12/08/2021 - THE AMBASSADORS’ EXPOSITION

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Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. 1 Samuel 25.7

David’s ambassadors proceeded faithfully to the order they had received, greeting the mighty man of Maon, asking how he was, and wishing peace to him, his family, and all that was his. For his part, the rich farmer already sensed what would be asked of him. So, those warriors, despite seeing Nabal’s unfriendliness in receiving them, told him that David knew that he owned sheep shearers, for he knew his cattle.

The Word says that we are ambassadors for God. So, we must prepare ourselves, learning from Him how to fulfill our mission in depth. In this way, the Kingdom will be blessed by what we do, according to the divine decision: Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5.20). When we are ready, He will use us!

The verse studied states that we must speak in such a way – as if God through us, pleads for the astray and lost to be reconciled to Him. It´s necessary to understand the love of the Creator for these people, because then there will be no more chances for anyone to achieve salvation. Jesus was very clear when He said that those who are not born of water and the Spirit cannot inherit salvation (John 3:5). We have an enormous responsibility, isn’t it so?

Israel´s future depended on David getting victory over Saul. As long as he was not the ruler of that nation, the situation would remain the same. However, the son of Jesse would not lay his hand on the king, because he respected the divine anointing on the monarch. David knew how to obey God. Therefore, the Israelites were faced with a difficult problem to solve: as long as Saul was ruling, nothing would change – since he was no longer used by the Lord – and no one would dare removing him from the throne, because everyone feared being visited by a curse!

The people who inhabit the world were born already lost and will only be saved – if they go through the new birth (John 3.3). If things continue as they are, it is as if we want Jesus not to return, for one of the signs to be fulfilled is the preaching of the Gospel throughout the world (Matthew 24.14). But how will we preach, if the owners of power in the so-called pagan nations prevent us from announcing the Good News in their territories? The Church must cry out for an awakening and prepare ambassadors to fulfill the mission!

David’s ambassadors told Nabal that they had kept his flock, and this man’s shepherds could confirm the truth of what they spoke. They did that with a good heart, without any aggravation on their part. The message was given as they had learned from David how to treat the person to whom they would be addressing a request for help. However, the powerful man was ungrateful and selfish. There are many people like that!

Besides giving protection to the shepherds, David’s servants didn’t let them lack anything during all the days they stayed on Mount Carmel. One would expect that the heart of that farmer would make him say good things, but his name was Nabal, whose meaning is: heartless, wicked man.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares