Whatever the Father does, the Son does too.

 

Tuesday, July 18, 2023


Psalms 41; 44:1-9

2 Samuel 1:1-16

John 5:19-30


Whatever the Father does, the Son does too.


Yesterday we thought about how the Persons of the Trinity are united in purpose, as is their attitude towards us. Today we read some precious teaching from Jesus as He unpacks that a little more for us. Moving from the end of 1 Samuel and into the start of 2 Samuel we can reflect further on consistency. Consistency is a good thing; being consistently honest is admirable.


Jesus’ words to us reinforce this idea. We are invited to look at Him, and then look at the Father, and see how they are both singing from the same song sheet. (And it is a beautiful tune they are playing for us.) It is for the purpose of honouring the Son just as we honour the Father that they work together. The judgement Jesus will execute is the same as if it was coming from the Father directly – because Jesus doesn’t seek His own desire, but the desire of the One who sent Him. In the same way, the mercy of everlasting life, which comes from hearing and believing in Jesus, is the same loving purpose of both the Father and the Son.


And so we come to the confusing conflicting narratives of how Saul died on the battlefield. Yesterday, Saul fell on his sword. Today, we hear someone claim he was the one who struck down Saul. Remember, 1 and 2 Samuel are actually the one book; when it was translated into Greek the one big book was split into two smaller books. There were also no chapter and verse markings; the narrative flows directly from Saul’s death to David’s response.


The man who claims to have slain Saul was looking for favour from David. The feud between the two men was well known, and this Amalekite thought his just desserts would be something more than his own execution. But David showed a consistency in his morals, and no-one was to lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed. For this act of honest consistency, David is still studied by pilgrims today. We have the same duty, to be honest and morally consistent in our own lives. It is the pattern of God, after all.

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