The Judas of the Old Testament | Part 2

What can we do if we're to love worth finding featuring the dynamic biblical essence of Adrian Rogers. In part one of today's message, we were introduced to King David's right-hand man, Joab. By all appearances, Joab was devoutly loyal to his king.

But in spite of that loyalty, there was something missing. Like Joab, there are some Christians who will profess their loyalty to Christ yet remain lost. If you have your Bible, turn to 1 Kings chapter 2 as Adrian Rogers concludes a convicting message, the Judas of the Old Testament. David pronounced judgment upon Joab. Joab was the Judas of the Old Testament and he was an unusual man. He was a remarkable man because outwardly he seemed to love David. Outwardly he seemed to be loyal to David. Outwardly he served David. But when it came to the very end, he ended up under the judgment and the wrath of David. He spent all of his life serving David.

Yet he truly never loved David and ultimately he was judged by David. Now, this man Joab was a very formidable man. He was a very outstanding man. He was a man among men and Joab would have gone to the top in any profession, anywhere, anyplace. But incidentally, he was David's commander-in-chief.

And yet it's such a tragic story. He fought alongside David. He fought for David. He worked for David. He respected David. He looked up to David and yet he spent his entire life for David only to receive at the end of his life the wrath of David and the judgment of David.

I say that's a tragedy. But now Joab was seemingly loyal to David and certainly Joab knew that David was savior. But not only was he convinced that David was savior, not only was he convinced that David was sovereign, he was also convinced that David was sufficient.

But now wait a minute. In spite of the fact of his loyalty, there was still something missing. And I'm going to show you in a moment that there was a fatal flaw in Joab. What caused this man Joab to receive the judgment of David? Why would David come to the end of his life and tell his son Solomon and for Joab, don't you let his white head go down to the ground in peace? You let my judgment fall upon him.

Why is it? What happened to him? Well, we'll search the record and you're going to find out that in all of it you can never find a place where Joab truly, from his heart, loved David. Joab was a man who loved the kingdom without loving the king. Let's go now to 2 Samuel chapter 3. And I want us to begin reading in verse 20. So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast. And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go and will gather all Israel unto my Lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. Now I want to tell you this is the same Abner who had once rebelled against David. And Abner said to David, David, I'm going to bring as many people to your side as I can. I love you, and I want everyone to be in your kingdom.

But Joab, who was David's commander in chief, took this man off and stabbed him in the back. And he represents so many people who claim to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet they never, ever have the mind of Christ. I wonder, do you have the mind of Christ? Do you think as Jesus thinks, and therefore do you love as Jesus loves? If you're knifing those that Jesus loves, you haven't been saved.

You haven't been saved. This is what old Joab did. He never, ever really had the mind of Christ. But not only did he disdain the mind of David, I want you to notice that he also distressed the heart of David. I want you to turn to another passage, if you will. Now turn to 2 Samuel, chapter 18. And I want you to notice another episode, not only what Joab did to Abner, but I'm going to show you what Joab did to Absalom. I'm reading 2 Samuel, chapter 18, beginning in verse 5. And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all of the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. So the people went out unto the field against Israel, and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim, and where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David. And there was a great slaughter that day of 20,000 men, for the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country, and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

That is, a lot of people got tangled up in the underbrush and were beaten to death there trying to get out of the brush, and they were trapped and snared in the brambles and so forth. And so he said, the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. And now verse 9, and Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom wrote upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head was caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth, and the mule that was under him went away. And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. And Joab said unto the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest him? Why didest thou not smite him there to the ground?

And I would have given thee ten shekels of silver and a girdle. And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son. For in our hearing the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Itaias, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom, otherwise I would have wrought falsehood against mine own life. For there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself would have set thyself against me. Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten young men that bare Joab's armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and he slew him. Now Absalom was David's son, and he had rebelled against David, horribly rebelled against David. He tried to usurp the throne from David, and David said to Joab, and he said to his other men there that day, Look, I know what he's done. I know what he deserves, but I want you to hear me and hear me well, regardless of what he's done, and regardless of what he deserves, I love him.

He's my son. I want to show him mercy. I want to extend my grace to him, and so therefore deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake. All of us remember the story of how Absalom ran under that huge oak tree, and his head and his hair got entangled there in the limbs, and he's left dangling, suspending.

He cannot free himself. And how cruel and wicked Joab came and found him there and drove three daggers through his heart, and Joab's other men surrounded him and hounded him and pummeled him to the death and broke the heart of David. Now I want to tell you that not only did Joab not have the mind of David, he did not have the heart of David. Joab could not love like David loved.

I want to tell you something else, friend. The acid test as to whether or not you're Christian is not whether you have a family loyalty and a fundamental loyalty and a fighting loyalty. The acid test is do you love as Jesus loves?

Do you love? You see, Abner could not deal with those whom David had forgiven, and Abner could not deal with those whom David wanted to forgive. He had forgiven Abner, but Joab stabbed him in the back.

He wanted to forgive Absalom, but Joab stabbed him three times in the heart. I want to ask you a question tonight. I don't want to know whether you've joined the church. I don't want to know whether you work in the church, whether you sing in the choir, whether you know doctrine, whether you fight for the faith.

I want to ask you a question. Do you love those that Jesus loves? If not, you are, dear friend, in Joab's crowd, and you're going to receive the wrath of Jesus. Do you love the lost?

Do you love the rebels? Continue to read here in 2 Samuel chapter 18 and verse 33 and see how the heart of David was broken. In 2 Samuel chapter 18 verse 33, and the king was much moved, and he went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he wept, he said, oh my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, would God I had died for thee.

Oh Absalom, my son, my son. David loved this rebel so much, he would have died for him just as Jesus died for us. What a picture of the love of God.

What a picture of the love of God. But Joab could never understand that. He did not love as Jesus loved or as David loved.

He could not think as David thought. Continue to read in 2 Samuel 19 verses 1 and 2. And as it was told Joab, behold the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people, for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.

But I want you to notice the reaction of Joab to that. Look in verses 5 and 6. And Joab came into the house of the king and said, thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons, and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines, in that thou lovest enemies and hatest thy friends. He could not have been more wrong when he said that David hated his friends. But he could not have been more right when he said that David loved his enemies. For thou hast declared this day that thou regardest neither princes nor servants for this day. I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. He's sarcastic now with David, because David wanted to show his love to Absalom.

Now pay attention. What was wrong with Joab? He did not have the mind of David. He could not think as David thought. He did not have the heart of David. He could not love as David loved, nor did he have the will of David. He did not will as David will. I want you to turn to a final passage now in First Kings chapter 1. Go back where to First Kings for a moment and look in chapter 1.

And I want to read verses 5 and 7. You're going to find out that there was another one of David's sons that rebelled against him. His name was Adonijah. And in First Kings chapter 1 and verse 5 we read, Then Adonijah the son of Hagath exalted himself saying, I will be king. And he prepared him chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run after him.

And his father had not displeased him at any time saying, Why hast thou done so? And he also was a very goodly man, and his mother bare him after Absalom. And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they following Adonijah helped him.

Now here's Joab again trying to set up a wrong king. It was not David's will that Adonijah be king. It was David's sovereign will that Solomon succeed him on the throne. Skip on down to verses 11 and following in First Kings chapter 1 verse 11. And wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Hagath doth reign and David our Lord knoweth it not?

Now therefore come let me I pray thee give thee counsel that thou may save thine own life and the life of thy son Solomon. Go and get thee in unto king David and say unto him, Didst not thou my Lord O king swear unto thine handmaids saying assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then doth Adonijah reign? Now the thing I want you to see is in verse 7 that Joab contrary to the will of David tries to make Adonijah king. And what I'm trying to say is this that Joab never had the mind of David. Joab never had the heart of David. Joab never had the will of David.

It was David's sovereign will that Solomon be king but yet Joab had another way. Joab was like so many people who say yes I belong to Jesus Christ but I know my rights. Yes I belong to Jesus Christ but I have my desires. Yes I belong to Jesus Christ but I have my own judgments and my own reasonings. He never ever really had his will brought under the will of David.

Now I'm talking to some of you who are going to be just like Joab. You're going to receive the judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ because outwardly you're loyal but inwardly you're lost. You never have ever really and truly given your heart to Jesus Christ. Now the mark is as to whether or not a man is saved is not what kind of doctrine he can rattle off. You're not saved by the plan of salvation.

You're saved by the man of salvation and his name is Jesus. You're not saved by serving and fighting. As a matter of fact the Joabs are the people who cause church fights, church splits. They'll fight for doctrine.

They'll fight for what they think is right. They'll fight for the cause of Christ and you know the Bible says only by pride cometh contention. There are a lot of Joabs who've wrecked a lot of churches and in the name of their king but they never have had the heart of their king. They never know how to deal with other people as Jesus himself would deal with them. They never really know how to forgive as Jesus forgives.

They never know how to seek rebels as Jesus seeks rebels. They never know anything about the sovereign will of our great God and so I'm asking you tonight not do you have a family loyalty. I'm not asking you do you have a fundamental loyalty. I'm not asking whether you're a premillennialist or whether you believe in verbal inspiration or the virgin birth.

You can believe all that and go straight to hell. I'm not asking if you have a fighting loyalty. I'm not asking you how many battles you've fought for righteousness and whether you're in the moral majority or whatever. I want to know do you have the heart of Jesus Christ? Do you love Jesus? Do you have the mind of Christ? Are you submitted to the will of Christ?

You may be outwardly loyal, inwardly lost, inwardly lost. You know it's so possible to be religious but lost and the sad thing is that those who are religious and lost are those who at least think that they need to be saved. I dare say there's some of you who are sitting here tonight wondering if they're going to hear the message when God is speaking to you. I say one of the greatest tragedies was for Joab to have fought alongside David and then to receive the wrath of David. A greater tragedy would be for you to be a member of this church, to take up the offering, to sing in the choir, to teach of the Sunday school, to give your money, to fight the battles and still one of these days hear the Lord Jesus say, depart from me ye that work iniquity.

I never knew you. Many people are going to die and go to hell surrounded by baptismal certificates, receipts for church offerings, Sunday school attendance awards because they have never ever received Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. Let me give you a verse of scripture. It's in the New Testament. Matthew chapter 7 and verse 22. Jesus gave this solemn warning. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out demons and in thy name done many wonderful works and then while I profess unto them depart from me ye that work iniquity.

I never knew you. Are you sure you're saved? Does God's spirit bear witness with your spirit that you're a child of God? I'm not trying to make you doubt it but 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 10 says, wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure.

2 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 5 says, examine yourselves whether you be in the faith, prove yourselves. Are you sure you're saved? Do you know that you know that you love Jesus?

Does God's spirit bear witness with your spirit that you're a child of God? I tell you, when I'm trying to discern whether man is a Christian or not, and I can never judge, that's not up to me to do, but when I'm looking to see, to satisfy my own heart, do you know the thing I look for? Does he love Jesus? Does he love Jesus?

I'm not asking do you love music. I'm not asking you do you love Bible study. I'm asking, is there in your heart tonight a genuine love for Jesus? Do you have the mind of Christ? Do you have the heart of Christ? Are you submitted to the will of Christ? If not one of these days you're going to hear him say, depart from me ye that work iniquity. I never knew you.

There's one last, last thing I want to say. You may not be a Christian, not even a church member. Don't let a Joab or a Judas or any other hypocrite keep you from loving the Lord Jesus. There are plenty of Joabs in the Old Testament, plenty of Judases in the New Testament and the modern world. Hypocrites come and hypocrites go, but you will not find any fault with our wonderful king, David's greater son, the Lord Jesus.

And I want you to search your heart tonight. I want to ask you this question, are you saved? Do you love what Jesus loves? Do you love those who've been forgiven as Jesus loves those who've been forgiven? Do you love those who are rebels against Jesus as Jesus loves those who are rebels against him?

Do you want his will rather than your own will? If so, you can say that you're saved. If not, you have no right to say that you're saved and going to heaven. If you want to be saved, why don't you pray a prayer tonight and ask Jesus to come into your heart? You might pray a prayer like this, dear God, just pray it. I'm a sinner and I'm lost and I need to be saved and I want to be saved. Tell the Lord that you want to be saved.

Tell the Lord that you want to be saved. And then ask him to save you for Christ's sake. Just say, Lord Jesus, come into my heart.

Just invite him in right now. Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sin and save me.

Will you ask him to do that right now? The Bible says, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sin. Save me. You died for me. Save me, Lord.

Ask him to do it right now. Now ask him, Lord Jesus, give me the courage to make it public, not to be ashamed of you because you died for me. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for what you're doing in my heart.

Amen. And if you prayed to receive Jesus Christ just now, let us celebrate with you. Go to our Discover Jesus page on the website. There you'll find answers you may need about your newfound faith.

We have a response section there. You can share your testimony or how this message has made a difference in your life. Go to lwf.org slash radio and click the tab at the top that says Discover Jesus. Welcome to God's forever family.

Let us hear from you today. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message, call us at 1-877-LOVEGOD and mention the title, The Judas of the Old Testament. This message is also part of the insightful series, Live Like a King. For that complete collection, a dozen powerful messages, call 877-LOVEGOD or order online at lwf.org slash radio.

Or you can write us to order at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Do you have the heart and mind of Christ, thinking what he thinks, loving whom he loves? Don't let a Joab or a Judas or any other hypocrite keep you from loving Jesus and serving in your church. We're so glad you studied in God's word with us today, and we hope you'll join us next time for more from Adrian Rogers right here on Love Worth Finding.

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