Y'ear 4 Life of LAB.. Sift! Blog 6

 

(Click on the Image to open a clearer view)

Welcome back to The Road2Wholeness Blog.  

Today we enter Blog 6 of Life of LAB.. our 7-Day Blog series which began on November 23rd.  We've been covering David's ascent to Kingship in The Book of Samuel.  

Today we return to 1st and 2nd Samuel to look at how David overcame a three day plague set against his people by the Lord.  

First let's remember how David began his legacy over Philistine territory with his win over Goliath.  Most of us know the story, but do we know the story of "the scape-goat"?  In Jewish tradition, the scapegoat or the institution of the scape-goat happens when a priest places his hands on a goat for the enumerating of the people's sins.  The goat is taken then by envoy and let go.  This special envoy then undergoes a ritual purification upon its return.  This is called an "impassable wilderness" for the goat. 

In the case of David who is anointed to be King and takes victory over Goliath.. He then enters an impassable wilderness.  In Sift, we've covered David's record and journey to becoming a more intelligent warrior.  Along the series the statement has been, "The game of sift is "What do you hear?".  

In 2 Samuel 24, it reads, "Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."  Here David hears the word of the Lord and moves out to take the census of the armies of God in Israel and Judah.  In verse 10, it reads, "David was conscience stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done.  Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant.  I have done a very foolish thing."  The Lord responds to David and says, "Go and tell David, 'This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options.  Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'"  David heard with wisdom in response and replied, "Let us fall into the Lord's hands, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands."  So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from the morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.  When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, Enough!  Withdraw your hand.

But what did you hear?

I heard that the Lord incited David to call for a census.  I also heard that David was overcome with remorse and realized that he had done a wrong thing.  In reading from this story in the past, I thought and thought but could not hear the word of the Lord.  Why was the people punished when David had done what the Lord asked or incited him to do?  Whatever the reason, David heard correctly and gave his life and the people he shepherds over to the hands of God.  Now, I have sifted and I can hear the reason David lamented.  I have sifted and have also realized why God relented at the angel's approach to Israel.  A merciful God and a humble King.  It appears that David had shifted and had forgotten the words he'd spoken years before taken from 1 Samuel 17:47, "It is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands."  These are words David spoke against his enemies early in his journey, and now in 2 Samuel 24, it seems that perhaps he has forgotten.  When we look closer, it appears that David did not shift but did sift and knew that he had to heed the word of the Lord to take a census over the armies of God.

In the matter of this evolution of a King, we are seeing that the first thought should be not to solve the Lord's request, but to obey.  In obeying seventy thousand men were killed, however, when the Lord relented, it was because of David's will to obey and his quick thought to acknowledge the Lord's hand as a safe place to be that brought them out as God saw fit to bring them out.  Where David had believed God before to be his help..  instead he thought it safe this time to census his armies.

If we examine David's shield, we can see that his ear is well developed and that by the end of the Book of Samuel, he has completely transformed.

Coming up tomorrow, we look at what shifted in the story and how a goat became a sheep.

Remember to go within that you may never go without.  The God within you awaites you.  Until our paths collide again, I wish you.. Peace, Love, Life, and Complete Wholeness un Christ.

In Service,

NaTisha Renee Williams