if you have your Bibles go to second Samuel, chapter 20 with
me second, Samuel chapter 20, I'm going to read a few of these
verses with you and then we will do what we always do.
And that's learn what these verses were intended to say to
us as Christians. The New Testament tells you, and
I that the Old Testament has been given to us more than just
to prove that. Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the
Messiah that's been foretold hundreds of years ago.
The Old Testament has also been given to you and I for our
instruction, for our guidance to provide the best illustrations,
and knowing how to apply New Testament, New Covenant
principles. And that's why we come here
because we want to be further furnished to know exactly what
it is. That God God requires of us and
what it is that we can do to honor and glorify and honor him.
And so when we come to this chapter, believe that God has
something to say. That's what we believe every
single week. Let's read it.
Beginning in verse 1. Now, there happened to be there
a worthless, man, whose name was Sheba.
The son of bichri Benjamin night.
And he blew the trumpet and said, we have no portion in
David and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse, every man
to his tent. So Israel, so all the men of
Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba, the son of
bichri but the men of Judah, followed their kings steadfastly
from the Jordan to Jerusalem. Let's pray, Lord, this is your
word. We are your people, we believe
by faith that you have something to say to us, not just as a mere
study, but they you would speak directly into our lives into the
details of our existence and that we would conform ourselves
to the wisdom. And the truth that has been
presented and preserved in these very versus.
And for this we give you glory and honor.
Let there be a special Grace from the spirit of God teaching
this and hearing this and more importantly and applying it in
Christ's name we pray. Amen.
Does it surprise you? That after dealing with a man
who caused an uprising and attempted to divide the nation
of Israel. After Absalom was done away with
that, there would be. So soon, another attempt by
another man to try to bring about severance, And disunity
among the people of God, it shouldn't surprise you.
And the reason why it shouldn't surprise you is because division
among the people of God, is one of Satan's most favorite and
repeated schemes against the Saints.
He is the one who sows Discord among the Brethren.
He's the one who inspires men who give a foothold to him to
do. Just that among those that are
called to not just a Unity, but a supernatural Unity.
Now, I know we just started here in second, Samuel, 20.
But I want us to go quickly to Ephesians 4.
I want you to see something so important in the New Testament,
in light of this, in Ephesians, chapter 4, and verse 30, If you
want to know how Paul wrote his Epistles, he had a common
format, he would be very theological up front, he would
teach and he would go deep concerning matters of the Gospel
of the Cross of the person of Jesus Christ.
And then the second half of his letters, he would get intensely
practical. And, so, he would say, okay,
here's all these wonderful truths.
These gems about who God is, and then he would hinge that with.
Therefore, now, this is what it means for your life, and that's
what he does. Exactly here in Ephesians
chapter 4. Verse chapter 12 and 3 is is
dense with Rich truth and in chapter 4 is very heavy on
practical application. Look what he says.
In verse 1, I therefore a prisoner for the Lord urge you
to walk in a manner worthy of the calling of which you have
been called because chapter one is about you being called you
being called you being called, right?
And he builds upon that leading up to chapter 4 and he says,
okay, you're called right. That's a theological truth.
With that's a position that you enjoy because of Jesus Christ.
Now that you're called you should walk in a certain manner
that position is just something that it's not just something you
tucked away in your brain. You tuck away in your statement
of faith and in just live the way you want, no because of
these things now you should walk in a certain way.
How should I walk Apostle Paul refers to with all humility and
gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love?
Yes, you got to do that with your good if you're going to
live with other Christians, bear with one another.
But look at verse 3, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit
in the bond of peace. Eager to maintain now.
What's fascinating here is that we have a truth here about the
experience of unity Unity. When there is Harmony, when
there is mutual love, when there is unselfish service given to
one another, in a group of people like this.
That is a work of the spirit of God.
It is the Holy Spirit who connects you, who providentially
leads you to be in a group of people though.
They represent various backgrounds but who have the The
same Lord and to enjoy that perpetually.
That's a holy spirit work. That's a miracle.
It's nothing short of a miracle. I mean, I look at this place
week after week more than once a week.
And he see different shades of skin, different backgrounds,
different ages, different Generations, different
testimonies. And yet when service is over, or
right before the service, even starts, I love when this place
is filled with the sound of laughter and the site of hugs
and people laying hands on each other's shoulders and praying
for them young and old old giving advice young, energizing
the old What is that? That's a work of the spirit of
God. And it's a work of the spirit,
God, more now than ever in a culture.
That is so fragmented and divided.
We can peek in here week after week, and not just in this place
but across the globe and witness a work of Heaven, each time,
they'll take it for granted. We're told here that the unity
of the spirit, the author of unity in the church, is the Holy
Spirit. And yet you have a
responsibility in nurturing that.
And so do I, because Paul tells us by the spirit, you must be
eager to maintain that. So the Holy Spirit, ignites it.
The Holy Spirit can help us walk in and continue in it but there
must be a diligence and there must be a reverence and there
must be an awareness on our part to protect what the spirit of
God has started. And what the Holy Spirit wants
us to continue in. What does that require well?
Usually, where our minds? Go to is forgiveness, right?
And that's right. We should we should be quick to
forgive whatever faults because you need to bear with one
another in love. We're going to step on each
other's toes. It's going to happen eventually.
It's going to happen at some point.
It's going to happen. It's more people come in, but
it's more than just forgiving. It also includes hear me
carefully. Overlooking what?
I mean by that Because of are non-essential preferences
non-essential convictions if we want to promote a Holy Spirit
Led unity and it's going to require us to not give in to our
selfish ambition or desires or ideas but to be willing to
discern. What it is that is important
what it is and that is not important and then to walk with
people hand-in-hand for a greater cause And some people
are not willing to do that because unfortunately what you
have even among the church in the local church setting is no
shortage of individuals who are easily given into the campaign
of this Unity for justifiable reasons in their own eyes.
And that's exactly what you. And I just read in this chapter,
we read of a man among the camp of Israel named Sheba.
And this man Sheba took advantage of a situation.
He trumpeted his voice and decided to try.
To separate the tribes of Israel yet again, and you're thinking
to yourself. Why is this man doing this?
And it's because people take advantage of vulnerable
situations, especially among the people of God and that is
exactly what's Happening Here. Notice the timing when Sheba
this worthless, man, that's what the Bible describes him.
Me sometimes people people think what we preach here is bold and
straightforward, not as much as the Bible.
Worthless worthless. The Bible is not saying that he
has no value as a person created in the image of God.
The Bible is saying using that word that he has no conviction
or character and that is the kind of person that Satan uses
to breed Discord. You heard about Absalom when we
learn that in second, Samuel chapter 15 that division is bred
in the hearts of Unholy men and it's no different.
There were no different with Sheba but when does he do it?
We didn't cover this last week. So this going to be very
insightful. Look at the last verses of
chapter 19. Look at verse 41 down and you
get the context of when Sheba decides to open his mouth and
Lead astray a group, verse 41, then all the men of Israel came
to the king and said to the king, why have our brothers and
Men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king and his
household over the Jordan and all David's men with him.
Pause, What's Happening Here? Judah initiates the project of
bringing David back From the Jordan into Jerusalem.
David is waiting there at the border Judah and the elders
agree with him, the Elders of Judah to come, and to bring him
back and who trails along the northern tribes of Israel?
How many tribes in the northern part represented Israel, the
northern part of Israel, 10 good.
And how many in the southern? Well if you know how many tribes
to, right? So the northern tribe of Israel
always represents 10 of the tribes this Or the tribe of
Judah rather instead of the Southern Kingdom, you can use
that from time to time. But the tribe of Judah, read the
kingdom of Judah is represented by two tribes.
And so we see here that Judah represents that Kingdom and the
men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king and his
household over the Jordan, all the men's with him.
This is their problem. Why did you do this without us
and verse 42 and all the men of Judah, answer, the men of Israel
because the king is our close relative.
Why then are you angry over this matter have we eaten at all?
The king's expense or has he given us?
Any gift and the men of Israel answer.
The men of Judah. We have 10 shares in the king,
and in David, also, we have more than you.
Why then did you despise us where we not the first to speak
of bringing back our King? But the words of the men of
Judah, were fiercer than the words of the men, as of Israel.
It's like the author there by the spirit, just after that,
Initial conversation, just sensors.
What else was said? Clearly, it was very fierce
fierce enough for us to know the details of what was
communicated. Okay, that was a mouthful.
So let me explain what's happening again Judah and the
Elders of that tribe. Come and bring David back.
The ten other tribes learn of this.
They trail behind and they're upset.
Here's what they're upset about, you didn't include us in this
process. We want to be in this parade.
We want to lead this parade, and so they begin to criticize the
tribe of Judah. Why didn't you call us?
Why didn't you invite us? Why didn't you include us?
And you would think that the immaturity of the in tribes
would have been wet with wisdom. Remember, when Gideon went to
war and Ephraim comes and they say, why didn't you include us
in this battle and and Gideon answers with such wisdom that he
he squashes any beef, right? He quiets, they're selfish ideas
and they're aroused flesh, because he was, he was very
gentle, and his answer. We would hope that Judah would
do the same, but unfortunately, they met Match the immaturity of
the northern tribes with their own immaturity.
So look back at what the line of argumentation is here.
Look at the debate, the men of Judah, verse 42 say, he's our
close relatives, like he's part of our tribe.
So, we have claim on him and this is expected of us.
And how does Israel answer verse 43?
We have 10 shares. We have more numbers.
There are more of us that represent Israel so naturally,
because there are more of us. Then we should have the
privilege of bringing him back because this is what it's all
about. Who is the one leading him back?
Who's the one that's responsible for assuring the king back to
his throne. This is silly.
This is extremely silly. How do you equate this with a
church context? I thought about it.
Well there are many ways our our family gives more to this
ministry. And we because because we give
more this ministry, we should have more say in what happens
here. We've been here longer than
everybody else. We have more history here.
We're one of the founders, actually.
We were there from from day one. And so it's obvious that we
would have access to more of what happens in the background
of the operations here. and so, what you have here is fleshly
strife This is not essential, this is petty, this is
insignificant, this is not, this is not important, this is about
who's first who's there and you would think like well no I mean
it is kind of rude for them to not consider the ten tribes of
Israel. Okay.
But are these tribes really concerned about honoring?
David answer? No one because in just a moment
here, they're going to divide from David in a Split Second.
What they are concerned about here is that they were not
honored in their pursuit of honoring David.
It's amazing, what we try to defend concerning our pride.
We want to be a part of this. Not so that David can be exalted
but that we can be associated with his exaltation.
And so we can share it somewhat in that exaltation, it's about
me, it's about me, it's about what I desire and what I want
and that's the start of much trouble.
Is it not whenever you have even one person in a group that
thinks that way Some kind of turbulence is on its way.
And in the same way that Shiva appears on the scene, when he
calculates and sees this very weak moment in the nation, it's
no different with Satan. When Satan smells and senses in
a group of people who are called to a higher standard, giving
over themselves into the things of the flesh.
The thing that the world gets concerned about position and
prominence and me and us he comes when he comes, he stirs.
And when he stirs who usually finds a person who is worthless
To take the torch and to manifest what he has been doing
for thousands and thousands of years.
Do you know how we can eliminate that Potential Threat do the
opposite of these men? I thought to myself if you were
really about the honor of David, you tribes of Israel.
Would it concern you? Why does it concern you who's in
front of the parade? In, who's not?
Because David is being honored, David is being exalted, remember
fetishes. He's like zebra can take my
land, your back, and your kingdom is back.
That's all that matters to me. This is the opposite of that
spirit. And if you just keep your eyes
on Christ, you won't get caught up with who gets promoted in the
church. Who is recognizing, who is not
whether your acknowledged, your love your praise or not because
of Christ is being blessed. Anyway, then what's it to you?
You should be filled with joy. In fact, you go beyond that, you
would be able to rejoice in the gifts of others rejoice, in the
opportunities of others, because your object is him being
glorified, whether you're the immediate instrument or not.
But when that's lost. So is the the unity among the
people of God, Shiva reared, his ugly head and he tries to
promote Division and he does with his words.
We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the
son of just that's disrespect. He's the king.
No, mention of the king. An appeal back to his humble
beginnings. This is the son of Jesse is the
farmer's, boy. Let's get out of here and notice
verse 2. So all the men of Israel
withdrew from David and followed Sheba, the son of a bitch.
Me just like that just like few verses ago you were Furious.
That you were not included in the reinstatement re installment
of King David and all it took was the persuasion of one man to
have your opinion, altered concerning that same man that
you claim to love and adore. What do we learn from this?
Yet again, another biblical example laid out for us for you
to realize the fickleness of man's praise and support.
It is week. It is unpredictable.
It is all the ways. Vacillating That's true in the
Old Testament. Let me prove it to you in the
new go to Acts chapter 14 quickly.
Acts chapter 14. Paul and Barnabas are preaching
together as a Ministry. Team, a miracle takes place.
A man is able to walk. He sprang up and the crowd saw
this. And in verse 11, we read in Acts
14. And when the crowd saw what Paul
had done, they lifted up their voices saying and like own Ian.
The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men, Barnabas.
They called, Zeus and Paul Hermes, because he was the chief
speaker. So notice what happened, a
miracle takes place at the hand of Paul, and the people see this
and they declare them to be divine.
These guys are Gods. They've come to visit us and so
they ascribe Paul to be Zeus incarnate and they ascribe
Barnabas here. Excuse me, Barnabas Jesus, and
Paul to be Hermes. And so, now they exalt them to
godhood, they're literally ready to worship them and they tend to
and the men ran their garments and They begged them not to, but
I want you to see this for a moment.
How much higher can you esteem? A man than this, your from
heaven? You're a God.
There's No One Like You unparalleled.
And then you scroll down. And almost seamless transition
verse 19 occurs and it's just stunning.
But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and having persuaded the
crowds. They Stone Paul, and drag them
out of the city other than last very long did it.
One moment you're a God. The next thing is you're stoned
and you're thrown out of the city like trash.
So why do you get all hot and bothered?
When somebody says they don't like you, for no justifiable
cause why are you so concerned? When that person unfollowed you
on Instagram? Why are you so moved even when
adoration is showered upon you who cares?
Those opinions are just as valuable as what we see here,
with David and with Paul, aim for the honor and the
Commendation that comes from God.
Not only will, you know maximum-security you will know
maximum Delight, you will know a name of just an immovable sense
of peace and joy and strength when your object is him and him
alone. You look to men even men from
your own from your own tribe tribe, a faith and you try to
pull out of them and fish for compliments to try to make you
feel more valuable and work and worthy.
You're in trouble. Keep your eyes on him and you'll
be safe. So, these men one day, they
praise in the next day, they part ways.
And look at verse 3, and David came to his house at Jerusalem
and the King took 10 concubines. The 10 concubines whom he left
to care for the house and put them in a house on regard and
provided for them but did not go into them.
That's it. That's a Biblical way of veiling
sexual relations. So they were shut up until the
day of their death living as if in widowhood, the seems like a
very strange placement. For this scene, you have a man
who creates division of a man who's trying to cause an
uprising. And you would think now we're
going to continue in that theme and all of a sudden, now, we're
transferred over to David going into his house and dealing with
matters of his own home. And this is not random.
This is not poor authorship, there's a design behind this.
There is something for us to consider before we move on.
Up to this point we have seen David weather and endure severe
chastisement from God. The Lord has been disciplining
David and that discipline is still continuing actually it
will until the day he dies. And what you see here is that
when David returns home, he had his many wives and concubines,
right in that home, they were defiled by Absalom and David
respectively, and Tenderly, put some aside, put some in place,
provides for them and he tries to do what he can to extend love
and compassion. Absalom sun' ruin, not just his
own life, but the lives of others, that's what's intends to
do. And these women are permanently
altered for the rest of their lives.
David chooses to refrain from engaging with them.
And I think that's the main point.
The Holy Spirit highlights, he did not go into them.
He did that know them in that way.
You know, what's amazing? Unless I missed it, there is not
one mention. After this chapter of David,
adding to his wives or acquiring more concubines, you will not
see it. And I think the reason why we're
seeing this here is to show the fruit of the chastisement.
That David was undergoing. He's becoming a new person.
In the very same house where David's unbridled lust was acted
upon, do we see David returning to?
But as a new man, he returns to his home and he is a different
conviction, is a different frame of mind and if there is any
indication that he has close relations with a woman, we see
that even the Holy Spirit tells us then like we see in First
Kings chapter one with abishag, right?
The shunammite who's assigned to David to keep him warm in bed.
In his old age, we're told even there but David did not know
her. To reinforce David really did
change. He did become a new person, one
of the reasons, the Lord chastises his children and it is
this for our good and that we might share in his Holiness.
That's the ultimate goal that when the Lord chisels you as
painful as it may be when he afflicts your body when he
causes disruption, to bring you to your knees to get your
attention. It's because he wants you to
become like him. And David is doing that.
David is submitting and yielding to the discipline of God and
it's actually working Here's the thing.
God doesn't just want you to acknowledge sin.
He wants you to abandon it. Early in my Christian walk.
I've met some people who do not believe in the doctrine of
repentance because they believe that to repent means to work.
And so if you repent of your sin and Believe on, Jesus Christ,
that is a work based gospel. There's a whole camp that
believes that. So if you ask these people, what
do you believe about repentance well though?
Go to the Greek and say it's the word metanoia, and the word
metanoia, simply means change of mind.
So when the Bible says, repent is really synonymous with
believe, change your mind about Christ and believe that you
can't work for your salvation that he did it for you and
that's it. Oh, that's a big part of it but
you can't change your mind about Christ unless you're willing to
also change your mind. Sin and you can't change your
mind about Sin and not affect the way you deal with sin.
I don't understand where they're coming from.
So you're expecting me to change my mind about who God is and who
I am. And that not affect the way I
live. It's absurd.
It's contrary to the will of God, David acknowledged before
the prophet I have sinned. But God doesn't just want you to
be able to label what is sin or confess your sin.
He wants you to walk away from it.
He wants you to change your attitude toward it.
And that's what we see here. This man recognised his sin he
recognized what his loose standards concerning women and
marriage brought him to. And so now after a season of
being under the heavy hand of the Lord, he comes back and He
sets his Affairs in order not for the sake of these woman but
to show I'm a different man so we get that Insight.
Wow. What's happening with David?
At least we should and now we continue back to the main theme
in the main story verse 4. And the King said to a masseuse
call the men of Judah together to me, within three days and be
here yourself. So amasa went to summon Judah
but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed to
him, who was the original commander of, David's Army,
joab, but job was replaced by his cousin, I'm Assad.
So David now, some enzyme assay says, listen if we don't get to
this quick, we're in trouble. We got a quench.
This fire that Sheba sparked. Let's deal with this time is of
the essence. Here's what I'm asking you to
do. Go.
And recruit the men, you have three days.
I need you to be here with all of them, you got it?
Yes, sir. And he makes his way out.
You and I have already established concerning Sheba are
scuse me current concerning. I Masa that David made a choice
to electing him and promoting him to the general of his army
for two reasons. One was what Politics.
And the other one also starts with a P, personal good.
Set aside the personal for a moment because the personal
reason is because he wanted to get back at Joy, you killed my
son, you're no longer because I know how much you love your
position job. So I'm replacing you with
somebody else and he does, but that's a secondary reason.
The primary reason is because in order to reconcile with this
nation of rebels, that sided with Absalom, David wanted to
prove his willingness to forgive and he does.
So by using Amazon has an example.
Look, I'm willing to take the guy that worked with Absalom as
his General and make him my own, huh really?
Hey look if he's willing to do that.
Then surely he's willing to reconcile with us and that was
it that was a major motivation for a masseur to be where he's
at. That a mistake.
Yes, we are. Rio determined that because
David was willing to dismiss the lack of qualifications, in
amasa, for political Gain, No matter how good that political
game might have been, it ended up coming back to bite him.
And so a Masai here, Was not set up to be a leader of an army.
How do we know that? Exactly.
When he works for Absalom with a much larger army with many more
resources, he still couldn't defeat David and his forces.
And David was willing to overlook that David was only to
say come on my team. And when he does, it hurts him.
Is there a lesson here for us? Absolutely, especially for
leaders. And here's the lesson, leaders
have to be careful. Of ignoring God's Blueprints and
his standards. For how his church should
operate pertaining to positions of pertaining to practices in
the name of helping, the people of God, because like a Mossad
whenever we compromise, no matter how good our intentions
are it will end up hurting. The people of God, more than
anything else. Is that understood?
David, I believe David's reasonings were very good.
He wanted to manifest kindness and he did so by doing
something. He shouldn't have done only to
satisfy some immediate goal. And in time the very same people
that he tried to appease were the very same people who are now
put in danger. It ain't different in the
church. My friend, it's not But we want
to bring in more people, we want to, we want to let their guard
down, we want them to see that we are just like them.
We want them to understand that we are human.
We're not holier than thou and so we make all these decisions.
We apply all these strategies thinking that they will come
thinking that they will absorb thinking that they will end up
believing when in reality, you've created a greater mess
than what you started with. Because if you bring in people
for carnal reasons, then you must keep people with carnal
methods. and I've seen this, I'm not just seeing this from
Beyond, I've seen this firsthand with people, and I've heard the
woes of some Elders, realizing the trouble that they've gotten
themselves into because now they have to make one of two choices
one to either again, to keep the people to maintain that tone of
compromise to maintain that tone of something, Beyond with the
scripture demands, Or to make a decision.
At this point, we have to say something true.
And the Temptation is not too because they know they're going
to lose two-thirds of their people.
So David's relations with Amazon.
Here's a wonderful illustration of ensuring, listen to this,
even in your own life, you may not be a pastor, but you're a
person who makes decisions about people.
To make a decision. Hear me.
Hear me hear me? Trust the truth.
All the time. Trust the truth all the time.
What does that mean? Disassociate, your feelings and
disassociate your human wisdom when it comes to what God has
clearly said about a particular situation or person abandoned
self and cling to God's mind and heart and you will know success
You will know success just trust his blueprint, no matter how
difficult, no matter how. Every fiber of your being says,
it could be better if we go this way.
Don't don't. He's God's word is true, and let
every man be a liar, including you and me.
Notice no amens but it's true. Anyhow.
Amazon delayed. A mr.
Delayed. He proved his incompetency.
He didn't show up. Now, there's debate about why he
delayed but it left enough time for people to speculate.
And notice what David says, exactly the point that I was
making verse 6 and David said to abishai now Sheba, the son of
bichri will do us more harm than Absalom.
Take your Lord's servants and pursue him less.
He get himself to fortified cities and escape from us.
Think about that, Sheba? The son of bichri will do us
more harm than up, some more harm than Absalom.
David is aware of the capability of Sheba, and he was aware that
I masses weakness and inability to be who he was called to be
contributed to a potential catastrophe.
That could have been avoided if David just bit his tongue. if
David put aside his political motivations and put aside his
personal ambition and just trusted simple wisdom, So, what
happens? He has to replace.
Amasa ain't no way that he's going to choose joab.
So he goes with abishai, abishai.
Is given David enough headaches, right?
But he's better than joab abhishekam here.
Listen, I need you to deal with Chiba, all right?
Fetch for him. And you know what to do.
If we don't, it's going to get ugly.
Time is of the essence, every minute matters, go.
Abishai goes and their verse 7 went out after him jobs men and
the Cara thights in the pellet fights and all the Mighty Men.
Why doesn't anybody make it movie out of David's life?
Like a long extended more a series please.
If you're going to put your money on that thing, if you're
going to put your money in any kind of entertainment, let it be
God's most amazing. Insight about a man's life.
In the Old Testament. That's debatable.
I guess they went out from Jerusalem and pursue Sheba the
son of bichri. Now something interesting
happens because joab here sees an opportunity himself, amisom
messed up. This is my chance to reclaim my
position. And so, you're going to see a
shift of the balances of power here.
Abishai, replaces a Mossad. Remember those names, right?
Joab. Realizes, this is my chance.
And so, you're going to see now just in a very subtle way, job
is going to take the prominent Place.
Although abishai was put in charge and it's all going to
take place with an encounter with amasa Verse 8, when they
were at the great stone. That is in gibeon.
A Masa came to me that this guy just shows up out of nowhere.
Like, where have you been, you just appears out of the forest?
I don't know how it happened. He just shows up, like I think
we're called to come here, right?
He hears the news maybe of what's Happening of the new
mission. This is interesting.
Now joab was wearing a soldier's garment look out descriptive.
The Bible is here. And over it was a belt with a
sword in its sheath fast and on his thigh.
And as you went forward, it fell out.
Wonder if it looked accidental, I wonder if he made it look
accidental. The sword kind of falls out.
Obviously he has to grab it. So doesn't look that suspicious
that you're just picking up your tool.
Picks up the sword with his left hand and job set to amasa.
Is it well with you, my brother? And job took amasa by the beard
with his right hand and to kiss him.
But Emma said do not observe the sword that was in jobs hand.
So job struck him with it in the stomach and Spilled his entrails
to the ground without striking a second blow and he died.
I have a feeling this is not a Sunday School Story.
It's detailed. But it's not just for the sake
of being detailed, it's instructive job.
Already has a reputation of being a man who resolves to
murder when it comes to his conflicts in life.
He hasn't just proven it here. We've seen him deal with a
another General early on in the reign of David.
What's his name? Starts with the letter, A as
well who remembers Abner Abner, right Abner.
And what makes this man job, even more ruthless, not, not
only his willingness to kill someone on site, but his
implementation of deception in order to accomplish it.
What did job do in order to cause Abner to let his guard
down? How did he kill him more
specifically? Where did he kill him?
Who remembers that bible study? All very good David.
I would expect that from David and our study of David He brings
him to the gate of the City of Refuge in Hebron and he kills
him there. How grotesque, how evil, how
Wicked that in a proximity where you're supposed to be safe?
For the very same crime, you committed, you kill a man.
And we see this man committing, a very similar crime, though,
with a different shade of this deception, he approaches amasa
and notice his language, notice his actions.
First thing he does, is he greets him with a sense of love
and tenderness and affection. He asked about his well-being,
is it? Well with you, my brother?
And then he leans in. Remember, you can just imagine
the site. Perhaps, the weapon just
stumbled out. He picks it up, he approaches
him, is it well with you? My brother, he takes his right
hand. Grabs him by the beard and
kisses him. Now, that might be strange to
you, but it ain't for us middle easterners, right?
Men, great men. That way woman, great woman.
That way your culture might do it to you.
Probably seen in wonder what's Happening Here?
All right. And so he leans in and he kisses
him as a form of salutation. But in doing that, with his left
hand, he thrust into the very core of, emesis, being this men
must have been very strong because he didn't need a second
strike and kills him with that one.
Blow. The deceptiveness of Joy up
here. Speaks of the trickery of sin
temptation greets you with a kiss but in its heart and its
desire and it's mine is to put you to an end.
And like Amazon's inattentiveness, if we are not
walking in the spirit, if we are not filled with the word of God,
if we are not discipline ourselves to fellowship with the
Lord and know the Lord, then we too can fail to see the
deception of sin in our lives. How it approaches?
How it creeps in? How it is packaged, and it looks
like a warm embrace. When in reality.
It has a knife in his hand. I don't I don't just say that
about obvious sin. I think this is true for
Antichrist, Audiology 's and philosophies and mantras and
agendas and narratives. If you are not sharp with your
your discernment that comes through a regular exercising of
the word of God, a life of prayer, you'll look at the lips
but you won't see the hands and you let your guard down and when
you let your guard down how do you let your guard down in New
Covenant sense? Jesus said Watch and Pray.
Watch and Pray. Be aware be aware.
How many of us this is just this is just a test and we don't
answer it but how many of us are daily aware?
Not the moment you step out of your front door, but the moment
you open your eyelids on your bed Warfare is ready.
How many of us really think like that?
How many of us are fully convinced in aware that every
single waking moment, Satan and his minions, especially, if
you're walking in active obedience to the will of God,
wants to find a way to hinder you and to taint, your
testimony. I don't know.
But here we see, amasa was not where he was supposed to be in
terms of his understanding of his surroundings of the people
of the threats around him, and it cost him his life.
It cost him his life, but I learned something else hear
about jobs. Packaged friendship.
Go to Romans chapter 16 quickly. Since we're talking about
kissing. Let's go to Romans chapter 16.
In verse 16. What is Paul tell this church to
do? Greet one.
Another with a holy kiss, All the Churches of Christ, greet
you. This is not the only place where
we were told in the New Testament to greet one another.
With a holy kiss, there is actually a total of how many
times do you think, who says twice?
Who says Thrice who says for? Nobody's going to participate.
There is a total of five times. That the New Testament
encourages the saints of God to greet one another with either
kiss, a holy kiss or a kiss of love, right?
Now, here's the thing. I already mentioned that in
David's time, it was a cultural norm for men.
And men woman woman to greet one another in this way to express
love and affection in a very pure manner, right?
We see that even cultures today and it was true of Paul's day,
it was true for them. It was true for the surrounding
Gentiles that he dealt with, so seems strange That how many
people interpret this verse, as make sure that you greet one
another in a very pure and unromantic and very honorable
fashion when it was something that they just did.
Shirley Paul though. That could be part of what he's
saying. There is something that he has
in mind that's deeper than hey, don't be inappropriate with
people in church. Could it be that when Paul says
greet one another with a holy kiss?
That he's instructing the people of God who interact with one
another on a regular basis to be free from deception and
Apocrypha. See and how you deal with one
another In other words, when you hug that brother, who walks
through those doors, one of the time, the pastor says, well, why
don't you just greet one another?
Before we sit down and you turn around and you give a hug to
that lady and you ask her, how she's doing and you ask her
about her children and you asked about what's been going on in
their lives and their walk with the Lord.
That, at the same time, your heart doesn't have Envy toward
them. Jealousy.
Hatred criticism. that while you smile at them on Sunday morning,
Tuesday, night with the gals, you're murdering their
reputation. You're slandering their name and
dragging it in the dirt. You kiss them on the cheek but
you have a sword in your left hand.
Could it be that what Paul is saying is, don't be like joab.
Don't be a Judas who hailed King Jesus but wanted to arrest him
the very same tonight. Greet one.
Another with a holy kiss, let your greeting be genuine and
that's why Paul though he says, holy kiss over and over Peter
says in First Peter 514 to give a kiss of love.
It's synonymous love. Let there be sincere, love among
the Brethren that there be a transparency.
Don't be one thing. Outwardly in something else.
Inwardly don't be like joab. Who can say how are you brother?
But you Really want to kill them.
That's what I think. Giving a holy kiss means, it's
not about figuring out whether or not we should kiss each other
in the 21st century, okay? Something much deeper than that
and I think we have biblical examples of what an Unholy
Kisses. One of the main ones is joab
here. So we come to 2nd Samuel 20
again. And see here in verse 10.
But I'm a sudden observed, the sword, right?
And we continue in verse 11, and one of jobs, young men, took a
stand by Amazon and said, whoever favors joab and whoever
is for David, let him follow joab.
And I'm a suddenly wallowing in his blood in the highway and
anyone who came by seeing him stopped.
And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried a
messiah out of the highway into the field and through a garment
over him. When he was taken out of the
highway, all the people went on after job to pursue Sheba the
son of Dorothy. And so the sight of this man's
murder was just horrific. There he is wallowing in his
blood and these men who are called to pursue Sheba couldn't
move forward because they were absolutely stunned by what just
happened. Like we just killed our
commander. Specifically Joy.
I've just killed our commander and they were, they were
paralyzed. Perhaps by the the sheer evil of
what just took place and the man realized he's like okay this is
obviously hindering us so he wraps his body and he throws him
out to a field and out of sight out of mind, right?
That's what they try to do in Canada.
I don't know what happens here. I don't go to gas stations to
too often I guess, but when you, when you go to gas stations in
Canada, this happened years ago, they put the cigarettes Behind
these drawers and they think they thought, psychologically,
if you don't see the cigarettes, then you're not going to want to
ask for cigarettes or not going to be as tempted to want to
smoke. And so they try all these ways
of keeping these things out of your vision so that you would
not entertain it further. And so we see here that there is
an obvious obstacle here with this evil and so let's just try
to bury the evil and we don't want joab to be reconsidered as
our new leader. And so let's just hide away the
evidence and let's just move forward in and people today are
willing to ignore the evil that others commit because they
promised so much. That's why people are willing to
follow so many politicians in certain directions and are
willing to follow so many celebrities and their way of
thinking. And they're willing to look over
all these Other evil things. Because they want something else
and that person has something to offer and that's exactly what
happens, right? They followed job verse 14 and
sheba, passed through all the tribes of Israel, to a bow or
able of Beth maachah and all the big critz assembled and followed
him in how many tribes joined Sheba.
When he first said, we have no portion in David and we have no
inheritance in the son of Jesse. 10, 10 and no more than three
days in a little bit when we are reintroduced.
Toshiba. what are the support dwindle down to Look at this.
And she passed through all the tribes of Israel and look and
all the big critz assembled and followed him in the only people
that followed him were the people of his own Clan.
You went from ten tribes not to people from your own family, not
very impressive. Maybe he wasn't as persuasive.
Absalom was we don't know. I'd like to believe that in
great part David swiftness in dealing with Sheba Hindered him
from becoming more effective in organized and trying to convince
and persuade others to join him. The willingness of David not to
delay any longer. But to deal with this leaven
right away, perhaps contributed to his early success and you and
I should have the very same attitude. when it comes to all
the other obstacles in our Christian Life, when sits in is
in seed form, when it's just a thought that keeps reoccurring
and visiting you, when it keeps you up at night, when it has you
browsing on the internet when it has you looking on things where,
you know, where this can lead to, but you just want to out of
curiosity, know something, when you see an issue at hand
relationally and you can sense the tension when somebody comes
in and I have doctrinal level or 11 or more 11, and it doesn't
seem to be a problem at first, but you can, you can sense it.
Have the attitude of David, we must deal with it immediately.
I must conquer this now. Now, I must see the threat for
what it is. Sheba was, not that big of a
threat at this point, but David had enough insight to realize
that, if we don't get ahold of him, it will be worse than what
Absalom did. And we need the wisdom of God's
word, to be able to filter. All that we see all that we
experience all that, visits us, all the problems around us and
to know, when to execute went to refrain and went to jump on the
opportunity. And again, you're not listen,
hey, this is not going to apply to you unless you have a
revelation of the Warfare that you're in, it's not if you just
think individually and you don't think beyond your own life.
If you think that being a Christian simply means to have
an easier life than those Wicked people there that are banging
their heads against the wall and can't figure out what a woman
is. Your Christian life is going to
be extremely hindered. You got to look beyond that and
see how God frames your life, and then you'll be able to
understand and evaluate the things in your life.
So this man was a very successful and I think in great
part, he realized that job was on his tail.
David did not hesitate to jump and to reach him.
And so he fled he flees rather and he goes into this one city
called able and he tries to hide their now, look what happens.
And all the men who were with joy came in besiege them.
In a bowl of Beth maachah, they cast up a mound against the city
and its stood against the rampart and they were battering,
the wall to throw it down. Then a wise woman called, from
the city. Listen.
Listen, tell, joab. Come here that I may speak to
you and he came near and the woman said, are you joab?
He answered, I am. And she sent them listen to the
words of your servant and he answered I'm listening.
And she said, they used to say in former times, let them but
ask Council a table and so they settle the matter.
I'm one of those who are Peaceable and faithful and
Israel, you seek to destroy a city that his mother, a mother
in Israel. Why will you swallow up the
heritage of the Lord? I just love this interaction.
You have this woman. With no name and she appears on
the scene. And she deals with this
bloodthirsty man, who probably had the blood of amasa still
staining his hands. He goes.
Where's Joe have joy and joy of comes and she goes, you willing
to listen to yourself. Yeah, I'm willing to listen,
it's just like, this strange shift of authority.
Right. And so she's like confronting,
but we're told she's a wise woman.
And there are elements of wisdom here that we can we can apply to
our own lives. Notice the humility of this
woman. She didn't yell at job.
She didn't curse job. She didn't insult.
Joy should, are you willing to listen to me?
Are you willing to listen to your servant?
And so she submits herself and with the specific tone is able
to win his attention. I know you're hot blooded and
you think the louder you are and the more Force you use and the
more intimidation you have, the more persuasive, you'll be
that's not wisdom. This woman is wise, and so she
gets this man's attention and he has, she has his ear and he
says, in verse 20 Job, answer far be it for me far.
Be it that I should swallow up or destroy.
That is not true but a man of the Hill Country of Ephraim
called Sheba. The son of bichri has lifted up
his hand against King, David, give up him alone and I will
withdraw from the city and the woman said to draw a behold, his
head shall be thrown to you over the wall.
Who is this lady? Then the woman went to all the
people in her wisdom and they cut off the head of Sheba, the
son of bithia, and threw it out to joab.
So he blew the trumpet and they dispersed from the city, every
man to his home and job returned to Jerusalem to the king.
So much to unpack here, which I won't for the sake of time, but
there's one point that I want to drive here.
You have Sheba, run into this fortified City with his little
Clan. Obviously, they convinced the
city To hide their in to borrow anybody, namely job and David's
men to enter in job sees this and he says, you know what,
let's create a Siege. And what a Siege was, an Army
surrounding a city, and you were essentially try to starve them
out, you wouldn't let anybody go in, you wouldn't let anybody go
out, let them run out of food, let them run out of water and
then they eventually they'll surrender.
That's what a Siege is, but he doesn't even wait for that.
He creates a Siege and he's like, let's just tear the wall
down and so they begin to Ram against the wall.
This Woman's walls are probably shaking.
Who knows? She obviously hears about it
comes and confronts David or confronts Joy.
Why are you going to destroy this whole city?
What's the issue? Well, you have a guy in there
that needs to be given up and so we're willing to cease from this
destruction, doesn't have to come to this city.
If you're just willing to give up Sheba that worthless man and
we will move on Done. She doesn't wait another day.
She doesn't win. Another moment.
She goes to the other people of that City.
He says let's just give up his head.
If we don't give up Shiva, we're all dead.
We're all finished and his beautiful home of ours.
This beautiful city with a glorious reputation will be
brought to Rubble. There is no hesitation.
They gave up Shiva. And the lesson is this.
That When sin enters into our lives as represented by Sheba,
it wants to make a home with us. And you and I have to make a
decision. to Harbor that sin or to give up that sin and if we
choose to justify our sin just like they could have Justified
Sheba, Then you and I too will, no further destruction.
That could have been avoided. If we had just made the decision
to give it up and when you choose to give up sin, make sure
that you do. So with a decisiveness, and the
promptness that this woman displays, How do you deal with
sin? You don't negotiate with it.
You don't try to come up with a deal with it.
You cut off its head, you're not living anymore.
You're not supposed to be here. The longer you stay here.
The more destructive, it will be for us.
You're out of here. And with a collective effort,
they put Sheba to death and they resumed in their peace and joy
undisturbed from the anointed ones, discipline expressed
through joab. Be that aggressive.
Don't tolerate it. Don't let it Live Another Day.
Go for the jugular And you will know blessing.
Wow, what an interesting story, a guy wallowing in his blood on
the side of the street. Another man, losing his head
Hawaii's woman engaging in a conversation with another
murder. In the Bible.
Exciting who says, the Bible is boring.
Verse 23. And again, it seems like a very
strange way to end this chapter but it's not, it's strategic.
Now Joy was in command of all the Army of Israel, Benaiah, the
son of jehoiada idea, where jehoiada was in command of the
carrot sites in the Pella tights and a Duran was in charge of the
forced labor and Jehoshaphat the son of a.
He loved was the recorder and Shiva was secretary and zadok
and abiathar were priests and Ira.
The Jerry Wright was also David's priest.
That's an interesting. Ting.
Last verse isn't it and Ira the gyre right was also David's
priest, the nasb would say a priest to David.
There isn't much commentary on that.
You know what? Some would say that there is
something here about IRA. Playing a role in David's Life
as a spiritual mentor. He was a priest to David, or
David's priest. Now, if that's true, I think
that's quite fascinating that even a man, like, David, who had
such a connection with God. Still had somebody in his life.
Speaking into his life. Perhaps providing instruction
and counsel. If that's true for David.
You spiritual person, right? How much more you and I do.
We need overseers in our lives. Do we need mature?
Believers who can speak into us and to guide us and correct us
and watch over us. You will never graduate in your
spirituality, you will never graduate from accountability.
And your greatest accountability.
Yes. Is the fear of God because your
accountability partner can't go with you certain places.
But still God has instituted that you and I would have people
to encourage us and warn us and love us and speak into our
lives. You can never outgrow that in
the moment. You actually think you can is
where you're in spiritual Danger.
But there's more here and these are the kind of verses that were
just like, you know, everything was so excited and we're winding
down. So you doze off and you don't
really consider the details. But listen to the application
here. Look at verse 23.
Now job was in command of all the Army of Israel.
What? Huh?
I thought it was a messiah. Guaymas is no longer there.
Well, what about abishai? Well, there's a matter because
job took over Job forcefully took back his position.
What he always defended, what he always longed for he now has
again, was it? Through just means, was it
through a fair election? Was it through reconciliation
with David? No, it was through bloodshed.
This man was promoted. To the very existence of his
life. The very reason why he lived,
what he prized more than anything else by killing.
Somebody is that fair. No.
And we live in a very sinful World, whereas, you peek through
this window and you look out and you see how evil and perverse
men with great power or great ability.
Don't get punished for this and they get promoted.
Are not shun for their iniquity. They're celebrated.
Are not hindered in their financial gain, they expand, and
they blossom. And it doesn't seem right.
Well, would you expect anything less in a very sinful broken
world? But what we see with job here in
his self-promotion, unbothered unchallenged by anybody.
What we see with joab here is what we will see with all men
who choose to live in sin job, has a Day of Reckoning.
There is a precise appointment with Justice for job, and there
will be for every single person who is outside of Christ.
No matter how, well, they seem to be doing no matter how
unbothered and unchallenged they are in this life.
It's only in this life. There is a Time coming where the
king will have the final say not.
King, David King, Jesus. And Ecclesiastes tells us though
the consequences of sin are not executed speedily men continue
in their iniquity. Enjoy up here.
Seems to only be winning even though he sinning.
But that winning will come to an end.
And the best place to be in this life.
Is not the position that you desire.
It's not the riches that you long for is.
Not the praise that you get from Men.
It's to be in the will of God and that's what I see.
Also, with these final verses, we have a commentary of the
restoration of the kingdom of David Wright with all the
turbulence has with Absalom and then which Chiba that brief
flare, The author brings us to an acknowledgement that David's
government still stands and that's the joy of those final
verses that the turbulence is in the trials.
And the tests are many. If you are in the will of God,
like David was at this point in his life, nothing can overthrow.
And nothing can take you away from God's purposes.
Stay there. Stay there, no matter how
difficult it is, no matter the prices.
You pay. Because God will hold you, he
will keep you, you will be firm, and he will hold you till the
end. Let's pray.
Father, it is our great joy to explore the word of God.
And thank you again for illustrating to us.
That there is not one part of this Bible, your word that is
void of instruction. Some things or perhaps were
repeated some things might have been knew.
Regardless, help us apply it, help us revisit it.
Help us to examine ourselves. we want to be in your will and we
pray that if this Bible study did anything, Made only Inspire
us again to love you. And to give you our devotion, a
fresh load of our hearts are cold tonight.
If we've been lukewarm these past few days or weeks or
months, what we're just caught up in the busyness or the
silliness of this world. Please Lord rescue us, please
Lord, rescue us, make us white hot.
To be a worshipper to be active in obeying you to know.
You were to study it, to eat it and look for things.
That we are entertaining. Help us today with a new
motivation, to put it to death to cut off its head to not
delay. Any further that might be a
relationship with somebody that we shouldn't be in a
relationship with that. Might be a habit that we have
justified in our conscience has become numb towards it.
That might be are delaying giving you our whole complete
heart. That might be something that we
know we ought to do but we are not willing to do it because
like David We Trust in our own wisdom than the wisdom that has
been laid out for us. But whatever the case may be, we
ask that this. This Bible study would not just
have been an entertaining and informative time, but that Lord,
it would have pressed on our hearts and that we would have
sensed your voice. Because oh God, we need your
voice. Oh Lord.
I don't want to live without the holy spirit's influence.
I pray that that would be the desire of every person that you
would be real to us. And you would be close to us
that we would walk with you Lord.
Oh, rescue us. If we are dry fill our cups and
let us overflow with love again, we look to you now as we close
as we sing together the conclusion of this evening.
Oh God, made it only in Rapture our hearts to be madly in love
with Christ in Jesus name. Amen!
Amen. There was a little verse ready
for Bible. Study part 2. there's a little
verse in that chapter that I loved, you know, the thing with
Bible study and you can stand if you want Because we're going to
sing in a moment. But it says here.
In verse 2 of that, same chapter saw the men of Israel, withdrew
from David and followed Sheba, the son of bichri but the men of
Judah, followed their kings steadfastly from the Jordan to
Jerusalem. I love that verse the majority
of the tribes walked away. But Judith says here, they
steadfastly followed their King steadfastly uninterrupted,
unchanging unwavering Devotion to the king despite the despite
the letdowns despite people's issues, you'd only people become
unsteady fast when people from their own group, Cause problems,
or create division. You know, trials do a lot of
things. They expose people's wickedness
and they expose people's Faith. I've seen that in my own life.
I've seen people's True Colors surface when there are real
problems among the people of God.
And I've seen people shine bright for the glory of Christ
in the darkest moments of their faith.
And as you sing tonight, if you're a serious follower of
Christ, I want you to ask the Lord, no matter who walks away.
I'll want to be steadfast to my king.
You got to determine that. That is the level of
discipleship, that Jesus requires just as the ABCs of
discipleship. If anyone would be my disciple,
you got to say, love you, Mom, love you Dad, brother sister,
friends that I grew up with. If you're not coming with me,
I'm going alone. That is the quality of
discipleship that Christ requires on a basic level.
And I pray that, that would be the caliber of Christians in
this place. Let's sing to the Lord together.