Psalm 145:1-3, add 31:1-3 and 8:1

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in 2 Samuel 5-6. Two questions dominated my attention this morning. First, what did David mean when he said the “lame and blind” are “hated” of his soul, and why did God kill Uzzah for touching the ark? I’ll address the first one:

2 Samuel 5:8 And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

If David hated the lame and blind, and so killed them, the promised “son of David” healed them (Matthew 11:5; 15:30-31; 21:14). But I think there is more to this.*

The language of the text supports the popular idea that the Jebusites were mocking David, arrogantly boasting that he could not defeat their stronghold even if it was defended by soldiers blind and lame. David is responding to their mockery, and I think he was being sarcastic when he injected: “and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David’s soul.” Remember his kindness to lame Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:10-13). Or else, the phrase, “which are hated of David’s soul” applies to the despised Jebusites generally, including the “lame and the blind” they used to taunt him.

As for the “proverb” that emerged when David prevailed over the city, saying that “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house” (2 Samuel 5:8b), opinions are divided.

Some suggest the Jebusites actually did place the blind and lame of their city upon the walls as a way of barring David’s attack in a manner similar to how Ishmael’s more radical children today use hospitals and schools as shields during war. Using the infirm and children as a tactic of warfare is done on the assumption that Israel and Americans would be unwilling to attack a hospital or school. If we did attack them, they would use the occasion as a propaganda opportunity to bring reproach and turn sympathies against Israel and the U.S. to gain political advantage. Pagan tactics have not changed.

I reflected on the last clause of verse 8: “Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house” (2 Samuel 5:8b). The phrase, “Wherefore they said,” comes from the fact that the word יֹֽאמְר֔וּ (yo-meh-roo) is 3rd person plural, and means to say, or to speak. Its place in the verse tells us “they” said this because of, or in response to, what David said; hence, “Wherefore they said.”

“They” must refer to those to whom David gave the commandment to destroy the Jebusites—his mighty men, his soldiers!

But why would they say this: “The lame and the blind will not come into the house”?

Moses commanded that only those of the house of Aaron should serve in the Tabernacle, and that of the Levites, none who are blemished should be tasked with presenting the offerings of the LORD, including, specifically, those lame or blind (Leviticus 21:16-24). They were not cut off from the tribe; certainly they were not to be killed; they were provided for; however, they were not allowed to serve in the duties of the priesthood—they could not engage in the service of the Tabernacle. It sounds to me like the soldiers were referring to this verse as the principle guiding David. Zion becomes the location of the House of the Lord.

Whatever we make of this strange passage, David was not turned from his purpose by the pagan ruse of using the lame and blind as a shield; and, especially if the lame and blind volunteered for this service, the responsibility for their deaths did not fall on David, but on themselves.

In the valley, I thought about the perfect Lamb of God, without blemish, Whose visage was by man marred more than any man (Isaiah 52:14), Who gave His back and face to the smitters and His cheeks to those who plucked off His beard (Isaiah 50:6); He Who knew no sin finally “gave up the Ghost” and this to pay the debt of sin, which is death (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:21). This gentle King, this gracious prophet, this meekest of men, touched by our infirmities, touched the leper with healing, made the lame to walk and the blind to see. Wonderful, He bore no blemish of His own, was blemished by His own, to remove blemishes that barred us from His heavenly Tabernacle.

His voice rose like a great wave and crashed upon the shores of my heart: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table, we spoke of the mystifying behavior of David, Christ’s well-favored king, and of the promised son of David, our Father’s well-favored Son, and our glorious KING.

He anointed my head with His holy oil, mixed His sufficient grace into my overflowing cup, called goodness and mercy to my side, and led me into His harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v7ezzvu-shepherds-pasture.html

[*Barnes (EXODUS TO ESTHER, p. 81),  and Eerdman (Lange’s Commentary, vol. 3, p. 404-405) recommend the idea that the Jebusites mocked David, saying that even if the stronghold of Jerusalem was defended only by the lame and blind, David could not defeat them, others adding that the Jebusites placed their lame and blind on the walls of the city to mock David, and a few suggesting that the Jebusites lined their idols along and/or on the walls to defend the city, and David was referring to these idols as “lame and blind,” which he hated (See Psalm 115:4-7).]