2 Samuel 2 (Part 2) Bible Study | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Eager to go into the Bible with you.

Second Samuel chapter 2 is where we were last time together and

2 Samuel 2 · chapter mention

we were at verse 12 before we stopped and so, let's meet

together at verse 12 of chapter 2 of second Samuel, And our

brother just prayed. But why don't we pray one more

time as we have the word of God opened before us.

O Lord, we thank you. We thank you for the word.

We love your word, it is our Delight.

It is our joy, it is sweet to the taste.

It is strength to the bones. We thank you Lord, that it is

the window by which we can see you.

It is your invitation for us to know you.

And Lord, we just sit at your feet today as a family.

And we just ask Lord, as this is a study that you would help us

learn of you about you and I Lord it would get into our blood

so that we can live like you and we can answer the call that you

have for us in this text. We ask Lord that there would be

a special touch when the power of the Holy Spirit Upon Our

Hearts. We thank you Lord.

That these doors are open every Friday night.

We bless you. By your grace Lord, one service

a week is not enough we long for more of you.

Oh God and we are blessed by a people who want to gather

together to receive from your voice.

We give you all glory and thanks in Jesus name.

Amen. The most profitable thing that

you and I can do before we continue in this chapters to try

to understand. Where we are at this point in

this story before completing this chapter.

So let's recollect, what we learned last week.

Let's summarize him Saul died, he's no longer on the scene,

David becomes king, he is Anointed by certain men from a

certain tribe. Namely the tribe of Judah, his

own people and so they recognize and acknowledge Him and they

they clothed him with their approval that you are indeed,

God's anointed You will become our King.

Now, unfortunately, David is not King over all of Israel and from

the human standpoint. The reason for that is because

there is another man who had a different agenda.

His name was Abner, he was related to saw, he was the

commander of his army and realizing that his position was

threatened because of David's exaltation, he takes saws, last

son, the remaining son, the living son, because the other

ones died in battle ish. But chef and Him and allures,

the rest of the tribes to be convinced that he is the right,

heir to the throne. And so what you have here is

Abner using a spaceship as a puppet to really satisfy his own

ambition. And this is in a way, declaring

war on the dynasty of David. This is a resistance to God's

plan and Abner knew that himself.

This is not because he cared about Sol's name.

This is not because he wanted Al's descendants to be honored.

This was because he had a desire of his own and I want to prove

that to you very briefly go to chapter 3 in the Bible.

And look at verse 6 of second Samuel to you.

Scroll down to verse 6 of chapter 3, what do you read

while there was war between the house of Saul?

And the House of David Abner was making who making himself strong

in the house of Saul. So this man was so consumed with

self. That he was even willing to make

ishka Chef King, but he was really trying to keep his

position. He was trying to nurture his

pride, his Prosperity, his name. And so with that background as

our context, we come now to verse 12 to understand what will

take place between these two kings, what is going to happen.

And as I personally studied these verses that will Conclude

chapter 2, I could not help but realize there is a threat of a

theme and it is intensely practical and the theme.

Really is the great need for wisdom that despite your

strengths and my abilities and your way of thinking and my

cleverness, no matter what would be even positive no matter what

our efforts might even be towards even if it's towards

ministering God's work, if wisdom is not there to To guide

us to lead us to instruct us. We are setting ourselves up for

great failure and many ways. And you will see that and

different illustrations in this portion of our Bible study, it

is going to be intensely practical, but that is what our

faith is. And so we come to this verse and

the first thing I want to mention concerning wisdom is

this. Wisdom encourages us to be on

guard at all times. That's the first thought there's

four total in this study. The first one is this wisdom

teaches us to be on guard? Not sometimes, not when it's

dangerous. Not when the devil's right at

your front door, but at all times to be alert, let's read in

verse 12 Abner, the son of nerve and the Servants of ishka, the

son of Saul went out from mahatmyam to gibeon.

I enjoyed the son of Zechariah and the Servants of David went

out and met them at the pool of gibeon, and they sat down the

one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side

of the pool. What's Happening Here Abner?

The son of Nur is making his way and towards a certain direction

and his movements here should not be seen as casual.

They're not shot. Be seen as non suspicious,

they're actually extremely suspicious.

And the reason why is because headquarters for Saul was man

named we learned that in the former versus we learned that

here. Back in verse verse 8, that the

end of it that mahanaim was where he put ishka shot and

where their headquarters was he Leaving headquarters and he's

actually heading towards Judean territory.

This is concerning enough for David to call his commander, and

his army, joab, and a few of his men to go and to see what Abner

was up to. He wants him to bring back news

to learn what it is that he is doing in his neighborhood.

And what's incredible here is that Abner making this kind of

move is declaring something. What he is trying to show here

is that he is hungry for all of Israel.

He already has a majority of the tribes by his side.

The only tribe that's really not on his side is Judah and Abner

is so ambitious that he is convinced that he can actually

make way to overthrow David and to bring Judah on his side.

You see when the Abner made this decision to make a special King,

he essentially declared war on David.

That's in verse 1 of chapter 3. Look at it again.

There was a long war between the house of Saul and the House of

David. So in that seven year and six

months period, while David was King over Hebron in Judah, there

is a war between the house of Saul and the House of David and

he's making his way to try to planning somehow.

Way to usurp The Authority that God has placed in his servant

David. Now what do you learn from this?

I believe Abner's ambition here. His attitude is a wonderful

reflection of the ambition that sin has in the life of a

believer. The flesh is never satisfied

with only having part of you. The lust of the flesh, the pride

of life. The things that God says no to

want to dominate you and I and that varies for all of us, but

one thing is for certain sin longs to kill you. sin longs to

Veer you off the will of God completely, not partially but

completely And what we see with Abner here is that he was not

satisfied with 11 tribes. He wanted all of them and sin

has the same attitude for you individually, and not just on an

individual scale, but on a macro level, Sin longs to corrupt

everything. If you want proof of that, just

take a peek down history and realize that with every major

invention with with every scientific development, somehow

it is corrupted by evil. That is true politically that is

true technologically. That is true scientifically with

everything that we develop as the human race, since somehow

comes in and seeks to hijack. It for the devil's purposes,

everything about it. Everything we come up, we

discovered these chemicals, and these things, and what we make

nuclear bombs, why? We have the ability to

communicate with somebody across the world and instead now the

internet has 30, something percent of its downloads and

visits on website to be pornographic.

And so what you see here is that there is an infiltration of sin

and anything in anything, from an individual level to even a

global level. And when I find fascinating is

that this is a good place to mention, how Satan is not

satisfied with only having control of part of the world.

Satan is not satisfied, just to having China being communist.

Satan is not satisfied. Making the gospel difficult to

share in the Middle East. If Satan has his way, he would

love to turn this lovely nation into a wasteland.

And that's what he's been trying to do.

And we have to understand here. That what we experienced in the

past two years was not a simple experiment of political

overreach. As I said earlier, it was a

slick attempt. This might shock you welcome to

Bible say. It has been a slick attempt from

the evil one to try to render the church ineffective.

Now that might be hard for you to believe if you don't have a

Biblical worldview, but if you have a Biblical worldview, then

you understand that we don't war against flesh and blood.

We wrestle against principality. Cosmic Powers Spiritual Beings

and demons are not just interested in possessing bodies

and making them do strange things.

They are sophisticated. They create doctrines and

teachings, they hate the idea of freedom.

They hate the idea of there being access to the gospel so

easily. And so, what you and I saw Was a

great bold attempt from the evil one to try to shut down the

church. Oh yeah.

And it was very clever because it looked like a Health crisis

so look like everything blended with it.

But I want to say this just because things are quiet now.

If you and I do not learn from what we saw in the past two

years, we will not be prepared for what's coming down the pike.

I'm telling you, let me say this and I'm going to try not to

raise my voice. I get very passionate sometimes

most of the churches of sleep. Most of the church in the west

is asleep. They're asleep in the light and

they have reduced the Christianity to one Sunday.

And let me get out of here, so I can clear my conscience.

I have things to do after the service.

I have my own plans, I had my own agendas, I'm not

interesting, you don't even realize that in your lifetime,

you won't be able to go to church even once a week.

You won't have those freedoms, you won't have those luxuries

and so we have to see the writing on the wall.

We have to understand that as we believe that these are signs of

the end of the age, Hebrews tells us that as you see the day

Drawing Near you don't meet less, he says encourage one

another and meet even more. And and so I'm really concerned

generally speaking of the indifference and the lack of

alertness from many many believers who don't realize as

one court has been shared so many times.

It's not my own normal is not coming back, Jesus is that's the

difference. And so we have to I don't mean

to go into tension. I'm trying to come back to this.

I'm trying to come back to this. But we have to understand here,

is that there is an agenda. There is an agenda.

And just as much as there are Servants of God in this life and

in this generation in this world, there are agents of Satan

That have the complete opposite goal that we do.

They want to accelerate what the Antichrist wants to do and that

is to dominate this world to bring worship away from God, and

to himself, and Laura, as many Souls into, the depths of hell,

is she can? So we come back to this and I

want to say though, we do not have remember our first point.

Wisdom Keeps Us alert at all times though.

We do not have as much ability to protect the streams of life

from being poisoned. We do have a call from God to be

responsible for that, which he has entrusted to us and that is

the Temple of the Holy Spirit. That's you and I individually.

And that is the local church that God has called us to be a

part of and our attitude towards the relentless Pursuit of the

evil, one should be the same of David's.

What is David doing verse 13? When he when he learns these are

early signs that he is going to be a wonderful King over Israel.

When he learns that, there is strange Behavior coming from

Abner. He sends joab because he seems

to have a great intelligence agency.

He sends job early on before, there's any obvious threat or

danger to be able to study and see what is actually happening.

And to prevent he's acting preemptively, here he is, he's

coming with an awareness on his radar.

That there is something potentially dangerous here, and

we want to stop it in its larvae form.

We want to stop at as early as possible.

Before Abner comes into Judah into have-nots and creates Havoc

that will be much more difficult to control than if we just come

at this point. Here's what I want to say.

A true soldier of Jesus Christ. A true soldier of Jesus Christ.

Is a watchful Christian. They are constantly on guard.

It's not, they don't become spiritual on Sunday.

They don't get, they don't get, oh, they don't become aware of

God. And his word, and work, doesn't

just turn on. And off one day a week, they're

constantly having the radar on And there are strengthened and

they are nourished, and they're watching.

And they are seeking and they are there they are armed at all

times. And that's exactly what David is

doing here. He's not waiting for date for

Abner to cause trouble. He wants to even prevent the

trouble to even begin with. And what does that look like for

the Christian? Because we have a different war

is not against flesh and blood. But what does it look like our

main enemy is sin? Our main enemy is the Flesh and

what that looks like. If I can give practical Insight,

is that when a Believer identifies a common thought

pattern and he knows that it's wrong.

And he knows that it's entertaining sin that believer

doesn't just allow his thoughts to wander where the he sees the

potential direction that this is going into and he stops it at

the, but he deals with the, he faces it when he sees and Feels

that his emotions begin to provoke and cause unrighteous

Behavior. He deals with it right there at

the emotional level. When that believer sees that the

crowd that I'm in and the crowd that I'm with is now removing me

from relishing and spiritual things and is now dominating the

things of God. A my desires of my Pursuits, I'm

going to do something about it early on they act preemptively

they act before Things become disastrous.

They are able See pass? What's may seem innocent on the

surface and see the actual harm that it can produce.

If that was true of many Believers, there would be a lot

less remorse in their lives a lot, less counseling meetings.

Because like David, they are playing it safe, they see the

subtle activity, that identify it and they take measures to

face it before. It gains more ground over your

will, over your mind, over your resources, over your

relationships and David's vigilance.

Here is a wonderful example of how to be on guard giving you

Vision seeing the potential Hazard of these things that may

seem harmless at the beginning which brings us to our second

Point. Wisdom is not just The necessity

to being alert at all times, it takes into account future.

Consequences of present. Compliances wisdom takes into

account future consequences of present compliances.

Where do I get that from? Look at verse 14.

Here's the scene. You have Abner with his men and

they are sitting at this large pool, maybe a well, you have job

in his men, sitting on the other side and look what Abner does?

He breaks the silence. She says to joab.

Let the young man arise and compete before us.

And job said, let him arise. Abner has some goal here, mind.

Right? And so he seized the opportunity

and he says, let them compete some translations say, let them

play. And the Hebrew word has

different shades of meaning, depending on its context.

That word can be used when David played instruments, played

instruments before the Lord, that word was also used when

Samson was apprehended by the Philistines and when they

realize that they got Enemy Number One, they wanted him to

come out and entertained. Um it's the same Hebrew word and

there was laughing and mocking their their scorning him as he

was almost like a clown and acting as though he was just

think for them and humiliation. When we come to this word here,

when he says, let the young man arise in compete before us, it's

almost as though he is calling them to have some kind of a

match to prove which side is stronger.

He's not he's not he's not looking to initiate a bloodbath

at this point. What he's really wanting to do

is is to make a statement by creating less casualties to say

look at look at us. We prevailed over David and to

convince somehow through that that they should join his side

because David side is inferior. They are weaker.

And so that's what he is proposing here and regardless of

the motive. One thing is for certain.

Abner is the aggressor Abner's the one trying to stir the nest

Abner's the one who wants to kind of cause trouble joab is

not entertaining as he's not initiating this but

unfortunately, we're job failed was where he complied he hears

this and instead of rejecting the senseless idea.

He actually B. He says, okay, let them arise

now listen, it doesn't take much intellect to realize that when

you have two opposing people coming to some kind of a

wrestling match that that's going to fuel the tension.

This isn't a friendly competition here.

This is a way of flexing your muscle at the expense of young

men who are going to become casualties for no reason.

But job here, gives in and my question is, why job why would

you do this? And if you've studied jobs life

before if you've studied this text before, you know what kind

of character is job was tough job was relentless, he was

ruthless. Actually he was a never backed

down kind of fellow and so when this was proposed this challenge

is brought before him those who know job say, okay, it's kind of

we kind of saw this coming yet. He's going to give into this and

he does. But for what reason?

Remember job is the commander of David's Army Abner's the

commander of Saul Sons Army. I wonder if job feels

threatened. I wonder if job wants to make a

point. I wonder if Joy type here is

allowing his pride to override. His reason, you want to

challenge me and my men, huh? Okay, let us move it.

Guys, get up and he's selected 12 of his vast and Abner did the

same. And they went at it, and it

didn't last very long, before swords were taken out, and they

thrust it in each other's sides and twenty four young men, And

I'd for no reason. And I look at this and I see

jobs failure to take the higher road to take the higher Road.

Because of that, there would be an open door for Unnecessary

tragedy. What do you and I learned?

This is remember, this is intensely practical tonight.

We want to be Servants of God. We want to be effective, we want

to testimonies to shine bright. We want to be used by God.

Well, then understand this wisdom takes into account future

consequences of present compliances and so here's a word

from the book of wisdom and proverbs in Proverbs 1714.

Here's what this verse says. And Proverbs 17:14 the

Proverbs 17:14

beginning. Of strife.

Is like letting out water. So, quit before the quarrel

breaks out. The beginning of strife is like

letting out water, so quit before quarrel breaks out.

So what's the teaching their? Well, when you begin to see

Sparks of contention fly, And one heated, word is exchanged

for another. And one blow of accusation is

served after one was received, and there begins to be some kind

of Brewing of tension between two parties.

You know what this calls us to do be the better man.

Be the true representative of your master in Jesus Christ in

humility and back down. Pull back, quit.

Press the eject button. Let him get the last word.

Let her have the last word don't even try to defend yourself.

Don't even try to go back. You did this, I'm going to quit

before it becomes worse. It is much easier to fix a small

leak than it is to deal with a broken Dam.

And that's the wisdom here. Once you have a massive water

that gushes out, it becomes incalculable in its destruction

and much more difficult to control when it is in its forms

of drops. That's much more, easy to handle

and wisdom. In the Christian Life, where you

will deal with many characters, wisdom will often whisper in

your ear and encourage you to realize that this tension these

issues with others or somebody who's trying to cause you and

invite you into some kind of a battle wisdom will say it will

become way worse, if you entertain it.

So pull out while you can because this battle can lead to

a war. This is so appropriate for our

church. This is so improper it for us as

a family in Jesus Christ. If you're not a part of this

church, take this with you to your local church.

The personal feud between Abner and joab, would actually lead to

other people dying. And if we are serious about the

health of the local church, if we are serious about the

testimony of the church. Then we have to understand what

wisdom teaches us and that's my personal problem with another

brother or sister in Christ can actually lead to collateral.

Damage can actually create much, more difficulty and friction to

those who are not even necessarily involved to begin

with, and this verse among many versus calls.

You and I to die to ourselves. To die to ourselves.

Let me give you a new testament. In example.

Okay, I love versus like this because I always think Lord, you

didn't have to put a person like that.

I mean you could have filled every epistle from the beginning

to the end with wonderful descriptions and Theological

truths about the person and Glory of Jesus Christ.

But then you come to verses like this turn your Bibles with me.

The Philippians chapter 4 and look at this in verse 2.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

Philippians 4 to Paul writes to this church in Philippi.

And he gets to a certain point where he addresses a couple of

women And this is what he says. I entreat.

Yo, Dia and Ian treats in Turkey to agree in the Lord.

Full stop. Why is that in the Bible?

Why is that in the Bible? Well, for Paul to write this in

this epistle. As a public letter, surely means

that he is. Learn about a contention, a

conflict between two women. That was actually causing

problems to the church as a whole it was causing issues from

from them and he wanted to deal with it head-on and we don't

know the exact nature of the issue because he doesn't tell

us. But one thing we know for

certain is that it's not doctrinal because if it was a

doctrinal issue, then Paul would obviously side with the person

who was in right, the person who is teaching the truth.

With that being eliminated as a possibility.

What is the strongest possibility?

Is that these two women had personal issues between each

other? It was totally personal But it

has come to a point where now sides are being taken.

There's there's there's a heaviness in the meetings and as

the Believers are coming together, there's awkwardness

and there's there's a sense of walls being built up because of

emotional conflict and disruption and Paul's, like I'm

hearing about this and I can see where this is going and Paul as

a great Pastor to pastors and church planter says agree in the

Lord. Agreeing the Lord that tells me

something very, very important. One of the reasons no matter

what the nature of the problem is one of the reasons why

conflicts between people are not solved amongst Christians is

because the Lord is not included in their reasoning.

You get so consumed with self that, you forget to see that you

and that fellow believer have common ground in the kingdom of

God. And that you have a greater

cause that is bigger than the issue that you guys had between

one another But see problems arise more and more, the more we

become self-absorbed. And the more self-absorbed, we

become the more we push out God from our thinking, and from our

planning and, and from our life goals and that's exactly what is

taking place here. And in the case of Abner and joy

of who are brothers, after is going to say that later on, they

were brothers. They're of the same people, the

same Kingdom, they serve the same God.

Apparently 24, young men are going to die and more later on.

just because of two guys who have ego issues, it's because of

two guys, mainly one who had more of under the other who had

selfish ambition, that was more Abner than it was job after give

job credit and how many have suffered suffered within the

church? How many churches have lost

loved and lost that fervency in Lost.

Focus for the gospel because of personal issues, Listen, the

church is not a glorified Nursery, okay?

It's an army. It's an army and we have to be

careful because little things like this can actually Road and

we can the body of Jesus Christ. And what I find so amazing about

what we see in Philippians 4 2, Is what you read in the next

verse look at Philippians 4 3, he continues with this thought.

Yes I ask you also. True Companion help these women

so now he's addressing somebody there's debate who is addressing

Help these women who have labored side by side with me in

the gospel. Together with Clement and the

rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life.

What stands out to you from that verse?

What stands out to you? Let me ask this question.

What is the quality of these woman?

What did they contribute? Paul says, they have labored

with me side by side. So, these weren't carnal woman

that came to church because it was a social thing.

These were genuine Servants of the Gospel.

These were women who contributed to the ministry of the Apostle.

Paul, these were these were women who who evidently had some

kind of spiritual maturity. Now, here's the warning, but

even such woman of such caliber were overcome by selfishness.

That's how power the flesh can be.

That's how powerful the flesh can be.

That even women have such standards in the church can

succumb to self to such a degree that it overrides their

Ministries. It overrides.

What they were contributing for the kingdom of God.

To the point where they don't even care.

If it's creating disunity among the people of God, isn't that?

Like, if you're scared? Good.

I hope you're even more scared. There is a healthy fear of what

this flesh can bring us to. Unless we subject it to the word

of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

These are these are good woman. These Are Holy woman.

And yet still, they could not agree because of a personal

issue and it was creating issues within the church.

And so you see Paul Here is addressing something at its seed

form, because as a leader, he realizes where this can go and

what Paul has in mind is the gospel, the advancement of the

Kingdom through the church. And so I invite you today that

if you have an issue with somebody, you be the higher

person and die to yourself. Die to yourself.

Die to yourself for the sake of the Gospel.

Well, what if they do? Don't worry about them.

You do it. You do it.

Don't worry. If they agree, don't worry.

If they see our, I don't worry. If they clap back, you die to

yourself. You see Paul solution to this

conflict. Look what he says in verse 3.

Yes, I ask you also True Companion.

Help these women. He's calling the church.

He's calling somebody else in the church, but you can say he's

calling the church. He's calling someone from within

to help these women who are in the same church to come to a

place of solution. And I love that.

You know why I love that because God designed the local church.

To have a measure of influence upon selfishness in someone's

life. Can I tell you something?

I've seen so many relationships destroyed.

Not just between people like on a French level, mainly even in

marriage. And you know, what many of those

marriages have in common, if not all of them, I'll tell you what.

Either both or one are not part of a local church.

For years, I've seen it and they may come like to hear messages,

but I'm saying they're not plugged in there, not like this

is my church, I'm a member here. These are my elders.

I'm accountable to these men. I'm accountable to this body.

I can't think of one relationship.

That's not having great problems where they don't, share the same

common denominator. Either one or both are not

seriously devoted to a local church.

Because Paul here sees a solution to these two going to

war with each other. He sees the church who is

outside of them who is unbiased who stands for what is right to

come in and to quench the fire. And so we all struggle with

selfishness, but what you and I need and God's wisdom, is a body

of believers who love us enough to say smart, not snap out of

it. Do you realize how you are

actually hindering the work of Christ.

Do you realize how you were actually damaging the ministry

that you are a part of because of a personal issue with someone

else wake up. Wake up.

And that's what Paul is doing here you and I need to see that.

Because wisdom, wisdom, foresees, future consequences to

present, compromises and compliances.

And sometimes we are so blinded by our own selfishness, and our

own desires that we need other eyes of the same body, the body

of Jesus Christ to call it out for us and to speak up.

Thirdly wisdom teaches us to take advice is a perfect

transition. So, look at verse 15 of second.

Samuel too. Then they arose and passed over

by number 12 for Benjamin and Ishmael Chef, the son of Saul

and 12 of the Servants of David and each caught his opponent by

the head, and thrust his sword and his opponent side.

So they fell down together. It was a draw.

And then we come down here to verse 18 and the Three Sons of

Zechariah were their job abishai and a Sahel.

Now as to how was as Swift as foot as a wild gazelle.

So now we're being introduced to this set of Brothers.

Does anybody know how they are related to David?

There is nephews when you go to 1st Chronicles in Chapter 2, you

realize Azariah here is actually David sister.

David sister had three sons. These three sons join David's.

Can't they trusted that he was the Lord's anointed and they

were warriors. And what's interesting here is

that we're going to learn not just something about Joy, but

have another brother and that is as to how all we are told about

us the hell is that he was as Swift of foot as a wild gazelle.

In other words, he was really fast.

He was, he had agility. He was known for his swiftness.

But as you read on, you realize that a Sahel had something in

common with his brother job and it is this that though he had

great ability. And in his case, he had a great

zeal. He lacked what his brother had.

I rather yeah. Also like, with his brother

lacking that is wisdom. Job was known for his great

courage. He was Fearless.

He would take up any Challenge and you were going to see that

throughout second Samuel. But what you see here with his

brother is that he actually had the same problem.

Great gifting great ability, but it wasn't guided and protected

by wisdom. Here's my so fast.

And I was reading this today and I thought to myself, up to this

point David stands out from his family in so many ways, like

though he is related by blood, He differs so vastly and

character. I mean, realized, Who David was

in light of his parents, especially his dad realize who

David was in light of his brothers.

His brothers were not the same as him.

Realize, who David was in light of his nephews.

He really stood out. And the point is this, that

though, you may share the same blood, does it mean you have the

same spirit? Though you may have a certain

lineage even if it's a spiritual lineage does not mean

necessarily that you will share in that.

But here's the encouraging thing that even though David came from

a family that wasn't necessarily the most admire below.

And the most exemplary God still chose David.

God still would use David. He didn't come from a Polish

family. He came from a family, where his

dad even recognize him as a son, when Samuel asked for all his

sons. He came from, it came from

brothers who had issues, he From nephews who had issues, he had

issues all around. And if you're thinking that God

recruits those who have a certain pedigree in their

family, you're sadly mistaken and you should be encouraged

salvation. And true walk with God, comes

from an individual sense of who he is and individual

responsibility of submitting to him.

And I praise God for that. God won't hold me accountable

because of my parents because of my uncle's because of anybody

else you and I have this walk and it's a one-on-one walk with

the Lord that is deeply, deeply encouraging to me.

But as to how look what he does here.

Verse 19 as to how pursued Abner as he went.

He turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from

following Abner he's running after him, not to give him a

just a little beating. He wants to kill him.

He wants to destroy Abner and he thinks this would be a wonderful

trophy for the kingdom of David. And what we see here is that,

this is a great Zeal, this is a great Passion, this is great

fervency, there's great dedication here.

I mean, he's running way ahead of everybody else.

But again, as I said earlier, he's clearly demonstrating a

great lack of wisdom. And the great lack of wisdom is

this. He was warned. he was warned by

Abner to stop and he would not stop, and because of that, He

would hurt himself. It would actually lead to his

own demise. And when I looked at that, I

thought to myself. Zeal without knowledge is not

good. Even if your Zeal is targeted

towards that which aims to glorify God.

And I was looking at this and I was reflecting on my own life

when I first got saved. And if I can give a description

about those early days of walking with the Lord, there was

a lot of zeal. Maybe need for more wisdom.

It was it was it was in the name of God, it was witnessing for

God, it was sharing the gospel. I was helping people.

And I think that's common for many people who become born

again. They become very very zealous,

but even in our Evangelistic efforts do you just Jesus tells

us to be wise as serpents. He wants us to exercise, wisdom

and all things, even those things that are good.

And I think here, what we see with with a Sahel is that he had

a Zeal, he lacked the wisdom and something that he wanted to do.

In his mind, perhaps could have been right would actually turn

out to his to his own harm. God is so patient with us, he

teaches us and I think that's why he's extremely patient with

all of us when we first get saved.

But here's the thing, the solution to his Zeal early on in

our walk with the Lord, as we grow older.

The Lord is not less zeal. It's not less Zeal for the lord.

It's more wisdom. Right?

So you have people who grow in the Lord over the years and they

become less zealous and they think that's more wisdom that

that's not true. See, I remember when I was

zealous for the Lord, I used to do it.

Well, what happened? You don't do anything anymore.

That's not wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to learn

from your mistakes and learn from those who have went on

ahead of you to be able to teach you how you can channel that

Zeal for maximum Effectiveness and minimizing of issues and

problems. nothing can be worse for your spiritual success, or

mine than stubbornness It doesn't matter how gifted you

are, doesn't matter who you are or who you're referred to, as

you're the next dish. You're the next that if you and

I do not have a teachable spirit if you and I do not know how to

submit to the word of God, and the word of God, applied by

others, who know how to apply it to your life, then then we will

fall and fail in serious ways. I've seen it myself over the

years, people who had great Zeal crashed.

When they could have avoided those walls, if they had, simply

just listen to those who had enough sense to say, you got to

do it this way, or you got to be like this, or you got to be

careful how you do this and that's what happened to a Sahel

look what happens here. Verse 20, then abdur looked

behind him and said, is it you as to how?

And he answered it is. I Abner said, to him, turn

aside, to your right hand or to your left and sees one of the

young men and take a spoil. But as to, how would not turn

aside from following him and Abner said again to us.

I'll turn aside from following me.

Why should I strike you to the ground?

How then can I lift up my face to your brother joab but he

refused to turn aside therefore Abner struck him in the stomach

with the butt of his spear. At the spear came out of his

back and he fell there and died where he was and all who came to

the place where isil had fallen and died.

Stood Still. So you see what happened as to

how this pursuing him. Abner looks back, he warns him

turn aside and he doesn't again. He says turn aside, and he

doesn't. And finally, he takes out his

Spear and he thrust it in such a way that with the speed of a

Sahel is running. It literally penetrated him

through his frame and the Spirit came out the other side of his

back. And so I want to say that the

greatest thing that you and I have to protect ourselves from

harming ourselves or harming others is to be teachable.

Is to take heed of warnings. Again, especially for younger

believers. Something happens often with

younger Believers and in their Zeal, they can become very

critical. Very critical of authority, very

critical of older Believers because in their minds, they're

so zealous and they look at those who might be more

controlled and their emotions or may do things in a certain way

and it conflicts with what you think.

And you begin to criticize and you begin to is what happens.

You have people become Lone Wolf Christians and they despise

Authority. They don't think they should be

part of the local church because a local church is dead and

pastors just don't get it and this and that and I'm on fire

and My Band of Brothers, my band of sisters aren't front Since

you are setting yourself up for great Danger.

And you may not be a younger believer here.

But if, you know, younger believer, listen to what I'm

saying, encourage those and encourage your own heart that

even though you may feel like you are gifted, or you have a

certain way of thinking, or you have a better strategy to

continue to remain open to being instructed and taught.

Now, listen, that's not just true for younger people years.

I'm just, I'm just saying that Because that's especially true

with younger Believers, but it can certainly be true those who

mature in the faith, but that was not the case of a man in New

Testament, who was mature and his knowledge of the scripture

and his ability to communicate it.

Can you think of that man with me?

Who is he in the New Testament? The book of Acts?

Close. who was, who was a man who is known as Competent in the

scriptures. and powerfully refuted the Jews paulose I'm

encouraged by by Apollo's his life that the little window that

we have of his life, a little snippet, not because of his

ability to teach or preach, not in his might in the scriptures

but because when he was approached with correction, he

humbled himself and he received it And I want to show you that

and we're almost done here. I know we're running a little

bit over time with the remaining verses that we have here, but

it's worth going there. Go to acts 18 very quickly in

verse 26. Wisdom teaches us to take

advice, wisdom teaches us to take advice and to be open to

correction. And acts 1826.

We learn of Apollo's. He began to speak boldly in the

synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took

him aside and explained to him the way of God, more accurately.

So think about it. This man was a traveling

apologist to traveling speaker and he would go into synagogues

and he would just dismantle people's arguments and he would

Proclaim Jesus with the knowledge that he had.

And one day in the congregation, you had a couple Priscilla and

Aquila and they heard Apollo's and they were they were they

were moved and they were obviously aware of this man,

this young man's gifting but they can they can tell that he

did not have the full understanding of the message and

the person of Jesus Christ. And so what do they do?

They take him aside and they instruct him.

Now, here's what's so significant about that what did

Priscilla and Aquila do as a trade?

They make tents, they made tents, okay?

They weren't famous a famous couple and Ministry.

They didn't have their own TV station.

A Christian TV station. There were those who had a

normal job that helped Paul later on help plant a church but

they were just average people who loved God but knew a lot

about his word. So you have to understand that

it is that kind of a couple that's approaching the pastor

after the service and saying we were so touched and blessed by

but can we can we just take you aside?

Can we just we want to tell you some things?

And Apollo says, okay sure and he's willing to receive the

where you would you guys do? We were your business card.

I know what to make of it. Nothing like that.

He's willing to hear from these people and he's willing to sit

with them and receive what they have to say.

He's willing to be open to their correction.

Now mind you. Look at how they're doing it.

They don't stand up Apollo's. Evangelist Apollo's.

You got it wrong. You don't understand what that

means. Actually, you do understand what

Jesus actually meant, they weren't doing that.

They weren't putting on blast on Facebook, they weren't exposing

him. They knew how to take him aside

privately and to be able to sit down with him and to correct

them in gentleness and humility and with respect Okay, if you're

going to ever correct anybody, please do it in a certain way

where you will win their affection and win their trust.

Okay. Apollo's receives a now, here's

here's the beauty about this. He humbles himself, though.

He was a preacher. Though he could have said okay

because you get over with. No he doesn't do that.

He sits with him as long as he needs to sit with them.

He builds his relationship and look at the result.

This is a direct result of the humility of Apollo's.

Look at verse 27. And when he wished to to cross a

takea, the brothers encourage them and wrote to the disciples

to welcome him. She say, I would love to go to

aquella. I would love to go and Minister

there and the family that he built while in Ephesus

recommended him to the Believers there.

And they received him, I believe that as a result of Apollo's,

willingness to receive instruction and be teachable and

be humble. In other words, humility opens

greater doors for us. Humility.

Expands our influence Pride suffocates.

It sabotages it. And I apologize here says, I

would love to go and they said, gladly hey this brother.

Yeah, he knows he grew and he is a wonderful person to serve god

with. Would you receive him?

And look at the next part when he arrived.

He greatly helped those through Grace who through Grace had

believed Wisdom teaches take advice as to how did not take

advice and he suffered for it. He did not heed.

Take heed the warning and he actually died and not only did

he die? But look what happened?

Those who saw him die. Stood Still.

You know what that did? That gave Abner more time to

gain ground and to have his troops surround him.

On a, top of a hill. And so many people suffered

because of because of this man's unwillingness to take heed.

Now we come to the last Point. Wisdom doesn't only tell us to

take, advice wisdom, reminds us that hypocrisy will never

succeed. Look at verse 25, we'll skip a

couple verses here and the people of Benjamin gathered

themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took

their stand on the top of a hill.

So, there was enough time now because of assholes death, that

they go on a top of a hill, which is a strategy, you have an

advantage there and the men of Benjamin's came and surrounded

Abner, and Abner was ready to confront joab and the men that

followed a Sahel verse 26, then Abner called the job shall the

Sword. Devour forever.

Do you not know that the end will be bitter?

How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from

the pursuit of their brothers? Impressive.

You read that first anything, Abner learned his lesson, you

realize the foolishness of his ways, he saw that, this was

becoming way worse than it. Could have.

If he had, just you just humbled himself from the beginning and

so maybe he did learn right. Shall the sword devour forever.

Do you not know that the end will be bitter?

That's good stuff. And he goes on the even say how

long will it be before you tell you people to turn from the

pursuit of who they're Brothers? Here's my question, is he

sincere? Well one, he's saying the right

things but is he sincere? Is he being genuine?

Do you think he actually learned his lesson?

At this point? He saw the mistakes that he has

made that he's contributed to. So he wants to put an end to

this foolishness and the senseless death I have a hunch

that this is all just a show. Look at verse 31.

But the Servants of David had struck down a Benjamin 360 at

Abner's men of Abner's men. And we look at verse 30 job

return from the pursuit of Abner.

And you see here the second part.

There were missing from David's servants, 19 men besides Assa.

So at the end of the whole ordeal, David loses 19 men,

besides a Sahel job or rather Abner loses 360.

He was losing. He was losing and he realized

that he was probably going to die that day.

And so he decides to put a stop to this before it gets worse for

him. How do I know that he's not

sincere will go to verse 1 of chapter 3 again.

There was a long war between the house of Saul and the House of

David War only continued after this and so he's trying to save

himself at this time and the reason why he speaks in this way

It's because he's being very clever.

He's putting on a righteous mask.

He's putting on this Pious display.

So that he can seem as though he's in the right, and job is in

the wrong and of job refuses. Then he's the one who's going to

be in the wrong. It's very, very smart.

But what's so scary about this? Is that He's only doing this for

himself, he's not doing this because of righteousness.

He's not doing this because he wants to honor God, he's doing

this because he knows that he will lose.

If he doesn't and those who operate in hypocrisy, this is so

important to understand know the right things to say.

Those who know how to put on a mask, know what to say when to

say it and who to say it to, and the ugliness of hypocrisy is

that it unashamedly attempts to try to put the blame that was

caused by self on others, so that South can look like they

are in the right and that is essentially what Abner's trying

to do here because if job refuses this, then job will look

like the one who is actually causing war between the brothers

and he's He's the one that wants the sword to devour, and he

doesn't mind things becoming becoming bitter and that is

frustrating, right? That is extremely frustrating to

see somebody who's able to switch on godliness, and switch

off when it's convenient. And when its profitable, Listen.

But a wise person, a wise person.

Will find it very difficult to be tempted.

To be a hypocrite in any sphere of life.

Because they are convinced through wisdom by Understanding

God's word, and his law that in the long-term hypocrisy will

never succeed and whatever. Gain is retrieved through.

Hypocritical means will ultimately fail and that's

exactly what you see. Look at, look at verse 1 of

chapter 3 again, And David grew, stronger and stronger.

While the house of Saul became weaker and weaker Right.

He was going to lose if he thought he won that day, if he

thought he escaped because of his lies and his deception, he

was actually headed towards loss anyway.

And I think that is that is helpful for us as Believers

because what we need to understand is that you and I

will experience hypocrisy. No, you, and I may become

victims of hypocrisy. We're somebody's able to not

only pretend to be something or someone but even project wrong

on you and me and our names and our reputations in order to make

themselves look like they are, they are righteous and they are

in the right but there's no reason to fear that and here's

why because Jesus himself promised, The hypocrisy will

never succeed. We'll never succeed.

I want to read this to you. I'm, you do have to turn that

this is my last scripture for the Bible study and Luke 12:1

Luke 12:1

Jesus is something so astounding, in the meantime,

when so many thousands of people had gathered together that they

were trampling. One another, he began to say to

his disciples. First it's so important to read

our Bibles slowly. He looks at his own disciples

first, he doesn't look to the thousands that are coming to

hear him preach. He looked to his own disciples

at first and What comes out of Jesus mouth towards his

disciples, something incredible, Beware of the leaven of the

Pharisees. Which is hypocrisy.

He's not warning warning, the world of hypocrisy, he's looking

at his followers and he's saying, I'm calling you my

disciples to beware because all it takes why would say, what

would you say, the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

All you need is a little bit of it.

All you need is a little bit 11 and bred for it to for it to

inflate. All you need is a little

hypocrisy in your life for it to corrupt, your whole being beware

of this. He's warning his own people

don't let this come in because of what I'm about to tell you.

Nothing is covered up that will not Be revealed.

Or hidden that will not be known.

Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark, shall be heard

in the light and what you have, risked, whispered in private

rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. so, when I am

tempted, To put on something that makes me seem some way so

that I can either advance in my Personal Agenda or try to evade

something that I've done wrong. Jesus assures and wisdom says,

don't even go there because it's just not going to work out

anyway, and whatever relief comes at his temporal and Abner,

Abner did not believe that but he would learn it and he's going

to learn it in the next chapter wisdom, teaches us, many things.

And tonight, we got a fresh batch of what wisdom.

For us, wisdom tells us to be alert at all times.

Wisdom teaches us. To consider future consequences

of present. Compliance is wisdom.

Encourages us to take advice wisdom.

Convinces us. That hypocrisy will never

succeed. All there's so much more in

these verses but we don't have time tonight.

Let's pray. We thank you for the word.

Father, we ask you that these things would be true in our

lives. We want to be wise.

We want to be effective, we want to, we want to bear fruit.

We want people to see Christ. But we ask that.

You would impart wisdom into our hearts?

thank you for these illustrations in your word, to

take these principles that we read of and know about but CM

lived out successfully and unfortunately in failure, But to

our benefit Lord, you have given us these things.

Lord, we worship you. We thank you that your word is

so pure and so Direct. T' and so clear.

There's no confusion in it. Even a child can understand what

was said tonight and then we receive it with childlike faith.

And we asked you a lure to to just make us more like Jesus.

And Lord as a church. We pray that we would be a wise

people. That foolishness would not rain

here. That it would not be even in one

heart, they would not dominate one person.

We would all exercise wisdom and how we treat one another and how

we see Temptation and how we deal with our own Pursuits that

try to creep in and override your purposes in our lives.

Louis bless you and give you all glory and honor As we sing to

you because you've spoken to our hearts and Jesus name we pray.

Amen.