Sunday 3rd November
Read 2 Samuel 12:26-31
“Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. 27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, ‘I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. 28 Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I shall take the city, and it will be named after me.’
29 So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. 30 David took the crown from their king’s head, and it was placed on his own head. It weighed a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones. David took a great quantity of plunder from the city 31 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labour with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.” (NIVUK)
The story began with David staying behind as the army went forth to capture Rabbah. The consequences of his staying behind changed the kingdom forever. Yet God did not count David’s sin against him and restored him. The end of the story demonstrates precisely that – David is victorious over Ammon, subjugating them in the same way Israel was subjugated by Egypt. He then returned to Jerusalem, where the story began.
It seems like a strange way to finish a tale of murder and adultery and sin, with a story of slavery. Yet in others way it is entirely appropriate. If sin is a form a slavery and the consequences of the Ammonites rejecting the gracious behaviour of David (2 Samuel 8) is that they are captured and enslaved – suffering the consequences of their sin – then perhaps it is an ominous foreshadowing of the grip sin will have on David’s house going forward?
David perhaps can cry out with Paul, and us, about the terrible consequences of sin in our lives…
“So I find this law at work: although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:21-25a) (NIVUK)
