1 Kings 2:28–34 KJV 1900

Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the Lord. So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

BE ON TIME OR DON’T BE LATE

INTRODUCTION:

Here is a sad picture of Joab stretched across a blood-soaked altar. Joab was stabbed while at the altar. He waited too late.

Joab was trying to flee from death.

Notice three things he did.

1. He ran to the house of God.

2. He cast himself upon the altar.

3. He refused to leave and was stabbed while hanging on to the altar.

THERE IS A FALSE REPENTANCE

Pharaoh's repentance was false

Exodus 10:16 KJV 1900

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.

Pharaoh's confession of "I have sinned." This was only a way to get some of the pressure off.

It was from the lips and not from the heart.

Balaam's repentance was false

Numbers 22:34 KJV 1900

And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.

But while he confessed he still had his eyes on Balak's gold.

His confession was not an honest one.

Judas' repentance was false

Matthew 27:4 KJV 1900

Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

Judas cried, "I have sinned." This was a way to ease his guilty conscience. He only repented to himself and not to the Lord.

THERE IS A TRUE REPENTANCE

The publican's repentance was true.

Luke 18:13 KJV 1900

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Zacchaeus' repentance was true.

Luke 19:6 KJV 1900

And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

He also was willing to make restitution.

The prodigal's repentance was true.

Luke 15:21 KJV 1900

And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

THERE IS A REPENTANCE THAT COMES TOO LATE

What happened in the days of Noah?

Luke 17:27 KJV 1900

They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

"Until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all."

What happened to the five foolish virgins?

Matthew 25:11–12 KJV 1900

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

The door was shut.

What happened to the rich man?

Luke 16:24 KJV 1900

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

"And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would not pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."