Good morning, everyone. This morning, we are in 2 Samuel, chapter 16. The Word of God is so incredible to me. There is always so much more going on that meets the eye. And if you take a little bit of time to research, it's really incredible. All that's going on, relationally.
Let's take in this chapter. Now David had passed a little beyond the summit and behold. Now remember David was on the run and Absalom is taking over Jerusalem and David at this time is retreating over the hill of the Mount of Olives and
Here's what happens. Ziba the young man of Mephibosheth met him. Now, you might remember Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, who was one of the great relationships of the Bible that of Jonathan and David.
They were very loyal to each other and never betrayed one another. And David was looking for a way to show kindness to the house of Jonathan. And Mephibosheth was a cripple, laymen the feet, but David allowed him to eat at his table and took care of him in Jerusalem on behalf of his loyalty to Jonathan.
There's a, Ziba was someone that David put in charge of Mephibosheth's property, because Mephibosheth got the property of Jonathan and Saul, and Ziba's family was taking care of Mephibosheth's property. So that's how that, and he was like, hey, whatever you ask me to do, David, I will do.
So now David's on the retreat and you know some people are going with him and some people are staying behind and it could be said of the people who stayed behind in Jerusalem that they stayed behind because they are going to pledge their loyalty to Absalom instead of their loyalty to David. So Ziba the young man of Methiboshath met him
So Ziba left Jerusalem and look what he came with, with a couple of saddle donkeys and on them were 200 loaves of bread. Now that's a lot, by the way, think about that. Now David had a lot of people with him who were retreating with David, but you know, that was quite an effort to come up with 200 loaves of bread and 100 clusters of grain raisins and 100 summer fruits and a jug of wine. So he's really going out of his way
to show blessing and favor and loyalty to David. So, and the king said to Ziba, why do you have these? Kings like, well, you know, what's with all of this? And Ziba said, the donkeys are for the king's household to ride and the bread and the summer fruit for the young men to eat and the wine for whoever is faint in the wilderness to drink. Then the king said, and where is your master's son? His master being, you know, Saul and then ultimately Jonathan,
and then he's referring to Mephibosheth, the one that Ziba was taken care of. So David's like, well, how come Mephibosheth's not with you? Did he stay behind in Jerusalem? And why are you showing me this kindness? But where is Mephibosheth? And Ziba said to the king, behold, he is staying in Jerusalem. For he said, today the house of Israel returned to the kingdom of my father to me. So Ziba's line.
Ziba is saying that Mephibosheth is thinking he's getting his kingdom back because he comes from the family line of Saul. So Ziba's pledging loyalty to David and he's lying about Mephibosheth. So the king said to Ziba, behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours. So immediately David in this moment
of you know despair and on the run from Jerusalem and having Ziba come to him with all this stuff and Ziba now is lying to David about Mephibosheth so David rashly goes ahead and says everything that I gave to you to care for on behalf of Mephibosheth is now yours and Ziba said I prostrate myself let me find favor in your sight oh my lord the king so Ziba Ziba's
Deceit is working. And if we go a couple chapters later, what really happened is this. Now, when David returns to Jerusalem, Mephibosheth, the son of Saul had come down to meet the king, and he had not done anything for his feet, nor done anything for his mustache, nor washed his clothes from the day that king departed until the day he came home in peace.
So Mephibosheth was like in prayer and mourning and wouldn't even wash while David was away. That's the reality of what happened. Now it happened when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king. The king said to him, why did you not go with me Mephibosheth? So he answered, oh my Lord, the king, my servant deceived me. He's talking about Ziba. For your servant said, I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king.
Because you're serving as lame. So Ziba lied to Mofiboshath and said, why don't you stay here because you're lame. I'll go meet David. Moreover, he has slandered your servant. He Ziba slandered Mofiboshath to my Lord the king, but my Lord the king is like the angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your sight.
For all of my father's household was nothing but men worthy of death before my Lord the king. Yet you set your servant, that means me, among those who ate at your own table. What right do I have yet that I should complain any more to the king? So the king said to him, why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided you and Ziba shall divide the land.
So David still is going to give land to Ziba and Mofiboshath said to the king, let him even take it all since my lord the king has come and peace to his own house. Now Mofiboshath is like whatever the king decides is fine. He doesn't he doesn't want to have problems with the king right now. I mean he he could have his life taken if if he
If David believes Ziba wholeheartedly that Mephibosheth really wanted the kingdom to go back to, in this case, Absalom, but David is going to spare Mephibosheth's life.
But what a sad state of affairs. I mean, we have so much, when you have trials, there's so much decisions to be made regarding, well, who is really with me and who is really against me and ultimately the one who is with you is the Lord because mankind
is very wayward and is difficult to trust. Praise God when He does bring people in your life to show you loyalty. But, you know, people are challenging. In this case, we have, you know, Ziba deceiving David. Now, you know, David was put in a bad situation. He was on the run.
But I want to take you to a proverb because you can't trust In this case Zeba's making it himself an enemy of Mephibosheth because he lied about Mephibosheth, but Listen to what this says here in Proverbs 1817 the first two Pletus case seems right and
until another comes and examines him. Let me read that again. The first to plead his case seems right until another comes and examines him. So Ziba came and made a claim about Mephibosheth
And he was lying, but it seemed right to David because Ziba was the first one to plead his case. And it would have been good if David would have said, you know what, thank you for bringing this all out to me. When, when I get back, I'll talk to him a fiddle chef. We'll see what he has to say.
and then I'll make a decision about what's going to happen with the land. But instead, he took Ziba's plea, which was a biased lie and made a decision based on that. So what a sad state of affairs. You know, I'm sure David didn't really want to turn his back on Mephibleshaft because he pledged loyalty to him, but David believed a lie.
And I want you to say to you to be very careful. If someone comes to you and speaks ill of someone else, you know, you really need to hear from the person first, like don't just assume, especially if they're an enemy, meaning think about this.
If someone comes to you who doesn't like somebody else and they come and speak to you ill about that person they don't like, do you think that they're trying to be unbiased neutral and they're trying to give a fair assessment of what happened when they are an enemy of that person or have positioned themselves as an enemy? So you can't trust someone's enemies.
to give you an honest assessment of something that happened because they are not unbiased. They're completely biased and they're giving the wrong information. So I think it's wise that we have to be careful to follow Proverbs 1817.
and realized the first to plead his case seems right until another comes and examines him. And David here acted rationally in a difficult situation and unfortunately violated a friendship that he had with Mephiblesheft because of Zeba's lie. All right, let's keep going. And King David came to Beherum and behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shemae.
the sons of Garah, and he came out cursing continually as he came. Now David is really in a humble point of view at this point. He's being run out of town and he really has resigned himself to God. Whatever God is going to do, God's going to do, you might recall that from the previous chapter. I think at this point, David's wondering, you know, maybe I'm supposed to get removed or, you know, he's kind of in a sorrowful mood and he's like, Absalom's taking over. Let's see what God's going to do.
He also threw stones at David, the chemise, isn't that something?
And at all the servants of the king, David, he's throwing stones and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. And thus, Shammai said when he cursed, get out, get out, you men of bloodshed and vile fellow. Can you believe he's speaking to the king this way? Yahweh has returned. This is what Shammai is saying. All you all, the bloodshed of the house of Saul in whose place you have reigned. And Yahweh has given the kingdom into the hand of your son, Absalom.
And behold, you are taken in, in your own evil for you are a man of bloodshed. And you know, David was a man of bloodshed. He did, you know, do a lot of, a lot of times he would take retribution. And a lot of times he, he did have people be killed and this man's not necessarily speaking totally and accurately, but it's a very disrespectful way to speak to the king.
Then Abishai, the son of Zoriah, said to the king, why should this dead dog, talking about Shami, curse my Lord the king? Let me pass over now and remove his head. Not a completely inappropriate response for someone who's throwing stones and dust and cursing the king.
But King David said, what have I to do with you, O sons of Zoriah? If he curses, and if Yahweh has told him, curse David, then who shall say, why have you done so? So David's like, maybe this guy's speaking on behalf of God right now. It's a very humble
position that he's taking right now. Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, behold, my son who came forth from my body, speaking of Absalom, seeks my life. How much more now this Benjamin let him alone and let him curse for Yahweh has told him. Perhaps Yahweh will look on my affliction.
and return good to me instead of cursing this day. So David again, he's just trusting himself to God. So David and his men went on the way and Shemae went along on the hillside parallel with him. And as he went, he cursed and cast stones and threw dust in him, isn't that something? Then the king and all the people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there. So he lets this Shemae live. Now what's very interesting
is if you go forward in history, David pledges not to take this Shama'i's life so he doesn't. But later on, when David's about to die and he turns the kingdom over to his son Solomon, he said, Solomon, you might recall that there was a man named Shama'i who cursed me refusely. I pledge not to take his life, but you do what you will with him. The Lord has given you wisdom. And sure enough, guess what's going to happen? This Shama'i is going to get his life taken, but
David's not going to do it. Kind of like David didn't want to take Saul's life earlier on, but yet God took Saul's life. Shemae is going to get what he's got coming to him for cursing David, but David's not going to have to do it. His son Solomon's going to do it for him. And we'll read about that in first Kings as we move forward. Now, Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel had entered Jerusalem at Thopel. That was David's counselor who's now counseling.
Absalom was with Absalom. And it happened that when Hushai, the Urk Archite, that's David's friend. Now remember, he went back in with loyalty to David, but it's going to be a conspirator on David's behalf and pledge loyalty to Absalom. But really, he's just doing that to get on Absalom's inner circle.
He can let David know what's going on. And long live the king, long live the king, Hushai said. So he's saying this to Absalom, pledging loyalty to him, but it's a lie. And Absalom said, Hushai, is this your loving kindness to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend? He's like, you're a friend of David. How can you not be with him?
Then who shall I said to Absalom know for whom Yahweh this people and all the men of Israel have chosen his I will be and with him I will remain so he pledges loyalty to Absalom. Besides whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his Son?
as I have served in your father's presence, so I will be in your presence." So he, you know, again, he's, although I was just probably going to get killed, so he pledges extreme loyalty to Absalom, really just to deceive him. Then Absalom said to Ahithopul,
Give your advice. What shall we do? So he's going to this counselor and Athopo said to Absalom, go into your father's concubines. Listen to that. He's saying go violate sexually the concubines that your father David left in Jerusalem and
What a horrible, what horrible advice. So go into your father's concubines whom he has left to keep the house. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. This is going to be a way just to rub it in David's face and let everyone know that you and David are totally opposed to each other. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.
So they're going to be strengthened by this act of disloyalty to David. So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the rough. And Absalom went into his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. Now the counsel of Hathopul, which he counseled in those days, was as if one asked of the word of God. Isn't that something? So he was honored as someone who would give good advice, but really he's a phony.
So all, so was all the council of Atholpa regarded by both David and Absalom. And maybe at one time he did give good advice, but here he's giving wicked advice and, you know, I don't know, maybe, maybe God wanted Absalom just to be extremely evil here so that Absalom can get what's coming because Absalom is going to get what's coming and David is going to be restored to his kingdom.
But man, we have very interesting all the people and all the dynamics going on from the Shimai who is cursing and later to be killed and Ziba who betrayed Nifiboshath and it just shows you the the waywardness of mankind and what a challenge it would have been to lead and what a challenge it is to lead by the way
No matter what you're leading, whether it be a business, a country or a church, I mean, sometimes people are, you know, being deceiving. Look what's happening here. All the people that are deceiving one another, pledging loyalty to one, but really doing it in a deceptive way. Sometimes it's hard to know who you're going to trust. I think perhaps the best advice from the chapter that we can see
is two things, one, trust yourself to the Lord. In fact, that's what David was doing, even with Shemae was cursing on him. He's like, you know what? I'm just gonna trust myself to the Lord. Even as Absalom was taking over, he was trusting himself to the Lord, and ultimately, the Lord's gonna deliver David and defeat Absalom. So that's something to be said. Also, I think, be careful who you're receiving counsel from.
Make sure that you're receiving, it reminds me, in fact, I'm gonna turn there real quick. This is gonna take long, but if we go to Psalm 1, it's such a great Psalm, Psalm 1, and listen to what that Psalm says.
Psalm 1, how blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but as delight is in the law of Yahweh, and in his law he meditates day and night.
and he will be like a tree firmly planted by the streams which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither and in whatever he does prospers the wicked are not so but they are like chaff which the wind drives away therefore the wicked will not rise in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous for Yahweh knows the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked will perish isn't that something
And boy, do we see that here. Wickedness ultimately will get what's coming. Be careful about the counsel you walk in. Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked. Make sure you're getting good counsel. Compare the counsel you're receiving to the Word of God. Hopefully have more than one counselor and have them be men and women of God that hear from God well because sometimes the counsel that's around you may not be the right counsel.
So I would say that is the advice today Let's get counsel from God and make sure you've got good godly counsel in your life And then be careful be careful about the first one who comes to status case because they seem right until someone comes and examines them Hopefully some of this will be helpful to you and I as we live out our days. God bless you all
