Reflections on Scripture

Reflections for January 10, 2017

"How much more when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house on his own bed! So now, should I not require his blood from your hands and wipe you off the earth?" (2 Samuel 4:11)

2 Samuel 4:11 gives King David's response to two men who were supposedly doing the godly thing. God had anointed David to be king over Israel and Saul's son Ish-bosheth was attempting to thwart this to become king instead. Two of Ish-bosheth's men went into his bedroom while he was asleep, killed him and beheaded him, and took the head to David saying, "Here's the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who intended to take your life. Today the LORD has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring."

Quite a righteous sounding deed! But David saw it differently. It was two wicked men killing a helpless man in his sleep. God's purposes will never require wicked deeds to be accomplished. The old proverb, "Two wrongs don't make a right" applies here. The wrong of Ish-bosheth didn't justify the wrong of the men who killed him to result in a right toward accomplishing God's purpose. God could and would bring about His purpose without this help.

So it is in our own dealings. Whatever God's purpose might be for us, it will not require scheming or conniving for it to be accomplished. God will do it without our help. All He needs is our cooperation.