07 How to Approach Your King After You Failed (2 Samuel 19)

Krisan Marotta: Thank you for downloading the Wednesday in the Word podcast. I'm Krisan Marotta. Today we'll be looking at 2 Samuel chapter 19, where David is restored as king. This is the seventh and final talk in our series on the Rebellion of Absalom. You can follow along with lecture notes and find links to everything mentioned in the talk at wednesdayintheword.com slash Absalom7. Well, we are in 2 Samuel chapter 19 today. We're going to start in verse 9, even though your study guide said to start at verse 1, because if you were here last week, you know I stole the first eight verses and covered them last week. So we are going to pick up in verse 9 and go to the end of the chapter, and we've been looking at the rebellion of Absalom. And let me just review where we are in the story. The rebellion of Absalom has come to an end. And you'll recall that David fled Jerusalem and took refuge with his band of supporters in the village of Manahim. Absalom took over the palace in Jerusalem, but he had to kill his father to solidify his claim to the throne. So last week we saw the two armies clash, and of course Absalom's men were defeated. During the battle, David remains behind in Manahim, but Absalom, who was following Hushai's advice, rides into the battle himself, where his hair gets tangled in a low-hanging branch while his mule gallops on, leaving him suspended between heaven and earth. And an unnamed soldier finds him in that condition, reports his predicament to Joab, who's David's commander-in-chief, and Joab disobeys the king's order to deal gently with his son, and he thrusts three spears into Absalom's heart, dislodging him from the tree, and then his armor bearers finish the job. So with Absalom then, Joab blows the trumpet to end the battles, and the civil war is over, and that's where we pick up the story today. The problem is David is still in exile. He's still in Manahim. And so we're going to look today in chapter 19 at how he gets back to Jerusalem and how he gets back to the throne. And the problem is now the nation is guilty before him. You'll recall that Absalom's revolt began in the heart of Judah when Absalom declared himself king at Hebron. And then the entire North joined forces with him and rallied behind him, and so that when David went into exile, he had mostly foreigners, servants, and family members with him because Absalom had stolen the hearts of the nation. So now we have a guilty nation and a vindicated king. And the question is, how do you rebuild that relationship? Can the nation just assume that David's going to welcome them back with open arms? Or is he going to seek retribution, maybe execute those who followed Absalom? Will there be further bloodshed? Who has to make the first move? So how do we approach, how does the nation approach David and how does he get back to the throne? And what we're going to see is that on his way back he has several encounters. And the question we're going to ask is we're going to try to look at his encounters and ask, well, how do we approach our king after being sinful or being rebellious? So just like the nation was guilty before David after running after his traitor's son, we too are guilty before our heavenly king, our father. How do we approach him after sinning or running after idols? So we're going to ask, what can we learn from the way they bring David back and ask how we can apply that to us. Alright, so the plot of the chapter is pretty simple and straightforward. I'm going to just go over the plot real briefly and then go back and look at each response to David and ask what we can learn from it. So surprisingly, it's the northern tribes who take the first step to bring David back to Jerusalem. They begin talking about it among themselves, about should we bring David back? And eventually word reaches David. And he responds by prodding Jerusalem, or not Jerusalem, the Southern tribes, Judah, into action and asking, Well, why aren't you also talking about restoring me to the throne? So he appeals to them on the basis of three things. First, their pride, which is in verse 11. He says, Well, why should you be the last to bring me, bring the king back to his house? Then in verse 13, he appeals to their relationship. He says, You're my brothers, you're my bone, you're my flesh, so I'm part of your tribe. Why that should spur you to bring me back? And then in verse 13, he also appears, appeals to their fears. So he says, rather than putting Joab in charge of his troops, he will put Amasa in charge of his troops. And you'll recall Amasa was Absalom's top general in the rebellion. Both of the Amasa and Joab are David's nephews, but Amasa had sided with Absalom. Now, almost everyone I read was highly critical of David for doing this. Every scholar said this was the wrong thing to do, that he is pitting Judah against Israel, and he's agitating the kind of tribal loyalty and bickering that will eventually lead to the kingdom splitting under Solomon, or after Solomon's death. I don't know if that's too harsh on him or not, but it seemed like almost universal people were critical of him. And saying, look, he's siding with his enemies over his loyal supporters. So he chooses Amasa over Joab. Joab remained loyal. Amasa sided with Absalom, and here he's siding with Amasa who was a traitor. Then we'll see in this chapter he forgives Shemai, who cursed him on his way into exile, as opposed to Abishai, who was also his nephew, who was theologically correct and had remained loyal to him. So we see David choosing family over national good, and a lot of the scholars were very critical of him for that. The northern tribes don't like it either. They respond to David's invitation to Judah with indignation and they say, Well, look, you must think we're second-class citizens or we're inferior. And so a lot of scholars think that's what will lead to the rebellion we're going to study next week in chapter 20. So the southern tribes respond quickly. They beat Israel to the punch. They call for David to return and they meet him at Gilgal to usher him back to Jerusalem. That's in verse 40. And you'll recall that Gilgal is a very significant place. This is where Joshua first made his camp after crossing the Jordan River. So back in Joshua 4, the people came out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the month and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. So when the Israelites first crossed over into the Promised Land, they went there at Gilgal, and that's where they set up the twelve stones as a memorial to the fact that they crossed over the Jordan there. And you'll recall that's when Joshua tells them to set up twelve stones, and then when the children ask why are these stones here? They can say this is where Israel passed over the Jordan on dry ground. It's also the place where Samuel regularly ministered. We saw that in 1 Samuel 7 and verses, it's verse 16. It says he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mitzpah, and he judged Israel in those places. And then Gilgal is where Saul was first publicly anointed king. So when, it's actually his, I think his third anointing, when he's publicly anointed by all of Israel, the people meet at Gilgal to make him king, and that's in 1 Samuel 11, 15. So this is the place of renewal, the place where the covenant starts, and it's the scene where David has his homecoming and the reconfirmation of his kingship. So Judah calls for him to return, they meet him at Gilgal, and Israel is provoked. They get jealous. And the chapter ends with this intertribal bickering that isn't settled. In between, we see three individual responses to David, Shemai, Mephibosheth, and Barzilli, and we're going to look at each of those in turn. So that gives us five things to look at. We have the response of Israel, the response of Judah, and then the three individuals. So what I want to do is look at each of those in turn and ask what can we learn about approaching our king? So turn to 2 Samuel 19 if you're not there already, and there are Bibles in the back if you need them. And let's start by contrasting the response of Israel and Judah. So look at 2 Samuel 19, 9 and 10. You'll see that the northern tribes take the initiative to bring David back, but they make a very foolish argument. And all the people were gathering throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now, therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing the king back? Notice in verse 9 they say David fled, like they had nothing to do with it. He just kind of fled on into exile all on his own. You know, they they take no blame for siding with Absalom and rallying for him to be king in David's place. They just say, oops, David fled. And then in 1910, they say, Absalom, who we anointed over us, which condemns them because only the prophets had the right to anoint a king. So Israel had no right to anoint a king. So by their own words, they acknowledge they are guilty. Well, they admit their guilt, but they don't acknowledge it. So their response seems to say be, well, David fled, Absalom's dead, these things happen, you know. And there's no point in backing Absalom anymore. He's dead and gone, so we might as well bring David back. You know, he wasn't such a bad king. Remember, he delivered us from the Philistines in his younger days. You know, he did a few good things, we might as well bring him back. So they take no responsibility for choosing a king Yahweh did not choose, and then seeking to kill the king that Yahweh did choose. At the end of the chapter, we get a little bit more of their response. I want to bring that in now. Judah had taken the lead, and they get upset. So in 1941, then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, Why have your brothers, why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan and all David's men with him? And the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is our close relative. Why are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense, or has he given us any gift? And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing our king back? But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. So in addition to failing to admit their guilt, they are now demanding their rights. So in verse 43, they say, look, we were the first, we took the initiative, we were the first ones to say, let's bring David back. So that ought to count for something. And also there are ten northern tribes and only two southern tribes. So tens greater than two, we ought to carry more weight. We should have priority in bringing the king back. So their attitude seems to be, we didn't really do anything wrong, and now we want our fair share. We want our due. David owes us. We're the good guys, we want to be recognized as such. So they think they deserve a potentially larger share of David's favor, and they want what's due to them. Now think about that attitude. That's the first response we see. Denial of guilt coupled with demanding your rights. Do you think that's the proper response to a king when you stand guilty before him? Not a good idea. So their response seems to be, you know, I'm not really all that bad. I only did what I thought was right at the time, and okay, it turned out badly, but that's not really my fault because I had good intentions. So I'm not really that bad. Look at all the murderers, you know, the tyrants, the bullies, and the truly despicable folks who have no regard for human life. I don't do any of that stuff. You know, today we might say I walk that, you know, that middle class morality line where I'm basically nice when it's not too much trouble. You know, I live and I let live, and I'm basically fair and I don't get into anyone's business. I lead this upstanding life, so God ought to save me. He ought to give me the blessings and favors and respond to my prayers because I'm not that bad. Well, that's not faith, and that's not the response that our king wants from us. Because as we talked about, we are guilty throughward and through. We have done wrong, and God owes us nothing. And God wants us to approach him with a humble and contrite heart, which are essential components of saving faith, knowing that we're sinful and that God is not obligated to save you. So that's the first response, the wrong response. We see Israel taking the high moral ground of, I'm okay, God owes me. Now let's look at how Judah responds. So this is verses 11 through 15. And King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Say to the elders of Judah, Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house when the word of all Israel has come to the king? You're my brothers, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king? And say to Amasa, Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on, in place of Joab. And he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, Return both you and all your servants. So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah met, came to Gogal to meet the king and bring the king over the Jordan. So they first they have to be pushed into action, and then when the north criticized them for it, look at verse 42, how they respond. All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, because the king is our close relative. Why are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten it all at the king's expense, or has he given us any gift? So now they're defending their rights, and they say, We can bring David back because we're related to him. David's from the tribe of Judah, he's related to us by blood, so essentially he says, Look, he's one of us. It doesn't matter that there are ten of you and only two of us because he's one of us. We he's family, we have more share. And besides, we didn't get any special favors. The idea we didn't eat anything from the king's table and he lifted no taxes from us is, I think, the idea of has he given us any gift? In other words, he didn't release us from any of the burdens of taxes. Now you'll recall that Absalom's rebellion first broke out at Hebron, which is the heart of Judah, so in a sense, they're more guilty than the North because they started it, but they don't mention that fact. They don't acknowledge it. Instead, they rely on who they are. They say it's our birthright. And I think that's also a mistake we can make today. Because we can say, look, well, I wasn't born Muslim, I wasn't born Buddhist, I wasn't born Hindu, I was born in a Christian nation, maybe even to Christian parents, I wasn't raised anything else, so I must be a Christian. And that's a mistake because faith is not inherited. The Jews made the same mistake in thinking that because they were descended from Abraham genetically, they had an automatic share in God's kingdom. And Paul takes that on in Romans and argues against it quite heavily. So the question is: do you think God's impressed with our pedigree? Do you think that we can get into the kingdom of God on someone else's coattails? And of course the answer is no. Saving faith is not inherited. You don't gain it because your parents had it, you don't gain it because you were born into a nation based on Christian principles, it's not genetic, it's not part of your birthright, and it doesn't matter that you're related to the right people. So you don't inherit it. And so neither Judah nor Israel acknowledge their guilt, and they both seem to claim David owes us, so by virtue of who we are and who we're related to. So both wrong responses. Now let's look at Shemai, the individuals in this chapter. You'll recall that Shemai was a descendant of Saul who cursed David when David was on his way out of town. We looked at that in chapter 16. He was dancing along the hilltops, throwing stones at David and his men as they were riding into exile, cursing him and calling him a man of blood. And Abishai wanted to behead Shemai at that point for his blasphemy, but David refused, acknowledging that he himself was under God's judgment and it was up to God to vindicate him. So now, it's chapter 19, Shemaih's realized that his champion Absalom is dead and his life is in danger because of what he did. So he comes crawling to the king seeking forgiveness, and he brings Zeba with him. And you'll remember that Zeba was the servant of Mephibosheth, who was Jonathan's crippled son. And Jonathan had made, or David had made a vow to Jonathan, Mephibosheth's father, that he would show faithfulness or loving kindness to Jonathan's family, and he kept that vow by bringing Mephibosheth back to the kingdom and giving him a place at the king's table and restoring all of his property, Jonathan's property, to Mephibosheth. Well, Zeba had been running Jonathan's estate in the meantime, and he wasn't too happy about being made Mephibosheth's servant. So also, when David was on his flight out of town, Zeba came to David bearing gifts and provisions and the lie that Mephibosheth had sided with Absalom. So in his haste and exhaustion, David awarded control of Jonathan's estate to Zeba. Well now they both come crawling back. This is verse 16 to 23. And Shemai the son of Gerah, the Benjamite from Baharim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David. And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin, and Zeba, the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan before the king. And they crossed the ford to bring over the king's household and to do his pleasure. And Shemai the son of Gerah fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan, and said to the king, Let not my lord hold me guilty, or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart. For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I come this day, first of the house of Joseph, to come down to meet my lord the king. And Abishai, the son of Zariah, answered, Shall not Shemai be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed? But David said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zariah, that you should this day be an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel? And the king said to Shemai, You shall not die, and the king gave him his oath. So on the surface, it looks like Shemai and Zebah are properly contrite and humble before David. But we're going to compare how they respond with Mephibosheth and Barzilli, and you'll see there's some glaring differences. So while we could commend Shemai for because he does admit he was wrong, you kind of have to ask the question, what else could he do? I mean, there aren't too many ways you can whitewash his previous behavior. You can't just say, oh, having a bad day. You know, sorry. Didn't really mean it. It actually was, I don't know if you've been following the news lately with the NPR executive who was caught on videotape making uh very derogatory statements about conservatives and Jews and uh pretty bigoted statements. He issued a statement saying that his words did not reflect uh the views of NPR nor his own. And I thought, how do you get away with that? I mean, Trent Lott could certainly never have gotten away with it. But anyway, that's kind of, you know. I mean, how do you get away with that? Well, I said those things on tape, and but they weren't really what I believed. Okay. So that's kind of the position Shimai's in. How is he gonna get out of this one? He kind of has to admit that he's wrong, but notice, in addition to that, he comes with arguments. So he says, yes, I was wrong, but look at all the reasons you have to forgive me. He says, I'm first of the house of Judas to come down to meet the king. And we're told he hurried in verse 16. He rushed in verse 17, and he got there first in verse 20. So that ought to count for something. I am racing to make amends. And in addition to his verbal argument, he brings this impressive visual argument with him: 1,000 men from the tribe of Benjamin. Now that number 1,000 is a military unit, so we're not sure if that's a literal 1,000 men, or it's like saying he brought a brigade with him. And typically a brigade would have a thousand men, so we don't know exactly how many were in it. But in any case, he's brought a lot of men with him. So he's kind of saying, look, I persuaded all these people to come back and pledge their loyalty to you, back to you. So look at how useful I am to you. I have this sizable chunk of the tribe of Benjamin with me. And maybe, you know, he could even persuade others to to uh pledge their loyalty to David. And of course, the implicit threat is if you lay a hand on me, who knows what these men will do. You know, they might just kind of revolt again and maybe attack you on the road. So he's kind of hedging both sides of the table. He's saying, I've come to you, but let me show you how strong and useful and uh I am. Well, Abishai's not buying it. He knows that Shemiah is a traitor and he wants him treated as such, so he asks that he be allowed to put him to death, and David refuses. For better or worse, he's again siding with his enemy over his friend, and he seems to be taking the political. Necessary route because it is likely that if he asked Shemai right there, then the Benjamites and maybe some of the other northern tribes might fear that a purge is coming and then the revolt and the bloodshed could start all over again. So he grants Shemai mercy just like he did Amasa. So now I want to ask the question well, what can we learn from Shemai about how you approach the king? And I think he approaches the king to save his skin. He is only doing what's politically necessary. In other words, he knows he needs to he wants to stay alive, and he has to grovel to David because David was the victor if he wants to stay alive. So his speech is polite and courtly, but it doesn't carry the same humility that we're going to see in Mephibosheth. And his appearance, unlike Mephibosheth, is not that of a man in mourning or regret, but rather a man who is strong and standing with his military strength behind him. So I think he's submitting to David not out of love or loyalty or humility, but out of policy. This is David's king like it or not, and he has to find a way to regain David's favor if he wants to stay alive. So I would say Shemai's response is not faith, it's fire insurance. It's well, just in case, let me play this side of the table too. So he doesn't, he's not particularly sorry for his sins, he just wants to escape the consequences of them. So if he could have his sins and have his and avoid the consequences, that's the best of both worlds. And that's not true repentance. Because true repentance goes beyond being sorry you got caught and being sorry for the sin itself. So I think he's the kind of believer today who would turn to God just in case, you know, go through the motions on Christmas and Easter, pay lip service to the golden rule just in case this Christian stuff turns out to be true, but the rest of the week you're on your own. You know, you can your life can look however you want. And that's not faith. Because true faith repents of the sin itself, not just the consequences of the sin. Paul argues in Romans that part of the gift of faith is being freed from the desire to sin itself. So instead of longing for sin, we now long for righteousness or hunger and thirst for it, as Jesus said. So in addition to knowing we're sinful and that God knows us nothing, part of saving faith is longing to be freed from sin itself, longing to be made holy and righteous before God. So it's not just I got caught and I don't want to pay the price, it's I want to be free of the sin itself. So in Israel we see the response that God owes me. In Judah, we see the response, the kingdom of God is my birthright. In Shemai, we see the person who would like to sin but avoid the consequences. And finally, we're going to get to Mephibosheth, and we finally see a good response. We see humility and contrition. I'm going to read his speech, and as I read it, notice how many times he says, My Lord the King. So this is 19 verses 24 through 30. And Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, came down to meet the king. He had neither taken care of his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. And when he came to Jer the text says to Jerusalem, but almost everyone I read said that's a mistranslation. It should be when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king. The king said to him, Why do you not why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth? And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me, for your servant said to him, I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I might ride on it, and go with the king. For your servant is lame. He has slandered your servant to my lord the king, but my lord the king is like the angel of God. Do ther what do therefore what seems good to you. For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat on your t at your table. What further right have I then to cry to the king? And the king said to him, Why speak more of your any more of your affairs? I have decided, you and Zeba shall divide the land. And Mephibosheth said to the king, Let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home. So like Shemai, Mephibosheth comes both with a speech and a sign, but while Shemai's sign was his military strength, Mephibosheth I can't not say that word, Mephibosheth's sign is his unkept appearance. So when David went into exile, Mephibosheth went into mourning. So he didn't take care of his feet, he didn't trim his beard, he didn't wash his clothes for, and this would be weeks. So, you know, think if you don't get a shower for a couple of days. This is, you know, a long time. Now he made no secret of his loyalty, and he was in Jerusalem. So that's a dangerous thing to do because that's where Absalom is. And if all Absalom has to do is see him and go, hmm, this guy's loyal to David, and he could have him put to death. So he was risking his life for letting his loyalty be known. And you'll recall that he was lame in both feet, so he could not possibly join David in exile, or could not physically join him in exile, so he lived as if he was in exile. And I think his appearance would be really hard to fake, given that it's probably at least weeks and maybe months that David was in exile. So his speech then explains his appearance. He says, I was absent because my servant Zeba deceived me. I asked Zeba to saddle a donkey for me so that I could ride and go with the king, and you'll recall I'm lame, I can't do this myself. But Ziba saddled the donkey and went himself instead, deceiving Mephibosheth and slandering him to the king. But notice what he also is adds in this. He expresses the kind of elements that were missing in the other speeches. He says, Look, I'm a member of the previous king's family, and you owe me nothing. The king owes me nothing, you're not obligated to to show me any kind of kindness. In fact, he says, We were doomed to death, but you set us at your table. So he says, I expect nothing from you, I deserve nothing from you. My only concern is that you are restored to the throne. So that I think is an element of saving faith. He is coming before David, not claiming any rights, but just saying, You owe me nothing. Now David makes a decision at this point that I think is understandable, but it's also unjust. He divides the kingdom or the estate between Mephibosheth and Zeba. Zeba actually deserves nothing because even though he did bring David provisions and supplies in his time of need, he lied about it and he slandered his master. So it's likely that David's trying to put out any further rebellion. Ziba says has fifteen sons and twenty servants, which would make him a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps he doesn't want to offend Zeba and risk further bloodshed. Or he could be saying, look, these two are never going to be able to get along from this day forward, so let's give them a divorce, essentially, and dividing the state gives them a path to separate from each other. So it's a pragmatic path, but it's probably not just. But notice Mephibosheth is satisfied. In verse 30, he says, Let him take it all, since my Lord the King is back home. So in him we see the elements of saving faith. He says, the king owes me nothing. I've done nothing to deserve his grace. He longs not just for forgiveness, but to see David established on the throne. And he says, I'd rather see the king in control of the throne or back on his throne than have control of the estate. And he doesn't claim any rights, even though he had rights to claim, because you'll recall that David made a covenant with his father Jonathan. And Mephibosheth could have, legally, morally, and justifiably, said, Remember how you promised to my father to show kindness to his household, of which I am the sole survivor? I mean, he could have made that claim. He could have reminded David of his obligations, but instead he displays just complete love and loyalty, and he says, What further right do I have to ask anything of you? So he's not driven by survival like Shemai or greed like Ziba. He simply is offering David his love and his loyalty and longing for him to come back. And that I think gives us a picture of saving faith. We're going to talk about this again at the end, but you'll recall that saving faith is four things. It's knowing I'm guilty. So I know I'm guilty. I'm sinful before God is the first one. Knowing that left to myself, I can't change that fact. So there's nothing I can do to free myself from sin. There's no divine spark within me that I can try hard enough to get over it. So that's the first two. The third one is knowing that God owes me nothing. He is not obligated to save me in any way, and then finally trusting that God will in fact forgive me and save me because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So now let's look at Brazili. This is the final confrontation in the chapter, and then we'll um we get a further good example. So this is verse 31 through 40. Now Berzili the Gilead had come down from Rogalim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan to escort him over the Jordan. Berzilli was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Manahim, for he was a very wealthy man. And the king said to Berzilli, Come over with me, and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem. And Berzili said to the king, How many years have I still to live that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what to eat? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? This is not a great picture of old age, I must admit. Sally's can you relate to this? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward? Please let your servant return that I might die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do for him whatever seems good to you. And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you, and all that you desire of me I will do for you. Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over, and the king kissed Berzili and blessed him, and he returned to his own house. And the king went on to Gilgal, and Chinham went on with him, and all the people of Judah and half the people of Israel brought the king on his way. So Berzili is old and he is wealthy. And notice they tell us twice here he's eighty years old, in another passage they tell us again, so they make a big point of that. And I like that because it proves you are never too old to serve the kingdom of God. He gave of his home and his wealth to support the king while David was in exile. So in housing David, he was risking not only his wealth, but his household and his family, because if the battle had turned in Absalom's favor, he would have ridden up to Brazili's gates, stormed the household, and probably executed everyone in it as traitors. So to repay him, when it's time to leave, when it's time for David to leave, Brazili escorts David to the border, and David says, Well, let me take you and care for you just as you cared for me and my needs. So let me care for you in your old age while, just as you cared for me. And Brazilli declines in a rather lengthy speech. It's actually surprising that he gets four whole verses. He basically pleads that he's too old to enjoy court, the pleasures of life at court, and instead he offers to send Chinham, who most people think is one of his sons. So he's giving a member of his family to go in his place. And I think if Mephib in Mephibosheth we saw the picture of the repentant sinner coming to faith. In Brazili, I think we see the picture of the mature believer acting on his faith. So he uh responds when he's needed, he gives when is needed, he is willing to give up everything to serve the kingdom of God. And uh at whatever age you are, God can use you at any age. So he remains faithful to the king when the king's life is threatened, and he uses all his resources to respond and serve him, and most likely gives his own son as a to serve in David's household. So metaphorically, giving his son in the same way David gave his son in death for his traitors, being a traitor. So how let's put all that together. So, what can we learn from these people and how you should respond to your king when you're failing? Because our king is the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we stand guilty before him. None of us has perfectly kept the law, none of us is good enough. The standard by which we're judged is not how well our neighbor is doing. The standard is the perfect and holy character of God. So even if we could somehow measure all our good deeds and all our bad deeds, and by if by some incredible effort your good deeds actually outweighed your bad deeds, it doesn't matter. That's not enough. Because the standard is not do you have more good than bad, or is your good good enough and your bad below some minimum? The standard is have you done any bad deeds at all? I thought about going through, it was just too long, but you if you go through the verses in Deuteronomy where it talks about do this and live, it says, do all the law and live. Do all of this and live. You know, miss any of it and you are cursed. And it's over and over again saying the standard is perfection, everything, one offense, one guilty act disqualifies you from the kingdom of God. Now, that's pretty scary because we all know we've all committed a lot more than just one act. So if you want to approach God by claiming we're good enough or we're not really all that bad, we will stand condemned. So uh the standard is not uh some relative measure of good and bad, the standard is perfection and we all fall short. Neither can we claim that make a claim on God that we were born into the right genetic line, or that we were born on the right side of the table, if you'll, so to speak. Paul makes this argument quite clearly in Romans. He talks about the seed of Abraham, and he says, those who are children of Abraham or Abraham's seed are not those who are genetically related to him. It is those who have faith like he had faith. And he argues quite forcefully, it's not enough to be related to him genetically. You have to have the same kind of faith Abraham had. So, what is that faith? That is the kind of faith that recognizes I am sinful, I'm guilty, I'm unworthy to enter the kingdom of God. That's the first step. God owes me nothing, so there's no divine spark within me, no corner of light or worthwhile action I've taken that requires God to save me or bless me or grant me his mercies. If he saves me, it's an act of grace, and grace by definition is something I do not deserve. So I know I'm guilty is the first thing. God owes me nothing is the second. Third, left to myself, I can't solve this problem of sin. So I'm not going to say, okay, God, watch me now, watch how much I deserve it, and through my own self-effort or arm twisting or, you know, keeping the chin up or whatever, try to muscle it out on my own. As we talked about last week, we are snake bit, um, like the people of the Exodus, perishing with the poison of sin, and we cannot save ourselves. And then finally, recognizing that God has provided a way of escape. So he did for us what we could never do for ourselves, um, and he that is send his son to die in our place. So we need to trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that because of that, God will forgive me for my sins and is in the process of transforming me into the person he wants me to be, having that holy and righteous character of his son. All right, well, next week we're going to look at yet one more rebellion, and then this sad chapter of Absalom's story will come to an end. So let me pray for us and I'll give you some time to ask questions. Father, thank you that um you vindicated your king at the resurrection, and that you provided a way for us as the guilty uh believers and guilty people to come before you in faith and reconciliation. We just pray that we could learn from the people in this chapter to love you, to respond to you, to come to you with a humble and contrite heart, um, not claiming our rights, but uh marveling at your grace and thankful for it, and we're gonna go back to the body.