Well, good morning. Good morning. So good to see you all here today. I would encourage you, if you would, open your Bible to 2 Samuel chapter 17, as we continue working through the perfect record of what God had done through the people of Israel. his work in the people of Israel as a kingdom, as we've sung about kingdom and just appreciate so much your willingness to be involved in the Word of God like this. It was, I thought about last week how we got a chance to sing a Disney song together, which is the Magic Kingdom, but It's not the real kingdom that we are focusing on and worshiping, but I thought something that was, I enjoyed something this week that said something to me about our church, and I think it's a beautiful thing. I had somebody approach me on Wednesday night. I won't out them, but they approached me on Wednesday night, and they go, you missed your chance. I missed my chance, okay, what was this? And it wasn't in the midst of your message, you did not dwell on the hypostatic union. of all that had happened in Jesus Christ. What I missed was the fact that Shimei was throwing rocks, and it was a perfect chance to show Ernest T. Bass, a scene from Ernest T. Bass on the Andy Griffith Show, throwing rocks and setting Andy and Barney straight. And Barney had that famous quote, every time you'd see Ernest T. Bass, he just goes, He's a nut, all right? He's a nut, which shimmy I have seen like this. And I thought to myself, wow, I love that what's happening is, and this is one thing I wanna encourage you, as you watch things that are in the culture, whether it's a TV show, a movie, a song, some of you here are Swifties. I heard about this phrase called a Swifty, which is followers of Taylor Swift. If you didn't know and I'm gonna write on that is that just called a script? Okay. Oh, yeah that disciple. Yes Taylor Taylor one one says yeah But what I would love for you as you are working through the scriptures and if there's a song that comes to mind if there's a TV show it doesn't necessarily mean that I would use it and But you know, I'm locked into the 70s and 80s a lot of times. And it's so good to see that God is doing his thing throughout culture. Sometimes people even mention things that line up with the word of God unbeknownst to them. It's just how it is. And that's because God, has put in each of us a heart for eternity. There's something in each of us that he's said that he's done that. And I think even in, because it's the imago Dei, it's the image of God in everybody. Not everybody's saved. Not everybody is a child of God, biblically speaking. but everybody has the imago Dei, everybody has the image of God. And as a result of that, when they share truth, sometimes they don't even know that they're doing that. And I would love to hear from you as something that as you are working through the scriptures, hey, this was said, and it made me think of this. And so I just think that's pretty cool. Well, let's pray and then get into our time together here. Father, thank you for your, grace and your goodness to us. Thank you that you are in control, that ultimately it is your kingdom that you rule and reign. And I'm asking today as we're once again in your word, your true holy word, that we would be able to draw from it because of your your work of illumination to give us an understanding to these inspired, these God-breathed words that we're gonna be working through together. And Father, that you'd use this time for your glory and our good, and it's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Well, as I'm looking at chapter 17 of 2 Samuel, it brought to mind the idea of a hinge. Okay, the idea of a hinge. I want you to look at this verse right here, Proverbs 20, verse 24. A man's steps are from the Lord. How then can man understand his way? Martin Luther, that great reformer said this, all the works of God are unsearchable and unspeakable. No human sense can find them out. No mortal creature can comprehend God in his majesty. How should we be able to comprehend or understand the secret counsels of God's majesty, or search them out with our human sense, reason, or understanding? I, for my part, admit myself a fool. And so as you and I are gonna be working through this, and there's gonna be a point in the message today, as we are working through this, there's gonna be a hinge In the midst of the chapter, chapter 17 here, there's a turning point. And I'd like you to look at this. This is something that came up talking about the six degrees of freedom here that sometimes there's all different types of hinges. When I was looking at the idea of a hinge, that's just one basic hinge that would come from a door. But there's many, there's some with ball bearings so that they can move around in all different ways. But there's a freedom that comes in with a hinge. And that hinge determines how something is going to be opened up, how something is going to be used. in an effective way. Let me give you a definition here and most of you would know this about hinges. Hinges are a jointed and flexible device that is attached to any swinging part. Hinges are mechanical bearings that are used to connect two swinging objects or points to one another and give them the freedom to move relative to each other. Hinges have limited movement, allowing the joint to move only at one angle and restrict the other movements of swinging parts. So we have here, as you and I would, we appreciate so many of these things that are in our lives that we don't necessarily stop every time we open a door. Hey, this is great that this has a hinge. We just appreciate the fact that the door opens and that it works right. Proverbs 21 verse one. The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever he will. And so today as we were singing these songs about the sovereignty of God and working, we're not working through it, enjoying the truths of that. I like how Alistair Begg deals with the sovereignty of God. Listen to what he says. And please, please hear this out because sometimes we just get so busy with our lives, we're doing life and not realizing like, what does 2 Samuel have to do with my life right now? I mean, you're talking about this old book, I need help with, and I could start listing different things, but I want you to know that as we work through the Word together in this expository way, God has a way, if we're willing to hear and listen and react to it properly, we can see, oh, this is why I need to understand this so that it would help me in that area that you're maybe clamoring for wisdom. Alistair Begg says about sovereignty of God. When we talk about the sovereignty of God, as it unfolds in Scripture, we are affirming what the Bible says, namely, that God rules the world. God rules the world. It's a world that is distinct from God as Creator. He has not made the world out of Himself. Not only is the world distinct from Him, but the world is entirely dependent upon Him. It is His will. His purpose, God's, that is the final cause of all things that unfold throughout all of history. That involves human government. That involves the salvation of his people. That involves the sufferings of Christ. That involves the sufferings of the followers of Christ. It involves the smallest of details. For he's aware, biblically speaking, he's aware when even two sparrows fall to the ground. and it involves the vastness of the end of the universe and our eternal destiny. All the events of our world, big ones, small ones, events which appear absurd, meaningless, unthinkable, unthinkably painful, are under God's sovereign control. Now, when we affirm these things, we are affirming the fact that the sovereignty of God means that nothing is beyond His control. When we affirm the fact of our human responsibility, we are affirming the fact that we are genuinely accountable for all of our individual decisions, for all of our individual actions. And the interplay between them means simply this, that God is at work within the acts of personal freedom. He is at work within our own personal decisions, choices, and actions. That's sometimes a hard pill to swallow because we like, I don't understand how He could be completely sovereign, but then I have these freedoms to do what I do. And I don't understand it either. And that's what makes him God. That's what makes me rest in him and trust in him. So what will happen on a regular basis to you and me is we're watching the news or something is going on. We got the remote in our hand and we just mute it. I'm gonna shut that guy up. I am so sick of this. Why is this happening? And everything you're saying, I'm right alongside you, amen, brother. I don't get it either, but God. He's orchestrating these things. But if I was in charge, I'd do this a little bit better. I'd handle this situation a lot better. Personally, what's going on in your life? It affects all of this, and I have to rest, because if he isn't in charge, then I am in charge. or somebody else in charge that doesn't know how to handle this situation. And then we are in trouble. Point number one, as we're working through this story together and allowing God to do his work, being correct, being correct. Look at the first three verses of chapter 17 of 2 Samuel. So, oh, one thing I want you to realize. Chapter 17 follows chapter 16. Some of you are like, yeah, I know. That's biblical higher education right there. You're getting it all, okay. But that's important to know, and here's why. Sometimes we look at the chapter breaks and we think, it's another day, it could be, but what's happening is there is a flow of conversation and the people that put together how the verses were going to be aligned in this area, they decided this is where we're going to have the chapter break. But what happened just beforehand, remember, Hiphopel's advice to Absalom, I want you to go and take your father's concubines and basically get on the roof, the roof that David actually looked out to see Bathsheba, get on the roof and act in a way that isn't the way he ought to act. I'll leave it at that. The Bible's very blunt, okay? With those ladies. That way it would be known that you have completely turned on your father. That way it'd be known that you're putting shame on your father. When people would conquer, when kingdoms would conquer other kingdoms, one of the ways to show that we have power was the men would now take their women. And so this is what Absalom is doing. So Ahithophel, who is a godly man, is giving ungodly advice. but he's also fulfilling the prophecy of Nathan, who said to him, what you did, David, in secret, others will come and do it publicly. So, God allows this to happen. Absalom thinks he's being completely free. Ahithophel thinks he's just doing something out of bitterness. Remember, Bathsheba was his granddaughter and he probably was upset about what had happened with David. And so this is just beforehand. Now we have the next chapter. And so the advice from Ahithophel is continuing. So that's why I said 16 is before 17. And so he says that, Absalom does that. And then we come to the first verse in chapter 17. Moreover, that's a conjunction that joins them. Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, let me choose 12,000 men It's interesting that he calls him the king, because Absalom wants to be king, but he probably just slips out because David's the king. only the king, and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace." And so Ahithophel is giving his counselor advice to Absalom. He's saying, let me take care of this. I'll strike now while the iron's hot. He's a very smart man. Remember, it talks about him, when he gives counsel, it's almost like the counsel of the word of God. And so he's telling him, after he said the thing about the concubines, now he's telling him, here's how we can take care of David. Let me get together 12,000, sounds like maybe 1,000 from each tribe, and let's go and get David now. Hippophile knows David. He knows that he's probably heartbroken Probably seen him over and over again when Absalom was rebelling and he knew these things about him. And so he's like, let's do it now. But basically he's saying to Absalom, you stay, I'll take care of this. I'll take care of this. He thinks, David's tired, he's weary. We can crush him with even just a 12,000 men, a force of 12,000 men. And then it'll be taken care of. By the way, David, David had many Psalms. I would like to encourage you at the times that you're really down, you're really discouraged, to go to the book of Psalms. It really can minister to your heart because you are going to come alongside somebody that understands. And we see this in Psalm 41, verse nine, that David had been resting in his friendship with Ahithophel. And it says here, has lifted his heel against me." So David is writing a song and it's writing a song where his heart is broken. It's just broken because this friend has turned on him. And so Ahithophel has given Absalom his advice. He said to him, this is what I think we should do. And we will see that it's really good advice, really smart advice. And even look at verse four. And the advice seemed right in the eyes of Absalom. in all the elders of Israel. So you think, okay, they're gonna do this. It makes sense, there's wisdom to it, but God is working. God has placed David on the throne. He is the true king. Absalom, his son, has turned on him, and he's orchestrated a coup d'etat, and he's taken over Jerusalem. Remember, David has left with a few, crossed the brook Kidron, and he's now in the wilderness waiting. He was told to wait there because there'd be a couple of priests' kids that would come and give him any information because there was a secret agent. Remember that secret agent, Hushai? who was a good friend of David. He had gone to David and said, hey, I'll go with you too. And he goes, no, no, no, you'd be more help to me if you went back to Jerusalem and you stayed in the court there and you were able to get the information that was needed concerning Absalom and his plans. And so Hithophel gives this information, it's good information, and it looks like it's gonna be accepted. But look what happens. Second point, being crafty, being crafty. Look what happens here. Then instead of just taking that, in his mind he goes, Absalom goes, I got this guy Hushai and he's got some wisdom, he knows stuff. Why don't I get a second opinion? And usually a second opinion is a pretty decent thing to get. It's usually something that is encouraged to get, get the second opinion. Now, there's verses about that where you hear in the Proverbs where it says you have the situation where somebody shares something, but don't necessarily make a decision based on that until you hear the other side of the story. So there's wisdom to that. It makes sense. But we've got Hushai. Remember, he's a double agent. He's David's friend. Look what happens. Then Absalom said, call Hushai the archite also and let us hear what he has to say. So remember, as a Hippophile was going through his information, there's not any part in that story or that idea that Absalom has a starring role. Remember we got Gaston, remember we got him? We got an ego-driven individual here, he's got flowing locks. He's just like, you can just see him, bring in Hushai. I can't do it, you gotta imagine, all right? Bring in him. And you know, it's almost like he's in on this throne with a mirror, you know, tell me, tell me what I should do. All right. Let us hear what he has to say. Look at verse six. And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, thus as Ahithophel spoken. So he's telling him at this point, he hasn't been in the room. He's telling him at this point, here's what Ahithophel has said, shall we do as he says? If not, you speak. So he hears what Ahithophel has given as advice. And this guy has to think on his feet. Some people are really good at that, by the way. You ever meet those people that are really good at that? Then there's others of us that when something happens, you know, like, I should've said this, I should've said this. Well, this is God's in charge of what's going on. We'll see that as the story continues on. He says, just what he said, look at verse seven. Then Hushai said to Absalom, this time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good. Now you think about how blunt that is. It's not, it's not good. Now Ahithophel is like, every time, every other time I say something, it's like the word of God, but. Huh, so I don't know if a Hitler fellow should just stand there going, I don't know. But we do know that he starts to continue, Hushai starts continuing to tell what, Hushai said, you know that your father and his men are mighty men. It's true. And that they are enraged. Like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. So he's giving this picture, and Absalom was probably little when so many things happened with David, obviously he wasn't even born when Goliath happened, but the stories that he probably heard, your dad, man, it was, they'd sit around a campfire, just gotta tell you a story. Your dad did this, and all this different stuff. And so he's saying all this stuff, he's painting this picture about how tough David is, and he doesn't have to add too much, but David's older now. He's an older guy. He may have a couple more in him. I think it's so funny over the years as I've gotten older and I used to play basketball. I actually, at college, I watched other, I was on the bench and I watched other people play. All right. But I did make the team. And I remember there were so many times as a youth pastor playing ball. And as I got older, you play these games and, and, They always want to beat you. It's just how it is. If I could just beat Pastor Mark, you know, I'd rub it in his face. And so we, I'd say, okay, let's play a game. And I'd put everything into that game and win. I got to put it there and win. And then they'd want to play another game and we ain't playing another game. Cause I had one in me. All right. And they, and I want them to walk away and go, he's still, All right, so there's probably what they're, he's painting this picture of David. He's got one more good battle in him. Besides, your father is expert in war. He will not spend the night with the people. Behold, even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place." And all of these things are true. All this stuff, David knows how to hide. David knows how to run. David's tough. And as soon as some of the people fall at the first attack, whoever, he's got one more good one in him, whoever hears it will say, there has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom. Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and that those who are with him are valiant men. But my counsel, here's what my idea, So he painted this picture, and Absalom's just sitting there going, yeah, dad is pretty tough now that I think about it. This would make it sense. But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you from Dan to Beersheba, so it's almost like from Maine to California, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. So when Ahithophel is going, I'll take care of this, but he's saying to Absalom, You are the man. He's like, yeah, I'm kind of liking this. Okay, let's keep going. So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground and of him and all the men with him, not one will be left. If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes into that city, and we shall drag it into the valley until not even a pebble is to be found there. So we got Ahithophel's advice, which is, by the way, Ahithophel is right. David is weary. David's tired, he's old. He's in a vulnerable state. But Ahithophel is saying, I'll take care of this for you. So you got that advice. Then you got this advice that Absalom is going to play a starring role in. Which bit of advice would a narcissistic, ego-filled individual buy into? I think the answer is pretty simple here. This appeals to his evil. This appeals to his flesh. His response is one of, this is good. I want to take you back to a verse, a few verses earlier, or a few chapters earlier. 2 Samuel 15, verse 31. And it was told David, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, and here's a prayer, you throw, you know, sometimes, you ever have those quick prayers? Like some people pray long, amen, I'm glad you do that. But there's a lot of times you just, quick prayer, I gotta do something. This is a quick prayer. And David said, oh Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. It's a couple chapters back. Ahithophel actually gives wise advice. But look what happens, look at verse 14. And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, the counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. So God answered the prayer. He took the wise counsel and he made Absalom go, nah, I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna do what Hushai said. For whatever reason, oh, by the way, hinge. Hinge, this is the second part of the verse. If you don't have a Bible, get one open. Why don't you see this? Because these are these nuggets that God places there sometimes. This is a hinge, a turning point. Look at that second part of that verse. For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom. I'm looking for, there's so many passive scripture I'm looking forward to preaching, sharing with you. But the book of Esther, book of Esther. Do you know who's not mentioned once in the book of Esther? God. It's a book inspired of God. God breathed truth. He does not show up in name once in the book of Esther. And it's God's way of going, I'm over everything all the time. Even if Congress never talks about me, I'm over that. The Supreme Court, whatever decision they make, I'm over that. The executive branch of our country, he's over that. Seriously? And he can be trusted. You and I may look at it, it's not making sense. We want it to be, we want it to be, we want this book to be a book of fairy tales, and it's not. This is truth given to you and me, warts and all, so that we would learn to trust in a God who's got it. I've got it. I'll hear that, see, sometimes I'll see something and people mean well, as something, you know, put something on social media, I'm just struggling to say, you got this. I'd rather say, God's got this. I know me. I know they're trying to encourage. I understand that. But God's got it. God can be trusted. Wait, now, even in this, yep, God's got that. We can rest in Him. And so God knows what to do. And so after all of these things, but it could have been so much easier to, but God is showing us, I'm in this, I'm here. And so this hinge, and this is the turning, so that we have an understanding, oh, that's what's going on. That's why he doesn't listen to Ahithophel. That's why he buys into the double agent, Hushai. And by the way, it isn't even because Hushai's talk is so manipulative. It isn't because he says all the right things. It's because God's in control and he allows us to be a part of things. There's so many times as I'm putting together a message, oh, I think this would be good. Well, this, I had a pastor friend. He goes every week, I'm drilling for water. He wants everybody crying, you know, and you can, you can, if you're, if you're not careful, you go this story, this story will get them. That's manipulative. That's why during, during the end of his service, if we were, if you were to come and there was an invitation, sort of it, we want to be careful that God can use that. But you do know that some of the times, if the music's playing just right, that can be things that are used of fleshly ways, as opposed to trusting that God can do his work as truth is shared. And so we see that here, that God's in control. He's got this. That's a hinge. That's something that you and I need to rest in. Point number three, being combative. Being combative. Look at verses 15 and 16. Then Hushai said, so afterwards he says that Absalom is gonna go with his plan. Then Hushai goes back to the priests and he says, Hushai said to Zadok and Abiarth the priest, thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel. And thus and so have I counseled. So he's telling these guys. Now therefore send quickly And tell David, do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up. And so he's sending a message to David through the priests, and he's saying, I've bought you some time, now leave. I gave advice, Ahithophel gave advice, but I need you to move. Remember, we're not jello for Jesus. We don't stand with a shovel praying for a hole, all right? We do the work. We're doing what God has called us to do. We're as obedient with what we know. Look at verse 17. Now, Jonathan, these are the sons, and Ahimaz were waiting at Enrogel, A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, and they were not to be seen entering the city." So we have a young lady that hasn't bought into the new kingdom. I love this, how God is trying to constantly say, because sometimes the younger generation can get beat up by the older generation, these young people that they just understood. understanding there are young people that love the Lord, that in the midst of a generation that is moving away, they are taking a stand and their willingness. And so we see this girl who, Absalom is the big deal, but Absalom has how many Instagram followers? How many people look at and watch his stuff on TikTok? He's just, he's it, all right? But the reality is it's shallow, it's surface. There's not anything to it. And this girl has not bought the hype. This girl is going with the true king, that being David. And I encourage young people and the rest of you, there's different kings calling out to us and saying that they want to have kingdom life in Israel. in our kingdom, their kingdom to rule in our hearts. And God is saying, I want you to rest in King Jesus and to trust in him. And so this girl says it, but look at this, but there's also, but a young man saw them and told Absalom. So there are, this guy must have loved the young man. posts that Absalom put out. He bought into Absalom. He's following him. And can this happen? Yes, this can happen. And so young man saw them and told Absalom. So both of them went away quickly and came to a house of a man at Baharim who had a well in his courtyard. And they went down into the well, you'll see that picture there that William colored for us on the bulletin cover. And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it and nothing was known of it. When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they said, where are Ahimez and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, they have gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. After they had gone, the men came up out of the well and went and told King David. They said to David, arise and go quickly over the water for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you. Then David arose and all the people were with him and they crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. So you see how God is orchestrating, allowing different people to either follow the true king or follow the false king. But whatever the case, God is going to have his will and way. God needs David alive. Do you understand that? There's things that David still needs to accomplish. There's a kingdom that God is in control of. And so a little like Rahab, didn't it sound a little bit like Rahab? Remember where she said that this is another brave woman who hid those two spies and saved her own life in the process. Look at verse 23. This is a sad verse. When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, He saddled his donkey, went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself. And he died and was buried in the tomb of his father." I like how Woodhouse in his commentary talks about this because I think it's important for us to remember that there's times where things don't make sense. Was it wrong of Ahithophel to be upset with what David had done to his granddaughter, Bathsheba? Was it wrong? I don't think it was wrong at all. I think Ahithophel was a godly man that watched what was going on, but he could not understand how God could forgive this man. It just made no sense to him. And so he became embittered. And he went against the true kingdom to a kingdom that God had not set up. And he put his faith and trust in that. And when that failed, it led to despair. That's what Woodhouse says. The honesty and objectivity of the Bible can be astounding. There's no doubt that Ahithophel was on the wrong side of history. He was wrong to choose Absalom over David, but we need to see that this is not because David was a better man than Absalom. What I'm about to say might bug you, but I want you to hear this. It was because God had chosen David and Absalom had risen up against God's king. If our suppositions about Ahithophel's motives are correct, then Ahithophel was not wicked to be outraged at David's behavior. The Lord himself was outraged at David's behavior. Ahithophel deserves respect for despising David's crimes. Ahithophel's great and tragic failure was, it would seem, a failure to accept the grace of God that was extended to David and the purpose of God to establish his kingdom through such a man as David. Ahithophel's plans, whatever may have been good about them, were opposed to the Lord's plan and were therefore doomed to failure." Over the years, I've met different people that have an idea of how things should be and we can all fall in that. But let's say you went to high school with somebody that was a piece of work. He was a jerk or she was a jerk. And you're at a reunion, and you see them, and every memory that you have of them is horrible. They were bullies. I've got friends on Facebook that were bullies to me. I could start naming some of them, and I was a decent target. I'm telling you, I didn't help myself a lot of times, all right? But not all of them became Christians, but I forgave them. But there are times where I'll come in contact with somebody that I went to high school with and they'll come in and go, hey, just so you know, and I taught, I maybe witnessed to them about the Lord and they'll come in, hey, just so you know, I'm a Christian now. I got saved. God did this work in my heart. And there's a part of me in my brain, the fleshy part of my brain, you were such a jerk. How could God save you? No. The reality is how could God save me? And that I would celebrate. I'll meet some people, that guy, they'll say, that guy became a pastor? How? And it's like, because God, like majors in grace. He's like really amazing. And that we would not, we would be always open to the fact of what he can do in a life. And celebrate that. And Ahithophel just couldn't do it. He couldn't do it. And that's what led to despair. Look at this verse, Ephesians 4, 31, 32, such a good word. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God and Christ forgave you. Aren't you glad God forgave us? We didn't deserve it. Let's keep going, point number four, being commanded. Being commanded, look at verse 24. Then David came to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. Now Absalom had set Amasa over the king instead of Joab, Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruah, Joab's mother, and Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead. When David came to Mahanem, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabah of the Ammonites and Makir the son of Emil from Lodibar and Barzilai the Gileadite from Rogalim brought beds, basins, earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd for David and the people with him to eat. For they said, the people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness. And so we see that the chess piece is moving now. David is moved. Absalom is going to be on the attack now. and we're gonna see it play out and we'll ultimately come to, next time we get together, see how God took the advice of Hushai and turns it on Absalom. But I'd like to help you and I realize that these names, because sometimes we read names in the Bible and we're like, why does God put those there? It seems to just take up space. But all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Shobi was the son of Nahash. His brother had been rough on David back in 2 Samuel 10. David defeated Hanun, but Shobi still helped David. Mekar was the man who hid and cared for Mephibosheth for many years. He chose to help David. And Barzillai was 80 years old. So these three were willing to help. All of them helped. Each of them were wise to receive David. Even though everything in the culture pushed one way, they're gonna go, I'm gonna bank on this king, that ultimately this is the right thing. This is God's anointed one. This is God's chosen one to do his work. And you and I, you do know that there's more people that don't follow God than do follow God. Do you know that? That's why he says it's kind of basic math in the Bible as you look at size of roads. Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that find it. Narrow is the way that leads to salvation and few be that find it. And so today, if you've received Jesus as your Savior, then you've picked the right King in a culture that is going to become, and I'm just warning you, I'm just telling you this is the case, they're going to become more and more anti-Christian. You could see the sign. There's a lot of people that don't mind churchiness. They don't mind religiosity. But it will be more and more, and Jesus said that would be the case. My heart is that we would be people that would receive the son of David. Look at this in John chapter one, verse 12. But to all who did receive him, Jesus, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. So that's why I say to you, not everybody that's born into the world is a child of God. It happens because of a work of Christ and us believing and receiving that gift. And so my invitation is once again, put before you, have you ever taken that step? If I were to say to you, how do you know that you know you're on your way to heaven? And if you start listing a resume to me, your resume, that's nowhere in the word. In fact, he says, those are filthy rags. But if I were to say to you, how do you receive? How will you know that you know? It's said, I put my faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone, and I'm backpacking, I'm jumping on His back, and I'm asking Him to carry me in, and that's the gospel, that He took my place, that by putting my faith and trust in Him alone, and I would receive Him as the true King. So there's a lot of kings out there, a lot of absolutes, a lot of things demanding your attention and my attention. And I'm saying to you, bank on the truth, even if it doesn't seem, but everybody else seems to be following him. The Absaloms of the world. Oh, there's some glitter to it. But when you get down to the core, it's a waste of time. It's a sad day. Let's look to Jesus. Let's pray. Father, thank you again for your gracious goodness to us. Thank you for how you've orchestrated and you've done the work and the hinge of time is constantly being turned so that the door to salvation would open for each and every one of us. And so I'm asking God to do your work in hearts and lives this morning, that our faith and trust would be put in you and you alone and we'll rest in you. And it's in Jesus name we pray, amen.