The first evidence of horses in Egypt dates from the 13 dynasty. But they were introduced on a major scale only from the Second Intermediate Period onwards.
Horses were very luxury animals, and only the very wealthy could afford to keep them and treat them according to their worth. they were never used for ploughing and only rarely ridden during the 2nd millennium BC. For war and hunt alike they were harnessed to chariots.
Tutankh'Amen enjoyed not only driving his chariot, but also mounting on horseback. this has been inferred from a riding crop found in his tom bearing the inscription that "he came on his horse like the shining Re."
Ramses II (1278-1237BC), remembered for his military campaigns and his extensive building program,
built a complex of six rows of stables for 460 horses at Per-Ramses on the Southern edge of the Delta, covering 1,700 square meters. They had sloping floors and troughs at the lower end for keeping the floor as dry as possible and catching the horses' urine. The stables contained stone water basins and stone tethers. He, like his father Seti I, pursued a vigorous foreign policy by attacking the Hittites, the chief opponents of the Egyptian empire in the East. The army of Ramses consisted mostly of Egyptians, with a few Nubian contingents and some Sherden mercenaries. The chariots were mannered esclusively by Egyptian noblemen. It is generally assumed that an Egyptian division was comprised of 5,000 foot soldiers. Ramses setting out with 4 dividions of 20,000 seems reasonable.
Pharaohs often supervised personally the treatment their horses were getting. Ramses III frequented his stables and Piye (Pi'Ankhi, son of Kashta, the Golden Age of Nubian domination of Egypt), having conquered the Middle Egyptian Town of Shamumu after a lengthy siege, accused the defeated prince Nam'Lot of not feeding his horses properly. He said: "As I have lived and loved Re and breath is in my nostrils' thus my heart grows heavy seeing how these horses have been starved, which is worse than anything you have done from the evil in your heart."
Egyptian horses became famous throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. The Assyrian conquerors, when extracting tribute, made sure to get as many of them as possible.
The great prophet Isaiah who lived in Jerusalem says : "Those who go to Egypt for help are doomed! They are relying on Egypt's vast military strength -horses, chariots, and soldiers. But they do not rely on the Lord, the holy God of Israel, or ask Him for help. He knows what He is doing! He sends disaster. He carries out His threats to punish evil people and those who protect them. The Egyptians are not gods -they are only mortals. Their horses are not supernatural. When the Lord acts, the strong nation will crumble, and the weak nation helped by the strong nation will fall. Both of them will be destroyed.
(Isaiah 31: 1-3)
Horses were prime material in those ancient days, so multiplying horses indicated territorial aggression and warlike spirit, and most importantly, it showed a lack of Faith in God and too great a faith in the fleshy nature of the armies.
We can notice God's instruction to kings in Deuteronomy 17, which specifically warns against multiplying horses, wives, silver and gold. The king Solomon was blessed with wisdom that no one could gainsay, he was also blessed with wealth and ability no one had ever possessed before. This king, the son of Davis and Bathsheba, a man of peace and learning, was commissioned to build the most beautiful Temple to God in the City of Jerusalem. David and his armies had essentially subjugated all of the world that mattered at that time. King David of Israel, was the head of the nations and faraway kings he did not even know trembled at the mention of his name. As the sole superpower in the region, wealth poured into Israel. When Solomon was made king upon David's death, not a nation on the face on the earth would have considered attacking Israel. So, Solomon ruled the known world and as time progressed, he did not see the need to obey God's Law fully that He had commanded the kings of Israel to do. In his power and wealth, Solomon saw no problem with compromising a little with God's Law.
He failed completely in his old age, but the seeds of that failure were sown early in his reign.
1 King 10 says that Solomon had thousands of horses imported from Egypt. he also imported chariots and sold horses and chariots to other nations. Solomon armed the Hittites and Syria, providing them with the means to attack Israel and Judah in later years (1 Kings 11; 20; II Chronicles 22).
From the action of importing horses, Solomon was an accessory to the sins of idolatry and outright murder, sins that he would never have considered committing at the beginning of his reign. At the end of his life, Solomon himself worshipped Ash'Tor'Eth, Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech.
Wednesday, 31 October 2018
Monday, 29 October 2018
THE MEANING OF INTEGRITY.
The Hebrew terms relating to integrity have the root meaning of that which is "complete" or "whole."
But mainly it describes unswerving devotion to righteousness.
The first human couple were given the opportunity to manifest integrity in the Garden of Eden. The restriction regarding the tree of knowledge put to the test their devotion to righteousness. Under the pressure of temptation from God's adversary and his appeal to selfishness, they gave way to sin. Their shame, their reluctance to face God and their lack of candor in responding to His questions all gave evidence of their lack of Integrity.
When Satan's rebellion occurred, it produced an issue of universal importance -that of the Rightfulness of God's sovereignty over all His creatures, His right to require full obedience of them.
Psalm 119 says: -Determination to Obey the Law of the Lord: "I lie defeated in the dust, revive me, as You have promised. I confessed all I have done, and You answered me; teach me Your Ways. Help me to understand Your Laws and I will meditate on Your wonderful teachings. I am overcome by sorrow; strengthen me, as You have promised. Keep me from going the wrong way, and in Your goodness teach me Your Law. I have chosen to be obedient; I have paid attention to Your Judgments. I have followed Your Instructions, Lord; don't let me be put to shame. I will eagerly obey Your Commands, because You will give me more understanding. (25-32)
Since the issue with Satan was not one of superiority of power but, rather, a moral issue, it could not be settled merely by the exercise of power, as by God's immediately crushing Satan and the human couple out of existence. This fact is an important aid to understanding why Wickedness and its author, Satan, have been allowed to continue so long.
Since God's adversary first drew upon humans for support and endorsement of his rebel course, this made the question of man's integrity to God's sovereign Will an essential part of the overall issue. Proof of this is seen in the case of Job.
Satan's challenging statements in Job's case show he held the position that all persons could be drawn away from God's side, as it occurred in the story of David and Bathsheba, that none served out of a purely unselfish motive.
Proverbs 11 says: 1-The Lord hates people who use dishonest scales. He is happy with honest weights.
3-If you are good, you are guided by Honesty. People who can't be trusted are destroyed by their own dishonesty. 4-Riches will do you no good on the Day you face Death, but Honesty can save your life.
5-Honesty makes a good person's life easier, but the wicked will cause their own downfall. 7-When the wicked die, their hope dies with them. 6-Righteousness rescues those who are honest, but those who can't be trusted are trapped by their own greed. 8-The righteous are protected from trouble; it comes to the wicked instead. 9-You can be ruined by the talk of godless people, but the Wisdom of the righteous can save you. 11-A city becomes great when the righteous give it their blessing; but a city is brought to ruin by the words of the wicked. 13-No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret, but you can put Confidence in someone who is Trustworthy. 12-It is foolish to speak scornfully of others.16-A gracious
woman is respected, but a woman without virtue is a disgrace. 18-Wicked people do not really gain anything, but if you do what is right, you are certain to be rewarded. 19-Anyone who is determined to do right will live, but anyone who insists on doing wrong will die.
Since all men are imperfect and unable to measure up perfectly to God's standards, it is evident that the integrity of man does not mean perfection of action or speech. Rather, the Scripture shows that the spirit of integrity means wholeness or completeness of heart devotion.
David committed several serious wrongs, but he, nevertheless, "walked with integrity of heart," for he accepted reproof and corrected his way (1 King 9). David thereby proved that his heart still retained genuine love for God's ways (Psalms 26). As David later told his son Solomon: "Know the God of your father and serve Him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul; for all hearts God is searching, and every inclination of the thoughts He is discerning."
Integrity is therefore not restricted to any one aspect of human conduct; it does not apply just to matters defined as "religious." To serve God is a way of life in which the individual walks constantly searching to know God's Will (Psalms 119).
One "proves himself faultless" before God over a period of time, as did Noah, Abraham, David and others (Genesis 6; 17; 2 Samuel 22).
Integrity requires uncompromising Loyalty to God and adherence to Righteousness, not merely under favorable conditions or circumstances, but under all conditions and at all time.
But mainly it describes unswerving devotion to righteousness.
The first human couple were given the opportunity to manifest integrity in the Garden of Eden. The restriction regarding the tree of knowledge put to the test their devotion to righteousness. Under the pressure of temptation from God's adversary and his appeal to selfishness, they gave way to sin. Their shame, their reluctance to face God and their lack of candor in responding to His questions all gave evidence of their lack of Integrity.
When Satan's rebellion occurred, it produced an issue of universal importance -that of the Rightfulness of God's sovereignty over all His creatures, His right to require full obedience of them.
Psalm 119 says: -Determination to Obey the Law of the Lord: "I lie defeated in the dust, revive me, as You have promised. I confessed all I have done, and You answered me; teach me Your Ways. Help me to understand Your Laws and I will meditate on Your wonderful teachings. I am overcome by sorrow; strengthen me, as You have promised. Keep me from going the wrong way, and in Your goodness teach me Your Law. I have chosen to be obedient; I have paid attention to Your Judgments. I have followed Your Instructions, Lord; don't let me be put to shame. I will eagerly obey Your Commands, because You will give me more understanding. (25-32)
Since the issue with Satan was not one of superiority of power but, rather, a moral issue, it could not be settled merely by the exercise of power, as by God's immediately crushing Satan and the human couple out of existence. This fact is an important aid to understanding why Wickedness and its author, Satan, have been allowed to continue so long.
Since God's adversary first drew upon humans for support and endorsement of his rebel course, this made the question of man's integrity to God's sovereign Will an essential part of the overall issue. Proof of this is seen in the case of Job.
Satan's challenging statements in Job's case show he held the position that all persons could be drawn away from God's side, as it occurred in the story of David and Bathsheba, that none served out of a purely unselfish motive.
Proverbs 11 says: 1-The Lord hates people who use dishonest scales. He is happy with honest weights.
3-If you are good, you are guided by Honesty. People who can't be trusted are destroyed by their own dishonesty. 4-Riches will do you no good on the Day you face Death, but Honesty can save your life.
5-Honesty makes a good person's life easier, but the wicked will cause their own downfall. 7-When the wicked die, their hope dies with them. 6-Righteousness rescues those who are honest, but those who can't be trusted are trapped by their own greed. 8-The righteous are protected from trouble; it comes to the wicked instead. 9-You can be ruined by the talk of godless people, but the Wisdom of the righteous can save you. 11-A city becomes great when the righteous give it their blessing; but a city is brought to ruin by the words of the wicked. 13-No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret, but you can put Confidence in someone who is Trustworthy. 12-It is foolish to speak scornfully of others.16-A gracious
woman is respected, but a woman without virtue is a disgrace. 18-Wicked people do not really gain anything, but if you do what is right, you are certain to be rewarded. 19-Anyone who is determined to do right will live, but anyone who insists on doing wrong will die.
Since all men are imperfect and unable to measure up perfectly to God's standards, it is evident that the integrity of man does not mean perfection of action or speech. Rather, the Scripture shows that the spirit of integrity means wholeness or completeness of heart devotion.
David committed several serious wrongs, but he, nevertheless, "walked with integrity of heart," for he accepted reproof and corrected his way (1 King 9). David thereby proved that his heart still retained genuine love for God's ways (Psalms 26). As David later told his son Solomon: "Know the God of your father and serve Him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul; for all hearts God is searching, and every inclination of the thoughts He is discerning."
Integrity is therefore not restricted to any one aspect of human conduct; it does not apply just to matters defined as "religious." To serve God is a way of life in which the individual walks constantly searching to know God's Will (Psalms 119).
One "proves himself faultless" before God over a period of time, as did Noah, Abraham, David and others (Genesis 6; 17; 2 Samuel 22).
Integrity requires uncompromising Loyalty to God and adherence to Righteousness, not merely under favorable conditions or circumstances, but under all conditions and at all time.
Sunday, 28 October 2018
WHAT WE LEARN FROM DAVID/BATHSHEBA's SIN..
David is a young shepherd, chosen by God, and anointed by Him to be a King, who first gains fame as a musician and later by killing Goliat. He went from being a shepherd boy to the Palace as king.
David, with the help of the Mighty Warriors, conquers Jerusalem, taking the Ark of the Covenant into the city and establishes the kingdom founded by Saul.
Bathsheba is the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of the Mighty Warriors in King's David army, that later became the wife of David. She was the daughter of Eliam, also a Mighty Warrior, and he is mentioned in 2 Samuel 23 as the son of Ahithophel, who is described as the Gilonite. Ahithophel was a counselor of King David and a man greatly renowned for his sagacity. During Absalom (David's third son) 's revolt Ahithophel deserted David and supported Absalom. When he saw that the revolt would fail, he left Absalom's camp at once and returned to Giloh, his native place, and after arranging his worldly affairs, hanged himself and was buried in the sepulcher of his fathers (2 Samuel 17).
The Haggadah, a Jewish text that tells to every Jew's son about the liberation from slavery in Egypt (things of the flesh), states that Ahithophel was misled by his knowledge of astrology into believing himself destined to become a king of Israel. He therefore induced Absalom to commit an unpardonable crime (2 Samuel 16), which sooner or later would have brought with it, according to the Jewish Law, the penalty of death. His astrological information had been, however, misunderstood by Ahithophel; for in reality it only predicted that his granddaughter, Bathsheba, the daughter of his son Eliam, a Mighty Warrior, would become queen.
The mighty warriors at the front battle lines are identified in 2 Samuel 23 and in its final 4 chapters as a group of his best 37 fighters (later expanded to around 80) with mighty powers, who fought side-by-side with King David. According to the text, Abishai, the brother of Joab, killed 300 men with a spear, and so became famous among the The Mighty Warriors. The Text also states that despite the fame and respect Abishai was not included among the Three Best Warriors, suggesting that being part of the The Three powerful ones, fame was not the only accountable thing, but something which an individual has to prove or achieve beyond it in order to gain such exclusive title, and that is integrity (what we do when we think nobody is looking at us).
David's first interaction with Bathsheba, the granddaughter of Ahithophel, is described in 2 Samuel 11.
David decided to leave the place where God call him to be and take a time off. The Scripture does not give us a reason why he did that. What we can see is that all of the overwhelming victory caused by his role as a leader was really beginning to affect him. He was a shepherd by nature and a leader by the calling of God. He was designed to lead men face to face, not from afar.
Bathsheba was summoned by King David during his time off, after had seen her bathing in her courtyard from the roof of his palace and lusted after her. 2 Samuel 11 says:"One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, 'She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.' Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness). Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, 'I am pregnant.' (2-5) Informed that her husband was Uriah the Hittite, David summoned Uriah from battle to meet him, suggesting that he go home and "wash his feet," meaning to spend time at home and attend to his wife. He refused, claiming a code of honor with his fellow warriors while they were in battle. It was common for Mighty Warriors and in warriors in general in preparation for battle to abstain from sex. Uriah repeatedly refused to see his wife, forcing David to elaborate a sinister plan to kill him in battle due to Bathsheba's pregnancy, and finding no way to hide it. David sent Uriah to the captain and commanding officer Joab, with a letter that ordered Joab to put Uriah on the front lines and have the other Mighty Warriors move away from him so that he would be killed by the enemy soldiers.
Uriah the Hittite was from the ethnic Hittite residents in Israel that had lived in and around the region, the Land of Canaan, since before the time of Abraham. The Hebrews, upon their entry into Canaan, had been commanded (Deuteronomy 20) "to kill anything that breathes .. in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance," with the explanation that "otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do .. and you will sin against the Lord your God." Some of the earlier inhabitants were spared, in some cases for cooperating with the Hebrews (Joshua 2, Joshua 6, Judges 1) in other cases from failure to carry out the extermination order of the forces of evil (Joshua 15, Joshua 16, Judges 1).
In the era of David's rule, many residents of non-Hebrew descent followed the Hebrew faith and came to be accepted as Israelites. This included Uriah, as his name in Hebrew means "God is my light." His status as an mightier officer and his closeness to David, living closely to David's roof, would indicate this acceptance within the ethnic community.
Joab the son of Zeruiah, king David's sister, on the other hand, was David's nephew and he made him captain of his army (2 Samuel 8; 20; 1 Chronicles 11; 18; 27).The name Joab is derived from "Yahweh" meaning "Father." Uriah referred to Joab and not David as "my lord or commander" (2 Samuel 11). Joab is a king maker who dispatches ruthlessly his own military rivals, Abner and Amasa.
Joab is sufficiently powerful that David, on his deathbed, advises Solomon to arrange his death (1 Kings 2). David saw a deeper threat from Joab through his entanglement with Uriah's wife.
Joab's name is given to two other individuals in the Scripture (Ezra 2; 8). Those are the descendants of Joab of Bethlehem the son of Zeruiah, king David's sister; the subject is of the House and head of the House. The individual is Obadiah the son of Jehiel. Joab had two brothers, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was killed by Abner in combat, for which Joab took revenge by murdering Abner in Ambush, against David's wishes and shortly after Abner and David had secured Peace between the House of David and the House of Saul. (2 Samuel 2; 3 )
The prophet Nathan confronted David about Uriah's murder plan, by telling him a story of a rich man and a poor man. Hearing the story, David grew angry and replied: "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb 4 times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." Nathan replied: "You are that man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: "I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's House to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the House of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you more. Why did you despise the Word of the Lord by doing what is EVIL in His Eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the Sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the Sword will never depart from Your House, because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own."
Nathan then informs David that his child with Bathsheba must die. David mourns and begs for mercy. Indeed, their first child dies after 7 days. His entire story from that moment results in civil war and division in his family. The consequences for his actions were severe.
Proverbs 28:2 says: "When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability." Every great person live by core values and integrity. They pave pathways in life rather than just allow life to take its course. What goes inside of every individual determines where they are headed in life.
It takes integrity to maintain what God gives us. It takes persistence, determination, and consistency to make sure that we are focused.
David's heart pushed him towards the throne. It was not title, prestige, good money or job, not even favor with his family that did that for him. God never held a person back from transformational leadership, and the invitation will always be on the table.
Unfortunately, temptation is like a filter that always sneak in when our guard is down. Let's no make room for temptation. We have to show integrity by keeping our word and stay faithful and hold ourselves accountable to the standards we want to live out based on God's Word and calling.
David, with the help of the Mighty Warriors, conquers Jerusalem, taking the Ark of the Covenant into the city and establishes the kingdom founded by Saul.
Bathsheba is the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of the Mighty Warriors in King's David army, that later became the wife of David. She was the daughter of Eliam, also a Mighty Warrior, and he is mentioned in 2 Samuel 23 as the son of Ahithophel, who is described as the Gilonite. Ahithophel was a counselor of King David and a man greatly renowned for his sagacity. During Absalom (David's third son) 's revolt Ahithophel deserted David and supported Absalom. When he saw that the revolt would fail, he left Absalom's camp at once and returned to Giloh, his native place, and after arranging his worldly affairs, hanged himself and was buried in the sepulcher of his fathers (2 Samuel 17).
The Haggadah, a Jewish text that tells to every Jew's son about the liberation from slavery in Egypt (things of the flesh), states that Ahithophel was misled by his knowledge of astrology into believing himself destined to become a king of Israel. He therefore induced Absalom to commit an unpardonable crime (2 Samuel 16), which sooner or later would have brought with it, according to the Jewish Law, the penalty of death. His astrological information had been, however, misunderstood by Ahithophel; for in reality it only predicted that his granddaughter, Bathsheba, the daughter of his son Eliam, a Mighty Warrior, would become queen.
The mighty warriors at the front battle lines are identified in 2 Samuel 23 and in its final 4 chapters as a group of his best 37 fighters (later expanded to around 80) with mighty powers, who fought side-by-side with King David. According to the text, Abishai, the brother of Joab, killed 300 men with a spear, and so became famous among the The Mighty Warriors. The Text also states that despite the fame and respect Abishai was not included among the Three Best Warriors, suggesting that being part of the The Three powerful ones, fame was not the only accountable thing, but something which an individual has to prove or achieve beyond it in order to gain such exclusive title, and that is integrity (what we do when we think nobody is looking at us).
David's first interaction with Bathsheba, the granddaughter of Ahithophel, is described in 2 Samuel 11.
David decided to leave the place where God call him to be and take a time off. The Scripture does not give us a reason why he did that. What we can see is that all of the overwhelming victory caused by his role as a leader was really beginning to affect him. He was a shepherd by nature and a leader by the calling of God. He was designed to lead men face to face, not from afar.
Bathsheba was summoned by King David during his time off, after had seen her bathing in her courtyard from the roof of his palace and lusted after her. 2 Samuel 11 says:"One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, 'She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.' Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness). Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, 'I am pregnant.' (2-5) Informed that her husband was Uriah the Hittite, David summoned Uriah from battle to meet him, suggesting that he go home and "wash his feet," meaning to spend time at home and attend to his wife. He refused, claiming a code of honor with his fellow warriors while they were in battle. It was common for Mighty Warriors and in warriors in general in preparation for battle to abstain from sex. Uriah repeatedly refused to see his wife, forcing David to elaborate a sinister plan to kill him in battle due to Bathsheba's pregnancy, and finding no way to hide it. David sent Uriah to the captain and commanding officer Joab, with a letter that ordered Joab to put Uriah on the front lines and have the other Mighty Warriors move away from him so that he would be killed by the enemy soldiers.
Uriah the Hittite was from the ethnic Hittite residents in Israel that had lived in and around the region, the Land of Canaan, since before the time of Abraham. The Hebrews, upon their entry into Canaan, had been commanded (Deuteronomy 20) "to kill anything that breathes .. in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance," with the explanation that "otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do .. and you will sin against the Lord your God." Some of the earlier inhabitants were spared, in some cases for cooperating with the Hebrews (Joshua 2, Joshua 6, Judges 1) in other cases from failure to carry out the extermination order of the forces of evil (Joshua 15, Joshua 16, Judges 1).
In the era of David's rule, many residents of non-Hebrew descent followed the Hebrew faith and came to be accepted as Israelites. This included Uriah, as his name in Hebrew means "God is my light." His status as an mightier officer and his closeness to David, living closely to David's roof, would indicate this acceptance within the ethnic community.
Joab the son of Zeruiah, king David's sister, on the other hand, was David's nephew and he made him captain of his army (2 Samuel 8; 20; 1 Chronicles 11; 18; 27).The name Joab is derived from "Yahweh" meaning "Father." Uriah referred to Joab and not David as "my lord or commander" (2 Samuel 11). Joab is a king maker who dispatches ruthlessly his own military rivals, Abner and Amasa.
Joab is sufficiently powerful that David, on his deathbed, advises Solomon to arrange his death (1 Kings 2). David saw a deeper threat from Joab through his entanglement with Uriah's wife.
Joab's name is given to two other individuals in the Scripture (Ezra 2; 8). Those are the descendants of Joab of Bethlehem the son of Zeruiah, king David's sister; the subject is of the House and head of the House. The individual is Obadiah the son of Jehiel. Joab had two brothers, Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was killed by Abner in combat, for which Joab took revenge by murdering Abner in Ambush, against David's wishes and shortly after Abner and David had secured Peace between the House of David and the House of Saul. (2 Samuel 2; 3 )
The prophet Nathan confronted David about Uriah's murder plan, by telling him a story of a rich man and a poor man. Hearing the story, David grew angry and replied: "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb 4 times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." Nathan replied: "You are that man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: "I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's House to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the House of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you more. Why did you despise the Word of the Lord by doing what is EVIL in His Eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the Sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the Sword will never depart from Your House, because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own."
Nathan then informs David that his child with Bathsheba must die. David mourns and begs for mercy. Indeed, their first child dies after 7 days. His entire story from that moment results in civil war and division in his family. The consequences for his actions were severe.
Proverbs 28:2 says: "When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability." Every great person live by core values and integrity. They pave pathways in life rather than just allow life to take its course. What goes inside of every individual determines where they are headed in life.
It takes integrity to maintain what God gives us. It takes persistence, determination, and consistency to make sure that we are focused.
David's heart pushed him towards the throne. It was not title, prestige, good money or job, not even favor with his family that did that for him. God never held a person back from transformational leadership, and the invitation will always be on the table.
Unfortunately, temptation is like a filter that always sneak in when our guard is down. Let's no make room for temptation. We have to show integrity by keeping our word and stay faithful and hold ourselves accountable to the standards we want to live out based on God's Word and calling.
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