IT IS FITTING THAT THE ISSUE OF THE TEMPLE IS WHAT OUR LAST CHAPTER (2SAM7) WAS BUILT AROUND BECAUSE THE POINT FOR DAVID (IN WANTING TO BUILD YAHUAH A HOUSE) WAS HOW TO ENSURE YAHUAH’S PRESENCE STAYED WITH HIM AT ALL TIMES. SO WHILE YAHUAH WAS ESSENTIALLY RESPONDING TO DAVID’S REQUEST BY EXPLAINING THAT HE HAD NO NEED OR WANT FOR A FANCY EARTHLY DWELLING PLACE, AND THAT HIS NATURAL MODE WAS TO TRAVEL WITH HIS PEOPLE, DAVID WAS STILL THINKING IN TERMS OF BUILDING A STONE AND CEDAR WOOD DWELLING FOR YAHUAH. IN FACT (AND DAVID PROB DIDN’T GET THIS POINT) YAHUAH MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT EVEN THOUGH HE WOULD ALLOW A SON OF DAVID TO BUILD A TEMPLE … YAHUAH HIMSELF WOULD NOT BE STUCK THERE IN THE SET-APART PLACE (LIKE A BIRD IN A CAGE OR GENIE IN A BOTTLE) LIKE MANKIND THOUGHT OF THEIR DEITIES, NO WAY SON … THIS WAS MERELY A HOUSE TO REST HIS NAME UPON.
SO IN RETROSPECT WE CAN SEE THE BLUEPRINTS/ PATTERN FOR A WHOLE SERIES OF REVELATION THAT WOULD COME IN THE FUTURE, ONE OF THE MAIN ONES BEING THAT YAHUAH DWELLS IN ANOTHER DIMENSION CALLED SHAMAYIM (HEAVEN), NOT ON EARTH AND HE CANNOT BE HOUSED IN A BUILDING MADE BY MEN. WAY AFTER DAVID’S TIME YAHUAH WILL MAKE HIS PRESENCE AVAILABLE NOT ONLY TO PRIESTS AND ROYALTY BUT TO ALL PEOPLE WHO TRUST IN HIM AND THEY WON'T HAVE TO GO TO A SPECIFIC PLACE TO VISIT HIM AND WORSHIP HIM, FOR HE WILL TRAVEL WITH THEM AND BE WITH THEM WHEREVER THEY ARE AND THEY WILL WORSHIP HIM THROUGH THEIR DAILY BEHAVIOUR OF CLEAN OBEDIENCE.
CAN WE MODERN DAY BELIEVERS COMPREHEND JUST WHAT A RADICAL NOTION THAT WAS. WHAT THE YISHARALITES THOUGHT REGARDING 'WHERE DEITIES LIVE AND HOW DEITIES INTERACT WITH THE NATIONS IN THEIR CHARGE' WAS GENERALLY THE SAME THOUGHTS THAT THEIR IDOL-WORSHIPPING NEIGHBOURS HAD. WHATEVER WAY DAVID PICTURED YAHUAH ALWAYS BEING PRESENT WITH HIS PEOPLE ON EARTH IS CERTAINLY NOT WHAT WE KNOW TODAY TO BE THE CASE. 2 COR 6:16 "What agreement can there be between the Temple of Yahuah and idols? For we are the Temple of the living Yahuah - as Yahuah said, 'I will house Myself in them,... And I will walk among you. I will be their Alahim, and they will be My people.'"
DAVID DID NOT COMPREHEND ALL THIS, NOR DID HE COMPREHEND HOW IT COULD BE THAT HIS DESCENDANT WOULD RULE OVER YAHUAH’S PEOPLE FOREVER BECAUSE IN ITS SIMPLEST SENSE, THIS MEANT THAT HIS MYSTERIOUS DESCENDANT WOULD LIVE FOREVER! BUT DAVID DID UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT YAHUAH WAS PROPOSING WAS BEYOND ANYTHING THAT A MAN COULD IMAGINE OR BRING ABOUT, AND SO DAVID BELIEVED YAHUAH.
THERE'S NOW NO SEPARATION
AND BECAUSE YAHUAH WILL HOUSE HIMSELF IN HIS PEOPLE, NO SEPARATION FROM HIM CAN OCCUR. IN OTHER WORDS IF YAHUAH PERMITTED HIMSELF TO BE HOUSED INSIDE A TEMPLE-BUILDING, THEN HE WAS (BY DEFINITION) SEPARATED FROM HIS PEOPLE UNLESS THEY JOURNEYED TO THAT TEMPLE - BUT NOT SO IF HE LIVES IN US !
ROM 8:38 "FOR I AM CONVINCED THAT NEITHER DEATH NOR LIFE, NEITHER MESSENGERS, PRINCIPALITIES OR POWERS, NEITHER THE PRESENT OR THE FUTURE, NOR HEIGHT OR DEPTH, NOR ANY OTHER CREATURE CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF YAHUAH WHICH COMES TO US THROUGH THE MESSIAH YAHUSHA, OUR MASTER".
STUMBLING (2SAM 8-9)
Sometime later, David won a great victory over the Philistines, gaining superiority over them at Metheg-Ammah (Gath, the Mother City of Philistia). He also defeated the Army of Moab and (making the captured lie down) he determined that 2/3 of them would be put to death while 1/3 of them would be allowed to live. And as a result, the Moabites became servants of David and paid tribute.
WHAT ABOUT THIS MASS EXECUTION IN MOAB!! THEY'D BEEN ON FRIENDLY TERMS WITH DAVID AND HIS FAMILY IN THE PAST. THE KING OF MOAB EVEN AGREED TO LET DAVID’S PARENTS AND FAMILY LIVE THERE PROTECTED, WHILE DAVID WAS ON THE RUN FROM KING SAUL REMEMBER? EVEN MORE, DAVID’S ANCESTOR RUTH WAS FROM MOAB SO THERE WAS A FAMILY CONNECTION TOO. MOAB MUST HAVE SERIOUSLY OFFENDED DAVID SO HE CONCLUDED THAT UNLESS MOAB WAS GREATLY WEAKENED THEY WOULD NOT BE CONTROLLABLE AND THE MOST EXPEDIENT WAY TO WEAKEN A NATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO DIMINISH THEIR MILITARY.
David also defeated Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, King of Zobah in Southern Aram, when Hadadezer went to restore territory all the way to the Euphrates River. David captured from him 1,700 charioteers and 20,000 foot soldiers. He retained enough horses to drive 100 chariots and disabled the rest, cutting their leg tendons.
PART OF DAVID’S AIM WAS TO EXTEND YISHARAL’S DOMINION TO THE EUPHRATES RIVER SINCE IT WAS PROMISED TO ABRAHAM IN GENESIS 15. SO HE CONFRONTED THE NATIONS OF THAT REGION WHO HAD NO INTENTION OF BECOMING PART OF A GREATER YISHARAL. A FELLOW NAMED HADAD’EZER WAS THE GENERAL OF THE ARMY FROM THE NATION OF ZOBAH, A NATION LOCATED NEAR DAMASCUS, SYRIA. THIS ARMY OF HADAD HAD MANY HORSES AND CHARIOTS AND THEY WERE ALL CAPTURED BY DAVID’S FORCES. BUT DAVID, WHO WAS AWARE OF YAHUAH’S INSTRUCTIONS FROM DEUT 17, KEPT ONLY SUFFICIENT HORSES TO OPERATE 100 CHARIOT TEAMS AND HE HOBBLED THE REMAINDER.
DEUT 17:15 "IN THAT EVENT, YOU MUST APPOINT AS KING THE ONE WHOM YAHUAH YOUR YAHUAH WILL CHOOSE. HE MUST BE ONE OF YOUR KINSMEN, THIS KING YOU APPOINT OVER YOU- YOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO APPOINT A FOREIGNER OVER YOU WHO IS NOT YOUR KINSMAN. HOWEVER, HE IS NOT TO ACQUIRE MANY HORSES FOR HIMSELF OR HAVE THE PEOPLE RETURN TO EGYPT TO OBTAIN MORE HORSES, INASMUCH AS YAHUAH TOLD YOU NEVER TO GO BACK THAT WAY AGAIN".
When the Arameans came from Damascus to fight alongside King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of their soldiers as well. Then David set up outposts among the Arameans from Damascus, and they became servants of David and paid tribute. Then Yahuah helped David, delivering him wherever he went. David brought the gold shields that had been carried by Hadadezer’s men back to Yerushalim and he plundered a vast quantity of bronze from Hadadezer’s towns too (Betah and Berothai). (NO DOUBT THESE PRECIOUS RESOURCES WOULD LATER BE USED TO CONSTRUCT THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON).
When King Toi of Hamath (in Southern Aram) heard that David had defeated Hadadezer’s Army, he sent his son Joram to greet King David and to congratulate him on his victories because Toi had also defeated Hadadezer. Joram brought as gifts items of silver, gold, and bronze, which David dedicated to Yahuah, as he had all the silver and gold he'd received from those Nations he defeated: Aram, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek, including the spoil from Hadadezer. And David’s exploits greatly improved his reputation in Yisharal. After his return, he went to war with the Edomites, killing 18,000 in the valley of Salt. Then he set up outposts throughout all the land of Edom and all the Edomites became his servants too and Yahuah helped David, delivering him wherever he went (I.E HE TRAVELS WITH HIS PEOPLE, NOT CONFINED TO A GOLD CHEST). So David was finally King over a United Yisharal, ruling all his people in RIGHTEOUS JUSTICE.
DAVID RULED OVER A UNITED YISHARAL. THIS WAS HUGE BECAUSE (EXCEPT FOR BRIEF PERIODS OF TIME) YISHARAL WAS ALWAYS DIVIDED INTO TWO MAIN CAMPS: JUDAH AND YISHARAL OR (AS IT WAS CALLED A FEW YEARS AFTER KING SOLOMON’S DEATH) JUDAH AND EPHRAIM. YES! DAVID RULED OVER ALL THE TRIBES OF YISHARAL THAT ARE NOW FORMED INTO A SINGLE SOVEREIGN NATION. AND THIS HAD NOT HAPPENED SINCE THE DAYS OF MOSES & JOSHUA. SADLY, ALTHOUGH DAVID’S SON SOLOMON WOULD INHERIT THIS ARRANGEMENT AND EVEN IMPROVE UPON IT, WITHIN A MATTER OF 3 OR 4 YEARS (AFTER SOLOMON’S DEATH) YISHARAL WOULD FALL BACK INTO CIVIL WAR AND DISSOLVE AGAIN INTO ITS AGE-OLD TRIBAL COALITIONS THAT PRIMARILY CONSISTED OF THE 10 TO THE NORTH (EPHRAIM) AND THE 2 TO THE SOUTH (JUDAH).
‘DAVID RULED IN RIGHTEOUS JUSTICE’. HERE IS THE APPEARANCE OF A PATTERN THAT WAS INSTRUCTED IN THE TURAH: DEUT 16:18 "YOU ARE TO APPOINT JUDGES AND OFFICERS FOR ALL YOUR GATES [IN THE CITIES] YAHUAH YOUR ALAHIM IS GIVING YOU, TRIBE BY TRIBE, AND THEY ARE TO JUDGE THE PEOPLE WITH RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT. YOU ARE NOT TO DISTORT JUSTICE OR SHOW FAVOURITISM, AND YOU ARE NOT TO ACCEPT A BRIBE, FOR A GIFT BLINDS THE EYES OF THE WISE AND TWISTS THE WORDS OF EVEN THE UPRIGHT. JUSTICE, ONLY JUSTICE, YOU MUST PURSUE; SO THAT YOU WILL LIVE AND INHERIT THE LAND YAHUAH YOUR ALAHIM IS GIVING YOU.
HERE IN DEUT WE SEE THE PHRASE “RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT”, AND IT'S IN THE FORM OF A COMMANDMENT THAT YISHARAL’S CIVIL AUTHORITIES ARE TO RULE BY ADHERING TO THIS UNDERLYING PREMISE. DEUT 16 EVEN GOES SO FAR AS TO DEFINE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT BY SAYING THAT THERE IS TO BE NO FAVOURITISM OR DISTORTION OF JUSTICE AND NO ACCEPTING A BRIBE TO PREDETERMINE AN OUTCOME. AND THIS IS WHAT IS BEING ASCRIBED TO DAVID’S RULE. NOTICE ALSO THE FINAL WORDS THAT SAY DAVID APPLIED THIS RIGHTEOUS JUSTICE TO ALL THE PEOPLE. THIS IS NOT REFERRING TO SOCIAL-ECONOMIC CLASSES BUT RATHER, DAVID DID NOT SHOW PARTIALITY TO HIS OWN SOUTHERN TRIBAL COALITION OF JUDAH OVER SAUL’S OLD COALITION OF THE NORTHERN TRIBES.
SO DAVID IS NOW KING OVER A UNITED YISHARAL AND HE RULES IN RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT.
So Joab (the son of David’s sister Zeruiah) was King David's General, Jehoshaphat (the son of Ahilud) was his Recorder, Zadok (the son of Ahitub) and Ahimelech (the son of Abiathar) served as High Priests and Seraiah was his Royal Secretary (A SCRIBE CHARGED WITH RECORDING THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF DAVID’S ADMINISTRATION INCLUDING BATTLE DETAILS, PACTS AND TREATIES WITH OTHER NATIONS, FAMILY GENEALOGY AND TO A DEGREE HE WAS DAVID’S ROYAL BIOGRAPHER).
SO ZADOK BECAME A HIGH PRIEST AND HE SHARED THAT DUTY WITH ABIATHAR. THAT’S RIGHT: DAVID HAD 2 HIGH PRIESTS. THIS WAS PURELY A POLITICAL ACCOMMODATION THAT SET ASIDE THE LAW OF YAHUAH ON THE MATTER. ABIATHAR WAS SEEN AS THE LEGITIMATE HIGH PRIEST BY THE NORTHERN TRIBES, BUT WAS NOT SEEN SO BY THE SOUTH. SO DAVID APPOINTED ZADOK, WHICH SATISFIED THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH. NOW IN REALITY ABIATHAR WAS NOT A YAHUAH-AUTHORISED HIGH PRIEST BECAUSE HE CAME FROM THE LINE OF ITHAMAR; THE HIGH PRIEST WAS SUPPOSED TO COME FROM THE LINE OF ELEAZAR. BUT SINCE THE TIME OF ELI (SAMUEL’S MENTOR) THE HIGH PRIEST HAD COME FROM THE LINE OF ITHAMAR AND THUS THIS WAS THE LINE OF HIGH PRIESTS THAT EXISTED UNDER KING SAUL. ZADOK ON THE OTHER HAND CAME FROM THE PROPER YAHUAH-ESTABLISHED LINE OF ELEAZAR. AFTER SOLOMON TOOK OVER FROM HIS FATHER, HE PUT ASIDE ABIATHAR AND YISHARAL THEN FINALLY HAD ONLY ONE HIGH PRIEST, THE ONE FROM THE CORRECT LINEAGE, ZADOK.
Benaiah (son of Jehoiada) was in charge of the Cherethites and the Pelethites (foreign mercenaries/bodyguards loyal to David) and some of David’s sons served as Advisors and Priests in his Administration also.
9
One day David said, “Is anyone from Saul’s family still alive that I can show kindness too for the sake of my old friend Jonathan?"
And Saul’s household had a servant named Ziba. (WHO’D `WON THE LOTTERY AND NOW FOUND HIMSELF AT THE TOP OF THE HOUSEHOLD PECKING-ORDER, SINCE ALL OF SAUL’S FAMILY WAS NOW DEAD.) So they brought Ziba to King David,
“Are you Ziba?"
“At your service your Majesty",
“Is anyone from Saul’s family still alive who I could show the kindness of Alahim too?"(NOT JUST KINDNESS FOR THE SAKE OF IT BUT TO FULFIL A VOW HE’D MADE TO JONATHON LONG AGO.)
“Jonathan had a son who’s still alive, but he’s crippled and unable to use his feet".
“Really? Where is he?"
“He lives with Machir, son of Ammiel, at Lo-Debar".
IT WAS THE MURDER OF ABNER BY DAVID’S COMMANDER JOAB THAT LED TO THE WIDESPREAD PANIC THAT CAUSED THIS TRAGIC ACCIDENTAL CRIPPLING OF MEPHIBOSHETH AND NO DOUBT DAVID LEARNED OF IT AND PROBABLY FELT SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. INHERENT IN DAVID’S QUESTION ABOUT THERE BEING ANY SURVIVORS OF SAUL’S FAMILY IS WHY A FOREIGN SERVANT WOULD BE IN CHARGE OR THIS FORMER KING’S SUBSTANTIAL ESTATE IF THERE WERE INDEED FAMILY MEMBERS STILL LIVING.
IT IS CERTAINLY TO SAUL'S SERVANT ZIBA’S ADVANTAGE IF THERE WERE NO SURVIVORS, BECAUSE HIS STATUS AS TOP-DOG WOULD REMAIN UNTHREATENED. EVEN THOUGH ZIBA IS NOT SO STUPID TO BOLDLY LIE TO KING DAVID, HE DOES QUICKLY POINT OUT THAT WHILE THERE IS A SURVIVOR, HE IS A CRIPPLE - BUT SO WHAT ?
IN ANCIENT TIMES CRIPPLES WERE SEEN AS NEAR WORTHLESS. THEY WERE A BURDEN AND (BARRING SOME UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE) THEY USUALLY WOUND UP AS STREET BEGGARS IN ORDER TO SURVIVE. A CRIPPLE COULD NEVER HOLD A POSITION OF PROMINENCE OR AUTHORITY BECAUSE HE WOULD BE SEEN AS UNABLE TO CARRY OUT THE DUTIES OR TO DEFEND HIS POSITION FROM PEOPLE WHO WOULD TAKE IT FROM HIM. THE DISABLED WEREN’T MERELY SEEN AS HAVING LITTLE USE THEY WERE ACTUALLY DESPISED AND LOOKED DOWN UPON AS UNDESIRABLES BORDERING ON RITUALLY UNCLEAN.
IN FACT WE’LL FIND SEVERAL SPOTS IN THE LATTER TEXTS (N.T) INVOLVING DISABLED PEOPLE WHERE YAHUSHA ACTUALLY SPEAKS OUT AGAINST THE CUSTOM OF THE ERA THAT SAW THESE UNFORTUNATE FOLKS AS LITTLE MORE THAN BUGS TO BE STEPPED ON. EVEN MORE, IT WAS OFTEN BELIEVED THAT THEIR DISABILITY WAS OF DIVINE DOING AND SO THERE MUST BE SOMETHING INHERENTLY DISTASTEFUL ABOUT THEM THAT CAUSED THEM TO BE CURSED AND REJECTED BY YAHUAH IN THE FIRST PLACE? WOW ...
SO MEPHIBOSHETH IS AUTOMATICALLY SEEN AS CURSED BY YAHUAH AND THUS DISQUALIFIED TO BE ANYTHING BUT A PERSON TO BE IGNORED. EVEN THOUGH MEPHIBOSHETH HAD LEGAL RIGHTS OF INHERITANCE AS JONATHAN’S SON (KING SAUL’S ONLY HEIR) HERE INSTEAD, WAS AN OUTSIDER (GENTILE) SERVANT RUNNING SAUL’S ESTATE DUE TO NO MORE THAN SOCIAL CUSTOMS, SUPERSTITIONS AND FALSE BELIEFS THAT DEEMED IT TO BE THAT WAY. SO MEPHIBOSHETH (A BENJAMITE) IS BEING HIDDEN FROM THE GIBEONITES BY MEMBERS OF THE MAKHIR CLAN IN THE NORTHERN TRANS-JORDAN. THE MAKHIR GROUP WAS ONE OF MANY WHO HAD BEEN FIERCELY LOYAL TO KING SAUL AND SO IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THEY WOULD OFFER SANCTUARY TO SAUL’S GRANDSON.
So David sent for Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth and had him brought to Yerushalim from the house of Machir, and when he arrived, Mephibosheth laid facedown on the floor and honoured the King (NO DOUBT THINKING HIS LIFE IS OVER).
“Mephibosheth?” David asked,
“At your service, my King”.
“There’s no need to be frightened for I intend to treat you kindly for the sake of your father Jonathan, who was a very good mate of mine. So I’ll return to you all the territory that belonged to your Grandfather Saul, and you will always be welcome at my table”.
And Mephibosheth bowed himself again before the King. “What am I to you that the King should look with favor on a dead dog like me? I'm as one of your servants”.
NOT ONLY IS HE GOING TO LIVE BUT, SAUL’S CONSIDERABLE ESTATE IS GOING TO BE TURNED BACK OVER TO HIM. EVEN MORE, HE'S GOING TO EAT AT DAVID’S TABLE FROM HERE FORWARD, AND THIS IS FRAMED AS A KINDNESS TO HIM FOR THE SAKE HIS FATHER JONATHAN WHO DAVID LOVED. MEPHIBOSHETH, A CRIPPLE, USELESS, WHO HAS EARNED NOTHING, LOOKED DOWN UPON WITH HATRED ALL OF HIS LIFE, IS DUMBFOUNDED. IN TYPICAL ORIENTAL FASHION HE ASKS WHY A “DEAD DOG” SUCH AS HIMSELF SHOULD BE ACCORDED SUCH UNMERITED PRIVILEGE. A DEAD DOG IS MERELY AN EXPRESSION OF GREAT HUMILITY, OF BEING THE LOWEST OF THE LOW, THE LEAST WORTHY.
Then David summoned Ziba, who had been Saul’s servant (and who had 15 sons and 20 servants himself) and he said to him, “Everything that belonged to his grandfather Saul and his family I’ve returned to your Master’s descendant Mephibosheth. You, your sons, and your servants will work on his farms and bring in his produce so that he and his household will have food. But Mephibosheth will always eat at my Royal Table”.
“I’m your servant, so whatever my Master and King commands, I will do”.
DAVID NOW TURNS TO ZIBA AND TELLS HIM A NEW THING - THE CRIPPLED AND FORMERLY USELESS MEPHIBOSHETH IS NOW HIS MASTER. AND THE ESTATE IS BEING GIVEN TO MEPHIBOSHETH IN THE NAME OF HIS FORMER MASTER, KING SAUL. GIVING IT ALL TO MEPHIBOSHETH RATHER THAN ALLOWING ZIBA (WHO HAD MAINTAINED IT ALL FOR YEARS) TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION, IS SEEN AS RIGHTEOUS JUSTICE. HOW DOES DAVID HAVE THE RIGHT TO ORDER SUCH A THING? BECAUSE HE IS KING. ESPECIALLY SINCE SAUL’S ESTATE HAD NO CURRENT LEGAL OWNER, THEN IT REVERTED TO THE MONARCHY. IT WAS DAVID’S TO DO WITH AS HE PLEASED. HE COULD HAVE KEPT IT FOR HIMSELF, BUT HE DIDN’T.
ZIBA HAD THE BENEFIT OF RUNNING THE PLACE AND REAPING ITS REWARDS FOR SOME TIME, AND NOW HE WOULD STILL DO WELL FOR HIMSELF, BUT HE WOULD SO UNDER THE OWNERSHIP AND AUTHORITY OF MEPHIBOSHETH. ZIBA PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT THIS WASN'T VERY FAIR OR RIGHT.
And from then on, Mephibosheth ate at the King’s table as though he were one of David’s own sons. Mephibosheth had a young son, Mica and all who lived in the house of Ziba became Mephibosheth’s servants and worked for him. Mephibosheth remained in Yerushalim, where he always ate at the King’s Table. He was lame and could not walk on either foot.
ONCE AGAIN RELIGION USES THESE VERSES TO FUEL THE AGE OLD WAR OF WHO THE REIGN BELONGS TOO. JEWS SAY THAT THEY ARE LEGALLY ENTITLED TO ISRAEL BECAUSE DAVID RESTORED THE INHERITANCE TO MEPHIBOSHETH, SAUL'S RIGHTFUL FAMILY HEIR. CHRISTENDOM DECLARES THEY’VE REPLACED THE JEWS BECAUSE (AS WE’LL SEE LATER) DAVID GIVES THE INHERITANCE BACK TO SAUL’S GENTILE SERVANT ZIBA, OUT OF ANGER FOR MEPHIBOSHETH (WHO APPARENTLY COULDN’T BE BOTHERED TO SHOW UP, BUT SENT OFFERINGS TO DAVID THROUGH HIS SERVANT).
BUT WHAT THEY DON’T STATE IS THAT SAUL’S GENTILE SERVANT ACTUALLY DECEIVED KING DAVID AND SHOWED UP WITH HIS MASTER’S GIFTS BEFORE MEPHIBOSHETH HAD A CHANCE TO GET THERE. AND WHEN DAVD REALISED HE’D BEEN LIED TO, HE SPLITS SAUL’S INHERITANCE EQUALLY BETWEEN ZIBA AND MEPHIBOSHETH (JEW AND GENTILE) PROPHETICALLY SHOWING US THAT LINEAGE AND BLOODLINE IS IRRELEVANT IN THE NEW REIGN OF YAHUSHA, IT'S NOT ONLY FOR JEWS (AS THEY SAY) OR ONLY GENTILES (AS RELIGION’S `REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY’ STATES).
YAHUSHA IS DOING A NEW THING THROUGH A NEW BLOOD-COVENANT NOW. SAME INSTRUCTIONS - TRANSFORMED AND WRITTEN ON THE TABLETS OF OUR HEART, MAKING US THE NEW DWELLING PLACE FOR HIS REIGN AND ESTEEM - THE DIVINE SET-APART PROMISED LAND, SOON TO BE TRANSFORMED AND CONSUMATED INTO THE NEW YERUSHALIM, WHICH WILL DESCEND ONTO A NEW EARTH, AFTER YAHUSHA’S 2ND COMING AND JUDGMENT OF FIRE.
HEBREW UNDERSTANDING:
"Stumbling Block" - to push over, slanderest, obstacle, enticement (specifically an idol), scruple, caused to fall, offence, nothing offered, ruin, grief.
SCRIPTURAL UNDERSTANDING:
Romans 9: "And as Isaiah said before,'If Yahuah of Armies had not left us a seed (YAHUSHA) we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorra'. What shall we say then? That nations not following after righteousness, have obtained righteousness, even the righteousness of belief, but Yisharal following after the Torah of righteousness, has not arrived at the Torah of righteousness (THEY HAVE SHADOW MIXTURE). Why? because it was not a belief, but as by works of Torah, for they stumbled at the stone of stumbling (YAHUSHA). As it has been written, 'See I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock that makes for falling, and everyone who is believing on Him shall not be put to shame.'”
We can see that the stumbling block for the nations is idolatry mixed with Scripture, and everyone is controlled by the evil one except those who choose to believe in the deliverance of Yahusha, as he conquered all of Satan’s armies and weapons, even death. THE GREATEST STUMBLING BLOCK TO MANKIND IS THE TRUTH OF YAHUSHA, which man can live by and overcome the wiles of Satan. If mankind rejects Yahusha, he will suffer greatly.
Yahusha's 3 Rules (when applied to ourselves) stop us from stumbling at the behaviour of others around us (or online) enabling us to stay clear-minded, awake and rejoicing !
