May 22, 2014 - Thursday

Start Time: 5:49 A.M.

End Time: 6:21 A.M.

Title: Absalom’s Death

Scripture: 2 Samuel 18:1 – 33

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.David sent out his troops, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittaithe Gittite. The king told the troops, “I myself will surely march out with you.” But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten thousand of us.^[a] It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.”So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands. The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.  David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forestof Ephraim.  There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men. The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.

NOTES:

Ø God will make sure that the people will see His mercy and love!  David spoke to his 3 commanders to show gentleness and mercy to his son, who is revolting against him, and the whole army of david heard his request.  God’s love and mercy and grace overpower anger and God ensures that His people know this.  Sometimes, we close our eyes and ears or we are too focus with something that we do not see the goodness of the Lord but if we just open our eyes clearly, God, Himself, will find a way to show it to us.  So let’s be alert in seeking God’s greatness and hands working in our lives each day!  Praise Jesus!

→Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.  When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.”  Joab said to the man who had told him this, “What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strikehim to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels^[b] of silver and a warrior’s belt.”  But the man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels^[c] were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.^[d]’ And if I had put my life in jeopardy^[e]—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have kept your distance from me.”  Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.  And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him. Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them. They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.  During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

NOTES:

Ø God seeks justice but His love and grace are stronger and the people who have the heart of God will feel the same way!  Absalom, got tangled on a tree because of his hair, one of the soldier saw him and informed Joab.  This soldier who saw Absalom knew the heart of the king and heard his request and honored it.  When we know the heart of our King, we can honor His request.  That’s why it is important to hear His words.  That’s why even if God is speaking to a specific man to carry out His will, the Bible was made available to all men so we may support and follow His heart’s desire as we live on earth.  Let us get to know our Lord’s heart’s desire and seek to fulfill it!

→Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.”  “You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”  Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.  Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.” But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.”  He said, “Come what may, I want to run.” So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain^[f] and outran the Cushite.  While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. The watchman called out to the king and reported it. The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” And the runner came closer and closer.  Then the watchman saw another runner, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!” The king said, “He must be bringing good news, too.”  The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.”  Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise be to the Lord your God! He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king.”  The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”  The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there.  Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.”  The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.”  The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”^[g]

NOTES:

Ø God allows us to make the choice of the outcome of our battles; we can choose to be happy with it or discontent or sad.  God allowed David to be in a difficult situation where he has the choice to pick the outcome of his battle.  David’s victory means the lost of his son, His doomed means the destruction of him.  When God gave him victory, David was too focus of what he has lost rather than what he has gained that the day of celebration became the day of mourning because he lost his son.  In the same way, God has given us the choice on how to see the outcome of our battles.  We can choose to celebrate the victory God has given us or focus on the things we lost during the battle.  In the end the choice is ours.  And david chose to mourn, which most men do after every battle.  Let us learn from this and celebrate our wins and gains rather than focus on what we have lost in life. For whatever we have lost, God can return back to us.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, amazing God and wonderful Lord.  Truly You are a great and mighty Father.  Thank You because Your grace and love and mercy are stronger than anything else.  Thank You because You will always find a way to show Your goodness in my life.  Open my eyes daily Lord that I may see it visible in my life.  Lord help me to know Your heart’s desire that I may fulfill it and not disregard it.  Show me Your will that I may direct my life towards it.  Lord give me the wisdom to choose the outcome of my battle.  Help me to celebrate the wins and the gains You generously give to me instead of focusing on my losses.  Lord help me to see things in Your perspective and when I am in a time when the lost seems to be bigger than my gain, show me Lord Your will that I may have hope and strengthen my faith in You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!