Shared Iniquity

# 348 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 25:21-24, “ Now David had said, "Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. 22 "May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light." 23 Now when Abigail saw David, she hastened to dismount from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground. 24 So she fell at his feet and said: "On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant.” (1 Sam 25:21-24) David swears revenge on Nabal and all the men of his household for his sin of stinginess, but then along comes Abigail, the wife of Nabal. She gives us a classic example of intercessory prayer. We would do well to learn from it in our land today. Let's face it, not many of us are willing to share the blame of our national sins, and yes, even the sins of the church. Abigail had no guilt in this matter, but she comes to David in full humility, and says, “let this iniquity be on me!” How could she say such a thing? She could say it because she understood her union with Nabal, how God had made them one flesh, and because of that she was willing to take on his guilt. We are one nation under God, united by citizenshio. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, united by faith, and our proper response to national sin, and the sins of the church is not to point fingers and hope God judges “their” sin. No, we are in this together, and our proper response is to humble ourselves before the Lord and share in the guilt. It's what Daniel did when he prayed for the nation, “O Lord, we have sinned and committed iniquity, and Nehemiah who said, “I pray before You and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You, and Jeremiah who said, “O Lord, We have sinned against You.” Father, we have done wickedly in the land, we have fallen short of what You have called us to be as Your church. Let this iniquity be on me. I confess it and beg for Your mercy and forgiveness, in Jesus Name, Amen