Time with Abba, Singing Praising 親親爸父，唱詩歌頌 : OT DAY 466 - David Did Nothing to His Family's Tragedy (Please click here for English podcast)

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

OT DAY 466 - David Did Nothing to His Family's Tragedy (Please click here for English podcast)

Silence

1. Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

2. Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.

Praise and Thanksgiving

1. Think through your day, all the times that made you smile

2. Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3. Open your heart to praise the Lord

This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Psalm 18:30

Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html)

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you:

“Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2. Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gift to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

The Word (2 Samuel 13:15-14:24)

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=撒+母+耳+記+下+13&version=ESV

23 After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. 24 And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” 25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. 26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled. 2 Samuel 13:23-29

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

My Listening

David did nothing to all those tragedies! Why? I have to copy and paste part of yesterday's catch from Professor John Goldingay and then some new catch from him today.

Let's see how Professor John Goldingay tells us:

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay) :

The story of Tamar begins immediately to show that David has not sinned merely against God and against Uriah and against Bathsheba and against the child who died and against the Israelite troops at Rabbah and against Israel as a whole. He has sinned against his daughter Tamar (and for that matter against his son Amnon) because the kind of person he was issues in the kind of behaviour that appears in his family and because he brings down God's judgment on his own household as a judgment on David himself.

Her father is angry at what happens, but he DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT. Once again the enigmatic mystery of David's character surfaces. In political and military contexts he can be decisive, but in family matters he is inexplicably, bafflingly paralyzed…

It looks as if Absalom is right in thinking that his life is now in danger so that it is wise for him to take refuge with Talmai, his maternal grandfather. David then gets paralyzed in his relationship with Absalom, and this time it is Joab who has to take the decisive action...

John Goldingay. 1 and 2 Samuel for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011, p.153, 154.

First, David's sinful character brings relationship breakdown and destruction to his sons and daughters. Then his indecisive caused more tragedies including the death of his son Amnon and later his other son Absalom.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help us to understand that sin is like a kind of most poisonous virus that could pass on to generations. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Reflect on these questions:

1. Could you imagine sins can bring destruction like that?

2. How can you stop this virus before it is too late?

3. What have you got from Jesus today?