2 Samuel #17: an exposition of 2 Samuel 15:1-37. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, July 14, 2013.
Intro:
We live in a fallen world. A world that is not what it was created to be. After each day’s creation God said, “That is good.” Following the sixth day He said, “That is very good.” Sometime after that, we do not know how long, everything changed. Through the temptation of the Evil One Eve was deceived and Adam rebelled. Sin and death followed. Now sin reigns. Every cemetery, every hospital, every junk yard is a reminder that God’s good world is not what it was. People are rotten. They say and do horrible things. Bad things happen. Hurtful things happen. The question for us is, “How do we respond to these horrible, bad, rotten things?” We live in a fallen world but we are not who we were. Paul said, “If any man is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away and everything has become new.” This is not a perfect place. We are not a perfect people but we are different. We are being changed. We are being conformed to the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus. We are being sanctified. We are not there but we are on the road. How you and I respond to this rotten world ought to be radically different from those who are not followers of Christ. Further our good and gracious God is using the events of this world to conform us, to grow us, to mature us. In that sense you can say, “Crises make the man.” Our text this evening is found in the 15th chapter of 2 Samuel.
Text: 2 Samuel 15:1-37
Remember what has happened:
Amnon’s rape of his sister Tamar.
He discarded her, tossed her aside as soon as he had his way with her.
His hatred of her was greater than his love for her.
Absalom sent Tamar to his house where she lived as a desolate woman.
For 2 years Absalom nursed his hatred of Amnon until finally he killed him.
David, aware of the tragic events, did nothing!
After 3 years in exile Absalom is brought home and “reconciled” to his father.
Chapter 14 ends with that awful show of emotion – David kissing his son. I say awful because it wasn’t real. There was no love. There was no repentance. There was no reconciliation. If you have any doubt about that chapter 15 will remove it. 2 Samuel 15-19 tells the story of Absalom’s Rebellion.
Chapter 15 reveals Absalom’s conspiracy and the beginning of David’s exile.
As we work through the chapter I want you to keep this thought in mind…
Thesis: Times of severe crisis always reveal the true heart of those who experience the tragedy.
This is an ugly story. It started with David’s sin with Bathsheba. His sin has been devastating not just for him but for his family and for the nation. None of us live in isolation. Our actions affect others. Our sin moves beyond our little sphere and damages those around us. After spending a little time in these chapters you feel the need to shower! Yet even in the filth and the muck we see the evidence of God’s grace at work. Yes this is all part of God’s judgment on David’s sin but we still witness the work of God’s grace in the heart of David.
The biblical writer sets up a contrast between David and Absalom.
Honestly, in one sense Absalom comes off as more likable than David in the early going.
We are anger by David’s lack of action.
Why didn’t he as a father do something about Amnon’s wickedness?
Why didn’t he as king do something?
Okay, maybe Absalom shouldn’t have murdered his brother but there is some sense of justice.
It is not justified but I understand Absalom’s motivation.
Or maybe I don’t as the story continues to unfold. Absalom plotted his brother’s murder for 2 years but apparently that was just a dress rehearsal. For 4 or more years he has been planning the murder of his father and taking over the kingdom!
Crisis makes the man. Tragic events reveal the true heart/character of the man.
2 things.
- Witness the arrogant, boastful, calculated rise of a would be king. (15:1-12)
- The humble, submissive, sorrowful exile of the rightful king. (15:13-37)
Conclusion:
The chapter ends with the rightful king rejected. Barefoot and weeping on the Mount of Olives. Kind of reminds me of another rejected king. Centuries later, He too as the rightful king will be rejected by the people. He will weep on these same hills not for himself but for those who would experience his judgment.
The crisis revealed David was indeed the man after God’s own heart. Yes he was a great sinner but also a great repenter!