04.21.2015 Old Testament: 2Sa 1.23

To read the Bible in a year, read Second Samuel 1–3 on April 21, In the year of our Lord 2015

By Don Ruhl

David never read the words of Jesus, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt 5.44), yet, David practiced those words,

“Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives,
And in their death they were not divided;
They were swifter than eagles,
They were stronger than lions.”
(2 Samuel 1.23)

Saul hated David. Saul was envious and jealous of David. Yet, look at his words. He even put Saul and Jonathan together, calling both of them “beloved and pleasant.”

How could David practice the teachings of Jesus without ever having read those teachings? Remember David was a man after God’s own heart. David thought and felt as God does. Therefore, David did not need to read the teachings of Jesus, but knew instinctively what God wants and how God operates.