121 - "Don't Trust in Wheels and Walkers" 2 Samuel 10-11; 1 Chronicles 19; Psalm 20, 53, 60, 75

David plans to deal loyally with Hanun, the son of the deceased king of the Ammonites.

But they don't trust him.

David goes to war, says:

"Be courageous for our people. May the LORD do what seems good to Him~2 Sam 10:12
"David killed 700 Syrian men in chariots, 40,000 foot soldiers, and wounded Shobach ---

the commander of their army.  The Ammonites made peace with David. 2 Sam 10:18  ---

David's heart desire was to deal upright loyal to the Ammonites---he never planned evil.

David wrote:  "May God grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans." Ps 20:4
"Some trust in [700] chariots; some in [40,000] horses but we trust in the Name of God."
They all collapse & fall.
Rise Up and Stand Firm.
Ps 20:7-8

I am so "taken" with this passage of Scripture.  David won with chariots and footmen, yes?
Yes. But he placed no trust in wheels, the walkers.  His trust was in a word, the Name, God.

Oh! Father, we all face this day, enemies coming our way whether they are in our relationships or in reality or our own faulty reasoning. Our thoughts war against us; our friends too~don't even know it.
Give us eyes to see You fighting for us.  Send help; send support (Psalm 20:2). SOS. 

David sent Joab in his place...oh, and his servants also...oh, and all Israel. They besieged Rabbah. David remained in Jerusalem. Looks good on paper. The king's decision. But David's heart was heavy and sinking and wandering.

"It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. David sent and inquired about the woman. He sent more messengers and took her while her husband was away at the war where David had sent this loyal follower, Urriah. She could have said "no" to the king, couldn't she?

And, then...David secretly conspires to kill her husband. No one would know. Except David and God. But, wait. Someone sees through this.

David has a friend. And this friend was loyal beyond words. And it was his words that pierced David's heart: "David, you have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites."

2 Sam 11:12 "For you did it secretly," but God will move before the sun. And David's immediate response to being found out---after an affair and murder. His response is strikingly unbelievable:

"I have sinned against the LORD." 2 Samuel 11:13. And our Merciful God "put away [David's] sin." David did not die---but this child he conceived did---the baby died.

Oh my God! Put away all of our sins. We are all guilty before You of breaking your law in every which way. Have mercy on us, O God! May we deal quickly with the promptings of our hearts. Before the sun sets. And may we, on our faces, worship You and You Alone, just like David did when his baby died.

Father, this story reads every single one of us. We have all sinned against You. Oh, we haven't sent a warrior into the heat of battle to remove him, but we've removed other people from our lives. Oh, we haven't taken another man's wife, but we've taken something that doesn't belong to us. Put away all our sin this day, forever. In Your Name, we pray, we worship.

PHOTO:  A brand spanking new day in the Hill Country.  As the sun rises on this day, will we trust in what we hold; what we have; what we see; what we know; what we do. Or will we trust the Name.