Question of the Day: Discuss the calendar and the direction of this class.
Today we are finishing up 2 Samuel chapter 19. May the Lord bless us as we feast on His word!
David Returns to Jerusalem
9 Throughout the tribes of Israel, all the people were arguing among themselves, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies; he is the one who rescued us from the hand of the Philistines.But now he has fled the country to escape from Absalom; 10 and Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”
11 King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Ask the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace, since what is being said throughout Israel has reached the king at his quarters? 12 You are my relatives, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to bring back the king?’ 13 And say to Amasa,‘Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you are not the commander of my army for life in place of Joab.’”
14 He won over the hearts of the men of Judah so that they were all of one mind. They sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your men.”15 Then the king returned and went as far as the Jordan.
Now the men of Judah had come to Gilgal to go out and meet the king and bring him across the Jordan. 16 Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.17 With him were a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba, the steward of Saul’s household, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to the Jordan, where the king was. 18 They crossed at the ford to take the king’s household over and to do whatever he wished.
When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king 19 and said to him, “May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. 20 For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first from the tribes of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king.”
21 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the Lord’s anointed.”
22 David replied, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? What right do you have to interfere? Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don’t I know that today I am king over Israel?”23 So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king promised him on oath.
24 Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely.25 When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”
26 He said, “My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.’ But Ziba my servant betrayed me. 27 And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever you wish. 28 All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?”
29 The king said to him, “Why say more? I order you and Ziba to divide the land.”
30 Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has returned home safely.”
31 Barzillai the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there. 32 Now Barzillai was very old, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. 33 The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you.”
34 But Barzillai answered the king, “How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? 35 I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between what is enjoyable and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36 Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a short distance, but why should the king reward me in this way? 37 Let your servant return, that I may die in my own town near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever you wish.”
38 The king said, “Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever you wish. And anything you desire from me I will do for you.”
39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and bid him farewell, and Barzillai returned to his home.
40 When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham crossed with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel had taken the king over.
41 Soon all the men of Israel were coming to the king and saying to him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal the king away and bring him and his household across the Jordan, together with all his men?”
42 All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is closely related to us. Why are you angry about it? Have we eaten any of the king’s provisions? Have we taken anything for ourselves?”
43 Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king; so we have a greater claim on David than you have. Why then do you treat us with contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing back our king?”
But the men of Judah pressed their claims even more forcefully than the men of Israel.
I would like us to study this chapter in a different way. The title for this section in my bible in some ways miss leading. This is less about David returning and more about those around him coming back or trying to realign themselves with David. With that as our focus I want us to look at the main characters and see what we can learn. As we do this I want our life application focus to be on mending fences with each other and returning to God. Most likely all of us have had to do both on a relatively frequent basis and I think we can learn a lot from these stories.
Israel : Argued, felt like going back was the right thing.... however kept arguing.
Where does arguing get us?
Personally?
As a church?
At home, in our marriages or with our children?
At work?
James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
Proverbs 18:1-2 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
2 Timothy 2:16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,
James 4:17 “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
If we find ourselves in a place where arguing is our first go to... maybe we need to take a moment.
1 Timothy 6:4-5 He is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
Zadok and Abiathar (priests): Asked to help bring Judah back.
1 Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
If asked to help bring unity what are somethings we can do?
Where does unity come from? Look again at 1 Timothy 6:4-5. What does this verse tell us about how to have unity?
Judah: Asked to get behind their man. They acted.
Amasa: Appointed by David (Went from fighting against to fighting for.)
This must have been difficult for him. A change of guard is never easy. To put your life on the line for someone and then to have to switch gears and start working for the other side.... tough!
Is it possible that when we have been on the wrong side of things it is challenging to switch?
Any change can be difficult. Just because we have accepted Jesus as our Savior doesn't mean it is easy to serve him!
We have spent a lot of time serving someone else, switching can be challenging.
What do you think made it possible for Amasa to switch sides?
How unexpected must this appointment by David been?
Jesus doesn't care where you were!
He doesn't care that you were the general for the other army!
If you are willing to be on His team, He will put you to work!
Are you willing to take on a position of working for Him?
Romans 15:7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Joab: Demoted (for a time...)
This is a complicated story, and we will deal more with Joab later. For today, maybe the best that can be said is, "be sure your sins will find you out." Or just remember that we can return to our Savior and repent and turn to Him at anytime, however if we keep going back to our old ways, eventually the habit of doing what we want, wins, and we choose our way before God's way. It will eventually destroy us!
Shimei: Tried to save his own skin. Speaking highly of himself. (Worked only temporarily)
Proverbs 27:2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
Zeruiah: Complained about others.. ("What does this have to do with you?")
There have been times in my life when I find myself complaining about others. However it doesn't take long to feel the rebuke. Often when we are complaining of others, it really is about what we are not doing or need to be doing!
I remember a time when after a gripe session a dear mentor and friend said to me... "What does that have to do with you?"
If we would all spend our time working on ourselves instead of trying to fix our neighbor, or husband, or friends, or even our church, wow how much better off would we be?
Any time you find yourself being critical and complaining about others, I challenge you to stop and ask God what it is that He is wanting to work out in your life! It is terrifying.... because He will answer you and your life will never be the same, but wow how beautiful it will become!
What would happen if the next time you are wanting to complain or point out the defects or inadequacies of your spouse, you stopped and instead took sometime in prayer asking God to work on your heart and to keep you focused on what he is trying to do in you?
James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
Mephibosheth: Loyal to David, miss treated, misunderstood.
What a beautiful story Mephibosheth's story is! This boy rejected, broken, redeemed, swindled, misunderstood, STILL FAITHFUL! Still a heart full of gratitude and love for the redeemer!
No matter what happens in our lives, no matter how bleak things are will we still be loyal?
Will our hearts still be full of love and gratitude to our redeemer?
Do I have a heart like Mephibosheth?
How is it possible to have that kind of heart?
I really believe the key is keeping our minds on the redeemer! The moment we start arguing, or our rightness becomes most important we loose our focus on the redeemer and what He has done for us! To know and experience the grace of God, the gift of Jesus Christ will keep our hearts in the right place. It is when we turn our eyes off of Him that we run into problems!
Hebrews 12:1-29 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. ...
1 John 3:1-2 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
Ziba: Put in his place.
Perhaps one of the most difficult things is to be misunderstood and taken advantage of and to still keep our minds on what we are supposed to be doing and to keep our minds on Jesus. It takes believing in God's time.... justice is not mine.... patience is a virtue.... trusting.... it is rough. In this story we once again see how beautiful the heart of Mephibosheth was! He wasn't concerned at all with what Ziba was doing, only that he be loyal to David, his redeemer! Wow.
Psalm 37:1-2 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
What do you think we can take away from this story?
Kimham: Sent as a loyal servant
Are you a loyal servant? Are you willing to serve? Are you willing to go where God sends you?
2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Acts 10:34-35 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
There is so much to take away from today's lesson. I want to just end with this.
Keep your eyes on Jesus! It is so simple, yet so challenging, because it is life transforming! If we keep our eyes on Him we won't miss anything, we will always be going the right direction and we will KNOW all that is good!
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