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2 Samuel 16:1-4 Who can you believe? - Day 263

Good morning friends,

The rebellion of Absalom exposes the hearts of others as well.  Today we see that things are not always what they appear to be.

Blessings,

Jeff

The fascinating relationship between Ziba, David and Mephibosheth.

Ziba puts his money on David and not on Absalom.  This seems to be a big gamble.  If David is defeated, Ziba will loose everything.  And at this point, the odds are definitely against David.  So on the surface, this looks like an act of faith that God will preserve David.  However, what alternative did he have?  The deal he has with David will probably not be honored by Absalom.  After all, Absalom is interested in being king and having Saul's grandson around may pose a threat to Absalom.  And as it turns out, he really left Mephibosheth behind with the intent of getting everything for himself.  If Absalom does get rid of Mephibosheth, then there will be nobody to refute Ziba's story.

Mephibosheth is made to look like a disloyal self seeking traitor.  As we will later see, he actually has a good reason as he is diseased in his feet and could not escape.  Ziba is bearing false witness about others.

David is stuck with making a decision based on the evidence provide by one man. His loyalty to Saul's descendants only goes so far.

How do these events relate to Genesis 3:15?

One of the things that the seed of woman who will crush the serpents head will do is not to judge by what he hears and sees but by what is in the heart.  David cannot see the heart.  But the better David will not be taken in by professions of loyalty that are only words.

 

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