Page Three: “Wisdom Versus Rashness” – 5/06/2012
And, consider the fact that David had huge family problems. His firstborn son was killed by his own brother. Then Absalom, when the opportunity arose, usurped the throne, forcing David into hiding. But problems notwithstanding, David was still God’s anointed king.
Folks, here was a man with leadership skills; with the power of influence in his spirit; with the ability to use his words to effect tremendous change. Yet, his heart was far from God.
The lesson here is obvious, isn’t it? You too may have great persuasive skills; even oratory skills; you may even be a leader. Yet, when the heart is not submitted to the LORD, God’s glory will not be evident in your life. And, as we are all learning by experience, when we launch ahead without looking first to God, we are taking ourselves out from under God’s protection and can and often do expect dire results.
We are here in this world for one basic reason; to honor and obey God. That’s quite basic. But this implies that we must surrender our hearts to His. The LORD’s will is that we give ourselves completely to Him and pray daily “Our Father Who art in Heaven, Thy will be done …”
Those Sheba’s of this world can and do lead. They draw people after themselves, rather than encouraging them to surrender to God. And, after a time, it becomes obvious that being selfish, power-hungry, and self-driven is not God’s way.
The third lesson we can learn as we observe Sheba at work on the pages of our Bible is this. Character matters. The word God uses to describe Sheba is “a man of Belial.”
Belial is a term that means “wicked and worthless.” In the NT, the Apostle Paul contrasts Belial with Jesus Himself. II Corinthians 6:15 “And what concord hath Christ with Belial? …”
Sheba is an example of a man who rebels against obvious God-ordained authority. Here is a restless man, to say the least. And, as we seen here in God’s word, many people will and often do follow those who refuse to put themselves under God’s authority. Yet, to live your life away from and apart from the words of Scripture is to live life as a rudder-less ship. Character matters whoever you are and whatever you do.
Consider this. If you reject God as the moral and spiritual rudder for your life, what will you turn to? What can you turn to? What will happen to a ship without a rudder? What will happen to a life that proceeds rudderless for days or weeks or months or years?
Now, let me make something very plain here. The final authority for your life and for my life is not what I think or what someone says. The final word on anything is the Word of God.
Fortunately for all of us, God wrote down on pages in a book, the things we need to know when it comes to living on this planet. We have the record of the beginning and the end of history.
And we have God’s word on matters that pertain to daily life. We’ve got it written down for us. God’s call to each of us today is to read and study and learn and to obey the teachings that He has recorded for us.
This is your foundation. Your Bible is God’s voice in this world. It, He, will not fail you.
Sheba was a trouble-maker plain and simple. His rashness; his decision to reject David’s leadership; his choice to go his own way left him open to disaster.
And God left his story in the Bible for our learning.
Sheba’s story teaches us the utter foolishness of moving out from under God-ordained authority and into reckless boldness.
The second individual that we find here is an unnamed wise woman. Her story is quite encouraging, to say the least. She’s found in verse fifteen. Please follow the story with me.
II Samuel 20:15 “And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
(16) Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
(17) And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
(18) Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.
(19) I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD? (20) And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
(21) The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
(22) Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.”
Folks, here was a man with leadership skills; with the power of influence in his spirit; with the ability to use his words to effect tremendous change. Yet, his heart was far from God.
The lesson here is obvious, isn’t it? You too may have great persuasive skills; even oratory skills; you may even be a leader. Yet, when the heart is not submitted to the LORD, God’s glory will not be evident in your life. And, as we are all learning by experience, when we launch ahead without looking first to God, we are taking ourselves out from under God’s protection and can and often do expect dire results.
We are here in this world for one basic reason; to honor and obey God. That’s quite basic. But this implies that we must surrender our hearts to His. The LORD’s will is that we give ourselves completely to Him and pray daily “Our Father Who art in Heaven, Thy will be done …”
Those Sheba’s of this world can and do lead. They draw people after themselves, rather than encouraging them to surrender to God. And, after a time, it becomes obvious that being selfish, power-hungry, and self-driven is not God’s way.
The third lesson we can learn as we observe Sheba at work on the pages of our Bible is this. Character matters. The word God uses to describe Sheba is “a man of Belial.”
Belial is a term that means “wicked and worthless.” In the NT, the Apostle Paul contrasts Belial with Jesus Himself. II Corinthians 6:15 “And what concord hath Christ with Belial? …”
Sheba is an example of a man who rebels against obvious God-ordained authority. Here is a restless man, to say the least. And, as we seen here in God’s word, many people will and often do follow those who refuse to put themselves under God’s authority. Yet, to live your life away from and apart from the words of Scripture is to live life as a rudder-less ship. Character matters whoever you are and whatever you do.
Consider this. If you reject God as the moral and spiritual rudder for your life, what will you turn to? What can you turn to? What will happen to a ship without a rudder? What will happen to a life that proceeds rudderless for days or weeks or months or years?
Now, let me make something very plain here. The final authority for your life and for my life is not what I think or what someone says. The final word on anything is the Word of God.
Fortunately for all of us, God wrote down on pages in a book, the things we need to know when it comes to living on this planet. We have the record of the beginning and the end of history.
And we have God’s word on matters that pertain to daily life. We’ve got it written down for us. God’s call to each of us today is to read and study and learn and to obey the teachings that He has recorded for us.
This is your foundation. Your Bible is God’s voice in this world. It, He, will not fail you.
Sheba was a trouble-maker plain and simple. His rashness; his decision to reject David’s leadership; his choice to go his own way left him open to disaster.
And God left his story in the Bible for our learning.
Sheba’s story teaches us the utter foolishness of moving out from under God-ordained authority and into reckless boldness.
The second individual that we find here is an unnamed wise woman. Her story is quite encouraging, to say the least. She’s found in verse fifteen. Please follow the story with me.
II Samuel 20:15 “And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
(16) Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
(17) And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
(18) Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.
(19) I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD? (20) And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
(21) The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
(22) Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.”