2 Samuel Chapter 14

Dear either going be controlled by God by the Holy Spirit to be controlled by the flesh knowledge and if you're controlled by God, you have the power to forgive the you can make the statement I will forgive the more you can choose to take part of the bitterness and the calamity in the unforgiveness and all stuff that we will see going on tonight in the next few chapters in this book is your decision is not anybody else's, is is your decision and some of your still carrying stuff around it a shape and who you are welcome to cross the bridge with McGee. The senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina at the bridge to McGee has assisting pastors in one of those is Neil welcome the program today. Neil will Bob. We've had some good teachings here about being led by the spirit of forgiveness being forgiven and even restoration and reconciliation. Some right words when you're looking in the Bible.

Neil is forgiving somebody something that just kind of an automatic thing our lives or something we really have to be intentional, yes Bob that's what we need to strive for intake effort is to forgive others because the great forgiveness that's been extended… And continues teaching post by verse finishing up second Samuel chapter 14 turn with me to second Samuel chapter 14 looking at life of David, the life of all and what happened before, is one of David signs had raped his half-sister and suffered no punishment from David or the government.

Absalom took it upon himself to conspire to kill Amnon and then Absalom flees the scene. So that's kind of where we catch up.

Now this is a it's an interesting chapter, not that you want from a Bible study Bible teacher standpoint and some of this were dealing with motivation whenever you get into the area of motivations of trying to figure out why somebody did something we have to be very careful because you might think that you're always sure of somebody's motivation but there's no way that you can be sure somebody's motivation.

When we look at this chapter tonight, you start to ask yourself why did he do that or why did he do it like this and and some of his answers are disturbing and some of them quite frankly, or I don't know, but as a Bible teacher.

I'm in the position like I have to get into a little bit of speculation so the interestingness can become a minefield. All product should address it with grace.

Amen.

Second Samuel chapter 14 verse one must look at it together so Joab the son of Zechariah perceive that the king's heart was concerned about Absalom and Job sent to Toccoa and brought from their wise woman and said to her, please pretend to be a mourner and put on morning apparel do not anoint yourself with a little bit like a woman who's been morning a long time for the dead go to the king and speak them in this manner, so Joab put the words in her mouth and when the woman of Toccoa spoke to the king, she felt her face to the ground, and prostate are so creditors often sit help okay.

Then the king said to her, what troubles you, and she entered. Indeed, I am a widow.

My husband is dead now. Your maidservant had two sons to follow with each other in the field and there was no one to part them.

But the one struck the other and killed him and now the whole family is risen up against your maidservant and they said deliver him and struck his brother, that we may execute them for the life of his brother Michaela and we will destroy the air.

Also said they would ask English my amber that is left and leave the my husband. Neither name nor remnant on the earth. Verse eight then the king said to the woman, go to your house and I will give orders concerning the woman of Toccoa, said the King by Laurel King let the iniquity be on me and on my father's house, and the king and his throne be guiltless or she saying you don't go and make your decision and I'll pick up the slack, or take up the heat didn't verse 10 the king said who ever says anything you bring in the mean he shall not touch you anymore. Then she said please let the king remember the Lord your God and do not permit the avenger of blood to destroy anymore lest they destroy my son David's responses were interesting and he said, as the Lord lives, not one air of your son shall fall to the ground. Therefore, the woman said please let your maidservant speak another word to my lord the king, and he said sale was 13, so the woman said wind and heavy schemes such a thing against the people of God for the king speaks this thing is one who is guilty, and that the king does not bring his banished one home again, for we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life, but he devises means so that his banished ones are not expelled for men now therefore outcomes speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people of mainly afraid in your maidservant said I will now speak to the king, it may be that the king will perform the request of his maidservant for the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the inheritance of God in your maidservant said the word of my lord the king will now be comforting for is the angel of God, so is my lord the king and discerning good and evil and may the Lord your God be with you and the king answered and said to the woman, please do not hide from me anything that I ask you Norman said please let my lord the king speak.

Verse 19 wise King David. So the king said, is the hand of Joab with you and all the woman answered and said, as you live, my lord the king. No one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king is spoken for your servant Joab commanded many put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant to bring about this change of affairs your servant job is done this thing. But the Lord is wise according to the wisdom of the angel of God to know everything that is in the earth. The king said the Joab are granted this thing go therefore and bring back the young man Absalom.

Verse 23 so Joab arose and went to get sure about Absalom to Jerusalem and the king said, let him return to his own house, but do not let them see my face so Absalom returned to his own house but did not see the king's face. What I mean when I said they were ready to do this. Absalom hadn't asked for forgiveness. Damon wasn't forgiving Absalom's place was in the king's court. The king's house that was his place as David's son and as a member of the king's court stated you're not coming back. Looking I don't see you have in your living your housewife and about that restoration today.

David wasn't interested in restoring Absalom to the king's court and so you know that the story with Joab, leapfrog the process and it all goes haywire know what personal application could we possibly gain from it. What I think sometimes we do the exact same thing we delete for all the restoration process when the relationships not ready to be restored.

The person who committed the injury is not ready to go back to the person and say hey you know now when they do the Bible again vertically you talk a lot about being forgiven a lot about forgiven other people yet, these are some of things that make Christianity so different than any other religion. What are we are we as an argument because of the world. Tell him what all is wrong with is not to certain degree, Speak truth in the people's life and say, look, this is you know this is going to be this is if you continue this way. This is what can happen, but what the Bible is the second print is five anything now all things are of God, who is reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and is given us the ministry of reconciliation hello that phrase. The ministry of reconciliation, not the ministry judgment, not the ministry of doom and gloom. The ministry of reconciliation reconciled, taken to people who were enemies and making them not be enemies again because brother with sister family the verses and you you were an enemy of God. You were his enemy Cassidy work for me or against me. Everybody in here was against them.

At one point I got, you know, I know you're my enemy but you've asked me to forgive and forget.

Because I'm a God of restoration and reconciliation, and now that I've restored you reconciled. You now want you to go do that for other people. What great things Jesus is ask us to do the ministers of reconciliation wattage only. A lot of you think will you know we got got tell people about Jesus. Guy Yelena put my finger in her face and be ugly to follow Jesus, Paul, Sandy senior what your ministers of reconciliation. I wonder if we use the scriptural language to people how many people would be interested in what we have.

We walked up to minister. But you know you going to hail instead of doing that. We walked up to him to sit take. Have you ever wonder what it would like to have everything that you've ever done wrong to be forgiven by God coming. People say want ministers reconciliation life lesson we should seek to restore people and reconcile them to God. We should seek to restore people and reconcile them. The got again. Let me repeat, this is part of this process. This restoration this reconciliation has to be repentant has to be repentant because of you restore without repentance you don't really have restoration. That restoration can't be done like that, God can't, God doesn't force himself on you without you, Nam is a God, forgive me, what you say God forgive me. Got done done restoration would be complete and as we progress over the next couple weeks I just wonder how all this would've turned out if they would would've said hey you know what come back to the king court said you know I messed up.

Please forgive me this this whole thing would go totally different but it doesn't notice something else.

It's missing David never said it. We never seen the Scripture that they would ever sit down with Absalom and said Absalom should've killed your brother now you might think. Will you in that kind of obvious know it was still David's role is father to sit down without a lot of you know good bad murder, bad murder badly.

She shouldn't kill your brother. This was part of his role as a father but he didn't do it is read on verse 25 now and all Israel.

There was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good luck for the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. There was no blemish.

Any good-looking guy.

Verse 26 and when he cut the hair of his head at the end of every year he cut it because it was having on when he counted he weighed the hair of his edit 200 shekels, according to the king. Standards are at the time.

Jewish men would cut their hair, they would put their hair and either grab two fists will have that whatever stuck out cut one handful in an ounce of detail have that cut down in some people said were the weight of his ears like 3 pounds 1/2 pound for pound as high as six. The fact that the guy weighed his hair I think is the real issue. You know, I believe it doesn't matter how much is there to all, Emily Whitmire, like Mullins should go to new now let me go in and hit something real quick. Some people say with the fact he had long hair that's really what Absalom's problem was he was a hippie and we all know how hippies are problem was that his hair was in his heart was where the problem and I know I used to as a believer I had long hair and bequeath to hammer me about it and maybe like Samson. There's a Nazirite valued and cut your hair while you took this file to God. I know some of you been brought up in churches were going out, no later but going there was a real quick first Corinthians chapter 11. Some of you been if you've ever had long hair referred this one from somebody probably not love does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hears of this honor to him. The culturally significant was the time that the man had a long hair and he was probably a male prostitute and designated as such but less freedom, but if the woman has long hears a glory to her for her hair is given to her for, so what this passage is about is mentioned have short hair. Women should have longer but usually the guys that beat up guys about having long hair. You know their short hair and it doesn't make any sense that they would not, but look with the next person, but if anyone seems to be contentious.

We have no such customer nor do the churches of God solution has long hair hunkered. I'm interested in your heart and if they're in the right relationship with God listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be back with more in just a moment but first, if you haven't been to our website@crossthebridge.com yet you waiting for go to cross the bridge.com to learn more about how listeners like you are helping get the life-changing truth of God's word to more people to the radio, Internet and mobile technologies across the bridge.com you can also check out our broadcast schedule.

Listen to more teaching from Pastor David@up for Pastor David's free daily devotional and there's more thereto, so visit cross the bridge.com today. Now here's Pastor David as he continue showing verse by verse 27 that Absalom were born three sons and one daughter. His name was Tamara. She was a woman, a beautiful appearance is like a sister her name was Tamara and Absalom to up to four years in Jerusalem but did not see the king's face.

Therefore Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but he would not come to money sending when he said again the second time he would not come to the whole relationship ship is strained because they avoided Absalom's repentance. David's restoration of David was king. I don't think he ever again is Absalom's game where you see that grotesque way next chapter of the psalmist came in. David had received grace, but he wasn't given it to us and David have been forgiven of so much to understand.

If you've asked Jesus to forgive you every sense he has so forgiven you of your sent. Never again will you be in print to God, you know, I just want to talk to you little bit about this got say remember that time Tammy did some really stupid. Tammy went out did this all.Blodgett still hurts me to this day when I think about you like our earthly parents of the guy never manufactures a couple really remarkable versus Psalm 103 12.

As far as the east is from the West.

So far as he removed her transgressions is remove them as far as from the east to look to their horizons and really flat place that much in fruit and in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 17 says then he had their sins and their lawless deeds. I will remember no more to create verse when you come to God and you ask him to forgive you of something that you've Artie asked him to forgive you. He doesn't know what you're talking about because he can forgive you in such a complete way to say what what we talk.

I remember that according that verse incredible thing.

Verse 29 rereading the catch of research.

Therefore, Absalom sent for Joe to send him to the king, but he would not come to me when it's sitting in the second time he would not come. He said this over and see Joab filters their money at it and they have barley there and set it on fire and Absalom servants at the field on fire, so we you know Absalom has some character falls.

You know, I mean you're seeing who Absalom is and you're going to see even more. But God still want to do a work when we have the home Bible study. We started nobody. Nobody came there was to neighborhood kids that came a little bit after little while they partly came the house because NetBIOS in the neighborhood, let them come to their house, little boy, he reminded myself he was eight years old and ending at eight years old when the police came into the neighborhood. They were usually looking for him. He'd be part of his neighbors fence down but he was at our own Bob and I'll never forget the night I talked about getting forgiven, being forgiven, asking God to forgive you of your sense. You want to do this is so Absalom burns Joab's field.

Yes, it was his way of thanking them for helping him to get back to Jerusalem on see again we see Absalom's submitted the Joab's leadership is not cemented to David. He has increased potential as a leader you see that, but because he's an un-submitted leader. He's appearing dangerous person and you see that the kingdom of God is a pastor is unsubmitted, the God is a dangerous man. If a leader in the church is not submitted to his master to dangerous person because with a great potential leader comes great potential disaster and people can get her to see some people get seriously hurt in this rebellion of Absalom as a matter fact, the stronger your leadership skills are the more careful you have to be with because you you can lead people to a bad place because they will finally verse 31 then Joe arose and came Absalom's house and said and why your servants at my field are reasonable question and it had an aunt and aunt she she spoke real slowly just never got excited about anything in France. She was a deer away and she tall the and when she tall you had the pay she sweet lady sweet lady in 19 her house caught on fire and she went over next door to Shorty's house and she comes over there she goes. Shorty my houses all five monarchies him if you want to go get excited about anything good. Now verse 30 and Absalom answered you and said look I sent you saying come here so that I may send you to the king to say why have I come from gusher, it will be better for me to be there still now therefore let me see the king's face, but if there's iniquity in me, let him execute again a problem, Absalom is pushing for an audience with the King. He's not ready for David's not ready for. But he's pushing for it and because of this disaster happened. Proverbs chapter 25 verse six is don't demand an audience with the King or push for a place among the great, it is better to wait for an invitation than to be sent to the end of the line publicly disgraced weight weight God's calling you to ministry people erect around you will recognize that calling in God, in his new season in his right time will give you that place your frustrated and in and out of sorts. The nest probably work of the flash so Joe I went to the king and told him, and when he had called for Absalom the king the king about himselfto the ground before the king and then the king kissed Absalom again on the surface, everything sounds like it's good but it's not it's not an part of this is key in the whole David Knapp something, but because they will. Absalom will work this whole nations will suffer because David didn't come naturally.

Absalom looked wrong to kill and give Absalom the opportunity for respiration from the site. You know what I'm sorry I was wrong to vengeance and mowing that I should've done but David didn't do that. Absalom didn't do that whole thing is messed up, but the challenge I guess the challenges don't be like in Absalom and not asking for forgiveness, and don't be like a David and withholding mentioned a couple things restoration the person has to repent, but they don't have to repent for you to forgive because until you forget you're still carrying that around. And if you're still carrying that around. That is affecting who you are as a believer and even walking through life going on the way to lay asked me to forgive before I forget I'm going to see fruits of repentance in their life. Before I forget, you're carrying that around.

That's holding you down and that's holding you back. Ephesians 431 says that let all bitterness, wrath and anger and clamor, and evil speaking bit of be put away from you and all malice and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Now there is a path the restoration. There is a path to reconciliation. Galatians chapter 6 verse one says it rather than a man is overtaken in any trespass system, putting down shooting not so what is it you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law amplifies actresses without any sense of superiority. We need to walk in this. We need to walking. I want to walking see in all lives. This rebellion is read in Absalom's heart.

This is just it's going be hard, and in these these chapters revolve around bitterness and unforgiveness.

Absalom didn't forgive Amnon for Raven's sister, David didn't forgive Absalom for killing Amnon Absalom didn't forgive David for not punishing Amnon and he continues to this day I bet you there's not anybody in here that doesn't have some kind of family situation or some kind of situation with friends work this thing is still perpetuating itself and Jesus came that all that could be broken that you don't have to walk under the weight in the bondage of the you can be a part of that bitterness and that unforgiveness if you choose to, you can walk and some of you probably have for years I did for years, folic acid not doing this and I for gave people that have never asked me to forgive then someone never will. But I no longer carry that around. They may carry it around. I'm not carrying it around finalized life lesson we can choose to forgive your either going be controlled by God by the Holy Spirit to be controlled by the flesh in all its and if you're controlled by God, you have the power to forgive people you can make the statement Bob will I forgive this person, or you can choose to take part of the bitterness and the calamity in the unforgiveness and all stuff that we will see going on tonight in the next few chapters in this book is your decision is not anybody else's decision is your decision and some of your still carrying stuff around and quite it a shape and who you are because you're carrying it around, put it down. Don't carry that around like this. God has given you the power to break the cycle of bitterness and unforgiveness.

He's given that each person is in here tonight question what we do what we do. God has forgiven you so much. Really and scale the ask you to forgive others of so little friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him.

God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous to congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make.

God bless you, if you prayed that prayer was David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit crossed the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. You can also write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life.

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