Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 2 Samuel 14:1-24.  Here is a link to this Scripture – 2 Samuel 14 NASB1995 – – Bible Gateway

I quote only the following verses.

“Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom.  So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days;  then go to the king and speak to him in this manner.”  So Joab put the words in her mouth.

…

Then the woman said, “Please let your maidservant speak a word to my lord the king.”  And he said, “Speak.”  The woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God?  For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.  For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again.  Yet God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him.  …

…

Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you.”  And the woman said, “Let my lord the king please speak.”  So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?”  And the woman replied, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken.  Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant;  in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing.  But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.”  

Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I will surely do this thing;  go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.”  Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king;  then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”  So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.  However the king said, “Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face.”  So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king’s face.”  2 Samuel 14:1-3 and 12-14 and 18-24. 

——————-

Reconciliation is the theme of today’s devotion.  Joab and the Tekoa woman worked together to help David come to his senses so David would bring his son Absalom back home.  Sometimes, we too can help reconciliation to occur.  David did send Joab to bring his son Absalom back home, but David did not allow at this time Absalom to see his face.  Sometimes, we will only see the first step toward reconciliation, but reconciliation can proceed in steps.  

But, in addition to encouraging us to help reconciliation, the main purpose of this devotion is to meditate on the following Scriptures (and others of what the reader may consider) of what the LORD did to bring “banished ones”, so to speak in the language of today’s Scripture, back into the fold.

“remember that you (the Gentiles) were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups (Jews and Gentiles) into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”  Ephesians 2:12-16.

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female;  for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”  Galatians 3:27-29.

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;  and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh;  even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.  Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;  the old things passed away;  behold, new things have come.  Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”  2 Corinthians 5:14-19.