780 (1) THE ACCOUNTING TO GOD FOR SIN, 12:9, 10. Here we have God’s law of recom pense, (Jer. 51:56). “For the Lord God of recompenses shall surely * requite." David himself had sinned. He had been an adulterer and a murderer. He had violated God’s law in marrying a heathen woman. He had to reap what he had sown. LESSON Let us look at his EXPOSITION sin: T. C. Horton 1. Its Rise. (2 Sam. 11:1, 2) Tar rying when the men of Israel were at war with their enemies. Dallying with sin. (Jas. 1: 14, 15). 2. Its Reproach, (2 Sam. 12:14). “Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.” Sin is a reflection upon the cause of God, and we should hate it for this rea son. Think of the sad history of men who have brought shame to their Lord. Their testimony is destroyed. Even to this day we think of “ David, the adul terer.” 3. Its Remembrance. David flees. How the sense of sin must have condemned him! What a different man from the man who slew Goliath! Then he walked in fellowship with God. Now he is under His frown. 4. Its Reach. Think of the long reach of sin! How many had to suffer because of this sin of David. 5. Its Ruin. How tremendous the results! David’s sin resulted in devastated homes, broken hearts, a disrupted kingdom. (2) THE ARMY IN ARRAY, vs. 1, 2. In Chapter 15 Absalom plays politics and steals the hearts of the people, as a consequence of which David flees from Jerusalem. In Chapter 16 we have the humiliation of David,— cursed by Shimei. Absalom enters Jerusalem and occupies the pal ace.
THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S In Chapter 17, Absalom seeks counsel of Ahithopel and of Abishal,— but fails to take counsel of God. David evinces a quickened spirit, and seems more like the David who did val iantly for God. He proceeds like a great general,— divides his army into three companies, as Abraham did, and in ac cord with the civil divisions of Israel (Ex. 18:25). In the same manner Gid eon divided his three hundred. (3) THE ARDENT LOVE OF THE PEOPLE, vs. 3, 4. David evinces a courageous spirit and proposes to go out with his army (Ps. 27:1-3). “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? The people did not want David to go. They desired to protect him (2 Sam. 21: 17). They loved him. They knew that the fight would center about him. So the fight centers about our David (Gen. 3:15). “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (2 Pet. 2 :1). “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you; who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruc tion.” How jealous we should be for Him, and for His glory! (4) THE ADMONITION CONCERNING ABSALOM, vs. 5-8. David loved Absalom who was his third son. His mother was Maacha, dau ghter of Talmai, king of Geshur (2 Sam. 3 :3). Absalom’s sister Tamar had been disgraced by her half brother Ammon, and Absalom had killed him, as a re sult of which he was exiled for two years. After his return he was not re conciled to his father for two years more. Absalom was a fine specimen of a man physically, of beautiful appearance, of kingly descent upon both sides. He had a daring spirit, intense hatred, was vain and ambitious.
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