Gtcotr/ws011321
Last Wednesday evening our message centered around what we need to know. This week we are going to discuss what we need to do.
There was a time in King David’s life, when he was an older man, after he had brought peace and prosperity to Jerusalem and to the Nation of Israel, that he was forced to face the greatest enemies of his life.
During his reign, King David had strengthened the armies of Israel, staved off the attacks of foreign invaders, defeated the Philistines in the land, made peace with long held enemies, and brought prosperity to the people. Even though King David was not a perfect man, yet it was evident that God was with him and that he was a very successful King. King David should have been appreciated by all for the things he had accomplished but that was not how every person felt. In fact, not even all of his children liked or agreed with him. (Even though they ate at his table and enjoyed his riches)
The greatest enemies David encountered in life were not those who came from foreign lands to overthrow the kingdom, it was rather those who lived in the capital, those with whom David was familiar, those whom he had reason to trust.
2
Samuel gives the account of one of the sons of David whose name was Absalom.
The brief inexhaustive account of the factors leading up to 2 Samuel 15 gives a
little background information: (Remember – the intent of this message is to
show us what we need to do if we ever find ourselves, our friends, or
our nation in such a place.) The background:
·
Amnon
rapes Tamar (2 Samuel 13)
·
Absalom
consoles his sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:20)
·
King
David heard about this and did nothing. (2 Samuel 13:21)
·
2
years later Absalom killed Amnon and fled to Geshur where his grandfather was
King. (2 Samuel 13)
·
After
3 years David got past his grief and longed for Absalom
·
One
of David’s close servants, Joab, conspired to convince David to allow Absalom
to return to Jerusalem. However, when Absalom returned David refused to meet
with him. (2 Samuel 14)
· After 2 more years David finally agreed to meet with Absalom …
2 Samuel 14:33 So Joab went 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. Then the king kissed Absalom.
2 Samuel 15
1 ¶ After this it happened
that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run
before him.
2 Now Absalom would rise
early and stand beside the way to the gate. So it was, whenever anyone who had
a lawsuit came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and
say, “What city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is
from such and such a tribe of Israel.”
3 Then Absalom would say to
him, “Look, your case is good and right; but there is no deputy
of the king to hear you.”
4 Moreover Absalom would say,
“Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause
would come to me; then I would give him justice.”
5 And so it was,
whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand
and take him and kiss him.
6 In this manner Absalom
acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the
hearts of the men of Israel.
·
Absalom
continued stealing the hearts of the men of Israel by flattery and by telling
them only what they wanted to hear. He sowed seeds of distrust and division in
the minds of men and how they are not being listened to or treated right.
·
He
should have gotten a job and maybe he
wouldn’t have had all that time on his hands to steal hearts.
·
Absalom
had a plan all along … he wanted to be King.
·
The
only way Absalom could become king would be to get the army, the leaders of the
country and some of the key influential people of the city to turn on King
David and support him instead.
·
Absalom
and his allies created as much discontentment as possible and then he went a
few miles out of the capital and invited a group of innocent people who did not
know the plan and there he had his supporters crown him as king and they began
their march on Jerusalem. These innocent supporters were being used by Absalom.
· When King David realized what Absalom had done. he gathered his stuff, his family, and a few friends and servants and left his palace to keep the city from war. He had no interests in dividing the nation.
You’ve got the background … now let’s get to the part I want to share …
2 Samuel 15
30 So David went up by the
Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his
head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him
covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up.
31 ¶ Then someone told
David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And
David said, “O LORD, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
·
Ahithophel was one of David’s oldest, closest
and most trusted counselors. He was a known voice and exercised great influence
with the military and with those who had gained great wealth, power, and
position during King David’s reign.
·
Ahithophel was also the grandfather of
Bathsheba, David’s wife who we know as the mother of Solomon.
·
When David heard that Ahithophel had sided
with the conspirators to save his important cushy job, it broke David’s heart
even further.
·
Jewish Rabbis tell us David wrote Psalm 55, a
Messianic Psalm, about this moment:
Psalms 55 NLT
9 ¶ Confuse them, Lord, and
frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city.
10 Its walls are patrolled
day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the
city.
11 Everything is falling
apart; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets.
12 It is not an enemy who
taunts me — I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly
insult me — I could have hidden from them.
13 Instead, it is
you — my equal, my companion and close friend.
14 What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.
Back to the account in 2 Samuel to find out what we need to do if we ever observe or experience a moment of betrayal like this …
2 Samuel 16
5 ¶ Now when King David came
to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was
Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as
he came.
6 And he threw 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.
9 Then Abishai the son of
Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Please, let me go over and take off his head!”
11 And David said to Abishai
and all his servants, “See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life.
How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse;
for so the LORD has ordered him.
12 “It may be that the LORD
will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his
cursing this day.”
13 And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and kicked up dust.
You can read the rest of the story how Absalom dishonored King David in front of all the people; how Ahithophel hanged himself because Absalom didn’t make him the head counselor; how Absalom soon hung himself by his pride and had no way to defend himself and was ultimately executed; how David was restored as King, and how this rock thrower finally met his end by his own arrogance at the hand of King Solomon after David’s death.
But for now, What Shall We Do if we ever observe or experience such disappointment, injustice, and attack as did King David?
1.
Don’t try to save yourself by siding with the enemy.
2.
Let God deal with the rock throwers and those who curse good men.
3.
Stay connected to God through prayer.
No matter what happened to David, he was always conscious of pleasing God. And it was to God he made his appeal.
These
are the foundation stones upon which great lives and great nations are built.
