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Gospel Baptist Tabernacle781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

Where the Love of God abounds, everyone is

welcome.

Children’s Church taught by Paul and Marsha

Davis during preaching.

www.rossvillechurch.com

July 7, 2013

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King David flees Jerusalem with his people.

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Absalom has stirred up a revolution and is coming to

take the palace.

David has fled, but we know from Psalm 3 that it’s

not from fear.

It’s a strategy of warfare that David knows well.

He is trusting God to give him the victory and bring

him back to the throne.

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2 Sam 15:19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place (Gath), and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile. 20 Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.

As his troops pass before him, David is watching, and he stops the leader of his personal bodyguard.

David needed these 600 mighty men, but would not persuade them to go.

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David knows that he is suffering because of his past sins; God told

him it was coming.2 Samuel 12 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

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10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised Me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, 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.

The things we do have far-reaching

consequences.

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We are living now in the circumstances we created with our choices years ago.

Years from now we will be living with the circumstances we are

creating with the choices we are making today.Choose blessing for your future by

living your life God’s Way.Deuteronomy 11 26-27

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21 And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. 22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him. LoyaltyThere’s not much loyalty in the culture we live in.

People do what’s best for number one.

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1 Corinthians 13:7 (TLB) 7 If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.

Hebrews 13 5 Let your conversation (way of life) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Jesus is a loyal friend; so should we be.

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23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness. 24 And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the Ark of the Covenant of God: and they set down the Ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.

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25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the Ark of God into the city: if I shall find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me again, and shew me both it, and His habitation: 26 But if He thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto Him.

David believed God would bring him back to Jerusalem to reign as king, but if not

(if his sin was so great that God was through with him), he didn’t want the Ark to be in exile with

him.

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David is very careful for the safety of the ark. It is right to be more concerned for the church's prosperity than our own; to prefer the success of the Gospel above our own wealth, credit, ease, and safety. Observe with what satisfaction and submis-sion David speaks of the Divine disposal. Matthew Henry

Divine Disposal -- meaning however God chose to handle this situation.

Too many Christians want to tell God what is best, rather than trusting in His “Divine Disposal”.

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It is our interest, as well as our duty, cheerfully to acquiesce in the Will of God, whatever befalls us. Let us see God's hand in all events; and that we may not be afraid of what shall be, let us see all events in God's hand. David's sin was ever before him, (Psalm 51:3); but never so plain, nor ever appearing so black as now.

Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary

Psalm 51 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

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27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.

(TLB) 28 I will stop at the ford of the Jordan River and wait there for a message from you. Let me know what happens in Jerusalem before I disappear into the wilderness.

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29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the Ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there. 30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

David never wept when running from Saul; his conscience was clear.

Now he weeps because his sin has caused this.

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Psalm 38 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of Thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. 4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. 6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

If your sin doesn’t break your heart, you will never truly repent.

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31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

First he prayed about it.Then he put legs on his prayers.

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32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head: 33 Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me: 34 But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

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35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me everything that ye can hear. 37 So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

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At all times and in all situations we should do two things:

Pray as if it all depends on God.Work as if it all depends on us.God blesses our efforts when we pray.

He can’t bless our laziness.

Do what you know to do according to God’s Word – every day – all the way.