A lesson on the way God’s Kingdom grows; not according to man’s will and desires, but according to God’s sovereign decree. As we continue in our study through 2nd Samuel today, we witness a brief civil war break out between David's men and the former king Saul’s commander Abner, and the men of Benjamin. Abner did not accept David as God’s anointed king, so in rejection of God’s word, he enticed Joab (David’s commander) to fight over the kingship. According to appearances, the battle seemed evenly matched. But as it would turn out, God gave David’s men the victory in repudiation of Abner’s goals, and severely beat back the men of Benjamin. This highlights for us the reality that God’s will prevails over all. No matter how the odds seem to be stacked up, no one can thwart His plans, nor is God’s kingdom built upon the machinations of man.

God chose the shepherd king David to be ruler in order to illustrate His own sovereign power and deliverance from the nation’s enemies, and that includes those who would stand in opposition to God's decree. God will always grow His kingdom in His own way, and while man may seek after the mighty and strong things of the earth, God often uses the small, barely noticeable things as instruments of His sovereign purposes. And in this God is glorified; not through the arm of the flesh, but by the demonstration of His supreme power and authority over creation. Worldly ambition is folly, as are man's thoughts and efforts for they will not stand, if they be not for the Lord. God must give the increase, and in the end it is His purposes that stand victorious.