2 Samuel - Chapters 15-17 with Psalm 3 & 63

David is king of Israel, but the people are concerned about who will succeed him. Absalom plans to take the throne by force. He wins over the hearts of the people and eventually confronts David. David flees with his followers, praying for God's help. Hashai becomes David's ally. Absalom receives advice from Ahithophel, but Hashai suggests a different plan. Absalom chooses Hashai's plan and Ahithophel kills himself. David's allies provide support as he crosses the Jordan River. David cries out to God in the Psalms, seeking His help and praising Him. The lesson is to always pray to the Lord in all circumstances. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at vav.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are covering chapters 15-17 of 2 Samuel with Psalm 3 and 63. David is king of Israel, but the thought of who will succeed him as king is on the minds of the people. It seems that after David sinned against Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah, his kingdom has been declining. David's firstborn son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar and David did nothing. Tamar's full-blooded brother Absalom planned his revenge and two years later at a party that he planned, he had his servants kill Amnon. Absalom fled to his mother's hometown and he stayed there for three years. Through Joab's leadership, Absalom came home to Jerusalem, but he was unable to see the king's face. Again David did nothing when Absalom killed his brother, but finally after two years Absalom pushed the issue of seeing his father and David agreed and he was forgiven. Chapter 15 begins, In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. So far in the history of Israel, no king has acquired a chariot and horses. Usually they rode mules, and it was the pagan nations whose kings had chariots and horses. This gives us a picture image that Absalom plans to be king. The question is how will he do it? The next few verses explain that he plans to take it by force from David. He gets up early to greet the people who traveled to Jerusalem to meet the king. He gets to know them. He tells them there is no representative to hear their cases and then he says, If only I were appointed judge in the land, then everyone's case would be heard and justice would prevail. Verse 6 says, And so he stole the hearts of the men of Israel. Ben F. Philbrook Jr. said, Absalom stole not won the hearts of the men of Israel. One thing Absalom was really good at was planning and waiting for the right time. And four years passed with him doing this and his ultimate plan was ready. He asked the king if he could go to Hebron to fulfill a vow, the place where he was born and the place where David was first king. Verse 11 tells us, Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about this manner. He also sent for Ahithophel the Gilanite, who was David's advisor and Bathsheba's grandfather. Absalom had sent secret messengers to every tribe of Israel. And when they heard the trumpet sound, they were to shout, Absalom is king in Hebron. When word came to David, he said, Come, we must flee or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin upon us and put the city to the sword. They left Jerusalem, but David had ten concubines to stay and to take care of the palace. Hebron was south of Jerusalem, so David fled north and east. Verse 23 tells us he crossed the Kidron Valley. Some of the priests came and brought the ark of God to go with him. But David said, Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. But if he says, I am not pleased with you, then I am ready. Let him do to me whatever seems good to him. Chapter 15 verses 25 and 26. David also sent the priest back in order to have them spy for him and send word to David if necessary. Verse 30 reads, But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and he was barefoot. Just a side note, in the Gospel of John chapter 18 verse 1 it says, When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. Jesus, the son of David, also walked this road with a heavy heart. He too was betrayed by someone close to him. Well David got word that Ahithophel was with Absalom and in chapter 16 verse 23 it reads, Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's advice. So when David received this news, he prayed, O Lord, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness. Chapter 15 verse 31. The very next verse says, When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hashai the Archite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. He was the answer to David's prayer. David sent him back to Jerusalem to frustrate Ahithophel's advice. Chapter 15 ends with Hashai, David's friend, arriving in Jerusalem just as Absalom entered the city. In chapter 16 David meets Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son and King Saul's grandson. Before Jonathan died, he had David swear to take care of his family. So in chapter 9 of 2 Samuel, David looked for descendants of Jonathan and Saul that he could show kindness to. He found Ziba, who was King Saul's servant, and learned of Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet. David granted Mephibosheth everything that belonged to Saul and his family. Chapter 9 verse 9. And then Ziba and his family was to take care of the land for Mephibosheth, who was allowed to sit at the king's table each evening as one of the king's sons. Here Ziba greets the king with provisions. David asks, where is your master's grandson? Ziba said, he stayed in Jerusalem because he thinks, today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom. The thing that doesn't make sense with that statement is that David had already given him everything that had belonged to Saul. David told Ziba that everything that was Mephibosheth was now his. Continuing in chapter 16, King David met another from Saul's family named Shammai. He cursed David and his men and threw rocks at them. He called David a man of blood. David's men wanted to kill him for his disrespect of the king, but David said no, it may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today. Verse 12. Verse 14 says, the king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted, and there he refreshed himself. Now let's pause the story and read Psalm 3. It is entitled, A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, God will not deliver him, Selah. But you are a shield around me, O Lord. You bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill, Selah. I lie down and sleep. I wake again because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. Arise, O Lord, deliver me, O my God. Strike all my enemies on the jaw. Break the teeth of the wicked. From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people, Selah. Now in verse 15 of chapter 16, the story switches back to Jerusalem with Absalom. Hashai, the archite, David's friend, goes to Absalom and he starts, Long live the king! What is interesting about his wording is that he probably means King David, but Absalom takes it for himself. Well at first Ahithophel's advice was received well. At his suggestion, Absalom went on the roof of King David's palace and was with King David's concubines. This fulfilled the Lord's word to David through Nathan the prophet with regards to his sin against Bathsheba, chapter 12, verses 11 and 12, which said the Lord will bring calamity to David from his own house and you did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel. Ahithophel also told Absalom to go that evening after David while he is tired and weak. Then the people will flee and then he could just kill David and spare everyone else. Absalom decided to hear what Hashai, the archite, had to say and he told Absalom to regroup and gather men from all over Israel to come and fight. They decided to go with Hashai's plan and when Ahithophel realized his advice was no longer received, he went home, got his affairs in order, and killed himself. Meanwhile, Hashai sent word through the priest's son to make sure David crossed the Jordan River quickly, so they did. We find that allies on the eastern side of the Jordan River met him and brought bedding, bowls, pottery, and food because they said the people have become hungry and tired and thirsty in the desert. Now Psalm 63 is entitled, A Psalm of David, when he was in the desert of Judah. O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you. My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the riches of foods. With singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you, I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me. They who seek my life will be destroyed. They will go down to the depths of the earth. They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. But the king will rejoice in God. All who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced. Ladies, the thing that set King David apart was that he cried out to the Lord, both in the good times and in the bad times. He cried out in praise and thanksgiving, in sorrow and repentance, and in anguish and vengeance. But he always prayed to the Lord. That was what made him great. If you have heard his voice today, please don't harden your heart. Instead, let's be women who, no matter what circumstances or feelings we may be experiencing, let's go to the Lord in prayer with it. Until next time, and thanks so much for listening.