Trials

Problems with you and I turn with me if you want to second Samuel chapter 19 will be looking first of all the verses 41 through 43, that all men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king why var brothers, the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan and all David's men withing all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, because the king is our close relative. Why, then, are you angry over this matter have we eaten at all at the king's experience as a given us a gift. Men of Israel answered the men of Judah we have 10 shares in the king and David also. We have more than you while you did you despise us we not the first to speak of bringing back arcane doors of the meal of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel, that with music at our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father lift up Martinique for to you this morning.

Is he still in the hospital going to very difficult time. We pray Lord that he would spare his life. Lord, that he would save his life and give him more years here on this earth to serve and love you. We pray heavenly father that he would be with my brother Larry Cranford as he's experienced the death of his wife this weekend asked father that you comfort him putting to his heart of peace that passes all understanding. Pray for Wendy Crestor, Lord, that you would be with her and she has surgery coming up tomorrow or we pray father that that I will heal very quickly and that she will have her's site restored to her heavenly father and my interactions with Christians of the last 18 months I have seen depression, hopelessness, anxiety and fear.

Understand that times are tough, things are uncertain institutions that we thought we could trust have failed us.

So Lord, please use the word of God to give us victory over these things. These feelings his emotions that we have. Paul said be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Peace of God that passes all understanding shall guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus policy for God is not given us a spirit of fear but of power, of love the sound mind. David said the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit, and it was Jesus who said in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer drive overcome the world. Father, help us to leave this place today with our heads held high in her eyes focused on you.

There is no trial greater than you. There is no problem you can't solve.

Help us to surrender every thought, every emotion and every tear to your sovereign hand made the trials of this life build character into our hearts in dependence upon you for it is in the precious name of Jesus that we pray. Amen Millie seated 737 BC, the prophet Isaiah walked into the temple of God, to see comfort is king. King Uzziah had died. Thing is I had reigned over Judah for 52 years was a good king. He was a king who love the Lord Isaiah trusted him was very comfortable with him as their king but now he is God and his son chose him who is ascending to the throne, and Isaiah knows that Joe thumb does not possess the same character and integrity that his father did and he's very worried about what's going to happen to Judah. So Isaiah walks into the temple of the Lord in the Scripture says that God gave them a vision and don't think that this was just a fault or some little dream that he had.

This was a up a powerful powerful vision. It was almost like he had been transported to heaven itself. It was that real tooling in Isaiah chapter 6, verse one.

The Scripture says that I saw the Lord had lifted up on his throne and his train filled the temple. The train was a symbol of authority. The longer the king's train on his robe, the greater the authority if the king sat down on his throne and the train went all the way down to the floor that many had great authority but Isaiah looks up and he sees God on his throne and his is trying doesn't just go down and touch the floor, but it keeps on flowing and it keeps on flowing and it keeps on flowing until it fills the entire temple folks that was a statement God was making in the statement was there was this aired the statement says our Lord doesn't possess. Just some authority I Lord doesn't just possess great authority but our Lord possesses all authority. No one can stay his hand. No one can change his mind or for God's purpose. God is not just powerful P is sovereignly totally powerful with any say something, he sees the Angels a bright shining charitable Sheriff them and they are encircling the throne and their singing out holy, holy, holy. Now he is not only powerful but is also perfectly righteous is also perfectly good. He is holy. I have a personal belief that holiness is the attribute that best describes our God is a holy God never do we see in the Scripture with angels or sing and love love love or mercy mercy mercy joy joy joy even sovereign sovereign sovereign in his holy, holy, holy. I don't know about you that that makes me tremble on the inside. It made Isaiah Trimble on the inside and the outside Isaiah sees the Lord high lifted up on his throne and he falls down on the floor, trembling and shaken and he says what was me prime. An unclean man who lives in the midst of an unclean people. God's an angel to go over to the altar and he takes a coal off the altar, and he brings it over to Isaiah, and he presses it on his lips and it burns and it stings and hurts but it also cleanses God is calling Isaiah to be his profit. He will be a statesman profit and got, he will take the messages of God back to the Kings. I wonder if Isaiah said to himself.

I just wish that I could have talked to David, who reigned 200 years before the us. These are just wish it that I could have talked to him because David was the apple of God's he was a man after God's own heart. He was the killer of John's.

He was a great mighty warrior, the greatest warrior that Israel or Judah had ever seen before and he said here's a man who went through unbelievable trials and unbelievable heartaches. Wonder if he didn't take second Samuel 1920 and meditate on these chapters that we been looking at and look at those chapters and say while these are our truths here that can help me to help Joe thumb with the trials that Judah is getting ready to go through and second Samuel chapters 15 through 18. We been studying Absalom's rebellion against David and God. These were the toughest trials that David would ever have to face in his life. Or at least he fault and what he finds out is that the trials are coming up or even tougher in that interesting. Last week we saw David expressed grace and mercy in ways that absolutely blew my mind.

We saw that David was a picture, a type, a symbol of foreshadowing of Christ to come in second Samuel chapter 19 we see David become more like Christ than he has in his entire life is amazing.

He shows grace and my mercy to the most undeserving people in the world shows grace and mercy to shimmy who cursed him and threw rocks adding to shows grace and mercy to a matzoh who it was the, the military commander over Absalom's army that was trying to kill David. David not only for gazing, but he elevated him to become the commander of his army boots as I look at this. All I can see is Jesus in David, and all I can say is Jesus hanging from that cross looking down from the cross at the people who were down below and they were cursing him and yelling at him and screaming at him and spending adding Jesus looked up and I have a niece and father forgive them for they know not what they do.

That's the kind of grace I see in David as he gets ready to retake the throne named my human mind, I would think that God would reward David after all that with a trouble-free period of time that doesn't happen folks.

In fact, the trials get deeper and tougher for David Rosen sisters for over a decade nail. I've been seriously warning Grace Church that persecution is coming. I have warned you of a growing hatred against God's true people I've encouraged you to make Bible memorization. A daily practice and get mentally, spiritually and emotionally ready for persecution.

Be prepared to be slandered. Be prepared to be lied about and misquoted. Be prepared to to be called names. Be prepared to be isolated and canceled out is time to get spiritually tough votes. It's time to get spiritually tough and to follow more in love with Jesus than you've ever been in your life and don't think just because you love Jesus and just because you have a heart that's willing to repent that the trials were going to get easier for David, they did not they got tougher.

It may be the same with us, takes us to our text and have three points that I want to share with you .1 is a brewing tempest look with me at verse 41 through 43 again, that all men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king. One of our brothers, the men of Judah stolen your way and brought the king and his household over the Jordan and all David's men with them.

All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, because the king is our close relative. Why, then, are you angry over this matter have we eaten all of the king's experience or has he given us any gift in the men of Israel answered the men of Judah we have 10 shares.

Shares in the king and David also.

We have more than you wildly and did you despise us we not the first to speak of bringing back arcane. The words of the men of Judah were fiercer in the words of the men of Israel. If you remember there were many in Judah, who betrayed David and followed Absalom. Judah was David's tribe. They were his kinfolk is near kin his family.

They were his people. So David wanted to start this process of repairing the breach they are in his country by going first of all, to those who were closest to wing so I got to priests.

I dock the high priest. Another priest name abaya far and he sent them to go deal with Judah. They went to Judah and they said to Judah you have blown it. You have messed up royally. You have been deceived by Absalom. Now you need to apologize to David and you need to show the entire world that you support David with all your heart and the people of Judah thought that's a great idea.

That's exactly what we need to do is all Judah went to meet with David so they could march with David back to the palace in Jerusalem and he could retake the throne, but the other 10 tribes of Israel see Judah doing all this and they realize that they have not come out to honor David in great numbers. That kind of embarrasses them Israel's 10 times larger than Judah and yet the numbers I have are much smaller than Judah's numbers and so guess what, instead of checking themselves in the seat-of-the-pants like they should have done, they get jealous of Judah and I start a ruckus to listen to what Richard Phillips says it's a great analogy. He said of course until they noticed the assembly of Judah to greet him.

David, the northern tribes had had little interest in honoring the returning King, but instead had fled every man to his own home only when their pride and jealousy were provoked. Did they care for such honors a modern-day analogy might involve a younger sister who insults over being denied the privilege of being made of honor, and consequently tries to ruin the wedding for the entire family. It can easily be charged at David and Judah might've been more sensitive to the feelings of their brothers yet. David could only have been exasperated over the ease by which a nation free, freshly returned from Civil War would evolve into factional bickering again, despite the accusations that Judah had stolen David there was in fact no conspiracy, no real advantage gained by Judah in the affair.

Nonetheless, the tribes of Judah decided it was all part of a plan by Judah to humble them and make them listen less impressive in the victory parade.

There was no willingness to give the benefit of the doubt no recognition that other factors, including the king's best judgment might have played a part. Not even the slightest interest in an explanation only naked prejudice, recrimination and accusation what was Israel doing they were trying to read mode it's they were saying we know what you're thinking that they were saying we see the conspiracy that you are concocting and we will act on the basis of what we think you are thinking wow that's a sin folks and you know what I'm guilty of that sin way too often. I do that sometimes. I hate to admit that, but I do thinking that I know what somebody else is taken a look at them. I see what they say.

I seen what they've done and immediately I can make up a determination in my mind, will, this is their motive. This is this is what they're thinking, if he ever felt snubbed by somebody and you say why was his problem. That is, did I do something that say something to hurt his feelings did Clinton beat his football team is mad at me.

You know what's going all your why what is was he acting like this and you talk to that person. You say, are you mad at me like so what would you asked if we didn't speak to me and I say I didn't even see you what you talking about.

I had my mind on an argument that I had with my wife had nothing to do with you, I'd misread a motive that ever happened to you I been in the middle of a sermon, somebody would get up it right in the middle sermon and walk out the back door. The church guess what I'm thinking. I've hurt somebody's feelings. I just said something that so offended them there.

Leaving the church. I might never come back again so I called them up and say yes so you leave the church today. Are you okay I sent my mother sick and she texted me on the phone. She said she needed me right then. So I jumped up and I took off out of their, what had I done I jumped the gun.

I tried to read someone's motives, folks, I would do well not to do that. That's exactly what Israel was doing. So what did Judah do they did not apologize for what the situation look like they could've ease the tension if they had just done that but they didn't. They told the truth, but they said it in a way that would make Israel look stupid and petty. Look at verse 42, all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, because the king is our close relative why they are you angry over this matter have we eaten all of the king's expense or has he given us any gift they were sand. Israel get a grip guys.

What is wrong with you, David is achieved in case family didn't give us a gift. We didn't do anything for privilege. We gain no benefit from this sub.

Besides that, who kept you from going you had. You could go just like we are. Nobody stopped you from that. Why are you even say in this Ephesians 415, Paul gives us a command. He says that we are to speak the truth in love. They are speaking the truth only tell you it's not in love. It's not kind at all. Verse 43 says that the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel hasn't applied us.

Richard Phillips had a great answer, very convicting answer to the bickering between Israel and Judah mirrors the kind of dissension that rips apart, communities and even fellow Christians within the church, believers today, sometimes long for the ideal times. The early church when bonds of love United the first Christians, but they forget the actual descriptions of the New Testament.

Paul lamented that each one of you says. I follow Paul off all Apollo so I follow Cephas so it continues today.

Inflamed pride leads to injured sentiments responded with inflamed suspicions and unwarranted accusations unless one or both parties humbled himself in a spirit of Christlike grace. The result can be a rent that deeply injures people and communities it is in this way, that long serving churches split over the style of music and family sever over thoughtless comments made at a holiday meal is that not true at Texas to point to a breaking storm. Look at verses one through 13 and the chapter 20 happened to be their worthless man. His name was Shiva, the son of victory.

A Benjamite he blew the trumpet and said we have no portion in David we have no interest inheritance and the son of Jesse every man to his tent so Israel, the men of Israel withdrew from David college. She both the son of victory, but the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem, David came to his house in Jerusalem, and the king took the 10 concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard provided for them, but is not did not go into them so they were shut up until the day of their death. Living as if in widowhood, then the king sent Thomas a call. The men of Judah together to me within three days and be here your sale so Masa went to some and Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him and David said to a Vichy now Shiva, the son of victory will do us more harm than Absalom.

Take your Lord's servant pursuing best to get himself to fortified cities escape from us and there went out after him. Joab's men in the care of sites in the pillow fights and all the mighty men, they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Shiva, the son of victory. When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, a Masa came to meet them now Joab was wearing a soldiers garment and over. It was a belt with a sword in it. She fastened on his thigh as he went forward. It fell out.

Joab said to a Masa is well with you my brother, Joanne took a Masa by the beard with his right hand to kissing the Masa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand so Joab striking with it in the stomach and spilled his interest to the ground without striking a second blow in.

He died then Joab in a Vichy eyes brother pursued ship of the son of victory and one of Joab's young men took his standby Masa and said whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David letting follow Joab in a Masa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. Anyone who came by sanding stopped when the man saw that all the people stopped to carry Thomas out of the highway into the field through garment delivering is taken out of the highway all the people went on after Joab to pursue Shiva, the son of victory when David arrived in Jerusalem. First thing you had to deal with was Tian heartbroken devastated women.

These were David's concubines. I can spend a lot of time telling you why David should not affect concubines.

They should not of had plethora of wives. Scripture says that a marriage is between one man and one woman.

Not one man and one man. Not one woman and one woman, one man and one woman, till death do us part. I will spend a lot of time on that David shouldn't have done what he did but he did and what I we need to see here is that these 10 women were he is and what happened to them. Absalom came into Jerusalem he sexually molested all 10 of David's concubines was wrong with him was he just sex pervert. A nymphomaniac might've been. That's not why did it. He did it in order to put David down.

He didn't decided David not only am I gonna take your life and taking your throne and I'm taking your women you know what this was.

This was a prophecy being fulfilled your member. When Nathan gave the proxy to David about his family.

He said this in second Samuel 12 thus says the Lord. Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house and I will take your wise before your eyes and give them to your neighbor. He shall lie with your wise in the side of the sign for you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before Israel and before the sun. David met with these women, he gave them a place to live. He provided food and everything else they needed the no longer had relations within the completely broke that off and the Scripture says that they went on from layer to live in a joyless, dreary existence is with us for the rest of their lives. After that, another trial came a man from Israel name Shiva decided that if Absalom could not dethrone David that he could so he went any rally the troops together from Israel. He said you come with me and will go and will fight and will kill David will take his life and will take his throne folks listen carefully, was the will of God that David be the king of Israel. God put him on the throne. God appointed him to be king.

And when the people turned against him and went following after Absalom, they were not just up in their nose in David's face they were thumping their nose in God's now Shiva is doing the very same thing that Absalom did. He rejected David and he thumped his nose in God's face.

What was the problem.

The problem was that Israel had never truly repented from the sin that they did with Absalom there had never been true repentance. I just said well I guess were just going to have to accept David.

Now there's nothing else we can do about it. And then when Shiva comes along and offers them some false promises.

They jump on that again just like they did with Absalom folks, that's the problem with halfhearted repentance. It has no power to conquer. It has no power to last maybe you're here today and you're an alcoholic and and you're trying to to break that thing in your life, what you do about it.

Well, I'm just going to cut down on the promise you that will not work. What you need to do. You need to go to the Lord. Inside, by the grace of my Lord and through the power of Jesus's name, I will never ever touch it again get all the alcohol out of your house completely and totally if you got friends that are drunkards get new friends don't go to places where you go to be tempted to do that anymore folks let the repentance be real. Israel did not repent of their sin with Absalom. Now it's happening with Shiva, so lots of the new leader of the military has been sent by David to go after Sheba. David took the command away from Joab because Joab had killed his son Absalom and disobeyed him and now he gave that command to a Masa so Joab Sayer and Joab. Once again, takes matters into his own hands. He sees a Masa and he walks over to a Masa like he's his best friend and he walks over to him.

He's got this outer Army garment own his sword is up underneath it and all of a sudden his sword drops out. Just lay on the ground that gives a Masa of the idea that he is without ammunition disease without a weapon that he's okay. So he goes over to Wayne and he doesn't know that he's got another sword in his hand. He reaches up and he takes me by the beard. He pulls them over to give him a kiss on the cheek and he takes that sword and he rams it right to his belly and kills him right there on the spot. Think of the man that Joab is keeled.

Abner Absalom, and now Masa Joab is a cold heartless man to everybody else stands there and they watches and then they watch a Masa as he's wallowing in his own blood in Joab discount a Snickers and he says guys if you want victory then you follow me, and will get victory for David will get victory for him people to Joab get away with that sin answers no before David died he commanded his son Solomon, to be sure to put at put Joe at the death of the murder of the of Abner a Masa and Absalom numbers 32 verse 23 says this you have sinned against the Lord and be sure of this.

Your sin will find you out 5.3 the blowing of the trumpet verses 14 through 22 and Shiva passed to all the tribes of Israel to have eight Abel of Beth Micah and all the big rights assembled and follow the men and all manner with Joab came in proceeds TM and Abel of myth Beth Micah. They cast up a mailing to get Cecilia and stood against the rampart and they were battering the walls of the went down the wise woman call from the city. Listen, listen, tell Joab come here that I may speak to you and he came near her and the woman said you Joab he answered. I am the she said to him, listen to the words of your servant and the answer I'm listening. Then she said they used to say in former times let them but asked counsel and Abel so they settle the matter. I am one of those were peaceable and faithful in Israel you seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel while you swallow up the heritage of the Lord Joab answered. Far be it from me. Far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy.

That is not true, but a man of the hill country of Ephraim call Sheba, the son of victory has lifted up his hand against King David give up give up him alone I will withdraw from the city woman said to Joab to hold his head shall be thrown to you over the wall and the woman with all the people in her wisdom. They cut off the head of sheep of the son of victory and threw it out to Joab so she blew, so he blew the trumpet they disperse from the city every man to his home and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. When Joab took over Sheba realize that they were in trouble. He went to a place call Abel. It was a city that was built like a fortress, he thought. We are in a Fort will be okay and so all of a sudden Joab shows up.

He and his army surround the city.

He says I know what I have to do after, not down a portion of this big wall around the city and then on March my troop sin will kill Shiva and then will kill every other troop that will not surrender. That's what we'll have to do. All of a sudden, the Scripture says, the wise woman came out from the city of Abel, and she came over to talk to to Joab and she said I would talk to you privately. I got off to the side and she said I thought you loved Israel he said, I do love Israel.

She said then why are you getting ready to destroy our city. We are part of a rebel army. We love David what are you doing this for Joab said you got me wrong I'm not against you. Behind the walls of your city. There resides a very wicked man named Sheba says if you will get that man to me. Then we will spare your city, she said. Done deal and she went to her man. They went after Sheba and they beheaded him. She took the head of of the of Sheba and throw it over the wall so it landed right before Joab.

What did Joab do Joab knew at that point in time. This battle is over, it's over with.

We have won the victory is ours and he reached up and took the trumpet put it to his lips and he blew a loud blast from the trumpet and all the tribes of Judah went back home and they went and talked to David and told David what happened and David greatly greatly rejoiced a few nights ago Cindy and I were watching the news on TV we saw was Caliban Moslems. They were taken power in Afghanistan.

We saw soldiers that were keeled in the suicide, homicide, mission, we heard about covert spikes all over the world. We've heard a story that night about a doctor who's desiring to do a sex change operation on a four-year-old child. We picked up a Christian periodical were reading where pastors that we at one time a great respect for and decided that they were now woke pastors and they were more concerned about pleasing the culture than they were about pleasing God. Cindy and I looked at each other and we said you know in our lifetime we have never seen it this bad in our lifetime. It's not been this bad in our lifetime. It's not been a situation where God is been mocked and ignored like he is today, so her question was where is our hope, could God send revival to this nation and bring a spiritual awakening here absolutely could could God stop political corruption material greed in our world's fascination with sex absolutely he could and we should praying toward that end, my question is this. What if you done where is our hope in this story piece came when the trumpet blew that trumpet sound is a picture is a type. It is a symbol is a foreshadowing of a greater trumpet that one day it will sound. Paul spoke of that trumpet in first Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13 through 18 when he said this, but I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those were asleep for that you saw are not even as others who have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also who sleep with Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain in the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who are sleep. The Lord himself tells us Joe the sin from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore comfort ye one another with these words. I am not going to categorically tell you that I have some hotline to heaven where I know what the future's going to be I don't know what God might do God could bring a spiritual awakening to our nation to our world and this world could continue on like it's doing right now and get better. It could happen. God could do that in the world my lights last for thousands of more years but I will not deny the possibility of the soon second coming of Jesus Christ and folks let me tell you something went. When that sales of that trumpet blows it's over and you and I we remain on this earth, we will be taken translated to meet the Lord in the clouds given new glorified bodies. Those who are dead in Christ are right now with them spiritually.

They will receive new glorified bodies, and we will be with him. CN will be vanquished site will be cast into the burning like a fire, and we will be with the Lord for ever and ever and ever.

Lift up your heads, children of God lift up your heads, I will know everything, but I do know this, Jesus wins, Jesus wins praise God. Jesus wins the spray father. David did a Lotta good things he killed Goliath. He wrote the majority the Psalms they serve God is the King of Israel.

We can praise you all day for his many accomplishments. The greatest thing he ever did was to point us to Jesus. David was our signpost and we saw today that David's victory points us to the last trump. It points us to the greatest victories in our world will ever see the return of Christ and David's day Israel and Judah bow before him. But when Jesus returns. It won't be just a few who will buy all it will be all for God has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above all names that the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord Ford is in the precious holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen