Open your Bibles with me to 2 Samuel chapter 19. 2 Samuel chapter 19 this evening as we resume our study in this book tonight. And the title of the message this evening is David's Strange Homecoming. David's Strange Homecoming. We're going to start reading in verse 1 and we'll read down through verse 8 to get our start this evening in this 19th chapter. It was told Joab, Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom. So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people. For the people heard that day, the king is grieving for his son. And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle. The king covered his face and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son. Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you. For today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. Now therefore rise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now. Then the king arose and took his seat in the gate, and the people were all told, behold, the king is sitting in the gate, and all the people came before the king. The 19th chapter does not exactly read like the fairytale ending of a story, whereby the deposed king comes back to a people who are filled with joy and are ready to receive him back. In fact, the king himself, who is victorious, acts as if he were the defeated one. As those who have been reading the story together, we know that the pain David feels over the loss of Absalom would have been very personal due to the sin and judgment pronounced back in chapter 12. However, this kingdom of David seems to be tottering right now in this chapter. David's return to the throne is not what we would deem as either normal or celebratory. In fact, the response to his return is a mixture of hesitancy from those who were the loyalists to David, a threat of rebellion from the commander of his forces, the demotion then to second in command of that commander, and a royal procession that will have stops along the way to receive some who are coming to clear their name, others seeking favor in the good graces of David after opposing David and cursing him to his face. All of that is taking place here in chapter 19. It is not what we would say a seamless restoration for David back to the throne. The mixed response to David calls our minds to consider what it will be like when Jesus Christ returns. There have been many weird and wacky views that have been proposed about eschatology, the last days, and the return of Christ. Yet it is true that there will be a mixed reaction when Jesus Christ comes again. For those who are in the kingdom of darkness, they will wail and mourn, for this marks the judgment of God upon them." For us as believers, we cannot wait for the King to return. This will be when we see the new heaven and the new earth, all of the redeemed gathered around the Lamb for all time. And as we consider what that will be like, And we think of the struggles that the church has experienced. We think of the testimony of the people of God in the Old Testament and New Testament. We know that on that day, when what John saw comes to be throngs of people from every place and every tongue and every background, all together worshiping the Lamb, that the only way that could really happen is due to divine grace. Because we are broken human beings still battling the flesh and still in need daily of heavenly nourishment. Only God can make this happen. And I want us to see that in this chapter. The only way to explain how at the end of all this David is still on the throne and his son will succeed him and God's covenant will come to pass is because of God. Because this is a messed up group of people. And if we're honest, we're there with them too. And David's return back to the throne is an interesting journey that offers us some insights and lessons to learn while reminding us of how he is a part of the shadows pointing to Christ. And every time we would dare begin to think that these Old Testament people, that the point of them being here is for us to be them, It reminds us that the point is not in them, but it is in Christ, the one that they point to. If this is the best that we have, would be David, we wouldn't really have much hope tonight, would we? But instead, we know he points us to Christ. So I want us to see five markers in this chapter to stop and consider. Brother Harry said if I preach quick, he can listen quick. So we'll try that this evening. But those first eight verses, I want you to see the first marker. threatening a new rebellion. We don't want to miss, really almost just as I said, this kingdom is tottering. We have a threat here of new catastrophe. So once you see threatening a new rebellion, remember chapter 18 ends. Absalom has been killed. The threat, the one who has usurped the throne, forced his father into exile, has been eliminated. But what's David doing? He's weeping and he's mourning. And notice what it says in verse 2. Victory that day was turned into mourning. A day that should have been a day of victory and celebration had become a day of loss and mourning due to the actions of King David. While he is a father, who lost his son. He's still a king over a nation. And his troops had risked a lot to preserve his throne. Remember, logistically, they were probably outnumbered. And if we had been weighing the odds, we would have said the odds were in the favor of Absalom, not David's forces. So David's men had put literally everything on the line. And remember, they were operating under the understanding that Absalom was going to take them all out. Where is David at in this? We see again in verse four, he's covering his face and weeping and wailing loudly. We don't even see any gratitude and thanksgiving, not only David toward his men, but not towards God. God had delivered him from a rebellious son who sought his life, a son who not only opposed his father, but opposed the one who had anointed his father Yahweh. And as the troops come to the city, look at that verse three, there's no parade. They're not marching in triumphantly. They come in almost like troops would that have been totally routed, coming back home and basically waiting for the enemy to come in and lay siege to the city and eventually kill them. It says in verse 3, they stole into the city that day as people still then who were ashamed when they flee in battle. They didn't want anybody to see them. So we have went from what should be great triumph and happiness to it is almost like a funeral and mourning here. We can understand and even sympathize with a father grieving over the loss of his son and everything that David knew that was attached to that. But in this situation, Absalom was still desiring to kill David and those loyal to David. And for David to carry on this way was to bring shame and disgrace upon those who had been devoted and dedicated to him. The way that David was conducting himself only depressed those troops and servants who had been steadfast towards him. So here enters Joab. As we've already seen, and I like what one writer Put it this way, Joab is an enigma. There's no other way to describe. He's a puzzle of a man, because we see him at times doing things that are noble, and at other times we can see he has a very sinful, deceptive, greedy, selfish personality. And so the narrator never really tells us whether we should think of Joab in a positive or negative way. But in this narration, I think we can see subtly that he sides with Joab. So what's Joab come in and do to David? Notice what he says in verse 5 and 6. Now think about what he says in these verses. Now picture, he's speaking here to the king. And he said, You today have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who today saved you and the lives of everybody in your family. Everybody that you deem precious, they have risked it all for you and them. And look what he then says in verse 6, Because you love those who hate you, and hate those who love you. And then really what I would say really strikes in at the heart of David, he says essentially the rest of verse six, now I know that if we all were out there dead, but Absalom still was alive, you'd be happy. He's being pretty direct and blunt with David, isn't he? He is saying, you've got men who have went out there and risked everything, and instead of you going out there and thanking them and rejoicing with them, you're in here conducting yourself like this, and the impression you're giving to all your men is it would be better if they were dead. And the one who opposed you, who's tried to kill you in them, if he were still living. And Joab said, I'm gonna tell you what, David, in verse number seven, if you don't go out there and speak kindly to them, Now, Joab makes a threat. He said, I swear by the Lord. Notice what term he uses, Yahweh. He swears an oath, makes a covenant promise to David. He said, not a man will stay with you this night. What's he saying? They're gonna rebel against you. They're gonna oppose you. And he says, and it'll be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now. If David cannot bring himself to show his troops that their king is grateful for them for their service and bravery, Joab said, I'll lead the troops against you. And it'll be worse than what you've experienced up to this day. It's a pretty powerful threat, isn't it? And what's David's response? Woke him up. shook him up, because in verse 8, David arose and took his seat in the gate. And that brings a conclusion now to the whole narrative with Absalom, because you remember back in the previous chapter, it started with David sitting at the gate telling them, don't harm Absalom. Now he's come back to the gate. And it brings this portion of the story to a close. And the people were all told, behold, the king is sitting in the gate. Why does that matter? Because it means David's back doing his duties. And order is kind of restored. And the people came before the king. And so he ceases to grieve publicly, and he takes his place. So in this part of the narrative, we can say that Joab served rightfully. That he told David, you need to think about what you're doing. who it was that's been eliminated, who out there fought for you, and if you don't straighten up and get out there and lead them and be the king you're supposed to be, you're not going to have a kingdom. And he does. Good old Uncle Joab comes in here. That brings us to the second marker. And now begins the strange journey back to Jerusalem. Second, I want you to see the rest of verse 8 down through verse 15. Returning to the throne. Returning to the throne. Now, what we learn here is that not everybody is just really anxious and excited about having David back. Remember, Absalom persuaded the hearts of men. And remember where it started, in Judah, among David's countrymen, those closest to him. So it says, Now Israel had fled every man to his own home. And all the people were arguing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines. What are they talking about? All that David had done in his reign. And now he has fled out of the land from Absalom, but Absalom, who we anointed over us, is dead. Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing the king back? And King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar the priest, saying to the elders of Judah, Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king? You are my brothers, you are my bone and my flesh, why then should you be the last to bring back the king? and say to Amasa, Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab. And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man. So they sent word to the king, Return both you and all your servants. So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan." So Absalom's dead. And the nation of Israel desires to have David come back to Jerusalem and rule over the throne, but there's some hesitancy among some of them. And the greatest reluctance about having David come back is found among those in Judah. Notice there in verse 11, David has to make a special appeal to them. In a strange reversal, he has to go to his own countrymen and say that, verse 11, he says, word has come to me from the rest of the nation that all the northern tribes want me back. Why are you delaying in seeking me to come back? They're the ones, remember, that crowned him first, but now they seem to be the most reluctant to have him come back. Why do you think they were reluctant? Well, where did Absalom's rebellion start? In Hebron, in Judah. And if we put ourselves in their shoes, they might have been very fearful that when David crossed the Jordan and came back into Judah, what was David going to begin? A purge. It was going to be a revenge tour. And he was going to go through the land and find everybody and the main supporters of Absalom and put them to the sword. So they're going to be very leery of seeing David back. So notice what David does in verse 12. You're my brothers. You're my bone and my flesh. We're family. And then David makes a shrewd political move. As what we would say was a gesture of seeking peace and reconciliation, which is a theme in this chapter, he says, and to show you that I want to heal the wounds and unite the nation again. Verse 13, I'm going to appoint Amasa to be commander of the army. Now, why is that significant? We'll go back a few chapters. Remember that Amasa was Absalom's commander. And so now, David is going to take Amasa, who is a nephew of his, and he is going to say, I know that you sided with Absalom, but to unite the people together, I'm going to take you and put you over my forces. But who does he replace? Notice what David said. You will now take the place of Joab. So that means that the guy that was opposing you will take over for the guy who was loyal to you. Because Amasa had been with Absalom, now he'll replace Joab, and Joab had been loyal to David. Why is David doing this? I think he, again, it's a move. It's trying to bring harmony into the nation. He's showing mercy to Mass. He could have executed him for treason and would have been right to. But by giving him this promotion, David shows to the whole of Israel, I'm not going to begin a revenge tour. I'm not coming back to the land and seeking to chop off heads of everybody who was siding with Absalom. He wants to heal his fractured kingdom. There had been two armies in Israel, one loyal to David and one to Absalom. David wants to bring all of those people together. It's a smart move. I'd say it was good intentions, but he signed a massive death warrant that day. Because as we'll see in chapter 20, and we've already seen before, Joab doesn't allow anybody to be around that would be between him and David. And Amasa now is going to be over him. And that's not going to last. And we'll see in chapter 20 where Joab kills him. So David, and I like what one writer said about David. David's an older man here. But he still has some charisma. Because it says in verse 14, he swayed the heart of the whole nation. So he still had the ability to speak and still had the ability to win the people back. And Judah and everybody said, all right, we're on board. And so they meet there in verse 15, which I find very interesting that sometimes geography, we might think that's just taking up space here. But it's important here when you consider the big picture of the Old Testament, they meet at Gilgal. And that's an important place because that's the first place Israel camped. when they crossed the Jordan under Joshua. And almost a picture here of the nation needing to come back together in unity, like the unity they had when they crossed the Jordan under Joshua. So David is doing everything he can to make overtures to the people to restore the nation. Which brings us to the third marker in verses 16 through 30. Pardoning suspected traitors. Pardoning suspected traitors. Verse 16. Here we go. And Shimei. We remember him? He's the kinfolk of Saul. When David was running in chapter 16 and Shimei saw David, do you remember he came out there and cursed him and said, God's judging you and threw rocks and threw dirt at David? And Abishai said, give me the word, and I'll cut off the head of this dead dog. And David said, don't kill him. He's doing what God told him to do. Well, now here he comes. Why is he coming? Because Absalom didn't win, did he? David's still on the throne, and in Shimei's mind, David's going to remember about what Shimei did. So Shimei's proactive. He comes out in verse 16. And we're told in verse 17, he brought 1,000 men from Benjamin. Now remember, Benjamin was Saul's territory. That's where he was from. And we can kind of deduce through all this that there was a lot of people in Benjamin who still resented David. So Shimei just doesn't come himself, but he brings a group with him from back home. Notice who's also with him, Ziba. Remember the steward in Saul's house who was Mephibosheth, and he'd come and said, Mephibosheth's deserted you, David, but I'm with you. So we got this whole group here coming. And they crossed the fort in verse 18, and Shimei fell down before the king and said, let not my lord hold me guilty, or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Do not let the king take it to heart, for your servant knows that I have sinned." So he's apologizing. But I also want you to know that he's a good politician, because now he's going to give David an explanation for why David ought to pardon him. Notice then what he said. Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph, to come down to meet my Lord the King." Now, the term that he uses there, the house of Joseph, in this instance, refers to all of Israel except the southern tribes. So what's he saying? He's saying, King David, I messed up. I sinned against you. And you know why you ought to show me mercy? Because I'm the first guy who's come down here to greet you and to ask for your mercy. So he believes that entitles him here to some clemency because he's the first guy to come down here and beg for it that he ought to get it. Would we say that Shimei is showing the fruits of regeneration? No. But he is showing what we would call outward moral reformation. He's trying to get in good with the king. But notice that not everybody in David's company wants to show mercy. For who speaks up? Well, it's Abishai. The one who wanted to take his head off back in chapter 16 speaks up in verse 21, and he asks a question, shall not Shimei be put to death for this because he cursed the Lord's anointing? He's ready to go again. And he's right. Shimei did deserve death. But David responds in verse 22, Now why does David show him mercy? Well, one thing I think David was trying to be gracious. David knew that if he killed Shimei here, what's going to start spreading through this nation? He's on that tour seeking blood. David is not wanting to kill here in this time. He's trying to heal the nation. But I do want you to know something. David didn't forget about Shimei. If you go up and read 1 Kings 2, 8 and 9, when David's on his deathbed, he talks to Solomon. And he tells Solomon, I want you to use wisdom in how you deal with the transgression of Shimei. But David didn't forget. And you keep reading over there in 1 Kings 2 that Solomon told Shimei, you got to stay here in Jerusalem. Live here. And if you ever leave out of here, I'm going to kill you. And Shimei stayed for three years. He remembered. But then he got some report about some servants had gone out, and he forgot. Or at least maybe he thought it was over. And he left Jerusalem. You know who didn't forget? Solomon. And he called Shimei in and said, what did I tell you? And what was the agreement? Judgment did come and shimmy I died. And so justice will eventually be served. It's a lesson that a lot of people in the world think they can do whatever they want to do and you know, God's just up there as grandpa and forgets about it. No, he knows everything from start to finish and he will bring judgment. So David spares him at that time and gives him his word. As for Shimei, he represents a person who makes an outward reformation but no inward regeneration. He's a man who will be around the church, might hang out with other Christians, but he does so for ulterior purposes and personal motives for his benefit. If the church no longer serves his purpose, he'll move on somewhere else. That's Shimeiot here. He's David's friend when he needs David. He hated David when he thought David was out of the way. And that's what a lot of people can do. They turn over the new leaf for a temporary purpose, but it fades eventually. So he's the first guy who comes, and he basically, he's begging here for survival. Then we're in verse 24, and Mephibosheth comes. Now remember, Mephibosheth is the son of Jonathan. the grandson of Saul, but interestingly he is identified in verse 24 as the son of Saul. And the purpose of that is, is there's a picture here of the house of Saul submitting to David. Now remember that Mephibosheth's servant Ziba had come out there and brought David some donkeys and supplies and said, I want you to know that when Mephibosheth heard word about Absalom, Mephibosheth rejoiced because he said, now the house of Saul will be restored. But I, Ziba, have been loyal to you. And David quickly said, everything that was Mephibosheth's, now yours. So here comes Mephibosheth, and it says in verse 24, he had neither taken care of his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes. So that means that he has not done any type of personal hygiene. He probably looked bad, smelled bad. But he's done all of this to show that when he heard that David had been forced out, he has been mourning David's exile. He has been broken about it. And he has a visible proof of it here. Because remember, the Israelites were a people that were very much what? Particular about ritual cleansing and washing according to the law. So Mephibosheth intentionally does this. It says, from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. And when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth? He answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said to him, I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king. For your servant is lame. Mephibosheth couldn't just walk and meet up with David. He needed a way to get to him. And so he says, He has slandered your servant to my lord, the king. Mephibosheth had wanted to go out to David. And Ziba, it sounds like, said, I'll make the preparations for you. And then he took off and left Mephibosheth there. And then Ziba would have come back and told Mephibosheth, David's given me everything that belonged to you. You're out, and I'm in. And notice, though, what Mephibosheth does in verse 27. But my lord the king is like the angel of God. Do therefore what seems good to you. For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king. But you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I then to cry to the king?" Mephibosheth's not coming and saying, you owe me, David. He's not even asking for mercy. He said, I just wanted you to come and hear it from my lips that I was loyal to you. You've already shown me mercy. He's saying, in normal procedure, because I was of Saul's house, you'd have killed me. That's what the practice was. But you brought me to your table out of your grace and mercy. And I have no right to ask for anything else. And so I'm just here before you. I want you to know I was with you. And the king said to him, Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided you and Ziba shall divide the land. And Mephibosheth said to the king, O let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely. David's response seems puzzling, doesn't it? Did he not believe Mephibosheth? Why does he decide to give this compromise and give half of it to Mephibosheth and half of it to Ziba? I think it's a possibility that David maybe was suspicious. I think it's more likely that David wanted to, again, try to bring some type of reconciliation between warring factions. And in this case, there's division between Mephibosheth and Ziba. And Ziba, after all, had done what for David? He had brought him supplies. And maybe David thinks he owes Ziba in some way. But here's what I want you to know, if I can sidetrack just a little bit. that every time that we who are in Christ go before the throne of grace, we never have to worry about God saying, I've run out of grace for you, or I've changed my mind. He always perfectly meets our needs because He will not cast out one of His. And we might even say that David's justice here was suspect and incomplete. But we can know that God's mercy is always pure and perfect and complete. And I believe that Mephibosheth was telling the truth based off of verse 28 and verse 30 when he said, let him have it all. I'm just glad that you are back home safely. Out of all of this, It is Mephibosheth's loyalty to David, who was the purest of all. For he did not come to David out of survival or greed, but out of a heart that truly loved the king of Israel." Fourth marker in verses 31 through 40. Finding contentment in the kingdom. Now you remember there was those three men who, when David was fleeing, came out to David and brought him supplies. And one of those men was this man, Barzillai the Gileadite. And we're told in verse 32, he was very aged. He was 80 years old. And David said in verse 33, come over with me and I will provide for you with me in Jerusalem. David wants to reward him. He wants him to come back home with David. And he says, I'll put you in my house and I will take care of you the rest of your days. And the response from Barzillai is interesting in verse 34. How many years have I still to live that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am this day 80 years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my Lord the King? He's saying, all the great stuff, David, you've got, I'm too old for. I can't enjoy it like I once could have. But he then says to David, I tell you what, though, in verse 37, here's your servant, Kim Ham. you take him. And you treat him in my place. Now there's debate over whether this was his son or whether this was one of his closest servants. But he says, you go with him. And in verse 38, the king answered, Kim Ham shall go over with me and I will do for him whatever seems good to you. And all that you desire of me, I will do for you. Then all the people went over the Jordan and the king went over and the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him and returned to his own home. Now isn't that interesting? I think there's an observation to take away from this man. He's 80 years old. And we might say that he was that old before he made the biggest contribution we know of to the work of the kingdom. And yet, in his mind, he needed no reward for that. He was perfectly content with knowing that he had been devoted to the anointed of Yahweh. For Barzillai, that was enough. That's all that he needed. 1 Timothy 6, 6 and 7 says, But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. Barthelot was content. He said, I know that my days are very short on this earth, but I am content and blessed to know that I served my king and in reality served my God. So much lessons we can learn from that. All that he did was show loyalty and bring some supplies to David as an older man, and that might seem very small, and yet his faithfulness towards Yahweh was on display. What is greater than us doing what our King has called us to do? Jesus said in Luke 17, 7 through 10, will any of one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, come at once and recline at table? Will he not rather say to him, prepare supper for me and dress properly and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, we are unworthy servants. We have only done what was our duty. We should be content with doing the duty that the king has given to us, but amazingly, I want you to remember that that king does bring us to his table, and he does dine with us for all eternity. We encourage one another in the work he's called us to, and we rejoice in knowing that we belong to the king of the ages. How else can you explain that we're allowed to see the wonders of grace, and we are able to behold how the king works. May we learn from this man to be content. And fifth and finally, kind of on a sad note, foreshadowing national division. Foreshadowing national division. Verses 41 through 43 is an argument and dissension between the northern tribes and the southern tribes. Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king and his household over to Jordan, all David's men with him? All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is our close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift? And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king? But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. Seems like David began the procession back to Jerusalem, and he didn't wait for representatives from the other tribes to come. And that made all the other tribes feel like they had been disrespected, and they're angry with Judah, and they're saying, look, you were the ones that were the most leery about having him come back. We were the ones who were at the forefront saying, we want David to come back. Then the men of Judah come back and say, but he's our relative. And then they say, has he ever whined and dined us because we're from Judah? You know who that's a jab against? Saul. Remember back in 1 Samuel 22, it said that Saul went to those of his own countrymen and said, you stay loyal to me and I'll give you the very best that's in Israel. They're saying David has not been that way. And so it's like this back and forth. This is a strange homecoming, isn't it? There's no celebration and no excitement. It seems to be more division. David has tried to reconcile and heal the nation. He's never tried to be a Judean king. That's why he made Jerusalem the capital, outside of Judah. But the division still simmered. And in these last verses, we're seeing that these divisions that were real are coming out more and more publicly. And the hostility that exists between North and South and Israel will rear its ugly head in chapter 20. and the revolt of Sheba, and all of it lays the groundwork for what happens when David's grandson, Solomon's son Rehoboam, takes the throne. Because it'll be when he comes to the throne that the nation splits permanently. Dale Ralph Davis writes, the rightful king had returned, but there is no peace in the kingdom. The animosity and envy among his subjects threatened the stability of his kingdom. This negative situation, however, carries a positive witness. This kingdom must truly be the kingdom of God, or it would have self-destructed long ago. Surely Jesus is building his church, or it would have vanished long ago. And just as surely the kingdom is the Lord's, or it would have been swept away in the sewage line of history before David's greater Son ever appeared in the flesh. As David comes back to Jerusalem, it is anything but smooth sailing and joyous throngs welcoming the King. All in all, David is a good king, but he's not a perfect king. His kingdom and nation have experienced much division and discontentment, and it's still more to come. Knowing that more division and destruction lie ahead for Israel, we must rejoice to know that the cornerstone will always hold. If our salvation and the survival of the kingdom hinged on how well the servants of Christ performed, we would be a hopeless lot of people. For if David, a man after God's own heart, is still dealing with this, where would we be tonight if this were on us and our ability? The need to remember the king of glory ever stays before us. For it's in the gospel of grace that he provides us with equipment and security. David experienced a strange homecoming. May we rejoice to know that when Jesus Christ comes, will be no strange homecoming for his people. But he will open forth his arms and welcome us and say, come sit and know the joy of my father. Holy Father, we indeed are thankful to know and to learn that there is something greater and perfect that lies ahead for us. But may we learn these lessons tonight to remember that truly indeed all of life is of grace. And else we ever begin to think that the kingdom would not survive without us. Oh, may we be humbled and realize that we are always beggars. desperately in need of grace, and that we dare not take a step forward without the strengthening and preserving hand of our shepherd. The truths that we have studied forth this day, write them upon our hearts, keep us and equip us and use us as we go forth this week before those in our lives that we might proclaim the excellencies of the kingdom. And it's in Christ's name I pray, amen.