2 Samuel 4 Bible Study (Ish-bosheth Murdered) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Second Samuel chapter four in the word of God is our reference point tonight. Last week, we had our q and a. The week before, we had a prayer night, and so it has been two weeks since we've come to this text. And so there's a special excitement for tonight. I hope you feel that same excitement.

Second Samuel chapter four. And as we come here, I cannot help but, feel the need to pray before we, go to school. Can we pray one more time? Father, we are deeply aware that without the Holy Spirit, this meeting is vain. Lord, we are fully convinced that the Holy Spirit is the difference maker.

He is the factor that brings something that can be deathly, dull, and bring it to life with vigor. And we just ask, oh, God, that that would be the case tonight. You even told your own apostles that they could not even witness apart from the gift of God in the Holy Spirit, and we need him tonight. We do not assume that our gifts are enough. We do not presume that we can do this apart from your power.

We are we are dependent upon your grace even for a study that might not be as formal as a conference or a Sunday morning meeting. Lord, be in our midst, and let us sense your nearness. More importantly, let us sense the power of your word being driven into our hearts in a way that brings life to our being and produces the fruit that you desire. We commit this study into your hands. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. Second Samuel chapter four. It is in this chapter that we continue the transition of Israel's monarchy. David is very close to being rightfully crowned as the king, not just of Judah, but of all of Israel. And before that will take place, there will be a monumental pivotal moment that will occur, which we will read of in chapter four.

Something huge happened before this, and that was the death of Abner, who was the commander of the kingdom of Israel, who was ruled by Ish Bosheth. Abner was assassinated. Abner was unjustly taken from this earth, and David mourned that loss. And David is going to see even more injustice performed at a time when there was great uncertainty and instability in this nation. And so as you and I come, keep in mind that things are teetering.

Everything now is being shaken. The news of Abner's death is sending a chill down people's spines. And that is certainly the case for the king of the majority of the tribes, Ishbosheth. We read here in the first few verses his response and what is going to happen to him as a result of this man's death. Verse one, we read, when Ish Bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed.

Now Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands. The name of the one was Ba'anah, and the name of the other Rahab, son of sons of Ramon, a man of Benjamin, from Berath. For Berath also is counted part of Benjamin. The Berathites fled to Gethaim and have been sojourners there to this day. Let's pause here.

Verse one is crucial, rich with application. The first thing that we see is Ishpuset's response to the news, the report of Abner's death. Very plainly, we're told that his courage had failed. Now that means more than him being distraught emotionally because someone that he knew and partnered with was now taken from him. This speaks of hope being dashed because Abner was a valuable asset, and now he was he was gone.

And Ishbosheth realized what this would mean for him, and it's very simple. He was going to face a losing battle already. Ishbosheth knew that he would stand absolutely no chance before the true king of Israel now that Abner is not is not there. And the reason why is because it was Abner's idea to raise up Ishbosheth to be the king, and any success that they knew during those seven years was due to Abner. And now Ish bosheth is all by himself.

He's standing alone, and he would have to face these challenges alone, and he knew that he was not up for the task. This man was not a true king. He was a puppet ruler. He was used by Abner for Abner to maintain a position of power, And and I'm sure he was aware of his weakness based on this verse, and he's gonna realize very soon just how weak he is. But notice the principle here.

His courage failed. Why? Why would a man like Ishpathe feel like he failed in his courage, in his strength, in his confidence? Any idea? Somebody said it.

His hope was in who? In men. In a man. A strong man, an accomplished man, a confident man, a military man, but a man nonetheless. And if you and I wanna know consistent stability in life, please do what I'm about to tell you to do, and that is to never put your confidence in a mere mortal.

It is an extremely dangerous habit and the habit of many to be able to think that your faith is dependent upon somebody else who is made of dust just like you. You will know great, great distress in your short life by simply keeping your perspective and trying to find your salvation, not the salvation of your soul, but deliverance from many things, and someone who might even promise to bring salvation because that responsibility and that ability belongs to the Lord of glory alone. And that is an important word for us today, and you would be amazed to know that if you just put that lens to see how that exhortation is found from Genesis to Revelation, it makes you wonder how much God knows of the temptation of even his own children to lean upon dust and ash. I wanna show you this. This is one Psalm, and it's encouraging to just read a big portion of it because this Psalm is literally dedicated to that theme.

And if if David wrote it, the author is is unknown, then it it's even more inspiring because this man was a king himself. But go to Psalm one forty six very quick, and notice a few verses with me beginning in verse three. And really, you don't even need to expound on these verses. They're just so self explanatory. Consider these charges in a day where political leaders are being seen as messiah figures in 2022, and and consider these verses as even spiritual leaders in the past few years have been falling short and disappointing the evangelical world in different ways.

Look at verse three. Put not your trust in princes. In a son of man in whom there is no salvation, when his breath departs, he returns to the earth. On that very day, his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, meaning he is faithful forever.

Verse seven, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. Here's what the psalmist is trying to say. Your confidence in God can't be a theological theory. It's not something that you put in a catechism.

It's not something that you put in a doctrinal statement. Your trust should actually be feelable, and there should be a system of belief that actually, really believes that God can intervene in your life at a particular moment. I mean, that's why he gives these examples beginning in verse six and seven. He executes justice for the oppressed. So in a day like our day where the justice system is so broken and corrupt, we are told to put our trust in the one who can execute true justice.

What else? Who gives food to the hungry? Well, that's comforting to me in a day where we're talking about food shortages, and where the whole world now is is not knowing how we're gonna be able to fill our grocery shelves, and all this talk and rumors of how we can, at any moment, lose what we were comfortable with on a day to day basis. But he can actually put food on your plate. He can actually do that.

And if you really wanna know whether or not your faith and your trust and your dependence upon the Lord, I mean, it's really by asking yourself a simple question. All you have to do, examine your own heart and just ask yourself this question. Do I actually believe? Do I really, really trust that God is able to supply? Do I actually believe that?

You'd be amazed to know how many people say it, sing it, quote it, print it, wear it, but when it really comes to it, there is no true trust in God. And it shows the fear in people, the worry in people. And the psalmist is very clear here. You can actually rely on God. I'm not talking about, like, one day in eternity, he will restore all things.

I'm talking about now. Like, right now, like, tomorrow. He can send ravens. He can make your enemies even come and be at peace with you and provide for you. And so you and I have to have that trust constantly.

And this man Ish bosath has a a a opposite conviction. He stands in great contrast to to the mighty man, David. David who was able to literally stand alone in a valley when there was a bunch of soldiers behind him biting their nails and scratching their heads. And I actually believe I may not I may not see him, but he is here. He is actually here, and he will be the force behind this weapon as I sling it into your face.

And he will be the one that will sustain me and guide me throughout it all. We see a great contrast between two kings who had two different levels of understanding of who the true God is and what he's able to do. You know what's so encouraging though? Is that there is an obscure verse, a verse that many people often don't quote, that promises us that God is able to even make us like this brave hero David. God is actually able.

We we look at a scripture like David. We look at this character and we're inspired by him, and yet God wants to assure us there's a particular promise that he is able to infuse that same courage that David knew, that we are inspired by and actually live it for ourselves. Can I show you that verse? It's in Zechariah chapter 12 verse eight. This is speaking about a future day when Jerusalem will be surrounded by foreign enemies, but this tells me what God is able to do even now in my life.

In Zechariah chapter 12 verse eight, notice the promise that God gives to Israel for a future time and a promise that I believe is available today. Zechariah chapter 12. The prophet Zechariah in chapter 12 verse eight. We read, on that day, the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like who? David.

The feeblest, the weakest, those who who can't lift their head in confidence, even them shall be like that mighty warrior David. I I I take that and and I say, Lord, make me like that. Now, today, in this time. And then he goes on to say, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them. Not this is not the point of the study, but if you want a Old Testament verse that confirms the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, it's there.

Did you see it? Look at it. And the house of David shall be like God, like who? The angel of the Lord. Who's the angel of the Lord?

The preincarnate Christ. So all you need to do is find the verses that prove that the angel of the Lord shares the prerogatives and the abilities that Yahweh himself has. And then you could come to a verse like this, which is plain and clear, shall be like God, like the angel of the Lord. The angel of the Lord is God. And Jesus is the angel of the Lord going before them.

Ish bosheth here, Saul's son, his courage failed because he put his trust in a man. What do you do? What do you do when you lose your job? What do you do when somebody that you trusted, somebody that brought so much encouragement and hope and joy into your life is taken from you? Do you lose courage?

Yeah. It might sting, but we we are to be like David, and we can be like David by the help of the Holy Spirit. Let's come back to second Samuel four in verse two and three. Now Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands. K.

All for a sudden, we are introduced to two characters. We never heard of them before. Their names are Banna and Rechab, and they are sons of a man named Ramon. And for a specific reason, the Holy Spirit finds it necessary to give us a background about who these characters are. And all that we're told about them is, one, they were sons of a man of Benjamin, and two, that they were military men in this kingdom, specifically leaders of raiding bands.

And the question that we should always be asking when we come to text that seem to be out of place or it seem to be expanded more to what we would think is necessary is why. Why is this given to us? Why are we told these things? Why not just give us the name of these men and just tell us what they're about to do? No.

Before we even see what they're about to do, we are told who they are. And so I present that question to you. Why do you believe the Lord, the author of these verses, wants to tell us about where they're from? Well, one, where are they from? Which tribe do they represent?

Ring a bell. Benjamin, ring a bell. Who's from Benjamin? Saul is from Benjamin. Right?

So we realize that these men come from the same tribe, and that is supposed to cause us to believe at least that whoever these men are, because they come from the same tribe, they're gonna be loyal to Saul's house. There's some fidelity there. There is some kind of partnership there just because they share the blood of Benjamin. And so we're anticipating that. Not knowing what they're about to do, we're anticipating that they will come alongside.

They will be in partnership with Ish bosom because they are all from Benjamin. There's supposed to be loyalty here, and we're gonna actually see the opposite in a few verses. But read carefully, is something else supposed to be conveyed? And I think there is. Look at these words here in parentheses for Berath.

They came from Berath, also is counted part of Benjamin. So the the there is this clarification. Yeah. These men come from Beroth, but Beroth, remember, they are actually part of Benjamin. Implying that perhaps there's some confusion there, that Barath actually isn't part of Benjamin.

So the author inspired by the spirit says, no. No. No. No. They are actually connected.

Are these men from Benjamin? Answer, yes and no. Yes and no. This is where it's so good to be students of the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit's expecting us to be students of the Old Testament so that when we come to a verse like this, we go, interesting.

Interesting. Something is about to happen based on the background of where they come from. Does anybody know? This is like level 10 for bible quiz. You have your hand up so you might know.

They're inhabitant they were previous they're inhabitants previous to venting Okay. Say that again. They're inhabitants of? Very good. Did you study before tonight?

Berath is a specific town that was inhabited before the conquest took place, And the mention of that is found in the very book that describes the conquest of Israel into the land of Canaan, which is the book of what? Joshua. Joshua. And so turn with me quickly to Joshua chapter nine, and I want you to see the reference to Beroth and to see which context it finds itself. Joshua chapter nine verse 17.

And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Hephirah, Beroth, and Kiriath Jearim. Do you see it there? Beroth. So now we're told that Joshua and his his men, they approached these towns, and then we're told that they didn't attack them.

They didn't attack them, and the reason is because these towns were occupied by a certain group of people who made a covenant with the nation of Israel. That's what the whole chapter is about. Do you remember that chapter when we had a whole study about which group of people? It's in the chapter. You can just peek and see the name early on.

The Gibeonites. The Gibeonites who made a deal with Israel, and that deal would shield them from being annihilated like the rest of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. And how did they do that? What's this whole chapter about? It's really about how Israel was deceived.

So these Gibeonites were very clever that they came with old clothes, they came with dried bread and wineskins that were broken, and they made it appear as though they had come from a distant land so that when they approached Joshua and the leadership, they make a covenant with them because they themselves knew that Israel was sent by God to bring about total destruction, and they didn't wanna be in that number. And Joshua failed. We're told in that same chapter to seek counsel from the Lord, and in doing so, they make a covenant with somebody that they were meant to actually destroy. And then because of that covenant, it overrode even the campaign itself to take over, and they honored that promise, and they brought them to subjection to be slaves, and they survived. And now the Holy Spirit with that reference, the fact that they were part of Berath, they came from Berath.

And then later on, once they actually conquest at Benjamin, the tribe of Benjamin occupied that area, is is wanting us to have the affiliation made. These men came from a town that deceived Israel. Something suspicious is on its way. Something discreet, something cunning is being planned here. That's exactly what we're being given with this reference before us.

And we're gonna see how they are going to actually operate in deception to accomplish a certain goal. And then we think we're done here with new characters until we come to verse four. If you thought verse three was was strange, verse two and three. Look at verse four. Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet.

He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame, and his name was Mephibosheth. And so now this seems out of place a little bit. Again, I asked the question, why? Why out of the entire narrative was it necessary to put Mephibosheth and introducing him and even his disability here at this point?

Do you have any idea why? Because by design, there is a case being made here. There's something trying to be communicated. Why bring up Mephibosheth now? Why not later?

He's gonna be mentioned later, but why at this point? He's another heir. Very good. And so he's actually the next male heir in line after Ishbosheth. And so what's happening here is we are actually being revealed, and and and where they're being exposed to the the feebleness of this kingdom, just how weak Saul's dynasty has become.

Because we're being prepared for Ishbosheth to be assassinated. And the next person in line is apparently Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth, and he's crippled at the feet. And at this point, if you do the numbers, if he was five years old when he heard the news of his dad and his grandfather being slain at war, seven years has passed. So he's around 12 years old. This is supposed to be the next king in line.

And what we're trying to understand here, what we're being told is this dynasty is near extinction. It's almost completely gone. And even though Ish bosheth is going to die, David has no worry to to be concerned about a rising king who will fight against him because this is who he has to actually face, if he faces him at all. And so we we see here that we are being given a description of just how broken and just how crippled, no pun intended, Saul's house has become. But these verses have so much more to offer us than just that.

These verses have so much truth, richness for application, and and precepts for the people of God. You know, I read this and I couldn't help that the condition, the disability of Mephibosheth, that he would have to live with for the rest of his life, was something beyond his control. Somebody who was who was called to take care of him, nurture him, secure him, failed him, and dropped him. So this this guardian, this nurse, when they heard the news that the Philistines had won the war, she panicked, and she she picked up a five year old. I mean, if you have a five year old, that's not that's not necessary.

But for whatever reason, she picks up Mephibosheth and she runs. And as she runs, whether she tripped or she lost grip, this young boy falls maybe over a balcony, maybe down some stairs, and both his feet were broken. And because of failure to heal right, he would live with this condition where where he could not walk for the rest of his life. And I look at this, and I cannot help but think that this physical picture is what happens to many people emotionally, mentally. You can even say spiritually at some point in their lives.

What do I mean by that? You'd be amazed to know how many people today are fractured because of something that happened to them when they were young. And many of you, perhaps, can attest to the fact that your parents who were supposed to nourish you and love you and supply grace and wisdom and strength failed you. In other words, dropped you. And just like this nurse, they didn't operate in good faith.

They didn't have an anchoring trust in the Lord, a conviction that he is in control, or they didn't abide by his word, and instead, they they operated in fear or lack of wisdom or self interest. And their failure contributed to the brokenness of your development. You would be, again, amazed to know how many people who are adults and have children today are suffering in their marriage and in the way they relate to their children because when they were children, they were let down either by the action of a father or mother or the failure to act in the way that they should have act. So what do we do? Because I am not in the camp that believes just because something happened in your developmental years that you're stuck like that for the rest of your life.

Modern psychologists might say that. And then just medicate you and call you to just live to blame people for the rest of your life and then justify your brokenness. Somebody cleverly said that even a broken crayon can draw straight. It just depends who holds it. And a broken life, if it is placed in the hands of a perfect God, can produce good and see holiness and wholeness because of his goodness as you've submitted to his lordship and his shepherd like leadership.

Again, we offer counsel and we sit with people, and so much trauma that has come from upbringings resurface and manifest in sinful behavior, but I can't find one place in the bible where that is justifiable. Your father wounds do not permit you to be broken and cause others to be broken. Your mother wounds do not permit you to act in a certain way because you failed to have an example. I'm not negating the fact that there is an influence there, and there is some kind of a contribution there. But I cannot confidently say that you are to be stuck there because my redeemer is too great.

His gospel is too powerful. His love is overwhelming. And that brokenness in the right hand can draw a beautiful picture out of your life if you just trust him and trust in his word and allow him to heal you. And I'm not being overly simplistic by saying that a wand can be just, you know, waved over your head and everything will be solved, but what I am saying is that as you continue to just be there in his presence, in his word, surrounded by people who can console you and lead you, you will know wholeness and healing in Jesus' name. Unfortunately, you have people who who live pointing the finger, and even if that finger points to the past.

And you know what Isaiah says in Isaiah 58? God even rebukes the nation for many things, even though they were fasting and praying, because one of the things that they were doing was continually pointing the finger. You will not know healing if you do that. You will not know restoration if you do that. God wants you to look up and stretch out your hands to him and allow him to wash over you in a way that will transform you for good.

That's possible. We have something that modern psychology doesn't. We have something that this world cannot figure out. Any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. New creation.

He doesn't patch you up. He renews you. Every part of who you are, past trauma, present trauma, and whatever is to come, he can shield you and keep you. This is a gospel of hope and mercy. That's the practical thing that I see, but do you see the prophetic?

Here is Mephibosheth who has experienced a brokenness because of a fall caused by another. Sound familiar? You're a son or a daughter of Adam, as am I. And you and I are spiritually broken. We are disabled.

We are unable to walk in the ways of God. We are unable to keep in step with his commands because of because of our forefathers who in essence dropped the human race. And you and I cannot walk in our own strength to keep up with his righteous demands. But what we will see in a few chapters is David himself asks for a descendant of Saul, and he discovers that Mephibosheth is alive. And what does he do?

He vows to be kind to him, and so he invites this man who could not walk on his two feet to sit at his table. And in second Samuel chapter nine, we read there that Mephibosheth was treated as one of the king's sons, and he continually fellowship with David and was provided for and was treated with unusual kindness because because legally, technically, this man is an enemy to David and his kingdom, and yet he still extends mercy and does above and beyond what anybody would do with an enemy. And you and I, though broken because of a fall thousands of years ago, know a greater reward than Mephibosheth because we have the true king of Israel, the son of David who bids us to come and who doesn't just treat us as a son or a daughter, but actually adopts us and calls us as his own. And we have continual fellowship with him, not just now, but forever and ever into glory. And so we even see the gospel here.

When you partner this verse with second Samuel nine and beyond, you see the the gospel picture of a king taking as in the words of Mephibosheth, a dead dog like you and me, and then crowning us with goodness and love and mercy. So we come back to our main text, and we see in verse five what these two scoundrels, these brothers are going to do. In verse five, we read now the sons of Ramon, the Berathite, Rahab and Banneh set out, and about the heat of the day, they came to the house of Ish Bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed them in the stomach. Then Rahab and Baana, his brother, escaped.

Read the bible slowly. What stands out to you in these two verses? What details that could provide some kind of application in our new covenant walk with Jesus Christ can we draw out from these things? Anything else stands out from you? Before you rather?

If you have something, feel free to lift your hand and contribute. It's a big classroom. I know it's intimidating, but Where he got stabbed? Where he got stabbed in the stomach? Okay.

There's something there to observe. You talk about stab in the back, that's one thing. Stab in the stomach, that's pretty cruel. Anything else? Very good.

Someone is taking a siesta. A noonday rest seems to be a routine as well. Great observation. Anything else? Very good.

You guys are wonderful students. They came in as if to get wheat. Let's just stop there for a moment. Notice the first thing. We are told in verse five, as he was taking his noonday rest.

Very common, Middle Eastern heat. You would work early hours in the day and, take a time off. People still do this in different parts of the world and then work in the coolness of the evening. And so we see that this is some kind of routine that the king was a part of, and this routine was obviously known to his servants, his men. And, unfortunately, it was known to these two men.

And so they come at a specific time where he is he is sleeping, and that is, condemnation to them that they came to a a man in the most vulnerable state that you can be in, which is in your sleep, and they assassinate him. But this is also an indictment against Ishbosheth Because we know that Abner has been killed. We know that the nation is an uproar. We know that people are dismayed. We know that there's political upheaval, and that's when you take a nap.

What's running through your mind to give you the ability to even lay back and close your eyes and actually fall asleep? No indication of planning, no indication of praying, no indication of communicating, you're sleeping. And it's in that place where he is actually killed. Listen. Rest is good.

Rest is necessary. Rest is encouraged, but there's a difference between rest and excessive slumber. Because slumber, spiritually speaking, makes us sitting ducks. And David will fall into the very same trap in in just a few chapters when he was supposed to be at war, but instead he was lounging on his couch. And not just his life, but the life of the nation would never be the same because he chose to be in a place of rest when he was in fact supposed to be in a place of battle.

You and I put our souls in grave jeopardy when we are idle. I fear for Christians who do more sitting than serving, And I am very worried for Christians who do more playing than praying, especially in a time where you and I are living in great shifts that are occurring worldwide that will usher us into a a world and a system and a reality of no return that will impact even the way the church will operate and move about freely with the gospel and the great commission. You know, you and I may look at Ish bosath and think that he is crazy for being able to sleep. But let me tell you something. Even in the past two years with all the events that took place, you still have Christians who are asleep.

I mean, at most, you had somebody who just woke up and then they just went back to sleep because they hit the snooze button. There are still many, many believers who do not realize and and understand the significance of the times that we're living in. And it's no wonder Jesus prophesied that. He prophesied that even near the time of the end, the culmination of the age, you're still gonna have people engaging in business and marrying and vacationing and investing in it's like, at any moment, the sky is gonna split open. He's gonna come.

So even during the tribulation period, you're gonna have these activities happening. It's not gonna be like those apocalyptic movies where everybody's hiding and eating a can of beans with an a k 47. You're gonna have people actually engaging in day to day life, distracted by these things, even though at any moment, the millennial kingdom is gonna crash through and set up a world that we desperately need. And so you and I have to be very, very careful because when I when I speak about sleeping, when I'm speaking about a spiritual slumber, and spiritual slumber is simply this, an inactivity or an unresponsiveness to the things of God or the events that point to the necessity to be on alert. The inactivity and unresponsiveness to the things of God when in fact, we should heighten our awareness and our involvement and our participation in the things of God because the events around us demand such a posture and such a participation.

Let me read this verse. You don't have to turn there. Look what Paul tells the Romans just just because people think sometimes we go overboard with that kind of talk. Romans thirteen eleven. Besides this, you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep.

Paul says wake up from sleep. Don't you realize the hour that we're in? For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. He's down the Roman I mean, even a few years after the church was birthdays, they fell asleep. How much more now?

Wake up. Don't you see this? Don't you realize this? Hebrews 10 says, I'm paraphrasing, that you should continue to meet and encourage one another all the more as you see the day drawing near. That's why when my heart was broken that when a global pandemic happened, we were closing churches down.

No. No. No. Hebrews Hebrews actually says have more meetings. Let me remind you.

Okay? Just in case I offended somebody there. The Bible predicts not just one pandemic, but pestilences is a plural. Are we gonna shut our church down every time there's a pestilence that breaks out? Because more is coming according to the words of Jesus.

The church needs to be the church, and we submit to the Lord of glory, not to the Caesar in the White House. We'll see if this study stays on YouTube after that. So Christians need to wake up. Christians need to realize that the moment we become inactive is the moment Satan is at the advantage, which comes to the next point as our sister pointed out. And what was that?

That they came in as though they were grabbing wheat. This is deceptive. And so we we understand the relationship between them being from Berath and their their scheme over here. It makes total sense now. They came in in a certain way.

They came in cloaked with innocence, with a different agenda, when in fact, they had a murderous plot on their hearts. And so they come in, and they look in a certain way. They act in a certain way. They speak in a certain way when in fact they had a dagger in their hands ready to plunge it into the stomach of a man who thought that he was safe enough to sleep when he should have been on his guard. And I think that sequence is beautiful.

I think that the order of these things is quite insightful. Because what we see here is that there was obviously a failure to discern who these men were and what they were doing, but that always follows spiritual drowsiness. He was asleep, and it makes you wonder where the guards were at. And because their guards were down, literally because he was asleep, unaware to be able to comprehend the events around him, he could not see what was coming. And so there was a lack of discernment there, and that cost him his life.

Deception is no small danger to someone who fails to abide in the truth and walk in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and with God's people. But it is a very small threat to somebody who's prayerful and who walks with the Lord day by day and who receives the word of God on a consistent basis. Such a person is strong and is able even by the grace of God to see past the things that are masked with innocence and purity and harmlessness and to be able to understand the danger that can be in the horizon. Somebody who is walking with the Lord consistently is always a few steps ahead of Satan. But someone who is not and and is asleep spiritually, just just like what we see here, they are succumb to the schemes of the enemy without even seeing it coming their way.

And I would tell you that the only way that you and I are gonna have discernment in these times where deception is gonna intensify, that's gonna be a major theme at the conference. The the lack of discernment is troubling among Christians. It is troubling. And so we have to understand that if we wanna know a heightened discernment and an ability to be ahead of the enemy's schemes, then it's gonna require to remain awake. The lack of discipline here seen in Ish bosath can be paralleled to the lack of spiritual discipline in many today, and that will contribute to many infiltrations, whether personally or into the into the church at large.

And this is why we have to understand that remaining awake when especially circumstances around us are crying out for answers. We gotta be ready with those answers. We read on in verse seven. When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. This is gruesome.

This is vicious. They took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night and brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord, the king, this day on Saul and on his offspring. Two things stand out here.

One, the way they address David. They were able to change their alliance very, very swiftly. Is this a genuine is this a genuine conviction? Absolutely not. They're no different than Abner.

When Abner was able to realize we're on the losing team now, he changed teams in order to secure his position and preserve his life. These men are no different. Abner's dead. They're like, we're done. It's just not gonna work.

We're a sinking ship, time to jump off. And they attempt to do so, and they come with the verbiage, and they come even with a a apparent act of fidelity and faithfulness and loyalty. And the fact that this is repeated, I thought, like, this is repeating a lot. This theme is repeating a lot, and it's very, very obvious why. Because the Holy Spirit is trying to convey that those who stand for nobility and those who stand for righteousness often do so when it will bring about some self gratification, preservation, or promotion.

But when the sign up sheet comes out to stand for the truth, when it costs you, it knows but very few names. And so be reminded of that. Don't be surprised if those who stand for the truth will not do so when it will cost them something, even those that you thought stood for the truth. Don't be surprised if the numbers diminish. Don't be surprised if you see people jumping ship.

And that we have so many Old Testament pictures of that preparing us to see that this will be a possibility in our own lifetime, and it will because the Holy Spirit prophesied it. But notice what else they do. Here is the head of Ish bosath, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord avenged my lord. The Lord avenged my lord.

They put God's name with it. They attached the Lord's name to it. Believers often believe that taking the Lord's name in vain means throwing it out there with, without respect or as an expression of frustration or flippantly. That's not what it means to take the Lord's name in vain. That's in part.

One of the greatest ways that we can take the Lord's name in vain is when we take his name and attribute it to a message or a decision or a behavior and say this is because of God. That is one of the most blasphemous things to really do. And this is exactly what they're doing. They committed this murderous crime, and they said, well well, this is God. God is behind us.

God encouraged us, and God is doing this for you, David. And David wouldn't buy it. But I meditate on this and I thought, why do people do that though? And this is coming now I'm coming in from a pastoral lens because over the years, I've realized that many people do this. I personally have been the recipient of it on so many occasions.

Somebody will come. Somebody will write. Somebody will send a message. God is telling you. God told me to tell you.

Okay. Why? And and this I think at best, it's immaturity. It really is. It's spiritual immaturity, and, there's grace to be given for those, especially when they first come to the faith where, for some reason, they think that, you know, they're like Isaiah or Jeremiah, and God is speaking to them about everything, and they wanna tell everybody what God spoke to them.

That's at best. But that's not the case, and that that that that grace should be replaced with correction and serious correction, especially for those who have matured in years in the faith. And this is gonna come off strong, but it is strong because this is a very serious thing. I believe one of the reasons why people can so easily associate God's name, again, to a message or to a behavior or to a decision, ready for this, is because they believe their name is superior to his. Say, what what do you mean by that?

I'll explain. Because they have a a purpose and they have a pursuit, those who attribute God as a source of a claim, when it is not true, assume that God's name will support the credibility and the validation of their own name. In other words, the reason why these men are doing what they're doing is because they wanna make it more convincing to David. And the reason why many people today run around and use God's name in vain is because they wanna come off more convincing, and they believe that God's name should serve their name as they try to make their name something. And and that is really the ugliness of this.

That is why that's why it's so horrendous. And that's all it takes for some people to believe somebody. Oh, God said it. Okay. And they submit to that, and some of them live tormented because somebody said, God said, and God told me.

Listen. It's in the commandments. God foresaw that people would do this regularly. And so don't be easily shaken because somebody said thus says the Lord. It's a it's a tragedy, and it's it has created train wrecks throughout the ages.

But there's another reason why I believe people do this. And they they actually the answer, if you wanna know, if if you're interested, and again, I'm coming from a pastoral perspective because I've seen I've seen the sheep wounded by this. I've seen so many people broken and so many people even tormented because at one point ten years ago, somebody said God said, when in fact, it wasn't God. Why do people do this? Can I give you another strong reason?

It's actually found in a book where God often condemned those who kept saying, thus says the Lord, the book of Jeremiah. Look at Jeremiah chapter 14 verse 14. Very quickly, just to get an insight of of why this behavior is so frequent, and why some are in the habit of doing this. Jeremiah fourteen fourteen, easy reference to remember, but look at the look at the rebuke that the Lord offers. When he looks down from heaven and sees all these false prophets running around saying, thus says the Lord, thus says the Lord.

Judgment isn't coming. Invasion isn't coming. Peace. Peace. And the Lord said to me, the prophets are prophesying lies in my name.

I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and look at this, and the deceit of their own minds. That is powerful. And the deceit of their own minds. So do you wanna know why even some today are running around in churches and they're whispering to people?

God told me. I'll tell you why, at least according to this verse. Some people are so covetous or so desiring something to be true that they actually have come to a point where they believe God told them. So it's so overwhelming. It's so gripping that they've come to a point where they actually believe that the Lord is the one who is behind whatever it is that is rumbling in their hearts.

And and Jeremiah is told that's the deceit in their own minds. So they're actually under the persuasion that the Lord is the one behind this because they have misinterpreted their desires with his. And so what you have with many people, and this can slip I'm being very practical tonight. This can slip and manifest even in dreams that people have. So what you have is you want something so bad that you think about something so often that it pops up in your sleep because it's there in your subconscious.

You've been entertaining it. With much busyness comes many dreams. And well, it has to be God. Well, it has to be God. Because God spoke to Joseph in a dream, and then and and it just it's it's scary.

It's really scary. Now there will be a time, God willing, where we can we can spend a study on how God or can God speak in a subjective way? But oftentimes, that's not the case. You know this, and I have to say this just in case people on YouTube are ready to find anything. The word of God is God's way of speaking to us.

Yes. But God can actually manifest in certain ways. My concern is 99% of what people say is God is not God. And we see here that the contribution to much of God said is the deception in their own minds. We won't stop there because we have a few verses, but we're almost there.

Let's go to second Samuel four again as we conclude. These men says, the Lord has avenged my lord, the king this day on Saul and on his offspring. Verse nine. But David answered Rechab and Baanah, his brother, the sons of Ramon, the Berathite, as the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity. I love that.

As the Lord lives now he's invoking the name of the Lord in the right way, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity. What's he trying to say there? Contrary to you brothers, I experienced the Lord in the way where he delivered me and brought me to this point without the need of deception, without the need of manipulation, without the need of unrighteous activity. God is the one who made a way. God is the one who brought me to this point.

God is the one who is behind all my success. I did not need to participate in any sinful manner to advance the cause. He paved the path for me, removed every obstacle without the utilization of shady activity, bribery, or exploitation. For you two to murder this innocent man is enough evidence for me to realize that God is not behind what you're doing. The true God actually brought me here without me needing to do anything that would grieve him or dishonor him to arrive.

This is a true man of God. This is this is a true person who believes in God's leadership in their lives. If God really will bring you somewhere, God will do it, and you don't have to do anything that would break his heart or take his name in vain. And then we come to verse 11 as we close. He essentially says in verse 10, the last time somebody said, behold, Saul is dead and thought he was bringing good news, lost his life.

Verse 11. How much more when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed? Shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth? And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.

So David looks at these men and says, you guys set yourself up. You exposed yourself. You're done. And as a king who is supposed to execute justice, he has them executed. Kinda breaks my heart a little bit because we see that he didn't do this with somebody else.

Who did he not do this with? He was supposed to do this with somebody else, but because he had a role that played in his success, he chose not to. Joab. Joab. He didn't do this with Joab.

And so the inconsistency is a little disheartening, but nonetheless, there is still something to applaud here. David wants to make it very clear, I will not condone this sin. But more than that, he's doing something very, very strategic and important by condemning these these men. He is bringing clarity that he had no participation in this plot to the watching nation. I had nothing to do with this man being removed.

I did not I did not try to extinguish Saul's house. This has nothing to do with me, and I will prove it. The men who did this, I will have killed. And so he is confirming the righteousness of his own testimony, listen to this, by condemning evil. And that is important because many people believe that our relationship to sin as Christians is merely to shun it and not participate in it, but the Bible actually calls us to go further than that in how we deal with sin that is around us.

And Ephesians five eleven is our last verse. It says very plainly, take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead does anybody know the rest of it? Expose them. Take no participation, no part, no affiliation, even to the point where he says, don't even talk about these things because even mentioning certain sins in detail can be spiritually harmful. But what you are to do, again, not just distance yourself, go further than that.

Expose them. You know what it means to expose? Confront it. Rebuke it. Correct it.

Challenge it. Teach about it. Clarify on it. Expose them. And that's what David is doing.

Because if the church is not careful to address certain things, then we put ourselves in a position where we can confuse a watching world of whether or not we are for it or not for it. And I've heard pastors over the years growing up as a believer and even being in ministry in the past several years. I've heard different pastors with with societal issues who refuse to address these things publicly because they think that it is not their job to bring about clarification of where their ministry stands on these things that are clear in the bible. And I agree. Don't make your pulpit something, a a a soapbox where you speak about every single issue that comes up on a headline, but we are called to speak on societal issues when they're about sin.

We should be because we want the church to be informed and we want the watching world not to be confused of where we stand on these things. And that is how we solidify our testimony as David did here. He made a statement of where he stood according to the law of God based on his condemnation and not just his lack of participation. And if we do that, then we will know great success in being the light of the world. And that is why the days that we're living in are so significant, because if you've noticed, we've seen one moral issue surface after the next.

Right? And it has not just shook the world, it has been shaking the church. And if you if you watch carefully, what is actually happening is there is a divide taking place, and it's a good division. What's actually happening is the churches who refuse to expose sin are being exposed themselves. That make sense?

The churches who refuse to address and speak about sin because these things in society are pressuring people to speak up, they end up confessing that they're actually for these things. I I could not believe the deafening silence in the evangelical world when Roe v Wade was overturned. It was quiet. It was too quiet. And you even had some who blatantly said, this is an assault on freedom.

God is about choice. And I said, this is it. This is it. And that's only gonna intensify, and it is by God's sovereign will that in the West, there's gonna be a greater line drawn between the true and the deceived. The true and the deceived.

So these are exciting times. May I exhort you in closing. Stay awake. Stay awake. Not time for nap nap.

Not time to be asleep. Realize the prophetic significance of the signs of the time and choose to be a part of what God wants to do in a redeeming way in our generation. Lord, we thank you for this bible study. Lord, we realize that some things were repeated, but we are creatures of repetition. We realize that some things were new, and we thank you for fresh truth.

But, Lord, in this time, we just wanna respond to you in gratitude that your word, even though thousands of years written in a culture that is almost unrecognizable to our own in terms of how things work in technology and transportation. You still have things to tell us through that. Through that time in history in Israel's monarchy, you have things to speak to us today. We bless you for that. We thank you from everything that we heard today, that it came from your heart into our own.

Lord, if there's anybody in here who recognizes that they are spiritually broken and that they are a son or daughter of Adam. May they hear the voice of the king to come, to sit at your table, and you have made a way through the cross of Jesus Christ. You have made a way through the blood of the lamb to redeem them and to adopt them. May they sense your voice beckoning them and bidding them to surrender to your lordship and to see the love of Jesus Christ for them even in their brokenness. We ask these things in Jesus' name.

Amen. Can we stand and worship together?