time when King Jesus is going to come back right and he's going to come back and rule in Jerusalem well guess what David's coming back Absalom's dead and he's coming back. So there's some things about some people here and how the nation of Israel is responding, how individuals are responding to David coming back and what they do because he's coming back that are applicable to us being ready for King Jesus to come back. So anyhow, let's read 2 Samuel 19. Let's start with verse 9 and we'll read down to verse 15. And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, Now, therefore, why speak you not a word of bringing the king back? So everybody's talking in Israel saying, hey, look, we made a mistake. That's basically in a nutshell. David did all this for us. He fought our enemies. We anointed Absalom. Now Absalom's dead. We need to be thinking about bringing David back. And King David sent to Zadok and to Abathur the priests, saying, Speaking to the elders of Judah, saying, Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, seeing the speech of all Israels 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 you to Amasa, art thou not of my bone and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also if you be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab. And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man. So they sent this word unto the king. return thou and all thy servants. Let's pray. Father, help us, Lord, as we look at the passage before us and work our way through 2 Samuel 19. Help us to learn, to grow, be edified and encouraged. And, Lord, may we be ready, Lord, when you come. In Jesus' name, and amen. All right, so David's son Absalom, whom Israel had sought to make king, and instead of David, has been killed in battle by Joab, David's commander. Even though David didn't want Absalom killed, Joab did it anyway. But now Israel is in a dilemma. They are without a king. Their self-anointed king, Absalom, who exalted himself, and whom they anointed as king, has died. And so what are they going to do? What are they going to do? Are they going to choose another king or are they going to request David back? And so they are talking, right now they're just talking about having David come back. And that's where we're at when we read here in verses 9 through 15. So all the tribes are basically arguing, you know, what are we going to do now? They remember the good that David had done, how he saved them from the enemies and from the Philistines. They really should have thought about that beforehand, didn't they? Before they went and anointed his son king, they should have thought about that before. And before people forsake Jesus and follow another king, they need to really think a little farther ahead, don't they? Now Absalom is dead, David is alive. I just like those two statements together. Absalom is dead, David is alive. All kings and all authorities will one day surrender and fall to King Jesus who lives forever. Let's make sure that right now, today, that we don't forsake Jesus like Israel did at that time, forsake David and have forsaken Christ now as a whole. Let's make sure our allegiance is with Christ and stays with Christ and do not follow another. Now, so David hears about all these tribes of Israel talking about having him come back as king, and then what David does is really, I think, a political move. David speaks to Judah about, why aren't you guys doing this first? He's basically telling Judah, hey, you're my flesh and my bones, why haven't you guys done anything yet? He seems to be expecting much more out of the tribe of Judah to lead in this endeavor. David also promises to make Amasa captain of his host in the place of Joab. David might be aware now that Absalom has probably been killed by Joab. We're not for sure who or how he finds that out. You know, David knows his people and he knows he's a good leader. He understands what is needed for him to be in his rightful place. And so I think he sees that he needs Judah. He needs him to make this move. And we find that as he speaks to them, it says, he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah. I love that. They submitted to him and their heart was with him. And it says that they were as the heart of one man. And so they were all united in this endeavor. Let's make David keen again. Let's do this. Judah, let's get together. Let's do this. And I like that and we need to be as one and make sure that Jesus Christ is king of our life and of our congregation here. So the heart of all Judah were united. They've been wooed by the King. I like that. Jesus woos us constantly for us to surrender to His Lordship as His people. His goodness, His graciousness and His words woo us to bow our hearts to Him and to submit to Him. And so after He does this, when our heart is won and when our heart is surrendered to the King and our heart is ready for the King, What do they say? What word do they send back? I love it. Return, you and all your servants. That's what they say, to return, I'll just let, return, return, come back, David, come back. And why? Because their heart is surrendered to him, they are submitted now to him, they are ready for him, their heart is with him, and so now what? They're ready for his return. And doesn't that speak to us concerning our King, our King Jesus? When our heart is being wooed by Christ, we're being drawn to Christ, we're surrendered to Christ, we can readily say, return, return. I like it, it says, return you and all your servants. David, all those people that followed you, that were with you through all the thick and thin of us turning our backs on you, you come back with them. And so return you and all your servants. And you know, if Jesus Christ was to come back today, we will see him and all of his servants that have gone on before us and who've been faithful to the Lord up until this time. Now, so are we truly wanting our king to return with all of his servants? You know, one day Jesus will return with all of his servants, and he will rule in Israel again that has rejected him, and I pray our hearts are ready for that. And now let's read on here in verses 16 through 23, because now we're gonna see some different individuals that are, how they're in different places in regards to David coming back. We're gonna look at Shimei here first, , he's the first ones reading David Verse 15, so the king returned, okay, so he's coming back to Jordan. Judah came to Gilgal to go meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan. And what we have mentioned here of Shimei in verse 16 through 23. And Shimei the son of Gerab Benjamin, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. I mean, he's in a hurry to come meet David. Not for the reason why you might think at first, if you don't know anything about Shimei, I mean, right here, he's not just so eager to see King David. We're so happy he's coming back. No, that's not it. He's in trouble. He did some terrible things to the king when the king was on his way out. And so he's in a hurry to try to make things right. He's not delaying. He's not even giving David a chance to get all the way back for David to come to him. He's going to David. And there was a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons, and his twenty servants with him. And they went over Jordan before the king." So we kind of see this Ziba and this Shimei kind of linked together here a little bit. I think there's a reason for that. But anyhow, 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 Gerah fell down before the king as he was come over Jordan, and said unto the king, Let not my word impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, and that the king should take it to his heart. where thy servant doth know that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down and meet my Lord, the king. I mean, that's a mouthful in there we could learn from. But Abashai, the son of Zerui, answered, or Zeruah, answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this? Because he cursed the Lord's anointed. And David said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruah, that you should this day be adversaries unto me? Shall there 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 unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king swore unto him. All right, so we read here of a man here, Shimei, who was obviously a bit frightened at the coming of David. Why? Because he did some terrible things toward David when David was leaving. And it's a reminder to people that Shimei has, listen, you don't want to wait, all right? So King Jesus is right there, okay, before you start making things right with him, all right? You want to hasten, he hastened to make things right when he heard David's coming back. Let me tell you what, we all should know, we should hear, we should listen, Jesus is coming back. We need to hasten right now to make things right. you know, because the king is coming. But anyhow, when David was slain from Absalom, Shimei cursed at David in chapter 16, verse 5 through 14. He followed him along, cursed at him. And you can go back and read that. We don't, for the sake of time tonight. But he followed along the hillside as David traveled, cursed and threw stones. Some of those following David wanted to kill him, which were, it's interesting, it's the same ones that want to kill him now, the sons of Zeruiah. Back then, they said, let's kill this guy, David, and David said no. They want to kill him again, David says no. And so anyhow, but David would not allow them to do that. Now, if I think about, in relationship to us, this world is rejecting King Jesus. This world rejects Him and those who reject Him along with the world curse at Him, cast stones at Him and at His followers will find themselves in a very bad predicament if they do not repent of those things. You do not want to be cursing King Jesus and then King Jesus show up. That's not how you want to be found. He will rule, He will reign, He's coming, He's returning. Don't be a shimmy-eye right now. Well, maybe that's how you've lived your life right now, in defiance against King Jesus. Well, He's coming back, so let's make that right right now. and you'll find him to be even more so gracious than David is, okay? So Shimei, though he's a rascal and did what he did, he's doing the right thing here to try to make things right. Now, he seeks to be reconciled to the king as soon as he heard the king was coming back, and that's the right response that we need. So maybe there's some things, if Jesus Christ was coming back to reign right now in Israel, right now, if you knew that, Is there something that you would hasten to make right with him? Is there something? Listen, you need to do that immediately. Hasten to make that right with him. Do not delay any longer. Learn a good lesson from Shimei in that. He says, for your servant does know that I have sinned. And so acknowledge your sin and bow before Him. Acknowledge that He is Lord and humble yourself before Him. Now let's read on here. I want to get to Mephibosheth in verses 24 through 30. Mephibosheth is a little different, but let's read this. Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, came down to meet the king and had neither dressed his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes. From the day the king departed, I mean, he stinks. I'll just throw that in there. Until the day he came again in peace. See, this was a symbol that he's not happy. Now, David, we're gonna read, is not pleased that Mephibosheth did not go with him. Mephibosheth stayed back. Mephibosheth says why he stayed back. But David still felt like he should have went. So we could argue back and forth on that. But I think that Mephibosheth, if you think about it in regards to him mourning as he did, he's showing a symbol of mourning by staying back. He was actually putting his life in jeopardy by mourning for David being gone. People would see that. But anyhow, but David doesn't know about all that. He doesn't know that because he's been told something else about Mephibosheth. And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore went not thou with me, Mephibosheth? Mephibosheth, when I fled from Absalom, why didn't you go with me? I think that's a reasonable question for King David. And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, I will saddle me a donkey that I may ride thereon, and go to the king, because thy servant is lame. And he has slandered thy servant, talking about himself, unto my lord the king. But my lord the king is 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 thine own table I remember Mephibosheth is the son of Saul and David fulfills his promise to Jonathan his father and brings Mephibosheth in eats at his table all of that takes good care of him He says, And that's what he'd said before, you and Zibid. Zibid, remember him? Back here, the Lord was red. Who's he with? He's with Shimei. I think birds of a feather flock together personally here in this, but anyhow. I think Mephibosheth is honestly, I believe Mephibosheth in looking at the scriptures and just balancing things out, seeing his response So I believe Mephibosheth, I believe his servant lied to David about Mephibosheth, I believe Mephibosheth is truthful Back in 2 Samuel 16, 1 through 4, I just want to read that real quick to give you a little bit of a grasp of what Mephibosheth is saying here to David when David says, I've told you to divide your land. And in chapter 16, And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, Now the donkeys be for the king's household to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine that such as be of faint in the wilderness may drink." So Ziba's coming out there, taking all this good stuff to David. Ziba really looks like a good guy here. And the king said, and where's your master's son? That's Mephibosheth, okay? He said, where's Mephibosheth? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abides at Jerusalem, for he said, Today shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. So somebody's lying. Either Ziba's lying or Mephibosheth is lying. How do you know? How do you know? Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertain unto Mephibosheth. Okay, what just happened? David is just giving now Mephibosheth's portion unto Ziba. What happens to Ziba now? Oh, he don't go with David, does he? Where does he go? He goes back. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace, and I cite my Lord O'Kane. I think he's a rascal. I really do. I think he's lying. Somebody's lying. I mean, I can either say it about my Phibosheth or say it about Ziba. I mean, take your pick. It's a 50-50, right? I think he's lying. But here's what I want to get at, though, with this. So because of what Ziba said about Mephibosheth, David gives him all of Mephibosheth's portion or inheritance there that was going to come to him because of Jonathan, his father. After Mephibosheth explains it all to David in chapter 19, David gives it back. David's giving it back. That's the language there in chapter 19. He took it all away from him to Ziba when Ziba was there, remember when he left, but he gives it all back to him in chapter 19. He said, in verse 29, I have said, Thou and Ziba divided the land. He's basically reinstating what he had taken away. So after Mephibosheth explains it all, David restores it back to Mephibosheth. And I think verse 30 just reveals that Mephibosheth's heart He wants to make it clear to David that, hey, he lied. He wants to make it clear to David that the stuff didn't matter. He wanted to make it clear to David that all he enjoyed was sitting at his table. He was grateful that David had taken him in and he ate at the king's table. Though David, as a man, may have had questions and trying to figure all this out. I get that. He wasn't omniscient. He's trying to figure out who's telling the truth. I get that. To know who's really right here. But what do we see, though, in Mephibosheth that speaks to us is he's not holding on tight to worldly gain when the king comes. He's willing to let it all go. You want to let it all go. And all that mattered to him is that David was going to reign in peace. That's it. That's it. Mephibosheth, I think we see in him, he's a person who has a loose grip on the world. He just ain't hanging on tight. He could have had all this stuff back. He said, I don't care about it. Let Ziba have it. Let Ziba have it. Ziba's live, I think. He said, but let him have it. I don't care. All that matters to me is that you're king. Folks, I love that. You know, King Jesus is coming back. We don't need to be hanging on very tight at all to this world. Now, David may have struggled to see into their hearts, but Jesus knows our hearts. He knows how tight we're hanging on to the things of this world. And so it appears that Mephibosheth cared not for possessions. And like I said, Jesus knows our hearts. We cannot deceive Him. And are we ready, as Mephibosheth, to let go today of all worldly possessions? Is the reign of Jesus truly what we want? or do we hang on tight over our stuff? When talking about His return, Jesus encourages us to remember Lot's wife, to not look back on this world and what it offers. He said, Don't look back on all your possessions. Don't look back on this land that you own. Then he says, remember Lot's wife. He just couldn't let go. Judgment had come. She had to turn around and look. You know, if we are hanging on tight to the things of this world, we are not ready for the return of Jesus Christ. We're not ready. And that's something to keep in mind. Now, verse 31 through 40, for the sake of time, I'm actually not going to read this. But there's another man, Barzilla, you should go back and read this. And Barzilla, rather than explain, I'll probably read a little bit of it quicker. Let me read a few verses here, verse 31. And Barzilla the Gileadite came down from Rodulam and went over Jordan with the king to conduct him over Jordan. Now Barzilla was a very aged man, even four score years old. If you're wondering if you're old, sorry. There's biblical language here. It was a very aged man, even four score years old. We'll just leave that at that. That's not if you're 50, that's if you're 80. And he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahaniim, for he was a very great man. And the king said to Barzilla, come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem. And Barzilla basically says, I'm too old, I'm not going back with you. Here, here's my son, do to me what you would have done to him. All right, and I'll sum that up a little bit and go back and read it. Here's the thing, the men of Judah did not do right when David was forsaken by his son and had to fled. Israel did not do right. Shimei did not do right. Mephibosheth weighs in the balances, though I believe him. His servant definitely stands in question, did not do right. They did not go with David. This man, Berzilla, though, is different. I like thinking about this man. Berzilla showed himself in every way to be loyal to the king. He showed himself to be loyal to the king in every way. He was loyal to the king when the king was not popular. He was loyal to the king when the king was not accepted. Unlike Shimei. Shimei is trying to get right because he's really scared. Barzilla doesn't have to worry about that. He didn't have to worry about that because he was loyal to the king through the whole thing. Jesus, right now, is being rejected by the Shimeis of the world and are cursing him. Jesus is being used by many for prosperity reasons like Simba, telling lies in hope of gain, as it seems Ziba did, right now with so many of the world against Jesus, where do we stand now? Are we the Brazilians that are going to be loyal to Jesus Christ right now whenever He is rejected by this world system? Where are we at? We need to be the Barzillas who are ministering unto Christ and unto His servants during this time. That's exactly what Barzilla did. You can go back and read what Barzilla did, what all he gave to David in 2 Samuel 17, 27-39. And what happens is because of this act of kindness that Barzilla did as he supplied for David and his followers as they fled from Absalom, I mean David now says, Hey, you go back to Jerusalem with me. You were faithful to me when I was exiled. Now you come back to Jerusalem with me where I will rule and I will reign. Folks, I do believe that if we are faithful to King Jesus right now, that there are rewards that we're going to have when Jesus reigns. There are rewards, and let us be faithful today. Let us be faithful today as his people. Barzilla ministered to David, and David keeps his promise to Barzilla that he makes. David makes a promise to him here, and he does. And whenever King David turns over the leadership there to his son Solomon, he makes very specific instructions about Barzilla's inheritance and about his generations to follow, therefore, with Barzilla because of the kindness of Barzilla. and it had shown him. You know, how we treat Jesus and His followers is going to have a very long impact beyond this life and upon our children. I mean, this kindness that Barzilla shows to David, he taught his kid, for one, but also his kid reaps the benefits of it because his child goes back with David and raises his family there. Folks, when we follow Jesus Christ and are loyal to Christ, when He's being rejected, He's not popular, other people don't want Him, and we still minister in His name, we serve Him, we serve His people, it affects the next generation. I wanna be faithful now. So let us learn from each of these men some good things, some bad things, their response to the King that's coming, and let us confess our sins. Let us let go of the world. Let us serve King Jesus now and his people, and we will be ready when he comes. Father, use this word tonight to encourage our hearts and help us to be ready for your return, Jesus. Help us, Lord, to turn from any sin, to hasten from it and to flee to you. Help us not to hang on to the world. Help us to serve you, Lord, during this time of exile when the world rejects you. as a whole, help us to serve you, your servants, your people, and proclaim the gospel, and may we be ready for your return. In Jesus' name, amen.