Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Alan Wright. This father's love trumps the son's sin. What manner of love is this? That the preoccupation of the king's heart is actually the preoccupation of a father's heart. And he loves him. He is tied up with him.
You can't rebel more than this son rebelled. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series Son of David, as presented at Rinaldin Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program today, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries. As you listen to today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastoralan.org.
That's pastoralan.org or call 877-544-4860. Now more on this later in the program, but now let's get started with today's teaching. Here is Alan Wright. Heart-wrenching, instinctive, fatherly statements that come forth out of David when the messenger comes to tell him of the news of Absalom's death. There are three things that David says. He says first, is Absalom okay? Is it well with the young man Absalom? And then he says, Oh, Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son. And then he says, would that I had died instead of you. Oh, Absalom, Absalom, my son. I want to talk about those three statements.
All right. The context of this story, it's not pretty. You have to go back some years to understand what led to this moment of great sorrow. And it really began well, it probably began back with David's own sin with Bathsheba. And the fact that there was a word that then came that there would be the sword would and conflict would come into David's family.
And so this is all coming to pass. But the specific event that eventually resulted in David's great sorrow and Absalom's death was the wickedness of Amnon. Part of the problem was that David had multiple wives and he had children by these multiple wives who were then half siblings. And what happened was that David's son Amnon fell in love, fell in a lustful way, in a toxic attraction to his half sister Tamar. David had a son named Absalom and by that same mother had Tamar.
Amnon was born to a different mother so they were half siblings but Absalom's full sister was Tamar. And such wickedness was an abomination in Israel for a man to take someone from his own family, a half sister like this. And Amnon got into that kind of diabolical sin pattern that makes no sense except for the deception, the great darkness that comes upon our sinful hearts in which he thought with a great obsession that the only thing that would make him happy would be having Tamar and yet it would be the actual poison and his undoing. And so he lured Tamar into his tent and when Tamar realized his intention she said such a thing is not done in Israel and yet he violated Tamar and then the Bible said that afterward it's very interesting that he hated her with a hatred that was greater than the love with which he had loved her ahead of time.
This is the nature of sin. And he sends Tamar away and she says don't send me away now the sending me away will be an even greater offense than what you have done. But he sends her away and Tamar's brother Absalom finds out that this has happened. And the Bible puts it plainly that Absalom hated his half brother Amnon for this. He hated him.
And you could hardly blame him. But Absalom was an interesting person. We don't know, some have speculated that he waited two years before taking any action against Amnon because maybe he was hoping that his father David would do something to bring about justice.
But here's David now having one son that's murdered another of his sons. And Absalom flees. There was a two year period that had gone by before Amnon was murdered by Absalom. And Absalom just flees after this. In other words Absalom spent two years seething in hatred and bitterness and then he appointed some of his servants to strike down Amnon and kill him and David was left with a dead son and now a son who's on the run. And Absalom flees and he lives in exile for some years. There's an interesting verse that says how David felt about this and interestingly Hebrew scholars have a tough time translating exactly what it means but essentially it says that the king's heart, David's heart went out to Absalom. So even though his son Absalom had murdered another one of his sons, the king's heart still went out towards Absalom.
But there was a huge conflict within the king. And this is represented when Absalom comes back to Jerusalem after some years. And there is no reunion between Absalom and David.
Instead it just says he lived apart from the palace. And this to me explains a lot of the predicament of human sin. David if he were to just overlook Absalom's sin and say well no worries about it, then what sort of justice would there be? You can't just overlook sin can you?
You can't just have a great offense and then just act like nothing happened. And so it is that he lives there in the same city of David but he's not with David. He is closer to David but not with them. It's such a picture of our own distance from God. Without some mediator, without some way for us to be reconciled, you can't just bring your sin into the presence of God. God is holy. He can't just tolerate sin. He doesn't just overlook sin.
He doesn't just overlook the wickedness of the world. And so here he is and Absalom wants to see David and so he asks General Joab, David's right hand man, if Joab would arrange a meeting between Absalom and David. And Joab doesn't initially respond to Absalom. So you know what Absalom does?
He burns up a valuable property, a field of Joabs. This is Absalom. I'm showing you Absalom's heart.
Joab didn't do what he wanted so he went out and vandalized his property and then it got Joab's attention and Joab agreed to set up the meeting. When the meeting happened between Absalom and David, Absalom comes in under the guise of being contrite and wanting reunion but as we'll soon learn, there was actually conspiracy brewing in his heart. And Absalom knelt before his father and the Bible says that the king kissed his son as a gesture of the beginnings of a reunion.
But from that day, for the next four years, Absalom did a remarkable, insidious, wicked, incredible thing. He would go day after day with an entourage to the city gates and as people were coming and going and business people were talking of their affairs, he would listen to them and he would kiss them and he had this beautiful hair and he was handsome in appearance and he was winsome and he was articulate and he would talk to them. He would say, tell me what's going on with you and they would tell them their situations, their problems and he would say, oh that I were a judge in Israel and I could have some authority to help deal with these things and bring about justice and bring some help to you. I'm paraphrasing all of this. And in other words, he was saying if I were in a position of leadership, I would do things differently and he stole the hearts of the men of Jerusalem. That's what he did. So he not only had murdered his brother, he had now begun a conspiracy against his father. I want you to see how dark Absalom's soul was.
I mean it just couldn't get much worse, right? Until finally the time come that he had a final piece of his plan to unfold, he came to his father David and he said, when I was living at Hebron, I made a vow to the Lord and I want to go back to Hebron and take some men with me and keep my vow to the Lord and worship him there. And David said, go, I give you my blessing to do so.
But he did so for this purpose. It takes some people to Hebron and he had them anoint him there as a king. And people assembled under Absalom because he had stolen the affection of the people and he assembled an army that it became apparent was going to be great enough to overthrow David. And so under counsel, David fled and he left his throne in Jerusalem. And what's so interesting is that David went down through the Kidron Valley and he went up onto the Mount of Olives and there he wept, the king, the rightful king of Israel. He himself was relegated to once again a great persecution and it becomes apparent that a battle is going to ensue and indeed it does.
That's Alan Wright and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Would there ever be another leader like David? Yes, the son of David. His name is Jesus and he is a better David than David could ever be. He came to be your shepherd, your hero and your king. In a 12-message audio series, Alan Wright takes you on a thrilling adventure with David in order to point you to the answer for your every need, the son of David.
Discover how Christ enables you to face your biggest obstacles, deal with your fiercest persecution and live as an heir of grace. It's an audio series from Alan Wright. As our thanks for your donation, we'll be delighted to send you Pastor Alan's audio messages in either a digital download or a CD album format.
Son of David, shepherd, hero, king. The gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860 or come to our website, pastoralan.org.
Today's teaching now continues. Here once again is Alan Wright. As God would have it and as justice would unfold, a very tragic thing happens. We read about it in chapter 18 verse 9. Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak and his head caught fast in the oak and he was suspended between heaven and earth while the mule that was under him went on.
What had happened was his beautiful hair caused him to become entangled in the branches of the tree and he was trapped and he couldn't come down. And at verse 10, a certain man saw it and told Joab, behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak. And Joab said to him, what, you saw him? Why did you not then strike him to the ground?
I would have been glad to give you 10 pieces of silver and a belt. But the man explained that he didn't want to strike the king's son down. And Joab at verse 14 said, I will not waste time like this with you. And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak. And 10 young men, Joab's armor bearers surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him. Then Joab blew the trumpet and the troops came back from pursuing Israel. So now David has another dead son. David knows that the battle's going on. He had told his soldiers to deal gently with the young man Absalom.
He had told them, please spare him. Joab perhaps remembering the Absalom who had burned up Joab's field or perhaps just wanting to see justice or perhaps his devotion to David for all of these different reasons. He thrust the spear into the side of Absalom who was hanging on the tree and Absalom died. And David was waiting for news. So when the news came, when the messenger came and David knew that there was some news of the battle, I want you to see the first thing that was in the father's heart.
The first question that was in his heart. Is the young man Absalom well? What's interesting is the name Absalom is Ab Shalom, son of peace. But Shalom means so much more than peace. It means well-being and wholeness and safety and life and prosperity. And what David said literally is Absalom Shalom. Is there Shalom?
Is there well-being? Is there safety? Is it okay?
Is Absalom okay? And what I want you to see here, beloved, is what the king did not ask. He did not ask, is my throne secure?
He did not ask, am I safe? He did not ask, is my glory preserved? He did not ask, does the kingdom stand still? He asked the question on a father's heart. It's like all the rest of the world stood still. It's as if all of the kingdoms and all of the wealth and all of the accolades and all of the exaltation and everything else that goes with being coronated a king, all of it mattered not because at this moment only one question was on that man's heart, is Absalom well?
Is there Shalom for Absalom? This is what I wish the whole world could know about God. His primary question this morning as it has always been, are my people okay? It is so astounding to think that in the midst of such wickedness that the king could say such a thing. But the point is that in that moment where time stands still and you look into the deepest part of David's soul, you see what it is that matters to him. And this is simply because David's own happiness is completely wrapped up in his longing for the well-being of his son Absalom. What I'm saying here is mind-bending but it is surely true that this father's love trumps the son's sin. What manner of love is this? That the preoccupation of the king's heart is actually the preoccupation of a father's heart and he loves him. He is tied up with him.
You can't rebel more than this son rebelled. You can't sin in your life in a whole lifetime any more than this son Absalom sinned against King David and King David loved him. He loved him so much that the pressing question is is he safe?
It is the preoccupation of God's heart. These people that I made in my image, are they safe? Are you okay?
That's God. When I talk to my son who is in his first year of college and I haven't seen him for a while and we are talking, texting. You know my first question is not did you make a good grade on that last test? And it's not even are you being a good boy? What I care about most is is it well with you?
Because if it's well with you, if you're safe, if you're okay, everything else is fine. I make a point I find an excuse at least once a year to read these words from J.I. Packer in his classic Knowing God. He writes, we have in previous chapters made the point that God's end in all things is his own glory. That he should be manifested, known, admired, adored.
This statement is true, but it is incomplete. It needs to be balanced by a recognition that through setting his love on men, God has voluntarily bound up his own final happiness with theirs. It follows from the very nature of these relationships that God's happiness will not be complete till all his beloved ones are finally out of trouble. God was happy without man before man was made.
He would have continued happy had he simply destroyed man after man had sinned. But as it is, he has set his love upon particular sinners. And this means that by his own free voluntary choice, he will not know perfect and unmixed happiness again till he has brought every one of them to heaven. He has in effect resolved that henceforth for all eternity his happiness shall be conditional upon ours. Thus God saves not only for his glory but also for his gladness. And this goes far to explain why it is that there is joy, God's own joy, in the presence of the angels when a sinner repents and why there will be exceeding joy when God sets us faultless at the last day in his own holy presence. The thought passes understanding and almost beggars belief, but there is no doubt that according to Scripture such is the love of God. Because our Bible is true and affirms that there is for those who choose it, for those who choose to resist and reject the love of God, there is eternal separation from God. But I want the whole world to know that God weeps. He weeps not over merely the offense of humanity against him, but he weeps because he has the heart of a father, and oh that none would perish. Is the young man safe? Is it shalom with ab shalom?
But it was not. Allen Wright In today's teaching, Oh Absalom, Discovering the Father's Love. It's in our series, Son of David, and Allen is back here in the studio in just a moment sharing his parting good news thought for the day.
I encourage you to stay with us. Who else could be a gentle shepherd, a glorious hero, and a noble king? Would there ever be another leader like David? Yes, the Son of David. His name is Jesus and he is a better David than David could ever be. He came to be your shepherd, your hero, and your king. In a 12-message audio series, Allen Wright takes you on a thrilling adventure with David in order to point you to the answer for your every need, the Son of David.
Discover how Christ enables you to face your biggest obstacles, deal with your fiercest persecution, and live as an heir of grace. It's an audio series from Allen Wright. As our thanks for your donation, we'll be delighted to send you Pastor Alan's audio messages in either a digital download or a CD album format.
Son of David, shepherd, hero, king. The gospel is shared when you give to Allen Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.
When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Allen Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, pastorallen.org.
Allen back here in the studio to share good news, parting thought for the day. Can it be a hope of ours that God would have that much love for me? Yes, that much love. So what you get in David so many times over and over is a picture of Jesus. David was a shepherd. Jesus was a shepherd. David fought the giant on behalf of the cowardly people. Jesus faced down evil for us. And now we see David weeping over Absalom, his son, who was rebellious, who was scandalously dishonoring of his father. And yet David said would that I had died instead. This may be the most beautiful picture of foreshadowing Jesus, because this is God's heart. Would that I would die in their place. And he did in the person of Jesus Christ. Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Allen Wright Ministries.
