Sound Doctrine

Jeff Johnson: Coming up today on Sound Doctrine. So now we see Absalom's bitterness and his anger that he had towards his dad. It has its final blow in his life. As a man who at one time stole hearts, this man's heart is now still. You see, it catches up with you. It can cause death in your life. It can cause you just to not only be separated but it can cause you to also reap corruption if you sow to the flesh.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Sound Doctrine. Pastor Jeff Johnson will join us in just a moment to continue his study of 2 Samuel. Our Lord and Savior went to great lengths to restore our relationship with God. The Lord sent his one and only son to earth so that we might experience new birth and a right relationship with him.

Today on the broadcast we'll see how David's broken relationship with the nation of Israel is restored. And this is a helpful guide for those days when we are wrong or right. Here's Pastor Jeff in 2 Samuel Chapter 18.

Jeff Johnson: 2 Samuel Chapter 18, and we are getting just one chapter after another of interpersonal relationships. And it can really get you down if you stay in these chapters for too long. But thanks be to the Lord, this is it as far as the low period of David's life. We're going to start pulling up next week and we're going to get some real blessings as we see the king brought back in reigning anew again. But we've got this real low point now, this is the lowest in David's life, right here in 2 Samuel Chapter 18.

Of course, David is continuing to reap what he has sown. He has chosen to flee to the wilderness instead of fighting with his son who hates him at this time, who wants to kill him. David knew that the Psalms were always written in the caves, and so he knew that the wilderness is not a bad place, it's not a scary place, it's a place where God speaks to us. It's a place where God forms us and conforms us and by His Spirit does a work in our lives. So if you feel this morning you're in the wilderness, just don't be impatient. Let the Lord have His perfect work.

You're going through a time of trial and tribulation. It's all for the good, all for God's glory. As you keep your eyes upon Him, you'll get out. It'll be all right. So David is going to grow closer to his Lord than ever before during this time. God's hand of protection is upon David, and God has been providing David and his faithful men with all of their physical needs. He has made sure in the wilderness that they get everything that they need in that time.

So even in the midst of David's reaping, God was with him to provide for him and protect him. And I really appreciate that about our Father which is in heaven. He really does love us, doesn't he? But we have to go through some things sometimes, and He's trying to get our attention. He will provide for us and He will protect us, but He is also very concerned about our walk with Him, that we get close to Him. I mean, He's jealous for us. Did you know that? He loves us with an everlasting love.

He has numbered and named the hairs on your head. I mean, that's how intimately He wants to be involved with us. So David going through this lesson. Now, so far we have seen some of the results of bitterness and anger. I know we've been talking about this a lot, but I think it's very important that we understand what God is trying to teach us here. That bitterness and anger, if you harbor it in your life and if you keep it in your heart and walk around with it, it will cause two things to take place. Number one, separation before those that you love and before God. And it can even cause death.

We've already seen how Absalom and Ahithophel have been separated from David now. They both hate him. They're holding bitterness in their heart and so separation is taking place. And we have also seen how Ahithophel has now been killed by taking his own life. It has caused death in his life. Now in Chapter 18 we're seeing the end of Absalom. Like I said, this is one of the saddest chapters in David's life. It's a real low point in David's troubles as he's going through.

And David has now fled across the Jordan into a place of refuge. And do you remember how Hushai had bought time for David because of his false counsel? He got David some time to get together his forces and to regroup, as Absalom had to gather all of Israel now to get involved in this kind of bloody civil war that is now set to explode. In Verse 1 of Chapter 18, and David, it says, numbered the people that were with him. He set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

By this time many refugees had gathered to David. His forces were building. Remember Absalom thought it was going to be easy to overcome David. He thought Ahithophel's counsel was right on and he was just going to go in there. Actually, Hushai's counsel, not Ahithophel. Remember he turned his down. But Hushai said, just gather all of Israel and you're going to have it made. You're going to have multitudes against him. It will be no problem. But David, remember, had time now to gather and to reorganize his army and that's what he was doing.

Verse 2, and David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai. Remember that Abishai was Joab's brother, and a third part was under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. So David got excited about this war. But the people answered and told David, thou shalt not go forth, for if we flee away, they will not care for us, neither if half of us die will they care for us. But now thou art worth 10,000 of us. Therefore now it is better that thou succor us out of the city.

These were tough veterans that were fighting with David. These were kind of, you might call them the Green Berets of the time. These were his mighty men that he had gathered around him. Guys that knew warfare. David himself was a seasoned commander-in-chief. He had been through many warfares in the land, he knew how to organize, and he was a very wise strategist. He knew the land, he knew the wilderness, he knew how to set up his troops. And so he split his forces in threes, he gave them to the two brothers, Joab and Abishai. They took a third each, and then this interesting character Ittai the Gittite.

This is a guy that is not even a part of Israel. He is a kind of a well-known Philistine general who came apart of David. Remember in Chapter 15, this guy came on the scene a day before they were going to leave Jerusalem. And when he came up to David, David was shocked and he said, why are you guys here? You just came yesterday and now we're leaving Jerusalem. I don't want you guys to go with us. I mean, you don't have to be a part of this. I mean, where we're going is going to be tough, and what we're going to be experiencing is going to be tough. Wandering and fighting, it's going to be tough. Go home, go in peace, live in peace. David tried to get them to go home.

Remember Ittai the Gittite said, no way, David, we're going to give our lives for you, man. We're going to stay with you all the way. And so they dedicated themselves. And David knew that this guy was a bright general, a good general, so he gave him one-third of the forces to also have. Now remember David used to be in the front lines. He is the type of guy that's hands-on. He wants to be right out there in the midst of it. So David gets excited and here's a war coming up. David was a man that loved war. You know, he's the type of guy that loved to be right in the middle of it.

But this time they said, no, David, we don't want you to go with us. And because of his age, probably, he was an older man by this time, and his importance as being the king, they asked him to stay behind and to secure the city, to kind of guard the city. Gave him a job to do, you know? But what gets me about David here and what blesses me about him is that even though he was king and he had power to say, hey, you guys, zip it, I'm going with you. I'm king, man, I want to be right out there, you know. Give me my sword, give me my shield, you know, I'm going to get out there and be a part of it.

He could have said, you guys, you know, I don't want to listen to you. But he listened to them. He was submissive to them as he stayed behind. David's heart, you can see it, it's really softening. This he knew it was wise counsel. He knew he shouldn't be out there and he just said, okay you guys, I hear you, you know, I'm staying behind. And I love this about David. Very powerful man, could have wielded his power, but he didn't. Very submissive.

Look at Verse 4. And the king said unto them, what seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai saying, deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. As David was at this gate, he was overseeing his troops as they were leaving. And as they were going off to war, he yelled down to them, probably got everybody to be quiet for a moment, as he was going to give them his last words.

And his last words as he yelled down to them was just, be kind to Absalom. I mean, he still realized that Absalom was against him and against his kingdom, but what gets me about this is that David's saying he's just a young boy, he's a rebellious young boy. You know how young boys are. You know, they can get really rebellious. And he's my boy, you know. So don't lay a hand on him, all right? Don't touch him. Will you promise me this? You know, the guys are looking up, you know, and I'm sure there were some sitting there going, okay, but I'm sure there was others there that resented what he said.

Because they figured that what Absalom has done as far as putting himself up as king was against everything. Was against Israel, was against God, was against David, and this man needed to be put out. There's many that wanted to kill Absalom because of what he had done. So he said, deal gently with him. That's kind of a tough call when you're going into war and spears are flying and arrows are flying. Hey, don't touch that guy over there! Somebody guard him! You know? And everybody's swinging. I mean, when there's a warfare, you're right in the midst of it, I mean, anybody's going to get it because anything goes in war.

And so David's saying, but on my son, you know, don't touch him. Verse 6. So the people went out into the field against Israel and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim, where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of the 20,000 men. For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. A civil war is always an ugly thing. We saw it in this country when cousin was killing cousin, brother against brother. It's a horrible thing when you have a civil war.

Well, it had broken out. David's seasoned warriors and soldiers proved to be too much for Israel. And remember Israel is the 10 tribes that were the northern tribes that were rebelling against the two tribes down in Judah. And eventually we're going to see a split here. But Israel is not saying that David is now against all of Israel. No, Israel's just 10 tribes that were held together, now warring against the other two tribes. In one day, 20,000 people were wiped out because of the rough terrain, because of the mountainous area, and because of the branches involved, the bog areas, the quicksand areas.

Many of the men that went into the forest never came out. The forest did more hurt than the forces. The forest just swallowed them up and they weren't ready for it. Many were killed. In fact, one guy really gets hung up here in Verse 9. It says that Absalom met the servants of David, and Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under a thick bough of a great oak and his head got caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between heaven and earth, and the mule that was under him took off.

Now it's interesting that Josephus, who was an ancient Jewish historian, in his volume, Volume 7 of Antiquities, shares that it's not the head that got caught in the bough, but it was his hair. And that's very interesting because you remember in Chapter 14, Verse 25 of 2 Samuel, it says in Verse 25 of 14, but in all of Israel there was none so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. From the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. Then it talks about how he took his hair once a year and he cut it off, and it weighed four or six pounds.

I mean, this guy in a year grew some hair. And he was very proud of his hair. I mean, he could sell it and get money for it, and that's what he did. And so his hair was a big thing in his life, and which is interesting, that which he was so proud of became now his downfall. You know, hair today, gone tomorrow. And he's sitting there, you know, it would be funny. I mean, if you saw this in a movie and you see some of those movies where the guy gets caught, you know, and he's just hanging there. I mean, this is what happened. I mean, his hair got caught in the tree and he's going like, oh! and he's just, his feet are, you know, and it would be funny if not because of the situation here and the outcome of what happens.

And so there he is, just hanging helplessly. Verse 10. A certain man saw it and told Joab and said, behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. And Joab said to the man and told him, and behold, thou sawest him, why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? And I would have given you 10 shekels of silver, I would have even given you my belt. Big deal, you know. You're going to give me your belt. You know, like the belt's a big deal. Well, I guess it was, you know, you get the general's belt. I guess it was a great thing to get. So Joab said, I would have even given you my belt if you would have killed the guy.

And then the man said to Joab, the servant, though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, yet I would not put forth my hand against the king's son. For our hearing, the king charged thee, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, beware that none touch the young man Absalom. Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against my own life, and for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldst have set thyself against me. Joab in direct disobedience, actually the word gets to Joab, and Joab actually hearing that this guy didn't even touch him, he began to rebuke him. What are you doing? You should have taken him out.

And the guy said, there's no way. I mean, didn't you hear the king, Joab? The king said don't touch his son. He said, hey, if I would have done that, I would have not only would I have killed myself, but David would have probably assigned you to kill me for killing his son. There's no way am I going to get involved in this. And in fact, he was pretty shocked that Joab would even say, why didn't you kill Absalom? I'm sure, because kind of reminding him, didn't you hear what the king said? Verse 14. Now Joab says, I may not tarry this with thee, I don't have time for you. And he took three darts in his hand and he thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

And then 10 young men that bore Joab's armor compassed around and smote Absalom and slew him. So Joab is in direct disobedience now to David and what he said. And he said to this servant, listen, I don't have time for this, I know what I need to do and I need to take care of this rebellious kid. And he went over to him and he just shot him through the heart three times. Now you gotta look at Joab. Joab is a military man. He's a man that understands that what Absalom was doing was direct disobedience to the king, was tearing up Israel, and Joab said, I've had enough of this guy. I'm going to put him out. I don't care what David says.

A tough warrior. Then 10 others ran around him and ran him through and killed him. So now we see Absalom's bitterness and his anger that he had towards his dad, it has its final blow in his life. As a man who at one time stole hearts, this man's heart is now still. You see, it catches up with you. It can cause death in your life. It can cause you just to not only be separated but it can cause you to also reap corruption if you sow to the flesh. Verse 16. And Joab blew the trumpet and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people.

And they took Absalom and they cast him into a great pit in the wood, and there they laid great heap of stones upon him. And all of Israel fled everyone to his tent. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the King's Dale. For he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance. And he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called unto this day Absalom's place. Joab first of all, knowing that Absalom was dead, stops the slaughter, the civil war, and then they take Absalom and they bury him.

And I want you to note how Absalom ends in his life. Number one, he's dead. Number two, they throw him in a pit. You see, if you rebel against God, if you seek to come against God, you'll end up in a pit. That's what happens to those that rebel. To exalt yourself, the Bible says, is that you're going to be abased. And we see Absalom being abased right here. And you know what, I found a scripture in the Old Testament where it says that there were very few children, and I believe this because of the harsh law, there were very few children who rebelled against their parents back in the Old Testament days.

And you say, yeah, that's great. Well, why is that? Well, turn with me for a moment to Deuteronomy Chapter 21. Deuteronomy Chapter 21, and we'll start with Verse 18. Very interesting little law here. Deuteronomy 21:18. It says, if a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and that when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them, then shall the father and his mother lay hold on him, bring him out to the elders of his city unto the gate of his place.

And they shall say unto the elders of his city, this is our son, he is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones that he die. So shall thou put evil away from among you and all Israel shall hear and fear. So you can imagine that this was kind of a deterrent for kids to talk back to their parents. To say anything. I mean, you either obey or you pay, and they knew it. So Absalom, that rebellious son, was stoned in fulfillment with this scripture, I believe. And the stones were piled high.

He wasn't literally stoned, but in his end he had stones upon him. And in contrast of this pile of stones that were upon him, he had already made a tomb for himself because he had no son to carry on his name. So he erected this tomb right in the valley of the Kidron. And the valley of the Kidron is right east of the eastern wall of the city. Actually, there's the pinnacle where many believe that Jesus was tempted of the devil to cast himself down off the corner of the temple area. Well, right on the other side of the valley, on the other side of the little creek there, is Absalom's tomb.

It's sitting there and every time we go by on our bus, they always point it out. There it is, there's Absalom's tomb. Now we don't know whether it's the very spot that this situation took place, but we do know that throughout history this has always been called Absalom's tomb. What he maybe probably the place he erected for himself to be remembered. Now, Verse 19. Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, let me now run. And Ahimaaz was one of the runners for King David. He says, let me run and bear the king's tidings, how that the Lord has avenged him of his enemies. Let me go tell David, this is exciting.

Joab said unto him, thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day. But this day thou shalt bear no tidings because the king's son is dead.

Guest (Male): On that rather serious note, we'll bring to a close today's edition of Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff. Jeff Johnson will have the conclusion of our study in 2 Samuel Chapter 18 next time. Hopefully as you listen to these messages in 2 Samuel, you'll have ears to hear what the spirit is saying in these critical times. God's word is so practical, giving us direction, instruction, and wisdom to our lives.

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