REFORMED CHURCH BELLVILLE: SUNDAY 30 JULY 2005: MORNING SERVICE
Sing before: Psalm 86:1+3
Let us commence this meeting with God by declaring openly to one another and
to God:
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Beloved grace and peace
be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, through the mighty working of God the
Holy Spirit.
Amen
Psalm of praise: 89:1+3
Confession of faith: Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things
visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all
ages; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one
substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, or us men and for our salvation,
came down from heaven, and was Incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made
man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the
third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven and sits on the
right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the
dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life; who proceeds from the Father and
the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the
prophets.
And we believe one holy catholic* and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the
remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to
come. Amen
After the reading of the Law we confess our guilt and pray for forgiveness and
a new life before God with Psalm 25:3+9.
Law
Psalm: 25:3+9
Prayer:
-
Doxology
-
Worship
-
Confession of sins
-
-
Gratitude
-
Prayer for the need of the congregation for the church, the authorities
and the sinful world and appeal to God's promises.
-
General prayer
-
Enlightenment from the Holy Spirit for the sake of the ministry of the
Word.
Psalm: 32:1
Scripture: 2 Samuel 15:30
onwards
2 Samuel 19:15-30
1 Kings 2:8-10
1 Kings 2:36-47
Text: 2
Samuel 16:5
"And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the
family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and
cursed as he still came."
When one falls on hard times and goes through pain and tribulation there always are people who
have a part in your downfall and in your arising out of it.
- Eventually it is not these people who determine our success in overcoming our trials.
- They can be used by the Lord as instruments but we overcome and arise from our pain only
with the help of the Lord alone.
Let us look at David as an example of how a true believer deals with trials. We consider
in particular the following:
1. The prophetic nature of the
events.
2. The fulfillment of these
prophetic events.
1. The Prophetic Nature of the
events
In the passages we have read we find David in flight of his son Absalom.
- He does not flee along the main road out of Jerusalem
- He first goes to pray on the Mount of Olives.
On the Mount of Olives, on the way to the place where David wanted to pray, some
remarkable encounters occurred.
- The first was when a messenger arrived to tell of Ahithophel joining Absalom.
- This wounded David deeply.
- How would you feel when in your deepest sorrow you learn that one of your best friends
has stabbed you in the back by joining your enemy?
- We would probably wish to exact vengeance.
- David's reaction was to seek the Lord as his almighty Ally – he prayed.
Note how David prayed.
- He does not ask the Lord to harm Ahithophel.
- He prays the Lord to turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness.
- This prayer was heard and answered.
The party continued to the place of prayer. At the top of the mountain David worshipped
God.
- Here David met Hushai the Archite (the Archites were a small family group living between
Bethlehem and Atarot in the land of Ephraim).
- Hushai was one of David's truest friends and advisors.
- His attitude towards David is shown by his conduct.
- He felt deeply sorry about what had happened to David, he was in mourning, his clothes
were torn and he had earth on his head.
David realized that the Lord had answered his prayer that Ahithophel's counsel be turned
into foolishness.
- That is why the Lord sent Hushai to him. Hushai could neutralize Ahithophel's counsel in
Absalom's counsel chamber.
- Accordingly David sent him to Jerusalem with instructions to offer his services to
Absalom.
- Hushai could then give advice that would counter that of Ahithophel.
- Furthermore, he could be a spy and inform David by sending messages with the priests'
sons.
After David had worshipped and spoken with Hushai they proceeded.
- Lower down they meet with Ziba.
- Ziba was the servant of Mephibosheth who was Jonathan's lamed son who lived in David's
palace and ate from his table.
Ziba had a number of donkeys with him carrying food.
- When David enquired from him where he was going Ziba told him that the donkeys were there
for him to ride on and the food was for his soldiers.
This situation raises a few questions.
- Where did Ziba so quickly find a number of donkeys and so much food?
- David on leaving Jerusalem immediately went to the top of the mountain. On descending he
finds Ziba at the other side of the mountain.
- Did they leave the palace together?
- Why did David not know of this?
How is it that Mephibosheth and Ziba could make such elaborate preparations without David
knowing of it?
- If Mephibosheth and Ziba had from the start intended to provide David with the donkeys
and the food – why did they not tell David?
- It is clear that David and his men knew nothing of this affair and that the preparations
were done secretly.
When David returns to Jerusalem later it becomes clear that he has in the meanwhile
discovered the truth.
- He knows that the donkeys and the food had in truth been intended for Absalom.
- That is why he tells Ziba that he may have all Mephibosheth's possessions.
Subsequently, when Mephibosheth comes to beg his pardon David asks of him why he did not
go with him.
- Mephibosheth then told a different story.
- David then recalled his first decree and decreed that Mephibosheth's possessions be
divided between himself and Ziba. Both were therefore found guilty.
Lower down the Mount of Olives David met Shimei.
- Shimei was from Saul's family – both he and Saul were from the tribe of Benjamin.
- Shimei was a dishonest person. We read later when he begs for pardon that he claims to be
from the tribe of Joseph.
The Bible uses two different words to describe what Shimei did.
- He abused the king and he cursed the king.
- The one word says that he used bad language.
- The other word says that he pronounced judgment.
One's first reaction to abuse would be to retaliate as Abishai did – "dead dog".
- He asked David's permission to cut off Shimei's head.
- David however refused permission because the Lord might have sent Shimei to say those
words.
- David probably was reminded of what the prophet Nathan had told him – that his sins would
be punished out of his own household. (2 Samuel 12:11)
- But the devil was at work and David realized that a power greater than Shimei drove him.
- The devil used Shimei to attack somebody who belonged to the Lord.
2. The Fulfillment of
these Prophetic Events
In this history we find prophetically a prelude of what would later befall the King of time and
eternity at the same place.
- David was God's king of Israel.
- Jesus is God and King of everything.
- In particular He is King of his church.
- As man Jesus was born out of the progeny of David.
The last evening of His life on earth Jesus went to Gethsemane to pray before He was
arrested.
- That was more or less the same place where David went to pray.
- The parallels between what occurred to David and what befell Jesus then become
remarkable.
- As Ahitophel betrayed David so Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus.
- Abishai and Peter show a similar style – Peter drew his sword and cutt off the ear of
Malchus whereas Abishai wanted to cut off Shimei's head. In both instances they were
prevented from killing because Jesus put Malchus's ear back and David refused Abishai
permission.
- Even in David's eventual victory there lies a prophecy of Jesus' victory over the powers
of hell. In both cases the victor could triumphantly retake possession of what belonged to
them.
David's victory and return was not achieved in his own power.
- He was not present when Absalom was beaten and subsequently killed.
- One issue is made plain – man is not in control of his life.
- We do not in our own strength overcome the working of the devil.
- It is done for us.
Why this is so becomes clear when we further examine the similarity between David and
Jesus.
- David's army under the leadership of Joab beat Absalom's troops and killed Absalom.
- David himself did not take part in the fighting and killing – in a way he was absolved of
it.
But with Jesus it was different. He dealt with the field of battle in a different
way.
- From Gethsemane He was taken captive.
- He tells His disciples that He has legions of angels at His command who could easily beat
the powers arraigned against Him, but He does not call on them.
- He alone fights the devil and all his powers – including the people employed by the
devil.
Throughout that night He struggled with what was right and wrong.
- The powers of hell took control of the faithful and with lies and distortions of the
truth they rose up against the Lord.
- They tried to destroy with untruths the only One who had the whole truth in His power.
- Apart from this they, like Shimei did to David, abused and cursed and tortured the Lord.
The next day one of the heathen (the judge Pontius Pilate) admitted that the truth was
with Jesus and he washed his hands to show it. The truth was not with the faithful who
persecuted Him.
- Nevertheless the struggle continued for Jesus.
- He was given to the soldiers to be derided and scourged.
- Thereafter His life was under attack.
- He carried His cross up the hill and collapsed.
- Eventually He was nailed to the cross to die with the two other rebels.
Shimei said to David that he was being repaid by the Lord for the blood he had shed in
Saul's household and that for this the Lord had taken the kingdom from him.
- Something similar happened to Jesus.
- His kingship was doubted.
- The people mocked Him and said: "You saved others, now save yourself!"
- Above His head was placed a sign stating: The king of the Jews.
The suffering David experienced because of Absalom and some of his other children was
punishment.
- Nathan told him that the Lord would punish him through his household. (2 Samuel 12:11)
Jesus' suffering on the cross was also punishment but, in contrast to David, Jesus was
innocent and without sin.
- Nevertheless He bore God's punishment for all our sins.
- Jesus was punished by the Lord for the sins of each person who transgressed against God.
- That is how God determined that our salvation was to be gained.
The salvation from God's wrath that Jesus gained was at the same time a victory over every
disappointment and pain the devil causes in our lives.
- It is such a powerful deed that David could overcome in the power of Jesus Christ.
Now we must place ourselves in the picture. What happens to us when we face trials, stress
and pain?
- We overcome in the power of Jesus Christ – as did David.
- But that demands of us to have the same humble attitude towards the Lord and our fellow
men that David showed:
- We too must live a life of prayer.
- We too must trust in the Lord.
- We too must forgive those who trespass against us.
It is a fact that everybody is influenced by other people.
- Some people give good advice and help such as Hushai.
- And there are others who betray you and lie to you and increase your suffering such as
Ziba and Shimei.
That is when our faith must assert itself because then we may not hate or be
vengeful.
- We must forgive and in the manner and with the majesty of our King Jesus Christ rule over
sin and those who fall into it.
- If we fail to do so we are no better than other bad people for we show the image of the
devil when we act wrongly.
We all have the calling to teach each other and the young generation the true faith in
this world of hate and iniquity.
- It is easy to hate and to fight.
- One could win the war but if one's relationship with the Lord Jesus is wrong one loses
one's eternal future.
The warning is sharp and clear:
- Guard against becoming an instrument in the hands of the devil – like Shimei who on the
surface appeared to be only against people but in reality is cursing and opposing God.
- We must use the means that the Lord has put at our disposal.
We must do so prayerfully.
- We must not look to people to give us the victory.
- We must also not be against other people in hate and vengeance.
- Our eternal victory lies in the victory of the Lord Jesus. He takes us with Him in His
triumphant procession and in His entry into His eternal Kingdom.
Amen
Closing Prayer
Closing Hymn: 10-2:1
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace.
Amen
Dr MJ du Plessis
Reformed Church Bellville
31 July 2005 (morning)
Scripture NIV