Promised Consequence (Part 3)

Good morning. If you're with us, we're continuing through 2 Samuel, and we've been in this particular episode that ends today. That's not all the text we'll be looking at. Our text is from 18 to 20, and we've seen David persevere in the midst of difficulty. When Saul was seeking his life, we saw him as a faithful man of God who trusted God with a great giant. with different enemies, he trusted the Lord, he trusted the Lord as he got into older age, he got comfortable, God had given him such victory over the Philistines that he stayed home and in that midst of comfort and casual living, he committed adultery, murder, he lied. And what we've been seeing here with this episode of Absalom that began in chapter 13, First character introduced there in chapter 13, now we see the end of Absalom's reign, we'll call it. We see David's sin continuing to have ripple effects. In many ways, we've seen David be a model of Jesus Christ who has his victory. He's been a foreshadowing of the great king who would conquer. We've seen him be an example of prayer. And sadly, we also see him being a mirror for our own sin. This story is complicated. It's a long text, so I did put in here somewhat of an outline. This is not a sermon outline. If you look on the bulletin, if you go to the front page of the website, you can see the bulletin on page seven. This is just to kind of show you the flow of the text. And notice there's some difficulty. What's supposed to happen when you have victory? Rejoicing. Instead, there's weeping, and the people are afraid. What happens when you return? There's supposed to be unity, but David finds himself in the midst of division. And then that division leads to rebellion. We see the ongoing effects of sin, and we see that people continue to hurt because of David's sin. One son's murdered. One daughter's raped, 10 more concubines raped, 20,000 men die because of the consequences of David's sin. As we consider this text, here's the one truth that I hope we see in this story, quite frankly, through all stories. Here it's emphasized, God's people need God's good rule. God's people need God's good rule. A key word there is good. There's good authority when it comes from God. He is a generous, kind God. We as his people, we need it. Go back to Judge's key theme. When there was no king, when there was no one exercising the rule of God, everyone did what was right in their own eyes. It was just evil that escalated. Samuel began with everyone doing still what was right in their own eyes. Let's get a king who looks like us. Let's get a king that looks like the nations rather. We see the people need God's good rule, and God is kind, God is patient, God is forgiving. He finally gives them David, and we think, wow, we finally see a king doing the right things. He's defeating the Philistines. He's giving safe borders. He's wanting to promote worship. He's showing loving kindness. But in the end, David is a king just like us. He points to the true king we need that we'll see in a moment is Jesus Christ. If you're taking notes, our first point here in chapter 18, verses one, really through 19, eight, we see discouraged in victory. I'm gonna call this discouraged in victory. And here, it's not David I'm wanting to emphasize, it's the people. The people come into a prominent place again here in the story. They've not been a main focus of the story up until now, but now the people of Israel, the people of Judah, the peoples, They are now in the forefront of the story again as we keep walking through. Discouraged in victory. Chapter 18, verse 1, we see a change. David has fled from Absalom. He's fled his capital. He's left ten concubines behind. Absalom has drawn a line in the sand. He took them. declaring I'm the king, it was such a rebellious act against his father, it demands and requires death. This is a moment where he's saying there's no going back between David and I, you make a decision. Well David has fled, he's outside of the promised land, he's now mustered the men. He's come to a strength and we see him putting generals in place, we see Joab, Abishai, his brother, and the Gittite. And what's interesting is he sends these men out, he does agree, okay, I'm not going to go, but look at verse five, this is a significant moment here. The king ordered Joab, and Abishai, and Etah, those are the three generals, deal gently, for my sake, with the young man Absalom. Through this last week, Absalom is a, Antichrist. He is against God's anointed. He is the one who's led this rebellion. He's the one who has continued to ratchet up the sin against Israel, the sin against God, and the sin against David. And here we see an odd pep talk, an odd instruction, an odd way of sending his army out. Don't have absolute victory. Be gentle. You don't go out to war thinking of how to be gentle when someone is this kind of enemy who has been wicked. It's odd. And notice it's important, it's emphasized, all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom. So everyone now is somewhat confused. The generals, the people, David himself, okay, go out and have victory, but be gentle. the first time that something's off. Verse six, so the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim, and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David. The loss was great, 20,000 Israelites. David is fighting with Judah, the Israelites have united themselves with Absalom, and the battle is now fierce, the battle is decisive, 20,000 Israelites. Now, okay, it says the forest devoured more than the sword. We don't know if this is a foreshadowing of the fire swamp with rodents of unusual size. It isn't clear what's happening other than God in his sovereignty brought decisive victory. And what should happen when there's a victory? There should be rejoicing. Okay, but what about Absalom? All right, so this is where the story even gets more interesting. Absalom happened to be, he's riding on his mule and he gets caught in a tree. It says his head gets caught in a tree. After this point, Absalom has just seemed to be a very cunning, powerful, handsome, with big hair, man. And now, after being so cunning, he's been so patient, he took years to plot his brother's murder, he took years to plot his father's ousting, we've seen him so capable, and now, riding away on a donkey, he gets stuck in a tree. This is odd. Is this showing the irony of the vanity of the man and the way he would weigh his hair every year? His vanity, his self-confidence, his power. Have they not worked against him? Possibly. All we see is God handing Absalom over to Joab. A man hears Absalom who's hanging in an oak. That language is very specific because it's the same wording from Deuteronomy where it says, cursed is everyone who is hanged in a tree. And it shows Absalom is cursed by the very word choice used. Now a man comes to Absalom and says, or he says, Joab, I found Absalom. What do you mean? Take me to him. Why are you waiting? Well, I know what happened when Someone touched the Lord's anointed. When Saul was killed, David killed the man who touched the Lord's anointed. When Ishmael, Saul's son, who was fighting David for seven years, when someone killed him, David put him to death. And I heard, David said, don't kill Absalom, deal gently with him. Joab says, verse 14, I will not waste time like this with you. And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom. Job is a decisive man. Job is a cunning, political, powerful maneuverer. He doesn't, he's heard his king's instruction, but he also has known Absalom's wickedness. Is this right? Should he have disobeyed the king here? We'll have to wrestle with that in a moment. And then more so, his armor bearers struck and killed Absalom, Absalom's dead. This is the end of that conspiracy. This is the end of that rebellion. The enemy of David and Israel and God is now done. So they blew the trumpet. What should happen next? It should be great rejoicing. Go send news to the king. Any other situation with the Philistines, go send news immediately. But Joab delayed. He delays. We see Ahimaz, who's been a faithful servant, I wanna run to the king, I wanna tell him what's happened. I think Job's here saying, no, you're a faithful servant and I know what happened to the previous news bearers. I'm gonna send my Cushite servant. But he outran the Cushite. Notice verses 24 to 27, it's confusing in the way it's even told. Two men come in and say good news. We see David saying, what has happened? And the first man says, it's good news. We have victory. David says, but what about my son? And here, Ahimaz, he has to, I think bend the truth. He says, I don't know, there's a lot of confusion. I don't know what happened. Absalom has told him he's dead. He knows, Job has told him Absalom's dead, but here he's scared to tell David the news. The Kushite is not, verse 28. All is well. And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth. Blessed be the Lord, the God who has delivered up the men who rose against him. He says here he has seen the great commotion, he does not know, but then the Cushite comes, good news from the Lord, the king, the Lord has delivered him. Here again we see twice, the Lord has given you victory. But the Cushite, verse 31, he tells him Absalom's dead. And here we see David, and we're gonna have to wrestle with this, because we've had these different layers. David as a father weeps, that's right. David as a king needs to lead his people. That's what he doesn't do. There's a certain twisting of the heart in our own way we even think about this. David is a father who loves his son and so when he hears his son is dead, he weeps and it's emphatic. He's deeply moved. He wept at the gates. My son, my son, my son, Absalom. If I would've just been dead instead of you. My son, my son, Absalom. And it'll continue on in chapter 19. Verse four, oh my son, my son, Absalom. Is this proper grief? And this is where we have to realize there's numerous layers to the story. There's a family layer. He's a father weeping for a son. It's right for a father to weep over a son. But David is also a king over God's people. And Absalom is fighting against God and fighting against David as the king and fighting against God's people for what is good and right. This weeping appears to be ungodly because it is not aligned with God. God, in chapter 17, verse 14, said, I intend to harm Absalom. Absalom is fighting against God and his anointed, and here David is not aligned. Now that's confusing, because he should be weeping over his son. But first and foremost, he should be seeking God, he should be wanting to be aligned with God, and he needs to lead his people into victory. This is where the complication is really seen. There was mourning and there was grieving. Look at chapter 19, verse one. It was told Joab, behold the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom. So the victory of that day was turned into mourning for all the people. And all the people heard the Lord was grieving. They had to steal in, look at verse three. The people stole into the city, they had to sneak in. That's what you do when you've been defeated. You sneak back in, you're embarrassed, you're defeated. This is not the way it's supposed to be. Our author is showing us there's something off here. You do not grieve and sneak in with a shame when God has given you victory. What happens next is actually more interesting. Joab comes, verse five, and Joab is David's nephew, which means he is the cousin of Absalom. He's killed his cousin. We see here David continues to show favoritism to family members, and that's kind of our big problem. Joab confronts David, and Joab has been cunning, he's been powerful, he's been wise, but he has never shown a fear of God. And so if Joab corrects you, something's really off. I think Joab's right. You've covered your face with shame today. You've hated those who love you, and you've loved those who hated you. You're aligned with Absalom, who's been fighting against us, and now we are ashamed because we did what was right. David recognizes the problem. He goes out, and look what happens in verse eight. He goes and sits at the gate, and the people come before him. The people of God are longing to have a king that they can trust, they're longing to have a king that they can rejoice with, and finally David does what is right. Now let's go back and let's wrestle with that father, son, king versus antichrist dilemma because I see here a father weeping for his son, I wanna say that's right. We see here a king weeping over the enemy's defeat. That's wrong. Well, thankfully, God's word gives us some clarity. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 10. These very words of Jesus, I think, actually help inform this passage. Matthew chapter 10, beginning verse 34. Jesus says, do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword For I have come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Those are difficult words from our Lord and Savior. He's challenging a certain way in which we might think in that the family unit is of utmost importance. It's the first priority. Jesus is saying the blood that matters most is the blood that purchases you from your own sin. The blood that is most important, the blood that is most worthy, that he who is most worthy is he who poured out his blood, who purchased you with his own blood. Now, be very clear, Jesus is not anti-family. He has not come to disrupt the family that he created and gave instructions to. No, he is the one who designed the family. He is the one who gives good instructions to it. He's making a point by contrast. You can't love anything, those closest to you, especially, more than me. Verse 37, 38, it makes it very clear. The trouble isn't loving your father or loving your son, it's if you love them more. If you prioritize someone, anything, at any time, you're not worthy. The word worthy is very important. You worship. what you think is worthy? You prioritize what is worthy? Jesus is saying, if you love me with all your heart, then you'll actually know how to properly prioritize a love for your family, a love for your neighbor, a love for one another. But if at any point you love anyone or anything more than me, you've decided you're an idolater. You've decided they're more worthy. Our most basic problem is that we have a love problem. We often have loves disordered. Is it good to love a father? Yeah, one of the commandments is honor your mother and father. Is it good to love a son? Yes, God's own word makes it clear, the father loves his son. Here it's a matter of challenging the idolatry. Loving, anyone or anything more than God. Jesus says you're not worthy if you're going to put anyone or anything above me as worthy. So we take this and place it over on David. It's not wrong that he loves his son, it's wrong that he sees his son as more worthy than his responsibility towards God. We're called to love the Lord our God with all our hearts. And then we're able to love others as we're supposed to. Let's go to our next section that again has a great confusion. There's been victory and the response is grief and fear among the people. Now we see the people are coming more into the forefront. We see here chapter 19 verse eight. Notice it's cut in half with your heading most likely. And all the people came before the king. Okay, so the people with David are coming to him because they finally came out in victory. But notice the second half of verse eight, now all Israel had fled every man to his own home. Well, we knew they fled because at the end of the battle, verse 17, and all Israel had fled to his own home. There's Judah, that's the tribe of David. That's where Jerusalem is. Then there's the other tribes, the 10 northern tribes. They've been fighting with Absalom, and they've fled. They're going home. And this conversation is important. Actually, it's not a conversation, it's an argument. And all the people were arguing through all the tribes of Israel. The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines. Okay, that's David. King David, he is the one who gave us peace from all our enemies. But now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. Okay, so David abandoned the throne. He put the people under Absalom by abandoning the throne. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Okay, so you capture their predicament. There was David, he was great, he fled, then there was Absalom, we aligned ourselves with Absalom, but now he's dead, we can't put him on the throne, what are we to do? Who are we gonna elect next? What's the next best option? That last verse is important. Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing the king back. This next section is all about Jesus coming, or Jesus, David coming back. Okay, he's fled, he's out of the promised land, he's not even in Israel, he's not in Jerusalem where he should be, he needs to be brought back. And here the first thing we see is an argument This is our problem now. Why aren't we talking about bringing him back? And notice all they're doing is talking about bringing him back. They're not inviting him back. They're not making plans to bring him back. They're talking about bringing him back. Okay? So we see there, there's going to be a coming back emphasis. Now here, 11 to 15. David has to initiate with his own tribe. to request coming back. And that's weird. A king asking, now can I come back? And King David sent his message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priest. Say to the elders of Judah, why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king? You are my brothers, we're bone and flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king? He's appealed to the elders. We're flesh and blood, we're the same tribe. You don't wanna be the last, you wanna be the first. Verse 13, and say to Amasa, are you not my bone and my flesh? Amasa is the general, was the general for Absalom. David, Joab, Absalom, Amasa. Amasa is David's nephew, just like Joab. So he's appealing to Judah. Amasa is from the tribe of Judah. Are you not my bone and my flesh as well? God do so to me and more also if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab. Okay, remember that. Two cousins, Amasa, the enemy general, just replaced Joab, the one who killed David's son. And he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so they sent word to the king, return, come back, both you and all your servants. So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king over the Jordan. So there's been a great parade. People are coming back down to bring the king in. And we're gonna go through this next section pretty quickly, but you notice there verse 19, Shimei. Verse 24, Mephibosheth. Verse 31, Barzillai. Well, those are three characters we had on the way out of Jerusalem. Shimei is from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the one cursing David. And David said, no, the Lord will bless me if I just endure this curse. The Lord has had him set up to curse me. And in a very similar conversation, one of his mighty men say, just let me kill him, let me cut his head off. David again, he hears that again and says, no. Now what's interesting about Shimei, he comes and he says, verse 19, let not my Lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong in the day my Lord the King left Jerusalem. Do not let the King take it to heart for your servant knows that I have sinned. Shimei is giving a full confession. David says, today you will not die. Complicated, whenever David hands the throne over to Solomon, he gives instruction to kill him. Verse 24, Mephibosheth comes and he explains to David, no, Ziba, he tricked me. All this was a farce. And so David, he does give Ziba some of the land and Mephibosheth more, but Mephibosheth, he seems to be the son who finally gets it. He's actually a grandson of Saul, but he's been brought to the king's table to be treated like a son. Mephibosheth doesn't care about the land. He's just glad David's home. He seems to be the one who actually gets it. David is the anointed who's shown loving kindness. He just wants him home. Now, Barzilla, the Giladite, he's the one who blessed David with food and provisions and proper care, and he's too old to come, so he sends his son. And so David comes back. Restored in some way to Shimei and Mephibosheth and giving honor to Barzilla. But our attention needs to drop down on verse 41. Notice again, the people are in view. All the men of Israel. There's three different statements. Remember, all the Israel, they're fleeing and they're arguing, why are we not talking about bringing David back? David asked Judah, you don't wanna be the last people to bring me back. And now we see friction. The men of Israel, that is the 10 tribes, came to the king. The men of Israel, they come to David and they say, why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you away? Remember, Avsalom had stolen their hearts? Now they're saying, David, why have you let your tribe, Judah, steal you away from us? And they brought the king and his household and all David's men with him. Israel is asking, David, why are you letting Judah steal you away? Now, that is important if we think, if David's pattern has been to show partiality and favoritism, you're afraid of him not looking at you and showing you favoritism. That's what's driving this. Israel's saying, why would you let them steal you away There's fear if a king shows partiality. Verse 42, the men of Judah answer back to Israel. Because the king is our close relative, he's blood in our bone, why then are you angry over this matter? We have not eaten at all the king's expense, or has he given us any gift? We haven't been bribed, we're just doing what's right according to the family. So Judah responds to Israel. Now Israel responds to Judah. Notice it's focused here. We have 10 shares in the king. And in David also we have more than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing David back? And yes they were the first to speak of bringing David back. These three statements are just highlighting whatever commotion and argument is going on among the tribes, and it's all about making sure that we get some kind of share, because if you don't have an absolute share, if you don't have favoritism from this king, you might not get anything. David has proven himself to be an untrustworthy king. Notice how our author, our narrator, gives us an interpretation. The words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of Israel. Three different speeches, but what we see here are cracks. These cracks are gonna lead to a rebellion, next chapter. These cracks are gonna lead to division. these cracks are going to actually eventually in two generations later lead to these two peoples, these two sections dividing. Northern Israel, after Solomon, his sons divide the kingdom. And we see here David's own sin, David's inability to lead, David's inability to be just is what starts putting those cracks in. They're gonna eat away into division. He has shown partiality and so his people jockey for position. It's what they would naturally do because they don't trust him. And so you see tribes divided. Here's where we ask, what kind of rule does God have for us? What kind of rule is good for us? One key question we should be asking, what kind of king can keep sinners united? Well, the answer is the only one that can keep us united is the only one who can save us. You know, we think about divisions and rivalries in churches and nations and peoples. What's the strategy? What's the resolution? Well, for us, we need to see that Jesus came to actually heal these very kinds of divisions. He came to take those who felt estranged, who were estranged, those who were far off, to bring them near. He is the one who takes away the dividing walls and brings about a new kind of people from all tribes, all peoples, all nations. He seeks to bring in all who come to him by faith. Here's the good news. Jesus does not show partiality. He's the only one of us that doesn't. But Jesus does not show partiality. Jew, Gentile, male, free, slave, free, male, female, slave, free, barbarian, and Scythian. And we think about that. He doesn't show partiality. the first thing we have to realize that means is he will give everybody what they deserve. If we demand to get what we deserve, Jesus will show no partiality. He will see every deed and he will treat it as it deserves to be treated and there will be judgment and wrath. He does not show partiality. David does. He did not punish the wicked. He would not discipline his children. Jesus does not show partiality. He renders unto us according to our works. Unless we come to him by faith. And there again, there is no partiality, no matter who you are in your background, no matter who you are in your nationality, your gender, your people group, your sin, if you come to Him by faith, there's no partiality. He says, you're forgiven. The challenge here is what kind of king is David? He's a failing king because he is not a trustworthy king. What kind of king is Jesus? He is the great king because he is perfectly trustworthy in every way and he is always good. We see Israel fighting and dividing and sinning because of their trying to work out and underneath their own king. Church, are we going to be better than Israel? Our king is better. Are we going to be better than Israel? Are we going to try to jockey for position? Are we going to lead to cracks and divisions? Are we going to see him as good and powerful and therefore want to promote his goodness? Are we going to see how generous he is as a kind king? Or do we think he's stingy and so we hold on? Do we see that he gives in wisdom and so we know that whatever he gives is good for us in whatever situation we're in and what he gives to others is good for them. David is not a good king here. His sins are coming and they're now affecting all the people. We have a better king. Are we going to be a better people? Our final section here is Sheba. Notice this worthless man, Sheba, he's a Benjaminite. He takes advantage of this situation. He sees that the nations, or the tribes rather, are divided and any time there is a crack, there's gonna be somebody who wants to be opportunistic, let's lead a revolt. And every good revolt needs a catchy slogan. And so you see that at the end of verse one. We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his own tent. There's no portion. He's shown favoritism. The rest of the tribes can't trust him. Now if that's true or not, it doesn't matter, it sells. David has shown favoritism. It's easy for this to be believed. And so Sheba leads a rebellion. David comes home, he takes care of the concubines, he puts them away, and now again, they are suffering even now, again, because of his sin. The king said to Amasa, call the men of Israel together, verse four. Now, it's interesting, David sends Abishai to go get Sheba. Amasa is going to go get the peoples, and then look here, Joab is there with them. Verse eight, now Joab was wearing a soldier's garment. Over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened to his thigh, and as he went for it, it fell out. And Joab said to Amasa, it is well with you, my brother. And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand, so Joab struck his cousin, the general that replaced him with it, and his entrails fell to the ground. He died. This is all messed up. Joab's murdered Abner? Another general that was a threat to his own power? Here we see he's been plotting, he's been plotting. Again, David seems to actually discipline him. But he now murders his replacement. What do Joab and Abishi do next? That sin is finished in verse 13. Sheba has gone to another city, he's now been fortified. So Joab now is leading the army. A wise woman comes out and confronts Joab. Why are you going to destroy this city? This is unlawful, it's ungodly. And Joab, he responds, oh, far be it from me, verse 20. Oh, I would never do something like that. So they come up with a plan. The woman will cut the head of Sheba off and throw it over the wall. This is just gruesome. Notice what happens. At the end, the woman has this plan. She cuts off Sheba's head. He's the one man who dies so the whole city doesn't have to be destroyed. Verse 22, then the woman went to the people in her wisdom. They cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Vitri, and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet. We've won, and they disperse in the city, and notice again, every man to his own home. Joab to the king. We keep seeing these disbursements. The people fled after Absalom. The people come back to Jerusalem. The people now are fleeing again in rebellion. There's lots of confusion and movement. The people are confused because their king has not been ruling well. And then verse 23 through 25 is very much like a passage 8.13, where it's just kind of a concluding statement. This is what the king looks like. And notice who's there. 23, Joab was in command of all the army. David doesn't punish his nephew. So what do we make of this? Two concluding points. David is a warning to us. He's meant to be a mirror and here the key sin is his partiality. He's been partial to Amnon, not punishing him for raping his sister. He's been partial to Absalom, not punishing him for murdering his brother. He's been partial to Absalom. He's been stirring up controversy. He's been partial to Joab. We need to wrestle with what it means to show partiality or favoritism. God's word isn't unclear about this. We could turn to James. It's a very clear teaching. James teaches us without any qualification. Chapter two, my brothers, show no partiality. As you hold the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. It's no coincidence that he's gone from, God is the generous and perfect giver. Every good and perfect gift comes down from him. And that's one of the reasons we don't show partiality. Because God is good and kind. Look at verse four. Have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? That's kind of getting into the heart of partiality. It's a sin against the Lord of glory. It's a sin that is within our own hearts. And then notice what else it does, verse six. You dishonor the poor man. It dishonors other human beings, image bearers. The church is meant to be the perfectly united people that have one thing in common. We usually think we'll be more united if all the things we have in common are equal. But no, there's one thing that we should all have in common, and that's Jesus Christ and him alone. He's loved us, and therefore we love him, and therefore we love one another. We are purchased by the blood of Christ. That is the fuel and the reason we are to be united. Making the kind of judgments that David has made, the kind of judgments that James is correcting, is one of the many things that disunites the people who are supposed to be united. Let's be clear again, there is only one person who does not have partiality and it's Jesus Christ. He died for us and the poor judgments we make on one another. Here we are, we need to think about partiality. It is our nation's 244th birthday. We can celebrate the ways in which God has blessed us, but to be very clear, there's been lots of partiality along the way. Our nation has shown partiality that caused harm to other image bearers. Past tense. Just as David's shows a division two generations later, But because it's past doesn't mean we can just move past it. There's ongoing ripple effects, there's ongoing consequences. I think we need to be honest about that and recognize that there's been all kinds of partiality shown against certain ethnicities, nationalities, and gender. They need to be recognized and be repented of. And we need to recognize there's reverberating consequences. That's past. Is there partiality there? Yeah. We're still sinners. The media, are they partial in what they promote? Yeah. Are we partial in the way we actually think about what we take in? Yes. If we want to think about that as something past, we think it's something out there, we're not going to help. Partiality is something in here. Okay, what should you do? It's pretty simple instruction. Ask the Lord, show me where my thoughts, my desires, my emotions, my actions do not align with your word. David's did not align even though he was weeping for his son. Where is it that I've not, honored and love my neighbor as you have commanded. Where is it that I've not honored everyone? Where is it that I've not loved the brotherhood? Where is it that I've not feared God? Where is it that I've not honored the Emperor? Those are four commands, 1 Peter 2 17. We don't just go through, we don't just check boxes. We ask God, how can I be holy as you are holy? How can I conduct myself in a holy manner? How can I be more proactively pursuing the commandments that you've given us? First thing is we gotta not be dismissive and say, Lord, help me conform to your word. The sin problem isn't out there. The sin problem isn't here. The solution comes from out there. It's Jesus Christ and his word that corrects us. and teaches us. Next thing we see, David is a contrast. He helps us see our sin. So we need to be thinking, how have I shown partiality? And then he helps us see how much better Jesus is. We have a king who is perfectly generous. What did he give us? Think for a moment, what has Jesus given you? We say grace is a free gift, but we actually say what the free gift is. What has Jesus given us? His life. What has the Father given us? His son. What is he gonna withhold from you if he's given us the greatest thing already? It's truly believing that our king is good and generous. He's not stingy. That's why we seek to be generous. I think the people of God under David reacted according to the king they had. The question for us, are we, the people of Jesus Christ, going to live and walk worthy of the king we have? Will you pray with me?