Absalom

The High Cost Of Sin

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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, my son Absalom!Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
2 Samuel 18:33

King David has seen the price of his sins concerning the wife of Uriah, and his murder of Uriah the Hitite.  There is a son (Amnon) who raped his sister Tamar, the sister of Absalom. When Absalom hears about he is angry, and sometime later Absalom kills his brother Amnon for the rape.

The sword of death was in David’s house.  Some one has written, and said, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go; sin will leave you longer than you want to stay; and sin will cost you far more than you can ever pay.” David was finding this out.

These tragic events were foretold by Nathan the prophet when he confronted the king about the sin he had committed, and said, “…The sword shall never depart from your house…” (2 Samuel 12:10).

Absalom rebels against he father, and tries to take the kingdom away. David loves Absalom, and flees Jerusalem, and Absalom and his followers give pursuit. Absalom has it in his heart to kill David. David has no such thoughts of killing his son.

Our text for today above shows a father’s heart for his son said, “If only I had died in your place.” The king have given orders to the three generals to not harm Absalom. However, Joab, one of the generals had other ideas. When he saw Absalom caught by his hair hanging in a tree, he ordered him to be killed. Now David is mourning the death of his rebellious son.

It is with great love that we did have someone die for us. Jesus Christ the Son of God , became flesh and blood, from a babe in a manger to the Man He is, that He might die for the sins of the world. The Bible also tells us that “Whosoever believes in in Him shall not perish, but will have eternal life” (John 3:16).

On the cross Jesus became sin for us, and was judged by the Father in our stead. He died there. He was buried, and in three days He rose from the grave, and He lives forever more.

Sin against God has a very high price to it. Sin takes your life away. Sin is all over the world. There is only one who never sinned, and that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He paid our sin debt. The wages of sin is death. The only escape from eternal death, is by calling on the name of Jesus in repentant faith, turning from your sin to Jesus Christ.

Do you believe today that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that God has raised Him from the dead? If you do then, you shall be saved.

Pride and a Mule

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Pride and a Mule

“And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the 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.” 2 Samuel 18:9 (KJV)

Absalom a strong, prideful, vain son of David was set on having the kingdom of Israel. Even if it meant killing his father, and whomever it took to do it; he was going to have it.

Absalom had a head of hair; so much that when he cut it once a year he would have it weighed (2 Samuel 14:26), and it weighed, by our measure, about 5 pounds of hair.

The mule was the ride of the royal family (13:29), and was a source of endurance, strength, and agility in riding and battle. In my opinion they are not a real pretty animal, but they are strong.

Absalom was prideful, even vain about his hair. If that be the case, and due to his rebellious acts, against God, and his father king David, then, he was literally caught up, and left hanging by his own vanity, and pride. The mule of strength and endurance went on his way. God has a way of dealing with pride (Proverbs 16:18).

A message for all of God’s people: Pride and vanity is not the source of our strength, endurance or victory. God through His Son Jesus Christ is. He is the one who gives the mule strength and endurance, and He is the one who gives us the victory.

One’s Pride; One Mule

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“And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the 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.” 2 Samuel 18:9 (KJV)

Absalom a strong, prideful, vain son of David was set on having the kingdom of Israel. Even if it meant killing his father, and whomever it took to do it; he was going to have it.

Absalom had a head of hair; so much that when he cut it once a year he would have it weighed (2 Samuel 14:26), and it weighed, by our measure, about 5 pounds of hair.

The mule was the ride of the royal family (13:29), and was a source of endurance, strength, and agility in riding and battle. In my opinion they are not a real pretty animal, but they are strong.

Absalom was prideful, even vain about his hair. If that be the case, and due to his rebellious acts, against God, and his father king David, then, he was literally caught up, and left hanging by his own vanity, and pride. The mule of strength and endurance went on his way.  God has a way of dealing with pride (Proverbs 16:18).

A message for all of God’s people: Pride and vanity is not the source of our strength, endurance or victory. God through His Son Jesus Christ is. He is the one who gives the mule strength and endurance, and He is the one who gives us the victory.

Loyalty to the King

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“Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? Return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile. Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? Seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee. And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.” 2 Samuel 15:19-22 (KJV)

There is much that could be said for loyalty. It should probably be left to someone who knows more about such things, but here are my thoughts, and a short study of the matter.

Loyalty is shown in Ittai the Gittite. He is relatively new to serving king David, and he finds himself the servant of a king who is now losing, or seems to be losing his throne of the kingdom. The king’s own son, Absalom has turned against his father. This is a part of the fulfillment of Nathan’s prophecy (2 Samuel 12:11), and it is God’s judgment upon David for his adultery and murder of Uriah.

We see Ittai rewarded by David later in chapter 18 verses 2, 5, and 12 he is mentioned as being the commander over one third of the army of David, with Joab and Abishai.

David gives Ittai freedom to leave and return to his own, but he stays with David, in flight from his own son.

Now, how many people would stay with a falling king when they see his kingdom crumbling around them? Some might think, “Only a fool would do such a thing”. Ittai shows that he is trusting the GOD of David; he even calls Him by His name Jehovah [YHWH]. He is faithful to God, and loyal to king David, despite the circumstances.

The Son of David, King Jesus deserves our faithfulness, and our loyalty. He has not failed us. He has died for us, carried our sins away in His burial, and risen victoriously over sin, death, hell and the grave. Call on His name, believe Him and be delivered from all you sins.

When You are Troubled

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“LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.” Psalm 3:1 (KJV)

This Psalm is said to have been written by David while fleeing for his life from his son Absalom.  Absalom had taken over the kingdom or at least  part of it in anger, even hatred for his father.

What man, who loves his son or daughter, would not rather flee than to harm one of their children?  Yet it grieved the heart of David, and he felt as though his world was coming after him.

If you will note, however; David went to God about the situation.  That is the place we need to go when it seems the world is against us.  When the world is against us, or even only one is against us let our destination be before the face of the LORD.  Go now.

Day 21 – Your Sin Will Find You Out

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The title above comes from the Law of Moses (Numbers 32:23); however, as I read the chapters from 2 Samuel 12 – 24 that is what they were dealing with in king David.

As we read chapter 11 yesterday it showed us of David’s sin he tried to hide, and keep between himself, and the woman who was the wife of Uriah the Hittite.  David saw her; when he should have been on the battle field with his men.  He sent for her; and he sinned with her.  They were both guilty of sin.  David alone is guilty of the murder of Uriah.  Yet, we find David to be a man “after God’s own heart”.  David should have died; yet due to his repentant heart God was merciful, spared his life, yet sent great torment into his family.

Had David gotten so secure in his victories on the battle field that he overlooked the battle of his own heart?  It almost seems that way.  He seems almost ignorant of his sin until he is confronted by Nathan, a prophet, who tells him a parable of sorts, and David immediately recognizes injustice in someone else; yet the prophet tells him,

“Thou art the man.” 2 Samuel 12:7 (KJV)

Guilty of sloth; Guilty of Adultery; and guilty of murder.  David had grown slothful in his duties as a king of that day; but it seems that the “Sweet Psalmist of Israel” (23:1) had also grown slothful in the Word and Spirit of God; else he would have heard God in the quiet recesses of his heart, calling his name.  “David, David, David.  You are treading on dangerous ground.  Open your eyes David.  Be ye holy; for I Am holy.”

The prophet Nathan tells David,

“Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised Me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.  Thus saith the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.  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 Nathan said unto David, ‘The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.  Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.'” 2 Samuel 12:10-13 (KJV)

As we read the final chapters of Second Samuel we find the prophecy of Nathan is fulfilled.  Sexual sin and rebellion becomes prominent in David’s house.  David’s and Bathsheba’s baby dies; Amnon one of David’s sons rapes a half sister (chapter 13) and Absalom kills him – much strife in the family.  Absalom flees Jerusalem, and eventually returns only to try a take over of the kingdom.

The snares and traps of sin are grievous in anyone’s life.  We can all be sure that law of Moses is true.  “Your sin will find you out.”  We can also be assured that there is a Redeemer who came from God.  He is the Son of God, and the Son of David.  He is the Righteous One.  The one and only Divine Son of God.  He, Jesus Christ, paid the price of ransom for the lost, condemned, dying souls of men.

Your sins are known by God.  You have been found out.  You have sinned and come short of God’s glory.  Come to the One and only One who can cleanse you, forgive you and give you eternal life.  His name is Jesus.

-Tim A. Blankenship