Sermon Tone Analysis

*Adversarial  Atmosphere*

Venice Assembly

June 29, 2008 sunday

 

I supposed David should have seen it coming.

I can’t imagine that those closest to him didn’t warn him about his son Absolam.

Many would certainly have sensed that Absalom was trouble.

He’d been estranged from his father for some time, and only recently had been called back.

Now he would stand at the gate and intercept people who wanted to get a ruling from the King on a matter.

Absalom stole their hearts and I’m sure people warned David.

But, Fathers can’t always see clearly when it comes to their children, and David did nothing while his son plotted maliciously against his own father.

I suppose David should have seen it coming… but he didn’t.

And the day came when “A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!” 2 Samuel 15:13 (NLT)

 

What happens next is astonishing and just plain pitiful.

David, who as a boy stood before a giant twice his size, turn and ran from his own son.

He gave up the prized City of God… Jerusalem and he ran without so much as a fight.

He took people with him and they filed out of the city and headed up to the mount of Olives.

Listen to the account of that journey as see if you can sense when the mood changes.

*2 Samuel 15:30-37** (NLT) *30David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went.

His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning.

And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.

31When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, “O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!” 32When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him.

Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning.

33But David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden.

34Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’

Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice.

35Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there.

Tell them about the plans being made in the king’s palace, 36and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.”

37So David’s friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.

Did you sense the mood change….

Did you see it.

David mourned all the way up the Mount of Olives.

David mourned and apparently welcomed everyone else who want to mourn with him.

But when he reached the summoned, not coincidentally described as the place “where people worshipped God”, David met a mourner named Hushai, and suddenly David seems to change.

Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him.

Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning.

*33**BUT** DAVID…*

 

When they got to the place of worship, David seems to have gotten a revelation from God.

Hushai joined the mourner, and David seems to have just totally changed his demeanor and the mourning isn’t mentioned another time.

In the atmosphere of worship, David mourning was turned to strategic battle planning.

There is a little nugget in there to hold onto….

When the situation is bad and all you know to do is run, make sure you head to a place of worship, because you can find God, hear from God, and get strategic help from God in the moment that you need it most if you worship Him in spite of whatever’s happening.

But I wanted to point that out because I think that in that moment of change for David, the pitiful mourner who’d climbed the mountain, suddenly got to a place where God could move within him.

And I believe this could be the moment when David began to receive one of the most beautiful and powerful Psalms.

It’s Psalm number three, and it’s vital that you make the connection between this true story that I’ve just shared with you from 2 Samuel and the song that David wrote during that experience in his life.

*Psalm 3:1-8** (NASB95) *1A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!

Many are rising up against me.

2Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah.

3But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

4I was crying to the Lord with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain.

Selah.

5I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.

6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about.

7Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God!

For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.

8Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessing /be /upon Your people!

Selah.

What you and I have just read is in essence three stanzas of one incredible song.

At first glance, you can see the word Selah, and one might assume that the break up the verses of the song, but I think if might be easier to grasp like this.

The first two verse make up the first stanza, and it’s all about the problem and the situation  of Adversarial Atmosphere.

Then verse three through six make up the second stanza and it’s all about trust and peace right in the middle of the problem.

Then the finally, verses 7 and 8 are the third and last stanza of the song and it just pounds out the incredible faith and victory that came back to life inside of David.

This is one incredibly loaded song, and I want you to walk with me through these verses.

1.   *Adversarial Atmosphere*.

It’s David recounting accurately the immense Trouble or trial he was facing.

David said my adversaries are real, and they are increasing.

His problem is not stable or stationary.

The words used here convey growth—increase in size and number of the problem.

O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!

Many are rising up against me.

2Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God.”

 

Isn’t that really the way it happens.

Something goes wrong, and it seems to trigger a domino effect.

*Financial struggles*, lead to *tension* in the marriage, and it leads to *strife* among the kids, and then it leads to *physical issues* in your body from all the stress.

It quite possible for David, that he could actually see the gathering enemy in the distance that was coming out to fight him.

It’s certainly possible that the reports kept increasing that were coming to him.

The adversary was increasing, and they did the same to David as the adversary will do to you today….

They taunt your faith.

They belittle what you believe.

David said—They are saying there is no help for me in God.

Now there’s something very significant about what the adversary was speaking over David… “there is no help for him in God.”

The word “*help*” in Hebrew is the word is /yâshuw`ah/ ~/yesh·*oo*·aw.

It means savior or salvation.

The word “*God*” that is used her is the word “/elohiym/ ~/el·o·*heem”, *and it’s a general term for God.

It is a reference to God, but it is a very general reference to God.

They said you’ve got no savior “/yâshuw`ah” in “elohiym”.

/

 

Isn’t that just like the devil to try and use your words of faith and God’s words of hope to try and beat you down.

Where’s God now?

That adversarial atmosphere can bring you down, and if you let it, it can steal your joy, your hope, and quite literally your life.

That’s the first verse of the song, but it ain’t the last verse.

David had a change of heart and mind, and he keeps writing.

2.

*Covenant Trust*–

3But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

4I was crying to the Lord with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain.

Selah.

5I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.

6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about.

Let me show you why I pointed out those Hebrew words in the first section.

The adversary said, you’ve got no “/yâshuw`ah” in “elohiym”./

“/yâshuw`ah” = savior or salvation/