NEHCC Sermon - 6-22-08 - The Consequences Continue
NORTHEAST HOUSTON COMMUNITY CHURCH
Sermon – The Consequences Continue
Scripture – 2 Sam 15:1-17
6-22-08
2 Sam 15:1-18
15 After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. So it was, whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and say, "What city are you from?" And he would say, "Your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel." 3 Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your case is good and right; but there is no deputy of the king to hear you." 4 Moreover Absalom would say,"Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice." 5 And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. 6 In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 7 Now it came to pass after forty* years that Absalom said to the king, "Please, let me go to Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord. 8 For your servant took a vow while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, 'If the Lord indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.'" 9 And the king said to him, "Go in peace." So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, 'Absalom reigns in Hebron!'" 11 And with Absalom went two hundred men invited from Jerusalem, and they went along innocently and did not know anything. 12 Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city — from Giloh — while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased in number. 13 Now a messenger came to David, saying,"The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom." 14 So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword." 15 And the king's servants said to the king, "We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands." 16 Then the king went out with all his household after him. But the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house. 17 And the king went out with all the people after him, and stopped at the outskirts. NKJV
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We are continuing on in events in the life of King David. I hope you are not thinking about being tired of hearing about David. If that thought should enter your mind please know that it is a thought from the devil himself. He desires to keep you from the word of God. He uses such thoughts as the Bible is boring, the words are too hard to pronounce, the bible in no longer relevant. He want you to believe that the Bible is too much reading to do and you do not have the time, that it is full of contradictions and he will tell your that the Bible is for pastors and preachers to read.
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It is my job and calling to tell you that the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible will bring you to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ; the Bible will reveal to you the truth. It is the Word of God that will keep you, grow you and restore you, and influence you for the good of God. If you are not to be influenced by the word of God then Satan will be your influencer.
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If you have been with us from the beginning you have seen a young man that was considered by god to be one of His favorites. We have seen how God gave him might victories, mighty blessings, mighty protections and a might position as king.
For David, life was finally good. Then it all changed.
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If you were to take you time and read and study the scriptures concerning David, there is one thing we should all take note of. David was most righteous, in greatest favor with God, and guided by God when he was having what we would call tough times. During this time he had no home, he was on the run being persecuted and pursued by the king. His life and the life of his family was in jeopardy.
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It was when all was seemly well and life was good that he let down his guard and allowed unnecessary sin to bring heartache and trouble like he had never experienced before into his life.
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Unnecessary because God said, “If what I already had given you was not enough, I would have given you more.
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We often hear of people changing after they have it made, so to speak. When we are in trouble and things are not going to well is when we call on God. But, when thing get better and all the trouble seems to go we then are prone to forget God.
Great success can cause us to get further and further away from God. Did you ever think that it is a blessing from God that you have not hit the lottery for multi millions? You may be one of those that will forget God.
Prov 30:8-9 Give me neither poverty nor riches — Feed me with the food allotted to me; 9 Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the Lord?" NKJV
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Jesus teaches the same thought when he was teaching his disciples what to pray for.
Matt 6:11 11 Give us this day our daily bread. NKJV
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David’s life took an abrupt turn. People I pray that you do not throw away the favor of God in an attempt to satisfy your own lust, whether it is sexual, financial, materially or any other one.
Let the lessons learned by David scare you away from falling victim. It is better to be in God’s favor than to be I God’s dog house.
We talked about God being a “just” God. He must be “just”, but He chooses to be merciful. As a just God, sin must be paid.
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In God’s mercy He did not take the life of David, but in His justice He told David what the consequences of his sin would be.
God pronounced 4 consequences on David as a result of his despising sin.
2 Sam 12:10-12
1. 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' - Absalom killed Amnon.
2. 11 Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house;
3. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.'"
4. The child also who is born to you shall surely die. (2 Sam 12:1) – Done and over.
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There leaves two remaining. Why are we spending so much time on these consequences? I believe the HS is camping out on this because we as a sinful people do not spend enough time thinking about the consequences of our actions until it is too late.
1. Does the drug addict think about the addiction when he/she starts experimenting?
2. Do unmarried boys and girls think about the consequence of a sex like pregnancy when satisfying their lust?
3. Do criminals think about penitentiary or capital punishment when planning their crimes?
4. Do sinners even believe that the consequence of the sinner not accepting Christ as savior is eternal death?
5. Do Christians even consider how embarrassing it will be to stand before Christ and be reminded of how short they have fallen in the services of the kingdom?
Everything we do and every decision we make has consequences, some good and some bad.
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Very briefly we will look at the second of the four.
11 Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house;
The lesson here is so powerful I do hope it penetrates your should.
Have you ever been on a thrill ride at an amusement park but for you the ride was not so thrilling? There was no stopping the ride.
I believe David is in a similar position. He is under God’s judgment and there is no way out.
This reminds me of those that will choose hell over heaven and once in hell there will be no way out.
David is now about to face the second consequence.
Our focus passage begins with this verse.
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V1 After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
The question you may have if you have not been reading along on your own is “After what happened?”
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Well in quick review, Absalom killed his brother Amnon for raping Absalom’s full sister who was Amnon’s half sister. After the murder Absalom fled to Geshur to stay with his grandfather for three years.
2 Sam 13:37-39 37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And King David longed to go to Absalom. For he had been comforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead. NKJV
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David allows Absalom to return to Jerusalem but would not see his face. By the time we get to the end of chapter 14 after some behind the scenes planning, Absalom comes to David and is forgiven by David.
But we learned earlier that Absalom has a deceitful heart and can hold a grudge for years.
We see here that he is going about promoting himself and undermining his father David. His clever words began to gain him favor with the people. Perhaps David was not as attentive to them as he should have been.
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In verse 7 I want to point out a translation or transcription error, not a contradiction. Most scholars agree that it was not forty years but perhaps at the most four years.
7 Now it came to pass after forty* years that Absalom said to the king, "Please, let me go to Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord.
Absalom uses God as an alibi to begin his dastardly deed. People do that today. They say they are going to church to worship yet they are really going to meet with an adulterous partner. This deception, among other flows from the pulpit to the door.
While there Absalom sent out surrogates to incite insurrection and revolt throughout the land. It was the actions and non-actions of David that lent fuel to this revolt.
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The conspiracy was strong. The rapid accession of one place after another, in all parts of the kingdom, to the party of the insurgents, shows that deep and general dissatisfaction existed at this time against the person and government of David. The remnant of Saul's partisans, the unhappy affair of Bath-sheba, the overbearing insolence and crimes of Joab, negligence and obstruction in the administration of justice, were some of the principal causes that contributed to the success of this widespread insurrection
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V12 Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city — from Giloh — while he offered sacrifices. NKJV
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Again, in a religious pretense, Absalom sent for David’s chief advisor perhaps to offer sacrifices.
Anithophel is a name that most readers would pass over to get by. But take a pause and let’s look at who this is and why he eventually joined Absalom against David. David’s sin with Bathsheba was no longer a secret and although God punished and forgave, people do not. Aniothophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba who was still stained with the shame of the affair.
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It was David’s action and in-action in other areas that diminished his credibility and honor among many of the people. Absalom is returning to Jerusalem and David packs his belonging and leaves.
16 Then the king went out with all his household after him. But the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house. 17 And the king went out with all the people after him,
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The second consequence has been fulfilled. David’s son from his own household has now become his chief adversary.
We can trace back a lot of mistakes that David made outside of his sin with Bathshebe that set these events in order. To mention a few we can see that he
· Neglected involvement with the raising of his children.
· He loved them short of correcting them.
· He lost their respect.
· He neglected his duties as king in not hearing the cases of the people.
· No doubt, David made mistakes as we all do.
But God, can intervene for us in our daily lives and the lives of our children, if we are in Gods favor. Or God can just do nothing and let the wrong we do follow it own course.
Was one night of stolen pleasure worth all this? Talk shows and court shows are full of cases that are the result of a few moments of misjudgment. Prisons are full of people that are suffering the consequences of a single act of misjudgment.
Man can do things his way without God and make mistakes along the way or man can seek the favor of God and try to do things God’s way and make mistakes along the way but the difference is Jesus. He is there to right many of our wrongs, to intercede for our forgiveness and to chastise (correct) us when go wrong.
I want to be in the favor of God. I must fight against the lustful lures of the Devil and of my own desires.
I want to be like Joshua and serve the Lord WHOLE-HEARTLY, not HALF-heartily, not partially but with my whole heart.
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David learned this hard way but you and I do not have to.
David wrote 9 Psalms the included the words with my whole heart.
Ps 9:1 I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; NKJV
Ps 111:1 I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. NKJV
Ps 119:2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! NKJV
Ps 119:10-11 0 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. NKJV
Ps 119:34 34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. NKJV
Ps 119:58 entreated Your favor with my whole heart; NKJV
Ps 119:69 But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart. NKJV
Ps 119:145 I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O Lord! I will keep Your statutes. NKJV
Ps 138:1 I will praise You with my whole heart; NKJV
Through the life of David we are to learn what to do and what not to do. I ask you, what have you learned.
End
Responsive Reading
Ps 119:1-11
1Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!
3 They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways.
4 You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.
5 Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes!
6 Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.
7 I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. NKJV