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2 Samuel 18 Bible Study (Absalom's Death) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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We're in second Samuel chapter 18, cherish these moments
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because we have including this chapter seven chapters left in
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our study of second Samuel, we're coming near the end.
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What will happen after 2nd Samuel?
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I do not know. I don't think we will jump into
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1st Kings right away. Maybe we will we might take a
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little break and address different things.
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Different topics might have a Q&A or two.
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So enjoy these moments. I pray that you do enjoy these
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moments. We take our time in the
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scriptures, and that is what we are.
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Going to do with this chapter. And one of the benefits of being
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here. Week after week, is that you
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don't need much background information because you're so
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familiar with the narrative already.
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And so I will not give you an exhaustive background.
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What I will say though, before we even open up the verses here
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is that we have reached the climax.
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We have reached the Pinnacle, we have reached the peak of this
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story between David and his son Absalom.
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They're about to face off in war a war that Absalom wanted and a
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war that David dreaded. He did not want to engage in
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this but they are left with no other choice.
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Lest they be consumed by an evil man and a deceived nation.
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And so before we break into this, I want to pray one more
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time. My brother prayed so grateful
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for that but it's a habit of mine to pray before we even read
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a verse. And so I want to do that with
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you before we read the first few verses here together Oh Lord,
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there is so much joy in our hearts to be gathered in a place
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with people who love the truth. Lord, we are not here because we
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have to be, we are here because we get to be, it is an absolute
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Delight to be in your presence and to be with those who are the
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excellent ones of the land. The Saints of the land, we ask
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Lord that you would open our eyes as we sang and Lord, that
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you would burn our hearts for you and that you would give us
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understanding in our minds so that we can be shaped.
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And molded into the very image of your son help.
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The delivery of this word may be under the power of the spirit,
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may be filled with unction compassion truth.
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That are not be mingled with error.
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Oh Lord, let there be the delivery that you intended this
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message to be delivered and we ask that you would be exalted
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and Jesus name. Amen.
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Are you with me? Let's read verse 1 together.
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Then David mustard the men who are with him and said over them,
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commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and David
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sent out the Army 1/3 under the command of joab, 1/3 under the
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command of abishai, the son of Zechariah joab's brother and 1/3
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under the command of it tie, the get tight.
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And the King said to the men, I myself will go.
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Also will also go out with you but the men said You shall not
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go out for if we flee they will not care about us.
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If half of us die they will not care about us but you are worth
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ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you
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send us help from the city. The king said to them, whatever
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seems best to you, I will do. So the king stood at the side of
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the gate, while all the Army marched out by hundreds and by
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thousands, they are not in Jerusalem.
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Remember they're at mahanaim, they are beyond the Jordan, they
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are in a different place because David obviously, he's in Exile.
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But they're prepared to go to war.
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And what I want to highlight to you first is what we see here in
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verse 2, notice David's willingness to participate in
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this. War, he says, clearly I myself
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will also go out with you. That is impressive and one of
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the joys again of a Bible, study of a systematic study.
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Verse by verse chapter by chapter is a you get to see many
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things. And one of the things that you
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get to see his character development or the decline of
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character and in the case of Saul.
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But we see something here about David that is praiseworthy.
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Why are they in this place to begin with?
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Well, it all started in 2nd, Samuel 11.
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When David decided not to go to war.
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You remember that, right? That's where all the trouble
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began. He was on the rooftop when he
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was supposed to be on the battlefield, and that's where he
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was exposed to Bathsheba and where he entertained temptation
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to the point where he committed a grievous sin.
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And here we see now, with different David with a much more
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difficult, task ahead of him, but still a willingness to say,
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I will go out. To fight this war.
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You might disagree with me, but what I see here is a man who has
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learned from his mistakes. what I see here is a man who
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understood How is negligence in his unwillingness to be where
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God called him to be. Originally is the reason why
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he's in this Dilemma to begin with and he does not want to
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repeat that mistake and I want to tell you, that's what true
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repentance. Looks like repentance is not
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merely feeling. Sorry for yourself or even
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regretting what your sin has done.
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To repentance is a willingness to change?
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It's a change of mind. It's looking at what your sin
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has done. Looking at what sin is and then
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agreeing with God's word about it.
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And the more than that agreeing with God's power.
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To overcome it in the future. There's not much that David
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could do about the past and that's true for all of us to
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meditate on it to wallow in it to feel shame from it doesn't
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benefit anybody including yourself but what you and I can
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do with our past failures is what David is doing here to make
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an effort by the grace of God to be in the will of God.
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Never mind what happened yesterday.
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Never mind what happened last year.
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Never mind what happened five years ago.
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Where are you today? Where are you in the will of God
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today, where are you and your hatred for sin today where you
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and your alertness and watchfulness against Temptation?
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That is what is most important here?
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And David is not just proving his growth in godliness in this
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point. You've heard me say it sometime
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before, I don't remember exactly when it was.
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There's another example, another example where we are given proof
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that David did indeed learn from his past.
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And endeavored to seek to honor God with his today.
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You have any idea what I'm talking about.
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Let me give you a hint. It's not in the book of second.
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Samuel. I'll just tell you for the sake
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of time, go to 1st Kings. David is near the end of his
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life. All you have to do is flip a few
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pages to the right? And we're told in First Kings
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11, David was old and advanced in years and he could not get
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warm. His body was shutting down.
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And so the servants came up with a plan and that plan was to
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bring a very beautiful woman and to park her inside his bed and
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to keep him warm by close proximity. but what's
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interesting about that is what we see here in verse 4, the
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young woman was very beautiful and she was of service to the
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king and attended to him, but the king knew her not An
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interesting statement for the Holy Spirit to include in this.
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Let me say this first. Temptation will follow you all
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of your days. Temptation will follow you until
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your last days. The same Temptation that David
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experience on that rooftop, which is interesting because the
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very same description of this young woman is given to
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Bathsheba. We're told in second Samuel 11
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that Bathsheba was a very beautiful woman and now we come
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to First Kings where David is old and years and we are
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introduced to another woman who was very beautiful and so I
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understand that the fight against Temptation the fight
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Against sin will follow you until your final breath.
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Keep that in mind. So that, you know, how to be
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strengthened day after day. But the Holy Spirit wants to
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tell us something, the king knew her not like why is that
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important for me to know? And the reason why it's
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important is because the Holy Spirit wants us to know, David
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has grown. David is a different Man.
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David doesn't look at a very beautiful woman, the same way he
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did when he was at the peak of his life.
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The peak of his Reign. No, he's a changed person and I
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think there's a pattern here worthy of imitation.
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I think there's a standard here for the children of God and here
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it is. The the more you grow in years,
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the more you grow in life, the stronger, you should have a
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resistance against sin. We should grow from glory to
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glory, right? We need to learn.
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We don't want to stay in the same place that we were 20 years
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ago, and unfortunately, that's the case.
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For many people do the same. They submit to their passions in
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their 60s. The same way they did in their
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20s if not even worse. But what God wants to do with
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us, is very much of this to graduate us and godliness and to
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empower us, and they give us victory.
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To Victory strength to strength. And David is a wonderful example
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of that here. So we read on.
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He decides that he wants to go to war but you heard it.
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The men said you're not coming with us.
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We honor you we admire you, we respect you, but David, you
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coming out with us is going to be more of a distraction than
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anything else. They want you, They Don't Care
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About Us. They want your head.
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They want your life, your son wants you.
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You're the biggest right here, you're the trophy.
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And so they advised David to stay back and to supervise the
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war from a safe place. And they also probably
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understood the difficulty of going to war with your own son
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and so there's wisdom packed in what these men are saying.
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And I would say they are in the right, they are in the right.
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What they are advising here is totally on the bullseye and what
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I again admire, there's something more to be admired of
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David is how he responds to these men were in lower
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positions, lower ranks. How they how he Ponce to there
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objection. He says here.
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Whatever seems best to you, I will do.
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That's humility. Remember Absalom, when he was
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pumped up by who shy to go into war, his ego was inflated
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because who shot was saying, why don't you go on to battle?
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And he will be a show, it will be glorious, you'll receive all
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the credit. And, and at first, when I fell
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for brought the advice, he was willing to stay back but because
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hoosh, I knew how to appeal to his arrogance, he was now he was
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in and it led to his own demise. But here we see David who
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receives instruction from his men and he is willing to stay
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back and to listen to them. And I think that's a wonderful
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trait for any leader in any context, some people in here are
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leaders in different contexts, some of you are aspiring to be
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leaders, maybe some here have been identified, the gift of
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leadership that is in you, but one of the things to be mindful
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of as a leader is to be open-minded and humble enough to
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receive the Council of those who might not occupy High position,
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who might not have your same history or knowledge, but who
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have a perspective that you might not have And God tests us.
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God tests us Often by bringing people to us.
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That might not have position might not have Prestige, but
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walk with the Lord. And want to give you something
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from the Lord, and you have to be willing to accept that.
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Unfortunately, one of the common things among leaders, not all
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leaders, but some leaders fall into the temptation of being so
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enamored with their god-given Authority or ability that they
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get drunk, they get drunk in their own pride.
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And one of the ways Pride manifest is that.
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It's your Way or no other way. It's my plan.
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It's my decision. It's my idea.
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And no one else is you have to agree with me and leaders.
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If they're not careful, they can become extremely stubborn and
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very difficult to work with And yet, we see here, David who was,
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who is humble enough to open his eyes and his Hearts to others
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and that made him a greater Commander that made a more
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effective and successful. And again, for those who are
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leaders who desire to be leaders, remember this that
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there are times where you have to make decisions that will
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represent utter others, right? And that's true for an elder run
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Church. Elders, have to make decisions
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on behalf of the people at times and Elders have to sometimes or
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leaders again in your home and your work, wherever you're a
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leader leaders, have to make decisions regardless of the
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opposition or regardless of different people's, fears or
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opinions. You have to stand your ground is
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especially if it's black and white truth.
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But leaders also have to understand that they're unclear
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situations and there are non doctrinal matters that require
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humility in your approach and one of the examples of this is
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not just an Old Testament observation.
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You see this in the early church with a guy like Paul.
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Paul was a Cutthroat leader. I like Paul was like, are you in
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or you out? You want to serve?
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Are you not want to serve, Mark, your enter?
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Yeah, you know, I go back and actually don't come back my son
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aggressive, but he was a guy that got things done and he
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wanted People to be sold out or not in at all, but that same
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Paul, right? We see something in him and a
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hint and the Book of 1st Corinthians, I want you to turn
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there and see this for yourself. And 1st Corinthians 16.
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The holy spirit gives us an insight into how Paul dealt with
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those who served with him. 1st Corinthians, 16 verse 12.
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Apparently, the Corinthians were asking for the presence of
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Apollo's, they really liked the Paulo's.
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In fact, you had a whole little Camp of Apollo's, followers in
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the church, and Paul response to an apparent request for him, or
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wondering where he's at. And he says this, in First
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Corinthians 16:12. Now concerning our brother
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Apollo's, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other
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brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now.
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He will come when he has opportunity.
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How many of us just read by? I just read past that like okay
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that's an unimportant Detail. No, you see Paul as a leader and
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how he operated as a leader. He strongly urged Apollo's to go
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with the brothers to the Corinthians and you want to
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Paula said Paul, I don't sense the Lord's leading on it.
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I don't think I should be going. Maybe Paul's was a little
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concerned because of the factions in the church and he
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didn't want to go there and creating more problems.
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Whatever the reason was Paul said, I need you to go and
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Apollo said, I'm not going to go now.
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You know what Paul doesn't do. It isn't shame him, he doesn't
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abusing me doesn't threaten them.
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He doesn't demote him, he works with him, okay?
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I'm not going to force you to go, so if you don't want to go,
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then go and you feel like you need to go.
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That's wonderful. That that radiates humility
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that's a kind of person you want to work with and understanding
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person, a patient person, a person that doesn't just have
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their understanding their review and their ideas.
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And everybody else has a surrender at no matter what.
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Now, we see here that Paul was a man that we should strive to be,
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and if you're going to serve the Lord, you're going to work with
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other people, guys. You know that very well.
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And again there are moments where especially leaders you
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have to make a stand no matter their protest or the opposition,
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but there are other times where Things are more open-ended.
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You have to be sensitive to others.
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And be careful, not to impose your convictions on others,
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forcefully and allow the Lord to lead people at different stages
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in life and their own convictions that they've been
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given and they're gray areas of our sanctification.
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So David here says all right, whatever you think is best to do
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will do that. He agreed, but we stopped at
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verse 4 and we see that before these commanders had out their
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own way, David gives a fine Instruction in verse 5 of second
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Samuel 16, what does he ask them?
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This is what he says. And the King ordered joab and
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abishai and ittai deal, gently for my sake, with the young man
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Absalom and all the people heard when the king gave orders to all
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the Commander's about Absalom. So David was very intentional by
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being open about this charge leaders.
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And everybody stopped before. They made their way into the
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battlefield, whatever you do deal gently.
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With the young man Absalom. And he wanted others to hear
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that charge. And you can sense the
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compassion, and the heartfelt appeal in this order.
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Can you not? And look how even David phrases
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and identifies Absalom deal. Gently with what the young man.
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He's young right. He's foolish.
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He's inexperienced, he's unwise. He's given over to the passions
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of the flesh. Just remember he's younger,
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right? Yeah, he's younger but he's He
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overthrew the throne. He might be younger than you
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David but he's a grown man. David is trying to color his son
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in a certain way so that the people can feel what he feels.
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And it's difficult for a parent. Especially I can only imagine
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there is, there is a there's a special love for your children
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that almost can Cloud your judgment and others see
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something and something. So obviously blatantly wrong and
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evil and yet as a parent you are less willing to admit.
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That this is what David is experiencing But don't get
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caught up in the emotion of the moment.
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Don't go too far. And, and feel for David to the
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point where you, you don't determine what is right or
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wrong. Is this right or wrong.
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Is what David requesting according to God's will.
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Here's my answer. No, the very mess that everyone
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is in right now, is because when Absalom should have been
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disciplined, he was kept Alive by his father.
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And even after all, that has transpired, with that act of
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Mercy, would I say? Even Disobedience to the law of
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God, David is still convinced that dealing gently with Absalom
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is going to change him. There is a lot of evil in our
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day that's being tolerated in the name of gentleness, right?
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And the name of kindness and then name of love and that is
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dangerous because people are unwilling to confront evil and
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are willing to be ignorant about certain sins because they think
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it's the most effective way to win people over.
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No, it's true that you're called to be gentle, don't forget it's
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one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit or the fruit of the Holy
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Spirit, but never forget. Your ultimate example of what
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gentleness is, Jesus says in Matthew 11:29.
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Learn from me for I Am. What?
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Gentle and lowly. Learn from he says, learn from
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me and he gives two descriptions about himself.
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I am gentle. And I am lowly if you want to
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know, what gentleness looks like.
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Look no further than the Christ. And when you look at Jesus, life
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as given to us in the gospels, you see his gentleness, but you
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also see a sternness and you see a stance that he makes the
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gentleness is an operation in certain cases with a certain
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audience, but we're Jesus who never lies and says he is
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gentle, he's the ultimate example of gentleness, you see
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him especially with religious Hypocrites, who did things in
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the name of God, you see him In a way that people might say,
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Jesus was not very christ-like. But he is gentle.
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And so being gentle doesn't call us call for us to be
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compromising. It's not be strong or not, to be
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severe against certain sins and certain habits and certain
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ideologies. Know, we are required to make a
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stand. Unfortunately, David did not
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make a stand, he still doesn't want to make a stand.
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And if I just wonder what second Samuel would have looked, like
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if they listen to David, What would have Absalom done because
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there's an incredible Insight, right?
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Many people love to quote, Romans to where it talks about
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the gentleness of God, right? His kindness leads us to what
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repentance? Yes it does.
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But it depends on who recognizes that kindness and is willing to
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submit their lives and Revelation to that kindness.
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We love to quote, the and that is a wonderful thing to a quote,
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but let me give you another one. It's found in Isaiah 26.
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Isaiah 26. You get a different insight
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about how people respond to God. And Isaiah 26.
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Verse 9, the prophet says my soul yearns for you in the
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night. My spirit Within Me.
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Earnestly seeks you. And he goes on to say, for when
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your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world,
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learn righteousness, when your judgments are in the earth,
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people wake up in this say this God is Holy.
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I can't entertain sin. He is Sovereign he is in control
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and out of holy fear, they come to him in righteousness, but
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then look at verse 10, it's an added commentary.
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If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness
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in the land of uprightness. He deals corruptly and does not
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see the Majesty of the Lord. Not everybody responds to God's
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favor, appropriately. There are those who abuse God's
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favor? They enjoy what he has for them,
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but they never turn to him. And so it is true that kindness
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leads to repentance God's. Kindness does do and it aims to
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do that but it's not 100% guarantee man is responsible and
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responding to God's kindness in the way he designed it.
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But it's true that for some favor, only enables them to
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remain headstrong in their sin and what they need.
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In fact is a revelation of God's judgment.
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And to see the severity of God, Romans 11, tells us consider
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both the kindness and what the severity of God.
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We just want to consider his kindness.
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Paul says no the Saint Paul preach salvation, by faith
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salvation through Grace. Right?
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The st. Paul says, don't just consider
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his kindness and Romans 11, consider his severity.
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We need a balance. And this case Absalom was not
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handling the kindness, given to him the way, he should have what
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he needed was judgment. It makes you wonder if there was
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an appropriate protocol made for Absalom to receive this judgment
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who know he could have repented. He could have cried out to God.
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For Mercy, he could have been like Vanessa who was so wicked
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and vile. But when he was brought low when
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he experienced personal Exile, he stopped he positing knowledge
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God as Lord. But we often in the Name of
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Love, Don't Trust in God's wisdom and that gets us in a lot
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of trouble and we're going to see what's going to happen to
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Absalom. Verse 6.
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So the Army went out into the field against Israel, and the
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battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
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And the men of Israel were defeated there by the Servants
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of David. And the lost there was great on
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that day, 20,000 men, who was outnumbered here, David.
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Who was more vulnerable to being defeated David.
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And yet we read here that they were gaining the Victory and the
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reason why they were getting the victories because of their
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experience and their mentality, they were seasoned Warriors and
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we're speaking naturally. You're obviously God was on
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their side. We're going to see that in a
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moment. But these men though, they were
23:42
smaller. We're at an advantage.
23:46
Ultimately again, because God was on the side of David because
23:49
God is always on the side of truth.
23:52
But there's an interesting verse in Ecclesiastes that I like to
23:54
allude to, from time to time, it's an Ecclesiastes, 9 4.
23:58
And it says better to be a living dog than a dead lion.
24:02
Have you ever heard that saying better to be a living dog than a
24:06
dead Lion? And the, the the meaning of that
24:10
is it teaches about the hope of life, right?
24:13
As long as you have, you have life there is still hope for
24:16
you, no matter what your status is, no matter what you are in
24:19
this life, you're always an advantage if you have life but
24:22
there's a sprinter spiritual principle behind it as well.
24:25
When you compare a dog to a lion, what's more impressive?
24:28
The line, of course, what's more demanding of people's adoration,
24:34
and love. And respect the lion dog is
24:36
common. And so, let's look at this in a
24:39
spiritual sense. It's better to be small better
24:41
to be humble. Better to be seen as common in
24:45
the eyes of others, but have the life of God.
24:50
Then to have Glamour and gifting and resources and be devoid of
24:54
the spirit. That is true for you
24:56
individually and that is especially true for local
24:59
churches as a not people measure, local churches and
25:02
their success based on numbers and resources, and and
25:05
performance, and all these different humanistic ideas.
25:10
But may I say this to you better to be a dead or living dog than
25:14
a dead lion. Better to have the life of God
25:18
and not have the main and not have the Roar, and not have the
25:21
strength and the flesh because life with God is ultimately what
25:26
we're after. And we see that with this
25:29
scenario, God's assistance was with David because look at verse
25:33
8, the battle spread over the face of all the country and the
25:37
forest. Look at this.
25:38
The forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
25:42
How does a forest kill more people than javelins and Spears?
25:48
Now, obviously, this was strategic, right?
25:50
Because they had so many more people than David did.
25:53
And so to bring him in a place like this dense and difficult,
25:58
it would demand them to split up and it was easier for them to
26:01
conquer. But what you see here also is
26:03
God's invisible hand at work. The forest devoured, more
26:08
people. And naturally speaking, it was
26:09
because of the difficult terrain, there was swamps and
26:12
hills and crevices and animals. And we don't know, we get an
26:16
idea what's going to happen with Absalom, how it was difficult.
26:19
But it reminds us of a verse in Joshua when we study the Book of
26:22
Joshua, maybe you remember the story where Joshua himself was
26:25
outnumbered and God encourage them when he was about to face
26:29
various Kings, do not be afraid, right?
26:31
I'll be with you and the way he showed up as that he reigned
26:33
hailstones on the enemies of Israel and their in Joshua 1011.
26:38
We are told that more were destroyed by the hailstones than
26:42
by the sword. To show us again that regardless
26:48
of how limited your resources are how outnumbered you may seem
26:52
to be. You were never at a disadvantage
26:55
when you live to please. God whatever you're lacking in
26:57
the natural. You are always the majority when
27:00
you are walking with God, Well, that's hailstones from heaven or
27:05
Forest that fights for you. God is the one who's
27:07
providentially? Making this all happen.
27:10
I fear for those, I fear for those like Psalm 2 says who plan
27:16
and plot against the anointed one because they will fail.
27:20
David here succeeds and verse 9. We zoom in from this General
27:25
summary of this battle to the main instigator of all, this
27:29
Blood verse 9 and Absalom happened.
27:33
I like that word happened to meet the Servants of David
27:37
Absalom was riding on his mule. And the mule went under the
27:42
thick branches of a Great Oak and his head, his head caught
27:49
fast in the Oak, and he was suspended Between Heaven and
27:53
Earth while the mule that was under him went on. so here's
27:59
Absalom riding a mule and some part of this forest and All of a
28:05
sudden, maybe a branch with a fork like design caught him by
28:10
the neck. Many people assume that his hair
28:12
was caught, it's not explicitly clear.
28:14
One thing's for certain is that he was caught by the head,
28:17
whether that be his hair or his neck, and he was suspended in
28:19
the air and the mule, which is fascinating, because when you're
28:23
saying, why would he ride a mule?
28:24
Because that's what Kings would ride a mule.
28:28
And the same, the same seat that he fought for and rebelled for
28:32
and deceived for in a matter of seconds is disappeared from
28:36
under him. Just taken from him like that.
28:40
And here he is hanging from a tree like how the seems almost
28:43
comical but it's really a pathetic sight.
28:46
It's tragic. This man who had the whole
28:49
nation tied around his finger is now tied on a tree.
28:54
Remember how I feel for died, right?
28:56
He hung himself and Absalom is about to die in by hanging as
29:01
well. So here he is suspended, right?
29:04
But you have to remember, when we studied earlier, we realized
29:08
that we're told by the holy spirit that God had a purpose to
29:12
destroy. Absalom and that's why he
29:17
believed who shies advice instead of a he thought was
29:19
advice. God is behind all of this and so
29:21
don't be mistaken. The design by which David is
29:25
rather Absalom is about to experience.
29:28
Death is ordained by God himself.
29:30
This is not random. This is actually strategic God
29:35
wanted Absalom to hang from a tree.
29:39
And I believe it communicates two things.
29:43
The first thing is and this is the beauty of understanding, the
29:45
Old Testament. God had given a law to the
29:47
nation of Israel. That if anybody were to commit a
29:50
crime worthy of death, what was to happen to them?
29:54
There are to be hung on a tree. If you want to reference for
29:58
that to Deuteronomy, 21 and Deuteronomy 21 verse, 22 to 23.
30:04
Says there, you should hang them on a tree.
30:05
And then 23 tells us that those who are hung on a tree, are what
30:10
cursed by God? Paul utilizes, this reference in
30:14
Galatians 3 to speak about how Christ became a curse for us.
30:18
Right? But we see here that this man
30:21
was worthy to be cursed by God and this is the frightening
30:24
thing, you know, David was reluctant to discipline his son
30:27
and to execute judgment the way the law demanded but he could
30:29
not Escape God's justice. And men today might find
30:34
loopholes in our governments men.
30:36
Today might evade they might trick they might bribe their way
30:39
out. Of their sin but they will not
30:43
ultimately be able to flee from God's coming wrath.
30:48
The unrepentant will know the satisfaction of God's Wrath. no
30:55
matter what is going, well for them in this life, everything
30:58
can change in a moment and it will in eternity And so, what is
31:02
God wanted to communicate through this?
31:03
Out of all the ways that Absalom could have been dealt with.
31:07
He hangs him on a tree so that people would know that Absalom
31:10
perhaps would known. And those who would read the
31:12
story. Would know this man is cursed by
31:15
God. This man has no favor from God.
31:19
This man has no support, but from God, this man is in
31:23
Disobedience to God and God is expressing his displeasure over
31:26
him. But again.
31:31
We read earlier that Absalom was a man of pride.
31:35
And we are told that from the soles of his foot to the crown
31:38
of his head. There was no blemish found in
31:41
him. He was gorgeous.
31:44
Okay? He was brilliantly.
31:46
Beautiful. I mean, people were just
31:48
mesmerized by his looks and on top of that, he had Charisma and
31:53
he just put the whole nation under a spell.
31:56
But after that description, we are told that this man who was
32:00
recognized for his Beauty, recognize that beauty himself.
32:03
And one of the ways that he Express his acknowledgment of
32:07
his Unique Look is that he cut his hair once a year and he did
32:11
work. Something that I don't know.
32:12
Anybody's ever done. He weighed his hair Who does
32:16
that he weighs his hair to show? Obviously, it's a public thing
32:21
to show. Just how luscious and glorious
32:25
that set of hair on his head was?
32:27
Isn't it ironic? No, it's not ironic.
32:29
The very same head that Absalom. Boasted in is where his Shane
32:33
came. The very same thing that he
32:37
praised and he adorned, and he made public and allured people
32:43
with would be the means of his own death.
32:46
That same head now is hanging. It's hanging and he looks like a
32:51
trapped animal. And the lesson is very clear, if
32:55
we're not careful, what we put our confidence in.
32:58
Can become our curse. But your confidence in the Lord,
33:03
learn to give God glory for everything that is good in your
33:06
life can be your looks it could be your abilities.
33:08
It could be your successes, it could be your accomplice should
33:10
make it a habit to know how to crown him when people seek the
33:14
crown you, whatever? Good you possess, whatever.
33:18
Whatever it is that you think makes you unique.
33:21
Remember, you didn't make it yourself.
33:24
Got put it on you and he has one intention with it for him to be
33:27
glorified through it. And unfortunately this man used
33:32
his looks to deceive a nation which you've heard me say
33:35
before. If you look at the, if you look
33:38
at the Old Testament, there are different their handful of
33:40
moments where we were told about somebody's attractiveness or
33:43
their looks. It's like why would the Holy
33:45
Spirit? Tell us that it's it's because
33:46
one that's a Temptation. When somebody is attractive
33:50
that's a Temptation that they have to deal with on a daily
33:53
basis. They can give in to that
33:54
temptation to utilize it for their flesh and for their
33:56
advancement in Life or like in the case of Daniel and David and
34:01
Joseph and Esther. They use it for the glory of
34:05
God. Even with all the advantage that
34:07
they might have with their attraction, they still submitted
34:10
to the will of God and they found greater pleasure and
34:12
pleasing him than pleasing their flesh.
34:15
That was not the case for this man.
34:17
So, here he is hanging from a tree for God, to pronounce the
34:22
curse on him. And for him to realize that his
34:23
pride led to his demise and something interesting happens.
34:27
This you know One of the things that I love about Bible study
34:31
reading the Bible through and through is encountering, unnamed
34:36
characters in The Bible like just actors that show up and
34:41
then disappear. But these individuals were
34:45
blesses me. The most is when they proved to
34:48
have more christ-like character than the main characters of the
34:50
story and that is what you and I are about to see in verse 10.
34:54
So here's here's Absalom hanging and dangling from a branch and
34:58
verse 10 says and A certain man saw it and told joab.
35:01
Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak job.
35:05
Said to the man who told them what you saw him.
35:08
Why then did you not strike him there to the ground?
35:11
I would have been glad to give you 10 pieces of silver and a
35:14
belt. But the man said the job, even
35:16
if I felt in my hand, the weight of a thousand pieces of silver,
35:20
I would not reach out my hand against the King's son for an
35:23
are hearing the king commanded you and I wish I knit tie for my
35:26
sake, protect the young man Absalom, I like this guy.
35:32
Unnamed unidentified. But what a man he was this
35:38
Soldier. Pussies Absalom refuses to kill
35:42
him. The report comes to joab job and
35:45
is an Essence, rebukes him, not only rebukes them, but scolds
35:48
them says, you know what, if you would have killed him, I would
35:51
have crowned, you, I would have given you money and I would have
35:54
given you a belt with some believe to be some kind of
35:57
military promotion, some kind of badge of honor, some kind of
36:00
metal, I would have showered you in recognized.
36:03
You And this man says look even if you multiply that money, I
36:09
would not care. For one sole reason.
36:14
The King has a will. And what's more important to me
36:18
than your money and your promotion is him being pleased
36:22
Now, isn't it funny that Soldiers of Christ today face,
36:24
that same temptation? To be disloyal to Christ money.
36:29
The Love of Money. And position or opportunity or
36:36
some kind of advancement. Those things are just as real
36:41
Temptations as it was here for this young man for the soldier.
36:44
Unfortunately, many did not find the grace and the strength to be
36:47
able to stand for the cause of Christ.
36:49
This man was devoted this man Stood Still, and what I love is
36:53
his answer in verse 12. You heard it right, he quotes
36:58
David not only does he quote David, he reminds joab.
37:02
What David said, who he said it too.
37:06
Like this man was attentive, when David spoke in verse 5, he
37:12
was all ears. And not only that, he guarded
37:14
it, in his heart, he kept that as a principle in his bosom,
37:18
throughout this war and this man loved his King.
37:21
It's so clear and it's so obvious.
37:23
We see here that he was again, attentive to his word that he
37:26
was committed to the cause and he was immovable when he was
37:29
tempted. Now, compare verse 12, to verse
37:32
15 and 10 young, men jobs, armor Bears, surrounded, Absalom and
37:36
struck him and killed him. So you have 10 other guys who
37:41
are probably in the same position and the of this man may
37:43
be in lower Rank, and when they had opportunity, they struck the
37:48
man, especially after job did it.
37:50
Because job initiated he took three javelins and he struck
37:52
Absalom. And the other guy said, well,
37:54
job that lets do it. And that's what we see in a lot
37:56
of people's lives today. Their followers, all they know
38:00
what to do is imitate somebody who has some kind of influence,
38:04
some kind of persuasive personality, some kind of
38:07
gifting they just no other people.
38:11
That's all they do. They have no conviction.
38:14
They have no sense like this, man.
38:17
Of the will of the king and that orchestrating their every step.
38:21
Now, what's fascinating is King? David was not present.
38:26
For this man to feel the accountability of his Lord.
38:29
No, he wasn't present. All this young man had was the
38:32
word of the king. That's all he had.
38:35
And that's all he needed. He learned the word of the king
38:38
and he lived by the word of the king.
38:40
And this man had enough sense to live for the king even in the
38:44
absence of the king. And that, what, as what makes
38:47
the true Christian effective, right?
38:51
Don't follow other people. Don't do that.
38:56
Learn and ask the Lord to give you such an understanding of his
39:00
person, the reality of who he is the authority of his word so
39:04
that when Temptation comes, you can be like this individual
39:07
here. Don't go with the crowd.
39:08
The crowds are often wrong. So you have two types of
39:13
soldiers here. You have the soldier who
39:15
understands the commands of his Lord and walks by and you have
39:18
others who are in the same field, the same battle.
39:21
But they look at others and they look and they compare their
39:24
standard to their standard and they just follow that.
39:27
Holiness is not, you comparing yourself to other Christians who
39:30
are struggling. Holiness, is you comparing
39:32
yourself to Christ and Christ Alone?
39:35
If you, if you, if you use yourself and measure up to other
39:38
believers, you're not going to go very far.
39:40
But if Christ is ever before you, oh, he will take you higher
39:43
and higher and you and no Greater Joy in his will for your
39:46
life. This man doesn't move in here.
39:49
I love what he says here in verse 13, on the other hand, if
39:54
I dealt treacherously against his life and look at this in
39:57
parentheses and there is nothing hidden from the King.
40:03
There is nothing hidden from the King.
40:06
This man knew that David had such a high-tech intelligence
40:10
agency that even if he were to do this and he kept it
40:13
ambiguous, whatever the case may be he would be found out and he
40:17
would be dealt with accordingly. Now if that's true for a man
40:21
like King David how much more true for the Heavenly King?
40:24
You can't hide anything from him.
40:26
You can't. He sees all he hears.
40:29
All he is present in all places. And this man, NaturallySpeaking
40:34
had an awareness of David's knowledge.
40:36
How much more the believer You know, you have a lot of
40:39
Christians and people around the world that talk about my iPhone.
40:42
Here's what I say. Look at all the ads that pop up.
40:45
When I have this conversation, you're more afraid of your
40:47
iPhone than the Lord. You have more people who fear
40:51
Mac, then they do fear, God almighty.
40:55
Yeah, your phone can hear you, but you know, what's more
40:57
important God can hear you. God can see you.
41:02
I don't know that encourages you or what?
41:04
But encourages me. There's nothing hidden from the
41:10
King. Then you yourself would have
41:12
stood aloof. And look what?
41:14
Joab says, job said I will not waste time like this with you.
41:17
I get out of my face. Who are you to stand up against
41:19
me? I will not waste time like this
41:21
with you and he took three javelins in his hand and thrust
41:24
them into the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive in the
41:26
Oak and 10. Young men, jobs are more bears.
41:29
Surrounded, Absalom and struck him and killed him.
41:35
I feel tension with this verse. And the reason why I feel
41:39
tension is because I understand where job is coming from to some
41:42
regard. Because joab knows David enough
41:46
to realize that he's most likely going to Pardon him if we
41:49
capture him alive. And that's going to be the end
41:54
of the Kingdom that's going to be end of joab.
41:56
And so he realizes David is not in his right place of thinking
42:00
and so he steps in and he takes matters into his own hands and
42:05
he eliminates him as a stret forever.
42:08
At the same time, he's being disloyal to the king and this is
42:11
what I love about the scriptures is that things are not so black
42:15
and white. They're complicated complex
42:18
because life is complex. It's not as not as black and
42:21
white as we would like it to be. But there's all these, there's
42:23
all this nuance and there's all this what-ifs and there's all
42:25
this, a you go this way, but you can also go that way.
42:28
And so we get that impression here.
42:29
It's very real because it is real.
42:31
It's a real story. And so e just makes a decision.
42:37
And then you wonder what's his motive is.
42:40
He fiercely loyal to David? Because he did Love David, but
42:43
remember, we've studied job enough to know that whenever
42:45
he's committed murder outside of a warlike scene.
42:50
It's usually motivated by Personal Agenda, whenever he
42:52
sees a threat, he eliminates that threat and remember,
42:55
Absalom and you are not in good terms, what did Absalom do to
42:57
joab at one point when he was trying to get his attention?
43:00
And he wasn't answering the phone?
43:02
He burned his barley field, right?
43:04
All right. You're not going to answer your
43:05
phone. Let me just set this field on
43:07
fire. Fire and enjoys.
43:08
His what are you doing? Is job upset with Absalom.
43:12
His job regretful that he tried to bring Absalom and David
43:16
together and it failed. We have we have no clear
43:19
indication but what is obvious is the irony of all of this.
43:24
Here's Absalom. Who became a king as a rebel.
43:28
And now he is dying at the hands of a rebel.
43:32
Here is Absalom who when he stayed back took over the
43:36
kingdom. Listen to the advice of a man
43:38
named at Heathrow who said, take your father's concubines and
43:42
violate them on the rooftop and how many concubines did David
43:44
leave behind? 10:00.
43:49
The scriptures tell us specifically at 10 concubines
43:51
were left behind how many armor bearers killed Absalom.
43:57
Yeah, God's retribution is very precise scary, isn't it?
44:05
You see how all of this connects and you see how God's mind is so
44:10
specific in his dealings with man?
44:14
You violated 10, concubines will hear a ton 10 armor bearers, who
44:17
would deal with you accordingly? So we read on Joe, I blew the
44:25
trumpet verse 16, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel,
44:29
from job, for job, restrain them and they took Absalom and threw
44:32
him into a great pit. The forest in the forest and
44:35
raised over him. A very great heap of stones and
44:38
all Israel fled everyone to his own home.
44:43
It reminds us of Joshua again, right?
44:45
Akin Rebels, against the word of the Lord it creates.
44:51
This kind of tension in the camp between them and God
44:54
unknowingly, but they seek God. God says, Rebellion, the camp.
44:56
They bring out Aiken and his family and they stoned them and
45:01
they create this heap of stones. As a memorial, And we see the
45:05
same here with Absalom. And what's more tragic, is that,
45:10
that is the pillar by which people will remember him, but
45:12
that was not his intention while he was alive.
45:15
Absalom had a goal for the way he would die.
45:18
Absalom had a goal for what happened after he would die and
45:21
it's found here in verse 18. Now, Absalom in his lifetime had
45:25
taken and set up for himself. The pillar that is in the Kings
45:29
Valley. For he said, I have no son to
45:32
keep my name and Remembrance he called the pillar after his own
45:35
name and it is called absalom's Monument to this day, that's how
45:39
he wanted to be remembered. He want to be seen as royalty
45:42
even after his death. And instead, he's buried
45:45
underneath a pillar of rocks in the depths of some Forest.
45:54
There are men who prefer to live in obscurity, they don't care
45:58
about recognition, they just want to, they just want to live
46:00
a normal life, provide food for their family, do some, you know
46:04
fun activities go on vacation and just and just be buried
46:08
peaceably and just move on, right?
46:09
And that's I get that but there are other people who want to
46:11
live for a legacy. They want to be remembered for
46:15
an accomplishment or some kind of honorable deed or a way of
46:19
life that will be praised by others people people.
46:23
Organize their lives for that very goal and that can be right?
46:27
And then I also be dangerous, right?
46:28
Just depends what your ultimate motive is and this man had that
46:33
he wanted a legacy. He wanted people to I mean his
46:36
pride was so overwhelming that he wanted people talking about
46:39
him even though he wasn't around to be talked about, And so he
46:43
sets up a monument for yourself hint, you don't set up monuments
46:47
for yourself. You let other people's build a
46:49
monument for you, right? You don't do this unless you are
46:54
totally consumed with love for self.
46:59
And that is true from and it's as though the sign off on a
47:02
person's life. It's for us to reflect on all
47:06
that has just taken place because of this main reason he
47:09
was a man filled with pride and God brought down his pride.
47:14
At the same time. God does encourage us to seek
47:19
after or at least motivates us to live in a certain way with a
47:25
reward of Honor. But it's not a pillar found in
47:29
this life, it's not a memorial here.
47:32
People want to be remembered in history books.
47:34
People want their names to be found in museums and God wants
47:39
us to look Beyond this world and whatever platform or stage is
47:43
presented to you as a goal in life.
47:47
And Jesus tells one church and that one Church represents the
47:51
church at large. He tells this church of what
47:54
will come to them, what they can expect.
47:57
If they are about conquerors in this life and I want to end
47:59
there with you, it's in Revelation chapter 3.
48:10
In Revelation chapter 3. He says, in verse 12 to the
48:19
church in Philadelphia. The one who conquers I will make
48:26
him a pillar. In the temple of my God.
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Never shall he go out of it and I will write on him.
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The way you would inscribe on a pillar, I will write on him the
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name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New
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Jerusalem which comes down from my God, out of heaven and my own
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new name. You want to build a pillar for
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yourself? Let it be found in the temple of
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God, for all of eternity. This is what he tells these
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Believers. If you're going to strive after
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any kind of honor and this life Let it be for the one that will
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really matter. In the end of it.
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All, I will set you up as a pillar that speaks of permanence
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and that speaks of stability. Yes, but it also speaks about
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the honor. That would be shown in ancient
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times were names, would be inscribed on pillars in certain
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places. What the Lord says is there is a
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level of honor that awaits you in my very presence if you do.
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But one simple thing and that's be a conqueror.
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If you want to know what a conqueror is, just look at the
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rest of the churches and what the Lord asks of them.
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It's very simple. It's to keep his word to And by
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his word to never deny his word that's all the Lord asks of us
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and that pillar awaits you. Let your name be forgotten.
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Let people remember, you know more.
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But strive and be motivated by this, that there is an eternal
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Commendation that awaits you believer.
50:04
I know, it's hard to see it now, I know it's hard to feel the
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force of that because you were so distracted by your senses,
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but take it by faith. That God will crown and adorned
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and bestow Praise on those that don't have the viral sermons on
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YouTube that are not sought after conference speakers that
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don't have worship teams and Dove Awards.
50:30
That are obscure unrecognized tucked in some corner of some
50:36
Hut somewhere, this discipling, a church of 12.
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In a very unforgiving, part of the world.
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And yea though, no one will acknowledge them.
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There is a pillar waiting for some of them.
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Our God is amazing and although I wish that Absalom would have
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lived for that pillar instead of making his own.
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Oh, I wish that his future would be different because he has this
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pillar waiting for him, but he has banished for all of
51:06
eternity. What does it matter?
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What you accumulate in this life?
51:10
It all perish and it will perish.
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And so we see the end of this man's Absalom, his presence his
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plans. They all come to a halt, but
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that doesn't mean David's story is over just yet.
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That doesn't mean David's troubles are over just yet.
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We still have the rest of 18 and the rest of this book to
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discover together. Let's pray.
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Lord help us be good soldiers. Help us be like David who
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learned from his mistakes. Help us not dwell on the past
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but believe that you care about what we do.
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With our today's and our tomorrow's. so for Lord, for
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those Lord who have committed a grievous sin, Shameful sin.
52:21
Maybe be comforted by the fact that you have through
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repentance. You have taken that sin thrown
52:27
into the sea of forgetfulness, and you do not bring it back to
52:29
us again. Help us be strengthened that
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there are new mercies for us every morning.
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So Lord, we will not be discouraged by even long seasons
52:42
of perhaps lukewarmness or disobedience.
52:45
We will realize and believe that, how we end is what really
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matters. God help us be like this unnamed
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fellow. Who is absolutely energized and
52:58
strengthened by one thing what? The King has said Nevermind
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leaders who represent the king. Never mind what the crowds do in
53:06
the name of the king or against the king that they claim to
53:09
represent. Lord help us live under your
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presence every step of the way. If there is anything that we are
53:19
inclined to boast and Lord, our wealth, our strength, our
53:22
appearance, our accomplishments Are Spiritual disciplines Lord.
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We pray that you would teach us how to give glory to you and all
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things. Papa's acknowledge you for every
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ounce of goodness. We enjoy or people love us for
53:41
and Lord help us to do what is right.
53:42
Even when it is hard, help us to stand for the truth.
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In gentleness. Yes but not in a compromising
53:51
way, even if it deals with family, even if it deals with
53:55
friends friends that we've known for years.
53:57
Help us stand for the truth because you are worthy of that
54:00
honor. And you told us that the cost of
54:02
discipleship means that we must forsake our love for wives
54:06
husbands children. Because you are worthy of that
54:12
kind of devotion Lord in this place, May the hearts of your
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people, the soldiers of Jesus Christ who are present who are
54:21
watching. May they feel your favor.
54:25
And may they realize that through this track and through
54:28
this battle. It will be difficult.
54:32
But you have a reward for those who will conquer help us be
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conquerors in this life. Help us more and more to have
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our mind set on things above, help us, O Lord overcome, all
54:45
the flares and all the Temptations, and all the
54:48
allurements of this world lord, it's becoming easier to do that
54:53
by seeing all the corruption in the filth below.
54:55
We are still susceptible to falling and to medicating, our
54:59
pain through sin. So, keep a strong Lord, As we
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sing. Now in closing be blessed.
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And as we part ways, O Lord, though, not in the presence of
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our Our elders known on the presence of other believers, may
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we be again like this man who simply had the word of the king
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and that was enough to govern him.
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Only the word have such authority over us, in all
55:22
things, in all ways at all times.
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We bless you, Lord, we bow our hearts before you.
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And we praise you for the word, which is eternal life.
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In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.