Events in today’s reading:

• David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11)
• Nathan Confronts David (2 Samuel 12)
• Absalom Usurps his Father (2 Samuel 15)
• Absalom’s Death (2 Samuel 18)

Verse that stood out: Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD’s eyes he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again” – 2 Samuel 15:25.

In 2 Samuel 15, David is fleeing Jerusalem because his son Absalom has usurped the throne. As he heads out of town, the priests join him with the Ark of the Covenant. As soon as they get a safe distance out of town they stop and offer sacrifices to God. This is a fairly significant move in that it reminds the people that David, not Absalom, is God’s anointed. It also makes the claim that God’s presence is with the one fleeing and not the usurper.

All of that makes David’s next move a surprising one. He sends the ark back to Jerusalem! On the one hand, this is a very shrewd move on David’s part. He trusts the priests to be loyal to him, not Absalom. If they’re back in Jerusalem they can keep an eye on what’s going on and send reports back to David. On the other hand, David’s stated reason for sending the ark back to Jerusalem is that of humility. He claims that he’s sending the ark back because he does not want to use God’s presence as a bargaining chip in this family skirmish. Whether or not God is for him or against him will be proven in time.

It’s difficult to discern David’s true motivation, but his words ring true. God won’t be manipulated, not even by those who possess the most sacred of objects. If God is for David, sending the ark back won’t cause him any harm. If God is against David, carrying the ark with him won’t offer David any added protection. God is God, after all, not a good-luck charm.

Most of us, like David, think that God is on our side. That’s fine, as long as we maintain a certain amount of humility about it. We might after all, be wrong. David had been wrong before.

People often want to claim that God is completely on their side as a shortcut to gaining other people’s allegiance or approval. Preachers and politicians are two groups of people who often use the assumption of God’s approval to persuade people to follow their lead. It’s hard to argue with someone saying “God told me….”

Such talk sounds a little like parading the ark around as a way of saying, “If you want to be on God’s side you have to be on my side.” David had God’s approval, but even he refused to flaunt it in ways that manipulated his people. When we claim to have God’s approval without actually having it, we are taking God’s name in vain.

I wonder if in most cases, we shouldn’t just argue our case the best we can (we can even say we think something is God’s will as long as we leave ourselves open to correction) and leave discussions of God’s ultimate will in God’s hands alone.

For tomorrow:

• Cover to cover: 2 Samuel 21:14-1 Kings 7:12
• Key Passage: 1 Kings 3:1-28
• Verse of the Day: 1 Kings 3:9