1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,960
We're going to look primarily at 2 Samuel 15, but we'll need to give a little background

2
00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:14,280
to the chapter in preparation for it.

3
00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:25,380
You recall that we've studied about David's sin with Bathsheba and the confrontation that

4
00:00:25,380 --> 00:00:33,360
God brought about with Nathan, his prophet, to bring David to the point of repentance.

5
00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:37,240
David did repent and God forgave him.

6
00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:46,060
But nonetheless, God allowed the consequences of David's sin to unfold.

7
00:00:46,060 --> 00:00:52,640
God is not unfaithful to us when He allows that to take place.

8
00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:57,400
That is the norm rather than the exception.

9
00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,960
That is, our consequences fall out to us.

10
00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:07,560
Occasionally, God may graciously intervene and spare us from the consequences.

11
00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:12,160
But normally He does not, and with David, He did not.

12
00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:21,360
In chapter 13, there is the sordid story of David's daughter Tamar.

13
00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:31,120
David's son Amnon, his son by another woman, Ben Tamar's mother, lusted after his own

14
00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:39,560
sister and devised a scheme whereby he got her alone and he violated her.

15
00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:41,960
He assaulted her sexually.

16
00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:46,960
Now, he said that he loved her.

17
00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:52,480
You can always tell the difference between love and lust.

18
00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:59,080
Lust cannot and will not wait to be fulfilled in its desires.

19
00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:04,360
Love gladly waits until the right time.

20
00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:09,760
Teenagers, young adults, don't ever forget that.

21
00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:14,880
I care not how persuasive the argument may be.

22
00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:23,240
If someone says to you, if you really love me, you will, understand that that is not

23
00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,440
the will of God.

24
00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:31,520
If that person really loves you, that person will be willing to wait until marriage, which

25
00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:36,720
is God's time.

26
00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:43,280
The news of what had happened got back to David, and it says there in chapter 13 that

27
00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:52,960
David was very angry, very angry when he heard what had taken place there in his own household.

28
00:02:52,960 --> 00:03:04,960
But interestingly, his anger was only a flare-up and he did nothing to discipline Amnon.

29
00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:14,120
As a result of that, Tamer's brother, Absalom, went to her defense.

30
00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:22,080
It took him two years, two years, but he finally schemed a way by which he could get even with

31
00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:26,200
Amnon and he killed him.

32
00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:33,400
He murdered his own half-brother to pay him back for what had happened to his sister.

33
00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,920
Absalom then fled.

34
00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:42,240
He went to the land of the Gentiles, to a place called Gishur, and there he lived for

35
00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,920
a period of time.

36
00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:52,320
David was content for that to be so, although he desperately loved this boy Absalom.

37
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:59,320
Now, it may be that Absalom had other motives for killing Amnon than just to defend the

38
00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,200
honor of his sister.

39
00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:05,280
It could be that he had thoughts even at that point for the throne because Amnon was the

40
00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,160
next one in line to be the king.

41
00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:19,120
This was an excuse for removing Amnon so that Absalom himself would be the next to the throne.

42
00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:25,240
Nonetheless, David was content to allow Absalom to remain in Gishur.

43
00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,640
Joab devised a scheme.

44
00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:31,400
You think there's a lot of scheming going on in David's household, you're absolutely

45
00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:32,400
right.

46
00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:38,000
David is the one that showed them exactly how to do it.

47
00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:45,360
Joab schemed a way in order to get Absalom back from the land of the Gentiles to Jerusalem.

48
00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:52,960
Absalom did come home and it was approximately three to five years, depending upon how you

49
00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,960
figure it, before David ever saw Absalom again.

50
00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:03,960
The day came when he went before his father and David kissed him and seemed to forgive

51
00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,440
him.

52
00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:19,800
David caused this bitterness to arise in his son Absalom when he refused, or at least carelessly

53
00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,280
did not discipline Amnon.

54
00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:29,280
It is interesting that Amnon, because of his sin against his half-sister, should have been

55
00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:30,280
what?

56
00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:36,800
According to the Old Testament law, should have been killed, he should have been executed.

57
00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:43,200
But David, of course, did not do that and it could be that memories of his near past

58
00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:47,200
did not allow him to press for what the law demanded.

59
00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:54,800
Well, anyway, Absalom came back home and when he was there for a period of time, he began

60
00:05:54,800 --> 00:06:00,920
to maneuver a way by which he could become the king of Israel.

61
00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:08,560
And so in our text for tonight, in chapter 15, David faces the most serious challenge

62
00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,320
of his kingship and it's from his own son.

63
00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:16,900
You say, well, how in the world is this possible that David would be put into a place like

64
00:06:16,900 --> 00:06:17,900
this?

65
00:06:17,900 --> 00:06:20,480
Well, there are two things I want to say to that.

66
00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:26,560
In the first place, David had failed to discipline his children.

67
00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:32,560
In 1 Kings chapter 1 verse 6, it says regarding Adonijah, but by way of extrapolation, I think

68
00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:37,660
we can safely say that it was true of his other sons as well, that he did not discipline

69
00:06:37,660 --> 00:06:40,160
his children.

70
00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:44,200
David allowed them to get by with things.

71
00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:49,680
The result of that was that he did not have control over his own household.

72
00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:57,680
That then seems to have spread from his own household into his kingdom.

73
00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:06,920
For as the glory years wore off when David was in war and leading the armies on in victory,

74
00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:13,880
David seems to have lost some control in the administration of his kingdom.

75
00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,160
His government deteriorated.

76
00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:23,640
There was a lack of firmness in his governing of the people and that resulted in an opening

77
00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:28,700
for someone who would to try to challenge David.

78
00:07:28,700 --> 00:07:34,620
In verses 1 through 12, we see the rebellion of Absalom.

79
00:07:34,620 --> 00:07:38,120
We notice in verse 1 that it began with inward sin.

80
00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:46,840
It came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty

81
00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:51,360
men as runners before him.

82
00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:57,680
The outward rebellion began with an inward sin in his heart.

83
00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:06,040
And normally before you see an outward manifestation of some sin, there has been sin long hidden

84
00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,200
in the heart that has been undealt with.

85
00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:09,480
That is still true today.

86
00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,400
It is true in your life and mine very often.

87
00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:14,480
It was true in the case of Absalom.

88
00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,280
You say, what was his inward sin?

89
00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,040
Well, it seems to be twofold.

90
00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:23,640
In the first place, there seems to have been a good deal of pride in this young man.

91
00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:28,560
He was a man who was known for his handsomeness.

92
00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:36,120
Back in the previous chapter, verses 25 and 26, it says, now in all Israel was no one

93
00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:41,280
as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised.

94
00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:47,840
From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, there was no defect in him.

95
00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:52,880
I can hear some of the young bucks around here saying, well, that sounds like me.

96
00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:57,820
Well, you'll have to be the judge of that.

97
00:08:57,820 --> 00:08:59,120
Maybe this sounds like you too.

98
00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:03,760
In verse 26, it says, when he cut the hair of his head, it weighed three and a half to

99
00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:07,200
four pounds.

100
00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,840
It was a very stylish thing to allow the hair to grow in that day.

101
00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,220
And he had long hair.

102
00:09:14,220 --> 00:09:20,680
And when it was cut, because it was cut at the end of every year, that it weighed 200

103
00:09:20,680 --> 00:09:23,120
shekels, according to the king's weight.

104
00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:24,920
That's three and a half or four pounds.

105
00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:25,920
Now I need a haircut.

106
00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:30,520
That's what my mother told me last night anyway.

107
00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:34,560
But I don't think it'll weigh quite that much.

108
00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:42,240
A lot of hair on the head was beautiful to the Jews in that day.

109
00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,560
So they had full beards and mustaches and long hair.

110
00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:48,680
But of course, periodically they had to cut it.

111
00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:53,560
Absalom seems to have been rather taken with himself.

112
00:09:53,560 --> 00:10:00,440
And when a person gets in that position and becomes impressed with what he looks like

113
00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:04,480
and his abilities and so on, he's in a lot of trouble.

114
00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:08,640
That trouble may not surface immediately, but there are seeds in his heart that are

115
00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:12,680
going to cause real problems later in his life.

116
00:10:12,680 --> 00:10:18,320
He did not recognize, apparently, that these things were a gift of God, but prided himself

117
00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:20,040
in what he was.

118
00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:26,560
Consequently, he got together a retinue of 50 men who ran before him wherever he went.

119
00:10:26,560 --> 00:10:29,360
And he had a chariot and horses.

120
00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:35,120
And the Hebrew here specifies that this was no ordinary chariot.

121
00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,160
This was a corvette chariot.

122
00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:42,080
I mean, this was a sports chariot.

123
00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:45,000
This was one that was really something else to see.

124
00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:46,000
It was impressive.

125
00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:51,320
And it went right along with the image that he had of himself.

126
00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,520
So that seems to have been one problem inwardly.

127
00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,360
And then he had a problem, I think, with bitterness.

128
00:10:56,360 --> 00:11:03,200
Oh, he may have been bitter still over what happened to Timur, but I believe that he was

129
00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,000
really bitter at his death.

130
00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:06,640
And I'll tell you why.

131
00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:15,200
And I think that it arose from the fact that David apparently only half-heartedly forgave

132
00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:16,480
his son.

133
00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:21,280
Yes, he did bring him back into his presence, and the king kissed Absalom, according to

134
00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:26,480
verse 33 in chapter 14, which was symbolic of acceptance.

135
00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:32,680
But there was not real heart acceptance there, so it would seem.

136
00:11:32,680 --> 00:11:38,640
David did not fully forgive Absalom for what had taken place.

137
00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:40,600
That does seem rather strange, doesn't it?

138
00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:48,440
Because God had wholeheartedly and freely forgiven David when he repented, confessed

139
00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:49,440
his sin.

140
00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:53,880
Aren't we a lot like David?

141
00:11:53,880 --> 00:12:00,640
God graciously forgives us over and over again when we confess our sins, and yet there are

142
00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:09,080
times when we are reluctant to forgive others of their trespasses against us.

143
00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:14,000
And sometimes when we do forgive, it's only half-hearted.

144
00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:15,880
It's not a real forgiveness.

145
00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:20,800
Ephesians 4.32 was my daughter's memory verse this last week in school.

146
00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:32,280
It says, be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake,

147
00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:34,960
has forgiven you.

148
00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:41,560
Apparently, Absalom felt that he was not forgiven completely by his dad, and so there was bitterness

149
00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:46,720
that came up in his heart against his father and caused him to rebel.

150
00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:52,480
It led to secret scheming on his part.

151
00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:57,920
Verse 2, and Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way to the gate.

152
00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:03,200
It happened that when any man had a suit to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would

153
00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:07,960
call to him and say, from what city are you?

154
00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:12,280
And he would say, your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.

155
00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:17,400
Absalom would say to him, see, your claims are good and right, but no man listens to

156
00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,360
you on the part of the king.

157
00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:27,560
Moreover, Absalom would say, oh, that one would appoint me judge in the land.

158
00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:34,200
Even every man who has any suit or cause could come to me, and I would give him justice.

159
00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:38,760
That sounds like the political party that's out of office, doesn't it?

160
00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:41,860
And that's exactly what Absalom was doing here.

161
00:13:41,860 --> 00:13:44,960
He was being a politician.

162
00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:49,200
In verse 5, it says, it happened that when a man came near to prostrate himself before

163
00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,400
him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.

164
00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:57,360
And in this manner, Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment.

165
00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:02,640
So Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.

166
00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:07,640
What we have here is a classic back slapper.

167
00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:10,120
We have a guy who knew how to be a politician.

168
00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:14,120
He was a bad son, but an excellent politician.

169
00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:19,480
And so he worked with the citizens of the land, especially those who had problems, those

170
00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,120
who were open to discontent.

171
00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:23,280
And he fostered that.

172
00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:31,560
He nurtured their discontent in order to win their hearts away from the king.

173
00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,360
Doesn't that remind you of politicians?

174
00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:40,680
They may not know a thing about what they're doing or about the issues or have answers

175
00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:48,240
to the problems, but they back slap, they handshake, they work the crowds with smiles

176
00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:54,000
and promise that if they are elected, that is the total answer to everything.

177
00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:58,040
And so often, the gullible public believes that.

178
00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:01,960
I think I would much rather vote for a man who would say, honestly, look, I don't have

179
00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:08,720
all the answers, and who would ask for the prayers of the people.

180
00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,000
But that's not politically good judgment.

181
00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,600
It reminds me of some preachers, too.

182
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:19,640
They don't know which way is up theologically, and who can't preach their way out of a paper

183
00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:26,480
bag, but who can really shake hands well and impress people and come on strong with their

184
00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:28,160
personality.

185
00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:33,280
And the result of that is that they get into a church, they're voted in, and once they're

186
00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:35,440
in, they wreck it.

187
00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,960
I know of churches that way, and you know of churches that way, and it's always a tragic

188
00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:39,960
thing.

189
00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,800
Well, that's the kind of a guy that Absalom became.

190
00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:51,920
And his scheme also included deceitful piety.

191
00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:57,680
In verse 7, it came about at the end of 40 years that Absalom said to the king, now that

192
00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:02,840
40 there is probably a scribal error that was passed down in some of the copies of the

193
00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:04,000
Old Testament.

194
00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:05,000
Probably it's four.

195
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:09,860
If, in fact, it is 40, then we don't know exactly what the date is from that the writer

196
00:16:09,860 --> 00:16:11,760
is talking about.

197
00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:17,400
By the way, as you know, in the copies of the Old Testament there can be insignificant

198
00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,080
scribal errors like this.

199
00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:27,040
The inspiration of the scripture, which is inerrant, refers to the original writings.

200
00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,240
I think most of you understand that.

201
00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:36,120
Now he says, please let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed to the Lord in Hebron.

202
00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:41,280
For your servant vowed a vow while I was living in Geishur in Aram, saying, if the Lord shall

203
00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:45,080
indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.

204
00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:46,560
The king said to him, go in peace.

205
00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,360
And so he arose and went to Hebron.

206
00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:55,160
And so he masqueraded his treachery with a show of religious duty.

207
00:16:55,160 --> 00:17:00,840
He said, I have a vow to fulfill to God, a vow that I made when I was in the foxhole

208
00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:03,000
back there in Geishur.

209
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,680
And now I have to fulfill that vow.

210
00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,960
Of course, David believed him, but his son was deceiving him.

211
00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:12,640
He just wanted to get away from the city so he could organize his rebellion.

212
00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,560
In verse 10, we see that beginning to gel.

213
00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:20,620
Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, as soon as you hear the

214
00:17:20,620 --> 00:17:26,440
sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, Absalom is king in Hebron.

215
00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:33,060
Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently,

216
00:17:33,060 --> 00:17:35,740
and they did not know anything.

217
00:17:35,740 --> 00:17:43,180
And Absalom sent for Ahithophel, the Gielinite, David's counselor, may I say David's trusted

218
00:17:43,180 --> 00:17:48,720
counselor from his city, Gielo, while he was offering the sacrifices.

219
00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:55,440
And the conspiracy was strong for the people increased continually with Absalom.

220
00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:01,360
And so we see the revolt of this young man against his dad, a revolt that was rooted

221
00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:07,880
in inward attitudes that were harbored there, attitudes of pride and bitterness, which caused

222
00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:14,520
him to vomit a revolution and rebellion against his father, the king.

223
00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:22,040
And it says, a messenger came to David, saying, the hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.

224
00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:31,240
David apparently up to this point was completely ignorant of what was taking place around him.

225
00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:35,160
Now beginning in verse 14, we have the response of David.

226
00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,400
It is a remarkable response.

227
00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:43,280
Did you know that our reactions reveal more than our actions?

228
00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:47,660
Our reactions reveal more about us than our actions.

229
00:18:47,660 --> 00:18:51,420
Our actions tell about our hearts.

230
00:18:51,420 --> 00:18:55,920
Our reactions tell about our character.

231
00:18:55,920 --> 00:19:03,240
And here we see David reacting or better responding in a way I think that pleased God.

232
00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:07,120
In the first place, we see that he knew when to flee.

233
00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:10,880
He knew when to get out of the city, verse 14.

234
00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:15,720
David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, arise, let us flee, for

235
00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,040
otherwise none of us shall escape from Absalom.

236
00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:23,520
He had quickly and accurately evaluated the situation.

237
00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:28,480
Go in haste, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down calamity on us and strike the city

238
00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:31,800
with the edge of the sword.

239
00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:35,920
Sometimes it is wisest to flee, isn't it?

240
00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:42,680
Foolish is the person who comes face to face with temptation and he says, I'm going to

241
00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,600
stay here and fight it out.

242
00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:51,200
There are times when the best thing to do is to flee youthful lusts.

243
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:56,320
To get away from the situation, to do what Joseph did with Potiphar's wife and to leave

244
00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:58,160
quickly.

245
00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:01,960
And in this situation, that is what David chose to do.

246
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:03,440
Why did he leave so quickly?

247
00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:07,560
Well, because he evaluated that if he stayed, there was going to be warfare in the city,

248
00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:09,680
possibly resulting in his own death.

249
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:14,440
But in addition, he needed to get some time.

250
00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:22,160
He had to have some space here for thinking so he could reorganize his troops, so to speak,

251
00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:23,840
and return.

252
00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:31,200
So he wanted to get the Jordan River, which rolls, as John sang about tonight, that rolling

253
00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:36,440
Jordan River in between himself and Absalom.

254
00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:41,040
It may also be that David realized that what was taking place here was nothing more than

255
00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:47,680
the consequences of his own sin and that it was coming out of the hand of God to him.

256
00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:49,560
Whatever he knew when to flee.

257
00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:53,840
Secondly, he did not want to involve others needlessly.

258
00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,400
Notice how he goes on in verse 15.

259
00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:00,280
The king's servant said to the king, behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my

260
00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:01,560
lord the king chooses.

261
00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:05,440
In other words, they said, we'll stay and fight if you want.

262
00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:07,180
We'll go if you want.

263
00:21:07,180 --> 00:21:11,180
So the king went out and all his household with him, but the king left 10 concubines

264
00:21:11,180 --> 00:21:12,600
to keep the house.

265
00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:17,440
And the king went out and all the people with him, and they stopped at the last house.

266
00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:22,000
Now all his servants passed on beside him.

267
00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:27,360
All the Cherithites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, 600 men who had come with

268
00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:30,320
him from Gath, passed on before the king.

269
00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:31,320
Who are all these people?

270
00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,800
Well, they're basically his bodyguard.

271
00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,560
They're the secret service.

272
00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:43,320
They're the people who surround David, the last line of defense against any enemy.

273
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:47,200
They're going with him now and passed before him.

274
00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:53,160
Then the king said to Ittai, the Gittite, why will you go with us?

275
00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,640
Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile.

276
00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:58,340
Return to your own place.

277
00:21:58,340 --> 00:22:02,240
You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander with us?

278
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:04,360
Will I go where I will?

279
00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:05,680
Return and take back your brothers.

280
00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:07,560
Mercy and truth be with you.

281
00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:14,840
You see, David was willing to allow others to be free from involvement with him.

282
00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:23,560
He did not needlessly want them to become a part of his dangerous situation.

283
00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:28,840
But Ittai answered the king and said, as the Lord lives, and as my Lord the king lives,

284
00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:34,800
surely wherever my Lord the king may be, whether for life or for death or for life, there also

285
00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:36,600
your servant will be.

286
00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:41,520
I appreciate the fact that David did not want to involve others needlessly.

287
00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:44,480
There's a lesson there, folks, for us to learn.

288
00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:49,040
There are times when you and I have something happening in our lives.

289
00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:50,800
That's a problem.

290
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:58,120
We are godly if we do not involve other people in that needlessly.

291
00:22:58,120 --> 00:23:04,320
If we just keep quiet about it and handle the situation as God leads us to handle it

292
00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:11,320
without getting a crew of people together that are not really a part of the situation.

293
00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:13,360
Ittai wasn't really involved in this.

294
00:23:13,360 --> 00:23:17,240
He was a Gentile, though he had come to David, was loyal to David.

295
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:19,600
David said, look, you're not a part of my situation.

296
00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:20,600
Go on back.

297
00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:25,460
But here's a man who proved his friendship, and that's something I appreciate about Ittai.

298
00:23:25,460 --> 00:23:30,720
He said, David, whether it's for life or for death, I am your servant.

299
00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:31,720
I am with you.

300
00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:37,840
It's at a time like this that you know who your friends really are.

301
00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:42,280
Chuck Swindoll points out wisely that there are several levels of friendship.

302
00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:47,440
There's a superficial level of friendship that we call acquaintance, where we know someone

303
00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:48,440
else in passing.

304
00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:55,040
And then there's casual friendship, where we spend time with someone else and we know

305
00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:56,640
a little bit more than their name.

306
00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,160
We're with them occasionally.

307
00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:03,520
Then there's close friendship, where we begin to open up and share with them more

308
00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:05,080
intimately about ourselves.

309
00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:11,840
And finally, there's intimate friendship, where lives are bound together in honor and

310
00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:19,580
faithfulness, where there is an openness to the other person that allows admonishment

311
00:24:19,580 --> 00:24:26,200
and even rebuke to travel back and forth, and certainly encouragement.

312
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:32,960
And he also points out that the further the friendships develop, the fewer people there

313
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:35,320
are that you take with you.

314
00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:40,320
So by the time you get to the intimate friends, there are very few and precious.

315
00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:42,960
Now that is the way of life.

316
00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,360
That doesn't mean that something's wrong with that.

317
00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:50,160
I don't suppose we can have many intimate friends.

318
00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:54,000
The nature of life is not that way, but thank God for intimate friends.

319
00:24:54,000 --> 00:25:02,560
And that seems to be the level upon which Hittite and David had based their relationship.

320
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:04,720
David said, go and pass over.

321
00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,880
So Hittite the Gittite passed over with his men and all the little ones who were with

322
00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:12,840
him, while all the country was weeping with a loud voice.

323
00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:14,760
All the people passed over.

324
00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:19,720
The king also passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the

325
00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:23,400
way of the wilderness.

326
00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:31,320
The brook Kidron flows in the valley just to the east side of the city of Jerusalem.

327
00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:37,180
It is in between the mountain on which the city of Jerusalem rests and the Mount of Olives

328
00:25:37,180 --> 00:25:38,440
on the east.

329
00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:43,400
The two mountains come down like this, and Kidron flows right down between them.

330
00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:48,080
It's the same brook that Jesus passed over, even the very night in which he was betrayed

331
00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:53,920
as he went from the upper room over to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, and then was

332
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:58,800
arrested and taken back across the brook into the city to be tried.

333
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:02,680
The same little brook is involved here.

334
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:06,360
And as David passed over the brook, he was in tears.

335
00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:07,360
Why?

336
00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:10,520
Because he loved the city of Jerusalem.

337
00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:17,920
There was nothing nowhere on earth that was more dear to David than the city of Jerusalem.

338
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:22,520
And now he was going to have to leave it.

339
00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:26,920
So I see David's response as being first, he knew when to flee.

340
00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:27,920
That was wise.

341
00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:33,160
Secondly, he did not involve others needlessly in his battle.

342
00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:37,000
Third, he left the outcome in God's hands.

343
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,240
This required a great step of faith in his part.

344
00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:45,880
Verse 24, behold, Zadok also came and all the Levites with him, carrying the Ark of

345
00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:47,760
the Covenant of God.

346
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:53,560
And they set down the Ark of God, and Abethar came up until all the people had finished

347
00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:55,840
passing from the city.

348
00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:58,240
Abethar and Zadok are two of the priests.

349
00:26:58,240 --> 00:26:59,440
They've got the Ark of God.

350
00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:00,440
They're taking it with David.

351
00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:04,240
And the king said, return the Ark of God to the city.

352
00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:09,100
If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then he will bring me back again and show me

353
00:27:09,100 --> 00:27:12,280
both it and his habitation.

354
00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,840
But if he should say thus, I have no delight in you.

355
00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:17,560
Behold, here I am.

356
00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:21,360
Let him do to me as seems good to him.

357
00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:24,680
The king said to Zadok the priest, are you not a seer?

358
00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:29,280
Return to the city in peace and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan, the

359
00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:31,080
son of Abethar.

360
00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:36,360
And see, I'm going to wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to

361
00:27:36,360 --> 00:27:37,760
inform me.

362
00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:44,320
Therefore, Zadok and Abethar returned the Ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.

363
00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:51,600
So David, by this symbolic act, is saying, Lord, I trust you.

364
00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:52,920
He seems to be intimating.

365
00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:58,520
He understands this to be a consequence of his previous disobedience.

366
00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:04,320
And he says, Lord, if I am still in this favor in your sight, then you do to me what seems

367
00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,640
best.

368
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:10,640
But if, in fact, I find grace in your sight, then I know I'll come back to the city of

369
00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:11,800
Jerusalem.

370
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:15,040
I don't need the Ark to go with me.

371
00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:20,440
David is placing the outcome into the hands of God, a great act of faith and trust in

372
00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:22,400
the Lord on his part.

373
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:26,400
By the way, if you want to read some of the other thoughts in David's mind during this

374
00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:33,280
period of time, read Psalms 3, 61, 62, and 63.

375
00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:37,440
Not now, please, but maybe for devotions tonight or in the morning.

376
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:39,040
Read what was going through his mind.

377
00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:43,520
And with this background, some of the words and phrases from those Psalms will mean a

378
00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,200
great deal to you.

379
00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:50,640
Well, it says, And David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went,

380
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:52,640
and his head was covered, and he walked barefoot.

381
00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:56,760
And all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they

382
00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:57,760
went.

383
00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:04,720
And someone told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.

384
00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:13,440
I say again, Ahithophel was as close a counselor as David had, and now he had turned against

385
00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:17,920
his master and was with Absalom in this conspiracy.

386
00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:27,240
And David said, Oh, Lord, I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.

387
00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:33,440
David is concerned that Ahithophel's counsel is so wise that he will be able to instruct

388
00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:40,000
Absalom wisely how to fully overthrow David.

389
00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:47,860
So he prays and asks God to confuse the counsel of Ahithophel, to make it foolishness.

390
00:29:47,860 --> 00:29:52,480
And David fourthly, and this is the fourth thing that I see that he did in his response,

391
00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:59,000
he did what he could to counter the attack against him.

392
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:00,000
What did he do?

393
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,920
Well, it happened as David was coming to the summit of the Mount of Olives where God was

394
00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:04,920
worshipped.

395
00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:11,240
The behold, Hushii, the archite, met him with his coat torn and dust on his head.

396
00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,680
Here's another man who's a friend of David.

397
00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:18,960
He is apparently an older man.

398
00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:24,400
He comes with his coat torn and dust on his head, evidencing the fact that he identifies

399
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:28,960
with David in this time of tragedy and sorrow.

400
00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:33,520
And David said, if you pass over with me, you'll be a burden to me.

401
00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,960
By that he probably refers to his age.

402
00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:43,400
But he says, if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O

403
00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:50,400
God, as I have been your father's servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,

404
00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:54,320
David says, then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me.

405
00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:59,240
And are not Zadok and Abethar the priests with you there, so it shall be that whatever

406
00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:04,560
you hear from the king's house, you'll report to the priests and their two sons,

407
00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:07,360
and Jonathan will report them to me.

408
00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:14,560
So you see what David does here to counter the attack is to really set up a spy network

409
00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:15,560
in Jerusalem.

410
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:20,160
He has sent back the two priests with the Ark of God and their sons.

411
00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:23,640
They can run the news to David.

412
00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:31,240
But then he sends back this very key person, Hushai, who will serve as the chief spy of

413
00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:32,840
what Absalom is going to do.

414
00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:41,680
He says, you can give your services to Absalom and tell him that like Ahithophel, you are

415
00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:46,360
capitulating to his kingship and he will trust you.

416
00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:51,280
And in that position, then, you can counter what Ahithophel will say to him.

417
00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:55,960
And in fact, that's exactly what happens a little later on.

418
00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,600
You say, well, why is it that Ahithophel turned against David?

419
00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:03,400
He was a trusted counselor.

420
00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:06,640
There's a very interesting answer to that.

421
00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:13,220
Why would a man so close to David turn against his master?

422
00:32:13,220 --> 00:32:25,280
The answer is that Ahithophel's granddaughter was Bathsheba.

423
00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:34,760
And Ahithophel, in his heart, had it in for David because of what he had done to Bathsheba

424
00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:36,800
and to her husband Uriah.

425
00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:43,320
And so when the opportunity came, he turned on David.

426
00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:48,280
Well, now David counters that with this man, Hushai.

427
00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:55,080
I believe that in our battles that we are expected to combine fervent faith and trust

428
00:32:55,080 --> 00:33:05,120
in God with righteous and possible actions on our part.

429
00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:09,800
In other words, we are to do what we can do.

430
00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:13,240
God is not going to do everything for us.

431
00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:19,880
Whatever we can do when we are in attack, we are expected to do, coupling that with

432
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:24,320
complete trust in the Lord to work out His will in our situation.

433
00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:29,520
I think that's what James intimates when he says that we are to trust in the Lord and

434
00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:32,960
resist the devil and He will flee from us.

435
00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:33,960
Trust in the Lord.

436
00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:34,960
There's the faith.

437
00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:35,960
Resist the devil.

438
00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:36,960
That's what we're to do.

439
00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,560
And the result is He will flee from us.

440
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:43,960
Well, we're going to stop at this point in the narrative and pick it up there next time.

441
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:49,240
But let's just remind ourselves that what's happening here is that David is reaping the

442
00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,800
bitter consequences of his own sin.

443
00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:56,600
But how gracious God is to David.

444
00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:04,200
Even though He allows him to reap this bitter fruit, God is not finished with David.

445
00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:10,240
God is allowing all of this to take place to accomplish some specific purposes.

446
00:34:10,240 --> 00:34:15,480
And when those purposes are finished, God will restore David.

447
00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:22,320
That's why I like that song that we had the privilege of singing a few moments ago.

448
00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:28,400
Where sin abounded, grace does much more abound.

449
00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:33,080
You may be in a situation tonight where you feel that you are reaping some consequences

450
00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:37,160
and sometimes that can be rather bitter.

451
00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:40,480
Will you rejoice that God is a gracious God?

452
00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:45,920
That He's not leaving you to suffer alone in those consequences.

453
00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:48,640
But He is there with you.

454
00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:51,440
He is working in your circumstances.

455
00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,320
And He is going to bring blessing upon your head.

456
00:34:54,320 --> 00:35:06,320
In the meantime, respond to your situation in a godly manner in faith and obedience.

457
00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,040
Let's pray together.

458
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:26,600
Lord, we praise You that Your grace forever abounds far beyond the total of our sins.

459
00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:35,160
Thank You that even though You normally allow us to reap the consequences of our own disobedience

460
00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:43,800
to teach us lessons, that You don't leave us or forsake us, but You are right there

461
00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:50,200
with us, loving us and putting Your arms around us, keeping us secure.

462
00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:53,080
Thank You for Your faithfulness.

463
00:35:53,080 --> 00:36:03,080
Lord, when we face battles like David did, would You please enable us to respond in a

464
00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:05,960
godly manner?

465
00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:17,080
Give us insight into the Word and instruction by the Holy Spirit in the inner man so that

466
00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:25,600
the godly character will be evidenced in the way that we handle the battle.

467
00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:36,800
I pray that You would deliver all of us from hidden, disguised, inward sins that would

468
00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:42,840
make us into absolums.

469
00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:49,240
Deal with us, I pray, so that we are honest before You and with others.

470
00:36:49,240 --> 00:36:55,520
Thank You for the instruction of Your Word tonight and for this time of fellowship together.

471
00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:59,320
We pray Your blessing upon each one as we go home.

472
00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:26,320
In Jesus' name, amen.