Restoration

2 Samuel 19 & 20

RD V.1-8

Intro: After the Battle David is still mourning the death of his Son Absalom.

A) In this David makes a grave error – He is more concerned about the son that he lost then he is about those who are left for him to lead.

B) This is a mistake that parents can make – when they have a wayward son or daughter – one who has left the home – being rebellious

1) Natural to grieve for them – It is Proper to Pray for them and enlist others in Prayer

C) But sometimes what happens is those parents can become so preoccupied with the one who is missing – the one who is being rebellious

1) That they start to neglect their other kids who are still in the home.

D) Here is what happens: Those kids who are still in the home start to feel neglected, unloved, or worse yet,

1) They come to the conclusion: The only way to get attention around here is to be REBELLIOUS – they follow soot.

I’ve seen it happen all too often. Not just in families – but also in ministries

Especially youth ministries.

A) Pastors and ministry teams that spend all their time pursuing after people who don’t really want to walk with the Lord

B) What happens is there are other kids or other people who want to grow who love the Lord who would love to be discipled – but no one has time for them – too preoccupied with those who are rebellious

C) I tell our Pastors all the time – you can not disciple someone who doesn’t want to be discipled.

1) Listen: reach out to the rebellious – make yourself available to the prodigals – pray that they arrive in their pigpens soon!

D) But pour all your time and energy into the ones who want to grow and be discipled.

David is doing the opposite here: The result?

1) V.2 The victory that the Lord gave David and his followers – has been turned into mourning. – Seems more like a defeat {NEGATIVE

2) V.5 The People were disgraced! – The word disgraced in v.5 means – you have made the people feel ashamed.

1) David you have made them feel like they did something Wrong!

What a horrible thing that is to make someone who was doing exactly what they should have been doing –

1) Exactly what the Lord wanted them to be doing – Feel ashamed by our response or lack of response – Feel like they did something wrong.

3) V. 6 David’s attitude made the people feel DEVALUED

1) David you are acting like you would have rather seen Absalom live and all of us die today. OUCH -

Again this is the by product of this type of reaction over consumed with the rebels - The Loyal – the committed feel – Devalued

1) Never want to send that message especially to our kids

4) V. 8 The People felt DEFEATED – that is what is meant by the idea that they all went to their tents –

1) Let’s go and hide – go sulk – David’s attitude made them feel defeated.

That is always the case when we get focused on our loss – Get focused on ourselves – What we need is friends like Joab – Kick in the pants

Now therefore, arise, go out and speak comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now."

A) This is exactly what David needed to be doing – Get back to serving the people. Which is exactly what He does v.8 – Goes out to the gate

B) He puts himself in that place to minister to the people be around the people

C) David I am sure didn’t feel like doing this – his feelings told him to stay locked up out of sight – given over to excessive mourning.

1) But David let his understanding of what was right BE BIGGER than what he felt.

D) Always a key to overcoming in these type of situations – Do what is right and the feelings will Follow {Don’t let feelings dictate actions

1) Love the Story of the Attorney & the woman who wanted to divorce her Husband. ………………………… MADLY IN LOVE

E) Note: We never again hear David crying out, O Absalom. By Doing what he needed to do that song was taken out of his head.

V.9-15

A) Here we see David trying to restore once again a divided Kingdom.

1) He is seeking to bring restoration between his followers and the followers of Absalom – He begins with his own tribe Judah

B) But in the mist of this he does something really odd. – He take Amasa the general who was with Absalom – Amasa was David’s nephew

1) David makes Amasa his general – This was perhaps a good move for bringing back UNITY – But no doubt a slap in the face to JOAB

C) Why would David do this? – I think – because Joab disobeyed David and Killed Absalom

1) This is actually the second time David tried to replace Joab – earlier David took in Abner Saul’s general – Joab kills him

D) See later that Amasa is going to come upon the same fate.

Now it seems that this gesture worked – David w/ the help of Zadok and Abiathar was able to sway the hearts of the men of Judah –

A) David would not come back until welcomed by the hearts of all {Not going to force himself on them. They were united as one man – after David

B) So too. God will not force His reign on us. We must welcome His reign and He will not force our heart response.

1) Our hearts must be swayed by the work of the Word of the God and the Holy Spirit.

RD v. 16-23

Now here we see that David is met by two men who abused him on his way out of the city – when fleeing from Absalom

A) MH describes them this way – First there is the fair mouthed Ziba who – came to David – tried to make a good showing { take advantage

B) But in doing so he lied about Meph. – and David believed him and gave to him and his sons all the land of Meph.

1) His sin is going to be exposed shortly

C) So first there was FAIR MOUTHED ZIBA / 2ND FOUL MOUTHED

SHIMEI – {remember he was the one who cursed David from the hill

Shimei showed a remarkably humble, contrite confession.

A)He sinned greatly against David, and here he repented greatly before him.

Note a few things about his repentive heart

 

1) Shimei's repentance was humble (fell down before the king). His posture represented his low place before David.

 

2) Shimei's repentance was honoring to David (Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me). He knew David had the right to impute iniquity, but he plead for mercy.

 

3) Shimei's repentance was honest (I have sinned). He made no attempt to minimize his actions or to make excuses for his actions.

 

4) Shimei's repentance was put into action (here I am, the first to come today of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king).

Real repentance will show itself not only in words and ideas, but in action.

B) Real repentance will be seen not only in an I am sorry {a change in attitude but also a change in action and behavior

1) Far too often – we hear a lot of I am sorry – but the change in the action doesn’t come.

C) So the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die": David spared the life of Shimei, showing forgiveness to this man who had bitterly cursed him

1) Reminder of Jesus: FATHER FORGIVE THEM…… 

D) Perhaps you have been like Shimei, who cursed king David, and you are afraid that Jesus will never forgive you.

1) As David forgave Shimei, and Jesus is ready to forgive you.

E) He delights in showing mercy.

"I do believe that the harps of heaven never give to Christ such happiness as he has when he forgives the ungodly, and saith, 'Thy sins are forgiven; go in peace.' " (Spurgeon)

Note the last part of v. 22 – David says to Abiashi who always wanted to kill someone – No you shall not

A) Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?

B) David could readily forgive a man who deserved to die because he was secure, knowing that God gave him the throne.

1) Insecurity is a great motivator for revenge and holding on to bitterness

C) David was able to forgive – because he was secure in the Lord!

RD v.24- 30

I love the heart of Meph here – David let Ziba have the Stuff – I don’t care about the stuff – All I want is you.

A) Ziba can have the Property – all I want is your Presence –

B) All I want is to go back to eating with you at your table!

C) It is a glorious day in the life of a believer when He comes to this place of realizing: IN your presence is fullness of Joy!

D) Not in your P-R-E-S-E-N-T-S but His P-R-E-S-E-N-C-E !

There is still way too much – genie in a bottle Christianity out there.

A) Extreme side: Word Faith God is the one who is going to make me healthy and wealthy - Name it claim it – mentality { Enough Faith

B) But on a more subtle side is this idea that gets thrown around a lot

1) God is going to show me how to be successful

2) God is there to give me purpose

3) God is there to bless me if I say this prayer

C) Those ideas create this type of mentality in the Church today: God exist for me! –

1) But that is not what the Bible teaches at all – The Bible teaches you exist for God! –

Maybe God doesn’t want you to be successful – in a worldly sense

A) Maybe he wants you be an example of his grace and strength as you just get by!

B) See this in ministry: Pastors go to conferences – Here about being successful in ministry: hear guys who speak – Churches in the 1,000’s

1) They go away thinking – I must be doing something wrong – I have been at this for 7yrs – We only have 150 pp

C) Maybe that is all that God wants you to have – You are successful in his eyes if you faithfully minister to that 150 –

1) He wants you to be different – Know the names of the people in your Church – know their – kid’s names – really Pastor and care for.

D) Like Spurgeon says 150 is enough to give account for on the Day of Judgment.

But so often people get discouraged & disillusioned when the thing that they are doing isn’t working out the way they hoped

A) They think – what is wrong – this is working how I planned or hoped God doesn’t seem to be blessing –

B) God is saying – I have you right where I want you and I want to use you in the lives of many – as they watch you go thru this trial for me.

C) We pray God expand my borders – perhaps God is saying – your borders are wide enough – Don’t’ despise the day of small things

1) You have enough to do right here – right now in this situation.

Trust me serve me – be faithful

D) See folks – We need to get back to this mentality – We exist for God

1) Each day / what ever the situation / I want to be content and I want to be faithful.

E) Meph. Was saying in essence – I exist for you – My joy is full when I can be in your Presence David. { M

For his own enrichment this man cared nothing at all. It was everything to him that his king should come into the possession of his kingdom in peace . . . It is to be feared that too often we are more concerned about our rights than about His.

It is a great and glorious thing when our loyalty and love make us far more concerned about the victories of our Lord, than about our own unquestioned rights. Yet that should be the normal attitude of all who sit at the King's Table." (Morgan)

 

 

 

RD V. 31- 39

Barzillai was one of 3 wealthy land owners who met David when he arrived in Mahanaim { rough trip for an 80yr old man

A) Barzillai was an older man of great resources - and he wisely used those resources to support the servant of God and the cause of God.

C) The Church desperately needs more Barzilla- men who have been blessed by God to make resources / but who used those resources for the kingdom

B) In Luke 12:21, Jesus spoke of the foolish man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

1) That wasn’t this guy: Barzillai was wise enough to use his resources to lay up treasure in heaven and he was rich toward God.

2) He again makes the trip to see David off –

C) Now David wanted to bless Barzilla by inviting him to come and live with him in Jerusalem

 

D) Barzillai asked v. 36 Why should the king repay me with such a reward? Barzillai did not do this for the sake of reward.

1) He gave out of a right heart, not out the motive of self-exaltation.

E) He was old and knew that He wouldn’t be of much use to David – but he offers up his Son Here is your servant Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king:

 

E) "It is generally understood that this was Barzillai's son; and this is probable from 1 Kings 2:7, where, when David was dying, he said, Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai."

RD V. 40-43

Here in the mist of the Restoration and the welcoming back of King David and rift develops between Judah & the 10 northern tribes

The 10 northern tribes felt that they were being excluded in the welcoming back ceremonies of the King

This competitive rift between the tribes of Judah and the 10 northern tribes would set the stage for civil war in Israel after David’s death

So Ch.19 is all about restoration: Good Lessons

Ch.20 – I will summarize – Bloody and gruesome – It highlights a small uprising that takes place in the mist of the Restoration

A) Man by the name of Sheba – Benjamite – same tribe as Saul – who decided he should be king -

B) He blew the trumpet and a lot of people from those 10 northern tribes linked themselves to Sheba –

C) David calls for Amasa his new general to put a stop to this rebellion

1) Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah but delayed

D) So David Calls for Abishai and Joab – his two killers to take care of this –

1) In the process Joab comes upon Amasa and Kills him in cold blood

They chase Sheba to the city of Abel Beth Maachah – they are getting ready to besiege the city – wise woman of the city speaks

A) Please don’t take the city – no need to destroy this city

B) Joab tells her that they are looking for this man Sheba who has started and insurrection against David

1) Deliver him and we will spare the city

C) The woman says just a minute comes back and says – ok – we are going to throw his head over the wall –

1) Exactly what happened

D) That was the end of that – Sheba – lost his head – in trying to over throw David – Lost his head Literally in the Process

Quick Synopsis of Ch.20