This week’s One Year Bible readings have come from the book of 2nd Samuel. This week we’ve been reading the engaging and intriguing stories of King David and his estranged disobedient son, Absalom.
In one particular scene, Joab (the King’s Commander) sends for a “wise woman” from Tekoa and asks her to engage the king like a woman who is in great sorrow. Joab has a end game in mind. He needs the king to see the situation with Absalom from a different perspective. The Wise Woman agrees and accepts the mission. (If you’ve ever watched Game of Thrones, you’ll think this scene is straight out of one of those episodes.)
She goes before the King and pleads for the King to bring home his banished son. In verse 14 of 2nd Samuel she says to the King, “All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. That is why God tries to bring us back when we have been separated from him. God does not sweep away the lives of those he cares about–and neither should you.”
I have been captured by that verse all week. “That is why God tries to bring us back when we have been separated from him. God does not sweep away the lives of those he cares about—and neither should you.”
Think about it! God does not sweep away the lives of those God cares about.
I am confident that God cares about us. As a matter of fact, God’s reaching for us is the meta narrative of every story in the bible. God’s mission is to redeem, restore and resurrect that which is lost, broken and dead.
Consistently, I do things that seemingly separates me from God. I tell lies about myself; I tell lies about others; I tell lies about God. BUT–here is the beauty of God’s story–God is relentlessly trying to bring us back, remove the separation (dispel the lies) and restore us. God cares about us as a parent cares for their children.
Some people have the misconception that God is a tyrant. God is not! God does not sweep away the lives of those God cares about. Isn’t that beautiful?
Regardless of how separated we feel from God; regardless of how many lies we’ve told ourselves; regardless of what we’ve done–God does not sweep us away. God gathers us up, holds us tightly and restores the relationship.
My friends, that was the message the Wise Woman of Tekoa wanted King David to see; that is the message of the Bible and that is the message of the good news of the gospel.
One last thing.
The last part of the verse says—“and neither should you!” We are called to emulate the characteristics of God in our lives. God doesn’t give up on others–and neither should we. Think about that.