Compromise

Have your Bibles with you. Terms if you would to second Samuel chapter 3 and were to start off this morning with verses 135 there's a long war between the house of Saul, the house of David and David grew stronger and stronger for the house of Saul became weaker and weaker and sons were born to David at Hebron's firstborn was Amnon of Hannah one of Jezreel, his son second delay of of Abigail the widow of née ball of caramel.

Third, Absalom, the son of Micah, the daughter of town making of gesture, and the fourth Adonijah, the son of Hagan and the fifth shift tile the son of a bit tall in the six Ephraim of Eagle David's wife.

These were born to David and Hebron that with these we got our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father I pray for our sick today. We have many suffered greatly from this covered virus.

Some of been hospitalized as viruses striking people who we love and when they suffer, we hurt with them. We pray for healing and mercy for those who are sick protection for those of us who are not infected but we pray for our nation were divided right now by politics, ideologies and personalities and misunderstanding with the great divide is not just political is a great divide that is spiritual. It's a divide between those who know and love Jesus and those who don't give us the backbone to stand for you and for truth no matter what happens.

We pray for our leaders this week as the election is still up in the air may truth prevail. Follow this sermon is about David but it's for us. Let us analyze his compromise and then see the hurt. It creates may David send drive us to repentance. Speak to us through your word today for it is in the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray.

Amen. You may be seated in the first two chapters of second Samuel, we saw a number of very godly qualities in the life of David we share with you for very quickly number one we saw that when Saul died he killed in battle that David did not gloat over that, but he mourned instead. Secondly, you saw that David love justice when the Amalekite shared with him that he had killed Saul. David had him executed. Thirdly. David refused to take matters into his own hands absolutely refused to do that. But the Scripture says that he inquired of the Lord that he went to the Lord and in prayer and made him for guidance that fourthly was patient, he waited on the on the Lord. He waited for 7 1/2 years before he actually became the king over all of Judah and Israel. He did not push himself into office. Along with these commendable qualities.

We also see some compromise and these compromises that we see in David's life are very sad and they're disappointing to us as we been going through this study on the life of David up and sharing with you that that David is a type of Christ.

He's a type of Christ, but we need to remember that he's not Christ. He's not a savior to look up to.

He's not. He wrote to look up to.

He is a sinner saved by grace, just like we are. Someone asked me a while back.

So Doug, why do you believe the Bible. This is a book that was written thousands of years ago. Why would you believe it.

That's it will are several reasons about one of the reasons that I believe it is because my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the sinless, spotless son of God told me in his word that the Bible is inerrant and absolutely infallible.

In Matthew chapter 5 in verse 18 it was Jesus who said, verily, verily I say unto you, heaven and earth will pass away, but not one jot or tittle shall pass away from the law and what is a jot a job as a smallest letter in the in the Hebrew alphabet is a yogurt looks like a little' and what is a tittle or tittle is a little mark on several of the Hebrew letters Jesus was telling us that the word of God is so perfect, so an errant that when it was written in its original manuscripts. Every word was true.

But not only every word, but every letter and even every mark on every letter. Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16. They the apostle Paul said all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness. Hebrews chapter 4 in verse 12 says for the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints of the mirror and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Psalm hundred 19 verse 160 says thy word is truth in its entirety and then a second Peter chapter 1 verses 20 through 21. Peter said no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

I shared with this man that asked me this question about the Bible. I shared with him in and tolling the SSN.

Sometimes we see can't we see tension between doctrines, but never contradiction I said that that we always see a glorious wonderful thing that the Lord does in his word and showing us it's truth, it's reality. We see that that that it's always perfect, but there is no contradiction in Scripture.

The Bible is the word of God. Then I said one of the things that convinced me of the absolute infallibility and in inerrancy of the Scripture is the transparency and honesty in the Bible concerning the people of God, the Bible does not whitewash over the sins of God's people. The Bible does not hide the sins and failures of God's people and thank you even look through the Scripture.

What does it say about the people of God. We look at Moses, what did he do Moses murdered and he lost his temper over and over again. David murdered committed adultery.

Jonah ran and hid from God and John the Baptist doubted God. Peter denied Jesus three different times and Paul before he was converted had Christians thrown into prison and had Christians keeled books is only one who was sinless and that one who is sinless is Jesus Christ. He is the only one you start looking at all the other religious books around the world and they all try to make their the people EN in their particular cult. I try to make them look good. They don't say anything about their sin.

We don't do that the Scripture doesn't do that Scripture lets us know that we are all sinners and have come short of the glory of God and there is only one hero.

There's only one Savior, and that is Jesus Christ himself. I said all that to say this. I'm glad that the Bible is honest and transparent so that we can take David down off of his pedestal and we can look at his failures and then use those failures as warning signs and stop signs to help us in our lives.

But let me set the stage for second Samuel chapter 3, King Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle and soon as that takes place what what happens then the men of Judah come and they declare that that David is now the new king of Judah, will Israel didn't do that and there was a man in Israel. His name was Abner and Abner was a male of the war he was a great friend of Saul Lutz with all his heart and he hated David so when all this took place and and and saw his died. King Saul said David is not going to be our king, but each machine with who was the only living son of of King Saul would be the new king, and he declared him to be the new king of Israel now King Saul new that when David was 16 years old. The prophet Samuel had anointed him to be the new king.

The next king after Saul in Israel.

Abner was not concerned about what the will of God was. Abner was concerned about what his will was a look at me again in verse one there was a long war between the house of Saul in the house of David and David grew stronger and stronger.

While the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.

David waited patiently. David was not the aggressor in this war and every one of the battles David and his men in from Judah would just be on the defensive, but Abner was always the aggressor always the aggressor and the Scripture says that Judah got stronger and stronger as the battles continued and that Israel got weaker and weaker as you remember from chapter 2 that there was a representative battle that took place at Gibeon, Abner Cynthia see Saddam to choose 12 men great warriors from Israel and you choose 12 great warriors from Judah, they will fight each other and then winner take all. And so they fall each other and what happened but the men of Judah killed all 12 of the men of Israel, that should've ended the war right there.

That was the deal that was what was supposed to happen, but Abner said no and and Abner continued on for 7 1/2 years doing battle against David and Judah. Now before we look more closely at David's compromises this view, the situation will look at verses six through 11 with me. While there was war between the house of Saul in the house of David. Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. Saul had a concubine whose name was risk, the daughter of a and if Michelle said Abner why are you going into my father's concubine. Abner was very angry over the words issue a shift and said my dog's head of Judah.

To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house and saw your father to his brothers into his friends have not given you into the hand of David, and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman God do so to Abner and were also if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah from Dan to Beersheba and issue a chef could not answer Abner another word because he feared he Abner come to realize that if Michelle was a weak excuse for a king at the people of Israel did not were not motivated by Esme Sheth's Abner finds himself in the dilemma but then something happens. Saul had a concubine whose name was risk and all of a sudden a rumor started that Saul had engaged himself intimately with sauce concubine respond.

No we know that's wrong. That's fornication is a moral sin before God. But that's not what bothered issue. Sheth one concerned about the immorality of it. He was concerned about something else quit when a man took up with the king's wife or a king's concubine.

He was making a political declaration. He was saying, just like I've taken the king's woman. Now I'm going to take the kings throne will issue a chef didn't like it and he criticized Abner when Abner was criticized he was mad and you can almost see the steam coming off his head just absolutely furious. He says I can't believe that you accused me like this, he said.

After all that I've done for you.

I made you the king of Israel. I've been protecting you from David i.e. the I've done everything for you been by your side.

Day after day and what what do you do, you accused me of having an affair with this woman you are accusing me of treason. Now I want you to notice that Abner did not deny that he did it. He just didn't like being accused of it, so I said that's it.

Esme Sheth I'm turning against you. I'm turning against you. I will show my allegiance to David the Scripture tells us that if Michelle was so scared so cowardly that he would even answer Abner. I personally believe that what we have here is a set up. I believe that Abner did have an affair with Risko and that he wanted is for chef to know it so that Esme Sheth would get mad. So then he would have an excuse for turning from issue Sheth and given his allegiance to David all right with that said, this get back to David's compromise couple compromises that I was to look at today. Number one was polygamy look at verses 235 and his sons were born to David he bring his firstborn was Amnon of a handle on of Jezreel for second to lay up, of Abigail, the widow of née ball of caramel and the third Absalom, the son of Micah, the daughter of town making of gesture, and the fourth Adonijah, the son of hag in the fifth chef Mattia, the son of a bit tall in the six Ephraim of a Glock. David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. I heard about one commentator exalted this polygamy always multiple wives. David had what any big deal because second Samuel doesn't say that it's a big deal and doesn't point out how horrible it is.

Let me tell you, second Samuel Dunn have to tell us how horrible it is because we know from what the rest of the Scripture says we know what God said about marriage when he instituted it in the book of Genesis.

He said marriage is between one man and one woman till death do them part. Jesus reiterated that Matthew chapter 19 when he said marriage is one man and one woman until death parts them and then we go to the 10 Commandments and the seventh commandment says thou shalt not commit adultery. Polygamy is mass adultery and then in Deuteronomy chapter 17 in verse 17 God tells the kings of Israel do not marry many women, especially many foreign women, for they will steal away your heart and what happened to David's son Solomon.

He disobeyed God, and those foreign wives that he married stole away his heart so widely. David disobeyed God and taken himself many wives.

I think with Bathsheba, it was primarily lust but I think with they otherwise it was primary political many wives submit many sons and he would have married different women from different geographical areas. They would have sons and then that would help him. He thought it would help them out politically to give him great political power and that work out for David only it worked out to wail.

Can you imagine leaving his home with all those wise and the jealousy that they probably had against each other and they had signs they wanted their sons to rise up the power. They were jealous of the other sons. Can you imagine the infighting that took place in that family with David with multiple wives.

Can you imagine all the jealousy between the sons Amnon raped tekmar his half-sister and then Absalom ended up killing Amnon and then bringing about civil war against David Adonijah took wanted to try to take Solomon's throne when David had said that Solomon would be the successor to his throne.

Let me take a moment, I will read you, Richard Richard Phillips at about the essence. I think this is excellent, said God's law prohibited Israel's kings from possessing heroines to avoid having their hearts turned away from God. In effect, polygamy leads a man to indulge himself in virtually ceaseless sensual pleasures so that his flesh begins to dominate over spiritual life instead of the situation ordained by God in which a man and woman entering the holy partnership for mutual help and sanctification, polygamy puffs up a man's pride polygamy promotes the very vices that Christian marriage is intended to restrain and avoids the virtues that biblical marriage is designed to promote according to John Calvin. The effective polygamy in the life of even so great a spiritual giant is David was to make of him, a dissolute and thoroughly immoral man. This situation would be seen most clearly in the virtual destruction of the glorious reign of David's son, King Solomon, who multiplied not only as pagan wives but also the idols that brought from promiscuity into Jerusalem, where his marriage is designed to promote unity and harmony within the home. Polygamy gives birth to Viper SDN of intrigue and competition. No wife can ever be secure in her relationship when she is only one of many women to share husband's bed throughout the Bible.

From the time when Abraham took Sarah's maidservant Hagar into his embrace. Polygamy has corrupted female society so that the household of a polygamist is certain to be one of the internal strife and was in contrast to biblical marriage is designed to secure the rights of both husband and wife and result in a covenant bond of unity and peace for parents and children alike. So if the Bible is clear on this subject and what he David compromise what he David Givhan to this sin.

I think several reasons. First, it was forbidden in Scripture, but it was widely approved in the surrounding culture, and I think David, like the idea that other people looked up to him from other nations and I saw that he was doing the same thing that they were doing and they looked on. That is, if it were okay. That brings up a question to our minds what sins what sins do we justify because everybody else is doing it.

I'm shocked at once on what some churches embrace today absolutely shocked the end. The problem is it's not the word of God and what the word of God says that matters is what the culture says that matters. Abortion is murder in the womb, but how many have how many preachers are getting up in their pulpits today and denying that saying abortion is just a woman's right to choose homosexuality is called by God in the Scripture an abomination and how many preachers is they don't know is a blessed union between a man and a man and a woman and a woman and on a personal level. What do we get into because everybody else is doing it hot. Secondly, David compromised with polygamy because he wanted to he wanted to hey had many wives because those many wives gave him a lot of fleshly pleasure. It brought happiness to his heart for at least a short period of time. AW Pink said that David's besetting sin was immorality and he said that he did not get away with it, brothers and sisters.

That's true the sinner. Polygamy heard his family and hurt his walk with the Lord and hurt his nation ought compromise to an ungodly remarriage look at versus 12 to 16, and Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, to whom does the land belong make your covenant with me and hold my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel. Do you and he said good.

I will make a covenant with you, but one thing I require of you that is. You shall not see my face, unless you first bring Michael Saul's daughter when you come to see my face. Then David sent messengers to issue a shift. Saul's son, saying, give me my wife Michael, for whom I paid the bridal price of 100 foreskins of the Philistines, and issue a shift sent and took her from her husband Paul to Yale, the son of Lachish, but her husband went with her weeping after her all the way to buy homeroom. Then Abner said to him, go, return, and he returned Abner sent messengers to David. These messengers met with David and and they said to David Abner's had it with this preshift absolutely had it. So he's going to let you be the king of Israel.

You see what he's doing there.

He still trying to hold onto his so-called authority. These trio still trying to run the show. He still thinks he can call the shots that AA knows that he's got a surrender here, but he wants to look good in that surrender. I read a story one time about battle took place in and there was a victorious king and the leading general.

On the other side. It was defeated makes his way to the king after the battle, and the defeated general reaches up to shake the hand of the victorious king in the victorious king looked at him and said, no, no, you are sword first and then your hand rose and sisters.

That's exactly what David is doing right here at the Abner's a piece of work is no humility in him. Abner is not acknowledging wrong he's not asking for different forgiveness. He just won't run the show, so to David's credit. I like what David does here. He he let Sandra know who's in charge.

I don't think Abner was expecting this list and what David said towing okay I will enter into covenant with Israel. But this I require. I want you to bring back Michael.

My wife, Saul's daughter, then David sent messengers and then you send them to. He didn't send it. Abner soon to issue a shift is a message to Abner and what did he say to issue a shift. He said I want my wife Michael back. He said I paid for her. I paid for her by killing hundred Philistines soldiers.

That's the dowry that Saul set up, but I not only paid for for her dowry with 100 Philistines.

He said I double that not kill 200 Philistines, and says so. I want her back, send her back to me. David is saying he wants her back as his wife. This is a political move for David. David knows that this is gonna come to help him out because people will not think that he still hostile to Saul's family if he has Saul's daughter as his wife understand the politics of this, the folks David is breaking God's principal and he's destroyed in a marriage when David fled from Saul, Saul gave his daughter, Michael, to a man his name was Paul to Yale they got married and had a very happy healthy strong marriage. But David said I want her back not to love her and cherish her as a wife, but to use as a political pawn soaking issue a chef gives the command send Michael back to be David's wife and Abner gets that command and he goes and gets Michael and he forces her to go back with him to Hebron to be the wife of David say this is one of the saddest stories in the Bible and when I just see this picture Paul to yield her husband is running up to see Abner tears are just screaming down his cheeks. He said please Abner, don't do this. I love my wife. I cherish her, I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Please do not take her from a David doesn't love her.

This is just a political thing. This is something that just doesn't matter. Please don't take my wife away from me and Abner says it's done is nothing you can do about it.

So you just turn around and go your way and he knows that he has to do that or Abner will having keeled and so here Paul Teal walks away from that situation, tears streaming down his cheeks with an absolutely broken heart over what is happened, folks, this compromise for David is absolutely wicked. He broke up a happy marriage in order that he might get just a little political gain. David should have remembered the word of the Lord about remarriage in Deuteronomy chapter 24 verses 1 to 4 limit read that to you. When a man takes a wife and marries her if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house and she departs out of his house and if she goes it becomes another man's wife, and the latter man hates her writes her a certificate of divorce puts it in her hand and sends her out of the house with the latter man dies who took her to be his wife and her former husband's general way may not take her again to be his wife.

After she's been defiled for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

God gave this principle to stop what we call today wife swapping. He was saying for husband and wife separate and they remain single and the best things they can do is to come back together and the husband and wife, but if the husband and wife divorce and the wife remarries another man that if that man divorces her she divorces him then they cannot get back together. She can't go back to the first husband even if the second husband dies, she cannot remarry. The first husband is an abomination before the Lord. David totally violated that principle from God's word and in so doing, he broke up a happy marriage. He defiled his own testimony and he left a horrible example for his nation so we go to the third point and that is the compromise cure. The verses will look at verses 17 to 21 hold on with them will get to that in just a moment, but I will ask this question of David David why did you compromise maybe we need to ask it of ourselves why we compromise lite while we compromise we compromise because of a lack of faith we compromise because we don't really trust God, we compromise because we have this idea that that the the excitement that were going to get from that compromise is going to be worth the consequences will have to pay for it and you know what it never is worth it, never worth it.

Thomas Brooks, a bridal Puritan wrote a wonderful book I'm reading right now called precious remedies against Satan's devices. His first statement in the book explains why we compromise. He said this site is first devised to draw the soul into sin is to present the bait and hide the hook to present the golden cup and hide the poison to present the suite, the pleasure and the profit that may flow in upon the soul by yielding to sin and to hide from the soul, the wrath in misery that will certainly follow the committing of sin of enraging Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book, the cost of discipleship and just great book, but the first chapter was just powerfully convicting to my heart. He showing the difference between costly grace and free grace. And he says when we believe that God freely gave us his grace and we believe that that the sit the blood of Jesus Christ has washed away all of our sins past, present and future. And sometimes we are led to believe that that that allows me now to live like I will live and do what I want to do that I don't have to obey God. I can disobey God because I got a ticket to heaven and I got a license to sin.

I can do what I want to do. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that's a lie, he said costly grace is what God gives in its grace to do what its grace to empower us to deny self to take up the cross daily and follow him on.

Take a moment read you some. Bonhoeffer said this was very powerful. He's a cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ living and incarnate costly grace is a treasure hidden in the field for the sake of it. A man will gladly go to sell all that he has is the pearl of great price to buy, which the merchant will sale all his goods is the kingly rule of Christ. Bruce like a man will pluck out by which causes them to stumble is the call of Jesus price at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ is costly because it calls to man his life and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life is costly because it condemns sin and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, is costly because it calls God the life of his son. You were bald is a price and what is calls God.

Much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his son to dear price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the incarnation of God costly grace is the sanctuary of God. It has to be protected from the world and not thrown to the dogs. It is therefore the living word.

The word of God which he speaks as it pleases him costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus. It comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit in the contrite heart. Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him is grace because Jesus said my yoke is easy and my burden is light. You member the first thing that Jesus said to Simon Peter.

First thing Jesus said to Simon Peter, was this follow me, follow me, and then Jesus and Peter walked together and during the ministry of Christ for three years and Peter learned much was discipled very powerfully, and right before Jesus died on the cross. Peter denied Jesus three times Jesus died on the cross and he was resurrected from the dead three days later. Peter's heart was absolutely broken over his denials and he would didn't know if he could even go on. Jesus came back and met with him at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. In his new resurrected body. He said three times Peter do you love me you said yes Lord you know I love you said then feed my sheep.

And then Jesus made one final statement to Peter.

He said Peter followed me. The first thing that Jesus said to Peter, follow me. The second thing last thing that Jesus said to Peter was follow me, but that's how we as how we defeat compromise. We defeat compromise by following Jesus and the closer we follow Jesus, the less power compromise will have over us. In closing, when you read you would add or did Abner conferred with the elders of Israel. Sanford sometimes passed you been seeking David as king over you. Now they bring it about. For the Lord's promise. David saying by the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of their all their enemies. Abner also spoke to Benjamin and then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do when Abner came with 20 men to David at Hebron. David made a feast for Abner and the men were withing never said to David, I will arise and go, I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you and that you may reign over all, that your heart desires. So Davidson Abner way and he went in peace while nobody could say that David stole the kingdom of Israel, those 11 tribes, he didn't steal him.

Those people came to him, the people of Israel did and they said David you to be our king if him. They gave him the rain.

What a lesson. Dependence on God. In patients with God.

God mightily honors that and he didn't just honor it for David. He honors it for me and he honors it for you as a child of God was pray heavenly father. David made a lot of mistakes. He sin with multiple wives. He remarried Michael and broke up her marriage.

He also put politics above his family and above his relationship with you and yet you never left him nor for soaking you chastening you driving back to fellowship with you and David learn dependence on God.

In patients with God. Father, we confess to you today that we often fail as David did, we often compromise because others compromise help us. That compromise should be driven from us and that we might bring glory to your precious name for it is in the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen