It's Complicated (S2): WK 6 - THU
2 Samuel 18:19-23
19 Then Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said, “Let me run to the king with the good news that
the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”
20 “No,” Joab told him, “it wouldn’t be good news to the king that his son is dead. You
can be my messenger another time, but not today.”
21 Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The
man bowed and ran off.
22 But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, “Whatever happens, please let me go, too.”
“Why should you go, my son?” Joab replied. “There will be no reward for your news.”
23 “Yes, but let me go anyway,” he begged. Joab finally said, “All right, go ahead.” So
Ahimaaz took the less demanding route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim
ahead of the Ethiopian.
Have you ever had news to tell someone else that you thought was good, but it wasn’t received that way? I remember telling a coworker that the project they were worried about being given to them, was actually given to someone else. I thought my coworker would be relieved and even high-five me for lightening his load. But in reality, though he was nervous about the project he was excited about the opportunity to prove to his boss what he could really do.
Ahimaaz is excited because the civil war is over and David’s throne is safe. They’ve been working towards this end for some time, and now it’s here. He is obviously not aware of the complicated nature of David’s love for his son, the rebel. He is not aware of the cost to David for the end of this war. So though Joab tries to save him from this task, Ahimaaz is set on being the one to share the “good news” with the king.
We refer to the gospel as “good news”. That’s what the word in the Greek, euangelos, means. But what is this good news?
The way some people describe it, it’s only good news if you obey all the rules. Or it’s only good news if you belong to the right faith tradition. Or it’s only good news if you believe the right things. But as a preacher once said, “If it’s not good news for everyone, it’s not good news for anyone.”
I’ll tell you what I believe. I believe the good news of the gospel is that God loves us so much that He became man, to prove to us once and for all, how much He loves us. That His desire is to reconcile us to Himself so that we may live together, forever, the way He meant us to in the beginning. My job is to simply accept that truth, that God is that kind of God and did all those things for me, and you, and all of us. If that good news is for all of us, then I want all of us to know it not because I’m required to tell others, but because I can’t imagine NOT sharing that good news with everyone I meet.
So do you know what the good news of the gospel really is? The sign that you do is that you are anxious to tell anyone you meet.
1. Why do you think Ahimaaz wanted so badly to be the one to tell the king? Was it strictly what he thought was good news, or was it maybe something more?
2. Put what you think the gospel is into your own words. When you do, is it good news for everyone, or just good news for some?
19 Then Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said, “Let me run to the king with the good news that
the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”
20 “No,” Joab told him, “it wouldn’t be good news to the king that his son is dead. You
can be my messenger another time, but not today.”
21 Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The
man bowed and ran off.
22 But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, “Whatever happens, please let me go, too.”
“Why should you go, my son?” Joab replied. “There will be no reward for your news.”
23 “Yes, but let me go anyway,” he begged. Joab finally said, “All right, go ahead.” So
Ahimaaz took the less demanding route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim
ahead of the Ethiopian.
Have you ever had news to tell someone else that you thought was good, but it wasn’t received that way? I remember telling a coworker that the project they were worried about being given to them, was actually given to someone else. I thought my coworker would be relieved and even high-five me for lightening his load. But in reality, though he was nervous about the project he was excited about the opportunity to prove to his boss what he could really do.
Ahimaaz is excited because the civil war is over and David’s throne is safe. They’ve been working towards this end for some time, and now it’s here. He is obviously not aware of the complicated nature of David’s love for his son, the rebel. He is not aware of the cost to David for the end of this war. So though Joab tries to save him from this task, Ahimaaz is set on being the one to share the “good news” with the king.
We refer to the gospel as “good news”. That’s what the word in the Greek, euangelos, means. But what is this good news?
The way some people describe it, it’s only good news if you obey all the rules. Or it’s only good news if you belong to the right faith tradition. Or it’s only good news if you believe the right things. But as a preacher once said, “If it’s not good news for everyone, it’s not good news for anyone.”
I’ll tell you what I believe. I believe the good news of the gospel is that God loves us so much that He became man, to prove to us once and for all, how much He loves us. That His desire is to reconcile us to Himself so that we may live together, forever, the way He meant us to in the beginning. My job is to simply accept that truth, that God is that kind of God and did all those things for me, and you, and all of us. If that good news is for all of us, then I want all of us to know it not because I’m required to tell others, but because I can’t imagine NOT sharing that good news with everyone I meet.
So do you know what the good news of the gospel really is? The sign that you do is that you are anxious to tell anyone you meet.
1. Why do you think Ahimaaz wanted so badly to be the one to tell the king? Was it strictly what he thought was good news, or was it maybe something more?
2. Put what you think the gospel is into your own words. When you do, is it good news for everyone, or just good news for some?
By Paddy McCoy
Crosswalk Portland
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2 Samuel 18:19-23
19 Then Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said, “Let me run to the king with the good news that
the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”
20 “No,” Joab told him, “it wouldn’t be good news to the king that his son is dead. You
can be my messenger another time, but not today.”
21 Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The
man bowed and ran off.
22 But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, “Whatever happens, please let me go, too.”
“Why should you go, my son?” Joab replied. “There will be no reward for your news.”
23 “Yes, but let me go anyway,” he begged. Joab finally said, “All right, go ahead.” So
Ahimaaz took the less demanding route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim
ahead of the Ethiopian.
Have you ever had news to tell someone else that you thought was good, but it wasn’t received that way? I remember telling a coworker that the project they were worried about being given to them, was actually given to someone else. I thought my coworker would be relieved and even high-five me for lightening his load. But in reality, though he was nervous about the project he was excited about the opportunity to prove to his boss what he could really do.
Ahimaaz is excited because the civil war is over and David’s throne is safe. They’ve been working towards this end for some time, and now it’s here. He is obviously not aware of the complicated nature of David’s love for his son, the rebel. He is not aware of the cost to David for the end of this war. So though Joab tries to save him from this task, Ahimaaz is set on being the one to share the “good news” with the king.
We refer to the gospel as “good news”. That’s what the word in the Greek, euangelos, means. But what is this good news?
The way some people describe it, it’s only good news if you obey all the rules. Or it’s only good news if you belong to the right faith tradition. Or it’s only good news if you believe the right things. But as a preacher once said, “If it’s not good news for everyone, it’s not good news for anyone.”
I’ll tell you what I believe. I believe the good news of the gospel is that God loves us so much that He became man, to prove to us once and for all, how much He loves us. That His desire is to reconcile us to Himself so that we may live together, forever, the way He meant us to in the beginning. My job is to simply accept that truth, that God is that kind of God and did all those things for me, and you, and all of us. If that good news is for all of us, then I want all of us to know it not because I’m required to tell others, but because I can’t imagine NOT sharing that good news with everyone I meet.
So do you know what the good news of the gospel really is? The sign that you do is that you are anxious to tell anyone you meet.
1. Why do you think Ahimaaz wanted so badly to be the one to tell the king? Was it strictly what he thought was good news, or was it maybe something more?
2. Put what you think the gospel is into your own words. When you do, is it good news for everyone, or just good news for some?
19 Then Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said, “Let me run to the king with the good news that
the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”
20 “No,” Joab told him, “it wouldn’t be good news to the king that his son is dead. You
can be my messenger another time, but not today.”
21 Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The
man bowed and ran off.
22 But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, “Whatever happens, please let me go, too.”
“Why should you go, my son?” Joab replied. “There will be no reward for your news.”
23 “Yes, but let me go anyway,” he begged. Joab finally said, “All right, go ahead.” So
Ahimaaz took the less demanding route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim
ahead of the Ethiopian.
Have you ever had news to tell someone else that you thought was good, but it wasn’t received that way? I remember telling a coworker that the project they were worried about being given to them, was actually given to someone else. I thought my coworker would be relieved and even high-five me for lightening his load. But in reality, though he was nervous about the project he was excited about the opportunity to prove to his boss what he could really do.
Ahimaaz is excited because the civil war is over and David’s throne is safe. They’ve been working towards this end for some time, and now it’s here. He is obviously not aware of the complicated nature of David’s love for his son, the rebel. He is not aware of the cost to David for the end of this war. So though Joab tries to save him from this task, Ahimaaz is set on being the one to share the “good news” with the king.
We refer to the gospel as “good news”. That’s what the word in the Greek, euangelos, means. But what is this good news?
The way some people describe it, it’s only good news if you obey all the rules. Or it’s only good news if you belong to the right faith tradition. Or it’s only good news if you believe the right things. But as a preacher once said, “If it’s not good news for everyone, it’s not good news for anyone.”
I’ll tell you what I believe. I believe the good news of the gospel is that God loves us so much that He became man, to prove to us once and for all, how much He loves us. That His desire is to reconcile us to Himself so that we may live together, forever, the way He meant us to in the beginning. My job is to simply accept that truth, that God is that kind of God and did all those things for me, and you, and all of us. If that good news is for all of us, then I want all of us to know it not because I’m required to tell others, but because I can’t imagine NOT sharing that good news with everyone I meet.
So do you know what the good news of the gospel really is? The sign that you do is that you are anxious to tell anyone you meet.
1. Why do you think Ahimaaz wanted so badly to be the one to tell the king? Was it strictly what he thought was good news, or was it maybe something more?
2. Put what you think the gospel is into your own words. When you do, is it good news for everyone, or just good news for some?
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