The sons of Belial

Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 22, 23 & Psalm 57

2 Samuel 23:6-7 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: 7 But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

David contemplated and knew the destiny of the sons of Belial - it was hell. What is a son of Belial? The Bible defines this for us earlier in 1 Samuel.

1 Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.

The name of Belial means someone associated with Satan. According to the Bible, the sons of Eli were sons of Belial - they knew not the Lord. An unbeliever is a son or a daughter of Belial.

David says they will be thrust away as thorns and burned with fire. The ungodly cannot be taken with hands. The illustration is one of a farmer coming and gathering his crops. He gathers the bundles or sheaves of grain in his arms and puts them into his barn. But he cannot gather thorns with his arms. He must be fenced with iron and use the staff of a spear to gather thorns. These are gathered and burned with fire.

Matthew 13:41-42 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

This is a sobering reality. There are many things that vie for our attention, but this should be in the forefront of our minds. Hell is a reality. It is not our fear that we will go there if we are born again. However, we should fear for those who do not know Jesus Christ. Unless they are born again, they will be in hell.

Will you pray for the sons of Belial today? Will you look for opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them?

In Christ,
Rody