Topic: His Counsel Stands [August 7, 2016]
Text: 2 Samuel 2:8-11
Key Verse: “But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel” (2 Samuel 2:8,9).
God’s plans and purpose will always stand, the machinations of men notwithstanding. Those who rebel against God’s will have always been the ultimate losers. God is infinitely superior to many and therefore His counsel will always prevail. Even after his master, Saul, died prematurely and shamefully without succeeding in his fight against God’s divine plan for David, Abner yet continued where his fallen master stopped by going ahead to unilaterally appoint a new king over Israel.
He ignored the fact that only God anoints the rightful kings over Israel and that it would be futile to circumvent the will of God for the whole nation. For the short period of Ishbosheth’s ignominious reign, he was probably not more than a figurehead king. He was never a God-anointed king and so the rule he bore was derived from the strength of his carnal supporters. God eventually turned the table against him and his self-styled ‘kingmaker’ who turned against him and decided to toe the path he had always known to be right. At last, both Abner and Ishbosheth died and David moved into Jerusalem and centralized his government and the faith of Israel in Jehovah.
It is always a huge surprise to see men fight against God’s counsel. It is at once a dramatic irony seeing puny man fighting against his Maker. Joseph’s brothers fought against God’s counsel for the lad but failed miserably. If you are in Christ, who on earth or underneath it can truncate the plan of God for your life? Fear not, you will always prevail.
Thought for the day: The counsel of God, not man’s, prevails ultimately
Bible Reading in one Year: Nehemiah 11-13
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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