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This evening we pick up again
our studies in Second Samuel.

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And the studies so far, or the
story so far of these events in the

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lives of God's people tells us
of their, not surprisingly, rejection

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of God's ways.

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And this was seen right at the
very beginning of 1st Samuel because

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they rejected God's prophet
Samuel and they wanted a king.

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And why did they want a king?

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Because they wanted a king to
be like the rest of the nations around

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them.

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So their eyes were kept low as
they looked around them rather than

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looking upward to the God who
promised to be with them.

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And so the historical book
that concludes before First Samuel,

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the Book of Judges, tells us
of the state in which the people

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were in.

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And so Judges ends by telling
us that everyone did what was right

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in their own eyes.

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In other words, they didn't
look to the Lord, but they depended

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on their own moral code for
judgment of what was right and what

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was wrong.

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And of course you can guess,
everyone set themselves as the limit

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as to what was right and they
would always be better than everyone

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else.

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And so the story of First
Samuel is about the first kings of

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Israel, that being King Saul
and then King David.

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But the significance is that
Samuel was the leader of the community

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of God, not self appointed,
but appointed by God.

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And it was the people who were
rejecting Samuel, his appointment,

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and ultimately what was God's way.

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So God allowed them to have a
king and they truly got the king

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that they deserved.

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Lots were cast and the lots
fell on Saul from the tribe of Benjamin.

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And initially it looked like
Saul was everything the nation wanted.

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He was tall, he was handsome,
he was youthful.

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Even after he was anointed,
what did he do?

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He went back to work at his
father's field.

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But power soon corrupted him
and he became an unfit ruler for

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the covenant people of God.

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Rather than upholding the
covenant, he abused it and fell far

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short of what God's standard was.

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And so halfway through the
book of First Samuel, in chapter

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16, the Lord directs Samuel to
anoint a young shepherd boy from

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Bethlehem as king.

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Now it would be 15 years
before he, he would take the throne.

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And when he did, the royal
line of Saul died with him.

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And so as we now come into
Second Samuel, the first nine chapters

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have been about David
establishing his kingdom.

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He made sure that there was
never a claim to the throne of Saul.

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And in chapter nine we saw the
kindness that he demonstrated to

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Jonathan's son Mephibosheth,
that is Saul's grandson David spurred

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him because of that covenant
friendship that he had with Jonathan.

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But there's one key thing that
the first part of Second Samuel told

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us.

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This is important to
understand the significance of chapter

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10.

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In chapter 7, we were told in
verses 1 and 2.

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Now, when the king, I.e.

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David, lived in his house and
the Lord had given him rest from

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all his surrounding enemies,
the king said to Nathan the prophet,

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see, now I dwell in a house of
cedar, but the ark of God dwells

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in a tent.

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What we're told in this
passage is that David had fought

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his battles, he had defended
the name of the Lord and his people,

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and the land was at rest,
everything was going well, and there

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was no need to go out and
fight because David had secured the

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borders of the promised land.

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That's why chapter 10 may and
should surprise us, because once

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again we see the horrors of
battle and of war.

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But this chapter has greater
significance in the life of David

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than we may first realize,
because this chapter bridges the

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scene of being at peace and
rest in the land to the personal

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sin that David commits with
Bathsheba and is the catalyst for

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the events that follow.

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So everything that is in
chapter 10, well, it is seen.

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The outworking of it is seen
in the following chapters.

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Now, I think we all are aware
of what a catalyst is.

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In science, a catalyst is a reaction.

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We might also think of a
catalyst in terms of events.

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And whether it be a reaction
or an event, Well, a catalyst is

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something that happens, that
directly links to the next reaction

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or event.

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It is what causes what happens
next, like a domino falling against

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another domino.

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And so you see them all
falling down.

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Now, this catalyst event was
not the fault of David, but was the

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work of the devil to lead
God's anointed king into sin.

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It is a chain reaction that
puts in motion a time in David's

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life that demonstrates how
easily sin can take hold and make

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shipwreck of faith.

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Now, chapter 10 is not the sin.

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The sin follows in chapter 11
and the consequences in chapter 12

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of David and lust and falling
into sin and falling into more sin

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to cover his wrongs.

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But it's right here that the
devil uses an event so that David

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will fall into sin.

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So chapter 10 begins for us
with the death of an ally of David's,

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the king of the Ammonites,
Nahash dies.

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Now, Nahash was the long
reigning Ammonite king who had so

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viciously assaulted the
Israelite town of Jabesh Gilead in

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the early days of Saul's reign.

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So it's hard to imagine
David's entering into a covenant

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with such a wicked People,
pagan ruler.

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But it's not hard to imagine
that during David's years, those

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10 years or so as a fugitive
from Saul, some of which were spent

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in the general region near
Nahash's realm, Saul's Ammonite enemy

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may have found it to their
benefit to extend aid or supplies

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to David, who was Saul's
Israelite rival.

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It's even easier to imagine a
desperate David accepting such help

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from this Ammonite king.

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And so now, years later, David
is determined to honor Nahash's kindness

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and reach out in good faith to
his heir.

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Because verse two tells us
what David desires to do.

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And David said, I will deal
loyally with Nahun, the son of Nahash,

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as his father dealt loyally
with me.

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So here we know that there is
a connection.

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And although it's not explicit
in Scripture, we believe that it

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extends from that period when
David sought refuge in the wilderness.

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And the Ammonite king Nahash
was the one who gave him that.

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So what does David Do?

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Verse 2 continues.

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So David sent by his servants
to console him concerning his father,

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and David's servants came into
the land of the Ammonites.

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Now, this is a friendly
action, similar to a nation's sending

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representatives to a head of
state's funeral as we would know

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it today.

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By the way, did you notice
that at the funeral of King Harold,

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the protocol is that the
British crown never goes in person?

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And so that's why Prince
William, the Prince of Wales, represented

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the king, because the king
does not attend funerals of that

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nature.

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And so it seems similar from
the time of David.

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He doesn't go directly, but he
sends his men.

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But the men are not received
as would have been hoped.

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Instead of being welcomed as
mourners and loyal to the royal family,

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those advising the new king of
the Ammonites start to believe that

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this is a Trojan horse with
David's men coming in to spy, to

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suss them out, so, so that
David can come and attack.

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And their main point is they
believe that with Nahash out of the

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way, David will try to take
over their lands.

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Nahum listens to these foolish
advisors and he rejects David's emissaries.

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And he goes further than
rejecting them.

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He insults them and he
embarrasses them.

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And in doing so, as emissaries
of the king, he embarrasses and insults

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David.

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Listen to verse four.

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So Hanun took David's servants
and shaved off half the beard of

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each and cut off their
garments in the middle at their hips

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and sent them away.

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Now we may have A wry smile on
our faces at the thought of these

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men with only half a beard.

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And let me tell you, it wasn't
half bottom up, it was half sideways

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along.

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And this was a huge insult to them.

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It was great offense towards
David and to the children of Israel.

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Not only did they look
ridiculous, but they wouldn't be

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able to attend services of
worship because they were ritually

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unclean.

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But not only were they made to
look ridiculous by cutting their

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garments at the hip, that was
to reveal their undergarments, causing

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greater shame and embarrassment.

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So what was supposed to be a
solemn representation to a grieving

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king and a grieving nation
ended up as a threat of war.

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And that is how David sees it.

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But David doesn't react.

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David doesn't have a knee jerk
reaction to rally the troops and

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send them out to avenge.

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Rather, David's first concern
is for his men.

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This is why he is truly a
covenant king.

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And this is what he does in
verse five.

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Because when it was told
David, he sent to meet them, for

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the men were greatly ashamed.

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And the king said, remain at
Jericho until your beards have grown

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and then return.

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David's kindness to the men is
seen in his career.

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He sends them to Jericho to
recover and allow their beards to

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grow out again so that they
can return to normal court life.

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But David doesn't simply end
the situation there.

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He takes action to defend his
men, his nation and to defend the

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Lord God.

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And this is immediately seen
by the Ammonites.

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Verse 6 tells us of their
response that when the Ammonites

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saw that they had become a
stench to David, so somehow it is

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told to them that David is furious.

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And the Ammonites sent and
hired the Syrians up Beth Rehob and

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the syrians of Zoba, 20,000
foot soldiers and the king of Maacah

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with a thousand men, and the
men of Tob, 12,000 men.

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Now they had a moment to
really do something good here, but

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they don't.

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And rather than seeking
forgiveness and trying to defuse

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the situation, they upped the ante.

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They gird themselves for battle.

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The advice to the Ammonite
king is to build an army to defend

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themselves against David.

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And so moving people of this
number doesn't go unnoticed.

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And David finds out about it.

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And that lasting peace that
was in the land that rest that they

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have known is gone as the
nation is flung into conflict again.

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So David sends out his
commander, the chief of his army,

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Joab, and the armies of Israel.

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But things don't go in favor
for the children of Israel.

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Verse 8 tells us that the
Ammonites and their allies position

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themselves so that the battle
will have to be fought on two fronts

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by the Israelites.

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The Ammonites came out of
Rabbah and drew up battle lines at

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the entrance of the gate to
defend their capital.

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And here's an idea of where
all of this plays out, because you

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have Jerusalem right there in
the middle of the map.

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Over to the right you have
where the Ammonites are, but then

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you have up north, that plain
where the Syrians are, because the

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Syrian troops unexpectedly
take up position before medeba, which

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is 20 miles from the Ammonite capital.

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And so this is why verse 8
tells us that they were by themselves

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in the open country, that is
in territory where chariots can be

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more effectively deployed.

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So right in the middle come
the Israelites, and what are they

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going to do?

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They can't fight on two fronts.

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Joab is concerned.

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He knows that the battle is
against them, but he still fights.

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And as we will see, the fight
is for the honor of the Lord God.

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He organizes his men by
splitting them up to meet the challenge.

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So he considers the Syrian
mercenaries to pose the greater danger

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and chooses some verse nine
tells us there the best men of Israel

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to deal with them, keeping
this contingent under his own control,

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while the remainder of the
troops are deployed under Abishai,

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his brother, to counter the
Ammonites defending their city, their

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capital, Rabbah.

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So Joab also arranges for each
Israelite contingent to be kept informed

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of the other situation so that
they can assist each other if needed.

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And this is a very wise and
tactful move on his part.

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And so to motivate his men,
Joab gives them a rallying call so

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that they will take their
stand against the Enem.

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And in verse 12 he says to
them, be of good courage and let

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us be courageous for our
people and for the cities of our

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God, and may the Lord do what
seems good to him.

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Now, this is the first time
we're seeing a different side to

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the ruthless and hard bitten Joab.

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It is only in his rallying
call to the troops that there is

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any mention of God in the
whole chapter.

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And, but also from Joab
himself, who we've always seen as

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more of a military man rather
than a religious man.

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And he speaks as one who
recognizes the Lord's providential

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ordering of events.

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And so he encourages his
troops to be courageous, literally

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meaning to stand strong for
our people, for the nation as a whole,

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and particularly for the
cities of God, probably those Israelite

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00:15:34,790 --> 00:15:37,910
cities on the east bank of the
Jordan that would be in the line

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00:15:37,910 --> 00:15:41,390
of fire from the Ammonites
and, and their mercenary armies.

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And as the battle begins, we
read in verse 13, so Joab and the

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people who were with him drew
near to battle against the Syrians

250
00:15:50,510 --> 00:15:52,270
and they fled before him.

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00:15:52,430 --> 00:15:55,950
Now this should be a surprise
for us because in our minds we should

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expect a battle to rage on.

253
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The Israelites are outnumbered.

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There are Syrian mercenaries
employed to fight for the Ammonites.

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00:16:04,590 --> 00:16:08,180
And so maybe we were expecting
a great battle to ensue.

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00:16:08,180 --> 00:16:11,900
But on this occasion God is
pleased to grant Joab and his army

257
00:16:11,900 --> 00:16:13,980
success against the Syrians.

258
00:16:14,780 --> 00:16:18,900
And as hired troops, they
value their personal safety and they

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00:16:18,900 --> 00:16:20,780
soon flee from the encounter.

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00:16:21,100 --> 00:16:23,340
No casualties are stated here
in the text.

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00:16:23,580 --> 00:16:25,660
No decisive battle has been won.

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00:16:26,220 --> 00:16:29,420
But these mercenaries are out
of the picture and this is communicated

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to the other flank.

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00:16:30,300 --> 00:16:33,180
And the same thing happens on
the other front.

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00:16:33,780 --> 00:16:37,260
Verse 14 tells us that the
Ammonites aren't so tough without

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00:16:37,260 --> 00:16:40,420
their mercenaries, and they
too flee and go into their city.

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00:16:40,820 --> 00:16:45,260
And the text simply tells us
that Joab comes home victorious and

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the conflict is averted for now.

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But the Syrians who fled now
gather themselves and realize the

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00:16:53,700 --> 00:16:55,700
shame that is on them for
running away.

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00:16:56,660 --> 00:17:00,220
They regroup after their
defeat and add to their numbers with

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00:17:00,220 --> 00:17:03,930
reinforcements from the
Syrians who who were beyond the Euphrates.

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So they bring more people from
further away in.

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00:17:06,890 --> 00:17:10,770
So now we're heading to
northwest Mesopotamia, which had

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been incorporated into
Hadezaar's mini empire.

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And so what he does is he
amasses his forces at Helam with

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Shobach as their commander.

278
00:17:23,130 --> 00:17:28,050
And so now once again, David
is drawn into battle and they go

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00:17:28,050 --> 00:17:29,530
to war against Israel.

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00:17:30,650 --> 00:17:33,690
And David does come out with
certainty to fight them.

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00:17:33,690 --> 00:17:36,930
And they're defeated with
David, we're told, killing thousands

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00:17:36,930 --> 00:17:40,570
of Syrian soldiers and killed
Shobach, their commander.

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00:17:41,290 --> 00:17:44,250
And verse 19 concludes,
concludes this chapter by telling

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00:17:44,250 --> 00:17:48,730
us, and when all the kings who
were servants of Hadezer saw that

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00:17:48,730 --> 00:17:52,810
they had been defeated by
Israel, they made peace with Israel

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00:17:52,970 --> 00:17:54,730
and became subject to them.

287
00:17:55,460 --> 00:18:02,500
So the Syrians were afraid to
save the Ammonites anymore after

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00:18:03,140 --> 00:18:08,620
needless conflict, because of
the conspiracy theories of the Ammonite

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00:18:08,620 --> 00:18:14,420
advisors, thousands were
killed and a campaign of war was

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00:18:14,420 --> 00:18:15,140
reignited.

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00:18:16,660 --> 00:18:22,580
So why is this key to
understanding what comes next?

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00:18:24,340 --> 00:18:29,860
Well, this is key because war
continues, leading to David's armies

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00:18:29,860 --> 00:18:34,580
to go out and fight, leaving
David in Jerusalem.

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00:18:34,980 --> 00:18:39,780
And that's where he sees
Bathsheba, and that's where he commits

295
00:18:40,100 --> 00:18:41,060
his adultery.

296
00:18:41,700 --> 00:18:45,140
The sin is not in the battle
against the Ammonites, which David

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00:18:45,140 --> 00:18:46,100
did not seek.

298
00:18:46,740 --> 00:18:49,800
But the Devil knew David's heart.

299
00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:55,560
And so, months before anything
ever happened, the Devil used this

300
00:18:55,960 --> 00:19:00,560
battle to ignite further
conflicts so that David would be

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00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:04,840
at home with no one around him
and the sin would be able to go into

302
00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:05,400
his life.

303
00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:07,400
That's for next week.

304
00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,000
Although it's important to
keep in mind, because the events

305
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:16,830
of this conflict were truly
seeded by Satan, the vacuum of truth

306
00:19:17,950 --> 00:19:21,630
within the Ammonite court led
to their conspiracies.

307
00:19:23,470 --> 00:19:25,550
Do you see how Satan works?

308
00:19:26,830 --> 00:19:30,910
Do you see how he plays out
even in the world today, where there

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00:19:30,910 --> 00:19:37,030
is a rejection of truth, where
there is an ignoring of truth, where

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00:19:37,030 --> 00:19:40,110
there is blatant disregard for truth?

311
00:19:41,070 --> 00:19:47,670
In that vacuum, the Devil will
seed thoughts that still today we

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00:19:47,670 --> 00:19:50,190
will declare as the book of
Judges finishes.

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00:19:50,670 --> 00:19:54,910
Everyone does what is right in
their own eyes.

314
00:19:56,990 --> 00:20:00,110
You see, Satan is still as
active today.

315
00:20:01,310 --> 00:20:05,630
But the conflicts that we have
around us are on a spiritual scale.

316
00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:08,840
Because according to the New
Testament, the great battles that

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00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,440
Christians fight today take
place mainly in the form of spiritual

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00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:13,080
warfare.

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00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,680
That's why Paul writes in
Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 12.

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00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,360
For we do not wrestle against
flesh and blood, but against the

321
00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:22,079
rulers, against the
authorities, against the cosmic powers

322
00:20:22,079 --> 00:20:26,120
over this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil

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00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:28,120
in the heavenly places.

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00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:34,530
All too often we're used to
thinking of physical conflict, physical

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00:20:34,770 --> 00:20:35,410
fighting.

326
00:20:36,530 --> 00:20:43,570
But the battle rages on 247 as
the devil tries to pull God's people

327
00:20:43,650 --> 00:20:48,530
away from the love of their
have for their Savior and a phrase

328
00:20:48,530 --> 00:20:52,770
that has been mentioned so
often to make shipwreck of their

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00:20:52,770 --> 00:20:53,170
faith.

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00:20:54,690 --> 00:20:56,450
I wonder, do you really know this?

331
00:20:57,330 --> 00:21:01,210
I wonder, do you realize that
there is a spiritual battle being

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00:21:01,210 --> 00:21:07,470
fought around you and that the
evil one wants you to fall into sin?

333
00:21:09,150 --> 00:21:12,750
Do you realize that this is
not just some life where some days

334
00:21:12,750 --> 00:21:15,550
are good and some days are
bad, and it's only in the bad days

335
00:21:16,190 --> 00:21:19,230
that we can point Satan as
being the one at fault.

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00:21:20,270 --> 00:21:23,070
I wonder, do you realize each
and every moment of every day he

337
00:21:23,070 --> 00:21:24,430
is trying to pull you away?

338
00:21:25,070 --> 00:21:27,790
Who would have thought the
mighty King David would fall into

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00:21:27,790 --> 00:21:32,220
such sin as we will discover
the man who is after God's own heart,

340
00:21:32,860 --> 00:21:33,980
and yet he does.

341
00:21:37,340 --> 00:21:41,260
But even though we may not
know the full force of Satan that

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00:21:41,260 --> 00:21:45,940
is still telling us one truth,
that the Lord is still preserving

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00:21:45,940 --> 00:21:51,780
his people and keeping them
from a thousand assaults of the evil

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00:21:51,780 --> 00:21:52,060
one.

345
00:21:53,980 --> 00:21:59,600
You see, Satan lays his traps
carefully and the consequences can

346
00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,360
reach much further than we can
ever imagine.

347
00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:04,800
And so the conflict is Real.

348
00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:06,440
And the conflict is personal.

349
00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:12,040
Satan wants to corrupt you so
that you will in turn corrupt others

350
00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:16,360
through your anger, your
bitterness, your spite, your lies,

351
00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:18,120
or your compromise.

352
00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:20,600
This is how he works.

353
00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:27,090
And the seed for David's
downfall into sin is sown here in

354
00:22:27,090 --> 00:22:27,930
chapter 10.

355
00:22:28,650 --> 00:22:31,690
There was peace and no need
for war.

356
00:22:32,890 --> 00:22:37,090
Yet the devil brought about
war so that the armies of Israel

357
00:22:37,090 --> 00:22:41,370
would continue to fight,
leaving David to fall into sin.

358
00:22:43,530 --> 00:22:48,170
But I want you to notice what
David and what Joab both did.

359
00:22:49,690 --> 00:22:54,080
When the name of God and the
welfare of God's people were threatened,

360
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:56,080
they did not retreat.

361
00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:01,200
Both David and Joab took their stand.

362
00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,040
And that is the challenge for
us tonight.

363
00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,400
Because the question is, where
are you standing?

364
00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:14,280
Are you standing firmly for
Christ, or are you giving the enemy

365
00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:15,920
ground in your life?

366
00:23:17,370 --> 00:23:23,850
Are you resisting sin, or are
you making excuses for it?

367
00:23:25,370 --> 00:23:29,730
Are you prepared to stand for
the truth of God even when it costs

368
00:23:29,730 --> 00:23:30,010
you?

369
00:23:31,930 --> 00:23:36,330
Are you simply rolling over
and just entering into it?

370
00:23:38,170 --> 00:23:41,610
These are questions that we
all must answer and all must face.

371
00:23:42,820 --> 00:23:48,460
Because the only way to know
that we can stand firm when Satan

372
00:23:48,460 --> 00:23:53,100
tries to attack us is to do
what David and Joab did was to lift

373
00:23:53,100 --> 00:23:55,780
higher the name of God and to
defend his name.

374
00:23:56,180 --> 00:23:59,060
That's why Paul writes in
Ephesians 6:13.

375
00:23:59,220 --> 00:24:02,180
Therefore, take up the whole
armor of God that you may be able

376
00:24:02,180 --> 00:24:03,940
to withstand in the evil day.

377
00:24:04,100 --> 00:24:07,940
And having done all, to stand firm.

378
00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:10,320
So how will you stand firm?

379
00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:15,800
How will you stand against the
wave of attacks that the devil will

380
00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:16,080
bring?

381
00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:20,920
Well, first of all, you
believe and trust that the Lord is

382
00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:25,920
saving you from a thousand
others, because Satan is at it all

383
00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:26,400
the time.

384
00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:30,480
And we are saved from so much
that we do not realize because of

385
00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:31,920
our utter dependence on God.

386
00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:37,800
But to take that stand in that
day means we must know God's word

387
00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:42,060
so that, as Jesus taught us,
we can rely on tort Satan with scripture,

388
00:24:43,420 --> 00:24:46,620
that we will know the truths
of who God is to us and that he will

389
00:24:46,620 --> 00:24:48,220
keep us if we trust in Him.

390
00:24:48,540 --> 00:24:51,020
And this is the sad story of
the children of Israel.

391
00:24:51,100 --> 00:24:52,460
They rejected God.

392
00:24:52,540 --> 00:24:53,780
They rejected his ways.

393
00:24:53,780 --> 00:24:57,140
They wanted a king like all
the other nations, and they got exactly

394
00:24:57,140 --> 00:24:58,140
what they deserved.

395
00:24:59,420 --> 00:25:02,540
And they continue to reject
God long after King David.

396
00:25:02,940 --> 00:25:04,660
The kingdom divides in two.

397
00:25:04,660 --> 00:25:08,140
They fight and they fight and
they fight, never honoring God.

398
00:25:09,100 --> 00:25:13,540
And so we stand by honoring
him and presenting him before the

399
00:25:13,540 --> 00:25:16,860
Satan so that we will know who
our confidence is in.

400
00:25:17,820 --> 00:25:19,340
You see, the battle is real.

401
00:25:20,380 --> 00:25:22,220
The enemy is real.

402
00:25:23,180 --> 00:25:26,380
But the truth that we must
know this night is that Christ is

403
00:25:26,380 --> 00:25:27,100
greater.

404
00:25:28,060 --> 00:25:29,100
So take your Stand.

405
00:25:29,900 --> 00:25:31,500
Stand firm in Christ.

406
00:25:32,220 --> 00:25:34,140
Stand firm against sin.

407
00:25:34,860 --> 00:25:36,940
Stand firm for the truth.

408
00:25:37,580 --> 00:25:41,580
And having done all, stand.

409
00:25:43,900 --> 00:25:46,700
This sin weighs us down.

410
00:25:48,540 --> 00:25:50,940
That's what sin does.

411
00:25:52,220 --> 00:25:54,780
But we have one who is greater.

412
00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:59,580
And we have one who has gone
to the cross so that we can reject

413
00:26:00,230 --> 00:26:02,790
sin and trust only in Him.

414
00:26:04,230 --> 00:26:06,470
That's what it means to stand.

415
00:26:08,230 --> 00:26:09,910
So will you accept Jesus?

416
00:26:10,390 --> 00:26:11,990
Will you trust in Jesus?

417
00:26:11,990 --> 00:26:16,390
And when you know that the
Satan is attacking you, will you

418
00:26:16,390 --> 00:26:17,190
stand firm?

419
00:26:17,190 --> 00:26:22,070
Don't give in, don't make
excuse for the sin, but stand firm,

420
00:26:22,070 --> 00:26:27,180
trusting in Jesus that He is
the only way, the only truth, the

421
00:26:27,180 --> 00:26:27,820
only life.

422
00:26:27,820 --> 00:26:33,580
For he is the true King of
God's people to whom we look and

423
00:26:33,580 --> 00:26:37,380
to the One who will keep us as
we stand for Him.

424
00:26:38,580 --> 00:26:45,940
So stand firm for Christ and
know the defeat of Satan now and

425
00:26:46,020 --> 00:26:48,020
fully in eternity.

426
00:26:48,500 --> 00:26:49,300
Let's pray.

427
00:26:50,020 --> 00:26:53,380
Our Father God, we thank youk
for this Old Testament passage that

428
00:26:53,540 --> 00:26:56,940
at times we can read and is
simply a story, but yet we see how

429
00:26:56,940 --> 00:27:01,390
the devil is at work and how
this one event will be the domino

430
00:27:01,390 --> 00:27:05,510
effect, the catalyst that will
move David into sin.

431
00:27:06,550 --> 00:27:10,030
And so we pray that we will be
on our guard, that we will stand

432
00:27:10,030 --> 00:27:10,390
firm.

433
00:27:10,390 --> 00:27:11,830
We will know who our enemy is.

434
00:27:12,470 --> 00:27:15,430
And Father, we will be true to
who you are to us.

435
00:27:16,230 --> 00:27:17,510
Save us from sinning.

436
00:27:17,510 --> 00:27:18,070
We pray.

437
00:27:18,070 --> 00:27:20,230
Thank you that you keep us
from a thousand sins.

438
00:27:20,710 --> 00:27:24,310
But Lord, we pray that we will
stand against the fiery darts of

439
00:27:24,310 --> 00:27:25,030
the evil one.

440
00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:27,720
Having done all to stand.

441
00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:33,080
Lord, may Christ be more to us
this night as we look ever to him

442
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:34,840
and live in his truth.

443
00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:37,000
And it's in Jesus name we pray.

444
00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:38,280
Amen.