After God's Own Heart ~ Blog
Recently, I was reading in 1st and 2nd Samuel and came across a few things I had not noticed previously. Most of us have been blown away by David's honor and respect for King Saul, even though the Lord had rejected him. David knew something that the church does not get today. Vengeance is the Lord's. If the Lord wants to reward someone for what they've done or not done, He is very able to do so without our help. Oftentimes, we see the world as a place where we must take care of ourselves because no one else will, but David had such an amazing relationship with God that he fully trusted God in everything, including vindication and timing.
David was anointed King at a young age, and most today would force their way through doors or even into pulpits, believing it was for right now. However, what becomes clear through the lives of so many in the Old Testament is that God spoke to them and told them of His plans years in advance, and a few got it wrong. Abraham got ahead of God and had a son who was not the one God had promised. Moses took matters into his own hands and turned and killed a man, believing it was part of God's plan of deliverance for His people, and then ended up running away for 40 years. Talk about a delay. The children of Israel had been waiting for a deliverer for over 400 years, and yet their deliverer made a huge mistake and felt he had to leave for a time.
IS THE HEART OF GOD DEATH AND DESTRUCTION?
No, it is not. Many read through the Bible, and they see only death and destruction without understanding why those things not only happened but had to take place. In the church today, there are still far too many who don't understand what happened in Genesis 6 when the angels (sons of God) came down and mated with women (the daughters of men). God never intended all the death and destruction. Those things came upon the earth because of 200 angels who left their own estate (the heavenlies) and decided they wanted their own children. Not only did they become gods to the people because the people saw them descending out of the heavenly realm, but in having sex with the women, they created the Giants.
Yes, their sons were the Nephilim, who were never created or purposed by God. It was these fallen angels who taught the people how to use metals to create weapons, swords, and shields. It was these fallen angels who taught the women how to paint their faces and use seduction to draw men away, and it was these fallen angels who knowingly went against God and created a brand new being that would one day grow to be so large that they would eat everything that man made until they ran out of food and began eating man. Yes, you read that right.
If you are one who refuses to read the book of Enoch because it isn't a part of the Bible you bought at a store, please answer a few questions for me. Why would our Bible tell us of Enoch's importance as a mediator between God and the fallen angels if he weren't important to listen to? Why would our Bible tell us in Genesis 5:24 that Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him? Isn't this an important reference to the only man that we know of in the word of God, whom God loved so much that one day God just said, 'Hey, I'm bringing you up to Heaven to live with me, and you will never see death like other humans do'. The only other person we know of who went to Heaven without seeing death was Elijah, so it isn't like being taken to Heaven to live without death is normal. I am one who has ALWAYS said that Enoch must have been pretty special, and we should hear what he had to say.
Even Jesus knew the book of Enoch, and He clearly called it scripture in Matthew 22:29, which reads Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. This answer was given to the Pharisees when they were trying to trap Him into answering a ridiculous question that is not even found in the Torah. So where is it found? The story the Pharisees used is only found in the book of Enoch. Jesus knew they were trying to trap Him, but He clearly called Enoch scripture, and yet too many miss this and proclaim reading Enoch is not important or necessary.
My point in sharing this is that the lies and deception about why the Nephilim were, or the Nephilim spirit still is, on this earth comes through people who refuse to read or share extrabiblical books. The whys of the wars, death, and destruction in the Old Testament that so many don't understand and believe that God is mean and hateful and angry are revealed through text that is not only misunderstood but also has purposely been kept from us for centuries, and yes I do believe that was done on purpose to keep us separated from the very God who created us and loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die on the Cross for us.
GETTING BACK TO THE HEART OF DAVID...
Saul chased David and tried to kill him for years, and David had many opportunities to kill Saul. His men even asked him to, but David continued with a heart to honor the King. Why? Not because he deserved it, but because Saul had been crowned King by God. Saul was lifted up by God. He saw Saul through the eyes of a choice that God made for the people, and he knew and trusted that God would raise him up in His perfect timing. David never had a heart to take the kingdom. David wanted only what God wanted to give to him. If that wasn't enough to show his heart, the Bible also tells us that David lamented over Saul's death. While many today are celebrating the death of those they believe are against them, David didn't feel this way or model this to his men.
I was also quite surprised to find that David's honor went even beyond Saul. Did he honor all the King's? Of course not. As I just shared, David knew that there were men on this earth in his day who were not created by God. He understood that the Nephilim had to be taken out. Saul lost three sons on that fateful day when he was so wounded that he knew his only way out was to fall upon his sword, but he still had one son at home who was crowned King after his passing. Ishbosheth was made King over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel. What does this mean? It means that it was still not the time for David to be King over all of Israel. This is a man who walked in patience, unlike many who exalt themselves today and run full steam ahead, no matter who gets in their way. I believe God is calling us back to a place where we aren't just preaching about the heart of David, but where we actually take it to heart and become a man or woman after God's own heart, which God clearly says David was in 1 Samuel.
David had no reason to care about Ishbosheth. Jonathan was his favorite and his brother in the Lord. They truly loved each other, even though Jonathan's father, Saul, wanted to kill David. The entire story is just fascinating and truly horrible at the same time, but by the time we get to 2 Samuel 4, Saul's son Ishbosheth is murdered. The two men who do this actually believe they are doing God a favor and helping David to finally step into his calling, which is to be King over all of Israel, but David did not see it the same way. I will let you read it for yourself. There are things that I don't necessarily need to share in this blog, but let me close this by sharing what David said to these men in 2 Samuel 4: 9b-11 “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all adversity, 10 when someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and remove you from the earth?”
David had the two men killed. He owed Ishbosheth nothing, but he was of the house of Saul, and David never lost his love or respect for God's choice in raising up Saul to be King. In the midst of these years, David had also asked that his wife Michal be returned to him, who was the daughter of Saul that he loved and had been given to him and taken away by the King.
I guess after reading all that I did today, I had this one question to ask. Can we (Believers, or the church) pull ourselves out of this worldly mindset that says vengeance is ours and bring ourselves back to the heart of a true warrior who loved and trusted God in all things, including his safety, his well-being, his provision and prosperity, and yes, even avenging those who have hurt or taken us for granted? Beloved God knows all and sees all, and we must know that His heart is of love. He thinks good thoughts toward us and has great plans for us. Place yourself back in His perfectly loving and capable hands and allow vengeance to be His.
Sheryl York 🕊️
Comments
Post a Comment