May the mumbling commence!
King David had his moment at the
Mount of Olives – just like his descendant Jesus. It was a low moment for both of them. Read from Second Samuel chapter fifteen:
David walked up the road that led to the
Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His
head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people
who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the mountain.
When someone told David that his adviser
Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom
foolish advice!"
As they reached the spot at the top of the Mount of
Olives where people worshiped God, David found Hushai the Arkite waiting for
him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as
a sign of mourning. But
David told him, "If you go with me, you will only be a burden. Return
to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, 'I will now be your adviser, just as I was your
father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's
advice. Zadok and Abiathar, the priests,
are there. Tell them the plans that are being made to capture me, and they will
send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to find me and tell me what is going
on." So David's friend Hushai
returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived. (Verses 30-37)
David wept. His head was covered and his feet were
bare. Those with him were also weeping
and had their heads covered. David was
betrayed by some people who were close to him – by family even. Jesus was to suffer the same fate many years
later – after all he called his disciples his brothers and sisters and mother.
At the Mount of Olives, David was
given a slim hope from Hushai – who was also deeply in mourning over the
situation. Hushai was to be David’s
inside man in his son’s fledgling kingship.
Jesus, too found hope in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of
Olives. That hope was doing the will of
the Father. David too was resigned to
the will of God even as he was being driven from his home.
And David wept for his enemies,
just as Jesus did on the cross. Read
from Second Samuel chapter eighteen:
Then the man from Cush arrived and said, "I have good news for my lord the king. Today the Lord has rescued you from all those who rebelled against
you."
"What about young Absalom?" the king demanded. "Is he all right?"
And the Cushite replied, "May all of your enemies, both now and in the future, be as that young man is!"
The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to his
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 could have died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son."
(Verses 31-33)
Let’s walk in the Way of Jesus, son
of David, Son of God. Let’s embrace our
sorrows. Let’s bend to the will of
God. Let’s care for our enemies as
deeply as we care for ourselves.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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