We're in second Samuel chapter 18, cherish these moments
because we have including this chapter seven chapters left in
our study of second Samuel, we're coming near the end.
What will happen after 2nd Samuel?
I do not know. I don't think we will jump into
1st Kings right away. Maybe we will we might take a
little break and address different things.
Different topics might have a Q&A or two.
So enjoy these moments. I pray that you do enjoy these
moments. We take our time in the
scriptures, and that is what we are.
Going to do with this chapter. And one of the benefits of being
here. Week after week, is that you
don't need much background information because you're so
familiar with the narrative already.
And so I will not give you an exhaustive background.
What I will say though, before we even open up the verses here
is that we have reached the climax.
We have reached the Pinnacle, we have reached the peak of this
story between David and his son Absalom.
They're about to face off in war a war that Absalom wanted and a
war that David dreaded. He did not want to engage in
this but they are left with no other choice.
Lest they be consumed by an evil man and a deceived nation.
And so before we break into this, I want to pray one more
time. My brother prayed so grateful
for that but it's a habit of mine to pray before we even read
a verse. And so I want to do that with
you before we read the first few verses here together Oh Lord,
there is so much joy in our hearts to be gathered in a place
with people who love the truth. Lord, we are not here because we
have to be, we are here because we get to be, it is an absolute
Delight to be in your presence and to be with those who are the
excellent ones of the land. The Saints of the land, we ask
Lord that you would open our eyes as we sang and Lord, that
you would burn our hearts for you and that you would give us
understanding in our minds so that we can be shaped.
And molded into the very image of your son help.
The delivery of this word may be under the power of the spirit,
may be filled with unction compassion truth.
That are not be mingled with error.
Oh Lord, let there be the delivery that you intended this
message to be delivered and we ask that you would be exalted
and Jesus name. Amen.
Are you with me? Let's read verse 1 together.
Then David mustard the men who are with him and said over them,
commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and David
sent out the Army 1/3 under the command of joab, 1/3 under the
command of abishai, the son of Zechariah joab's brother and 1/3
under the command of it tie, the get tight.
And the King said to the men, I myself will go.
Also will also go out with you but the men said You shall not
go out for if we flee they will not care about us.
If half of us die they will not care about us but you are worth
ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you
send us help from the city. The king said to them, whatever
seems best to you, I will do. So the king stood at the side of
the gate, while all the Army marched out by hundreds and by
thousands, they are not in Jerusalem.
Remember they're at mahanaim, they are beyond the Jordan, they
are in a different place because David obviously, he's in Exile.
But they're prepared to go to war.
And what I want to highlight to you first is what we see here in
verse 2, notice David's willingness to participate in
this. War, he says, clearly I myself
will also go out with you. That is impressive and one of
the joys again of a Bible, study of a systematic study.
Verse by verse chapter by chapter is a you get to see many
things. And one of the things that you
get to see his character development or the decline of
character and in the case of Saul.
But we see something here about David that is praiseworthy.
Why are they in this place to begin with?
Well, it all started in 2nd, Samuel 11.
When David decided not to go to war.
You remember that, right? That's where all the trouble
began. He was on the rooftop when he
was supposed to be on the battlefield, and that's where he
was exposed to Bathsheba and where he entertained temptation
to the point where he committed a grievous sin.
And here we see now, with different David with a much more
difficult, task ahead of him, but still a willingness to say,
I will go out. To fight this war.
You might disagree with me, but what I see here is a man who has
learned from his mistakes. what I see here is a man who
understood How is negligence in his unwillingness to be where
God called him to be. Originally is the reason why
he's in this Dilemma to begin with and he does not want to
repeat that mistake and I want to tell you, that's what true
repentance. Looks like repentance is not
merely feeling. Sorry for yourself or even
regretting what your sin has done.
To repentance is a willingness to change?
It's a change of mind. It's looking at what your sin
has done. Looking at what sin is and then
agreeing with God's word about it.
And the more than that agreeing with God's power.
To overcome it in the future. There's not much that David
could do about the past and that's true for all of us to
meditate on it to wallow in it to feel shame from it doesn't
benefit anybody including yourself but what you and I can
do with our past failures is what David is doing here to make
an effort by the grace of God to be in the will of God.
Never mind what happened yesterday.
Never mind what happened last year.
Never mind what happened five years ago.
Where are you today? Where are you in the will of God
today, where are you and your hatred for sin today where you
and your alertness and watchfulness against Temptation?
That is what is most important here?
And David is not just proving his growth in godliness in this
point. You've heard me say it sometime
before, I don't remember exactly when it was.
There's another example, another example where we are given proof
that David did indeed learn from his past.
And endeavored to seek to honor God with his today.
You have any idea what I'm talking about.
Let me give you a hint. It's not in the book of second.
Samuel. I'll just tell you for the sake
of time, go to 1st Kings. David is near the end of his
life. All you have to do is flip a few
pages to the right? And we're told in First Kings
11, David was old and advanced in years and he could not get
warm. His body was shutting down.
And so the servants came up with a plan and that plan was to
bring a very beautiful woman and to park her inside his bed and
to keep him warm by close proximity. but what's
interesting about that is what we see here in verse 4, the
young woman was very beautiful and she was of service to the
king and attended to him, but the king knew her not An
interesting statement for the Holy Spirit to include in this.
Let me say this first. Temptation will follow you all
of your days. Temptation will follow you until
your last days. The same Temptation that David
experience on that rooftop, which is interesting because the
very same description of this young woman is given to
Bathsheba. We're told in second Samuel 11
that Bathsheba was a very beautiful woman and now we come
to First Kings where David is old and years and we are
introduced to another woman who was very beautiful and so I
understand that the fight against Temptation the fight
Against sin will follow you until your final breath.
Keep that in mind. So that, you know, how to be
strengthened day after day. But the Holy Spirit wants to
tell us something, the king knew her not like why is that
important for me to know? And the reason why it's
important is because the Holy Spirit wants us to know, David
has grown. David is a different Man.
David doesn't look at a very beautiful woman, the same way he
did when he was at the peak of his life.
The peak of his Reign. No, he's a changed person and I
think there's a pattern here worthy of imitation.
I think there's a standard here for the children of God and here
it is. The the more you grow in years,
the more you grow in life, the stronger, you should have a
resistance against sin. We should grow from glory to
glory, right? We need to learn.
We don't want to stay in the same place that we were 20 years
ago, and unfortunately, that's the case.
For many people do the same. They submit to their passions in
their 60s. The same way they did in their
20s if not even worse. But what God wants to do with
us, is very much of this to graduate us and godliness and to
empower us, and they give us victory.
To Victory strength to strength. And David is a wonderful example
of that here. So we read on.
He decides that he wants to go to war but you heard it.
The men said you're not coming with us.
We honor you we admire you, we respect you, but David, you
coming out with us is going to be more of a distraction than
anything else. They want you, They Don't Care
About Us. They want your head.
They want your life, your son wants you.
You're the biggest right here, you're the trophy.
And so they advised David to stay back and to supervise the
war from a safe place. And they also probably
understood the difficulty of going to war with your own son
and so there's wisdom packed in what these men are saying.
And I would say they are in the right, they are in the right.
What they are advising here is totally on the bullseye and what
I again admire, there's something more to be admired of
David is how he responds to these men were in lower
positions, lower ranks. How they how he Ponce to there
objection. He says here.
Whatever seems best to you, I will do.
That's humility. Remember Absalom, when he was
pumped up by who shy to go into war, his ego was inflated
because who shot was saying, why don't you go on to battle?
And he will be a show, it will be glorious, you'll receive all
the credit. And, and at first, when I fell
for brought the advice, he was willing to stay back but because
hoosh, I knew how to appeal to his arrogance, he was now he was
in and it led to his own demise. But here we see David who
receives instruction from his men and he is willing to stay
back and to listen to them. And I think that's a wonderful
trait for any leader in any context, some people in here are
leaders in different contexts, some of you are aspiring to be
leaders, maybe some here have been identified, the gift of
leadership that is in you, but one of the things to be mindful
of as a leader is to be open-minded and humble enough to
receive the Council of those who might not occupy High position,
who might not have your same history or knowledge, but who
have a perspective that you might not have And God tests us.
God tests us Often by bringing people to us.
That might not have position might not have Prestige, but
walk with the Lord. And want to give you something
from the Lord, and you have to be willing to accept that.
Unfortunately, one of the common things among leaders, not all
leaders, but some leaders fall into the temptation of being so
enamored with their god-given Authority or ability that they
get drunk, they get drunk in their own pride.
And one of the ways Pride manifest is that.
It's your Way or no other way. It's my plan.
It's my decision. It's my idea.
And no one else is you have to agree with me and leaders.
If they're not careful, they can become extremely stubborn and
very difficult to work with And yet, we see here, David who was,
who is humble enough to open his eyes and his Hearts to others
and that made him a greater Commander that made a more
effective and successful. And again, for those who are
leaders who desire to be leaders, remember this that
there are times where you have to make decisions that will
represent utter others, right? And that's true for an elder run
Church. Elders, have to make decisions
on behalf of the people at times and Elders have to sometimes or
leaders again in your home and your work, wherever you're a
leader leaders, have to make decisions regardless of the
opposition or regardless of different people's, fears or
opinions. You have to stand your ground is
especially if it's black and white truth.
But leaders also have to understand that they're unclear
situations and there are non doctrinal matters that require
humility in your approach and one of the examples of this is
not just an Old Testament observation.
You see this in the early church with a guy like Paul.
Paul was a Cutthroat leader. I like Paul was like, are you in
or you out? You want to serve?
Are you not want to serve, Mark, your enter?
Yeah, you know, I go back and actually don't come back my son
aggressive, but he was a guy that got things done and he
wanted People to be sold out or not in at all, but that same
Paul, right? We see something in him and a
hint and the Book of 1st Corinthians, I want you to turn
there and see this for yourself. And 1st Corinthians 16.
The holy spirit gives us an insight into how Paul dealt with
those who served with him. 1st Corinthians, 16 verse 12.
Apparently, the Corinthians were asking for the presence of
Apollo's, they really liked the Paulo's.
In fact, you had a whole little Camp of Apollo's, followers in
the church, and Paul response to an apparent request for him, or
wondering where he's at. And he says this, in First
Corinthians 16:12. Now concerning our brother
Apollo's, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other
brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now.
He will come when he has opportunity.
How many of us just read by? I just read past that like okay
that's an unimportant Detail. No, you see Paul as a leader and
how he operated as a leader. He strongly urged Apollo's to go
with the brothers to the Corinthians and you want to
Paula said Paul, I don't sense the Lord's leading on it.
I don't think I should be going. Maybe Paul's was a little
concerned because of the factions in the church and he
didn't want to go there and creating more problems.
Whatever the reason was Paul said, I need you to go and
Apollo said, I'm not going to go now.
You know what Paul doesn't do. It isn't shame him, he doesn't
abusing me doesn't threaten them.
He doesn't demote him, he works with him, okay?
I'm not going to force you to go, so if you don't want to go,
then go and you feel like you need to go.
That's wonderful. That that radiates humility
that's a kind of person you want to work with and understanding
person, a patient person, a person that doesn't just have
their understanding their review and their ideas.
And everybody else has a surrender at no matter what.
Now, we see here that Paul was a man that we should strive to be,
and if you're going to serve the Lord, you're going to work with
other people, guys. You know that very well.
And again there are moments where especially leaders you
have to make a stand no matter their protest or the opposition,
but there are other times where Things are more open-ended.
You have to be sensitive to others.
And be careful, not to impose your convictions on others,
forcefully and allow the Lord to lead people at different stages
in life and their own convictions that they've been
given and they're gray areas of our sanctification.
So David here says all right, whatever you think is best to do
will do that. He agreed, but we stopped at
verse 4 and we see that before these commanders had out their
own way, David gives a fine Instruction in verse 5 of second
Samuel 16, what does he ask them?
This is what he says. And the King ordered joab and
abishai and ittai deal, gently for my sake, with the young man
Absalom and all the people heard when the king gave orders to all
the Commander's about Absalom. So David was very intentional by
being open about this charge leaders.
And everybody stopped before. They made their way into the
battlefield, whatever you do deal gently.
With the young man Absalom. And he wanted others to hear
that charge. And you can sense the
compassion, and the heartfelt appeal in this order.
Can you not? And look how even David phrases
and identifies Absalom deal. Gently with what the young man.
He's young right. He's foolish.
He's inexperienced, he's unwise. He's given over to the passions
of the flesh. Just remember he's younger,
right? Yeah, he's younger but he's He
overthrew the throne. He might be younger than you
David but he's a grown man. David is trying to color his son
in a certain way so that the people can feel what he feels.
And it's difficult for a parent. Especially I can only imagine
there is, there is a there's a special love for your children
that almost can Cloud your judgment and others see
something and something. So obviously blatantly wrong and
evil and yet as a parent you are less willing to admit.
That this is what David is experiencing But don't get
caught up in the emotion of the moment.
Don't go too far. And, and feel for David to the
point where you, you don't determine what is right or
wrong. Is this right or wrong.
Is what David requesting according to God's will.
Here's my answer. No, the very mess that everyone
is in right now, is because when Absalom should have been
disciplined, he was kept Alive by his father.
And even after all, that has transpired, with that act of
Mercy, would I say? Even Disobedience to the law of
God, David is still convinced that dealing gently with Absalom
is going to change him. There is a lot of evil in our
day that's being tolerated in the name of gentleness, right?
And the name of kindness and then name of love and that is
dangerous because people are unwilling to confront evil and
are willing to be ignorant about certain sins because they think
it's the most effective way to win people over.
No, it's true that you're called to be gentle, don't forget it's
one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit or the fruit of the Holy
Spirit, but never forget. Your ultimate example of what
gentleness is, Jesus says in Matthew 11:29.
Learn from me for I Am. What?
Gentle and lowly. Learn from he says, learn from
me and he gives two descriptions about himself.
I am gentle. And I am lowly if you want to
know, what gentleness looks like.
Look no further than the Christ. And when you look at Jesus, life
as given to us in the gospels, you see his gentleness, but you
also see a sternness and you see a stance that he makes the
gentleness is an operation in certain cases with a certain
audience, but we're Jesus who never lies and says he is
gentle, he's the ultimate example of gentleness, you see
him especially with religious Hypocrites, who did things in
the name of God, you see him In a way that people might say,
Jesus was not very christ-like. But he is gentle.
And so being gentle doesn't call us call for us to be
compromising. It's not be strong or not, to be
severe against certain sins and certain habits and certain
ideologies. Know, we are required to make a
stand. Unfortunately, David did not
make a stand, he still doesn't want to make a stand.
And if I just wonder what second Samuel would have looked, like
if they listen to David, What would have Absalom done because
there's an incredible Insight, right?
Many people love to quote, Romans to where it talks about
the gentleness of God, right? His kindness leads us to what
repentance? Yes it does.
But it depends on who recognizes that kindness and is willing to
submit their lives and Revelation to that kindness.
We love to quote, the and that is a wonderful thing to a quote,
but let me give you another one. It's found in Isaiah 26.
Isaiah 26. You get a different insight
about how people respond to God. And Isaiah 26.
Verse 9, the prophet says my soul yearns for you in the
night. My spirit Within Me.
Earnestly seeks you. And he goes on to say, for when
your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world,
learn righteousness, when your judgments are in the earth,
people wake up in this say this God is Holy.
I can't entertain sin. He is Sovereign he is in control
and out of holy fear, they come to him in righteousness, but
then look at verse 10, it's an added commentary.
If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness
in the land of uprightness. He deals corruptly and does not
see the Majesty of the Lord. Not everybody responds to God's
favor, appropriately. There are those who abuse God's
favor? They enjoy what he has for them,
but they never turn to him. And so it is true that kindness
leads to repentance God's. Kindness does do and it aims to
do that but it's not 100% guarantee man is responsible and
responding to God's kindness in the way he designed it.
But it's true that for some favor, only enables them to
remain headstrong in their sin and what they need.
In fact is a revelation of God's judgment.
And to see the severity of God, Romans 11, tells us consider
both the kindness and what the severity of God.
We just want to consider his kindness.
Paul says no the Saint Paul preach salvation, by faith
salvation through Grace. Right?
The st. Paul says, don't just consider
his kindness and Romans 11, consider his severity.
We need a balance. And this case Absalom was not
handling the kindness, given to him the way, he should have what
he needed was judgment. It makes you wonder if there was
an appropriate protocol made for Absalom to receive this judgment
who know he could have repented. He could have cried out to God.
For Mercy, he could have been like Vanessa who was so wicked
and vile. But when he was brought low when
he experienced personal Exile, he stopped he positing knowledge
God as Lord. But we often in the Name of
Love, Don't Trust in God's wisdom and that gets us in a lot
of trouble and we're going to see what's going to happen to
Absalom. Verse 6.
So the Army went out into the field against Israel, and the
battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
And the men of Israel were defeated there by the Servants
of David. And the lost there was great on
that day, 20,000 men, who was outnumbered here, David.
Who was more vulnerable to being defeated David.
And yet we read here that they were gaining the Victory and the
reason why they were getting the victories because of their
experience and their mentality, they were seasoned Warriors and
we're speaking naturally. You're obviously God was on
their side. We're going to see that in a
moment. But these men though, they were
smaller. We're at an advantage.
Ultimately again, because God was on the side of David because
God is always on the side of truth.
But there's an interesting verse in Ecclesiastes that I like to
allude to, from time to time, it's an Ecclesiastes, 9 4.
And it says better to be a living dog than a dead lion.
Have you ever heard that saying better to be a living dog than a
dead Lion? And the, the the meaning of that
is it teaches about the hope of life, right?
As long as you have, you have life there is still hope for
you, no matter what your status is, no matter what you are in
this life, you're always an advantage if you have life but
there's a sprinter spiritual principle behind it as well.
When you compare a dog to a lion, what's more impressive?
The line, of course, what's more demanding of people's adoration,
and love. And respect the lion dog is
common. And so, let's look at this in a
spiritual sense. It's better to be small better
to be humble. Better to be seen as common in
the eyes of others, but have the life of God.
Then to have Glamour and gifting and resources and be devoid of
the spirit. That is true for you
individually and that is especially true for local
churches as a not people measure, local churches and
their success based on numbers and resources, and and
performance, and all these different humanistic ideas.
But may I say this to you better to be a dead or living dog than
a dead lion. Better to have the life of God
and not have the main and not have the Roar, and not have the
strength and the flesh because life with God is ultimately what
we're after. And we see that with this
scenario, God's assistance was with David because look at verse
8, the battle spread over the face of all the country and the
forest. Look at this.
The forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
How does a forest kill more people than javelins and Spears?
Now, obviously, this was strategic, right?
Because they had so many more people than David did.
And so to bring him in a place like this dense and difficult,
it would demand them to split up and it was easier for them to
conquer. But what you see here also is
God's invisible hand at work. The forest devoured, more
people. And naturally speaking, it was
because of the difficult terrain, there was swamps and
hills and crevices and animals. And we don't know, we get an
idea what's going to happen with Absalom, how it was difficult.
But it reminds us of a verse in Joshua when we study the Book of
Joshua, maybe you remember the story where Joshua himself was
outnumbered and God encourage them when he was about to face
various Kings, do not be afraid, right?
I'll be with you and the way he showed up as that he reigned
hailstones on the enemies of Israel and their in Joshua 1011.
We are told that more were destroyed by the hailstones than
by the sword. To show us again that regardless
of how limited your resources are how outnumbered you may seem
to be. You were never at a disadvantage
when you live to please. God whatever you're lacking in
the natural. You are always the majority when
you are walking with God, Well, that's hailstones from heaven or
Forest that fights for you. God is the one who's
providentially? Making this all happen.
I fear for those, I fear for those like Psalm 2 says who plan
and plot against the anointed one because they will fail.
David here succeeds and verse 9. We zoom in from this General
summary of this battle to the main instigator of all, this
Blood verse 9 and Absalom happened.
I like that word happened to meet the Servants of David
Absalom was riding on his mule. And the mule went under the
thick branches of a Great Oak and his head, his head caught
fast in the Oak, and he was suspended Between Heaven and
Earth while the mule that was under him went on. so here's
Absalom riding a mule and some part of this forest and All of a
sudden, maybe a branch with a fork like design caught him by
the neck. Many people assume that his hair
was caught, it's not explicitly clear.
One thing's for certain is that he was caught by the head,
whether that be his hair or his neck, and he was suspended in
the air and the mule, which is fascinating, because when you're
saying, why would he ride a mule?
Because that's what Kings would ride a mule.
And the same, the same seat that he fought for and rebelled for
and deceived for in a matter of seconds is disappeared from
under him. Just taken from him like that.
And here he is hanging from a tree like how the seems almost
comical but it's really a pathetic sight.
It's tragic. This man who had the whole
nation tied around his finger is now tied on a tree.
Remember how I feel for died, right?
He hung himself and Absalom is about to die in by hanging as
well. So here he is suspended, right?
But you have to remember, when we studied earlier, we realized
that we're told by the holy spirit that God had a purpose to
destroy. Absalom and that's why he
believed who shies advice instead of a he thought was
advice. God is behind all of this and so
don't be mistaken. The design by which David is
rather Absalom is about to experience.
Death is ordained by God himself.
This is not random. This is actually strategic God
wanted Absalom to hang from a tree.
And I believe it communicates two things.
The first thing is and this is the beauty of understanding, the
Old Testament. God had given a law to the
nation of Israel. That if anybody were to commit a
crime worthy of death, what was to happen to them?
There are to be hung on a tree. If you want to reference for
that to Deuteronomy, 21 and Deuteronomy 21 verse, 22 to 23.
Says there, you should hang them on a tree.
And then 23 tells us that those who are hung on a tree, are what
cursed by God? Paul utilizes, this reference in
Galatians 3 to speak about how Christ became a curse for us.
Right? But we see here that this man
was worthy to be cursed by God and this is the frightening
thing, you know, David was reluctant to discipline his son
and to execute judgment the way the law demanded but he could
not Escape God's justice. And men today might find
loopholes in our governments men.
Today might evade they might trick they might bribe their way
out. Of their sin but they will not
ultimately be able to flee from God's coming wrath.
The unrepentant will know the satisfaction of God's Wrath. no
matter what is going, well for them in this life, everything
can change in a moment and it will in eternity And so, what is
God wanted to communicate through this?
Out of all the ways that Absalom could have been dealt with.
He hangs him on a tree so that people would know that Absalom
perhaps would known. And those who would read the
story. Would know this man is cursed by
God. This man has no favor from God.
This man has no support, but from God, this man is in
Disobedience to God and God is expressing his displeasure over
him. But again.
We read earlier that Absalom was a man of pride.
And we are told that from the soles of his foot to the crown
of his head. There was no blemish found in
him. He was gorgeous.
Okay? He was brilliantly.
Beautiful. I mean, people were just
mesmerized by his looks and on top of that, he had Charisma and
he just put the whole nation under a spell.
But after that description, we are told that this man who was
recognized for his Beauty, recognize that beauty himself.
And one of the ways that he Express his acknowledgment of
his Unique Look is that he cut his hair once a year and he did
work. Something that I don't know.
Anybody's ever done. He weighed his hair Who does
that he weighs his hair to show? Obviously, it's a public thing
to show. Just how luscious and glorious
that set of hair on his head was?
Isn't it ironic? No, it's not ironic.
The very same head that Absalom. Boasted in is where his Shane
came. The very same thing that he
praised and he adorned, and he made public and allured people
with would be the means of his own death.
That same head now is hanging. It's hanging and he looks like a
trapped animal. And the lesson is very clear, if
we're not careful, what we put our confidence in.
Can become our curse. But your confidence in the Lord,
learn to give God glory for everything that is good in your
life can be your looks it could be your abilities.
It could be your successes, it could be your accomplice should
make it a habit to know how to crown him when people seek the
crown you, whatever? Good you possess, whatever.
Whatever it is that you think makes you unique.
Remember, you didn't make it yourself.
Got put it on you and he has one intention with it for him to be
glorified through it. And unfortunately this man used
his looks to deceive a nation which you've heard me say
before. If you look at the, if you look
at the Old Testament, there are different their handful of
moments where we were told about somebody's attractiveness or
their looks. It's like why would the Holy
Spirit? Tell us that it's it's because
one that's a Temptation. When somebody is attractive
that's a Temptation that they have to deal with on a daily
basis. They can give in to that
temptation to utilize it for their flesh and for their
advancement in Life or like in the case of Daniel and David and
Joseph and Esther. They use it for the glory of
God. Even with all the advantage that
they might have with their attraction, they still submitted
to the will of God and they found greater pleasure and
pleasing him than pleasing their flesh.
That was not the case for this man.
So, here he is hanging from a tree for God, to pronounce the
curse on him. And for him to realize that his
pride led to his demise and something interesting happens.
This you know One of the things that I love about Bible study
reading the Bible through and through is encountering, unnamed
characters in The Bible like just actors that show up and
then disappear. But these individuals were
blesses me. The most is when they proved to
have more christ-like character than the main characters of the
story and that is what you and I are about to see in verse 10.
So here's here's Absalom hanging and dangling from a branch and
verse 10 says and A certain man saw it and told joab.
Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak job.
Said to the man who told them what you saw him.
Why then did you not strike him there to the ground?
I would have been glad to give you 10 pieces of silver and a
belt. But the man said the job, even
if I felt in my hand, the weight of a thousand pieces of silver,
I would not reach out my hand against the King's son for an
are hearing the king commanded you and I wish I knit tie for my
sake, protect the young man Absalom, I like this guy.
Unnamed unidentified. But what a man he was this
Soldier. Pussies Absalom refuses to kill
him. The report comes to joab job and
is an Essence, rebukes him, not only rebukes them, but scolds
them says, you know what, if you would have killed him, I would
have crowned, you, I would have given you money and I would have
given you a belt with some believe to be some kind of
military promotion, some kind of badge of honor, some kind of
metal, I would have showered you in recognized.
You And this man says look even if you multiply that money, I
would not care. For one sole reason.
The King has a will. And what's more important to me
than your money and your promotion is him being pleased
Now, isn't it funny that Soldiers of Christ today face,
that same temptation? To be disloyal to Christ money.
The Love of Money. And position or opportunity or
some kind of advancement. Those things are just as real
Temptations as it was here for this young man for the soldier.
Unfortunately, many did not find the grace and the strength to be
able to stand for the cause of Christ.
This man was devoted this man Stood Still, and what I love is
his answer in verse 12. You heard it right, he quotes
David not only does he quote David, he reminds joab.
What David said, who he said it too.
Like this man was attentive, when David spoke in verse 5, he
was all ears. And not only that, he guarded
it, in his heart, he kept that as a principle in his bosom,
throughout this war and this man loved his King.
It's so clear and it's so obvious.
We see here that he was again, attentive to his word that he
was committed to the cause and he was immovable when he was
tempted. Now, compare verse 12, to verse
15 and 10 young, men jobs, armor Bears, surrounded, Absalom and
struck him and killed him. So you have 10 other guys who
are probably in the same position and the of this man may
be in lower Rank, and when they had opportunity, they struck the
man, especially after job did it.
Because job initiated he took three javelins and he struck
Absalom. And the other guy said, well,
job that lets do it. And that's what we see in a lot
of people's lives today. Their followers, all they know
what to do is imitate somebody who has some kind of influence,
some kind of persuasive personality, some kind of
gifting they just no other people.
That's all they do. They have no conviction.
They have no sense like this, man.
Of the will of the king and that orchestrating their every step.
Now, what's fascinating is King? David was not present.
For this man to feel the accountability of his Lord.
No, he wasn't present. All this young man had was the
word of the king. That's all he had.
And that's all he needed. He learned the word of the king
and he lived by the word of the king.
And this man had enough sense to live for the king even in the
absence of the king. And that, what, as what makes
the true Christian effective, right?
Don't follow other people. Don't do that.
Learn and ask the Lord to give you such an understanding of his
person, the reality of who he is the authority of his word so
that when Temptation comes, you can be like this individual
here. Don't go with the crowd.
The crowds are often wrong. So you have two types of
soldiers here. You have the soldier who
understands the commands of his Lord and walks by and you have
others who are in the same field, the same battle.
But they look at others and they look and they compare their
standard to their standard and they just follow that.
Holiness is not, you comparing yourself to other Christians who
are struggling. Holiness, is you comparing
yourself to Christ and Christ Alone?
If you, if you, if you use yourself and measure up to other
believers, you're not going to go very far.
But if Christ is ever before you, oh, he will take you higher
and higher and you and no Greater Joy in his will for your
life. This man doesn't move in here.
I love what he says here in verse 13, on the other hand, if
I dealt treacherously against his life and look at this in
parentheses and there is nothing hidden from the King.
There is nothing hidden from the King.
This man knew that David had such a high-tech intelligence
agency that even if he were to do this and he kept it
ambiguous, whatever the case may be he would be found out and he
would be dealt with accordingly. Now if that's true for a man
like King David how much more true for the Heavenly King?
You can't hide anything from him.
You can't. He sees all he hears.
All he is present in all places. And this man, NaturallySpeaking
had an awareness of David's knowledge.
How much more the believer You know, you have a lot of
Christians and people around the world that talk about my iPhone.
Here's what I say. Look at all the ads that pop up.
When I have this conversation, you're more afraid of your
iPhone than the Lord. You have more people who fear
Mac, then they do fear, God almighty.
Yeah, your phone can hear you, but you know, what's more
important God can hear you. God can see you.
I don't know that encourages you or what?
But encourages me. There's nothing hidden from the
King. Then you yourself would have
stood aloof. And look what?
Joab says, job said I will not waste time like this with you.
I get out of my face. Who are you to stand up against
me? I will not waste time like this
with you and he took three javelins in his hand and thrust
them into the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive in the
Oak and 10. Young men, jobs are more bears.
Surrounded, Absalom and struck him and killed him.
I feel tension with this verse. And the reason why I feel
tension is because I understand where job is coming from to some
regard. Because joab knows David enough
to realize that he's most likely going to Pardon him if we
capture him alive. And that's going to be the end
of the Kingdom that's going to be end of joab.
And so he realizes David is not in his right place of thinking
and so he steps in and he takes matters into his own hands and
he eliminates him as a stret forever.
At the same time, he's being disloyal to the king and this is
what I love about the scriptures is that things are not so black
and white. They're complicated complex
because life is complex. It's not as not as black and
white as we would like it to be. But there's all these, there's
all this nuance and there's all this what-ifs and there's all
this, a you go this way, but you can also go that way.
And so we get that impression here.
It's very real because it is real.
It's a real story. And so e just makes a decision.
And then you wonder what's his motive is.
He fiercely loyal to David? Because he did Love David, but
remember, we've studied job enough to know that whenever
he's committed murder outside of a warlike scene.
It's usually motivated by Personal Agenda, whenever he
sees a threat, he eliminates that threat and remember,
Absalom and you are not in good terms, what did Absalom do to
joab at one point when he was trying to get his attention?
And he wasn't answering the phone?
He burned his barley field, right?
All right. You're not going to answer your
phone. Let me just set this field on
fire. Fire and enjoys.
His what are you doing? Is job upset with Absalom.
His job regretful that he tried to bring Absalom and David
together and it failed. We have we have no clear
indication but what is obvious is the irony of all of this.
Here's Absalom. Who became a king as a rebel.
And now he is dying at the hands of a rebel.
Here is Absalom who when he stayed back took over the
kingdom. Listen to the advice of a man
named at Heathrow who said, take your father's concubines and
violate them on the rooftop and how many concubines did David
leave behind? 10:00.
The scriptures tell us specifically at 10 concubines
were left behind how many armor bearers killed Absalom.
Yeah, God's retribution is very precise scary, isn't it?
You see how all of this connects and you see how God's mind is so
specific in his dealings with man?
You violated 10, concubines will hear a ton 10 armor bearers, who
would deal with you accordingly? So we read on Joe, I blew the
trumpet verse 16, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel,
from job, for job, restrain them and they took Absalom and threw
him into a great pit. The forest in the forest and
raised over him. A very great heap of stones and
all Israel fled everyone to his own home.
It reminds us of Joshua again, right?
Akin Rebels, against the word of the Lord it creates.
This kind of tension in the camp between them and God
unknowingly, but they seek God. God says, Rebellion, the camp.
They bring out Aiken and his family and they stoned them and
they create this heap of stones. As a memorial, And we see the
same here with Absalom. And what's more tragic, is that,
that is the pillar by which people will remember him, but
that was not his intention while he was alive.
Absalom had a goal for the way he would die.
Absalom had a goal for what happened after he would die and
it's found here in verse 18. Now, Absalom in his lifetime had
taken and set up for himself. The pillar that is in the Kings
Valley. For he said, I have no son to
keep my name and Remembrance he called the pillar after his own
name and it is called absalom's Monument to this day, that's how
he wanted to be remembered. He want to be seen as royalty
even after his death. And instead, he's buried
underneath a pillar of rocks in the depths of some Forest.
There are men who prefer to live in obscurity, they don't care
about recognition, they just want to, they just want to live
a normal life, provide food for their family, do some, you know
fun activities go on vacation and just and just be buried
peaceably and just move on, right?
And that's I get that but there are other people who want to
live for a legacy. They want to be remembered for
an accomplishment or some kind of honorable deed or a way of
life that will be praised by others people people.
Organize their lives for that very goal and that can be right?
And then I also be dangerous, right?
Just depends what your ultimate motive is and this man had that
he wanted a legacy. He wanted people to I mean his
pride was so overwhelming that he wanted people talking about
him even though he wasn't around to be talked about, And so he
sets up a monument for yourself hint, you don't set up monuments
for yourself. You let other people's build a
monument for you, right? You don't do this unless you are
totally consumed with love for self.
And that is true from and it's as though the sign off on a
person's life. It's for us to reflect on all
that has just taken place because of this main reason he
was a man filled with pride and God brought down his pride.
At the same time. God does encourage us to seek
after or at least motivates us to live in a certain way with a
reward of Honor. But it's not a pillar found in
this life, it's not a memorial here.
People want to be remembered in history books.
People want their names to be found in museums and God wants
us to look Beyond this world and whatever platform or stage is
presented to you as a goal in life.
And Jesus tells one church and that one Church represents the
church at large. He tells this church of what
will come to them, what they can expect.
If they are about conquerors in this life and I want to end
there with you, it's in Revelation chapter 3.
In Revelation chapter 3. He says, in verse 12 to the
church in Philadelphia. The one who conquers I will make
him a pillar. In the temple of my God.
Never shall he go out of it and I will write on him.
The way you would inscribe on a pillar, I will write on him the
name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New
Jerusalem which comes down from my God, out of heaven and my own
new name. You want to build a pillar for
yourself? Let it be found in the temple of
God, for all of eternity. This is what he tells these
Believers. If you're going to strive after
any kind of honor and this life Let it be for the one that will
really matter. In the end of it.
All, I will set you up as a pillar that speaks of permanence
and that speaks of stability. Yes, but it also speaks about
the honor. That would be shown in ancient
times were names, would be inscribed on pillars in certain
places. What the Lord says is there is a
level of honor that awaits you in my very presence if you do.
But one simple thing and that's be a conqueror.
If you want to know what a conqueror is, just look at the
rest of the churches and what the Lord asks of them.
It's very simple. It's to keep his word to And by
his word to never deny his word that's all the Lord asks of us
and that pillar awaits you. Let your name be forgotten.
Let people remember, you know more.
But strive and be motivated by this, that there is an eternal
Commendation that awaits you believer.
I know, it's hard to see it now, I know it's hard to feel the
force of that because you were so distracted by your senses,
but take it by faith. That God will crown and adorned
and bestow Praise on those that don't have the viral sermons on
YouTube that are not sought after conference speakers that
don't have worship teams and Dove Awards.
That are obscure unrecognized tucked in some corner of some
Hut somewhere, this discipling, a church of 12.
In a very unforgiving, part of the world.
And yea though, no one will acknowledge them.
There is a pillar waiting for some of them.
Our God is amazing and although I wish that Absalom would have
lived for that pillar instead of making his own.
Oh, I wish that his future would be different because he has this
pillar waiting for him, but he has banished for all of
eternity. What does it matter?
What you accumulate in this life?
It all perish and it will perish.
And so we see the end of this man's Absalom, his presence his
plans. They all come to a halt, but
that doesn't mean David's story is over just yet.
That doesn't mean David's troubles are over just yet.
We still have the rest of 18 and the rest of this book to
discover together. Let's pray.
Lord help us be good soldiers. Help us be like David who
learned from his mistakes. Help us not dwell on the past
but believe that you care about what we do.
With our today's and our tomorrow's. so for Lord, for
those Lord who have committed a grievous sin, Shameful sin.
Maybe be comforted by the fact that you have through
repentance. You have taken that sin thrown
into the sea of forgetfulness, and you do not bring it back to
us again. Help us be strengthened that
there are new mercies for us every morning.
So Lord, we will not be discouraged by even long seasons
of perhaps lukewarmness or disobedience.
We will realize and believe that, how we end is what really
matters. God help us be like this unnamed
fellow. Who is absolutely energized and
strengthened by one thing what? The King has said Nevermind
leaders who represent the king. Never mind what the crowds do in
the name of the king or against the king that they claim to
represent. Lord help us live under your
presence every step of the way. If there is anything that we are
inclined to boast and Lord, our wealth, our strength, our
appearance, our accomplishments Are Spiritual disciplines Lord.
We pray that you would teach us how to give glory to you and all
things. Papa's acknowledge you for every
ounce of goodness. We enjoy or people love us for
and Lord help us to do what is right.
Even when it is hard, help us to stand for the truth.
In gentleness. Yes but not in a compromising
way, even if it deals with family, even if it deals with
friends friends that we've known for years.
Help us stand for the truth because you are worthy of that
honor. And you told us that the cost of
discipleship means that we must forsake our love for wives
husbands children. Because you are worthy of that
kind of devotion Lord in this place, May the hearts of your
people, the soldiers of Jesus Christ who are present who are
watching. May they feel your favor.
And may they realize that through this track and through
this battle. It will be difficult.
But you have a reward for those who will conquer help us be
conquerors in this life. Help us more and more to have
our mind set on things above, help us, O Lord overcome, all
the flares and all the Temptations, and all the
allurements of this world lord, it's becoming easier to do that
by seeing all the corruption in the filth below.
We are still susceptible to falling and to medicating, our
pain through sin. So, keep a strong Lord, As we
sing. Now in closing be blessed.
And as we part ways, O Lord, though, not in the presence of
our Our elders known on the presence of other believers, may
we be again like this man who simply had the word of the king
and that was enough to govern him.
Only the word have such authority over us, in all
things, in all ways at all times.
We bless you, Lord, we bow our hearts before you.
And we praise you for the word, which is eternal life.
In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.