We are now reading of serious developments in the life of David. We see the full extent of the trouble that Nathan the prophet said would come upon him as a result of his sins. His son Absalom has a conspiracy to seize the throne and David flees from Jerusalem saying, “If I find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back … but if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you’, behold here I am, let him do what seems good to him” (2 Samuel 15:25,26).

“David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went” (verse 30). We note how the Mount of Olives also features in the life of David’s ‘greater son’ Jesus; “it was his custom” to go there (Luke 22:39). From that mount Jesus ascended to heaven and will return there (Acts 1:11,12) and cause it to split in two (Zechariah 14:4). The vision in Revelation invites us to read it as a literal event, for together with the reference to “Armageddon” we read, “… there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake” (16:18).

The last verse in Jeremiah 19 is also relevant. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, behold, I am bringing upon this city and upon all its towns all the disaster that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their neck, refusing to hear my word”. Today, God’s word is available to be read in every language, but how many hear by properly reading it? In God’s perception, nearly all people are stiff-necked! Let us make sure we are not.

Let us become like Abraham in Romans 4, “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised”. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness”. But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead, Jesus our Lord (verses 20-24). May no distrust, no disbelief make us waver, but instead may we “grow strong in faith” and so “find favour”.