What God Provides
Notes
Transcript
If you have your Bible (and I hope you do), please turn with me to Psalm 3. As you are able and willing, please stand with me for the reading of God’s Holy Word:
A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom. 1 Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” 3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. 4 I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. 6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. 7 Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8 From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
May God add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!
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That psalm was written by David as he’s running from his son, Absalom, who has positioned himself to take David’s kingdom from him. Son against father. It’s betrayal. Treason.
Psalm 3 sheds some light on what David is feeling. We might wonder what David is going through? How is he struggling? Well, we have some insight.
We don’t know when exactly in the story David wrote these words, but we can feel along with David what he’s feeling, what he’s facing, and where his faith is.
We’re in 2 Samuel 16 this week. The saga of David and Absalom continues. King David’s son, Absalom is after his father’s throne. And David’s on the run from his murderous son.
This is how 2 Samuel 16 begins. Grab your Bible and follow along, please:
1 When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.
2 The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?”
Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
3 The king then asked, “Where is your master’s grandson?”
Ziba said to him, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the Israelites will restore to me my grandfather’s kingdom.’ ”
4 Then the king said to Ziba, “All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.”
“I humbly bow,” Ziba said. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”
We’re going to ask ourselves a question as we work through this chapter. The question is: What does God provide?
Help in the Presence of Our Enemies
Help in the Presence of Our Enemies
This may seem, based on what we’ve just read, an unfair characterization of Ziba. “He’s not an enemy,” you say. “He’s bringing all this stuff to help David out.”
It looks like Ziba is being kind to David. He brought a string of donkeys, some food, and a skin of wine. I love a good skin of wine…
Ziba’s there, waiting to meet David. This is the LORD’s providence. The LORD is taking care of David by giving David and the people with him some food and drink. What Ziba gives won’t last them very long, but something is better than nothing.
It’s like Grandma used to say: “When you’re running from your violent, murderous offspring, be thankful for whatever raisin cakes you’re given!”
David isn’t immediately thankful. He questions why Ziba brought all this stuff, and where Mephibosheth was.
Ziba’s got a story all ready to go for David. He claims Mephibosheth is fine with David being run out of Jerusalem. Mephibosheth is, after all, the only remaining descendant of King Saul. According to Ziba, Mephibosheth is waiting to take hold of the kingdom now that David is out of the way.
At this point in the story, we don’t know any different. But we should suspect that our good friend, Mephibosheth wouldn’t behave this way toward David.
David has been so good to him, welcomed Mephibosheth into the palace, gave him a seat at his table. Mephibosheth had lost nothing when David became king; in fact, he gained what he likely never would have.
But, as far as we know, what Ziba says could be true. David didn’t really have any way to check the truthfulness of Ziba’s story. So David makes an impulsive decision, and gives to Ziba everything that had belonged to Mephibosheth.
If you read ahead in 2 Samuel, you will find out that Ziba is a big ol’ liar. And a greedy liar at that. He’s not loyal to David; he’s loyal to himself. He left his paralyzed master Mephibosheth in Jerusalem, lied about what Mephibosheth was doing, sucked-up to David with some baked goods and livestock, and ended up with a nice little nest egg for himself.
Ziba is no friend to David, all appearances to the contrary. Ziba will actually be revealed to be a manipulative, lying little liar. Ziba betrays Mephibosheth and slanders him to David. Ziba isn’t offering help to David for David’s sake.
All the same, though, David understands that this is God providing for him in his desperate need. God provides help, even in the presence of our enemies.
How God chose to help David wasn’t David’s concern at this moment. David gratefully receives from Ziba food and wine and that string of donkeys.
At whatever point David sat down and wrote the music and lyrics to Psalm 3, we have to believe he had this provision from Ziba in mind.
David sings to the LORD: Psalm 3:5–6 “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.”
David could have sang a song of raisin cakes and loaves of bread. Instead he proclaims: the LORD sustains me.
We are meant to believe and affirm this very thing. Jesus teaches us not to worry about what we’re going to wear, or what we’re going to eat or drink, because our heavenly Father knows that [we] need those things…do not worry about any of that, Jesus tells us.
The LORD sustains His people. He helps His people, even in the presence of our enemies. One of David’s billboard-topping singles is about this very thing:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing…[He] prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
What God provides to us is help when we are in desperate need.
With this help from the LORD, David keeps on traveling:
5 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. 6 He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. 7 As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! 8 The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!”
9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.”
10 But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’ ”
11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”
13 So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. 14 The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.
What does God provide?
Humility in the Face of Our Sinfulness
Humility in the Face of Our Sinfulness
Some of the people David encounters on his journey are breaths of fresh air. Others are, well, not.
Shimei is a piece of work. He’s got a lot of issues, and several of those issues are with David. Shimei comes cursing and throwing rocks. “Sticks and stones and words that really hurt.”
“You murderer, you scoundrel! You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!”
Shimei seems to know exactly what the LORD is up to. Shimei is just certain the LORD is paying David back for everything he’s done, and as a consequence is giving David’s kingdom to Absalom.
Abishai has had it with Shimei. I think if I had been pelted with a few stones, I’d be pretty fed up, too. Abishai proposes that he go over and cut off [Shimei’s] head.
That would take care of the worst of it. People, without their heads, aren’t able to do much smack-talking. And headless people don’t throw very accurately, either. Taking off his head would be effective.
But David (verse 10) doesn’t let Abishai decapitate anyone (it’s kind of a bummer, I know).
Instead, David has this odd conviction where Shimei is concerned. David says (verse 11), “Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.”
David believes that all of Shimei’s punishing words and stones are thrown at him at the LORD’s direction.
This is an interesting thought. Odd, but interesting. The intrigue continues. Look again at what David says in verse 12:
12 It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”
The word misery in verse 12 can be “affliction, distress, or suffering” or it might be “iniquity.” Either way, what David is dealing with here is misery and affliction/distress because of his sinfulness/iniquity.
David saw this humiliation from Shimei as part of the LORD’s judgment for David sinning against Bathsheba and her husband, Uriah.
David has humbled himself, and is here humbling himself, under the hand of His heavenly Father who is disciplining him.
Shimei’s opinion of David doesn’t affect David all that much. David is concerned about God’s opinion. And David knew the best appeal to God’s mercy is made from a humble heart.
David’s going through a lot. He’s dealing with his own sinfulness, the loss of an unborn child, the death of his son Ammon, his daughter Tamar’s rape and defilement, the betrayal and treason of his son Absalom. This is a horrible time in David’s life.
And much, if not all, of what David’s facing is the product of his sinfulness. These are consequences. Discipline.
So, David takes this physical and verbal abuse from Shimei, believing it might just be that the LORD has told Shimei to do this.
David also believes that God will look upon his misery, his affliction, his iniquity and return good to David.
David’s deep-seated confidence is in God—a God of endless grace, a God who has a tendency to replace cursing with goodness, a God who looks upon guilt and yet returns blessing instead.
David believes that God will look upon his misery, his affliction, his iniquity and return good to David.
It may be that’s exactly what’s going on here. I tend to think it is. The LORD provides David with humility in the face of his sinfulness.
It’s the like the parable Jesus told about the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus was speaking to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.
Many people are like the Pharisee. Self-righteous. Unaware or unconcerned about their sinfulness, because, well, they’re pretty sure they’re better than everyone else.
“Come and see how good I look! Check out how religious I am!”
10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
But the tax collector—just like David—knows better. The LORD provided this tax collector with humility in the face of his sinfulness. He was a sinner, and he knew it. He approached God humbly:
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
And this is Jesus’ assessment of the self-righteous and the self-aware.
14 “I tell you that this man (the humble tax collector), rather than the other (the prideful Pharisee), went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Expectantly, David believes the LORD will look on his misery, affliction, iniquity—the guilt of his sinfulness--and have mercy up him.
No doubt David remembered what the LORD had told him about the consequences of his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah.
There’s also no possible way David could have forgotten God’s promise of forgiveness.
David confessed his sin. 2 Samuel 12:13 “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.”
Trusting God to keep His promise of forgiveness for those who look to Him in faith and repentance—this is where David’s at.
“When God looks on upon the guilt of a humble sinner, He will, as a just and merciful God, avert the evil and change the suffering into a blessing.” -Keil and Delitzsch
We should pray, “Lord, make me humble in the face of my sin. Let me not be proud or self-satisfied in my own righteousness, but give me strength to humbly and wholly trust in Jesus’ righteousness.”
David and his men, we read in verses 13-14, continue along the road. Stinking Shimei keeps up his verbal and physical abuse until they arrive at their destination. Talk about a humbling experience…
What God provides us with is humility in the face of our sinfulness, that we would approach Him rightly, as humble sinners in the hands of a Holy God.
15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 Then Hushai the Arkite, David’s confidant, went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 Absalom said to Hushai, “So this is the love you show your friend? If he’s your friend, why didn’t you go with him?”
18 Hushai said to Absalom, “No, the one chosen by the Lord, by these people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and I will remain with him. 19 Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.”
20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?”
21 Ahithophel answered, “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.” 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23 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.
What does God provide?
Hope in Whatever Situation
Hope in Whatever Situation
The situation here for David is dire. David opens his song (Psalm 3) with the words: “LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’”
Sounds bleak. Hopeless, even. But here’s the truth: in God’s economy, there’s always hope, no matter the situation.
It doesn’t look good. Absalom and all the men of Israel are in Jerusalem. Ahithophel, the Olympic-caliber counselor, is with Absalom. Absalom has garnered favor and a following with the majority of the people of Israel.
It doesn’t look good.
But then Hushai the Arkite, David’s confidant enters stage left. (Remember what I said: there’s always hope!)
Hushai is on the scene. This is good, especially in light of Ahithophel’s advice to Absalom.
Ahithophel’s advice is diabolical. It’s a horrifying suggestion, one that would most definitely solidify the revolt against David.
For Absalom to seize the king’s concubines (a symbol of the royal house) was to occupy his father’s royal place. This would also be a way to mock David’s weakness, strengthen Absalom’s supporters, and force others to make a choice between David and Absalom.
There’s no possibility of reconciliation after Absalom does this. You don’t come back from this.
Ahithophel intended this wicked act to be the blow that toppled David’s kingdom. This would accomplish that, absolutely.
But, there’s something more going on here.
True, the author of 2 Samuel doesn’t hand-feed us here, but it should be clear to those who have been in this story for a while.
It’s not written for us, “Thus was fulfilled the Word of the LORD spoken to David through Nathan the prophet,” but that’s exactly what this is.
As we read 2 Samuel 16:20-22, we should have in mind what the LORD said to David after confronted with his sin:
11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ ”
Ahithophel’s advice, which is meant to overthrow David’s kingdom, nevertheless fulfills the LORD’s Word.
God’s Word always comes to pass. There’s nothing the LORD has promised that won’t be fulfilled.
This particular fulfillment is sad, and horrifying. But the fact that God’s Word is fulfilled should be an encouragement to us. God’s Word is always true. Every part of it will be fulfilled.
This is why there is hope for God’s people in God’s Word, even in this ugly chapter in the history of His people.
Even though this depicts judgment upon the covenant king, the text is saying that the betrayer is in the hand of God.
There’s hope all over this passage, if we have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Hushai becomes one of Absalom’s advisers. This has a major impact as the story unfolds.
The Word of the LORD is fulfilled, even as Ahithophel and Absalom work to unravel David’s kingdom.
We remember that God has promised David’s judgment would not result in David’s death, but that God had forgiven David.
The hope that David received from the fulfillment of God’s Word is a hope that every Christian can enjoy, even in the midst of horrible, painful situations.
God’s Word provides an innumerable amount of promises on which we can place our hope. We can hang our hats and rest our weary souls in the certainty that God does not lie. His Word is true. All of His promises are as certain as the rising of the sun.
Few things in life are guaranteed: death and taxes, the University of Missouri never winning a basketball championship (count on it).
Few things in life are guaranteed: God’s Word being perfectly true is one of them.
Consider the hope we have in God’s Word. It’s an anchor for the soul, whatever our situation. God gives us this hope to sustain us no matter what we face.
And we’re going to face some stuff. God’s Word tells us we will.
But God’s Word also assures us that:
37 …we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The promises of grace and mercy and peace with God are true for all those who trust in Jesus.
God provides us this hope, sure and steadfast, regardless of our situation.
God provided David with help and humility and hope, even as he’s fleeing Jerusalem.
God has provided for your greatest need in His Son, Jesus Christ, to purchase forgiveness of your sins on the cross.
Come to Jesus. Confess your sins. Seek the mercy of God in Christ.
Come to Jesus in faith and find hope in His grace, hope in the promises of His Word, hope in life’s darkest moments.
Do you need help? Humility? Hope?
This is what God provides.
Come to Him, and receive everything you need.
