Topic: Interrupted By A Broken Covenant
Text: 2 Samuel 21:1-14
Key Verse: While David was king, there were three years in a row when the nation of Israel could not grow enough food. So David asked the Lord for help, and the Lord answered, “Saul and his family are guilty of murder because he had the Gibeonites killed.” – 2 Samuel 21:1 CEV
Even though the devil is on a mission to steal, kill and destroy, God has not left humankind at his mercy. The devil still requires the legal right to implement his devices against any believer, especially those in Covenant with God. Satan had to ask for permission to afflict Job, and Jesus prayed for Peter after Satan asked to sift him like wheat.
The Lord replied, “All right, Satan, do what you want with anything that belongs to him, but don’t harm Job.” Then Satan left. – Job 1:12
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fails not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. – Luke 22:31-32
Several years ago, l read the book Satan is Alive and well on Planet Earth by Carole Carlson and Hal Lindsay. Even though it opened my eyes to several ways the devil is afflicting man, l realized that you must have given a foothold to demons before they can take advantage of you. The foothold given to the devil may happen out of a person’s ignorance or as a result of willful sin and rebellion.
This belief is equally communicated in the question the Jews asked Jesus concerning the man born blind. They believed that negative events occur as a result of personal sin or sin in your bloodline. Jesus’ disciples asked, “Teacher, why was this man born blind? Was it because he or his parents sinned?” – John 9:2
In today’s text, we learn of an interruption in the economic life of the Jews due to a famine; three long years of famine must have led to hunger, extreme hardship, poverty, sickness, and possibly death. David knew that God was a covenant keeper and would not fail in his promises to Israel, so he enquired about their pain.
Believers often delay, like David asking the Learner questions about their life experiences; they assume it is normal for those things to happen. Evil is never normal.
Every child of God has covenant rights and privileges; when your experience contradicts God’s promises, you must be uncomfortable and seek redress. God gave the land of Cannan to the Israelites, but on their own, they did not drive out all the previous occupants of the land, either because they were lazy to fight the enemies or because they entered into a compromising relationship with them; these enemies eventually caused havoc in their future.
The Gibeonites, under disguise, entered a covenant with Israel during the days of Joshua, but later Saul decided to break that Covenant. The consequences did not appear in Saul’s days but after his death. It took a revelation for King David to find this out.
Are you living only in the realm of information? Do you think that even what you don’t know can’t hurt you? Have you asked about occurrences that seem to follow a pattern in your bloodline? Have you considered that certain trends follow the male descendants in your family which do not occur in the lives of your friends? How long do you want to suffer more before you ask the right questions?
The questions you ask are as important as who you ask. Many believers think asking is wrong; they consider it a sin to question God.
Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. – Matthew 7:8
Others who do not have revelatory gifts live in ignorance, whereas God has given us the gifts that should aid us in discovery as long as there is a genuine gift; that is when there will be fake alternatives.
The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 12:7-8
God speaks to us in answer to prayer through dreams, visions and prophecy, either personally or he uses those with the revelatory gift to serve the body. Do you take your dreams seriously? Do you have revelatory gifts that you have not developed? You may have tried to seek the help of others, but be careful not to consult mediums.
Jesus never evaded questions from his disciples; he willingly gave insights into things he taught them and shared everything about the Father they needed to know. It was only on the issue of time and seasons; he referred to the Father as the only one who knows.
Jesus said to them, “You don’t need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. – Acts 1:7
Father God longs to speak to his children daily and reveal to them things they ought to know by his Holy Spirit. Do you have questions, seek the Lord as King David did.
Prayer
Father, thank you for your love and faithfulness in our lives; your mercy has kept us. Reveal to us any area where we have given the enemy a foothold in our lives, show us mysteries about our lives that are keeping us in bondage. Deliver us from evil in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Ada
Photo by Md. Hasanuzzaman Himel on Unsplash
