Today's
presentation frightens me
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because it is so important
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and the lessons are so powerful
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that I'm frightened
that I won't do it justice.
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And I'm not just saying that.
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We're going to be
talking today about Absalom.
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And it's a very
important history of Israel
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that's filled
with the lessons for us
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that tell us
important things about God.
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Now just to give
you a little background,
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in our last presentation,
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we talked about
David's great sin
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and great repentance.
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But even though he was
forgiven and he repented,
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there was a judgment
that had been pronounced
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at the time when
he said, I'm the man.
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Remember, he
sinned with Bathsheba,
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took Uriah's wife
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and conspired to
have Uriah killed
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at the hand of the Amorites.
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And Nathan the
prophet had told David.
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And David really pronounced
the sentence on himself
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when David heard about
this parable of a shepherd
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that stole his
neighbor's one lamb
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when he had
flocks of sheep says,"
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David's anger was
greatly aroused against the man,
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and he said to
Nathan, "As the Lord lives,
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the man who has done
this will surely die.
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He will restore
fourfold for the lamb,
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because he did this thing
and because he had no pity."
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And we later
understand through Nathan
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that David was pronouncing
judgment on his own house
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because of his bad example.
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And because of what he had done,
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he would lose four sons.
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He had taken the life of Uriah.
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Uriah never had any
offspring with Bathsheba.
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So David was forgiven,
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but the consequences of
his sin had not gone away.
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Now, one of the most tragic
things about his bad example
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is the kids watch very carefully
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what the parents do.
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The youth may
complain about their parents,
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but they will be
certain to imitate them.
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And you've heard before that
the three most important ways
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to teach your children
are example, example, example.
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Good or bad, they
will follow your example.
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And I am always frustrated
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when I find
that I am reproducing
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my parents' example in my life.
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The very things I said,
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"Oh, I will never
do that with my kids."
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You find yourself
imitating your parents.
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I remember one time, I
was with one of our boys,
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I was going to have a car alarm
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installed in our car.
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I was little worried because
we had to park it down there
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at the public parking at
the San Francisco airport
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during the trip,
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and it was going to be
there for a week or 10 days,
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and I thought someone is
going to maybe steal something,
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and I put an alarm in it.
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Got to the electronics
store for the alarm I wanted,
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they said, "Well,
we don't have it in,
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we're not going
to get it in time."
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And I saw, "Well, can you
give me some car alarm stickers
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I can put on the window?"
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So at least it'll say,
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I've got an alarm
until I can buy the alarm.
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All right, that's fair enough.
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So they gave me some stickers,
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I put it in the
car and driving along.
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And my son said, "You
know, Dad, that's not honest.
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You're advertising
that your car is alarmed
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and it's not."
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I had no good answer.
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They do watch
little things like that,
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they never forget.
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I remember once seen my dad,
my dad had millions of dollars.
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We went to a sailboat
store to buy something.
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And I saw my dad go over
to one of the model sailboats
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and he popped out this brass pin
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that went into the rotor board
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because ours was missing,
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he just stuck it in his
pocket and winked at me,
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I never forgot that.
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He was telling
me stealing is okay.
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And what do you think
it did to David's sons
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when they saw their
father when he wanted something,
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when he felt some
passion for something,
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just take what you want.
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Didn't matter how
wrong or immoral it might be
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and that now
played out in his family.
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Go in your Bibles to
the second book of Samuel 13
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and here's where
we take up our story.
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After this, it says,
Absalom the son of David,
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Absalom was the second board,
I believe of David's sons.
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"Absalom the son of David
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had a lovely sister
whose name was Tamar."
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She was very pretty.
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"And Amnon, the son of David."
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Amnon is the firstborn.
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Now, they have
different mothers.
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He fell in love with
his stepsister Tamar.
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And he was so
distressed that he became sick,
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he was lovesick,
he was infatuated.
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Every time he saw Tamar,
he said, "What I'm gonna do?
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She's my sister, but
I've got to have her,
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I got to have her."
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And he became
preoccupied with that.
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I'm not going to
read the whole thing.
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I don't have time to go through
all six chapters with you.
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And some of it's not pretty.
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But he lied, he
created a scenario,
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he tricked her into
coming into his room
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under the pretense
of making food for him.
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He said he was sick
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because he thought someone
was trying to poison him,
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because he was the
firstborn, he's a crown prince.
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"But if you just
make me some food,
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I know you're my
sister, it'll be safe."
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And that sometimes
happened back then.
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And so she came into his
house and she's making food.
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He said, "Could you bring
it to me into the bedroom?"
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You know, she didn't
know what's going on.
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She was a virgin, one
of the king's daughters.
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Matter of fact, she is the
only daughter of David listed.
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And she comes in
to bring him the food.
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And he takes her by the
hand and says, "Sleep with me."
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She realized what's going on.
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She said, "My brother,
don't do such a terrible thing.
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I'm your sister."
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And she pleads with him.
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He won't listen.
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Being stronger than she
is, he rapes his sister.
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And then almost as
bad as what he had done
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is what happens next.
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Then he says, he
becomes disgusted with her.
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Now she's lost her virginity.
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You could
actually marry a stepsister
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in Bible times.
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And then he kicks her out.
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She says, "Now what
you're doing is worse."
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And the Bible says, if
you look in 2 Samuel 3:15,
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"Amnon hated her exceedingly,
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so that the hatred
with which he hated her
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was greater than the love
with which he had loved her."
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And Amnon said,
"Arise and be gone."
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He had his servants
ultimately kick her out
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and lock the door behind her.
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This is just terrible.
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This is happening
in David's household
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and it's springing
from his bad example.
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Now finally,
she covers her head,
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she cries, she
tears her garments,
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she's wearing a coat of
many colors like Joseph.
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It was a sign of royalty
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and the king's
daughters wore that.
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But Absalom saw her
mourning with dust on her head.
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And he, kind of,
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he knew that his
brother had been infatuated.
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He said, "Has
Amnon been with you?"
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So don't say anything,
don't trouble yourself, sister.
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I will take care of it.
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She ended up living out her life
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in her brother's house,
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she moved in with her brother.
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There is no record
that she was ever married.
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And Absalom didn't
say anything to anybody.
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Word got back to David
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but instead of
David punishing Amnon,
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he thought, "How
can I punish Amnon?
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Everyone knows what I just did."
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See, he had lost
his ability to judge,
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he had lost his
ability to take action
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because of his bad example.
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You know, that's always a
challenge for every Christian
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is you want to share
your faith with others,
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you want to be able to preach.
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If you're not living
something in your life,
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you find it hard without
being a terrible hypocrite
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to share it with others.
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So not only is your
bad example hurting you,
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your bad example
hurts your witness.
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And you want to be living a life
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so you can
faithfully proclaim the truth.
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So David doesn't do anything.
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All it says is that when
David hears about it, verse 21.
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I'm in 2 Samuel 13,
"He was very angry,"
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and he stormed around,
and he fumed, and he stopped,
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but he didn't do anything.
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Absalom waited for
David to do something
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to vindicate what had
happened to his sister.
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Nothing happened,
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he wasn't
banished, nothing happened.
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Absalom said, "Okay.
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If, Dad, if you are not going
to do something, I'll do it."
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He lets two years go by.
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He figures
Amnon, probably thinks,
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you know, he didn't
say good or bad to Amnon,
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he probably thinks
everything is okay.
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And then Absalom
tricked his brother.
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He was having, their
sheep were being sheared.
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You remember the story of Nabal
when they were sheep shearing?
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It was a feast
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and at the feast,
there is a lot of generosity.
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And Absalom invites all...
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He invites David,
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he invites all
of the king's sons.
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"Come, we're going
to be shearing sheep
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in my ranch out in the country.
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And we're going to have a feast.
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And you're all invited.
Amnon, you come along too."
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Amnon thinks,
"Oh, he's forgiven me,
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everything's okay."
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So he goes and everybody goes.
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And Absalom tells his servants,
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and this is verse 28.
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"He commanded his servants,
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saying, 'Watch now,
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when Amnon's heart
is merry with wine,
00:09:43.58\00:09:46.85
and when I give the
signal, Strike him, kill him.
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Do not be afraid.
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I've commanded you, be
courageous, be valiant.'"
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I'm going to be the crown prince
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after Amnon's gone.
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See, he's got
another reason to kill Amnon.
00:10:00.13\00:10:03.26
Does Absalom has
ambitions about being the king?
00:10:03.30\00:10:08.50
He's lost
respect for his father,
00:10:08.54\00:10:10.61
he's also very proud.
00:10:10.64\00:10:12.97
And so they're all partying
00:10:13.01\00:10:14.58
and he gives a
signal and his servants
00:10:14.61\00:10:16.34
just totally, out of the blue,
00:10:16.38\00:10:18.15
assassinate his brother.
00:10:18.18\00:10:21.22
And then they with Absalom,
they flee to Gerar which was...
00:10:21.25\00:10:25.29
See, David married
00:10:25.32\00:10:28.02
the princess of
the king of Gerar,
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it's the country over by
00:10:30.83\00:10:32.73
where they used
to have to Decapolis,
00:10:32.76\00:10:34.03
it's on the east
of the Sea of Galilee.
00:10:34.10\00:10:36.80
It was sort of
the region of Syria.
00:10:36.83\00:10:39.00
And David married
to create an alliance,
00:10:39.03\00:10:41.24
he married a
beautiful daughter there.
00:10:41.27\00:10:43.47
And he and the
daughter had beautiful children,
00:10:43.51\00:10:47.31
Absalom and Tamar.
00:10:47.34\00:10:49.74
And so Absalom goes
back to his king grandfather
00:10:49.78\00:10:53.95
with his servants,
and they stay up there.
00:10:53.98\00:10:56.28
He's sort of
self banished himself,
00:10:56.32\00:10:58.29
kills his brother Amnon.
00:10:58.32\00:11:00.49
Now David's lost two sons.
00:11:00.52\00:11:04.09
And first, he
thought he lost them all.
00:11:04.13\00:11:05.49
Word came from the feast.
00:11:05.53\00:11:07.76
They said,
"There's been a slaughter
00:11:07.76\00:11:09.30
and all your sons are dead."
00:11:09.33\00:11:10.83
And so for a couple of
hours until actual he found out
00:11:10.87\00:11:13.97
that it was only
Amnon that was dead,
00:11:14.00\00:11:15.40
the king thought, he
was terribly devastated.
00:11:15.44\00:11:17.74
He thought all his
children had been slain.
00:11:17.77\00:11:21.04
And so now Absalom
is out of the kingdom,
00:11:21.08\00:11:24.05
and David is realizing that
he brought this all on himself.
00:11:24.08\00:11:27.05
And so he is pining
now, the loss of Absalom.
00:11:27.08\00:11:31.52
And he's missing him.
00:11:31.55\00:11:32.82
So this is the
time when Absalom is...
00:11:32.85\00:11:36.42
He's banished
00:11:36.46\00:11:38.13
but something happens
where he is reconciled.
00:11:38.16\00:11:40.66
Joab can't see,
David can't focus.
00:11:40.70\00:11:43.10
His general
notices that David...
00:11:43.13\00:11:45.43
And Joab is also his nephew.
00:11:45.47\00:11:47.47
David is going
around from day to day.
00:11:47.50\00:11:48.90
And he's moping, he's
not judging the people,
00:11:48.94\00:11:50.94
and he's not doing his work,
00:11:50.97\00:11:52.54
and maybe not
fighting the battles,
00:11:52.57\00:11:54.28
and he's just
grieving for his son.
00:11:54.31\00:11:57.35
He's lost the baby,
Bathsheba's first baby.
00:11:57.38\00:12:00.05
Now he's lost Amnon,
00:12:00.08\00:12:02.32
because of his
bad example in part.
00:12:02.35\00:12:04.29
Now he's lost Absalom
00:12:04.32\00:12:05.45
because Absalom is
gone out of the country,
00:12:05.49\00:12:07.62
and he was next in line to rule.
00:12:07.66\00:12:10.13
And David is moping around.
00:12:10.16\00:12:11.13
Joab says, "Look, you
got to let him come back."
00:12:11.16\00:12:12.63
No, I'm not going
to bring him back."
00:12:12.66\00:12:13.90
He said, "He's
killed his brother.
00:12:13.93\00:12:14.93
How can I bring him back?"
00:12:14.93\00:12:16.30
So Joab comes up with a plot.
00:12:16.33\00:12:18.40
He calls a very wise,
shrewd woman of Tekoa,
00:12:18.43\00:12:22.84
gets someone from out of
town that David won't recognize.
00:12:22.87\00:12:26.47
And he gives her a script.
00:12:26.51\00:12:29.34
And she comes before the king.
00:12:29.38\00:12:31.18
King is the Supreme Court.
00:12:31.21\00:12:32.25
She says, "I got this
case. You've got to hear it.
00:12:32.28\00:12:33.98
Your Majesty, please help me."
00:12:34.02\00:12:36.05
He said, "What ails you?"
00:12:36.08\00:12:38.35
She said, "I'm a
widow, I've got two sons.
00:12:38.39\00:12:41.52
And my two sons fought together.
00:12:41.56\00:12:43.96
And in the fight,
one killed the other.
00:12:43.99\00:12:46.13
It got out of hand
and one killed the other.
00:12:46.16\00:12:47.86
And now, the rest of
the family is saying,
00:12:47.93\00:12:50.30
I need to turn
over the living son
00:12:50.33\00:12:52.30
so he can be executed.
00:12:52.33\00:12:53.74
And I'll have no posterity,
no one to take care of me.
00:12:53.77\00:12:56.44
My light will be put out.
00:12:56.47\00:12:57.84
No name for my husband.
00:12:57.87\00:13:01.01
And he said, "Okay.
00:13:01.04\00:13:05.18
Your son will be forgiven."
00:13:05.21\00:13:06.95
Now, it's very clever.
00:13:06.98\00:13:08.55
Joab's put this
all in her mouth.
00:13:08.58\00:13:09.92
And then, she goes and says,
00:13:09.95\00:13:11.02
"Now can I say
another word to you?
00:13:11.05\00:13:14.42
What about the king's
son that's been banished?
00:13:14.46\00:13:18.49
Why don't you forgive
him and bring him back?
00:13:18.53\00:13:20.16
There was an
argument between the two boys.
00:13:20.20\00:13:22.33
You're telling me that
my son would be forgiven
00:13:22.36\00:13:24.63
but what about the king's son?"
00:13:24.67\00:13:26.00
And king says, "Did
Joab put you up to this?"
00:13:26.03\00:13:29.27
David's pretty smart.
00:13:29.30\00:13:31.34
And then one of the very
great statements in the Bible
00:13:31.37\00:13:35.08
that so many people miss
00:13:35.11\00:13:38.25
that is in this passage.
00:13:38.28\00:13:39.88
The woman, the
wise woman of Tekoa,
00:13:39.91\00:13:41.58
here's what she
says to King David.
00:13:41.62\00:13:43.49
If you have not underlined
this in the Bible, underline it.
00:13:43.52\00:13:46.25
2 Samuel 14:14.
00:13:46.29\00:13:49.39
2 Samuel 14:14 is a great verse.
00:13:49.42\00:13:54.83
"For we will surely die
00:13:54.83\00:13:57.40
and become like
water spilled on the ground
00:13:57.43\00:13:59.57
that cannot be
gathered up again.
00:13:59.60\00:14:02.14
Yet God does not
take away a life,
00:14:02.17\00:14:05.24
but He devises means,
00:14:05.27\00:14:07.84
so that His banished
00:14:07.88\00:14:09.14
or separated ones are
not expelled from Him."
00:14:09.18\00:14:12.88
I'm going to
read that verse again,
00:14:12.91\00:14:13.88
that's a great verse,
that's the verse for you.
00:14:13.92\00:14:16.92
"For we will surely die,"
00:14:16.95\00:14:17.95
you know, we were all
marching towards the grave,
00:14:17.99\00:14:20.92
"and become like
water spilled on the ground
00:14:20.96\00:14:22.69
that cannot be
gathered up again,"
00:14:22.72\00:14:24.13
we're not coming
back in this life.
00:14:24.16\00:14:26.06
"Yet even though, God
does not take away a life,
00:14:26.09\00:14:30.20
but He devises a means."
00:14:30.23\00:14:31.80
He's got a plan, so
that His banished ones,
00:14:31.83\00:14:34.54
we're separated from God
right now because of our sins,
00:14:34.57\00:14:37.41
are not expelled from Him.
00:14:37.44\00:14:38.97
We can come home.
00:14:39.01\00:14:40.81
Isn't that a great verse?
00:14:40.84\00:14:42.41
See the whole plan
is salvation in there.
00:14:42.44\00:14:45.18
God has devised a plan
00:14:45.21\00:14:47.65
so that His banished ones
will not be separated from Him.
00:14:47.68\00:14:51.65
David then brokenhearted,
he gives word to Joab, "Okay.
00:14:51.69\00:14:54.69
I saw what you're up to.
00:14:54.72\00:14:56.36
Tell Absalom, he can
come back to the city.
00:14:56.39\00:14:58.83
But there's got to
be some consequences.
00:14:58.86\00:15:00.50
He can't see my face,
tell him to got to his house."
00:15:00.53\00:15:03.60
So Absalom comes
home, he is reconciled.
00:15:03.63\00:15:08.64
Well, he comes back to the city,
00:15:08.67\00:15:10.24
but there's a period of time
00:15:10.27\00:15:11.97
when he doesn't
get to see the father.
00:15:12.01\00:15:14.24
And so eventually, Absalom
starts to get frustrated.
00:15:14.28\00:15:16.51
A couple of years go by,
00:15:16.54\00:15:18.31
and he's in the city
but he's not in the palace.
00:15:18.35\00:15:21.35
And he thinks, "Look, we
got to get pass this hurdle
00:15:21.38\00:15:23.28
if I'm ever gonna be king."
00:15:23.32\00:15:25.39
And so he dwells in Jerusalem.
00:15:25.42\00:15:27.66
And now I'm in chapter 14.
00:15:27.69\00:15:30.56
"He dwells in
Jerusalem," verse 28,
00:15:30.59\00:15:32.46
"two full years, he
does not see the king's face.
00:15:32.49\00:15:35.20
Finally, he sends
to Joab, and he said,
00:15:35.23\00:15:36.73
"Look, tell the
king, 'I want to see you.'"
00:15:36.77\00:15:39.57
Joab ignores him.
00:15:39.60\00:15:40.64
He said, "Look, I
got you back home,
00:15:40.67\00:15:41.87
it's good enough."
00:15:41.90\00:15:42.90
He says, "Look, I
want to talk to you."
00:15:42.94\00:15:44.17
He ignores him.
00:15:44.21\00:15:45.71
Absalom tells his servants,
"Go, his field is by my field.
00:15:45.74\00:15:49.24
Go set Joab's field on fire,
00:15:49.28\00:15:52.35
that will get his attention."
00:15:52.38\00:15:54.35
So Absalom's
servants do what he says.
00:15:54.38\00:15:57.52
They set Joab's field on fire.
00:15:57.55\00:15:59.35
Joab comes storming
over to Absalom's house.
00:15:59.39\00:16:01.16
He said, "What have you
done? You burnt down my field,"
00:16:01.19\00:16:03.29
field of grain or
something he was growing.
00:16:03.32\00:16:05.89
He said, "Look, I told you.
00:16:05.93\00:16:06.93
You brought me back,
00:16:06.96\00:16:07.93
I was living like a
crown prince back in Gerar.
00:16:07.96\00:16:10.87
And here I'm home
00:16:10.90\00:16:11.90
and I'm kind of
the house prisoner.
00:16:11.93\00:16:14.34
What good is it?
00:16:14.37\00:16:15.37
I can't go to
the palace any more."
00:16:15.40\00:16:16.74
And he said, "Go,
talk to the king."
00:16:16.77\00:16:19.11
So Joab says, "All right."
00:16:19.14\00:16:20.78
So he finally works it out.
00:16:20.81\00:16:22.91
And he goes to David
and David sends for Absalom.
00:16:22.94\00:16:26.72
He comes in, he
bows himself to the king,
00:16:26.75\00:16:29.28
the king kisses,
00:16:29.32\00:16:30.32
it means,
"You're fully forgiven,
00:16:30.35\00:16:32.15
you're restored."
00:16:32.19\00:16:33.76
Don't we all want
the kiss of the King.
00:16:33.79\00:16:36.96
And, you know, the story where
Esther goes in before the king
00:16:36.99\00:16:39.13
and he holds out the scepter,
00:16:39.16\00:16:41.36
and it's a sign of forgiveness.
00:16:41.40\00:16:43.90
And so Absalom now has
been restored to his status,
00:16:43.93\00:16:46.67
his treachery against
his brother is forgiven.
00:16:46.70\00:16:49.70
But, you know, you
can't really blame him.
00:16:49.74\00:16:52.64
He raped his sister.
00:16:52.67\00:16:55.91
So now Absalom takes
his plan to the next step.
00:16:55.94\00:16:59.01
You see, if you
haven't figured it out yet,
00:16:59.05\00:17:01.82
Absalom wants to be king.
00:17:01.85\00:17:04.05
And if you go to
chapter 15, you can read here
00:17:04.09\00:17:07.12
that it's telling us
Absalom begins to live large.
00:17:07.16\00:17:10.36
He's been
restored to the kingdom.
00:17:10.39\00:17:12.26
2 Samuel 15:1,
00:17:12.29\00:17:15.10
"It happened after this
that Absalom provided himself
00:17:15.13\00:17:17.90
with chariots and the horses,
00:17:17.93\00:17:20.87
and 50 men to run before him."
00:17:20.90\00:17:23.14
Now if you know anything
00:17:23.17\00:17:24.21
about the Bible and
the Jews, horses were...
00:17:24.24\00:17:26.91
they were kind of
reserved for battle,
00:17:26.94\00:17:28.41
riding around the
city was largely for show.
00:17:28.44\00:17:31.08
You'll notice that
the other king's sons,
00:17:31.11\00:17:32.75
it says, got on their mules.
00:17:32.78\00:17:36.25
And later in the story,
Absalom is riding a mule,
00:17:36.28\00:17:38.69
they were a lot more practical
in that country than horses.
00:17:38.72\00:17:42.39
And so he's got the
horses and chariots,
00:17:42.42\00:17:44.69
he get 50 men
running before him.
00:17:44.73\00:17:46.36
And, you know what
that means is the king,
00:17:46.39\00:17:48.63
sometimes as the king
went from place to place,
00:17:48.66\00:17:50.80
he would have a team of soldiers
00:17:50.83\00:17:52.17
that would prepare the
road, and they'd run before him
00:17:52.20\00:17:54.07
so that his chariot
wouldn't hit the bumps.
00:17:54.10\00:17:55.80
They'd fill in the low spots,
00:17:55.84\00:17:57.64
and if there were
rocks in the road,
00:17:57.67\00:17:58.87
they'd knock down the high spots
00:17:58.91\00:18:00.44
and they'd create an even plane,
00:18:00.48\00:18:01.98
and they had
switches in their hand.
00:18:02.01\00:18:03.71
They'd say, "Make
way for the prince!
00:18:03.75\00:18:05.41
Make way for the prince!"
00:18:05.45\00:18:06.85
And so Absalom
would ride around.
00:18:06.88\00:18:08.35
He's got these 50 soldiers.
00:18:08.38\00:18:10.79
And I remember seeing
00:18:10.82\00:18:14.06
vice president
of Cameron, Africa
00:18:14.09\00:18:16.22
when I was there years ago.
00:18:16.26\00:18:18.06
And he was
going down the street.
00:18:18.09\00:18:19.16
I looked out my hotel window.
00:18:19.19\00:18:21.06
And I saw the limousine going
and he had security guards,
00:18:21.10\00:18:24.47
and this is on the equator,
00:18:24.50\00:18:25.63
and they are
dressed in black suits.
00:18:25.67\00:18:28.70
And they're running in the sun.
00:18:28.74\00:18:31.71
And there's like, you
know, eight on the right
00:18:31.74\00:18:33.41
and eight on the
left of his limousine.
00:18:33.44\00:18:35.68
And they're all armed,
and they got the sunglasses,
00:18:35.71\00:18:37.71
and they're running along
the side of the limousine.
00:18:37.75\00:18:40.48
I thought, "Boy!
That's a job I don't envy."
00:18:40.52\00:18:43.35
Running in a black suit
by the equator in the sun.
00:18:43.39\00:18:47.49
And so here he's
got these servants
00:18:47.52\00:18:48.96
but he's creating a greatness.
00:18:48.99\00:18:52.66
And he starts to live
large as you would say.
00:18:52.69\00:18:55.46
He's got his chariot
00:18:55.50\00:18:57.07
and he's making
a pretty good show.
00:18:57.10\00:18:59.63
And it goes on to say,
00:18:59.67\00:19:02.24
and he was also very
attractive young man,
00:19:02.27\00:19:05.34
he was proud,
and he's beautiful.
00:19:05.37\00:19:07.21
2 Samuel 14:25, it tells us,
00:19:07.24\00:19:10.51
"In all of Israel, there
was no one who is praised
00:19:10.55\00:19:14.35
as much as Absalom
for his good looks.
00:19:14.38\00:19:18.09
From the sole of his foot
to the crown of his head,"
00:19:18.12\00:19:21.76
now I want to stop.
00:19:21.79\00:19:24.06
Does that term "sole of the foot
00:19:24.09\00:19:25.59
to crown of the
head" come to your mind?
00:19:25.63\00:19:28.86
Other places, what happened,
what did devil do to Job?
00:19:28.90\00:19:34.24
From the sole of his
foot to the crown of his head,
00:19:34.27\00:19:36.17
he's covered with boils.
00:19:36.20\00:19:38.04
What does Isaiah
say sin does to us?
00:19:38.07\00:19:41.94
He says there's
no soundness in them
00:19:41.98\00:19:44.78
from the sole of the
foot to the crown of the head,
00:19:44.81\00:19:47.08
they're only full
of wounds, and bruises,
00:19:47.12\00:19:49.65
and putrefying sores,
00:19:49.68\00:19:51.42
he's talking about sin
and what it does to us.
00:19:51.45\00:19:54.22
But here, Absalom is beautiful
but it's an outward beauty.
00:19:54.26\00:19:59.36
And he is flawless.
00:19:59.39\00:20:00.53
You know, most people look
in the mirror and they think,
00:20:00.56\00:20:02.26
"I wish I could be different
00:20:02.30\00:20:03.47
but I wish my nose is
a little bit different."
00:20:03.50\00:20:05.73
It's fun, the
people in Hollywood
00:20:05.77\00:20:07.80
that are
worshipped for their looks,
00:20:07.84\00:20:09.30
if you interview
them, they're all insecure
00:20:09.34\00:20:11.54
about some aspect
of their appearance.
00:20:11.57\00:20:14.84
Every one of them.
00:20:14.88\00:20:17.68
But Absalom, he is
perfectly symmetrical,
00:20:17.71\00:20:21.15
he is handsome, he is talented,
00:20:21.18\00:20:23.39
he is young, he is strong,
00:20:23.42\00:20:25.35
he's got
everything going for him
00:20:25.39\00:20:27.19
but he's been
destroyed by pride.
00:20:27.22\00:20:30.26
What brought down the devil?
00:20:30.29\00:20:33.90
"Thou has said in thy heart,
'I will ascend to heaven.'"
00:20:33.93\00:20:37.77
Says, "You are beautiful."
00:20:37.80\00:20:39.47
Ezekiel 28, talking about Satan,
00:20:39.50\00:20:42.07
"You are the seal of perfection,
00:20:42.10\00:20:43.54
full of wisdom
and perfect in beauty,
00:20:43.57\00:20:45.77
you were perfect in your ways
00:20:45.81\00:20:47.28
from the time you were created
till iniquity was found in you.
00:20:47.31\00:20:51.25
Your heart was lifted
up because of your beauty,
00:20:51.28\00:20:53.92
you have corrupted your wisdom
by reason of your brightness."
00:20:53.95\00:20:58.25
Pride will make
you do dumb things.
00:20:58.29\00:21:01.29
And he was so full of himself.
00:21:01.32\00:21:03.16
And he saw everybody
praising him and he had,
00:21:03.19\00:21:05.89
they'd bow before his chariot,
and they come to worship him,
00:21:05.93\00:21:08.40
and he started
thinking, "I should be king.
00:21:08.43\00:21:13.03
David, he is not the
giant killer he used to be,
00:21:13.07\00:21:16.30
I should be king."
00:21:16.34\00:21:18.31
And he begins to conspire,
00:21:18.34\00:21:21.28
he can't wait now
for David to just die
00:21:21.31\00:21:23.48
and give him the throne.
00:21:23.51\00:21:25.01
He thinks, you
know, "He might give it
00:21:25.05\00:21:26.15
to one of my brothers.
00:21:26.18\00:21:28.38
Maybe he will give it
to Abigail's son, Daniel,
00:21:28.42\00:21:30.45
you never hear about him.
00:21:30.49\00:21:31.52
He actually was in
line before Adonijah
00:21:31.55\00:21:34.29
but it doesn't seem
that Abigail's son ever had
00:21:34.32\00:21:37.09
any aspirations for the throne.
00:21:37.13\00:21:39.19
She was, by the
way, a good woman
00:21:39.23\00:21:40.50
and he never got in
trouble like the other boys.
00:21:40.53\00:21:43.20
But Absalom begins to
want David's position.
00:21:43.23\00:21:47.57
But like the prodigal son
00:21:47.60\00:21:49.40
who can't wait
for his father to die,
00:21:49.44\00:21:51.17
he says, "Give me
my inheritance now."
00:21:51.21\00:21:54.11
He can't wait for
his father to die.
00:21:54.14\00:21:55.88
He says, "I
want the throne now."
00:21:55.91\00:21:57.28
So he begins to
conspire to kill his father.
00:21:57.31\00:22:02.45
Now, do you know
there's only one example
00:22:02.48\00:22:04.65
I can think of in the Bible,
00:22:04.69\00:22:06.65
you know, homicide is
if you kill a humanoid,
00:22:06.69\00:22:11.09
and infanticide
is to kill an infant,
00:22:11.13\00:22:14.56
patricide is killing a parent.
00:22:14.60\00:22:19.13
And there was so much
honor in the Bible for parents,
00:22:19.17\00:22:23.74
there's only one example
I can think of in the Bible
00:22:23.77\00:22:26.41
where anyone
killed their parents,
00:22:26.44\00:22:28.31
and it was the
sons of Sennacherib.
00:22:28.34\00:22:31.78
The Sennacherib
who is the Assyrian
00:22:31.81\00:22:33.65
who surrounded Israel
in the days of Hezekiah.
00:22:33.68\00:22:36.42
Hezekiah prayed
00:22:36.45\00:22:37.92
and God sent his angel
00:22:37.95\00:22:39.35
and killed 185,000
Assyrians and Sennacherib
00:22:39.39\00:22:42.82
was who had been
mocking the God of Israel.
00:22:42.86\00:22:45.16
He went back, and while
he was worshipping his god
00:22:45.19\00:22:49.20
in this pagan
temple, his sons killed him.
00:22:49.23\00:22:52.83
Absalom is very odd
in that he actually...
00:22:52.87\00:22:56.60
If you disrespected
your parents in the Bible,
00:22:56.64\00:22:59.67
you could be stoned.
00:22:59.71\00:23:01.88
Forget about killing them.
00:23:01.91\00:23:03.61
If you disrespect them,
00:23:03.65\00:23:04.85
so the idea that this young
would think to kill his father,
00:23:04.88\00:23:09.25
it stands alone in the Bible.
00:23:09.28\00:23:10.92
But, you know, if you
haven't got it by now,
00:23:10.95\00:23:14.49
who does Absalom symbolize?
00:23:14.52\00:23:18.39
Satan. Who else was beautiful?
00:23:18.43\00:23:21.66
Proud?
00:23:21.70\00:23:23.47
Creation of God that
wanted to destroy His creator.
00:23:23.50\00:23:28.34
And you can find
00:23:28.37\00:23:29.30
that the very thing
that happened in heaven
00:23:29.34\00:23:32.01
is what was being acted out now
in the kingdom of God on earth.
00:23:32.04\00:23:36.51
And so he began to
work, he was cunning,
00:23:36.54\00:23:39.58
and he started to
sow seeds of discord.
00:23:39.61\00:23:43.08
You read in 2 Samuel 15,
"Moreover Absalom would say,
00:23:43.12\00:23:47.09
he'd go to the city
gate where people would come
00:23:47.12\00:23:48.89
and they want
to talk to the king
00:23:48.92\00:23:50.03
and they'd they bring
their cases to the king.
00:23:50.06\00:23:52.83
They say, "I've got this case,
00:23:52.86\00:23:53.90
and I can't get
to the Supreme Court.
00:23:53.93\00:23:56.10
The king is not hearing my case
00:23:56.13\00:23:57.80
or there's nobody
set aside for the king."
00:23:57.83\00:23:59.93
And Absalom says,
"What! Tell me about it."
00:24:00.04\00:24:01.70
They'd come to bow to
him, he'd lift them up.
00:24:01.74\00:24:03.61
He'd say, "Oh, don't bow to me.
00:24:03.64\00:24:05.17
Come, let's talk about it. Oh!"
00:24:05.21\00:24:07.04
Then he'd say, "If I was
king, I'd take care of you.
00:24:07.08\00:24:09.84
If the king would only
appoint me or somebody..."
00:24:09.88\00:24:14.62
"And so it was whenever anyone
came near to bow down to him,
00:24:14.65\00:24:17.85
he would put out his hand
and take them and kissed them.
00:24:17.89\00:24:21.59
And in this manner Absalom
acted towards all of Israel
00:24:21.62\00:24:24.56
who came to the
king for judgment."
00:24:24.59\00:24:26.23
They're coming to see David,
00:24:26.26\00:24:28.13
they're being
diverted by Absalom.
00:24:28.16\00:24:30.97
"So Absalom acted
towards all Israel,
00:24:31.00\00:24:34.04
and so Absalom stole the
hearts of the men of Israel."
00:24:34.07\00:24:38.44
What do you steal?
00:24:38.47\00:24:39.94
You steal something
that doesn't belong to you.
00:24:39.97\00:24:42.61
Their loyalty should
have been to the king.
00:24:42.64\00:24:45.75
He's stealing their
loyalty through cunning.
00:24:45.78\00:24:49.65
He's campaigning
in a very clever way.
00:24:49.68\00:24:51.99
Anyone that comes to him,
00:24:52.02\00:24:53.09
he says, "Oh,
your case is good."
00:24:53.12\00:24:54.16
It didn't matter
what their case was,
00:24:54.19\00:24:55.49
he always said,
"Your case is good.
00:24:55.52\00:24:57.16
I'm on your side,
you deserve justice."
00:24:57.19\00:25:00.06
Slaps him on the
back, blows sunshine,
00:25:00.10\00:25:01.96
tells them what
they want to hear.
00:25:02.00\00:25:03.83
They say, "Well, Absalom
is a great guy, good looking.
00:25:03.87\00:25:06.23
I went to pray to
him and he hugged me,
00:25:06.27\00:25:07.60
he gave me a kiss."
00:25:07.64\00:25:09.50
And he does this for years
because, you know, one by one,
00:25:09.54\00:25:13.21
the people come,
they bring about report,
00:25:13.24\00:25:14.78
"Boy, that son!"
00:25:14.81\00:25:16.01
I tell you, "Who
should really be king?
00:25:16.04\00:25:17.55
It should be Absalom.
00:25:17.58\00:25:20.72
He's got all
the best, you know."
00:25:20.75\00:25:23.45
And so he's planning something
00:25:23.49\00:25:26.02
that was not
God's will obviously.
00:25:26.05\00:25:28.86
He's a type of the devil.
00:25:28.89\00:25:30.73
You read in Proverbs 6:19
00:25:30.76\00:25:33.03
about the things
that the Lord hates,
00:25:33.06\00:25:35.23
seven things the Lord hates,
you know what the worst is,
00:25:35.26\00:25:39.07
it says, "A false
witness who speaks lies
00:25:39.10\00:25:41.37
and one who sows
discord among brethren."
00:25:41.40\00:25:45.51
Isn't this what Lucifer did?
00:25:45.54\00:25:47.48
He went throughout heaven
00:25:47.51\00:25:48.98
and he began to tell the angels,
00:25:49.01\00:25:50.18
"You know, we
don't need God's law.
00:25:50.21\00:25:52.51
We'd have more
freedom, we'd have more power.
00:25:52.55\00:25:54.65
God makes these other
creations in His image,
00:25:54.68\00:25:56.52
we can't procreate like
humans, that's not fair."
00:25:56.55\00:25:59.69
And the devil, he began to say,
00:25:59.72\00:26:01.89
"You know, if I was God,"
Now, was the devil beautiful?
00:26:01.92\00:26:05.66
He could sing, he was smart,
00:26:05.69\00:26:08.63
he was strong, powerful.
00:26:08.66\00:26:11.83
And what happened
here where David's kingdom
00:26:11.87\00:26:13.97
happened first in heaven.
00:26:14.00\00:26:15.37
If you want to get a
picture of what went on there,
00:26:15.40\00:26:17.61
you could look at
what happened here.
00:26:17.64\00:26:20.51
Something else you
learn about Absalom,
00:26:20.54\00:26:22.44
I'm just going to throw this in.
00:26:22.48\00:26:24.48
Absalom does all his dastardly
deeds through his servants.
00:26:24.51\00:26:29.28
The devil does
most of what he does
00:26:29.32\00:26:30.95
through the fallen
angels that followed him.
00:26:30.99\00:26:33.92
Notice 2 Samuel 13:28,
00:26:33.96\00:26:36.46
"Absalom commanded his
servants to kill Amnon."
00:26:36.49\00:26:39.89
2 Samuel 14:30,
00:26:39.93\00:26:41.60
"Absalom commands his
servants to burn Joab's field."
00:26:41.63\00:26:45.20
2 Samuel 15:10,
00:26:45.23\00:26:46.87
"Absalom commands his
servants to announce he's king,
00:26:46.90\00:26:50.44
to join him in
rebellion all along the way."
00:26:50.47\00:26:53.11
Absalom has his
servants that are following.
00:26:53.14\00:26:55.88
They burn, they
rebel, they kill.
00:26:55.91\00:26:58.91
And the devil, he has minions.
00:26:58.95\00:27:02.75
Satan is cast out of
heaven with his angels.
00:27:02.78\00:27:06.72
So finally, it turns
into an all out rebellion.
00:27:06.76\00:27:10.59
Absalom goes to his father.
00:27:10.63\00:27:13.29
He's just under the
pretense of worship.
00:27:13.33\00:27:16.53
He says, "You know,
Dad, I made a vow years ago."
00:27:16.56\00:27:20.30
And by the way, this
is something in your Bible
00:27:20.34\00:27:22.04
if you didn't catch it.
00:27:22.07\00:27:23.71
It says, "After 40 years,"
00:27:23.74\00:27:26.34
some of you will
have a translation
00:27:26.37\00:27:27.88
that will say after four
years, it's a little thing.
00:27:27.91\00:27:31.21
I don't know maybe I shouldn't
have even mentioned it.
00:27:31.25\00:27:33.78
This goes on after four years,
00:27:33.82\00:27:35.82
the Septuagint
Josephus is four years.
00:27:35.85\00:27:37.89
Some of the manuscripts,
00:27:37.92\00:27:39.45
they used for the
King James Version,
00:27:39.49\00:27:41.36
of course, four and forty
are also similar in Hebrew.
00:27:41.39\00:27:44.26
And they thought it was 40.
00:27:44.29\00:27:45.33
And that doesn't make
any sense to the story
00:27:45.36\00:27:47.00
because it wasn't
40 years of doing this,
00:27:47.03\00:27:48.56
it was four years after
he comes back, this happens.
00:27:48.60\00:27:51.50
So after four years of this,
00:27:51.53\00:27:54.27
two years he
doesn't see the king,
00:27:54.30\00:27:55.54
two years he campaigns.
00:27:55.57\00:27:57.94
Finally, he tells his father,
00:27:57.97\00:27:59.14
"You know, I made a vow
back when I was in Geshur.
00:27:59.17\00:28:02.74
And I promised I'd go
to Hebron and pay this vow.
00:28:02.78\00:28:06.25
I promise if I could
just see your face again
00:28:06.28\00:28:08.52
and be restored to you,"
00:28:08.55\00:28:09.95
this whole thing is
a lie, it's all a ruse.
00:28:09.98\00:28:12.02
He says, "Can I
bring some of my servants,
00:28:12.05\00:28:14.29
we'd like to go and
we're going to celebrate
00:28:14.32\00:28:16.02
a feast there in Gerar."
00:28:16.06\00:28:18.03
And David said, "Sure.
00:28:18.06\00:28:19.06
I'm so happy about your
new spiritual interest."
00:28:19.09\00:28:22.30
And what he does is the
whole thing is a conspiracy,
00:28:22.33\00:28:24.57
it's a coup to
overthrow his father.
00:28:24.60\00:28:27.00
And he takes his
soldiers with him
00:28:27.04\00:28:28.20
and he has spies go
out throughout the kingdom,
00:28:28.24\00:28:30.27
and they all blow a
trump, and they all shout,
00:28:30.31\00:28:32.61
"Absalom reigns in Hebron!"
00:28:32.64\00:28:34.54
Now where did David first reign?
00:28:34.58\00:28:36.61
Started in Hebron,
then went to Jerusalem.
00:28:36.64\00:28:38.98
He's now saying, "I'm
going to do the same thing."
00:28:39.01\00:28:40.78
Hebron was like
the spiritual center,
00:28:40.82\00:28:42.38
it's where Abraham was buried.
00:28:42.42\00:28:44.32
So it had great significance.
00:28:44.35\00:28:46.29
So they blow the trumpet
and with great excitement,
00:28:46.32\00:28:48.66
they say, "Absalom reigns."
00:28:48.69\00:28:49.99
Well, this came at a time
00:28:50.03\00:28:51.09
where David's
reputation was at a low point
00:28:51.13\00:28:54.20
and Absalom's
reputation was at a high point.
00:28:54.23\00:28:57.43
And you would have been shocked
00:28:57.47\00:28:59.77
at how quickly
everyone took up the restraint.
00:28:59.80\00:29:02.20
This king they once loved,
00:29:02.24\00:29:04.11
they used to sing when
David went down the street.
00:29:04.14\00:29:06.07
"David has killed his 10,000s,"
00:29:06.11\00:29:08.64
and now they're
ready to kill David
00:29:08.68\00:29:10.65
for 'cause Absalom to reign,
00:29:10.68\00:29:11.95
they know that
that means David's out.
00:29:11.98\00:29:15.65
Didn't they want to
sing for Jesus, hosanna.
00:29:15.68\00:29:18.42
A week later, they
said, "Crucify Him."
00:29:18.45\00:29:21.49
People are fickle.
00:29:21.52\00:29:24.53
And so the conspiracy
begin to get stronger,
00:29:24.56\00:29:27.66
a messenger who's loyal to David
00:29:27.73\00:29:29.26
comes running into Jerusalem.
00:29:29.30\00:29:32.57
And he said,
"Absalom is reigning in Hebron
00:29:32.60\00:29:36.14
and he's getting
his troops together."
00:29:36.17\00:29:38.51
David, realizing
he needs to evacuate,
00:29:38.54\00:29:42.08
with those who
are loyal, Jerusalem.
00:29:42.11\00:29:43.95
And some of them might wonder,
"Here's David the giant killer,
00:29:43.98\00:29:46.78
he's never lost a battle.
00:29:46.82\00:29:48.05
Why is he retreating
00:29:48.08\00:29:50.32
and allowing
Absalom to take Jerusalem?
00:29:50.35\00:29:54.92
Why did God allow the devil
00:29:54.96\00:29:59.23
to hijack our world?
00:29:59.26\00:30:01.93
Couldn't David stood and fought?
00:30:01.96\00:30:03.50
He could have.
00:30:03.53\00:30:04.70
But there would have
been a bigger fall out
00:30:04.73\00:30:06.03
and loss of life.
00:30:06.07\00:30:07.70
The city of Jerusalem
would have been destroyed.
00:30:07.74\00:30:11.24
And Jesus did not
allow the battle of the devil
00:30:11.27\00:30:14.54
to take down the City of God,
the New Jerusalem in heaven,
00:30:14.58\00:30:18.55
His dwelling place.
00:30:18.58\00:30:21.22
So David retreats.
00:30:21.25\00:30:23.05
He allows Absalom to
carry on his rebellion.
00:30:23.08\00:30:27.26
He doesn't want the
city where the ark is.
00:30:27.29\00:30:29.59
Matter of fact, the
priest begin to follow David
00:30:29.62\00:30:31.26
out of the city
where the ark is,
00:30:31.29\00:30:32.39
he said, "No, no, take it back.
00:30:32.43\00:30:34.10
If God's with me, He's
with me, I don't need the ark.
00:30:34.10\00:30:36.67
So keep it safe in the city."
00:30:36.70\00:30:38.90
And he takes his family
and his soldiers and they flee
00:30:38.93\00:30:41.80
and something very
interesting happens,
00:30:41.84\00:30:43.44
I want you to
look in 2 Samuel 15:30,
00:30:43.47\00:30:47.44
"David now goes up the
sides of the Mount of Olives
00:30:47.48\00:30:50.41
and he weeps over Jerusalem."
00:30:50.45\00:30:53.45
Did Jesus, the Son of
David weep over Jerusalem?
00:30:53.48\00:30:56.22
Yes.
00:30:56.25\00:30:58.05
"So David went up by the
ascent of the Mount of Olives
00:30:58.09\00:31:00.42
and he wept as he
went, his head was covered,
00:31:00.46\00:31:03.99
and he went barefoot.
00:31:04.03\00:31:05.49
And all the
people who were with him
00:31:05.53\00:31:07.13
covered their
heads and they went up
00:31:07.13\00:31:08.83
weeping as they went."
00:31:08.86\00:31:09.93
Now he's got most
of his other children
00:31:09.96\00:31:11.83
and his family and his wives,
00:31:11.87\00:31:13.37
he left ten concubines
to help keep the house,
00:31:13.40\00:31:16.74
that will come up in
the story in just a moment.
00:31:16.77\00:31:19.84
And so while David's
on the Mount of Olives
00:31:19.87\00:31:21.31
and he is weeping,
00:31:21.34\00:31:22.34
Jesus was on the
Mount of Olives weeping.
00:31:22.38\00:31:26.82
Along comes Benjamite,
by the name of Shimei.
00:31:26.85\00:31:29.45
Now Shimei was just a...
00:31:29.48\00:31:31.95
He was a scoundrel.
00:31:31.99\00:31:33.59
There are other words
I could use but I can't.
00:31:33.62\00:31:37.26
He just had a bad attitude,
00:31:37.29\00:31:38.53
all these years
that David was king,
00:31:38.56\00:31:39.89
Shimei resented that
Saul was now still king.
00:31:39.93\00:31:42.60
Shimei was from
the tribe of Saul.
00:31:42.63\00:31:44.57
He says, "David, he took it,"
00:31:44.60\00:31:46.97
he called David a bloody man
00:31:47.00\00:31:48.30
as though he had
assassinated Saul,
00:31:48.34\00:31:49.77
David didn't do it.
00:31:49.80\00:31:51.61
And Saul killed himself.
00:31:51.64\00:31:54.08
And so here he's
saying, "Go out you bloody man,"
00:31:54.11\00:31:57.48
he's throwing rocks at
David on the Mount of Olives
00:31:57.51\00:31:59.91
and David soldiers are
there, his bodyguards there.
00:31:59.95\00:32:02.38
And they said,
00:32:02.42\00:32:03.42
"Who in the world
does he think he is?"
00:32:03.45\00:32:04.62
And he's kicking
dust and he's saying,
00:32:04.65\00:32:06.19
"You're getting
what you deserve.
00:32:06.22\00:32:07.26
You're a bloody
man," he's cursing him.
00:32:07.29\00:32:09.92
And Abishai, you
always remember Abishai,
00:32:09.96\00:32:11.39
he always wants
to kill everyone.
00:32:11.43\00:32:13.56
Abishai wanted to
kill Saul and he said,
00:32:13.60\00:32:15.96
"Let me go cut off
his head, who is this dog,
00:32:16.00\00:32:17.73
he is cursing the king."
00:32:17.77\00:32:19.30
And David does
something very unusual.
00:32:19.33\00:32:22.17
He is so meek, he
said, "Let him curse.
00:32:22.20\00:32:25.24
Maybe God will turn
them to a blessing."
00:32:25.27\00:32:27.74
He said, "What am I to do
it with you, sons of Zeruiah,"
00:32:27.78\00:32:30.15
Zeruiah was David's sister.
00:32:30.18\00:32:31.95
This is Joab and Abishai.
00:32:31.98\00:32:34.75
He said, "My own
son is seeking my life.
00:32:34.78\00:32:38.55
Why shouldn't this
Benjamite curse me?
00:32:38.59\00:32:41.06
What is that?
00:32:41.09\00:32:42.09
He is throwing
rocks and cursing.
00:32:42.12\00:32:43.56
My own son wants to
kill me. Let him curse.
00:32:43.59\00:32:49.16
Does the Lord often stand
back and let the wicked rave
00:32:49.20\00:32:54.47
that He lets them curse?
00:32:54.50\00:32:56.40
Could David had
destroyed Shimei in an instant?
00:32:56.44\00:33:00.44
He could have sent his
soldiers right up there.
00:33:00.48\00:33:02.41
They were fast, they
could have killed him.
00:33:02.44\00:33:05.98
He doesn't.
00:33:06.01\00:33:07.05
Isn't God patient with the lost?
00:33:07.08\00:33:10.42
Even those who
are under judgment,
00:33:10.45\00:33:12.19
He bears along with them.
00:33:12.22\00:33:14.52
And so, he said, "Look,
I'm going to let him curse."
00:33:14.56\00:33:18.96
So then Absalom comes
into the city of Jerusalem,
00:33:18.99\00:33:22.83
the conspiracy is going strong.
00:33:22.86\00:33:25.33
What's really sad is some of
David's friends and counselors
00:33:25.37\00:33:29.04
now join Absalom.
00:33:29.07\00:33:30.71
They go, David thought, "I
thought you were my friend,
00:33:30.74\00:33:33.17
you're really going
with whoever was in power."
00:33:33.21\00:33:36.61
And one of
David's chief counselors
00:33:36.64\00:33:39.08
was a man by the
name of Ahithophel.
00:33:39.11\00:33:41.35
Now Ahithophel was brilliant.
00:33:41.38\00:33:43.12
Ahithophel is
also the grandfather,
00:33:43.15\00:33:45.72
he's the great
grandfather of Solomon.
00:33:45.75\00:33:49.06
Just threw, so
the genes were there,
00:33:49.09\00:33:50.86
if you didn't know that.
00:33:50.89\00:33:53.76
Ahithophel is the
grandfather of Bathsheba.
00:33:53.80\00:33:58.53
Ahithophel, maybe
he doesn't like David
00:33:58.57\00:34:00.37
because of what happened
with Bathsheba and David
00:34:00.40\00:34:02.50
messing up her
marriage to Uriah.
00:34:02.54\00:34:04.44
But for whatever reason,
he now sides with Absalom.
00:34:04.47\00:34:09.28
And he knew Absalom
would succeed as king,
00:34:09.31\00:34:12.58
if Absalom had
listened to his counsel.
00:34:12.61\00:34:15.95
But it wasn't of the Lord.
00:34:15.98\00:34:18.29
The best laid plans of men.
00:34:18.32\00:34:21.29
And when David finds out
00:34:21.32\00:34:22.39
that Ahithophel is
counseling Absalom,
00:34:22.42\00:34:25.89
he thinks, "Well,
this is not good."
00:34:25.93\00:34:28.00
Ahithophel, it says,
the counsel of Ahithophel
00:34:28.03\00:34:30.63
was as though a person had
inquired of the oracles of God.
00:34:30.67\00:34:34.40
It was as though God had spoken
00:34:34.44\00:34:36.50
when Ahithophel spoke,
00:34:36.54\00:34:37.54
he was that smart.
00:34:37.57\00:34:40.24
And so David
prays a prayer, he says,
00:34:40.28\00:34:42.68
"Lord, confound, frustrate
the counsel of Ahithophel."
00:34:42.71\00:34:47.18
Right after David
prays that prayer,
00:34:47.22\00:34:49.55
David's friend, the Hushai.
00:34:49.58\00:34:53.25
He comes to David, and
he says, "I'm your friend."
00:34:53.29\00:34:55.79
He was very close,
and the kings had friends
00:34:55.82\00:34:57.83
and they had counselors,
and this was the king's buddy.
00:34:57.86\00:35:00.50
And he says, "You're not
going to do me any good here."
00:35:00.53\00:35:04.10
He says, "Why don't
you go back into the temple
00:35:04.13\00:35:07.57
and make like you're supporting
Absalom in his rebellion
00:35:07.60\00:35:10.77
and you can let me
know what's going on there.
00:35:10.81\00:35:12.21
Maybe you could do something
00:35:12.24\00:35:13.27
to frustrate the
counsel of Ahithophel."
00:35:13.31\00:35:16.31
He said, "I'm your
true friend, I will go."
00:35:16.34\00:35:18.78
And so Hushai, the
Archite, he goes into the city.
00:35:18.81\00:35:23.92
Absalom said,
00:35:23.95\00:35:24.99
"I thought, you would
have fled with your friend."
00:35:25.02\00:35:26.92
He said,
"Whoever the Lord chooses,
00:35:26.96\00:35:28.82
that's my friend,
that's who I'm loyal to."
00:35:28.86\00:35:31.26
And he meant that, he
knew the Lord had chosen David.
00:35:31.29\00:35:33.93
He had never anointed Absalom.
00:35:33.96\00:35:36.83
And so, Ahithophel gives some
despicable counsel to Absalom.
00:35:36.87\00:35:43.34
He said, "Look,
your people need to know
00:35:43.37\00:35:46.27
that there's no
more reconciliation,
00:35:46.31\00:35:47.71
you killed your
brother once and then he left,
00:35:47.74\00:35:49.98
they've got to know that's
not going to happen again."
00:35:50.01\00:35:52.51
And he said, "You need to
burn the boats as they say."
00:35:52.55\00:35:57.65
And he says,
"You need to go sleep
00:35:57.69\00:35:58.85
with your father's harem."
00:35:58.89\00:36:00.72
What does a woman
represent in prophecy?
00:36:00.76\00:36:04.63
He had these ten
concubines keeping the house.
00:36:04.66\00:36:07.50
It says, "So they
pitched a tent for Absalom
00:36:07.50\00:36:09.93
on the top of the house,
on the roof of the palace."
00:36:09.96\00:36:14.30
Where did David
first spy Bathsheba?
00:36:14.34\00:36:19.27
They did it in a public
place where everyone would see.
00:36:19.31\00:36:21.48
"They pitched a
pavilion up there, a tent.
00:36:21.51\00:36:24.38
And he went into the harem..."
00:36:24.41\00:36:26.05
It doesn't mean he necessarily
00:36:26.08\00:36:27.42
went through all the
business with everybody there,
00:36:27.45\00:36:29.72
but it was symbolic that
00:36:29.75\00:36:33.19
he was now taking the wives
that he would be defiling them.
00:36:33.22\00:36:37.76
What does the devil
want to do with a law of God?
00:36:37.79\00:36:40.90
How many commandments are there?
00:36:40.93\00:36:43.73
Aren't they to be
lived out in the church?
00:36:43.77\00:36:46.53
Of his people.
00:36:46.57\00:36:47.74
And so there's some
symbolism here I believe.
00:36:47.77\00:36:51.21
Was it foretold
that this would happen?
00:36:51.24\00:36:53.88
You remember, among the curses
00:36:53.91\00:36:55.14
that were gonna come
on David was bad behavior.
00:36:55.18\00:36:57.95
Nathan the prophet said,
00:36:57.98\00:36:59.01
"Behold," this
is 2 Samuel 12:11.
00:36:59.05\00:37:01.98
"I will raise up
adversity against you
00:37:02.02\00:37:03.69
from your own house.
00:37:03.72\00:37:05.55
And I will take your wives
00:37:05.59\00:37:07.16
before your eyes and
give them to your neighbor."
00:37:07.19\00:37:09.96
The word neighbor there it means
00:37:09.99\00:37:11.26
someone very close to you.
00:37:11.29\00:37:13.56
"And he will lie with your
wives in the sight of the son,
00:37:13.60\00:37:16.00
it will be done."
00:37:16.03\00:37:17.03
He says, "You stole Uriah's wife
00:37:17.07\00:37:19.00
and you tried to do it secretly,
00:37:19.03\00:37:20.07
I'm gonna do the same
for the whole world to see."
00:37:20.10\00:37:22.74
This is the
fulfillment of that prophecy
00:37:22.77\00:37:24.47
that his wives, his concubines
anyway were given to his son,
00:37:24.51\00:37:28.88
someone close in the
presence of everybody.
00:37:28.91\00:37:31.28
Now folk said,
00:37:31.31\00:37:32.61
"All right, there's no
more reconciliation now
00:37:32.65\00:37:35.32
between Absalom and
David, we got to choose sides."
00:37:35.35\00:37:39.45
And so then...
00:37:39.49\00:37:40.56
He gets some more
counsel from Ahithophel.
00:37:43.96\00:37:47.23
Ahithophel says,
00:37:47.30\00:37:49.46
"Now what you need to do
00:37:49.50\00:37:50.53
is you need to let me
take the best men in Judah,
00:37:50.57\00:37:53.20
the best men
left in the kingdom,
00:37:53.23\00:37:55.24
the soldiers, right now
while David and the family
00:37:55.27\00:37:58.54
are running before they
get to the Jordan River,
00:37:58.57\00:38:00.84
they're tired,
they're scattered, they're..."
00:38:00.88\00:38:03.35
You know, Hitler was successful
00:38:03.38\00:38:05.18
in the beginning of World War II
00:38:05.21\00:38:06.55
because of what
they call the blitzkrieg.
00:38:06.58\00:38:08.78
They understand one of the
most important things in a fight
00:38:08.82\00:38:11.02
is the element of surprise.
00:38:11.05\00:38:14.26
"This is all
taken him by surprise,
00:38:14.29\00:38:16.59
you need to strike right now,"
00:38:16.62\00:38:18.23
that was actually good counsel,
it probably would have worked.
00:38:18.26\00:38:21.06
He said, "Let me go
right now and take him out.
00:38:21.10\00:38:24.67
Don't risk yourself,
don't get on the battlefield."
00:38:24.70\00:38:28.27
And he's about
to do this, he says,
00:38:28.30\00:38:30.01
"Well, let me ask
Hushai, the king's friend,
00:38:30.04\00:38:32.24
well, he was also a
counselor, what does he think?"
00:38:32.27\00:38:34.68
Hushai realizes,
"Boy, if they do that
00:38:34.71\00:38:36.58
David has done for
him," because they are tired.
00:38:36.61\00:38:38.95
You read in the story,
they had to stop and rest,
00:38:38.98\00:38:40.85
they're exhausted,
they weren't prepared,
00:38:40.88\00:38:42.82
David's going barefoot.
00:38:42.85\00:38:45.39
And he said, "You
know, Ahithophel's counsel's
00:38:45.42\00:38:48.59
not really good right now."
00:38:48.62\00:38:50.16
Absalom is listening to
Hushai, the Archite's counsel.
00:38:50.19\00:38:54.03
And he said,
"Everyone knows that David
00:38:54.10\00:38:57.20
is a mighty man and
he's a shrewd man of war
00:38:57.23\00:38:59.70
and he's
probably hidden in the pit
00:38:59.73\00:39:00.87
and you're gonna go
fighting, it'll be a big battle,
00:39:00.90\00:39:02.37
and you not even may get David,
because he's hidden somewhere.
00:39:02.40\00:39:04.61
Remember all those
years he hid from Saul,
00:39:04.64\00:39:06.21
Saul couldn't find him.
00:39:06.24\00:39:07.34
You think they're
gonna find him right now?
00:39:07.38\00:39:09.54
He's too shrewd for that.
00:39:09.58\00:39:11.11
And his soldiers,
they're men of war.
00:39:11.15\00:39:12.91
And if a battle takes off,
00:39:12.95\00:39:14.72
they're gonna
strike some of the people,
00:39:14.75\00:39:16.02
word will get out,
there will be a panic."
00:39:16.05\00:39:17.25
He said, "No, no, no."
00:39:17.29\00:39:18.32
He said, "You
got to do this right.
00:39:18.35\00:39:20.02
So you're the new king.
00:39:20.06\00:39:21.89
You don't want to leave
out the northern tribes.
00:39:21.92\00:39:24.19
You need to get everybody,
all the tribes involved.
00:39:24.23\00:39:27.36
You need to personally
00:39:27.40\00:39:28.56
lead them in the
battle so that they'll see
00:39:28.60\00:39:30.53
that you will be their
king after this victory."
00:39:30.57\00:39:33.37
And there is
Absalom, he likes it,
00:39:33.40\00:39:34.97
"Yeah, me,
white horse lead them,
00:39:35.00\00:39:36.77
I'm the new king."
00:39:36.81\00:39:38.54
And he said, "And you'll gather
them like the sand of the sea
00:39:38.57\00:39:40.78
and you'll descend on them
00:39:40.81\00:39:41.81
while they're
tired and we can...
00:39:41.84\00:39:45.35
and just kill the king."
00:39:45.38\00:39:47.28
And so, he says,
"Well, you know what?
00:39:47.32\00:39:49.65
The counsel of Hushai
00:39:49.68\00:39:52.02
is better than the
counsel of Ahithophel."
00:39:52.05\00:39:56.52
And that's
exactly what they want.
00:39:56.56\00:39:58.36
He wanted to give David time
to get across the Jordan River,
00:39:58.39\00:40:00.76
to get to the
city and get organize,
00:40:00.80\00:40:02.13
so they get
resources for the soldiers
00:40:02.16\00:40:04.03
and they could
organize and plot a battle.
00:40:04.07\00:40:06.77
And then you read
what happens next.
00:40:09.77\00:40:12.51
It tells us that
this friend, Ahithophel,
00:40:12.54\00:40:15.61
his close friend
of David betrays him
00:40:15.64\00:40:17.81
who ate from his
bread, betrays him.
00:40:17.85\00:40:21.15
Have you read in Psalm 41,
00:40:21.18\00:40:22.98
"Even my own familiar
friend, in whom I trusted,
00:40:23.02\00:40:25.65
who ate my bread
has lifted up his heel
00:40:25.69\00:40:27.69
against me."
00:40:27.72\00:40:30.09
Did Jesus have someone that
lifted up his heel against him,
00:40:30.13\00:40:33.33
that ate bread with him?
00:40:33.36\00:40:34.36
What was his name? Judas.
00:40:34.40\00:40:36.87
And when Judas plan backfired,
00:40:36.90\00:40:39.60
see Judas didn't know
Jesus would be killed.
00:40:39.63\00:40:42.50
Judas thought when he sold Jesus
00:40:42.54\00:40:43.84
that Jesus would
then use His power
00:40:43.87\00:40:45.61
to make Himself king
00:40:45.64\00:40:46.98
and that he'd end
up thanking Judas.
00:40:47.01\00:40:48.68
His plan backfired
00:40:48.71\00:40:50.65
and as a result, Judas
went out and took his own life
00:40:50.68\00:40:53.62
and he hung himself.
00:40:53.65\00:40:55.25
When Ahithophel
finds that his counsel
00:40:55.28\00:40:57.42
was not gonna be heeded,
00:40:57.45\00:40:58.52
he already knows
how it's gonna end.
00:40:58.55\00:41:01.16
He goes home, listen
to this, 2 Samuel 17:23,
00:41:01.19\00:41:05.33
"When Ahithophel saw
his advice was not followed,
00:41:05.36\00:41:07.66
he put his household in order.
00:41:07.73\00:41:10.17
Got the lawyer made out his will
00:41:10.20\00:41:12.00
and hanged himself and died."
00:41:12.03\00:41:13.94
Ahithophel ended
the way Judas ended.
00:41:13.97\00:41:17.57
Judas threw down
the pieces of silver
00:41:17.61\00:41:20.04
and he went out
and did the same thing.
00:41:20.08\00:41:22.58
Now finally
Absalom takes the counsel,
00:41:22.61\00:41:26.45
they get all of Israel together.
00:41:26.48\00:41:28.68
And they prepare
for a great battle
00:41:28.72\00:41:30.62
and they'd
begin to go towards...
00:41:30.65\00:41:31.99
David has actually gone
across the Jordan to Mahanaim.
00:41:32.02\00:41:34.76
And there's a fortress there
00:41:34.79\00:41:35.99
where Saul
actually used to reign.
00:41:36.02\00:41:38.59
And the kingdom
of the Saul's sons
00:41:38.63\00:41:42.73
was across the Jordan there.
00:41:42.76\00:41:44.67
And it's a fortified city,
00:41:44.70\00:41:46.30
it's a place where
he can stage a battle,
00:41:46.33\00:41:47.67
he gets the soldiers
together, food is coming
00:41:47.70\00:41:49.50
and resources to
David and his army.
00:41:49.54\00:41:52.54
And Absalom gets
all of Israel together.
00:41:52.57\00:41:55.84
David divides his
army into three parts.
00:41:55.88\00:41:58.85
Have you ever read Revelation?
00:41:58.88\00:42:01.02
How it seems like the battle
is divided into three parts
00:42:01.05\00:42:03.42
and, of course,
you get the Father, Son
00:42:03.45\00:42:04.65
and Holy Spirit.
00:42:04.69\00:42:06.05
David wants to lead
them out in the battle
00:42:06.09\00:42:07.86
and they said,
"No, you're not going,
00:42:07.89\00:42:08.96
not on your life."
00:42:08.99\00:42:10.29
David soldier said,
00:42:10.33\00:42:11.76
"You are worth
more than 10,000 of us.
00:42:11.79\00:42:14.56
If 10,000 of us perish, it
won't mean anything to them,
00:42:14.56\00:42:18.63
they're wanting you,
they want to kill you.
00:42:18.67\00:42:20.54
Absalom will quit
as soon as you're dead.
00:42:20.57\00:42:23.04
He didn't want to
slaughter among the soldiers."
00:42:23.07\00:42:25.91
As Jesus is called
the Pharaohs of 10,000,
00:42:25.94\00:42:29.41
a lily of the
valley, you know that psalm,
00:42:29.44\00:42:31.68
actually comes from
the Song of Solomon.
00:42:31.71\00:42:34.95
And so, he
tells all his soldiers
00:42:34.98\00:42:37.05
when they're
going out to battle.
00:42:37.09\00:42:39.09
He's got them divided
up and he tells them all
00:42:39.12\00:42:41.86
as they're going out,
00:42:41.89\00:42:43.02
as the parade is going out
to meet the forces of Absalom.
00:42:43.06\00:42:46.46
He says, "Please, deal
gently with the young man,
00:42:46.49\00:42:51.00
even Absalom for my sake.
00:42:51.03\00:42:53.67
Don't forget he's my son."
00:42:53.70\00:42:55.90
The understood is,
00:42:55.94\00:42:58.07
fight, win the
battle, but don't hurt him.
00:42:58.11\00:43:01.01
Take him alive.
00:43:01.04\00:43:03.48
Well, that's
kind of discouraging
00:43:03.51\00:43:04.58
to some of the soldiers
00:43:04.61\00:43:05.65
because here he's
trying to kill David,
00:43:05.68\00:43:07.25
they're gonna put
their lives on the line,
00:43:07.28\00:43:08.72
they know if they kill
Absalom the war's over,
00:43:08.75\00:43:11.02
that's who they got to kill.
00:43:11.05\00:43:13.29
But he is so
concerned for his son...
00:43:13.32\00:43:14.96
You just look at the
love of David for his son.
00:43:14.99\00:43:18.46
Even though his
son wants to kill him,
00:43:18.49\00:43:22.20
he still loves him.
00:43:22.23\00:43:24.77
Does God love those who
took the life of His son?
00:43:24.80\00:43:28.67
We can't comprehend
that, that kind of love.
00:43:28.70\00:43:32.81
So they are
engaged in the battle.
00:43:32.84\00:43:36.51
And...
00:43:36.54\00:43:39.78
The Bible says that they
meet the soldiers of David
00:43:39.81\00:43:43.08
near the woods of Ephraim
00:43:43.12\00:43:44.99
and in the midst
of the battle it is...
00:43:45.02\00:43:46.92
There's great chaos
because instead of fighting
00:43:46.96\00:43:48.82
on the field of battle,
it's a battle in the woods.
00:43:48.86\00:43:51.99
And the Bible record is
more were slain by the woods
00:43:52.03\00:43:57.43
than by the soldiers.
00:43:57.47\00:44:00.70
They're running into trees
00:44:00.74\00:44:02.17
and they're falling
off of cliffs and their...
00:44:02.20\00:44:04.01
the horses are breaking legs
00:44:04.04\00:44:05.34
and I'd just
say, in another words
00:44:05.37\00:44:06.47
it just means
that the obstacles,
00:44:06.51\00:44:08.38
David's men knew how to
fight in any environment,
00:44:08.41\00:44:10.71
Absalom didn't know
how to fight, you know,
00:44:10.75\00:44:12.85
I remember I
downloaded this free book
00:44:12.88\00:44:15.55
once on an
airplane, I was bored.
00:44:15.58\00:44:16.92
And it was an ancient writings
of an ancient Chinese general,
00:44:16.95\00:44:20.12
I don't remember
what it's called.
00:44:20.16\00:44:21.69
But it gives the rules of war,
00:44:21.72\00:44:23.53
I thought maybe there's
some spiritual lessons in here.
00:44:23.56\00:44:26.19
Some of you know
the name of the book.
00:44:26.23\00:44:27.86
Art of War. The Art of War.
00:44:27.93\00:44:29.36
It's some
ancient Chinese general.
00:44:29.40\00:44:31.23
And then one of the most
important things, he says,
00:44:31.27\00:44:32.70
"Make sure you get to choose
the terrain for the battle."
00:44:32.73\00:44:38.31
And of course, you
always want the high ground.
00:44:38.34\00:44:41.41
And Absalom chose
poorly and David soldiers knew
00:44:41.44\00:44:44.98
how to use the
various terrain against them
00:44:45.01\00:44:47.12
and they drove
them into the woods
00:44:47.15\00:44:49.02
and the woods ended
up destroying more men
00:44:49.05\00:44:52.39
than the sword did.
00:44:52.42\00:44:56.22
And in the battle it says,
00:44:56.26\00:44:58.13
that the servants of Absalom
met the servants of David,
00:44:58.16\00:45:01.46
the entourage around Absalom
00:45:01.50\00:45:02.86
finally encountered
the soldiers of David
00:45:02.90\00:45:05.97
and he turned to run.
00:45:06.00\00:45:08.37
And as he's riding
on his mule this time,
00:45:08.40\00:45:10.64
not on his horse anymore,
00:45:10.67\00:45:12.04
as he's riding on his mule
00:45:12.07\00:45:13.31
he looks over his
shoulder evidently,
00:45:13.34\00:45:15.24
they're riding
through these oak trees
00:45:15.28\00:45:17.68
and he turns back just
in time to be clobbered
00:45:17.71\00:45:20.18
by an oak except
his head gets stuck
00:45:20.22\00:45:23.05
with all his massive hair.
00:45:23.08\00:45:26.19
Didn't I read the
part two about Absalom
00:45:26.22\00:45:28.26
would cut his hair every year
00:45:28.29\00:45:29.46
and it weighed
over three pounds.
00:45:29.49\00:45:32.69
And he was
very... he's like Fabio,
00:45:32.73\00:45:34.13
you know, in this
beautiful long hair.
00:45:34.20\00:45:36.33
Beautiful, strong and...
00:45:36.36\00:45:38.23
and I resent him already.
00:45:38.27\00:45:42.37
And it ends up being his undoing
00:45:42.40\00:45:43.84
just like Samson.
00:45:43.87\00:45:46.11
And he's riding
through the woods,
00:45:46.14\00:45:47.24
his neck gets caught
in the crotch of a tree's,
00:45:47.28\00:45:49.58
his hair gets
tangled up in the oak
00:45:49.61\00:45:51.68
and the mule
rides out from under him
00:45:51.71\00:45:54.12
and he's left hanging
between heaven and earth.
00:45:54.15\00:45:58.75
And he's still alive.
00:45:58.79\00:46:00.89
And one of the soldiers sees
00:46:00.92\00:46:02.06
and they're in
the middle of battle,
00:46:02.09\00:46:03.06
one of the soldiers runs to Joab
00:46:03.09\00:46:04.39
and said, "I saw Absalom,
00:46:04.43\00:46:06.66
he's hanging in
the woods from a tree."
00:46:06.70\00:46:09.76
And Joab said,
"Well, did you kill him?"
00:46:09.80\00:46:11.10
He said, "I wouldn't kill him."
00:46:11.13\00:46:12.17
He said, "I would
have rewarded you."
00:46:12.20\00:46:13.23
He said, "I don't
care how much you give me,
00:46:13.27\00:46:14.47
you heard the law of the king,"
00:46:14.50\00:46:16.44
he says, "I would have
been betraying my own life
00:46:16.47\00:46:18.11
if I've touched him."
00:46:18.14\00:46:20.01
So Joab said, "I'm
not gonna argue with you."
00:46:20.04\00:46:22.51
And Joab now, he was still,
you know, he burnt his field,
00:46:22.54\00:46:25.81
he reconcile him to the
king and here he thanks him
00:46:25.85\00:46:28.55
by rebelling like
this, Joab is really mad.
00:46:28.58\00:46:31.32
Joab takes three darts
in his hands and he goes
00:46:31.35\00:46:34.22
and he stabs
Absalom in the heart
00:46:34.26\00:46:36.32
and Joab and ten
soldiers around him, how many?
00:46:36.36\00:46:40.93
Absalom defiled
the ten concubines,
00:46:40.96\00:46:43.30
Joab with ten of his
armor bearers around him
00:46:43.33\00:46:47.24
not only that he stabbed him
with three darts in the heart,
00:46:47.27\00:46:50.81
then they says they
slew him beyond that,
00:46:50.84\00:46:52.54
I don't know what else
you could do beyond that.
00:46:52.57\00:46:55.38
Of these ten men
there's a judgment,
00:46:55.41\00:46:57.91
and you see that number ten,
00:46:57.95\00:46:59.11
for every commandment you break,
00:46:59.15\00:47:01.35
there's a
corresponding judgment.
00:47:01.38\00:47:04.75
And then finally
word gets back to David.
00:47:04.79\00:47:09.26
And two messengers are
fighting over the privilege
00:47:09.29\00:47:13.13
to bring the news to David
and you've got this Cushite
00:47:13.16\00:47:15.80
who's running with a message.
00:47:15.83\00:47:17.47
One of the sons of the priest,
00:47:17.50\00:47:19.27
he said, "Let me
bring word to the king."
00:47:19.30\00:47:20.77
Joab said, "No, we've
got a messenger going."
00:47:20.80\00:47:22.60
He said, "Let me go."
00:47:22.64\00:47:24.74
And finally says you can go
00:47:24.77\00:47:26.07
and he outran the
official messenger.
00:47:26.11\00:47:29.38
And he wants to prepare the king
00:47:29.41\00:47:30.58
because he knows the
king is gonna be brokenhearted
00:47:30.61\00:47:32.48
when he hears about
Absalom, he knows the king.
00:47:32.51\00:47:35.92
And the king sees him
coming and the first thing,
00:47:35.95\00:47:40.09
you know, the messenger says,
00:47:40.12\00:47:42.96
"Praise the Lord,
the king is victorious."
00:47:42.99\00:47:45.96
And the first thing
out of the king's mouth is,
00:47:45.99\00:47:48.60
"What about Absalom?"
00:47:48.63\00:47:51.27
Well, he knew that was coming.
00:47:51.30\00:47:52.87
And he said,
"Well, there was a tumult,
00:47:52.90\00:47:54.30
there was...
00:47:54.34\00:47:55.74
there was a battle
00:47:55.77\00:47:57.47
and I didn't see
exactly what happened."
00:47:57.51\00:48:00.44
And he's trying to
prepare the king embrace him
00:48:00.48\00:48:02.58
for the bad news.
00:48:02.61\00:48:04.41
And then finally
the Cushite gets there
00:48:04.45\00:48:06.92
and he said,
"What about Absalom?"
00:48:06.95\00:48:09.08
That's the only
thing on the king's mind,
00:48:09.12\00:48:11.12
"What about my son?"
00:48:11.15\00:48:13.96
And he answers by saying,
"May all the king's enemies be
00:48:13.99\00:48:17.16
as that young man is."
00:48:17.19\00:48:20.03
And the king collapsed.
00:48:20.06\00:48:23.37
David basically
implodes when he gets this news.
00:48:23.40\00:48:27.80
And in one of the most poignant,
00:48:27.84\00:48:30.34
poignant phrases in the Bible
00:48:30.37\00:48:32.74
and this is now,
I'm in 2 Samuel 18:33.
00:48:32.77\00:48:37.55
"The king was deeply moved
00:48:37.58\00:48:40.52
and he went up to the
chamber over the gate,"
00:48:40.55\00:48:42.68
there's a
staircase that leads up
00:48:42.72\00:48:44.15
to the watch
tower over the gate.
00:48:44.19\00:48:46.62
"And he wept as he went,
00:48:46.65\00:48:49.16
he's going one
step after another
00:48:49.19\00:48:51.73
and his moans are
echoing out off the stone walls
00:48:51.76\00:48:55.20
for all to hear
the air reverberating,
00:48:55.23\00:48:58.13
"Oh, my son
Absalom, my son, my son,
00:48:58.17\00:49:03.27
if only I had
died in your place.
00:49:03.30\00:49:07.34
Oh, Absalom, my son, my son."
00:49:07.38\00:49:11.38
And you go to 19:4,
"The king covered his face
00:49:11.41\00:49:16.02
and the king cried
out with a loud voice,
00:49:16.05\00:49:19.05
"Oh, my son Absalom, oh
Absalom, my son, my son."
00:49:19.09\00:49:25.09
That's pretty
heartrending, isn't it?
00:49:25.13\00:49:28.13
And see the king
weeping over the son,
00:49:28.16\00:49:30.90
"Would God I had
died in your place."
00:49:30.93\00:49:33.10
Now, do you see the
gospel in this story?
00:49:33.13\00:49:38.97
Now there's
something deeper here
00:49:39.01\00:49:41.01
I don't want you to miss.
00:49:41.04\00:49:42.08
Don't just look on
the surface of the story.
00:49:42.11\00:49:45.38
It is true,
Absalom in one sense,
00:49:45.41\00:49:47.38
he represents this
beautiful fallen angel
00:49:47.42\00:49:51.52
that rebelled against God.
00:49:51.55\00:49:53.39
God made him, God
loved him. God is love.
00:49:53.42\00:49:57.86
He was good at one point.
00:49:57.89\00:50:00.80
But he went bad, he went wicked.
00:50:00.83\00:50:02.53
But beyond that,
00:50:02.56\00:50:05.17
don't forget that
Absalom is the son of David.
00:50:05.20\00:50:07.94
He is the beautiful
son, he is the flawless son
00:50:07.97\00:50:11.57
and that son dies
hanging from a tree,
00:50:11.61\00:50:15.68
suspended
between heaven and earth.
00:50:15.71\00:50:18.15
How does Jesus,
the Son of David died?
00:50:18.18\00:50:20.35
Where there three
nails that pierced Him?
00:50:20.38\00:50:24.35
David is saying, "Would
God I had died for thee."
00:50:24.39\00:50:26.65
I would have died in your place.
00:50:26.69\00:50:27.66
Didn't Jesus, the Son
of David die in our place?
00:50:27.69\00:50:31.56
And you know, it tells us
00:50:31.59\00:50:32.83
that David ends
up losing four sons,
00:50:32.86\00:50:35.70
maybe next week
we'll talk about Adonijah.
00:50:35.73\00:50:38.43
Now he's lost three sons,
one in his innocence a baby,
00:50:38.47\00:50:42.30
Amnon is slain at a feast.
00:50:42.34\00:50:46.34
Absalom dies
suspended, hanging from a tree,
00:50:46.37\00:50:49.64
like Jesus, all
the sons of David
00:50:49.68\00:50:51.11
that died tell us
something about Jesus.
00:50:51.15\00:50:54.52
I remember one time,
I had a friend that...
00:50:54.55\00:51:01.56
He was at a drive-in theater,
he got into an argument,
00:51:01.59\00:51:04.49
someone pulled out a
gun, his name was Kenny.
00:51:04.53\00:51:08.63
And he went to
jump out of the way
00:51:08.66\00:51:10.27
when this young
man started shooting
00:51:10.30\00:51:12.17
and he jumped into
the path of the bullet
00:51:12.20\00:51:14.67
and it went in here
and it came out here,
00:51:14.70\00:51:19.01
and he was still conscious,
00:51:19.04\00:51:20.31
he said, "Get me
to the hospital."
00:51:20.34\00:51:22.58
And I took him to the hospital
00:51:22.61\00:51:24.18
and he was on life
support for several days,
00:51:24.21\00:51:26.55
we were there at the hospital.
00:51:26.58\00:51:28.58
He was eventually
pronounced brain dead.
00:51:28.62\00:51:32.05
We were staying with
the family in their house,
00:51:32.09\00:51:35.36
there wasn't room for everybody
because so many people had come
00:51:35.39\00:51:37.43
while we were waiting to see
00:51:37.46\00:51:38.49
what was going to
happen with Kenny,
00:51:38.53\00:51:40.40
and all the bedrooms were full.
00:51:40.43\00:51:44.50
And that night I
slept on the floor
00:51:44.53\00:51:46.60
in the living room.
00:51:46.63\00:51:49.14
And the father couldn't sleep,
00:51:49.17\00:51:52.77
and he would sit
in the living room
00:51:52.81\00:51:54.94
and I would see
his cigarette glowing,
00:51:54.98\00:51:56.61
any time I woke
up during the night
00:51:56.64\00:51:58.15
I would see him sitting
there with a cigarette glowing.
00:51:58.18\00:52:01.02
They ultimately needed to
disconnect his life support
00:52:01.05\00:52:04.39
and I was in the
hospital when Kenny died,
00:52:04.42\00:52:08.36
and to just see the
meltdown of the father.
00:52:08.39\00:52:12.26
And then I was in the
house, in the living room
00:52:12.29\00:52:14.50
and during the
night I would be awakened
00:52:14.56\00:52:18.23
by this sound that
was almost inhuman.
00:52:18.27\00:52:21.44
It sounded like a cry,
and it sounded like an animal.
00:52:21.47\00:52:25.01
And I just heard Kenny's father
let out this strange moan.
00:52:25.04\00:52:31.95
And it was...
00:52:31.98\00:52:33.11
I just realized it was
coming from a broken heart.
00:52:33.15\00:52:37.22
And whenever I read the
story here about Absalom,
00:52:37.25\00:52:39.55
of course, we've lost a son.
00:52:39.59\00:52:42.02
And I hear him to say,
there's no words for it,
00:52:42.06\00:52:43.83
all you can do is say, "Oh!
00:52:43.86\00:52:46.26
Oh, my son, it would
hurt less if I died for you."
00:52:46.29\00:52:52.17
And, you know,
this is what God says,
00:52:52.20\00:52:55.40
"It would hurt me less
00:52:55.44\00:52:57.84
if I died for you
than to lose you."
00:52:57.87\00:53:01.71
What can separate us
from the love of God?
00:53:01.74\00:53:03.88
Have you read that
verse there in Romans 8:38,
00:53:03.91\00:53:08.68
"For I am persuaded,"
00:53:08.72\00:53:09.82
Paul says, "That
neither death nor life,
00:53:09.85\00:53:12.05
nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers,
00:53:12.09\00:53:15.26
nor things present
nor things to come,
00:53:15.29\00:53:17.29
nor height or depth,
00:53:17.33\00:53:18.89
nor any created thing
is able to separate us
00:53:18.93\00:53:22.06
from the love of God that
is in Christ Jesus, our Lord."
00:53:22.10\00:53:26.70
You think it's safe to
say that Jesus loves us?
00:53:26.74\00:53:30.14
Jesus our Lord?
00:53:30.17\00:53:32.84
You know, if you look
in the Psalms of David,
00:53:32.87\00:53:35.41
there is a Psalm,
it's called Psalm 3.
00:53:35.44\00:53:39.61
And it says, "The Lord
helps His troubled people,
00:53:39.65\00:53:42.28
a Psalm of David when
he fled from Absalom."
00:53:42.32\00:53:45.09
Even during this
time you can find
00:53:45.12\00:53:47.46
it is an
inspired Psalm of David.
00:53:47.49\00:53:50.06
Ultimately Joab comes to David.
00:53:50.09\00:53:54.10
And all the soldiers
are coming back victorious,
00:53:54.10\00:53:55.83
they laid down their
lives to save the kingdom.
00:53:55.86\00:53:58.63
And all they hear
when they come in,
00:53:58.67\00:53:59.83
they come back rejoicing,
00:53:59.87\00:54:01.17
they're all flapping
each other in the back,
00:54:01.20\00:54:02.57
"We've won the battle."
00:54:02.60\00:54:03.57
They get near the city,
they hear David moaning,
00:54:03.61\00:54:06.27
"Oh, Absalom, my
son, Absalom my son,"
00:54:06.31\00:54:08.18
all night long he's moaning.
00:54:08.21\00:54:09.58
Joab gets back and he had...
00:54:09.61\00:54:11.88
you have to
admire Joab sometimes
00:54:11.91\00:54:13.85
and he does the right thing.
00:54:13.88\00:54:15.02
He did the right
thing in killing Absalom.
00:54:15.05\00:54:17.89
And he goes up
and he tells David
00:54:17.92\00:54:19.89
what he needs to hear.
00:54:19.92\00:54:22.29
He said, "Do you
not regard princes
00:54:22.32\00:54:25.13
or soldiers or generals,"
00:54:25.16\00:54:26.43
he said, "All of your servants
had laid down their life
00:54:26.46\00:54:28.86
to save the
kingdom and to save you,
00:54:28.90\00:54:31.63
and we now get the
feeling that if we had all died
00:54:31.67\00:54:34.40
and Absalom had
lived, you'd be happy."
00:54:34.44\00:54:38.34
He said, "You need to
get out in the city gate now
00:54:38.37\00:54:40.61
and you need to
get your act together
00:54:40.64\00:54:42.81
and you need to thank and praise
00:54:42.84\00:54:44.71
and encourage the soldiers
that have saved your wives,
00:54:44.75\00:54:47.15
and what about
your other children
00:54:47.18\00:54:48.85
that we saved?"
00:54:48.88\00:54:50.45
He tells him
what he needs to hear,
00:54:50.49\00:54:51.55
that's a good friend.
00:54:51.59\00:54:54.12
And David does...
00:54:54.16\00:54:55.29
he pulls himself
together and he sits in the gate
00:54:55.32\00:54:57.39
and he thanks the
people for saving the kingdom
00:54:57.43\00:54:59.39
and saving the
rest of his family
00:54:59.43\00:55:00.90
and saving the city.
00:55:00.93\00:55:02.76
And eventually now
00:55:02.80\00:55:06.27
when he left
Jerusalem David told people,
00:55:06.30\00:55:09.27
like their concubines
he said, "I'll come back.
00:55:09.30\00:55:11.31
I don't know
when I'm coming back
00:55:11.34\00:55:12.57
but I'm coming back.
00:55:12.61\00:55:13.74
There's an evil power,
00:55:13.78\00:55:15.81
there's an evil
rebellious prince
00:55:15.84\00:55:17.58
that has taken the
kingdom but I will come back."
00:55:17.61\00:55:20.55
Has our King told
us He's coming back?
00:55:20.58\00:55:23.22
Is Jesus called the
devil, the prince of this world?
00:55:23.25\00:55:26.82
And he's rampaging
around, he's driven by pride
00:55:26.86\00:55:30.83
and Jesus said,
"I will come back."
00:55:30.86\00:55:32.73
And David came back in glory,
00:55:32.76\00:55:34.10
he came back as
king to Jerusalem.
00:55:34.10\00:55:36.40
Jesus is coming back
00:55:36.43\00:55:37.87
and He's gonna be the
king of the New Jerusalem.
00:55:37.90\00:55:40.87
But you know, the most
beautiful thing in this story
00:55:40.90\00:55:42.70
is the message of
God's love for us.
00:55:42.74\00:55:46.11
"God so loved the world..."
00:55:46.14\00:55:47.61
You know why the
word so is there?
00:55:47.64\00:55:49.18
He could have
left out the word so,
00:55:49.21\00:55:50.71
"God loved the world
and He gave His Son."
00:55:50.75\00:55:53.15
But the word so includes a word
00:55:53.18\00:55:55.58
that is almost the
same in every language,
00:55:55.62\00:55:57.39
it's the word, 'Oh'.
00:55:57.42\00:56:00.69
It's like when David
said, "Oh, Absalom, my son."
00:56:00.72\00:56:05.16
And God so loved the
world, He gave His Son.
00:56:05.19\00:56:11.80
That's how much
God wants to save you.
00:56:11.83\00:56:14.04
But He cannot
force you to be saved
00:56:14.07\00:56:16.40
if you are determined to rebel.
00:56:16.44\00:56:19.14
All of us, either we
surrender like David to God
00:56:19.17\00:56:23.55
or we rebel like
Absalom, there's only two roads.
00:56:23.58\00:56:27.02
We either do our own
thing, we say, "I will be king,"
00:56:27.05\00:56:30.49
or we worship God as King.
00:56:30.52\00:56:32.99
And we're one of the
two, there's only two masters,
00:56:33.02\00:56:36.02
it's Christ or Satan.
00:56:36.06\00:56:38.23
And Jesus laid down His
life to show His love for you.
00:56:38.26\00:56:41.30
Do you think you
could love Him back?
00:56:41.33\00:56:42.80
Do you want to serve Him?
00:56:42.83\00:56:43.97
Friends, one of
the amazing things
00:56:54.64\00:56:56.14
that you'll often find
in the South Pacific islands
00:56:56.18\00:56:58.71
like your own
Fiji, is the Wiwi plant.
00:56:58.75\00:57:01.88
Now in North America, if
you want to build a fence
00:57:01.92\00:57:03.59
you got to get fence posts
00:57:03.62\00:57:04.99
and then you put the
wooden fence posts in the ground
00:57:05.02\00:57:07.32
and then after a few years,
00:57:07.36\00:57:08.72
they're gonna rot and break off
00:57:08.76\00:57:09.89
unless they're
specially treated.
00:57:09.92\00:57:11.83
But here
they've got these trees,
00:57:11.86\00:57:13.50
the Wiwi tree, they can cut them
00:57:13.53\00:57:15.53
right out of the
woods, they'll take a stick,
00:57:15.56\00:57:17.63
they stick it in the ground
00:57:17.67\00:57:19.33
and because they have so
much rain and precipitation,
00:57:19.37\00:57:21.74
it begins to sprout
00:57:21.77\00:57:23.27
and turns into a
living fence post.
00:57:23.30\00:57:25.31
It makes up its mind
that it's going to flourish
00:57:25.34\00:57:27.08
wherever you stick it
00:57:27.11\00:57:28.41
which is a good
lesson for you and me.
00:57:28.44\00:57:30.48
So you might wonder sometimes,
00:57:30.51\00:57:31.78
if you've got a purpose in life,
00:57:31.81\00:57:33.92
you might feel like
you're growing sort of,
00:57:33.95\00:57:35.32
sporadically in every direction
00:57:35.35\00:57:37.19
and then along comes this person
00:57:37.22\00:57:38.65
who cuts you down
and carries you off,
00:57:38.69\00:57:41.36
he sticks you in the ground
but you look back and you say,
00:57:41.39\00:57:44.79
"There was a plan,
there was a purpose."
00:57:44.83\00:57:47.50
God knows how to teach us
00:57:47.56\00:57:49.20
how to prosper
where He plants us.
00:57:49.23\00:57:51.53
You might wonder,
"Why the Lord has put you
00:57:51.57\00:57:53.17
where He has in life,"
00:57:53.20\00:57:54.47
but you can put down
roots and you can grow
00:57:54.50\00:57:56.47
and you can serve a
great purpose for God.
00:57:56.50\00:57:58.97
You know, it's like
God says in Jeremiah 29,
00:57:59.01\00:58:01.94
"I know the plans
that I've got for you,
00:58:01.98\00:58:03.38
to give you a future."
00:58:03.41\00:58:04.98
God has a purpose
for your life, friends,
00:58:05.01\00:58:06.72
and He can help you to prosper
00:58:06.75\00:58:08.38
and grow
wherever you're planted.
00:58:08.42\00:58:10.32