Chapter 10 and 11

May 12, 2016

In chapter 10 David continues to consolidate his power and to enlarge the territory for the Jews. He was trying to show kindness to one of his neighbors (Ammonites) but they mistook his gesture as one of aggression. They took the people David had sent and shaved half of their hair and beards and also cut their clothes to expose their buttocks !! David put Joab is charge of going to fight with the Ammonites. The Ammonites hired Syrians to fight with them to defeat the Jews. After the Jews had defeated both of them, the Syrians and the Ammonites were both made slaves and David disabled their military by killing horses and horsemen and also by disabling chariots.

The spiritual lesson here is simple and powerful !! No matter how bad things look if God is on your side you will always win !! Joab was up against two very large armies and he put the outcome of the entire battle on God.Not only did they win the battle but were given many slaves and tribute from both nations ! God is good all the time.

Chapter 11 is one of the most famous stories in the bible. This is the story of David and Bathsheba.The Kings of different nations would go off to fight in the spring of the year. This particular year David did not go but sent Joab instead. As he stayed home he saw Bathsheba bathing from his porch and summoned her to the castle. Bathsheba became pregnant and told David. David summoned her husband from the war and tried to manipulate him into sleeping with his wife to make it look like the baby was Uriah's. When this failed David had Joab put him in the heaviest fighting and Uriah was killed. Bathsheba then became David's wife.Up to this point, David has committed adultery and murder.  The chapter ends by saying , " But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord."

This chapter could be summed up by saying that idle hands are the devil's workshop. If David had been doing what he should have been doing and where he should have been, none of this would have happen ! However, remember that God called David a man after my own heart. We should take comfort that a man of God can fall and stumble. Do not judge David because we all stumble and fall short in God's eyes every day ! The good news is that God will restore us if we repent of our sin and short comings. We will see in the next chapter that there are consequences to be paid but we can be put back in good standing with our God !!!