All’s Well That Ends Well – Oh Well

August 1, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁵Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. ⁶His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. ⁷He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. ⁸But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah.

⁹Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, ¹⁰but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother. – 1 Kings 1:5-10 ESV

The author of 1st Kings has established that David is old and nearing the end of his life. And, because he is king, his imminent death sets the stage for the selection of his successor to the throne of Israel. Under normal circumstances, the line of succession would fall to the eldest son. But in David’s case, things were a bit more complex because of the number of sons who had been born by his many wives. David’s home life was less than simple and further muddied by his far-from-ideal parenting style.

His oldest son had been Amnon, but he had been murdered by his half-brother, Absalom, for raping Absalom’s sister, Tamar. When David failed to punish Amnon for his crime, Absalom took matters into his own hands. Daniel was the second son of David, but he likely died early because, other than the record of his birth in 2 Samuel 3:3, he is never mentioned again. That leaves Absalom and Adonijah as the next two in line for the throne. But Absalom was also dead. After launching what appeared to be a successful coup for his father’s throne, Absalom was killed in battle against David’s forces (2 Samuel 18). This left Adonijah as next in line for ascension to the throne.

But God had other plans, and had been David clear instructions regarding his heir, and it was not going to be Adonijah. Even before Solomon had been born, God visited David and gave him a message concerning the identity of the son who would continue the Davidic dynasty.

“Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.” – 1 Chronicles 22:9-10 ESV

In a sense, Solomon had been a gift from God after David suffered the loss of the son born through his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). That child had been the byproduct of David’s immoral affair with a married woman. To complicate matters further, when David had discovered that Bathsheba was pregnant, he tried to cover up his indiscretion. When that failed, he ordered Bathsheba’s husband’s death and then took his widow to be one of his wives.

Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. The LORD loved the child and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the LORD”), as the LORD had commanded. – 2 Samuel 12:24-25 NLT

And this complicated and confusing background sets the stage for what happens in the opening chapter of 1st Kings. As the next-oldest living son, Adonijah assumed that he was the rightful heir to the throne, and he began to prepare for the transition of power.

Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. – 1 Kings 1:5 ESV

It seems that Adonijah had taken notes right out of his older brother Absalom’s playbook . This arrogant display of pomp and circumstance was exactly what Absalom had done as part of his successful strategy to usurp David’s throne.

After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him. – 2 Samuel 15:1

Adonijah believed he was entitled to be the next king of Israel, and it seems that he was used to getting his way. The author reveals that Adonijah had been spoiled by his father.

Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, “Why are you doing that?” – 1 Kings 1:6 NLT

It is unclear whether Adonijah knew of God’s plan for Solomon to be David’s successor. But it is readily apparent that Adonijah was determined to do whatever was necessary to be the next king. He began by building a network of important relationships with individuals of power and influence.

Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king. – 1 Kings 1:7 NLT

This ambitious young man was building strategic alliances that he hoped would prove helpful in his quest for Israel’s throne. But he faced significant opposition. There were those who remained loyal to David and who would see to it that the wishes of the king were fulfilled. It is likely that they were already aware of God’s plan for Solomon to be the next king.

All of this is painfully reminiscent of Absalom’s actions when he began his carefully orchestrated coup to supplant his father as king. Adonijah was not willing to wait for David’s death. He was going to take the throne by force if necessary. But to ensure that he had all the support he would need, Adonijah planned a banquet in the nearby city of En-rogel. He had a carefully crafted invitation list that included all of his brothers and half-brothers, except for Solomon. He also extended invitations to all the royal officials of the land of Judah. At this feast, Adonijah made a covenant commitment with his guests, sealing their agreement to assist him in his coup d’état with blood sacrifices.

This opening chapter of the book lays the foundation for all that is to come. David is dying. He is weak and incapable of caring for himself. God has established a plan for his succession. But the nation is already showing signs of discord and dissension. Sadly, another one of David’s sons is leading an open rebellion against his own father and creating a potentially deadly situation that could end in bloodshed and division. You can almost feel the sense of foreboding coming off the pages as the author sets the stage for all that is to follow.

The Israelite nation is about to enter a new era, one that will be marked by a slow and steady spiral toward unfaithfulness and spiritual infidelity. With the death of the man after God’s own heart, the people of Israel will find themselves suffering under a succession of shepherds whose spiritual integrity will slowly decline, leaving the nation in a progressively weakened state.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Sheep in Need of a Shepherd

March 19, 2025March 19, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

A Psalm of David.

¹The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²    He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³    He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever. – Psalm 23:1-6 ESV

What do you say about what is arguably the most well-known and popular Psalm of all? The 23rd Psalm is probably the most familiar of all the Psalms for believers and non-believers alike. The words of this Psalm have been printed on plaques and coffee mugs, illustrated in paintings, and explained in countless books. It is short and simple, yet the real message escapes most of us because we don’t live in an agrarian society. The imagery of sheep and shepherds escapes us. So its message, while visually interesting, can become obscure because the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep seems rather pedestrian and simplistic to us. How hard can it be to care for sheep? They appear relatively docile and far from demanding, but it’s fascinating that God regularly used the sheep metaphor when speaking of His people.

In Matthew 10:6, Jesus referred to the Jews as the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Reminiscent of Psalm 23, in the Book of Ezekiel, God refers to the people of Israel as His sheep.

“I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes—feed them justice!” – Ezekiel 34:15-16 NLT

Earlier in that same chapter, God refers to His people as sheep again, saying, “They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them” (Ezekiel 34:6 NLT).

God saw His people as sheep, and Jesus referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. Why? What is the point behind this analogy of sheep and shepherds? The key is found in the words used in Psalm 23. David chose his words carefully, and each carries significance. He speaks of need, rest, leading, renewal, guidance, fear, protection, and comfort. He paints a picture of total dependency as opposed to self-sufficiency. Sheep are not meant to defend and care for themselves. They are inherently dumb animals who wander easily and are prone to a herd mentality. Unlike deer, they do not readily sense impending danger. They lack any means of self-defense. They have no horns or sharp teeth and are not known for their speed. In essence, they are defenseless against attack. Not only that, but they are also gullible and easily led astray. When grazing, sheep can become so consumed with their meal that they ignore the dangers surrounding them. So, God’s choice of this imagery is intentional and not intended to be flattering.

Isaiah provides a perfect picture of how God views us.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own. – Isaiah 53:6 NLT

At one time, we were like wandering, ignorant, and stubborn sheep. We had lost our way. We had wandered off the path and gotten lost. We were defenseless, helpless, and hopeless. The prophet Isaiah went on to prophesy that God had a solution for those lost sheep:

Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly,
    yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
    And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
    he did not open his mouth.
Unjustly condemned,
    he was led away. – Isaiah 53:6b-8a NLT

God’s solution for lost, wandering sheep was the Good Shepherd. Peter reminds us, “Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25 NLT).

God is our Shepherd. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. We are their sheep. We are needy, prone to wander, inherently restless, lacking in strength, defenseless, directionless, and hopeless if left to our own devices. But God leads us, loves us, guides us, protects us, comforts us, feeds us, and heals us. He sent His Son to die for us because we couldn’t save ourselves. His Son became a sheep just like us so that He could be the sacrificial lamb that satisfied the just demands of a holy, righteous God. He died so that we might live.

The key to understanding the 23rd Psalm is to embrace our role as sheep and our total dependency on God for everything. David understood that concept long before the Good Shepherd appeared on the scene. He knew that mankind exists and has a future because of God’s goodness and unfailing love. Without Him, we are nothing.

That is why David was willing to submit himself to the Shepherd. Even the Shepherd’s loving discipline was preferable to a life without Him. David gladly embraced the loving correction of God’s rod and staff because He knew it was in his best interest. The Shepherd knows what is best for His sheep.

In the last two verses of his Psalm, David shifts away from the sheep and shepherd motif, describing God as a gracious host who welcomes HIs guests to a fantastic banquet in His palace.

You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever. – Psalm 23:5-6 NLT

David envisioned himself moving from the life of a lowly sheep in the pasture to the honored guest at an elaborate banquet. This shift in emphasis and location mirrored David’s own life. He could recall the words of God relayed by the prophet Samuel near the end of his long and productive life.

“I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!” – 2 Samuel 7:8-9 NLT

David had experienced the life of a shepherd and was intimately familiar with sheep. But he also knew what it was like to wear the royal robes of the king and experience all the trappings of success. But understood that all his accomplishments had been the work of God. He was not a self-made man. He could take no credit for his success. David knew his greatest claim to fame was his relationship with God. Even as the most powerful man in the kingdom of Israel, he knew he was completely dependent upon his loving Shepherd.

Most of us find dependence difficult, and learning to rely on God is not easy. We have convinced ourselves that self-sufficiency is a virtue. But sheep rely on their shepherd. They trust their shepherd, listen to their shepherd, follow their shepherd, and depend on their shepherd for everything. And as a result, they are blessed.

Father, give me a sheep-like attitude. Let me continually die to my stubborn need for self-sufficiency and learn to live in total dependence upon You. You are my Shepherd. Your Son is my Good Shepherd. All my needs are met in You. Amen

Totally Dependent Upon God

March 12, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

A Miktam of David.

¹Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
²I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”

³As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.

⁴The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

⁵The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
⁶The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
⁸I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
¹⁰For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

¹¹You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. – Psalm 16:1-11 ESV

In Psalm 15, David asked, “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1 NLT). His answer was simple: “Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts” (Psalm 15:2 NLT). But this begs another question: Because of sin, how can anyone hope to measure up to God’s exacting and unflinching standard of righteousness? In Psalm 14, David acknowledges humanity’s desperate plight.

The Lord looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.
No one does good,
    not a single one! – Psalm 14:2-3 NLT

But in Psalm 16, David provides the answers to his own questions concerning God’s righteous standards and man’s inability to measure up. He has to trust in God.

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.” – Psalm 16:1-2 ESV

David knows the source of his integrity, honesty, proper conduct, and pure motives. It’s Yahweh. So, David asks God to keep him safe, to literally put a hedge of protection around him. He knows that it is only through God’s help that we can come into His presence. He says, “You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You.” In other words, only God can make a man good enough to enter His presence. God makes it possible for sinful men to live the life David described in Psalm 15. Left to our own devices, we will always disqualify ourselves from ever enjoying access to the throne room of God.

David owes all that he has to God. That includes his health, wealth, power, position, and any semblance of righteousness he may exhibit in his life.

Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
You guard all that is mine.
The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
What a wonderful inheritance! – Psalm 16:5-6 NLT

David recognized that his status as king was due to God’s gracious hand. He had not earned the right to be king over God’s people. The Almighty had sovereignly selected David, not because of his prowess or accomplishments, but because he displayed a heart for God.

The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people. – 1 Samuel 13:14 ESV

Another Psalmist discloses that David was hand-picked by God while he was nothing more than a shepherd of his father’s flocks.

He chose David his servant
    and took him from the sheepfolds;
from following the nursing ewes he brought him
    to shepherd Jacob his people,
    Israel his inheritance.
With upright heart he shepherded them
    and guided them with his skillful hand. – Psalm 78:70-71 ESV

David, the lowly shepherd boy, eventually became the king of Israel and, according to God’s own assessment, this former herder of ewes became a skilled and accomplished leader of men. And in Psalm 16, David acknowledges that he owed everything to God.

I will bless the Lord who guides me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. – Psalm 16:7-8 NLT

His ability to care for the people of Israel with “a true heart” and “skillful hands” (Palm 78:71 NLT) was God’s doing and not his own. He could enter God’s presence not based on his own merit but because of God’s mercy and grace. He recognized the hand of God in his life and was willing to acknowledge that he owed God a debt of gratitude for all He had done for him. He also knew that his eternal future was in God’s hands.

No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
    My body rests in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
    or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever. – Psalm 16:9-11 NLT

David knew death was inevitable and inescapable, even for a king, but he was confident that the grave would not be his final destination. God had plans for him that would extend well beyond his final breath. Because of the Almighty’s grace and mercy, David could enter God’s presence in this life and would continue to do so in the afterlife. The God who sustained and empowered David on earth would grant him the joy of dwelling in His presence for eternity. For David, this future hope was worthy of his present praise and worship. It also motivated him to seek the company of other godly men and women whose lives were preserved and empowered by the gracious hand of God.

The godly people in the land
    are my true heroes!
    I take pleasure in them!
Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
    I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
    or even speak the names of their gods. – Psalm 16:3-4 NLT

David chose to associate with like-minded people who shared his love for God and displayed a dependence upon Yahweh’s help to walk blamelessly and do what was right. Had David been able to read the words of God later recorded by the prophet Isaiah, he would have readily agreed with them.

“I have chosen you
    and will not throw you away.
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” – Isaiah 41:9-10 NLT

David knew his righteousness was a gift from God, not the byproduct of self-effort. He also knew that he could depend on the Almighty to guide and direct him in this life and the one to come. His hope was in the LORD. This confidence is fully displayed in another of David’s Psalms.

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
    for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone.
    He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
O my people, trust in him at all times.
    Pour out your heart to him,
    for God is our refuge. – Psalm 62:5-8 NLT

An Attitude of Ingratitude

July 13, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁹Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run and carry news to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.” ²⁰And Joab said to him, “You are not to carry news today. You may carry news another day, but today you shall carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed before Joab, and ran. ²²Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the news?” ²³“Come what may,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.

²⁴Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone. ²⁵The watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he drew nearer and nearer. ²⁶The watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the gate and said, “See, another man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.” ²⁷The watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He is a good man and comes with good news.”

²⁸Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “All is well.” And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth and said, “Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.” ²⁹And the king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was.” ³⁰And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

³¹And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the Lord has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” ³²The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” ³³ And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” – 2 Samuel 18:19-33 ESV

While David’s army had marched off to do battle with the superior forces of his son, Absalom, he had remained behind. As the day wore on and the battle raged, he could do nothing but wonder about the outcome of the conflict. This was a winner-takes-all battle that would determine whether David would regain his throne, spend his life in exile, or lose his life to his own son. So, when Joab and his troops had won a great victory and done away with Absalom, they sent word to David. But Joab knew David well and anticipated how the king would respond to the news of his son’s death. Joab had been fully aware of David’s command to spare the life of Absalom but had disobeyed. When he discovered David’s rebellious son hanging helplessly from a tree, his hair long hair caught in its branches, Joab drove three spears into Absalom’s body, effectively ending the coup and saving David’s kingdom.

Before the battle, David had chosen Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok the priest, to serve as a courier, keeping the king informed about everything taking place within the walls of Jerusalem. So, when Ahimaaz heard of the victory, he jumped at the chance to let David know what had happened. But Joab denied him the opportunity, knowing that David would not receive the news well. He recalled how David treated the Amalakite who claimed to have taken the life of King Saul (2 Samuel 1:1-16). Rather than rewarding the man for eliminating his arch-enemy, David had him killed.

So, on this occasion, Joab refused to risk the lives of one of his own men, choosing instead to send a Cushite mercenary to break the news to David. Yet, Ahimaaz, likely driven by pride and the thought of earning David’s favor, begged Joab to allow him to accompany the Cushite. In his eagerness to tell the king about the great victory, Ahimaaz outran the Cushite and was the first to arrive at David’s camp. Still breathless from his long run, Ahimaaz fell before the king and declared, “Everything is all right! Praise to the Lord your God, who has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against my lord the king” (2 Samuel 18:28 NLT).

But Ahimaaz’s news failed to bring a smile to David’s face. Instead, the anxious king asked, “What about young Absalom? Is he all right?” (2 Samuel 18:29 NLT). This response must have confused Ahimaaz. Why was the king more concerned about the well-being of his rebellious son than he was about the news of the failed coup attempt? Wisely, Ahimaaz pleaded ignorance, stating, “When Joab told me to come, there was a lot of commotion. But I didn’t know what was happening” (2 Samuel 18:29 NLT). It is unclear whether Ahimaaz was lying or was simply unaware that Joab had killed Absalom. But before David could press for more details, the Cushite arrived on the scene and reiterated the words of Ahimaaz. Once again, David brushed aside the news of the victory and demanded to know what had happened to his son. Breathlessly, the Cushite delivered what he believed would be the good news of Absalom’s death.

“May all of your enemies, my lord the king, both now and in the future, share the fate of that young man!” – 2 Samuel 18:32 NLT

But both Ahimaaz and the Cushite must have been shocked by David’s reaction. Rather than rejoicing at the news of the great victory and the deliverance of his kingdom, David walked away in sorrow.

The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.” – 2 Samuel 18:33 NLT

David didn’t utter a word of thanks to the two men or display any excitement over the news that the rebellion had been put down. Both Ahimaaz and the Cushite had recognized the impact of the day’s events. Ahimaaz had eagerly declared, “Praise to the Lord your God, who has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against my lord the king” (2 Samuel 18:28 NLT). The Cushite had echoed that sentiment, stating, “I have good news for my lord the king. Today the Lord has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you” (2 Samuel 18:31 NLT). But David didn’t share their enthusiasm.

There is a passage in the book of Isaiah that reflects the perspective David should have had when he received the news of God’s miraculous deliverance of his kingdom.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! – Isaiah 52:7 NLT

But rather than celebrate God’s miraculous deliverance of his kingdom, David mourned the loss of his son. He even wished that he had died in Absalom’s place. While we can certainly understand a grieving father’s response to the loss of his son’s life, it must not be overlooked that David was the God-appointed shepherd of Israel. As king, he was responsible for the well-being of the entire nation, not just his own household. David’s reaction to his son’s death not only displayed a disregard for God’s divine involvement in the victory, but it dismissed the devastating reality that 20,000 Israelites had died that day – all as a result of his son’s selfish and sinful actions.

But more importantly, David’s response displayed an ingratitude toward God that was evident to all those around him. His actions shocked and surprised them. Rather than rejoicing at what God had done, he took the divine deliverance of God and treated it with disdain. As the God-anointed king of Israel, David was to lead his people by example. This was to be a day of celebration, not mourning. The kingdom needed to be unified and that required David to put aside his personal issues and begin the process of restoring the faith of his people by leading well. Absalom undermined David’s integrity and caused the people to reject him as king. Now that he had his throne back, he needed to win back the hearts of the people. But David was too busy mourning.

Sadly, this was not a short-term response on David’s part. His melancholy and mournful state would become a lingering problem that infected the entire nation. The opening lines of the next chapter reveal the devastating consequences of David’s self-absorbed pity party.

Word soon reached Joab that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom. As all the people heard of the king’s deep grief for his son, the joy of that day’s victory was turned into deep sadness. They crept back into the town that day as though they were ashamed and had deserted in battle. The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!” – 2 Samuel 19:1-4 NLT

David’s demeanor cast a pall over the entire nation. Rather than a joyful spirit of celebration, the people were overcome with somberness and sadness. They were afraid to express joy because their king was despondent and depressed. And David’s lingering languidness would not have elicited confidence in his troops. They would have resented how the king had turned their great victory into a national day of mourning. These men had risked their lives and watched as their comrades fell by their sides, just so David might be restored to his throne. Now, all he could do was weep over the death of his rebellious son.

The prophet Isaiah describes how the king and the nation should have responded to the news of the victory over their enemy.

The watchmen shout and sing with joy,
    for before their very eyes
    they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.
Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song,
    for the Lord has comforted his people.
    He has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has demonstrated his holy power
    before the eyes of all the nations.
All the ends of the earth will see
    the victory of our God. – Isaiah 52:8-10 NLT

How easy it is for us to view life from our limited perspective and to selfishly place our desires over those of God. David had wanted to spare Absalom and believed that he could somehow return things back to the way they had been before. But God, in His justice, had determined to punish Absalom for what he had done. The king’s son deserved death for his murder of Amnon and God saw that justice was done. Had David gotten his wish and been able to spare Absalom, the kingdom would have remained in a state of flux. His unrepentant and ambitious son would have proven to be a constant threat, so God intervened and graciously restored David’s kingdom. But rather than responding with gratitude and joy, David returned God’s undeserved favor with self-pity and an infectious spirit of sorrow.

David, who would go on to write his fair share of Psalms, could have benefited from the advice of another unnamed psalmist.

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
    Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
    Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
Exult in his holy name;
    rejoice, you who worship the Lord. – Psalm 105:1-3 NLT

The Shame of Shepherdless Sheep

July 4, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. ²And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” ³Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” ⁴Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” ⁵And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. ⁶Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. – 2 Samuel 15:1-6 ESV

There are a lot of things that could be said about Absalom – many of them negative. But he was anything but impatient. He spent two years plotting his revenge against Amnon. After successfully orchestrating the execution of his half-brother, Absalom spent another three years living in self-imposed exile in Geshur, patiently waiting to see how and when his father would respond. When David finally agreed to allow his fugitive son to return, Absalom spent another two years under house arrest because his father refused to either pardon or punish him.

As chapter 15 reveals, Absalom ended up biding his time for another four years, quietly and patiently plotting his next move. Absalom was anything but an impulsive hothead; he was calculating and resolute by nature, always planning and plotting his next move with careful precision. Even during his years of exile and excommunication, Absalom was far from idle. As he waited, he used the time to his advantage, carefully crafting his next move.

After spending two years under house arrest in Jerusalem but banned from his father’s presence, Absalom managed to get a meeting with the king. Pressured by Joab, David agreed to meet with his son and ended up restoring him to favor. Once back in his father’s good graces and with his rights and privileges as a son of the king restored, Absalom got busy and put the next phase of his plan into action. He had become well aware of a flaw in his father’s leadership abilities and had personally experienced David’s predilection for procrastination and inaction. He had also been the beneficiary of David’s reluctance to enact justice as God’s appointed judge of Israel. This young man had wasted no time in assessing his father’s weaknesses and plotting his next move.

As he made his way around the capital of Jerusalem, interfacing with the people of Israel, he became more convinced that his father‘s flaws could be exploited to his own advantage. Absalom was an ambitious young man who had shown his willingness to take matters into his own hands. When David had done nothing to punish Amnon for his rape of Tamar, Absalom had stepped in. When Joab refused to respond to his repeated requests for an audience with David, he got Joab’s attention by having his barley fields set on fire. Absalom was a doer. He was driven and determined, and when he saw the chink in David’s armor, he determined to strike a blow.

But Absalom was also cunning and clever and would have made a great politician. He didn’t personally attack David or expose his weaknesses to the press; he simply began a quiet campaign to win over the hearts of the people. He slowly and subtly sowed seeds of doubt regarding David’s leadership over them and his love for them. It all began with a carefully crafted and perfectly implemented publicity campaign. He had been out of sight for years, so he needed to repair his image among the people. To them, he was the rebellious son of the king who had been exiled for murdering his own kin. He was the prodigal son who had been allowed to return home but was treated like a stranger. As he walked around the city, he was likely the object of stares and quiet whispers.

So, to rehabilitate his damaged image, Absalom implemented a strategic plan to alter his public persona. It didn’t hurt that he was good-looking.

Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot. – 2 Samuel 14:25 NLT

He was also a family man.

He had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she was very beautiful. – 2 Samuel 14:27 NLT

Now, all he needed was the trappings of success. So he bought himself some wheels and an entourage.

Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him. – 2 Samuel 15:1 NLT

Next, he took his show on the road, and what a sight he made each morning when he arrived at the city gate. Nobody would have missed his arrival or wondered who he was. This was Absalom, son of the king. He was handsome, obviously successful, and, on top of that, he was a man of the people. Absalom knew that the key to successfully running the nation was to win the hearts of the people. So, he devised a plan to do just that. His strategy of going to the city gate each morning was brilliant. It was at the city gate that all business was conducted and justice was dispensed. The people would gather there to have their disputes mediated and complaints heard. As king, David was to have his appointed judges and rulers ready to hear from his people and assist them in arbitrating their disputes and legal problems. But evidently, David had been lax in providing the judgment and justice a growing city required, leaving the people dissatisfied with his leadership. The crowds gathered each day, expecting justice, but walked away with their expectations unmet. But the ever-observant Absalom saw an opportunity and exploited the situation.

Absalom went out of his way to ensure that his daily arrival at the gate would not go unnoticed. His chariot and entourage were hard to miss. He also ensured that the people saw him as not only a person of power and influence but as a man who cared about their needs. The text tells us, “When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from…” (2 Samuel 15:2 NLT). He portrayed himself as a man of the people, who cared as much about them as he did about their needs. This well-dressed and powerful young prince would patiently listen to their problems and assure them, “You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it. I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!” (2 Samuel 15:3-4 NLT).

Like the serpent in the garden, Absalom sowed seeds of doubt and led the people to question David’s care and concern for their needs. Without attacking his father directly, Absalom subtly undermined his credibility with the people. After all, Absalom was there at the gate, talking, listening, assuring, and promising to do what David had failed to do – provide the people with justice. Absalom’s actions left the people wondering why David had never come to the gate. Was he too busy to take care of his people? Was he too good to show up at the gate and listen to the problems facing the citizens of his kingdom?

Absalom was sly and crafty, and he was coldly calculating in all that he did. When the people began to see him as someone who cared and who might be willing to assist them with their needs, they treated him with honor and respect, bowing down before him. But when the people fawned over Absalom, he did the unthinkable and unexpected. Rather than allow the people to honor him as some kind of dignitary, he embraced them in his arms, treating them as his equals. Every move he made was premeditated and designed to produce a predetermined plan, and his ploy worked.

Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel. – 2 Samuel 15:6 NLT

An interesting side note in all of this is found in the book of Deuteronomy. It contains a somewhat obscure law regarding what to do with a rebellious son. The fascinating thing about this law is the location where it was to be enacted: At the city gate.

“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.” – Deuteronomy 21:18-21 ESV

Absalom was not a drunkard or a glutton, but he was a murderer. Not only that, he was guilty of plotting the overthrow of his father’s kingdom, and he was doing so at the place of judgment: The city gate. He was blatantly using the seat of justice to plot an unjust and unsanctioned overthrow of the king. The stubborn and rebellious son was sowing the seeds of doubt that would later blossom into the fruit of revolution. And he chose to do it at the city gate, the very place where he should have been judged for his crime against Amnon. Had David performed his kingly duties and purged the evil from his household and kingdom, Absalom’s plans to replace his father as king would have never happened.

Once again, David’s failure to act decisively comes back to haunt him. But this entire scenario raises another question. Why was it so easy for Absalom to win over the hearts of the people? Had they become disgruntled and disenchanted with all of David’s well-publicized moral failings? There is little doubt that rumors had spread regarding David’s affair with Bathsheba. Most likely, the news of Uriah’s death had spread and the questions regarding the circumstances surrounding his death would have been many. The whole situation with Amnon and Tamar would not have gone unnoticed by the people of Jerusalem. The murder of the king’s son by his brother would have been headline news. And the very fact that Absalom had been allowed to return without any repercussions would have been fodder for the rumor mill.

There is also the likelihood that David was too busy with the affairs of the state to effectively listen to and address the needs of his people. It was probably about this same time that David became engrossed with the construction of his palace. He was also devising plans for the future construction of a temple in which to house the Ark of the Covenant. David was a busy man but had he become too distracted to care for his own people? It must not be overlooked that God had told David, “Shepherd my people Israel” (2 Samuel 5:2). But somewhere along the way, David had begun to neglect his primary responsibility and, in doing so, he lost the respect of his sheep. They had wandered and were easy prey for someone as crafty and cunning as Absalom. David had left a void that Absalom was more than willing to fill. The sheep were hungry for justice and Absalom was prepared to feed them from his own hand and turn their hearts away from David.

David had one job to do: Shepherd the sheep of Israel. But he had become too busy with the affairs of the state to care for the well-being of God’s flock. He had not even managed to properly shepherd his own family, allowing incest and murder to go unpunished and unresolved. But God has strong feelings about shepherds who fail to perform their roles.

“What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost.” – Ezekiel 34:2-4 NLT

David was going to learn a painful lesson that would cost him dearly. His failure to shepherd well, by fulfilling his responsibilities as a father and a king, would not go unpunished. God would hold him accountable.

The Wages of Sin

June 26, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁵Then Nathan went to his house. And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. ¹⁶David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. ¹⁷And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. ¹⁸On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” ¹⁹But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” ²⁰Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. ²¹Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” ²²He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ ²³But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” – 2 Samuel 12:15-23 ESV

This is a disturbing and difficult passage to comprehend. It involves the death of an innocent child, apparently as the result of God’s direct intervention and discipline. As a result of David’s role in Uriah’s death and his subsequent marriage to Bathsheba, he was given a dire warning from the prophet Nathan.

“The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” – 2 Samuel 12:13-14 NLT

Verse 15 seems to make quite clear God’s involvement in the situation.

And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. – 2 Samuel 12:15 ESV

The Hebrew word translated as “afflicted” is nagaph and it means “to inflict” (as in a disease). It’s the same word used in Exodus when God “struck” the firstborn of the Egyptians as part of the tenth plague.

At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock.– Exodus 12:29 ESV

What are we supposed to do with this information? It raises all kinds of ethical and moral questions in our minds. Why would God punish an innocent child for the sins of his parents? What had the child done to deserve death? Is God a vindictive god who lashes out in anger, inflicting pain on the innocent to get the attention of the guilty? Why didn’t God kill David since he was the one who sinned and commissioned the murder of Uriah?

These kinds of questions are legitimate and perfectly normal for us to consider as we deal with this passage. But the conclusions we draw or the answers we walk away with must be based on a biblically accurate understanding of God.

Let’s take a closer look at what is going on in this story. David, the king of Israel, was the God-appointed and Spirit-anointed leader of the nation. He represented God on behalf of the people and was to rule and reign over them, modeling his leadership style on that of a shepherd.

“I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.” – 2 Samuel 7:8 NLT

“You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.” – 2 Samuel 5:2 NLT

He chose his servant David,
    calling him from the sheep pens.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
    and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
    God’s own people, Israel. – Psalm 78:70-71 NLT

He was to serve and care for the people of Israel, putting their needs ahead of his own. He was to be the shepherd-king, lovingly and sacrificially protecting and providing for the people of Israel on behalf of God.

But when David sinned with Bathsheba, he was not acting as a shepherd. He didn’t have the best interests of the flock at heart. In fact, the passage in 2 Samuel that chronicles David’s sin reveals that when he was informed that Bathsheba was a married wife of Uriah, he “sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her” (2 Samuel 11:4 ESV).

The phrase “took her” is the Hebrew word laqach, which means “to seize, snatch, or take away.” David stole another man’s wife. This is made perfectly clear when we look at the story the prophet Nathan used to convict David. He devised a sad tale about a poor man who had a lamb that was like a household pet. One day, a rich man, who received a surprise visit from a friend, decided to confiscate the poor man’s lamb to feed his guest. The text states, “he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him” (2 Samuel 12:4 ESV). Nathan used that same Hebrew word, laqach in his story. The rich man took advantage of the poor man by stealing his prized lamb. This wasn’t a case of need because the rich man had plenty of sheep to spare. It was a case of greed.

It’s interesting to note David’s righteous indignation upon hearing this heart-wrenching story.

“As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.” – 2 Samuel 12:5-6 NLT

David had stolen Uriah’s “lamb,” even though he already had more wives than he needed and far more than God had commanded. But he used his divinely-ordained power to satisfy his own desires. He “snatched” the love of Uriah’s life away from him – callously and needlessly. He knew Bathsheba was a married woman but he didn’t care. He saw what he wanted and he took it.

When his moral indiscretion resulted in Bathsheba’s unexpected pregnancy, he attempted to cover it up. But when those efforts failed, he arranged Uriah’s death. With Uriah out of the way, David was free to marry Bathsheba and, despite his disobedience, he fully expected to enjoy the blessing of a son and future heir. Despite his sin, David saw nothing wrong with having an heir who would be the fruit of his own immoral act. But as king, David was going to be held to a higher, more stringent standard.

It’s obvious from the text that David loved this child. He prayed desperately and intensely, begging God to change His mind and spare the child.

David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground. The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused. – 2 Samuel 12:16-17 NLT

For seven days, David fasted, wept, and prayed, imploring God to show grace and allow his son to live. But God did not answer David’s prayer; at least not in the way David desired. His son eventually died and it proved to be a devastating blow to David. Yet, even he seemed to understand that this judgment from the hand of God was deserved and anything but unfair. He didn’t rail at God. He didn’t shake his fist in indignation at God. In fact, the text states, “David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped” (2 Samuel 12:20 ESV).

But again, we are left with the question, “Why?” Why did God choose to take the life of the child? Why did the innocent suffer on behalf of the guilty? As the king of Israel, David had broken his covenant with God and with his people. He had stolen what was not his. He had taken what had belonged to another and tried to garner blessings through his sin. The literal “fruit” of David’s sin with Bathsheba was their son. That son did not belong to David any more than Bathsheba did; he was a stolen blessing.

This story is reminiscent of that of Esau and Jacob, the twin sons of Isaac. Esau was the older of the two, having come out of the womb first, with Jacob literally holding on to his heel as he made his entry into the world. Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, had been barren and unable to have children, but in answer to Isaac’s prayer, God caused her to conceive. He told her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23 ESV). But when the two boys became adults, Jacob, with the help of his mother, concocted a plan to steal the birthright that rightfully belonged to Esau as the firstborn son.

Keep in mind that God had already promised that Jacob would rule over Esau. The older was going to serve the younger. But in an act of distrust and self-reliance, Rebekah and Jacob came up with a plan to trick the dim-sighted Isaac and cause him to give the blessing that belonged to Esau to Jacob. When Esau found out what had happened, he was justifiably angry. He called out his mother and brother, rightfully labeling their act as nothing less than theft.

“No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice. First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing.” – Genesis 27:36 NLT

Esau used the very same Hebrew word, laqach. Jacob had snatched what did not belong to him. Even though God had promised that the birthright would eventually be his, Jacob decided to take matters into his own hands, and his actions would result in God’s punishment. The blessing of the birthright would turn into a curse. To escape his brother’s wrath, Jacob would end up running for his life and spend years in self-imposed exile. He had the birthright and the blessing, but no joy. He had the legal claim to inherit all that belonged to his father but lost the right to live with his own family.

God would eventually allow Jacob to be restored to a right relationship with his estranged brother. The years of exile would come to an end and Jacob would enjoy the benefits of the birthright and the blessing of a reunion with his family.

In the same way, David’s loss would be followed by a future blessing from God. Despite all he had done, David would eventually enjoy the God-ordained birth of another son by Bathsheba. He lost the first son as punishment for his sin but God blessed him with another son who grew up to be the heir to the throne and the man picked by God to build the Temple in Jerusalem. David sinned and the child died, and while the child’s death was clearly God’s doing, it was not God’s fault. He was justly meting out the punishment David deserved. David had killed Bathsheba’s husband, so God took the life of David’s son. The first action was undeserved and unmerited. The second was earned, not by the child, but by the king whose immoral actions had brought about the child’s very existence.

This story is not intended to be a model or illustration of how God deals with ALL sin. It simply reveals how God chose to deal with the man He had anointed king over His people. David was being held to a higher standard. He should have known better. He should have lived differently. And when his immoral actions brought down the righteous wrath of God, he had no one to blame but himself.

Yet, God forgave David and blessed him with the gift of another son.

The Lord loved the child and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the Lord”), as the Lord had commanded. – 2 Samuel 12:24-25 NLT

David named his new son, Solomon, which is derived from the Hebrew word shalom. It carries the idea of “completeness, soundness, welfare, and peace.” In choosing this name, David was expressing his understanding that God had turned his brokenness into wholeness. The merciful God had replaced David’s sorrow with peace and contentment. But God had another name for the child; he was to be called Jedidiah, which means “beloved of the Lord.” This second son of David and Bathsheba was God’s gift to them. He was the gracious replacement of the son they had lost, and every time they looked at Jedidiah, he would be a reminder of God’s holiness and undeserved grace and mercy. The Great Shepherd was showing the shepherd-king what godly leadership should look like.

Shepherd Turned Savior

April 30, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁵¹Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. ⁵²And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. ⁵³And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. ⁵⁴And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

⁵⁵As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” ⁵⁶And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” ⁵⁷And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. ⁵⁸And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” – 1 Samuel 17:51-58 ESV

David had just conquered the enemy of the Lord by defeating Goliath and cutting off the giant’s head with his own sword. As a result, the Philistines ran rather than face the prospect of becoming slaves to their much-hated enemies, the Jews. It had been Goliath who had set the conditions for the battle, guaranteeing the enslavement of the army of the losing combatant; but his troops, never expecting him to lose, were unwilling to keep the terms he had established. They turned and ran. But David’s unexpected victory gave the troops of Israel new life and the boldness to pursue the Philistines all the way back to Goliath’s hometown. One man’s faith in God revealed the power of God and provided the people of God with the incentive they needed to fight the enemies of God.

David, fresh off his victory and still carrying the severed head of Goliath in his hand, was brought before King Saul. It seems that, while David was already in the employment of Saul, acting as his armor bearer and court musician, the king knew little about him. Neither Saul nor his commander, Abner, knew who David’s father was. This is interesting because chapter 16 makes it quite clear that Saul had been well-informed about David before he conscripted him into service.

One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.”

So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the shepherd.” Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine. – 1 Samuel 16:18-19 NLT

But enough time had passed so that Saul had forgotten all about how David had come into his service. And it would seem that Saul was not in the habit of concerning himself with the life details of the men whom he forced into his service as soldiers. God had warned the people of Israel just what kind of king Saul would become.

The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. – 1 Samuel 8:11-13 NLT

So it’s not surprising that Saul had no idea who David really was. But he needed to learn the name of David’s father so that he could fulfill his promise of the reward.

The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes! – 1 Samuel 17:25 NLT

When Saul asked David who his father was, he responded, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite” (1 Samuel 17:58 ESV). In answering Saul’s question, David was revealing something even more significant. This young shepherd boy was from the village of Bethlehem. This somewhat obscure and insignificant spot on the map would one day become the most important destination in the world. It is there that the future Messiah of the Jews would be born.

And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. – Luke 2:4 NLT

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the prophet Micah predicted the future arrival of another ruler who would also hail from the tiny village of Bethlehem.

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. – Micah 5:2 ESV

While David’s defeat of Goliath seems to be the central focus of the story, there is far more going on than initially meets the eye. God was actually paving the way for a much greater victory over a much more significant enemy. He was setting the stage for not only David’s kingship but also that of His Son, the future Messiah and the King of kings and Lord of lords. David slew one man and provided his people with temporary relief from slavery, but Jesus Christ would defeat sin and death by sacrificing His life so that condemned men and women might be free from slavery to both. What David did to Goliath was a foreshadowing of what Jesus would do to Satan, our adversary (1 Peter 5:8) and accuser (Revelation 12:10). David, a former shepherd, delivered the flock of God from the jaws of Goliath, “the roaring lion” who had sought to devour the sheep of God’s pasture. Jesus, “the great shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20), would do the same, but He would provide a greater deliverance that would have eternal significance.

And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,

“It has come at last—
    salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
    has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
    before our God day and night.
And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
    and by their testimony.
And they did not love their lives so much
    that they were afraid to die. – Revelation 12:8-11 NL

David’s victory was not insignificant; it breathed new life into the Israelite army. But the victory accomplished by Jesus brought eternal life to all those who place their faith in Him. David defeated Goliath. Jesus defeated Satan. David’s victory was temporary. Jesus’ victory was permanent. The victory David accomplished required the life of a Philistine. The victory Jesus brought about was at the expense of His own life. Goliath died for his own sins, having defied the armies of the living God. Yet Jesus died for the sins of others so that He might become the propitiator who satisfies the just demands of a holy God.

The story surrounding the life of David is intended to foreshadow and point towards the life of Jesus. The young shepherd boy from Bethlehem serves as a representation of the good shepherd to come. As David stood before Saul with Goliath’s severed head in his hands, he was a Christ figure, a human representation of the One who would also call Bethlehem His home and grow up to become the deliverer of God’s people.

But David was about to find out that his victory, while good news to many, was going to end up creating bad news for him. His defeat of the giant Goliath was going to make him a household name and a hero among the people of Israel. But his soaring popularity would cause a growing rift between him and the king. David’s greatest conflicts were ahead of him, not behind him, and his most formidable enemy would prove to be none other than Saul, the king of Israel. David’s victory would produce in Saul jealousy and resentment that manifested in an ever-intensifying desire to eliminate this potential threat to his reputation and rule.

Give Me a Man!

April 26, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. ²And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. ³And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. ⁴And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ⁵He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. ⁶And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. ⁷The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. ⁸He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. ⁹If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” ¹⁰And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” ¹¹When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

¹²Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years. ¹³The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. ¹⁴David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, ¹⁵but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. ¹⁶For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.

¹⁷And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. ¹⁸Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.” – 1 Samuel 17:1-18 ESV

The exact timeline of the story of David can be a bit difficult to piece together. Samuel, who wrote the book that bears his name, seems to have been less interested in providing a precise chronological outline of David’s life than he was in highlighting the details of how he came to be king. A case in point is the reference to David found in chapter 16. It was made by one of King Saul’s servants when the king began to suffer the effects of the harmful spirit placed upon him by God.

“Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” – 1 Samuel 16:18 ESV

He refers to David as a man of valor and a man of war. But before this statement, the last reference to David is that of his anointing by Samuel. Immediately after that event, David is said to have returned to his sheep. With David being the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons, it is believed that he could have been no older than 15 at the time of his anointing by Samuel. So when did he become a man of valor and war? It would seem that significant time has passed since David’s anointing – enough time for him to grow up and join the army of Israel. He must have gained some experience in battle to have earned the reputation as “a brave warrior, a man of war” (NLT). But regardless of how much time has passed, one thing remained unchanged about David: The Lord was with him (1 Samuel 16:18).

David had the Spirit of God resting upon him and he had the power and the presence of God available to him. His anointing with oil by Samuel made God’s selection of him to be Israel’s next king official, but it was his anointing with the Holy Spirit that would make him fit for the office of king.

It is interesting to note that when Saul sent for David, he was found back with the sheep. So whatever deeds of valor and bravery he had done must have been done on the side or as a result of his responsibilities as a shepherd. Later on in the story, David himself will recount to King Saul a few examples of his exploits in the field caring for the sheep. It seems that shepherding wasn’t as safe an occupation as one might think.

“Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears…” – 1 Samuel 17:34-36 ESV

But back to our timeline. David had been hired by the king and given the responsibility of ministering to Saul when he experienced the fits of rage brought on by the “harmful spirit.” He was also made the king’s armor bearer. Which presents another interesting issue. When chapter 17 opens, the Israelites are preparing to do battle with the Philistines, and while King Saul is there with all his troops, David, his armor-bearer, is nowhere to be found. He was at home tending the flocks. The text tells us that “David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem” (1 Samuel 17:15 ESV). It seems that David was pulling double duty, balancing the demands of a bi-vocational lifestyle that required him to split his time between his responsibilities as a shepherd of sheep and a servant to the king.

It’s essential to keep in mind that, all during this time, David remained the God-appointed and Spirit-anointed successor to King Saul. Yet, here he was dividing his time between tending sheep and plucking out tunes on his lyre to calm the heart of the current king of Israel. Saul was still on the throne and tasked with the responsibility of defending the nation of Israel against their enemies, but he was ill-equipped for the job because he no longer enjoyed the anointing of God’s Spirit. He had all the physical attributes to make him “a brave warrior, a man of war,” but when Goliath challenged the armies of Israel to send out a champion to fight him, Saul and his troops were “dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:11 ESV).

Samuel seems less interested in establishing an exact chronology of the events as he is in creating a stark contrast between the warrior-king and the shepherd-servant. With the introduction of the Goliath narrative into the storyline, Samuel reminds his readers that there is something far more significant going on here than who will sit on the throne of Israel; this is about the future well-being of the people of God. The king of Israel was to be much more than a figurehead; he was to be the leader of God’s people, providing them with physical protection and spiritual direction. He was to be a man after God’s own heart, who listened well, followed instructions obediently, and protected God’s people faithfully.

Saul was tormented by a spirit that attacked him relentlessly, leaving him unable to do his job as king. Goliath represents a physical manifestation of that same spirit, tormenting the people of God and producing in them a spirit of fear and dismay. They stood leaderless and helpless before the enemy of God. They had to suffer his daily taunts and jeers, unable to do anything about it.

Goliath, a bigger-than-life giant of a man, demanded that they choose one warrior to face him in a winner-takes-all death duel. But no one stepped forward. Nobody had the guts to face the Philistine champion and prevent God’s people from becoming slaves. The logical choice would have been for Saul to step up to Goliath’s challenge. After all, in the eyes of his troops, he was still the king of Israel. Not only that, Saul was the only Israelite big enough to go toe-to-toe with the Philistine giant.

Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land. – 1 Samuel 9:2 NLT

…he stood head and shoulders above anyone else. – 1 Samuel 10:23 NLT

Saul had the royal title and the physical attributes to face off mano y mano with the Philistine challenger, but he repeatedly refused to answer Goliath’s taunts. With his demoralized and disaffected troops looking on, Saul displayed an unwillingness to risk his own life for the sake of the people of Israel. What was he waiting for? Did he think the Philistines would grow bored and simply walk away? Was he hoping and praying for someone else to step up to the challenge and do what he was unwilling to do?

The record of Goliath’s daily challenge contains a subtle yet powerful reminder of what led Israel to this fateful and fearful day. Dressed in full battle attire, this formidable mountain of a man repeatedly demanded, “Give me a man, that we may fight together” (1 Samuel 17:10 ESV).

The text states, “When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:11 ESV). It’s safe to say that this challenge had a familiar ring to it that was part of the reason behind the fearful reaction of the Israelites. It sounded eerily similar to the demand they had made to Samuel years earlier.

“Give us a king to judge us.” – 1 Samuel 8:6 ESV

Whether he realized it or not, Goliath had struck a nerve. His choice of words was far more impactful than he could have imagined. His demand for a challenger to face off in the arena against him was exactly what the people of Israel had done in demanding that Samuel appoint for them a human king. They wanted a man who would lead them into battle and give them victories over their enemies. Now they had that man and he was refusing to do his job. Dressed in his armor and equipped with the authority and responsibility to “judge” his people, Saul remained strangely silent and unwilling to fulfill his role as king. And it’s not hard to imagine the Israelite troops thinking, “If only God would give us a king to judge us.”

The stage is set. Saul, the king, stands immobilized and paralyzed by fear. But all of that is about to change when the Lord’s anointed steps onto the scene. David, the sheep-tending, lyre-playing, armor-bearing, food-delivering son of Jesse is about to provide an unforgettable lesson in faith and godly leadership. The least expected is going to do the unexpected. The sheep-tender is about to become the giant killer. Israel’s future king is preparing to make his grand appearance and everyone, including Saul and Goliath, is going to have a difficult time recognizing and respecting the man whom God has chosen to lead His people to victory.

You Won’t, But I Will

January 24, 2023January 24, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹¹“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. ¹²As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. ¹³And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ¹⁴I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. ¹⁶I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

¹⁷“As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. ¹⁸Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? ¹⁹And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

²⁰“Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. ²¹Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, ²²I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. ²³And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. ²⁴And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken. – Ezekiel 34:11-24 ESV

God has leveled His indictment against the leaders of Judah. From the priests and prophets to the king and his court, they all stand before God guilty of malfeasance. Not only have they neglected their God-ordained duties, but they have used their roles for personal profit and self-advancement. Personally responsible for the physical and spiritual well-being of God’s flock, these men had left the people of Judah in a weakened and vulnerable state. God describes them as scattered and defenseless. And, repeatedly, God accuses His undershepherds of failing to do anything about it.

“…my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them.” – Ezekiel 34:5-6 NLT

“…you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost.” – Ezekiel 34:8 NLT

These men were guilty of abandonment and neglect. They were so self-absorbed with their own well-being that they failed to provide for the ones under their care. And because of their poor job performance, God declares the prophets, priests, and king to be His enemies.

“I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves.” – Ezekiel 34:10 NLT

And God emphatically declares His intentions to step in and rectify the problem these men have created.

“I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey.” – Ezekiel 34:10 NLT

Four times in verse 10, God states, “I will.” He will not stand back and watch this travesty of leadership any longer. He will get involved intimately and personally. He offers His personal promise to do what the shepherds should have been doing all along.

In the next 14 verses of Ezekiel 34, God continues to use that same phrase, stating 21 more times that He is about to engage His divine powers on behalf of his neglected and disenfranchised sheep.

His use of the sheep metaphor is quite telling. Sheep are not the brightest of animals. They have a herd mentality and rarely think for themselves. They tend to wander, are virtually defenseless, susceptible to disease, easily frightened, injury-prone, and without proper care, can become filthy, matted, and insect-infested. That’s why they need a shepherd.

Throughout the Old Testament, God refers to His people as sheep and their leaders as shepherds. God appoints leaders to shepherd His flock. He expects them to care for and protect His people. But instead, they tended to fend for themselves and take advantage of the people, leading them into sin and causing them to stumble spiritually. Their lousy leadership was devastating to the nation, and it is chronicled in sordid detail in the history of Israel’s kings. Far too many of them proved to be godless men who led the people astray and caused them to seek sustenance and safety from false gods.

Even the spiritual leaders proved to be more harmful than helpful to the well-being of the people. And God was going to hold them all accountable. Ezekiel 34 is God’s indictment against the shepherds of Israel who had failed to do their jobs. He tells them, “You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty” (Ezekiel 34:4 NLT).

They had failed to do their job. They had left the sheep defenseless and helpless. So, God said He would step in and do what the shepherds had failed to do. Over and over again He says, “I will…” He will search, rescue, feed, care for, tend, bandage, judge, and set over them a true shepherd who will care for them properly.

At the point Ezekiel penned these words from God, the northern kingdom of Israel had been non-existent for hundreds of years. It had fallen to the Assyrians centuries earlier. And, just recently, the southern kingdom of Judah had fallen to the Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzar and his forces had ended their long siege of Jerusalem by breaking through the walls and completely destroying the capital city of Judah. The temple was demolished, the city looted, and the people were taken back to Babylon as captives. Those who didn’t end up as slaves fled for their lives. That is why God describes them as scattered and wandering “through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth” (Ezekiel 34:8 NLT).

But repeatedly declares that He is ready, willing, and able to do something about their plight. In the final verse of this chapter, God emphatically states His relationship with His sheep.

“You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God.” – Ezekiel 43:31 NLT

The psalmists understood this unique relationship between God and His people.

Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock. – Psalm 80:1 NLT

Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. – Psalm 100:3 NLT

And as their shepherd, God promises to do what all good shepherds do: Care for His flock. They had been scattered to the four winds, but He would search for them until He found them. Then He would oversee their return to the land of promise where they will enjoy peace and prosperity once again.

“Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord.” – Ezekiel 34:14-15 NLT

God is promising a future day when His scattered, skittish, and scarred sheep will find themselves living in the rich pasturelands of Canaan again. It is an image of complete restoration, both physically and spiritually. They will once again be the sheep of His pasture.

The prophet, Micah, echoes this powerful promise from God.

“Someday, O Israel, I will gather you;
    I will gather the remnant who are left.
I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen,
    like a flock in its pasture.
Yes, your land will again
    be filled with noisy crowds!” – Micah 2:12 NLT

And Micah takes this powerful prophecy one step further when he writes:

“In that coming day,” says the Lord,
“I will gather together those who are lame,
    those who have been exiles,
    and those whom I have filled with grief.
Those who are weak will survive as a remnant;
    those who were exiles will become a strong nation.
Then I, the Lord, will rule from Jerusalem
    as their king forever.”
As for you, Jerusalem,
    the citadel of God’s people,
your royal might and power
    will come back to you again.
The kingship will be restored
    to my precious Jerusalem.” – Micah 4:6-8 NLT

But in the midst of all this good news, God delivered a bit of bad news.

“I will judge between one animal of the flock and another, separating the sheep from the goats.” – Ezekiel 34:17 NLT

It’s hard not to see the foreboding nature of this statement. The warning of separation is meant to convey judgment. Jesus Himself used this same imagery when speaking of the final judgment in His Olivette discourse.

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.” – Matthew 25:31-33 NLT

But in Ezekiel 34, the separation seems to be a statement of judgment against the underperforming shepherds of Israel. He accuses them of having kept the best pastures for themselves. In their zeal for self-promotion and personal gain, they had taken advantage of the people, leaving them in a neglected and weakened state. So, God warns them “I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep. For you fat sheep pushed and butted and crowded my sick and hungry flock until you scattered them to distant lands” (Ezekiel 34:20-21 NLT).

Then with the sheep restored and the shepherds judged, God promises to give them a new shepherd, a man cut from the same cloth as King David.

“I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!” – Ezekiel 34:23-24 NLT

In the midst of all the turmoil surrounding Judah’s fall, God promises that a day is coming when the people of Israel will be restored and enjoy the protection of a king who, like David, will shepherd them just as David did.

God will make it happen.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Legacy of Autonomy

January 3, 2022January 4, 2022 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁸The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) ¹⁹These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.

²⁰Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. ²¹He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. ²²And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. ²³Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. ²⁴When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, ²⁵he said,

“Cursed be Canaan;
a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

²⁶He also said,

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;
    and let Canaan be his servant.
²⁷May God enlarge Japheth,
    and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,
    and let Canaan be his servant.”

²⁸After the flood Noah lived 350 years. ²⁹All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died. – Genesis 9:18-29 ESV

God has pronounced His blessing upon Noah and his family. He has issued His mandate to multiply and fill the earth. And He has communicated His covenant commitment to never use a worldwide flood to destroy mankind again.

At this point, Noah’s three sons “went forth from the ark” (Genesis 9:18 ESV). They left the safety of the ark behind because they had a new assignment. No longer were they to seek refuge in the massive boat they had helped their father build. The floodwaters had receded and the threat of death had passed. Now, they were to obey the Lord’s command to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28).

There is a hint of irony in the statement that these three young men “went forth,” because it doesn’t appear that they went very far. Even their father appears to have stayed within close proximity of the ark’s final resting place. But Moses relates that from the three sons of Noah, “the people of the whole earth were dispersed” (Genesis 9:19 ESV). The Hebrew word translated as “dispersed” is נָפַץ (nāp̄aṣ) and it was used to refer to something that smashed and its pieces abruptly scattered. It conveys the idea that these “people” did not disperse willingly but were forced to do so by God. God had commanded Noah and his sons to “fill the earth.” And yet, we read that Noah “began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard” (Genesis 9:20 ESV).

Why did Moses feel this detail was pertinent to the story? Of course, it becomes painfully clear that the fruit of Noah’s vineyard eventually produced the wine with which he became drunk. But there seems to be more to the story than that. Noah made an executive decision and chose to settle down and become a farmer. There is nothing inherently wrong with his career choice, but nowhere in the passage does Noah receive a directive from God to become a farmer. This appears to be an autonomous decision on Noah’s part. Perhaps he wanted to ensure that he and his family would have enough food to eat. One of the consequences of the flood was that all vegetation had been destroyed. So, it made sense that Noah would see farming as a viable and logical pursuit in the denuded post-flood landscape. But Moses’ choice of words is significant. He states that Noah “began to be a man of the soil.” The Hebrew word for “soil” is אֲדָמָה (‘ăḏāmâ), the very same word used for the “ground” from which God had formed Adam. And it’s important to note that, when God cursed Adam, He stated:

“…cursed is the ground (‘ăḏāmâ) because of you;
    in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
    and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground (‘ăḏāmâ),
    for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.” – Genesis 2:17-19 ESV

In his decision to become a farmer, Noah had chosen to embrace the curse. He had returned to the ground from which Adam had been formed. In a sense, he had returned to his roots. But that ground had been cursed by God. It would produce fruit, but only through hard work and accompanied by thorns and thistles. Noah had chosen the difficult path. He had decided to feed his family by working the cursed ground rather than enjoying the “clean” animals that God had graciously provided.

It’s important to recall what God told Noah immediately after releasing him from the ark.

“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.” – Genesis 9:3 ESV

God had expanded man’s diet by providing the “clean” creatures as a food source. Noah had been instructed by God to place seven pairs of these animals on the ark and, now, in the post-flood world, they would have needed Noah’s care and protection. So, it would have made more sense for Noah to become a keeper of flocks and herds. And it shouldn’t be overlooked that Noah chose the career path of Cain. Chapter four revealed that “Cain was a worker of the ground” (Genesis 4:2 ESV), while his brother Abel “was a keeper of sheep.”

Again, there is nothing about sheepherding that makes it more righteous than farming. The question is whether Noah was following the will of God in his choice of profession. And the context tends to indicate that Noah’s decision was not according to God’s will because it produced bad “fruit” that would have long-term implications for mankind.

Noah planted a vineyard and then waited for his first harvest. This process would have taken time, and while Noah waited for the vines to grow and the eventual grapes to ripen, he was failing to fulfill God’s mandate to “fill the earth.” And rather than disperse, Noah’s sons stayed right by his side. They created a little commune in which to live. There is mention of Noah’s grapes, but no word regarding Noah’s grandchildren.

And in time, Noah harvested the fruit of his labors. He turned his first season of ripened grapes into wine, and then drank himself drunk.

He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. – Genesis 9:21 ESV

Over the centuries, there has been a lot of speculation as to what this verse actually means. What exactly happened that fateful day? Moses simply states that, in his drunken stupor, Noah left himself uncovered in his tent, and his son, Ham, saw him in this compromised state. There are those who suggest that Ham committed an immoral act with his father. They make this determination based on the phrase, “Ham…saw the nakedness of his father” (Genesis 9:22 ESV). There were occasions when those words were used to refer to immoral acts. But there is nothing in the context of Genesis 9 to suggest that Ham committed a homosexual act with his father. There is also nothing that would support another purely speculative conclusion that Ham committed incest with his mother. The most logical explanation for what happened is that Ham, a grown man who would have been 100-years-old at the time, walked into his father’s tent and saw him lying drunk and naked. But rather than show his father respect by covering his nakedness, Ham decided to have fun at his father’s expense.

“Literally, the ancient Hebrew says that Ham “told with delight” what he saw in his father’s tent. He determined to mock his father and underminine his authority as a man of God. ” – Guzik, David. “Study Guide for Genesis 9.” Blue Letter Bible. 21 Feb, 2017. Web. 3 Jan, 2022. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Gen/Gen-9.cfm>

Ham shamed his father. He maliciously maligned the patriarch of the family in front of his two brothers. And these two sons, rather than joining Ham in his ridicule of their father, choose to salvage their father’s dignity by covering his sin.

Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. – Genesis 9:23 ESV

Notice the emphasis on their refusal to see their father’s nakedness. This seems to eliminate any thought that this phrase carries hidden meaning. They simply chose to respect their father’s privacy and maintain his dignity, while he was in a compromised state. And when Noah eventually sobered up, he discovered Ham had done and was incensed. Moses states that Noah “learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done” (Genesis 9:24 ESV) and immediately leveled a curse against Ham’s son.

“Cursed be Canaan;
a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” – Genesis 9:25 ESV

As retribution against Ham, Noah pronounced a curse upon his own grandson. This action by Noah does not suggest that God was punishing Canaan for his father’s sin. Noah was unwittingly declaring a prophetic declaration that the sin of Ham would be passed down to his future generations. Ham’s propensity for wickedness would be inherited by his progeny.

For Moses’ original audience, the mention of Canaan would have been a sobering reminder of the Canaanites who had occupied the land of promise. These people were particularly wicked and immoral, and they proved to be a constant source of temptation and trials for the Israelites as they attempted to occupy the land given to them by God. The descendants of Ham would be cursed to live in constant opposition to the descendants of Shem and Japheth. And Noah prophesied about this ongoing state of internecine conflict.

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem;
    and let Canaan be his servant.
May God enlarge Japheth,
    and let him dwell in the tents of Shem,
    and let Canaan be his servant.” – Genesis 9:26-27 ESV

But all of this could have easily been prevented. Had Noah not made the fateful decision to settle down and plant a vineyard, no grapes would have grown, no wine would have been made, and no drunkenness would have taken place. Had Noah followed the path of Abel and become “a keeper of sheep” (Genesis 4:2 ESV), none of this would have happened. But even in Noah, the man who walked with God, we see a post-fall propensity for doing things his own way. He had spent years faithfully constructing an ark and now he was ready to settle down and enjoy the “fruits” of his labors. But the flood had not cleansed the curse God had placed on the ground. This new Adam (āḏām) would find the soil (‘ăḏāmâ) just as difficult to cultivate as the first Adam. And the fruit it produced would be accompanied by difficulties and heartache.

From this point forward, the Genesis account will display mankind’s consistent trajectory away from God. The temptation to “be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5 ESV), will grow stronger with each passing generation. And even the righteous and blameless Noah proved to be a man who struggled with a desire to live life on his own terms. After the flood, Noah would live an additional 350 years and then die. He would experience the very fate that God had prescribed for Adam and his descendants.

“By the sweat of your brow
    will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
    from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
    and to dust you will return.” – Genesis 3:19 NLT

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

shepherd