8/16/84
Vs. 1-4, David does it again.
I get upset every time I read this section. David is fleeing for his life, and Ziba, Mephibosheth's servant meets him with food and provision for David's use in his need. David asks Ziba where his master's son, Mephibosheth, is. Ziba lies and says, "He is home plotting against you." David then gives Ziba Mephibosheth's estate.
Observe:
1) Ziba is smart, for the children of this world are wiser than the children of the kingdom when it comes to the ways of the world. Ziba knew David better than David knew himself, and he knew just where and when to catch David.
2) David is dumb; he is blind to facts when it comes to those close to home. Where in the world does he think Ziba, a servant of Mephibosheth, got all of this provision?
3) Note the rash decision made by David in giving all the estate to the servant, Ziba. This decision was made again without checking the facts; it was made based upon the circumstance of the hour.
We call these pragmatic decisions; more commonly known as pragmatism. Decisions which work best at the time.
4) David should have checked it out, and sought advise on this decision, or at the very least, have let the decision rest until he was in a less pressed situation. But David is under pressure and he didn't seek advise. Besides, it did not really effect him personally. But it did affect an innocent party, Methibosheth. Some one is effected by our every decision.
5) Note how quick David was to turn against Methibosheth. Just a few chapters before, David was insisting that Methibosheth sit at his table for ever. Now David is cutting him off without a cent. If for no other reason, he should have at least checked for his oath's sake between himself and his best friend, Jonathan. David violated his oath by now making Jonathan's only remaining seed penniless.
6) We could point out the danger of making rash decisions on the spur of the moment, but in the next section, David doesn't do this. We will go ahead and say that most decisions made on the spur of the moment and under the pressure of the moment are, more often than not, wrong. We desperately need time to think them over and pray about them. At least sleep on them.
Vs. 5-8.
As David flees, a man from the house of Saul, Shimei by name,
meets him with curses.
1) Shimei called David a bloody man, but he was referring to the manner by which he thought David gained the throne. Shimei was saying that David took the throne from Saul by violence, v. 8. Special mention is made that Shimei was of the house of Saul, so evidently he was speaking from jealousy that the throne was no longer in his tribe.
2) David was indeed a bloody man from all the wars which he fought, but the blood was spilt at the Lord's commend.
3) Shimei cast stones at David. The adulterer and murderer was indeed to be stoned. David was spared by God, but now Shimei does it.
4) Shimei did not know it, but David is having to flee because he was a bloody man: he shed Bath's husband's blood. What David is now having to do is a dirrect result of his shedding of innocent blood. So even though Shimei did not realize what he was doing, he was actually speaking for God. The Lord is reminding David that he is having to flee because of the blood he shed to get another man's wife.
David has indeed been taken in his mischief, but it was not the mischief which Shimei was accusing him of.
Vs.9-15
1) Abishai offers to go over and take off Shimei's head. He desires to defend his friend and king.
2) David displays great patience with Shimei at this time, but on the other hand, he had zero tolerance with Methibosheth. His inconsistency here is incredible. It only shows us that David was a man just like other men. He had a sinful nature which had to be dealt with.
David could see the Lord's hand in the cursing, so he would not lose his temper or composure. But he could not see the truth behind Ziba's lies.
3) David could restrain Abishai, one of his men, from acting rashly, but he could not restrain himself from acting rashly. He could take a city and control other men with great efficiency, but he could not control his own spirit.
4) V. 12, requite me good... And the Lord will require of us good for every thing that comes into our lives. Nothing happens by accident, but the Divine Providence of God directs all things for a purpose.
5) Ziba flattered David, and Shimei cursed him. Ziba had just as much evil in his heart as did Shimei, but he hid it well and got the old estate of Saul (contrary to the covenant David made with his best friend, Jonathan). Shimei let the truth out and will get a lot of trouble and latter lost his life.
Now, a few points about Shimei's cursing:
Human nature is easy prey to flattery, but cursing will make us flee to the Lord. The Lord will requite just as much from the flattery, if not more, as He will from the cursing. How many modern day David's have fallen victim to the flattery when they were able to stand the cursing?
Flattery is far more dangerous than cursing ever could be:
Flattery will make a man think he is something when he is nothing, and lift him up with pride. Cursing will make a man think he is nothing when he might be something, and keep him humble.
Flattery influenced David to make a very bad decision. Cursing will cause one to check everything with the word of God.
Cursing will take the wind out of any man's sails, and make him realize that he is nothing. Cursing will cause a person to guard his every step and trust not himself and flee to the Lord.
Is this a reason that the Lord sees to it that we receive more "curses" than we receive "flatteries"? Curses will keep us closer to the Lord; therefore, we should be far more thankful for the curses than the flatteries.
MH says here: "By flatteries he made wrong judgment on others, and by cursing he made a correct judgment on himself."
A second point here:
Circumstances do not make us what we are; they only reveal
what we are.
What you are will come out; it is only waiting for the proper
time.
Shimei hated the king for taking the taking the throne from his tribe. He kept his hatred king well hidden, but when he perceived that circumstances proved what he felt was right, he took the chance and let it all out. Two things:
It looked to Shimei that David was indeed being judged for a bloody revolt against Saul, but the circumstances were wrong. That was not at all what was going on.
Circumstances did not make Shimei hate David; rather, they revealed his long harbored hatred of David. The circumstances lined up for Shimei, but they only revealed something he should have been working on: hatred for the king.
[note here for me while we still had a Christian school at Linden Baptist Church, 1/16/84. I believe God allowed the school situation to surface to reveal who were not convinced that Christian education is the answer and it was more of a convenience to them.]
As long as David was in power on the throne, Shimei would not reveal himself as in rebellion against the king. But as soon as circumstances permitted, his true nature came out.
The area of life which we do not have yielded to the King, as soon as circumstances permit, will reveal its rebellion against the King. Shimei means my fame, pride. The area not submitted to King Jesus will come out when the circumstances are right.
Circumstances:
Proved Shimei was right in his cursing of David.
Proved that Shimei was right all along about his suspicions concerning
David.
Proved God's stamp of approval was upon what was deep inside
Shimei: "David isn't right. I knew it all along and now circumstances
proves that I was right."
Circumstances allowed Shimei's rebellious spirit to surface,
as they do for all of us.
BUT, circumstances were wrong; they were not according to
the word of God. It was not right to curse the Lord's anointed
no matter how bad of a situation he got himself into. That is
the Lord's job.
A third point about Shimei's cursing:
Ps 2, all the raging and cursing in the world against God's anointed King will not change the fact that He is the Lord's anointed and the throne is His, v. 2. The Father will call all people into account before the King's throne. Furthermore, the wise man today will kiss the son lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way when the man must stand before the throne.
If Shimei had been smart, he would have been kissing the king as the king fled, but the king appeared to be dispossessed and it appeared that it was now safe to rebel against him. Those who ignore the King while He appears to be dispossessed will answer for their folly just as sure as Shimei did when David came back to the throne.
The rebellious Shimei's of the world can lift their hand against the King all they want to, they can throw stones and dust at Him all they want to, but they are not going to damage the King one bit. All they are doing is making it more difficult for themselves when they will have to answer to the King on His throne.
A fourth point:
16:7, our King is called a bloody man today because of the insistence upon the shed blood for the remission of sins. Men want a religion without the shed blood.
A fifth point:
How quick are we to judge the character of men by circumstances.
David was not guilty of the blood of Saul's house. He had done
all he could to spare Saul's house, but circumstances said he
was guilty of Saul's blood. The man with pride, unbelief and unsubmitted
areas in his heart will jump on anything at hand to justify his
hatred for the King and His rule.
______
[Another note from 84: I guess the closing of the school is fresh on my mind and those who have contacted me about it. Jerry Newland seems to be suturing something up by calling people to further his own end. He wouldn't even come to the PTF meetings last year unless we threatened to kick Scott out. He will have a hard time convincing me he is concerned about his kid's education and about the School. Others, as I try to put a car pool together, again, reflect the total unconcern for the whole thing. They express how committed they are but now that it is going to take a sacrifice on their part, they are "cursing and throwing stones" at us. "You didn't give us a chance." You didn't contact us."
I still believe it is right. My promise is still, Ex 14:13, fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, and He is using circumstances to reveal Shimei which would probably never been dealt with unless this had taken place.
David will reign and Shimei will do right, but the circumstances in this whole thing has and reveal a lot about everyone. Again, circumstances do not make a us, only reveal what we are made of.
He is also doing the same with the school. It seems Shimei
is winning out right now. The devil having a heyday, but the Lord
will be the one glorified out of it all no matter how much talking
Shimei does or how many stones and dust he throws. God is in control.
Circumstances are revealing where people's hearts and priorities
are.]
__________
The Devil thought he had a victory in driving David from the throne, but we see that the Lord got the glory from it. You would think the devil would learn, and leave well enough alone because it seems like all through history every time the devil makes a move and wins a victory, the Lord moves and turns that victory of Satan's into His glory, and the Lord will do the same here with David.
And the Lord is doing the same today. It appears that the enemy is victorious over King Jesus; it appears that the enemy has the Son of David on the run. But we know that it is not even a temporary setback for the King of kings. King Jesus reigns in spite of all the hatred of the world against Him. He is indeed King of the world, TODAY.
[My notes: He is also doing the same with the school. It seems Shimei is winning out right now. the devil is having a heyday, but the Lord will be glorified out of it all no matter how much talk in shimei does or how many stones and how much dust he throws. God is in control. Circumstances are revealing where people's hearts and priorities are. Might mention here: Some of our own people, because of circumstances, didn't put their kids in a Christian School. I can't say that I blame them. This school has not been what it should have been, and they have not had the expected (and promised over & over) results they had been promised. No wonder they went another direction; I would have also.
God help us to reopen Right this time.
Note what the Nevitts told me as we talked about this: "We have been promised every year that it would be better, and every year we see the same thing over and over" [added, their kids were the major problems, as well as the ones they 'protected' that I wanted to remove.]
Like I said, I can't really blame the two church families
for leaving because this school just hasn't been right. Only 3
graduates serving the Lord and even 1 in jail [one that one of
the families insisted I leave in the school]. Something's wrong!
Over-balanced with the world's influence. People who have no thought
of putting their kids in a Christian School until they see the
rebellion of humanism coming out and gets so bad that they cannot
handle it, then they grow interested in the school and the school
let them in. Instead of the school controlling them, they controlled
the school. 8/16/84]
______________________
November 15, 1992
2 Sam 16:15-19
David moves out of the city, and Absalom moves in. Hushai comes to Absalom, lies and is excepted for fact value.
1) and all the people the men of Israel.. It is amazing how quickly people are willing to turn on their leaders and turn from the direction they had been led. Notice 17:5, the elders of Israel.. Evidently, even the leaders of Israel joined with Absalom.
This has been one of the most shocking things that I have heard of in the ministry: after Bro. Weaver left his church, they got in a pastor who incorporated the church. When Bro. John Lewis left his church, they went back into the old state church mess. Right now at Max Paddock's church, there is a fight over this very thing; they want to go back. When Bro Riker left Zionsvill, he left an unincorporated church. The new pastor incorporated it.
I remember like it was yesterday: After I had taught on the dangers of a church being incorporated, a faithful man stood up in 1984 at Linden, and said that none of his money which he gave to the Lord would go into an incorporated ministry. Within a year he was in an incorporated church over the salvation issue. He was a victom of "pray this prayer for salvation", and I taught one must place their trust in Christ's work. He left rather than admit he was wrong.
I am continually amazed at how people can swear how committed they are to the authority of King Jesus, then turn right around and deny His authority.
2 Sam 16:15, the men who had sworn undying love and allegiance to David now follow Absalom like a bunch of puppies.
2) Special mention is made that Ahithophel is with Absalom. Ahithophel had been a counselor to David. His presence with Absalom lends legitmaticy to what Absalom is doing.
3) Hushai, David's friend made a point of appearing before Absalom immediately. He makes says good, religious and godly sounding words, God save the king, God save the king. He said this twice. His actions and words are as much of a lie as anyone can say. He is doing just what David told him to do, 15:32. Absalom is suspicious, v. 17.
4) Hushai lies like a rug to Absalom, professes rebellion against his friend David, and Absalom believes his lie. I think there are some reasons that Absalom so readily believed this lie.
A) All the circumstances pointed to the fact that Absalom was indeed now the rightful king. Hushai only takes advantage of the circumstances.
B) Absalom was used to living by lies and rebellion that he did not recognize it when it is used against him. Our Lord said that they that live by the sword will parish by the sword. It is said that a "con-artist" is the easiest tough for other "con-artists."
C) Absalom is so swelled up with pride that he cannot see the lie, Obad 3:3.
D) Hushai told Absalom what he wanted to here, vs. 18, 19, so Absalom believed every word.
E) Of course, it was of the Lord in order to destroy Absalom.
A conclusion here for vs. 15-19, is that those who are lifted up with pride can be "had" by telling them what they want to hear; puff up their pride and you will get your desire. The safest bet against getting in problems is humility. And let us not think for a moment that others do not know how to use our pride against us to get what they want from us. Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before the fall.
Absalom's pride and rebellion left him open for this lie of Hushai.
note that God raised up the rebel Absalom as judgement against David's sin. But, even though God raised him up, He raised him up for a fall, and David will be reinstated upon the throne. This sure reminds me of our day; God is obviously raising up the ungodly all around us, but He is raising them up to their own destruction. And when He casts them down, He will exalt the Son of David to His rightful place.
Vs. 20-23.
1) V. 20 reads like Absalom did not really expect to get the throne. He had made a great many promises to get the men of Israel to support him, but now that he is on the throne, he says, what shall we do. Again, I am reminded of the presidential 'race.' They promised the moon, now after the election they gather their counselors together and ask, "What shall we do." Absalom did not have any answers. All he had were empty promises to get the people to follow him.
2) Ahithophel was smart; in fact, he was known for his counsel, v. 23 (in those days, was as though God spoke through him). Furthermore, if Absalom had listened to Ahithophel, David would have been destroyed.
There are a couple of reasons for his advice.
A) He realized that the break between Absalom and his father, David, had to be drastic because David had a weakness toward Absalom bordering on sin. Ahithophel would be concerned that David would forgive Absalom and that would leave Ahithophel in a fix with the king.
B) Ahithophel knew that Absalom would have no strength until he proved that he and his father were separated. There could be no middle ground in the eyes of the people before the people would follow him completely, v. 21. The people would be fearful of following Absalom if they felt there was any chance of reuniting between the rebel and the king.
C) He realized that Absalom must break all ties of allegiance to David and show that he is in opposition to the former king. After all, was not the basis of his rebellion that David wasn't doing a good job? So Ahithophel advised to make the open break.
D) Ahithophel knew that Absalom had to prove that he actually did possess the throne.
3) So what is the means whereby Absalom can make this break? V. 20, Ahithophel advises Absalom to into his father's harem. Of course, this was the Middle East custom to show who had the throne.
This also fulfilled the prophecy of Nathan to David for taking another man's wife, which is the theme of all that is taking place. Might mention that David's wives paid the price for David's folly.
4) God never one time spoke to Absalom and said, "Because David did this, I want you to do that." Facts just build upon each other. Just the natural course of events from this boy that David would never say NO to.
5) Three final points here under the grace of God.
A) I think here we see that all the Lord has to do is take His hand of grace and mercy from us just for a moment. If He would, we would be done immediately. It is only by His undeserved mercy that we all do not meet the fate of our own folly.
B) Only by God's marvelous grace and mercy does He prevent our enemies from triumphing over us. The Lord had held Absalom in check until this time; not the time had arrived for Absalom to lead a successful rebellion, so the Lord allows it to come to pass. Absalom only triumphed because the Lord permitted him to triumph.
It is the Lord that keeps our enemies and His enemies in check.
C) Along with this, it is the Lord who keeps our friends faithful. Ahithophel turned against David for his own self-interests.