Let's turn with me to the book of 2 Samuel. 2 Samuel chapter 19, 2 Samuel chapter 19. We're making our way through 2 Samuel. As I said, when we finish with 2 Samuel, we begin in the Gospel of Luke. So 2 Samuel, though, we won't read the entire chapter this morning. We'll just read the first 39 verses. I know we said just 39, but yes, 39 verses, verses to 43 that are there. But chapter, 2 Samuel chapter 19, beginning in verse one, going through, we'll go, as I said, we'll go through 39 of the 43 verses that are there. And we'll leave the 40 and follow it for the next week, chapter 20. But 2 Samuel chapter 19, let's pick up in verse one. And if you're physically able to do so, I'm gonna ask that you stand with me in honor of the reading of God's word. And I do say this, that we hear the reading of God's word this morning. And it was told Joab, behold, the king weeps and mourns for Absalom. And the victory of that day was turned into mourning to all the people. People heard say that that day how the king was grieved for his son. And the people got them up by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed, still away 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. And Joab came into the house of the king, and he said, you have shamed this day the faces of all your servants which this day have saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines. That you love your enemies, hate your friends, for you have declared this day that you regard neither princes nor servants. For this day I perceive that if the Absalom had lived and all we had died this day, then it would have pleased you. Now, therefore, arise, go forth, and speak comfortably to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you go not forth, there will not tarry one with you this night. That will be worse to you than all the evil that befell you from your youth until now. And the king arose and sat in the gate, and they told to all the people, saying, behold, And the king was set at the gate, and all the people came before the king, for Israel had fled every man to his tent. And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, the king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines. And now he has fled out of the land for Absalom, because of Absalom. And Absalom, whom we appointed over, anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now, therefore, to bring the king back. And David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests saying, speak to the elders of Judah saying, why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? Seeing the speech of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house. You are my brethren. You are my bones and my flesh. Wherefore then are you the last to bring back the king and say to Amasleh, are you not of my bone and of my flesh? God do so to me and more also if you are not the captain of the host before me continually in the room or in the place of Joab. And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man, so that they sent him this word to the king, return all your servants. So the king returned and came to Jordan There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him in Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul and his 15 sons and his 20 servants. with him, and they went over Jordan before the king. And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei, the son of Gera, fell down before the king as he was come over the Jordan, and said to the king, let not my lord impute iniquity to me, neither do you remember that which your servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. For your servant does know that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I am come this first, the first, this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my Lord the King, Abisham, the son of Zeruiah, answered and said, shall not Shimei be put to death for this? Because he cursed the Lord's anointing. David said, what have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be adversaries to me? Shall there be any man be put to death this day in Israel? For do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? Therefore the king said to Shimei, you will not die. And the king swore to him, and Phibosheth, the son of Saul, came down to meet him. and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes from the day that the king departed until the day he came again. Peace. And it came to pass, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, Why did you not go with me before the sheaf? And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, I will saddle an ass or a donkey, that I may ride thereupon and go to the king, because your servant is lame. And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is as an angel of God. Do therefore what is good in your eyes. for all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king yet did you set your servant among them that did eat at your table What right, therefore, have I yet to cry any more to the king? And the king said to him, why speak any more of your matters? I have said, you and Ziba divide the land. And Mephibosheth said to the king, yea, let him take all for as much as my lord the king has come again in peace to his own house. And Barzillai, the Gileadite, came down from Rogolim and went over Jordan with the king to conduct him over to Jordan. Now, Barzillai was a very aged man Even fourscore years old, 80 years old, and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man. And the king said to Barzillai, come over with me, and I will feed you with me to Jerusalem. And Barzillai said to the king, how long am I to live, and I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am this day fourscore, 80 years old, and can I discern between good and evil? taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear anymore the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be yet a burden to the Lord and to my Lord the King? Your servant shall go a little way over Jordan with the King, and why should the King recompense it with me with such a reward? Let your servant, I pray, return back again, and that I may die in my own city and be buried in the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold your servant, Chim, let him I will go over with my lord the king and do to him what shall seem good to you. And the king answered, Chimhem shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good to you. And whatever you shall require of me, that I will do for you. And all the people went over to the Jordan, and the king was calm over the Jordan. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and turned to his old servant. Father, we thank you for the grace that is evident here this morning in your text. We thank you that ultimately we are reminded that you are Thank you, because the promise is that your King has come, and that your King is coming again. We praise you for this truth. We pray now for blessings from the rest of us as you seek to understand your work. May we see how this text ultimately points us to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray this in his name. The one thing that you will know is that there is a lot of ups and downs and side turns and there are spins and loops and all these things. I will simply say this to you, the one that I hated the most was at Disney World. It was called Space Mountain because it was completely dark and you couldn't see anything. So all I kept thinking was, I'm going to get sick. But the reality is that these things are, we see the dips and the loops and the twists and the turns throughout the story, throughout the story of David and his life. We see the rollercoaster of David's life, the ups and the downs, the dips, the turns, the sideways and the backways, and the loop-de-loops, and all these things that happen to David in his life. We see all of this, and it feels as if there is just one constant up and down, up and down, up and down with David throughout his life. And so we have to remember that in 2 Samuel chapter 19, we have to remember that at this point, David's army has defeated Absalom. Absalom has now been killed by Joab. And Absalom's army has fled and been defeated by David and his army. And despite David's own orders, Joab has acted against him by killing his son Absalom. And that initially David responds with absolute, absolute over the death of Absalom. We see this, we hear this in chapter 19, don't we, in verse one. We saw it at the end of 2 Samuel, chapter 18, where he was crying. We pick it up again in chapter 19, where David is continuing on just to weep and to wail over his son, and to cry over his son. David has been admonished at this point by Joab to stop weeping like this. Because he's not just a father at this point. Joab, as selfish and as wicked of a man as he was, was right in giving David the counsel that, David, you are not just a father, you are a king. You have to act as not just a father, but as a king. So rising to this occasion, David prepares to return to Jerusalem. So what I want us to see this morning is I want us to see this idea or this in the text here, the reality of the return of the king. the return of the king. And in this, we see a couple of different realities for us. First, we see the king's grief, and we see the king's rebuke. And it was a sweet and sour victory for King David, as we see. David was obviously glad that he was not dead and that those with him were not dead, and yet he weeped uncontrollably and unconsolably over the death of his son Absalom. And so he knew the sweetness of the victory, that he wasn't consumed, and the people with him weren't consumed. And yet, in the midst of all of this, David was consumed by focusing on his personal loss. In other words, David was a father, right? He knew what it was like to lose a son. He knew what it was like to lose several sons at this point. And we'll lose one more son after his death because of this son's wickedness as well. But the reality is that David has seen a lot of grief, a lot of sorrow, and a lot of loss. David weeps now as one who cannot be consoled, as one who is inconsolable, who cannot control his emotions whatsoever. And so because of this, we are told in the text that the people themselves were not able to enjoy their victory in verse two. Matter of fact, it says that they stole back. In other words, they sort of crept, like they heard David's weeping, and then they just sort of crept back in, like through stealth, into the city, into Mahanaim. There they listened as their shouts of joy and victory were turned into sounds of mourning and shame. They were not able to enjoy the victory that God had blessed David and all of them with. And this public celebration that had started out after the defeat of Absalom and his forces were ultimately replaced with what? Well, in verse three, Joab, well, we're told in verse three that they were turned from celebratory, a time of celebration, into a time of just absolute humiliation for the army. And this is why Joab reacts with such ferocity, with such faith, with such honor at this point, because he realizes that David's self-pity has overtaken him. David, his self-pity and his loss has absolutely overtaken him to the point that he has lost complete and utter respect. You know, it's easy for us as Christians, even as Christians, for us to lose perspective sometimes, isn't it? It's easy for you and I to lose our perspective on life, just like King David did. It's easy when we're going through the difficulties and the troubles and the trials of this life, for you and I to lose the perspective of this life, of the fact and of the reality that God is in control. Certainly doesn't mean that we should not weep. We should certainly weep, and we should at times even weep Weep with bitterness because of the troubles and the tribulations that we may face, and yet we don't weep as one who does not, as those who do. Ultimately, he was right insofar as Absalom was not a believer. Make no mistake, Absalom was an enemy of God. Absalom is not in heaven. Absalom was not in heaven and Absalom will never be in heaven because he's an enemy of God and an enemy of the anointed king of Israel. He was a usurper and so in that sense, David was right. There was no hope and he wept knowing Absalom's fate. So in that sense, he wept bitterly. We've lost perspective in His weeping. And at times, we can lose perspective as well. We can lose the perspective that God is sovereign and in control. We can lose perspective that God is absolutely sovereign over the situations that we face. And though it does not make it any easier, it certainly causes us to run and to flee to the God who provides all comfort in the midst of the great and searing pains that we face in this life. So we cannot lose perspective. We must leap, as Paul says, as those who have hope. When the pains and the loss of life take us and face us, and we are overtaken by them and in them. So Joab comes to David and he says, I'm telling you now, David, you will be alone if you do not stop this. Everyone, even your own family is going to desert you if you keep this up. And there is something interesting that happens because it's almost, it's implied in the text, but it's as if David goes from absolute inconsolable mourning to David comes to himself. And he realizes what has happened, and he does what? What does David do? He realizes that he's been wrong, he repents, and he takes his seat in the place and receives, and we'll talk about this in just a moment, he receives his truths. But Joab tells him, David, you have been callous, you have created a crisis because you have lost the perspective of the king of Israel. You have lost your perspective as the king of God's people. You have forgotten who you are, you have forgotten what God has done for you, and you must repent. Though he doesn't use those words, that's ultimately what Joab is asking David to do. And the king does, because it says in chapter 19, verse 8, what does it say here? That the king arises. The king arises, and the king takes his place in the courtyard, right, in a public place, and receives his men. In other words, he, as a father with his children, he receives them and their gifts, and he rejoiced, he begins rejoicing with them over what God has done through them, And it was a way for the king to praise his men. It was a way for the king to honor the men and their bravery and the sacrifice and the risk that they braved for him. And this was a way for David to honor his men and to remind himself that, yes, while he has faced a searing and great loss in the son of Absalom, nonetheless, the Lord is with him. The Lord has watched over him. So let me ask you a question, Christian, just from this perspective. Like David, how are you doing at giving and taking correction? How are we doing at giving and taking correction? Are you willing to have those tough conversations that need to be had in the times in which you may face yourself, when you have to face yourself in the mirror, and you realize whether it is on the one side or the other, the one side being, hey, you know, I have a brother in Christ or a sister in Christ who, they really need me to speak truth to them in love right now, or else I need to receive this truth spoken in love from a brother or sister in Christ. How are you doing about giving and taking correction? How are you doing, brother? How are you doing, sister? Because whatever side we find ourselves on, we need to be able to give and to take correction in our lives. I would say this, though, I think there's, as I said last week, and I don't want to spend a whole lot of time on this, but I would say is one point in all of this, Brothers and sisters, nothing damages children more than our either passively or actively condoning wrong. And that's exactly what David did. David weeps, and I truly believe, though the text does not tell us this, I truly believe one of the reasons David weeps as strongly and as vehemently as he does isn't just for the loss of Absalom, but it is in the reality that he understands that he is also to blame for what Absalom became and what happened. David understands and knows that he has indulged his child and his misconduct, and he has chosen to send the wrong message. Brothers and sisters, for those of us who are still raising our children, let me say this, let me encourage you and admonish you. Nothing, nothing ruins a child faster than us indulging, whether passively or actively, our children's selfishness, argumentativeness, combativeness, wastefulness, reactionary, malicious, hatefulness, rebellion, intoxication, drugged or abusive behavior. Nothing damages a child more than for us to allow, whether passively or actively, our children's behavior to go unchecked. Now certainly you understand when I say that, I'm not talking about abuse. I'm talking about godly correction, right? Godly correction. And you may say to me, well, my children would never listen to me. Well, if they're small enough, they don't really have a choice, right? But if they're big enough and they still live in your home and they say, and you say, well, they won't listen to me, I've tried all of this, then brother and sister, all you can do is continue to challenge their decisions. But you can must challenge their decisions. If a child is permitted to actively or to passively do what is lawless, immoral, violent, or whatever else, turn that child loose on society and see what you get. You get a lot of what we've got. in our society today. And God warns us about being indulgent with our children or permissive as parents and to condone and not to condone the wrongful behavior of our children. Now again, as I said, godly discipline in instructing our children, correcting and teaching our children in love with grace to do what is right and good and just. Because if we follow David's pattern of parenting, we're going to end in a very bad place with our children. exactly the way you've been called to do. And will that mean that your children will grow up and love the Lord and follow the Lord? No. But certainly they will understand the difference between right and wrong, and a pattern of morality and immorality. And we're called to them of the gospel of grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. And I would also say this to you and I, I would say that, speaking of David, it is not wrong for you and I to weep over the destruction of God's enemies. It's not wrong. It's not wrong. Make no mistake, as I said, Absalom was an enemy of God and an enemy of God's people. He himself weeps over his enemies. You say, well, what do you mean? Well, in Matthew 23, verse 37, listen to what Jesus says as he's preparing to go into Jerusalem for one of the last times. He says, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, where one kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not moved. The Lord himself weeps over his enemies. But the Lord is nonetheless clear to their end because in verse 38 and 39, Jesus goes on and says, Your house is left to you desolate. For I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. So it's not wrong for us to weep over our enemies. We should weep over sinners who are not in Christ. We should plead with the Lord to save them. We should weep over their sin. and mourn over their sin, and cry to the Lord for His grace to be poured out upon them through the Lord Jesus Christ and the grace that is given to Him, or given through Him, and to us through Him. But then we also see, I think, a second reality, which is the King's return. The King does return. And we pick this up in chapter 19, verse 8. And we see what we always get, right, here in verses eight through 15. We see a couple different things. First, we see the politics involved. Yes, I know, even among God's people, at times, there are politics and politicking that goes on. And this is what we have here in verse eight through 15. We have politics. So we have the dispersal of the rebels, right? The rebels all flee to their house. They're not sure what's going to happen next. And then there is complete and utter silence toward the king. Now there's a lot of political arguing that the elders of the tribes are meeting together. They're all arguing and they're all fighting and bickering about should they bring the king back and why they should or shouldn't bring the king back and why they shouldn't submit to the king. But then there's silence on their depart while they're debating. But this was a political debate. Make no mistake about this. This was a political debate. And that's why the word dispute or strife right here is being used. It has legal implications. They were legally arguing. This is what they were arguing. Was the covenant made with David so many years ago now null and void because they had abolished it by making covenant with Absalom? That's what this was about. That's what this was about. And at some point, they realized that no, the covenant with David stands and could be and should be revived, and that they had sinned in making covenant with Absalom. And so in chapter 19, verse 10, we have them making ultimately their decision simply with a question. Why shouldn't we? And David does something very interesting, very strategic, very interesting. In chapter 19, verses 11 to 14, who does David send? Does he go find the politicians? No. Does he find the elders? No. Who does David send? He sends the priests. Why would David send the priests to appeal to all of Israel as well as to his people, to his own people. Why would he do that? Well, I think he does that, I think the text would, based on the Old Testament, if you know anything about the Old Testament, we know that Deuteronomy is very clear that God is the one who establishes the kings that he desires upon the throne of the nation of Israel. And so the priests serve as what? Well, the priests serve as a sign that it is God and not they who ordain the king. That no matter what ultimately they choose, God has already declared his covenant with David. God has already declared that David is the king. And no matter what they decide, right, it doesn't matter that their point, that the point they're arguing is ultimately pointless because God, not they, get to decide who rules as king in Israel. And so it is a political gesture in that sense. And in the sense that he then sends these priests, not only to them, but then he makes a very interesting political gesture here, and a gesture for unity, political unity by doing what? Well, this is what he does. He sends the priests of God to a man by the name of Massie. Why is Amasa important? Because Joab is going to kill him too. We'll see in the next few chapters, and do so in a very vile and wicked way. But Amasa has become, David has said, I'm going to replace Joab. Joab has done the last wicked thing that he's going to do, and he's killed my son, so I'm going to replace you. And in doing that, because Amasa was of the tribe of Judah, David appeals to the tribe of Judah, and he says, you know what? And so as a result, Judah rejoices, right? And says, you know what? Well, then King, if you're not going to kill us all, right? And rightfully, they had that question looming over them. Is David going to kill us all for what we've done? I mean, he had every right to do that. And so the question was looming out there. Well, is David going to murder all of us in our sleep because of our treachery? And David says, no, I'm willing to consolidate, I'm willing to reconcile with you. Here is what I'm willing to do. And so they rejoice in this, and they say, come, return, O king, come back, come back. And so David does. And I think in that then we see, as David returns, we catch a glimpse of, I think, three different things in David's life. And I think we see three things. The first is the King's mercy, his wisdom, and his grace. His mercy, wisdom, and grace. So let's first look at the wisdom, or the mercy of God, the mercy of the King, excuse me, the mercy of the King found in verses 16 through 23. You remember this guy, Shimei? If you go back a couple of chapters, you'll find that Shimei was the guy who was, remember, throwing rocks at the king and the guards, the king's guards, and the troops of Israel. He was throwing rocks. He was cursing. He was calling down curses upon David by God and from God upon David and throwing rocks, throwing dust up in the air, and he was just shouting and screaming like a crazy man because he believed that God was finally cursing, and yet David has now succeeded And Shimei says, I better get down there, and I better make an amends, because if not, David is going to cut my head off. And that's exactly what he does. He comes first, and he's the first. He's the first, matter of fact, he even says, I'm the first from the entire tribe of Joseph, in other words, from Ephraim, from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. I'm the first from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh to not only come down, but to take you across the Jordan, and to provide care for you, and to provide And once, not only have I done this, but now I've also provided supplies along with Ziba, and also now I am prostrating myself on the ground, and I'm saying, I've sinned. He understands that he's in a precarious position. And as always, we have one of the sons of Zeruiah, who's right there, ready to say, just kill him and get it over with. And David says, no, no, no one's gonna be put to death. And so in this, we see David's mercy and restraint. Because David is in the midst of his victory, magnanimous, he's gracious. And yet, in the midst of all of this, don't misunderstand. Because it would be easy to say, David just up and said, oh, well, you know, Shimei, you're completely forgiven, there's no problems, there's no more issues at all. We have great reason to believe that David did not fully trust Shimeij. Repentance, how do we know this? We know this because as David is preparing to die, he tells Solomon, he says, you are to find a way to destroy Shimeij. That's exactly what David, that's exactly what Solomon does. Solomon finds a way to ultimately destroy and kills Shimei for this rebellion and sin. Shimei's opposition to David, like Israel's opposition, does point us, though, I think, to a reality. And that is not just with Shimei, but also with all the tribes. I mean, make no mistake here, all the tribes have conspired, absolutely, this morning. And in this, I think there is really a way of pointing us to Christ. Because as Shimei and the nation of Israel ultimately rejected David as the king that should reign over them, Israel ultimately proposed the Lord Jesus Christ as the rightful and ordained king by the father for his good pleasure to rule over Israel. And so the first time the Lord Jesus came, this appointed king, this anointed king by God, the Messiah, the Mashiach, this king of kings and lord of lords was rejected by Israel and they crucified him upon the cross. But not just them, but we too, for our sins, crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. We, through our sin, like they, agreed that Jesus should not be king over us. And so, upon the cross, Christ paid for the sins of all who repent and believe the gospel. And I think in this, Israel's rejection of David does point us to David's greater son, Jesus Christ, and their ultimate rejection of the rightful king of God. But I think in this, there's also wisdom here that we see, or maybe I should say the lack of wisdom here for David. Because David meets another man by the name of, you guessed it, of Phibosheth. And we find out quickly that Mephibosheth had been lied and slandered by Ziba, his servant, to the king. Because David sees Mephibosheth, he asks him, he says, Mephibosheth, why didn't you go with me? Mephibosheth says, because Ziba lied to me. He told me he was going to saddle my donkey so I couldn't go with you, but he deceived me and he lied, and he slandered me to the king. Now, why would I say that at this point, David's wisdom is a considerable lack thereof? Well, let me just point you to two things. First, without any evidence whatsoever, David received an accusation against Mephibosheth. was not to be so in the Israeli court. Their accusations were to be received at the testimony of two or three witnesses. The king receives Zeba's testimony against Mephibosheth without any evidence and without any corroboration. And then the second thing is that he comes back, and he looks at the evidence. What is the evidence that Mephibosheth was in mourning, and feared greatly for David, and was in prayerful watch for David? Well, it talks about that he did not care for his feet, and he did not trim his beard, and he did not wash his clothes or his body. And this was very serious, right? We're talking about a very hot climate, lots of sweat, lots of stink, lots of not caring for his feet, right? not caring for his beard, not caring for anything about him. And he was mourning and weeping and pleading with God to return David. And upon seeing this, what does David say? Ziba, you lied, you don't get anything. No, no, he says, oh, well, maybe I had it wrong. So let's just split the difference. David comes to a questionable and truthfully a wrong compromise. And we can say, well, there were probably many reasons, political and all kinds of things, but it doesn't matter. The fact is that David was wrong. And yet in all of this, we do see the grace of the king given to Barzillai, this aged warrior, this aged man who cares for the king, who loves the king. Honestly, it really does point us to another aged man who met the king in the temple. This aged man took the Lord Jesus in his arms and celebrated the coming of the King of Kings, and celebrated that he, and later Anna, would behold the Lord Jesus Christ, presented in the temple, and reminds us, he reminds us of God's goodness and grace, even to the aged, to the old, to the lame and the weak, to those who are preparing to breathe their last. God is faithful. I think in all of this, Shimei really does portray for us how we need to call sinners to approach our triumphant King, God's triumphant King. In other words, instead of running from God, they rush to Him, pleading for mercy. because the Lord Jesus Christ is rich in mercy to repentant sinners. He's not going to look at a sinner who's come to Him pleading for mercy and say, no, I don't think so. The Lord Jesus is good and kind, He's caring and loving to repentant sinners, to those who will rush to Him, to flee to Him in mercy and calling out upon the Lord Jesus Christ by faith will be received. I think Shimei also does show us, illustrate for us, how we should approach one another when we have wronged someone else. Do you notice what Shimei does? Even though, David, even though Shimei's repentance is somewhat suspect, but what does Shimei do? What does Shimei never say? Well, you know, David, I'm really sorry if you took that the wrong way. I'm sorry if you took it the wrong way that I was calling down curses from God upon your head and throwing rocks at you and everything else. You know, it's just a giant misunderstanding. It's not how he says. It's not what he says. What does he say? He says, I have sinned, I have done wrong, and you have every right not to give me mercy, but I am asking you for mercy. That is the way we believe. When we have wronged one another, that is exactly how we should approach it. We acknowledge our wrong, we seek forgiveness, and we make no excuses. We don't make excuses for our sin. We don't say, well, you know. We say, no, we have sinned. I think also David does serve for us. David serves for us as a portrayal, a portrait, if you will, of how we should show love and mercy and forgive those who are repentant. We don't hold it. In which case, I'm gonna pull it all out, and there's a whole list of it here, and I'm going to tell you everything you've ever done wrong. That's not how this works. David portrays for us how we should show love, mercy, and forgiveness to those who love us, and repeat and repent. Jesus himself says what? Peter thinks he's something when he comes to know Jesus. How many times should I forget about that? Seven times. Jesus says not even once. And so we who are God's people must forgive those who repent and to seek our forgiveness. That doesn't mean that we should welcome them in open arms into our lives if they've sinned against us in certain ways, right? Someone has abused us or has done something wicked and wrong to us in a particular way. They have molested us or done wrong to us, doesn't mean I'm gonna just run with open arms into their life. But what it does mean is that I do, if they are repentant, forgive them and I release them from their debt. Even if I then end up going to hell. They are free, I am free from the debt that they owe me. And I think in this, Mephibosheth also serves as an acknowledgement, truthfully, my brothers and sisters, that life is not always fair. Life is not always fair. Even God's people, we get it wrong sometimes. We get it wrong sometimes. We make decisions, we see things from a certain perspective, and we make a decision only to realize it was wrong. Or others wrong us. They believe things they should not have believed. They act upon information that should not have been acted upon because it was wrong, and it was sinful, and it was wicked. But instead, Mephibosheth does serve for us as an example. of what it looks like for you and I to entrust ourselves into God's vindicating and righteous grace, knowing that we are today, though Mephibosheth in his life suffered at the hands of a bad and wrong decision, what are we reading today? Mephibosheth's innocence. Mephibosheth was ultimately vindicated in his life And we too may be at times maligned, we may be discouraged, people may discourage us, people may wrong us, people may sin against us, people may harm us, people may do all kinds of things, and people may believe those things, but in the reality, in the end of the day, where's our hope? It's in Christ. It's in Christ. Does that mean that any of that is easier? Does that mean that makes it easier, brothers and sisters? No. No, it doesn't make it any easier. God is gracious. So at the end, how does all of this point us to Jesus? Let me wrap this up by simply making three closing observations about how this text points us to Jesus. First, the Lord Jesus was rejected in His first coming as the King of Israel. But Jesus will rule the nations. There is coming a day when no one will reject Him anymore. Even the enemies of God will bow before the face of the Lord Jesus Christ and acknowledge that He alone is King of kings and Lord of lords. He alone is worthy of worship. He alone is the one who is worthy of service. And I think that that's important for us to realize that brothers and sisters, we are not just commanded in the Great Commission to go and make disciples, but what? But in going and making disciples, there is a promise that Jesus will be with us always, and the conclusion, it will be successful. I think in the end, to the end of the shift points us to Christ and how we who are apparently at times facing injustice and slander, like the Lord Jesus refused to curse his enemies, but instead Jesus went so far as to pray for his enemies while on the cross. Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. And I think like Jesus' disciples later, thirdly, like Jesus' disciples later, Abishai calls for justice. Who else from Jesus' followers calls for justice? There are two of them, you should know them. They are known as the Sons of Thunder, James and John. They wanted to go, Jesus wanted to go into the Samaritan village. The Samaritan village rejected him and they said, Jesus, we've had enough, let's just call down fire and kill them all. But Jesus, from pure grace, restrains his followers as David restrained the hand of Abishai. Why? Well, because ultimately the Lord Jesus Christ is faithful and merciful and saves his enemies from rightful judgment through nothing but pure grace, through nothing but faith alone in Christ alone. And so for the unbeliever, this should cause us, just cause you, cause you to see the goodness of God and the grace that is offered to you even this morning in Christ. The unbeliever, for you who may be here who have never confessed faith in Jesus Christ, God's goodness is extended and God's grace is extended to you this morning through the person and the work of King Jesus. Jesus saves sinners. And for the believer, let me simply close with this. It should, like the unbeliever, cause us to see God's goodness and grace, but instead of calling you We who have received it and believe it need to continue to look to Christ. We need to continue to faithfully see that Christ is our great high priest. And we should receive our comfort and our encouragement from Christ. Let us fight for our joy in Christ. Let us do this for the glory of God. Let's pray. Father, in Jesus' name, we thank you for the word that has been given to us this morning. Help us to rightly apply the word that has been given to us. Help us to rejoice in Christ, to love and serve Christ, not because of anything that's within us, but because you looked upon us with sheer and pure grace. You saved us for your glory and because of nothing we have done. You, in your sovereign grace, have done this for your people. We praise you in it. We praise you for it.