📕 2 Samuel 15:14-22
📝 David said to all his officials.. ” Come ! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom.. “.
Ittai , ” You came only yesterday…. Why should you come along with us ? .. You are a foreigner.. Go back…” ( v 19-20 )

Ittai replied , “As surely as the Lord lives…wherever my lord the king may be , whether it means life or death, there will your servant be ” ( v 21)

ITTAI – THE MARK OF LOYALTY 🌹

💫 How wonderful it is to feel when God’s favour shine upon us specially when we are broken , lonely and insecure.

📝 Today’s Bible reading passage tells us about the dark period of David’s reign as a king. He was fleeing away from his son Absalom ( v 14,16).

📝 It is interesting to note here that David’s troops comprises of the Kerethites and Pelethites. Another foreign contingent numbering 600 fighting men from Gath under Ittai followed David ( v 18 ). These were the Philistine soldiers who had joined David’s personal military force. The reason for joining David’s troops was not known. One thing I would like to draw our attention in verse 18 -19 where it says that Ittai the Commander of 600 fighting men was from Gath . Earlier David had killed Goliath the hero of Philistine , and Goliath was also from Gath ( 1 Samuel 17:4 ,50-51 ). May be that incident might have drew the attention of young Philistines soldiers to merge with David’s troops. Truly God’s favour was upon David.

📌 Let us ponder upon the conversation in between David and Ittai. It is similar with that of Naomi and Ruth . Both Naomi and David were on move to a different destination.

🔖 Listen to what David and Naomi said to Ittai and Ruth :
David 🗣️ “Why should you come along with us ? Go back and stay with king Absalom… Go back and take your country men ” ( v 19-20 )

Naomi 🗣️ “Why should you come with me ? .. Go back to your mother’s home… Return my daughters. (1:8,11-13)

🔖 Listen to what Ittai and Ruth replied to David and Naomi :
Ittai 🗣️ “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be , whether it means life or death , there will your servant be “. v 21

Ruth 🗣️ “Where you go I will go , Your people will be my people and your God my God. (1:16-17).

📌 That was an outstanding oath of loyalty, love and devotion taken in the name of the God of Israel 🇮🇱

💫 Where Law bounds Love super bounds.. Law binds us with DOs and DONTs in our relationship , vocations and social attributes but Love makes it cosy , pleasant and worthy.

📌 It was the matter of just ONE DAY with David that Ittai could recognize the true kingship of David , and he made the decision to FOLLOW David.

What about you and me ❓
How long we took to recognize the Sovereignty of our Lord Jesus Christ ❓
When was the last time we declare to ” FOLLOW HIM ” ❓

📌 Ittai the Philistines was loyal to David and he choose David and not king Absalom.

Whom do we choose – earthly kings or the KING of kings ❓

💞 Beloved Church, today we need men and women like David and Naomi in whom people saw God’s favour in their home , vocations and in their conduct. Let us be an example so that people around us would come to know the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ✝️

Glory to God 🙌
✍🏾 Mark Boje , ArP 🇮🇳