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By Luiz Sifuentes 05 Mar, 2023
Did you know that David lived, grew up, and developed a relationship with the Lord in obscure sheep fields? How do you suppose he cultivated an ability to trust in and focus on God by watching sheep? Could the sheep he led have taught him not to fight back or seek revenge?  David was gifted, perhaps a genius. He was a musician, poet, athlete, military strategist, ethicist, statesman, leader, and king. He is one of the most prominent figures in the history of the world and the most famous ancestor of Jesus, who is called the Son of David. No Bible character offers such a full range of human successes and failures as David. The highlights of David’s life are recorded in 1 Samuel 16 through 1 Kings 2:11 and in 1 Chronicles 10:14 through 29:30. There we learn that this man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) allowed sin in his sons without correcting them. That he loved God passionately yet had an affair with a married woman. That he was a loyal soldier and beloved military leader who betrayed one of his finest warriors and closest friends. David’s life falls into three phases: his years of preparation for leadership, the successful years of his reign, and the years of difficulty following his moral failure. Fewer chapters record his successful years than record the events of his preparatory or difficult years. We often think that as soon as David got past his training under the discipline of Saul, his successful kingly career began and continued for a long time. But Scripture indicates his successful years were limited and that trouble, adversity, and embarrassment awaited him in his latter years as a result of his moral failure, not correcting his sons, and trusting in the flesh. Obscurity Is No Problem for God When Samuel visited Jesse’s home in search of the next king for Israel, Jesse overlooked David. If this is any indication of the family’s posture toward David, it is clear that the family had little regard for the youngest son. Assuming that David wrote the 116th Psalm, he refers favorably there to the formative example of his mother. “Truly I am your servant, Lord; I am your servant, as was my mother before me; you have loosed my bonds of affliction” (Psalm 116:16). Though disregarded by his father and his brothers (who followed Jesse’s example), David was nevertheless encouraged by his mother’s love for God. We do not know how many years (or how many months in each year) David spent alone, watching the sheep. His references in the psalms to his sheep-watching responsibilities suggest that shepherding was a major part of his young life. In any event, he used those hours well, worshipping, developing the performing arts in his musical abilities, and practicing with his sling, killing a bear and a lion. He may have taken his weapons, a sling and club and a small harp with him to the fields. Most importantly, he used the contemplative opportunity to develop his personal philosophy of life as we can see in Psalm 23. In the lonely valleys near Bethlehem, God built Israel’s most famous and beloved king. I am a runner. In mid-2005, I ran my regular early-morning ten kilometers numerous times in Bethlehem, just down the hill from the traditional home of Jesse’s family. I waved greetings to young shepherd boys watching their sheep in the fields on those hills and valleys. The ample rocks (Ha! There are many!) and barrenness suggested to me that David had plenty of unoccupied hours during which any shepherd would gladly seek profitable pastimes provided he possessed imagination. David evidently did. David was like Moses as a leader-in-training. Moses was banished from the king’s court in Egypt and fled for his life. David was disregarded by his family and assigned to watching the sheep. Both leaders developed while watching sheep in obscurity and in due time were discovered and brought into public leadership. You may think you live in obscurity and no one knows you even exist. That is a wonderful place to be, because God knows exactly where you are. Be content, and do not waste the valuable training time God is giving you for contemplation, prayer, and self-development. Obscurity is not a problem for God. If you sulk in your obscurity you may remain there. Instead seek God and prepare yourself for greater service. God found Moses, and God found David. He will find you too. Jesse neglected David, but God did not. He helped Samuel find him as we see in 1 Samuel 16. “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). While you’re waiting for Him to discover you, what are you doing to develop yourself? The Basis for Confidence Jesse sent his son David with instructions to take food supplies to three soldier brothers (Eliab, Abinadab, and Sammah) serving in Saul’s army. When he arrived, his brothers scorned him rather than welcoming him. “When Eliab, David’s oldest brother heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, ‘Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle’” (1 Samuel 17:28). David was not discouraged by this treatment, however. Perhaps he was used to receiving it from Eliab. He pursued his interest in the battle, Goliath, and God’s reputation. Later, as David approached the giant, Goliath cursed him by his gods. David ignored the giant’s disdain and his slanderous remarks, and replied with his own surprisingly mature statement of his philosophy of war—indeed an amazingly confident declaration for a young man: You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:45–47). Goliath was formidable, but David placed his faith in God and His power, and he won the victory. When David went before the giant with his sling, Goliath laughed at such a little puny thing. But David knew his faith in God would stand the test, He flung the rock; God did the rest If you believe, you shall receive. There’s not a trouble or care the good Lord can’t relieve. Oh, He is just the same today, All you have to do is trust and pray, Believe, you must believe. David’s God-focused philosophy of war was right on target. It enabled him to fight successfully for many years. Submitting to God’s Training Program Samuel secretly anointed David to become king. Only David and his family knew of the incident. But soon after that, God began the developmental process through which He prepared David. At Saul’s invitation, David became Saul’s harpist and began to observe life at the king’s court. Imagine the first-hand opportunity to observe the comings and goings of life in the throne room of Saul, Israel’s first king. After evidently returning to his home, presumably because of Israel’s war with the Philistines, David’s father sent him to his brothers at the battlefront with cheese and foodstuffs. Jealous Saul was a difficult mentor. David escaped the king’s spear twice and his army twice. But through adversity after adversity at the hand of Saul, David learned to not fight back. He refused to oppose God’s anointed. Many years later David fled from Jerusalem when his own son Absalom, an illegitimate and self-proclaimed leader, entered the city and took possession of it and the kings palace and even the king’s concubines. He left his home rather than remain in Jerusalem and fight and see a civil war destroy Jerusalem. As they walked away from Jerusalem, even against the silly and powerless fool Shimei, David would not fight as is recorded in 2 Samuel 16:10–14. The imprecatory Psalms, which include cursing against enemies, are sometimes misunderstood. But when we realize that David trusted God to defend him rather than taking revenge himself, we can appreciate the high ethical standard David maintained. David, the ethicist, held to a higher level of behavior than Moses had taught. Moses had instructed that one should limit one’s vengeance to repaying in kind only the amount of treatment of the original offender. David committed the situation to God rather than seek his own revenge. If we do not fight for ourselves but rather let God do our fighting for us, we will have learned a valuable lesson from David. David Was a Wise Leader of Soldiers David’s victory over Goliath catapulted him into a successful military career. He had victories everywhere he turned. “David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army” (1 Samuel 18:5). “In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 18:14). “David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known” (1 Samuel 18:30). Later, at Nob, as he fled from Saul, David sought direction from God, relying on the priests there to assist him. “Ahimelek inquired of the Lord for him” (1 Samuel 22:10). Still later Saul learned of the priest’s assistance and became extremely angry. Ahimelek responded to Saul, “Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not” (1 Samuel 22: 15)! Saul had eighty-five priests killed that day. This did not stop David from inquiring of the Lord often. Because he habitually sought the Lord, God gave David military intelligence for his protection many times. At Keilah, as he continued to flee from Saul, “he inquired of the Lord saying, ‘Shall I go and attack these Philistines?’” (1 Samuel 23:2). “Once again David inquired of the Lord” (1 Samuel 23:4). “Again David asked, ‘Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?’ And the Lord said, ‘They will’” (1 Samuel 23:12). David was protected time and time again. When David became king, the Philistines invaded Israeli territory, “so David inquired of the Lord, ‘Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?’” (2 Samuel 5:19). The Philistines attacked again, “so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, ‘Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army’” (2 Samuel 5:23–24). Little wonder David could say, “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall” (2 Samuel 22:30). David’s guiding principle of continually inquiring of the Lord, coupled with his faith in God as the source for military victories, was the reason for his repeated successes. What if you and I were to apply that policy to the work we do for God? What difference would it make in our homes, businesses, careers, churches, communities, nations? David’s Heart Was toward God One has only to read David’s psalms to find ample poetic evidence of his strong desire for the Lord. The celebrative manner in which David directed and participated in the procession to Jerusalem with the ark is just one example of his public and private passion for God (2 Samuel 6:1–11). David was not ashamed of his zeal for the Lord, as evidenced by his scorning the ridicule that his wife, Saul’s daughter, gave to him. “David said to Michal, ‘It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor’” (2 Samuel 6:21–22). David’s penitence after his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah also reveals David’s love for God. Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. . . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. . . . Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. . . . You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offering. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. (Psalm 51:4, 7–8, 10–12, 16–17) Let us too have a heart toward God. This is not always perfectly easy! There is competition. We naturally want approval from other people. But David gives us the example of passionate love for God. Beginning Well Is not Enough David was Israel’s greatest king and the founder of the dynasty in which Jesus Christ was eventually born years later, yet only nine chapters record David’s triumphant years. For seventeen chapters he was in training, for nine chapters he was a triumphant king, and these are followed by fifteen and a half chapters that record his sin, its consequences, and his constant struggle against various difficulties until he died. We conclude this study by observing David had three major strengths that were offset later in life by three major failures. David’s three major strengths were 1) David’s dependance on God in battle, 2) David’s heart toward God and 3) David’s habit of enquiring of God. David also had two other minor strong points that served him well: 1) he was kind and 2) he was generous. We see these in his normal treatment of people with whom he had dealings. David’s three major mistakes were: 1) David did not correct his children properly. 2) David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the murderous cover-up that followed, and 3) David numbered his soldiers near the end of his life which shows that he wanted to boast about his army rather than trust in and give all the glory for his military victories to God. Three other minor failures of David’s can be identified. 1) He did not give proper attention to the northern tribes of Israel when he was welcomed back to Jerusalem after putting down Absalom’s rebellion. Sheba stepped into what he saw as a leadership vacuum and another civil war erupted. 2) He also did not act on his promise to place Solomon on his throne as quickly as he should have. This time Adonijah stepped into what he saw as a leadership vacuum and an opportunity. 3) He did not punish Joab when Joab killed Abner. David should have had Joab executed. Later Joab also murdered Amasa and this would have been avoided if David had had Joab executed the first time he murdered a competitor. One may well wonder what would it have been like if David had used all his strong points to compensate for his mistakes and failures. If he had consistently used any one of his strengths, he could have avoided all three of the following failures: 1. David did not correct his children. David was soft on the sin in his own family. He failed to discipline his sons, three of whom most certainly should have been punished: Amnon, Absolom, and Adonijah. Amnon raped his sister Tamar. Absalom revolted against his father and tried to take the entire kingdom. When David did nothing about it, Joab took matters into his own hands, killed Absalom, and eventually rebuked David. Just prior to David’s death, Adonijah also tried to usurp the throne. Scripture says, “His father had never rebuked him by asking, ‘Why do you behave as you do’” (1 Kings 1:6)? David did not discipline his sons; Israel suffered shame as a result. You would think he would have learned from Eli and Samuel who did poorly in raising their sons. No. David was also soft on most of his children. Possibly he eventually took time to train Solomon because Solomon refers to his father’s instruction. 2. David sinned with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah. Some Bible scholars believe that when David sinned with Bathsheba, he should not have been in Jerusalem in the first place, but rather on the battlefield. As a soldier and leader of soldiers, the sin of David murdering one of his mighty men is unconscionable. Having Uriah, his loyal soldier, mighty man, and faithful friend killed in a cover-up scheme was a worse sin than David’s adultery with Bathsheba. 3. David showed his dependence on human strength by numbering his army, contrary to God’s Word. David’s final major mistake was to trust in the power of his own army rather than trust in God. God had told Israel through Moses not to count soldiers, which was a way of expressing the need to trust God, not the arm of flesh. Yet David insisted, against Joab’s advice, on enrolling the fighting men. Where now is the God-directed faith David displayed as he ran toward Goliath as a youth? David’s major strengths that could have been utilized against those failures were: 1. He believed in God for military victory. Why did David not trust God for victory toward the end of his life? Earlier he had inquired of the Lord regarding military questions and gained numerous victories. Could God not give him further victories without relying on a strong army of many counted soldiers? Could God’s strength in battle not also have helped David raise obedient children? 2. He inquired of the Lord regarding military matters. Why didn’t David inquire of the Lord regarding his children’s disobedience? Why not ask the Lord what to do with the problem of the woman in his neighborhood bathing within view of the royal palace? Could he not have inquired of the Lord regarding the decision to number Israel’s army? 3. He had a passionate love for God. If David loved God so intensely, why did he allow disobedience in his family? How could he have an affair with a neighbor’s wife? Uriah was David’s friend and a dedicated soldier even unwilling to go to his house and sleep with his wife when he could have but didn’t because his fellow-soldiers were on the field of battle. How could he send Uriah to his death? How could he trust human military might and disobey God’s command not to number his army? It seems the older David grew, and the more comfortable he became as king, the more his moral and spiritual strength declined. His faith in God’s power to deliver, his policy of regularly seeking God’s counsel, and his love for God were in operation only selectively later in his life. This can be a lesson to help us avoid becoming too comfortable—and less dependent on God. David did not finish as well as he might have. Will you? The Bible tells the story the way it was. Sins are not covered over. Faults are not hidden. Victories are celebrated. Good examples are appreciated. Next time you read through I & II Samuel in your Bible reading, notice these strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps you will find more than are listed here. May the Lord richly bless your continued study of the life of David.
By Luiz Sifuentes 05 Mar, 2023
Introduction: We are to “tell the truth in love,” “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ,” and obey Scriptures’ teaching for when someone is overtaken in a fault. This emphasis suggests we are to be accountable to each other and help each other grow. But, in recent years we have almost exclusively emphasized comfort, mercy, tolerance, compassion, empathy, and sympathy. It is good to understand those softer virtues—but we have applied them inappropriately. According to Scripture, we are to confront, hold people accountable, and help each other grow in character. Judgment “begins in the household of God.” We have produced a generation of comfortable Christians whose life-styles and standards of behavior are not much different from the world’s. We have not grown in personal character as we could have.  The Bible interprets the Bible. Every text must be interpreted in view of what is said in the rest of the Bible. This helps us avoid extremes. Consider fasting in view of what the Bible says about feasting. Consider mercy in view of what the Bible says about accountability, justice and the correction of each other. Here we will address accountability, not because mercy is not biblical, but because undue emphasis on only mercy reduces the sense of responsibility we need to grow in personal character as God would have us. Second Samuel chapters 13 – 19 discuss very interesting history full of ethical lessons for believers. David’s son, Amnon, raped Tamar, David’s daughter by another wife by whom he also bore Absalom—Absalom and Tamar were siblings; Absalom then killed Amnon and feared to return to Jerusalem. Absalom, did, however, return to the capitol, stole the hearts of Israel, and marched against his father’s armies, whereupon David nobly fled rather than see bloodshed in Jerusalem; David humbly loved his rebellious son right up to Absalom’s death; David was eventually restored to Jerusalem. We pick up the story in chapter 14 where a pivotal tactical error occurs—David does not hold his son accountable, but is soft on crime. II Samuel 14 14 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. 2 So 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. 3 Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth. 4 When the woman from Tekoa went[a] to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, “Help me, Your Majesty!” 5 The king asked her, “What is troubling you?” She said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 I 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. 7 Now 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.” 8 The king said to the woman, “Go home, and I will issue an order in your behalf.” 9 But 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.” 10 The king replied, “If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again.” 11 She 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.” 12 Then the woman said, “Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” “Speak,” he replied. 13 The 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? 14 Like 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. 16 Perhaps 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.’” 18 Then 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. 19 The 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. 20 Your 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.” 21 The king said to Joab, “Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 Joab 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.” 23 Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 But 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. 25 In 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. 26 Whenever 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 shekels[b] by the royal standard. 27 Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she became a beautiful woman. 28 Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king’s face. 29 Then 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. 30 Then 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. 31 Then Joab did go to Absalom’s house, and he said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” 32 Absalom 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.” 33 So 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. I BANISHMENT Joab knew how the land lay, that David was thinking of the brilliant, but good for nothing Absalom and devised a clever story sufficiently like the real situation and put it in the mouth of a widow who could receive pity from David. The widow pled that the “only burning coal” in her hand would not be “put out” (v 7). The king’s sympathy was aroused, as a merciful king, who gave his word and then his oath that the offender should be safe. The woman had David in a trap—since he had promised to waive justice and absolve her guilty son. The wise woman’s saying went deep into the heart of the king. She turned the king’s oath against him and required him to bring back his own guilty and unrepentant son. She implied that human power is most noble when penalties are abandoned and wanderers are restored. Now, lay aside the metaphor of the widow’s “two sons” and Absalom as well. Who are the banished? This woman laid to heart the great, awful truth that sin results in separation from God. They are not necessarily glaring criminals, but the whole human race is included. As Cain was banished, and had taken flight, now Absalom had taken flight and was banished. So all of us in the human race generally, and from time to time each of us individually, are both banished and take flight from the presence of a holy God who loves righteousness and hates evil. We cannot be blessedly and peacefully close to God unless we are also far from sin. God’s love will never abandon us, so He is always available, but our sin interferes. Two flat polished plates of metal can adhere, can be close, but if there is sand between, they are not comfortable together; they grate against each other. So our sin separates us from God. He resists our sin and we flee from his holiness. We are both at flight and banished, and both of these conditions are self-inflicted—they are our fault. David’s dilemma: David was Absalom’s king and had to consider law and justice, but David was also Absalom’s father and his heart cried out for his son. A banished son is still a son for whom the loving father yearns. Only the redeemed are true “sons of God,” since only in a broader sense, the heavenly father—like David—yearns for fellowship with His banished sons and daughters and designed a way to satisfy His own sense of justice and restore them to himself—to make them true sons and daughters. God’s love moves around the worst, the most unworthy, the most rebellious in the far-off land, and does not desire the death of the banished sinner, but rather that he would turn from his sin, repent, and live—not only have life, but life abundant. God wants to restore all whose sins have removed them from His presence. II MEANS In the woman’s parable, she says in verse 14 that “he (God) devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.” God works to restore the banished, to heal the relationship. He not only brings the son geographically from one place to another, but psychologically, emotionally and relationally turns hearts toward, instead of away, from each other. And he deals effectively with the issue that originally produced the banishment. It was a major task that required God to “devise ways.” David did it, but did it poorly. God did it and did it right—it cost’s Jesus’ life. But there is a problem—The whole drift of popular thinking today goes in the direction of a superficial and easy gospel—'Oh, of course, God forgives. Isn’t God, love? Is not God, our Father?' People forget that there are formidable obstacles to even divine forgiveness. The gospel, which says 'God will pardon, of course!' sounds very charitable, but at the bottom is very cruel. Why? People are right in believing that certainly God must pardon, but are fatally wrong in not recognizing that the only kind of forgiveness He can give is also consistent with His just laws. It means a great deal whether a man seeks to be good or bad. God’s pardon is not a mere good natured winking at transgression. If that were the case, the judge is condemned when the guilty is acquitted. David, therefore, struck a fatal blow to his family and kingdom’s judicial system when he weakly let his son off without a penalty. And God too—if we could imagine this—would destroy the justice on which His kingdom is built were He to lightly forgive with a kind of weak love that indulged the sinner with no requirement of repentance. The story before us illustrates that not every act of mercy makes a man better. The Absalom who experienced shallow-grace came back unsoftened, without one touch of gratitude toward his father in his base heart, without the least gleam of a better nature dawning upon him, and went flaunting about the court until his viciousness culminated in his unnatural rebellion. The pardon we receive must entail an element which will change our wills and desires from evil—we call it “conversion”—or we will need the pardon again too soon. Superficial notions of our sins are contented with superficial remedies. If once we feel ourselves struggling in the black flood of sin’s awful river, we need a firmer anchor on the bank than is given by some rootless tree or other. We must clutch something that will withstand a strong pull, if we are to be drawn from the muddy waters. God had to “devise ways.” Even God cannot—especially God cannot—by an arbitrary act pardon a sinful man. His nature and law forbid it. Even God had to devise means—and the very one who was alone qualified to take vengeance, took it not, but found a remedy. “Love found a way to redeem my soul, Love found a way that could make me whole; Love sent my Lord to the cross of shame, Love found a way, O praise his holy name.” Love did not just forgive; it found a way to justly forgive. Payment of the penalty was made by Jesus and if we only repent we receive our pardon. David’s problem was not that he forgave, but that he forgave without requiring repentance. It appears that Joab—also a murderer—may have had a wrong motive for seeking favor with Absalom. If Absalom owed Joab a favor, Joab would stand a chance of remaining commander of the armies were Abaslom to rule instead of David. Both Joab and Absalom were rascals. Motives to be merciful can be ulterior. The rascal, Joab, seized an opportunity to give undue mercy because he wanted eventually to receive undue mercy. True biblical mercy, however, has elements of penalty paid, repentance, conversion, and genuine restoration. Absalom’s restoration had none of those elements. III PARABLES There is a similarity in the tactic of Joab and that of Nathan who both told David a parable. Both times, when David pronounced judgment, he was caught in his own words. David was influenced by parables. One was given by the Lord through Nathan, truthful and uncomplimentary, which produced repentance in David; the other by Joab, deceitful and complimentary, which produced a poor decision of leniency for Absalom. One brought great blessing; the other, brought great trouble in his family; one aroused him to do what he ought to do—repent of his sin with Bathsheba, the other gave the king an excuse to do what he wished to do—be lenient toward Absalom. But notice the dissimilarities between the son in the story and the real son, Absalom. Her son did it without malice or intent, in hasty passion in a field. Absalom had held a grudge, had his men kill his brother maliciously in his home as his brothers sat at the table together with many witnesses. She had only one son. David had many. Furthermore, she claims that “We must die” (v 14). But this was not true. David had other sons including recently born Jedidiah, a name God gave Solomon, which means loved of God. Yet David was persuaded by her faulty logic. Three years in exile was followed by two years of house arrest without seeing the king. In both the three and the two-year periods, Absalom was treated better than he deserved. Yet his spirit was not humbled, his pride not mortified and instead of being thankful that his life was spared, he thought himself sorely wronged that he was not restored to the grandeurs of the King’s court. IV APPEARANCE In vs. 25 & 26 Absalom is described as handsome, but we read nothing of his devotion, wisdom, or having a heart toward God. To be handsome is poor commendation for a person with nothing else commending him. Many a polluted, deformed soul dwells in a good-looking, well built, and handsome body. Handsome Absalom’s was polluted with blood and deformed with desire for his brother’s life and his father’s throne. In his body was no blemish, but his mind and spirit were bruised, twisted, wounded, and ambitious. Pity the parent who raises handsome sons and beautiful daughters who know nothing of virtue, honesty, work, courtesy, and character. These are virtues that are truly handsome and beautiful. The ancients were accustomed to give much care to hair. Curiously, David promised the widow that, “not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.” By interesting contrast to the fictitious son in the widow’s parable, Absalom, David’s own son, had rich luxurious hair that was cut annually, and weighed about three pounds each time. So luxurious was Absalom’s hair that when doing battle against his father’s army riding his mule through the forest, that luxurious hair was caught in a tree and, in contrast to David’s promise that the widow’s son’s hair would not fall to the ground, would not let Absalom down to the ground in safety, but rather hung him up. Absalom was caught by his lovely hair and Joab thrust three javelins into his heart as he hung on the oak tree. Cursed beautiful hair! Outward appearance has no comparison with inward character. A fair body is also a gift of God, but what does physical beauty help, if there is no fair soul living on the inside? On the other hand, a deformed and ugly man who has beauty of soul is worth much in the sight of God. The Lord looks at the heart. V WEAKNESS (THAT LOOKED LIKE MERCY) Absalom pretended to love and want to see the king’s face, but actually he wanted to supplant him. He cannot do his father mischief until he is restored to him. This snake cannot sting again until he is close enough to strike. Absalom’s character is shown in that, instead of treating Joab kindly, he forces Joab’s attention by burning his fields. Sampson could think of no worse thing to do to his enemies than to burn their fields and Absalom does this to the very one who had helped him return from banishment. Absalom’s character of haughty revenge was shown in setting the field on fire. Notice verse 32 where Absalom’s speech had words that sounded good to the loving, dotting, and forgiving father. “I want to see the king’s face and if I am guilty of anything let him put me to death.” In fact, the opposite was true. See how easily wise and good men may be imposed upon by their own children that design ill, especially when they are blindly fond of them. Absalom’s words and bowing (v 33) testifies to his sincerity, but his heart was far from it. Absalom was unrepentant and with savage defiance challenged his father to either kill him or release him. David, at first, did not grant a full pardon. He still remembered Absalom’s murder of his brother Amnon and Absalom had given no hint of repentance. Yet David was already guilty of (1) weakness in not punishing Amnon for raping Tamar and then (2) not punishing Absalom for killing Amnon and (3) allowing an unrepentant Absalom to return to Jesusalem. Next, a greater weakness is shown in (4) allowing an emboldened defiant son greater liberties in Jerusalem! David was soon to taste the bitter fruits of his faulty weakness towards Absalom. David sinned against the Lord in receiving Absalom into favor without penitence and again failing to punish him. When forgiving, neither truth nor justice are to be set aside. To forgive is right, but there is a condition—humble repentance. He who in unholy, weak love confounds the correct attitude of willingness to forgive with the actual act of forgiveness itself, and pardons even when the condition is not complied with, sins not only against God’s holy ordination of love, but also against his neighbor. The hard impenitent heart is the more hardened by such weak love, and drawn into further evil as Absalom’s example shows. It is easily done to let loose an outrageous offender and a murderer, but not so easily is it excused before God. In excusing the unrepentant offender, blood-guiltiness is brought on the family, church, institution, or land and other great misfortunes are the result. David, by his weakness towards Absalom, became guilty of causing the further breakdown of his family, which, in turn, produced the cause and beginning of the break up of the kingdom by Absalom’s revolt. Chastisement without love is an outrage. No father is at liberty to plague or torture his child; but a love that cannot lovingly and firmly chastise is no love, and reaps a poor reward. A child that is not appropriately punished by parents, at last, punishes parents. CONCLUSIONS There is a time for mercy. The Bible teaches us to be merciful and to treat people better than they deserve. There are times when mercy alone is inappropriate. Mercy alone allows for greater offenses, which is really unmerciful, since it releases one to advance to greater sin and guilt. It is difficult to discipline those you love. But love that is unjust with no accountability is weak and leads to further complications. David’s subsequent problems with Absalom were the result of David’s inappropriate use of mercy—his weakness. If Absalom had been held accountable and repented, all Israel would have benefited. The story could have been entirely different. Appropriate discipline: A. acts as a deterrent, B. acts as a corrective and C. upholds standards of justice. It is fair and teaches fairness. APPLICATIONS Not because we are unmerciful, but because we are merciful in the highest sense by requiring growth, we will show mercy when there is repentance and also make ourselves accountable to each other. Care enough about other’s growth to confront. Care enough about your own growth that you are willing to receive confrontation. Accountability is a key to personal character development—that all may see our good works and glorify our father in heaven and that the beauty of Jesus will be seen in us. In family—hold the line for the sake of character-growth in our children. In society—support accountability on the job, marketplace, and social relationships. In church—whether our children, their teachers, or our pastors, we should hold each other accountable. Otherwise, our ease on sin will spiritually infect the whole body.
By Luiz Sifuentes 05 Mar, 2023
I Kings 2:1-11 2 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man,3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go 4 and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 5 “Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. 6 Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace. 7 “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom. 8 “And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ 9 But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.” 10 Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. 11 He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. David, that great and good man, is a dying man in verse 1 and a dead man in verse 10. It is a unique blessing and feature of our faith that there is indeed another life after this. This life is not all we live for. It is merely the relatively small vestibule through which we pass on our way into the glories and spender of the large house where we will live forever. We make our preparations here, but we will live forever there. Our eternal condition there depends on the quality of our preparations here.  1. David’s General Charge to Solomon 1-4 David’s Charge to Solomon in general includes the kind of thing any father might well recommend to his son—be strong, act like a man, obey God and keep his commands with a particular emphasis on keeping the laws of God. Any parent could learn from this how to instruct his or her children. The last words of any parent preparing to die would have some special authority, but it is not as great as God’s authority. To point offspring and subsequent descendants to God’s Word is a noble gesture—the best gesture. We have great instructions, trusts and commandments with which we are charged by the Lord our God. We do well to keep them and to instruct our children to keep them. Here is the heart of David’s teaching and guidance to Solomon: “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses.” (verse 2b-3a) It is our rule to keep carefully, the written Word—God’s decrees, commands, laws and regulations. Solomon himself must keep God’s Word, and also we who now seek God’s favor. David encouraged Solomon to maintain a healthy courage and manliness— “be strong, act like a man.” Unfortunately, in the present generation, with its emphasis on gender neutrality and equality, we have lost something that Moses and David elude to in their instructions. A woman should not wear man’s clothes and a man should not wear woman’s clothes. There was a reason for this. God wants men to be manly and women to be lady-like. Joshua was told to be strong and to have good courage. Bravery and manliness are desirable attributes of men according to the Bible as Moses, and now also David, clearly accentuated. It may seem strange to point out this particular concept from David’s charge, but David included it and it deserves to be affirmed and reiterated especially today. To be manly and resolute in the pursuit of godliness is a virtuous desire that will put men in good stead with God today. A pastor who is a man’s man will have men in his church. Women will also attend such a church. But a pastor who favors women will have mostly women in his or her church and few men. Pastor, be a manly man or a lady-like woman and, in either case, give attention to empowering manly men. You and your church will be stronger if you do this. David also explained good reasons for all these instructions. “Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.” David wanted things to go well—to prosper—for Solomon and the kingdom. The word “prosperity” today, with the emphasis of contemporary materialistic societies, has taken on the meaning of mere “material and financial prosperity.” Material and financial prosperity are only one relatively small part of or factor in over-all prosperity the way the Bible intends for people to be prosperous. Real prosperity includes wise behavior, personal peace, happiness in one’s work, satisfaction in one’s career, marital happiness, hearty family life, good relationships with neighbors, healthy self-acceptance and many more aspects of the abundant life that God wants us to enjoy, and that do not necessarily have direct relationship to material and financial matters. Our situation differs from Solomon’s in that we are not all a king or head of state like David and Solomon were. Our descendants will not inherit a throne like Solomon did, but we do have the hope that our descendants will follow in our pursuit of God and that our posterity would enjoy the blessings that accompany those who love Him and are watched over by Him. So we certainly can apply the spirit of David’s desire for Solomon to our own offspring and their offspring. “If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.” Those among our offspring that rightly value and treasure their spiritual heritage—as Jacob did in contrast to Esau who did not value his birthright—in succeeding generations, can continue to enjoy the benefits of knowing God and keeping His Word as we do. We can be very desirous that those who come after us may do nothing to cut themselves off from the blessings we enjoy. Let each, in his own age, successively, keep God’s charge, and then God is certain to continue to bless according to His Word. We want the promise so we keep the precept. God had promised David that the Messiah should come from him, and that promise was absolute: but the promise that there should not fail to be successor was conditional, “if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel”—that is if his seed would behave themselves as they should. If Solomon, in his day, fulfill the condition, he would be doing his part towards the continuation of the promise. Don’t we all want to pass every spiritual blessing God has given to us on to our children? Yet each generation must make their own decision, David had made his and was encouraging Solomon to make his own good decision. 2. David’s Charge Regarding Joab 5-6 David gave Solomon specific directions concerning three persons, the first of whom is Joab. Verses 5-6 say, “Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.” David wanted to see justice brought to the commander of his army—his nephew—over whom he himself either did not or could not exercise the control which he seems to be admitting here he should have maintained. Apparently, David was now conscious that he had not done well to spare him twice when Joab had clearly broken the law. The murder of Abner first and later of Amasa, both of them great men, captains of the hosts of Israel, was treachery and was personally offensive, detrimental, disadvantageous, damaging and destructive to David himself. The murder of a subject is a wrong to the king of that person; it is a loss to him. But these two men—Abner and Amasa—were not just ordinary citizens; they were appointed and important public figures in a kingdom. And since David was king, these murders were in a unique way against David, adversely affecting his reputation. They could have been serviceable to David. Magistrates (kings) represent the state and are the avengers of the blood of those over whom they have charge and responsibility. So David was responsible. Joab’s crime was even more heinous in that he was neither ashamed of it nor afraid of punishment for it. He boldly, flagrantly and audaciously wore the belt and shoes that were stained with innocent blood. In doing so he defied the justice of God and the king. “Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.” Even though Joab was up in years and would die sometime anyway, David wanted justice to be served. Though time has passed, still Joab deserved to die; he should be reckoned with at last; time does not erase, obliterate or abolish the guilt of any sin. 3. David’s Charge Regarding the Sons of Barzillai 7 David instructed Solomon to be kind to Barzillai’s family for Barzillai’s sake. Barzillai was probably already dead by this time, but David could not forget the kindnesses Barzillai had done for him when he fled from Jerusalem and Absalom. Verse 7 says, “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.” When David, upon his death-bed, was remembering injuries that had been done to him, he would not forget also the kindnesses that had been shown to him. He charged his son to return those kindnesses. Elsewhere in the Bible we are told not to carry a grudge or harbor ill-will. We are to release and dismiss those negative feelings, forgive to be forgiven, release to be released. On the other side of this equation, kindnesses should be remembered. We learn this not only from David’s charge to Solomon and Solomon’s obedience to that charge, but also from Pr 27:10 which Solomon may have written because of this instruction from his father. It says, “Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,” More than once Paul reminds his readers to be kind to someone because of a previous kindness. For example Paul prayed for the house of Onesiphorus, who had often refreshed him. II Tim 1:16 says, “May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.” Christian leaders—pastors, evangelists, missionaries, teachers and church leaders are well advised to remember and repay kindnesses. This is God’s way. 4. David’s Charge Regarding Shimei 8-9 David also wanted justice to be served to Shimei. Verses 8-9 say, “And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.” Curses are bitter any time, but these curses would have been more grievous than usual since they were not based on truth and were delivered at a time when David was already in great misery. Shimei poured vinegar or put salt into David’s wounds. David did remember and here acknowledged that he had told Shimei that he would not put him to death. When Shimei met David on David’s return toward Jerusalem, he apologized to David and confessed his sin. David said then that he would not punish Shimei, but he did not say that his successor would not punish him. When David was returning to Jerusalem was not the appropriate time to punish Shimei, but he was an evil man and if his bad character rears its ugly head again, then you should use that opportunity to bring justice to him. David was not willing to spoil the celebrant atmosphere of his return to Jerusalem with a sentence of death, even on Shimei. There is a time for everything and that was not the time to hold court, but rather to rejoice in restoration. He would not use the sword of public justice to avenge himself. David left the case with Solomon as to one that knew what to do. When David said, “do not consider him innocent,” he intimated to him that the pardon was not to be perpetual, but only a reprieve. Do not think him any true friend to you or your government. He is not to be trusted. He has no less malice now though he has more sense to hide it. His tempestuous spirit will soon give you an occasion to bring his grey head down to the grave in blood. This and David’s charge concerning Joab do not proceed from personal revenge, but wise and prudent zeal for the honor of the government. Honor accompanies the covenant God has made with his family and church and the violation of it ought not go unpunished. If a member of your worship team is morally misbehaving, he or she should not be allowed to continue to serve on the stage of the church in public. God loves justice. We must uphold the honor of God in His church. 5. David’s Death and Burial 10-11 Verses 10-11 say, “Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.” The historian here does not include the extra 6 months to the 7 years and 6 months that David ruled in Hebron. He simply reports 7 years in Hebron and 33 in Jerusalem for a total of 40 years of David’s leadership as king. After serving, David rested. Life is difficult but at its end we can anticipate rest. We do not fear death because of the truth expressed in Ps 116:15 which says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.” The account of David’s death is a success story. Furthermore, David had fulfilled God’s purpose for him in his generation; it was time to rest. Acts 13:36 says, “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.” Yet the decay of the body is not something to be feared, lamented or regretted. We must remember the triumphant hope recorded in I Cor 15:54-55 which says, “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'" We can readily view David’s passing as a promotion and with a healthy and optimistic attitude anticipate and expectantly look forward to our own. David was buried honorably in his own city. II Sam 23:1 records what was said of David when introducing his last words. We might borrow some of those words now to decorate David’s tomb: 'Here lies the body of David son of Jesse, the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel’s songs.' David himself wrote in Ps 16: 8-11, “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” We hold to the hope for the ultimate triumph of David’s son expressed in Acts 2:29-35. “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord (God the father) said to my Lord (Jesus the Son): "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."'” Jesus, the son of David will have all enemies under His feet forever. So we arrive at the end of our study of 73 lessons for leaders from the life of David. All Christians can benefit from such an exercise, though, in this series, we have attempted to identify specifically the instructions particularly useful for Christian leaders. May the Lord grant to us the wisdom and discernment we need to be able to follow the good aspects of David’s example while simultaneously avoiding those flaws that might reduce our effectiveness.
By Luiz Sifuentes 05 Mar, 2023
I Kings 1:32-53 32 King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, 33 he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. 34 There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon! 35 Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. 37 As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!” 38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound. 41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?” 42 Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.” 43 “Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king.44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, 45 and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear. 46 Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. 47 Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed 48 and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’” 49 At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. 50 But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52 Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53 Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.” There may be a little bit of the ambition and aspiration of Adonijah in each of us. This narration of Solomon’s ascension to the throne of his father, David, is a sobering yet critical, essential and far-reaching lesson for every Christian leader. I do not want to just injure my ego; I want to kill it. Then, perhaps, God can use me.  1. The King’s Instructions are Given 32-37 This is a success story. From his bed, David effectively secured Solomon’s throne, Israel’s peace and crushed Adonijah’s scheme. It was time for clear assertive leadership and David rose to the occasion. The plan was carried out with good results for Israel, Solomon, David and Bathsheba. David authorized Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah, faithful men of position and authority, in whom he had confidence but whom Adonijah has passed by, with this task. They all succeeded in their effort to make it plain to all that Solomon was the next king. Verses 32-34 make it clear that David wanted with all possible fanfare, dignity, and ceremony to proclaim Solomon king. It says, “King David said, ‘Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.’ When they came before the king, he said to them: ‘Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, “Long live King Solomon!”’” To accomplish this they were to take servants of the king, body guards and household servants. This impressive size a group alone, would easily attract the attention of the residents of Jerusalem. And what would that crowd see? Solomon was to be set on the king’s own mule which David had ridden. (David did not have abundant stables and horses like Solomon eventually had.) The crowd would then watch Solomon carried by that mule to Gihon and anointed king by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet, the two most highly positioned and influential ecclesiastical leaders of the nation. They would next hear a trumpet blown and someone begin the shout that would soon filled the Gihon valley all the way back to the City of David, “Long live King Solomon!” Solomon was not one of David’s older children. Adonijah was born in Hebron and would have at this time been between 33 and 40 years old. David and Bathsheba’s first son died about 20 years earlier and Solomon, the second son from that union, would have been born about 2 years later—18 years ago. Assuming that David was about 50 years old when he had his affair with Bathsheba and was now about 70, that would make Solomon now about 18 years old. Being a much younger son of David’s may have been a factor in Adonijah’s attempt to become king. At any rate, the Solomon that Zadok and Nathan were to anoint king was a young man. Though he was made king by divine appointment, since he was so young and his title was contested, it was especially necessary that his ascent to the throne should be publicly and clearly settled with due ceremony. The anointing, signifying the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit, was typical for prophets and kings and later was a designation and qualification of the Messiah, Christ the anointed one, on Whom the Spirit, that oil of gladness, was poured without measure. Heb 1:9 says, “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” And Ps 89:20 says, “I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him.” And all Christians, being heirs of the kingdom, do receive from him the anointing. James 2:5 says, “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” and I John 2:27 says, “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” As we celebrate Solomon’s anointing and observe what God did through him because of it, we are aware that we too are anointed and can expect that we too will bear fruit as “little Christs”—Christians—little anointed ones. Observe that the great officers, civil and military, are ordered to give public notice of Solomon’s accent to the throne, and to express the public joy with the sound of trumpet. Moses had directed that great events might be observed with trumpets and then add the acclamations of the people: “Long live King Solomon!" 'Indeed, let him prosper, let his kingdom be established and perpetuated, and let him continue enjoying it for a long time.'' As David wrote in his Psalm for Solomon, “Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.” We could well consider the entire Psalm 72, David’s last, David’s Psalm for his son, Solomon, to be a kind of model prayer of blessing for fathers who wish to encourage their growing adult sons. Affirming the good in the next generation is one way parents have to influence not only their own generation, but the next one too. Then, according to David’s plan, they must bring Solomon in state to the city of David, to assist in kingdom affairs while his father was weak and then to be his successor after his death. He will be king in my stead. Soon Jerusalem would see the new king carried by that mule and accompanied by that shouting and happily roaring crowd to the place where David’s throne was located. And Solomon would mount it probably with all the pomp and dignity they could have arranged. It would be a great satisfaction to David himself, and to all parties concerned, to have this done immediately, that upon David’s death there might be no dispute. David was far from grudging his successor the honor of appearing as the next king in David’s own life-time. So heartily and wisely did David throw himself into the making and declaration of this plan that we might wonder why he had not put it into action days before. Perhaps he had been thinking about it. We commend him for this nobility, but wish he had acted on his thought sooner. It was a great plan, now let’s see how it was received. Benaiah expressed his great satisfaction with these orders. Verses 56-37 say, “Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, ‘Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!’” He was apparently speaking as a kind of representative for the group though the historian simply mentions only what this one, Benaiah, said. The king said, “Solomon shall reign for me, and reign after me.” “Amen,” says Benaiah heartily, 'as the king says, so say we; we are entirely satisfied in the nomination, and concur in the choice, we give our unanimous vote for Solomon. And since we can make nothing happen, much less establish it without the blessing of God, may the Lord Himself say so also!'' Verse 36 says, “Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it.” This spontaneous response from Benaiah, for our purposes in learning from David and the noble men of David’s generation, may demonstrate the language of his faith in that promise of God on which Solomon’s government was founded. That was Benaiah’s appropriate response in his day. Today, similarly, whatever subject we address, if we say it as God says it in His Word, we may hope that He will say and do as we say by His action in our lives. I find in Benaiah’s comment a lesson regarding prayer. For the person whose thoughts and prayers are consistent with God’s, what is bound in the heavenlies is bound on earth and what is loosed in the heavenlies is loosed on earth. And as an extra blessing, Benaiah added a prayer of blessing for Solomon, recorded in verse 37, “As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!” What a kind prayer that God would be with Solomon as He had been with David, and make his throne greater! David was not one to envy His children’s greatness, even if it surpassed his own, but would heartily say Amen to it. He would not be upset by this as Saul had earlier demonstrated many times in his jealousy of his son-in-law. The wisest and best men and women in the world desire that their children may be wiser and better than themselves, for they themselves desire to be wiser and better than they are at present and wisdom and goodness are accurate, authentic and legitimate marks of greatness. 2. The King’s Instructions are Carried Out 38-40 The king’s orders are immediately executed. No time was lost. Solomon was brought in state to the place appointed, and there Zadok, though not yet high priest in Abiathar’s place, anointed him by the direction of Nathan and David. Just as David planned and commanded, so each part was implemented; all parties followed David’s script. Verses 38-40 say, “ So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.” When a plan is from God, the execution of it is delightfully similar to it. We do not know where the equipment of the tabernacle was at this time after the ark was transferred by David to the tent in Jerusalem. Either a supply of holy anointing oil was in Gihon or it was brought there for this occasion. Zadok took a horn of it, which signified power and plenty, and with it he and Nathan anointed Solomon. David had included both Zadok and Nathan in his instructions and later it is reported that both of them (see v 45) participated in it. We do not, however, read that Abiathar anointed Adonijah. He was made king by a feast; not by anointing. Whom God calls, he anoints; ordination, an important man-made ceremony, illustrates anointing, but the true anointing is by God’s spirit. When we read stories like this we want to get inside the story and experience our part too, just as others have before us. In this instance, we most certainly can get into the story. Notice that the word “Christ,” in actuality, means anointed, and He is the king whom God has set upon His holy hill of Zion, and all other anointings merely point to His anointing. Ps 2:6-7 say “‘I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.’ I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’” And all Christians are made to be subordinate kings by our God and for Him, and we too have an unction from the Holy One, 1 John 2:20 says, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” The people of Jerusalem expressed their great joy and satisfaction in Solomon’s coronation. They surrounded him with their Hosannas, their cheers of “God save king Solomon,” and accompanied him with their music and shouts of joy. We may think that this ceremony is just ceremony, but, not so. In participating spontaneously, whole-heartedly in such unity, they declared their agreement in the choice, that Solomon was not forced on them, but was completely acceptable and therefore cheerfully accepted. No prince can be wholly satisfied without this. What king does not want to know he is a satisfaction to his people. Every loyal and patriotic Israelite rejoiced in the exaltation of this Son of David as will all we believers likewise celebrate with boundless happiness the other Son of David. 3. Alarming News Reaches Adonijah 41-48 Not everyone was glad to hear the news of Solomon’s inauguration. Adonijah and his party were just as horrified, shocked and troubled as the other group celebrating in Jerusalem was delighted, ecstatic, euphoric and jubilant. They were now at long last finished with their feast. Apparently they had taken their time eating and drinking, feasting and laughing. Remember, everything that transpired between Nathan, Bathsheba, David, Zadok, Benaiah, the servants and the crowd on this day had all happened after the sacrificing and feasting had begun. Theirs was apparently a long, long feast. Now it was over and they learned what had happened while time passed and they ate to their heart’s content. In a later period, God’s Word addressed those who do not serve God so well as they serve their own bellies. Rom 16:18 says “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” Phil 3:19 also mentions this type of person, “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.” Their lengthy feast also suggests the vain confidence they had in their scheme, else they would not have lost so much time in it. With the sound of the crowd and uproar in Jerusalem, Joab though an old man, was quicker to realize the danger than Adonijah. Verse 41 says, “ Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, ‘What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?’” Adonijah, was confident—falsely—that the messenger brought good news. Verse 42 says, “Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, ‘Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.’” The character of the messenger and the content of his message are not necessarily congruent.” Usurpers flatter themselves with false hopes of success, and those are commonly least apprehensive and hesitant whose condition is, in actuality, the most dangerous. How can those who plot and do evil deeds expect to receive good news? No, regardless of the character of the messenger, the evil schemer cannot expect good news, but should rather prepare himself for the worst news—and be ready to quickly change courses and repent. Jonathan was son of Abiathar the high priest who was present at that very table. Yes, in responding to Adonijah, Jonathan had so much as to say 'Oh no, the best news I can give you is that your younger brother, Solomon, has been made king and all that you have planned and celebrated here is lost.' Jonathan related his news to them very carefully. Here is his through, yet concise report, as recorded in verses 43-48, “‘Not at all!’ Jonathan answered. ‘Our lord King David has made Solomon king. The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear. Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’” With this report Adonijah learned that Solomon was already on the throne. Adonijah had hoped to have stepped into the throne before him, but Nathan, Bathsheba, David and Zadok were too quick for him. Furthermore, Adonijah evidently realized the futility of any further effort to ascend the throne. He knew the people were pleased as he had heard in Jonathan’s message and as he could himself hear in the reverberations of their joyful acclamations. And he now knew that the kings servants attended Solomon with addresses of congratulations; even the main points of these speeches had been included in Jonathan’s response. The people and officials blessed king David, applauded his prudent care for the public welfare, acknowledged their happiness under his government, and prayed heartily for his recovery. They also prayed for Solomon, that God would make his name better than his father’s, which was realistic since he had such a godly father’s foundation on which to build. Adonijah had to abandon his hope and his scheme. The king himself was pleased as is indicated by the fact that he bowed on the bed acknowledging his acceptance of his servants’ addresses and to offer up his own address to God as though to say, 'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who, as Israel’s God, for Israel’s good, has brought what was an evil dilemma, headache and obstacle to such a happy issue, my eyes even seeing it.' It must have been satisfying to David, as it is to good Christians everywhere, that when they are going out of the world, to see their families in a good condition before the Lord, their children rising up to serve God and their generation. Yes, Adonijah had no choice he had to give up and forsake his game plan. 4. Adonijah, Very Afraid, is Sent Home 49-53 This news was an effectual crush to Adonijah’s endeavor. It more than spoiled that day’s party and dispersed the company obligating every man to fend for himself. What had appeared to be a triumph was short-lived. His castle was not even built on sand; it was built on thin air, not with a poor foundation, but with no foundation; it soon fell and crushed them and great was the fall of it. Each one of them took their own way and tried to make the best of it. Adonijah, himself was in a particular terror and undertook to gain safety by going to the alter at the temple. Verse 49 says, “At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.” He was now as much defeated, sad and depressed as he had been elevated, buoyed and jubilant. He had looked down on Solomon as not worthy to be his guest, but now dreaded him as his judge. In short, he feared because of Solomon. The horns of the altar had for some time represented a sanctuary or place of refuge to which a guilty person could flee. Adonijah went there and clung to one of those horns. In doing so he acknowledged that he did not deserve a trial, but was appealing for mercy. He probably felt he had no other alternative. Perhaps Adonijah had formerly ignored or minimized the service of that altar, yet now he needed its protection. Adonijah did not want to fight or, more likely, could not fight, but at any rate, now he wanted the protection of the altar. Better late than never. He did have an altar to which he could flee. So he sent a request, “Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.” In this request he acknowledged Solomon as his king and himself as his servant. He did not try to justify himself, but made supplication as to his judge. It was a great risk for him to do this; that morning he was grasping at a crown and before night he was begging for his life. Then Adonijah reigned, but now he trembled. Solomon sent back to Adonijah, possibly the same men who brought Adonijah’s request for mercy, and gave an order discharging him on his good behavior. Verses 52-53 say, “Solomon replied, ‘If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.’ Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, ‘Go to your home.’” We do not know all that was in Solomon’s mind, but Adonijah was his brother, and it was the first offense. 'Perhaps, there is hope for this man since I see he so quickly repented and has appealed to me for mercy. Maybe he will be a peaceful and useful citizen. What is past I pardon, but if he be found disaffected, turbulent, and aspiring again, this offense will be remembered against him.' Similarly, the Son of David today mercifully receives those who have been rebellious. If they will be faithful to their Sovereign, all former crimes shall not be mentioned against them. But, if they continue in the interests of the world and the flesh, it will be their ruin. Adonijah, having been summoned, bowed to king Solomon and then was told to go to his house. Solomon gave him his life and his estate and, in doing so, began establishing his throne in mercy. We read this history and learn of the foolishness of seeking leadership positions out of personal ambition. The way up is down. The way to be lifted to a place of service in God’s kingdom is not to elevate ourselves, but to humble ourselves and bow low before our God. God is looking for humble men and women of prayer, sincerity and desire to serve; not people with aspiration, passion or yearning for recognition.
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