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2 Samuel 16 (Part 1) Bible Study | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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Second Samuel. Chapter 16.
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This storm might make this Bible study little bit more special
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right? You made it tonight and we'll
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trust that will endure it tonight as well.
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Can we pray again? Yes.
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Lord. Oh Lord, we love you.
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You are everything to us. Lord.
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We thank you for the Saints in this land and whom is all our
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Delight. We thank you Lord because the
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Saints of the land or the excellent ones.
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O Lord O. We are imperfect though.
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We missed the mark many times because of Jesus Christ.
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We are excellent and your gentleness has made us great.
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Your blood has made us clean Your spirit has sealed us
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forever as adopted Sons and Daughters.
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Lord, we are more detached from this world than ever.
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We say, come Lord, Jesus, bring your rule and your rain,
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establish your throne in Jerusalem, and stretch, out your
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scepter. And bring righteousness and let
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your glory cover the Earth as the sea covers this world until
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then make us ready. Lord, make us ready for your
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return to not shrink from shame but to be brought before your
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presence with ultimate joy and confidence that we have served
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you. Well I thank you for my brothers
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and sisters who are able to be here tonight.
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We bless those who curse. Couldn't for any other reason.
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We ask Lord that this night would be sanctifying and
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glorifying onto you in the precious name of the true king.
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Amen. Amen.
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Tonight, I want to speak to you about.
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We're going to study about 22 interactions that David had with
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two different individuals at a moment of Crisis and his life,
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remember where David is at at this moment, David is wandering
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through the Wilderness Again, David has fled his home, his
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throne, his City and his now, Escaping The Wrath of his son
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and his with Some of his family and some of his loyal
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supporters, but on his way to a safe haven, there are two
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different characters who enter into the scene, two different
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characters who arrived where David is and engage with David
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and pretty staggering ways. The first one is someone you are
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familiar with if you are familiar with this book of the
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Bible, his name is ziba, ziba is the chief servant of who fetish
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ethe, correct. He was assigned by David to
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exercise oversight over mephibosheth land.
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His property his Harvest since mephibosheth was lame, Ziva is
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going to approach David with supposed kindness and
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generosity. That's what you're going to
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anticipate and see from the first few verses unlike ziba, we
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have a different individual who will now appear on the scene and
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we are not familiar with him for, he's introduced to us for
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the first time and we see here that is name, is shammai that I
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say that right? Pastor, Daniel, correct, I
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passed the Hebrew, test that bible study.
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Chimay. And on the other hand, when it
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comes to shh by, he will not approach David with Charity.
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He will come with a vicious and disgraceful spirit.
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And we're going to examine each of these interactions more
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carefully and trust that as we look at these two, the spirit of
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God has prepared something for us to learn in our own Walk With
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Jesus and our own walk in this path of faith that we are
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embarking on. Each of us are, are walking in
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this journey of obedience until we are called to Glory so let's
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do that. Read the first few verses of
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chapter 16 with me and let's pause and reflect further verse
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1 when David had passed a little Beyond The Summit.
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Ziba the the servant of mephibosheth met him with a
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couple of donkey saddled bearing, 200 loaves of bread,
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100, Bunches of raisins 100 of Summer, fruits and a skin of
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wine and the King set to ziba why have you brought these Z by
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answered the donkeys are for the Kings household to ride on the
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bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat and the wine
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for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.
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And the King said, and where is your master son?
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Ziba said to the king behold he remains in Jerusalem for he said
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today, the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my
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father. The king said to zieba, behold
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all that belonged to my fetish f is now yours.
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And ziba said, I pay homage. Let me ever find favor in your
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sight. My Lord the king.
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Fascinating, we see here in verse 1, when David had passed a
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little Beyond The Summit, a piece of information that helps
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us recall. The treacherous Journey that
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David was on. Let us not forget that.
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He is Barefoot, empty-handed, emotionally exhausted.
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And I bring that up to you because those set of
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circumstances that an individual does not necessarily set up that
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individual for the best kind of discernment or Making abilities.
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We're going to discover that as we look further into David
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situation, it's not hard to imagine how David is in great
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need. He is in want, he is desperate
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and providentially. We see this wonderful Act of
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Grace coming from a surprising guest.
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Verse one. Tells us who it is, zebra the
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servant of mephibosheth met him Now he comes with this abundant
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Supply and we're even told the exact receipt of this care
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package, but David has his suspicions.
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David has his reservations and you get that impression based on
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his initial question to the arrival of ziba, he says it why
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have you brought these the first thing?
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The king wants to do is pull out of ziba and honest reason his
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true motive and being risky with his kindness.
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This is not just charity without a cost.
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There was a high cost to this knowing that there is a civil
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war that's about to break out. And Ziva gives the answer,
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right. And he convincingly tells David
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that he has compassionately loyal to him, and his men and
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his family. I've come all this way to help
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you. I've come all this way because
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you were on my mind and this is where things get interesting.
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Once David hears that he responds with yet.
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Another question with all of this presented, before I'm
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understanding ziva's position, where he came from, naturally,
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he demands for an answer concerning mephibosheth.
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Where is he? I see that you brought this, but
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where is your master son? And this is how he answers, you
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know? I knew that you would bring that
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up. And so I have to let you know
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that unfortunately, he is very excited about your exit.
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And he quotes him saying today, the Kingdom of Israel will give
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back to me what belong to my father.
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Now, before we move forward, can I ask you something?
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My fellow students of the Bible and I trust that your
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Discerning. I trust that we will grow in
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discernment. Are there red flags with this
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presentation and explanation that came forth from ziba?
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I see some heads nodding but I'm going to ask you what it is.
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Why is this concern is this? Just seems like love this seems
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like loyalty. This seems like Allegiance.
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This seems simple. It seems odd and it doesn't seem
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surprising that yet another person at the right opportunity,
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shows his true colors and says yeah this is good for me.
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What's happening to David? He deserves it.
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David's already heard that many times before, so this is not
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something that shocks us and it probably doesn't shot David but
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are their Flags now you're nodding your head so I'm going
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to ask you what are the flags Okay, so he is from Saul's
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lineage. But why is that suspicious?
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We know that. And he experienced Grace from
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David, he experienced favor and he even expressed early on in
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David's reign of his love for him and how he's undeserving an
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unworthy to be treated in such a way.
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But what more about this again, the presentation may be more
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specific, what he brought and what he said when he quoted his
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master, let me ask you this question.
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Is ziba here inferring that he is the one to be credited.
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For these resources he is, is he not?
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He is posturing himself in such a way where it seems like he is.
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The benefactor he is the one who conjured up this whole thing and
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was the loyal friend when everybody else is abandoning
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him, that's the Persona that he is projecting.
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Why is that suspicious? Think back to what he was called
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to do for the rest of his life when he was when David was
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trying to show Grace to mephibosheth.
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Okay, go back now to 2nd Samuel 9 and you'll see what I'm
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talking about here. We should be alarmed.
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By ziva's attitude here with what he is, bringing to David,
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and I'll tell you why. And second Samuel, 9 look at
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verse 9. Then the king called ziba, Saul
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servant, and set them all that belonged to Saul and to all his
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house, I have given to your Masters grandson.
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Is it clicking yet and you and your sons and your servants
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shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce that
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your Masters grandson may have bread to eat, but mephibosheth,
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your Masters grandson. She always eat at my table now
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ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants, David commanded that
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ziba would be in charge of the property that belonged to saw
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and was transferred all together over to mephibosheth.
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He did. Not own a thing.
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He just managed it. He had no right to one acre.
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One inch of an acre. He was simply supposed to
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supervise and come to the aid of mephibosheth if that is true.
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Where did this stuff come from? Do you understand the question,
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the understand the, the correlation here if this, none
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of this belonged to Ziva because he obviously had no right to
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this stuff. Then the discerning.
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In person would say, well either mephibosheth sent you, these
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things to me or you stole them. Whatever option you go with it.
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Puts a bad light on ziba. Secondly, look back at his
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allegation like think and Ponder deeply about what he's actually
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saying about mephibosheth. He's saying what mephibosheth,
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that now today, the house of Israel, give me back the kingdom
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of my father. Does that really make sense?
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This is a really makes sense from a fetish F to interpret
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what just happened as an opportunity for the dynasty of
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salt to be revived. David didn't just abandon the
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throne and leave it vacant Absalom sabotaged it, the son of
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David has taken over Furthermore, even if that is the
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case, to think that a crippled man has the confidence to
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believe that he can have and gain a following to then fight
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against Absalom is just daydreaming, it's silly, its
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outlandish. So there's something about this
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statement concerning mephibosheth, mephibosheth
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character, David knew him, right that can be debated because
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David knew a lot of guys and they turned their backs on him
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but his condition like he's lame.
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He couldn't even receive the produce from his own land and
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he's going to lead a revolt and he's going to try to win the
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throne from Absalom. It just it's absurd.
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It doesn't make sense. At least to us because you're
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sober minded. You're reading this with a
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clear. Understanding, a clear
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perspective, David is not in the best place here.
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So put yourself in the Kings shoes.
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Although these things are flags there.
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Blinking warning signs, you have a man. who has experienced a
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series of rapid betrayals It doesn't seem too far-fetched
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that yet another person who has received an experience, the
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kindness of David is now turning his back on him.
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But the problem is, you can't believe everything you hear.
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And I believe hear that zieba was very aware of David's
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condition his plight and he took advantage of it.
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And this is the lesson for us as followers of Jesus Christ.
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This is a reminder that Temptation and deception often
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rears its ugly head at strategic moments that most of us are
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unaware of and are not very Vigilant in.
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David here it is in a very very poor state of mind.
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And that's when Z becomes And brings about this idea about
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mephibosheth with an ulterior motive, of course.
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So let me let me present this to based on, looking at David.
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May I warn you, my brother, and my sister, number one, that you
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and I are very susceptible to making poor judgments.
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When we are emotionally wounded. Or overwhelmed.
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I've seen it throughout my sojourning throughout my
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pilgrimage in Christ, that there is a certain attraction to sin
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or false Notions when a person responds to pain of any kind in
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order to medicate it or search for some kind of immediate
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relief happens in so many scenarios.
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I've seen it in so many cases. I've seen young men have their
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heart broken and so, they flee to print Geography, I've seen
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people who have been traumatized and their child and so they
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justify destructive Behavior to themselves and toward others.
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It's a common trait of Sons. And Daughters of Adam that when
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we are emotionally shattered, we tend to be drawn to certain
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frames of mind that invites sin and harm on so many levels.
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But not just when we are emotionally worn out, consider
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this that David here is in danger because he's physically
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worn out. Physically worn out.
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You know, we tend to tell people not to make commitments when
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they're overly excited, even with our gospel presentations,
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people say that right? Consider the cost count, the
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cost don't get whipped up in your emotions here and make
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these vows that you're not going to keep when you're sober and
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your emotions. And yet, we tell that the people
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who are excited and we don't tell them that when they're
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exhausted. Exhausted.
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You saying, brother, are you preaching psychology and on
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preaching Bible to you? There's so many examples of
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this, let me give you the most prominent one, Elijah.
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Elijah was so fatigued. So mentally drained, that he
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interpreted so many events out of its place.
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He magnified things beyond what they were and what I find so
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fascinating is that when God is ready to instruct his servant,
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he doesn't give him any kind of any kind of charge concerning
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his spiritual State before. He lets him sleep, drink and
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eat. Before he addresses, Elijah, he
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ensures that his body is replenished that his mind is
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nourished, and that he is in a normal State of Mind.
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Even before he speaks spiritual. Truth them, in some cases, that
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is true. And some cases before a person
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even receives some instruction from the word, they need to go
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through all these other things beforehand.
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I know that doesn't sound very spiritual, but look at Elijah as
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an example and there's so many other cases of that.
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The Bible wants you to be wise, Bible wants me to be wise,
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right? Can I give you some Word of
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Wisdom? Don't make major decisions when
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you are not feeling well. I know that's not a tweetable
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quota from a Bible study, but I want to help you in Practical
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life. So does the bible?
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You're a representative Christ and and life is determined Often
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by our decisions. So let me give you a word of
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caution. When your body is tired, when
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your mind is overwhelmed refrain from making judgments refrain
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from making serious decisions that you might regret later on.
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I tried to make that a discipline of mine especially
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being in Ministry. There are texts that I am not
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going to answer until tomorrow. There are situations that arise
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and I just absorb it and I process it and attempt not to
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make some kind of committed decision or choice.
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That I might look back and say, I wish I had waited on Do the
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same in your own life exercise. The discipline to pull yourself
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away before you're pulled into something because of your flesh,
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not being in accordance with the will of God because it is weak
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in one way or another. David is going to make a very
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silly conclusion out of all of this.
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He's actually going to make a very rash decision and I believe
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it on some of us because he's flustered, he's flustered and he
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just wants to deal with it immediately and he wants to kind
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of find some some reprieve some relief.
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Leaf. And what does he do?
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You read it in verse 4. Then the king said, the zebra
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behold all that belonged to my fetish at the is now yours.
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Now, you can tell the frustration there so you know
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what whatever, whatever was given him, it's just now yours.
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Unwise. Not good.
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Sometimes the decisions that we make are irreversible.
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The best he could have done is just hear what Zeba had said.
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Thank them for it. And then process all that is
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happening, including that updated news about mephibosheth
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statement, the parents statement, you know what,
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Proverbs 18 17 says, right? Proverbs?
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1870 says the one who states his case first seems, right.
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The one who states his case first seems right until another
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comes and examines him. Until another comes and examines
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him. Learn not to believe everything
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at face value when it comes to a complicated situation.
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Understand that it takes complex process in order to understand
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the truth of the matter. At least to come close as close
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as possible to the truth of the matter.
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With all that being said, I probably gave it away, but maybe
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there is somebody here who's skeptical?
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Is he telling the truth? After all that, how can you say?
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Yeah, right is ziba telling the truth.
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We don't have to guess because the facts of the matter will
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surface don't they even will return to Jerusalem after they
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have victory over Absalom. And who comes to me David
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fetishes? Look at chapter 19 and I want
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you to see how we are introduced to this man.
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Who wasn't there to speak for himself when Zeeb approached
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David and in second, Samuel 1924, What do we read?
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And my fab bichette, the son of Saul came down to meet the king.
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He had neither taken care of his feet, nor trimmed his beard.
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Nor washed his clothes from the day, the king departed until the
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day he came back and safety. So the sight of mephibosheth as
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he approached the Vindicated King is one of morning.
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He's grieving and we're told that since the day David was
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made a fugitive that he endeavored to be such a man one
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who is lamenting the loss of a friend of his king of his ruler
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of the one? He believed to be God's anointed
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that why is that more than just a Sentimental Act?
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Why is what mephibosheth doing or what he had done more than
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just an emotional appeal or statement about his love for
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David, and he idea Who was raining while mephibosheth was
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doing this. Absolutely.
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Why would a man like me, fetish us, being a state of mourning
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and lamenting when a new King has come to the throne?
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I don't know about you, but if there was an Absalom supporter
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who saw mephibosheth acting like this, could have put him in a
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lot of trouble. If it was just come here.
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Why are you not trimmed? Why are you not clean?
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Could have been treason, could have been the problem.
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And yet he was willing to risk his own life in order to just
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communicate his great and deep allegiance to David.
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That's a statement. Moreover David now engages with
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him. He says why didn't you come with
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me? He tells them, honestly, why
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didn't you come with me? Mephibosheth explains ziba is a
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liar. He slandered me.
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He said something about me. That is not true, David.
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And this is what David does. This is, this is how he judges
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the whole thing. So, you know what, fine, half of
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it goes to ziba, half of it. Goes to you.
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We'll split it down the middle, it belongs to both of you now,
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and some might question David judgment.
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You have every right to question it because when we come to that
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chapter, you'll realize that with David did was in connection
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to a lawn Deuteronomy. That will determine what his
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judgment whether he was right, or it was off.
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But more than that, I want you to see for the sake of this
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chapter, how mephibosheth responded to that misdirected
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settlement. What is his reaction look down
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at verse 30. And mephibosheth said to the
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king o, let him take it all. Since my Lord, the King has come
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safely home. What a response.
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Okay, fine. Mephibosheth I know it all
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belong to you at first, but we have a complicated story, your
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half of it goes to Z behalf of it, goes to you and fetish with
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with his beard and his smell, and his clothes.
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And his untrimmed features says let him take it all.
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He can have it all because my king is back.
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You know, I was meditating on this and I thought to myself, I
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wonder if Solomon borrowed this tactic when it came to his first
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major judgment that made national news.
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You remember that two women making an argument a case that
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the baby and one of the woman's arms belonged to one or the
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other. And eventually Solomon says
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bring me a sword. Bring me a sword, says, cut the
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baby in half the living child in half and give each half to these
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women. And what is the true mother say?
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Oh let the Child live. Let the Child live.
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She can have the baby. They and Psalm says, you're the
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right one. I wonder if he knew this story
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and borrowed that tactic in wisdom and applied it to that
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situation. Food for thought.
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But what's more and more powerful to consider.
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Now at this point is to see that mephibosheth proved his
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innocence. I believe, I mean, how much more
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do you need than this? Because nothing mattered to this
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man, more, this revealed that nothing mattered to him more
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than knowing that the king that he loved was exalted.
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And that his kingdom is now established.
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I don't care about anything else.
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This is this is what it's all about and this is all I need and
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this is this is here and so forget about everything else.
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It doesn't move me. Doesn't change anything about me
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because the object of my desire, My Affection is before me.
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It's not in land. It's not a gnomes, it's not an
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opportunity. It's not an any experience.
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And I looked this eyes, man. I have something to learn from a
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famous chef. God, help me.
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God help you. Here's what we can learn the
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secret to overcoming the irreversible.
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The irreversible and unjust damage that is caused by others
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is to be so enamored. By the king.
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That when things are even taken from you or added to you, you
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won't be shaken. Because your treasure is in
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someone already. And everything about your
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treasure is in him and so whatever comes or goes does not
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make a difference. You know I when I looked at what
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happened to mephibosheth it confirms to us just how heinous
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and Despicable the sin of slander really is think about it
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because life and death is in the power of the tongue.
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Somebody's own words a false witness can literally Alter
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somebody else's future in dramatic ways.
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And if it's not like in mephibosheth case where
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somebody's false report steals, possessions or position, what it
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tends to regularly do is taint the reputation of certain
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individuals in the minds of others, often permanently.
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No wonder why God hates the sin. And that happens to mephibosheth
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his life Naturally. Speaking will never be the same.
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The king ordered that half of what he had on.
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His estate is gone, and there's no indication that it was fully
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recovered slander can do that. That's why people who do
27:47
slander, who lie, who are very loose with their tongue will be
27:49
held accountable to God. It has severe consequences.
27:53
Be very careful how you handle people's names.
27:56
Be very careful of your suspicions, though.
27:58
They should be there sometimes. Let it remain internal as long
28:01
as possible before they come out because it can do damage to
28:04
people that you never intended to do and unfortunately for
28:07
Slanders they intend to do it. and yet this man is so unmoved
28:14
because the king is here, the king is before me.
28:20
And I thought to myself, that is the secret, is it not?
28:23
Is that not an indication of what it is?
28:25
That is required of me. If I want to know true,
28:27
spiritual success and even soar above, all the slurs and all the
28:32
lies. And all the vomit that comes
28:35
from people who don't fear God. Lord help me be like Mary of
28:39
Bethany who was silent in the presence of her critics and
28:43
accusers. Why?
28:45
Because she was so caught up in worshipping Jesus Christ.
28:49
Be so consumed in that moment of realizing with the limited
28:54
Revelation that she had, I'm going to anoint him with all
28:57
that I have. I'm going to break it with no
28:59
thought of getting anything back, porting out all in Christ.
29:03
And when people saw that and were offended by that, there is
29:06
no indication that married defended herself She didn't
29:09
speak up, she wasn't at the feet of Jesus and looked up to Judas
29:13
and the boys is a. Don't you guys realize that I
29:15
love the master? She didn't say anything of the
29:17
sort. She did not defend herself one.
29:20
But you know, we did though. Jesus.
29:23
Jesus defended her. She was busy worshipping.
29:29
And she left her cause her character in the hands of the
29:34
master. Maybe I love you, I love you.
29:43
So bear with me. Maybe the reason why you are so
29:47
consumed with what people do or say is because you're not
29:51
consumed with Christ enough. Have you ever thought about that
29:56
solution? Have you ever thought that these
29:59
flares and these reactions and these sleepless nights is
30:03
indicative of something deeper? Maybe maybe I'm too busy and I
30:08
put too much value in what people say and I'm not sitting
30:11
at the feet of Jesus long enough.
30:14
Sure. That woke up some of you.
30:17
It's good. So those are the lessons from
30:21
ziba but let's move over to our next character here in verse 5.
30:27
When King David came to Behold Him?
30:29
There came out of a man of the family of the House of Saul
30:33
whose name was shammai the son of Gera.
30:37
And as he came, he cursed continually and he threw stones
30:42
at David and all the Servants of King, David and all the people,
30:45
and all the mighty men who are on his right hand and on his
30:48
left and shammai said as he cursed, get out, get out you men
30:54
of blood. You worthless, man.
30:57
The Lord has Avenged on you all the blood of the House of Saul
31:00
and whose place you have rained. And the Lord has given the
31:03
kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom.
31:06
See your evil is on you for you are a man of blood seems like a
31:10
nice guy. Ziva might even subtle with his
31:17
scheme to try to manipulate the situation for personal gain.
31:21
But this attack in is here is everything but subtle.
31:24
You can't get any more of an obvious and direct demonstration
31:29
of someone's hatred for someone else.
31:32
It's right here. It's public.
31:33
It's clear. It's loud.
31:36
It is accompanied with objects being thrown in the air.
31:40
This is the kind of meant to Maya's. and when you look at
31:44
ziba and shamima, you kind of get though, they are different
31:49
in their schemes. You get a clue of how the enemy
31:52
Works in our own battle with him.
31:57
All right, this isn't like zebra, the enemy work
32:00
deceitfully sometimes. He has a presentation when in
32:04
fact there's a different goal he's deceptive and yet at the
32:09
same time like shammai he often attacks openly and clearly and
32:14
you know exactly who you are facing and dealing with.
32:18
Ziba is a liar. So is Satan shammai is an
32:20
accuser. So is Satan a wonderful picture
32:23
of a natural thing that's happening at points of spiritual
32:25
truth. And do these two different in
32:28
their approach to David. They have one thing in common,
32:31
they're both connected to the house of Saul and this is a
32:34
direct descendant from Saul. So we see here that shammai is
32:39
very angry, very hostile, very aggressive why we heard it
32:43
because he really believed that David unjustly took the throne
32:48
from Saul. And even killed for it.
32:54
This is how he proceeded. This is how we understood, why
32:57
David was promoted the way he was promoted question.
32:59
Is it true? It's not true.
33:03
David didn't touch the Lord. Anoint the Lord's anointed.
33:05
Who touch the Lord's. Anointed The Lord.
33:08
The Lord touched the Lord's anointed, David had nothing to
33:12
do with this. And I look at shamya and I think
33:15
to myself, that's a bitter guy. I mean, that's a guy with
33:18
pent-up anger that just waited for the right opportunity to
33:22
speak up and let it all out. When the man, like, David is at
33:25
his weakest. Shh my comes up and he makes his
33:29
his true feelings known and and when we re here that David came
33:33
to bahurim, it's believed that this is in the region of
33:36
Benjamin, The Tribe of Benjamin. And it was a city that hosted
33:39
very strong, Saul supporters, even during David's Reign.
33:43
So you still had people who believe that the throne belonged
33:46
to Saul and here's a strong obvious case of that.
33:51
But imagine being a person. So embittered, so filled with
33:55
anger and wrath and unforgiveness.
34:00
Based on something that doesn't have any.
34:02
Genuine proof and could have been easily misinterpreted.
34:08
Here's what I'm trying to say, you have very troubled people,
34:10
even in the church very disturbed Souls that are
34:15
harboring, hideous feelings that are being absolutely destroyed
34:21
from within, Because they have mishandled misinterpreted
34:28
misjudged actions or events either from people or even from
34:32
God himself. And they're just living with
34:37
that. Erosion that poison of hatred
34:43
and disgust based on something that doesn't even validate it.
34:48
That doesn't even have proof for it that has been, again,
34:51
magnified to be something Beyond of what it really was.
34:54
You have people like that. And this is what we see here.
34:57
A man who is angry about something that's not even really
34:59
true. That's not true at all.
35:01
When I saw this, I thought to myself, this is unfortunately,
35:04
the case of many people who claim to be Christians.
35:08
But here's what we see us, look at his words and I want you to,
35:11
I want you to say what stands out to, you look here at verse
35:14
8, the Lord has Avenged on you all the blood of the House of
35:17
Saul and whose place you have rained and the Lord has given
35:20
the kingdom into the hand of your son.
35:21
Absalom, what stands out to you from that?
35:35
What stands out to you? It's okay gentleman, don't worry
35:42
about it, don't worry about it. Nothing stands out to you.
35:49
Okay. Absalom was a man of blood,
35:51
sure. But look at the words that
35:54
shamai is using, that's what I am pointing to.
35:56
That's what I'm trying to bring your attention to.
36:02
Thank you. He's invoking.
36:04
The name of the Lord twice, the Lord.
36:09
The Lord. I mean look, you might know the
36:13
name of the Lord but the way you're acting.
36:15
Makes me question, why you would use the name of the Lord?
36:18
Isn't it amazing that you have somebody?
36:20
So filled with this kind of anger and bitterness who can
36:25
comfortably and freely, attach the name of God to their claims
36:31
to their statements. Moreover You have a man who is
36:37
invoking the name of the Lord while breaking the law of the
36:41
Lord? How is he breaking the law of
36:43
God in this? I'm saying he is actually
36:48
violating a specific law in his attitude towards David in
36:54
Exodus, 20 to 28. We are told that you and I will
36:59
namely Israel, but it applies to us in some way should never
37:03
curse a ruler of the people. That's exercise 2228.
37:08
You should not revile God and you shall not curse a ruler of
37:13
the people. And that's exactly what he's
37:15
doing cursing continually. So here's a man who's invoking
37:18
the name of the lore while breaking the law of the Lord?
37:22
And it's apocryphally at its finest.
37:24
But have you ever wondered? Why is it that unsanctified
37:27
Unholy carnal? People have the strange
37:31
comfortability and confidence to invoke the name of the Lord.
37:36
I dealt with it. So many times, I've gotten in
37:39
emails, I've gotten in letters, I've gotten in face-to-face,
37:41
encounters, where you have people who invoked the name of
37:44
the Lord and they have no right to invoke the name of the Lord.
37:48
Can I tell you why? Because it adds authority to
37:52
their claims even though they are false and makes their case
37:56
more and compelling. When in fact it is dangerous.
38:03
It is one of the most prominent ways that the name of our
38:06
precious and blessed God is blasphemed.
38:11
In order for an argument to see more Winsome and more
38:15
convincing, God's name is, is brought into something that it
38:20
shouldn't be brought into. And that's what we see God's
38:24
name. Wielded as a weapon not to
38:26
strike down that, which is false not to strike down that which is
38:30
false. But to do what but to confuse
38:33
and mislead those who are in the truth, You know, this, but it's
38:39
worth saying again, be aware of that kind of form of
38:42
manipulation. Be aware of that kind of form of
38:44
manipulation. Just because somebody is
38:46
Godless, say, Godless and a strong language Godless, and
38:50
careless enough to attach God's name to ridiculous arguments or
38:56
statements does not make it credible at all, even in the
39:01
slightest, This is this is psychological tactics to take
39:06
the name of the Lord to invoke fear in David and you have
39:11
people who do the same today in 2023.
39:17
The Lord told me to tell you, the Lord said this to you, the
39:21
Lord is warning. You Okay.
39:24
So based on my experience with the what the Lord told people to
39:26
tell me, there's, there's a to conclusions either.
39:28
The Lord is Unfaithful and doesn't mean what he says, or
39:31
people are liars. I'm going to go with the ladder.
39:38
And so be careful of that, right?
39:40
We're seeing this is, this is, this is an attack in.
39:42
God's name is involved in it in the same way that we saw David
39:45
respond to the onslaught of his son, Absalom.
39:48
His his beautiful is beautiful and humble attitude, we have
39:54
additional wisdom given to us, and how you?
39:56
And I can properly pivot persecution when it comes our
40:01
way. Okay, let's look at that in
40:02
closing very soon. Look here in verse 9.
40:06
Then abishai the son of Zechariah said to the king.
40:10
Why should this dead dog curse? My Lord, the king.
40:14
Let me go over and take off his head.
40:18
Noble. You see a man who is passionate
40:22
about the reputation of his King?
40:25
Probably not the best solution to dealing with this.
40:28
You're not going to find this kind of example, instruction in
40:30
the sermon of the mount. Do you think abishai meant it?
40:36
Yeah, if David gave the word shammai would have no mouth to
40:40
say anything. And David doesn't allow him to
40:45
as much as we can sympathize with a boucher's feelings.
40:50
What strikes me is how David interprets.
40:54
And comprehends, what's taking place?
40:56
Look here, in verse 10. But the king said, what have I
41:00
to do with you? You sons of Zechariah if he is
41:03
cursing? Because the Lord has said to him
41:05
curse David, who, then shall say, why have you done so?
41:11
I wish. I what am I gonna do with you
41:14
guys? Honestly, every solution for you
41:15
is to kill somebody. What if God told him to curse
41:20
me? What are you gonna do about it?
41:23
Can you do about it? If God told him to curse me, let
41:26
him curse me. Now, it's obvious to us, I hope.
41:33
That David didn't have the theology where God in some
41:36
instances encourages somebody to break his law.
41:39
We already established that. What chemise doing is breaking
41:42
the law. You do not curse the ruler of
41:44
the people. So what is David doing here?
41:47
David is doing what he did when he understood.
41:50
What I was taking place with Absalom totally seeing God's
41:54
sovereignty in this and that that just ministers to me that
41:59
when you have something as gigantic as absalom's treason.
42:05
Down to a pesky individual who can't keep his mouth shut.
42:10
David was able to see the umbrella of God's sovereignty
42:13
over at all when I lost my Throne, when I lost my home, I
42:18
see God's sovereignty when I have this person at work that
42:21
doesn't seem to stop annoying me and persecuting me, I see God's
42:24
hand at work. saying how well in some cases, The Lord uses not
42:33
inspires, but uses the heart of evil vile despicable brutal men
42:41
to bring about some kind of maturity in US.
42:46
That's what's Happening Here. David is walking hearing the
42:50
echoing voice of this madman on a hill while dust is flying in
42:54
the air and stones are being thrown, David is understanding
42:58
that he is under God's discipline and perhaps this is
43:01
part of it, perhaps this is part of it and if that is true, then
43:05
David could embrace it and absorb it and say, okay this is
43:09
if this is what God has a lying then let it be.
43:10
So and think about it, Although this is a false accusation, is
43:16
there some truth in it? Why.
43:31
Yeah, so that's one example of what David had done and that's a
43:34
different scenario but I think we can look back and just say
43:37
David is a man of blood, not concerning the house of Saul.
43:41
because of Uriah, even Exactly. You cannot build me a house
43:50
because you are what man of blood, right?
43:54
So there is some level of Truth in what shammai saying those
43:58
shamaya is unaware of it and is misguided in his Judgment of Who
44:02
David is. So what is happening here?
44:08
I believe God is allowing this to happen.
44:13
To keep David humble. Only David only David can know
44:18
what what was being translated here and David under the
44:22
discipline of God is willing to undergo it.
44:27
Is it a strange idea that God would allow a thorn in the flesh
44:33
to remain for the sake of the preservation or the growth of
44:38
one of his servants? No, it's not strange.
44:43
What did Paul say about the thorn in his flesh?
44:47
There is much debate about the thorn of the flesh.
44:50
But he elaborates when he says a thorn in the flesh, a messenger
44:55
of who. okay, second Corinthians, let's go there
45:00
verse 12, excuse me, chapter 12, verse 7.
45:07
Second Corinthians 12:7. Paul says.
45:15
So to keep me from being conceited because of the
45:18
surpassing greatness of the revelations, pause, you want
45:22
greater revelation of God and his word, be careful.
45:27
Be careful that you want to be used mightily by God.
45:29
You want these encounters with God.
45:32
Be careful to keep me from becoming conceited because of
45:36
the surpassing greatness of the revelations.
45:39
A thorn was what? Given me.
45:45
Given me something was given. It was granted by who By God, a
45:54
thorn was given me, and it was authored and permitted by God
45:58
Almighty last time. I checked a thorn is not the
46:01
most demanded gift out there. In fact it's one of the most
46:06
irritating things you can have though.
46:08
It's a small instrument. It can actually affect your
46:11
whole being if your conscience and aware of that thorn and Paul
46:15
confessed, it was given me that thorn was placed in me.
46:22
A messenger of Satan to what harass me.
46:28
Was that a physical ailment? Some say yes?
46:30
Was it? The persecution of the Jews?
46:32
That might be more convincing, but to keep me from becoming
46:36
Conceited. The key phrase, there is the
46:39
storm was given me. God, put it in Me.
46:44
God, granted it to me for a Sanctified purpose, though.
46:48
The instrument was a messenger of Satan, and though, the means
46:53
was harassment. It was uncomfortable and
46:56
somebody that I pleaded with the Lord three times.
46:58
Times to remove. But God in his wisdom knew that
47:02
this harassment would make you holy.
47:04
If you responded to it correctly and here you have shammai who's
47:08
harassing David and David, I'm sure had the same frame of mind
47:12
as Paul. Let It Be.
47:16
Let It Be side note, side note, my brother.
47:20
My sister side note. David here, receiving this kind
47:26
of treatment is also a nudge for us to consider the criticism of
47:31
others, even your own enemies. Consider the criticism of
47:41
people, even those who hate you. Why?
47:48
Can I tell you, one reason why pay attention to this, it might
47:52
help you with what you're enduring.
47:54
Because your enemies are often more willing to point out
47:59
something in you than your closest friends are.
48:04
Yeah, or no. Yeah, very bold.
48:07
Sometimes I'll make it public sometimes.
48:09
There are courageous enough to attach their name to the letter.
48:14
Not as courageous enough to go beyond that, though.
48:19
When criticism comes your way when, when you hear something
48:22
about you, that's unpleasant. What do you do?
48:26
You know what most people do? They throw it away, they don't
48:28
even look at it. They think this is this is meant
48:31
to discourage me into to destroy me and to derail Me.
48:36
Maybe maybe that's the intent. Maybe that's the mode and maybe
48:38
there is an ingredient of Truth in it.
48:41
That you should consider for yourself and prayerfully bring
48:43
you before the Lord. And see if God is using an enemy
48:47
to actually bring something to your knowledge that your friends
48:51
don't want to say to you. And so I can tell you from
48:57
experience that, I've heard many things from different people and
48:59
they're not. Usually amens.
49:03
God bless you, brother. And I've had to learn to say the
49:10
a lot of this is off. Lord.
49:14
Is there anything here? That might be true though and if
49:17
there is, can you show me? Confirm it to me so that I can
49:19
be more Sanctified in your sight and before the people that
49:22
you've called me to serve with. This is a call to wisdom, but we
49:30
don't see him just doing that. And I would come here to verse
49:32
11 and David said, abishai, and to all his servants behold my
49:35
own son, seeks my life. How much more now may this
49:38
Benjamin night, leave him alone and let him curse for the Lord
49:42
has told them to just leave them alone and here's what's so great
49:47
about David. I'm telling you, if you apply
49:49
this to your life you will know much relief, much much relief,
49:53
here's what happens here. David looks at a greater Problem
49:57
at hand and that enables him to ignore smaller ones.
50:02
He'll be hold my own son. Seeks my life.
50:04
How much more now made this Benjamin?
50:06
I have a bigger thing to deal with here.
50:08
My son now is after me and you want me to worry about some guy
50:11
up there in the Hills yelling, my name and throwing dust in his
50:14
own face. I'm not I don't have time for
50:18
that issue. Here I have a bigger fish to
50:20
fry. And so let me reserve my energy,
50:23
my focus on this, something that really matters now and David
50:29
situation. He's turning his perspective to
50:32
a greater problem to overshadow, lesser ones you're a Christian
50:38
and God calls you to look above and look even higher than
50:41
looking at something more monstrous and threatening in
50:44
order to relieve you from Lester thing.
50:46
Things. God calls you to look at other
50:48
things, hopeful things, glorious things, permanent things.
50:53
As we heard last week, he calls you to look at the greater
50:55
cause. So give up the right to give up
50:58
the throne. You have a Great Commission.
51:01
You have a purpose in this life, turn your eyes on eternity.
51:06
Turn your eyes to the reward. That will come with the soon.
51:08
Returning King, turn your eyes to the permanence of the glories
51:12
of the Resurrection. Turn your eyes to understand
51:15
that there is a Jesus who will vindicate.
51:17
You one day, turn your eyes and understand that there is
51:20
something bigger than this life and more powerful than what
51:23
people can do to you. Turn your eyes there, see what
51:26
we're seeing here in principles that David's Was the very means
51:31
by which he would know, longevity and his purpose in
51:33
life. And if you don't have the right
51:34
perspective, you will not last long.
51:38
I guarantee it. You won't.
51:41
And every little thing that comes your way and every little
51:43
problem and every little peep of persecution will just be added
51:48
on to you until you finally collapse the way in which arrows
51:52
bounce off of you, is when you have the shield of faith on you
51:55
and part of that Shield of faith is looking beyond, what is seen
51:59
the things that are unseen for the things that are seen are
52:01
transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal Look
52:06
Beyond. Look Beyond David did that and
52:11
it gave him enough fuel to move forward and I guess you can say
52:13
he did that to some Regard in verse 12.
52:16
It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me
52:18
that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.
52:24
You have to cultivate a prospective and train your eyes
52:28
to be set on the realities that Outlast.
52:32
The temporary harassments of today.
52:37
Verse 13. What did that perspective do?
52:43
So David and his men went on the road while shamaya went along on
52:46
the hillside, opposite him and cursed as you went and threw
52:49
stones at him in flung dust, didn't change a thing about his
52:52
circumstance. If anything, you have an
52:55
emboldened shammai who sees a week limping, man, and decides
53:01
to just continue in his embarrassing Behavior.
53:07
Nothing changed around him, but David had the fortitude to move
53:11
forward because of what you just learned.
53:15
The Lord will deal with it. The Lord might reward me.
53:19
I have bigger things to deal with in life.
53:23
One of the ways in which you'll be able to in your service to
53:25
God. Dust off the things that try to
53:29
cling to. You is realize that people who
53:32
tend to cause problems, often do not have an eternal perspective,
53:36
just you deal with people in a different different grid of
53:39
life, just move forward. And I love how this section of
53:45
scripture ends verse 14. And the king and all the people
53:50
who were with them, arrived Weary at the Jordan and there,
53:54
he refreshed himself. As much as I recall to be
54:02
comforted, by the Grandeur of our perspective and that
54:05
perspective, reaching to the point where it touches an Unseen
54:11
World, that doesn't mean that your only source of comfort in
54:15
this life is a future. Is a future promise that is yet
54:20
to be realized. What I see here is that the Lord
54:23
is capable and able to provide tangible comfort and refreshment
54:30
in the affliction Not just beyond the Affliction but in it
54:35
during it he knows how to prescribe the right amount of
54:39
support so that you can continue to move forward and that which
54:45
he called you to do. And the first that came to mind,
54:48
I'll and I really mean it here. This is actually my last verse
54:52
his second Corinthians 1. 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 and verse
55:01
3. Blessed.
55:03
Be the God and father of our Lord.
55:06
Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and God of All Comfort,
55:11
what a title to get from God about God?
55:15
The God of all comfort, you know what it means for God, to be the
55:20
God of All Comfort. It means that he has comfort for
55:23
every situation that requires comfort.
55:28
That's what we see in verse 4, who comforts Us in all our
55:32
reflection. It doesn't say Who Will Comfort
55:35
us one day from our affliction, Says who comforts Us in all our
55:41
Affliction during it, he's able to supply and extend a helping
55:47
hand in which you can actually know the surging Grace.
55:52
That is able to energize you it faithfulness and worship to the
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Lord here. You have David who is living in
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the shadow of a man. Opposite of him, hurling, at
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him, with the thoughts of betrayal and people with
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ulterior motives who are opportunist and take advantage
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of crises to have their own agenda moving for.
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He is just surrounded by chaos. And yet, verse 14 tells us that
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he was brought to a place where God providentially allowed him
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to be refreshed, God opened a window for a cool breeze to come
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by and for this meant to take in a deep breath.
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After enduring the heat of people's evil and God can
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Comfort us in many, many ways, and even in mysterious ways, did
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you consider this? The thought crossed your mind
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that while David as we heard was weary and exhausted.
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That the Lord used a man who brought all this stuff for the
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sake of trying to get what he knew.
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He would get if he convinced David.
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And though this man had a very evil and self-centered goal, the
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Lord used that kind of a man to nourish his own man.
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Just incredible reminds me of the unclean bird that came and
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fed Elijah unclean sometimes. And often times God uses
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mysterious and unpredictable instruments to help us and to
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guide us and to empower us and to strengthen us.
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Let's pray. Lord, we love you again.
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We love you more than when we told you, we loved you before we
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started, because we have been Sanctified by the truth.
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Your word is truth. We feel richer than when we
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entered into this place. We feel more equipped than when
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we entered into this place. We feel more blessed than we
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entered into this place. So, we ask that you would help
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us. Be lovers of your word doers of
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your word. Strengthen us.
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To be discerning. To be mindful of your
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sovereignty. In larger perspective of what
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really matters. What is true and Lasting.
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And help us. Oh, Lord.
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Be so overwhelmed by our knowledge of the glory of Jesus
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Christ. That even when dogs surround us
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and lies. Our targeted toward us that we
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can. We can silently embrace it
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because we are already in a murdered by who is before us.
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May that be the the quality of faith that this church has in
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Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
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Let's Stand Together. May that be the the quality of
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faith that this church has in Jesus name, we pray.
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Amen. Let's Stand Together.