2 Samuel 19:11-17 – A Day of Reckoning
Just as it should have been blindingly obvious in 2 Samuel 19, that the need of the hour was to bring back the true king. So it should be blindingly obvious in Scotland today. But some have never heard about the true King. And so we must tell them. Others know about the true King. But the god of this world has blinded their minds to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. And for the church of Jesus Christ today our message to a sin sick world surely cannot simply be: ‘We want an equal seat at the pluralistic table’. Rather our message must be: ‘The true king must be brought back into the heart of our national life’. Because until that happens, the deepest needs of our nation cannot be healed. For our society not to acknowledge his kingship is to continue pressing the self-destruct button. But one day, he will return, bodily and in glory, and all will have to acknowledge him.
Before looking at the individuals who come out to meet David as he returns, something to notice straight away is that these are the same individuals who encountered him as he was leaving. Back in chapter 16, as David flees Jerusalem, he meets Ziba, who brings him donkeys and provisions. Then he meets Shimei, who belongs to the family of Saul. He curses David and throws stones at David and his men. But David refuses to let Abishai kill him. And then at the end of chapter 17, just before the battle, Barzillai was one of 3 men who came out and brought beds and honey and sheep and cheese out for David and the men who were with him. Now in this chapter, David meets the 3 of them again in the same order. Ziba rushes to meet him in verse 17, followed by Shimei and Barzillai.
One application of this straight away is that a day of reckoning is coming, and how we responded to the king the first time will determine how he responds to us when he comes back. The big question when it comes to each of these 3 men is how David will treat them, in light of how they treated him in his hour of need. It’s the same with Jesus. A day of reckoning is coming, and how he responds to us when he comes in his glory, will depend on how we have responded to him the first time round, how we responded to him as a suffering king on the cross. Whether we, by faith, saw him as the son of God, or whether we were offended or ashamed by him.
Question
- What is the day of reckoning that comes to all of us?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the salvation of family and friends.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.