2 Samuel 18 Bible Study (Absalom's Death) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

We're in second Samuel chapter 18, cherish these moments

2 Samuel 18 · chapter mention

because we have including this chapter seven chapters left in

our study of second Samuel, we're coming near the end.

What will happen after 2nd Samuel?

I do not know. I don't think we will jump into

1st Kings right away. Maybe we will we might take a

little break and address different things.

Different topics might have a Q&A or two.

So enjoy these moments. I pray that you do enjoy these

moments. We take our time in the

scriptures, and that is what we are.

Going to do with this chapter. And one of the benefits of being

here. Week after week, is that you

don't need much background information because you're so

familiar with the narrative already.

And so I will not give you an exhaustive background.

What I will say though, before we even open up the verses here

is that we have reached the climax.

We have reached the Pinnacle, we have reached the peak of this

story between David and his son Absalom.

They're about to face off in war a war that Absalom wanted and a

war that David dreaded. He did not want to engage in

this but they are left with no other choice.

Lest they be consumed by an evil man and a deceived nation.

And so before we break into this, I want to pray one more

time. My brother prayed so grateful

for that but it's a habit of mine to pray before we even read

a verse. And so I want to do that with

you before we read the first few verses here together Oh Lord,

there is so much joy in our hearts to be gathered in a place

with people who love the truth. Lord, we are not here because we

have to be, we are here because we get to be, it is an absolute

Delight to be in your presence and to be with those who are the

excellent ones of the land. The Saints of the land, we ask

Lord that you would open our eyes as we sang and Lord, that

you would burn our hearts for you and that you would give us

understanding in our minds so that we can be shaped.

And molded into the very image of your son help.

The delivery of this word may be under the power of the spirit,

may be filled with unction compassion truth.

That are not be mingled with error.

Oh Lord, let there be the delivery that you intended this

message to be delivered and we ask that you would be exalted

and Jesus name. Amen.

Are you with me? Let's read verse 1 together.

Then David mustard the men who are with him and said over them,

commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and David

sent out the Army 1/3 under the command of joab, 1/3 under the

command of abishai, the son of Zechariah joab's brother and 1/3

under the command of it tie, the get tight.

And the King said to the men, I myself will go.

Also will also go out with you but the men said You shall not

go out for if we flee they will not care about us.

If half of us die they will not care about us but you are worth

ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you

send us help from the city. The king said to them, whatever

seems best to you, I will do. So the king stood at the side of

the gate, while all the Army marched out by hundreds and by

thousands, they are not in Jerusalem.

Remember they're at mahanaim, they are beyond the Jordan, they

are in a different place because David obviously, he's in Exile.

But they're prepared to go to war.

And what I want to highlight to you first is what we see here in

verse 2, notice David's willingness to participate in

this. War, he says, clearly I myself

will also go out with you. That is impressive and one of

the joys again of a Bible, study of a systematic study.

Verse by verse chapter by chapter is a you get to see many

things. And one of the things that you

get to see his character development or the decline of

character and in the case of Saul.

But we see something here about David that is praiseworthy.

Why are they in this place to begin with?

Well, it all started in 2nd, Samuel 11.

When David decided not to go to war.

You remember that, right? That's where all the trouble

began. He was on the rooftop when he

was supposed to be on the battlefield, and that's where he

was exposed to Bathsheba and where he entertained temptation

to the point where he committed a grievous sin.

And here we see now, with different David with a much more

difficult, task ahead of him, but still a willingness to say,

I will go out. To fight this war.

You might disagree with me, but what I see here is a man who has

learned from his mistakes. what I see here is a man who

understood How is negligence in his unwillingness to be where

God called him to be. Originally is the reason why

he's in this Dilemma to begin with and he does not want to

repeat that mistake and I want to tell you, that's what true

repentance. Looks like repentance is not

merely feeling. Sorry for yourself or even

regretting what your sin has done.

To repentance is a willingness to change?

It's a change of mind. It's looking at what your sin

has done. Looking at what sin is and then

agreeing with God's word about it.

And the more than that agreeing with God's power.

To overcome it in the future. There's not much that David

could do about the past and that's true for all of us to

meditate on it to wallow in it to feel shame from it doesn't

benefit anybody including yourself but what you and I can

do with our past failures is what David is doing here to make

an effort by the grace of God to be in the will of God.

Never mind what happened yesterday.

Never mind what happened last year.

Never mind what happened five years ago.

Where are you today? Where are you in the will of God

today, where are you and your hatred for sin today where you

and your alertness and watchfulness against Temptation?

That is what is most important here?

And David is not just proving his growth in godliness in this

point. You've heard me say it sometime

before, I don't remember exactly when it was.

There's another example, another example where we are given proof

that David did indeed learn from his past.

And endeavored to seek to honor God with his today.

You have any idea what I'm talking about.

Let me give you a hint. It's not in the book of second.

Samuel. I'll just tell you for the sake

of time, go to 1st Kings. David is near the end of his

life. All you have to do is flip a few

pages to the right? And we're told in First Kings

11, David was old and advanced in years and he could not get

warm. His body was shutting down.

And so the servants came up with a plan and that plan was to

bring a very beautiful woman and to park her inside his bed and

to keep him warm by close proximity. but what's

interesting about that is what we see here in verse 4, the

young woman was very beautiful and she was of service to the

king and attended to him, but the king knew her not An

interesting statement for the Holy Spirit to include in this.

Let me say this first. Temptation will follow you all

of your days. Temptation will follow you until

your last days. The same Temptation that David

experience on that rooftop, which is interesting because the

very same description of this young woman is given to

Bathsheba. We're told in second Samuel 11

that Bathsheba was a very beautiful woman and now we come

to First Kings where David is old and years and we are

introduced to another woman who was very beautiful and so I

understand that the fight against Temptation the fight

Against sin will follow you until your final breath.

Keep that in mind. So that, you know, how to be

strengthened day after day. But the Holy Spirit wants to

tell us something, the king knew her not like why is that

important for me to know? And the reason why it's

important is because the Holy Spirit wants us to know, David

has grown. David is a different Man.

David doesn't look at a very beautiful woman, the same way he

did when he was at the peak of his life.

The peak of his Reign. No, he's a changed person and I

think there's a pattern here worthy of imitation.

I think there's a standard here for the children of God and here

it is. The the more you grow in years,

the more you grow in life, the stronger, you should have a

resistance against sin. We should grow from glory to

glory, right? We need to learn.

We don't want to stay in the same place that we were 20 years

ago, and unfortunately, that's the case.

For many people do the same. They submit to their passions in

their 60s. The same way they did in their

20s if not even worse. But what God wants to do with

us, is very much of this to graduate us and godliness and to

empower us, and they give us victory.

To Victory strength to strength. And David is a wonderful example

of that here. So we read on.

He decides that he wants to go to war but you heard it.

The men said you're not coming with us.

We honor you we admire you, we respect you, but David, you

coming out with us is going to be more of a distraction than

anything else. They want you, They Don't Care

About Us. They want your head.

They want your life, your son wants you.

You're the biggest right here, you're the trophy.

And so they advised David to stay back and to supervise the

war from a safe place. And they also probably

understood the difficulty of going to war with your own son

and so there's wisdom packed in what these men are saying.

And I would say they are in the right, they are in the right.

What they are advising here is totally on the bullseye and what

I again admire, there's something more to be admired of

David is how he responds to these men were in lower

positions, lower ranks. How they how he Ponce to there

objection. He says here.

Whatever seems best to you, I will do.

That's humility. Remember Absalom, when he was

pumped up by who shy to go into war, his ego was inflated

because who shot was saying, why don't you go on to battle?

And he will be a show, it will be glorious, you'll receive all

the credit. And, and at first, when I fell

for brought the advice, he was willing to stay back but because

hoosh, I knew how to appeal to his arrogance, he was now he was

in and it led to his own demise. But here we see David who

receives instruction from his men and he is willing to stay

back and to listen to them. And I think that's a wonderful

trait for any leader in any context, some people in here are

leaders in different contexts, some of you are aspiring to be

leaders, maybe some here have been identified, the gift of

leadership that is in you, but one of the things to be mindful

of as a leader is to be open-minded and humble enough to

receive the Council of those who might not occupy High position,

who might not have your same history or knowledge, but who

have a perspective that you might not have And God tests us.

God tests us Often by bringing people to us.

That might not have position might not have Prestige, but

walk with the Lord. And want to give you something

from the Lord, and you have to be willing to accept that.

Unfortunately, one of the common things among leaders, not all

leaders, but some leaders fall into the temptation of being so

enamored with their god-given Authority or ability that they

get drunk, they get drunk in their own pride.

And one of the ways Pride manifest is that.

It's your Way or no other way. It's my plan.

It's my decision. It's my idea.

And no one else is you have to agree with me and leaders.

If they're not careful, they can become extremely stubborn and

very difficult to work with And yet, we see here, David who was,

who is humble enough to open his eyes and his Hearts to others

and that made him a greater Commander that made a more

effective and successful. And again, for those who are

leaders who desire to be leaders, remember this that

there are times where you have to make decisions that will

represent utter others, right? And that's true for an elder run

Church. Elders, have to make decisions

on behalf of the people at times and Elders have to sometimes or

leaders again in your home and your work, wherever you're a

leader leaders, have to make decisions regardless of the

opposition or regardless of different people's, fears or

opinions. You have to stand your ground is

especially if it's black and white truth.

But leaders also have to understand that they're unclear

situations and there are non doctrinal matters that require

humility in your approach and one of the examples of this is

not just an Old Testament observation.

You see this in the early church with a guy like Paul.

Paul was a Cutthroat leader. I like Paul was like, are you in

or you out? You want to serve?

Are you not want to serve, Mark, your enter?

Yeah, you know, I go back and actually don't come back my son

aggressive, but he was a guy that got things done and he

wanted People to be sold out or not in at all, but that same

Paul, right? We see something in him and a

hint and the Book of 1st Corinthians, I want you to turn

there and see this for yourself. And 1st Corinthians 16.

The holy spirit gives us an insight into how Paul dealt with

those who served with him. 1st Corinthians, 16 verse 12.

Apparently, the Corinthians were asking for the presence of

Apollo's, they really liked the Paulo's.

In fact, you had a whole little Camp of Apollo's, followers in

the church, and Paul response to an apparent request for him, or

wondering where he's at. And he says this, in First

1 Corinthians 16:12

Corinthians 16:12. Now concerning our brother

Apollo's, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other

brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now.

He will come when he has opportunity.

How many of us just read by? I just read past that like okay

that's an unimportant Detail. No, you see Paul as a leader and

how he operated as a leader. He strongly urged Apollo's to go

with the brothers to the Corinthians and you want to

Paula said Paul, I don't sense the Lord's leading on it.

I don't think I should be going. Maybe Paul's was a little

concerned because of the factions in the church and he

didn't want to go there and creating more problems.

Whatever the reason was Paul said, I need you to go and

Apollo said, I'm not going to go now.

You know what Paul doesn't do. It isn't shame him, he doesn't

abusing me doesn't threaten them.

He doesn't demote him, he works with him, okay?

I'm not going to force you to go, so if you don't want to go,

then go and you feel like you need to go.

That's wonderful. That that radiates humility

that's a kind of person you want to work with and understanding

person, a patient person, a person that doesn't just have

their understanding their review and their ideas.

And everybody else has a surrender at no matter what.

Now, we see here that Paul was a man that we should strive to be,

and if you're going to serve the Lord, you're going to work with

other people, guys. You know that very well.

And again there are moments where especially leaders you

have to make a stand no matter their protest or the opposition,

but there are other times where Things are more open-ended.

You have to be sensitive to others.

And be careful, not to impose your convictions on others,

forcefully and allow the Lord to lead people at different stages

in life and their own convictions that they've been

given and they're gray areas of our sanctification.

So David here says all right, whatever you think is best to do

will do that. He agreed, but we stopped at

verse 4 and we see that before these commanders had out their

own way, David gives a fine Instruction in verse 5 of second

Samuel 16, what does he ask them?

This is what he says. And the King ordered joab and

abishai and ittai deal, gently for my sake, with the young man

Absalom and all the people heard when the king gave orders to all

the Commander's about Absalom. So David was very intentional by

being open about this charge leaders.

And everybody stopped before. They made their way into the

battlefield, whatever you do deal gently.

With the young man Absalom. And he wanted others to hear

that charge. And you can sense the

compassion, and the heartfelt appeal in this order.

Can you not? And look how even David phrases

and identifies Absalom deal. Gently with what the young man.

He's young right. He's foolish.

He's inexperienced, he's unwise. He's given over to the passions

of the flesh. Just remember he's younger,

right? Yeah, he's younger but he's He

overthrew the throne. He might be younger than you

David but he's a grown man. David is trying to color his son

in a certain way so that the people can feel what he feels.

And it's difficult for a parent. Especially I can only imagine

there is, there is a there's a special love for your children

that almost can Cloud your judgment and others see

something and something. So obviously blatantly wrong and

evil and yet as a parent you are less willing to admit.

That this is what David is experiencing But don't get

caught up in the emotion of the moment.

Don't go too far. And, and feel for David to the

point where you, you don't determine what is right or

wrong. Is this right or wrong.

Is what David requesting according to God's will.

Here's my answer. No, the very mess that everyone

is in right now, is because when Absalom should have been

disciplined, he was kept Alive by his father.

And even after all, that has transpired, with that act of

Mercy, would I say? Even Disobedience to the law of

God, David is still convinced that dealing gently with Absalom

is going to change him. There is a lot of evil in our

day that's being tolerated in the name of gentleness, right?

And the name of kindness and then name of love and that is

dangerous because people are unwilling to confront evil and

are willing to be ignorant about certain sins because they think

it's the most effective way to win people over.

No, it's true that you're called to be gentle, don't forget it's

one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit or the fruit of the Holy

Spirit, but never forget. Your ultimate example of what

gentleness is, Jesus says in Matthew 11:29.

Matthew 11:29

Learn from me for I Am. What?

Gentle and lowly. Learn from he says, learn from

me and he gives two descriptions about himself.

I am gentle. And I am lowly if you want to

know, what gentleness looks like.

Look no further than the Christ. And when you look at Jesus, life

as given to us in the gospels, you see his gentleness, but you

also see a sternness and you see a stance that he makes the

gentleness is an operation in certain cases with a certain

audience, but we're Jesus who never lies and says he is

gentle, he's the ultimate example of gentleness, you see

him especially with religious Hypocrites, who did things in

the name of God, you see him In a way that people might say,

Jesus was not very christ-like. But he is gentle.

And so being gentle doesn't call us call for us to be

compromising. It's not be strong or not, to be

severe against certain sins and certain habits and certain

ideologies. Know, we are required to make a

stand. Unfortunately, David did not

make a stand, he still doesn't want to make a stand.

And if I just wonder what second Samuel would have looked, like

if they listen to David, What would have Absalom done because

there's an incredible Insight, right?

Many people love to quote, Romans to where it talks about

the gentleness of God, right? His kindness leads us to what

repentance? Yes it does.

But it depends on who recognizes that kindness and is willing to

submit their lives and Revelation to that kindness.

We love to quote, the and that is a wonderful thing to a quote,

but let me give you another one. It's found in Isaiah 26.

Isaiah 26. You get a different insight

about how people respond to God. And Isaiah 26.

Verse 9, the prophet says my soul yearns for you in the

night. My spirit Within Me.

Earnestly seeks you. And he goes on to say, for when

your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world,

learn righteousness, when your judgments are in the earth,

people wake up in this say this God is Holy.

I can't entertain sin. He is Sovereign he is in control

and out of holy fear, they come to him in righteousness, but

then look at verse 10, it's an added commentary.

If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness

in the land of uprightness. He deals corruptly and does not

see the Majesty of the Lord. Not everybody responds to God's

favor, appropriately. There are those who abuse God's

favor? They enjoy what he has for them,

but they never turn to him. And so it is true that kindness

leads to repentance God's. Kindness does do and it aims to

do that but it's not 100% guarantee man is responsible and

responding to God's kindness in the way he designed it.

But it's true that for some favor, only enables them to

remain headstrong in their sin and what they need.

In fact is a revelation of God's judgment.

And to see the severity of God, Romans 11, tells us consider

both the kindness and what the severity of God.

We just want to consider his kindness.

Paul says no the Saint Paul preach salvation, by faith

salvation through Grace. Right?

The st. Paul says, don't just consider

his kindness and Romans 11, consider his severity.

We need a balance. And this case Absalom was not

handling the kindness, given to him the way, he should have what

he needed was judgment. It makes you wonder if there was

an appropriate protocol made for Absalom to receive this judgment

who know he could have repented. He could have cried out to God.

For Mercy, he could have been like Vanessa who was so wicked

and vile. But when he was brought low when

he experienced personal Exile, he stopped he positing knowledge

God as Lord. But we often in the Name of

Love, Don't Trust in God's wisdom and that gets us in a lot

of trouble and we're going to see what's going to happen to

Absalom. Verse 6.

So the Army went out into the field against Israel, and the

battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.

And the men of Israel were defeated there by the Servants

of David. And the lost there was great on

that day, 20,000 men, who was outnumbered here, David.

Who was more vulnerable to being defeated David.

And yet we read here that they were gaining the Victory and the

reason why they were getting the victories because of their

experience and their mentality, they were seasoned Warriors and

we're speaking naturally. You're obviously God was on

their side. We're going to see that in a

moment. But these men though, they were

smaller. We're at an advantage.

Ultimately again, because God was on the side of David because

God is always on the side of truth.

But there's an interesting verse in Ecclesiastes that I like to

allude to, from time to time, it's an Ecclesiastes, 9 4.

And it says better to be a living dog than a dead lion.

Have you ever heard that saying better to be a living dog than a

dead Lion? And the, the the meaning of that

is it teaches about the hope of life, right?

As long as you have, you have life there is still hope for

you, no matter what your status is, no matter what you are in

this life, you're always an advantage if you have life but

there's a sprinter spiritual principle behind it as well.

When you compare a dog to a lion, what's more impressive?

The line, of course, what's more demanding of people's adoration,

and love. And respect the lion dog is

common. And so, let's look at this in a

spiritual sense. It's better to be small better

to be humble. Better to be seen as common in

the eyes of others, but have the life of God.

Then to have Glamour and gifting and resources and be devoid of

the spirit. That is true for you

individually and that is especially true for local

churches as a not people measure, local churches and

their success based on numbers and resources, and and

performance, and all these different humanistic ideas.

But may I say this to you better to be a dead or living dog than

a dead lion. Better to have the life of God

and not have the main and not have the Roar, and not have the

strength and the flesh because life with God is ultimately what

we're after. And we see that with this

scenario, God's assistance was with David because look at verse

8, the battle spread over the face of all the country and the

forest. Look at this.

The forest devoured more people that day than the sword.

How does a forest kill more people than javelins and Spears?

Now, obviously, this was strategic, right?

Because they had so many more people than David did.

And so to bring him in a place like this dense and difficult,

it would demand them to split up and it was easier for them to

conquer. But what you see here also is

God's invisible hand at work. The forest devoured, more

people. And naturally speaking, it was

because of the difficult terrain, there was swamps and

hills and crevices and animals. And we don't know, we get an

idea what's going to happen with Absalom, how it was difficult.

But it reminds us of a verse in Joshua when we study the Book of

Joshua, maybe you remember the story where Joshua himself was

outnumbered and God encourage them when he was about to face

various Kings, do not be afraid, right?

I'll be with you and the way he showed up as that he reigned

hailstones on the enemies of Israel and their in Joshua 1011.

We are told that more were destroyed by the hailstones than

by the sword. To show us again that regardless

of how limited your resources are how outnumbered you may seem

to be. You were never at a disadvantage

when you live to please. God whatever you're lacking in

the natural. You are always the majority when

you are walking with God, Well, that's hailstones from heaven or

Forest that fights for you. God is the one who's

providentially? Making this all happen.

I fear for those, I fear for those like Psalm 2 says who plan

and plot against the anointed one because they will fail.

David here succeeds and verse 9. We zoom in from this General

summary of this battle to the main instigator of all, this

Blood verse 9 and Absalom happened.

I like that word happened to meet the Servants of David

Absalom was riding on his mule. And the mule went under the

thick branches of a Great Oak and his head, his head caught

fast in the Oak, and he was suspended Between Heaven and

Earth while the mule that was under him went on. so here's

Absalom riding a mule and some part of this forest and All of a

sudden, maybe a branch with a fork like design caught him by

the neck. Many people assume that his hair

was caught, it's not explicitly clear.

One thing's for certain is that he was caught by the head,

whether that be his hair or his neck, and he was suspended in

the air and the mule, which is fascinating, because when you're

saying, why would he ride a mule?

Because that's what Kings would ride a mule.

And the same, the same seat that he fought for and rebelled for

and deceived for in a matter of seconds is disappeared from

under him. Just taken from him like that.

And here he is hanging from a tree like how the seems almost

comical but it's really a pathetic sight.

It's tragic. This man who had the whole

nation tied around his finger is now tied on a tree.

Remember how I feel for died, right?

He hung himself and Absalom is about to die in by hanging as

well. So here he is suspended, right?

But you have to remember, when we studied earlier, we realized

that we're told by the holy spirit that God had a purpose to

destroy. Absalom and that's why he

believed who shies advice instead of a he thought was

advice. God is behind all of this and so

don't be mistaken. The design by which David is

rather Absalom is about to experience.

Death is ordained by God himself.

This is not random. This is actually strategic God

wanted Absalom to hang from a tree.

And I believe it communicates two things.

The first thing is and this is the beauty of understanding, the

Old Testament. God had given a law to the

nation of Israel. That if anybody were to commit a

crime worthy of death, what was to happen to them?

There are to be hung on a tree. If you want to reference for

that to Deuteronomy, 21 and Deuteronomy 21 verse, 22 to 23.

Says there, you should hang them on a tree.

And then 23 tells us that those who are hung on a tree, are what

cursed by God? Paul utilizes, this reference in

Galatians 3 to speak about how Christ became a curse for us.

Right? But we see here that this man

was worthy to be cursed by God and this is the frightening

thing, you know, David was reluctant to discipline his son

and to execute judgment the way the law demanded but he could

not Escape God's justice. And men today might find

loopholes in our governments men.

Today might evade they might trick they might bribe their way

out. Of their sin but they will not

ultimately be able to flee from God's coming wrath.

The unrepentant will know the satisfaction of God's Wrath. no

matter what is going, well for them in this life, everything

can change in a moment and it will in eternity And so, what is

God wanted to communicate through this?

Out of all the ways that Absalom could have been dealt with.

He hangs him on a tree so that people would know that Absalom

perhaps would known. And those who would read the

story. Would know this man is cursed by

God. This man has no favor from God.

This man has no support, but from God, this man is in

Disobedience to God and God is expressing his displeasure over

him. But again.

We read earlier that Absalom was a man of pride.

And we are told that from the soles of his foot to the crown

of his head. There was no blemish found in

him. He was gorgeous.

Okay? He was brilliantly.

Beautiful. I mean, people were just

mesmerized by his looks and on top of that, he had Charisma and

he just put the whole nation under a spell.

But after that description, we are told that this man who was

recognized for his Beauty, recognize that beauty himself.

And one of the ways that he Express his acknowledgment of

his Unique Look is that he cut his hair once a year and he did

work. Something that I don't know.

Anybody's ever done. He weighed his hair Who does

that he weighs his hair to show? Obviously, it's a public thing

to show. Just how luscious and glorious

that set of hair on his head was?

Isn't it ironic? No, it's not ironic.

The very same head that Absalom. Boasted in is where his Shane

came. The very same thing that he

praised and he adorned, and he made public and allured people

with would be the means of his own death.

That same head now is hanging. It's hanging and he looks like a

trapped animal. And the lesson is very clear, if

we're not careful, what we put our confidence in.

Can become our curse. But your confidence in the Lord,

learn to give God glory for everything that is good in your

life can be your looks it could be your abilities.

It could be your successes, it could be your accomplice should

make it a habit to know how to crown him when people seek the

crown you, whatever? Good you possess, whatever.

Whatever it is that you think makes you unique.

Remember, you didn't make it yourself.

Got put it on you and he has one intention with it for him to be

glorified through it. And unfortunately this man used

his looks to deceive a nation which you've heard me say

before. If you look at the, if you look

at the Old Testament, there are different their handful of

moments where we were told about somebody's attractiveness or

their looks. It's like why would the Holy

Spirit? Tell us that it's it's because

one that's a Temptation. When somebody is attractive

that's a Temptation that they have to deal with on a daily

basis. They can give in to that

temptation to utilize it for their flesh and for their

advancement in Life or like in the case of Daniel and David and

Joseph and Esther. They use it for the glory of

God. Even with all the advantage that

they might have with their attraction, they still submitted

to the will of God and they found greater pleasure and

pleasing him than pleasing their flesh.

That was not the case for this man.

So, here he is hanging from a tree for God, to pronounce the

curse on him. And for him to realize that his

pride led to his demise and something interesting happens.

This you know One of the things that I love about Bible study

reading the Bible through and through is encountering, unnamed

characters in The Bible like just actors that show up and

then disappear. But these individuals were

blesses me. The most is when they proved to

have more christ-like character than the main characters of the

story and that is what you and I are about to see in verse 10.

So here's here's Absalom hanging and dangling from a branch and

verse 10 says and A certain man saw it and told joab.

Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak job.

Said to the man who told them what you saw him.

Why then did you not strike him there to the ground?

I would have been glad to give you 10 pieces of silver and a

belt. But the man said the job, even

if I felt in my hand, the weight of a thousand pieces of silver,

I would not reach out my hand against the King's son for an

are hearing the king commanded you and I wish I knit tie for my

sake, protect the young man Absalom, I like this guy.

Unnamed unidentified. But what a man he was this

Soldier. Pussies Absalom refuses to kill

him. The report comes to joab job and

is an Essence, rebukes him, not only rebukes them, but scolds

them says, you know what, if you would have killed him, I would

have crowned, you, I would have given you money and I would have

given you a belt with some believe to be some kind of

military promotion, some kind of badge of honor, some kind of

metal, I would have showered you in recognized.

You And this man says look even if you multiply that money, I

would not care. For one sole reason.

The King has a will. And what's more important to me

than your money and your promotion is him being pleased

Now, isn't it funny that Soldiers of Christ today face,

that same temptation? To be disloyal to Christ money.

The Love of Money. And position or opportunity or

some kind of advancement. Those things are just as real

Temptations as it was here for this young man for the soldier.

Unfortunately, many did not find the grace and the strength to be

able to stand for the cause of Christ.

This man was devoted this man Stood Still, and what I love is

his answer in verse 12. You heard it right, he quotes

David not only does he quote David, he reminds joab.

What David said, who he said it too.

Like this man was attentive, when David spoke in verse 5, he

was all ears. And not only that, he guarded

it, in his heart, he kept that as a principle in his bosom,

throughout this war and this man loved his King.

It's so clear and it's so obvious.

We see here that he was again, attentive to his word that he

was committed to the cause and he was immovable when he was

tempted. Now, compare verse 12, to verse

15 and 10 young, men jobs, armor Bears, surrounded, Absalom and

struck him and killed him. So you have 10 other guys who

are probably in the same position and the of this man may

be in lower Rank, and when they had opportunity, they struck the

man, especially after job did it.

Because job initiated he took three javelins and he struck

Absalom. And the other guy said, well,

job that lets do it. And that's what we see in a lot

of people's lives today. Their followers, all they know

what to do is imitate somebody who has some kind of influence,

some kind of persuasive personality, some kind of

gifting they just no other people.

That's all they do. They have no conviction.

They have no sense like this, man.

Of the will of the king and that orchestrating their every step.

Now, what's fascinating is King? David was not present.

For this man to feel the accountability of his Lord.

No, he wasn't present. All this young man had was the

word of the king. That's all he had.

And that's all he needed. He learned the word of the king

and he lived by the word of the king.

And this man had enough sense to live for the king even in the

absence of the king. And that, what, as what makes

the true Christian effective, right?

Don't follow other people. Don't do that.

Learn and ask the Lord to give you such an understanding of his

person, the reality of who he is the authority of his word so

that when Temptation comes, you can be like this individual

here. Don't go with the crowd.

The crowds are often wrong. So you have two types of

soldiers here. You have the soldier who

understands the commands of his Lord and walks by and you have

others who are in the same field, the same battle.

But they look at others and they look and they compare their

standard to their standard and they just follow that.

Holiness is not, you comparing yourself to other Christians who

are struggling. Holiness, is you comparing

yourself to Christ and Christ Alone?

If you, if you, if you use yourself and measure up to other

believers, you're not going to go very far.

But if Christ is ever before you, oh, he will take you higher

and higher and you and no Greater Joy in his will for your

life. This man doesn't move in here.

I love what he says here in verse 13, on the other hand, if

I dealt treacherously against his life and look at this in

parentheses and there is nothing hidden from the King.

There is nothing hidden from the King.

This man knew that David had such a high-tech intelligence

agency that even if he were to do this and he kept it

ambiguous, whatever the case may be he would be found out and he

would be dealt with accordingly. Now if that's true for a man

like King David how much more true for the Heavenly King?

You can't hide anything from him.

You can't. He sees all he hears.

All he is present in all places. And this man, NaturallySpeaking

had an awareness of David's knowledge.

How much more the believer You know, you have a lot of

Christians and people around the world that talk about my iPhone.

Here's what I say. Look at all the ads that pop up.

When I have this conversation, you're more afraid of your

iPhone than the Lord. You have more people who fear

Mac, then they do fear, God almighty.

Yeah, your phone can hear you, but you know, what's more

important God can hear you. God can see you.

I don't know that encourages you or what?

But encourages me. There's nothing hidden from the

King. Then you yourself would have

stood aloof. And look what?

Joab says, job said I will not waste time like this with you.

I get out of my face. Who are you to stand up against

me? I will not waste time like this

with you and he took three javelins in his hand and thrust

them into the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive in the

Oak and 10. Young men, jobs are more bears.

Surrounded, Absalom and struck him and killed him.

I feel tension with this verse. And the reason why I feel

tension is because I understand where job is coming from to some

regard. Because joab knows David enough

to realize that he's most likely going to Pardon him if we

capture him alive. And that's going to be the end

of the Kingdom that's going to be end of joab.

And so he realizes David is not in his right place of thinking

and so he steps in and he takes matters into his own hands and

he eliminates him as a stret forever.

At the same time, he's being disloyal to the king and this is

what I love about the scriptures is that things are not so black

and white. They're complicated complex

because life is complex. It's not as not as black and

white as we would like it to be. But there's all these, there's

all this nuance and there's all this what-ifs and there's all

this, a you go this way, but you can also go that way.

And so we get that impression here.

It's very real because it is real.

It's a real story. And so e just makes a decision.

And then you wonder what's his motive is.

He fiercely loyal to David? Because he did Love David, but

remember, we've studied job enough to know that whenever

he's committed murder outside of a warlike scene.

It's usually motivated by Personal Agenda, whenever he

sees a threat, he eliminates that threat and remember,

Absalom and you are not in good terms, what did Absalom do to

joab at one point when he was trying to get his attention?

And he wasn't answering the phone?

He burned his barley field, right?

All right. You're not going to answer your

phone. Let me just set this field on

fire. Fire and enjoys.

His what are you doing? Is job upset with Absalom.

His job regretful that he tried to bring Absalom and David

together and it failed. We have we have no clear

indication but what is obvious is the irony of all of this.

Here's Absalom. Who became a king as a rebel.

And now he is dying at the hands of a rebel.

Here is Absalom who when he stayed back took over the

kingdom. Listen to the advice of a man

named at Heathrow who said, take your father's concubines and

violate them on the rooftop and how many concubines did David

leave behind? 10:00.

The scriptures tell us specifically at 10 concubines

were left behind how many armor bearers killed Absalom.

Yeah, God's retribution is very precise scary, isn't it?

You see how all of this connects and you see how God's mind is so

specific in his dealings with man?

You violated 10, concubines will hear a ton 10 armor bearers, who

would deal with you accordingly? So we read on Joe, I blew the

trumpet verse 16, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel,

from job, for job, restrain them and they took Absalom and threw

him into a great pit. The forest in the forest and

raised over him. A very great heap of stones and

all Israel fled everyone to his own home.

It reminds us of Joshua again, right?

Akin Rebels, against the word of the Lord it creates.

This kind of tension in the camp between them and God

unknowingly, but they seek God. God says, Rebellion, the camp.

They bring out Aiken and his family and they stoned them and

they create this heap of stones. As a memorial, And we see the

same here with Absalom. And what's more tragic, is that,

that is the pillar by which people will remember him, but

that was not his intention while he was alive.

Absalom had a goal for the way he would die.

Absalom had a goal for what happened after he would die and

it's found here in verse 18. Now, Absalom in his lifetime had

taken and set up for himself. The pillar that is in the Kings

Valley. For he said, I have no son to

keep my name and Remembrance he called the pillar after his own

name and it is called absalom's Monument to this day, that's how

he wanted to be remembered. He want to be seen as royalty

even after his death. And instead, he's buried

underneath a pillar of rocks in the depths of some Forest.

There are men who prefer to live in obscurity, they don't care

about recognition, they just want to, they just want to live

a normal life, provide food for their family, do some, you know

fun activities go on vacation and just and just be buried

peaceably and just move on, right?

And that's I get that but there are other people who want to

live for a legacy. They want to be remembered for

an accomplishment or some kind of honorable deed or a way of

life that will be praised by others people people.

Organize their lives for that very goal and that can be right?

And then I also be dangerous, right?

Just depends what your ultimate motive is and this man had that

he wanted a legacy. He wanted people to I mean his

pride was so overwhelming that he wanted people talking about

him even though he wasn't around to be talked about, And so he

sets up a monument for yourself hint, you don't set up monuments

for yourself. You let other people's build a

monument for you, right? You don't do this unless you are

totally consumed with love for self.

And that is true from and it's as though the sign off on a

person's life. It's for us to reflect on all

that has just taken place because of this main reason he

was a man filled with pride and God brought down his pride.

At the same time. God does encourage us to seek

after or at least motivates us to live in a certain way with a

reward of Honor. But it's not a pillar found in

this life, it's not a memorial here.

People want to be remembered in history books.

People want their names to be found in museums and God wants

us to look Beyond this world and whatever platform or stage is

presented to you as a goal in life.

And Jesus tells one church and that one Church represents the

church at large. He tells this church of what

will come to them, what they can expect.

If they are about conquerors in this life and I want to end

there with you, it's in Revelation chapter 3.

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

In Revelation chapter 3. He says, in verse 12 to the

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

church in Philadelphia. The one who conquers I will make

him a pillar. In the temple of my God.

Never shall he go out of it and I will write on him.

The way you would inscribe on a pillar, I will write on him the

name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New

Jerusalem which comes down from my God, out of heaven and my own

new name. You want to build a pillar for

yourself? Let it be found in the temple of

God, for all of eternity. This is what he tells these

Believers. If you're going to strive after

any kind of honor and this life Let it be for the one that will

really matter. In the end of it.

All, I will set you up as a pillar that speaks of permanence

and that speaks of stability. Yes, but it also speaks about

the honor. That would be shown in ancient

times were names, would be inscribed on pillars in certain

places. What the Lord says is there is a

level of honor that awaits you in my very presence if you do.

But one simple thing and that's be a conqueror.

If you want to know what a conqueror is, just look at the

rest of the churches and what the Lord asks of them.

It's very simple. It's to keep his word to And by

his word to never deny his word that's all the Lord asks of us

and that pillar awaits you. Let your name be forgotten.

Let people remember, you know more.

But strive and be motivated by this, that there is an eternal

Commendation that awaits you believer.

I know, it's hard to see it now, I know it's hard to feel the

force of that because you were so distracted by your senses,

but take it by faith. That God will crown and adorned

and bestow Praise on those that don't have the viral sermons on

YouTube that are not sought after conference speakers that

don't have worship teams and Dove Awards.

That are obscure unrecognized tucked in some corner of some

Hut somewhere, this discipling, a church of 12.

In a very unforgiving, part of the world.

And yea though, no one will acknowledge them.

There is a pillar waiting for some of them.

Our God is amazing and although I wish that Absalom would have

lived for that pillar instead of making his own.

Oh, I wish that his future would be different because he has this

pillar waiting for him, but he has banished for all of

eternity. What does it matter?

What you accumulate in this life?

It all perish and it will perish.

And so we see the end of this man's Absalom, his presence his

plans. They all come to a halt, but

that doesn't mean David's story is over just yet.

That doesn't mean David's troubles are over just yet.

We still have the rest of 18 and the rest of this book to

discover together. Let's pray.

Lord help us be good soldiers. Help us be like David who

learned from his mistakes. Help us not dwell on the past

but believe that you care about what we do.

With our today's and our tomorrow's. so for Lord, for

those Lord who have committed a grievous sin, Shameful sin.

Maybe be comforted by the fact that you have through

repentance. You have taken that sin thrown

into the sea of forgetfulness, and you do not bring it back to

us again. Help us be strengthened that

there are new mercies for us every morning.

So Lord, we will not be discouraged by even long seasons

of perhaps lukewarmness or disobedience.

We will realize and believe that, how we end is what really

matters. God help us be like this unnamed

fellow. Who is absolutely energized and

strengthened by one thing what? The King has said Nevermind

leaders who represent the king. Never mind what the crowds do in

the name of the king or against the king that they claim to

represent. Lord help us live under your

presence every step of the way. If there is anything that we are

inclined to boast and Lord, our wealth, our strength, our

appearance, our accomplishments Are Spiritual disciplines Lord.

We pray that you would teach us how to give glory to you and all

things. Papa's acknowledge you for every

ounce of goodness. We enjoy or people love us for

and Lord help us to do what is right.

Even when it is hard, help us to stand for the truth.

In gentleness. Yes but not in a compromising

way, even if it deals with family, even if it deals with

friends friends that we've known for years.

Help us stand for the truth because you are worthy of that

honor. And you told us that the cost of

discipleship means that we must forsake our love for wives

husbands children. Because you are worthy of that

kind of devotion Lord in this place, May the hearts of your

people, the soldiers of Jesus Christ who are present who are

watching. May they feel your favor.

And may they realize that through this track and through

this battle. It will be difficult.

But you have a reward for those who will conquer help us be

conquerors in this life. Help us more and more to have

our mind set on things above, help us, O Lord overcome, all

the flares and all the Temptations, and all the

allurements of this world lord, it's becoming easier to do that

by seeing all the corruption in the filth below.

We are still susceptible to falling and to medicating, our

pain through sin. So, keep a strong Lord, As we

sing. Now in closing be blessed.

And as we part ways, O Lord, though, not in the presence of

our Our elders known on the presence of other believers, may

we be again like this man who simply had the word of the king

and that was enough to govern him.

Only the word have such authority over us, in all

things, in all ways at all times.

We bless you, Lord, we bow our hearts before you.

And we praise you for the word, which is eternal life.

In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.