The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

2 Samuel 18:9, “Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David.

For Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick

branches of a great oak. And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was

left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under

him kept going.”

Exactly where Absalom went wrong, we may never know. But wrong

he went! He and all Israel were well aware that the LORD had anointed

David to be King; still, he was determined to wrest the kingdom from his

father and be king himself. He had succeeded to divide the Israelites,

so that many followed him in his quest. David, on the other hand, had

determined to maintain his position as King. The LORD had also

determined to retain David. But the battle raged!

In the course of events, Absalom came in contact with David’s forces.

He was alone and riding on his mule, and he scurried away quickly

riding under a huge oak tree’s thick branches. His head caught in the

branches; his mule went out from under him; and he was left hanging

helplessly by his head. Ultimately, Joab (from David’s forces) killed

him, as he hanged there in the oak branches.

The moral of this true and accurate account is: NEVER GO AGAINST

THE LORD’S DIRECTIVE or HIS CHOSEN PERSONS! David himself

made some serious mistakes that led to the death of his son, Absalom.

But we are never to choose anything or side with anyone whom the LORD

Himself has not chosen! Doing anything that is against the LORD’s will

is certain destruction.

Our prayers and concern include you all every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

2 Samuel 17:18, “But a lad did see them, and told Absalom.”

It was the worst of times! Absalom, David’s son, was seeking

to wrest the kingdom from his father. Every day, Absalom

stood at the city gate and appealed to people, saying that if

he were king, things would go better for everyone. Ahithophel

was David’s counselor, but he had joined forces with Absalom,

prompting David to pray, “O LORD, I pray, make the counsel

of Ahithophel foolishness.” Strategy and intrigue attended both

sides. Hushai became David’s “plant” in Absalom’s camp. He

gave advice to Absalom that was contrary to that of Ahithophel.

Absalom took the bait, but along the way a lad saw a girl enter

the city where David was, and reported it to Absalom.

There are a number of instances in Scripture where young boys,

who saw things they didn’t completely understand, reported them

to officials. While such things were often quite valuable, they were

also often wrong. Be careful what you report and to whom. The

situation between Absalom and David was far more complicated

than that lad understood. Better that he should have stayed

out of it altogether. And so it is often with us. Yet, the LORD

overruled in this situation, as David had prayed that He would.

We are all valuable to the LORD; we just want to be careful not

to interfere in things we don’t fully understand.

May the LORD bless you abundantly today,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Proverbs 11:29, “He who troubles his own house will inherit wind,

And the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.”

Wisdom remains the same from generation to generation. It does,

however, clothe itself in the nomenclature of the times. Were this

verse above from Solomon written only today, it would probably be

stated as “What goes around, comes around.”

From the kind, loving shepherd boy, David had become King of

Israel. He won numerous battles against the pagan peoples, whose

religions threatened Israel. He prayed earnestly and often to the

LORD for direction. Then, one day he fell into sin. Bathsheba

became his nemesis. He was confronted by Nathan the prophet,

and he confessed and repented (Psalm 51). But, David had

“troubled his house,” and the consequences would drag on for

years. Amnon, David’s son, violated his own sister, Tamar. Then,

Absalom plotted and in vengeance killed his brother, Amnon.

David continued to rule Israel, and Israel won numerous battles

over their enemies, but David’s household would never again be

at peace. “Be sure you sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23).

We can learn from the mistakes of others, but we must be

wise and not repeat them. “Behold, He who keeps Israel will

neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper…”
(Psa. 121:4-5a).

We love you and pray daily for your physical and spiritual safety,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

2 Samuel 6:16, “Then it happened as the ark of the LORD came into

the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the

window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD;

and she despised him in her heart.”

There is a lot to be said of this experience –much more than we can

cover in this brief comment. Adam Clarke says, “…it is probable that David

used some violent gesticulations, by means of which some parts of his body

became uncovered. But it is very probable that we cannot guess all that was

implied in this reproach.” Clarke paraphrases what he believes to be David’s

meaning:

“I am not ashamed of humbling myself before that God who

rejected thy father because of his obstinacy and pride, and

chose me in his stead to rule his people; and even those

maid-servants, when they come to know the motive of my

conduct, shall acknowledge its propriety, and treat me with

additional respect; and as for thee, thou shalt find that thy

conduct is as little pleasing to God as it is to me.” Ouch!

Clarke continues, “Michal formed her judgment without reason,

and meddled with that which she did not understand. We should be careful

how we attribute actions, the reasons of which we cannot comprehend, to

motives which may appear to us unjustifiable or absurd. Rash judgments are

doubly pernicious; they hurt those who form them, and those of whom they

are formed.”

May the LORD guard us all from judging the motives of others.

We love and pray for you always,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

1 Samuel 30:6, “Moreover, David was greatly distressed because the people

spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because

of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD

his God.”

The greater the advancement, the greater the trouble. I have to wonder

if David did not often wish he were once again a youth keeping watch over

sheep in the wilderness. Life was simpler then. Not only was Saul against

him, but the Amalekites had raided Ziklag, a city in the Negev (in southern

Israel) and captured his wives and all the cattle. David and all who were

with him wept until they had no more tears. Add to all of that, the people

who were with him, and had wept with him over the devastation of the

circumstances, now turned against him and talked about stoning him to

death. Sometimes the appearance of a thing is worse than the reality. But

when things are really devastating, we often don’t see beyond the trouble.

What, then, are we to do? What did David do? He “strengthened himself

in the LORD his God.” He got a grip on himself and refused to be discouraged!

I will not give up! I am the LORD’s servant; I will depend on Him! It was an

attitude thing. He took his problems to the LORD, and the LORD assured

him that all would be well. In the end, all was well, as David “recovered

all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives (v. 18).

Life is not a bed of roses. Troubles will always surround and threaten us.

But the LORD is our “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”

(Psa. 46:1). Learn to trust and rely on Him.

Our love and prayers surround you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”