Jim Gallagher

2 Samuel 15:14
“So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, ‘Arise, and let us flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.’”

Perhaps you have heard someone speak of having their whole life pass before their eyes. In a moment’s time, while facing imminent danger, all they had done, whether good or bad, seems to flash into their mind. David is having a similar experience. His son Absalom has stolen the hearts of the people, mounted a large army to overthrow the king, and steal the kingdom. Instead of remaining in Jerusalem and turning the holy city into a battle ground, David chooses to flee to the wilderness and trust his life and future into the hands of God. As he departs, we are introduced to people from his past. It is like a journey through the memory of David, as he encounters those who stand with him or come against him. Let’s take a brief look at just a few of these encounters.

2 Samuel 15:18
“Then all his servants passed before him; and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king.”

David had spent many years as a fugitive fleeing from King Saul. During that time, he met a number of disgruntled men who were also living as fugitives. These men joined forces with David and over time became his “mighty men.” They were with him while he fled Saul in the wilderness, and remained faithful to him when the kingdom began to split. These were the men in whom David had invested his life, and they, in turn, were loyal to him to the end. We are exhorted to invest our lives in others, helping them to walk with, and grow in, Christ. Jesus called this disciple-making (Matthew 28:19). We should be able to look back on our lives and see that we have invested in the lives of others, helping them to grow in Christ.

2 Samuel 15:21
“But Ittai answered the king and said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.’”

Second, we come to Ittai the Gittite. We know very little of this man except he only recently joined ranks with David. He reminds us, making disciples was not just something of David’s past, but was part of his present as well. Some can look back and be reminded of great accomplishments for the Kingdom, but when we look at the present, we see very little we are doing for the Lord. It is sad and dangerous if our personal testimony is filled with only distant memories. We should be making current investments in the Kingdom of God.

2 Samuel 15:27
“The king also said to Zadok the priest, ‘Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.’”

Finally, Zadok the prophet and priest passes before him. David encourages him to go back to Jerusalem because of his role as a “seer” or prophet. David surrounded himself with those who would speak the Word of God to him. We all have people that we allow to speak into our lives. They are the people we go to for advice, or we seek to model ourselves after. David reminds us to be sure we have those who will speak the Word of God into our lives. How important it is to allow God’s Word to direct us, and to surround ourselves with people who will speak His truth to us.
Look at your life. Are you currently involved in serving the Lord by investing in the lives of others? Are you surrounding yourself with people who will use the counsel of God to direct your life? If not, make the necessary changes today.

Pastor Jim