Bible Study - GOD'S Own Heart (5) - Honor Marriage - Exodus 20:14; 2 Samuel 11:1-5 - October 4, 2020

 

Bible Study – GOD’S Own Heart (5) – Honor Marriage – October 4, 2020

This is lesson five (5) in our series entitled “After GOD’S Own Heart: A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments.”

Our focus scripture is Exodus 20:14; 2 Samuel 11:1-5.

Physical intimacy is reserved for one man and woman within the covenant of marriage.

King David “A man after GOD’S own heart.” Spirit-born Christian man or woman NEVER think that sexual sin cannot happen to you. If you do, then you are most vulnerable. Mid-life crisis has brought many Christians down, including pastors, deacons, Bible teachers, etc. Will GOD forgive when confessed? Yes, but the scar will last a lifetime as well as the consequence of sin.

A former pastor/counselor realized that he was experiencing symptoms of mid-life crisis. He went home that day and he told his wife what was happening and asked her to be at his side as he went through this time in his life. It is very wise to let your spouse know when your mind begins to entertain thoughts contrary to your GODLY thoughts.

JESUS took adultery to another level as recorded in Matthew 5:27-28:

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.^[k] 28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

In today’s world this would include same sex lusting and other deviations. The point being anything that comes between you and GOD is sin. The lust of the flesh is real and must be brought under the authority of GOD, as a Christian. It may take time and the person facing such needs to have much prayer and counsel.

Let’s explore!

Let’s read Exodus 20:14:

¹⁴ Do not commit adultery.

GOD does not want any barriers between HIM and HIS Child or Children. When we choose to have a relationship outside of marriage, it becomes a barrier. Why? It is because the flesh is ruling our lives.

Once, we realize that fellowship with GOD has been broken, then we are to confess it and ask for forgiveness. But by the time we come to that realization, much damage may have been done. With GOD’S help, we can attempt to put the pieces together.

In our lesson this week, we get to see David, a man after GOD’S own heart, let the lust of the flesh lead him into sin. David had a number of wives. Some Bible scholars say he did not have concubines, others say he did. The point being he had opportunities for sex but ----

Let’s read 2 Samuel 11:1-3a:

11 It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab (David’s nephew) and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

I can only speculate but here is an “I think.” King David should have been going out with his troops to battle but he stayed home. HUM!!! Had he already devised a plan? Did he know that his prize warrior, Uriah, lived in the house that he could see from his roof top? I think so. Had David been watching a beautiful woman on the roof top. So, did he develop his plan. I will send my troops out in the spring as normal but I will hang back and invite this beautiful neighbor over for a social visit when her husband is off to war. Do I know that for certain, no!

² Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. ³ So David sent and inquired about the woman.

Lust of the flesh took over when David “arose from his bed and walked out on the roof” and he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.” David went to the next level, he “sent and inquired about the woman.”

Let’s read 2 Samuel 11:3b-5:

3b. And someone said, “Is this not ^[a]Bathsheba, the daughter of ^[b]Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” ⁴ Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. ⁵ And the woman conceived; so, she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”

Oh my! A person would not refuse the invitation of the king to come visit him. We read that the messengers David sent “took her.” The words give the impression she was reluctant to go but when the king asks, it is a command performance.

Their first encounter was driven by the lust of David’s flesh but there are consequences. In this event, it was that Bathsheba got pregnant. How did she know it was David’s child? The reason she was bathing was that she had completed her monthly cycle. Coaches tell male players not to have sex before a big game. Uriah was going to war and he was a dedicated soldier and wanted to be fit and ready for battle.

This was an “Oh my” moment for David.

Let’s go to the scripture to see what sin can lead one to do as we read on --------

Let’s read 2 Samuel 5-27:

⁶ Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered. ⁸ And David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So, Uriah departed from the king’s house, and a gift of food from the king followed him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. ¹⁰ So when they told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?” (Uriah was a loyal soldier or was Uriah tipped off that his wife had visited the king? The walls talk.)

¹¹ And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”

¹² Then David said to Uriah, “Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So, Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. ¹³ Now when David called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

¹⁴ In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. ¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the ^[c]hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.” ¹⁶ So it was, while Joab besieged the city, that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant men. ¹⁷ Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

¹⁸ Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war, ¹⁹ and charged the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling the matters of the war to the king, ²⁰ if it happens that the king’s wrath rises, and he says to you: ‘Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? ²¹ Who struck Abimelech the son of ^[d]Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who cast a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”

²² So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent by him. ²³ And the messenger said to David, “Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in the field; then we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate. ²⁴ The archers shot from the wall at your servants; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”

²⁵ Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing ^[e]displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.’ So, encourage him.”

²⁶ When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. ²⁷ And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased^[f] the Lord.

Okay, all is well that ends well or does it? Did King David think “Wow, I escaped an embarrassing moment as king.” Or did he?

David discovered that GOD knows all that goes on around us as well as in our hearts. GOD could have intervened but HE allows us to go through the things of life to teach us and for us and others to learn the consequences for our actions.

So how did GOD expose David’s deed? Let’s read the rest of the story as recorded in 2 Samuel 12:

12 So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him:

There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had very large flocks and herds, ³ but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised her, and she grew up with him and with his children. From his meager food she would eat, from his cup she would drink, and in his arms she would sleep. She was like a daughter to him. ⁴ Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.^[a]

⁵ David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! ⁶ Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.”

⁷ Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from Saul. ⁸ I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms,^[b] and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. ⁹ Why then have you despised the Lord’s command by doing what I consider^[c] evil? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword. ¹⁰ Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.’

¹¹ “This is what the Lord says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another^[d] before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them in broad daylight.^[e] 12 You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.’”^[f]

¹³ David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Then Nathan replied to David, “And the Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die. ¹⁴ However, because you treated^[g] the Lord with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die.” ¹⁵ Then Nathan went home.

David repented for his sin, as expressed in Psalm 51 and his expression of thanksgiving for his forgiveness was expressed in Psalm 32. Yes, GOD’S chosen can sin mightily. Where does sin take its root? Sin begins in our thought life, in our hearts and minds as recorded in Matthew 5:27-28, Proverbs 23:7 and faithfulness and purity also begin in our hearts as well as recorded in Matthew 5:8. Dwell upon the things that are pure and seek the power from the LORD to overcome the desires of the heart.

The Death of Bathsheba’s Son

The Lord struck the baby that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became deathly ill. ¹⁶ David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground. ¹⁷ The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.

¹⁸ On the seventh day the baby died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him the baby was dead. They said, “Look, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn’t listen to us. So how can we tell him the baby is dead? He may do something desperate.”

¹⁹ When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So, he asked his servants, “Is the baby dead?”

“He is dead,” they replied.

²⁰ Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the Lord’s house, and worshiped. Then he went home and requested something to eat. So, they served him food, and he ate.

²¹ His servants asked him, “Why have you done this? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food.”

²² He answered, “While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let him live.’ ²³ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I’ll go to him, but he will never return to me.”

Sin has its consequences. This was the beginning of many consequences for David. GOD forgave David and blessed him and Bathsheba with Solomon. It is though the ancestral line of David that GOD sent JESUS to come to earth to live as HIS Only SON JESUS.

When you look at the human ancestral lineage of JESUS, HE was loaded with all sorts of ancestral baggage.

All of us are loaded with human and ancestral baggage that is why every person must be Spiritual born by GOD through faith in JESUS into GOD’S Family. It is GOD’S design for us to have a radicle makeover from the inside out. Ask JESUS to forgive you for your sins and for JESUS to come into your heart and create within you a new heart and to give you the strength to live in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Radical!

Blessings!!!

Bible Study - GOD'S Own Heart (4) - Honor Life - Exodus 20:13; 1 Samuel 26:7-25 - September 27, 2020

 

Bible Study – GOD’S Own Heart (4) – Honor Life – September 27, 2020

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled, “After GOD’S Own Heart: A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments.”

Our focus scripture is Exodus 20:13; 1 Samuel 26:7-11, 22-25.

Respect human life as GOD does.

GOD is the giver of life both physical and Spiritual life. The trinity of every human is body, soul and spirit. The human spirit or the essence of life is the human spirit. The spirit in union with the body produces the soul or the manifestation of the human spirit. The human spirit leaves the human body at physical death and will, if not Spiritually converted or reborn Spiritually by GOD will spend eternity separated from GOD in Hell. It was never GOD’S intention for humans to end up in Hell, the place HE made for Satan and his followers.

GOD’S Word, the Bible, is the revelation of GOD or GOD’S redemptive plan to reveal to mankind the way to eternal life through faith in HIS Only SON, JESUS. JESUS was and is the sinless human sacrifice that GOD required to pay for sin, in full. JESUS was and is the only acceptable sacrifice to GOD for the redemption of every human who places his or her faith in JESUS and HIS passion to receive eternal life through the Spiritual rebirth of his or her spirit.

Have you asked JESUS to forgive you for your sins and asked HIM to come into your heart? If not, why not do that now! Eternity is but a heartbeat away, do not delay. There are no certain words you have to say. It all boils down to the attitude of your heart. Salvation can be a simple as, “LORD I give up trying to figure eternity out or Spiritual rebirth and I ask YOU to forgive me for my sins believing that JESUS gave HIS sinless life just for me. Please come into my life now. Thank YOU for YOUR salvation as confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Amen.” If you prayed such a prayer then welcome into GOD’S Family through the miracle of Spiritual rebirth. Read GOD’S Word to see that the truth in HIS Word becomes more evident as you seek to serve GOD. 

When did GOD know that you would be a living person upon earth?

Let’s read Ephesians 1:3-6:

³ Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.^[c] 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

Yes, GOD chose us before HE created the world but HE also gives us freedom to choose. The question is, “Do we choose HIM through faith in JESUS?” Life is precious and the odds of you being a human are staggering but you made it. You are here upon earth not by accident but by design and GOD has a plan for your life. But you have to choose HIM through faith in JESUS to experience this new life through Spiritual birth.

All lives are precious – all lives!

Our focus in this study is on the sixth commandment, “Do not murder.”

We know murder is the cessation of life at the hand of another person.

Let’s consider another side of murder. There is physical murder, the loss of human life. Should we consider the murder of our human spirit?

Is killing the spirit/will/ambition (brain washing) of a person a form of murder?

I think so. When we kill the will of a person to reach his or her full potential, that is a form of murder. GOD desires for each of us to serve HIM to the max and that comes from being in right relationship with HIM through faith in JESUS.

GOD makes that clear in our focus scripture, as we read on ----

Let’s read Exodus 20:13:

¹³ Do not murder.

Is abortion murder? Or is it a form of birth control? Now, I am not coming down on those who have had an abortion. For a variety of reasons women have abortions e.g. medical reasons and social reasons. GOD knows the hearts of those who and why they have had an abortion. Only GOD can heal the broken hearts of those who have had an abortion for whatever reason.

If abortion is made legal, does that remove the fact that it is killing a person? No! Adoption is an alternative. The taking of a life is murder but the taking of a life may preserve the life of another as in an abortion can save the life of the mother. Is self-defense where the culprit dies murder? No! We have the right to defend ourselves and our loved ones. Euthanasia, is it mercy killing or murder? These are moral, human to human and religious issues. GOD is clear “Do not murder.” But there are times when a life must be taken.

Let’s consider GOD’S forgiveness. The point is GOD cherishes human life and HIS desire is for all people to receive JESUS as their Savoir and spend eternity with HIM in Heaven. Physical life via conception is the beginning process. HE has a path forward for every person who will place his or her faith in JESUS.

The past is the past and cannot be done over. We may need to confess a sin and ask JESUS to forgive us. If the Holy Spirit pricks our heart to confess something in the past, then we need to confess it and ask HIM to forgive us. HE forgives and HE restores. When GOD forgives us, it is just as important for us to forgive ourselves.

Our scripture gives us an opportunity to see the heart of David. David knew that GOD was going to make him king. King Saul had been anointed king. King Saul wanted to kill David and had attempted to do so several times. David chose to get out of King Saul’s presence. But King Saul and his troops chased after David to kill him. How did David handle at least two opportunities for him to have King Saul killed or to kill the king himself? Let’s explore!

King Saul was in hot pursuit of David and his men. King Saul wanted David dead. David had served King Saul in the palace but even then, King Saul tried to kill David by throwing a spear at him. David had to flee.

On one occasion, King Saul was chasing David with 3,000 men in the region of En-gedi.  David was hiding in a cave with his men and King Saul had to relieve himself. King Saul entered the cave where David and his men were hiding. David’s men wanted David to use this opportunity to kill King Saul. Instead, David carefully and quietly sneaked up to where King Saul was and cut off a piece of King Saul’s robe. Later David told King Saul what he had done and showed him the piece of his robe that he had cut. David’s men thought that GOD had given David the opportunity to kill Saul but David waited on GOD to remove Saul from being king. Why? It was because GOD had instructed Samuel to anoint Saul as king. Anointing means to be set aside to be used for the LORD’S purpose. Anointing also imparted GOD’S divine enabling. (When a person receives JESUS as his or her Savior, GOD anoints that person with the Holy Spirit.) GOD told Samuel to anoint Saul and GOD would be the ONE to remove Saul from serving HIM and not David.

In our focus scripture, we see another opportunity for David to have King Saul killed. In that day, it was a skill to enter a camp and leave without being detected. David and his men were hiding in the Wilderness of Ziph. King Saul and 3,000 men were in pursuit of David and his men. David sent out spies to locate Saul’s camp as documented in 1 Samuel 26:1-7:

26 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah saying, “David is hiding on the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon.” ² So Saul, accompanied by three thousand of the fit young men of Israel, went immediately to the Wilderness of Ziph to search for David there. ³ Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon. David was living in the wilderness and discovered Saul had come there after him. ⁴ So David sent out spies and knew for certain that Saul had come. ⁵ Immediately, David went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were lying down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp with the troops camped around him. ⁶ Then David asked Ahimelech the Hethite and Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, “Who will go with me into the camp to Saul?”

“I’ll go with you,” answered Abishai. (Abishai was David’s nephew.”)

Now for the rest of the story ------

Just imagine two men sneaking into a camp of 3,000 troops with King Saul in the middle of an inner circle of men without waking any of them up. Why? Let’s find out why as we continue-------

Let’s read 1 Samuel 26:7-11:

⁷ That night, David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner (Chief Military officer) and the troops were lying around him. ⁸ Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy to you. Let me thrust the spear through him into the ground just once. I won’t have to strike him twice!” (Delivered means “to shut” or “close” the door or gate. Abishai, in essence told David, this is your opportunity that GOD has given to you and I will do the deed.)

⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed and be innocent?” ¹⁰ David added, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will certainly strike him down: either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. ¹¹ However, as the Lord is my witness, I will never lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let’s go.”

Does every opportunity to take advantage of situation mean it is GOD’S will? Or is it a test of our character? In this situation, David chose to depend upon GOD to elevate him to the throne. It was a test.

David, said take King Saul’s spear and water jug. Why?

The spear represented Saul’s defense or personal protection and his royalty. It also represented Saul’s authority and a weapon of death. The water jug represented life. David symbolically took Saul’s authority when he took his spear and his life/water jug. What did David taking King Saul’s spear, a weapon of death and his water jug do to King Saul? It humiliated him and humiliation often is worse than bodily harm.

Let’s read 1 Samuel 26:12-21:

¹² So David took the spear and the water jug by Saul’s head, and they went their way. No one saw them, no one knew, and no one woke up; they all remained asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord came over them. ¹³ David crossed to the other side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance; there was a considerable space between them. ¹⁴ Then David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer, Abner?” (Abner was King Saul’s chief military officer. He was near King Saul when David and Abishai took the king’s spear and water jug.)

“Who are you who calls to the king?” Abner asked.

¹⁵ David called to Abner, “You’re a man, aren’t you? Who in Israel is your equal? So why didn’t you protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him? ¹⁶ What you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you deserve to die^[a] since you didn’t protect your lord, the Lord’s anointed. Now look around; where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”

¹⁷ Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that your voice, my son David?”

“It is my voice, my lord and king,” David said. ¹⁸ Then he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What crime have I committed? ¹⁹ Now, may my lord the king please hear the words of his servant: If it is the Lord who has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. But if it is people, may they be cursed in the presence of the Lord, for today they have banished me from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go and worship other gods.’ ²⁰ So don’t let my blood fall to the ground far from the Lord’s presence, for the king of Israel has come out to search for a single flea, like one who pursues a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹ Saul responded, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David, I will never harm you again because today you considered my life precious. I have been a fool! I’ve committed a grave error.”

Did King Saul realize that GOD had placed a canopy of protection over David? Was the king reaching out to David in a sincere apology or luring David back to kill him?

Did David fall for the smooth tongue king?

The scripture tells us in Romans 12:19:

¹⁹ Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,^[d] says the Lord.

Let’s read 1 Samuel 26:22-25:

²² David answered, “Here is the king’s spear; have one of the young men come over and get it. ²³ The Lord will repay every man for his righteousness and his loyalty. I wasn’t willing to lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed, even though the Lord handed you over to me today. ²⁴ Just as I considered your life valuable today, so may the Lord consider my life valuable and rescue me from all trouble.”

²⁵ Saul said to him, “You are blessed, my son David. You will certainly do great things and will also prevail.” Then David went on his way, and Saul returned home.

All’s well that ends well. The word “blessed” means to “to kneel” and carries the idea “to bless someone meant to endow them with power to accomplish a purpose.”

David prevailed in slaying Goliath because David trusted in GOD. David would continue to prevail because of his relationship with GOD.

This is a message for Christians today. In whom do we place our trust, GOD or man?

It is exciting to see the hand of GOD at work in our lives and in the lives of others. If we were in similar circumstances, how would we have handled the situation? Do we take matters out of GOD’S hands and place them into our hands? Or do we wait upon the LORD?

It depends upon our walk with our LORD. Do we trust the LORD? Do we know when the LORD tells us to wait upon HIM or go forward as HE leads? Does the Holy Spirit direct our lives? Do we trust the leadership of the Holy Spirit? If not, why not? As a Spirit-born Christian, you are indwelled by the Holy Spirit WHO guarantees your salvation.

We in America face a critical presidential election. Have we been in prayer for the person for whom we need to cast our vote? Do we trust GOD to put the person into office that HE chooses?

Pray and vote! Know that GOD is still on HIS throne and is still in charge.

Blessings!!!

 

Bible Study - GOD'S Own Heart (3) - Honor Parents - Exodus 20:12; 2 Samuel 15:7-14 - September 20, 2020

 

Bible Study – GOD’S Own Heart (3) – Honor Parents – September 20, 2020

This lesson three (3) in our series entitled, “After GOD’S Own Heart: A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments.”

Our focus scripture is Exodus 20:12; 2 Samuel 15:7-14.

Honor for parents is seen in our words and actions.

Human life requires a relationship and union of the sperm and egg to produce an offspring. Once we have been conceived physically, GOD desires for all people to be conceived Spiritually. Why? It is all about having the right relationship with HIM. JESUS reiterated this in the model prayer, recorded in Matthew 6:9: ““Therefore, you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
your name be honored as holy.”

 

Why did JESUS make this distinction? Let’s read Matthew 3:9: “⁹ And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 

The Ten Commandments are all about building the right relationship with the One True GOD (YHWH/YAHWAH) of all, which reflects the heart of each person as we interact and function upon earth.

 

GOD desires for every person upon earth to have the right relationship with HIM through faith in JESUS. Spiritual birth is intended to produce this eternal Spiritual relationship at the instant a person acknowledges that JESUS gave HIS sinless life to pay in full for sin and ask JESUS to forgive him or her for his or her sin and to come into his or her life. GOD’S Spirit unites with that person’s human spirit and he or she is Spiritually born into the family of GOD never to be Spiritually unborn. It is a miracle and that makes every Spirit born person a Christian. It is not what church or religious organization you attend but CHRIST in you through the miracle of Spiritual birth.

 

This Spiritual birth prepares us to see that our relationship with our human parents reflects our relationship with GOD. If we do not have the right relationship with our parent or parents who we have seen, how can we have the right relationship with GOD, who we have not seen?

 

I know some may think “you do not know the scum my parents are or were.” If that is your situation, ask GOD to reveal to you how you can forgive them. Your eternal relationship is with GOD through faith in JESUS.

 

Our focus is on our earthly father and mother in this study but consider the Ten Commandments as they relate to others as we walk though life. GOD loves us completely. In the words of Dr. Charles Stanley, “GOD does not expect us to measure up before HE chooses us.” GOD takes us like we are, warts and all and make us into the image of JESUS. Now, that is unconditional love and John 3:16-18 captures it.

Let’s read Exodus 20:12:

¹² Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

It takes the sperm and egg to produce a person, thus honor both, father and mother. The Hebrew word translated “honor” carries the idea of “to be heavy” or to give weighty importance to one’s parents. Why?

There is already a strong physical bond between most parents and their child and between the child and its parent(s). We, as a person physically, see, touch and interact with our parent(s) who we can see and establish our relationship with our parent(s). How we interact and establish the right relationship with those we can see, often carries over to our relationship with GOD, Who we can’t see.

I recall hearing a story about a father who encouraged his child to climb on top of a garage and to jump into his arms. He assured the child that he would catch her. She did, as asked, and she jumped but her dad did not catch her. It hurt her when she hit the ground. She exclaimed, “Dad, you said you would catch me and I trusted you!” Her dad replied, “I wanted to teach you a lesson not to trust anyone, even me.” Now, that establishes a life long nature within that person and needs to be dealt with to build trust. There are issues in life that become trust barriers that we have to recognize and deal with.

It is about relationship. Can a person be in right relationship with GOD but not with his or her parent (s), siblings, friends, etc.? These can be barriers. If you are in such a situation, then confess it and ask JESUS to reveal to you what it or they are and to help you deal with it or them.

GOD’S nature is to forgive HIS GOD’S Children when they ask. Christians are to extend forgiveness to others.

Let’s consider the relationship of King David and his son Absalom as we continue ----

Let’s read 2 Samuel 15:7-12:

⁷ When four^[a] years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I made to the Lord. ⁸ For your servant made a vow when I lived in Geshur of Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord really brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.’”^[b]

⁹ “Go in peace,” the king said to him. So, he went to Hebron.

¹⁰ Then Absalom sent agents throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron!’”

¹¹ Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom. They had been invited and were going innocently, for they did not know the whole situation. ¹² While he was offering the sacrifices, Absalom sent for David’s adviser Ahithophel the Gilonite, from his city of Giloh. So, the conspiracy grew strong, and the people supporting Absalom continued to increase.

We immediately see that Absalom was deceitful and lied to his father so he could build an army to take over as King.

There is a lot of history leading up to our focus scripture. Dr. Tony Evans wrote the lessons printed in the “Bible Studies for Life” published by LifeWay, Nashville, TN.” He does an excellent job of listing an overview of this history as printed on page 43:

“David, the man after GOD’S own heart, was far from a perfect person. His sins against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11) unleashed a whole series of consequences on his family. David was not an upstanding father. We see this in the story of his children.

-         David’s son, Amnon raped Tamar, Absalom’s sister, and Amnon’s own half-sister (2 Samuel 13:1-20).

-         When King David heard about all these things, he was furious, but did nothing (v.21)

-         Two years later, Absalom killed his brother Amnon (vv.22-33}

-         Absalom fled and lived in exile for three years (vv. 34-38)

-         David longed to go to Absalom after he finished grieving over Amnon’s death (v. 39)

-         David finally sent for Absalom to return to Jerusalem, but would not see him (14:1-24)

-         For two years Absalom lived in Jerusalem, but did not see his father (vv. 25-32)

-         David finally summoned Absalom to come to him and kissed him (v.33)

-         Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel from his father David (15:1-6)

David’s sinful behavior did not justify Absalom’s behavior. Family members can get at odds with each other and this is an example. So, what was the solution? Yes, David sinned and finally repented after the Prophet Nathan confronted him. GOD had chosen David and still supported him as king. GOD does not abandon HIS Children when they sin and confess their sin. GOD sent “an informer,” as we read on ------

Let’s read 2 Samuel 15:13-14:

¹³ Then an informer came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”

¹⁴ David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Get up. We have to flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! Leave quickly, or he will overtake us quickly, heap disaster on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

King David received word, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.” David knew that Absalom was capable of organizing a large army suitable to defeat the forces of King David. King David knew if they battled in Jerusalem blood would be shed.

It is unlike David to retreat. Did King David think that GOD had abandoned him? Did the outcome of this situation reveal to King David that GOD was still using him?

What is the rest of the story as we read 2 Samuel 18:1-33:

Absalom’s Defeat

18 David reviewed his troops and appointed commanders of thousands and of hundreds over them. ² He then sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai of Gath. The king said to the troops, “I must also march out with you.”

³ “You must not go!” the people pleaded. “If we have to flee, they will not pay any attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not pay any attention to us because you are worth^[a] ten thousand of us. Therefore, it is better if you support us from the city.”

⁴ “I will do whatever you think is best,” the king replied to them. So, he stood beside the city gate while all the troops marched out by hundreds and thousands. ⁵ The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” All the people heard the king’s orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

⁶ Then David’s forces marched into the field to engage Israel in battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ Israel’s army was defeated by David’s soldiers, and the slaughter there was vast that day—twenty thousand dead. ⁸ The battle spread over the entire area, and that day the forest claimed more people than the sword. (When GOD is on you side miracles happen.)

Absalom’s Death

⁹ Absalom was riding on his mule when he happened to meet David’s soldiers. When the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so he was suspended in midair.^[b] 10 One of the men saw him and informed Joab. He said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”

¹¹ “You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed.^[c] “Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten silver pieces^[d] and a belt!”

¹² The man replied to Joab, “Even if I had the weight of a thousand pieces of silver^[e] in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. For we heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for me.’^[f] 13 If I had jeopardized my own^[g] life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”

¹⁴ Joab said, “I’m not going to waste time with you!” He then took three spears^[h] in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s chest. While Absalom was still alive in the oak tree, ¹⁵ ten young men who were Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him. ¹⁶ Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab restrained them. ¹⁷ They took Absalom, threw him into a large pit in the forest, and raised up a huge mound of stones over him. And all Israel fled, each to his tent.

¹⁸ When he was alive, Absalom had taken a pillar and raised it up for himself in the King’s Valley, since he thought, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So, he named the pillar after himself. It is still called Absalom’s Monument today.

¹⁹ Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the Lord has vindicated him by freeing him from his enemies.”

²⁰ Joab replied to him, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but today you aren’t taking good news, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹ Joab then said to a Cushite, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.

²² However, Ahimaaz son of Zadok persisted and said to Joab, “No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!”

Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to run since you won’t get a reward?” ^[i]

²³ “No matter what, I want to run!”

“Then run!” Joab said to him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.

²⁴ David was sitting between the city gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the city gate and over to the wall. The watchman looked out and saw a man running alone. ²⁵ He called out and told the king.

The king said, “If he’s alone, he bears good news.”

As the first runner came closer, ²⁶ the watchman saw another man running. He called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!”

“This one is also bringing good news,” said the king.

²⁷ The watchman said, “The way the first man runs looks to me like the way Ahimaaz son of Zadok runs.”

“This is a good man; he comes with good news,” the king commented.

²⁸ Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well,” and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground. He continued, “Blessed be the Lord your God! He delivered up the men who rebelled against my lord the king.”

²⁹ The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?”

Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a big disturbance, but I don’t know what it was.”

³⁰ The king said, “Move aside and stand here.” So, he stood to one side.

³¹ Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: The Lord has vindicated you today by freeing you from all who rise against you!”

³² The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?”

The Cushite replied, “I wish that the enemies of my lord the king, along with all who rise up against you with evil intent, would become like that young man.”

³³ The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber above the city gate and wept. As he walked, he cried, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”

The love of a parent is deep and lasting and so is GOD’S love for HIS Children. I will never leave you or forsake you – count on it = eternal love.

All parents seek the best for their children, even when they do wrong. Love transcends many wrongs and GOD is our example. The consequence of our actions can be severe. As in our study, Absalom’s hair got caught in tree limbs. Even though Absalom was planning to overthrow his dad, which meant that if he had, King David would be put to death, a father’s love hoped for the best. Good, positive relationships are to be cherished both here upon earth and with our LORD JESUS/GOD.

Blessings!!!