Issue 1685 – Juniper Fox – March 12, 2025
There was no “Gleanings” yesterday as I was too brain fogged from travel to form a coherent thought. The trip was great, but as always, it was great to get home.
This little wooden plaque hangs on the wall of my home office; before that, it was in my workshop. Back in the spring of 2016, I was trimming back some old jumpier bushes and by chance found this piece. I’ve left it as I found it.
I call it “The Juniper Fox” for pretty clear reasons. I’ve always collected interesting stuff, like odd branches, strange rocks, and the like, and the juniper fox just cried out to be saved.
My poor mother and wife will both attest to finding all sorts of “treasures” in my pockets over the years. For some reason, they didn’t think most of what I found was nearly as interesting as I did.
I’m in the process of writing a series of children’s books. They will have Juniper Fox as one of the supporting characters.
The juniper fox was in that old bush, just waiting to be discovered. I have often found something similar in reading the Scriptures.
Much of Scripture is noted for its perspicuity, that is it is clear and easy to understand. I don’t believe in the many “secret Bible codes” that await the unveiling of some author or another who is just waiting to sell you a book about what he has discovered.
Over the years, I’ve met a few people who have “shared with me” secret meanings that the church somehow missed for all these centuries, and only they were smart enough to figure it out. Then, they filter everything in the Bible through the warped lenses of their newly revealed understanding of a verse or two.
However, I do believe that there are gems of wisdom in Scripture that are very easy to read right past without pausing to think about.
In my recent reading, I was in 2 Samuel. It is the tragic tale of King David’s family life. His son Amnon premeditates the rape of his sister Tamar. Neither their brother Absalom does anything about it at the time, nor does David the father when they find out about it afterward.
Some time down the road Absalom, who hates his brother for the rape and also wants to eliminate a rival successor to David’s throne, plans and executes the murder of his brother and then flees for his life.
After a couple of years, King David allows the son back into the city but refuses to see him. David’s nephew Joab knows David wants to see his son, so he organizes some trickery with a compliant woman who tries to talk David into seeing Absalom. David relents and allows the son back into his house but will not permit him to see David.
The account then moves on to the account of Absalom trying to usurp the throne. (see 2 Samuel 13-15). It’s a brutally ugly story of treachery, poor parenting, rape, murder, and deceit. It’s hard sometimes to remember that we can be just as sinful as they are.
Buried deep in the story is a profound sentence spoken by the woman sent by Joab. It’s easy to skip over it. I can attest to that because I have read it many times and missed it.
We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. 2 Samuel 14:14
She refers to David’s willingness to permit his son to return, but at the same time, it paints a beautiful picture of God. In our sin, we are all dead and banished from the Father’s presence. Yet He makes a way, through Christ, for us to be redeemed into fellowship with Him.
While this verse isn’t a prophesy, per se, about the plan of redemption through Christ, it is a picture of sorts of what God does for us.
With Jesus, we are no longer outcasts, exiled from the kingdom, unworthy to be in His presence because of our sin. Our sin demands death as did Amnon’s sin of rape and Absalom’s sin of murder. Yet the Lord gives us a way back.
It’s not a secret Bible code. It isn’t a new way to look at the Scriptures. It isn’t a “new truth” that I discovered. It is simply one of many hidden jewels that God has placed in His word for us to discover and be reminded of now and then. There are many if we take the time and read carefully.
I pray that you turn to God and accept His gift of salvation. If you are already His, I pray that this passage reminds you of just how gracious our God really is, that He would save rebels like you and me.
May you know Jesus, and may He richly bless you
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
__________________________________________
Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, feel free to comment.
Did you happen to know that we have an email version? It’s the same great content but in a different format. It is ideal when you don’t want to check your Facebook or to share with friends who don’t use Facebook.
Subscribe today
https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1
___________________________________________
All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
___________________________________________