Bring Back The King

“But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king?”
 
2 Samuel 19:10
 
In 2 Samuel 19 David is mourning the death of his rebellious son Absolom. For David his grief has reached a place that it was becoming unhealthy for him because it was clouding his vision of the present need. Grief has a way of blinding us especially when the cause of our grief is the loss of our own child. The pain King David is experiencing serves as a picture of the heart of Father God in that He does not take pleasure in the death’s of those who have rebelled against Him. Ezekiel 18:32 says, “For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” Don’t fall for theology that seeks to explain that God only grieves the elect as the rest of the world goes to hell. For God so loved the world (and everyone in it) that He gave His Only Begotten Son that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have ever lasting life.” Because God is love He has given us the freedom to choose to love Him and others.  

David is so grieved over the death of his son he finds it difficult to focus on the living. So much so that Joab censures David saying, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well.” Though Joab was correct in pleading his case, he was totally out of place in that he shows a lack of respect for his friend David the King in the way he expresses his views.

Job’s response to the Kings serves as a good reminder to us all is we can be totally right in what we say and totally wrong in how we express ourselves, especially to God our King. How soon we can forget that we can win the battle and lose the war so to speak by the words we use to communicate with others, especially in moments when we disagree. An old friend and pastor once offered this sage advice to married couples on how to deal with conflict that Joab should have employed here, “if you are wrong fess up, if you are right…shut up”. As the book of Romans reminds us we can if we are not mindful to suppress the truth of God by our unrighteousness. Yes, friend, we can know the truth and be right but still be totally wrong if the attitude of our heart is wrong within us. That’s why we must guard our hearts, the bible instructs us, for out of them flow the issues of life.

Fortunately for Joab, David is a man of God and he doesn’t respond to Joab in the same manner Joab spoke to him. David listens and takes to heart what Joab is saying but David doesn’t take his marching orders from a man of war. Rather, David gets his orders from the Lord. It’s often times a good thing to listen to others complaints about us directly from the complainer when they are shared with us in private but it is a very dangerous thing to act upon them. We need the wisdom that comes from heaven to see clearly in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. David is a type of Christ here and the same way that David did not take his rightful place as king until invited back by the people though he was anointed king, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior does not force His presence upon our lives. Jesus stands knocking at the door of our heart and then patiently waits for us to give Him audience.

The bible makes so clear that we will find the Lord when we seek the Lord with all of our heart. Yes, God is knocking at the door of every heart but the doorknob to our hearts turns from the inside only. We have free will! God never forces His way into our lives, nor does He force His will upon us. We must open the door to Him! Jesus comes to us by invitation only. “Call unto Me the Word of the Lord declares and I will answer thee”. The book of James again says, “We have not because we ask not”. Make it your prayer each day to call on the Lord and invite Him to lead you and guide you by His Word and by His Spirit.

The bible declares that one day “every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord unto the glory of the Father” but not everyone will bow their heart to Jesus and open up to Him and His leading in their life. We can only have one king governing our lives; there is not room on the throne of our heart for two. Bring back the king! We can only serve one master! Someone has to sit on the throne of our lives. It’s either Absolom (the man of flesh) or David (the man of God and here David is a type of Jesus Christ). For you and me it’s simple…either Jesus rules our lives or we do. I like that old saying that says, “He is either Lord over all or He is not Lord at all.” with regard to our lives and who sits on the throne of our heart. We can show our allegiance for the King and reveal our love for Him as an act of our free will today by bringing back the King and honoring Him for who He is, Lord of all.  
 
“Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray.”
 
Psalm 5:2
 
I LOVE YOU!

Michael Osthimer

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