Sound Doctrine

Jeff Johnson: God's forgiveness is unconditional. Christian parents should adopt the same attitude when it comes to their kids. Kids need to feel secure in our unconditional forgiveness that God has had for us and that we're giving to them. Unconditional forgiveness. And yet we always put conditions on it. God help us.

Time spent with those kids, sharing with them that you love them and that you forgive them, is worth its weight in gold, isn't it? Because again, payment comes down the road. As we invest in our children now, so will we receive later.

Guest (Male): Calvary Chapel Downey brings you Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson. Today we'll once again bring you a fascinating study in the book of 2 Samuel. Needless to say, David has a lot of ups and downs in his life. He strayed from God, he committed heinous crimes, and yet he was remorseful and repented on many occasions and ended up described as a man after God's own heart. As we conclude our look at chapter 14 today, we see David on the run from his very own son. Here's Pastor Jeff with the details, beginning in verse 21.

Jeff Johnson: And the king said unto Joab who was standing nearby, behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again. Joab's response, he fell to the ground on his face, bowed himself and thanked the king. Joab said, today thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant. Joab here confesses, yes, Lord, it was me. And then he is very thankful how David took his plan.

And it worked. The plan worked in so much so that David said, okay, all right, Joab. I see what you're trying to do. I've already said it. I've said to her that no one's going to touch your son. All right, I get it. I've been trapped. I've been had. All right, now go get my son. I think another reason why Joab wanted this restoration to happen between David and Absalom was remember how Joab had killed Abner? Cold-bloodedly killed him because he went against the king, and how David hated what he had done.

David came back to Joab and said, cursed be you, Joab, for what you have done. It is why Joab was his general, he was his right-hand man, but they were never really tight together. They were never really together. He knew that David never really trusted him totally. And I'm sure that bugged him and bothered him. But he saw Absalom as the way to get back in, to be restored with his king, to have that relationship squared away. I'm sure that Joab said, I heard somebody say this in one of the flicks on TV, I love it when a plan comes together.

This whole thing just came together and it worked beautifully, just like he wanted it to do. He says, go bring Absalom to me. Verse 23, so Joab arose. He went to Geshur. Remember, Geshur is where Absalom was. And brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, let him turn to his own house and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house and saw not the king's face. Joab brings Absalom. He brings him into Jerusalem. I'm sure everybody was rejoicing. The nation was rejoicing. Absalom is coming home.

The one that is heir to the throne, the military was excited. But there Absalom goes off into his own little palace and never sees the king's face. David here rejects seeing his son and talking to him. Why? Because I think he's still holding on to pride. I believe it is here that David really blows it with his son. We all blow it really when we fail to communicate and get things out in the open, don't we, with our children? We all make mistakes this way.

But David really is blowing it here. To not really resolve that issue between them is to allow it to just build. You're forced to face it down the road. You're going to deal with it later on. And then it could be too late. It is best to deal with it now, but David doesn't want to deal with it. He's still got that pride. He won't see his son. And I believe that David should have dealt with Absalom right away, and then he would have never seen the rebellion which we're going to see next week in his son's life.

It is ugly and it is terrible what is going to happen. But pride is a wall that always goes before a fall. If you've got pride that's holding you back from getting things right, then there's going to be a fall. You can count on it. Many believe that Absalom's rebellion really was birthed right here all due to his father's pride. Many look at this as a turning point in Absalom's life. David could have had an effect in his life. He could have changed things possibly, but he didn't. It got worse.

Because of his pride, rebellion is building. Verse 25, but in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. Notice, from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him. He would win all Clearasil contests throughout the nation. This guy was immaculate. And when he shaved his head, at every year's end that he shaved it because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he shaved it and he weighed the hair on his head 200 shekels after the king's weight.

It is about six pounds of hair that he had after a year's growth. But here we see how Absalom won over the people's hearts. Notice number one, he was a good-looking man. And this is exactly how the Antichrist is going to win over the people in these last days as he comes over the TV as this good-looking man who is just going to take everyone who has any kind of a guard up against him is going to let them down. Oh, look at that guy. Oh, look at that face. He would never do anything wrong against me. Oh, he is such a compassionate man. Look at that, he's so good-looking. I just love to watch him.

In Daniel chapter 7 verse 20, it talks about how good-looking he's going to be. Good looks can be very deceptive. But he was a kingly type. He looked that way. Remember his sister Tamar was also very stunning. Good looks can be a curse too in some way, especially with young women, and we saw it happen with Tamar. Not only was Tamar good-looking, but we know her mother and Absalom's mother was also very good-looking. For David saw her one day and said, hey, would you like to join my harem?

And he went to a pagan land and looked at this pagan woman and said, you look good and I'd love to have you part of my harem. And he invited her in. Here the unbeliever coming to the believer and we have an unequally yoked situation. Danger is ahead. Someone has said this and I think it's true: we're to choose a wife with our ears and not with our eyes. Then it says shaved his head, a custom back then, and take the money for the weight of his hair. And every year they let their hair grow for a year, another year shave it off.

And this became something that was really he was proud of, and that's his head of hair. Now eventually evidently they would take the money and pay the taxes, but I guess the older you get, the less taxes you had to pay because you get thin on top. There's no weight here. You got something to thicken this stuff up with and make it weightier? But you know what's interesting with Absalom? The thing he was most proud of, his hair, is going to be his downfall, just like Samson.

Those things that we so count on that we think is our strength becomes our own weakness and kills us. Verse 27, and unto Absalom there were born three sons, one daughter whose name was Tamar. Isn't that interesting? He named his daughter after his sister. Why? Because she was probably a good-looking girl just like all the family. She was a woman of fair countenance. Three sons and a daughter. So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem and saw not the king's face.

Check this out. Three years he was in Geshur in banishment. He was with his grandparents. Two years in Jerusalem where he hasn't seen his father's face. We've got now five years of anger and bitterness festering within his heart towards his dad. That's a long time. You can do a lot of damage in five years. Yet he had done nothing worse than his father had done. I mean, look what he had done. He'd committed murder to get Bathsheba. Yet Absalom had a reason for his murder.

I'm sure he was justifying it saying, hey, well, this my brother raped my sister so I killed him. I had a reason at least for my murder. My dad had nothing. He just wanted a woman and so he killed for a woman. So his justification was revenge. That's what gang murders continue on being for. Give an excuse. They took one of ours, we're going to take one of theirs. And it just goes on and on and on. But David remember his sins were forgiven.

I'm sure he knew about that. He had received unconditional forgiveness for his life. Remember as Nathan the prophet said, David you're not going to die, don't worry about it, you're going to live, in fact you're forgiven for everything you've ever done. And yet David can't turn around and he's not able to forgive himself after being forgiven so much. He can't now forgive. And he puts conditions on his forgiveness. He says, you can come home, son, but you're never going to see my face. We're never going to talk. Great.

Remember Jesus gave us the parable on forgiveness, Matthew 18? And remember in this parable that this one master had a servant that owed him seven million dollars, or was it 17? I think it was 17. 17 million dollars. And the guy said, hey listen, I'm going to try to pay you back no matter what, I'm going to try to pay you back. And he looked at his servant and said, you know what, you've touched my heart. You owe me nothing. I forgive you of everything. Of all 17 million dollars. Isn't that something?

You'd think that guy would go away rejoicing, and he did. But then he found a guy that owed him 15 bucks. And he said, hey, you owe me 15 bucks. He said, well, I'll do everything I can to pay but I don't think I can right now. I don't have the money. Hey, I want it paid now. No, I can't. Okay, that did it. You're going to a debtor's prison. You're going to pay me. I'm going to take it out of your hide. Well, news got back to the master what this guy had done. And he called him in and said, what are you doing?

I forgave you 17 million dollars and you turn around and throw this guy in prison? Oh, man, because you have done that, he said he was angry, he delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him. I'm going to get everything out of your hide. And so likewise, Jesus says, shall my heavenly father do also unto you if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Wow. That's a heavy statement. You see, God has forgiven us and he never brings up my past to me. Never.

He has never once brought my past up to me. And I've got a past. Not once. Once you confess your sins, once you repent of your sins and you're truly sorry, God says I will not only forgive you, but I will forget about it. It's over. As far as the east is from the west, your sins have been forgiven you. Wow. I know that the results of sin will try to come back, but we have to continue to go back to that God has forgiven me and when God forgives he forgets.

And I'm not going to let this sin in the past come up to bother me today to live for the Lord. It's in the past, it's under the blood of Jesus Christ, it's been forgiven, I'm going on with my life. God forgives me. Because the enemy will try to bring that up. And David even said, happy is the man that understands this, that your sins have been totally forgiven. Oh, how happy that man is going to be when he realized it, that your sins aren't imputed to you, he's not keeping records of them anymore. It's over.

And so should we forgive of one another. As Jesus has forgiven us, so we're to forgive one another. And if you that are spiritual see your brother in a fall, you're to go to that one in meekness seeking to draw him unto the Lord into fellowship, lest you yourself also may be there next week and he'll be seeking to draw you. Think about it. This is how we're to love, this is how we're to forgive. As much as he has forgiven us. When you really dwell on that, how much has he forgiven you?

What has he forgotten about your life as you've come to him? Unbelievable. So turn around and you're able to do it with those that are around you with ease once you think about how much he's forgiven you. Listen dads, important, embrace your disobedient sons, or you are going to see rebellion that will well up and burst out. Embrace them. Kids need to feel secure in our unconditional forgiveness that God has had for us and that we're providing to them. Unconditional forgiveness.

And yet we always put conditions on it. God help us. Time spent with those kids, sharing with them that you love them and that you forgive them, is worth its weight in gold, isn't it? Because again, payment comes down the road. As we invest in our children now, so will we receive later. Chinese have a great proverb and they look at their kids as a tree and when it grows up, they look for shade for later on. They're always building for the future, for the future shade.

Are you going to have any shade? God give us shade. Verse 29, therefore Absalom sent for Joab to have sent him to the king, so Absalom all of a sudden wants to reach out, he wants to see his father. Joab is the go-between man. He goes to Joab, says come on, I want to see my dad, line it up, I want to see him now. But Joab would not come. And when he went again the second time, again, Joab would not show up. He didn't come. So notice verse 30.

Therefore he said unto his servants, Absalom said, see Joab's field near mine, he has barley there, doesn't he? Well, I want you to go and I want you to set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set it on fire. Then Joab arose and came to Absalom unto his house and said to him, hey, why have your servants set my field on fire? And Absalom answered Joab, behold, I sent unto thee saying come hither that I may send thee to the king to say, whereof am I come from Geshur?

In other words, why has the king, why has my father brought me back here? It had been good for me to have been there still. Now therefore, let me see the king's face, and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me. So Joab came to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, he bowed himself on his face to the ground before King David and David kissed Absalom. Absalom, it's interesting how Absalom got Joab's attention, isn't it?

It's a really weird way. I mean, if you're not going to listen to me, I'll burn your field. And he goes, why'd you do that? Because I wanted you to come. It is the only way I could get you to come. Is this the way that maybe God works with us? That if we don't respond to him he'll burn your fields? That's a scary thought, isn't it? Does he love us enough to allow some things to happen in our lives to get our attention so we will come? I think so.

In fact, over in Psalm 32 verse 9, he says, be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Don't be so stubborn that I will have to in your own life use a bit and a bridle to get you to come to me. Don't be that way. I don't want to cause pain in your life, but if necessary, I will allow pain to come because I love you.

I want you to come to me. You know, I was talking to an old man about the old days when his dad used to be around on the farm and they used to have a whole group of donkeys that they worked with. And we're talking about this bit and bridle and he goes, oh, let me tell you about a bit and bridle. You know what we did with our donkeys? We used barbed wire. It's the only way they listen. I said barbed wire? Oh yeah, you just tug on that a little bit, they'll turn right around.

Would God go that far? He loves us a lot. But it is his desire not to use it if we will only listen. Absalom wanted to see his father just as the prodigal son wanted to go home and see his father. And how we at times want to know and see our God. There's a scripture that says if there be any wicked way in me reveal it Lord, show it to me, that I might confess it and repent of it and that I might be able to come into your presence.

Absalom said, listen, I want to know why he even called me from Geshur. If there be any sin in me, let him kill me. In fact, not to be accepted by my dad is killing me already. Emotionally it's killing me. He's turning his face upon me. I can't even see him. He's killing me. We had a 10-year-old little boy, the parents contacted me and they were actually wasn't the parents it was those that were watching over him as foster parents, 10 years old.

And his parents were supposed to take him this summer. And yet over the years they have kind of months and years they've rejected him and he got the call and his parents said, no, you're going somewhere else. Again, they rejected him. He went in the garage and hung himself. You might as well kill me now. You're killing me the way it's going. I mean, turning your back like this, it's like killing me. The prodigal remember as the prodigal came home, the father ran to meet him.

He was looking for him actually. And when the father grabbed him everything was forgiven. He didn't go, son, where's the money I gave you? Son, what'd you do with all your inheritance? Son, you're kidding? You idiot? He didn't say any of that stuff. He just said, hey, threw a coat upon him, he gave him a ring for his finger. He said, kill the fatted calf, let's party. He just wanted to be a servant in his father's house. But his father said, no, my son was lost now he's found, he was dead now he's alive.

And the elder son said, hey, what's going on over the house over there? Talked to one of the servants. They said, oh, your brother's home, man. They're showing they're having a big party, kill the fatted calf, the whole thing. The elder son said, what? Dad, hey, dad. You never did this for me. What are you doing it for him for? And dad said, hey, everything that was mine is yours. But your brother's home, man. He was totally gone and now he's back. He was blind, he sees.

He was dead, now he's alive. It is time to party. And that's what happens when we come to our senses like the prodigal and say, what am I doing out there? Yeah, I go to church but then I go out there and I spin my wheels trying to again get this world to satisfy me and bring me peace. But I'm spinning my wheels. And he allows you to do that just so you'll come to your senses, that he is the only way.

That in loving him in fellowship with him, there is no other way to be totally satisfied and fulfilled as an individual as a creation of God. There is no other way that we're going to find total peace and joy until we're walking and talking with him on a constant basis. And some of you are prodigals, man. You're called a Christian but you're not walking and talking with him. You're not fellowshipping with your God. And he wants you to repent. He wants you to come home.

He wants to bathe you with blessings. He wants to fill your life with such satisfaction. But you must come. All you have to do is let him in. That's it. It really is that simple. Pastor Jeff Johnson will be back in a few minutes to wrap up today's study on Sound Doctrine. Don't go away.

Guest (Male): We house all of our 2 Samuel studies at sounddoctrineradio.org. This comes in handy should you miss a study or two on the radio, or just want to hear something again or even share it with someone you know. This study and more are available now at sounddoctrineradio.org under messages. You can also listen at oneplace.com and through the Sound Doctrine Radio podcast app.

And of course, speaking of podcasts, Sound Doctrine can be heard wherever you enjoy podcasts, and that includes Spotify and Apple Podcasts. This program is made possible through the support of our listeners. To make a contribution to the ministry, just visit sounddoctrineradio.org and click on giving. Now with a quick glance at Isaiah 55, here's Pastor Jeff once again.

Jeff Johnson: I want to end with this scripture in Isaiah chapter 55 verse 7. Oh, David, if we would have only embraced his son earlier. He waited too long. It is too late. And the warning to us is don't wait. Do what you gotta do and do it now. When the Lord puts it on your heart and say, this is what I want you to do, say, but I can't do that, then ask God for boldness to go and do that.

God will give you that boldness, that humility to take care of that situation. But don't let it be just a good intention. David lost out. What a blessing when we come finally and truly are sorry, receiving his provision and we receive his forgiveness and restoration. Listen to what Isaiah says, Isaiah 55 verse 7, let the wicked forsake his way, the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord. So there's a returning there.

You've come once, now you need to return, you need to come back. And he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon. I love that. He will abundantly pardon. He will set you free, take you out of that prison that sometimes we're held captive, and so you can praise him and enjoy the Lord.

Guest (Male): 2 Samuel chapters 15 through 18 records the rebellion of David's son Absalom. It underscores the difficulty of raising children and the strength needed when there's failure. Hear all about it next time on Sound Doctrine as our study in 2 Samuel continues with Pastor Jeff. A presentation of Calvary Chapel Downey.