1 Chronicles 19 and 20
Scripture does not tell upon what occasion or in what way, Nahash, king of the children of Ammon showed kindness to David. In general, the Ammonites were bitter enemies of Israel, though there were exceptions, Zelek (chapter 11:39), an Ammonite, being one of David's valiant men.
At some period in the history of David he had been shown kindness by Nahash, and the king of Israel now proposed to comfort the son about his father's death, but the princes of that people suspected an evil motive, and persuaded Hanun to insult David by mistreating his messengers. There could be no other issue in such a case than war; kindness was intended, but when refused, peaceful relations have to cease, and preparation for retribution begins.
This is the position in which this world stands with God. He has sent an embassage of peace, even His own beloved Son, the Only Begotten, the Eternal Son,— (not merely a servant or servants, as David sent to the children of Ammon), and His Son has been rejected. As John 1 records, after speaking of His eternal being, as God's equal, yes, as God Himself, and the Creator of all things, in whom was life.
"He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own (the people of Israel), and His own received Him not" (verses 10,11). "Him", Acts 2:23,2423Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:23‑24) declares, "being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God bath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it;" and Jude 1414And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (Jude 14) foretells:
"Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." To this the last book of the Bible. the Revelation, in chapter 20:11-15, adds the most solemn, most awesome prophetic word ever told:
"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat upon it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God (or, the throne); and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (here it is hades) gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works ..... . and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
The above is the world's assured prospect, for God has declared it; these are the words of the true God Who cannot lie, and Who could not be so cruel as to deceive His poor creatures. Rather than that, He "now commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:3030And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30)); and His servant, the apostle Paul, in writing to Timothy could say,
The Syrians who were hired to help the children of Ammon (verse 6, 7); and the Syrians from "beyond the river" sent for when the first mentioned were defeated, were alike powerless against the power of God which was with David.
It will be noted that the children of Ammon made no peace with David. Enemies they were, and enemies they remained. Opportunity for repentance was given, but there was none, and judgment became therefore unsparing (chapter 20:1-3).
Other great ones fell in the conflicts which David carried on with the enemies of the people of God (verses 4-8).
"Small and great" (Revelation 20:1212And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12)), and "kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman and every freeman" (Revelation 6:1515And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; (Revelation 6:15)) think to "escape the judgment of God" but in "the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God," He "will render to every man according to his deeds" (Romans 2:3-163And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: 8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11For there is no respect of persons with God. 12For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Romans 2:3‑16)).
Come, guilty sinner, come to the Saviour while He lingers in mercy!
Messages of God’s Love 6/17/1928