Address—C. Hendricks
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Reason I've sung that hymn is so that we might as we consider this very solemn subject.
Remember.
He loves you.
And everything that he does in your life and mine.
Flows from love.
I want to read 2 scriptures in the New Testament.
One from Hebrews 12.
That brings this before us.
Hebrews 12.
Verse 6.
For whom the Lord loveth?
He chased Smith.
And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
And Revelation 3.
Revelation 3.
Verse 19.
As many as I love.
I rebuke.
And chasing.
Let's keep that before us.
As we consider the subject.
Of God's government.
Over those whom he loves.
I think the best example.
That I can think of is that of David.
We'll turn back to Second Samuel 11.
Second Samuel.
Chapter 11.
If you read the chapters just before.
To find out that David.
Had gained many victories.
The last verse of chapter 10 says and when they and when all the kings that were servants to had it either.
Had a researcher saw that they were smitten before Israel. They made peace with Israel and served them.
So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon anymore. David, mighty warrior with many conquests.
The enemy being subdued.
And I suppose we can say we're never so in danger.
Of a.
As after we have gained some great victory.
And so we read.
And now we're not. We're reading about a man of God.
We're reading about one who is beloved of the Lord.
The sweet psalmist of Israel.
The one that always set the Lord before him.
You might say he couldn't have failed, but he did.
It came to pass after the year was expired.
At the time when kings go forth to battle, notice it was the time when kings and he was the king go forth to battle. That's where he should have been. He should have been on the battlefield.
Fighting the Lord's battles.
That David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel.
And they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David.
Tarried still at Jerusalem.
So it was the time when kings go forth to battle, but he stayed back.
And allowed his general.
Joab.
To go forth to battle.
And it came to pass in an even tide while he was taking his ease.
I think one of the greatest evils of this day that we live in is that we we only work 8 hours.
And we have.
A 16.
That we can do what we want to do.
And there's too much leisure given today. It used to be when the work day was 12 hours or even longer, 16.
And they'd come home at night and go to bed and wake up in the morning, go back to work. There was number time for play.
There was number time for self indulgence as there is today.
It came to pass in an even time that David arose from off his bed place of ease.
And he walked upon the roof of the King's house.
And from the roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
And David sent and inquired after the woman.
And one said, is not this Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
And David sent messengers and took her. Now he was told that she belonged to another man.
The wife of Uriah the Hittite.
He was the last one mentioned in the list of David's mighty men. 2 Faithful man, Uriah the Hittite.
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That didn't stop him.
He saw.
This beautiful woman.
And.
He sent messengers and took her.
And she came in unto him, and he lay with her, for she was purified for her uncleanness.
And she returned to her house.
And the woman conceived and sent and told David and said I am with child.
Things don't work out oftentimes when we indulge in a little leisure and pleasure. Pleasure for the flesh.
Things don't workout often as we thought they would.
She was with child.
And she said and told David this.
Well, he hadn't counted on this.
He had just thought of just fulfilling his own desires for a few moments.
And.
Now there are consequences.
And this is part of the government of God. We get it in Galatians 6. Whatsoever man soweth.
That shall he also reap.
The farmer knows what that is. He sews his seed in the springtime and reaps his crop in the in the fall.
And we reap what we sow It's an inflexible principle of God.
First, Peter 117 says, if you call him the Father, who, without respect of persons, judge it according to the work of each past the time of your sojourning here in fear.
That's the government of the father over his family.
And let's remember that it's because He loves us, because we're His own, that He chastens and disciplines us as we read those verses.
So all that we're going to read about dear David and the consequences of his folly, and I say this to young people, this is young people's meeting that.
Don't take the myopic view, the short view.
Don't take the view of justice fulfilling the desires of your flesh for the moment.
Thinkably think of the long range consequences and that's what we're going to see as we look at the history of David.
What it cost him?
Those few moments of pleasure.
But it cost him.
I am with child and immediately David the gears start to turn. How can I get out of this?
And he said to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him, How?
Joab did and how the people did and how the war prospered. He made out as though he was concerned about that. If he had been so concerned, he would have been out there with Joab.
Heading the battle, but he stayed home.
And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the King's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
And Uriah slept at the door of the King's house with all the servants of his Lord, and went not down to his house.
And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Comest thou not from thy journey? Why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? And Uriah said unto David, The ark.
What a rebuke from this.
Hit tight, mind you.
What a rebuke to the man of God, David.
The ark in Israel and Judah abide in tents, and my Lord Joab and the servants of my Lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go into mine house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife as thou liveth and as thy soul liveth? I will not do this thing.
What a faithful man.
Putting the Lord's interests first, the opposite of what David had done.
The opposite of what sometimes I have done and possibly you've done. And David said to Uriah Terry ye here today.
And tomorrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah boat in Jerusalem that day and tomorrow.
And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him.
And he made him drunk.
So that he wasn't able to.
To think clearly.
And that even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his Lord, and went not down to his house.
David's plans failed.
He was trying to cover up. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper.
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The word of God tells us.
But he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy.
Verse 14.
Came to pass in the morning.
That David wrote a letter to Joanne.
And send it by the hand of Uriah. You see young people, one sin leads to another.
He stole. He took another man's wife. He stole. That woman didn't belong to him.
He took what was not his and he committed adultery.
And now he's going to commit murder.
Can the Saint of God do such a thing? Yes.
It's possible.
He wrote in the letter saying Set Ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle.
And retire ye from him, that he may be smitten and die.
And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah onto a place where he knew that the valiant men were.
And the men of the city went out and fought with Joab, and there fell some of the people of the servants of David and Uriah the Hittite died also.
Then Joab sent and told day that all the things concerning the war in charge of the messenger, saying, When thou hast made it an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, if so be that the King's wrath arise, And he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city? When he did fight? Knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubesh? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Phoebus? Why wouldn't she nigh the wall? Then say thou?
Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
That's all David wanted to hear.
There's nothing so dreadful as when a Saint of God sins.
We expect, we expect it from the world.
But when 1 of this kind, this caliper.
This man of God.
Tell how grievous it was.
Don't ever think you couldn't do this.
Don't ever think you're above it.
None of us is above any of these things.
None of us.
For we all are made of the same stuff.
So the messenger went and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for. And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. And the shooter shot from off the wall upon thy servants in some of the King's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword Devarith one as well as the other, make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it, and encourage thou him.
David is false here.
He is covering up his sin.
And when the wife of Uriah heard that?
Uriah, her husband, was dead. She mourned for her husband.
And when the morning was passed, David sent and fetched her to his house.
He had time to repent up to this. He had time to repent having killed your eye.
With the sword of the enemy.
He still could have repented, but no, he carried it through to completion.
He sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife and bare him a son.
And the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
And the Lord sent Nathan unto David, and he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.
The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing save one little ewe lamb.
Which he had bought and nourished up, and he grew up together with him and with his children, yet did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock, and of his own herd to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him.
But took the poor man's lamb and dressed it for the man that was come to him and Davide Anger.
Was greatly kindled.
Against the man Isn't it amazing how we can show such righteous anger?
Against this kind of thing when we are guilty of far worse.
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And he said to Nathan, Has the Lord liveth? A man that hath done this thing shall surely die. He's pronouncing judgment against himself without knowing it.
He said he will die, and then he says, and he shall restore the Lamb fourfold.
Because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.
There weren't. I want to say this about David.
Though he had so grievously sinned and failed.
He was a true child of God.
And he loved the Lord.
Deeply.
Even though he had so failed.
And so sin.
Had he not been a child of God for Nathan to have come and said that message, he may have had his head cut off.
That's the way some of the kings would react to a prophet that dared to charge that king with such a sin.
But David knew it was true.
And he?
Doesn't react violently.
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel. Nathan says, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy masters wives, and into thy bosom, and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah. And if that had been too little, I would have moreover have given unto these such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight?
Thou has killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and has taken his wife to be thy wife.
And their slain hill with the sword of the children of Ammon.
Now notice the consequences, David had said. He shall surely die.
And then he had said, he shall restore fourfold.
Notice what the Lord says in His grace. David did not die.
But.
The government of God Verse 10 Now therefore, the sword.
Shall never depart from thine house.
Because thou hast despised me.
And has taken the life of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house.
And I will take thy wives before thine eyes.
And give them unto thy neighbor.
You know who that neighbor was?
His own son.
Absolutely. We'll read of that later.
And he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this son.
For thou didst it secretly.
But I will do this thing.
Before all Israel.
And before the sun.
And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned.
Against the Lord.
And if you want, we don't have time for it this afternoon if you want to read this sincerity of David's repentance and his confession.
Read the 51St Psalm.
And there you will see David.
Deep.
Ploughing.
His deep repentance over what he had done.
I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin. Thou shalt not die. That's grace. He deserved to die.
But that's grace.
But now we have.
The government of God, he had said he shall restore fourfold, and he was going to do that. He would pay with four of his sons.
Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord, to blasphemy, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
And he did die.
Nathan departed unto his house, and the Lord struck the child at Uriah's wife there unto David, and it was very sick. And David therefore besought the God for the child, And David fasted and went in, and lay all night upon the earth, and so on, deeply grieving and mourning.
Hoping that maybe the Lord would change his mind and spare the child.
Well, the servants were talking together and David saw that and he said in verse 19 at the end is the child dead? And they said he's dead.
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And then he gets up.
Comes to his house and inquires. And they set bread before him, and he ate, and his servants wondered why he did that. He had mourned so and fasted when the child was alive, but now the child is dead. And he said, well, I can't go to him. He can't come to me, I will go to him.
Verse 23 says now he is dead, Wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
Now the next verse is something which I think.
Might be quite startling to many of us, brethren.
We wouldn't think that God would ever bless that union in any way.
Between David and Bathsheba because it began in sin.
But it says David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her, and she bare a son.
And he called his name Solomon.
And the Lord loved him. Now that's grace upon grace.
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
The way most of us think, we would say.
That the Solomon that would come couldn't come from that union.
Would have to come from another.
But we would we would be wrong, wouldn't we?
And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedediah.
Because of the Lord, and Jedediah means beloved of the Lord.
Solomon was beloved of the Lord.
And yet he got here.
Through that union of David and Bathsheba, the first son died.
That was number 1. He should restore fourfold. That was #1.
Verse chapter 13 now.
It came to pass after this that Absalom, the son of David, had a fair sister.
Whose name was Tamar.
Absalom had three sons and one daughter, and this was the daughter.
And Amnon, the son of David, loved her.
And Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and Amnon fought it hard for him to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shamia.
David's brother, and Jonadab was a very subtle man. And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the King's son, leaned from day-to-day, wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom sister.
And Jonadab said unto him, Lady, down on thy bed, and make thyself sick. And when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, and that I may see it and eat at her hand. So Amnon laid down and made himself sick. And when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I prayed he let Temar my sister, come and make me a couple of cakes.
In my sight, that I may eat at her hand.
Now all these events that we're talking about took place within his family.
His family.
Sword shall not depart.
Is what Nathan had said.
The sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me.
David sent him home to Team R verse 7 saying Go now to thy brother Amnon's house and dress in me.
It's amazing how little discernment David shows here.
But he allows this.
So Tamar went to her brother Amnoni house, and he was laid down, and she took flower and needed it and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. And she took a pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Annan said, I'll have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him, and and then said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which he had made, and brought them into the chamber to and her brother.
And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come, lie with me, my sister.
And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done, so done in Israel. Do not thou this folly? And I whither shall I cause my shame to go? And As for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore I pray thee, speak unto the King.
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For he will not withhold me from thee.
Howbeit, he would not hearken unto her voice, but being stronger than she, forced her and lay with her. That was lust, it wasn't love.
And once he gratifies it, the next statement is then Amnet hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he loved her.
An admin said unto her, Arise be gone.
And she said unto him, There is no 'cause this evil in sending me away is greater than the other, that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her. Notice Tamar's Absalom sister.
Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put out this woman from me.
And both the door after her and she had a garment of diverse colors upon her. For with such robes were the King's daughters that were virgins apparel. Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her.
And Tamar put ashes on her head and rent her garment of diverse colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head and went on crying.
And Absalom, her brother.
Said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee?
Behold.
But hold now thy peace, my sister. He is thy brother.
Then said Absalom. If not, I pray thee, let my brother, and then go with us.
And the King said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
But Absalom pressed him.
That he let Amnon and all the King's sons go with him.
Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, smite Amnon, and then kill him, Fear not, have not I commanded you, Be courageous and be valiant. And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the King's sons arose, and every man got him up upon his mule and fled.
Came to pass while they were in the way that think tidings came to David saying Absalom has slain all the King's sons.
There's not one of them left.
It wasn't true. He'd only killed.
Hamden.
Verse 33 Now therefore let not thy my Lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the King's sons are dead, for Amnon only is dead.
But Absalom fled.
Flees for his life.
And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there came much people by the way of the hillside behind him. And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the King's sons come, as thy servant said, so it is. And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that behold, the King's sons came, and lifted up their voice, and wept.
And the king also, and all his servants wept very sore.
He shall restore fourfold the second son, Amnon.
Is dead.
At the hand of his brother.
Absolutely. But Absalom fled and went to tell my the son of the myhood king of Gesher and David, mourn for his son every day.
He grieves.
He has sorrow.
I think of the verse Thou art just in all that has come upon us, for thou hast done rightly.
We have done wickedly.
The government of God over us, beloved, whether it be in our family or in the assembly.
Or on an individual lives, however it might be.
It's because he loves us.
Don't ever forget that.
Don't ever look at the things that are coming into your life or into my life and say he doesn't love you, he doesn't love me. Don't ever entertain that thought. He's proven his love at infinite cost to himself in the gift of his son. We had that before us this morning, didn't we?
He loves us.
And because he loves us, he chastens us and disciplines us.
Verse 38 So Amnon, So Absalom fled and went to Gesher, and was there three years.
So he lost Absalom.
For three years.
More than this, but right now it says that, and the soul of King David longed to go forth unto Absalom.
For he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead. He grieved over Amnon's death.
He grieved over his first son's death with Bathsheba.
Conceived in sin.
Now he grieves over Amnon's death.
Now he's longing for his son, Absalom.
I believe Absalom was David's favorite.
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And the reason I say that, we'll come to that shortly.
And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, perceived that the King's heart was toward Absalom.
And now he devises a plan. He was quite a schemer, Joab.
And we won't go through the story, but he devises a plan and this woman comes and presents her case and David issues an order that the destroyer of blood would not be allowed to to kill anyone that had killed another.
The avenger of blood, I should say. And.
So when she's accomplished this.
Verse 19 David says, And the king said to her, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this?
And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my Lord the king, none can turn from the right-hander to the left. Ought that my Lord the king hath spoken for thy servant Joab. He bad me. And he put all these words in my mouth, in the mouth of thine handmaid, to fetch about this form of speech. Hath thy servant Joab done this thing? And my Lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an Angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
And the king said unto Joab, Behold, now I have done this thing, Go forth.
Go therefore bring the young man Absalom again.
Bring them back to Jerusalem.
And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my Lord, O king, and that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.
So Joab arose and went to Gishur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
And the king said let him turn to his own house.
And let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house and saw not the King's face.
David conceded to allowing Absalom to return to Jerusalem, but he wouldn't see him.
But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom.
For his beauty, from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head, there was number blemish in him.
And when he pulled his head for it was at every year's end that he pulled it because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he pulled it. He weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels after the King's weight.
And unto Absalom there were born three sons and one daughter.
And that was Tamar.
Whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of a fair countenance.
So Absalom dwelt 2 full years in Jerusalem, three years away, two years in Jerusalem, still hasn't seen Davide face.
And he saw not the King's face. Therefore Absalom sent for Joab to have sent him to the king, but he would not come. And then Absalom tells his servants to set Joab's field on fire. And then Joab comes. And.
Verse 31 Joab arose and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?
An Absolute answered and said, Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hit her, that I may send thee to the king to say, Wherefore am I come from, Geisha? It had been good for me to have been there still.
Now, therefore, let me see the King's face, and if it be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.
So Joab came to the king and told him, and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed.
Absalom.
It came to pass after this that Absalom prepared him Chariots and horses and 50 men to run before him.
Now Absalom gets back to Jerusalem and immediately he starts to prepare for a rebellion.
Against his father, David.
And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate. And it was so that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, Then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of What city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right, but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom said, moreover, Oh, that I were made judge in the land, that every man which had any suitor cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice.
It was so that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand.
And took him and kissed him. And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts.
Of the men of Israel.
And it came to pass after 40 years. Now I looked that up in Mr. Darby's translation and he has.
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He has 40 years and then he has a note, possibly four years.
I prefer the four.
That's a It's an indeterminate. It's a questionable reading.
Came to pass after this period of time, that Absalom said unto the King, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord in Hebron.
If it was four years.
At any rate, he goes there.
And he says, thy servant vowed a vow, while I abated geisha in Syria, saying, If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, that I will serve the Lord.
And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose and went to Hebron.
But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.
And with Absalom went 200 men out of Jerusalem that were called, and they went in their simplicity.
And they do not anything.
And Absalom sent for a hit the fell the Gylonite, David's counselor from his city, even from Gilo, while he offered sacrifices in the conspiracy, was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. And there came a messenger to David saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom, and so David has to flee Jerusalem. David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee, for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart, lest ye overtake us suddenly.
And bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. And the King's servant said unto the king, Behold thy servants.
Are ready to do whatever my Lord, the king shall appoint. And the king went forth, and all his household after him, And the king left ten women that were concubines to keep the house.
Do you remember what?
Nathan had said.
He said, I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of the son.
And here these 10 concubines are left back at Jerusalem. And let's read on. We can't cover all the details.
Chapter 16.
When David was a little past the top of the hill, cyber comes. I don't want to read that portion. Verse 5. And when King David came to Boharum, behold, there came out a man of the family of the House of Saul, whose name was Shimei.
The son of Gira, he came forth and cursed still as he came, and he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of King David, and all the people, and all the mighty men.
Were on his right hand, and on his left. And thus said Shimmy I when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial the Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the House of Saul, and whose head and whose stead thou hast reigned. And the Lord hath delivered the Kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son. And behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. And then said Abishai, the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse? My Lord the king? Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off.
And I think David's response is beautiful.
He bowed under the governmental hand of God.
He was fleeing Jerusalem because of the rebellion of his own son Absalom, who had killed Amden.
His 2nd.
One that he had paid with.
And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the Lord.
That said unto him, cursed David.
Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? He didn't take it from Shimei, he took it from the Lord.
And when these evils come upon us under the governmental hand of God, take it from the Lord.
That's the way of peace in our lives.
Realize.
We're just reaping what we sow.
Curse David.
Who then shall say, Wherefore hast thou done so? And David said to Abishi I and to all his servants, Behold, my son which came forth of my bowel, seeketh my life.
How much more now may this Benjamite do this?
Let him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him.
Oh, how beautiful to see that he bowed under the hand of God in government when Solomon was told because of your departure, because you'd gone a ******* after other gods and allowed the wives that you've taken to turn away your hearts, I'm going to take 10 kingdoms, 10 tribes from you and give it to Jeroboam.
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And your son Rehoboam will be left with just.
And did Solomon bow under that? Did he submit to the government of God? No, he tried to kill Jeroboam.
He tried to stop God's government and we can't stop it. We can't stop it.
Don't try to stop it. Submit to it. Bow to it.
And you can live for the Lord, as David continued to do.
He says it may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, verse 12 and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.
And as David and his men went by the way, Shimmy, I went along on the hillside over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. And the king and all the people that were with him came weary and refreshed.
Themselves there, and Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. Now Ahithophel was David's counselor, and now he becomes Absalom's counsel counselor. And in verse 20 then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house, and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father. Then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
So they spread Absalom, intent upon the top of the house, and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines, in the sight of all Israel.
And the council of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if a man had inquired of the Oracle of God. So was all the council of the hit fell, both with David and with Absalom, and then it hit. And the next chapter Hitsville gives his counsel.
To go out immediately and conquer David, which was good counsel and then.
Hushai, who had come back.
Really was a friend of David's and he said I'll be your counselor. He gave his counsel.
And that appealed to the pride of Absalom if you would go out in his own person.
And.
He would defeat.
David and his host.
And that was Absalom's downfall.
That was Absalom's downfall.
Let's turn over to the 18th chapter. Can't possibly read all these details.
Absalom.
Verse nine Met the servants of David. They are engaged in battle now on Absalom wrote upon a mule, And he mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth. And the mule that was under him went away. And a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
And Joab said unto the man, and told him, And behold, thou sawest him, and why dost thou not spite smite him? David had charged Joab, and his men don't kill absolutely.
Spare this, my son.
And Joab completely disregards that.
The man says to Joab said, I would have given thee 10 shekels of silver and a girdle. And the man said, though I should verse 12 receive 1000 shekels and silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the King's sons. For in our hearing the king charged the and Abishai and Itai, saying, Beware that thou touch the young man Absalom, but otherwise I should have brought falsehood against mine own life.
And then said Joab Verse 14 I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
And 10 young men that bear Joab's army compassed about and smote Absalom and slew him, and Joab blew the trumpet. And then the messengers come back. Kushai.
And.
Jaime's.
Verse 32 of chapter 18. Verse 30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside and stand here. And he turned aside and stood still. The whole Kushai came. And Kushai said, Tidings, my Lord the king, for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. And the king said unto Kushai, as the young man Absalom saith. And Kushai answered, The enemies of my Lord the king, and all that rise against thee, to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went thus he said, O my son, Absalom, my son, O my son Absalom, would God I had died for thee, O Absalom my son, my son.
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That's why I think he was his favorite.
And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people. For the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son. And the people got them by stealth that day into the city. And the people being ashamed, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. And the king covered his face. And the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son.
My son.
#3.
The son that was born of Bathsheba.
Amnon, now Absalom, a rebel.
The murderer of Amnon.
And now caught in his treachery of trying to overturn the Kingdom with the intent of killing his own father.
Think of it.
Sword shall never depart from thy house.
There's one more.
First Kings chapter 1.
David was very old at this time.
And they brought Abishag the Shunammite to keep David warm.
Because he was cold, couldn't get heat.
And she did what she could to warm him.
But he knew her not, it says.
And says in verse 5 then Adonijah the son of Hagath.
Exalted himself, saying, I will be king.
And he prepared him Chariots and horsemen, and 50 men to run before him. And his father noticed this had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done this, Done so?
And he also was a very goodly man, and his mother bare him after Absalom.
Pampered.
Spoiled rotten.
Not a lot. And I never rebuked, never chastened, never corrected, never stood. His Father say, Why hast thou done so? And he now tries to usurp the Kingdom.
David had promised Bathsheba that her son Solomon would be king in his stead.
Adonijah, now the older brother, older than Solomon.
He tries to get that, he gets Joab and.
The other priest, Abiathar the priest to follow him.
Verse 7 He conferred with Joab the son of Zahuiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed Adonijah. They helped him.
Well.
David dies in this chapter.
And.
And the next chapter.
Nathan comes.
And.
Reminds David that.
When he goes to actually to the mother of Solomon, Bathsheba, and she comes to David and says, didn't you promise that Solomon would be king? And he said yes. So then he decrees that Solomon is king.
I'm going to Adonijah heard that verse 41 of chapter 1.
And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said moreover.
Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah came unto him, said unto him, Come, for thou art a valiant man, and bring us good tidings.
And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily, our Lord King David hath made Solomon king, and now had an idea, afraid for his life. Verse 50 Adonijah feared before because of Solomon. And he arose and went and caught hold of the horns of the altar. And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold Adonai Jaffirith, King Solomon for Loiath caught hold of the horns of the altars, saying, Let King Solomon swear unto me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
And Solomon said, If you will show himself a worthy man, there shall not inherit of him fall to the earth.
And if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.
So Solomon reigned. It says in verse 53 King Solomon sent and they brought him down from the altar, and he came and bowed himself to King Solomon. And Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house. But Adonijah made a serious mistake in the next chapter he asked He goes to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. This is after David has died.
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And he requests that.
Have a shake the Shunamite be made his wife, that he has her for wife.
And so she goes to David, he goes to Solomon, and presents this petition. Verse 20, chapter 2 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee, Bathsheba, speaking to Solomon her son, I pray the same enot nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on my mother, for I will not say thee nay. And she said, Let Abhishek Vishuna might be given to Adonijah, thy brother to wife.
And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother, When? Why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the Kingdom also. She's the one that had nurtured David in his last years.
And comforted him.
As for him the Kingdom also if he is mine elder brother, even for him and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah, then King Solomon square by the Lord saying God do so to me. And more also if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
Now therefore does the Lord liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me in house as he promised. Adonijah shall be put to death this day. And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benia the son of Jehoiada, and he fell upon him that he died.
He shall restore fourfold.
David's own pronouncement.
And here it was.
David Lynn lived to see this.
But it happened nonetheless, according to his own utterance.
Dear ones.
God loves us with such a love.
For a few moments of pleasure, fleshly indulgence.
All this came upon him.
Just a few moments of folly.
Oh, how he reaped.
The wheels of God's government grind exceedingly slowly.
Many years it took place before this all came to pass. Didn't happen overnight.
We are living in the now generation. I want it now.
But think of the future. Think of the consequences of what you do now.
They will go on and on and on and on.
In the government of God.
But they grind exceedingly fine. They grind very slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.
Remember when we're under the government of God and we all are.
But when we begin to feel it.
The thing for us to do is what David did. Let him curse. The Lord has bidden him to curse. I didn't read the passage.
I'll just refer to it as he leaves Jerusalem. The priest Zadok and Abiathar, they carried the ark. And David said, and I'll send the ark back to Jerusalem if it pleased the Lord to bring me, if it pleased the Lord to bring me back again. He realized he was under the governmental hand of God. He said I may never come back. I may lose my Kingdom for good. He didn't know that he would be restored.
When he went out.
He said if the Lord has pity on me and he pleases to bring me back, so be it. But he submitted, but he didn't. He said I don't want the ark with me. I sent it back to Jerusalem. That's where it belongs.
That's where he's placed his name, and if he takes me away from that position and puts another in my stead, so be it. He bowed to it.
And that's the beauty of David's submission.
Where he submitted to the hand of God in government and that's all we can do if we're going to go on with the Lord, if we get bitter and say why has he done this to me?
Why is he treating me this way? And that's the way some of us react.
David didn't do that.
Because he knew that he deserved what he got. He had pronounced his own judgment, had he not?
We all deserve far worse than we get.
Everyone of us.
He said he shall surely die, and the Lord said through Nathan, you will not die.
He doesn't take us up fully at what we deserve.
He has grace.
Mercy.
Well, I've done a fumbling job.
But may the Lord stir us up, young people.
Think of what you're going to do.
When you're tempted to gratify your own desires for now, just for now, think of the consequences. Think of the consequences through the years of what you might do today that's not pleasing to the Lord.
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May that stop you cold.
And say, like Joseph said, how shall I do this great evil and sin against the Lord?
When he was tempted.
He said no.
May God give us grace to say, let's close by singing.
297.
Again, I select this hymn because it's really mercy and grace and love that he's bestowed upon us even as we think of this very solemn subject of government.
When all thy mercies, O my God, my rising soul surveys transported with a few.
I'm lost in wonder, love and praise. Someone raised the tomb, please.