Bringing Back the King

Bringing Back the King

2 Samuel 19:8-30    

 

Illus. He’s back!

 

            Since 2 Samuel chapter 15, we have been studying the account of King David, who through chapters 15 to 18, was in a difficult fight with His son Absalom. Absalom, as we have studied, turned on David, stole of the hearts of the people through empty words and conspiracies, then ended up forming an army in pursuit of David. In was in chapter 15 where David, the king of Israel, left Jerusalem when he heard his son and his army were coming and over the next few chapters we saw not only David leave the city, but we saw his son enter the city and the people of Israel declared that he was their new king.

            When David left the city, he fled out into the wilderness, not wanting Jerusalem to be become a battlefield. As he left the city, we saw some people who remained with him, and many other people turning on him. In chapter 16 we saw a man named Ziba lie to David in order to trick him into giving land and an inheritance that rightfully belonged to someone else. Also in chapter 16, we studied the account of a man named Shimei who cursed and threw stones at David as he left the city shouting, “Go away, go away, you man of bloodshed and worthless man!” He followed him all the way down the mountain cursing him and throwing rocks at him.

            In many ways, people were kicking David while he was down. They had in place someone they believed was their new king, Absalom. But that “new king,” as we learned in our study, was no king at all. He ended up sending his army out after David and appointed himself the leader of it all, but he ended up hanging from a tree and David’s commander ended up taking Absalom’s life.

            We saw last week that when Absaloms’s life was taken in battled, it was taken against David’s wishes. David wanted Absalom dealt with kindly, but his military commander Joab, seized the opportunity to take Absalom out. We ended chapter 18 with David hearing the next of his son’s death and then crying out in grief. As the page turns from chapter 18 to the beginning of chapter 19, David is still grieving, still mourning the loss of his son.

            In the first few verses of chapter 19, we learn that when the people learned that David, rather than celebrating the military victory was grieving, instead of celebrating, the joy of the people turned to great sadness, they began to act ashamed for the victory that had taken place.

            It is then that Joab went to David, he told him that he has humiliated all the men who fought for him and saved his life and the lives of his family. He tells David that it is apparent that he would have been pleased his Absalom had been spared and his men were dead, that it is looking like he loves those who hate him and hates those who love him. He then tells him that it is time for him to go and encourage his men, and that if he doesn’t, all the men who fought for him will leave him.

 

2 Samuel 19:8(a), So the king got up and sat at the gate. When they told all the people, saying, “Behold, the king is sitting at the gate,” then all the people came before the king.

 

            When David got up and sat at the gate, he was presenting himself again to the people. For him, to sit at the gate was to send a message to the people that he was in charge, he was accessible, his morning was over, and he was back to the business of governing. All the people who had gone with him into battle then came before him, and the implication here is that his seat at the gate was encouraging to them.

            It is then that the attention is turned to the people of Israel and Judah who had turned on him. David is going to come back into the city and what we will see is there posture and approach to David entering back into the city. He will have an encounter with the man who lied to him, to the one who cursed at and threw rocks as him, and with all the people to turned on him.

            Their posture and approach toward David as he enters back into the city is far different than the posture they had when he was away, and certainly different that their posture when he was leaving. Here in chapter 19, the people recognize again that David is king, and upon this realization, we see things changing.

            One phrase we see repeated centers on the posture and approach the people in Israel and Judah have surrounding “bringing back the king.” And that is where I want to set our focus as we proceed this morning. By turning our attention to not only the return of king David and how things begin changing upon his return. But more, our posture and approach toward Jesus our King and from this text, three important truths when we are welcoming in or bringing back the king into our lives personally.

 

1. Get Settled Regarding His Status

 

2 Samuel 19:8(b)-10, Now Israel had fled, each to his tent. And all the people were quarreling throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king rescued us from the hands of our enemies and saved us from the hands of the Philistines, but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. However, Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now then, why are you silent about bringing the king back?”

 

• With David still out in the wilderness, before his return to the city, the people began quarreling. NKJV reads “all the people were in a dispute throughout all the tribes of Israel.” NIV reads, “all the people were arguing among themselves.”

 

• The people knew who David was and what he had done for them. He had led them in victory against their enemies, he had saved them from the Philistines, he was a victorious leader and king.

 

• Though he had done great things for them, they however, had selected Absalom as their king, not Absalom was gone and the people were in a dispute about bringing back the king.

 

• We don’t know all the details of the disputes, or every argument made, but we know that it was centered on whether or not to bring back the king, what that would mean, and why they ended up choosing the false king in the first place.

 

• With the people full of unrest with unresolved quarreling, the question is asked, “why are you silent,” “why aren’t you talking about bringing back the king?” in other words, “we need to start talking about bringing back the king.” We turned on him, but Absalom is gone, we can’t remain silent about bringing back the king.

 

• The first group is referred to here simply as “Israel,” which is a reference here to the 10 northern tribes of Israel, and then in verse 11, the attention is turned to the two southern tribes of Israel, here called “Judah.”

 

• Word gets to David about Israel’s discussions on bringing him back, then he turns his attention to Judah.

 

2 Samuel 19:11-15, Then King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the word of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house? You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’

 

• David was from the tribe of Judah, and Jerusalem, where David has made his home, was in Jerusalem.

 

• David sends word to the leaders of the city through two priests, asking them, “why are you the last to bring back the king?” Then he says, “You are by bone and flesh… Why then should you be the last to bring back the king?”

 

• He is asking a good question, why don’t you bring back the king? You know who I am, you know where I am from, you know where I live, why are you waiting?

 

2 Samuel 19:13, And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more so, if you will not be commander of the army for me continually, in place of Joab.’”

 

• Amasa was another one of David’s nephews from his sister Abigail, and Amasa was also Joab’s cousin Joab had been David’s military leader, and Amasa was that captain of Absalom’s army.
• David extends the invitation for Amasa, his relative, to take the place of his army commander even though he was led the army that was against him.

 

• This would have a two-fold reason, number one, to show his desire for real reconciliation, and two, Joab had gone against David’s order to show kindness to Absalom so he is removing him from his long-held leadership position. 

 

• David asks these questions, “why are you not bringing back the king?” and extends these offerings “you will serve me continually,” but what we don’t see is David forcing his reign upon the people, it is not a hostile takeover type situation….David is asking the questions, giving them the opportunity.

 

2 Samuel 19:14 So he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.”

 

• After the questions surrounding his status as king, after the questions surrounding why they hadn’t brought the king back, after the offering to welcoming him in and knowing there would be a place for them with him, the hearts of the people were turned toward him.

 

2 Samuel 19:15 The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And the men of Judah came to Gilgal in order to go to meet the king, to escort the king across the Jordan.

 

• The people turned to him, and the king returned to them.

 

• This is an important scene for us to see personally.

 

• When it comes to Lord in our lives, we must get settled on his status.

 

• The people in David’s day had put another king in place, certainly there are people today that anoint other kings in their lives. There can be all sorts of things people put in place as ruler in their lives.

 

Illus. Return to Reign.

 

Revelation 17:14, These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.

 

• This is who Jesus is, He is King. As we go through the Scriptures we see it, and there toward the end of Revelation, the Bible declares it.

 

• The definition of the word “King” is “ruler, or one who rules.” In other words, a king is in charge, they rule, they reign.

 

Illus. He’s the boss.

 

• In Luke chapter 6, Jesus asks a question…

 

Luke 6:46, “Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

 

• In other words, the people were calling him something, but they were not acting in accordance this the title they were applying to him. They needed to not simply get settled on His title, but His status, His place and their posture toward Him in their lives.

 

The people know who David was and what he had done…they had some questions…But as they were asking questions…They were not drawing conclusions…The quarreling, disputing…

 

When you set Jesus as the undisputed king in your life…Your questions begin change, your conflicts are settled by His conclusions…

 

1. Go with His Conclusions Surrounding Your Confessions

 

• During the intro, I mention that while David was leaving Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 16, that a man named Shimei came after David cursing and throwing rocks at him.

 

• He shouted at David, telling him to go away, that the Lord handed the kingdom over to Absalom and David was getting what he deserved.

 

• One of David’s men, Abishai, asked David if he could go over and cut of Shimei’s head, but David said no.

 

• David and all his warrior just kept on their way down the backside of the Mount of Olives and Shimei followed them all the way down the mountain cursing, throwing rocks, and he even added dirt into the mix (2 Samuel 16:13).

 

• That was on the way out of town, with David leaving his seat at king, but now, he is on his way back into the city, the people recognize his status as king, and Absalom had been defeated. Clearly, David was King.

 

• As David heads back toward the city we learn about the second meeting between David and Shimei.

 

2 Samuel 19:16-23, Then Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king. Then they crossed the shallow places repeatedly to bring over the king’s household, and to do what was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan.

 

• As news gets out regarding the kings return, Shimei heads his way. In addition to Shimei, a man named Ziba, his sons, and his servants come to meet David. Ziba lied to David in chapter 16 and Shimei is the one who cursed David as his left the city.

 

• When David left the city, it looked to them like he was done. Ziba came to take advantage of him when he was at a low point, Shimei, came to kick David while he was down. But now, he’s back.

 

2 Samuel 19:19-20, And he [Shimei] said to the king, “May my lord not consider me guilty, nor call to mind what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, so that the king would take it to heart. For your servant knows that I have sinned; so behold, I have come today, the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”

 

• When David left town, he probably thought, you know, I will never see him again, I just want to get rid of him.

 

• Now he says, “please forgive me, please do not call to mind my wrong. Please don’t take it to heart…I know I have sinned; I am coming to you today to confess.”

 

• Here he is, in front of all the people, many of the people with David were hit by the rocks he once threw.

 

• Here he is asking for forgiveness.

 

2 Samuel 19:21-23, But Abishai the son of Zeruiah responded, “Should Shimei not be put to death for this, the fact that he cursed the Lord’s anointed?” David then said, “What [m]is there between you and me, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary to me today? Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?” So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” The king also swore to him.

 

• Abishai remembers the rocks, the dirt, the cursing, and his response in remembering is to tell David, “Take him out! Remind him whose the king!”

 

• David responds, I am the king, he is turning to me, nobody should put to death today.

 

Psalm 103:2-13, Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits; Who pardons all your guilt, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with favor and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the sons of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always contend with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our guilty deeds. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

 

Isaiah 55:6-7, Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked abandon his way, and the unrighteous person his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

 

1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

• What was key to the forgiveness of Shimei, confession.

 

• Shimei confessed, he repented of his sin against the king. He had gone one way, he had a posture against David, threw rocks at him, cursed him, three mud at him and his men…But now, he greets the king as he comes back in, and he is forgiven.

 

• Shimei pleads with David, please do not call to mind what I did on that day.

 

• There are many Scriptures were we read about the Lord remembering our sins no more…

 

Jeremiah 31:34, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more”.

 

Hebrews 8:12, “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more”.

 

Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more

 

• When the Bible says God will remember our sins no more, it means he does not act according to them. He is not calling them to mind every time we call to him in prayer. He see us through His Son, Jesus, as forgiven.

 

Illus. Shimei.

 

• Regarding Shimei, there was a conclusion regarding his confession, He was forgiven. There was also a need for him to know that he needed to go and sin no more (1 Kings 2).

 

III.   Give Him Priority as You Proceed

 

2 Samuel 19:24-28, Then Mephibosheth the grandson of Saul came down to meet the king; but he had neither tended to his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes since the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. And it was when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” So he said, “My lord the king, my servant betrayed me; for your servant said, ‘I will saddle the donkey for myself so that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ since your servant cannot walk. Furthermore, he has slandered your servant 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 my father’s household was only people worthy of death to my lord the king; yet you placed your servant among those who ate at your own table. So what right do I still have, that I should complain anymore to the king?”

 

• We were first introduced Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 4. He was the only remaining son in the line of Saul and was the son of David’s friend, Jonathan, but he was permanently disable in both feet and unable to walk.

 

• In 2 Samuel 9, David remembered a promise he made to Jonathan, that he would show kindness and never cut off his kindness from Jonathan’s family.

 

• David kept his promise to Jonathan and showed kindness to Mephibosheth. He restored to him all that once belonged to Saul and gave Mephibosheth a seat at the kings table so he would sit a son of the king.

 

• A man named Ziba was given the command to serve Mephibosheth, but when David was leaving the city, Ziba came and told what we now know is an untrue story, that Mephibosheth had turned on David, and wanted to take his seat as king.

 

• Here we learn that it was all a lie, that Mephibosheth had been all out of sorts since the king left. He had not cared for his feet, he didn’t trim his beard, he didn’t wash his clothes since David left the city…He was disrupted, distraught, and disheartened.

 

• David questioned Mephibosheth as to why he didn’t go with David, and Mephibosheth responded that he wanted to, but his servant (Ziba) betrayed him.

 

2 Samuel 19:29-30, So the king said to him, “Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’”

 

• It is curious that David, after hearing that he was lied to, tells Mephibosheth, “What’s done is done, I told Ziba he gets half of the estate.” But some commentators draw the conclusion that David was doing this to test Mephibosheth…Was he there because he want to sit at David’s table? Or was he there because he wanted his stuff back?

 

• How would he respond?

 

2 Samuel 19:30, And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house.”

 

• Mephibosheth says, I am not concerned about the land, or stuff, he can have it all, I am just glad you are back.

 

• The king was returning, and Mephibosheth was more focused on the giver that the gifts.

 

• Mephibosheth revealed his priority; it was being back with the king. The king was his everything.

 

Illus. Life in the kingdom.

 

Matthew 6:25-33, 25

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Samuel 19:8-30