Violence came to John the Baptist and to Jesus as a result of their proclaiming God’s kingdom.
In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul characterized the life of a proclaimer of Christ as a spiritual battle.
What kind of strategies and tactics do enemies use to defeat people? They identify and destroy their leaders. They destroy their target’s resources while building up their own. They recruit allies to help them. They use deception. They attack weak points. They project invincibility to discourage resistance. They don’t fight fairly. The seek to flip loyalists to their side.
In Psalm 55, David begs God to help him. The enemy is attacking him from every side.
“To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me and hear me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily, because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me. So I said, ‘O, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off and remain in the wilderness. Selah! I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.’” Psalm 55:1-8
David asked the Lord to listen to him. We can do that too! “Lord, please listen to me. Please intervene for me! I need Your help.” David explained how he felt to God. “I am restless.” I am fearful. I am trembling. I am overwhelmed with horror. He moaned and complained because of the relentless attacks of his enemy. His enemy hated him, caused him heartaches and terrorized him with death threats. He wanted God to give him wings to fly away so he could enjoy some rest. He was ready to live in the wilderness.
In Hebrews 4:15, Paul wrote, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin.” Jesus knows what we are going through. Isaiah 53:3, says of Jesus, “He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”
In the Old Testament, David’s son, Absalom, stirred up the people of Jerusalem to reject David as their king. David declared, “They cast iniquity upon me.” David had been a good king to them but they made him out to be evil. In the New Testament, the chief priests stirred up the people of Jerusalem to reject Jesus, the Son of David, from being their king. They shouted, “Away with Him! Crucify Him!” Isaiah 53:6 says of Jesus, “Yahweh has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
“Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go around it on its walls. Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it. Destruction is in its midst. Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.” Psalm 55:10-11
Those who gathered against David were violent men. The kind that stir up strife in a nation. They enjoyed sin and wanted to normalize it. They preferred crime and deception over productive and honest work.
In 2 Samuel 16:21-22, Absalom slept with ten of David’s concubines in public view on the palace roof. This act was a calculated political move to say that he was now in control and that he was taking the nation in a different direction.
In Psalm 55:10, David prayed that God would destroy and divide their tongues. In 2 Samuel 15:31, he also prayed that the Lord would turn the counsel of Absalom’s advisor to foolishness. Absalom’s advisor was a man named Ahithophel.
In 2 Samuel 15:32-37, the Lord answered David’s prayer by helping one of David’s loyal advisors named Hushai to deceive Absalom. In 2 Samuel 16:15-19, Hushai gained Absalom’s confidence. In 2 Samuel 17:5-22, Hushai convinced Absalom that his advice was better than Ahithophel’s. Then, afterwards, secretly sent messengers to inform David of what Absalom was about to do.
“For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in the throng.” Psalm 55:12-14
David’s father-in-law, his wife Michal and his son Absalom betrayed him. These once happy relationships turned sour really hurt David.
In John 13:10-11, Jesus could relate to David. Jesus told His disciples that one of them was not clean, but did not disclose to them which one. He was referring to Judas Iscariot who was about to betray Him. In John 13:18, Jesus added, “I am not referring to all of you. I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against Me.’” In Luke 22:47-48, when Judas led a mob of soldiers to Jesus, he approached Jesus and gave Him a kiss. Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Jesus experienced the painful feeling of being betrayed by someone close to Him.
In John 1:11-12, the Bible says, “He [Jesus] came to that which was His own [the Jews], but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
God adopts us into His family when we believe and profess Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.
“Let death seize them. Let them go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.” Psalm 55:15
In 1 Samuel 26:10, David said about Saul, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish.” He trusted the Lord to put an end to Saul’s demonic persecution of him.
In 2 Samuel 26:16-23, Michal, David’s wife, despised him when he danced before the Lord with all his might. She said to David, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” David replied to her, “And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.” After that, the Bible says, “Michal had no children to the day of her death.”
In regards to his son, according to 2 Samuel 18, David did not want anything bad to happen to him. Despite Absalom’s rebellion and attempt to seize the throne, David specifically ordered his commanders, Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, to “deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake.” David loved his son dearly and was heartbroken when he was killed.
Ahithophel had been David’s advisor. Perhaps, he is the one David referred to when he wrote, “A man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in the throng.” Perhaps, he is the one that David asked God to slay. If so, David’s prayer was answered. In 2 Samuel 17:23, “When Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died.”
After Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, he also died. Matthew 27:5 says, “He hanged himself.” Acts 1:18 says, “Falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.” It is likely that the branch of the tree from which he hung broke. By that time, his body was bloated from decomposing and thus, popped like an overinflated balloon when it hit the ground. [1]
“As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:16-17
David’s strategy for victory was faith in God. He expressed his faith by praying to God, not just once per day, but morning, noon and night. He didn’t just think his prayers, he let God hear his voice. He cried aloud. As David committed his problems to God in prayer, God resolved them.
“He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many against me.” Psalm 55:18
David had faith in God’s faithfulness. He proclaimed his redemption in advance. There were many against him, but God plus one is a majority. In Romans 10:13, Paul wrote, “Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”
“God will hear, and afflict them, even He who abides from of old. Selah! Because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God. He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him. He has broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.” Psalm 55:19-21
David expected God to bring them down because they had no respect for God, and they also betrayed the trust of those who made covenants of peace with them. By experience, David learned to watch what they do, not what they say. Their words were comparable to butter and oil which enhance food’s flavor, but their hearts had swords in them that were ready to kill.
Jesus also dealt with hypocrites in the New Testament. In Matthew 23:3-7, He said, “They do not practice what they preach.” They give people work to do but do not offer to help them. They wear clothes that project superiority over others. They like special titles. In Matthew 23:28, Jesus said to them, “On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Matthew Henry wrote in his commentary, “Because they have no changes (...no interruption to the constant course of their prosperity...) therefore they fear not God. They live in a constant neglect and contempt of God and religion... they are certainly marked for destruction.”
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22
Similarly, in 1 Peter 5:5-7, Peter wrote, “Be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
“But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction. Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in You.” Psalm 55:23
When a mighty empire is run by a collaboration of liars and thieves, it is difficult for anyone to live for God among them. The deceivers take “protection” money from the people to purchase weapons and ammo, which they use against them. They violently crush verbalized dissent.
David relied on God to bring down Goliath, King Saul, Ahithophel and Absalom. Thus, God’s kingdom continued to expand and prosper via his humble service.
In a similar way, the Pharisees thought to bring the ministry of Jesus to an early end. They rejoiced when Jesus was crucified and buried. But then, Jesus Christ resurrected and appeared to over 500 witnesses. This happened over a period of 40 days. Then, He ascended to heaven.
The Gospel of Jesus has spread to all the nations. Soon, He will return. Praise the Lord!
[1] answersingenesis.org/contradictions-in-the-bible/how-did-judas-die
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