date put together, 8/22/84
Vs. 1-8, the victory celebration.
David had given command to spare the rebel, Absalom. Joab defeated the rebel's army, and killed Absalom. The word comes to David and he proceeds to mourn and weep in a very great way. The people see the effect on the king, so they hid themselves as they came home. Joab went to the king, and told him that it was obvious that if the king's army had been destroyed and Absalom spared, the king would have been much happier.
Joab then tells the king he had better straighten up and treat the people right or he would be in more trouble than he had ever been in.
1) Notice how the king's attitude in this one event effected everyone under him. The attitude of those in authority affect those under their authority. Those under authority watch closely the attitude of those in authority, and are effected thereby.
Dad's, we need to be especially aware of this fact.
2) David's mourning turned a great victory into great mourning. We see that we allow those under our authority to enjoy any victory they might earn. They must be allowed to enjoy the fruit of their labour.
3) Notice David might have wept and carried on in private, but he should have rejoiced with the people over the great victory that the Lord had given to them.
There are times to put aside personal feelings and do what is right. This was a time of rejoicing, not of weeping, regardless of how David personally felt.
And the higher the place of authority, the more responsibility there is to control our emotions.
4) There are times when even the king must be rebuked. Because one is in authority, does not mean he is infallible. I have met men who, because they do have some authority, feel that any rebuke is a direct attack against their authority.
5) Joab was a wicked man, but he got the job done. Joab wastes no words as he pins the king's ears to the wall: "David, you honor the one who tried to kill you more than the ones who risked their lives to protect you." "You had better get it straight in your mind who your friends are or you haven't seen any problems yet."
David lost touch with reality. Today's world is turned inside
out to where we have lost touch with reality of who are friends
and who are foes.
Isn't it something when even the humanist tell us what they are
doing (stealing our minds) and how they are doing it and we still
say, "they aren't really doing that."
Result.. Things are getting worse and worse.
6) Joab rebuked the king, and there are times the king must be rebuked, but Joab did it with rudeness and insolence. David needed what Joab said, but Joab said it wrongly.
Just because what we say might be right, does not give us the right to be rude and insolent.
7) because someone rebukes us does not mean they are our enemy.
8) Joab magnifies the service of David's soldiers, v. 5. Therefore, even though folks only are doing their duty, they still should be praised when they do it well.
v. 7, speak comfortably... Even an employee and servant likes to be congratulated for his success or good job. If we expect the most and best out of people we will have to use more praise than criticism. A good leader uses praise effectively.
There have been disasters result from leaders holding their faithful servants in contempt. The French Revolution resulted from such a contemptuous attitude form the leaders.
9) one of the saddest points here is that David weeps great tears over his lost boy, but David expresses no remorse over what he did to allow the boy to go to the devil. David ought to have been ashamed over this boy and kept quiet; rather, he loudly and publicly proclaimed his love for this boy who would have killed his own dad if the Lord hadn't intervened.
As we followed the life of Absalom, it was obvious that what he did was a result of David's failure as a godly father.
God's people sit and weep over the rebellion being trained into their children, but refuse to face facts and deal with it. Terry Hockersmith is one of these.
10) v. 6, Love your enemies and hate your friends.
What could be crazier, but this is what we see today as a Nation. We treat our 'friends' with more contempt than our enemies. The enemies would go under if we didn't hold them up with loans, grants and food. This nation is far more concerned that the Marxism survives than that Christianity survives.
11) v. 8. notice who did the reproof, Joab the murderer. A wise man will accept reproof:
A. from an inferior
B. in the wrong spirit
C. from a 'wrong person'
It really doesn't matter who gives the reproof or the circumstances the reproof is given under, a wise man will examine himself. Truth can be truth no mater who presents it.
Of course, the word of God is needed to sort out the truth from nice sounding words, but we need to listen closely and look honestly at ourselves, then change if necessary. This is especially true if the "criticisms" comes from two different sources.
12) David took the advice, and changed.
Even though this reproof may have been given in a wrong spirit by an inferior, David acts on it. So should we if what is said is right.
When a fault is pointed out to us, do we act on that fault? or do we get offended?
I know people who will not consider anything if it is not given properly or from the right source. Those people are fools headed for destruction.
13) v. 7, Joab implied that if David did not do right in this matter, he would leave David's service. And if he left David's service, the people would leave also. Joab's arrogance is obvious.
14) Another point that we see here with David and his son, Absalom: the closer we are to a situation, esp children, the harder it is to see the truth of a situation, or to deal with a situation.
We all know folks who are blind to certain situations they are close to. Everyone around them knows the truth about the matter, but if you go to the person, he would not speak to you again.
David was mature enough he could see the truth regardless so who gave it, regardless of what it was about (child), and regardless of the circumstances.
We must have the grace of God to see and accept the truth about those areas that are so close to us. The BLIND SPOTS that we cannot see may be because, as with David here, we are so emotionally involved.
A wise man will look honestly at all areas no matter how "good" he might feel in them. Usually those areas we "feel" the best in are the very ones we are the weakest in.
Let's learn to be honest with ourselves, our family and our Lord.
Date, 8/23/84
July 18, 1993
Vs. 9-15, bringing back the king.
1) David had done great and mighty things for the people of Israel, but they could not decide to allow him back to reign. People have very short memories, to their own destruction.
2) David would not go back without being invited to return. He would not return a conquering hero, but as a prince with the consent of the people. David would only go back in honour, not in dishonour.
The best rule is a willing rule. We must say that this is an excellent picture of the rule of King Jesus: His rule is not as a blood and guts conquering hero, but as the Prince of Peace. Christ rules from the heart, or He will not rule at all.
3) the reasons to allow the king to reign again:
He had helped fight their battles, subdued their enemies and done them a great amount of service. He had delivered them out of the hand of the Philistines.
If anyone deserves to rule God's people, King Jesus does.
4) David sends messengers to Juda to convince them to reestablish the king. He sent the two priests, Zadoc and Abiathar.
If anyone should be speaking for the crown rights of the King, King Jesus, it should be his priests.
5) Notice who David sent the priests to: the elders of Judah. Judah was David's brethren. If anyone should have been willing to bring the king back, Judah should have been. But they weren't. They had to be persuaded to do what they should have been doing.
If anyone should desire to have the King, King Jesus, reign over them, it should be His people. But, sad to say, the vast majority today refuse to admit that He has the authority to reign over them. The job of the priests of the Most High God is to convince God's people that King Jesus should be permitted to reign over them.
I am firmly convinced today that the reason King Jesus is not reigning over not only His own people, but over the whole world through His people, is because His men, the priests whom He has sent to His people, will not present Him as their literal, rightful King.
There is a very severe judgment coming against His men, the priests, because they have and are refusing to proclaim that thier King is alive and well and rules now.
Once in a while, I listen to J.V. McGee. I heard him Friday (7/16/93), and what he was saying was sickening. He was saying that if one tries to obey the law of God they have denied the faith. He even went so far as to imply it was a sin to honor the Sabbath in any kind of a Christian sense. He made a point of saying that he was in his studio making the tape on a Sunday as though he was bragging that Sunday meant nothing to him. It was no more than another day of the week.
The Son of David has sent His representatives to His people; rather than His men saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house?, they are saying, He is not really the king during this dispensation of time. But someday He will be.
6) These two priests sent by David had David's best interests at heart.
I think this is the heart of the matter. The vast majority of men the King has sent to His people are more interested in their own interests than they are the King's. How much money or glory is in the message for them? Will they be the King's right hand man? If not, then the message will be compromised.
When we listen to these men speak, it is obvious that they are not going to represent the King in all His power and authority. They are afraid that if they do present the crown rights of King Jesus, it will cost them some of the glory that they have.
7) v. 11, speak... All the people needed was someone to speak to them and they would bring back the king.
Many people are afraid to lead, but they will follow in a good work. All they is someone to speak to them.
8) Speak... saying... They were not to speak their own words, but were to repeat the words given to them by their king.
I'm afraid we underestimate the power of the spoken word. When we speak the words of the King for the King, then the Spirit promises to work. He promises that His world will not return void.
Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.
Observe:
A. fallen man today feels he can improve upon the word's of the King as given in holy Scripture. Josh McDowell and James Dobson are example of unbelief in the power of the word of God. Both of these men believe that the wisdom and understanding of this world must be mixed with the word of God for God's word to be truly effective.
It is evident that the major reason that the King is not reigning in the hearts of men and nations is because the words being spoken are not the whole counsel of God. Rather the words of the King are being diluted with worldly philosophy.
B. another reason that King Jesus does not reign is because fallen man is not confident that the world of God does have the power to subdue the most hardened heart to King Jesus.
C. another reason that King Jesus does not reign is because fallen man desires to remove the words of the King from their context. Man has an idea of what the King really means, so he finds Scripture to support his preconceived notions.
This is called "Dispensationalism" and consists of dividing up the word of God into different time frames. Some even go as far as to say the Book of Matthew is not for us today; it is for another period off in the future because it presents Jesus as King over His people and it presents a firm law to live by.
If the whole counsel of God were left in the whole context of the world of God, there would be no escaping the fact that God's King reigns now.
9) Speak comforting words, not words of war. They were not to go and say, "Either let the king reign, or you will be sorry." Now, there are times with the threat of the King should be made, but there are also times of words of comfort. If you will check the words of Jesus, you will find that better than 2/3 of His words were words of condemnation and threats, but the rest were words of love and comfort.
Maybe Judah was afraid of David because of their turning against him. All they needed was a word of encouragement that said the king was safe to return and that they needed to do what was right.
10) notice the message, v. 12.
Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and
of his bones.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted
like as [we are, yet] without sin.
This king is not some stranger which would rule harshly over a captive nation. He is of the same bone and flesh as we. He would not and does not rule harshly but lovingly over His people.
11) v. 13, David makes a strange promise to Amasa, the head of Absalom's army. He promised Amasa Joab's post as head of the army if he would come over from Absalom's army to his. Joab and Amasa were both David's nephews.
Joab had become very haughty, and David had all of it he could stand. Now he tries to remove Joab from his position. We see here that there are times to make friends with former enemies. And maybe times when the friendship can be purchased.
David recognizes a good man and is not afraid to use him.
12) they bring back the king. The words of the king do the job they were sent to do.
13) Three times the phrase bring back the king is used, vs. 10, 11, 12. The connection between the earthly king, David, and the heavenly king, Jesus, is quite clear.
Christ left this earth because of man's rebellion. He still desires to reign in the hearts of man, but His reign will be of man's own will.
God's people's first and primary responsibility is to be busy about the King's business; we are commanded to be working at bringing back the King. Christ presented this requirement very clearly in the Book of Matthew when He said we are to seek first the kingdom of God...
Are we fulfilling our responsibility to advance the kingdom of our Lord and Christ, King Jesus? Are we obeying the injunction to speak His words to His people? Do we believe that His word is strong enough to do what it has promised, subdue hearts to Himself?
The Lord Jesus will rule in the hearts of those who willfully submit to His rule. King Jesus rules from the inside out, Psa 110:2, 3.
Vs. 16-23, the meeting at the river.
David, as he returns to Jerusalem, comes to the Jordan river. Here he is met by many people to escort him over the river. Evidently, David and his household was provided with a boat, and the rest of the people got wet.
Two remarkable people meet David at the river, Shimei and Ziba. Both of these men had abused David greatly when he fled for his life.
Ziba abused David with a fair tongue which defamed his master, Mephibosheth, the son of Saul. The result was the David broke his pledge to his best friend, Jonathan.
Shimei abused David with a foul tongue and had railed upon David as he passed under a mountain.
1) of the two, Ziba was considerably more dangerous. Far more good people have been destroyed by a fair tongue than by a foul tongue. The fair tongued devil will obtain what he desires unawares.
2) both men were wrong, but of the two, Shimei was the more honest. I have far more respect for Shimei than for Ziba. There was no doubt where Shimei stood in relationship to the king. Shimei may not like you, but you know it. Ziba talks nice, but you had better hold onto your billfold.
3) Shimei knew he had best make speedy peace with the king. He lost no time to agree quickly with his adversary while there was still time.
4) Notice that he fell down before the king as a penitent sinner. He submitted to the king, he kissed the king while there was still time to do so, Ps 2.
Time will run out one of these days, and those who refuse to submit to the King will face His wrath.
5) Shimei owns up to the crime against the king, and openly confessed the sin he had committed openly.
Public sin requires public confession.
6) Shimei is smart enough to take advantage of the joyous occasion and king's generous mood.
7) Abishai, the one who wanted to kill Shimei when he first cursed the king, still wants to kill Shimei. David stops Abishai again. Abishai's zeal for the king is commendable, but his zeal is more vengeance and anger than godliness.
A) Abishai is a blood-thirsty fellow who sees death to the "sinners" as the answer to the problems. Abishai's answer to the problem is to take up the sword. There are many today who see the same answer. Rather than praying and working for Godly righteousness and justice in their community, they would rather take off someone's head.
8) Notice what the king told Abishai: What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? David considered this man an enemy because of his anger and vengeful spirit.
This is an important point. Abishai had every cause to be angary and vengeful over what Shimei had done against the king. Abishai was one of David's faithful men who had stuck by him through thick and thin. Abishai was a faithful friend who love David and loved the law of the Lord. His desire to kill Shimei was according to the law of Moses. Abishai was willing at all times to give his life for David, but David considers him an adversary.
The following are harsh statements, but their implications are clearly in this passage:
A) those who cannot control their spirit are not our friends; they are our adversaries.
B) the less we have to do with those with a vengeful and angry spirit, the better off we will be.
C) there is nothing but destruction ahead of the man with an angary spirit because they are fools:
Ecc 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger
resteth in the bosom of fools.
Pr 14:17 [He that is] soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man
of wicked devices is hated.
Pr 16:32 [He that is] slow to anger [is] better than the mighty;
and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Pr 29:20 Seest thou a man [that is] hasty in his words? [there
is] more hope of a fool than of him.
Jon 4:9 And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for
the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, [even] unto death.
(Notice that the angary man justifies his anger even to the Lord.)
David was going to have nothing to do with this angry man, Abishai. And that is excellent advise for us to follow today.
Those who follow the blood-thirsty, angry man who has zeal without knowledge, or, we should say, "Zeal outside the control of the Spirit," those who follow him, follow him to their own destruction.
We heard an interview with the founder of "Operation Rescue," Randal Terry, over PBS radio. I was amazed at his calm, controlled spirit. He called the Sodomites and the whoremongers just what they are, but his spirit was always under control. The woman who interviewed him over the phone let him say whatever he wanted to say. She seemed to try to catch him in several things with her questions, but his calm spirit very wisely avoided her traps. He was very impressive as he proclaimed the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
It makes me wonder how much damage is done to the kingdom work of Christ on earth by the type of spirit that this angry, vengeful man, Abishai, had.
9) David shows mercy to Shimei.
A) those whose sins are forgiven owe it to forgive others. Those who have had mercy owe mercy to others.
B) if he had given Shimei justice, death for lifting up his hand and mouth against the Lord's anointed, David would have lost the respect of the people at this point.
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.
David sealed Shimei's pardon with his word. Evidently, the pardon depended upon Shimei's good behaviour.
Let's close this section with two points:
1. King Jesus will return one day, and there will be an accounting. Every person will answer for every deed done in the flesh, whether good or bad. Are we ready for such an accounting?
2. The person with the uncontrolled and uncontrollable spirit is headed for destruction. Those who follow him will be destroyed also. The person with an uncontrolled zeal is not a friend of God or our fried no matter how much they profess to love the Lord, us, the law and righteousness.
David considers those with an uncontrolled, vengeful spirit an adversary to the righteous and to the kingdom of God.
August 15, 1993
Vs. 24-30, Genuine concern for the king.
Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul and the son of Jonathan, comes down to meet the king. His appearance is the evidence of his mourning over the dethronement of Israel's rightful king. Mephibosheth had been adopted as a member of the king's household, so the king questions him as to why he did not go into exile with him. Mephibosheth explains that his servant, Ziba, deceived him. Mephibosheth, being lame, was unable to saddle his own ass, so he had asked his servant, Ziba, to do it.
Ziba, instead of saddling the ass for Mephibosheth so he could go to the king, took the ass himself and met the king. Ziba then lied to the king concerning the circumstances and Mephibosheth's intentions (to claim the kingdom for the house of Saul). V. 28, Mephibosheth points out how foolish it would have been for him to desire the throne: how much higher could he go than being in the king's household?
Sensing the king's anger, Mephibosheth proclaims his loyalty to the king and says that any goodness the king has already shown is more than he deserved.
The king then restores things as they were.
1. Mephibosheth's mourning over the king's dethronement was obvious. His care during the time was for the king and the kingdom, not for his own well-being.
I have a message ready in Mat 6, "A time for fasting." We live in a day when we should be mourning and fasting over the sad state of the King and His Kingdom on earth.
2. a wicked servant can do untold harm to an honest master.
3. Mephibosheth's integrity is shown when he casts himself upon the goodness, mercy and grace of the king, do therefore what is good in thine eyes.
4. evidently, David accepts Mephibosheth's explanation because he restores things as they were, v. 29. The estate continued in Mephibosheth's possession, and Ziba continued to work it for the rent.
Although v. 30 implies that Ziba ended up with all the estate.
5. Ziba took advantage of the helpless, but David does not deal with Ziba according to the law, Det 19:18, 19. Our King will deal with all liers.
Application:
A. We have an accuser before our King, called "The Accuser of the Brethren."
B. this accuser will deceive us any way he can to get us to lose what is provided for us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
C. he not only will deceive us, but he will slander us before our King. And really, he doesn't have to tell any lies about us; all he has to do is tell the truth.
D. All we can do is what Mephibosheth did: cast ourselves on His mercy and depend on Him to make the right decision.
E. we and our fathers were but dead men before He took notice of us. We deserved nothing but death
F. HE took us and made us sit at the King's table; HE made us one of His family.
G. v. 28. What right therefore have we to complain when things do not go for our apparent benefit? We deserved and still deserve death.
H. v. 30. our desire and concern should be to see that the King reigns, not whether we have what "belongs" to us. And actually, what we have that we consider ours was given to us by the King anyway, 1 Co 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ [from another]? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive [it], why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received [it]?
We get as wrapped up in our possessions as though we obtained them on our own. Job said it like this: The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
We were poverty stricken cripples before the Lord found us and made us one of His own. If we should lose everything, what right do we have to complain?
The rich man died and someone said, "Who much did he leave?" The answer was, "He left it all."
After our life is done, all that will matter is whether or not the Son of David reigned in our lives.
Vs. 31-39, a great man.
David fled for his life from Absolam. In fleeing, David had no opportunity to take supplies for himself and those with him. Barzillai then supplied David and those with him while David was disposed. Now David returns to the throne, and he offers to take Barzillai with him to repay him for what he did for David. Barzillai refuses the king's offer, but permits the king to take his son for repayment instead.
1) Barzillai was a very great man. He was great in several ways, one of which is wealth. He had a great estate, and he knew what was the purpose of his great estate: to do good. The Lord provides wealth for a purpose:
To care for the affairs of the King of kings.
To do good for those in need.
2) David invites him to return to Jerusalem with him. The man is a great man, so David desires his counsel.
3) David is grateful for Barzillai's care for him in his hour of distress. Notice that David, as king, did not demand that Barzillai care for him in his distress, but Barzillai willingly provided the care.
David did not see Barzillai's care as something owed to him; rather, he saw it as a great kindness to be repaid. David desires to repay the kindness.
We should always take care to be grateful for kindnesses done for us, especially when those kindnesses are done by our friends.
4) v. 36. Barzillai thanks the king for his generous offer, but he declines. Notice that this very great man only considered it his duty to care for the king. He confesses that he only did his duty to his king; therefore, he did not do it expecting any reward.
Furthermore, the reward offered by David was greater than the deed done by Barzillai. The saints reward for faithful service to the Son of David will be greater than the deeds done for the Saviour, Mat 15:37.
5) Barzillai confesses that he is an old man, and has not long to live. His pleasures are no longer in the things of this world as maybe they once were. He fears that he will be more of a burden on the king than a blessing.
A good person is sensitive to whether or not they might be a burden on others.
6) Barzillai tells David that he wants to die in his own city. He tells him that it is time for him to prepare for the grave.
This is excellent advise for anyone. Many are far to concerned about the pleasures of this world when they should be concerned about meeting the grave. I should say about meeting their works after the grave, Ro 14:12; 2 Cor 5:10.
7) Barzillai desires the king to take his son instead.
Clearly here, the children reap the results of the parents faithfulness to the king.
8) v. 38. David uses his returned power to do good to those who were faithful to him in his time of distress.
Conclusion:
Barzillai had taken care of the king while he was in exile from his throne. Now, as the king takes his throne back, he wants to reward Barzillai. Our King is in "self-exile" right now. Our reward when He returns will depend on how we have taken care of His business and the day is coming.
Chimham, Barzillai's son, reaped the reward of his dad's faithfulness while the king was off his throne. Our children will also reap the reward of how we take care of our King's business, Ex 20.
Vs. 40-43.
David is escorted over the Jordan back to Jerusalem. The men of Judah escort him first, and they are latter met by the men of Israel at Gilgal. There the 1/2 of the leaders of Israel meet them and raise a complaint that they were not in on escorting the king. There is an argument between the men of Israel and the men of Judah. True to the prophecy of Nathan, there is continual conflict now in David's realm, cha 20.
Vs. 11, 15, Israel first wanted the king back, and Judah had to be persuaded to let the king come home. Now Judah leads the king back without notifying Israel. This leads to a conflict between Judah and Israel. Israel complains that they were held back from the celebration when the king returned.
1. It seems that the men of Judah desired to monopolize the king once they saw he was coming home. Only conflict and mischief came from their desire and pride.
It is surprising how human nature desires to monopolize those in authority.
2. V. 42 implies that the men of Judah brought the king back because he was part of their tribe; whereas, it is implied that Israel wanted him back because of what was in it for them if he returned.
Many people desire to be close to authority for the perceived gain that might be in it for themselves.
3. People are extremely fickle. The crowd who drove David from the throne now complains that they were not invited to the "welcome-home party."
The multitude is very uncertain. They love you today, yet will stone you tomorrow.
4. v. 43, though there was no physical fight, the Lord takes not good notice of the fierce words of Judah.
God takes notice of our fierce words even though there may not be a physical fight. Fierce words will gain God's attention.