Sunday, February 14, 2021

* David's son rises up against him and David prays for help.


Comments by Joan Boney:


Trust in God!  Use the examples in the Bible which show us how God has a way to deal with the ungodly and also to keep HIS people in the plan of God.

In this present life, we see many things which we feel are unjust.  It is better to commit judgment to God and to trust God to deal with these matters.

Consider the scriptures and the examples of God applying HIS own wisdom to the matter.

David's son rose up against him.  This must have been very painful for David.  But God caused David to endure, and God brought about God's own justice for us to witness.

And we know that justice will be rewarded for both evil and good.  If not on this present earth, later.

I Timothy 5:24 Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.


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II Samuel 15

2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

3 And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed (designated) of the king to hear thee.

4 Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!

5 And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.

6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

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Absalom, David's son, set about by fleshly ways to win the people away from his father, king David, and to make himself king of Israel.

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10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.

12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

When Absalom took Ahithophel, David's own counsellor, to be his counsellor, the plan gained strength against king David, and David cried out to God for help.

31 And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

But God had another plan whereby HE would deal with Absalom and deliver David whom HE, God, had appointed king of Israel, and even judge Ahithophel.

II Samuel 16

15 And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel (David's counsellor) with him.

Ahithophel switched sides and now worked for Absalom against king David.


20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.

22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.


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Let's pause for a moment and consider something else.

Do you remember the great sin David committed in having Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, killed so he could have Bathsheba?

Do you remember the penalty God pronounced on David through Nathan, the prophet?

II Samuel 12

1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. 

And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in HIS sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

God pronounces a penalty upon king David.

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised ME, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

(But there would be a penalty against David though God had put his sins away.)

14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

Galatians 6:7-8   Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.


When there is sin, often there will be a penalty from God against that person who sins.

Sometimes the door will be opened by the sin for evil spirits to come into that person and affect him in his decision making to bring damnation to him.

II Thessalonians 2:10-12

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.


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II Samuel 17

Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:

2 And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:

3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.

4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.

6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou.

7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.

So Absalom chose the plan of Hushai and Ahithophel was shamed and he withdrew and put his affairs in order and killed himself.

14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

God turned the mind of Absalom and the men of Israel against the counsel of Ahithophel so evil could be brought upon Absalom.

Thus God judged the evil of Ahithophel against king David and also used bad counsel to bring about the destruction of Absalom.

God might let evil reign briefly in order to bring about destruction of the evil doer.


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II Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

So when we see evil reign before us, continue to keep trust in God.  God has a plan whereby HE will deal with that evil.  Evil will be judged by God.  Trust God.

"Fret not yourselves."

Keep your mind focused on God.  Trust God.  HE will bring about HIS judgment in the matter and the evil doers will not escape God's judgment through they might escape by the judgment of evil men for a time.

We must keep ourselves in peace, knowing the wickedness of this present world will increase more and more before the wrath of God comes to judge the wicked.

It will get worse and worse as we go forward!

II Timothy 3

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

We know God and HIS righteousness wins out in the end and we with HIM if we hold fast to faith in God.


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