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The Absalom Conspiracy Part 4 of 4
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Like! Share! Subscribe! Absalom's usurpation finally ends! Find out who lives... and who doesn't! Also, if you would like a copy of the Discipleship Bible studies, reach out to me and we'll make it happen! ................................... Join us for OHM Rize Men’s Retreat in Ireland—a powerful three-day weekend to rediscover who you truly are in Jesus’ name (3rd to 5th July). Open House Ministries (OHM) Rize Men’s Retreat in Ireland 🙌🏻 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ohm-rize-mens-retreat-ireland-2026-tickets-1978682463513 During our last revival event in Ireland, God highlighted all the men in attendance. I could see a group of men who were hungry for more of God’s heart and who deeply desired to live lives of impact and purpose. God reminded me that the most significant breakthrough I have ever had came when I did a men’s course at our church called Wild at Heart. Wild at Heart is a course for men by John Eldredge that deeply impacted me, Mark, the founder of OHM, Laura, and our marriage. It came at a powerful time when our marriage and many other areas of life were falling apart. It was the first time I had ever experienced a group of men being truly 'real' and openly talking about areas of life that had come against us and tried to take us out. Ticket includes Now is the time for us as men to come together and reconnect with God on a whole new level. Drewstown House is a beautiful facility surrounded by countryside and natural beauty. It is only an hour outside of Dublin and is a place we have reserved for the whole weekend. The weekend will begin on Friday late afternoon, with arrivals from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, ready for dinner, an evening service, and a campfire. We will finish on Sunday with checkout at midday. The ticket price includes: Accommodation for Friday and Saturday night, including bedding All meals for the entire weekend (breakfast, lunch and dinner) Live worship, teaching sessions, prayer and quiet times for reflection Two-hour kayaking experience on Sunday Plus much more ... It is going to be an amazing time for us to connect with like minded Christian men and allow God to speak to us, so we can head home ready for the new season He has for us. If you feel God stirring something in your heart, this weekend is for you. OHM Rize Men Ireland – if you have any questions please email: openhouseconnect@gmail.com ................................. The content used in this video is intended for educational and informational purposes only. All rights to the images, music, clips, and other materials used belong to their respective owners. I do not claim ownership over any third-party content used.
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Transcript
David's Strategic Movements and Absalom's Betrayal
00:00:03
Speaker
Okay, so 2 Samuel 17, 24. seventeen wednesday four David went Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.
00:00:18
Speaker
The degree to which God's people can be forgetful, or the epitome of backstabbers is truly terrifying.
00:00:32
Speaker
Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Because Joab was the commander under David. just He's now with David.
00:00:44
Speaker
Amasa was the son of Jether. Now in 1 Chronicles 2.17, the name for him given is Aethra. Two names in the same way. An Ishmaelite, who admired Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, and sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Job. You might be thinking, what does that mean? It just means a mass angel of our cousins.
00:01:07
Speaker
The Israelites and Absalom came to the land of Gilead.
Unexpected Allies in Gilead
00:01:12
Speaker
When David came to Mahanael, three people in particular helped him out.
00:01:18
Speaker
Shobbi, son of Nahash, from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Now, the Ammonites are an enemy nation. um So when you are in a dark season, a season of exile, and the dark night of the soul, you might find yourself being very surprised who God sends to help you.
00:01:46
Speaker
He may even turn enemies into friends.
00:01:53
Speaker
And Macker, son of Amiel from Lodabar. We've looked at Lodabar quite a couple times, actually, recently. and Especially on Wednesday nights.
00:02:06
Speaker
Lodabar means no pasture, means nowhere. and That is where Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, was living. And Macker is the one who was looking after Mephibosheth and had taken him into his own home.
00:02:24
Speaker
And Barzillai, the Gileadite from Rogolim, Barzillai's a wealthy man, brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery.
00:02:37
Speaker
They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds, sheep and cheese from cow's milk for David and his people to eat.
00:02:52
Speaker
For they said, These people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness. I'm sure they had.
David's Leadership and the Battle Preparations
00:03:03
Speaker
Lovely. So godly provision. Thank God for godly friends who are there in times of need. All right. 2 Samuel 18, verse 1.
00:03:16
Speaker
David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. David sent out his troops, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab's brother Abishai, son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite.
00:03:41
Speaker
The king told the troops, I myself will surely march out with you. You ain't doing this alone. I'm coming too.
00:03:51
Speaker
But the men said, you must not go out. If we are forced to flee, they won't care about us. If we have to retreat, if we have to run away, we are just nameless, faceless people in this war. We're the people you're reading about history books and, you know, we're just a statistic.
00:04:10
Speaker
You actually have a name. You mean something to Absalom.
00:04:16
Speaker
Even if half of us die, they won't care. But you are worth 10,000 us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.
00:04:30
Speaker
If they kill you, it will be seen as an affirmation or confirmation that their user patient, their takeover, was legitimate.
00:04:43
Speaker
The king answered, i will do whatever seems best to you. He took their opinions on board.
00:04:50
Speaker
So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands. The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, so the three commanders.
00:05:06
Speaker
Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake. Yes, he's evil. Yes, he's done wicked, reprobate things, but he is my son. Please, do me the personal dignity and favor of looking after him.
00:05:27
Speaker
Don't treat him as his sins deserve.
00:05:32
Speaker
And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.
The Battle and Absalom's Symbolic Defeat
00:05:39
Speaker
So this is now public knowledge.
00:05:43
Speaker
How might people receive that? They might think, aw. He's a loving father. Some might think, are you broken? Are you mental? Are you nuts?
00:05:55
Speaker
Do you not know what he's done? Some might feel pretty backstabbed. You know, Absalom had just taken over the country, taken to the palace. These guys have run into the wilderness with David. And they might be wondering, I'm sorry, you care more about that guy?
00:06:15
Speaker
ah murderer? and a usurper. A harlot, basically, because he had slept with his father's concubines on the roof of the palace.
00:06:28
Speaker
Do you care more about his life than ours? So I'm sure this evoked feelings among the troops.
00:06:37
Speaker
David's army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. There, Israel's troops were routed by David's men.
00:06:50
Speaker
Doesn't that seem so strange seeing Israel as like the villain in the battle that David is leading? He's fighting against his own men. And the casualties that day were great. 20,000 men dead in one day.
00:07:08
Speaker
The battle spread out over the whole countryside. And the forest s swallowed up more men that day than the sword.
00:07:20
Speaker
I believe that those are days that we ourselves are stepping into, actually, and in which you are going to see the natural realm fighting against the wicked. You're going see God mobilizing nature against and the reprobate people.
00:07:41
Speaker
one world government, wannabe, pedophiles, human traffickers, and octogenarians who run the world.
00:07:53
Speaker
and hey there, Priya. I see you've just joined us. You're very welcome, okay? And to join us in the word, we're in 2 Samuel 18, 9, okay? Amen. Thank you. Of course.
00:08:12
Speaker
Now, Absalom happened to meet David's men. Even though with that phrase, just happened to meet them. He wasn't necessarily looking for them or seeking them out. It almost happened by coincidence.
00:08:25
Speaker
But as we're going to see, God was behind this. He was riding his mule. What is a mule? a mule is a hybrid. Keep that word in your mind. hybrid.
00:08:41
Speaker
A mule is what you get if you cross a horse and a donkey.
00:08:48
Speaker
So it's not a horse, it's not a donkey, it's a crossbreed, a hybrid. And as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom's hair got caught in the tree.
00:09:04
Speaker
Underline, circle, or highlight the word tree.
00:09:10
Speaker
And I tell you to underline or highlight three things, and we're going to examine why afterwards.
00:09:19
Speaker
He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was writing kept on going. For someone so evil, which is just such a perfect defeat.
00:09:30
Speaker
Abdued humiliation. When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, Just the Absalom i'm hanging in an oak tree. I'm sure had a good snicker. I shot a good sneer.
00:09:45
Speaker
Job said to the man who had told him this, What? You saw him? Why didn't you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels of silver on a warrior's belt.
00:09:57
Speaker
So if you had killed him, you would have been richly rewarded what?
00:10:04
Speaker
But the man replied, even if a thousand shekels are waving to my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king's son.
00:10:16
Speaker
So this guy had heard what David had said earlier. He understood the assignment, you know, to treat Absalom with gentleness, and he was not going to disobey what the king said.
00:10:35
Speaker
In our hearing, the king commanded you and Abishai and Itai, protect the young man Absalom for my sake. And if I had put my life in jeopardy and nothing's hidden from the king, he's a prophet, he finds these things out, knows things, you would have kept your distance from me.
00:10:55
Speaker
If I had killed the king's son, breaking the king's command, you, Joab, would not say anything. Oh, but he was an evil fake king. This guy is a war hero.
00:11:07
Speaker
You would have hidden behind the king. I wouldn't have seen it. You would not have come to my defense.
00:11:14
Speaker
Joab said, I'm not going to wait like this for you. If you believed Absalom was better off dead and the country be better off with him dead and gone, you had a chance.
00:11:30
Speaker
The moment's gone. Opportunity's gone. Your chance to get wealth is gone. Your chance to the reward is gone. Finito. I'm gonna do it myself.
00:11:41
Speaker
So Joab took three javelins. Underline, circle, or highlight the word javelins.
00:11:52
Speaker
And plunged them into Absalom's heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. And ten of Joab's armour bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.
00:12:11
Speaker
Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them. He said, Stop! and Enough is enough. Enough of our own kinsmen's blood has been spilled.
00:12:24
Speaker
They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest, and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Underline, circle, or a highlight the word rocks.
00:12:40
Speaker
So you've got tree, javelins, rocks.
00:12:46
Speaker
Meanwhile, old Israelites fled to their homes.
Absalom's Death and Its Symbolism
00:12:50
Speaker
I bet they did. They all went home for the dinner in terror that the usurper was dead. All right.
00:12:58
Speaker
I want you to put your prophetic hat on
00:13:05
Speaker
Why do you think I have highlighted the words tree, javelins, and rocks? This is a picture of whom?
00:13:21
Speaker
Jesus? Okay, great, Lisa, explain. How is the picture of Jesus? Because you're right.
00:13:28
Speaker
And Jesus hung on a tree. That's right. And then when he, um you know, his heart was pierced by a spear. Very good, yeah. and went through his side into his heart. Good, yeah.
00:13:42
Speaker
So a javelin is a spear, yeah, sir. And then when he was buried, um a stone was placed on his grave. Excellent, that's right. Very good, yeah because he was hidden within a, or well, hidden, he was buried in a cave. Exactly.
00:13:57
Speaker
Very, very good. And even in Jesus' day, you would have, let's say, your stone cave, but the corpse would be buried underground.
00:14:09
Speaker
So you would have to go down steps to get to where the corpses were. um And in this case, there's a pit, there's a hole, and he's thrown into the hole and the stones cover him up.
00:14:20
Speaker
And the same way Jesus would have been put probably on like a shelf in the pit. And the cave was on the surface with the stone in front of it. Very good. Lovely.
00:14:32
Speaker
So in Job's case, he was a counterfeit king who was slain for the salvation of David and who had the seed of life in him for Jesus would come.
00:14:48
Speaker
When Jesus died, well, he was the real king. He had a ah mocking crown of thorns on his head, but he was the real king of of Israel and of heaven. But it was to preserve the Absalons in the world.
00:15:07
Speaker
It was to preserve the wicked. It was to preserve, to buy back, to purchase the condemned. It was to buy back those dead in their sin.
00:15:22
Speaker
That's you. That's me. He died to save people who murder Christians. He died to save abortionists.
00:15:34
Speaker
He died to save human traffickers. He died to save devil worshippers. Whenever you think of bad people, Jesus died for every single one of them, just as much as he did for you and me.
00:15:50
Speaker
Amen.
00:15:53
Speaker
During his lifetime, Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King's Valley as a monument to himself, almost making an idol to himself.
00:16:06
Speaker
For he thought, I have no son to carry on the memory of my name. So basically, Biologically, no one's going to carry my name forward. and But if I make this idol to myself, this memorial to myself, there will be something to outlive me.
00:16:27
Speaker
He named the pillar after himself, very humbly. And it is called Absalom's Monument to this day.
00:16:39
Speaker
So I suppose that in that respect, one might say he got his wish.
00:16:46
Speaker
All right.
A Personal Anecdote: The Rap Battle Fail
00:16:47
Speaker
Any thoughts, comments, questions, or queries so far on the death of Absalom before we look at what happened next? Or that all good for everybody?
00:17:06
Speaker
Okay. Okay. No one sees so many complications so far. Alright.
00:17:13
Speaker
Okay. Before we start looking at the next episode in this event, going to share with you a little story. You might think, how is this related in the slightest? It will make sense afterwards. I'm going to tie it all together.
00:17:29
Speaker
um The Wednesday before the 2020 lockdown was announced in Ireland, I was attending two churches at a time.
00:17:42
Speaker
had a church, you know, for Sundays and serving and ministering likes. And then once a week, well, not really this week, once every two Wednesdays.
00:17:55
Speaker
I didn't want to get overly committed, you know. and I go to a church in Dublin. and They were having events for young adults. So I'd head down to them and, you know, kind of get to know. Well, the aim was to get to know other people.
00:18:13
Speaker
But I started going and then lockdown happened. So it didn't really happen the way that I thought it would. But whatever. anyway That was my plan. So of the nights I went down it was literally couple days before the lockdown was an announced, I think.
00:18:26
Speaker
um they're having a rap battle. Now, I'm one of those guys, i don't really know if I believe rap is music. Maybe it is, maybe it's not. I don't know. Does Christian rap exist? Yeah, sure.
00:18:39
Speaker
But in general, it's it's not my forte in the slightest. But I wanted to make some new friends. I thought, oh, well, maybe if I participate in what they're doing, rather than just being a wallflower standing to the side, you know, I might maybe possibly perhaps perchance get to know more people that bit more easily and faster.
00:18:59
Speaker
So I was asked if in the rap battle, I would um do the rap for the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme tune.
00:19:10
Speaker
And I was thinking... That's got a lot of words. I didn't and i didn't really know it all that well. But i I said, okay, yeah, sure, why not? Because, you know, I wanted to want to make friends. wanted to feel included.
00:19:27
Speaker
so I basically spent that whole week rehearsing this song in preparation for the rap battle, would be done up on a stage, you know? So I was like, you know, in my head, now this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down, and I'd like take a minute to sit right there. I'll tell you how became the prince of a town called Belair.
00:19:47
Speaker
In West Philadelphia, born and raised, on the playground where spent most of my days chilling at Maxon, relaxing all cool, and shooting some b-ball outside the school, when a couple of guys were up to no good, started making trouble in my neighborhood. I got one the little fight, and my mom got sick-eared, She said, you're moving with your auntie and Uncle Bel Air and yada, yada, yada.
00:20:06
Speaker
And I had this down to a tee. Or so I thought. but but but but that Well, Wednesday came along. I was up on the stage. The music began playing. came out of my mouth?
00:20:24
Speaker
Now, this is a story. Oh, but how in West Philadelphia, born in raised, And I realized i had missed like four lines in between.
00:20:35
Speaker
And I said, that's not right. And I was like, maybe if I backtrack, one will notice. My life got flipped. So sit right there.
00:20:46
Speaker
The word Maxin and relaxin, what the apostrophes wasn't even my vocabulary, so they did not come to mind. I want a couple of guys who are up to no good, starting to make trouble in my neighborhood. There are the two lines I absolutely had down to a tee, could not remember the rest.
00:21:02
Speaker
And in about a two and a half minute sketch, I got about four lines out of my mouth from the entire song. It was mortifying. So needless to say, the guy I was doing the rap battle against, he came on up.
00:21:16
Speaker
And he just did his rap immaculately. I didn't even give him a hand shake say, congratulations. i literally got off the stage, walked down the aisle, walked the front door and went back home. ah with It was bad. Really, really, really bad.
00:21:30
Speaker
ah Why did I share that story? Well, let's turn the word of God and I will circle back and explain why. All right.
Delivering the News of Absalom's Death
00:21:42
Speaker
So everyone, we're in verse 19 okay? 2 Samuel 18, verse 19. And then I'll explain why we have an introduction. Now, Ahimaaz.
00:21:56
Speaker
Ahimaaz was David's informant, okay? He was Team David, but he stayed in Jerusalem. Just let me comment in the chat box. Thank you, guys.
00:22:11
Speaker
i'm here till 2pm.
00:22:15
Speaker
So Ahimaz was one of the informants for David. So he stayed in Jerusalem and whenever he heard what Absalom was doing, he would report to David's crew.
00:22:28
Speaker
And last week we saw him hiding in a well. It was very, very dramatic and tense.
00:22:35
Speaker
So he had a good reputation with the king. had good standing with the king. He had the king's trust. Okay, keep that in mind. He's coming from place with a good reputation. Now ahi ma son of Zadok, said, Zadok is a priest, let me run and take the news of the king that the Lord has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.
00:22:59
Speaker
That is good news. That is great news. That's amazing news. But you're not just talking to a king. You're talking to a father. This is going to affect David on multiple levels.
00:23:15
Speaker
In your notes, I want to write two things. Premature promotion. Premature promotion.
00:23:29
Speaker
And I want you to write self-promotion.
00:23:35
Speaker
Self-promotion. Premature promotion, self-promotion. I write a big red X beside both of them because neither of them are good.
00:23:49
Speaker
I shared a story with you at the start, before the live stream and recording began, about people who have been promoted prematurely.
00:24:01
Speaker
and were given a platform, um but didn't have the character to sustain it or to honor it. a And then self-promotion is when you put yourself forward.
00:24:15
Speaker
Verse 20. You are not the one to take the news today, Joab told him. You may take the news at a time, but you must not do so today.
00:24:26
Speaker
Because the king's son is dead. The king's son. Not his enemy, not his arch nemesis, his son.
00:24:36
Speaker
Then Joab said to a Kushite, an African, Go, tell the king what you have seen. The Kushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.
00:24:49
Speaker
Ahimad, son of Zadok. Again, he's a hero. He was instrumental in saving Diva's life just last week. He's the son of a priest.
00:25:01
Speaker
Come what may, please let me run behind the Kushites. But Joab replied, my son, he's not actually his son, it's like an expression.
00:25:13
Speaker
Why do you want to go?
00:25:17
Speaker
news that will bring you our rewards. Now this is Joab who literally told another guy if you kill Absalom yourself I you would have rewarded you. But he's saying the king is not going to say thank you.
00:25:30
Speaker
The king's not going to give you silver shekels over this. The king's not going to give you a high five and say job well done. You're going to be my angel Gabriel. Whenever I need a message relay it's going to be you. It's not going to happen.
00:25:43
Speaker
You're going the face That the king sees every time he thinks of his dead child. Okay, Absalom was like mid-30s. um But still, deep deep passionate love for him.
00:26:02
Speaker
Ahibaz said, come what may, i want to run. i want to go. Let me. Come on, Joab, for goodness sakes. So Joab eventually got Sick and tired, been sick and tired, and said, this guy's wrecking my head.
00:26:17
Speaker
Run! Get out of here. Just just just go. just Just do it. I don't care. Then Ahimez ran by the way the plane and outran the Kushite. He knew a shortcut.
00:26:31
Speaker
And plus, he was a good runner anyway. I mean, that had been his job but and as an informer to hear what was happening and to run to David's. He was a fast runner or anything. He was athletic. While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall.
00:26:51
Speaker
As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. The watchman called out the king and reported it. The king said, if he's alone, he must have good news.
00:27:05
Speaker
Presumably, if you had like, you know, 200 people running toward the gate, they're retreating. It was one person. It's a messenger. And the runner came closer and closer.
00:27:20
Speaker
Then the watchman saw another runner and he called down gatekeeper. Look, I'm running alone. The king said, he must be bringing good news too.
00:27:33
Speaker
Now, what the watchman interpreted as good news and what Dave interpreted as good news were probably different. The watchman was like, and David was like, my son is alive. And we're saved.
00:27:46
Speaker
The watchman said, it seems to me that the first one runs like Ahima, son of Zadok. And again, he had a reputation. He was the informer who was, along with Jonathan, hiding in wells and crossing rivers and bringing messages to David.
00:28:03
Speaker
He's a good man, the king said. He comes with good news. He understands the assignments. He knows protocol. He knows what's right. He knows what's wrong. He knows how we do things.
00:28:18
Speaker
Then Ahimez came out to the king. Oh, that's a matter of perspective. He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, Praise be the Lord your God. He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king.
00:28:40
Speaker
the king asked, is the young man Absalom safe?
00:28:47
Speaker
And you can just imagine the excitement on Ahima's face.
00:28:57
Speaker
Shrinking, he recoils, steps back, and he dodges answering the question. He dodges, relaying the painful truth.
00:29:10
Speaker
um yeah I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king's servants and me. You know, the Kushite. Blame the African. It's his fault. um But I don't know what the confusion was.
00:29:30
Speaker
He knows Absalom's dead. And he wanted to be one to share it. He was told... You don't get the microphone today.
00:29:42
Speaker
You don't get the stage today. This is not for you to do. This is not your task. This not your lane. This is not your responsibility. This not your job.
00:29:53
Speaker
But he pushed himself forward. He self-promoted. He put himself in a place he should not have been. And now, this guy who's a good man, who's got a good reputation, who the whole court recognizes as one of the best informers they could have possibly have chosen. And now suddenly, he's scarlet.
00:30:18
Speaker
He is red in the face with embarrassment. He realized he put himself forward and has nothing to say the king wants to hear. And verse 30 serves him right for his pride and his arrogance.
00:30:34
Speaker
The king said, stand a aside and wait here. So he stepped aside and stood there, shoved him out the way, said, you have nothing to contribute. Now, the reality is he did. He knew the truth.
00:30:48
Speaker
But he was overcome with embarrassment at the truth that he knew, compared to the king's reaction to hear it.
00:30:55
Speaker
Then the Kushite arrived and said, my lord, the king, hear the good news. So it starts out very similar to what Ahimaz had said. The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.
00:31:12
Speaker
The king asked the Kushite, is the young man Absalom safe? And the Kushite replied, may the enemies of my lord, the king and all who rise up to harm him be like the young man Absalom.
00:31:30
Speaker
He is dead and gone, which is exactly what he deserves.
00:31:36
Speaker
and the king was shaken.
00:31:40
Speaker
The word shaken in Hebrew means he was disquieted.
00:31:46
Speaker
The king trembled. The king quaked. The king was enraged.
00:31:57
Speaker
He'd given very clear instructions. The king was agitated.
00:32:04
Speaker
The king was disturbed.
00:32:09
Speaker
The king was troubled.
00:32:13
Speaker
The king shivered with violent emotion. The king was deeply moved.
00:32:22
Speaker
He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said, oh, my son Absalom.
00:32:34
Speaker
My son, my son, Absalom, if only I had died instead of you. Oh, Absalom, my son, my son.
David's Grief and Divine Love
00:32:51
Speaker
That is how God feels about people going to hell.
00:32:57
Speaker
David here is the good king, grieving the loss of the wicked.
00:33:04
Speaker
Every wicked person, yes, he's a God of justice, which I love and delight in, a God of justice, I really truly am.
00:33:12
Speaker
But he has a paternal father's heart as well.
00:33:17
Speaker
And he says, oh, my son, oh, my daughter.
00:33:25
Speaker
And the line there, if only I had died instead of you.
00:33:30
Speaker
In the end, that's exactly what happened. God the Son, Jesus, came to die instead of us. Came to die instead of the Absalons in our world.
00:33:44
Speaker
Came to instead of the King Saul's in our world. Came to die in our place that none of us would ever have to perish.
00:33:57
Speaker
Died in our place dealt the sin issue. For the full measure of our rebellion, in the hope that the rest of us would actually receive the gift of everlasting life and salvation that he was offering and step into right relationship with him.
00:34:24
Speaker
How does Achimaz in any way relate the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Well, what I did that day was
00:34:34
Speaker
And not now I'm not going to pretend that I was sinning. I'm not. Don't blow this out of proportion. But I had rehearsed that song again again again and again. and again and in West Philadelphia, born amazed.
00:34:51
Speaker
Did I actually hands in my heart know it from begin to end? No. I didn't. I learned as best as I could I hoped that if I could get the first few lines out of my mouth The rest would flow.
00:35:06
Speaker
In the end, i got the first line of my mouth. I skipped four lines. got the fifth line out of my mouth. Skipped a few. Got down to the par with the bullies up to no good. And making trouble in the neighborhood.
00:35:18
Speaker
And what happened was, in the end, I had nothing to say. I had nothing to contribute. It was just me, a microphone, and music playing in the background, and me with no lyrics in my mouth to contribute. And then, yes, I'm the walk of shame down the staircase, down the aisle, and just right back from Dublin to RD at, like, an ungodly hour of the night.
00:35:41
Speaker
LAUGHTER
00:35:44
Speaker
But don't we do that in our spiritual lives so often?
00:35:51
Speaker
We look for opportunities to self-promote. To stick our nose in where it doesn't belong. and Maybe in the hope of getting some advantage or being seen as all-knowing, all-wise, yadda yadda yadda.
00:36:11
Speaker
And then you end up with premature promotion. People in places they're not ready to be in. They're not mature enough to be in. They don't have the character to sustain.
00:36:25
Speaker
Especially if people are very gifted. If there are some leaders and they see someone who has a gift, they'll try to squeeze the gift out of them to the very best of their ability.
00:36:37
Speaker
and Even when the character doesn't measure up. even when the Holy Spirit fruit is lacking.
00:36:48
Speaker
But actually, well, in addition to that, you have the self-promotions that the person does him, himself, or herself.
00:36:57
Speaker
You don't see that in David, though. With David, you see he was anointed probably when was about 18 years of age, killed Goliath when was 18.
00:37:12
Speaker
And then becomes, like you know, armor bearer. He's a deliverance minister, leading worship of cast-naked demons. He's a prince of the realm.
00:37:24
Speaker
He's a vagabond. Public enemy number one. On the run, hiding out caves. And goes through character school, goes through the diversity of brokenness.
00:37:37
Speaker
gets all the inner Saul, or the inner Absalom in him, broken off and dealt with. So when he comes into that position, he does not behave like Saul would.
00:37:49
Speaker
He does not behave like Absalom later would. He went through character school, but all like all that expelled from him. And Ahima's case, a great guy, great reputation, but in the end, um...
00:38:08
Speaker
had too much of an ego, pushed himself forward, and then finds himself with nothing to contribute at the end of the day, standing there, microphone in hand on the stage in West Philadelphia, born and raised.
00:38:25
Speaker
ah ah A couple of guys who are up to no good. Right? So, um when God gives you a word,
00:38:36
Speaker
Whatever that word is, whatever opportunity he's speaking to, whatever part of your life he's speaking to, be willing to go through character school.
00:38:47
Speaker
Don't push yourself forward like Ahimaz did. Don't try to manufacture times or seasons ahead of schedule like Ahimaz did.
00:39:00
Speaker
Would there have been a time where he could have become one of David's confidants? Absolutely. I mean, he'd been an informer during... the usurpation, he was looking at a very bright future in David's court.
00:39:16
Speaker
After this, stunted, if not entirely halted.
00:39:26
Speaker
And what happens is you end only damaging your own reputation.
00:39:32
Speaker
Alright, now I do want to look at this story as well through another lens, and which some of you perhaps have not considered before.
Parallels with End Times and the Antichrist
00:39:40
Speaker
um If the end times is something very confusing for you, that's okay, don't worry about it. Don't get too hung up on the details today.
00:39:50
Speaker
and The next Discipleship series, which will be starting in 2027, will be on the apocalypse, the end times. And I have taught the Book of Revelation before, um but say this one will be a lot more expansive. It's going to cover the whole span of the of the Bible as it pertains to the end times.
00:40:14
Speaker
So this might seem like a bit of tangent at the start, but don't worry, I'm going circle it back to the Absalom story in just a moment, okay? This is just for context regarding the apocalypse. We're going to hit some of the other big things.
00:40:29
Speaker
First you have the Antichrist. Because you got the big bad of the Bible, okay? is The unholy trinity. God is good. Devil bad.
00:40:41
Speaker
Jesus is the Christ. The man of lawlessness the Antichrist. Holy Spirit performs all the miracle work and power. The evidence. and Someone is saved.
00:40:52
Speaker
And then you got the false prophet who gives evidence or credence to the Antichrist being the Messiah. Okay. So people will believe. So the Antichrist is the beast or the hybrid.
00:41:06
Speaker
He's spoken about in Daniel 7, 18 to 24. It
00:41:13
Speaker
says, but the saints of the most high will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever. Yes, forever and ever. Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying.
00:41:30
Speaker
With its iron teeth and bronze claws, the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. I also wanted to know with the ten horns in its head, and with the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell.
00:41:47
Speaker
The horn that looked more imposing than the others, and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. As I watched, the horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them.
00:42:01
Speaker
Until the ancient of the days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High. And the time came when they possessed the kingdom. He gave me this explanation.
00:42:14
Speaker
The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth. you've got the first one is Babylon. It says kingdom, it's an empire. Second one is Persia Medes.
00:42:26
Speaker
Third one is a Macedonia which became Greece. and And then you have the fourth beast. It's kind in two installments. It's like the Roman Empire.
00:42:39
Speaker
and But it climaxes in with the Antichrist kingdom. If you're asking, well I'll explain it next year your in discipleship on Wednesdays.
00:42:50
Speaker
The fourth beast of the fourth kingdom that appear on Earth. will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole Earth, trampling it down and crushing it.
00:43:01
Speaker
The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. So it's a conglomerate of kings working together towards evil ends. After them, another king will arise. Different from the earlier ones, he will subdue three kings.
00:43:18
Speaker
All right, so that's ass short en synopsis on the undergrace.
00:43:23
Speaker
And then he reappears in Revelation 13, 1 to 10. You get a bit more information it.
00:43:34
Speaker
And the dragon, the devil, stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had, there you have it again, ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his head, and on each head a blasphemous name.
00:43:51
Speaker
The beast I saw resembled a leopard, who had feet like those of a bear and a mount like that of a lion. The dragon, the devil, gave the beast, now it's a beast, ke's it's a man, it's ah it's a man of loss, it's a hybrid, his power and his throne and great authority.
00:44:11
Speaker
One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, and the fatal wound had been healed. So he was wounded to the point of dying, but a counterfeit miracle had saved him or prolonged his life.
00:44:28
Speaker
Or he was dead but still kind of alive. Ambiguous again. Don't get weighed down the details. We're going look at it in the future and more it's in more ah precise detail.
00:44:43
Speaker
The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. I mean, if someone came back to life on TV, they would be seen as quite legitimate, I suppose.
00:44:54
Speaker
Men worshiped the dragon, the devil, because he had given authority to the beast. So the god of the beast is the devil, the dragon, so people worship that god.
00:45:07
Speaker
And they also worshipped the beast, the man himself, and asked, who is like the beast? Who can make war against him? He's so powerful, he's amazing. Oh my gosh. The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies, and to exercise his authority for 42 months.
00:45:28
Speaker
And that's three and a half years. Now the apocalypse lasts seven years. um But again, we'll look at that in detail in the future. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God and to slander his name as dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
00:45:45
Speaker
So he's coming against the saints on the earth. And if we're heaven, he's also saying horrible things about you. and He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.
00:45:57
Speaker
And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast. All whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
00:46:14
Speaker
He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, and into captivity he will go. if any anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.
00:46:26
Speaker
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saint.
00:46:36
Speaker
Okay, so this is a man who basically will be the most evil human of all time. And for three and a half years after sustaining a fatal wound, the dragon, the devil himself, will abide within this man. he will declare war against the saints of God and bring about such a wicked, unholy time on a global scale the likes of which no one has ever ever seen before.
00:47:07
Speaker
All right, the idol of desolation. This Daniel 9, 27. twenty seven
00:47:15
Speaker
And again, it's okay if this feels bit random right now. going to tie it up to Absalom in a moment.
00:47:22
Speaker
He will confirm, is the Antichrist, he will confirm a covenant with many for one seven. In the middle of seven, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.
00:47:34
Speaker
And on a wing of the temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. So he's going to rule the world for seven years.
00:47:48
Speaker
But the mass, the big change happens at the halfway point where he goes into the temple of God, which does not exist, but it will be rebuilt.
00:48:01
Speaker
And he sets up an idol there, an abomination there and for people to worship an image of himself.
00:48:14
Speaker
Okay, then we get to the false prophets. This is his second in command. This is his his miracle man.
00:48:23
Speaker
Second Thessalonians. Chapter 2. 7 to 12. seven or twelve Gives us some thoughts on the false prophets.
00:48:35
Speaker
It says for the secret power of lawlessness is already at work. But the one who holds it back, that's Holy Spirit, will continue to do so until he's taken out of the way.
00:48:46
Speaker
When is Holy Spirit taken out of the way? the day of the rapture. If anyone tells you you are going to live under the capital A Antichrist, there you have it in black and white.
00:48:57
Speaker
You aren't.
00:49:00
Speaker
And then the lawless one will be revealed, the Antichrist. So after the rapture, after Holy Spirit takes us up into heaven. Then the people will figure out who the Antichrist is.
00:49:13
Speaker
And Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the splendor of his coming. That's Jesus coming back on a white horse, a double-edged sword in hand. He's going to destroy the Antichrist.
00:49:27
Speaker
The coming of the lawlessness that one will be in accordance with the work of Satan, displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders. There will be counterfeit evidence that he's, know, the Messiah.
00:49:42
Speaker
And in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refuse to love the truth and to be saved. For this reason, God sends them powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.
00:49:57
Speaker
And that all we condemn to have not believed the truth, but have delighted in wickedness. So basically, the Antichrist is a wicked, evil attack from the enemy to eliminate all the saints from the face of the earth.
00:50:11
Speaker
But he is also God's punishment on the wicked. He's the manifestation of everything they've rejected Jesus for. All
00:50:22
Speaker
right. Revelation 13, 11 18.
00:50:26
Speaker
gives more information of the false prophet, and it calls him the beast out of the sea. Then I saw another beast coming out of the earth.
00:50:36
Speaker
Sorry, the beast the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, so he looks lovely, looks cute, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,
00:50:55
Speaker
whose fatal wound had been healed. So he's going to be encouraging people to worship the Antichrist. And he performed, this is the false prophet now, and great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.
00:51:17
Speaker
People will believe the lie because real magic, real power will be exercised. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.
00:51:32
Speaker
He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast, who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. So that tells you how the fatal wound was sustained in the first place for the undergrace.
00:51:44
Speaker
Someone will stab him, and he will, like, fatally, like, through the heart, and, like, it or slit his neck, something that actually would kill you, but he's going to totally fine, and the power of the devil will perform a counterfeit healing.
00:52:01
Speaker
He was given power to give breath the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refuse to worship the image to be killed. If you do not worship the image of the beast, the death penalty will be invoked.
00:52:18
Speaker
He also forced every everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
00:52:34
Speaker
This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number 666. sex sex sex
00:52:48
Speaker
All right.
00:52:51
Speaker
Now let's backtrack to 2 Thessalonians 2, 3 4. The Antichrist wants people to believe he is the prophesied Messiah of the Bible.
00:53:04
Speaker
Okay, we already know from the temptation of Jesus the Matthew 4 that the devil can quote the Bible. He knows the Bible very well. He has to study and know it in order to convince people of lies about it, to twist it, to change He's going look at Old Testament prophecies and New Testament prophecies, and he's going to pick the ones he likes and twist them and mold and pervert them to try to make people believe the Antichrist is the Messiah.
00:53:37
Speaker
So the Antichrist will set himself up as king and In Jerusalem, in Israel. In 2 Thessalonians 2, 3-4. It says, three to four is says don't let anyone deceive you in any way for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed the man doomed destruction he will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called god or is worshipped
00:54:08
Speaker
so that he sets himself up god's temple Proclaiming himself to be God. He will proclaim himself to be God in flesh. And then with the help of his false prophet, who is a counterfeit miracle worker, again, using real power, real magic, it will validate the illusion
00:54:31
Speaker
What is his aim? You might be thinking to yourself, if the Bible says someone's going to do this and he's going to lose, he's going to die, he's going to be thrown into the lake of fire, why would you bother?
00:54:43
Speaker
His arrogance is revealed in Daniel 7, 25. Daniel 7, 25. daniel seven twenty five The Antichrist will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints. And here's the snag.
00:55:00
Speaker
Try to change the sect, times, and the laws. And the saints will be handed over to him for three and a half years. He actually is arrogant enough to believe that he can pick and mix what prophecies happen in the Bible, which ones don't.
00:55:20
Speaker
That he will be empowered by the dragon, Sure. Get the temple of God? Sure. The world will worship him? Sure. He is arrogant enough to believe that he can stop God's word coming to pass.
00:55:35
Speaker
Insofar there being judgment on the wicked. Insofar as Jesus coming out of the sky with the heavenly host, heaven's army, and fighting back against him.
00:55:49
Speaker
Insofar getting thrown into the lake of fire. He believes if he can wear out the saints, if he can wear out God's people, he will not actually have to perish.
00:56:00
Speaker
But he could set up a that will last forever and that serves the enemy.
00:56:10
Speaker
And then Revelation 17, 1 to 18, talks about the whore of Babylon. So there's all the wickedness, all the evil, the full manifestation of the wickedness of that final empire.
00:56:24
Speaker
How is this related to the story of Absalom? Well, you see, people get it wrong. A lot of people have this idea in their heads where the end times is always some far-flung...
00:56:41
Speaker
hypothetical eventuality and the devil is just sitting around just waiting for rapture to happen and then goes you know world domination um not really there is a limit to his power at the moment there will be a limit to his power then there are confines on his power and influence now because holy spirit is in the body of Christ and that's pushing back the man of lawlessness and the spirit in operation there But the devil always has an Antichrist on the earth.
00:57:17
Speaker
The devil, in fact, he probably has more than one, I'm going to be honest with you. The devil does not know when the rapture will happen. So he always has to be ready. He always has to be prepared.
00:57:29
Speaker
That's why John could say, well, many Antichrists have already come. And there are already some here. Now, John died and you know, the capital A Antichrist didn't take over.
00:57:42
Speaker
um But the enemy always has Antichrist up his sleeve, always has men of lawlessness chosen, darkly anointed and appointed, ready to subvert the will of God, to prevent the will of God, and to step up and take over if he needs them at a moment's notice.
00:58:05
Speaker
Absalom was an Antichrist. Not the capital A Antichrist. He was an Antichrist. He was individual that the devil specifically chose to stop the plans of God.
00:58:23
Speaker
So in the same way that the Antichrist is the man of lawlessness, was empowered with a dragon. He is the beast. He is the hybrid. In 7, 18, 9, which we looked at the start of this teaching, I told you, what was he riding?
00:58:39
Speaker
Not a donkey, not a horse, a mule. He came riding on a hybrid. He came riding on a beast, a mashup of two different creatures.
00:58:57
Speaker
The Isle of Desolation. He set up a monument in 2 Samuel 1818 to himself, to glorify himself so that his name would last forever.
00:59:12
Speaker
He had a false prophet. 2 Samuel 1512, 2 Samuel 1623. Last week, looked at Ahitophel, who was David's counselor.
00:59:24
Speaker
um Someone who, when he spoke, would speak with, it would seem, the voice of the Lamb would seem to be a mouthpiece for God himself, but actually he was a mouthpiece for the dragon.
00:59:38
Speaker
um he joined up with Absalom when he felt the political winds changing. He gave credit or credence or validation or affirmation or confirmation um to Absalom when he threw his support behind him in Hebron.
00:59:57
Speaker
And when people are like, oh, well, if, you know, this guy, if David really loves and trusts him and he's worth Absalom, well, maybe we should all throw Absalom too. And ultimately with last week he was a real Judas Iscariot and he killed himself.
01:00:16
Speaker
He sets himself up as king in Jerusalem and Israel. 2 Samuel 16, 15.
01:00:23
Speaker
We saw that and last week as well. After David and his crew fled the palace, Absalom rocked up and moved in
01:00:38
Speaker
Absalom tried to stop prophecy coming to pass. In 2 Samuel 7, which we looked at few months ago at this point, David was given a prophetic word through the prophet Nathan.
01:00:53
Speaker
That from David, a king would come who would roll and reign in Israel forever. And that king would be beaten with rods and flogged with whips when he sinned.
01:01:11
Speaker
Now, the king, who's the king of Israel forever and ever and ever, is Jesus. hu He never sinned, but he took our sin on himself.
01:01:23
Speaker
And he was beaten with rods by the Romans. He was beaten with our fists. He was spat on He was nailed to a cross. And he was flogged with whips. He was whiplashed.
01:01:37
Speaker
His back was in absolute ribbons. And by his stripes, we are healed. So the seed of life was in David.
01:01:49
Speaker
That from David's lineage, Jesus would come and save the world. So what happens here? Absalom tries to kill David. He is trying to stop the prophecy of a righteous king who will right all of Israel's wrongs and all the world's wrongs. He's trying to stop that coming to pass.
01:02:10
Speaker
He's actually, you could say, he's trying to stop um basically God's redemption plan from coming to pass.
01:02:22
Speaker
And then the whore of Babylon, the wickedness of the nation on full display. Well, that was seen last week in 2 Samuel 16, 22, when he got up onto the rooftop and whored himself with his father's contrived. you have a perfect picture of the Antichrist regime in the End times, the Great Tribulation.
01:02:55
Speaker
And you see that Absalom's life is a prophetic narrative. It's a preview of the actual end times one world government.
01:03:07
Speaker
Not the full manifestation of it, but a real enough preview that the seed of life could have been killed. and And God's plans for the redemption of the human race subverted.
01:03:26
Speaker
Okay, guys. Another very original teaching. A very unique one. i love how God does something different every single week. Always puts a unique spin on things. Because it should never be entirely the same. If it's just copycat Christianity, it's called religion.
01:03:46
Speaker
ah But say no. When we give Holy Spirit at the platform, he leads it how he wants it to go. Are there any thoughts, comments, queries, or questions on anything brought up this morning and this afternoon? Or is that all okay? Is that all clear?
01:04:33
Speaker
Okay, as in it's all crystal so clear, happy days.