David’s Transgression

May 4, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / 2 Comments

2 Samuel 23; 24

Chapter 22 gave us a record of King David’s “Song of Praise”. King David gave the Lord much praise for delivering him out of the hand of all his enemies going back as far as Saul.

When the Lord Jesus died on the cross it was so we could be “delivered” from all our sin but even after this God will continue to “deliver” us all the days of our lives from the actions of Satan!

Chapter 23 contains some of the last words of David and we should look at some of them.

*****2Sa 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
2Sa 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

It is believed that David wrote 73 of the Psalms, in the Book of Psalms, but in these few verses, we have the last Psalm that David wrote.

We should immediately notice in verse 2, that David’s psalms were inspired by the Holy Spirit. This confirms what is written in the New Testament.

2Ti 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God”, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

This verse also gives us the goal of every true teacher and preacher. “His Word was in my tongue”.

I know I am not much of a teacher but “if His Word is in my tongue” then at least I know I am speaking the truth and if I can just get myself “out of His way” then He can use me even when though I lack in so many of the abilities of a good speaker.

It takes godly leadership to be a true servant of the Lord and that begins with God’s written Word!

God gave David a heart of integrity and God will do the same for every believer.

*****2Sa 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

David never ceased to marvel how the Lord could take a lowly shepherd and make him a King.

But David never realized that the Messiah, that was promised from his own seed, would not come as King of Israel but He would first come as the Lamb of God and the True Shepherd of all people.

But David also knew that every King and every Ruler was to be “just” and rule in the fear of God!

*****2Sa 23:4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

This verse describes to us something that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished but no man on the Earth has.

This was the goal of David and it should be the goal of every “Born Again” believer!

Jesus said:

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

We must hold up “the pure light of a consistent life” against the evils of this world or we will appear to be just another sinner and God’s Word will not be effective in us!

This does not mean that God will train to just be put on display before this evil world!

God just expects us to do the best we can to be like His Son Jesus and act more like John the Baptist.

Joh 1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
Joh 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

We have no light in ourselves, our light must come from the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****2Sa 23:5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

The house of David had suffered much because of David’s own sin. In fact “the sword would truly never depart from the house of David” and went all the way to the Cross!

But God knows all things and He still made an everlasting covenant with David while he was still alive.

That is the exact same thing God does with each of us when He saves us!

God knows that we will fail from time to time. When we do, then we must ask for forgiveness and for reasons I cannot explain nor understand, God will immediately forgive us of our sin.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Why? Because God has made us an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure!

Just as God promised David, He makes that same promise to every believer!

Act 13:34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, “I will give you the sure mercies of David”.

Notice that word “sure”, these are the promises God gives to us when He saves us!

David would not live long enough to see the covenant fulfilled and the Messiah come but he knew these things would happen.

David knew this to be true as did all the prophets but most of them looked to the Second Coming and missed that Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, the Lamb of God!

Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

King Jesus will still execute judgment and justice on this Earth!

But there is still more.

*****2Sa 23:6 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
2Sa 23:7 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.

That same Savior, Jesus Christ, will also execute judgment on His enemies.

Sons of Belial, are men and women who are truly worthless! They are reckless and full of lawlessness!

To clearly understand we must know that they are the followers of Satan.

The followers of Satan are all those that reject the Word of God.

To reject the Word of God makes you then, “ungodly”!

Jesus described them this way:

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

They ignore the Word of God!

They are like thorns that are so prickly and sharp that they cannot be handled by human hands but there is “One” who can handle them.

Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Isa 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Isa 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

The remaining verses in Chapter 23 tell us about David’s “Mighty Men”. We can see why the army of Absalom never had a chance against these mighty men of the army of David.

So we will move on to Chapter 24.

*****Chapter 24:1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

In last weeks lesson we saw how David had given praise to the Lord for being his “Rock” and his “Deliverer”.

We also know from a study of the Old Testament that the size of the Army of Israel has never been important when battling her enemies.

What history has told us about King David is that, after his kingdom was reunited and Israel had survived the 3 years of famine and hardships, that David spent his remaining years, near 7 years, gathering the things for the Temple.

It is very possible King David began to let his own pride again interfere with good judgment.

When this happens the “Tempter” will show up.

***1Ch 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

We can see that the Lord lifted that “hedge of protect” from around David one more time.

God allowed Satan to tempt David in order to accomplish His purpose!

Satan opposed God’s people throughout the Bible and He still does in our day!

Satan tempted Eve.

Satan attacked Job on two occasions.

And Satan accused Joshua the High Priest in the Book of Zechariah.

There was nothing wrong with taking a national census if it was done by the Word of God.

A true census would count every citizen from the age of 20 and above and a “half shekel” would be gathered and this money would be given to the work of God.

This later became known as the Temple Tax.

But we will see as we go forward that this was not David’s intention.

*****2Sa 24:2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
2Sa 24:3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
2Sa 24:4 Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

We can see that King David began to count his strength by the size of his army and not the power of God.

When things get to going real good we always seem to forget the Lord who provides all our needs!

We can also see that Joab, through all his evil deeds has regained control of David’s Army.

Besides the Mighty Men of David, the remaining army was probably more loyal to Joab.

Even Joab knew enough to know that what King David was doing was wrong, because he had witnessed Israel win many battles not having the greater numbers.

King David even wrote a song about such things as this:

Psa 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

We need the help of God to restrain us from the power of sin!

But we cannot twist the Word of God around to allow us to think we have the freedom to sin!

*****2Sa 24:5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:
2Sa 24:6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,
2Sa 24:7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.
2Sa 24:8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
2Sa 24:9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

Joab may have actually counted all of Israel but King David was only interested in how large his army could be.

King David wanted the world around him to know that he could place over a million man army on the battlefield if he needed to.

If we think about it, we could say that David was at this time, acting like the leader of North Korea, or Putin of Russia, but God is never impressed with these things and to Him it is a great sin to rely on our own strengths and not on the Lord.

The Bible still says:

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ “which strengtheneth me”.

The opposite of this is that we can do nothing without The Lord Jesus Christ!

Just as soon as David realized what he had done, he knew he had sinned and he repented of his sin.

*****2Sa 24:10 And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

David had begun to trust in his own strength.

David wanted the world to know that it Israel’s army that was so strong and not Israel’s God!

David had collected a “half shekel” from each person, “by force” to start a building fund for the Temple that Solomon would build but God will only accept “free will offerings” for these things.

The Tabernacle had been built with a free will offering and the spoils of Egypt:

Exo 35:5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,

God loves a cheerful giver and is best pleased with a free-will offering!

Our gifts are our acknowledgement that we have received all things from the Lord and are “willing” to dedicate ourselves to Him!

Jesus Christ became poor for our sakes to make us rich in eternal things!

We must be willing to give of the things that He provides while we are yet living in this world!

David realized he had done foolishly and that this sin was even greater than what he had done with Bathsheba and Uriah.

And God again sent the prophet.

*****2Sa 24:11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,
2Sa 24:12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
2Sa 24:13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

King David had been relying on his own understanding so God gave David the option of choosing from these three judgments.

God had already made certain things known to His people when they allowed pride to rule their lives.

Lev 26:19 And “I will break the pride of your power”; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:
Lev 26:20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.
Lev 26:21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

1) If David thought he was in charge, then he could choose 7 years of famine. Maybe he and his government could possibly make it rain. Or maybe they had saved up enough as Joseph had in Egypt to feed all his people.

2) If David thought so much of his army then, he could choose to flee before all the enemies of Israel for three months. Maybe by their own strength, without God they could survive.

3) If David thought his government was so great and so advanced, maybe the nation could survive 3 days of a fast moving plague or virus throughout all the land.

These things were not new, they were what God had said He would do!

Lev 26:16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
Lev 26:17 And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

What choice would you make?

What is the truth?

Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

We should always keep these words in our mind when we are under temptation to sin.

Satan may tell us differently but it is God who runs this world!

What did David do?

David did what we all should do.

David begged for mercy!

*****2Sa 24:14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
2Sa 24:15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

It is always the wise thing to do to fall into the hands of God.

Because, No one loves us as God loves us!

In a war, David may could have protected himself.

In a famine, David’s riches might have sustained him.

In the pestilence, Davis was just as exposed as all of Israel!

It was the just and right thing to do to be in as much danger as his people.

This was another test before God executed judgment and the Lord sent the pestilence and in 3 days this rapid moving disease killed 70,000 men.

These 70,000 would have been from those that were counted, not women and children!

And where did this take place?

*****2Sa 24:16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
2Sa 24:17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.
2Sa 24:18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Repentance is a change of mind and a change in direction and a change of purpose of life.

God has never had to change His mind.

God has never had to change His purpose.

But because God is merciful, He may change His direction and this is why our prayers can be effective!

David was allowed to see this angel of God’s judgment poised to enter into Jerusalem and God changed His direction!

For David, he needed a change in his mind, a change in his purpose, and also a change in his direction and as sinners it is the same for all of us, as it was for all of Israel.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

It is important for us to know this location where this angel was seen.

Wheat was reaped by the sickle and bound into sheaves and taken to the threshingfloor to be separated from the chaff.

It was only then that the clean grain could be ground into flour, something usable while the chaff was burned.

Jehovah God has fed his people with the finest of wheat and the finest of that wheat is Jesus Christ, the bread of life.

In verse 23 we will see that Araunah was the deposed King of the Jebusites, the former rulers of Jerusalem.

This is the place David offered sacrifices and the place where Solomon later built the Temple.

And just as important, this is the very place on Mount Moriah where Abraham had been asked to offer up Isaac.

*****2Sa 24:19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
2Sa 24:20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
2Sa 24:21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

David had built his palace on the lower part of the city and this not a fit place for winnowing the wheat.

King David could have just taken this property.

Or, King David could have certainly just borrowed this property.

But, King David insisted on buying this property because David now understood “the high cost of sin” and he knew he could not offer the Lord “something that had cost him nothing”.

What is a sacrifice?

The sacrifice did not originate with man but is, God appointed!

What was the first sacrifice?

God killed an animal, a lamb, to provide clothes for Adam and Eve.

But the sacrifice must be according to God’s will, as Abel offered and not as that of Cain.

The Bible teaches us that there is a difference in clean and unclean things.

And every sacrifice in the Old Testament pointed toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

We cannot take from another, to offer to the Lord, for ourselves!

*****2Sa 24:23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
2Sa 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

This verse tells us that Araunah, the Ornan of the Book of Chronicles, had been the King of the Jebusites.

The “threshing floor of Ornan” was bought for 50 shekels of silver but after this sacrifice was made and the hand of God was stayed, David went back and purchased the entire property.

1Ch 21:24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
1Ch 21:25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

King David bought the entire piece of land of the Temple mount through a legal transaction and it still belongs to Israel today and not to the Muslim world.

And it was David who built an altar where Mohammed later laid claim to the Dome of the Rock.

*****2Sa 24:25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

What were King David’s greatest sins?

1) The sin of Bathsheba and the death of Uriah.

Out of that Solomon was born.

2) The sin of numbering the people of Israel in the wrong way.

Out of that the Temple was born.

BUT, What God did for David cannot be used as an excuse for sin!

Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

We should remember King David paid a heavy price for his sin with the things that happened in his family and there would be some other things even before Solomon was made king.

But we can still see the truth of the Word of God!

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, “even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord”.

We are saved by the merciful, Grace of God!

If not for “Grace”—God’s Riches At Christ Expence–There would be no “Salvation”.

It’s all about “Grace”!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

David’s Song

April 27, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

David’s Song

2 Samuel Chapter 22

At the end of last week’s lesson we learned that King David had finally come back to Jerusalem.

David had been restored as King but as we know once there is a civil war it takes many years for all the scars to heal.

Chapter 21 through 24 gives us an epilogue of the life of David after these days.

We should not forget that David was the Lord’s anointed King.

And King David was the recipient of the Lord’s covenant promises.

And we will see today where King David takes the time late in life to express his thanks to the Lord his God.

What had David learned in all these years?

Number one: The Lord is the true source of all military successes and all personal successes.

Number two: It takes faithfulness in the Lord to enjoy the Lord’s favor!

And number three: The Lord’s covenant promises to David will be fulfilled despite all his weaknesses and all his failures.

We have already seen much of the fulfillment of the promises made to David.

We know the Messiah has come and we know him as the Lord Jesus Christ.

We do not know if David saw the church in the future. We do know that David knew a great deal of God’s salvation plan.

The one thing that we should know for sure is that no matter how dark the days are and no matter how painful the memories, we can always praise the Lord for what He has done!

So let’s begin:

*****2Sa 22:1 And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

When King David wrote this song, this verse tells us that he was not referring just to the deliverance from Absalom and being restored as King of Israel.

David wrote this song as this verse states because he had been delivered so many times from the hands of all his enemies and that included being delivered safely from King Saul.

The main thing that David had realized in all his years that he has not giving God the praise that He deserves.

King David has now realized that God does as He pleases, and all things are done according to His perfect will!

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

And we all should realize that God cannot ever do things that are not in harmony with His nature!

The most important of these things is that God cannot go back on His Word.

2Ti 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

God speaks the truth because God cannot lie!

In fact if we had another name for God, the name should be Truth!

Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

It is only the Lord God Almighty who can deliver us from this evil world!

Psa_31:15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

From the moment we are born until the day we die, we are in the hands of our Deliverer.

The choice to be delivered is given to each of us and this is the most important choice we have to make all of our days!

We must answer that question which is, “just how important is our God to us”?

*****2Sa 22:2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
2Sa 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

We can see that David just could not find enough words to describe our God.

We can search to the ends of this Earth and in every language possible and we could not find the right words to describe our God.

He must certainly be our Rock!

Moses wrote that God is our rock!

Deu 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

We must certainly know that the Lord our God is a faithful. God and he keeps his covenant and shows mercy to them that love him and keep his commandments.

We must all claim the Lord Jesus as our “Rock”, just as David did and we must all drink from this same “Rock” just as the children of Israel did in the wilderness!

1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Because that “Rock” is The Lord Jesus Christ!

It is only then, that the Lord can be our “Fortress” in times of trouble.

We can be sure as long as we are in these bodies of flesh, we will have some troubles

It is only then that the Lord can be our “Deliverer” from all our troubles.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the God of our “Rock”!

It is in the Lord Jesus Christ in whom we must “trust”!

When we “trust” the Lord Jesus Christ then He becomes our “Shield”!

In other words when the Lord Jesus Christ is our “shield”, no weapon formed against us can prosper.

Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. “This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD”.

When we trust the Lord Jesus Christ, He becomes “the horn of our salvation”!

When the Lord Jesus Christ was nailed to that cross He replaced all those meaningless sacrifices that had been tied to the “horns” of the altar.

We can grab on to our own salvation because those same “horns” are the emblems of power and dominion and glory in the sacrifice of the “Lamb of God”!.

It is when the Lord is in full “glory” when we see Him at His best!

And He then also becomes our “Hightower”!

A Hightower is a place that the enemy just cannot reach!

Therefore our Hightower then becomes our “Refuge”!

Jesus Christ becomes our “Hiding Place”, our “Refuge”, and the place where we can ride out the storms of this life, unseen by the enemy!

We are “saved from the violence coming to this world” after the “Rapture of the Church” during the Tribulation Period!

But we must first “call” on the Lord!

None of these things can take place without “Salvation”!

*****2Sa 22:4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: “so shall I be saved from mine enemies”.

We must have that personal relationship with our God and in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus said:

Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

We could call on Buddha but we would get no help!

We could call on Mohamed and we would certainly get no help!

We could call on any other name under Heaven and there would be no help!

There’s only one name to call and there is only one way to reach Heaven!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

We must cling to this truth because this is His “truth”!

It is only by the Lord Jesus Christ that we can be saved from our enemies and from our sin!

And why should we call of the Lord?

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

*****2Sa 22:5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
2Sa 22:6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
2Sa 22:7 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

Once we become aware we are living in the “waves of death” we can begin to see “the floods of ungodly men” that surround us.

We are foolish not to be afraid!

Death and Hell are two separate things but they have joined forces against God’s people.

In the book of Revelation we read these words:

Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Death may be the end of misery in this world, but Hell should be a reminder that that misery is eternal without the “Real Life” that is in the Lord Jesus Christ!

We will not know “Real Life” until we are glorified with a body like that of the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is in the misery of life on this earth that brings such a distress.

And we have His promise that He will hear our voice and His Temple will become Our Temple!

But He cannot hear us if we have sin in our heart!

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

But there will still be some terrible times to be faced.

*****2Sa 22:8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
2Sa 22:9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
2Sa 22:10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

These things that David has written, go far beyond any poem that describes David’s own personal deliverance.

If we remember the very moment that the Lord Jesus Christ said “it is finished”, we should remember the great earthquake, and midday darkness at the scene of the cross.

But even these things are just a taste of what is coming in great day of judgment, when God will shake the earth and the sea and the dry land, all at the same time.

Hag 2:6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Hag 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

When will these things happen?

Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luk 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luk 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

We would have to be dead in our own graves, or completely blind, to not realize that we are living in these days!

We can see Noah and David are both “types” of the Lord Jesus Christ our Creator!

And all these things describe the sufferings of Christ and the glory that will follow.

These are some of the prophecies that the Apostle Peter wrote about:

1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

As Noah and his family, a total of eight were delivered, and as David was also delivered, so it will be for the Church of the Living God!

*****2Sa 22:11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

The cherub were mighty angelic beings. In fact Cherubim are the highest order of the angelic beings.

Cherubim had extraordinary appearances.

Eze 1:5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
Eze 1:6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
Eze 1:7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
Eze 1:8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
Eze 1:9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
Eze 1:10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Proof:

Satan himself had once been a Cherub.

Eze 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
Eze 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

But when we see pictures of the cherub today we see pictures of babies with wings, or toddlers with wings and bows, not a picture of the Cherub that the Bible describes.

The cherub are always associated with the presence of God in the Bible and there are many babies in Heaven but neither babies nor anyone else that make it to Heaven become angels or cherubim.

Angels are spirit beings “who do not have bodies as we know bodies” and are not subject to death!

Angels are another created being that go back to the first verse in the Book of Genesis.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

God gives us a description of what He created on this Earth but God also created all the things in Heaven at that same time.

Heb 1:14 Are they not all “ministering spirits”, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Angels are ministering “spirits”!

Luk 20:36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Angels cannot die and a glorified Saint of God can die no more when they have received the eternal glorified body like that of Jesus. There will be no “second death” for the child of God!

*****2Sa 22:12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
2Sa 22:13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
2Sa 22:14 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.

There should be little doubt that David knew these things from the 5 Books of Moses.

Exo 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Exo 19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
Exo 19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

When God speaks in the end, the entire world will understand Who is speaking!

*****2Sa 22:15 And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
2Sa 22:16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

There should also be no doubt that many these things happened in the time of Noah to include what Moses had also seen at the Red Sea.

But only in modern sea exploration have we learned about the “Channels of the Sea”!

In fact we may know more about outer space than we do about the depths of our own oceans!

We can see that God was expecting scientist to see His creation using modern scientific methods and be amazed at such creations but foolishly most of them reject Our Creator!

What are the “foundations of our world”?

The foundations of our world are the everlasting love, the everlasting wisdom, the everlasting power of God, in which all the Persons of the Godhead are in God’s great design blended together and concurring with each other in unity and seen through the person of Lord Jesus Christ!

There is no foundation beyond these things!

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, “and by him all things consist”.

It is this same Creator who is also Our Great “Deliverer”!

*****2Sa 22:17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
2Sa 22:18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
2Sa 22:19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
2Sa 22:20 He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

The Lord “prevents” because “He goes before us” and there is nothing evil that can get up, over, or around Our Almighty God!

24 times in the Gospels, Jesus says “follow me”.

That large place is His purpose for each of us and in the end “His Own Place”!

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

And the Lord will then reward us according to how we have fulfilled His purpose for us.

*****2Sa 22:21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
2Sa 22:22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
2Sa 22:23 For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
2Sa 22:24 I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
2Sa 22:25 Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.

Remember we have no righteousness in our selves! Our righteousness is as filthy rags!

We also have no cleanness in our selves, “we must be washed” in the blood of Jesus!

Job said:

Job 9:20 If I justify myself, “mine own mouth shall condemn me”: if I say, I am perfect, “it shall also prove me perverse”.
Job 9:21 Though I were perfect, “yet would I not know my soul”: “I would despise my life”.
Job 9:22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

We must keep the Word of the Lord.
We must not depart from, nor forsake our God.
We must put on the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

It is only then that we can reap “the rewards” of salvation!

David had this same feeling when he had been delivered from all his enemies!

Jesus Christ is our Light in this dark world!

*****2Sa 22:26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
2Sa 22:27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
2Sa 22:28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. 2Sa 22:29 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

The Lord is faithful to those that trust Him.

In fact, the Lord is faithful to all His Written Word!

2Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

But the Lord is unsavory to those who have twisted morals and reject Him.

Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

And what is the greatest thing we realize as the children of God?

*****2Sa 22:30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
2Sa 22:31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

For Jesus Christ is my God!

Joh 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

When you find the Lord Jesus Christ you have found God!

*****2Sa 22:32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?
2Sa 22:33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
2Sa 22:34 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
2Sa 22:35 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
2Sa 22:36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.

If we can remember the covenants God has already made with His people, we should begin to realize that God is always doing great things for His people!

There is nothing else in all God’s creation that is like Our Lord, He is the Rock by which we exist!

Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

When we know the Lord our Savior we can never fail!

*****2Sa 22:37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.

It is a fact that true life in Heaven will be a glorious thing but even in this life there is joy in salvation!

Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

There is great joy in salvation!

And God is always busy behind the scenes, doing great things for His people!

We can have many blessings while we yet live in this flesh, and more gifts by His hands, but there will only be One Jesus Christ who paid our sin debt.

But when we know Our Savior, we will also know The Lord Jesus will return in judgment!

*****2Sa 22:38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
2Sa 22:39 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
2Sa 22:40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
2Sa 22:41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
2Sa 22:42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
2Sa 22:43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
2Sa 22:44 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.
2Sa 22:45 Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
2Sa 22:46 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.

There is no doubt that David was looking back and had recalled how the Lord had helped him during his difficult times.

But these words cannot apply to just to David or any other man.

God has always rewarded those that follow in His ways and has always punished the evil in this world!

These words also speak of the Second Coming of the Messiah.

Yes, The Lord will return because we serve a Living Saviour!

*****2Sa 22:47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
2Sa 22:48 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,
2Sa 22:49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up
against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
2Sa 22:50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
2Sa 22:51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for
evermore.

Our God is alive!

He is active in our lives the moment we call on Him to save us!

God has given us the ability to choose and the choices we make have a great affect our lives as we live and certainly on the life we will have after the death of this flesh.

Along with “choice” God has also given us the ability to “trust”!

It is necessary to “trust” to exist as a society.

But is is Our God who must be the object of that “trust”!

Psa 65:5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:

Until Holy Spirit conviction came to us to convict us, we were not seeking God, we did not desire God, and we went about our days not thinking about God!

But while we were yet ungodly, God sent His Son to save us, “because He is merciful”!

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

It is that “trust” that comes with salvation where we can begin to please Our God!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The major theme of David’s song is “the Lord’s protection and His deliverance”.

The Lord is our protector and our deliverer!

Verse 51 closes with “He is the tower of salvation”.

The Anointed One is the “Messiah”, the promised seed of David!

But also like David, God is active in our lives both on happy occasions and more so those times when we are sad, if we only ask Him.

God has a specific purpose for each of us!

Just as we should rejoice knowing the Lord as Our Savior, God rejoices more, to be a part of our lives.

The gentle hand of God is molding and making us every moment we live in His Name.

Because just like Jesus, we that know God, are his sons!

Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Abba still means a father of tenderness.

That is Our Savior!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

David’s Return

April 20, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

David’s Return

2 Samuel 19-21

When we ended the last lesson, the rebellion of Absalom had been put down and Absalom had been killed by Joab.

We should ask our selves, “What are the qualities of a good national leader”?

1) A good leader must be able to communicate!

A leader should be able to speak well, but this means “more about personal strengths and character” than of being a great speaker.

2) A good leader must possess courage, patience, and tenacity, which is the ability to keep things together.

He should be able to stand up and “stand alone if need be” and not succumb to pressure that goes against his character and the truth.

3) A good leader must be able to change course. This world changes, as do the things around us, a good leader will see these things and choose the path that is the safest and wisest to meet his goals.

4) A good leader will possess humility and presence. He will not place himself above his own people and certainly not above God.

5) A good leader will be responsible. He will be the first to accept the blame when things do not go according to his plans.

6) A good leader will analyze his own strengths and weakness and surround himself with people to help with these things.

7) A good leader will use the Word of God as his guide.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

And with all these things, a good leader must “Be Real”!

Each of us should analyze our own selves to see if we possess any to these things.

We should also analyze our own national leaders to see if they do.

But today let’s see how King David uses these traits.

We must realize that God’s people will suffer many afflictions, but God will deliver those that love Him out of them all!

*****2Sa 19:1 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.

The army of Absalom had been unable to stand against the elite army of King David.

King David was a great tactician and he chose the right place to war with Absalom. The army of Absalom had moved quickly which shows us that they were on horses and on chariots.

King David chose a place where his mighty men had the advantage as warriors in hand to hand combat.

King David had 3 generals who had much experience and they had a real purpose to defend the true King of Israel but they could fight on 3 fronts.

20,000 Israelites did die in this battle this day and the rebellion was put down but King David could only think of one thing.

David had lost another son.

There is nothing wrong with a father grieving for the loss of a son. We all expect to go to the grave before any of our children do.

BUT, there is much wrong in any national leader, who do not to have his priorities in order!

Absalom was seeking to kill his own father and maybe the rest of his family.

Many loyal men had given their lives in order to stop this from happening.

And Joab was told of King David’s mourning the death of his son.

*****2Sa 19:2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.

As a father David would have given in to his son.

But as King, he had to defend Israel from all her enemies and that included rebellions from within even from within his own family.

Even those that had brought victory to this king, joined in mourning for the death of Absalom, feeling ashamed of what had happened.

The joy of victory in Israel had been robbed by King David’s actions!

It was not like David to be so insensitive to the sacrifices of his men, but on this day he turn a military victory into an emotional defeat and it showed on all his men and they, as in shame returned to Jerusalem, while a confused nation was observing what was happening.

*****2Sa 19:3 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

Absalom was not only a murderer but he was also a liar, a traitor and a rebel. As a father it may have been alright to grieve for his son and maybe even over look his son’s mistakes, but as a ruler of God’s people it was time to lead this nation back to unity!

David the father ignored the fact that he was David the King, the chosen one of God!

The victorious army of David came back to Jerusalem as a defeated army and “themselves the traitors” when it was they who had saved the nation.

King David had allowed his own personal failures again to interfere with good judgment!

And David himself came back to Jerusalem as a defeated man.

*****2Sa 19:4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

What is our lesson in these things?

When God disciplines his saints it can be very painful!

God had been forgiven David and his life had been spared.

David’s remaining family had also been spared but David still had to live in the reality of his own sin!

Sin will take you farther than you want to go.
Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay.
Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.
There is no victory in Sin!

King David was finding the Word of God to be very true!

Jas 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

King David needed a jolt back into reality.

*****2Sa 19:5 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;
2Sa 19:6 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.
2Sa 19:7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.

At the very time when Israel needed a true leader to unify the nation, King David was still useless to his nation because of his own guilt.

David knew he was to blame for all these things and he had now lost two sons!

We will pay a terrible price for sin!

David was God’s chosen man in his day and God expects better from those with that special calling!

Many others in Israel had lost their own sons in this war within David’s family and they were understandably disappointed in their king!

It was right for Joab to remind the King of these things!

It was wrong for Joab to be so harsh in the way he did it but his method was effective.

What is our lesson here?

2Co 2:6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
2Co 2:7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, “lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow”.

When our sin causes us to grow cold and unconcerned, it is the Word of God that must be used to restore us!

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

A two-edged sword has no blunt side it cuts both ways. God’s Word will “cut the conscience” and “wound the heart” but only then can true healing come about!

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

There is another thing to consider. Even in this thing David was a type of Christ!

David wished that he might have died for his son who was ungodly but “this is exactly what the Lord Jesus did for each one of us”!

Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time “Christ died for the ungodly”.

Not one of us was worthy of the death of Jesus Christ!

Yet without the blood of that death we would still be in our sin!

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, “and washed us from our sins in his own blood”,

After this King David returned to his people to begin the healing process of God’s people.

*****2Sa 19:8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

These were people who had remained loyal to their king. These were not all military people.

Some of these were the fathers and mothers and the families, the everyday innocent people, who get caught up in the tragedies of politics and war.

These people had fled their homes out of fear and had lived in tents during the time of this civil war in their own nation.

It was at the gate of the city where justice was administered by the king and David had returned to his rightful place, though at this time David was still in Mahanaim his temporary capitol.

The remaining tribes had lost faith in their king.

*****2Sa 19:9 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.

These people began to remember the good times.

It was King David who had gain victory over all the enemies of Israel.

It was King David who had who had delivered Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.

And it was many of these same people who had come under the spell that crooked politician, Absalom.

The tribes of Israel had again divided, with 1o tribes (Israel) and the other two (Judah).

Absalom had died in the battle at the hands of Joab.

Absalom had not been appointed of God and therefore there should have been no true allegiance to him.

But no one had spoken of restoring King David to his throne.

King David had to reunite this nation as only he could do!

It was Judah who was David’s own tribe and it was Judah that had accepted Absalom. Therefore it was Judah where King David would begin to heal his nation.

David sent the High Priests, Zadok and Abiathar, to be his ambassadors to Judah.

Amasa had been the general of Absalom’s army but Amasa was also the son of David’s sister, Abigail.

It is probable that David now knew that it was Joab who had murdered Absalom, directly ignoring the orders of his Commander-in-Chief.

So, David offers Amasa the top position in his own army and replaces Joab.

This was probably a shock to Judah, but in this action it showed that David would pardon all those that had followed after Absalom.

David had also reached a point where he finally understood that Israel needed a true leader more than they needed a Warrior King. It was no longer a time when Kings should go to war!

David needed a general that would be obedient to his commander and Joab had proved that he would not always be obedient.

With these things Judah asked their king to return to Jerusalem and his throne.

*****2Sa 19:14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.
2Sa 19:15 So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan.

While all the other tribes were still debating what to do, the tribe of Judah went to receive their king.

Gilgal was another place that had a great history to Israel.

It was at Gilgal that Joshua had made his first camp when Israel had first claimed the land that God had given to them.

And it was at Gilgal is the place that Samuel had chosen to renew the kingdom.

1Sa 11:14 Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

This was a time of re-dedication of the king to all of Israel!

God gave King David many opportunities to show his re-dedication as he returned to Jerusalem.

Shemei, the cursing man, ask for and was granted forgiveness and Shemei represented the house of Joseph.

Ziba returned to honor the king. Ziba represents the house of Benjamin.

Mephibosheth who had made a personal vow, not to shave, nor to change his clothes until the king returned, came to receive the king.

The king not knowing the truth of Mephibosheth and Ziba forgave then both and divided the lands of King Saul between them!

King David still remained true to his covenant with Jonathan!

And then their was a close friend.

*****2Sa 19:34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
2Sa 19:35 I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

King David felt deeply indebted to this man who had supported him throughout this entire ordeal.

In a real sense, Barzillai was someone who David could never repay for what he had done!

Barzillai was also someone who David felt an eternal obligation!

Barzillai’s family would always find a ready acceptance in Israel’s royal court!

And David gave these words to his son Solomon:

1Ki 2:7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

Let’s listen to what the Lord Jesus says to His disciples:

Luk 22:28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
Luk 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
Luk 22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And what else did Jesus say?

Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

No matter what the rest of the world is doing, and no matter what the cost, we need to be like Barzillai and stick close by Our King, King Jesus!

*****2Sa 19:36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
2Sa 19:37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.

Barzillai wanted to be shown “no favor” from the King!

Barzillai’s joy “came from serving” and seeing that his king had remained safe!

Barzillai should remind us of every servant of the Lord “who has served all his days and has now grown old gracefully to live out his remaining days”.

Barzillai “had no interest in the things of the world” nor “the life of royalty”.

Barzillai had the servant’s heart!

Barzillai knew he would have no pleasure in a royal court of the King but would enjoy his last days doing the things he most enjoyed.

When death came Barzillai wanted to be by his closest friends and buried near those that had gone on before him!

At 80 years old Barzillai had seen all the days of King Saul and all the days of King David but Barzillai had chosen David.

By life’s end we will have seen many kings and rulers but the wise will have chosen King Jesus, and remained faithful to Him!

It was Chimham who had stood by his own father and as this son, it would be he who would receive his father’s reward here on this Earth!

*****2Sa 19:38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.

Several hundred years later Jeremiah wrote of Chimham.

Jer 41:17 And they departed, and dwelt in “the habitation of Chimham”, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,

King David was born in Bethlehem and it seems that Chimham was placed as the overseer of David’s personal family inheritance in Bethlehem.

This later “habitation” was probably an inn according to the Hebrew word used.

There many today that suppose that it was in the stable of this inn where the Lord Jesus was born but the Bible does not say nor does it deny this thing.

Luk 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

But David’s return as King did not make everyone happy!

There is always the trouble maker!

*****2Sa 19:41 And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David’s men with him, over Jordan?
2Sa 19:42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king’s cost? or hath he given us any gift?
2Sa 19:43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
2Sa 20:1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

There may have been some peace in David’s family for a time but the sword was still hanging over David’s head!

King David knew that he needed the tribe of Judah in order to remain King of Israel but because Judah came alone to welcome David back into Israel it brought on extreme jealousy and David’s troubles were not yet over.

The invitation for the return of the King had first come from those ten tribes but Judah had taken the lead as usual and again this caused a rivalry between the tribes.

What does God say?

Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

God also has this message for us all:

Jas 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Jas 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Jas 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Jas 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

In all these things, we never read that anyone had taken the time to reach out to the Lord and when this happens Satan will always take advantage of the situation!

Sheba was a worthless man who had no interest in peace and wicked men think they are safe when they can conceal their unworthiness from the eyes of the world.

To Sheba, David had never been a king and certainly did not deserve royalty. To Sheba, David was just the son of Jesse a very poor man.

It sometimes seems that every bad man will get an opportunity to stir up strife!

That is because there are always ears open to criticism and this plays into Satan’s hand!

Satan will find a way to get his message heard so the ten tribes of Israel departed to their own homes.

King David proceeded to Jerusalem to set things straight.

David had chosen Amasa, who was soundly defeated by David’s army to stop this rebellion of Sheba but Amasa showed his incompetence by not being able to assemble an army in the time allowed by his Commander-in-Chief.

And David sent Abishai with Joab’s men to capture and to stop Sheba before a new revolt could take place and Israel back in civil war.

Amasa was not able to raise an army, so he tried to join with Abishai but when Joab saw him, he killed him for wearing his own uniform.

Amasa had lost his own sword and was defenseless and Joab murders another human being for no real reason.

When someone is pierced between the fifth rib, “it is a death blow”, because it penetrates the lungs and on into the heart and the victim will drown in his own blood. It is a painful, and a struggling slow death that cannot be reversed by any medical means.

This is the same blow that was delivered to Jesus on the cross but The Lord Jesus had already given up the ghost.

Joh 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

Every soldier is taught the blows that bring this kind of death!

Sheba escaped and had took refuge in the city of Abel.

At this time Abel was a strong city and was referred to as “the mother of Israel”.

It seems that at this time this city was governed by a truly wise woman.

Those that say God does not treat women as equal to men do not know the Word of God!

God does expect a man to take the leadership role in the family and this includes the Church!

*****2Sa 20:16 Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
2Sa 20:17 And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
2Sa 20:18 Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.
2Sa 20:19 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?

The city of Abel was about to be destroyed because this city was harboring the enemy of the King.

Why is is that evil men who know they are wrong always use innocent people as a barrier between them and justice.?

This is the favorite tactic of Muslim extremist, yet the Muslim world will not put a stop to it.

It is within the power of the Muslim world to end this terror in the world we live in, but they are not as wise as this woman of Abel.

No city, and no place is safe with the traitors of peace within it’s walls!

And no place is safe that harbors and exalts sin!

God says wisdom comes from the Word of God!

And wisdom comes not only from knowledge but also from perception of right and wrong!

It was not necessary for this city to suffer for the guilt of this one man!

Most all the world is not as wise as this woman!

Take Caiaphas in the day of Jesus Christ, who knew the Word of God and condemned an innocent man knowing his own nation would suffer.

Today, the guilty are cared for and protected while the innocent suffer for them!

We can see that we just do not have our priorities in the right order.

No doubt it is always better to seek peace before the armies are dispatched for destruction!

We should ask ourselves, is it worth the cost in lives and other things, to protect the guilty or should we be more willing protect the innocent?

Joab would not have stopped until he had destroyed this city to rid Israel of this traitor Sheba.

20,000 Israelites had already died, there was no need for more death and Joab answered.

*****2Sa 20:20 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
2Sa 20:21 The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

This wise woman simply told Joab, that the people of the city had not been given the opportunity to decide amongst themselves if they would fight for the life of Sheba and she wanted that opportunity.

A great lesson for the lost can be realized here.

Every person is a city within themselves. Satan is the “traitor”, the enemy of God. If we love the “traitor” above our own soul we will certainly perish with the “traitor”!

And if we will willingly part from our sin, God will withdraw His “judgments”!

The Lord Jesus has these words:

Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

It is always best to take off the head of Sheba, than for our city to be destroyed!

Wicked men always think they are safe when they think they can hide their own evil from the eyes of the world but God is never fooled by such men!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

David’s Grief

April 13, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

David’s Grief

2 Samuel Chapter 15-18

God told King David that the sword would never depart from the house of David.

Today we will see that the division in the family of David would spread to divide the entire nation of Israel.

How can we best describe Absalom?

Let’s let God describe Absalom for us.

Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Absalom had been allowed back into Israel after 2 years by his father but it took 3 more years for King David to allow Absalom to be in his presence and to have some official duties.

There was still no forgiveness and also no punishment for the death of Amnon.

So Absalom set out to destroy his own father.

*****2Sa 15:1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

King David’s government had become lax. King David was still the final authority of Israel but his own sin had made him an unworthy judge and he was still ignoring the commandments of God in judging his own family.

King David was losing the respect of the people of Israel.

Many of these things sound so familiar with what we see in America today.

Absalom used this weakness of his father to undermine the throne and seek the heart of the people.

Absalom was determined to be the next King of Israel no matter the cost!

While the King was rarely seen in public, Absalom made a great public showing of his royalty everywhere he went showing that he would soon be king.

Absalom had no more love for his father and he cared not for the things of God.

Absalom was a spoiled rich kid who had now rebelled against his own father.

Absalom had become these very things that God hates the most!

*****2Sa 15:2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

Absalom became as a politician running for office!

Absalom is the first recorded politician in the Bible.

Absalom would say things that he knew would tickle the ears of those who heard him.

Public business was transacted early in the morning. It would be normal for the King or at least his representative to be at the gate of the city early in the morning to hear any petition that required an answer from the king.

King David had been lax in this duty and many things were left undecided.

Absalom would point out to all who listened, that they could see that there was no one available from the king but that could be different if he were king of Israel.

There would be no vote to see who would be the next king, but Absalom sought public opinion even if he had to lie.

*****2Sa 15:3 And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.
2Sa 15:4 Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!

Absalom pointed out that his father was a failure as King of Israel, thinking only of his own self and not justice for the people.

At that time some of these things were true but it is unrealistic to believe that the king could take the time to hear every problem and we already know that King David could still discern between good and evil.

But where King David was a hero, “Absalom was a celebrity” and even today people are swayed by the things that celebrities say even though they have no real knowledge of the truth!

Samuel had warned Israel of the men like Absalom that would come.

1Sa 8:10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
1Sa 8:11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

Absalom would say but “if I were king, things would be different”.

How many of us have heard all these things?

This is the favorite tactic of the politician even in our day?

*****2Sa 15:5 And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.
2Sa 15:6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

The kiss.

Absalom greeted everyone like they were old friends.

Absalom would find out where they came from and showed concern for their problems.

Absalom would agree with them on their complaints.

Absalom would tell them that surely things should be settled in their favor.

This was gross flattery of the most despicable kind!

Why had all these things happened?

Because King David had placed himself above the Word of God!

What do we see in the world today?

The entire world is rejecting the Word of God!

Who will be the “next one” to come on the scene according to the Word of God?

The Bible says.

Dan 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

How can we best describe Absalom as he appeared to Israel?

Psa 55:21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

Absalom was in this sense a “type” of the Anti-Christ!

We can place Absalom in many “types” in the Bible “but we should not think of him as an abused son for he was not”!

The Bible says.

Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Absalom did not greet Israel with a holy kiss.

And we need to beware of the politician who greet everyone with a kiss!

Absalom “stole” the hearts of many in Israel.

And again Absalom deceives his father.

*****2Sa 15:7 And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron.

Hebron was a city that was the home of much of the history of Israel. Once called Mamre, Hebron had been the home of Abraham and Isaac.

Joshua had reclaimed Hebron from the giants and Hebron became the center of the tribe of Judah.

In many cases the other tribes of Israel had followed Judah throughout Israel’s history from the time of Moses.

David had first reigned as king in Hebron.

Absalom needed Hebron and Judah on his side if he were to be king!

It had taken only 4 years for the flatteries of Absalom to divide Israel into two warring sides.

And Absalom set his plan in place.

*****2Sa 15:12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

Athithophel was King David’s counsellor because he could quickly discern a good idea from a bad idea and he could separate truth from falsehood but as we will see his loyalties were questionable.

In truth Ahithophel can be considered a “type” of Judas who would sell his services for money.

Only then did King David hear of this conspiracy.

*****2Sa 15:13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
2Sa 15:14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

King David was a man of great personal bravery so why did he flee from Jerusalem?

1) David knew it was because of his own sin that these things were happening.

God had told him that “He would raise up evil out of his own house”.

God’s Word was being fulfilled right before David’s eyes.

2) David had beautified the city of Jerusalem, which he loved very much and he would not see war destroy these things.
King David was not about to bring war to the streets of Jerusalem.

3) David could not bear to shed the blood of the people of Israel. David had grown to love these people!

4) David loved Absalom and David would concede the throne to Absalom before he would be a cause of his death.

We should notice one thing in particular!

Bad leaders, full of immorality, and seeking their own personal agenda, make their governments contemplable to the people!

We need to elect just and pure and godly men into the offices of power, no other traits are as important as these!

Israel was divided by all these things that were happening.

And we know that America is as divided today, almost as much as when we had our own Civil War.

What is important?

It was God who had made David, King of Israel!

And God does as God does!

God had not caused all these things to happen!

These things happened because we live in a sin filled world influenced by Satan.

God just did not stop these things from happening, which He could have but God expects us to come to Him with our problems!

It was David’s sin that had caused these things just as it was Adam’s sin that had caused the curse on this world we live in!

Fleeing from Jerusalem seemed to be the most logical thing to do to allow King David to better prepare for what had happened so quickly.

We are not promised tomorrow!

In order for things to go well with us, then we need that true relationship with God on a daily basis.

When Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray, He teaches us 4 very special things.

1) We must place God’s interest before our own personal needs!

2) We must keep our personal needs in the right proportion to our spiritual needs! (Which ever we feed the most)

3) Our relationship with God requires our prayers at least daily!

4) We must trust God for our present needs, not worrying about tomorrow!

We do not read where King David took time to pray on this day.

David fled for his life because he knew he would not fight Absalom.

*****2Sa 15:15 And the king’s servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.
2Sa 15:16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.
2Sa 15:17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.
2Sa 15:18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

King David had all his personal body guard who would not leave him and 600 Philistines.

These men would give their lives to protect King David but they were also willing to be obedient to him without question.

David took his entire household except for 10 concubines.

In these times a concubine was considered a lower class of wife and not just some plaything!

But the children from the concubine could not claim any part of the inheritance of their father.

The Church is the “Bride of Christ” but the Church is not the “Concubine of Christ”!

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

What does God say about the marriage?

Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and “they shall be one flesh”.

The Church is “one with Christ” and not some plaything nor a concubine!

These 10 women were to keep the palace household goods and furniture in order.

This not the job of the Church.

The Church is to make disciples and keep salvation the main thing!

*****2Sa 15:19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.

Ittai was Philistine who had with him 600 men.

He had no side in this battle and had dedicated himself and his men to the King of Israel.

But, Ittai regarded King David as his master and himself as David’s slave.

In “type” Ittai is the “Gentile” who is a slave to Our Master, The Lord Jesus Christ, and we will soon see that he has equal rank among Joab and Abishai the Generals of David’s armies.

We are all one in Christ Jesus!

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

God teaches us that when we show ourselves friendly we can have friends who are closer than a brother.

Ittai was such a friend to King David.

Ittai was exiled from the Philistines and could not go back home.

If Ittai stayed with King David and David failed, he would no longer be welcomed in Israel under Absalom.

Ittai had a lot to lose but he stayed with God’s chosen.

And Ittai said.

*****2Sa 15:21 And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.

Jesus Christ gave us these words:

Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

At this time in his life Ittai was the type of friend that King David needed.

This the type of person that Jesus wants us all to be today!

Our job is to serve those that God chooses for His own purpose!

There are just too many today that try to make Our Lord Jesus Christ a stepping stone to help them get to Heaven.

To them Our Lord is only a convenience to serve their own purpose.

This not what the Lord wants!

The citizens of Heaven will be people who have accepted the Lord Jesus not only as Master, but also as the Only King, and the Creator of this world and of Heaven.

It is the Church who is a stranger and an exile in this world and it is Jesus Christ that we must follow!

If Jesus could fail, then the Church would fail!

We must follow Jesus even if it means our own death!

*****2Sa 15:23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
2Sa 15:24 And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.
2Sa 15:25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation:
2Sa 15:26 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.
2Sa 15:27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
2Sa 15:28 See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.
2Sa 15:29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

At this time Zadok and Abiather shared the priestly duties and they thought it would be best if the they and the Ark of God went with King David.

David knew that the Ark belonged to the people of God and not just to the ruler of Israel.

The things of God cannot be treated like some good luck charm!

It is God Himself who will defend His Own things!

King David realized that in the time of Eli, the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel, and one of the reasons was that the Ark of God had been taken to the battlefield as some idol or as some good luck charm.

King David knew that the Covenant of God could not be broken no matter who sat on the throne in Israel.

King David also knew, that if he was to return to the throne in Jerusalem it would be by the hand of God.

What is Faith?

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

So, David continues his escape.

*****2Sa 15:30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
2Sa 15:31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
2Sa 15:32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:

King David traveled by the way of the Mount of Olives.

King David wept as he ascended up the Mount of Olives and 1000 years later, Jesus Christ wept as He descended from the Mount of Olives.

Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

Jerusalem was in a turmoil the day King David left and was still in a turmoil the day the Lord had come and Jerusalem will remain in a turmoil until The Lord Jesus, The Son of David returns to sit again on the throne in Jerusalem!

The Bible still says.

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Ahithophel was the father of Bathsheba and he had not liked any of the things that had happened to his daughter nor to Uriah.

Remember Ahithophel was quick to discern such things as these, which had made him a wise counselor.

Ahithophel had deserted his king but King David went to the Mighty Counselor who had promised to always be with him.

As King David finally worshipped the Lord, he prayed that God would change the council of Ahithophel into foolishness.

So immediately God answered David’s prayer and God sent King David’s friend Hushai.

Hushai went back to Jerusalem to counteract the influence of Ahithophel.

If Absalom had listened to Ahithophel, he may have destroyed his father but by listening to Hushai, King David had time to gather his army and Absalom’s conspiracy was ended.

As King David had gone on a little farther there came Ziba to take advantage of David.

*****2Sa 15:37 So Hushai David’s friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
2Sa 16:1 And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
2Sa 16:2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
2Sa 16:3 And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.
2Sa 16:4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

Without much explanation it seems that Ziba had taken this opportunity to make himself more loyal then Mephibosheth.

What Ziba was saying was that Mephibosheth had remained in Jerusalem in the hope that there would be enough supporters to make him king instead of Absalom. He was as the only remaining descendant of King Saul.

We can see that there was friction between Mephibosheth and Ziba and Ziba was trying to take advantage of this situation.

But David continued and someone else showed up but not with good tidings.

*****2Sa 16:5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.
2Sa 16:6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
2Sa 16:7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
2Sa 16:8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.

Shimei was a direct descendant of Benjamin through his father Gera and he took this opportunity to blaspheme and curse King David as he cast stones at him.

It seems he had a real hatred for King David but at this time he was nothing more than a nuisance and David allowed him his folly.

Bahurim was a town, very near the Jordan River and David stopped to refresh himself and those with him.

As David took some time to refresh himself near Bahurim, Absalom and his army enter into Jerusalem.

*****2Sa 16:14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.
2Sa 16:15 And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

Absalom came into Jerusalem without seeing a trace of his enemy, his own father, but also not realizing that even on his departure his father had outwitted him and had set up a spy network to keep him informed of Absalom’s intentions.

We are always to submit to God’s Will!

But we are not to live as hermits!

We are to stay informed of our surroundings and pray for God’s intervention!

In the case of King David we can see that God answers part of his prayer immediately.

But before this takes place God’s Word will always hold true!

What had God said?

2Sa 12:11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
2Sa 12:12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

God’s Word cannot fail!

*****2Sa 16:20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
2Sa 16:21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
2Sa 16:22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
2Sa 16:23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

We can see that the Lord had known the heart of Ahithophel all along and knew just how wicked he truly was!

When Absalom violates his father’s concubines it shows all of Jerusalem that he has despised his father’s throne.

This was not an endorsement from God for Absalom to do evil!

This is just what evil things will happen when God lifts that hedge of protection.

What will happen immediately after the Church is raptured out of this world?

2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

When the Holy Ghost filled Church is raptured out of this world there will be no force on this earth to hold back the evil.

It is God’s people who are holding back much of the evil in this world.

It is the Church that supports the moral laws and is to hate all lawlessness.

The Holy Spirit will operate much like He did in the Old Testament and evil will run rampant throughout this world.

And verse 23 states that the opinions of Ahithophel were accepted as if he were a prophet of God, which he was not!

But this evil councilor had a plan that could have destroyed King David if God had allowed it to take place.

*****2Sa 17:1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:
2Sa 17:2 And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:
2Sa 17:3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.
2Sa 17:4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
2Sa 17:5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.

Hushai was David’s friend and it was Hushai who counteracted the influence of Ahithophel.

God will put the right people in place to see that His will is done!

King David’s army would have been over whelmed by such a large force at this time.

David needed time to gather his army and this time was obtained by the advice of Hushai to Absalom.

*****2Sa 17:7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.
2Sa 17:8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
2Sa 17:9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.

Hushai told Absalom that there was very little chance that he would even find King David and could not kill him and if there was a slaughter of the people that were with David they would stand as martyrs and turn the nation against him.

This made sense to Absalom and to all those back stabbing elders of Israel.

Absalom followed Hushai’s advice.

And, Ahithophel went to his own home and hanged himself.

Hushai sent word to King David to cross the River Jordan.

David went to Mahanaim. This is the same city that Ishbosheth, King Saul’s son had made his capitol but they were now King David’s friends.

It is here that King David gathered his army to put down Absalom and retake Jerusalem.

A war between the families of Israel began.

It would not last very long but the cost of lives would be great.

And King David pleaded with his generals to save the life of Absalom.

*****2Sa 18:5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
2Sa 18:6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
2Sa 18:7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
2Sa 18:8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

King David had no doubt that his army would be victorious as told his generals to save the life of Absalom.

King David was a warrior king and he had chosen this place very well but sadly 20,000 men would have to die.

When we choose the wrong side it can sometimes be the cause of our death!

It is in this place chosen by King David where this war would be settled quickly.

This fight would be to the death because it was more hazardous to run away than it was to fight.

This was the right place to end this civil war and “in type” a battle somewhat like the coming battles of Armageddon.

But Joab was not about to allow Absalom to live if he got the opportunity to kill him.

Remember Absalom had burnt the fields of Joab and Joab was not one who would forget and it did not matter who they were.

*****2Sa 18:14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them
through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
2Sa 18:15 And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
2Sa 18:16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
There were many real reasons for Absalom to die for the things he had done!

But there was no reason for Joab not to honor the commands of his Commander in Chief and his King.

Joab had his own personal agenda and took his own personal vengeance.

But this thing was deeply offensive to King David!

What lesson can we learn?

It never pays to take counsel against the Lord’s anointed!

Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

God has a saying that holds true for may men like Absalom.

Pro 6:14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
Pro 6:15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; “suddenly shall he be broken without remedy”.

Frowardness means Absalom rejoiced to do evil.

Absalom devised ways to go against his father the King.

Absalom did not even consider what he did to be evil, but it was.

Absalom sowed discord in his nation of Israel and it cost the lives of 20,000 men. A great loss to his nation.

And just as God’s Word says Absalom’s calamity came suddenly and he was broken and died “because there was no remedy that could cure him”.

And King David mourned for his son.

*****2Sa 18:32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my
lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
2Sa 18:33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

King David gave no thought to the 20,000 Israelites who had died.

King David gave no thought to the guilt of his son in doing all these things.

King David gave no thought to a great victory over evil.

King David could only think of his son, who was dead.

What is our lesson here?

Eze 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

God is a God of love and delights only in happiness but God is also a “Righteous Judge” who must no doubt punish sin and punish it severely!

God does not punish anyone just to inflict pain and God gets no pleasure in anyone that dies the death of the lost, the “second death”!

We all have a appointment with death but that “second death” is a choice we make ourselves!

This is the very reason the Lord has so much patience.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”.

There is no reason for anyone to die without knowing the Lord Jesus Christ!

BUT, all those that die the death of Absalom will also die the second death!

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the “second death”.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Is your name written down in the Book of Life?

Thank You Lord Jesus for being so patient.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

David’s Family

April 6, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

David’s Family

2 Samuel 13; 14

Last week we began to see the results of what happens when we go against the Word of God. King David had committed grievous sin and for a long time refused to repent and even tried to hide his sin from the world.

God is not pleased when we do not repent immediately after committing any sin.

A sin is anything we do that goes against the Word of God.

In fact, sin is also anything we go ahead and do that our conscience tells us we should not do!

Already David had to witnessed the death of a son, but when God removes that “hedge of protection” from around his children, things just do not go very well in this world we live in.

If we are truly saved we cannot loose our salvation!

David did still get to see that child when he got to Heaven, and we will also get to see our own loved ones, who have gone on before us, but life in this world will still loose some it’s joy because of our sin, and the longer we go unrepentant the more sorrow we will have!

War was over with Ammon, but warfare within the life of David and his family was just beginning!

When that evil thing called “temptation” raises it’s ugly head, we need to immediately flee to some other place, at least in our minds.

Sin never has a happy ending!

If we “could count the cost” of that sin before hand, we would find that a few moments of pleasure is never worth the price we will pay in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones!

Righteousness means doing things the right way.

The right way is God’s way and God’s way, is truly the way of life!

*****2Sa 13:1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

It can truly be said that God does not hide anything from us in His Word!

It would have been easy to have left these things out of the Bible that God gave us.

I have said before, the Bible was written for believers.

We would never understand God’s “Mercy” and God’s “Grace” without seeing these truths of the Old Testament!

Absalom was King David’s 3rd born son but Absalom was born of Maacah who was the royal princess and daughter of Talami the King of Geshur.

Absalom was also born in Hebron and Hebron was the main city of Judah and the first capitol of King David.

Judah was the backbone of Israel and had been the leader of the tribes of Israel from the days of Moses.

All these things will have more meaning as we study these scriptures.

We should also keep in mind as long as Satan only knew that the Messiah would come from a descendant of Abraham, he had few options but with the covenant with David, Satan knew the Messiah would at sometime come from this family and he began his ruthless attack on David and his family.

David had been under the protecting hand of God up until this thing with Bathsheba and Uriah’s death, but God had lifted that hedge of protection and Satan began his attack, with his goal to stop the coming Messiah.

What had God told the Serpent (Satan)?

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; “it shall bruise thy head”, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

But Absalom had a beautiful sister, the “fairest” in all the land!

King David’s first born son was Amnon and all things being normal, most of Israel would assume that Amnon would be the next king of Israel but Absalom also had this on his mind because he was born of royalty.

Amnon was a wicked young man!

Another thing we should consider, is that David had many wives and “polygamy” does not allow for a true family relationship!

God has never authorized “polygamy”!

*****2Sa 13:2 And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.

Tamar was a virgin and unmarried daughters of royalty were kept secluded from the company of men unless in the presence of many witnesses.

The few times that Amnon had seen Tamar, Amnon had developed a deep passion for her but he knew he could never have her.

It is said that a man never sees the worst in himself until he sees it in his own son!

King David had not set a very good example for his sons in this thing with Bathsheba and Uriah.

In a real sense, Tamar was Amnon’s sister and he should have turned that lust into love and her protection but Satan always has his own little helpers.

Sometimes our so-called friends are truly our greatest enemy!

*****2Sa 13:3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.
2Sa 13:4 And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.
2Sa 13:5 And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.
2Sa 13:6 So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.

Amnon, as the first born son of the king, could have gotten pretty much anything he desired but he turned all that desire toward Tamar and was obsessed with his own sister.

Amnon was repeating this part of his father’s sin and he makes his own father a part of that sin, by using him to send Tamar to him!

King David gives in to his son believing the things he had said.

King David was setting aside his own rules in bad judgement.

*****2Sa 13:8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes “in his sight”, and did bake the cakes.

Does God really hate some of the things we do?

The Bible says:

Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18 “An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations”, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

There are some hearts that are so bad that they are ever inventing some evil thing and Amnon had such a heart.

While Tamar made those cakes, Amnon’s passion raged, “as he was watching the movements of his sister” and was making his evil plan to take her.

*****2Sa 13:9 And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him.
2Sa 13:10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
2Sa 13:11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.

There are many beautiful women in this world. This gives them no reason to brag of that fact, but they must also realize they should always be on guard for their own safety.

There are also many evil Amnon’s in this world and this will always be true!

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

That phrase “Come lie with me” came only after he had thrown his arms around her to stop her from escaping him.

And she responded.

*****2Sa 13:12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; “for no such thing ought to be done in Israel”: do not thou “this folly”.

Tamar at least knew something of God’s commandments. Incest was strictly forbidden in the law of God!

Lev 18:9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

Lev 20:17 And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.

There are men in our world who are just like Amnon and void of understanding such things as this.

That word folly means that Tamar knew this was a crime of wickedness.

Tamar was telling Amnon what was written in the Bible, as she quoted from the Book of Genesis.

Gen 34:7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; “which thing ought not to be done”.

Amnon rejected the Word if God.

*****2Sa 13:13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.
2Sa 13:14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.

Tamar asked for consideration because her reputation would be tarnished and her character ruined all her days and she was very young.

Amnon ignored this plea.

Tamar asked Amnon to consider his own reputation because as the legitimate heir to the thrown of Israel, it was foolish to throw it all away for a few moments of pleasure.

Amnon ignored this truth.

Tamar ask Amnon to stop what he was doing and talk to his earthly father the King, he might even allow this thing.

Amnon ignored all these things and continued by forcibly raping his sister, who was unwilling.

Then Amnon’s passion turned into hatred.

*****2Sa 13:15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.
2Sa 13:16 And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.
2Sa 13:17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.
2Sa 13:18 And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
2Sa 13:19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

After Amnon’s passion was filled, the things that would follow this act of wickedness began to sink in and Amnon’s love turned to hate.

Amnon had really never had love for his sister!

Lust is not love in any form or fashion!

Lust is a sinful longing, “that inward sin” which causes us to fall away from God.

Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Lusts are simply the objects of desire!

Mar 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
Mar 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

What is love?

Love is the unselfish, loyal, and a real concern for the wellbeing of another.

Love is the more excellent way!

1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you “a more excellent way”.

1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; “but the greatest of these is charity”.

Amnon had had no love for Tamar and was no longer filled with passion at the sight of his sister!

What Amnon had done had been in secret but unlike his father with Bathsheba, Amnon hated Tamar so much he openly exposed Tamar, and tried to show that it was she who had been the aggressor and who was at fault.

To keep this thing a secret would have been much better for her!

I’m sure Tamar shuddered when Amnon told his servants to get “this thing” out of my house and “out of my sight”.

But Tamar had an older brother.

*****2Sa 13:20 And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

Absalom knew that his father King David had sent Tamar to the house of Amnon and with this knowledge of his sister, Absalom began to plot his on revenge but not just for this one reason.

Absalom convinced his sister to keep this thing a secret and not tell her father, the king.

It was her father who had sent her to Amnon. so Tamar listened to her brother.

Amnon would not allow this thing to be kept a secret.

*****2Sa 13:21 But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.

Just as this secret thing could not be hidden, we can also be sure that the secret thing of Bathsheba and Uriah was no longer hidden!

What did King David do?

He got mad!

King David got angry at Amnon but did nothing about it and no one else did.

It was King David’s duty as a father to see that this evil doer was punished but he did nothing.

It was King David’s duty as King and judge of Israel to see that this evil doer be punished but he did nothing.

It is doubtful that Amnon’s servant would have testified against him and there had been no eye witnesses to this crime.

This began a war between David’s children.

This was the main reason that virgins and unmarried women were not to be left alone in the presence of men, David’s own rule.

But David had sent his daughter to Amnon and held sole responsibility to punish his son, yet he did nothing.

Here again the judge could not properly judge because of his own sin!

Why, we might ask?

King David had a guilty conscience and the memory of his own sin shut him down!

The Law said:

Deu 22:28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
Deu 22:29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

This what Tamar was trying to explain to Amnon.

But the Law also said this:

Lev 18:9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

Absalom also did not confront his brother Amnon, but plotted his own revenge.

*****2Sa 13:22 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
2Sa 13:23 And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.
2Sa 13:24 And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant.
2Sa 13:25 And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.

A sheep-shearing feast was a grand occasion in Israel.

Absalom probably knew the his father David would not attend but he ask him any way.

If the king accepted this invitation it would expected of Absalom to provided not only for the king but all that would come with him which would be his servants and his personal body guards among many others, so the king refused to go but blessed Absalom for his offer.

Absalom was really trying to hide his true intentions, which he accomplished.

This is the main trait of Satan!

*****2Sa 13:26 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
2Sa 13:27 But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

King David may have had a few suspicions but he did allow Amnon to attend along with all his other sons.

Again using bad judgement!

Now Absalom’s plan went into action but he would not dirty his own hands and used the hands of his loyal servants.

Again we see another thing the child had learned from the parent!

*****2Sa 13:28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
2Sa 13:29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.

At this time the remaining sons of David fled because they feared for their own lives thinking Absalom was assuring himself to be the next king of Israel.

The mules were used because King David had chosen the mule to symbolize royalty in his kingdom.

1Ki 1:33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son “to ride upon mine own mule”, and bring him down to Gihon:

*****2Sa 13:30 And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left.
2Sa 13:31 Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.
2Sa 13:32 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king’s sons; for Amnon only is dead: “for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar”.
2Sa 13:33 Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead: for Amnon only is dead.

King David realized that again he had been used by his own children to do evil things.

Just as Amnon had used his father to get access to Tamar, Absalom had used his father to get access to Amnon.

This act of vengeance could have been stopped had King David taken control of this thing of his daughter from the beginning!

Jonadab knew all along that King David’s other sons had not been the target of Absalom but had hid this thing from the King for these two years.

Remember this was supposedly Amnon’s good friend, but in actuality, he was only someone who was jealous of all of David’s sons and also a very evil young man.

Satan hates all our young people and does everything he can to destroy them!

And Absalom fled to his grandfather.

*****2Sa 13:34 But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.
2Sa 13:35 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king’s sons come: as thy servant said, so it is.
2Sa 13:36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore.
2Sa 13:37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
2Sa 13:38 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

Talmai was Absalom’s grandfather and ruler of a city state named Geshur.

Absalom had ran, fearing now for his own life but he would only be safe in Geshur because David had signed an agreement with this king for safety and it was sealed by the marriage of King David to Maacah this kings daughter.

This was not a good reason to get married but even Solomon would use this same means of peace over and over again.

Absalom stayed with his grandfather for 3 years but King David longed to see his son yet still lacked forgiveness.

*****2Sa 13:39 And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.

We can see that the death of one son, Amnon, had faded by this time and the son that was alive Absalom, was sorely missed.

No doubt King David blamed himself for all these things and he had not yet forgiven himself though God had.

But there was another political enemy of David, who was watching closely these failures of King David.

*****2Sa 14:1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.
2Sa 14:2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
2Sa 14:3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
2Sa 14:4 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
2Sa 14:5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
2Sa 14:6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
2Sa 14:7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
2Sa 14:8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
2Sa 14:9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.
2Sa 14:10 And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
2Sa 14:11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
2Sa 14:12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
2Sa 14:13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
2Sa 14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
2Sa 14:15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
2Sa 14:16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
2Sa 14:17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.
2Sa 14:18 Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.
2Sa 14:19 And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:
2Sa 14:20 To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

King David had listened intently to Nathan as he had told a story and discerned it to be from God.

Joab had hired, what could be called an actor, wise in her words, to tell another story to King David.

Nathan had brought conviction to David and that conviction had led to repentance.

This actor, this imitator, would only lead to the promotion to Joab’s scheme of self-interest.

What was her argument?

1) Those that grant mercy should begin with those of their own home.

2) We all are appointed a day to die, if Absalom were to die before he was reconciled by his father, it would his father who would suffer the most and go to his own grave in grief for his own inaction of forgiveness.

3) David was not being an example of the God, he said he worshipped and trusted in.

The results.

*****2Sa 14:21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
2Sa 14:22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.
2Sa 14:23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
2Sa 14:24 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.

King David brought Absalom back home to his own house but there was no reconciliation nor forgiveness.

Joab was disappointed in his King and Absalom became very irritated and would plot to over throw his own father.

What is the theme we should observe here?

The judge, who is also a great sinner, is unworthy to deal with other offenders!

These are the type of men who sit to judge in most of our judicial systems today and ignore the Word of God.

It is only by the Word of God that men can be judged honestly and justly!

When a guilty offender, is lawyered by an eloquent speaker, and is set free, this is in itself a great sin not only to the public but also to God!

God cautions the Church of such things.

1Co 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, “go to law before the unjust”, and not before the saints?

But to most of Israel, Absalom had succeeded where his father the King had failed.

*****2Sa 14:25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
2Sa 14:26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year’s end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king’s weight.

Not only had Tamar been the fairest of all the women in Israel until marred by Amnon, Absalom was considered the fairest of all the men of Israel.

Absalom had a great physique but he had already proved he had no soul!

Absalom had a high spirit and courtly manners to go along with his good looks but lacked in truth.

Absalom make a great happening out of his haircut only once each year.

The “kings weight” would have been the heaviest of the shekel weights.

This hair would weigh somewhere between 6 and 12 pounds depending on what measurements are used.

My own calculations say near 7 and one half pounds and would have been very heavy on him for sure!

And it had now been 5 years since King David had seen his son.

*****2Sa 14:28 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king’s face.
2Sa 14:29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.
2Sa 14:30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
2Sa 14:31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?
2Sa 14:32 And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.
2Sa 14:33 So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.

Absalom was not afraid to resort to destruction to have his own way but Absalom also thought that Joab was on his side.

Absalom regarded himself innocent of any wrongdoing and we can also see that Absalom is now convinced that his father was weak and unable to properly rule Israel.

King David had not realized the bitterness Absalom had toward him and again he was used by his own son, to push forward his evil agenda.

King David reinstated Absalom, giving the appearance to all of Israel that he would be chosen to be the next king.

King David again overlooks Absalom’s guiltiness, therefore condoning the murder of Amnon, his own son!

In all these things, King David opens the door for Absalom to be the next king and Absalom takes full advantage of all these things and despises his own father.

And this was the beginning of rebellion and civil war in Israel, by David’s own family!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

David’s Repentance

March 30, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / 1 Comment

David’s Repentance

2 Samuel 12; 1 Chronicles 20

When we last left King David, he had committed grievous sin, not only against the Lord, but also against a loyal man he had known for many years and we should not forget also against his own nation Israel.

All our actions will most every time affect the safety and livelihood of those around us.

What had God told Adam?

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof “thou shalt surely die”.

Some will say that Adam did not die but the truth is that such a change took place not only in his physical condition but also in his mind and heart.

Adam truly began to die this day of his sin!

He began to die because he was no longer innocent.
He began to die because his hope of a pure life died.
He began to die because his peace died.

God has said to us:

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

King David would be restored by the “Grace” of God “BUT” King David could not escape the punishment of God.

The Prophet Nathan returned again to King David with another message from Jehovah God.

*****2Sa 12:1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

Thanks to a ruthless, self-serving general in King David’s army and a wife who was silent for many reasons, it appeared that King David would get away with adultery and murder without it being common knowledge but God was not deceived by King David’s actions.

Num 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: “and be sure your sin will find you out”.

After David repented to God of his sin, he wrote these words:

Psa 52:7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

When we trust in the things of this world we will fail!

Nathan began to remind his king a of “The One” who had much greater authority than he had.

It would not be easy for Nathan to stand before this King and confront him with this thing that through murder and deceit had been kept so secretly for nearly 9 months.

It was easy for David to understand a rich man, poor man story, because David had been both poor and had become rich so Nathan continued.

*****2Sa 12:2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
2Sa 12:3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

If we believe another song that David wrote then we must believe that King David had spent this 9 month period under heavy conviction but he still could not bring himself to repentance.

Psa 32:3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
Psa 32:4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

Uriah had only one wife Bathsheba and not many animals are much cuter than a baby lamb!

David on the other hand had many wives and even more concubines who he could have had at any time he chose.

As David listened to Nathan, he was living in this example of this rich man.

And Nathan continued.

*****2Sa 12:4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

Who was this traveler?

1) This traveler was Pride!

David had exalted himself above the Word of God.

When we think we know better than God, we have made our own selves gods!

When we reject the Word of God, we are saying that we know more than God does.

2) This traveler was also Temptation!

Who is the Tempter?

Satan!

Mat 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

When Satan understood that the Messiah would come from the line of David, he did everything he could to stop that from happening.

Satan knows the Word of God!

Listen as Satan quotes scripture but he also takes scripture out of context as much of this world does.

Mat 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Mat 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: “for it is written”, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

In this instance King David was also a “type” of Christ but we will see David’s failure, where the Lord Jesus Christ succeeded and had no sin.

Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

This also would not be the last time that Satan would tempt King David.

1Ch 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

Satan will never quit bringing his temptations but when we yield to his temptations it just makes it easier for him to return with more stuff to hinder our relationship with God!

God says:

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, “to stand”.

God also says:

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Satan can be a frightening thing but the child of God, filled with the Holy Spirit “is his master” and Satan must flee if we resist him!

We resist him by getting closer to the Lord!

Snuggle up to Jesus and Satan has no power at all!

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

King David had failed in his temptation.

King David had been under conviction for almost 9 months.

This story(not a parable) that Nathan was saying made King David very angry.

Anger still came before repentance as David was still hiding his secret sin.

*****2Sa 12:5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
2Sa 12:6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

We should notice that even under conviction for his own sin, King David was more ready to judge another man’s sin and this judgment was much greater than God’s Word.

Exo 22:1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

It was the adulterers who was to die.

Lev 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Fourfold would have been 16 animals.

And David adds, “because he had no pity”, it was King David who had had no pity on his fellow man!

David had forgotten the truth in the Word of God:

Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

King David’s pronouncement of a fourfold restoration would soon came back on his own house.

1) In our lesson today we will see that this child born to Bathsheba will die.
2) Tamar, the virgin daughter of David will be raped by her half-brother Amnon.
3) Absalom would then murder Amnon out of revenge for his sister.
4) Absalom later would be killed by Joab, when he was already captured alive as he rebelled against his father King David.

David had been greatly blessed by God and was a man after God’s own heart, but even the godliest men, especially those placed in a position to influence God’s people, will be chastened because of the willful sin of disobedience.

And Nathan said.

*****2Sa 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
2Sa 12:8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

King David had put much effort into hiding this sin from all of Israel but he had not been able to hide it from God!

King David was now brought face to face with his sin. It was in his hands to confess and repent that sin to restore his fellowship with the Lord.

All sin can be forgiven but one and that is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as our One and Only Savior!

By God’s “Grace” He forgive our sin but we will always suffer the consequences of that sin!

The purpose God had for King David would continue because of God’s covenant with him but David would now struggle his remaining years.

King David could not now reach his full potential in his service for the Lord!

What did Job say?

Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Nathan’s word from God was, “If you have a need come to Me”.

God tells us this:

Jas 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, “because ye ask not”.

If we have a specific need we must go to the Lord “and not ever” go against the Lord!

Wherefore means “Why, for what reason”.

Why had David failed?

*****2Sa 12:9 “Wherefore” hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Amnon.

King David had placed himself above the Word of God!
King David had committed adultery with another man’s wife.
King David had committed murder even if that weapon of murder was not in his own hands.
King David had stolen the life and the future of a national hero but more so he had stolen this life from Jehovah God.

BUT, the thing that was the worst was that King David had despised the Word of God by forsaking the commandments of God!

It did not matter that is was an Ammonite who had actually slain Uriah, God knew King David was the cause of Uriah’s death!

Where ever there is a “wherefore” you will always find a “therefore”!

“Therefore” means for this reason and answers the “wherefore”.

*****2Sa 12:10 Now “therefore” the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

1) There is no sin beyond the mercy of God to the believer!

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”:

2) God has the “Mercy” and “Grace” to forgive our sin but we will still suffer from the results of that sin.

When God chastises it is not vengeance!

God does not take vengeance on those that love Him and repent of their sin!

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

King David had broken the purity of a family relationship, one that God honors the most, “the marriage of one man to one woman”.

All God’s Word is true but this one standard of the family, “the husband/wife relationship”, is very dear to Our God.

God said:

Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

And God still says:

Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

God had told King David that he could not build the Temple because he was a man of war.

For the rest of King David’s life he would war not only with the enemies of Israel but also within his own house!

And the Lord describes some of these things and King David finally repents of his sin.

*****2Sa 12:11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
2Sa 12:12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
2Sa 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

What did we learn from the Book of Job?

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

What will happen to King David?

God will remove that hedge of protection from around King David!

God said He would permit these things to be done because of David’s unrepented sin!

And had David remained “faithful” none of these things would have happened that are mentioned here!

King David had judged his own sin to be four times worse because he had had no pity on Uriah!

David had tried to hide his sin.

All these things that God has mentioned through Nathan the Prophet, would in the open for all of Israel and all the world to see!

David finally repents of his sin, God forgives him, and because of His covenant, this sin will not be the cause of David’s death.

But there are always other things that happen around us when we sin!

And all sin is ultimately against the Lord!

Our testimony is usually first affected.

David had given a great occasion to the enemies of God, to blaspheme Him!

Jesus tells us this:

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

David had allowed his light to grow dim before the enemies of God!

If you call yourself a Christian, there will always be some one observing you to see how you live.

The way we live our Christian lives is our greatest witnessing tool in this world!

This child from this adulterous relationship would also die.

We will soon see that God took this child to Heaven.

It is not punishment for this child to go straight to glory and miss out on life in this sin filled world!

*****2Sa 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
2Sa 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

It is not said that God brought on this sickness, it is only said that this baby was very sick.

This could have been from the stress that Bathsheba had gone through in this sinful relationship!

What do we know for sure?

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

And Nathan went back to his own home and when Solomon was born, we will see that this Nathan would be in charge of his education.

*****2Sa 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

We can pray anywhere but there is just something special about that altar in the House of God!

King David went to the Tabernacle of David and did what was needed!

This is exactly what we all should do for those that are sick!

Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

It was a merciful God that had forgiven King David and David sought for God’s mercy on this child.

In the end this child got a complete healing because of God’s mercy and the Lord did raise him on up to Heaven.

*****2Sa 12:17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
2Sa 12:18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
2Sa 12:19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
2Sa 12:20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

This baby was 7 days old when the Lord took it on to Heaven. David’s servants were afraid to tell their king that the baby had died but some how we just know these things by the actions of others.

To their surprise David rose from his mourning.

Not only that but cleansed himself and went to the Tabernacle of David.

There in that place, King David submitted himself to the Lord. King David had been forgiven of his sin but he still knew his chastisement was still ahead.

The prophets tell us this Tabernacle of David will be raised again in the end times for this same reason. That that those that repent and humble them selves before the Lord can cleanse themselves and present themselves before the Lord.

Act 15:16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
Act 15:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

When King David returned to his palace his servants had not understood these things and David would explain to them the truth of the “Gospel”!

What is the truth of the “Gospel”?

Salvation is real!

Heaven is a real place!

Our real home is in Heaven and we can get there!

*****2Sa 12:21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
2Sa 12:22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
2Sa 12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

To the Hebrews, when death occurred when life was just beginning, it was considered a curse.

King David had realized the truth of the Word of God and this would show in the Psalms he wrote after these all things had come to pass.

God had allowed the death of this child but God did not cause the death of this child!

This son of David, died before he could discern right from wrong and even at this time “was safe in Jesus Christ”!

This child was already together with all others who died in true “faith”!

Rom 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

These all would have been located in what is called Abraham’s Bosom.

Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

All the Saints of the Old Testament and those up to the time of the Lord’s resurrection were located in Abraham’s Bosom because they had Abraham’s “Faith” awaiting the coming Savior.

The Lord Jesus cleared out Abraham’s Bosom when He rose from the dead!

We could think that King David could not know these things but we would have to ignore at least 50 of the Psalms of the Old Testament.

King David knew that one day at his own death, “he could go to that child but that child could not return to him”.

It is in these things that we can have peace while still living, for those that go on before us in Jesus Christ.

2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

David then comforted his new wife with all these things that he knew.

*****2Sa 12:24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
2Sa 12:25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

King David had been told by the Lord, he would have a son who would be a man of peace and his name would be Solomon.

1Ch 22:8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
1Ch 22:9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.

Nathan the prophet would be in charge of Solomon’s education and Nathan called Solomon by a new name, Jedidiah.

Jedidiah means “beloved by Jehovah”! Jedid also means “akin to David”.

During all this time, at least two years, Joab had kept Rabbah the Capitol city of Ammon under siege and the food and water was running out and the city was ready to fall.

*****2Sa 12:26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
2Sa 12:27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
2Sa 12:28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.
2Sa 12:29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

King David knew that Joab would take advantage of every situation now, because of Uriah, but King David still was a man of war and he finally took his rightful place with his military and claimed the victory.

*****2Sa 12:30 And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
2Sa 12:31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

Though this may sound like genocide it was not!

David placed this nation under a forced hard labor.

Instead of using the instruments of war, they would use the saw, and the axe.

Instead of the manufacture of war instruments, they would labor at the kilns making brick for building materials.

Instead of war machines they would use harrows and ploughs and use farm machines.

Ammon is now called Jordan and up until this day Jordan has never been a great military power in this region.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

David’s Sins

March 23, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

David’s Sins

2 Samuel 10; 11; 1 Chronicles 19

When we left David last, he had found the grandson of Jonathan, his one time best friend and kept the covenant he had made with him many years earlier.

Today will see that David was still only a human and as we humans do, we allow our own lust to take over our flesh and ignore the Word of God.

We can feed our flesh with worldly things or we can feed our soul with godly things whichever we feed the most will show up in our actions.

Before this takes place let’s highlight chapter 10.

After King David had rescued and adopted Mephibosheth he was in a good spirit and upon hearing of the death of Nahash the king of the Ammonites, David tried to show kindness to his son Hanun.

David had already been told by God Himself, that he was a man of war and could not build a Temple for the Jews to worship.

David was trying to change his image to a man of peace but God already knew the enemies of Israel and that they are never seeking peace with Israel.

*****2Sa 10:2 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

When David was persecuted by King Saul, the Ammonite king had sent aid to David and his men and had even invited David into his country for his own protection.

He did this not so much for David but more because of his hatred for King Saul.

But this son of Nahash, was misled by his advisers because of their hate for Israel.

*****2Sa 10:3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
2Sa 10:4 Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

There was no law that said every Jew had to grow a beard but if they grew a beard they would come under the Levitical Laws and to tamper with a man’s beard was a great insult.

In this day, the priests of false religions that were around Israel, would do many things to their beards in honor of their idols and false gods.

God would not allow the Jews to get caught up in any part of false religion.

Lev 19:27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

Lev 21:5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

Deu 14:1 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

Why did God insist on these things?

Deu 14:2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

When you are saved and some one tells you, you are peculiar, just give God the praise!

God’s people are never to look as the world looks. The fads of the world are never to be brought into the church!

As far as those garments, we must realize that the men of that day wore robes. Only the priest wore breeches, so to cut off those robes at the buttocks exposed those parts of a man that should always be concealed.

By those same laws of God, Jewish men were always to dress modestly.

The Jews did not just have the 10 Commandments, there were 613 laws written in those first 5 books of the Bible.

These men felt felt great shame and would not return to Jerusalem.

These men would have been ambassadors from Israel and this act showed a lack of respect for the government of Israel and for King David.

David responded in the way that God had said. David was a man of war!

This young king of Ammon was not prepared to go to war with Israel who had already faced many battles and had much experience in the ways of war.

So, He hired mercenaries from Syria, who also hated the nation of Israel.

*****2Sa 10:6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.

That word “stank” meant that this incident was morally offensive to King David!

BUT, Hiring this paid army was not going to stop the revenge of King David and he was not going to send other ambassadors seeking peace.

The mighty men of David’s army and King David’s head general would be the next thing this young inexperienced ruler would see.

*****2Sa 10:7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

When Israel responded with it’s best forces that hired army from Syria fled and when they fled, the armies of Ammon also fled.

*****2Sa 10:13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.
2Sa 10:14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

Without firing a shot this day of warfare was over!

But there was also another king of Syria, Hadarezer, who thought to save the face of the Syrian forces that had fled from the army of Israel.

*****2Sa 10:16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

When King David knew of this he came himself to lead the armies of Israel against this new threat to Israel.

*****2Sa 10:17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

Shobach was also a ruthless commander but no match for King David.

With this defeat the Syrians decided it was just too costly to try to help Ammon and then again, their was peace.

*****2Sa 10:19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

We already know that there will never be true peace for Israel until the “Prince of Peace”, the Lord Jesus Christ, returns to this world and the government rest on His shoulders!

The Bible still says:

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and “the government shall be upon his shoulder”: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, “The Prince of Peace”.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government “and peace there shall be no end”, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

But at this time, King David was growing weary of war and was losing interest in his own army and their welfare.

When King David should have been the leader of his nation, he became a lax politician and placed them in the hands of Joab, who was a mighty general but Joab was not an honorable man and King David knew this.

*****2Sa 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

We should first realize that sin always has a beginning!

Sin does not just spring into our lives full grown!

The Bible says:

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Being drawn away represents the sin nature of mankind passed down from Adam.

We may first get lax in our prayer life. Or we may get lax in our Bible study. Or we may begin to skip church when we could have made it. Or like David along with all these things we have reached the top of the mountain and allow pride and success to control what we do.

King David’s first problem was that for nearly half his years as King of Israel he had become rich and was admired by all of Israel and much of the world. David began to think he was a somebody who had great authority.

2Sa 7:9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.

King David’s second problem was that he was in direct violation of the laws of Moses.

Deu 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

King David’s third problem was that he was neglecting his purpose given to him by God.

1Ch 17:7 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

King David was to be a “type” of Christ, “The Shepherd/King”.

BUT, King David had become “idle” in his duties as king and more certainly as a shepherd to Israel.

It would have been much better for King David if he had gone forth with his army, but David had tarried still at Jerusalem.

David later wrote this Psalm:

Psa 101:2 I will behave myself “wisely” in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

At this point in his life King David was not very “wise”.

How many of us have been at this same point in our own lives?

Every believer is to walk according to the Word of God!

When we do not follow the Word of God we are not very wise and sin has it’s beginning!

And when we do not right before the Lord God, He has these words for us:

Num 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and “be sure your sin will find you out”.

We can never hide our sin from Our Righteous God!

King David had not been perfect and none of us can be, but from this point forward we will see how this time period in the life of King David affected all his remaining years, which would be nearly 20 years.

One evening just before dark while the armies of Israel were in a foreign land, defending Israel from her enemies, this king decided to go walking upon the roof of his palace.

We have already studied where the Jew would build flat roofs that could be used for many things. The palace of King David was much higher than a normal home.

*****2Sa 11:2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

Now Bathsheba was not just openly exposing herself to whoever wanted to see her. Most all Jews homes were surrounded by fences high enough for privacy.

That tub would be outside so the sun could warm the water and these tubs were designed for ritual cleansing.

This was probably the same type of vessel that was used by Jesus in Cana when He change the water into wine.

It would have been much better for David to have taken this time to pray rather than ogle his domain!

Satan also took the Lord Jesus upon a high mountain to show off his sinful domain. The higher the view of this world the more we can see of this sinful world!

God gives us a great warning.

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

David had begun to love the things of the world and just as the Serpent had deceived Eve, David came in eyesight of the forbidden fruit.

Gen 3:6 And when “the woman saw” that the tree was good for food, and “that it was pleasant to the eyes”, and “a tree to be desired” to make one wise, “she took” of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

We can see that what Eve saw, she desired and what she desired, she took of the fruit of sin.

Watch as King David, sees, desires, and then takes of the fruit of sin.

Now it is certain that we will see things in this world that will expose us to temptation, but it is what we do next that brings forth sin!

To see something or someone that is beautiful, is not a sin in itself!

The Hebrew word used for this phrase “very beautiful” did not just mean Bathsheba had a pretty face. This lady, this wife of Uriah was beautiful in her entire body.

We can see that the first thing David did was to see her.

King David should have stopped at this point and this sin could not have fostered, but he did not.

King David desired and then he took.

*****2Sa 11:3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
2Sa 11:4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

As we go through these passages we will see that God places the full burden of this sin on David and not Bathsheba.

If we remember the next step that Eve took under the influence of Satan was she had desire and here we see that King David sent and enquired after this woman.

David desired this beautiful creation of God!

It is obvious that he wanted to find that she was unmarried.

We should also remember that King David was the “Judge”, the final human authority over all of Israel.

King David was to be an example of the “Truth” to the nation of Israel!

But now in a real sense King David who up to this time was much like Joshua, now becomes much more like Samson!

Once King David found that this woman was married, again he should have stopped with any desire he might have but even with this information King David proceeded did not not give it a second thought.

Again finding out that she was the married wife of Uriah should have also been considered and this sin would have ceased.

Uriah was one of the band of David’s mighty men and had probably been with David all the time since the days he had hidden from King Saul.

1Ch 11:10 These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

1Ch 11:41 “Uriah” the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,

But knowing all these things King David still sent for Bathsheba.

“And when lust has conceived it bringeth forth sin”

King David “took” this beautiful woman from her own home, more by force than choice.

In those days it was not a good thing to reject the king!

So, King David also “took” this beautiful woman to his bed.

King David was filled with overwhelming lust for this woman and would not be denied at any cost!

David a man after God’s own heart had yielded to sin!

1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

There had been many places for King David to escape this sin but he had chosen none of them!

We cannot imagine how Bathsheba felt but it was not beyond her power to at least say no!

The phrase “she was purified from her “uncleanness” tells us that Bathsheba was probably a practicing Jew familiar with the 613 laws of Moses.

She knew the laws of clean and unclean and would also have known the penalty for committing adultery.

Lev 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.

I do not claim to know anything about women but from what I have learned is that one of the best times to conceive a child is 5-10 days after her blood cycle and Bathsheba was on her seventh day.

And Bathsheba conceived and King David began to scheme to hide his sin.

BUT, the sin of David could not be hidden!

When King David did not repent, the sin of David then progresses to another level!

David later wrote these words:

Psa 36:1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
Psa 36:2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.

*****2Sa 11:5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
2Sa 11:6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
2Sa 11:7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

King David had abused his authority with Bathsheba and now David would abuse his authority over the military of Israel.

We can see that Bathsheba would never have told her husband about her affair with King David but when she conceived, then this thing would not go unnoticed by her husband.

The sin of adultery was a serious thing to practicing Jews.

God said; “thou shalt not commit adultery”, the 7th commandment.

God takes seriously the marriage vows even when they are ignored by husbands and wives.

Heb 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

King David quickly devised a plan to cover up this sin!

David later wrote these words:

Psa 36:3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
Psa 36:4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

King David had been treated this way by King Saul but was now treating God the way Saul had treated him.

Joab was a ruthless general of Israel’s army but Uriah was a dedicated soldier not only to David but to his nation, Israel.

By bringing Uriah home from the battlefield David hoped he would spend some time with his wife and then the child that would be born could be claimed as his own.

David disguised his actions by demanding that Uriah tell him about Joab which could show a lack of distrust of his general.

David then demanded to know about the moral of the army, though their moral would have been much better had the King been leading his army as he had always done.

David then demanded to know if Uriah thought Israel was winning this war not a question to ask a dedicated soldier.

David then sent Uriah home to be with his own wife.

*****2Sa 11:8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
2Sa 11:9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

David had committed a terrible sin against this devoted man but Uriah had much more honor than King David.

Uriah refused to be with his wife while his comrades were in a war with the enemies of Israel.

You see, God was not about to allow David an easy way out of this mess he had created because of his lust!

It was one thing to have multiple wives and concubines but to take another man’s wife using the authority given by God’s own hand could not go unpunished!

And, God is giving us this example of how one sin will always lead to another unless that first sin is repented of!

King David could have stopped at this time and confessed but he refused and continued with yet another scheme to hide his sin.

But, Uriah slept in the place of the palace guards and some of them told David the next morning.

*****2Sa 11:10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?
2Sa 11:11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

King David told Uriah that he could have rested better at home plus he could have spent some time with his wife.

Uriah explains why this would have been wrong for him.

1) Just as the Ark of God has no secure and permanent house, neither would Israel nor Judah until Israel was safe from her enemies.

2) Joab, his general was in a tent, not secure within walls of Jerusalem but in an open field.

3) That army that had provided King David with so many victories were also in open fields and not secure within the walls of Jerusalem.

Uriah confesses that because these things are true, he could not in clear conscience go home and act like Israel was not at war!

We need a multitude of Uriah’s as state Senators and Congressmen in our government, who simply will not rest until America is secure, our soldiers are home, and our military is used to keep peace rather than start wars!

Uriah refused to do as the king said.

David has another opportunity to be as honorable as this man, but he continues to scheme and his sin progresses even further.

*****2Sa 11:12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
2Sa 11:13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

King David knew what normally would happen when men get drunk.

Pro 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Pro 23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Pro 23:33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

Uriah may have actually gotten drunk, we do not know, but Uriah still would not go to his own home or be with his wife.

And, David would still not repent of his sin and decided that there could be only one answer left.

Uriah must die and that death must be soon before Bathsheba was showing to be pregnant, then all Israel would know.

*****2Sa 11:15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

This is what we call premeditated murder and when Joab consented, even though David is king, he is just as guilty, especially being his commanding officer.

No General has to follow this type of order nor any other commanding officer!

We can be certain that Joab was not aware of why King David wanted Uriah murdered because David was trying to hide the fact of his adultery.

King David had decided that if Uriah would not go home to his wife, then he could not allow Bathsheba to have his child without being married to him.

David remembered this Word of God:

Deu 23:2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

David was picking and choosing from the Word of God searching for a way to condone his sin but it was already too late for that.

How low had King David become?

1) Thou shalt not commit adultery.
2) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.
3) Thou shalt not steal.
4) Thou shalt not kill.
5) Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

What else had God said?

God said He would show mercy to those that keep His commandments!

Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

What had King David forgotten?

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

It is true that soldiers die in every war!

BUT when the Commander of the Armed Forces, (our President) and his Generals do not do everything they can to keep our military as safe as possible, they have committed murder in the highest degree.

This includes ambassadors or anyone else that represents our government.

We have just witnessed where this war with Ammon was first started because the King of Ammon abused the ambassadors of the government of Israel.

Joab did not have to obey the king in this instance!

He would have been justified by the Word of God!

But, Joab had already murdered Abner and Asahel and Joab obeyed this command of King David without question.

Joab knew he could use this act in his own defence someday to blackmail the king.

Even the general of David’s army had little regard for the valiant men of Israel!

And, still today, in many cases, murder is an act that takes place after adultery has been committed.

How does Joab assist in this crime?

*****2Sa 11:16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
2Sa 11:17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

Joab had the city of Rabbah under siege. In other words this city was surrounded and had no access to the outside world. What ever food and water and other needs they had would have to be with them.

When their supplies ran out they would fight or they would die!

This was a normal tactic for walled cities!

Many times the city under siege would send out small groups of soldiers to entice the enemy to come closer where the archers or others could kill the enemy from safety.

Joab was in a position to observe all these things and as any good commander should, he knew where the strongest and the weakest positions were located.

And a valiant soldier name Uriah was murdered in this action.

Joab wasted no time informing the king but he had trained his messenger well.

*****2Sa 11:18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
2Sa 11:19 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
2Sa 11:20 And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
2Sa 11:21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
2Sa 11:22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

Joab knew that King David would normally not allow such actions as this that placed his army in harm’s way unnecessarily.

King David would use a story from the Bible as his guideline in warfare.

Jdg 9:50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
Jdg 9:51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.
Jdg 9:52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
Jdg 9:53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.

When a city was under siege it was better to wait them out than to senselessly waste your own army.

When King David said these things the messenger was to respond with “But thy servant Uriah is dead also”.

And King David would know what Joab had done.

*****2Sa 11:23 And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.
2Sa 11:24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
2Sa 11:25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

King David had become so hard hearted in these actions he showed no remorse for what he had done.

I see this happening with our own government everyday!

There is no remorse for the actions of our government today.

Our government does not show a real concern for the American people!

David was celebrating the actions of the enemies of Israel, for killing the innocent soldiers of Israel, “just to see his agenda move forward”!

I believe this happened, when our own ambassador, was killed in Benghazi.

The agenda of our government moved forward at the expense of good men just trying to do their job but lacking the protection to do it safely!

King David tells Joab that soldiers die everyday and this day was no different than any other day!

They both were wrong.

They both were guilty!

It is not soldiers that start wars.

It is the true soldier that brings peace!

I am here to tell you that every true soldier that dies on the battlefield is a loss to his nation and deserves the remorse of his nation and it’s commander in chief.

I do not see this in America today!

When we get tired of war then we must accept that there will be no peace!

Joab was instructed to continue with the siege of Rabbah.

King David still had other plans.

*****2Sa 11:26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
2Sa 11:27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

Bathsheba may have never known this plot to kill her husband.

It was customary for at least 7 days be given to mourning, even though sometimes even more days were needed by some.

Gen 50:10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.

The period of mourning could vary.

The mourning for Jacob went on for 70 days.
The mourning for Moses went on for 30 days.

David did not have that much time in order to hide his act of adultery and only allowed Bathsheba the seven days!

I believe we can see that Bathsheba may have looked like she was sincere in her mourning but it seems to me she lacked real sorrow for her husband and King David had no sorrow for Uriah.

So, David fetched Bathsheba to the palace and made her his wife.

To King David this episode in his life had finally been put to rest, but this thing that King David had done did not please the Lord!

This was a great turning point in the life of King David.

It is a fact that the world may have even seen this wedding of Bathsheba to King David as a good thing.

Uriah had truly been one of the mighty men of Israel, valiant in battle, and a true war hero.

But God was not please with any of these things!

Next week we will see that God’s judgment of human conduct can be more severe than any judgment of men!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

David’s Loyalty

March 16, 2014March 16, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

David’s Loyalty

2 Samuel 8; 9; 1 Chronicles 18

Last week we saw how God had extended His covenant to Abraham through David but also how God had made a new covenant with David.

Making a covenant with His people characterized God.

In fact this is just one of the ways that Jehovah God distinguishes Himself from the false gods of all religions!

Jehovah God makes sure covenants and then keeps them all!

Psa 105:8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

This promise made to King David only depends on the “faithfulness of God”!

There was nothing David nor his any of his successors could do that could change this promise that God had made!

What is the “Omniscience” of God?

The characteristic of God, that means He knows all things that will actually take place and all things that can possibly take place, whether past, present, or future!

This why God can keep His covenants when we fail in most of our own covenants.

All these things had reminded King David of some things that he had also promised to others aho had crossed his life path.

Let’s begin:

In chapter 8 we can see how the kingdom of David and the Nation of Israel grew in riches and renown.

In none of these wars was Israel the aggressor as David reclaimed the land God had given to Israel and taken by these nations.

We also get to see how the government of Israel was set up.

*****2Sa 8:15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.

Notice David showed no favoritism to any one tribe of Israel, not even to Judah.

Psa 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

God is good even to the lost of this dying world.

The Lord Jesus had these words:

Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

But God does requires every government to execute judgment and justice according to the 10 commandments.

Not only does God require every government to to execute judgment but this judgment was to be done equally to all.

We already know this judgment was to be based upon the Word of God.

Not only does God require justice but that justice was to be equal justice for all of mankind!

*****2Sa 8:16 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

King David had one “General of the Army”.

Joab was the son of David’s sister Zeruiah.

It is said in America, not only do we have too many generals but it was said the other day we had over 1000 Admirals. We could put an Admiral on every ship and not have enough ships for each to have one.

This seems to be a good place to save taxpayer’s dollars.

Jehoshaphat was recorder.

A recorder was the chancellor for the king.

In other words he would bring the weighty matters to the king that were important enough to require the kings attention.

A recorder would also draw up papers for the king’s guidance and also prepare drafts of the king’s wishes to the scribes to be recorded, such as treaties, national archives, and records that needed to be kept for the future.

A recorder would also document the day by day actions in the kingdom, in other words record history as it happened.

*****2Sa 8:17 And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;

Zadok was High Priest and a direct descendant of Eleazer, whose son was Phinehas. God had also made a covenant with Phinehas.

Num 25:11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Num 25:12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: Num 25:13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even “the covenant of an everlasting priesthood”; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

In Zadok the line of Phinehas resumed the dignity of High Priest and held that position through his seed until the fall of Jerusalem.

It would be through Mary the virgin mother of Jesus, a descendant of Nathan, King David’s son and also a descendant form the line of Phinehas.

Seraiah was the scribe.

In a sense, this position would be similar to what we call a “Secretary of State”.

This man would prepare and issue the decrees of the king.

This person would also have considerable authority under the guidelines set forth by the king who was to use the Word of God for his own guidelines.

When the Word of God is not in it’s place in all governments that government will be corrupt and fail to care for God’s creation but they will still fulfill God’s purpose!

*****2Sa 8:18 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.

The Cherethites were King David’s personal body guard and they may not have been Jews but they would also perform executions by order of the king only and also the kings couriers.

These Pelethites were probably known better as the the king’s mighty men.

Benaiah was a mighty warrior who David placed over his personal security because he was an honorable man.

2Sa 23:22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. 2Sa 23:23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

So while the nation of Israel was at rest, King David began to remember a covenant that he had made with Jonathan a son of King Saul.

This scripture is a special rewarding “type” in the Bible, of the lost being saved for Jesus sake.

And since the Lord had been so gracious to David, King David was in a position to spread that “grace” to others!

When God blesses us, it is His intent that we use His gifts to bless others!

*****2Sa 9:1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for “Jonathan’s sake”?

What David already knew:

David knew that King Saul and his three sons had all died in the war with the Philistines.

1Ch 10:2 And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

1Ch 10:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.

What David did not know:

David did not know that a son of Jonathan had survived and escaped the hands of the Philistines even though during that escape his caretaker, while running carrying him, fell causing the child to be lame the remaining days of his life.

2Sa 4:4 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

Why was David so concerned?

God had just made a great covenant with David and his seed and God said He would keep this covenant.

King David remembered a covenant he had made with Jonathan the son of King Saul and wanted to make sure he also kept that covenant.

1Sa 20:14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: 1Sa 20:15 But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. 1Sa 20:16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

How can we expect God to keep His covenants, when we do not keep the ones that we make with each other?

The pure fact is that The Lord God of Creation will keep His covenants regardless of our own actions!

Psa 105:8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

So, David knew he needed to make sure his covenant with Jonathan.

*****2Sa 9:2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. 2Sa 9:3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. 2Sa 9:4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.

In verse one, David said he wanted to show “his kindness” but now we see David wanting to show the “same kindness that God had shown to him”.

It is not stated here but Ziba, though he honored King David, he did not care much for Mephibosheth, but Ziba did have knowledge of this grandson of King Saul and son of Jonathan.

Lodebar means “a place of nothing”, a place where grass would not even grow and there was no place to pasture animals.

Compare this place to Psalms 23:

Psa 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Amos describes Lodebar in this manner:

Amo 6:13 Ye which rejoice “in a thing of nought” which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

The family of Machir were loyal to King Saul and had taken in Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, when he had no other place to live.

Saul’s own servants had ignored this grandson!

Machir would now become loyal to King David after seeing the king’s kindness to Mephibosheth.

Mephibosheth had lived for a considerable time in obscurity and we should now get the picture, or a “type” of a lost soul being found by the King of Kings.

And King David said:

*****2Sa 9:4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. 2Sa 9:5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

1) The first picture we should have is the picture of that lost soul in no man’s land, poor, and with no means to improve his own conditions. His name was Mephibosheth.

Because of his condition Mephibosheth hated the God of Israel as his name means in the Hebrew, he had “a reproach for God”.

Mephibosheth did not feel the need for a Savior because he could not realize such a thing was possible!

Mephibosheth did not possess the means to have much of a future!

Most people living in this world do not even know they need a Savior because they do not realize that they are lost!

They feel that if there is some god, then why are they in such a precarious situation, as did Mephibosheth.

2) The next picture we should see is that King David sent for Mephibosheth, not for his own kindness, but for “Jonathan’s sake”.

God’s children are called and saved, not because we deserve anything from God but only for the sake of God’s Son, Jesus.

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God “for Christ’s sake” hath forgiven you.

Jesus Christ is not the cause of God’s love but “Jesus Christ is the channel in which God expresses His love for us all”!

We are not asked to understand the love of God, we are only asked to accept that love as being the same as the love for an “only-begotten-son”.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: “it is the gift of God”:

3) The next picture we see is that King David sent someone to fetch Mephibosheth.

This a picture of the Holy Ghost but it is a fact of the purpose of Jesus.

Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the lost.

Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Today God uses the Holy Spirit to do all the calling. It is the Holy Spirit that brings conviction upon hearing the Word of God!

*****2Sa 9:6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!

Throughout the Bible we can see how God truly cares for the fatherless orphan. There is no better example in the Bible than Mephibosheth who had lost not only his father and grandfather but also all his uncles in war.

The greater the wars, the more that are left behind like Mephibosheth!

Mephibosheth had no earthly family!

But, God especially cares for the children of those who love Him!

We already know that there are only two kind of people in this world.

1) Those that reject God.

1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

2) Those that accept God.

1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

Mephibosheth is an example of that lost soul who had accepted the world in a humanistic way, but now realizes the truth of God.

Mephibosheth cannot understand why the king would look upon such a man as he and he fell on his face and reverenced King David.

Mephibosheth could have never gotten into the palace of the king on his own account!

But, Mephibosheth was allowed to come before King David because it was for “Jonathan’s sake”!

To each saved soul, we are only allowed into the throne room of a Holy God but only for Jesus sake!

If we are to move God, it can only be by the sake of Jesus Christ!

No Prayer, no request, and and no answer can ever come from the Living God if not for Christ Jesus sake!

This world can only be redeemed for Christ Jesus sake!

And then listen as God will know your name!

Isa 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: “for I have redeemed thee”, “I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine”.

And David said.

*****2Sa 9:7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

That phrase “Fear not” is used 62 times in the KJV Bible.

How does God respond to request made in Jesus name sake?

Isa 41:13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, “Fear not”; I will help thee.

And God never changes.

Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, “Fear not”; I am the first and the last:

Mephibosheth truly had much reason to fear!

In the customs of that day it was customary for the victorious king to slay all the family of the previous king.

But here we see how David acted in “Grace”!

Now David had “not stolen” Saul’s land just because he was the new King.

We should remember David was married to Michal the daughter of Saul and was the legal owner of all the things of King Saul. David had every right to this land and these possessions of Saul and he could give them to anyone he wished to.

Num 27:8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.

This ownership took place at the death of Ishbosheth the last son of King Saul.

Now we see the kindness again for Jonathan’s sake!

We can see how Mephibosheth is adopted by King David!

It would have been easy to just restore the things to him that his grandfather Saul had owned and sent him on his way but that is not the way of God.

This is the way of God.

Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

To be adopted by Our Father in Heaven even has a much greater meaning!

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

King David showed Mephibosheth that he was serious about fulfilling the promise, the covenant, he made with Jonathan, the true earthly father of Mephibosheth.

BUT, God shows every believer that He is serious about fulfilling His promise to His Son Jesus.

Joh 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. Joh 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

This is a very humbling experience.

*****2Sa 9:8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

What is the “Grace of God”?

Grace may be defined as the unmerited and undeserving favor of God to those who are under condemnation.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Mephibosheth realized that he had done nothing to be receiving such a gift and he reached that point that every sinner must reach.

Do I accept this gift or do I reject it?

What would you do?

No, What Will You Do!

When Mephibosheth was sitting at the Kings table, even his lame legs were out of sight before the King.

He had the appearance of a man made whole!

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be “born again”, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

And the king made all the arrangements.

*****2Sa 9:9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. 2Sa 9:10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Mephibosheth was now a land owner of a great estate that would require many to care for it. We can see that Ziba who had been over the servants of King Saul now had a great opportunity to restore that land to it’s glory and his own family be provided with home, food, and welfare.

Mephibosheth himself had a son named Micha and it would he who would need to be provided for, but Mephibosheth would eat from the King’s Table.

*****2Sa 9:11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. 2Sa 9:12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. 2Sa 9:13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.

Ziba agreed to do as King David commanded but Ziba was never sincere and never intended to be a servant to Mephibosheth. Ziba would never honor Mephibosheth and later accused him of treason.

2Sa 16:3 And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.

Based upon this lie, King David gave all the property of Mephibosheth to Ziba.

2Sa 16:4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

Ziba may have deceived both Mephibosheth and King David.

2Sa 19:26 And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame. 2Sa 19:27 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.

King David being unsure of either one divided the land of Saul between the two, but Mephibosheth said let him have it all.

It would be far better to remain at the table of the King.

An adopted son or daughter cannot ever be left out of the inheritance!

2Sa 19:30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace “unto his own house”.

The Apostle Paul gave Timothy these words:

2Ti 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

We must make a choice when we choose the Lord Jesus over this world!

We must also make choices after we are saved!

If we purge ourselves of the things that do not honor Our Savior, then and only then can we be made into something useful for the Lord!

Mephibosheth remained in Jerusalem at the king’s table but was still lame and of little use to the king, but the king did not reject him but only because of the covenant he had made with Jonathan!

It is only for “Jesus sake” only that we can stand before Our Holy God!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Once we believe this truth with all our heart, we can never be rejected!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

David’s House

March 9, 2014March 9, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

David’s House

2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17

In our last lesson we got a picture of David as a type of Christian. He made many mistakes in his life, the worst ones happened when he did not inquire of the Lord before he made major decisions.

We also saw how our own actions can sometimes, if not all times, cause harm to others of our family and friends.

We also witnessed that the Ark of the Covenant had been retrieved but not returned to the Tabernacle of Moses but to a Tabernacle that David had built in Jerusalem.

God had chosen Jerusalem. The Tabernacle of Moses would remain in Gibeon until we hear of it no more.

Today we will see that David had a great desire to build a permanent home for the Ark of God.

Let’s begin:

*****2Sa 7:1 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; 2Sa 7:2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

King David had by now moved into his new palace built by the skilled craftsmen of Hiram. King David and the city of Jerusalem were growing in riches and properity. David was becoming a powerful king. The Philistines had been silenced for a time by the actions of God and had retreated to their own homes.

King David just did not feel right living in such luxury while the Ark of God was still in a tent.

It was a very honorable thing for David to want some permanent structure to house the things of God but David did not yet understand the plan of God!

As we read this text it should bring great pleasure to find a ruler, who when he could be partaking of the luxuries of his kingdom, has his mind on the Lord.

It should also bring us pleasure to see that King David also sought out God’s prophet, Nathan, and sought ways to improve the spiritual condition of Israel.

These are things every national leader should do!

These are things that we as believers should encourage in our own governments.

Up until we meet this Nathan, David’s spiritual guidance had been only from Samuel who was now gone on to paradise.

David had a great admiration of this prophet of God and would one day soon even name one of his own sons after him.

And what did this prophet say to David?

*****2Sa 7:3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.

We know that David was a man after God’s own heart. In other words David sought ways to please his Lord and Master. This is a great example for all of us as we should always seek ways to please the Lord!

The best thing we can ever do is to be obedient to the Word of God and have “faith” in God’s promises.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God “must believe that he is”, and that he is a rewarder of them “that diligently seek him”.

I believe David had this faith and was diligently seeking ways to please Our God.

We should always seek ways to please the Lord and we can only find those ways by studying the Word of God.

There was nothing wrong with what Nathan told King David.

In those days a prophet of God did not have instant access to the Lord but only through visions and other ways God would reveal Himself to them.

Num 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

Remember God’s prophets would not say things that they did not know were true!

Deu 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. Deu 18:21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? Deu 18:22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Only Moses up until this time could speak to God mouth to mouth.

Num 12:7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. Num 12:8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

But it would be this Nathan who would get to see one of the greatest visions in the Bible.

*****2Sa 7:4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, 2Sa 7:5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

The first thing we should notice is that God was listening in on this conversation between King David and the prophet Nathan.

In our day day when we have so much concern about our government keeping track of our every movement and our conversations we seem to forget the Lord God is listening to and even seeing everything we say and do!

We may can hide somethings from our government which is their belief But we can never hide anything from God!

God was well pleased with these thoughts of David:

1Ki 8:18 And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.

But this was not the plan of God and God’s plan cannot be altered by man!

God asked David a simple enough question?

“Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?”

We can look back on this now with a clear understanding of why God had to say “no” to David.

There could never be but “One” who could build a house for God to dwell in. [We will see that in the coming verses].

Where will God dwell on this earth?

2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? “for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people”.

God will only dwell in houses or vessels that He has made!

Mankind simply cannot make a permanent dwelling for God!

There would be a Temple built in Jerusalem but by Solomon the son of David but the true Temple of God could only be built by the Lord Jesus Christ also known as a “son of David”.

God simply will not dwell in any temple made by the hands of man!

Act 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

To God, David was just a servant just as Abraham and Moses had been.

BUT, every child of the Living God that accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior can become more than a servant.

Joh 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: “but I have called you friends”; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

There is no limit to what the Father will do for those whom the Son of God calls His “friends” and His children!

This was not said of King David.

The Bible explains to David.

1Ch 17:4 Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:

God gave these reasons.

1Ch 22:7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God: 1Ch 22:8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, “because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight”.

When David led Israel into war, he showed no mercy. This is not a character of God!

1Ch 28:3 But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

And then God tells King David some other things.

*****2Sa 7:6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 2Sa 7:7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?

Jesus Christ had these words for us:

Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; “but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head”.

God says that He has never given a command for anyone to build Him a permanent house on this earth!

God also did not reject the idea of David to build a house of God.

God said a house of God can be built but not by David because God had another purpose for David.

God said a house of God could be built by Solomon, the son of David.

But God wants us all to understand that the Lord cannot be confined to any temple.

God will allow His name to dwell in a temple or a building to reveal His presence there but it must be place of sincere worship.

God said any house built in His name would have a specific purpose:

Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Notice every house of prayer was to be for all people.

Jesus had these words for the Temple in Jerusalem.

Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

How are we to worship the Lord Our God?

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

God said, “I have walked with you from the time I saved you”.

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”.

God was explaining to David a greater purpose for him.

*****2Sa 7:8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: 2Sa 7:9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.

God is still speaking through the prophet Nathan here.

We should notice that God will never discourage any of His children. It was a good thing for King David to want to build a permanent place for the Ark of God.

But it was impossible for King David to build a permanent place for God.

Only God Himself could do that and that was still in the future with the coming of the Messiah!

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

God explains to David that He has already given him a purpose and he was to use his talents for this purpose.

Not many kings had began there life as a lowly shepherd!

God had been with David as he defended those sheep from a bear and a lion and other predators.

God had been with David as he defeated Goliath.

God had been with David as he had hid from King Saul.

God had protected, preserved, and prospered David and caused him to succeed and be King of Israel.

God had caused the name of King David to bring fear to his enemies and God would continue to do this all the days of David, if David would be obedient in the things that God gave him.

David would build an empire that would include Edom, Moab, and Ammon among some others while improving the defenses of Israel and making Jerusalem a fortress.

If not for David’s lust for women and riches, David would have been a truly great man in the world but David is still recognized as Israel’s greatest king and has a great name there.

But God has greater plans for Israel that David does not know about!

*****2Sa 7:10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, 2Sa 7:11 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.

David was living in a brand new palace at this time, so God was not talking about building David another new house.

God was talking about building a dynasty!

The “seed” of David would reign over his house forever.

Luk 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. Luk 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Since Jesus cannot die, the throne of David can never be vacant again.

But there is more.

It was the purpose of David to make Israel secure during his years. God was not talking about Canaan Land.

It was through David that God would continue His covenant with Abraham!

What had God told Abraham?

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

King David would be another step in the fulfillment of this covenant!

Again this covenant would take another step when the Lord Jesus was born!

Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

God not only promised to completely fulfill this covenant but He then would make a new covenant that would also be completely fulfilled!

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Another portion of this covenant was fulfilled on May 14, 1948 when Israel once again became a nation in our time.

What is yet to come?

Israel “as a nation” will be converted, forgiven and restored.

Eze 20:33 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: Eze 20:34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. Eze 20:35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Eze 20:36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. Eze 20:37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: Eze 20:38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Israel will repent and receive the full forgiveness of God.

Zec 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Zec 12:11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. Zec 12:12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; Zec 12:13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; Zec 12:14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

When will this take place?

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

There is a new covenant in place today which is the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, the Covenant of the Church.

This covenant is intended for all mankind, regardless of race or culture or language!

Jesus said:

Luk 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

God promised Abraham, He would bless this world and the ultimate blessing is the forgiveness of sin and a restoring of God’s creation to Himself!

Paul said:

Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

It still takes “Faith” in these promises of God!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

And God still promises a rest for the children of Israel!

Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

How much of this David understood we do not know, but we do know the Psalms contain much scripture of the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then God tells David about his own family also.

*****2Sa 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Every man no matter his standing on this earth, has an appointment with death!

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

David would later be told he would go to be with his dead son:

2Sa 12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

This the fact of the saved soul!

Upon our appointed death we will go to where the saved are located in Heaven!

All dead children up to the age of knowledge of sin are already in Heaven!

Abortion is a terrible thing and those that take part in such things will come to know the wrath of God BUT that innocent child goes straight to Heaven into the waiting arms of a loving Savior.

Now David is told he will go to sleep with his fathers who are already in Heaven.

From the time of Adam in the lineage down to Joseph all those fathers of David will be in Heaven!

We already know the next King of Israel was Solomon and many of these things will pertain to him.

It would be Solomon who would build the Temple where the Ark would be restored.

Solomon would have a glorious kingdom but only here on earth.

The Queen of Sheba had these words for Solomon.

2Ch 9:5 And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: 2Ch 9:6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

Solomon’s throne would be established because of the covenant made with King David and the covenant of David would continue through Solomon.

The ultimate fulfillment this prophesy can only be in Christ Jesus!

*****2Sa 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 2Sa 7:15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

God declares that there will be a king in the line of David that will have a special relationship with Him:

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Heb 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. David understood this very well!

Psa 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Psa 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Psa 2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Solomon had much sin, Christ Jesus knew no sin!

Solomon was never beaten, but he did know the chastisement of the Lord.

It was only God, Himself, who would allow Himself to be beaten.

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

God had given Saul his mercy and made him King of Israel but had removed that mercy when Saul rebelled against the Word of God.

God promises David that this will not happen to Solomon but God makes reference back to His covenant with David.

*****2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

1) That word “house” refers to the royal dynasty of the line of David.

The Messiah would come from the line of David.

2) The word “kingdom” refers to a certain people over which this king would rule.

The Messiah would become King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

3) That word “throne” refers to the authority and power of this king.

Jesus said after His resurrection:

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

4) That word “forever” means that the rule of this king from the line of David could never be taken away and he would never cease to rule over the house of Israel.

Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, “hath prevailed” to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Solomon’s throne was a literal, political throne and the Lord will actually sit on a literal and political throne one day.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The Jews are still waiting on the fulfillment of this covenant while the church is waiting on the “Rapture”!

*****2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

God had told all these things to David because in the goodness of his heart David was thinking on God while everyone else was thinking how great it was to be a Jew in the time of King David.

When we shut out the world that is around us and meditate on the things of God and pray, there is no telling what the Lord will reveal to us!

And King David became very humbled from by all these things that God’s man Nathan had said.

*****2Sa 7:18 Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 2Sa 7:19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD?

David went into the Tabernacle he had made where the Ark of God was located and sat before it.

To David the Ark was still the symbol of the Lord’s presence!

The Lord Jesus tells the Church this.

Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

God had called Abraham, His friend:

Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

We can see that David also believed the things that God had told him through Nathan and David had gone to confirm his friend.

Pro 6:3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

David knew he was unworthy!

It was only by God’s “grace” that had brought David to this point in his life!

Now God would speak of David’s family far into the future.

*****2Sa 7:19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house “for a great while to come”. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? 2Sa 7:20 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant.

King David wakes up to the realization that it is not what any king can do things for the Lord, It Is What The Lord Can Do For Each Of Us!

David also realized that only the Almighty God could make such a promise and then have the power to see these things come true.

It is a fact that as the New Covenant Church we have seen the fulfillment of many of these things but just like David we must also realize that God was speaking of things that are yet a great while to come.

And like David we must all realize that we are God’s servants!

*****2Sa 7:21 For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.

Why did God reveal these things to David?

Why has God revealed Himself to us?

John wrote:

1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Word of God is written for “believers”!

Peter wrote:

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

The Bible is not a book of “cunningly devised fables” but it is a “sure word” of prophecy!

2Pe 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

The New Testament church is alive and well today only because God used David’s family to bring Our Savior into this world!

And there is a future for the nation of Israel only because God gave David his throne forever!

Once we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Our Savior, We Belong To God!

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

When we were purchased with the price of the blood of Jesus we are therefore “servants” to a righteous and Holy God.

This is what King David realized this day!

Wherefore. “For This Reason”

*****2Sa 7:22 Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

We should also realize these things that King David realized!

1) Our God is great.

2) There is none like Our God.

3) Neither is there a God beside Our God.

4) The Word of God is the truth!

Jesus said:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

There are no excuses for anyone not coming to this same conclusion!

God has used the children of Israel to bring to the world the preserved Word of God.

*****2Sa 7:23 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? 2Sa 7:24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.

It is a fact that God chose Israel for the purpose to bring to this world the Word of God.

Why did God choose Israel?

Deu 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: Deu 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

God chose Israel because of love for his human creation.

God chose Israel because Israel was the smallest nation in numbers.

God chose Israel because of the promise He made to Abraham.

Not only Abraham but Adam, and Enoch, and Noah.

God keeps all His promises!

2Co 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Therefore the Word of God is established forever.

*****2Sa 7:25 And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said. 2Sa 7:26 And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee. 2Sa 7:27 For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, “I will build thee an house”: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

The Word of God is a settled thing, not to be abused or changed at the whim of everyone who wants to rewrite what God has said.

Psa 119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

God’s Word was issued from His throne in Heaven which is the seat of His government.

God’s Word cannot be altered here on Earth!

All men who have trusted the Word of God from Adam and all that came before us, have found that what God said is true!

God’s Word has endured time as we know it!

Psa 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

There is truth in all the Word of God but this truth also extends into the ethical and moral character to a point that it brings conviction and therefore demands accountability!

The truth is always the truth and the truth does not require a believer to remain the truth!.

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

It is God’s Word of Truth that brings with it His blessings.

*****2Sa 7:28 And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: 2Sa 7:29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

As an old prophet of God once wrote:

Hab 3:17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Hab 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

And can still be understood with these words.

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

David’s Mistake

March 2, 2014March 2, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

David’s Mistake

2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13-16

In our last lesson David was made king over all of Israel. We saw that God is actually seeking someone to get involved in government. David went from a lowly shepherd to become a great king but only by the hand of God.

Other nations noticed the blessings Israel was seeing and Hiram of Tyre joined David to bring great commerce to Israel. This should sound familiar to those of America.

But great wealth and power will sometimes bring with it pride, lust, mistakes and an ignoring of the truth of God.

God makes this very clear:

Pro 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Let’s begin:

*****2Sa 6:1 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2Sa 6:2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.

Twice before we have seen David gather his chosen men but both of those times it was to war with the Philistines and both of these times David had done something very important.

David had enquired of the Lord and to do that he had gone to the High Priest.

We must realize that we are to enquire of the Lord in everything.

The things God has written down for us to learn are even more important than the dangers we may see in this world.

It did not require a mighty army to move the Ark of God! It required only for things to be done as He had written down for us to follow in His Holy Word.

We cannot pick and choose what parts of God’s Word we are going to follow.

The Bible still says:

2Ti 2:15 “Study” to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We must “study” God’s Word and pray for His guidance and then “rightly divide” the Word of God.

To rightly divide is to ask, to whom did God write these commands.

David had been given this same command:

Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

God never changes.

The Ark had been used in error of the Word of God and the Ark could only be returned by following the Word of God.

David made it his mission to restore religion to Israel but religion is not worship and worship of the Lord can only begin when we are obedient to God’s Word.

Obedience is the greatest worship we can offer to the Lord Our God.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

How did David go wrong?

*****2Sa 6:3 And “they set the ark of God upon a new cart”, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. 2Sa 6:4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

David wanted to honor the God of Israel and his personal God and these were great intentions but David also had a secret desire to build a special sanctuary for the Lord.

His first step was to bring the Ark of the Covenant to the new capitol city of Jerusalem. David had involved all the key leaders and all the politicians but he had not studied the Word of God nor consulted with the High Priest.

This was another attempt by David to restore Israel in one accord with God, and get this nation focused on the Lord God of Israel, but it must be done properly and in order.

David was seeking to have “One Nation Under God”!

We have forgotten this in America where our founding fathers also strived to have “One Nation Under God”!

All very admirable intentions!

But what had God said concerning the Ark?

There was to be only one mode of transport for the Ark!

Num 7:8 And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. Num 7:9 But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was “that they should bear upon their shoulders”.

Our relationship with God must be a personal thing!

We should have a clear understanding, we must reverence the Word of God.

God says what He means and God means what He says!

If these things do not hold true, then how could we trust any of the Word of God.

If these things were not done by the Word of God, then God has this warning.

Num 18:3 And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, “that neither they, nor ye also, die”.

God will have His work done in His way and will not or cannot bless us if we carry it out based on the wrong principles!

We must seek the Lords directions continually or we will continuously do things in a wrong way and God will not bless the work we do.

What method did David choose to use.

When the Philistines had had the Ark of God in their own possession and found that God was not going to allow that to happen they came up with a way to get rid of the Ark.

1Sa 6:7 Now therefore “make a new cart, and take two milch kine”, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: 1Sa 6:8 And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

This is the way the Ark had made it to the house of Abinadab. The Philistines were ignorant of the ways of God but David and all of Israel had the Word of God to follow and not the ways of a pagan people.

God still says:

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

We absolutely cannot do the things the world does and please God, EVEN IF WE HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS!

Even Abinadab, who was a Levite, should have known better. The Ark had been in his possession for 20 years and his whole household had been blessed.

The Ark was a symbol that God was with Israel and they longed for it’s possession but if we must first realize that we need “a personal relationship” with the Lord.

The Lord owns us, we cannot own Him!

One of the sons of Abinadab went before the Ark and Uzzah another son walked by the side of the Ark.

1Ch 13:7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.

This day began by bringing a joyous excitement to David and all of Israel.

*****2Sa 6:5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

Moses had a phrase that he used every time the Tabernacle was raised and the children of Israel moved forward.

Num 10:35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.

King David had this same felling this day but this would soon change and that joy would soon turn to sorrow.

King David had not followed the ways of Moses but only the ways of the Philistines.

We can never follow the ways of the world and still please The Lord even with good intentions!

We have clear instructions in our worship of the Lord!

The New Testament Church must realize that these things written in the Old Testament are written for our examples and we must learn from them.

The Bible still contains these words.

1Co 10:6 Now “these things were our examples”, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

1Co 10:11 Now “all these things happened unto them for ensamples”: and “they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come”. 1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

We must study all the Word of God!

Uzzah would fall this day and we will fall if we follow in his foot steps.

How do we keep from falling?

2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

When we are blind to the things of God we will fall!

*****2Sa 6:6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. 2Sa 6:7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

Nachon’s threshing floor, also called the threshing floor of Chidon in the first Book of Chronicles, was a place not far north-west of Jerusalem.

Now we do not know if Uzzah had just become complacent because the Ark had been in his own house for 20 years.

What he did may have just been an innocent act.

BUT, there was already enough irreverence going on and God was not about to allow these things to continue!

What David had done was wrong!

The Levites who were with him and had allowed this were wrong!

What Uzzah had done was even more wrong!

It is a rare thing for us to witness the anger of the Lord but we must realize we can sometimes be the cause of that anger.

The Bible does still say these words:

Pro 2:11 Discretion shall preserve thee, “understanding shall keep thee”:

Pro 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: Pro 3:2 “For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee”.

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and “lean not” unto thine own understanding.

God took the life of Uzzah for his own error not because of what David had done.

We may not totally understand why but we must also remember God looks into the heart and God could see the true intentions of Uzzah and it is not for us to question what the Lord did but to learn from these things so we do not make the same mistakes!

We sometimes wonder why some godly people are taken from this life in what we see as early but it is God’s plan and we must trust that what God does is best for us all!

Rom 8:28 And “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God”, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

But David did not understand these things this day!

*****2Sa 6:8 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.

In chapter 5 we saw and witnessed as the Lord had broken forth upon the Philistines and caused their destruction.

In this verse we see the Lord break forth on a Levite, one of the children of Israel, and cause his destruction.

David witnessed both of these things and David had special name for this place, Perezuzzah or the “place where the Lord broke forth”.

King David was not only displeased but this brought a new fear of the awesome power of God.

King David realized he was just a man and even with his kingly power and riches, he was no match for the Almighty God!

*****2Sa 6:9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?

David woke up to the fact that all of our lives are in the hands of God.

Christ Jesus gave us these words:

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: “but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”.

We should have this same fear of the Lord.

The Bible teaches us.

Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God “acceptably” [with reverence and godly fear]: Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

We can sometimes treat God as our daddy and it be ok.

But We Can Never Treat God Like He Is Our Next Door Neighbor and please Him!

We must reverence the Lord at all times!

We can go boldly before the throne of God but when we get there we best humble our selves before Our Mighty God.

That boldness must be tempered with modesty and a religious fear!

We must never forget that we are sinners and that Our God is a consuming fire.

Consuming fires do not go out nor can they be put out, until all the fuel is burned!

So David began to realize his mistake.

*****2Sa 6:10 So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.

A Gittite would be some one from the city of Gath-rimmon.

This city had been assigned to the Levites and specifically to the family of Kohath.

It was the family of Kohath who were suppose to carry the Ark of God upon their shoulders.

Num 7:9 But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.

After Uzzah had died at the hands of God, David realized his wrong and placed the Ark with a member of the family of Kohath, who by the laws of Moses could handle the Ark when it was not in the Holy of Holies.

It would take three more months for King David to get things done in the order that God required.

God is a God of order and not the God of confusion!

1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

The house of Obededom was blessed during this time.

*****2Sa 6:11 And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.

A great truth can be learned here.

Whosoever has “the mind of Uzzah” and “thinks that Our Lord is in danger in this world and has a need for human help”, will probably die in their actions.

God is never in danger of anything or anyone in this world!

But whosoever receives The Lord, into his own home and his own family, “with all his heart” will receive the blessings of God.

God does not need our help!

God just needs for us to obey His Word!

So 3 full months past by.

*****2Sa 6:12 And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.

When we can realize our mistakes we always find that God’s anger “may be kindled” from time to time, but His mercy is present at all times!

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”: Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

King David realized he had to do things God’s way so then he called on the High Priest.

1Ch 15:11 And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, 1Ch 15:12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. 1Ch 15:13 For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, “for that we sought him not after the due order”.

And what had to happen first?

1Ch 15:14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

Those priest had to be ceremonially cleaned.

We can never do a work for the Lord until we have been washed in the “blood of Jesus” and filled with the Holy Spirit!

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

King David now had the joy of the Lord.

*****2Sa 6:13 And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

6 paces would be about 18 feet outside the home of Obededom.

This entire nation realized that nothing can be done properly without the help of the Lord.

We should all come to this same conclusion!

1Ch 15:26 And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

Before this journey began it was time to offer sacrifices to the Lord.

SO, what sacrifice can we offer to the Lord today to begin and continue on our journey?

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, “which is your reasonable service”. Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

God will never ask us to do unreasonable things and God will always help those that do the ministry by the Word of God.

*****2Sa 6:14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

David was wearing a linen robe and a linen ephod. David was dressed in the robe of a priest, (not the High Priest) These priests would have also worn linen breeches but it is not said that King David was wearing these.

The point is that though David was King of Israel, he did not wear his royal robes as he danced before God.

David danced. David was dancing with a joyful, holy enthusiasm alone and before God.

There were no women taking part in this celebration with King David.

David had been made very saddened by the death of Uzzah but that sadness had now become an overwhelming joy!

Psa 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; Psa 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

God has one rule for all these things, “Be Sincere”!

Ecc 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

And to the Church:

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

David may have danced for 10 miles with all his might.

*****2Sa 6:15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. 2Sa 6:16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

Michal is named “Saul’s daughter” though she was also a wife of King David.

This day she had the mind of her father and not joy with her joyful husband.

Public worship had ceased under King Saul and Michal had her own idols and did not really care for the Lord God of Israel.

1Sa 19:12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. 1Sa 19:13 And Michal “took an image”, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.

Michal loved the hero of Israel and the exalted King of Israel.

BUT, Michal despised this man David who could yield to a Holy God with such enthusiasm!

After this there was no relations with this wife and Michal remained childless and raised only the children of her sister.

We should also realize that this was the will of God. A man child that was a descendant of Saul and David would have caused problems.

*****2Sa 6:17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

We can see the mention of 3 tabernacles in the Old Testament.

1) The Tabernacle of the Congregation.

After Israel had committed the sin of the golden calf at Mount Sinai a provisional tabernacle was established [out side the camp] and called the “Tabernacle of the Congregation”.

Exo 33:7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, [which was without the camp].

2) The Tabernacle of Moses.

While on Mount Sinai, The Lord gave Moses the instructions to build a proper tabernacle.

God only used 2 chapters in the Book of Genesis to tell us about our creation but God used 50 chapters in the Bible to tell us about the Tabernacle of Moses.

It should be obvious that worship is very important to The Lord Our God!

Exo 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

This Tabernacle of Moses was to be set up in the midst of the camp because the Lord said he would always walk in the midst of His people.

Deu 23:14 [For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp], to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

Num 2:17 Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites [in the midst of the camp]: as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards.

The Lord Jesus tells us this.

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, “there am I in the midst of them”.

This tabernacle of Moses was located in Gibeon during the time of David and until Solomon had constructed the 1st Temple.

1Ch 16:39 And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon, 1Ch 16:40 To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel;

2Ch 1:3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. 2Ch 1:4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

3) The Tabernacle of David.

This was a temporary tabernacle built for the Ark of the Covenant because David at this time already had plans to build the 1st Temple.

The wilderness Tabernacle of Moses had been first set up in Shiloh and later moved to the city of Nob.

Both of these cities had been destroyed!

At the time of David this Tabernacle had now been located to Gibeon.

It was David’s desire for a permanent housing for the Ark in Jerusalem.

Why? God chose Jerusalem.

1Ki 11:36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me “to put my name there”.

God had made a covenant with David.

2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

God said this covenant could never be broken!

Jer 33:20 Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Jer 33:21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.

Now it is obvious in our time that this tabernacle does not exist but we can be sure God has not forgotten His covenant!

This tabernacle will be restored.

Isa 16:5 And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

The Lord knew this tabernacle would have to be rebuilt.

Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

The Lord has chosen Jerusalem for His final battle with Satan.

Zec 3:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

The Lord Jesus will return to sit on the throne of David.

Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Joseph, the step father of the Lord Jesus was a direct descendant of David, through Solomon his son, and next in line of the throne of David until his death which passed to the Lord Jesus who can never die.

Mary, the “virgin” mother of Jesus Christ was a direct descendant of David through Nathan his son, and therefore there can be no doubt of the kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ for ever!

The Tabernacle of Moses represents the Priestly side of our Lord!

The Tabernacle of David represents the Kingly side of our Lord!

Therefore because the Lord Jesus can never die He is King of Kings and the Most High Priest forever!

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Yes it was time to offer praise and worship and it still is.

*****2Sa 6:18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. 2Sa 6:19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house. 2Sa 6:20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!

We should understand that God will have His work done in His Own Way and He cannot bless us if we carry it out under the wrong principles. We must continually seek the Lord’s directions!

King David took full responsibility of God’s people that day to show them and us, that these things are only a shadow of the good things to come!

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Rom 14:18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

After blessing the people David went to his own home to bless his family.

BUT, Satan was not about to allow for a perfect end to a perfect day!

Michal could not even wait until David got inside the house before she began her assault on her husband and her King.

King David had not undressed himself before anyone.

He had only taken off his look of royalty and put on the robes of a priest,(not the High Priest).

Michal had her own idols and I am sure David had reminded her of her false worship.

Michal saw no difference in the way David had treated the Ark of God and had become very angry and enraged with jealousy.

When we treat the things of God, such as the Cross, the Bible, or the Church building as gods we confuse this lost world.

We only have One God and he is not in images or idols!

And David responded.

*****2Sa 6:21 And David said unto Michal, “It was before the LORD”, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: “therefore will I play before the LORD”.

Those that are lost simply cannot understand the joy of being a Christian!

Jealousy is regarded in the Bible as worse than wrath and anger!

Pro 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

Michal was not about to listen to David’s explanation about the Lord.

And David became angry himself and this marriage was over.

Again David did not follow God’s guidelines.

Jas 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: Jas 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

We can find the answer to our problems in the Word of God but when we do things our own way the family will suffer.

*****2Sa 6:22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour. 2Sa 6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

David said if you think my worship of my Lord has lowered the dignity of my kingship, you haven’t seen nothing yet!

David had loved Michal but that love ended this day.

God had never planned on the Messiah to part of any dynasty other than David. Any male child born between David and Michal would have been expected to be the next king of Israel.

God was not about to allow that to happen.

The road to the Messiah could only be through David!

Then Solomon and Nathan.

1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

God will have His way in this world!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

LESSONS IN GOD'S WORD

Taking time to read the Bible

Book of 2 Samuel

David’s Transgression

David’s Song

David’s Return

David’s Grief

David’s Family

David’s Repentance

David’s Sins

David’s Loyalty

David’s House

David’s Mistake

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