Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000538
00:17 Hello, and welcome to His Words are Life.
00:19 I'm Kelly Mowrer, and today we're going to be reading 00:21 together in the book of 2nd Samuel. 00:23 When we were last together we were reading the story 00:25 of Absalom trying to seize the throne from his father, 00:30 king David. And king David had fled the city. But still 00:34 in the city, there are two priests, Abiathar, and Zadok, 00:37 who are sympathetic to king David, and as David is on his 00:42 flight, he meets another friend of his, Hushai the Archite. 00:47 And David asks Hushai also to go back into the city and 00:51 ingratiate himself into Absalom's court to sort of be a 00:55 counterbalance to the council that Absalom is receiving from 00:59 Ahithophel. And so we're going to pick up that story, but 01:02 before we do, let's pray together. 01:03 Dear God, please be with us in these next few minutes as we 01:07 read the story of your servant king David. And we long to have 01:11 you say of each of us what you said after, about him being 01:16 a man after your own heart. We long to be men and women 01:18 after your own heart. Please put your words into our hearts 01:21 that we may please you. We love you so much, and thank you for 01:24 loving us. Amen. We're picking up in 2nd Samuel, 01:28 chapter 17, verse 15. This is the King James Version. 01:31 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests. 01:37 Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders 01:40 of Israel; and thus and thus have I counseled. 01:43 Now therefore send quickly and tell David, saying, Lodge not 01:47 this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass 01:51 over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are 01:54 with him. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; 01:59 for they might not be seen to come into the city: 02:01 and a wench went and told them; and they went and told 02:04 king David. Nevertheless a lad saw them and told Absalom: 02:08 but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's 02:12 house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court: whither 02:15 they went down. And the woman took and spread a covering over 02:19 the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; 02:22 and the thing was not known. And when Absalom's servants came 02:26 to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz 02:30 and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, they be gone 02:34 over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could 02:37 not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, 02:41 after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, 02:44 and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, 02:48 and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel 02:51 counseled against you. Then David arose, and all the people 02:55 that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: 02:57 by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was 03:00 not gone over Jordan. And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel 03:04 was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him 03:08 home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, 03:12 and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre 03:17 of his father. Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed 03:23 over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. And Absalom 03:28 made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa 03:32 was a man's son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in 03:37 to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah 03:40 Joab's, mother. So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of 03:44 Gilead. And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, 03:49 that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, 03:53 and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai 03:58 the Gileadite of Rogelim, brought beds, and basins, and 04:04 earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched 04:07 corn, and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse, and honey, 04:11 and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, 04:15 and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, 04:19 The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness. 04:23 Continuing in 2nd Samuel, chapter 18, 04:27 and this is the King James Version. 04:29 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set 04:33 captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 04:36 And David sent forth a 3rd part of the people under the hand of 04:40 Joab, and a 3rd part under the hand of Abiahai the son of 04:43 Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a 3rd part under the hand of Ittai 04:48 the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely 04:52 go forth with you myself also. But the people answered, 04:56 Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care 04:59 for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: 05:03 but now, thou art worth 10,000 of us therefore now it is better 05:09 that thou succour us out of the city. And the king said unto 05:13 them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by 05:18 the gate side and all the people came out by hundreds and by 05:22 thousands. And the king commanded Joab and Abishai 05:26 and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, 05:31 even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave 05:36 all the captains charge concerning Absalom. 05:38 So the people went out into the field against Israel: 05:42 and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; where the people 05:45 of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was 05:48 there a great slaughter that day of 20,000 men. For the battle 05:52 was there scattered over the face of all the country: 05:55 and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword 05:57 devoured. And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom 06:02 rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a 06:06 great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was 06:10 taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule 06:13 that was under him went away. And a certain man saw it, 06:17 and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. 06:22 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And behold, 06:26 thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the 06:29 ground? And I would have given thee ten shekels of silver and a 06:32 girdle. And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a 06:36 thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not 06:40 put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing 06:44 the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 06:48 Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. Otherwise I should 06:54 have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no 06:58 matter hid from the king, and thou thyself would have set my 07:01 thyself against me. Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with 07:07 thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them 07:12 through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the 07:15 midst of the oak. And ten young men that bare Joab's armour 07:19 compassed about and smote Absalom and slew him. 07:23 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from 07:26 pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people. 07:28 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the 07:32 wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: 07:36 and all Israel fled every one to his tent. 07:40 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up 07:44 for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: 07:47 for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: 07:52 and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called 07:56 unto this day, Absalom's place. Then said Ahimaaz the son of 08:02 Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the 08:06 Lord hath avenged him of his enemies. And Joab said unto him, 08:10 Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear 08:13 tidings another day: But this day thou shalt bear no tidings, 08:17 because the king's son is dead. Then said Joab to Cushi, 08:22 Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself 08:27 unto Joab, and ran. Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet 08:33 again to Joab, But howsoever let me, I pray thee, also run after 08:37 Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing 08:42 that thou hast no tidings ready? But howsoever, said he, 08:46 let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran 08:51 by the way of the of the plain, and overran Cushi. 08:54 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up 08:58 to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes 09:01 and looked, and behold a man running alone. And the watchman 09:06 cried and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, 09:09 there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, 09:13 and drew near. And the watchman saw another man running: 09:17 and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another 09:21 man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. 09:25 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the 09:29 foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. 09:33 And the king said, He is a good man and cometh with good tidings 09:37 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. 09:42 And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, 09:45 and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath delivered up 09:47 the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. 09:50 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? 09:55 And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, 09:59 and me, thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not 10:03 what it was. And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand 10:07 here. And he turned aside, and stood still. And, behold Cushi 10:12 came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the Lord 10:14 hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against 10:18 thee. And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom 10:22 safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, 10:26 and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that 10:31 young man is. And the king was much moved, and went up to the 10:35 chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went thus he said, 10:40 O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died 10:47 for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son. 10:51 We'll continue with 2nd Samuel, chapter 19, 10:54 and this is the King James Version. 10:56 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth 11:02 for Absalom. And the victory that day was turned into 11:05 mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say 11:09 that day how the king was grieved for his son. 11:11 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, 11:15 as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. 11:19 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud 11:23 voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! 11:27 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast 11:33 shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day 11:36 have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy 11:39 daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy 11:42 concubines; in that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy 11:46 friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest 11:48 neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if 11:52 Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, 11:55 then it had pleased thee well. Now therefore arise, go forth, 12:00 and speak comfortably unto thy servants for I swear by the lord 12:04 if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee 12:07 this night and that will be worse unto thee than all the 12:10 evil that befell thee from thy youth until now. Then the king 12:14 arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, 12:17 saying Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people 12:20 came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent. 12:24 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes 12:27 of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our 12:30 enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; 12:33 and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom. And Absalom, 12:38 whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore 12:44 why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back? 12:46 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, 12:51 Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to 12:55 bring the king back to his house seeing the speech of all Israel 12:59 is come to the king, even to his house. Ye are my brethren, 13:02 ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last 13:06 to bring back the king? And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my 13:11 bone, and of my flesh? God do to me, and more also, if thou be 13:15 not a captain of the host before me continually in the room of 13:18 Joab. And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, 13:22 even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto 13:25 the king, Return thou, and all thy servants. So the king 13:31 returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go 13:35 to meet the king, to conduct the king over Jordan. And Shimei the 13:40 son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came 13:45 down with the men of Judah to meet king David. 13:47 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the 13:50 servant of the house of Saul, and his 15 sons and his 20 13:54 servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king. 13:57 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's 14:01 household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei 14:04 the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over 14:08 Jordan; and said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity 14:12 unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant 14:16 did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of 14:19 Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. 14:22 for thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold 14:26 I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph 14:29 to go down to meet my lord the king. 14:32 Thank you and God bless until next time. |
Revised 2014-12-17