“‘Be strong, and be brave.
Sha’ul your lord is dead,
but the house of Y’hudah have
anointed me king over them.’”
-2 Samuel 2:7
In verse 7, David tells the men of Jabesh to “be strong and be brave”?
Why would he do that?
How are these words connected to David’s offer of repayment and kindness?
The answer is that this repayment of kindness involves entering into a covenant with David.
If they enter into a covenant with David, this means they’d have to BREAK their covenant with the northern tribal coalition and become part of the southern kingdom.
Why?
Because a homie can’t serve two masters.
I hope you recognize the gravity of how the people of Jabesh viewed this.
David is in no uncertain terms telling them that instead of staying loyal to Saul’s family (the tribe of Benjamin), they should support him instead (the southern tribe of Judah).
This would take a lot of courage because their northern allies would be upset as all hell when they found out about this betrayal, and may even try to punish them.
We’re not told how Jabesh responded to David’s offer.
But considering that Jabesh-Gilead was nearly wiped out by the northern tribes a few decades earlier, it’s easy to see why they might be hesitant.
So today’s takeaway is for those who are NOT believers in the God of Israel and haven’t yet been grafted into His Chosen People.
Whether you’re a Muslim, Hindi, Buddhist, or whatever…
The Jewish Messiah is asking you to enter into a covenant relationship with him.
He’s asking you to switch allegiance to the gods you worship now over to him and his Father in Heaven.
The gods you worship now could be materialistic things like money and sex, by the way.
It might not be easy.
Just as the Northern tribes would view the men of Jabesh as traitors if they sided with David, your friends and family may treat you harshly for shifting your loyalty.
I’ve heard horror stories of Jewish men and women being ostracized by their families for accepting Yeshua.
I’ve heard that in the Islamic faith, the penalty can be death for trying to leave that religion.
So there may be harsh consequences…
But in light of the eternal rewards, that’s a small price to pay.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“But whosoever shall
deny me before men,
him will I also deny before
my Father which is in heaven.
Think not that I am come
to send peace on earth:
I came not to send peace,
but a sword.
For I am come to set a man
at variance against his father,
and the daughter against her mother,
and the daughter in law
against her mother in law.”
-Matthew 10:33-35
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