II Samuel 18

David has three generals verse 1- 2

And David numbered the people that were with him

and set captains of thousands

and captains of hundreds over them

And David sent forth a third part of the people

under the hand of Joab

a third part under the hand of

Abishai the son of Zeruiah – Joab’s brother

a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite

And the king said to the people

I will surely go forth with you myself also

David asks troops to be gentle with Absalom verse 3- 5

BUT the people

answered

You shall not go forth – for if we flee away – they will not care for us

neither if half of us die – will they care for us

BUT now you are worth ten thousand of us

therefore now it is better that you succor us out of the city

And the king said to them

What seems you best I will do

And the king stood by the gate side

and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands

And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai

saying

Deal gently for my sake with the young man

even with Absalom

And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge

concerning Absalom

Battle in the forest of Ephraim verse 6- 8

So the people went out into the field against Israel

and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim

where the people of Israel were slain before the

servants of David

and there was there a great slaughter that day of

twenty thousand men

for the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country

and the wood devoured more people that day than the

sword devoured

Absalom caught by his hair in a tree verse 9- 10

And Absalom met the servants of David

and Absalom rode upon a mule

and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak

and his head caught hold of the oak

and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth

and the mule that was under him went away

And a certain man saw it – and told Joab – and said

BEHOLD – I saw Absalom hanged in an oak

Joab asked soldier why he didn’t kill Absalom verse 11- 13

And Joab said to the man that told him and behold – you saw him

and why did you not smite him there to the ground?

and I would have given you ten shekels of silver

and a girdle

And the man

said to Joab

Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand

yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son

for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai

and Ittai – saying

Beware that none touch the young man Absalom

Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life

for there is no matter hid from the king

and you yourself would have set yourself against me

Joab and his men kill Absalom verse 14- 17

Then said Joab

I may not tarry thus with you

And he took three darts in his hand

and thrust them through the heart of Absalom

while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak

And ten young men that bare Joab’s armor compassed about

and smote Absalom and slew him

And Joab blew the trumpet

and the people returned from pursuing after Israel

for Joab held back the people

And they took Absalom – and cast him into a great pit in the wood

and laid a very great heap of stones on him

and all Israel fled everyone to his tent

Absalom’s monument verse 18

Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up

for himself a pillar which is in the king’s dale

for he said

I have no son to keep my name in remembrance

and he called the pillar after his own name

and it is called unto this day – Absalom’s place

Ahimaaz wants to give David the news verse 19- 23

Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok

Let me now run – and bear the king tidings

how that the LORD has avenged him

of his enemies

And Joab

said to him

You shall not bear tidings this day

but you shall bear tidings another day

but this day you shall bear no tidings

BECAUSE the king’s son is dead

Then said Joab to Cushi

Go tell the king what you have seen

and Cushi bowed himself unto Joab – and ran

Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab

But howsoever let me – I pray you – also run after Cushi

And Joab said

Wherefore wilt you run – my son

seeing that you have no tidings ready?

But howsoever – said he

Let me run

And he said to him

Run

Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain – and overran Cushi

Ahimaaz gives news to David verse 24- 28

And David sat between the two gates

and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate

to the wall

and lifted up his eyes – and looked

and behold a man running alone

and the watchman cried – and told the king

And the king said

IF he be alone – there is tidings in his mouth

And he came apace and drew near

and the watchman saw another man running

and the watchman called to the porter

and said

BEHOLD – another man running alone

And the king said

He also brings tidings

And the watchman said

I think the running of the foremost is like

the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok

And the king said

He is a good man – and comes with good tidings

And Ahimaaz called – and said to the king

All is well

And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king

and said

Blessed be the LORD your God

which has delivered up the men that lifted up their

hand against my lord the king

David asks concerning his son Absalom verse 29- 30

And the king said

Is the young man Absalom safe?

And Ahimaaz

answered

When Joab sent the king’s servant – and me your servant

I saw a great tumult – but I knew not what it was

And the king said to him

Turn aside and stand here

and he turned aside – and stood still

Second messenger tells David his son is dead verse 31- 32

And behold Cushi came – and Cushi said

Tidings my lord and king

for the LORD has avenged you this day

of all them that rose up against you

And the king said to Cushi

Is the young man Absalom safe?

And Cushi answered

The enemies of my lord the king

and all that rise against you to do you hurt

be as that young man is

David mourns death of his son verse 33

And the king was much moved

and went up to the chamber over the gate

and wept – and as he went

thus he said

O my son Absalom – my son – my son Absalom

would God I had died for you

O Absalom – my son – my son

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 3 But the people answered, You shall not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now you are worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that you succor us out of the city. (5826 “succor” [‘azar] means helper, give assistance, surround, be of service, assist, support, come to aid of, or ally)

DEVOTION: David knew what happened the last time he didn’t go to war with the troops. So, he wanted to go into battle, but his soldiers told him “no.” That was because he was worth 10,000 soldiers.

They knew that if he stayed in the city and half the soldiers were killed, he could lead the other half in the future. They knew that he was a great general.

He stayed in the city to make sure that he was safe for future battles if this one didn’t go well. He wanted his son to live through the battle but Joab knew that if he lived he would just rebel again.

We need to find good leaders to follow into battle against our enemy the devil and his demons or fellow fallen angels. The battles are real and they can be lost if we don’t work together to fight our enemy. Families have to help one another when they are going through battles. Churches are to help one another when fellow believers are facing battles.

There is always going to be battles against those who are rebelling against the LORD’S commandments. This is going to happen until HE returns for HIS own. The battle is never over. If we don’t fight with the help of the LORD we will lose. With HIS help we will face each battle with the confidence that HE is by our side fighting with us if it brings glory to HIM.

We have to pick our battles against those who don’t love the LORD. We are to make sure that even during the battle we honor the LORD. Too often we can act like those who are on the other side of the battle not like the children of the King.

CHALLENGE: Our battles are real. Remember to fight them with the help of the LORD and with HIS attitude as well.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. (398 “devoured” [’akal] means burn up, consume, dine or eat up)

DEVOTION: Don’t know how many people watched the movie series “Lord of the Rings” but in this series the trees got involved with the war against evil. They destroyed one of the strongholds of those who were evil. They didn’t want to get involved at first until they saw them destroying their fellow trees. That made them mad. God can use nature against those who do evil in our world today as well.

David was a great warrior. He knew that there would be a battle and he prepared for the battle. He divided his men under three generals. He wanted to go to battle with them but they convinced him that it would be a mistake. He listened to their counsel. David gave special instructions regarding his son Absalom. The men of his army were not to harm him. He wanted him spared.

The battle was set between the army of Absalom and the army of David. The battle took place in a forest. The children of Israel were defeated. Absalom was so vain concerning his beauty that he only cut his hair once a year. The hair that he loved so much was caught in an oak tree in the woods where the battle took place. A servant saw Absalom stuck in a tree and reported it to Joab. Joab asked why he didn’t kill Absalom and the servant replied that David had ordered him to be spared. Joab didn’t care. He killed Absalom and buried him. He then blew the trumpet to say that the battle was over.

The LORD used the woods to consume the army of Absalom. The LORD has more tools available to HIM than we can ever think of using to do battle with the enemy. The army of Israel lost thousands of men. They ran away from the army of David.

The strategy of David was blessed of the LORD. The battle is the LORD’S. This was a judgment on Israel, as well as, a judgment on David. David lost a son.

We need to put our armor on each morning. We have the armor of God to fight against the world, the flesh and the devil. We need that armor. We need the strength of the LORD. The Bible promises that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

CHALLENGE: Are we depending on the strength of the LORD? We need to let the LORD fight our battles with us and for us. It is hard to do but when we do we have the real victory.

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: 12 And the man said to Joab, Though, I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged you, and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. (8104 “Beware” [shamar] means to keep, watch over, guard, to maintain in safety from injury, harm or danger, preserve, be careful about, protect, save, retain, or be secured)

DEVOTION: Joab had been fooled by Absalom. He had brought Absalom back to Jerusalem using the wise woman who acted out a play he had made up to show King David that he was acting foolishly wanting to have his son back but not calling for him. He worked to get David and Absalom together in Jerusalem.

This allowed Absalom to steal the hearts of the people as they came to Jerusalem to get the king to judge their problems. He would promise them that he would judge for them in every case and they thought that was a good leader.

Now he has rebelled and taken over Jerusalem claiming to be king and Joab was fighting for David. He didn’t want Absalom to live because he felt that he would just rebel again and cause problems for his father or he just was mad because he was taken advantage of by Absalom.

Sometimes we need to make sure that we don’t seek revenge every chance we get to get even with someone who has done us wrong. That is not the way a Christian should act. We are to let the LORD fight for us against our enemies. HE might lead us into battle against someone or a group that is not honoring HIM but we need HIM to take the lead.

Joab was wrong to kill Absalom after David commanded him not to kill him. He didn’t care. He did what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. If we act the same way we will have to face the judgment of God as he will in the near future.

CHALLENGE: Vengeance is to be given to the LORD and HE will repay those who dishonor HIM.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar; which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called to this day, Absalom’s place. (4678 “pillar” [matstsebeth] means memorial stone, a statue, standing-stone, monument, personal memorial, or a revered upright stone as a personal memorial pillar)

DEVOTION: Absalom wanted to be remembered. He built a monument to have people remember him after he was dead. He had no family. He had no children. This was the only way he thought people would remember him.

Today we have gravestones that give our names and some information about us. Those who are believers might have a Scripture verse on their gravestone. People who walk through the cemetery will read what is written and think about the person who is under the gravestone.

What will people remember us for when we are gone? Will anyone remember us except those who walk through the cemetery and read our tombstone? Some of us have children and grandchildren who will remember us and maybe tell their children about us and there will be a family time when they can look back on something we have accomplished.

We need to build memories with our loved ones, so that, they will have something good to remember us by. Sometimes families only remember the bad of their parents or siblings or uncles or aunts. Many times, just the opposite can be true.

Life is what we make of it in front of those we love. Are you building good memories with your family? If not, start now to build good memories. If you presently are building the good memories continue to do it in a way that will honor the LORD and point your children and grandchildren to the LORD for answers to their life questions.

We live in an age when Jesus Christ is not important enough to share with those we love. This should not be true of us!!!

CHALLENGE: Will your gravestone read “HE loved the LORD?”

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: 33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son! (7264 “much moved” [ragaz] means to tremble, to quake with fear, to get excited, to move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways, perturbed, troubled, or be in anguish)

DEVOTION: There are many sides to the same person. We have heard about the good, the bad, and the ugly about many people. It always depends on which person shows up in a given situation in any person’s life. There are so many different reactions to what we hear and see.

Here is David who loved his children but here is a rebellious child who tried to kill his own father but didn’t succeed. Now that Absalom is dead he is very sad. He would have wished that his son never rebelled against him. He even said that he wished he was dead instead of his son. But God had another plan for the live of David.

HE has a plan for our lives. HE wants the best for us. HE wants us to serve HIM to the best of our ability. Too often we are not at our best until something happens that brings out the best in us.

On this occasion it was the death of his son that brought out the best in David. He knew that one of them had to die if the kingdom was to move forward. He wished it was him but the LORD knew that Absalom was not the best person to be king. He had a heart that was not right with HIM.

Today we find that many people want to be leaders but they are not gifted to be a leader. Too often we find people seeking a job that they are not qualified for because of something that is lacking in their disposition or training. We have many want-to-be individuals. The LORD doesn’t always honor people with what they want to be.

HE honors them by putting them where they fit best in HIS Kingdom. HE wants them to be satisfied with where HE puts them.

There are individuals who want to take over God’s position of organization of HIS kingdom. They think they know what is best for God. They are often wrong in their thinking but will not accept this. Absalom was one of these individuals.

CHALLENGE: We need to realize that we can love the LORD and seek a wrong position in HIS kingdom. Our main concern should be to please the LORD not ourselves.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 19, 28, 31

God – Elohim (Creator) verse 28, 33

LORD thy God verse 28

Avenger verse 31

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Enemies verse 19, 32

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Kill Absalom verse 11, 15

Falsehood verse 13

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Blessed verse 28

Delivered verse 28

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

David verse 1- 33

Battle plan

If one group flees the other help

He wanted all to deal gently with Absalom

Wanted to know about Absalom

Told he was dead

Joab – David’s general verse 2, 12- 16,

20- 31

One third of David’s army

Told that Absalom was hanging by hair

Took three darts and killed Absalom

Sent Cushi to tell David of death of his son

Abishai the son of zeruiah – Joab’s brother verse 2

One third of David’s army

Ittai the Gittite verse 2

One third of David’s army

Absalom verse 5, 9- 33

Head caught bough of an oak

Killed by Joab’s men

Absalom’s place

Israel verse 6

20,000 killed

Woods devoured more people

than the sword

Ahimaaz – son of Zadok verse 19- 29

Ahimaaz wanted to take news to David

Wanted to run after Cushi

Brings news to David

Cushi verse 21-32

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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DONATIONS:

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QUOTES regarding passage

David, now in security and with his supplies replenished, quickly took measures to reorganize his troops and prepare them for the inevitable encounter with Absalom. A third of his troops he assigned to Joab; a third to Abishai, Joab’s brother; and a third to Ittai. David determined that he would lead the attack personally, but his comrades dissuaded him. He was worth 10,000 of them, they said. If half of them died all would go on. But if he died the whole cause would be lost. Reluctantly David agreed to remain behind but commanded his officers that they not harm Absalom in the battle. (Merrill, E. H. (1985). 2 Samuel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 473). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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The writer concentrates his attention on the lives of only two men, David and Absalom. Neither of them seems to have appreciated Ahithophel’s perspective in 17:3, namely that the death of only one man (whether David or Absalom) would settle the issue. So David was ready to risk his life (and Absalom not only risked his life but lost it) but his troops were wiser than the king, and ensured that his life was not endangered. Joab ensured that Absalom’s life was ended, and with his death the battle and the war ended too (15–16). Joab saw matters more clearly than David, who found it impossible to view his son as an enemy. (Payne, D. F. (1994). 1 and 2 Samuel. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 330). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)

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18:5 Deal gently. David ordered his 3 commanders not to harm Absalom. The 4 uses of “the young man Absalom” (vv. 5, 12, 29, 32) imply that David sentimentally viewed Absalom as a youthful rebel who could be forgiven. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (2 Sa 18:5). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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But neither did he want the army to fight his son! Absalom had stood at the gate in Jerusalem and attacked his father (15:1–6); now David stood at a city gate and instructed the soldiers to go easy on Absalom. Absalom certainly hadn’t been gentle with his father! He had murdered Amnon, driven David out of Jerusalem, seized his throne, violated David’s concubines, and now he was out to kill David. That doesn’t sound like the kind of man you would want to protect, but if David had one fault, it was pampering his sons (1 Kings 1:5–6; see 1 Sam. 3:13). But before we criticize David, we must remember that he was a man after God’s own heart. Let’s be thankful that our Father in heaven hasn’t dealt with us according to our sins (Ps. 103:1–14). In His grace, He gives us what we don’t deserve, and in His mercy, He doesn’t give us what we do deserve. Jesus didn’t deserve to die, for He was sinless; yet He took the punishment that belonged to us. What a Savior! (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be restored (p. 112). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor.)

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Ver. 5. And the king commanded Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, &c.] His three generals, to whom he had committed his army divided into three parts: saying, deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom; he does not call him his son, being in rebellion against him, but the young man, who was young, and rash, and foolish, and so to be pitied; his request is, that they would spare him, and not take away his life, when in their power; that they would not aim at him, and push him hard, and fall upon him with wrath and fury; but if he fell into their hands, to take him alive, and bring him away, and not put him to death. This flowed from a natural affection to him, and a concern for the welfare of his soul, that he might not die in this sin; and also from a consciousness that it was for his own sins that he was raised up to rebel against him; and he seems to speak as if he was certain that the battle would go for him, and against Absalom; and which he might conclude from the answer of prayer he had in defeating the counsel of Ahithophel: and all the people heard when he gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom; not only the three generals, but all the captains of hundreds and thousands, and this was heard by the common soldiers as well as by the people of the city that were spectators on this occasion, see ver. 12. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 639). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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Luke 17

Jesus describes the circumstances surrounding His second coming.

INSIGHT
Gratitude is beautiful to witness. When a person’s eyes light up as they open a gift, the giver enjoys the experience as much as the receiver.
We appreciate gratitude, and so does the Lord. He loves to see His children rejoicing at His many good gifts.
Gratitude to the Lord can be cultivated. Imagine what your life would be like without the Lord’s grace. Show the Lord that you appreciate Him by nurturing an attitude of gratitude. (Quiet Walk)

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SANCTIFICATION—A CONTINUOUS PROCESS

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 17:17
We must not think of sanctification as something that happens suddenly. People seem to think (and here they are logical, though they are wrong) that if it is a gift and to be received, then obviously it must be something that happens suddenly; when you receive a gift, it happens suddenly. But surely this is incompatible with the New Testament teaching on this matter. It is, rather, characteristic of the cults, of a man-made idea of sanctification.
We always like to do things suddenly and to have anything we want at once. So you find that those false teachings always offer a kind of short cut, and that is their appeal to the carnal mind, because we are always so impatient, always in such a desperate hurry. But this very verse that we are now considering makes it quite impossible for sanctification to be something that happens suddenly. “Sanctify them,” says our Lord, “through thy truth.

Our Lord has already said the same thing in John 8:31-32. He said to certain men who appeared to believe, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” It is always the truth, therefore, that does it, and that is something that is progressive. We do not grasp the whole of the truth at once; we go through stages, from babies to full, matured age, from being a child to being an old man, as it were, in terms of faith. We see the same thing again in Philippians 2:12: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”—it is something you keep doing. “Not as in my presence only,” says Paul, “but now much more in my absence.” The exhortation in all these writings is to be steadfast, to progress, and to go on with the work.
A Thought to Ponder: John 17:17 makes it quite impossible for sanctification to be something that happens suddenly.

(From Sanctified Through the Truth, pp. 61-62, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones).

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Not Ashamed
“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.” (2 Timothy 1:8)
Paul had steadfast faith. He was also a very faithful encourager for the saints to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering” (Hebrews 10:23). In the text verse for today, he encourages Timothy to publicly express his faith in several tangible, but risky, ways.
Timothy is exhorted to not be ashamed of the Lord. The Bible’s message is both very different from and also very convicting of the world’s thinking. Thus, many outside of Christ react to His messenger with ridicule and personal intimidation. It is hard to stand against this tide, and the believer’s embarrassment may manifest itself in silence. It could have been dangerous in Timothy’s day to claim “I am a Christian,” as is still the case in some places around the world.
But Paul’s exhortation also includes not being ashamed of “the testimony of our Lord,” which is His Word. Every day in schools, on TV, or in other media, the Bible and those who believe it are ridiculed. These attacks can be so scornful and relentless that even many evangelicals find it difficult to not be ashamed.
Next, Paul adds himself to Timothy’s list when he says “nor of me his prisoner.” Fellow believers faithfully and accurately proclaiming God’s Word—especially those in a firestorm of resistance—need other believers to support them, not back away in embarrassment. Paul is actually urging Timothy to move beyond not being ashamed and to actively “get in the fight” with him as he says, “Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.” Paul knew that Timothy would feel a deep and lasting shame if he withdrew out of fear to the “safety of silence,” watching others boldly proclaim the gospel in a world that can be very hostile to the message.

(RJG, The Institute for Creation Research)

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