, any people will drift from the God who has called them to be one people. A divided Israel, in fact, became God's judgment of the nation for no longer following him.
The church is called to be one entity, existing in unity. We make up all kinds of rationale for having a divided church, but this was not the Lord's will that the church be fractured today, as Israel was then. Jesus prayed to his Father that the church would remain united, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:20-23.
Paul stressed this need for unity within the church in Romans 15:5-6, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Clearly, today, with all of the iterations of Christianity expressed though differing fellowships, different denominations, different theologies, different personalities, the church has failed to achieve and maintain unity within itself as it bows to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Just as a divided Israel represented a people who had lost their way, so the church, in its disunity represents a people who have lost their way in many aspects. This will not remain so, however, as when the Lord comes in his full glory for his own, all these differences will suddenly evaporate as weak and anemic faith, weak and anemic teaching, weak and anemic leaders will all give way to the thundering and magnificent approach of Jesus Christ to establish his kingdom here on earth.
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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