2005-03-06 - Special Deliverance

Psalm 3, Part 1

It was finally morning. He could see the light of dawn crossing the entrance to the cave. It had been an awful night. Where previously he had slept in the palace in the company of his concubines, last night, he had slept on a blanket on the floor of the cave. How had it come to this? He loved his son, and now the boy was trying to kill him. As he began pray, he wrote down the words that he sent up to the Lord: "Lord, what has gone wrong?"

… The King's son was at it again. On the "QT," the young man was turning the hearts of the people away from the king, causing them to give him the honor due to his father. Using his father's lack of attentiveness as an opportunity to act, he gathered warriors around him, turning them from their loyalty to the crown.

… Finally, word came to the king as to what was happening. He now knew that he had lost control of the nation. He was forced to flee the capital and go into hiding, because of the maneuvers of his son. His heart was broken because of his boy's rebellion. It was in the midst of this pain, that he cried out to God.

Introduction

It was in this situation the king—David - wrote Psalm 3, a prayer of trust in God in the midst of his sorrow, in the midst of his fear. It was Absalom’s intention to put David to death and to rule in his place, and because of the support of the military, David was forced to flee. (If you are interested in the specifics of this incident, you can find them in 2 Samuel Chapters 15-18.)

One question is—How did David find himself in this situation? It was the result of his sin against God, specifically the sin of adultery and murder tied to his involvement with Bathsheba and Uriah. It was this that led to the circumstances in which he now found himself. Listen to what Nathan had to say to David.

This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household, I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes, I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel’” (2 Samuel 12:11-12)

Nathan’s prophecy was to come to pass as Absalom said to Ahithophel: "Give us your advice. What should we do?" Ahithophel answered, "Lie with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench in your father’s nostrils, and the hands of everyone with you will be strengthened." So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he lay with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel (2 Samuel 15:20–22).

David was reaping the result of his own sin; therefore he had no basis for complaint against the Lord because of his predicament. Still, he could go to the Lord for assistance. Having done so, David was told by Nathan:

"The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die" (2 Samuel 12:13).

To be continued.

Comments or Questions?
Geoff

GKragen@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org