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 15:1-4,
"In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city [Jerusalem] gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king [David] for a decision, Absalom would call out to him... 'If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.'"
Absalom suffered from the common ailment of lust for power. Presuming his unbridled ambition qualified him to supplant his father, David, as king over Israel. and wanting the throne for himself, he subsequently fomented a revolution which resulted in David having to flee Jerusalem.
The revolution did not get far as it was David that was anointed by the Lord (through Samuel) to replace Saul on the throne, not Absalom. In the fighting that ensued, Absalom was killed by Joab and his men when his hair got stuck on a branch as he rode his Mule. He was left swinging in the wind when he was found and put to death.
Paul tells us that selfish ambition is an expression of the sinful nature, Galatians 5:20, and that we are not to do anything out of selfish ambition, Philippians 2:3.
Nevertheless, there are always those whose only passion in life is to "rule the roost", to lord it over everyone else, even in the face of God's condemnation of doing so and his choice of others for positions of power.
Today we have those "elites" among us who pursue the very some thing. Progressives, who lay claim to care for "the little guy" just as Absalom did three millenia ago, and offer help as they promote themselves as our "betters" in some kind of fruit-loop utopia.
Believers in Jesus Christ obey the civil authorities today because he asks us to. He doesn't ask us to do so because they are better than we are, but because he establishes all authority as the only one in all creation with the position to do so. "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
Absalom's story is a cautionary one. One in which Absalom discovered the hard way what Paul had to say. We need to recognize the leaders the Lord has provided us and turn away from those he has not. And, surely, we must not be of those who would illegitimately challenge the authorities in an effort to supplant those the Lord has chosen. The challenge, of course, is to have the wisdom to see and know these things. May I introduce you to a book of the Bible that begins with:
"The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
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
"In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city [Jerusalem] gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king [David] for a decision, Absalom would call out to him... 'If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.'"
Absalom suffered from the common ailment of lust for power. Presuming his unbridled ambition qualified him to supplant his father, David, as king over Israel. and wanting the throne for himself, he subsequently fomented a revolution which resulted in David having to flee Jerusalem.
The revolution did not get far as it was David that was anointed by the Lord (through Samuel) to replace Saul on the throne, not Absalom. In the fighting that ensued, Absalom was killed by Joab and his men when his hair got stuck on a branch as he rode his Mule. He was left swinging in the wind when he was found and put to death.
Paul tells us that selfish ambition is an expression of the sinful nature, Galatians 5:20, and that we are not to do anything out of selfish ambition, Philippians 2:3.
Nevertheless, there are always those whose only passion in life is to "rule the roost", to lord it over everyone else, even in the face of God's condemnation of doing so and his choice of others for positions of power.
Today we have those "elites" among us who pursue the very some thing. Progressives, who lay claim to care for "the little guy" just as Absalom did three millenia ago, and offer help as they promote themselves as our "betters" in some kind of fruit-loop utopia.
Believers in Jesus Christ obey the civil authorities today because he asks us to. He doesn't ask us to do so because they are better than we are, but because he establishes all authority as the only one in all creation with the position to do so. "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
Absalom's story is a cautionary one. One in which Absalom discovered the hard way what Paul had to say. We need to recognize the leaders the Lord has provided us and turn away from those he has not. And, surely, we must not be of those who would illegitimately challenge the authorities in an effort to supplant those the Lord has chosen. The challenge, of course, is to have the wisdom to see and know these things. May I introduce you to a book of the Bible that begins with:
"The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 1:1-7.
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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