["Pomp and Circumstance"]
Good morning, everyone.
Welcome to the St. Louis Baptist Church.
Great to see you all here for our first annual service.
If you could all please have a seat and grab a headlobe
and turn that headlobe to song number 137.
We can begin this evening's service
by singing song number 137.
The time is left, please.
The time is right, please.
We will say it now.
The time is right, please.
If you need an anchor, be very sure.
Be very sure.
The anchor holds, he gives us solid air.
This life is Jesus, this is Allah.
This life is Jesus, the only God.
Be very sure, be very sure.
The anchor holds, he gives us solid air.
The time is right, please.
Be very sure, be very sure.
The anchor holds, he gives us solid air.
This life is Jesus, this is Allah.
The time is right, please.
The anchor holds, he gives us solid air.
This life is Jesus, the only God.
Be very sure, be very sure.
The anchor holds, he gives us solid air.
This life is Jesus, this is Allah.
This life is Jesus, the only God.
Be very sure, be very sure.
The anchor holds, he gives us solid air.
Amen.
Lord, thank you so much for the day.
Thank you for allowing us to be in the church tonight.
May you be with us, be with our seniors.
We love you, in Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.
Let's turn to Psalm 303.
Psalm 303, my faith lives up to me.
My faith lives up to me.
Now Lamb of Calvary, save your divine.
Now hear me now, my great Lord.
Take all my gifts away.
Oh, let me come this day.
Be holy mine.
May thy rich grace so far.
Staying to my things in my life.
Nice healing smile, as thou hast died for me.
Oh, may my love to thee come warm and change this week.
Alleluia, be fine.
O Lord, the days are drear.
Embrace the realm with strength.
Be thou my God.
May thy grace turn to me.
Last sorrow's tears await.
Lord, let me ever train from thee a sign.
Then as my strength to dream, then as both songs ring,
shall all be born.
Let's sing, O Lamb of God, hear her distrusting.
Oh, there we say, for both our hands have sworn.
At this time, we'll go over the announcements.
Immediately following, we'll be singing Psalm 343.
If you'd like to turn it around, we'll do 343.
All right, if you need a bulletin,
please look up the pan.
We're at 31 Aswey's.
We've got our service time.
It's there at the top.
We'll be in 1 Kings chapter 2 tonight.
We've got church slowly times, salvation and baptisms
for the welcome here.
So far, any salvations to report going since Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday.
We'll go out and give them Saturday, Sunday.
And then don't forget, we've got a few notes there
regarding the church.
Please be sure to sign up for cell phones for the service
if you haven't already done so.
On the right-hand side, we're working
with the New Testament 98 channel.
So if you can get the entire New Testament read in 90 days
and have it finished by March 31st,
you can be invited to a pizza party
and you can get your name listed on the church website.
So that's going to be that prize there.
Don't forget, also, the operation confiscation.
So we've got the operation is to replace false versions
with the King James version.
So as you're out solving or in your personal life,
if you want to take a paperback King James Bible
from here at the church and swap it out
for somebody's false version and bring it back here
so you're getting the inside and throw it in the trash
where false versions belong in the trash.
We've got that big wastebasket back there.
I'll probably move that for you here later this week.
But at the end of the year, we'll count them all up.
Whoever's got the most is going to win
a leather-bound Cambridge King James version.
So I think what I'm going to do is
I'm going to do first, second, and third place.
I've been thinking about this.
And then I'll have three different versions.
Not versions, I said that last week.
But different models of the King James version, OK?
There are King James all in here.
That would be an ironic prize.
So at the end of the 19th day.
So we'll have different styles of King James
and different bindings and things.
And the first place gets first pick.
Second place gets second pick.
And then third place will get third pick.
It's probably a little bit.
So that's coming up.
Don't forget, also,
the men's monthly preaching night
is going to begin this Tuesday.
So that's going to be January 25th at 7 p.m.
Open to men at least 18 years of age.
No spectators allowed.
So if you're coming, please be prepared to preach.
And also, we'll have a preening that's the last Tuesday
of every month going forward.
On the back, your own giving statements
are available by request.
Please submit your request by email
at faithfulworth1atgmail.com.
Being that we're a smaller bunch here,
if you want to just come ask me and remind me,
I'll make a note to do that.
You have to, you know,
it's a different story in Tempe.
If I have 50 people coming in and say,
hey, you remember to do that?
I won't remember to do that.
So if you need that here in Tucson,
you can just come to me directly
or you can email the church,
however you want to get it.
So that is available if you need it, okay?
Also, Mexico Mondays,
that's the day trip in Nogales the first Monday
of every month.
So that'll be coming up here soon.
Don't forget the 2022 camping trip is booked
Monday, June 27th to Thursday, June 30th
at Southern Pines Baptist Camp in Mount Lemmon.
I'm really excited about this one.
This is right down the road from where we've been
typically going, Showers Point.
This is that Baptist camp that's right there
on East Organization Road.
It's the same road you could practically throw a rock
and do it from where we were.
But it's got a lot of A-frames.
And basically the A-frames, the bunk houses,
I know it's kind of early to go into all of this,
but people are already asking questions.
I'm not excited to talk about it anyway.
A-frames are just bunk houses.
Meaning they're just there for,
they have bunk beds, mattresses.
You'll have to bring your own bedding,
but that's all they're there for.
The shower facilities are separate.
And then there's a chapel and a kitchen area,
a dining area as well.
So that's how that is all kind of laid out.
I'll have more details.
They're going to be sending more information,
but I put in the dates in.
I know it's early so that you can get that time off.
We can fit a hundred people up there.
So you're more than welcome to bring your family out
and get everybody up there.
And then we'll have more details about that
going forward as far as creatures and things like that.
Is there a piano up there?
I think there is.
Actually, yeah, I think there is a piano.
So I'll double check on that,
but I believe that's a good question.
So yeah, I'm pretty sure I saw a piano up there.
So I'll have to ask you.
But I got a book, The Preachers, now.
So if there's a particular creature that you just got to have,
now's your time to win me over.
I like chocolate chip cookies,
but I also like peanut butter as well.
So that's good to me.
But that's got to do it for announcements.
We'll go ahead and sing one more song before we get to the end.
The 343, remind us again.
We praise thee, O God,
O Son of thy love,
For Jesus, through thy hand,
Is now my love.
Hallelujah by the glory,
Hallelujah, amen.
Hallelujah by the glory,
Revive us again.
We praise thee, O God,
For thy spirit of life,
Who has shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.
Hallelujah by the glory,
Hallelujah, amen.
Hallelujah by the glory,
Revive us again.
O glory and praise,
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who has borne all our sins,
And has cleansed every stain.
Hallelujah by the glory,
Hallelujah, amen.
Hallelujah by the glory,
Revive us again.
Let each heart with thy love,
Make soul be rekindled,
With fire from above.
Hallelujah by the glory,
Hallelujah, amen.
Hallelujah by the glory,
Revive us again.
At this time, we'll pass the offering point.
As the play goes around,
let's turn our Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 2.
1 Kings chapter 2, as always,
will be the entire chapter.
Please follow along silently
as we read from 1 Kings chapter 2.
1 Kings chapter 2.
After 1 John 1 John 1 Matthew 7
To keep a charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, his judgments, his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself.
That the Lord may continue his word which is state concerning you, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, and what before me are true to the other heart and the other soul, and cannot fail you, say, He, the man, or the good.
Moreover, thou knowest also the joy of the son of Zeruiah identity, and when he did it with two captains, the host of Israel, because of Adam, the son of Nern, and to Amazah, the son of Jethro, who used to do it, he shed the blood of war and peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle, that was about his horns, and in his shoes, about his feet.
Do therefore, according to thy wisdom, let not his forehead go down to the grave of peace, but show kindness unto the son of Barzilliah the guilty of death, and let them be of those that eat at thy table.
For so they came to me, who I have pled, and to Amazah, my brother, and behold, thou was with me Shimei, the son of Gerak, a reverend of the earth, which caught cursing with the previous curse of the day, and I read to me a name, and came down to meet me at Jordan, and swear to him by the Lord, saying, Thou shalt not put me to death, but the sword.
Now therefore, behold not guiltless, but thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou hast to do unto him, but his forehead brings out now to the grave with blood.
So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. In the days that David reigned over Israel for forty years, seven years reigning in Hebrew, and thirty to three years reigning in Jerusalem.
Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David's father, and his kingdom was established greatly. And Adonijah, son of Hagar, came to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon.
And she said, Come, stop peacefully. And he said peacefully. He said, Moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee, and she said, Sayon.
And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom is mine, and that all Israel is such a face is on me that I should reign, albeit the kingdom is turned about, and has become my brothers.
For it is his that is ruled. And now I ask one petition, and deny it not. And he said unto him, Sayon. And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, for he will not say any name.
And he gave me Abishad, and shoot him up to wife. And Bathsheba said, Well, go speak for me unto the king.
Bathsheba therefore went unto King Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and got himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother.
And she sat on his right hand. And she said, I desire one small petition of thee, and pray thee, say me not name. And the king said unto her, Ask God, my mother, for I will not say any name.
And she said, Let Abishad, and shoot him up, be given to Adonijah, thy brother to wife.
And he saw him, and answered, and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask, Abishad, and shoot him up for Adonijah?
Ask him for the kingdom also, for he is my healthy brother, and for him, and for the biathal of the priests, and for Joab the son of Zirai.
And he saw him, and sware by the Lord, saying, God restore to me, more also, if Adonijah had not spoken this word against his own life.
Now therefore, as the Lord lived, which had established me, and set me on the throne of thee and my father, who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death his dead.
And he saw him, and sat by the hand of the knife, and said unto Joab the brother, He fell upon him that he died.
And to abide by the priest, said the king, Get thee to Anakah, and to the end of fields, for thou wert thee yet, but thou wert not at this time to think death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord God, before giving my father, and because thou didst inflict it, and all were wherein my father would inflict it.
So Solomon thrust out of my thoughts of being a priest with the Lord, and who had fulfilled the will of the Lord, with his faith concerning the house of Eli, and childhood.
And the titans came to Joab, for Joab had turned after Adonijah, who had turned Adonijah.
And Joab fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and got hold of the horns of the altar.
And he was told to the psalmist, that Joab was fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and he holed him by the altar.
And he saw him, and said, When I had sent him to the boy that sent him to go, he fell upon him.
And when I had came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and sent him, blessed the king before him.
And he said, Nay, thou diedest.
And when I had brought the king away again, said him, Blessed Joab, and blessed the answer.
And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and followed the father very.
And thou wouldest take away the gifts of blood, which Joab shed for me, from the house of my father.
The Lord shall return his blood upon his own head.
I fell upon two men, one more anxious than any other than me, and slew them of the sword.
My father David, not knowing thereof to wit.
Adonijah son of Nern, captain of the host of Israel, and the master, son of Jethro, captain of the host of Judah.
Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of the sea forever.
And upon David, and upon his feet, and upon his house, and upon his throne, tell there be peace forever through the Lord.
So Benaiah the son of Jehoiadah went up, and fell upon him, and slew him.
He was buried in his own house for the wilderness.
And the king, Jehoiadah the son of Jehoiadah, in his room, over the host,
exotic the priest of the king, from the room of Bihari.
When the king sang, called for Shimei, and sent him, there will be an house of Jerusalem,
his lover, who will not report that it is any good.
For it shall be thou the day that thou goest out, and passeth over the book of Adoniah.
Thou shalt know of her servant, and thou shalt surely die.
That blood shall be upon the head.
And Shimei the son of Jehoiadah, the same is good.
As the Lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do.
And Shimei flew on Jerusalem in the days, and it came to pass, at the end of three years,
that two of us, the servants of Shimei, had a way into Achish, the son of Medhika, in Gath.
And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants in Gath.
And Shimei rose, and saddled his last, and went to Gath to Achish.
And some good servants of Shimei went, and brought his servants with Gath.
And it was told so, that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.
And the king sent, and called for Shimei, and said unto him,
Do thou make thee to swear by the Lord?
And protested unto thee, saying, Go for a servant, for the day that thou goest out,
and walkest abroad, and whither, that thou shalt surely die?
And thou saidest unto me, The word that I have heard is good.
Why then, hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?
The king said, Moreover to Shimei, I knowest all the wickedness, which that heart is privy to.
That thou didst give my father, and therefore the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thy own head.
And the king, the king Solomon, shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.
So the king commanded the night, and sent him to the hoyder, which went out, and fell upon him, and died.
And the kingdom was established, and the hand of Saul.
For that I have expressed to us.
Lord, heavenly Father, just thank you for today, Lord God.
Just thank you for everything you do for us, Lord God.
We just acknowledge you tonight, Lord God, and I say to just bless the preaching today, Lord God.
But Brother Corbin, would your holy spirit, Lord God, and just allow him to preach boldly to us, Lord God,
and just give us ears to understand your word, Lord.
In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Amen.
So, your first Kings, chapter number two there.
And it's kind of a longer chapter, but we'll get right into it.
We'll get it wrapped up tonight.
But the first thing I want to point out there in verse one, it says,
Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die, and he charged Saul and his son,
saying, I go the way of the earth.
Be thou strong, therefore, and shew thyself a man.
You know, there's a sermon right there.
We could probably spend the rest of the night just talking about how to be a man, you have to shew yourself strong.
You know, strength is something that men should have.
You know, they should have physical strength.
They should have spiritual strength.
Obviously, in particular, it's important for Solomon because of the fact that he's a leader.
He's leading God's people.
You know, leaders should have strength.
And we also see that, you know, being strong and being a man are things that are associated.
And boy, do we need to hear that today.
We've got a lot of, you know, effeminate, you know, I'm hesitant to call them men.
I prefer to just call them male, you know, just because that's their gender, regardless of what they might say.
You know, just a lot of very soft, very effeminate culture that we're growing up in today.
And we're, you know, thankfully, it feels like it's kind of gone away.
But there was that whole thing about toxic masculinity.
I don't know if that's still a phrase that's being thrown around a lot.
You know, this generation doesn't have a long enough attention span to even stick with these things anymore.
They just throw it.
They're just, you know, they're upset about this thing and it's on to the next one.
They're upset about this and it's on the next one.
And they forget about it.
You know, so this whole idea of, you know, you can be too manly.
You know, you can't be manly enough.
You can't be strong enough.
Especially in the day and age we're living in where they're trying to blur the lines between genders and blur the lines between male and female.
You know, we need to be strong as men and show ourselves as men, you know.
And not ever be embarrassed about, you know, the fact that you are a man or that you are, you know, called to rule and to fill your role as men.
You know, that's something that we should embrace as men.
But again, that's a whole sermon.
But we can't obviously spend the whole night on that.
But, you know, we can't apply this to everybody because verse 3 shows us what that strength is intended for.
It says there in verse 3,
So the strength here is what's required to accomplish verse 3.
It takes strength to perform verse 3.
And look, that goes for everybody.
This is something we should all be trying to do in our lives.
We should all be trying to keep the charge of the Lord our God.
We should all be walking in His ways, keeping His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, His testimonies as is written in the law of Moses.
We should all want to do that.
And look, we can want it all day long but the fact is that it takes strength to be able to do that.
And not physical strength necessarily.
It takes a spiritual strength and we can apply this to every single one of us.
This applies to us too.
Think of all the verses in the New Testament that talk about us being strong.
Tell us as believers to have strength.
If you would, go over to 2 Timothy chapter 2.
We'll read a very familiar passage about this.
I'll remind us a couple other places where the Bible commands us and admonishes us to have strength to be strong.
In order so that we can love the Lord our God and serve Him with all our strength, with all our soul, with all our might.
It says there in 1 Corinthians chapter 16 verse 13,
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, meaning act like a man, be strong.
Again, we see that being strong and being a man are things that are associated.
But we are all to be strong.
We should all have spiritual strength.
That's what it's going to take to live for God.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.
Again, whatever we accomplish for God in this life is not going to be done in the strength of the flesh.
The arm of flesh will fail you.
We need to rest in the Lord's strength.
That's where we find our strength.
The Christian life is not easy.
The Christian life is difficult.
That's why so many people fall out of it.
That's why so many people don't see it through to the end.
Because it requires strength.
And even if they want to do it, even if they're well-intentioned to do it,
if they're not careful and they end up relying on their own strength, they will fail.
Because you have to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.
Your strength will fail you.
You will not make it all the way through.
You have to learn to rely on the Lord.
2 Timothy where you are verse 2 says,
Thou therefore my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
So be strong in His grace.
And the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses,
the same commit thou to faithful men who should be able to teach others.
Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Again, the Christian life is hardness.
There are aspects of it that have to be endured.
I don't want to get up here and paint the picture that it's just this one long drudgery
that we just bear through in life and just grit our teeth and get through the Christian life.
But I'd be lying if I didn't say it wasn't hard.
Obviously there's joy, there's peace, even just coming in here tonight.
It's amazing to me how I can, you're going to probably find this hard to believe,
but some days I'm a little grumpy.
Some days I come in here and I don't know what it is.
It's been a long week.
But as soon as I hear the music playing and I see the brethren and the sister and show up
and I see the kids and it just lifts my spirit.
That's why it's so good to be in church.
He's saying you have to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
There is of course all the joy that comes with living the Christian life,
but there is hardness that we have to endure that comes in many different forms.
He says endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Weak soldiers don't make it, do they?
The soldiers who can't crawl under the barbed wire through the mud,
who can't get their hands dirty and aren't afraid to get some scrapes along the way,
they're not going to make it.
No man that warth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him
hath chosen to be a soldier.
So you can see again that the strength that we are being admonished to have,
the purpose behind it is so that we can endure hardness,
so that we can live the Christian life.
And it is difficult, but if you would go back,
keep something in 2 Timothy, we'll come back later to 1 Timothy, but keep something there.
I don't know if I'm up for this Christian life thing.
You're telling me it's difficult, you're telling me it's hard,
I don't know if this is something I want to do.
Well, let's consider verse 3, back where we were in 1 Kings chapter 2.
He told him at the end of verse 3 that thou mayest prosper.
He didn't tell him, hey, you need to keep his commandments, his statutes, his judgments,
you need to be strong, because I said so.
He said that thou mayest prosper.
There's a promise that comes along with this.
We can prosper in all that thou doest and whithersoever thou turnest thyself.
And that's a great promise out of the word of God, isn't it?
That if we are faithful to God and faithful to his commandments
and faithful to his testimonies as they are written,
that we will prosper wheresoever we turn, our life will prosper.
Again, I'm not saying it's all going to be sunshine and roses, it's always going to be easy,
but we'll prosper, God will bless us.
You see, good success and prosperity is impossible without God.
I say, well, I don't know, I see some people that are pretty prosperous,
but yeah, we have a very skewed idea about what prosperity means, don't we?
If I say, hey, what does it mean to be prosperous,
probably the first thing everyone thinks about is how much money they have in the bank,
how many square feet their house is, how many cars they drive, how new that vehicle is,
how nice they're close.
They think about all these material things, and that's how most people judge prosperity, isn't it?
But we're talking about spiritual prosperity here, we're talking about spiritual success.
That's how we're going to prosper.
And look, sometimes God gives us both.
He does that with Solomon.
Solomon gets both.
He prays for wisdom that he can leave this so great a people, and he says,
because you didn't ask me for riches or the lives of your enemy,
I'm going to give you wisdom and I'm going to give you the riches you didn't ask for.
So I'm not saying that if you see somebody that is prospering financially,
that somehow in spiritual God does give us both, but not always.
And good success and prosperity is something we should want.
If you would, go to Joshua chapter 1.
You're not far from there.
Just go back a little bit to Joshua chapter 1.
The commandment is to keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to be strong in the power of his might.
Why? That thou mayest prosper.
Say, I want to prosper in the Christian life.
Why are you keeping the charge?
Are you walking in the statutes?
Because good success, good prosperity is impossible without God.
That makes me say, yeah, that's pretty obvious, but sometimes we forget that.
The Bible says in James chapter 1, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above
and cometh down from the Father of life.
Every good and perfect gift that we receive is from God.
Joshua chapter 1 verse 6, another person who was admonished repeatedly to be strong.
He said in verse 6, be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people
shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land,
which I swear unto their fathers to give them,
only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law.
Why is it that he has to be strong and courageous to do all that is in the law,
to observe and to do according to all the law?
Not just know what the law says, but to actually do it.
Sometimes that's going to take courage to do all that is in the law.
Sometimes it's going to take courage, it's going to take strength,
it's going to take bravery for you to stand on the word of God and to draw a line in the sand
and say I'm going to stand here on the word of God, I'm not going to back down
and you know that if you do that, people are going to come against you.
Look, people get to that point and they say, they wilt, they fall away
because they don't have the courage, they don't have the strength.
He's saying be strong, be very courageous that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law,
which Moses thy servant commanded thee, turn not from it to the right hand or to the left.
Why? That thou mayest prosper.
Look, prosperity comes when we obey God.
That thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth,
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein.
Look there towards the end, be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
So you notice in this passage how prospering is associated with having the presence of God with you.
He said there not to turn from it to the right hand or the left,
that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest at the end,
for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Look, as long as we're obeying the commandments and we're obeying God's word
and we're keeping his statutes and walking in them,
whatever else happens in life, we know that the Lord is with us and that will prosper.
But again, the prosperity is not always measured in terms of wealth,
which is what most people today, that's how they want to measure it.
They just think, well, it's all measured in terms of wealth.
But it's not. If you would, go back to 1 Timothy where you were earlier.
The Bible says, a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
1 Timothy chapter 6, a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
You know, I'd rather be righteous and poor than wicked and rich.
I'd rather have a little and have God be pleased with me than have some big house
and have some big fancy bank account or whatever,
have all the riches that people chase after and have God not pleased with me.
Because those things will take flight, they'll go away.
You're going to get to the end of your life and go, I wish I would have made more money.
Very few people, very few Christians at least are going to get to the end of their life and think,
well, if I just spent less time in church, less time soul winning, less time reading my Bible,
less time praying and just spend more time trying to make money,
get that house, get that dream car, get those fancy clothes, get whatever it is.
If I just chase material things rather than serve God, I would have been happier.
No Christian is going to get to their life and think that.
And even if they do, they're sure not going to stand in front of the Lord and say that.
They're going to take one look in his face and say, you know what, I wish I would have spent more time
living for God and chasing after the things of God than the things of the world.
And no matter how much we live for the Lord here, we're all going to think that to some degree
when we see the Lord Christ.
So it's better to be a righteous man with little than to have the riches of many wicked.
The Bible says, better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
First Timothy, that's saying it's better to have salad than the steak if love's there.
You got that nice big juicy steak but you're looking across at somebody at the table
and you just can't stand their face.
There's hatred and strife.
You know, I'd rather eat a small morsel of bread, some dry old crusty bread with some people that I love.
The Bible says, I had to go to 1 Timothy 6.
Verse 3, it says, If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words,
even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godliness,
he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and stripes of words
where have cometh envy, strife, railing, evilsomisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds
and destitute of the truth.
And notice this, supposing that gain is godliness, from such withdraw thyself.
You see, people think, well, I'm prospering. I have all this money. I've got all this gain.
I must be a godly person.
You know, you could apply that to a lot of churches.
They say, look how big our building is. Look how many people show up every Sunday.
Look how big our rock band is. Look at all the expensive equipment.
Look at all the expensive stuff we have in here.
Look at everything. Obviously, God's pleased with what we're doing.
Here's how we measure whether or not God is pleased with what you're doing.
Are you lining up with what this book says?
Because you can have all that stuff, and if you're not lining up with this,
I'm here to tell you, you're not prospering spiritually.
God is not pleased with you.
So we measure our prosperity in spiritual wealth.
You know, spiritual wealth is the inheritance that we leave our children.
My kids aren't here to hear it tonight. Maybe they're listening at home,
but I'm just going to break it to them now.
When Dad goes, there ain't going to be much.
There's going to be one suit.
Right? There's going to be a few ties, maybe, by that point.
You know, there's going to be an old, beat-up band.
There's not going to be a lot. There's going to be no dividing of the spoil when Dad goes.
You know, and that's not what I'm working towards.
And look, I'm not against any of that.
It's a good thing to think about your future,
and if you can give your kids a good start in life, great.
If God's blessed you that way, great.
But that's not what we strive for.
What we strive for is to leave a spiritual inheritance.
That's what we want to leave our kids.
That's the inheritance that I want to leave.
If you would, go to Psalms 16.
I know we're not getting very far into 1 Kings chapter 2 tonight,
but we'll finish it here.
I just want to make this point here in the beginning,
because this is the admonition that David gave to his son.
He said, look, here's what I'm leaving you.
You know, you're getting the kingdom.
That's God's doing, but what I'm going to leave you is an admonition.
To love the Lord thy God and to serve Him.
You want to prosper, son?
Keep His commandments. Keep His statutes.
Walk in His way.
He said in verse 4, I'll just read to you from 1 Kings.
He said in verse 4,
He wants them to keep the commandments and all that we read in verse 3,
that the Lord may continue His word,
which He spake concerning me, saying,
if thy children take heed to their way
to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,
there shall not fail thee, said He, a man on the throne of Israel.
Say, look, the inheritance is going to come to you when you love the Lord.
That's what He's leaving him, a spiritual legacy.
You're there in Psalm 16, verse 5.
He said, the Lord is the portion of my inheritance.
Mom, Dad, what am I going to get when you kick the bucket?
When you finally buy the farm, what am I going to get?
Well, hopefully they can know ahead of time they're getting a spiritual inheritance.
He says, the Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup.
They'll get a worn out Bible with Dad and Mom's notes written in it.
They can think about the things that Mom wrote in that book,
what Dad wrote in that book.
They can think about how their Mom and Dad took them to church
and how they went sowing and loved the Lord and lived the Lord
Look, that's the spiritual inheritance we should desire to leave our children.
And if we love the Lord our God, we will prosper in that area
because they are following our example.
Not just the things that we say, but the things that we do.
And if we say, oh, love the Lord, you need to love God, you need to love God,
but we're not loving God, why should they?
He said in verse 6, the lions are fallen unto me in pleasant places,
yea, I have a goodly heritage.
That's the inheritance that we want to leave our kids.
That's the prosperity that we're going to leave behind.
If you would go back to 1 Kings 2, 1 Kings chapter 2.
So that's kind of the opening admonition that David gives Solomon
to love the Lord as God, to keep his commandments and statutes,
to walk in his ways, that thou mayest prosper.
But then he gets gnarly.
Then he basically hands him a hit list in verse 5.
I mean, it really is. He's like, alright, take care of these guys once I'm gone.
Verse 5, moreover thou knowest also that Joab the son of Zaireiah did unto me,
and what he did to the two captains of the host of Israel,
unto Abner the son of Nur, unto Amasa the son of Jethur,
whom he slew and shed the blood of war and peace,
and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins,
and his shoes that were on his feet.
He's calling him just a bloody man. He's a man who murdered these two men.
Do it there before according to thy wisdom,
and let not his poor head go down to the grave in peace.
You know, David's calling for his death.
And, you know, we might read that and go, oh, I can't believe he'd say that.
He's telling him to go kill this guy?
Capital punishment to take him out?
He said, why would David say that?
Well, David doesn't want Solomon and the nation of Israel to suffer God's judgment.
He's already been through that once.
If you remember in 2 Samuel chapter 21,
where there was that famine that came in the days of David for three years,
and the Lord said it was for the house of Saul,
and, excuse me, it was for the Gibeonites, whom Saul slew.
God was punishing them for the innocent blood that was shed.
Remember they had to take seven of Saul's sons and kill them?
I don't remember all that.
But David certainly remembered that, and then in his life he said,
look, I don't want you to go through the same thing that I went through.
I don't want the nation of Israel to go through the same thing that I went through.
So let's go ahead and punish the wicked.
Let's go ahead and avenge the innocent blood that Joab shed.
I believe that's kind of, maybe that was some of the motivation behind David saying this.
But whatever it was, David was right to say this.
David was right to call for the death of Joab,
because he was a murderer.
And the punishment for murder is death, according to scripture.
The Bible says in Genesis 9,
Whoso shedeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.
And whoever sheds another man's blood,
and of course it's talking in terms of murder.
Notice there in 2 Kings, 1 Kings 2,
the problem was that he shed the blood of war in peace.
He shed the blood of war in peace.
And warfare, that's not necessarily murder.
You're still killing people, but you're doing it.
It's something that the government has commissioned.
It's something you've been sent out to do.
You're fighting, hopefully, for a cause that's worth fighting for.
But outside of that, a lot of times, you know,
it's shedding the blood of war in peace.
That's what Joab was guilty of.
Now, if you would, go to Deuteronomy chapter 19.
I'll remind us of this.
I know we went through this when we went through the book of Deuteronomy.
But you have to understand, why is David doing this?
Why is he, you know, it starts out with this very stern admonition,
and this great promise of him being able to prosper,
that he has this opportunity to serve God and see great things done.
And then he basically, like I said, essentially just gives him his kill list.
You know, these are the people that you need to take out.
Is it because David's just some bitter old man at this point?
Or is it because David is a righteous ruler who wants to make sure that justice is done?
Well, it's the latter.
If you're in Deuteronomy chapter 19, verse 9, it says,
If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them which I command thee this day,
to love the Lord thy God, to walk ever in his ways,
Then shalt thou add three cities more for thee besides these three.
This is, of course, dealing with the cities of refuge.
That innocent blood need not shed in thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee,
for inheritance and so blood be upon blood.
But, and remember, the cities of refuge were, if you committed manslaughter,
you could flee there, and you could have a sort of trial,
be found innocent, and remain there until the death of the priest.
There was still a form of punishment, but it wasn't death.
There was no mischief that followed.
If it wasn't a laying in wait, if it wasn't cold-blooded murder.
Now, what Joab did was cold-blooded murder.
He said in verse 11,
But if any man hate his neighbor, which Joab did,
and lie in wait for him, which Joab did,
and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die,
and flee into one of these cities,
that's the one thing Joab didn't do, is flee to a city,
then the elders of this city shall send and fetch and fence,
and deliver him in the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
Thine eyes shall not pity him,
but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel,
that it may go well with thee.
And notice why God wants them to do this.
Why He's saying, look, if there's someone who commits cold-blooded murder,
you have to put them to death. Why?
That it may go well with thee.
But thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel.
Meaning, if this is not carried out,
the guilt of innocent blood lies upon that nation.
And look, that's where we're at as a nation.
There's a lot of innocent blood that has gone unaccounted for in this nation.
And it's going to go, and it will be accounted for eventually.
God will take it out on us.
I mean, God, we've already read it in the past.
We already saw it in the past in 2 Samuel.
Where God's judging Israel for this innocent blood that hasn't been avenged.
And God will do it again.
And this is what He's saying, look, you have to put them to death.
That He may die, not to pity Him.
This life in prison nonsense is not justice, according to God's law.
And again, a lot of times you'll see murder victims,
or the families of murder victims,
they'll say, oh, we forgive them,
the punishment's sufficient.
Well, I'm glad they're more compassionate than God,
but that is not what the Bible says.
The Bible says it's death.
And that's a whole other sermon, again, right there.
If we don't carry out righteous judgment,
that just provokes wicked people to be more wicked.
Wicked people look at the consequences of some of the crimes that they commit,
and say it's worth it.
Life in prison?
Cable television?
Paid meals?
Room and board?
I'll go ahead and commit that heinous crime.
It's worth it.
Death?
Well, we might make people think twice.
Let's move along the story, I've got a lot to get through.
Go back to 1 Kings 2, it says in verse 7,
But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite,
and let them be of deeds that eat at thy table,
for they so came to me when I fled from Absalom thy brother.
And behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gira,
a Benjamite of Bahurim,
which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Maeanaim.
But he came down to meet me at Jordan,
and I swear to him by the Lord, saying,
I will not put thee to death with the sword.
So David's kind of saying,
well, I said I would put him to death.
So that's why I didn't do it, but you could go ahead and put him to death.
And it's interesting how Solomon handles this one.
We'll notice that here in a minute.
He's basically asking for, he says in verse 9,
Now therefore hold them not guiltless,
for thou art a wise man,
and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him.
He's kind of laying it on, he's pretty thick,
you know what to do, son.
But his whorehead, you know, whore meaning white,
he's an old man, bring down to the grave with blood, he said, kill him.
Now with Solomon, excuse me, with Joab,
it seems pretty clear cut, and it is.
I mean, he killed innocent men.
That's as clear as day, he deserved to die.
He gets a little murky with Barzillai the Gileadite.
He gets a little murky with some murky waters.
What exactly did he do that's worthy of death?
He met David in the way, he called him a son of Belial,
he cast rocks at him, kicked dust at him, cursed him,
you know, and it wasn't good.
Now remember when David came back,
he was the first one to meet him when he crossed the river Jordan
and fell down and basically begged for mercy,
and David said, well, I'm not going to kill you,
and my son will do it later.
You know, and whether right or wrong,
you know, people need to understand,
as it says in Proverbs chapter 20,
the fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion,
whoso provoketh him to anger, sineth against his own soul.
It's not, you know, don't poke the bear.
You know, basically what's that say?
Well, you know, it's not right for him to do it.
He can't do anything to me.
Yeah, but that doesn't mean he's not going to.
You know, we shouldn't provoke authority.
We shouldn't provoke people that have power to do us harm,
you know, hoping that they're always going to do the right thing,
because they don't.
A lot of times they do the wrong thing.
A lot of times they act impulsively.
A lot of times they get emotional in the situation
and their judgment is clouded,
and they just want to lash out back at us.
So, you know, that was Barzilai's mistake,
was, you know, provoking him, the king, to anger.
He sinned against his own soul.
And obviously this is something David hasn't forgotten about.
He's held onto this.
Verse 10, so David slept with his fathers
and was buried in the city of David.
And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years,
seven years reigned in Hebron
and thirty years reigned in Jerusalem.
Then sat Solomon upon the throne of his father
and his kingdom was established greatly.
And Adonijah, the son of Hagath, came to Bathsheba,
the mother of Solomon.
And she said, Comeest thou peaceably?
And he said, peaceably.
And he said, Moreover, verse 14,
I have somewhat to say unto these.
And she said, Say on.
And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine,
and that all Israel set their faces on me
that I should reign,
howbeit the kingdom is turned about
and has become my brothers,
for it was his from the Lord.
So what's going on here in the story at this point
is that Adonijah, you know,
he just can't accept his lot in life.
And we talked about last week how bad people
insist on being in positions of leadership.
And even when they're completely put out,
even when things go completely wrong,
you know, they just can't accept the fact
that they're not going to get what they want.
And they start to scheme, right,
and try to find ways to get in that position.
And that's what's going on in the story.
There's nothing about how he loves this woman.
There's nothing in there about that.
You know, he's going to ask for Abishag the Shumanite to wife
for a very specific reason.
It's a political play is what's going on here.
He said in verse 16,
And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not.
And she said unto him, Say on.
And he said, Speak, I pray thee unto Solomon the king,
for he will not say nay to thee,
not say thee nay, excuse me,
that he give me Abishag the Shumanite to wife.
Now if you remember Abishag the Shumanite to wife,
that was the young virgin that they used to keep David warm.
We read about it last week when he was an old man.
You know, she waited upon him and warmed him up.
You know, there was nothing sensual going on there,
but he was still, we talked about it last week
about just kind of a weird situation anyway.
But obviously her being in that position
kind of elevated her to a certain status.
So what I believe is going on here is that Adonijah
wants to get this woman to wife
so that he can kind of show that he has some rank,
that he has some pull, maybe even down the road
commit some kind of insurrection, who knows.
But I believe this is a political move that he's doing.
It's very similar to what Absalom did
by laying with David's concubines in sight of all Israel.
Remember he built the, put the tent up on the roof
and went in onto his concubines
in the middle of the day in front of everybody.
You know, he was just trying to show everybody that,
hey, I'm in charge.
It was a political move.
I think this is a similar situation to what's going on here.
He wants to show, I'm not completely put out here.
You know, I still have some rank in this kingdom
because he's a bad person.
He's wicked.
Is that the fact that somebody else has the position
that he's not meant for, OK?
And it just goes to show you these people just
can't give things up.
Now, let me make it perfectly clear
because this is the danger of things like commentaries
and maybe this particular thing isn't dangerous.
But it goes to show you that you can't always
just trust what a cross reference or some kind
of a glossary is going to say because a lot of people
will say, well, Abishag was David's wife.
But I see no evidence of that, that she was not his wife.
That's my belief because, one, there's no wedding.
And the Bible never shies away from telling us when
David took other women to wife.
That's how he got Bathsheba in Second Samuel.
You know, it says that when her mourning was passed,
David was sent and fetched her to his house
and she became his wife.
You don't see that about Abishag.
It never says that she became his wife.
And there's no wedding.
There's no consummation.
Like when Isaac brought Rebecca into his mother's tent
and he took Rebecca and she became his wife
and he loved her.
You know, there's no wedding there.
What made the man wife was the consummation of that union.
That's what made the man wife.
And it says that in 1 Kings chapter 1
where we were last week, it's very clear.
It says, the damsel was very fair and cherished the king
and ministered to him, but the king knew her not.
And that knowing there means in a physical way,
like Adam knew his wife and she bear a son.
So it's very clear here that one, David didn't know her.
So even if there was a wedding, you know,
there's no consummation.
It's not legitimate.
And that is, you know, by the way,
that's kind of just a situation very rarely that we come across.
But sometimes, you know, I've seen it where people have said,
can I remarry?
I was married once, but we didn't consummate the marriage.
You know, there was no physical union.
You know, in that instance, I would say yes
because of the fact that there was no physical union there.
That's really what constitutes a marriage
when you're really studying out.
I mean, that's how Isaac took Rebecca on to, you know,
to make him his wife.
It was a physical union.
Now, you know, that's not something you come across
very often, but it does happen.
You know, that's kind of, that's my opinion.
That's how I feel about it.
You might feel differently, but chances are,
neither of us will probably ever have to deal with that situation
maybe once in our whole life, right?
But, you know, again, I'm just making the point here
that Abishag, I don't believe, was David's wife for these reasons,
that this is just a political move by Adonijah nonetheless.
You have to remember, Adonijah is Solomon's enemy.
He's not David's enemy.
He's Solomon's enemy.
He's David's son.
You know, this guy wasn't on David's list.
David had a couple other names on his list.
Adonijah wasn't one of them.
And we read the story there, how Bathsheba goes
and she goes to Solomon and she asks for Abishag,
the Shumanite, to wife for Adonijah.
And it says in verse 22,
And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother,
And why dost thou ask me, Abishag, the Shumanite, for Adonijah,
ask me for the kingdom also?
So Solomon doesn't have any, he sees what's going on here.
You know, his eyes are open.
He says, oh, you're going to ask me for the kingdom also?
Why don't you just give him that?
For he is my elder brother even for him and for Abiathar the priest
and for Joab the son of Zoriah.
He says, why don't you just give him my counsel?
Why don't you just give him all these people?
And why don't you just take the kingdom from him?
You're not thinking here, right?
And he says, verse 23,
And then King Solomon sware by the Lord, saying,
God do so to me, and more also if Adonijah
have not spoken this word against his own life.
Because remember in chapter one last week,
Adonijah got a big pass, didn't he?
He went and laid hands, he grabbed on the horns of the altar,
and Solomon said, hey, if he proves himself a worthy man, he'll live.
He said, you know, all is forgiven, I'm going to take the kingdom,
we're just going to move past this.
But Adonijah can't let it go, he's a wicked person, right?
He's just got to have, he's got to be in a position of power,
he's got to have some kind of role play.
And it looks like Solomon understands what he's really trying to do
is get the kingdom back.
So he's proving himself to not be a worthy man,
and therefore, Solomon determines that he's worthy of death.
Verse 24,
Now therefore, as the Lord liveth, which hath established me,
and set me on the throne of David my father,
whom he hath made me in house,
as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.
And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada,
and fell upon him that he died.
So again, that's kind of the conclusion of the story of Adonijah,
a bad person who just insisted and conspired in order to have power.
Verse 26,
And unto Abiathar the priest said to the king,
Get thee to Anathoth unto thine own fields,
for thou art worthy of death,
but I will not at this time put thee to death,
because he was in on it with Adonijah.
Remember that last week?
He said, You're worthy to die, but I'm not going to put you to death,
because thou bearest the ark of the Lord God before David my father,
and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.
So he's saying, Look, you deserve to die, but you're going to get a pass.
So Solomon's giving passes out, right?
He's also revoking them when people, you know,
go against his good graces,
and people, you know, like Adonijah, don't recognize the break they've been given.
You know, he says, Okay, well, we can play hardball, too.
So he's given Abiathar here a big pass, too.
Verse 29,
And it was told King Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord,
and behold, he is by the altar.
Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Joiada said, Go, fall upon him.
I love this story. I don't know why I love this story.
I love this story.
One, because Joab is a bad dude, and I don't mean that in a good way.
I mean, you know, he's not a good man, and he's a bad man.
He killed innocent people.
You know, we read all about him. We learned his whole story.
We should know it by now.
And you think about him as just this big, tough guy, right?
He's the leader of the army. He's this bad dude.
But once he learns his own neck is on the line, he's trying to save himself
by running to the altar and grabbing hold of it like Adonijah, right?
And I love how Solomon's just like, Go, fall upon him.
Go kill him. I don't care where he's at. Go get him.
And Benaiah came to the tabernacle ward and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth.
And he said, Nay, but I will die here.
Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus saith Joab.
And thus he answered me.
And the king said unto him, Do as he has said. Fall upon him and bury him.
He said, Oh, is that where you want to die? Then fine. Go ahead. Die there.
And that thou mayst take away the innocent blood which Joab shed from me and from the house of my father.
And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head,
who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword.
My father David did not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Nur, captain of the host of Israel,
and Amasa the son of Jethur, captain of the host of Judah.
Therefore their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his seed forever,
and upon David and upon his seed and upon his house and upon his throne,
shall there be peace forever from the Lord.
Verse 34, So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and slew him,
and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host,
and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.
So, you know, it's why I was just telling us how things kind of played out,
kind of tying up the loose ends after David's reign, how things played out for Joab.
And it wasn't good.
But what I want to notice here is how Solomon handled Shimei.
Because we read earlier where David's like,
Thou knowest what to do, bring his forehead down to the grave with blood.
Right, he's saying kill him, because he cursed me.
Now Solomon followed through with Joab, right, because that was just, we read that in the scripture.
Whosoever shedeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. That was a righteous move.
But Solomon here, he gives Shimei a big break, gives him a second chance.
And I want, and I'm going to wrap it up here on this point,
but I want you to pay attention here because,
and I've actually preached a whole sermon on this years ago,
but to me when I read this, I always see a picture,
and this is just my take on it, you know, you could probably have a different take.
Not anyone's going to agree with me about this.
But to me I see kind of an analogy between God and, you know, Christ and the believer.
Okay, Solomon being Christ and Shimei being the believer.
Right, and look, we have been, and you say well Shimei was the enemy of David.
You know, he was an enemy of the king, right.
Well look, we've all been God's enemies at one point.
We've all been enemies of the king at one point.
You know, when we were dead in trespasses and sins, you know, we were at enmity with God, the Bible says.
Okay, so we can see ourselves in Shimei, but also he gets shown a lot of graves, doesn't he?
Right, Shimei gets shown, gets a big break here.
Same with us, right, we're given a pardon through the king, right, the Lord Jesus, okay.
It says in verse 36, and the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him,
build thee a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and go not forth any whither.
Okay, so I want to kind of move past the illustration of, you know, the pardon that takes place.
We understand that's kind of a picture of salvation.
But notice that there are bounds that are set upon Shimei.
And this is something that we have to understand in the Christian life, is that,
yes, we're saved by grace, and it's not of works, but if we want to be pleasing to the king,
we have to operate within certain boundaries, right, kind of like we read earlier in the beginning of the chapter.
If we keep the commandments, if we walk into statutes, so on and so forth,
then we prosper whithersoever we go.
So there's a clause there, okay.
And the Shimei kind of pictures that, you know, if we get saved by grace,
but you know what, God kind of puts constraints on us, doesn't he?
Not saying we can lose our salvation, but saying, look, if you operate outside of these bounds
that I've placed upon you in the word of God, you're going to be punished, okay.
And he said, and called for Shimei and said, and build thee a house in Jerusalem and dwell there,
for thou shalt go not forth thence any whither.
For it shall be that on the day that thou goest that passest over the brook hydrant,
that thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die, thy blood shall be upon thine own head.
Of course, you know, Solomon wasn't doing this thinking this is going to be a great picture of the New Testament,
you know, when God's chasing.
This is just how it kind of played out, that's why it's so much more dramatic, okay.
And Shimei said to the king, the saying is good, as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do.
Right.
And he was, that was the right response.
Yes, sir.
Right.
Because for all, you know, he might have known what David wanted.
He might have, word might have gone back to, hey, David told Solomon to take you out.
So when he hears, hey, I'm getting a break, all the dealers, I just got to dwell in Jerusalem, I can't go to the brook hydrant,
I'm good with that because I get to keep my life, right.
And look, we are not our own.
We are bought with the price.
The Bible says we should present our bodies a living sacrifice which is accepted, which is, you know, a reasonable service.
It's a reasonable service when God says, look, you're not your own anymore.
Christ came, died for us, hardened us, we can receive that pardon.
If he says you can do this but you can't do that, so be it.
If he says, you know, that fornication should not once be named among the saints, so be it.
If he says we should put off the works of darkness, so be it.
Good is the word.
Good.
That's a good thing.
You know, God put these constraints on us.
You know, and our flesh doesn't like it and, you know, the world doesn't like it, but ultimately it's good.
These are good things.
Look, where's Jerusalem?
It's where the king lives.
He's saying, hey, you stay here in my company where I can keep an eye on you and everything's going to be all right.
You know, it's a good thing to be in the presence of the king and to not be wandering off over the book hydrant and out into the wilderness where all kinds of things happen.
But the illustration is this, is if we wander, there is punishment.
God will chasten us.
Obviously for Shimei it was a pretty severe punishment, right.
Notice what happens here in the story, 39.
It came to pass at the end of three years, so, you know, he was doing good for a while, that two of his servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish, the son of Maacah, king of Gath.
And they told Shimei, saying, behold thy servants being Gath.
So it almost sounds like he's got an excuse.
Well, my servants, glad I got to go get them.
And Shimei rose and saddled his ass and went forth to Gath to Achish to seek his servants and Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath.
So he goes and he brings them back.
And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and he was come again.
So it's not like he just left and fled.
He went and came back.
But what he did was broke the king's commandments.
He broke the vow that he had taken.
He violated this pact that Solomon had made.
And the king sent forth for Shimei and said, and did I not make thee to swear by the Lord and protest unto thee, saying,
Know for certain on the day that thou goest out and walkest abroad any withered, that thou shalt surely die?
And thou didst unto me, excuse me, and thou saidst unto me, the word that I have heard is good.
He said, didn't we agree on that?
Why then, verse 43, hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord and the commandment that I have charged thee with?
And the king said, Moreover, unto Shimei, thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to my father David,
therefore the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head, and the king Solomon shall be blessed,
and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.
So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, which went out and fell upon him that he died,
and the king was established in the hand of Solomon.
So again, there's this illustration, maybe I'm reaching a little bit, but it works for me, okay?
Is that Shimei represents what? A disobedient believer.
And look, that's not something you just find in the Old Testament. That's in the New.
He chasteneth every son whom he received, as the Bible says in Hebrews 12.
Neither is there any son whom he chasteneth not, and if he be without chastisement, then he are bastards and not sons.
God says, look, if you're not being chastened by God when you do wrong, it might be because you're not God's son.
That you're not saved. That's the one good thing about being chastened by God.
It's like, well, you know, it just makes me that more sure of my salvation when God's beaten me.
You know, it's the same way with our kids. That must be my dad. He's the only one that gets to do that to me.
He's the only one that takes me over his knee, maybe besides Mom.
At least I know my parents love me. They're looking out for me. They're chastening me.
It's the same way with us and God. God says, look, I'll give you a pass, I'll grant you grace, but you need to operate within these bounds.
And if you step out of them, there's going to be consequences.
And look, even for the believer in their life, if we're just going to be that much of our approach and there's just no coming back,
God might just say, you know what, you're coming home. What's that joke?
Some of God's kids, He brings them home and He crowns them.
Other of His kids, He crowns them and He brings them home.
You want the former crown. You want to go home and get that crown, not crown and brought home is the saying.
But look, that could happen. It could be that severe where it's a very severe punishment.
But there's also the promise that if we don't break God's commandments that we will be blessed.
We get to dwell in the presence of the King. So don't break the rules.
If you don't want to be punished, don't break the rules. It's that simple.
Stay right with God and you'll be blessed. That's the explicit command in the opening of the chapter.
Keep God's commandments and thou shalt be prospered. Then you have this kind of illustration in the end.
Do what you're told and you won't be punished. You're going to prosper.
It literally plays out at the end. So that's something we should pay attention to.
That's something we should apply to our own lives. If we want to prosper in life and not just financially,
financially least of all, the most important thing is to prosper spiritually with our families and our church.
If we want to do that, we have to obey God's word. We have to walk in the statutes.
We have to keep the commandments of the Lord our God. And we can prosper.
Or we can suffer the consequences of breaking God's commandments, of going against His word.
Which we have all agreed is good. I doubt there's anyone in this room that would say,
the word what God has spoken is not good. We'd all read this and say,
yeah, that's good, that's good. I agree with that. That's good. Well, if we believe that it's good, then let's keep it.
Let's do it. Let's not just be hearer of the words, but let's be doers also. Let's go ahead and pray.
Dear Lord, again, thank you for the promises of Scripture, Lord, that if we love you and serve you with our strength,
Lord, that we will be blessed, that we'll prosper whatsoever we do.
And Lord, I pray and help us all to be strong spiritually, to stand in the power of your might.
And to having done all to stand, Lord, we pray and ask for that for us as individuals and as this church,
to help this church to stand for the truth. And Lord, you help us to be blessed by you.
And Lord, help us to take heed, Lord, to the cautionary tale that's just throughout Scripture,
that you are God, a loving Father who chases His children. We pray you help us to just let these things settle in tonight.
We ask in Christ's name, Amen.
Alright, we'll go ahead and sing one more song before we go this evening.
The song is 64.
The song is 64, Shall We Gather at the River.
The song is 64.
Shall we gather at the river, Where white and blue feet are drawn,
With its crystal tide forever, Falling by the throne of God.
Yes, we'll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Gather with the seas at the river, That flows by the throne of God.
From the depths of the river, Where the sea will keep me all alone,
We shall meet in sorrow ever, In the glory of the few.
Yes, we'll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Gather with the seas at the river, That flows by the throne of God.
May we reach the shining river, May we every burden bow,
Praise our spirit from the living one, And provide the road and ground.
Yes, we'll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Gather with the seas at the river, That flows by the throne of God.
Soon we'll reach the shining river, Soon our earth will give us peace,
Soon our happy hearts will win, With the melody of peace.
Yes, we'll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Gather with the seas at the river, That flows by the throne of God.
Yes, we'll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Yes, we'll gather at the river, The beautiful river,
Yes, we'll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river,
Yes, we'll gather at the river, The beautiful river,