BBD 08.12.03 Don't Be A Fool
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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08.12.03
Don't Be A Fool
(The idea for this devotional came from a message by the evangelist Steve
Cody.)
Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your
clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner." And King
David followed the coffin. So they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king
lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.
And the king sang a lament over Abner and said: "Should Abner die as a fool
dies? Your hands were not bound nor your feet put into fetters; as a man
falls before wicked men, so you fell." Then all the people wept over him
again. - 2 Samuel 3:34-35.
In the Old Testament, we read how God had established cities of refuge where
people could flee and they would be safe from those who sought to harm them.
If a man with an axe made a swing at the tree to cut it and the axe head
flew off striking a fellow worker that would be an accident. In that time,
it would have been legal for a relative of the man killed to take the life
of the man who had been using the axe. However, this would have been an
accident and to prevent the taking of lives in situations like this cities
of refuge had been established (Deuteronomy 19). The man could run to the
city of refuge and be safe from those who would take his life. But if a man
had intentionally slain someone, the elders of the city could deliver him
over to his pursuers to be executed.
Abner had killed the brother of Joab during battle when Asahel had refused
to stop pursuing Abner. Abner warned Asahel to stop pursuing him twice but
Asahel continued on. Abner struck him with the blunt end of his spear which
went through him resulting in his death (2 Samuel 2:23). At this point Abner
makes a wise decision and makes a covenant or peace treaty with King David
going over to his side (2 Samuel 3:12-13). But Joab is not aware of this
covenant being made and would have been furious about it which he was later
on (2 Samuel 3:24-25).
Joab did finally find Abner and he killed him (2 Samuel 3:27). But why did
Abner die as a fool? Because Abner had returned to Hebron and was standing
at the gate when Joab took him aside and killed him. Hebron was a city of
refuge and all Abner had to do in order to live was to take a step through
the gate to find refuge. Abner died a fool because he could have lived by
stepping through the gate and into refuge.
Abner is a picture of the lost people in this world today. Hebron, the city
of refuge, is a picture of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The lost of
this world are only one step away from eternal safety. To escape eternal
punishment in hell they only need to receive Jesus as their Savior turning
from their sin and accepting the salvation that God has provided at such
great cost (John 3:16; John 1:12; Romans 10:9-13).
Are you lost and without a Savior? Have you never received Christ as your
personal city of refuge? Don't die a fool like Abner and go out into eternal
punishment. Instead receive the free gift of eternal life from God (Romans
6:23). Step through the gate, go through the door of Jesus Christ and live.
Jesus says in John 10:7-9, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of
the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the
sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be
saved.."
Don't die a fool! Step through the door of Jesus Christ and into eternal
life.
Copyright © 2003. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited.
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