2 Samuel 19:9-15

2 Samuel chapter 19 beginning with verse 9 and reading through verse 15 and all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel saying the king saved us out of the hand of our enemies and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines now he is fled out of the land for absalom and Absalom and we anointed over us is dead in battle now therefore we are we, why speakest ye not a word of bringing the king back? King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priest, saying, speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? Seeing the speech of all Israel has come to the king even to his house. Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh. Wherefore then are ye the last to bring back? the king. And say ye to amasa, art thou not of my bone and of my flesh, God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joach. And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word under the king, returned thou and all thy servants. So the king returned, and came to Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgau to meet the king, to conduct the king over the Jordan. May God bless to us the reading of His sacred and holy word this evening. You’ll recall that we have been studying here the account of David’s men being victorious over the army of Absalon, who of course had led a rebellion against David, and now Absalon has been put to death. However, the kingdom of Israel is still in chaos, as we see. It needs to be united under their true king, David. Restoring fellowship with the king is the theme of our passage, tonight. And this certainly has spiritual implications for you and I. Let me begin by saying this, you can be out of fellowship with your king. We see here in verses 9 and 10, and all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying the king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land of Absalon, or out of the land for Absalom, and Absalom, whom we an an anoint. over us is dead in battle. Now therefore, why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back? Civil wars often lead to great confusion in nations, if not total chaos. Notwithstanding his victory, David knew that only the military phase of the rebellion was over. The discontent, which led to the rebellion and the multitudes embracing Absalon had to be overcome. It was important for David to be restored as king over the whole realm. David did not merely impose himself on the nation, using military force to thrust himself as the king upon the nation. He desired the people to actually recognize his kingship and act accordingly. And thus, we have the circumstance of our text. The people who are backed Absalom or in a dilemma. They need to find a way to be restored to their king and be under David’s rule. This was a time of humiliation, a time of reflection, a time of mourning over their foolish choice of Absalon over God’s chosen king, David. Scripture teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is the king of the saints in Revelation 15 and verse 3. If you’re in God’s kingdom, then you’re under Christ’s rule. Indeed, the scripture says that Christ is the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God. and 1.17. He is God’s anointed king, as we see in Psalm 2, and all his holy nation must submit to him. Sadly, there are times when you may be rebellious towards your king. Let your heart be stolen away by some Absalom. You lose your first love. And after dwelling for a time in the cold shade of suspended fellowship with your king, there is a pining after restoration. You mourn your present condition. You’ve been utterly disappointed in those things which have stolen your heart away from Christ. And as you contemplate your spiritual state, you mourn over what you’ve lost. your prayers are not as consistent nor as fervent as they once used to be. In reading God’s word, the promises are not driven home to your heart as they once were. You feel estranged from Christ. There’s a distance. There is a loss, perhaps, of close fellowship, even coldness toward Christ. And you perceive that your David has not forsake. you have forsaken him like a lost sheep going astray. You say to yourself, why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back? You mourn your lack of restoration. Augustus H. Strong, who lived from 1836 to 1921, was a highly respected Baptist minister and seminary president. once related that he was baptized by his father in a church in Rochester, New York. And while they were walking home, he spoke with his father after having what he called a mountaintop experience, his baptism. And he said this. He said, Father, I’m so glad I was baptized. It made me feel so good. His dignified father looked down and with a stern reply said this, feeling or no feeling, it was your duty. Friends, the motive for any spiritual activity is not to make us feel good. We should do it because it’s the right thing to do. It’s our duty before the Lord. We don’t do things just to get an emotional high. Yes, having restored fellowship with your king is bound to make you feel better. But you should seek restoration because it’s your duty to give Christ his proper place in your life. So you mourn your present state because you’ve been rebellious toward your king. You were torn as to what to do to solve your broken fellowship with your king. All Israel was in a state of strife here. There was blame passing here. There was also a state of strife here. some debate as what to do now. There was no agreement as to whether or not to bring back the king. They’re not sure how to proceed, so they’re arguing among themselves. Now you may find yourself double-minded, confused about how to proceed with regard to your spiritual state and your fellowship with your king, the Lord Jesus Christ, that is. has been interrupted. You may halt between two opinions and struggle to find a way forward spiritually. Perhaps Satan even whispers in your ear that you’re no citizen of the kingdom of God because if you were, your love for your king would not have grown cold. Or maybe he tells you that your religion is a sham, that your faith is just a delusion, that you were never born again, that you were never born again, that you. You were never converted, and Satan certainly will reduce you to a state of bewilderness, a bewilderment, and leave your soul in strife, and you know not what to do. According to the encyclopedia, the term mugwamps originally came from the Indian language of North America. The word, however, became famous during the presidential campaign of 1884. A newspaper editor picked it up and soon everybody was using it. But Teddy Roosevelt gave it a definition that perhaps is the most easily remembered. He said a mugwump is a bird that sits on the fence with its mug on one side and it’s wamp on the other. Basically, it’s someone who can’t make up his mind. He’s still arguing with himself, unsure as what to do. do. Remember, all your present doubts and fears will resolve if you just settle in your mind, it’s time to bring the king back. It’s time to be restored to favor with Christ and have a proper fellowship with him. If you can get that straightened in your mind, that’s where you begin. So you are torn as to what to do, perhaps, to solve this broken fellowship with your king. You remember all the good your king has done for you. In verse 9, we read here about the king and what David had done for the nation. They fondly thought of how he had previously been, was the terror, if you would, of the Philistians. He had defeated him time and time again. He had killed their Champion, Goliath, remember. And that was a terrible loss that the Philistine suffered that day. And the son of Jesse was certainly a scourge to them. Saul may have slain his thousands, but David slew his ten thousands. What ingratitude they had shown then toward the one who has saved them from their enemies. And now he’s in exile. Friends, let me ask you, have you treated the one who has saved us out of the hands of our enemies? Like that? Have you forgotten the deliverance that Christ has provided for you, whether it be spiritual enemies or earthly enemies? The son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ, has given us to victory. Revelation shows King Jesus, riding upon a white, horse conquering all opposed to his kingdom and his people in Revelation chapter 19. Scripture says, nay, in all these things, whether it be tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword or death or whatever the case may be, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 837 and so forth. Christ is the captain of ourself. salvation. He leads us to victory. What we never could achieve on our own. You owe something to your king, who has freed you from the subjection and submission to all your enemies, and yet you have been rebellious against the king who has provided such victories for you. That’s sad. That is a disgraceful thing. So you remember all the good your king has done for you. You are fearful. Your king will not accept you after such a rebellion. In the latter part of verse 10, the indication here is, why isn’t anybody saying, let come back? Well, they’re afraid to. They’re afraid to ask the king to come back. Many people desired to return to the king, but they only talked about it. No one ever got down to doing anything about it. There seems to be some fear that David might still be angry. And they don’t send any messages to David. There’s no correspondence with David here. They had sided with Absalom, but Absalom’s dead, and now they’re without a king. And what are they going to do? It’s high time they restore David at his rightful place. So far, it’s all talk as about what to be done. But there’s no direct contact with the king. In Esop’s fables, there’s a story about the mice. and they lived in this old house, and they met together to discuss the best means to deal with their arch enemy, the cat. And after several suggestions had been debated, a mouse of some standing stood up and finally said this. He said, I have a good solution. We should fasten a bell round the neck of our enemy, the cat, by its tinkling, it will warn us of his approach. Now, this proposal was warmly embraced. Everybody thought it was a good idea. at the mouse council. And then an old mouse stood up and said this, I agree with you that the plan before us is an admirable one. However, I asked you, who’s going to bell the cat? It’s always easier to propose a solution than to enact it. That is the moral of that story. Spiritually, you may come up with the right solution, and that is that Jesus Christ must be restored to his rightful place and broken fellowship needs to be healed. And yet you might be fearful that he will not receive you. You may despair that your fellowship could be restored again. Friends, it’s always best to go to the Lord Jesus Christ and just cast yourself on the mercy of Christ. Don’t merely talk about bringing your king back. He says, come. Let us reason to you. together in the book of Isaiah chapter 1. So why hesitate? Go to your king. So you can be out of fellowship with your king. And secondly tonight, your king takes the initiative to restore you to fellowship with him in verses 11 to 15. Now your king uses spiritual leaders to encourage you. Notice verse 11. David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priest. he’s saying, speak unto the elders of Judah saying, why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? Seeing the speech of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house. By imploring two men from the priestly family to negotiate on his behalf, David showed some wisdom here and some faith. As God-fearing men, Zadol, and a Bionthar certainly would be trusted by the king, and certainly they would be respected by the people. So it was the perfect group here. These two men were the perfect guys to use to bring about this reconciliation. They could remind the people of God’s will and the matter. Remember, David is the Lord’s anointed king. You must take him. back as king. And when Christ desires to direct your heart and mind to do the right thing, does he not often use his ministers? Does he not often use true ministers who are sent from God to carry the divine message to us that you need to hear? Are they not Christ’s representatives? Your king puts his words in their mouths to direct you to do God’s will. ministers of Christ urge you that to be restored to fellowship with Christ. Now you may well be ashamed, but they will entreat you not to let this shame keep you from coming to Christ just as you are. Ministers remind you that Christ does not cast off his people despite their rebellion, despite their lukewarmness. toward him. Isn’t it the minister’s duty to give you the same message that Christ mentioned in his message to the book or to the church at Laodicea in the book of Revelation long ago? weren’t they lukewarm? Weren’t they out of fellowship with the Lord? Doesn’t he tell them well, you need to repent and change your ways? And yet what does he say? Behold? Behold. I stand at the door and knock in Revelation 320. The Lord Jesus Christ hasn’t abandoned you. He knocks to awaken you out of your spiritual slumber. This is a phrase, by the way, that’s taken from the Song of Solomon, Chapter 5, where the bridegroom knocks at the bride’s door, and she doesn’t want to get up out of bed to answer the door. And when she does, he has left, but he has stood there knocking for a time. He wants fellowship with his wife and bride. But she is reluctant at first, and that has to be restored. And we have the same idea here in his bride of the church. God, Christ says, if any man open to me, I will enter in and suck with him and he with me, I will have fellowship with you. Here is the cure for your lukewarmness. toward Christ. Christ desires fellowship with you. He promises that he will accept you. Open your heart towards your king. His heart is open towards you. This is Christ’s message through his ministers to you. Welcome back your king. So your king uses your spiritual leaders to encourage you. Your king reminds you of the intimate relationship you have with him. In verses 11 and 12. We read, and the king sent to Zadok and Abythar, the priest saying, speak unto the elders of Judas, saying, Why are you the last to bring back the king to his house? Seeing the speech of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house, you are my brother, you are my bones and my flesh. Wherefore then are you the last to bring the king back? It’s strange, is it not, that the people of David’s own tribe here, were not ready, perhaps not even as ready as the rest of Israel, to bring the king back? king back to restore to king. Perhaps they felt they were permanently alienated from David. I mean, after all, if anybody should have been faithful to David, his own tribe should have been, and they went with Absalom. David appeals to their close relationship to him. You’re my brother. You’re my flesh. You’re my bone. They’re too intimately united for David to abandon them. I have not forgotten our relationship. Don’t forget it yourself. Beloved, despite your rebelliousness at times against the Lord Jesus Christ, he is not ashamed to call you, brethren, as Hebrews 2.11 tells us. Indeed, Christ embraces you as his bride in what does the scripture say about that relationship in Ephesians 530, for remembers of his body off his flesh and of his bones. Christ appeals to you. based upon his love for you as his bride. That is the most intimate union possible. It is with the sweetest words that Christ seeks to restore you to fellowship with him because you’re precious to him. I read about a young husband who forgot he was married. According to the newspaper account, his new bride was very upset. She was cooking. dinner when he went off to work and getting dinner ready, and she ended up burning the dinner because he didn’t show up. It was the day after their honeymoon. You’d make things worse. And her husband was over three hours late before he finally got home from the office, and we said, where were you? Well, he forgot, drove back to his mother’s suburban home where he had been living for years, and then dawned on him, oh, I’m now married. need to go to the other house. I assure you that Jesus Christ never forgets that he’s married. He never forgets the relationship that he has with you and I. And he’s highly aware of our intimate relationship together. So let this encourage you to seek restoration and fellowship with your king. He remind you of this intimate relationship you have with him. Your king makes it known that the most grievous offender will be welcomed. Now notice verse 13. Say you to Amasa art thou not of my bone and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joach. Now you remember who Amasa was. Amasa was actually the cousin of David. He was the son of David’s sister. But he was the son of David’s sister. But he, had sided with Absalon and was the captain of the enemy army that just lost to David, the rebel army. Amasa here was instrumental in attempting to overthrow David. And to have him put to death. I can’t think of anybody that should have been on the bottom of the list of the people that David would whatever want to be friends with again. And yet David’s, still classifies a mass as a kinsman. You’re still, you know, a relative of mine. You’re of the tribe of Judah. And he offers him under all Joab’s position as military commander of Israel. It seems at this point that David’s pretty much ready to get rid of Joab. Joab had a proud, haughty spirit about him. And I think he was sort of in touch. tolerable. And I think David decided that he was going to get rid of Joab. So he says, I’ll put you in Joab’s place. Now, think about this. This would give such a clear indication. If Amasa, the guy that, if anybody should have been put to death on the enemy army side, it should have been the captain, a massan. If he’s willing to take a Massa back, and not just take him back, but actually embrace him as the army commander of Israel, how much all the rest of the other people were going to be welcome. You can see the argument here. If he takes the worst offender, he’ll take you. Who could be worse than Amasa? Friends, doesn’t Christ say, him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out? Are you estranged from Christ? you rebellious ways? Are you fearful? Maybe you won’t be accepted by your king ever again because you’ve fallen deeply into sin? Does not this verse give us warrant to expect a welcome and warm acceptance? Whatever doubts you may have. Remember Christ’s promises are sure and certain. Him that cometh unto me I will know wise. Cast out. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet. They shall be as scarlet. They shall be white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool, Isaiah 1 in verse 18. Your king is gracious. Is he not merciful? To the very worst offenders, the most rebellious of the citizens of his kingdom. So your king makes it known that the most grievous offender will be welcome. Notice also, your king moves your heart so that you no longer hesitate. In verses 14 and 15 we read, and he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man. So they sent this word on the king, return thou and all thy servants. So the king returned and came to Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the king and to conduct the king over Jordan. David was persuasive, and he gained his point, and he moved the heart. of all the men of Israel as if it were just one person that he was persuading. And they’re unanimously ready now to recall the king. Through God’s hand, working, of course, David won over the hearts, and there was an eagerness to embrace the true king. Now, the choice of Gilgall is the meeting place is quite interesting on the west bank of the Jordan. This was a place heavy with symbolic significance for God’s people. Here, centuries before, God’s covenant with the people had to be renewed after 40 years of wandering through the wilderness. Remember it was at Gilgall. They had the mass circumcision because the Israelites that came out of Egypt evidently had. not been circumcised. And so before they led into the land of Canaan, they had to have this mass circumcision. And we read in Joshua 5 that the reproach of Israel was rolled away. Now think about that. The reproach of Israel was rolled away. The kingdom had been renewed there in Solomon’s Day in 1st Samuel chapter 11. So Gilgale symbolized God’s free grace to his. people that the past is rolled away. And so it was a great place for them to meet. Because in a sense, it was saying, whatever you did in the past, we’re going to roll that away. We’re going to push that aside. We’re going to forget about that. We’re going to go forward from this day on. And thus David is offering to roll away the previous transgressions of Israel. All will be forgiven. So while you and I may be heaven, to bring our king back after being rebellious ourselves. God’s sovereign grace can overcome that. The Lord Jesus Christ powerfully persuade your heart so that all reluctance is removed and he makes you eager to restore your king. Scripture says, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. In Psalm 110 and verse 3, Christ moves your heart and you are moved to act. He assures you that your past rebelliousness can be rolled away, can be forgiven, and the sin washed away from us. This is the encouragement we have. Christ’s sheep, hear his voice, know it, and return to him, because they irresistibly respond. Well, your world will be made right when the Lord Jesus, Christ is given, restored, his rightful place, his proper place in your life. Yes, Christ is our Lord, but there are times we are rebellious and times we need to to come back and recognize him as our Lord that he is and stop our foolishness and our rebelliousness and have him again as the one. one that we submit to with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. Well, let us close.