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Thank you. You Well good evening everyone welcome to Mountain Baptist Church Take your songbooks and turn to song 166 Song 166 in your sambos will sing I will praise him and if you would stand We'll sing song 166 When I saw the cleansing fountain Open wide for all my sin I Obeyed the spirits wooing When he said won't thou be clean I? Will praise him I will praise him praise the lamb for sinners slain Give him glory all ye people for his blood can wash away each stain Though the way seems straight and narrow All I claim was swept away My ambitions plans and wishes at my feet and ashes lay I Will praise him I will praise him praise the lamp for sinners slain Give him glory all ye people for his blood can wash away each stain Then God's fire upon the altar of my heart was set aflame I shall never cease to praise him glory glory to his name I Will praise him I will praise him praise the lamb for sinners slain Give him glory all ye people for his blood can wash away each stain Blessed be the name of Jesus. I'm so glad he took my hand He's forgiven my transgressions He has cleansed my heart from sin I Will praise him I will praise him praise the lamb for sinners slain Give him glory all ye people for his blood can wash away each stain Glory glory to the Father Glory glory to the Son Glory glory to the Spirit Glory to the three and one Will praise him I will praise him praise the lamp for sinners slain Give him glory all ye people for his blood can wash away each stain And let's pray Heavenly Father Lord again We just want to thank you God Just for another opportunity and privilege that it is to gather in your house and to hear your word preached Thank you for the soul that was saved this afternoon I pray Lord that you would just bless our pastor fill me with your power and spirit for it's in Jesus name We ask all of it. Amen. All right may be seated and take your mountain Baptist Song books your mountain Baptist Psalms hymns and spiritual song books and turn to page number four Page number four in your mountain Baptist song books will sing Psalm 67 on page number four God be merciful unto us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon Us that thy way may be known upon earth Thy saving health among all nations Let the people praise thee. Oh God Let all the people praise thee. Oh let the nations be glad and seeing for joy For thou shalt judge the people Righteously and govern the nations upon earth The nations upon earth see Let the people praise thee. Oh God Let all the people praise thee. Oh let the nations be glad and seeing for joy Then shall the earth yield her increase and God even our own God shall bless us God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth Shall fear him let the people praise thee. Oh God Let all the people praise thee. Oh let the nations be glad and seeing for joy Amen well welcome Mount Baptist Church on this Wednesday evening just some announcements here As far as service times this week everything should be normal as far as the Sunday morning Sunday afternoon Sowing time our main selling time 1 p.m. Regional sewing times throughout the week all of that Just an update we're Talked to some of you guys. We met with the landlord here at our building We're in talks. They're gonna be looking into doing an addition to the building and trying to add maybe around 3,000 square feet and just kind of like doing a whole new auditorium type of deal and then just staying here and Extending the parking or making a parking Extending the parking all that stuff and so If that works out as far as the numbers and everything Basically what we would need to do is kind of stick it out in the space that we're in Or probably another year and a half or so until that's done But the moving process would be pretty easy Just through that door over there, you know or wherever whichever we go we're thinking about either expanding this direction or over here I kind of like that area over there because It's not as flat so why not just build into the side and and then you still have this whole flat area over here that We can use and everything else. So So But just being prayer for that There are other options as far as us going in different buildings But the options we've been looking at would put us in different towns. So either Bridgeport, Morgantown stuff like that and either way you slice that You make it harder for some and easier for others and So But I think this route Will probably work out financially and probably just I Like this area. I like I like being in Fairmont. I like being kind of away from everything But we're yet we're still really close to the highway and everything The landlord has been great, you know and fine, you know as far as that's concerned. So If this works out It's kind of like that's getting built and we're still we're still able to use this base so Just being prayer for that. Hopefully that all works out and that everything that we can afford that and everything else. So But Yeah, just kind of keep that in the back of your mind there and then our Bible memory for the month and we're in May So May 1st today's May 1st, right? So we're actually in Jonah chapter 4 So as far as our chapter memory 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verse 58 is our memory verse for the week And then keep crystal McCloy on your your prayers there for pregnancy under the pregnancy list there And Then we do have the soul winning marathons that are coming up in both Lancaster and Philadelphia. So May 25th for the Lancaster one June 22nd for the Philadelphia one, so That's coming up Being a prayer for those that aren't maybe feeling well, I know some that been dealing with stuff. So Just being prayer for the families there and all that I Think that's about all I have for announcements. There's like this massive fly Right there. Yep. Summer's coming back all all the insects are back But We're going to continue our study through the book of 2nd Samuel tonight brother David's gonna be reading 2nd Samuel chapter 4 After brother Dave does another song All right, take your song books and turn to song 144 The song 144 in your song books we'll sing a mighty fortress is our God And we'll sing song 144 Oh my tea Fortress is our God of work never Family Oh helper he amid the flood of mortal hells prevailing for still our ancient foe Dotsie to work us. Whoa His craft and power are great and armed with cruel hate On earth is not his equal dead we in our own strength confide our Striving would be losing Were not the right man on our side the Son of God zone choosing Does ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he Lord His name from age to age the same and he must win the Battle and though this world with devils fail should threaten to undo We will not fear for God hath willed His truth to triumph through The Prince of darkness grim We tremble not for His rage we can endure for lo his doom is sure one little word shall fail That Earthly No, thanks to them God's spirit and gives our Through him who with us Land goods and kindred go this mortal life also The body they may kill God's truth abideth still His kingdom is forever All right take your Bibles and turn to the book of 2nd Samuel chapter number 4 2nd Samuel chapter number 4 in your Bibles will have brother David read that for us 2nd Samuel chapter 4 if you find any place a man and The Bible reads and when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron his hands were feeble and all Israel were troubled and all the Israelites were troubled and Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands the name of the one was Baanah the name of the other recap the sons of women a bearethite of the children of Benjamin for Beowulf also was Reckoned to Benjamin and the bearethites fled to get him and resurgent is there until this day and Jonathan Saul's son Had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came Saul and Jonathan Out of Zizreel and his nurse took him up and fled and he came to pass as she had hastily that he fell and Became lame and his name was Mephibosaph And the sons of women the bearethite Rekab and Baanah went and came about the heat of the day to the house of Isbasath who lay up on a bed At noon and they came thither into the midst of the house as though they would have fest wheat and they smote him Under the fifth rib and Rekab and Baanah his brother escaped But when they came into the house He lay on his bed in his bed chamber and they smote him and slew him and beheaded him and took his head and Gath him away through the plain at all night And they brought the head of Ispasath unto David to Hebron and said to the king behold the head of Ispasath the son of Saul thine enemy Which sought thy life and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed and David answered Rekab and Baanah his brother the sons of women the bearethite and said unto them as the Lord liveth We have to redeem my soul out of all adversity When one told me saying behold Saul is dead thinking to have brought good tidings I took hold of him and slew him in ziklag Who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings How much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed So I not therefore now require his blood of your hand and take you away from the earth And David commanded his young men and they slew them and cut off their hands and their feet and hanged them upon over the pool And Hebron, but they took the head of Ispasath and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner and Hebron Let's pray deal load. I thank you for this opportunity to come back to your house But you feel past with the spirit and help us to learn something. Jesus name. Amen Amen to you there in 2nd Samuel chapter 4 and We are continuing our study through the book of 2nd Samuel if you remember At the end of 1st Samuel we're dealing with the death of Saul and Jonathan his son and and three Well, three of his sons and Jonathan being one of those and in chapter one we really see where David hears the news about it and then he basically ends up Putting to death the man that said he killed Saul Chapter two we have war really that's going on between Judah and Israel so Judah's behind David or it's basically, you know Claim he's king over Judah, but he's not king over all of Israel right now and basically, there's this this battle and Abner ends up killing Asahel, which is Joab's younger brother and Chapter 3 Joab's gonna get revenge He kills Abner and really chapter 3 ends with the fact that all of Israel is realizing that it wasn't of David that that Abner Was killed that that you know, it was very clear that that's not that wasn't a command that was given from David David didn't want that to happen chapter 4 we get into where is Bosch it is is Boschith is killed so Really pretty much every chapter someone's dying, isn't it? So you have you have the Amalekite that's killed in chapter 1 you have Asahel killed in chapter 2 chapter 3 You know, we have we have Abner dying and then this chapter we have it's Boschith and some other people dying So it's just like death throughout this whole You know this book so far. So So it's definitely not a boring read When it comes to that so but in verse 1 here It basically, you know, you're now seeing the angle of what it what is it's Boschith The people that were that are of Israel think of Abner dying and so in verse 1 there says and when Saul's son Heard that Abner was dead in Hebron His hands were feeble and all the Israelites were troubled now, even though they know that David Didn't want this to happen. It still happened though, right? So you have to understand is that They're they're probably all wondering what's gonna happen to us We're the ones that have been basically going against David and all his men and You know if if David didn't want Abner to die, but he still died That means that hey if David doesn't want them to die they could still die and that kind of is what happens here with this Boschith, but But we have these two men that are basically this whole chapter is talking about which is Baanah and Rekab and so they're brothers in verse 2 here it says and Saul's son had two men That were captains of bands the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other Rekab the sons of Rimmon, Abirathite the sons of Rimmon, Abirathite of the children of Benjamin For Biroth also was reckoned to Benjamin So it's just basically making it very clear that these guys are a Benjamin which makes sense, right? Because I mean Saul is a Benjamin that means that Ish-Boschith is of Benjamin. That's basically the tribe It's definitely gonna be attached to To Ish-Boschith and all of that just as much as Judah is like that with David, okay It says and the Birothites fled to Giddium and were sojourners there Until this day and that kind of gives you an idea that's that's kind of going way further than where we're at in this story Okay, what you have to understand is that obviously Second Samuel and just all these books you think of first Kings second Kings all that they're written way after these events have happened So sometimes you'll have these little things that are stated in there and it's telling you information about what's still going on way later in The future maybe hundreds of years in the future Where it'll say, you know, this is the land. This is Jerusalem, which was called Luz or you know, like it was like basically Or Bethel I can't remember I think it's Bethel that was love anyway, you know what I mean is that the narrator is Telling you this is what it's called now But it was called this so back in their day it was called this and so a lot of times you'll kind of see things You know, you'll see names of places that aren't even that name during the story, okay, but We see here these two men Bana and recap and they are banned their captain's a band. So think about You know Cornelius, right? He is You know that he's a captain he's over the Italian band so it's a band of men It's not a band like, you know, drummers guitarists and all that stuff. Obviously the band of men So you have Abner who was the captain the host he died so imagine the general of the army, these are like captains within that army and these two men are gonna end up basically conspiring against this Bosch it and they're gonna end up killing him and We're gonna get to that but there is a little bit of information that's given to us here That's gonna have a whole chapter dealing with it, which is dealing with Mephibosheth So this is a very sad story in my opinion when it comes to Mephibosheth and we'll be getting into Mephibosheth story later on but not tonight, but when we get to the chapter, there's a whole chapter Just dealing with Mephibosheth But in verse 4 here it says in Jonathan Saul's son had a son that was lame at his feet So it kind of just states that but then it tells us how that came to be. Okay? How was he lame at his feet of his feet? It says he was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel Okay, so at this point in the story you're because there's Bosch's reigns for two years That Mephibosheth is probably like seven years old at this point, right? Now the story about Mephibosheth and when David meets him is later. I mean he's coming into Jerusalem He's bringing it's after he brings the ark into Jerusalem that the story of Mephibosheth takes place But it's just kind of telling us this story kind of setting up Who's Mephibosheth all of that and that basically there's still people of the house of Saul that are alive but Mephibosheth It's telling his story here and says He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel and his nurse took him up and fled And it came to pass as she made haste to flee that he fell and became lame and his name was and his name was Mephibosheth So that is a horrible story when you think about it like a five-year-old basically falling and basically getting I Don't know if it's just like legs were broken. They just didn't heal right and that's probably what happened right is something happened to where like Maybe the legs got broken or something like that to where they just didn't heal right and then for the rest of his life he's dealing with that injury essentially and Now I'll say this, you know, obviously we'll get into Mephibosheth But Mephibosheth is a really good guy right and what you guys understand is that this is a tragedy that happens that that happens to him, but a Lot of times you have to look at the the bright side and the fact that Wouldn't Mephibosheth have been such a godly man like such a good guy If he didn't have that infirmity, right if he didn't have that problem, right? Would he have tried to assert authority right think about Jonathan was next in line Okay, that means Mephibosheth would have been in that line, right? But since he had that issue It's kind of like that took that out of the equation and he ends up You know obviously being a really good guy even though he has that infirmity So, you know when it comes to that type of stuff, it seems like a tragedy But sometimes it's a blessing in disguise because of the character that it gives you Okay, and there's certain things that you may be growing up you know kids that grow up with and you're maybe you're you're shorter than the rest of the people or you're you got certain things that that Aren't like you're not as good at you know sports or something like that when it comes to certain people You're not as good-looking or you know Like there's all these different things that you can look at and be like this is like a curse You know, why wasn't I born, you know with all these great attributes or whatever? but in the end a lot of times the people that have everything they end up being horrible people because They kind of get everything they want and everything's just kind of easy for them and all of that and These type of things will mold can mold you into either being a really good guy or really bad person That doesn't mean that someone that is good at basketball and good-looking or whatever is gonna be a horrible person Okay, it just means that obviously There's more chance for them to be arrogant to be prideful and to not be a humble type of person Okay. So anyway that being said we'll get into the story of Mephibosheth later Going on with the story though with the sons of Reman is that they kill Ish-bosheth in his bed so Kind of like a bunch of cowards They can't even like confront him and kill him. I mean, it's like I'm sure they could have probably overtaken him Anyway, you know even if they were just to like just go up to him and kill him But they basically kill him while he's like in a vulnerable state in his bed, right? It says verse 5 says in the sons of Reman, the Bearethite, Rekab and Baanah went and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth who lay on a bed at noon Now that's all interesting in itself Why are you sleeping at noon in the heat of the day? Like what's you know, what's going on there? You know as far as like Shouldn't you be doing something, you know anyway But it says and they came thither into the midst of the house as though they would have fetched wheat So they kind of come in like oh, we're just grabbing something, you know We're just coming into the house to get something and so they're kind of coming in Deceitfully and all that and it says they smote him under the fifth rib and Rekab and Baanah his brother escaped For when they came into the house He lay on his bed in his bedchamber and they smote him and slew him and beheaded him and took his head and got Them away from the plane all night so Notice the fifth rib, right? Ask the hell was killed under the fifth rib. You had Abner obviously the Do justice if you will or the kind of reaping what you sow into the Abner when it comes to Joab Smiting him under the fifth rib and then we see it's Bosch It is killed on the fifth rib and obviously there's vital organs there, right? And so obviously there's there's a reason Why that's where someone's stabbing you right and and why that's where it's a it's a it's a basically a fatal blow It's what it is. Okay, and so So they behead him and they're gonna end up going to David But the thing that you have to ask yourself is like why did they do this? Right? What was the reasoning behind this and I think one one is fear can make people do some crazy things Okay, and what you understand is that these were men that were under his Bosch it's right. They were basically his Captains and they were basically his acquaintances Maybe even his friends when it comes to this so you think about Abner all of them are I mean Abner Obviously was related to ish Bosch it and then there was that disconnect there obviously with with the concubine and everything but when it comes to this I think about The fact of how fear can make even people that are close to you turn on you And think about it. It says at the very beginning of the chapter that That all the Israelites were troubled Okay, and this idea of fear and being troubled can cause people to do things they shouldn't do I mean even to the point where David's own men wanted to stone him Right because of like obviously the atrocities that happened the atrocity that happened to him. I said that got turned around But there's other cases where fear will cause people to basically turn on people that they should be friends with You know or even family members can turn on you based off of fear and fear of what maybe fear of dying fear of losing everything whatever the case may be and Go to Micah chapter 7 this makes me think of like something, you know in our future It could be you know The Great Tribulation for example, and there's something that keeps getting brought up when it comes to that is the idea of family and friends Turning against you and you may ask yourself like why would they do that? Right? But I think fear is a big factor Fear of the government fear of death fear of whatever fear of losing your job and we see this Happening today when it comes to why people do what they do Even if they don't even if they're not for it even if they don't want to do it They will be afraid Then I go sit down They Will be afraid and there they will therefore do things that they normally wouldn't do and against people that they care about or people that they were friends with or maybe even family members with and I think about this with these two men and the fact of you know Why are they turning on him and it when the chapter starts off with all of Israel trouble? I think that's a that could be a factor. They were probably afraid that they were next Right if Abner was killed he's the captain of the host maybe they're next and for fear that they're like well, we're just gonna go ahead and take out David's enemy and we're gonna Basically present this to him as a reward and therefore like we're gonna be good, but it was based off of fear Essentially of why they did it now look at Micah chapter 7 verse 5. It says Trust ye not in a friend put ye not confidence in a guide Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. That's pretty strong stuff, right? It's like basically just don't trust anybody You know, this is a general rule, you know trust no one but give everybody the benefit of doubt, right but Notice what it says here in verse 6 says for the son dishonor at the father and the daughter rises up against their mother The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law a man's enemies are the men of his own house Now Go to Matthew chapter 10 because Matthew chapter 10 brings up this passage here now specifically this is dealing with Persecution that happens for being a believer and This can be any time in history But this is definitely apply in the end times right or you know when the Great Tribulation But to say that this is only Great Tribulation I think would be ridiculous because I believe family members and stuff like that have gone against believers In time past I mean one of the greatest examples of a friend betraying somebody is Judas betraying Jesus It even says friend Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss and that's kind of the whole thing is that a friend had lifted up his heel against me and the idea that you're supposed to be a friend, but You You're a traitor right, and that's the idea these guys are traitors to as posh it And I think fear is a big factor here now This passage here in Matthew chapter 10 and verse 34 I just want you to see that it it's calling back to Micah chapter 7 Okay, because it says think not that I am come to send peace on Earth I I came not to send peace But a sword for I am come to send a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a man's foes shall be they of his own household so calling back to Micah 7 right and we're dealing with the fact of Jesus is saying I didn't come to send peace but But the sword or in Luke it says variance or division, right? and so But look back go back a little bit in chapter 10 there to see the context of what brought this about right? Why why is this being brought up? Well, look at verse 16 chapter 10 of verse 16 It says behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves be therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves But beware of men for they will deliver you up to the councils and they will scourge you in their synagogues And you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake for a testimony against them and the Gentiles But when they deliver you up take no thought how or what you shall speak For it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak for it is not you that speak but the spirit of your father which speak it in you and the brother shall deliver up the brother to death and the Father of the child and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death Now this is obviously You know can happen now, right? And in times past you've had things like this happen where family members have asked actually caused their family member to be put to death and You know Basically your enemies could be those within your own house, right? It says and you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake But he that endure it to the end shall be saved now. We know we're talking about physical salvation, right? We're not talking about eternal salvation or salvation of our souls But it says but when they persecute you in this city flee into another for verily I say to you you shall not have gone Over the cities of Israel till the Son of Man become the disciples not above his master nor the servant above his lord it is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and The servant as his lord if they have called the master of the house be elves above how much more shall they call them Of his household notice this fear them not therefore for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed That or I'm sorry that shall not be revealed and hid that shall not be known What I tell you in darkness that speak ye in light and what you hear in the ear that preachy upon the housetops And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul But rather fear than him which is able to destroy both soul and body and health which also shows you that we're not talking about You know basically being saved So spiritually speaking because it says fear them not which is able to kill the body and that's the whole point Is that he that endureth in the end the same shall be saved The body right you're talking about the body physical salvation that you're dealing with here And what you have to understand is that I believe that in the end times you're gonna be dealing with a lot of fear Mongering in the fact of you need to have your family members take this mark of the beast I mean think about kovat think about like how that was such a Look into how society will use fear to cause people to want to die They litter there's people on TV on the news saying they wanted people that wouldn't take the vaccine to die and they weren't joking and People were literally saying you're basically wanting wanting them to either be arrested You know it's a die to whatever right they people were just willing to go to that extreme over nothing really in the end and ended up being a big nothing burger and most of the people that were screaming about it weren't even in an age group where they would even be affected by it and that was a great kind of view into how that will happen and it's based off of fear and What they were afraid of is was of dying All those people that were just like they must get vaccinated vaccinated people. What were they afraid of dying? That's what they were afraid of They were afraid of death, and that's what it said that Unbelievers are afraid of death go to go to Hebrew chapter 2 Emma sit down Over here two seats down look up here and don't talk Now This isn't to say that believers can't be afraid of physical death because no one likes pain You know it's not like it's not like yeah, you know I can't wait to feel that pain of dying. You know. I mean like It's not like I understand That people can be afraid of the pain of death of physically dying right and that that goes across the board But what you understand is that believers we're not afraid of eternity We don't have reason to be afraid of eternity because that's taken care of And obviously our flesh can be like you know flesh can give you doubts all that stuff I'm not I'm not saying that that's that can't happen right, but at the same time You know We're not afraid of death. We're you know to me to live is Christ and to die is gain, right? And but the Bible says here in Hebrew chapter 2 in verse 14 It says for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood He also himself likewise took part of the same that through death He might destroy them that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death Were all their lifetime subject the bondage see unbelievers in General are in bondage for fear of death Fact whether they want to admit it or not They're afraid to die because they're afraid of what's gonna happen afterwards Okay, and you can talk to you know, some atheists out there and be like, ah, I'm not afraid to die to go Go to the dust of the earth. It's like yeah meet them on their deathbed and see where they're at and Ultimately though they don't want to die That same atheist will want to live as long as he can because even if he thinks that it just ends after that Well, it just ends after that and you're done So when it comes to this, I believe that they were doing this out of fear They were troubled all of Israel's trouble because they don't know what's gonna happen If Abner's not off the table of being killed then why wouldn't they be? the next to be killed and so therefore they're kind of taking measures into their own hands in order to not be killed and They basically are betraying and being being traitors to their own leader and This is something that happens This is something that's gonna happen in the future where Family members could end up Snitching or betraying other family members dealing with being a believer and all of that because ultimately this No, this is that Not every family member that you know was saved Okay, now hopefully your immediate family. Hopefully you're a Noah, you know, like where you're you saved your whole family You know kind of thing and not like a lot where you're like they just laugh at you at that time and and all that Right, you want to make sure that your immediate family is saved and all that But we all know this is that even if your immediate family is all saved You have family members out there somewhere, you know, you have cousins you have uncles you have some somebody, you know You have family out there. That's not safe Like I've never met somebody that's just like yeah every single one of my uncles aunts grandparents, you know, everybody they're all safe Right. Well god bless that person But I've never met somebody that said that like that. That's like they're all safe. Okay, and So that being said is that you're gonna have somebody Whether it's an in-law or whether it's someone that's blood-related That's not saved that could end up turning on you and being that traitor and it's I believe gonna be based out of fear Right, it's gonna be fear based now think about this. This is already something that could have happened to David Go back to first Samuel chapter 23 dealing with Keilah if you remember David when he was on the run from Saul Keilah was getting destroyed and David and his men came and saved Keilah but then because he kind of came out of his cave to go save Keilah Saul heard about it and he's like there's David right and David is basically saying is is the are the people at Keilah gonna basically turn him in And notice what it says here in first Samuel chapter 23 and verse 10 then said David Oh Lord God of Israel thy servant hath certainly heard That Saul seeketh to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake So obviously the city being destroyed is not a good thing for Keilah And think about it, you know, he's killing like 85 priests and all this stuff so I mean like At this point are you like you might be worried about what's gonna happen here now anyway going on from that It says will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand Will Saul come down as thy servant hath heard o Lord God of Israel I beseech thee tell thy servant and the Lord said he will come down then said David Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul and the Lord said they will deliver thee up Now they don't end up doing it because David gets out of the situation right, but ultimately if you would have stayed there The men of Keilah would have delivered him into their hands. Why fear? I Mean they have every reason to be loyal to David, right? Every reason to be basically have his back because he just had theirs But even after he completely helps them out and he saves them Even after that, I mean that just happened. They would be willing to just throw him to the wolves because of fear and Fear is a powerful thing Now we are not to fear what man can do unto us go to 1st John chapter 4 1st John chapter 4 As believers we are not to be fearful people. The only person we are to fear is God The Bible says in Ecclesiastes the end of Ecclesiastes and Ecclesiastes 12 13 It says let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man so Yeah, we are to fear God But notice what it says here in 1st John chapter 4 and verse 18 It says there is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment he that feareth is not made perfect in love and What you have to understand is that people will be tormented with fear to a point It's kind of like being tortured into a point where they'll even Sell out their own family member They'll betray a friend their own family member because of fear And we are not to be that way we're not to be tormented with fear to where we would do something like that Just because we're afraid of dying physically or we're afraid of what some person's gonna do to us or whatever You should be willing to die then to To let that stuff happen and know this is that even when it comes to fearing God obviously we're to fear God but know this is that perfect love cast about fear because Fear God and keep his commandments, but you know what the Bible says if you love me keep my commandments and even in 1st John 5 you know right after 1st John 4 where it's talking about Casting out fear and all that It says in 1st John 5 3 it says for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not Grievous so many times over and over again It's basically love is the fulfilling of the law right and the law is fulfilled in one word even in this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself This is kind of like your kids They obey you out of fear originally right they don't want spanked They're afraid you know of that discipline right, but ultimately It should turn into that they they do what you say because they love you And it's not more of like I don't want spanks just because hey I care about my parents I want to do what they tell me to do. I want to please my parents because I love them right that's Ultimately where we should be right? It's kind of like the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom right, but you need to move past that to where You're no I'm doing this because I love the Lord not because I don't want to be spanked not because I don't want to be chasing But ultimately I know this is that if the reason you keep the command this is because of fear so be it Okay, but that's kind of like the bottom rung. That's where it's like. Hey all else fails do it because you fear God But you should be doing it because you want to please God you love God, and it's not like you're just like Trembling as far as like of what God's gonna do to you It should be no I want to please and that's why I want to do this I care about that's why I want to do this right So anyway all that to say is that I believe these two men they did this because they were afraid now No, this is that when they they come to David They're thinking like you know we're gonna be in like Flint with you know with with David and It doesn't turn out well for them, okay, so Verse 8 here so 2nd Samuel chapter 4 verse 8 It says and they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron and said to the king behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy Which sought thy life and the Lord hath avenged to my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed And David said to Rechab and Baanah his brother the sons of Rimmon the Verithite and said unto them as the Lord liveth Who had to redeem my soul out of all? Adversity When one told me saying behold Saul is dead think Thinking to have brought good tidings. I told of him I Took up I took hold of him and slew him in ziklag who thought that I would Have given him a reward for his doings now if you remember the story right that Amalekite that came and basically said You know while Saul was you know pretty much almost dead But I had to fall and he told me to fall on him so I fell on him and he's dead and I killed him And all that whereas we know that the narrator is states that Saul dies then his armor-bearer kills himself right so after Saul was dead the armor-bearer kills himself so The guy is obviously making that up and David knows that right because he's facing out of your own mouth You you condemned yourself right your own words But when he's recounting this he's basically saying the reason that he said that is because he thought That he would be rewarded for these tidings that he thought these were gonna be glad tidings He's gonna be rewarded for it, and they're doing the same exact thing The same mistake they're making here is thinking that this is what David wanted and this is how he wants it to be and Notice what it says here how much more When wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed. He's basically saying this is worse Right this is worse than what that guy did right because you literally Ish-bosheth If you think about it's not like Ish-bosheth really did some horrible thing wrong here, right? Understand the circumstances right you have a nation that's basically split up right you have a nation that was at war They lost her king and then a lot of that nation made him king and then Basically they're fighting this battle like it's really Abner. That's kind of the forefront of all of this right Ish-bosheth really wasn't this like wicked person. That's just like down with David down with all this stuff He's kind of being put into this position They put him into the position all of this stuff. I mean he didn't deserve to die You know, basically he should have been taken out of authority and David should be the rightful king because that's who God chose but David's basically saying This is even worse because Saul Obviously God was like basically It was his judgment right that he was gonna die It was that was on him right and David even knew that he was his time was coming But Ish-bosheth, he's just like what are you doing, you know, like and you killed him in his own bed Right, so it's like this disgraceful like you killed this man. He was in bed How much more is like Joab kills Abner and in a time of peace, but he didn't kill him in his bed right, so it's like On the kind of lowest level here and it says How much more when wicked men have slain a righteous man in his own house on his bed shall I not? therefore now require his blood of your hand and Take you away from the earth and David commanded his young men and they slew them and cut off their hands and their feet and hang Them up over the pool in Hebron But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the sepulcher of Abner and Hebron So they give them at least his head a proper burial. I don't know what they did with the rest of the body doesn't tell us right, but the thing that I also think about this too is that People do a lot of these things out of fear, but go to John chapter 16 Because something else that we see is that people will do these wicked things and they literally in their mind are thinking they're doing a righteous thing and This is something that you'll see like there's this this idea of this this self that Like this righteous they think it's righteous they think it's good I mean these these liberals out there in their mind They think what they're doing is right and we're a bunch of wicked people right like we're the wicked people were evil When they are literally like calling for killing babies They're for the most abominable stuff that's out there right and we're looking at like what in the world right but to them They'll even invoke God and be like God would want this right and you're just like what universe are you in right? But what you have to understand is that these people both the Amalekite and These two men thought They were they thought they were doing something good They thought that they had glad tidings and that they were going to be rewarded for what they did I want you to think about that with what Jesus says here in John chapter 16 John 16 verse 1 it says these things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended They shall put you out of synagogues Yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God's service And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me Right, so he's obviously talking to people that aren't believers and he's saying they are going to think They are gonna think that they're doing God's service. They're doing the work of God That's the mindset which is kind of baffling right, but you think about it that these guys Rekab and Vayana They're thinking like we're doing the service of the king. I mean, that's kind of how they come to him It's like, you know, we've it's kind of like we've destroyed your adversary, you know, we've done you a service, right? and it's just like Like completely completely opposite of what David wanted right same thing with the Amalekite He's not like man, I'm gonna be rewarded, you know all this stuff and it's like no you're gonna die And it's like the same it's so opposite of What the truth is and it gets is that they're killing believers and they think that that's what God wants Right, you know in John chapter 16, it's talking about killing believers Killing, you know God's disciples and they think they're doing God's service and that happens still today That will happen in the future and dealing with this notice What says in at the end of the chapter there in John 16 verse 33? It says these things I have spoken unto you that in me you might have peace in the world You shall have tribulation but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world So when people think well, you know, we're not gonna go through tribulation in the world You shall have tribulation. I mean whether we're in the great tribulation, you know in the days of the great tribulation doesn't matter Like every generation is gonna be Christians will deal with tribulation Because yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution But the interesting thing about that is that a lot of these people that are persecuting us or that will persecute us Will literally think that they're doing God's service They're literally think that they're that they're on God's side They're the righteous ones right like in their minds. They're the righteous ones God's on their side and it couldn't be further from the truth and This story just makes me think of that that one People do it out of fear Right people around you will betray you will leave you or forsake you will feed you to the wolves out of fear Fear of living losing your job fear of death Fear of whatever right fear of what people may do to them or say to them or per be perceived about them And they will turn on you because of fear but also People will literally come against you because they literally think that they're on God's side They are literally that delusional and that Removed from reality to think that they are actually doing God's service I mean think about it and this doesn't these only have to be reprobates. Okay, because think about Saul Paul that is right He thought And obviously he was ignorant right so people can be ignorant when they do this type of stuff He literally thought he he was doing God's service, right? He literally thought that when he was consenting on the Stevens death and when he was giving his voice against those that would be putting to death that that's what God wanted and What was he doing? He was kicking against the pranks wasn't he I mean completely opposite of that and obviously Saul I you know before he got saved I believe That point was like the breaking point. That's why he says I was cheap, you know Jesus Christ came in the world safe sinners of whom I am cheap I believe that the reason he's saying that is basically he was like at the Breaking point as far as you can get before it was over for him Like any further if he wouldn't have gotten saved there. He was done lights out, right? reprobate or dead and whatever the case may be right, but You Know you definitely can see how that stuff can happen And I think the case of the Amalekite in the case of these two men these sons of Remen You had the case of one fear because they were troubled and they were probably afraid of what was gonna happen to them But then two they literally thought that's what David wanted They literally thought that they were gonna be rewarded Then not only were they gonna be safe from being put to death But they were gonna be like maybe given like positions and like pry the army or something like that Who knows right? It'd be like, oh, okay. Well, you're with us now and Congratulations on killing our enemy, you know, it's like in their mind. That's what they even wanted and think about it David is obviously a picture of Christ in the fact of You know him being king is a picture of Christ being king Because Christ is gonna sit upon his throne all of that And it's kind of like that where these people are gonna literally think that they're doing it They're doing it for the cause of Christ I mean think about all these false prophets that are against the gospel, right? In their mind they think they're doing it for God Think about when they say Lord Lord Have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils and then I named them many wonderful works What does you say to them what I profess unto them? I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity It's like in their mind. They're like we were doing it for you You know, we were you know, this is for you Lord, you know We were persecuting those once saved always saved guys for you But obviously they thought they were doing God's service and so Definitely interesting passage when you're dealing with ish Bosch's the death of ish Bosch it and then you kind of had that little snippet of Mephibosheth and There's a whole chapter dedicated to Mephibosheth and David basically blessing Mephibosheth and that's such an interesting story Again when I read every time I read it, I think of like that's sad I had a five-year-old like falling and like getting crippled and stuff like that but ultimately sometimes you look at these things you're like man, that's horrible, but the outcome ultimately spirit spiritually speaking is better and There's so many different cases when you think about the man that was born blind, right? It's like well who sinned, you know, was it this man or was it his parents right? It's like well no one this was for the glory of God because Jesus heals this man of his blindness and That's obviously this miracle. They could not speak against right because it's like this guy's about 40 years old He was blind from his birth They couldn't say anything to it, right and sometimes when we look at certain things From that perspective. I think it helps out especially, you know Maybe you have an infirmity. Maybe you have certain things that you wish were different or whatever, but you know what? Certain things like that can shape who you are in a good way. Okay, if you had everything You may not be a good person. You may not have gotten saved. You never know because it's the meek they get saved it's the humble and spirit and You know If you're just you got everything you end up being proud and those people are the hardest people to get saved So but interesting chapter Is Bosch it is dead, but then two men that killed him are dead now too. So justice is served at the end there but we'll be lower willing next week getting into the next chapter in chapter 5 there and David is going to be taking over the kingdom of Israel and and All that kind of that transfer of power into all of Israel and we'll be getting into that Lord willing next week doesn't with the word of prayer dear Heavenly Father we think of it today Thank you for your word. Just praise be with us throughout the rest of this week. I pray that you would Help us to learn everything we can from the book of 2nd Samuel and Lord. Just help me to preach it Help me to Know everything that we need to know out of these passages to teach it and what we love you Jesus Christ name. Amen. So brother Dave come sing one more song and then we'll be dismissed All right, take your song books and turn to song 167 167 and your sombre will sing all hail the power of Jesus name if you would stand will sing song 167 Oh Hail the power of Jesus name let angels prostrate fall bring forth the royal diadem and crown Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Lord