Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 2 of 5
Devotional: May 3rd

2 Samuel 19:31-43

The end of 2 Samuel 17 portrays Barzillai as one of those devoted men who made use of the wealth he possessed for the good of the people. David did not forget it. The great King who is to come in His glory will likewise remember the "blessed of His Father". He will be able to say to them in the day of rewards, "I was an hungered and ye gave me meat . . ." (Matthew 25:34-35).

Full of consideration, Barzillai does not wish to be a burden to the king, but he entrusts to him Chimham his son. It is the dearest wish of Christian parents to see their children following the Lord, to be cared for and blessed by Him. David promises Barzillai, "Whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee" (v. 38; cf. John 14:14, where the Lord says to His own, "If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it").

David now re-crosses the Jordan. He will once more enjoy Canaan, a type of heaven, of which he had for a time been deprived on account of his sin. The child of God has the same experience. All sin deprives him of the present enjoyment of heaven, and he must needs retrace his steps, re-cross the Jordan (death), stop at Gilgal (self-judgment), in order to regain happy fellowship with the Lord.