Mediators - Ministers of Reconciliation | Ep. 143

Join us as we explore Jesus Christ's role as the ultimate mediator who established a new covenant filled with better promises and eternal hope? We draw from the scriptures of 1 Timothy and Hebrews and discuss the responsibility believers have in embodying the ministry of reconciliation, becoming true ambassadors for Christ.

We consider the timeless stories of mediation found within scripture, from the unbreakable bond between Jonathan and David to Moses's courageous negotiations with Pharaoh. Witness Jonathan's selfless protection of David and the lasting covenant they forge, while considering Moses's pivotal role in leading the Israelites toward freedom. Through these narratives, we uncover the profound lessons of loyalty, faithfulness, and the enduring impact of keeping one's word in the quest for justice and liberation. Revisit the dramatic account of Abigail's intervention between David and Nabal, where wisdom and humility shine through as powerful tools for peace. Abigail's astute actions not only prevent bloodshed but earn her respect and admiration, highlighting the themes of intercession and forgiveness. 

As we close, we reflect on our calling to be peacemakers, inspired by Jesus's teachings, while emphasizing the spiritual calling to pursue peace in every relationship, guided by the Spirit to bring harmony into our lives and the lives of others.

Chapters

• 0:03 The Ministry of Reconciliation
• 8:00 Covenant and Mediation in Scripture
• 18:55 Moses the Mediator
• 23:20 Esther the Mediator
• 27:00 Abigail the Mediator
• 41:19 The Call to Be Peacemakers

Transcript

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 0:03

The vision received was that of blood cells traveling throughout the body, supplying the much needed oxygen and other nutrients to the differing members of the body to fulfill their purpose. Once the blood cells are spent, they must return back to the heart to be refilled before being sent out again and fulfill their purpose.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 0:26

Good morning Saints. Good morning. Let's get straight to it. I want to share with you something that was reminded me of this week, based on some things and some issues that happened this week. And as the week went by and then I found out I needed to share. This week happened this week, and as the week went by and then I found out I needed to share. This week, something I had told Bishop never left my thoughts or my remembrance, and I told him. I said you know, we definitely know that Jesus is the mediator between God and man, but sometimes God calls the man of God to be the mediator between man and man. He says oh, you've got to quote that. I remember it and it stuck with me, and so that's what I come to you in this matter.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 1:23

I want to focus on the word mediator. If you look in your Strong's or your Thayer's dictionary, a mediator is a go-between, a reconciler some words that they use an intercessor, and the definition that's given in Thayer's is one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or to restore peace and friendship, in order to form a pact, in order to ratify a covenant, a medium of communication, an arbitrator that's what attorneys do. Sometimes they mediate between the spouses that are going to get divorced and they try to mediate and get their affairs in some sort of agreement so they can do their divide. But I don't want to talk about dividing, I want to talk about. Well, I think we all know Jesus is the grand mediator and it says in 1 Timothy 2, 5, there is one God and one mediator between God and men the man, Jesus Christ. It is this man that made himself the middle man between God and man, Because it was sin that separated man from God. It was sin that created strife, it was sin that created disharmony and conflict and hostility and war between God and between man. And Jesus Christ put himself right smack in the middle of that war, right in the middle of that battlefield, and he brought peace between man and between God, and God, being so perfect, God being so pure, so holy, came as a man to represent himself in a manner that man would be able to better understand him and be more likely to receive him.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 3:16

If we go on in Hebrews, it also talks about this mediator. It says in Hebrews 8, verse 6,. But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as he also is a mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Now his ministry, the ministry of Jesus Christ, is about ratifying a new covenant. His ministry is about establishing a new relationship between God and man, and he established a better covenant than that of the old, with even better promises than were given before old, with even better promises than were given before. If we continue in Hebrews on this thought of a mediator, it says that he is a mediator of a new covenant for a very specific reason, and that reason was by means of his death.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 4:18

It says in Hebrews 9, verse 15,. It says by means of his death he was able to redeem us from the transgressions of the old covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance. It was through his death that he was able to redeem us from the transgressions that we made, that we made under the old covenant, under the first covenant, and now he's given us a once again to receive the promise of eternal life with him, because it wasn't going to happen if we remained under the old covenant. That's why he fulfilled the old covenant to establish a new. If we continue on, in Hebrews it says again To Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of the sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. Jesus is the one who intervened between God and man to establish a new and better covenant, with His blood, and His blood being so pure, His blood being so holy that no other sacrifice was ever, ever, ever going to be necessary to do what his sacrifice did once and for all men, once and for all time, for all of human history. Now, that's my focus on Jesus, but I don't want to say that's not my focus for the message, but my focus is on the fruit of what Jesus established.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 5:42

There's something very important that Paul brought about as he wrote to the Corinthians in his second letter. Paul said in 2 Corinthians, 5, verse 18, he said all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and he has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Now I described to you all the things about how He was a mediator, He was the interceder, He was a reconciler, it was Him. But he has now given us the ministry of reconciliation, and I think it's something that I may have forgotten last week In some of my affairs, in some of my relationships, and that's where kind of this whole message is brought about. It says that is that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. He wasn't going to impute the trespasses against him. He committed to us the word of reconciliation. So I read these two verses and I realize, oh my gosh, I forgot. I have been called to be a minister of reconciliation, I have been given the word of reconciliation so I can bring two parties together and be at peace. Now then we, Paul said, are ambassadors of Christ. We are going in the stead of Christ, to represent Christ, as though God were pleading through us. And that's exactly what's happening. God is working through us to continue reconciling the world to himself, just as he did with Jesus.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 7:19

When I go out and preach the gospel to people, I don't want them to get interested in me or my good speaking skills or the way that I bring about a nice teaching and put it all together. I'm trying to introduce that person to Jesus. That's my whole purpose. That's all that I want. If I can get you introduced to Jesus, I'll let Jesus handle the rest of it, and if he wants to continue to use me as an instrument, then so be it. But it says we are ambassadors and we implore you, we beseech you on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God. It says, for he made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. And I want to talk to you today about the ministry of reconciliation that you have been called to if you are in covenant with Jesus Christ, but not to bring people to Jesus, although that is the primary emphasis I'm talking about. What I forgot this past week is bringing man to be at peace with another man. Be reconcilers of men to men, be peacemakers between men and men. And I began to think about are there any examples, lord, in the scriptures? And he began to give them to me. And so the first one is going to be Jonathan.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 8:33

Jonathan, who, Jonathan, the son of Saul? And how was he a mediator? How was he a type of Jesus Christ? He mediated between his own father, who wanted to kill him, and David. It says in 1 Samuel 19, that Saul spoke to Jonathan. He spoke to his son, he spoke to all his servants that he wanted to kill David. He wanted David dead. But Jonathan, Saul's son, it says, delighted greatly in David, he admired David dead. But Jonathan, Saul's son, it says, delighted greatly in David. He admired David. He saw how David came out of nowhere some shepherd boy and took down Goliath and how his father had allowed him to do that. His father wasn't going to risk his life, but he allowed David to do that and David went and slew him. And you know how the women were. You know singing the song David killed 10,000 and Saul is thousands, or the other way around, and that created jealousy and envy in Saul, so much so that he desired, even after that, after having given Saul the victory, he wanted to kill him. And Jonathan told David listen, listen, my father, he wants to kill you. Please be on your guard until the morning and stay in a secret place and hide.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 9:50

Jonathan was the heir to the throne. You have to understand that Jonathan really kind of had no business trying to protect David, because if he was any type of carnal man, he would have been I don't care if you die, I'm the next king. But he didn't do that. He loved, he admired David so much that he didn't care about his throne, he didn't care about his inheritance. In the middle of a war, of a battle Between his own father, his own flesh and blood, and a friend, a peer, a brother that he loved very much, he said to David I will go out, I will stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you and what I observe. I will tell you.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 10:43

And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul, his father, and said to him Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you and because his works have been very good towards you. So he is standing in proxy because David could not tell him that he stood in the gap. And he spoke to his father and he tried to reason with him. He said why are you going to kill this man? He served you faithfully. What's the point? He still serves you now. He took his life.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 11:15

David risked his own life to slay the Philistine to bring you a great deliverance before all of Israel. You saw it, father. You rejoiced. Why are you going to kill him? Why are you going to kill him? Why are you going to take his innocent blood? And Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan and Saul swore as the Lord lives, he shall not be killed. And he changed his father's mind because he stood in the gap and he made peace with David and with Saul. Jonathan then called David and Jonathan told him all of the things that I just shared with you. And Jonathan brought David to Saul and he was in his presence. As in times past. He was successful. He stood in the gap and he brought peace and he made people that were going to be enemies now be friends with one another. But now, one chapter later, 1 Samuel 20, david is fleeing Naoth and Ramah and he went and said to Jonathan what have I?

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 12:12

done.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 12:13

What is my iniquity and what is my sin before your father? He seeks my life. And there it is again war. And Jonathan said by no means you shall not die. Indeed, my father, he won't do anything unless he tells me If it's great or small. He's going to tell me. Why should my father hide this from me? It is not so, but David believed it and David knew it. And David took an oath again and said your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes. And he said do not let Jonathan know of this, lest he be grieved.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 12:45

Saul was out to kill David again and he wasn't going to let his son know, because he knew that his son loved David and so he was going to go around the way and try to get David's life. But truly, jonathan said to David as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death. David is saying this to Jonathan. I'm right there at the door. So Jonathan said to David Whatever you desire, I'll do it for you, david. And David said to Jonathan Indeed, tomorrow is the new moon and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat, but let me go. Let me go hide in the field until the third day of the evening. David is asking listen, I know I eat with you, I know I eat with your father and I always eat at the table, but not this time. Let me go hide. Let me go, jonathan, please. He's going to kill me if your father misses me.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 13:45

David says David earnestly, asks the permission to go over to Bethlehem because there's a yearly sacrifice. Just tell him I went to Bethlehem, I had to go sacrifice. My brothers needed me to come to go and do the sacrifice. And he says it is well. If your father says it is well, it's okay. Your servant will be saved. But if he is angry that I've gone, I know that evil is determined upon me. Jonathan, let me go. But Jonathan says to him in verse 9, far be it from me or far be it from you. For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, wouldn't I tell you, because David is questioning Jonathan's allegiance. He doesn't believe he's going to actually mediate for him. He's the king's son. Yeah, he did it once, but he's not going to do it again. Let me go, david is saying to Jonathan. But Jonathan is trying to reassure him and David says who's going to tell me what if your father?

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 14:53

answers roughly. What if he's?

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 14:55

angry that I'm not going to be at the dinner table.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 14:58

Jonathan says come, let's go into the field.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 15:02

They go out into the field and Jonathan makes a covenant with David right then, and there he says the Lord, god of Israel, is my witness.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 15:10

When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow or the third day, and indeed there is a good toward you and I do not send it to tell you, if I don't tell you that my dad is okay with you, may the Lord do so, and much more to me if I allow that to happen. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, I'm telling you, david, I'm going to report it to you, I'm going to tell you about it so that you can go away and get away and escape and be in safety, and the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father, and you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I might not die, but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever. David, if I do this for you, if I warn you, if I escape you, I make a covenant with you that I'm going to tell you if he's going to come after you, I'm going to let you escape, and the Lord is going to be with you.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 16:07

But I don't want you to just deal kindly with me, david. I want you to deal kindly with my inheritance, my seed Completely unselfish of Jonathan. He's not worried about his throne, but he would like David to make sure that he, hey, deal kindly with me, but also with my seed. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David saying let the Lord require it at the hand of David's enemy, in verse 16. And Jonathan caused David to vow because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul. And Jonathan said to David tomorrow is the new moon. You will be missed because your seat will be empty at the dinner table. But when you stay the three days, go down quickly and come to a place. And he begins to basically explain to him listen, if it's not going to go well, I'm going to send my servant to go fetch my arrows and I'm going to go shoot arrows.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 17:01

And if it?

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 17:02

goes beyond my servant, go. If it goes before my servant, I'm going to tell my servant come and get them before you. And that means if he brings them to me, that it's okay to come back, but if it doesn't, you need to go. So that was how he's going to communicate it to David. And he went to the dinner table the first night. His seat was empty David's seat. Jonathan ate with his father. Whoops, be seat. Jonathan ate with his father. Jonathan ate with his father and all of his father's servants. David wasn't there the first night. Second night, david wasn't there.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 17:41

And then Saul asked for David and Jonathan says oh, he asked me if he can go to Bethlehem because he had to bring a sacrifice and his father's anger was kindled, so much so that he took a javelin and threw it at his own son to kill him. Obviously he was not safe to come back, and so he tried to mediate between David and Saul, but after that point there was no turning back. Saul was bent on taking out David. Jonathan held up his covenant. He warned David to go to escape, to leave, and don't come back. And it says in 2 Samuel after all, this transpired in 2 Samuel 21, when Jonathan and Saul were already dead. It says David kept covenant with Jonathan Even after his death because he took in Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, who was lame in his feet, and he said he will eat at my table for the rest of his days. And that is because there was a mediator between man and man standing in the gap and he recompensed him for his faithfulness to David.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 18:55

I think another example of one who is a mediator and this second one is an ambassador of the Lord it was Moses. Moses had to mediate between two parties. It might not readily come to your mind, but he mediated between Pharaoh and the Israelites. He was the middle man. God said go to Pharaoh, let my people go, tell him, let my people go to go worship me in the wilderness. And there was this back and forth exchange between the Israelites being free and Pharaoh keeping them in place. But he was an ambassador of the Lord at this time. See, Jonathan didn't know that he was serving the Lord. He just loved David, he esteemed him highly.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 19:40

But here Moses has been called by God specifically to bring out the exodus of the Israelites. And God spoke to Moses. He said go to Pharaoh, say to him Let my people go that they may serve me. And Pharaoh, when he heard this and he called them in, he said pray to God that he take away the frogs from me and from my people and I will let the people go so that they may sacrifice to God. To the Lord, I'm sorry, exodus 8. My bad, exodus 8. My bad, exodus 8.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 20:12

So we see this back and forth exchange. He goes to Pharaoh. He says yes, yes, I'll let your people go, just get away the frogs. Pray to your God and get away the frogs. And so he prays to God, says Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. Moses cried to God because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh, and the frogs went. And God said to Moses Rise up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, lo. He comes before the water and say to him. Thus, says the Lord, let my people go that they may serve me, because Pharaoh had reneged. He said Pray to your God and get these frogs out of here and I'll let your people go. But then he didn't. So then he came back again Before the water, and this is when the water was turned to blood.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 21:05

And in verse 25 of chapter 8, pharaoh called for the Moses and for Aaron and said Go, sacrifice to your God and to your land. Go, get out of here. And then this is when the swarms of flies came. Moses said Behold, I will go out from you, pharaoh. I will pray to my Lord that the swarms of flies depart from Pharaoh, his servants, his people tomorrow. But don't deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people of God go to sacrifice. So Moses went out from Pharaoh, prayed to God. God took away the swarms of flies, it says in verse 31. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses. See the mediator trying to get the Israelites free between Pharaoh and Israel then went to God and God heard the mediator's voice and did exactly what the mediator interceded for and prayed for he removed the swarms from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people. There didn't remain not one.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 22:08

So we go to Exodus, chapter 9, and the Lord says to Moses go in the Pharaoh and tell him thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews let my people go so that they may serve me. Because he reneged again, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron take handfuls of ashes of the furnace and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. And this is when boils began breaking out all over the land. And it says that the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the sons of Israel go, even as Jehovah had spoken by Moses. And we come into chapter 10. The Lord said to Moses go into Pharaoh. I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants because I wanted to show him the signs that are happening right now. So God had a purpose in continuing this exchange.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 22:55

And we all know the story, how it continued on, but the whole point is that Moses stood in the gap as a mediator and he interceded. And when he interceded to God for the purposes of getting the Israelites free, god heard and did what the mediator asked. But I think of another mediator that's sometimes not thought of as a mediator. Esther was a mediator and in Esther the word God or the word Lord was never mentioned. God is like seemingly nowhere in that book. It's seemingly just a story. And what happened historically between man.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 23:44

But we know that God is on the throne, has always been on the throne, and nothing is out of his hands, nothing is out of his authority, out of his control, out of his sovereignty. And Esther, you know, was being put in a position by Mordecai. You need to go before the king, you need to go before your husband. Haman is out to get us. Haman is going to wipe us all out if you don't get before the king. And she says but you know, I can't go before the court of the king unless he requests for me.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 24:16

I can't do that. He's going to take my life. You saw what he did to his previous wife and she was put in a predicament. She was put in the middle of a war, unknowinglyingly, between her husband, who had decreed something, not knowing it was going to affect his own wife, and the rest of the Jews. But we know that Esther did get enough of the spirit of faith and go before the king, and when she did so it says in Esther, chapter 5, verse 2, she received favor in the king's sight and the king and when she did so, it says in Esther, chapter 5, verse 2, she received favor in the king's sight. And the king held out to Esther the golden scepter in his hand, and Esther drew near and touched the top of the scepter. The king said whatever you desire, queen, ask of me up to half my kingdom. What is your wish? And you know the story. I'm not going to go into great detail on it, but maybe she couldn't say it there in the courts, maybe she was kind of afraid. She didn't know how to come out and say hey, you've got to do something about this decree. So then she said I need you to come to dinner with Haman. Would you just come to dinner for me? Just oh, that's all you want, sure, sure. So the king and Haman come, and they come to dinner, and then you know she gets cold feet again and she can't say what she needs to say. So then it happens a second night.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 25:37

And then the second night the king said to Queen Esther on the second day, in Esther, chapter 7, verse 2. What is your petition, queen Esther? What do you want from us? It can't be just this banqueting dinner thing every 2. What is your petition, queen Esther? What do you want from us? It can't be just this banqueting dinner thing every night. What do you really want, esther? I grant it to you. What is your request? And Esther the queen answered and said finally getting enough of the spirit of faith, of bravery, boldness and courage. King, if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. In other words, king, I need you to save me and my people. This is my request.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 26:22

And king Ahasuerus answered and said to Esther the queen who is he who's coming after you? What are you talking about? And she says the man who is our adversary and the enemy is the wicked Haman. And Haman became afraid before the king and the queen. And you know the story. King Ahasuerus took him out.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 26:43

But if it had not been for a woman to stand in the gap as a mediator, her and all the rest of the Jews would have been slaughtered in Persia. A woman had to stand in the gap. It takes me to my last example. I think it's the most important example. In 1 Samuel 25, there's a mediator between David and someone else, a fool. Anybody know who I'm talking about. David needed a mediator between himself and some fool out there Nabal, that fool. That's right, everybody. Turn to 1 Samuel 25.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 27:41

Nabal was a man in Maon who had a lot of possessions. He was rich, he was great Thousands of sheep, goats, and he sheared them. And he was kind of like David. I could understand. David was a sheep shepherd taking care of sheep. He had this great rich man coming through the area. He says I admire him. He had this great rich man coming through the area. He says I admire him, he's a shepherd, let me go protect him. And he then surrounded Nabal, surrounded all of his things to make sure that no animals came and attacked. Nobody came and robbed him. I mean just guardians, sentinels all around him, and he didn't ask for it. I mean just guardians, sentinels all around him, and he didn't ask for it. I don't know why David did it, but that's the way they were in those days. Because he didn't have money, he might as well perform a service. So he took care of him, took care of all of his men.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 28:40

But it says in verse 3 of 1 Samuel 25 that this man Nabal was his name had a wife named Abigail. She was a woman of good understanding and a beautiful countenance, but this man was churlish and evil in his doing and he was of the house of Caleb, and so he protected this man. And you know, he went about his business and David later on came and told his servants hey, ten of you go to Nabal and say to him thus peace be to you, peace be to your house, peace be to everything that you have. I have heard that thou hast shears now, thy shepherds, which were with us. We didn't hurt them, neither was there aught missing anything unto them. Nothing was stolen from you All the while that they were in Carmel. Ask thy young men, Ask them. If we didn't take care of them. Let my young men, my ten men, let them find favor in your eyes For we come in a good day and give pray to thee. Whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto the service, give it to the son of David.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 29:49

Hey, I treated you well, I took care of you. I took care of all your servants. You just sent a ton of my servants. Can't we have some food? Maybe Anything that you have? I mean, you're a rich man, you can afford it. But it's not like I didn't do anything for you. It's not like you know I'm just coming at you to say, hey, let me have some food. No, I took care of you. I protected you and all your belongings. You still have that. And what did the fool say? Am I going to take my bread and my water and my flesh that I've killed for my shears and give it unto men that I do not know who are? You Get out of my face. And you understand he was a fool. It says he was churlish and evil in his doings. When you read his words, you need to put more attitude into it and realize he was like very, very rude.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 30:37

Very brash, and so David's men turned their way and they came back and when David heard this, he said every man, get your sword, we're going to go slaughter somebody.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 30:51

He left 200 men, he took 400 of his men all having the sword and there was war going to take place. It was on what? I protected you, I took care of you, I didn't take anything from you. And I come and ask you and you rudely treat my servants this way Take the sword. Let's go Now.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 31:14

Abigail wasn't there at the time, but when Abigail heard what her husband had done, how David's men had protected Nabal, shearer and shepherds from the threat and that's how he responded to them she made haste in verse 18. She made quick preparation because she was going to stand in mediation, she was going to stand in the gap and she was going to mediate between her husband and David and she was going to do whatever it took to appease him Made 200 loaves, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready dress, five measures of corn and raisins, and cakes and figs and put them on the donkeys. But you know what? She didn't tell her husband Some of us think everything needs to be told and she had to go outside of those kind of boundaries because that was the only way he was going to be able to save her life and the life of her husband, because if she told her husband he was not going to be able to save her life and the life of her husband, because if she told her husband, he was not going to have any of that.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 32:33

Now, david, when he was coming down over the hill, it says in verse 21, that he said I have kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him, and he hath requited me evil for good. I took care of everything that he had and he's repaid me evil for good. This is David talking. He's offended, he's insulted and he's going to take matters into his own hands. And he said in verse 22, so, and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave all that pertain to him by the morning light, any that pisseth against the wall. Interesting language to say the least.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 33:17

So Abigail saw David hasted, lighted off the ass and fell before David, fell before David on her face, bowed herself to the ground, fell at his feet and he said upon me, my Lord, let this iniquity be. Now she's not just standing as a mediator trying to repair and bring peace, she is standing in the gap like a prophet and saying let their iniquity be upon me. The others didn't stand in the gap that way, not Jonathan, not Moses, not Esther but to say to David let his iniquity take it out on me, as if I did it unto you. She came before him humbly, basically, crying out for mercy.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 34:19

I pray thee, speak in thine audience and hear the words of thine handmaid. Let not, my Lord, I pray thee regard this man of Belial, this Nabal, disregard him. Just ignore him, please. He doesn't know what he says, he doesn't know what he do. Take it out on me, please. Nabal is his name, folly is with him, but I didn't see you, I didn't see your young men. I wouldn't have done that to you. Now, therefore, as my Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, from avenging thyself with thine own hand. Now let thine enemies and they that seek evil to my Lord be as Naboth. And now, this blessing, which thine handmaid hath evil to my Lord, be as Nabal. And now, this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my Lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my Lord. Everything that I've just brought you, please take it. Take it with my apologies, I'm sorry. Please, just ignore him, please, and I pray thee forgive the trespass of thine husband, does it say Thine handmaid? She made it her own. She made it her own sin and said please forgive my sin, that I dealt with you this way. The Lord will certainly make my Lord, you, david. The Lord is going to make you a sure house.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 35:53

Obviously, she had some understanding of where David had come from. She had some understanding that Samuel had anointed him the next king of Israel. She had some respect and esteem for him, and so the Lord is going to surely bring to pass what he said he would in your life. Because my Lord, my God, fights the battles, because you fight the battles for the Lord, I know that my Lord is with you and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. In other words, you are a man of integrity. You are a man of honor. There's no fault with you. Please just forgive my husband. Please take this In verse 31, that this shall be no grief unto thee nor offense of heart unto my Lord David.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 36:46

Please don't let this be the offense, either that thou hast shed blood causeless or that my Lord hath avenged himself Talking about her husband. But when the Lord shall have dealt with my Lord, my husband, then remember me. In other words, hey, let the Lord take care of my husband. Just ignore him. Go your way here, take all of this I did it Take it out upon me, but leave him alone. Let my Lord deal with him. Wow, wow. What awesome power. That humble woman had to stand in the gap, not just to save her life. Let my Lord deal with him. He's a fool and I know it. That's how I deal with him. Let my Lord deal with him.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 37:40

And David said to Abigail who came in with swords 400 men with swords. Blessed be the Lord, god of Israel, which sent this day to meet me. Woo. He recognized this woman and the magnitude that she just held before him. Blessed be thy advice Not too arrogant that it came from a woman. Blessed is your advice Not too arrogant that it came from a woman. Blessed is your advice. Woman, blessed be you, which have kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging myself with mine own hand. For in very deed as the Lord, god of Israel, liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hast hasted and come to me. Surely there had not been left unto Nabal by morning light and any that pisseth against the wall. Everybody would be wiped out if it wasn't for you, blessed, are you Blessed is your advice? Because he was come ready to slit throats and pierce men with the sword. So David received of her hand that which she had brought him and said unto her go up in peace to thine house. See, I have hearkened to thy voice and have accepted thy person. David forgave, accepted her offer of appeasement. I have hearkened to thy voice and have accepted thy person. David forgave, accepted her offer of appeasement and pronounced peace upon her and her house. He did not hold it against Nabal. She mediated and brought forth David's forgiveness for her husband. He did not hold it against him. If he did, he would have gone after him anyway.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 39:34

And in verse 36, abigail came to Nabal and he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. His heart was merry, but he was very drunken. And then she didn't tell him anything until the morning light. And when it came in the morning, when the wine was gone out of her husband, nabal, and his wife had told him the things that she had now done, his heart died within him and he became a stone. Who took care of him? The Lord took care of him. That was it, and I think you know the rest of the story. David took her and his own wife, 38. 10 days later the Lord smote Nabal and he died. And after this we think of vengeance as mine. Save the Lord, yes, when we're offended, when we're insulted, when we're treated illy, when we've done good, let the Lord handle it, but don't take in the offenses in your heart. Servants of David came to Abigail and said our Lord asked for your hand in marriage and she went with five other maidens and she got married, which is not a very good thing because Abel was already married, but we've already talked about that. I mean it's a good end to this account. You know, he recognized, highly, esteemed her so, and he didn't took her in as his own wife, and I think that's one of the best examples of what a mediator does and how a mediator should be.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 41:19

Jesus said that blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called what?

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 41:27

The sons of God.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 41:29

I'm just giving you just four examples of those that make peace between two parties.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 41:34

They are sons of God.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 41:36

In other words, the sons of God are called to be peacemakers.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 41:43

It says in Romans 8 that as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 41:46

So many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 41:49

So, if you're led by the Spirit, you should be making peace between yourself and others, between two parties. I needed to be reminded of that this week and that's why I share with you, because all the relationships that we have in this life not just vertical, I'm talking about horizontal we should be as much as we are able to be, at peace, not provoking, instigating anything to rise up within us or within someone else, but we should our words should be chosen wisely, chosen humbly, and be at peace with one another, watching our words that we don't set someone else off in a way that maybe we didn't desire or intend to, but we must watch ourselves. You know how it says that husbands know your wives. We need to know who we're dealing with. We need to know what presses their buttons and not press them and find other ways being led of the Spirit so that we have peace one with another. And so I share that as a reminder, because I needed to be reminded of that this past week Amen.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 43:15

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