Absalom--Israel's Counterfeit King (2 Samuel 15:1-12)

10/4/2010 7:59:24 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Absalom—Israel’s counterfeit king

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  2Samuel 15:1-12

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him. 2  Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way to the gate; and when any man had a suit to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, "From what city are you?" And he would say, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel." 3  Then Absalom would say to him, "See, your claims are good and right, but no man listens to you on the part of the king." 4  Moreover, Absalom would say, "Oh that one would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has any suit or cause could come to me and I would give him justice." 5  And when a man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6  In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.

   “ 7 ¶  Now it came about at the end of forty years(this probably should read four years) that Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron. 8  "For your servant vowed a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying, ’If the LORD shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.’" 9  The king said to him, "Go in peace." So he arose and went to Hebron. 10  But 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 is king in Hebron.’" 11  Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently, and they did not know anything. 12  And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.”

 

            Today’s SD begins a new chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on the book of 2Samuel, and he entitles this chapter “David’s Escape to the Wilderness.”  There are three main points in this chapter and they center around three kings, Absalom the counterfeit king, David who was Israel’s true king and Jehovah who is Israel’s sovereign King.  In today’s SD I am looking at Absalom the counterfeit king as this section is done in one writing.

            Dr Wiersbe calls Absalom a demagogue which is a word that is made up of two Greek words: demos (people) and agogos (guiding).  He goes on to write in a footnote the following:  “A true leader uses his authority to help people, but a demagogue uses people to gain authority.  Demagogues pretend to be concerned about the needs of the people, but their only concern is to get into power and enjoy the fruits of their dishonesty.”  Absalom was truly a demagogue and this will come out in the continued story of Absalom as he takes over the kingdom of his father David.

            He started this quest right after he was able to leave his house arrest and now it is four years later.  I made a kind of a note in the Scripture that is above saying that instead of the forty years as translated in the NASB that many commentators see this as meaning only four years.  It was during this time that David was probably ill and was not taking care of his job as he could have been if he were not ill.  There are Psalms that are called “exile” Psalms and different people attribute different Psalms to this category of Psalms and in some of them it speaks of David’s illness and that is why it is reported that David was ill during this time when Absalom would pretend to be a judge and thus get the people on his side.

            Absalom came to David and lied to him about have to fulfill a vow and thus Absalom stole 200 of David’s key men and took them off to Hebron where he probably kept them behind the gates there in order to take over Jerusalem.  Absalom took a key advisor of David named Ahithophel who probably helped mastermind this whole takeover of the kingdom.  Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba and may have still been upset with David for stealing Bathsheba from her husband Uriah and then having him killed so this may have been the reason he sided with Absalom.  Like Judas Ahithophel rejected the right king and then went out and hung himself.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Absalom was a man who did not have a good character as he seemed to reject truth and was all wrapped up with himself not living his life for the glory of the Lord.  I would suppose that this can be called selfishness, and in his case it was far more than selfishness.  This is what I want to avoid as I want to continue to learn truth and live my life for the glory of the Lord and not for my glory.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      This is probably going to be a “Big” week for Sandy and I as our plans are to go to Hawaii and hopefully begin our new job next Monday.  This has been a stressful event for both of us and my prayer for this has always been that the Lord’s will will be done in all of this and what we do will glorify Him even if it means that He close this door as we leave this in the Lord’s hands.

2.      Live for the Lord and not for myself as described in the section above.

 

10/4/2010 8:54:31 AM  

Joab Brings Absalom to King David (2 Samuel 14:28-33)

10/3/2010 8:44:23 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Joab brings Absalom to the king

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  2Samuel 14:28-33

 

            Message of the verses:  “28 ¶  Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king’s face. 29  Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he would not come. 30  Therefore he said to his servants, "See, 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 arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?" 32  Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent for you, saying, ’Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there."’ Now therefore, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death." 33  So when Joab came to the king and told him, he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.”

 

            I suppose that the other times that I have read this portion of Scripture that I kind of felt sorry for Absalom not realizing that he was trying to take the throne away from his father David.  Joab was a key player in bringing back Absalom to Jerusalem and then he saw how the crowds were reacting to Absalom and probably did not want to interfere with what he saw Absalom doing so he stayed away from him for fear that he would get wrapped up in the plans that he could see Absalom doing.  Joab had to come to Absalom’s house when he set fire to his barley field and no one would accuse Joab of conspiring with Absalom for talking to him about setting fire to his field.

            Absalom and David finally got together but as far as any repenting done by Absalom there is no evidence of that so the peace between the two was really not a lasting peace for soon Absalom would take over the kingdom, take his father’s crown and sleep with his father’s concubines and as Dr. Wiersbe’s puts it this would be David’s darkest hour.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think that what I can learn from this passage is to be wiser when listening to people when it comes to seeing what they are up to.  Be more observant and not so trusting as I have been in the past.  This is a fault of mine that from time to time gets me in trouble. With that said I don’t want to become a person who does not trust anyone thinking that they are out to get me, but have a correct balance in all of this.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.       Trust the Lord to give me great wisdom in dealing with people.

 

10/3/2010 9:10:31 AM  

Joab Reason with King David (2 Samuel 14:1-20)

10/1/2010 8:07:12 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Joab reasons with the king

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  2Samuel 14:1-20

 

            Message of the verses:  1 ¶  Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom. 2  So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, "Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days; 3  then go to the king and speak to him in this manner." So Joab put the words in her mouth. 4  Now when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself and said, "Help, O king." 5  The king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead. 6  "Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him. 7  "Now behold, the whole family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, ’Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroy the heir also.’ Thus they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth." 8  Then the king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you." 9  The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "O my lord, the king, the iniquity is on me and my father’s house, but the king and his throne are guiltless." 10  So the king said, "Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore." 11  Then she said, "Please let the king remember the LORD your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son." And he said, "As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground." 12  Then the woman said, "Please let your maidservant speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak." 13  The woman said, "Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one. 14  "For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him. 15  "Now the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your maidservant said, ’Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the request of his maidservant. 16  ’For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from the inheritance of God.’ 17  "Then your maidservant said, ’Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.’" 18  Then the king answered and said to the woman, "Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king please speak." 19  So the king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?" And the woman replied, "As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant; 20  in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.’”

 

            I have gotten insight from Dr. Wiersbe through his commentary on this section that I did not see when I have read this over in the past.  The reason for Joab to set this up like he did was because he was concerned about not only the king, but also the nation for Absalom was the crown prince, the king in waiting in case any thing happened to David.  Joab knew that something could happen to David and then there would be a great deal of trouble, for even when David planned to have Solomon to be king there was still trouble. 

            Another thing about this story is that it is a bit similar to the story that Nathan told to David about the sin that he had committed.  In Nathan’s story there was a man and his lamb, and this got to the heart of David as a King, and now the story of woman and her son got to the heart of David as a father.

            This story also has the picture in it of God’s grace in sending His Son so that all sinners can come home even though we will go right to the Father which was not the case of Absalom.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  There are many, what I will call famous people, in the Bible that God has used to bring about His plan and only one of them is perfect, and that of course is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Perfect Son of God.  The rest of who God uses, the likes of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Saul, David are all sinners, yet God uses them any way and this gives great encouragement to my heart for I too am a sinner saved by the grace of God who has a desire, in fact a great desire to be used of the Lord Jesus Christ, for His cause just as those who have gone before me had that desire and yet there are times when I don’t feel worthy of being used by God because of the sins that I have committed, and then there are other times when I realize that I have been forgiven and can be used by the Lord.  Moses, David, and Paul were all murders and were used by the Lord, and David was one who committed adultery before his murder and was still used greatly by the Lord, so the conclusion is that God can use me as long as I confess my sin and do my best to stay close to the Lord and walk with Him so that I am available to be use of Him for His glory.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      I want to be like Balaam’s donkey, available to be used when the Lord calls me to be used for the cause of Christ.

 

10/1/2010 8:39:50 AM

 

 

From Murder to Exile (2 Smuel 12:37-39)

9/30/2010 8:37:20 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  From murder to exile

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  2Saam.13:37-39

 

            Message of the verses:  “37  Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38  So Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, and was there three years. 39  The heart of King David longed to go out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead.”

 

            This passage has been misunderstanding to me and as I was reading the commentary from Dr. Wiersbe he pointed out that there are two interruptions that are commonly used to explain David’s actions and feelings that are shown here.  The verse that this shows up in is verse thirty-nine and the phrase “The heart of King David longed to go out to Absalom.”  It is worded a bit different in the KJV “And the soul of King David longed to go forth unto Absalom.”The first one is that David very much wanted to see Absalom as he was now over the grieving of Amnon. The second was that David was still angry with Absalom but his anger gradually quitted, and this probably made more sense as David could have seen Absalom at any time for he was staying with David’s father in law, his wives father who was the king of Geshur.

 

            Absalom may have been plotting the whole takeover of the kingdom and it does make sense that his grandfather would want Absalom to be king.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  David had been forgiven by the Lord for the adultery and murder that he had committed and so it may have been hard for David not to forgive Absalom, and he should have forgiven him.  Forgiveness is better than bitterness, for bitterness can turn into depression and bitterness rots a person and can cause many other physical problems.  I do not want to harbor bitterness, but forgive and be free of bitterness.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Trust the Lord to guard my heart against bitterness and be a forgiving person.

2.      Trust the Lord to guide us through these hard days that we are going through with a godly attitude.

 

9/30/2010 9:33:05 AM  

 

           

From Hatred to Murder (2 Samuel 13:23-36)

9/29/2010 1:00:46 PM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  From hatred to murder

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                Reference:  2Samuel 13:23-36

 

            Message of the verses:  “23  Now it came about after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24  Absalom came to the king and said, "Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant." 25  But the king said to Absalom, "No, my son, we should not all go, for we will be burdensome to you." Although he urged him, he would not go, but blessed him. 26  Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us." And the king said to him, "Why should he go with you?" 27  But when Absalom urged him, he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. 28  Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "See now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ’Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant." 29  The servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose and each mounted his mule and fled.

    “30 ¶  Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, "Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left." 31  Then the king arose, tore his clothes and lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn. 32  Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, responded, "Do not let my lord suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead; because by the intent of Absalom this has been determined since the day that he violated his sister Tamar. 33  "Now therefore, do not let my lord the king take the report to heart, namely, ’all the king’s sons are dead,’ for only Amnon is dead." 34  Now Absalom had fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. 35  Jonadab said to the king, "Behold, the king’s sons have come; according to your servant’s word, so it happened." 36  As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly.”

 

            The downfall of David’s kingdom is taking another step down in this section and it kind of follows the same pattern of David’s sin with Uriah for just as David had someone else kill Uriah, so Absalom would use someone else to kill Amnon.

            Now let’s look at revenge and how it is wrong for a Christian to take revenge, for Paul writes that vengeance is mine says the Lord.  Dr. Wiersbe give a quotation from Francis Bacon “In taking revenge a man is but even with his enemy, but in passing it over, he is superior.”  These are good words for they follow the model of Jesus Christ at His trial and crucifixion yet He refused to retaliate.  Dr. Wiersbe goes on to say, “The Christian way is the way of forgiveness and faith, trusting the Lord to work everything out for our good and His glory.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Trusting the Lord in difficult situations is just plain difficult.  Seeing someone take advantage of you and not retaliating is not always the easiest thing to do, but it is the right thing to do.  Losing so much money right after retirement was a huge blow to me, but I realize the things that I did wrong, trusted the Lord to show me any other things that I did wrong so that I could confess it to the Lord, and then trust the Lord to make things right or if He chose not to make things right to keep His promises to never leave me nor forsake me, and to work this out for my good and for His glory.

            David was a man who handled this situation in a godly way, which is far from the way that Saul would have handled it.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Trust the Lord with all of my heart and not to lean on my own understanding, in all my ways acknowledge Him and He will direct my path.

2.      Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.

 

9/29/2010 1:28:57 PM   

From Lust to Hatred (2 Samuel 13:15-23)

9/28/2010 8:27:50 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  From lust to hatred

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  2Sam. 13:15-23

 

            Message of the verses:  “15  Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Get up, go away!" 16  But she said to him, "No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!" Yet he would not listen to her. 17  Then he called his young man who attended him and said, "Now throw this woman out of my presence, and lock the door behind her." 18  Now she had on a long-sleeved garment; for in this manner the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her. 19  Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. 20  Then Absalom her brother said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart." So Tamar remained and was desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

    “21 ¶  Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry. 22  But Absalom did not speak to Amnon either good or bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.”

 

            Dr. Wiersbe believes that Absalom had a mind to become king in place of his father David and because he was the second son he knew that Amnon had to be dealt with so perhaps this was going through his mind that he would avenge Tamar, get rid of Amnon, and then put himself in line to be king because he was the second son born to David.

            This story is about lust and not love for under the law Amnon could never merry Tamar because he and she were half sisters.  In verse seventeen the word woman is not in there so in affect Amnon was saying of Tamar to get this thing out of here.  How would Tamar ever get a husband now that Amnon had rapped her?  What could David do about all of this because of his sin with Bathsheba?  It all goes back to the sin that David committed with Bathsheba for all of this was happening as fallout from those sins.  David killed Uriah and now Absalom would kill Amnon so the apple did not fall to far from the tree.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The question is what can I learn from this story of lust and rape and then murder?  Seek the Lord to help me love my wife in a godly manner, a manner to protect her as at times this has not been done by me.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Seek the Lord to help me increase my love for Him by keeping His commandments and in turn love my wife more.

 

9/28/2010 9:01:33 AM

 

           

From Love to Lust (2 Samuel 13:1-14)

9/27/2010 10:28:51 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  From love to lust

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  2Samuel 13:1-14

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2  Amnon was so frustrated because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her. 3  But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4  He said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Then Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom." 5  Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, ’Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.’" 6  So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand." 7  Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, "Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him." 8  So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was lying down. And she took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. 9  She took the pan and dished them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Have everyone go out from me." So everyone went out from him. 10  Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand." So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon. 11  When she brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister." 12  But she answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing! 13  "As for me, where could I get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you." 14  However, he would not listen to her; since he was stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.”

           

            The first verse in chapter thirteen speaks of Absalom who would become the main character in this section of 2Samuel.  This SD begins chapter six in Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 2Samuel, “Be Restored.”  He entitles this chapter “David’s Unruly Sons,” and it is about the trouble that takes place in David’s life after his multiple sins with Bathsheba and her husband Uriah.  David told Nathan that the rich man would have to pay fourfold and David has already lost one son and is about to lose two more sons and the forth son will die after David’s death so it all came about as he said.  David’s sins were forgiven however there were still consequences from those sins.

            The story begins with David’s son lusting after his half sister and after getting advice from his cousin he ends up rapping his half sister a combination of rape and incest.  David who used to be very wise is now slipping from his wisdom and allows Amnon to be alone with his half sister and then David will allow Amnon to go to a party that is set up by Tamar’s brother Absalom who will kill Ammon which will in turn cause David to put Absalom in exile and then he will be called back but will later try to take over the kingdom and then Joab will kill him.  This was what God told David when He said that the sword would not depart from his family.

 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life:  There was a lot of trouble that came to David’s life because of his sin with Bathsheba, but David never lost his faith in the Lord even when he went through all of the trouble and this is something that I need to learn for my life seems to be full of trouble at this time, trouble dealing with Sandy. 

            I am not at all sure how this job will turn out in Kauai, but I believe that the Lord has opened up the door to go there and so I will go through that door and pray that the Lord will allow us to have a good job there and first and foremost a ministry there that will glorify God.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      I give myself to the Lord for worship and service today.   

2.      I trust the Lord to guide my path today.

 

9/27/2010 11:08:45 AM