(3) And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. (4) But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! (5) And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines; (6) In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. (7) Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.”
These truly unkind words were said to David on the very day that his son Absalom has died. Joab was the Captain of the Israeli Army. It was he who personally taken Absalom’s life. And now Joab appears before the king on what I would say was probably the worst day of David’s life. And he’s so rude and insensitive that he rebukes David for turning a day of victory into a day of sadness.
For David, though, it was a day of sadness. And it may very well have been the lowest day of his life. Yet, who was it that wrote this song here?
Psalm 109:21 “But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. (22) For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. (23) I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. (24) My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. (25) I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. (26) Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: (27) That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it. (28) Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice. (29) Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. (30) I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude. (31) For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.”
This from the heart of a man with more heartaches than any of us here can imagine. More than likely we can all agree that heartless and insensitive Joab had no right to chide David for his fatherly response to the death of Absalom. Yet, when we are passing through the deep waters of this world, we all know the words of men are not near as comforting as the Comfort of God that comes when we yield ourselves to our Father and look for His help in our time of need.
I’d like to take you to a NT truth that has helped me time and again as I’m sure it has helped you. It’s Hebrews 4:16. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
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These truly unkind words were said to David on the very day that his son Absalom has died. Joab was the Captain of the Israeli Army. It was he who personally taken Absalom’s life. And now Joab appears before the king on what I would say was probably the worst day of David’s life. And he’s so rude and insensitive that he rebukes David for turning a day of victory into a day of sadness.
For David, though, it was a day of sadness. And it may very well have been the lowest day of his life. Yet, who was it that wrote this song here?
Psalm 109:21 “But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. (22) For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. (23) I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. (24) My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. (25) I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. (26) Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: (27) That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it. (28) Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice. (29) Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. (30) I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude. (31) For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.”
This from the heart of a man with more heartaches than any of us here can imagine. More than likely we can all agree that heartless and insensitive Joab had no right to chide David for his fatherly response to the death of Absalom. Yet, when we are passing through the deep waters of this world, we all know the words of men are not near as comforting as the Comfort of God that comes when we yield ourselves to our Father and look for His help in our time of need.
I’d like to take you to a NT truth that has helped me time and again as I’m sure it has helped you. It’s Hebrews 4:16. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Go on to page three