Throwing Spears
All this past week I struggled with a situation from my past that had very much begun to affect my present. At the root, I was experiencing hurt. The lingering kind. But as I continued to walk out my daily life, dragging my hurt behind me like a ball and chain, I began to try to unload some of my burden in other places. It was on one person from this past situation that I decided to place the newly birthed feelings of bitterness and jealousy. This person had no idea. None. But I justified my feelings and decided for myself it was perfectly natural to go on feeling the way I did. However, these “justified” emotions brought devastation within me. I felt constantly threatened. Drained. Bitter. Miserable. I had become a slave to my own thoughts (See 2 Peter 2:19).
You’ve been there, right? Some emotion has mastered you. And there is usually a person attached to that emotion. Christ said that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. I guess He had good reason for this radical instruction. The recipient of my stubborn emotions? She is a sister in Christ. He loves her just as He loves me. Yet, for whatever reason, I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t seem to shake those awful feelings that kept me captive in a prison of hard-heartedness. They held on with a pit bull grip. I felt almost powerless against them.
All this week, my homework assignments in Beth Moore’s David study seemed to deal with similar issues. I learned more about Amnon, Absalom, Tamar, and King David. As I read, my heart was struck. I gave ear to the stories about jealousy, lust, anger, pride and revenge. Those are the sorts of difficult emotions I am talking about. The ones that seethe under your skin and take control of your thoughts so that all through the day and into the night, you wrestle with them.
I saw in the scriptures what happened when the above-mentioned members of the royal family gave in to their difficult emotions. Strife, pain, devastation, exile, and even death ensued. They had opportunities to walk away or to make things right. You know that verse, “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13)? Well, here are some great examples of God doing just that in 2 Samuel. Take a look with me at how a way out was provided in each of the following situations:
2 Sam. 13:12-14
"Don't, my brother!" she said to him. "Don't force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don't do this wicked thing. What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you." But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
Tamar offered a way out for Amnon from his lust. Her wise words could have prevented a rape.
2 Sam. 13:25-27
"No, my son," the king replied. "All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go, but gave him his blessing. Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?" But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons.
David resisted Absalom’s attempts to have Amnon sent to the celebration. This should have given him pause to re-consider his plans. It could’ve prevented a vengeful murder.
2 Sam. 14:12-14
Then the woman said, "Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." "Speak," he replied. The woman said, "Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son? Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.”
The woman from Tekoa followed Joab’s instructions and successfully showed David that He should bring back his exiled son.
2 Sam. 18:10-14
When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree." Joab said to the man who had told him this, "What! You saw him? Why didn't you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior's belt." But the man replied, "Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lift my hand against the king's son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’ And if I had put my life in jeopardy —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have kept your distance from me." Joab said, "I'm not going to wait like this for you." So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom's heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.
A soldier with integrity rose up and reminded Joab (who was in authority over him!) of the King’s words to be gentle with his son. Another murder could have been averted.
He is faithful! He will provide a way out. Are we listening? We see in these accounts and have experienced for ourselves how easy it is to hear warnings, yet trudge on toward sin in stubbornness and hardness of heart. We may feel almost powerless against that pit bull grip, but we are NOT without help! That is a lie of the enemy.
By God’s providence, I met someone Saturday night, who after recommending a book called “A Tale of Three Kings” (deals with David, Saul & Absalom), pulled me briefly aside and mentioned an important lesson from the book. He told me we must not learn to “throw spears”. Saul threw spears at David, trying to kill him, because of his intense jealously of David’s success and favor. King David, on the other hand, had opportunity to kill Saul, but did not. Because of His close relationship with God, a godly response flowed out from his heart. This lesson drove straight into my heart. The man I was talking with had no idea the impact it made. These words were from God to me. I had some serious work to do.
This will sound sort of silly, but the next night, after an extended time of going before God with my emotions and struggles, I remembered something from my middle school years. I was a cheerleader (a terrible one, for one season). We used to sing a little cheer called “Be Aggressive”. B-E A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E, SAY BE AGGRESSIVE, BE BE AGGRESSIVE!! Yes, this goofy, redundant cheer helped me realize that I need to get aggressive when it comes to dealing with my sin nature. If I don’t, it will roll right over me, disabling and hindering what God is currently calling me to do. I sat back this week and steeped in events from the past, allowing emotions to pull me down into darkness, keeping me a slave to bitterness and jealously, besides the hurt. I allowed it to happen, as much as I’d like to think I couldn’t help it. But after forcing myself to come before God’s throne, I now see that with His loving help I can do something about it.
Instead of plotting revenge like Absalom, or keeping a loved one away like David, or taking what we want because we believe it should be ours like Amnon, let’s resolvedly lay down our hearts at our Father’s feet and beg God for His heart in the matter! Beg him to soften us and help us die to ourselves, to our sin nature, to the ways we see fit to respond. Let’s not learn to “throw spears” - to respond as the enemy would be thrilled to see. That only brings death. Be aggressive in dealing with the sin that plagues our hearts and minds. That’s the only way we’ll beat it.
Related Reading:
A Tale of three Kings: A Study in Brokenness
By Gene Edwards ($9.99 new at Amazon.com)
Praying God's Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds
By Beth Moore ($10.19 new at Amazon.com)
_____________________________________________________
2 Peter 2:19.
“They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”
Hebrews 3:7-8.
So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”
1 Corinthians 9:27.
“Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
You’ve been there, right? Some emotion has mastered you. And there is usually a person attached to that emotion. Christ said that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. I guess He had good reason for this radical instruction. The recipient of my stubborn emotions? She is a sister in Christ. He loves her just as He loves me. Yet, for whatever reason, I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t seem to shake those awful feelings that kept me captive in a prison of hard-heartedness. They held on with a pit bull grip. I felt almost powerless against them.
All this week, my homework assignments in Beth Moore’s David study seemed to deal with similar issues. I learned more about Amnon, Absalom, Tamar, and King David. As I read, my heart was struck. I gave ear to the stories about jealousy, lust, anger, pride and revenge. Those are the sorts of difficult emotions I am talking about. The ones that seethe under your skin and take control of your thoughts so that all through the day and into the night, you wrestle with them.
I saw in the scriptures what happened when the above-mentioned members of the royal family gave in to their difficult emotions. Strife, pain, devastation, exile, and even death ensued. They had opportunities to walk away or to make things right. You know that verse, “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13)? Well, here are some great examples of God doing just that in 2 Samuel. Take a look with me at how a way out was provided in each of the following situations:
2 Sam. 13:12-14
"Don't, my brother!" she said to him. "Don't force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don't do this wicked thing. What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you." But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
Tamar offered a way out for Amnon from his lust. Her wise words could have prevented a rape.
2 Sam. 13:25-27
"No, my son," the king replied. "All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go, but gave him his blessing. Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?" But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons.
David resisted Absalom’s attempts to have Amnon sent to the celebration. This should have given him pause to re-consider his plans. It could’ve prevented a vengeful murder.
2 Sam. 14:12-14
Then the woman said, "Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." "Speak," he replied. The woman said, "Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son? Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.”
The woman from Tekoa followed Joab’s instructions and successfully showed David that He should bring back his exiled son.
2 Sam. 18:10-14
When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, "I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree." Joab said to the man who had told him this, "What! You saw him? Why didn't you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver and a warrior's belt." But the man replied, "Even if a thousand shekels were weighed out into my hands, I would not lift my hand against the king's son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’ And if I had put my life in jeopardy —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have kept your distance from me." Joab said, "I'm not going to wait like this for you." So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom's heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.
A soldier with integrity rose up and reminded Joab (who was in authority over him!) of the King’s words to be gentle with his son. Another murder could have been averted.
He is faithful! He will provide a way out. Are we listening? We see in these accounts and have experienced for ourselves how easy it is to hear warnings, yet trudge on toward sin in stubbornness and hardness of heart. We may feel almost powerless against that pit bull grip, but we are NOT without help! That is a lie of the enemy.
By God’s providence, I met someone Saturday night, who after recommending a book called “A Tale of Three Kings” (deals with David, Saul & Absalom), pulled me briefly aside and mentioned an important lesson from the book. He told me we must not learn to “throw spears”. Saul threw spears at David, trying to kill him, because of his intense jealously of David’s success and favor. King David, on the other hand, had opportunity to kill Saul, but did not. Because of His close relationship with God, a godly response flowed out from his heart. This lesson drove straight into my heart. The man I was talking with had no idea the impact it made. These words were from God to me. I had some serious work to do.
This will sound sort of silly, but the next night, after an extended time of going before God with my emotions and struggles, I remembered something from my middle school years. I was a cheerleader (a terrible one, for one season). We used to sing a little cheer called “Be Aggressive”. B-E A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E, SAY BE AGGRESSIVE, BE BE AGGRESSIVE!! Yes, this goofy, redundant cheer helped me realize that I need to get aggressive when it comes to dealing with my sin nature. If I don’t, it will roll right over me, disabling and hindering what God is currently calling me to do. I sat back this week and steeped in events from the past, allowing emotions to pull me down into darkness, keeping me a slave to bitterness and jealously, besides the hurt. I allowed it to happen, as much as I’d like to think I couldn’t help it. But after forcing myself to come before God’s throne, I now see that with His loving help I can do something about it.
Instead of plotting revenge like Absalom, or keeping a loved one away like David, or taking what we want because we believe it should be ours like Amnon, let’s resolvedly lay down our hearts at our Father’s feet and beg God for His heart in the matter! Beg him to soften us and help us die to ourselves, to our sin nature, to the ways we see fit to respond. Let’s not learn to “throw spears” - to respond as the enemy would be thrilled to see. That only brings death. Be aggressive in dealing with the sin that plagues our hearts and minds. That’s the only way we’ll beat it.
Related Reading:
A Tale of three Kings: A Study in Brokenness
By Gene Edwards ($9.99 new at Amazon.com)
Praying God's Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds
By Beth Moore ($10.19 new at Amazon.com)
_____________________________________________________
2 Peter 2:19.
“They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”
Hebrews 3:7-8.
So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”
1 Corinthians 9:27.
“Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Labels: Life Lessons
posted by Ceen_Marie at 12:18 PM
3 Comments:
Colleen I love that Daniel Study. I hope God uses it in your life in powerful ways as he did in mine. I hope you are doing well and I would love for you to come over for lunch again!
Care, Daniel was truly awesome. I remembered all the things you had shared when you did it several years ago! It stuck :) Now I have less than 2 weeks on the David study to go. I am so bummed, I don't want it to end! Both of these studies were mind-transforming. I thank God for bringing them to life!
Ceen I am seriously so excited whenever I hear anyone doing these kinds of studies because I feel so passionate about freedom in Christ. I was so sad when that study ended also!
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