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Well good evening everyone, welcome to Mountain Baptist Church. Take your songbooks and turn to song 409. Song 409 in your songbooks we'll sing The Fight Is On, and if you would stand we'll sing song 409. The fight is on, the trumpet sound is ringing out, the cry to arms is heard afar and near. The Lord of hosts is marching on to victory, the triumph of the Christ will soon appear. The fight is on, oh Christian soldiers, and face to face in stern array, with armor gleaming and colors streaming, the right and wrong engaged today. The fight is on, but be not weary, be strong and in his might hold fast, if God before us, his banner o'er us, we'll sing the victor's song at last. The fight is on, the Raji soldiers brave and true, Jehovah leads and victory will assure. Gompa Kola, the armor God has given you, and in his strength forever we'll endure. The fight is on, oh Christian soldiers, and face to face in stern array, with armor gleaming and colors streaming, the right and wrong engaged today. The fight is on, but be not weary, be strong and in his might hold fast, if God before us, his banner o'er us, we'll sing the victor's song at last. The fight is leading on to certain victory, the bow of promise spans the eastern sky. His glorious name in every land will honor be, the morn will break, the dawn of peace is nigh. The fight is on, oh Christian soldier, and face to face in stern array, with armor gleaming and colors streaming, the right and wrong engaged today. The fight is on, but be not weary, be strong and in his might hold fast, if God before us, his banner o'er us, we'll sing the victor's song at last. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, again, we just want to thank you, God, just for our church and Lord, your word and Lord, just the people here and their servant's hearts. I pray, Lord, that you would just bless and everything that's said and done. Give us ears to hear and hearts to obey, Lord. We love you and pray all of us in Jesus' name, amen. All right, you may be seated and take your Mountain Baptist psalm books, Mountain Baptist psalms, hymns, and spiritual psalm books and turn to page number nine. Page number nine in your Mountain Baptist psalm books, we'll sing Psalm 139 on page number nine. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, surely thou wilt slay the wicked, oh God, depart from me, therefore ye bloody men, depart from me, therefore ye bloody men, do not I hate them, oh Lord, that hate thee, do not I hate them, oh Lord, that hate thee, and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee, do not I hate them, oh Lord, that hate thee, for they speak against thee wickedly, for they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemy take thy name in vain, and thine enemy take thy name in vain, do not I hate them, oh Lord, that hate thee, do not I hate them, oh Lord, that hate thee, and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee, do not I hate them, oh Lord, that hate thee, I hate them with perfect hatred, I hate them with perfect hatred, I count them mine enemies, I count them mine enemies, do not I hate them, oh Lord, that hate thee, do not I hate them, oh Lord, that hate thee, and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee, do not I hate them, oh Lord, that hate thee. Amen, well welcome to Mountain Baptist Church on this Wednesday evening. There's some announcements here as far as service times coming up this Sunday, everything should be normal, so be in your places there Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, soul winning time at 1 p.m., our main soul winning time, and then regional soul winning time is just be on church group there for that. We do have a little bit of an update on church building, so just be in prayer about that as far as the addition, it's looking like it's going to work out financially, we're gonna obviously double checking that and everything, but the plan is to add another 3,000 square feet that way, and that means the church auditorium would be over there, and so just be in prayer about that, everything works out there, but that would be a year out essentially as far as that being done and being over there, so that means we got to stick it out for another year in this portion of the building, but and then also just working on also getting the parking lot to be widened, add more spaces there as well, and so just being prayer there when it comes to that, I think ultimately it's gonna be a cheaper route than even find a different space just because of availability and what's available and what the cost is and some of these spaces, unless some church just croaks out there and they're giving up their building and we can take that over, which you never know, but just be in prayer there for that, and then you know this Sunday is gonna be full paycheck Sunday, so just bring your full paycheck and just write it out to cash and you can trust us, you know, just kidding, but honestly do pray obviously for the church building, all that stuff as far as that goes. Upcoming events, we do have the prayer meetings on the list there at the end of August here, today's last day of July, so going into August. Soul winning marathon, August 24th, so if you have your bulletin, that'll be changed there, but Moorfield, West Virginia, and then September 21st is the Canonsburg Pennsylvania soul winning marathon, and then on chapter memory, as of up to today, it's Psalm 126, but we will find a different chapter to memorize there to put on the next month here, so Romans 11 6 is our memory verse for the week, and then on the pregnancy list there, be in prayer for Crystal McCloy as she's obviously recovering, and with the new babies and all that stuff, so just be in prayer there, and then also with Rachel Hiles on the list there, be in prayer for her. That's about what I have for announcements that I can think of. We're gonna be continuing our study through the book of 2 Samuel, so we'll be in 2 Samuel chapter 16. Brother Wade, are you reading tonight? Or no, Brother David? I feel like you're always reading. Not that it's a bad thing, obviously. I like when you read. And that's about it, so offering boxes in the back there, if you want to give a tithe or an offering, mother baby rooms for the mothers and babies only, and so Brother David's gonna sing one more song, and then Brother David is gonna come up and read 2 Samuel chapter 16 for us. All right, if you would take your song books and turn to song 396. Song 396 in your song books, we'll sing So Little Time. Song 396. So little time, the harvest will be over, our reaping done, we reapers taken home, report our work to Jesus, Lord of harvest, and that he'll smile and that he'll say well done. Today we reap or miss our golden harvest, today is given us lost souls to win. Oh then to save some dear ones from the burning, today we'll go to bring some sinner in. How many times I should have strongly pleaded, how often did I fail to strictly warn. The Spirit moved, oh had I pled for Jesus, his fallen lost ones not reborn. Today we reap or miss our golden harvest, today is given us lost souls to win. Oh then to save some dear ones from the burning, today we'll go to bring some sinner in. Despite the heat, the ceaseless toil and hardship, the broken heart are those we cannot win. Misunderstood because we're off free. Still no regrets will happen for our sin. Today we reap or miss our golden harvest, today is given us lost souls to win. Oh then to save some dear ones from the burning, today we'll go to bring some sinner in. A day of pleasure or a feast of friendship, a house or car or garments fair or fame, we'll all be trashed when souls are brought to heaven and then how sad to face the slackers blame. Today we reap or miss our golden harvest, today is given us lost souls to win. Oh then to save some dear ones from the burning, today we'll go to bring some sinner in. The harvest wine with reapers view is wasting and many souls will die and never know. The love of Christ, the joy of sins forgiven, oh let us weep and love and pray and go. Today we reap or miss our golden harvest, today is given us lost souls to win. Oh then to save some dear ones from the burning, today we'll go to bring some sinner in. All right take your Bibles and turn to the book of 2 Samuel chapter number 16. 2 Samuel chapter number 16 in your Bibles we'll have brother David come and read that for us. 2 Samuel chapter 16 if you found your place amen and the Bible reads and when David was a little past the top of the hill behold Ziba the servant of Mephibosath met him with a couple of ashes saddled and upon them two hundred loaves of bread and a hundred bunches of raisins and a hundred of summer fruits and a bottle of wine and the king said to Ziba what meanest thou by these and Ziba said the ashes be for the king's household to ride on and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat and the wine that says as be faint and the wilderness may drink and the king said and where is thy master's son and Ziba said unto the king behold he abideth at Jerusalem for he said today saw the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father then said the king to Ziba behold thy not all that pertain unto Mephibosath and Ziba said I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight my lord or king and when the and when King David came to Bahum behold thence came out a man this came out a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Simei the son of Gira he came forth and cursed still as he came and he cast stones at David and at all the servants of King David and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left and thus said Simei when he cursed come out come out that bloody man and the man of Belial the Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul and whose dead thou has grained and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son and behold thou art taken in thy midst because thou art a bloody man then said Abisai the son of Zeruiah unto the king wise of this dead dog cursed my lord the king let me go over I pray thee and take off his head and the king said what have I to do with you ye sons of Zeruiah so let him curse because the Lord has said unto him curse David who saw then say wherefore hast thou done so and David said to Abisai and to all his servants behold my son which came forth of my bowels seeketh my life how much more now may this Benjamite do it let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him it may be that the Lord will look on my inflection that the Lord will be quite me good for his curse in this day and as David and his men went by the way Simei ran along the hillside over against them and cursed as he went and three stones at him and cast dust and the king and all the people that were with him came weary and refreshed themselves there an Absalom and all the people of Israel an Absalom and all the people of Israel came to Jerusalem and I hit the fell with them and it came to pass from whose side the Arkite David's friend was coming to Absalom that whose side send the Absalom God saved the king God saved the king and Absalom said to whose side is this thy kindness to thy friend why wentest thou not with thy friend and whose side sent the Absalom nay but whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel choose his will I be and with them will I abide and again whom should I serve should I not serve in the presence of his son and that as I served in thy father's presence so will I be in thy presence then said Absalom to her hit the fell give counsel among you what we sell to you and the hit the fell send to Absalom go in unto thy father's concubines which he hath left to keep the house and all Israel shall hear that thou art a part of thy father then sell the hands of all that are with thee be strong so they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house and Absalom went and went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel and the counsel of hit the fell which he counseled in those days which is that was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God so is all the counsel of hit the fell both with David and with Absalom let's pray dear Lord I thank you for this opportunity to come back to your house pray that you feel past with your spirit and help us to be edified in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Amen, so you're there in 2nd Samuel chapter 16 and we're continuing in the story where Absalom obviously is taking over the kingdom from David in chapter 15 David is fleeing Jerusalem and we see basically different people coming out to him that are following him coming out and in chapter 16 it kind of continues on with him leaving and fleeing and we see that Ziba comes out now Ziba if you remember is the servant of Mephibosheth now is the servant of Jonathan but obviously Mephibosheth is giving given all this land of and Ziba is to basically till the land deal with all that and this is where Ziba lies about Mephibosheth and so when you're reading this it's very frustrating when you're reading this when you're reading about what Ziba is saying now in this chapter doesn't tell you that he's lying we don't find out until later but look at verse 1 here says when David was a little past the top of the hill now what hills he talked is he coming past right he's coming over the hill the Mount of Olives right that Mount all of it and so there's a lot of stuff going on as he's going over the Mount of Olives and but he's basically just passed so he's basically going over top of the hill he's over top of it and Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him it says with a couple of asses saddled and upon them 200 loaves of bread and hundred bunches bunches of raisins and 100 of summer fruits in a bottle of wine and the king said unto Ziba what meanest thou by these and Ziba said the asses be for the king's house sold to ride on and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat and the wine that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink and the king said and where is thy master's son and Ziba said unto the king behold he abideth at Jerusalem for he said today shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father then said the king to Ziba behold thine thine are all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth and Ziba said I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight my lord o king so in this we just see that he says that now this is a great example of the fact that just because someone says something doesn't mean it's true right he says that Mephibosheth said that he's basically rejoicing in the fact that this is happening and that you know basically the kingdom is going to be coming back to him but let's see the truth of the matter chapter 19 David comes back so he's obviously still leaving here in chapter 16 there's gonna be a war and all that stuff with Absalom and David's men and all that but chapter 19 verse 24 I can't read the story without reading what really was going on what really happened with Ziba and with Mephibosheth and verse 24 here so you're in chapter 19 second statement 19 verse 24 says Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king and had neither dressed his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace so he's obviously in a state of mourning and it says here in verse 25 and it came to pass when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king that the king said unto him wherefore when is not thou with me Mephibosheth and he answered my lord o king my servant deceived me but thy servant said I will saddle me and ask that I may ride thereon and go to the king because thy servant is lame and he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king but my lord the king is as an angel of God do therefore what is good in thine eyes for all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table what right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king and the king said unto him why speakest thou any more of thy matters I have said thou and Ziba divide the land and Mephibosheth said unto the king yea let him take all for as much as my lord the king has come again in peace unto his own house so we really see the heart of Mephibosheth it was never about the land or his possessions or getting the kingdom back or anything like that it's very clear that Mephibosheth was obviously was slandered by Ziba and it's a very frustrating thing to read because it's always frustrating if someone's slandering you right if you've ever been slandered or lied about it's very frustrating it's something that can make you very angry and Mephibosheth obviously has good reason to be angry and the fact that Ziba just completely just slandered his name and he didn't get to go with David like he wanted to go and all these different things right and instead of him taking it out on Ziba and basically saying you know yeah he should get punished or whatever he's basically just let Ziba have it all that's what he wants and it really just shows you the heart of Mephibosheth and also the heart of Ziba obviously but the thing is that lying about somebody is very serious in go to Proverbs chapter 6 I know I kind of talked about this when we were going through an overview of the book of Proverbs but God hates lying so this is something that we should take very seriously when it comes to obviously that's a bold-faced lie right that's straight up like you are openly deceiving somebody and bearing false witness to somebody right and then there's there's sometimes where there's lies by omission meaning like you state something but you you left out some pertinent information right and that's still lying right but this is just so blatant I mean Ziba should work for CNN and for the media right now right because it's just so blatantly opposite of what's true and you know this is something that just happens all the time just people lie about other people and it's it's not even just like well it's it's there's some partial truth in it I mean a lot of times the lies are just so like completely opposite the complete opposite is true and they say it with a straight face with in it with basically no shame that they just lie bold-faced lies okay and this is something that God hates we need to hate it and and we need to be thinking about that if we're if we're thinking about telling a lie okay this is I'm not talking necessarily about if your wife asked if she looks fat in some outfit okay you got a bob and weave that stuff I don't know you got to get around that somehow don't answer it because whatever answer you say it's not gonna matter you know even if you're even if you're like no you don't look fat it's like why didn't you say that I didn't look fat to begin with why did I have to ask you you know like there wouldn't be there be there be no win there's no win in that situation but all joking aside obviously no success here in Pro Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 16 it says these six things that the Lord hate ye seven are an abomination to him a proud look a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood and hard to deceiveth wicked imaginations feet that be swift and running to mischief a false witness to speak his lies and he that so at discord among brethren and so notice that out of these seven things that are listed here lying is mentioned twice okay now obviously a lying tongue and a false witness that speak his lies obviously I realize they're different words but it's talking about the same thing okay and so but add a proud look to that to pry what I was doing in the fact that he's just so belligerently lying about Mephibosheth it's so opposite of what's really true Mephibosheth was trying to get to David and he's literally saying no he's staying there and abiding there because he's basically glad that the kingdom's coming back to him which makes no sense right since Absalom the son of David is the one that's taking over the kingdom but the thing to think about with this is that this stuff happens okay you know I everybody here has been lied about and everybody knows what that feels like you know obviously as a pastor I've had many things where people will state things about what you believe or what you say they'll just blatantly lie about it and they'll say something that you don't say and then they'll just basically put it out there and lie about it this stuff happens all the time and Jesus obviously dealt with this right I mean think about when he's going to the cross and how many false accusations were brought up about him and just constantly them lying about what he said and all of that and go to Matthew chapter 5 Matthew chapter 5 because this chapter really is showing the dealing with false accusations dealing with someone cursing you and how to deal with that situation and Mephibosheth deals with it better than anybody I can imagine I mean barring the Lord right as far as who would deal with that better but think about that as far as how Mephibosheth dealt with that slander and that lie you know that's how we should deal with it and the fact that he's not obviously condoning the lie he's obviously setting the record straight it's not saying that you have to just you know succumb to the lie or something like that it's just the idea that he sets the record straight but he's not he's not seeking you know revenge for it or anything like that Matthew chapters 5 verse 11 it says blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you if you're doing right and people are falsely accusing your good conversation because the Bible says in 1st Peter chapter 3 and verse 16 it says having a good conversation that whereas they speak evil against you as of evildoers and it says that they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ so ultimately if you're doing right and you're doing righteousness they're gonna be the ones that end up being ashamed and you know you just rejoice in the fact that you can suffer shame for the cause of Christ that hey you know what yeah they falsely accuse you and in something right that you were doing but they also falsely accuse the Lord and you can just share that in that with the Lord obviously the Lord despised the shame right it's not like Jesus just enjoyed all the shame enjoyed all the false accusations it's not saying to enjoy it right it says to rejoice because great is your reward in heaven right so the idea there is that you're rejoicing because of what the Lord is going to do on your behalf because of what you're going through okay so when it comes to this I think I'm a fibischet and the fact that we need to be like him and the fact that he didn't seek revenge all of that really put it in the Lord's hand when it comes to that obviously now it's interesting because Ziba is a servant of Jonathan which was obviously a son of Saul and then Shimei here this next person that comes up that's gonna be cursing David is also of the house of Saul so it's interesting that all these people that are being mentioned are the house of Saul and you know take that as you will as far as going going deeper than that but in verse 5 here we see Shimei and it says in verse 5 and when King David came to Bahirim behold thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei the son of Gira he came forth and cursed still as he came now Shimei don't confuse Shimei with with Sheba the son of Bikrai okay because this is a great example what we're gonna read here is a great example of how to love your enemy okay Sheba the son of Bikrai on the other hand is a child of the devil okay and it literally states before it even says his name it says they're a man of Belial Sheba the son of Bikrai right so we see a difference here and when Shimei doesn't say he's a child of the devil it doesn't say he hates God right obviously we know the children of the devil hate the Lord okay so when people are just like well you need to love your enemies therefore you should love everybody it's like well no like I need to love Shimei but I don't need to love Sheba the son of Bikrai right and there there's a difference there and obviously we'll get to Sheba later on he he's a different character and it's obviously after David comes back into his kingdom he doesn't want David to rule over him and all this stuff actually Shimei when David comes back is actually very much apologetic and David actually forgives him and doesn't put him to death or anything like that okay now on the other hand when Solomon reigns there's a different story that happens there with Shimei so Shimei really does get what's coming to him in the end but David is a great example of loving your enemy okay but you know I I think that that's the sermon for another day of just the difference between Shimei and Sheba you know when it comes to someone that hates you someone that is cursing you someone that's your enemy and then someone that hates the Lord right and personal enemies compared to the Lord you know as far as those that hate the Lord right but keep reading there in verse 6 so you're in 2nd Samuel chapter 16 verse 6 it says he cast stones at David and at all the servants of King David so basically everybody's walking by this guy's just throwing stones at everybody okay and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left and thus said Shimei when he cursed so he's obviously you know throwing stones he's cursing but here's what he says to David it says come out come out thou bloody man thou man of Belial so talk about talk about an accusation there right call me what you will but please don't call me a child of the devil right I mean the idea of the being a child of Belial being the son of Belial and so he's throwing out some some obviously railing accusations against them but he in verse 8 here says in the Lord the Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul and whose stead thou hast rained and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom in into the hand of Absalom thy son and behold thou art taken in thy mischief because thou art a bloody man now this is the response from Abishai so Dave is not at this point responding to him but in verse in verse 9 here then said Abishai the son of Zerawiah unto the king now Abishai and Joab are brothers if you remember Asahel was the younger brother that got killed by Abner but Abishai and Joab are like the one of the top three mighty men of David not the top top three but they're obviously very valiant men and Abishai the son of Zerawiah he's saying unto the king why should this dead dog curse my Lord the king let me go over I pray thee and take off his head so I think about this this guy is literally coming against David and all those mighty men throwing stones at them if you remember when he leaves the 600 men that were with him from the beginning are with him okay so we're talking like some bad dudes here like these guys are well seasoned like and this guy has a lot of gall to just start throwing stones especially when you think that they're they're obviously not in a good mood I mean think about it all this stuff's going down they're not exactly just you know probably thinking water off the ducks back when it comes to this stuff that's going on so Abishai says let's take off his head right verse 10 and the king said what have I to do with you you sons of Zerawiah right now this is something that he constantly saying about like Joab and Abishai and the fact that they're too hard for him right so and Zerawiah is his sister okay so these are his nephews that he's dealing with here so but it says so let him curse because the Lord has said unto him curse David so this is part of David's punishment right here okay that he is being cursed and all these different things are happening to him and basically in David's mind he's saying hey this is what the Lord wants it says who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so and David said to Abishai and to all the servants behold my son which came forth of my bow seeketh my life how much more now may this Benjamite do let him alone let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him it may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for for his cursing this day and what he's basically stating here I believe is that how David reacts to this and how he deals with this is going to determine how the Lord will basically reward him in this okay and you know this is a punishment I believe you know obviously what he's basically saying here is that obviously him being his son taking over the kingdom is what the Lord said was going to happen and so this is punishment for his sins for this that doesn't mean every little thing that's going on like the Lord ordained and all that stuff when it comes to that right but at the same time like in general his son coming up a serpent authority taking over the kingdom stuff that happens later on in the chapter that was something that God said was going to happen to him because of that okay and he's basically stating that basically let the Lord deal with it let the Lord hear it and basically David I believe Dave is basically thinking I'm in no position to really deal with this or to recompense this or anything like that right and just let the Lord hear it let him deal with it okay and he's just hoping that if he has mercy on this guy and if he if he doesn't come down hard on this guy that maybe the Lord will have mercy towards him okay verse 13 it says and as David and his men went by the way Shimei went along on the hillside over against him cursed as he and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and cast dust so basically he just keeps going keeps going all the way until they get get where they're going it says the king and all the people that were with him came weary and refreshed themselves there so the thing that I want to point out go back to that Matthew chapter 5 is just the idea of loving your enemy this guy wasn't actually David wasn't in danger of his life right this guy was obviously cursing he's saying a lot of stuff trying to rile up David calling with a child of the devil he's obviously trying to get David to get there to get his response instead David just just walks on and doesn't do anything okay and I believe this is a great example of dealing with your enemy okay now that being said obviously if someone's trying to kill you this isn't a time to love your enemy okay when it comes to self-defense or defending your family and stuff like that obviously if anybody's trying to hurt my family I will destroy them you know and that's not what when it says love your enemy is talking about is basically just let them kill you let them hurt you let them hurt your family people are just ignorant when people look at the Bible like that they are just completely just wanting to basically broad brush everything right you know the Bible says to love your neighbor as yourself therefore we need to love everybody is that what it said though I mean if you took it to the letter to law that means I only need to love those that are close to me right that are in close proximity now obviously we take it a little further than that right because obviously this you know obviously that's going to a broader scope but if you're gonna take it to that detail of like to the letter to law well I mean I don't even need to love the person that's not in my neighborhood I guess so when when people take that broad brush scope to things you know it just leaves them open for false doctrine and just things that aren't true because there's a time to love there's a time to hate there's time of war and there's a time of peace and when people just like no it's always peace no it's always love well I mean now you're not in reality and you're not biblical either right it's like well you know that's Bible no it's not the Bible doesn't teach that and so notice what it says here in Matthew chapter 5 verse 43 it says ye have heard that it had been said thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy now what you won't find is as it is written thou shalt hate thine enemy and so what he's basically Jesus saying here is that you've heard this said obviously the Bible says love thy neighbor as thyself but then he says but I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you and isn't that what David's doing with Shimei here it's exactly what he's doing this guy's literally cursing him throwing stones at him kicking dust at him calling him a child of the devil and David is not you know you don't render cursing with cursing railing for railing but contrary wise you know obviously blessing that you might inherit a blessing I mean just go you know I first Peter chapter chapter 3 I think it's chapter 3 there's a verse 8 there first Peter chapter 3 verse 8 says finally be all of one mind having compassion one one of another love as brethren be pitiful be courteous not rendering evil for you evil or railing for railing but contrary wise blessing knowing that you're there unto call that you should inherit a blessing and so what is David doing here he's basically not rendering evil for healing or railing for railing because isn't that what this guy's doing he's railing against David he's not rendering railing for railing so that he might inherit a blessing that's literally what he's stating here is that the Lord might require him good because of what's going on you know basically because of his cursing and basically it's more so that he's gonna require him good because of how David is dealing with it okay but in Matthew 5 you know obviously it goes on to say in Matthew 5 45 it says that you may be children of your father which is in heaven for he make it his son to rise on the evil and on the good and rain on the just and on the unjust for if you love them which love you what reward have you do not even the publicans the same and if you salute your brethren only what do you more than others do not even the public and so but be there for perfect even as your father which is in heaven is perfect roman chapter 12 go to roman chapter 12 so when people try to say that well you know the the loving your enemy that's a new testament thing it's like no first of all roman chapter 12 what I'm going to show you is actually a quotation for Proverbs but also just the fact that David in the story of David and all first and second Samuel is literally just loving his enemy constantly whether it's Saul or whether it's Shimei here is just a case of him loving his enemy and I mean even Absalom who took over the kingdom like he had great love for his son even though what all the things he was doing against him roman chapter 12 verse 14 says bless them which persecute you bless and curse not verse 18 it says if it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men which means it's not always possible right but it says dearly beloved avenge not yourselves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written vengeance is mine I will replace that the Lord therefore thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good and obviously in these cases that we're talking about when it comes to loving your enemy we're not talking about being in physical danger right because in context of loving your enemy it's talking about if I mean if someone's might be on the cheek right give them the other cheek also the idea there is that they're challenging you to a fight there there may be defrauding you whatever the case may be we're not talking about life or death situations here and in those cases you know what if your enemy is defrauding you or like basically you know doing you wrong you just take it on the chin okay that doesn't mean you gotta be best friends with that person but at the same time not retaliating fire with fire essentially right that's kind of the idea of eye for an eye tooth for a tooth hand for hand burning for burning foot for foot you know going down line is the idea that that was meant for things that are when you're maimed or like things of life and death and those type of things not someone like pushes you and you got to push them back like it must be equal we we desire equality here like no in those cases you just need to suffer to be defrauding you just suffer being persecuted and the Lord will bless and just put it in the Lord's hands it's not saying that they aren't they're not gonna get what's coming to them but in the end let the Lord do that okay so going back to 2nd Samuel chapter 16 so with Mephibosheth it's a great story to really show you hey someone lies and slanders you how do you deal with that though this chapter doesn't hit on how he deals with that that doesn't happen until chapter 19 but we do see I don't know who can read that story about Ziva lying about Mephibosheth and not just get enraged thinking about it okay you kind of put yourself in that in his shoes and be like you know this guy just literally you know is just trash talking him and just completely railing on him okay but then also a David just dealing with that persecution to that degree 2nd Samuel chapter 16 verse 15 Absalom is coming he comes into Jerusalem so David's obviously out past the Mount of Olives at this point Absalom comes in verse 15 it says in Absalom and all the people the men of Israel came to Jerusalem and Ahithophel with him so in this Ahithophel is basically loyal to Absalom and Ahithophel what we're gonna see here is very much a very wise person as far as like understanding counsel of war all this like he is very intelligent and very wise when it comes to that so Ahithophel is with Absalom already verse 16 and it came to pass when Hushai the archive David's friend was come unto the Absalom that Hushai said unto Absalom God save the king now we know the backstory David sends Hushai to destroy the good counsel of Ahithophel right and so at this point Hushai is coming in and he's saying God save the king God save the king and notice Absalom's response here verse 17 and Absalom said to Hushai is this thy kindness to thy friend why when is thou not with thy friend so he's basically saying what kind of friend are you right modern vernacular right you know what kind of friend are you to come here saying God save the king weren't aren't you friends with David isn't that your friend and so obviously Hushai's kind of have to build this up as far as he's got to be convincing or it's not gonna matter right as far as Absalom's not gonna take his counsel if he's not convincing enough for to know that to say that he's on Absalom's side okay so verse 18 it says and Hushai said unto Absalom's name but whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel choose his will I be and with him will I abide and again whom shall I serve should I not serve in the presence of his son as I have served in my and thy father's presence so will I be in thy presence so he builds it up pretty good and basically just states you're who God's chosen like this is who the people chosen and why wouldn't I serve with you just as much as that serve with with your father right apparently that convinced Absalom so because in the next chapter there's going to be this rivalry rivalry in council when it comes to Hushai and Ahithophel and and Ahithophel here in verse 20 is going to give counsel unto Absalom and really he's going to fulfill prophecy by what he says here and what Absalom's gonna do or fulfill what Nathan the prophet had stated was gonna happen verse 20 says then said Absalom to Ahithophel give counsel among you what we shall do and if Ahithophel said unto Absalom go in unto thy father's concubines which he hath left to keep the house and all and all Israel shall hear that thou art a poured of thy father then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong so they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel and the council of Ahithophel which he counseled in those days was as if a man had inquired at the Oracle of God so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom and but basically what this is stating now obviously you could say well I mean straight up fulfilling prophecy here but at the same time it's not saying that what Ahithophel says here is like like a commandment from God okay but what it's stating here is that the wisdom if you think about the wisdom that he's stating as far as what to do is basically it's stating as if it's like the wisdom of the words of God is when we're talking about the Oracle of God the Oracles of God is just talking about basically divine words of God which is it's not redundant but it's just obviously really putting that emphasis on there that hey we're talking like this word came from God like God spoke this right and so Ahithophel is obviously very wise he was wise with David he's wise with Ahithophel so a huge eyes got his work cut out for him but we see here that this is go back to second sandwich chapter 12 second sandwich chapter 12 because we see that this was foretold that was going to happen okay now it's foretold this was going to happen but I didn't say what the reasoning of why they were going to do this right so it went in chapter 16 we really see that Ahithophel is saying to do this so that the people will know that you're a poured in David's sight right it's kind of like there's no going back at this point it's kind of what's going on here is that it's sending a message that that that David hates you who like David is obviously you know that there's no reconciling that's going to happen here and that's what Ahithophel is trying to accomplish here with this but we see here just going back to the story where after when Nathan comes to David to basically point out his sin it says in verse 5 it says David's anger was greatly kindled against the man obviously talking about the story with the lamb and the you lamb and all that and said to Nathan as the Lord liveth the man that had done this thing shall surely die and he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity and Nathan said to David thou art the man now in the story he's gonna be obviously Nathan's pointing out that just as much as this man that basically took this one guy you lamb you killed Uriah the Hittite with a sword of Ammon and then you took his wife to be your wife right so he's basically showing the comparison there but the thing that I want to point out is that when David said he shall restore the lamb fourfold that Dave is paying fourfold for his sin now he says that the man should surely die and that's why later on David David basically acknowledges his sin and then it says that you shall not die but then the first thing that happens is the child dies right but we see that it's gonna state here before it says the child's gonna die it's gonna foreshadow other things that are gonna happen as well because notice what it says here in verse 11 it says thus saith the Lord behold I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house now obviously at that point you don't know what's happening until you read the rest of the story but he's raising up evil in his own house well you could say well Amnon and Tamar you know what that whole story with what happened there that's evil Absalom kills Amnon there's some evil there and then you have the fact that the kingdom's taken over by Absalom and what he does in this next portion here it says and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbor and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this Sun for thou didst it secretly but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the Sun and isn't that exactly what happens basically it doesn't give you the exact details of what's going on here or who's doing it but we know that it's of his own house well Absalom's of his house we know that it's his you know when you think about his neighbor well it's obviously someone close to him right but it's at same time it's before the Sun meaning that everybody's going to see it and that's what happens with his concubines now go to Ephesians chapter 5 but the thing I just kind of want to point out is that in one passage says concubines one passage says wives here's what I believe about concubines in the Bible is that they are a wife but they're lesser in value it as far as like stature okay so when it talks about like Solomon had is it 700 wives and 300 concubines or am I getting that backwards so someone fact-checked me if I'm getting that wrong but either way okay there's a thousand total but it says wives princesses okay and that's a good way to kind of know what you're dealing with there with the difference is that the wives you know they are at princess status right when you think about just the difference between Rachel and Leah and Bilhah and Zilpah right that there is a difference in authority structure there now you could say well maybe the the concubines are more like a what's that called common-law marriage type of thing where it's not like this official thing it's more like kind of off the books or something like that I don't know but either way there is a difference between like a Sarah and a Hagar right or you know just the the wife and the concubines there is a difference in status as far as more kind of like a wife that's your servant you know or like a servant that becomes a wife or something like that and so when you see it used interchangeably there I mean judges 19 does the same thing when it talks about the man's concubine but then later on it calls he's her husband she's his wife but there is the status level of a concubine is obviously lower than a typical wife okay and how far you want to take that as far as whether that's like that it's more like a living girlfriend you know kind of thing like a common-law wife I believe is a living girlfriend like today's standards okay whether you want to call that a concubine or you don't okay if you don't have if it's not law-binding I don't consider that a real marriage okay you can say you're married all that but if it's not law-binding I would say that you basically have a concubine you know kind of that type of thing where it's your your your stating your husband and wife your your living together as husband and wife but you know that's just my stance on it but either way there is a status difference anyway you slice that if you want to say well no they're legitimately married and there's just a different status level that's fine whatever you know I'm not here to be dogmatic on that but I'll say this it's very clear that concubine is obviously lower than wife like the wife status there as far as like a Sarah the Hagar and all that okay so anyway spent too much time on that either way obviously David left his concubines back at at the palace so they obviously weren't as important as his other wives that he took with him they were kept back there to look over the house or to keep the house and all that but if you see chapter 5 verse 11 here what it what it states here in first second same type of 12 verse 12 it says thou didst it secretly but I will do this thing before all Israel before the Sun and what you have understand is that in general the sins that you do in the dark the punishment is going to be open right the recompense will be open the shame will be brought into the light and I think that's what obviously a lot of people think they can just hide in the darkness with their sins but in the end it all kind it all comes out in the light eventually and obviously Jesus even teaches that that every thing that you've done in the dark everything you said in the dark is going to be brought to light but this is a passage here that kind of hits on that verse 11 Ephesians chapter 5 verse 11 says and I have no and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them for it is a shame to speak of those things which are done of them in secret but all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light and obviously the Word of God is light that makes manifest all that and the thing is that obviously bread eaten in secret or water eaten in secret or I'm gonna misquote it bread eaten in secret is sweet stolen waters are sweet bread eaten in secret anyway you know I'm getting pleasant anyway you know the thing the idea though that obviously sin is pleasurable for a season and it's obviously pleasurable because you think that no one sees you it's in secret but this is this is something to know that David thought he could get away with this David thought that he could commit adultery cover all this stuff up and think that he could get away with it but does it look like he got away with it and listen especially as a Christian the Lord love with him chasing is discouraged every son whom we receive it if you think that you're going to get away with your sin you have another thing coming and listen it may not be for years it doesn't say like hey there's gonna be manifest right after this happens right it's just the fact that obviously and here's the thing obviously the Bible talks about converting a brother and covering a multitude of sins right so that it doesn't come to manifest I'm not saying every little sin that you committed is just gonna be made manifest to the world as you're living today but obviously major sins like adultery murder like all these different things those things will be brought to life if you're if you're a child and you're a child of God that stuff will be brought to light you will not be able to keep that secret okay and you will it will be brought manifest and David's obviously was before all of Israel he was shamed and disrespected in front of all Israel and I think that when it comes to sin you have to realize that it's going to cost more than you want to pay and that's specifically talking about very grievous sins like adultery fornication you know obviously murder like different things like that that obviously are on a higher scale of things it'll come to light and we need to think about that recompense before you know pulling the trigger on those types of sins and all that and these stories are obviously great stories to look to reference to and when I see this story I think of just how much David loves his enemies with Saul you can understand the fact that he loves his enemies but you're like well it's his father-in-law like there's ties there he's the king all that with Shimei on the other hand think about that dynamic and the fact of how he still loved his enemies to where that he was cursing him throwing rocks at him and he still didn't come after him he let the Lord deal with it and even when he comes back and everybody probably would have just been thought it was justified to put him to death David pardons him and says he will not be put to death and now Solomon on the other hand you just have to read that story but Solomon takes care of him later on okay so he eventually gets what's coming in just like job gets what's coming to him for all the bloodshed that he he all the blood that he shed you know the blood of war and time of peace he ends up getting what's coming to him and sometimes it is delayed a lot of times it's delayed and listen our reward is delayed even if it's good the recompense a lot of times takes a lot of time before you end up seeing it whether good or bad so let's end the war prayer the only father we think today thank you for your word thank you for the book of 2nd Samuel and just pray to help us to learn from these passages help us to be like Mephibosheth when it comes to people lying about us slandering us how does it be like David when it when it comes to people cursing us and speaking evil of us specifically Lord when when we're doing right and and and more suffering reproach for your name Lord just prayed you help us to to take it on the chin and not to recompense evil for evil railing for railing pray she'd help us to be temperate Lord and help us to be like you Lord Jesus and everything that you dealt with with false accusations and from all the the shame and everything that that was put on you Lord we just pray she'd help us to be more like you well we love you and pray else in Jesus Christ's name amen but they will come and sing one more song and then we'll be dismissed all right take your song books and turn to song 375 song 375 in your song books we'll sing work for the night is coming if you would stand we'll sing song 375 work for the night is coming work through the morning hours work while the dew is sparkling workmen springing flowers work when the day grows brighter work in the glowing Sun work for the night is coming when men's work is done work for the night is coming work through the sunny noon fail brightest hours with labor rest come sure and soon give every flying man and something to keep in store for the night is coming when man works no more work for the night is coming under the sunset skies while their bright tints are glow we work for daylight flies work till the last beam faded faded to shine no more work while the night is gardening when man's work is