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Friday, March 25, 2016

JEHOVAH Determines To Bring Disaster On Absalom





2 Samuel 17:1-29 NIV









1Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. 2I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king 3and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.” 4This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.


5But Absalom said, “Summon also Hushai the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say as well.”6When Hushai came to him, Absalom said, “Ahithophel has given this advice. Should we do what he says? If not, give us your opinion.”


7Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time. 8You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Besides, your father is an experienced fighter; he will not spend the night with the troops. 9Even now, he is hidden in a cave or some other place. If he should attack your troops first,b whoever hears about it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’ 10Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave.


11“So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba—as numerous as the sand on the seashore—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle. 12Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive. 13If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not so much as a pebble is left.”


14Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.”



For The LORD Had Determined To Frustrate the good 

advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on 


Absalom.



15Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so. 16Now send a message at once and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords in the wilderness; cross over without fail, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.’ ”


17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel. A female servant was to go and inform them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city. 18But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two of them left at once and went to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. 19His wife took a covering and spread it out over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it. No one knew anything about it.


20When Absalom’s men came to the woman at the house, they asked, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”


The woman answered them, “They crossed over the brook.”c The men searched but found no one, so they returned to Jerusalem.


21After they had gone, the two climbed out of the well and went to inform King David. They said to him, “Set out and cross the river at once; Ahithophel has advised such and such against you.” 22So David and all the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, no one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.


23When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, 






he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himselfSo he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.







Absalom’s Death





24David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether, an Ishmaelite who had married Abigail , the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab. 26The Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.






27When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Makir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim 28brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils, 29honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.”












David Saved






Here was a wonderful effect of Divine Providence blinding Absalom's mind and influencing his heart, that he could not rest in Ahithophel's counsel, and that he should desire Hushai's advice. But there is no contending with that GOD WHO Can Arm a man against himself, and destroy him by his own mistakes and passions.


 Ahithophel's former counsel was followed, for GOD Intended To Correct David; but his latter counsel was not followed, for GOD Meant Not To Destroy him. HE Can Overrule all counsels. Whatever wisdom or help any man employs or affords, the success is From GOD Alone, WHO Will Not Let HIS people perish.


Ahithophel hanged himself for vexation that his counsel was not followed. He thought himself in danger, concluding, that, because his counsel was not followed, Absalom's cause would fail; and to prevent a possible public execution, he did justice upon himself.


Absalom chased his father. But observe how GOD sometimes Makes Up To HIS people that comfort from strangers, which they are disappointed of in their own families. Our KING Needs Not our help; but HE Assures us, that what we do for the least of HIS brethren, who are sick, poor, and destitute, shall be accepted and recompensed as if done To HIMSELF.



Let us extend our hands to brothers and sisters In CHRIST when they are in need of our help.







David Bore Shimei's Curses




2 Samuel 16:1-23 NIV










David and Ziba







1When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.


2The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?”


Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”








3The king then asked, “Where is your master’s grandson?”


Ziba said to him, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will restore to me my grandfather’s kingdom.’ ”


4Then the king said to Ziba, “All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.”


“I humbly bow,” Ziba said. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”








Shimei Curses David






5As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. 6He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. 7As he cursed, Shimei said,


Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! 8The LORD Has Repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The LORD Has Given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!”






9Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.”


10But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because The LORD Said To him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’ ”


11David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for The LORD Has Told him To. 12It may be that The LORD Will Look Upon my misery and Restore To me His Covenant Blessing instead of his curse today.”


13So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. 14The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.








The Advice of Ahithophel and Hushai






15Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.





16Then Hushai the Arkite, David’s confidant, went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”


17Absalom said to Hushai, “So this is the love you show your friend? If he’s your friend, why didn’t you go with him?”


18Hushai said to Absalom, “No, the one chosen By The LORD, by these people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and I will remain with him. 19Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.”







20Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?”


21Ahithophel answered, “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.” 






22So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.


23Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of GOD. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.










David Bore Shimei's Curses







David bore Shimei's curses much better than Ziba's flatteries; by these he was brought to pass a wrong judgment on another, by those to pass a right judgment on himself: the world's smiles are more dangerous than its frowns.


Once and again David spared Saul's life, while Saul sought his. But innocence is no defense against malice and falsehood; nor are we to think it strange, if we are charged with that which we have been most careful to keep ourselves from. It is well for us, that men are not to be our judges, but HE Whose Judgment Is according to Truth.


See how patient David was under this abuse. Let this remind us of CHRIST, WHO Prayed for those who reviled and crucified HIM. A humble spirit will turn reproaches into reproofs, and get good from them, instead of being provoked by them. David comforts himself that GOD Would Bring good out of his affliction.


We may depend Upon GOD To Repay, not only our services, but our sufferings.






Amen.









JEHOVAH'S Punishment On David's Sin By Absalom's Conspiracy




2 Samuel 15:1-37 NIV









Absalom’s Conspiracy








1In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” 4And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.”






5Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.






7At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to The Lord. 8While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If The Lord Takes me Back to Jerusalem, I will worship The Lord in Hebron. ’ ”


9The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron.


10Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’ ” 11Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. 12While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.








David Flees








13A messenger came and told David, “The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.”


14Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword.”


15The king’s officials answered him, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.”


16The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city. 18All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.


19The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. 20You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May The LORD Show you Kindness and Faithfulness.”


21But Ittai replied to the king, “As Surely As The LORD Lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”


22David said to Ittai, “Go ahead, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.


23The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.






24Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying The Ark of The Covenant of GOD. They set down The Ark of GOD, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.


25Then the king said to Zadok, “Take The Ark of GOD back into the city. If I find Favor In The LORD'S Eyes, HE Will Bring me Back and Let me see it and HIS Dwelling Place again. 26But If HE Says, ‘I AM Not Pleased With you,’ then I am ready; Let Him Do to me whatever seems good to HIM.”


27The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons.28I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29So Zadok and Abiathar took The Ark of GOD back to Jerusalem and stayed there.


30But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. 







31Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “LORD, Turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”






32When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship GOD, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. 33David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. 34But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice.35Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace.36Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.”


37So Hushai, David’s confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.









David Leaves Jerusalem










David determined to quit Jerusalem. He took this resolve, as a penitent submitting to the Rod of JEHOVAH. Before unrighteous Absalom he could justify himself, and stand out; but before the Righteous GOD he must condemn himself, and yield to HIS Judgments on his sin of bloodshed of Uriah, the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband.


Thus he accepts the punishment of his sin. And good men, when they themselves suffer, are anxious that others should not be led to suffer with them. He compelled none; those whose hearts were with Absalom, to Absalom let them go, and so shall their doom be.


Thus CHRIST Enlists none but willing followers. David cannot bear to think that Ittai, a stranger and an exile, a proselyte and a new convert, who ought to be encouraged and made easy, should meet with hard usage. But such value has Ittai for David's wisdom and goodness that he will not leave him. He is a friend indeed, who loves at all times, and will adhere to us in adversity.


Let us cleave to the Son of David, JESUS CHRIST our LORD and SAVIOR of our souls, with full purpose of heart, and neither life nor death shall separate us from HIS Love.






Absalom Returns To Jerusalem





2 Samuel 14:1-33 NIV









Absalom Returns to Jerusalem






1Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. 2So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don’t use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead. 3Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.







4When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, “Help me, Your Majesty!”


5The king asked her, “What is troubling you?”


She said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. 7Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir as well.’ They would put out the only burning coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth.”


8The king said to the woman, “Go home, and I will issue an order in your behalf.”


9But the woman from Tekoa said to him, “Let my lord the king pardon me and my family, and let the king and his throne be without guilt.”


10The king replied, “If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again.”


11She said, “Then let the king invoke The Lord his GOD to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed.”


“As surely as The LORD Lives,” he said, “not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”


12Then the woman said, “Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.”


“Speak,” he replied.


13The woman said, “Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of GOD? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son? 14Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not What GOD Desires; rather, HE Devises Ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.


15“And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; perhaps he will grant his servant’s request. 16Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from GOD’s Inheritance.’


17“And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king secure my inheritance, for my lord the king is like an angel of GOD in discerning good and evil. May The LORD your GOD be with you.’ ”


18Then the king said to the woman, “Don’t keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you.”


“Let my lord the king speak,” the woman said.


19The king asked, “Isn’t the hand of Joab with you in all this?”


The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant. 20Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of GOD—he knows everything that happens in the land.”


21The king said to Joab, “Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”


22Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant’s request.”


23Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king.


25In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. 26Whenever he cut the hair of his head—he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him—he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekelsb by the royal standard.


27Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she became a beautiful woman.


28Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king’s face. 29Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come. 30Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.


31Then Joab did go to Absalom’s house, and he said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”


32Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent word to you and said, ‘Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there!” ’ Now then, I want to see the king’s face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death.”


33So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. 


And the king kissed Absalom.









In token of his reconciliation to him, David kissed Absalom; which laid the foundation of his after troubles from him, related in the following chapters.