A WORD FOR TODAY, November 4, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, November 4, 2025
“Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple. For in the day of trouble, he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the secret place of his tabernacle, he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock. Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh. Hear, Yahweh, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me. When you said, ‘Seek my face,’ my heart said to you, ‘I will seek your face, Yahweh.’ Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then Yahweh will take me up. Teach me your way, Yahweh. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies. Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living. Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.” Psalm 27, WEB
“Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.” These words are found repeatedly in the scriptures, particularly in the form “Be strong and courageous.” Moses said it to the Israelites when he was old, and they were nearing the fulfillment of the Promised Land. He spoke the words to Joshua as he passed the mantel of leadership onto his shoulders. God said it to Joshua as he began to lead the Israelites. The people of Israel said it to Joshua, to encourage him when he faced rebellion. Joshua said it to the leaders of the army when they were set to defeat those who opposed them. David said it to Solomon, to encourage him as he turned the throne over to him. Hezekiah said it to the people of Israel when they faced their enemies. Each time, these words were accompanied by the promise that God would be with them. “He will go with you,” the encourager always said. Their courage and strength would always come from Him.
As I was reading through the second book of Samuel, I found similar words spoken by David’s son Absalom. I was a bit shocked by this phrase in its context. See, Absalom said it to his servants when he commanded them to kill his brother Amnon.
David was a great king of Israel, beloved by the people in His day and for every generation of Jew since. However, David was less than perfect. He had a heart for God, which is why God continued to bless him, but he also acted according to his flesh over and over again. The most obvious sin in the scriptures is found in the story of Bathsheba, the married woman he slept with while her husband was serving as a commander over David’s army. They were in the field while he stayed home. Bathsheba became pregnant from the encounter, do David tried to cover his sin, by calling Uriah to Jerusalem. “Go home and love your wife,” David said, but Uriah refused to embrace the comfort of home and wife while his troops were in danger on the battlefield. David then ordered his commander to ensure Uriah would die on the battlefield. Bathsheba mourned but then married David. The child died, but she had other children by him, including Solomon, who became king after David died.
God continued to bless David’s house, but his actions were not without consequences. Besides the death of the child, Nathan warned David that, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did this secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’” David’s family relationships were very complicated from that moment on. His sons fought one another. His sons tried to usurp his throne. His sons fought the chosen king Solomon.
One of the most horrific stories among David’s sons is the rape of Tamar. Tamar was Absalon’s sister, Amnon’s half-sister. Amnon wanted Tamar, and asked Absalom to make it happen. Absalom sent Tamar into Amnon’s chamber to care for him in an illness, but Amnon had other ideas. He wanted her to consent, to sex, but when she refused, he raped her. She begged him to leave her alone, because it would ruin her. He took her anyway, and then afterward rejected her, leaving her desolate. David did nothing about the rape, and Absalom began to hate his father. Absalom also hated his brother but did nothing for a time. An opportunity came two years later. This is when Absalom spoke to his servants, commanding them to kill Amnon. “Be strong and valiant,” he told them, and then obeyed.
Absalom became a thorn in David’s side, though David loved all his sons (he had many!) This episode was just one of many that would plague David’s house while he was king, the consequence of his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah. However, David still lived a righteous life, trusting that God would be faithful to his promises, and that He would deal with the struggles in his house. Many around him thought he should punish Absalom. Even when Absalom tried to usurp his throne, and eventually did take it from David, David refused to fight. He even fled from his son. David was restored after Absalom died, but he did so with great grief at the way his son died.
The thing we learn from Absalom, and David, is to trust in God. He sang in today’s Psalm, “Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?” David accepted God’s judgment but also trusted God’s promises. Absalom, however, decided to take matters into his own hands. He not only rebelled against his father David, but he also rebelled against God in many ways. He took revenge on his brother Amnon, rather than waiting for God’s justice. He usurped David’s throne, rather than honoring God’s intention for David’s family. Absalom died in battle, and David withdrew from life in mourning over his son, who was lost to him not only by death, but also in life. It took Joab to remind David of his responsibility to the people of Israel to lead them.
The story of David teaches us about God’s justice and mercy, as well as the power of God to fulfill His purposes despite human failings. highlights the enduring themes of divine justice and mercy, as well as the fulfillment of God's purposes despite human failings. As we read today’s psalm, which is attributed to David, we are reminded to wait for God. “Be strong and courageous, because God is with you.” God is with us. He calls us to obedience and trust. He calls us to put God first, to live according to His Word, to embrace God’s goodness that is never far, even when our lives seem chaotic. Our story will never be as convoluted as David’s, but we will experience the consequences of our sin. Thankfully, God has also promised us His mercy, and He is faithful. Wait for Yahweh. Be strong and courageous, be cause He has promised to always be near.
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