THE LEVELING POWER OF AFFLICTION

2 Samuel 15:1-37; 18:19-19:8

INTRODUCTION: Whenever I hear of someone enlisting in the military, the first thing that comes to mind is “boot camp” or “basic training.” I know, most people think of combat and the dangers of war…and I do too, but I think of the other first.

From the old days of watching Gomer Pyle and Sergeant Carter on the comedy television show from the 60’s, and lots of old movies about the military, I have concluded that the purpose of that initial 6-12 weeks in military service is to strip everyone of any previous notions of how important they are and get them all at the same level so that they can be built back up together. That conclusion matches the information from the website for the U. S. military.

“It's the job of the Training Instructors (T.I.'s) and Drill Instructors (D.I.'s) to either adjust your attitude to a military way of thinking (self-discipline, sacrifice, loyalty, obedience), or to drum you out before the military spends too much money on your training. They do this by applying significant degrees of physical and mental stress, while at the same time teaching you the fundamentals of military rules; and the policies, etiquette, and customs of your particular military service… The training programs are scientifically and psychologically designed to tear apart the "civilian" and build from scratch a proud, physically fit, and dedicated member of the United States Armed Forces.” (U.S. military website on basic training)

Hard times tend to level the playing field. When we get torn down together, we are better able to get built back up together without any false notions of superiority or inferiority.

David found himself at a place in his life where the bottom had fallen out. He had no sense of superiority, no sense of ego or pride to protect…he was just like anyone else struggling to make sense of the affliction he was enduring.

THESIS: Affliction brings us all down to the same level and forces us either to look down, complaining about the possible reasons for our suffering, or to look up, confident about the perfect results of our suffering.

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

I. THE HEAVINESS OF AFFLICTION CAN CRUSH THE WEAK.

--Hard times and difficult days hit everyone…the difference is found in how they affect us.

--The weight, or heaviness, of the affliction is not the major determining factor in whether we are crushed or not…it is the nature of the foundation that matters.

When PBC began its renovation of the hotel towers back in 1991, the foundations under the six floors had to be expanded significantly. The average hotel room seldom held over four people and we were anticipating as many as thirty per room in some cases. Engineers had to calculate how much of a foundation would be needed to bear all the additional weight and then break through the existing floors to dig out room to pour concrete blocks substantial enough to bear the new load.

--David had developed a substantial foundation during his many decades of learning how to follow God, a foundation made broader and deeper because of the weight he had been called upon to bear.

--But in order to do that, the Lord had to dig deep into David’s life to prepare room for the larger foundation needed to handle the weight of the afflictions in a way that would bring honor to the Lord.

A. WEIGHED DOWN BY THE BURDEN OF A REBELLIOUS SON

--As we have already noted last week, David was devastated by the failures of his own household and now faced the heaviest challenge yet…what to do with Absalom.

1. Indecisive in Dealing with Absalom

--After staying away in exile for years, Absalom returned…at the insistence of Joab, David allowed him to come back to Jerusalem.

--However, he did not bring him back without conditions. The primary one was that he was not to be allowed into David’s presence.

2 Sam. 14:24, 28 “Let him return to his own house, and let him not see my face.” ²⁸…Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king’s face.

--You might call that a reluctant welcome! Even later in chapter fourteen when he succeeds in gaining an audience with David and a restorative, if formal, greeting, Absalom must have been stinging at the mixed messages David was communicating.

--“I want you back, but don’t expect me to just forget what you have done…so welcome, but watch yourself!”

2. Oblivious to Treachery of Absalom

--Whether out of pure spite, of vengeance, or just because he was a “bad seed,” Absalom took advantage of his nearness to David to capitalize on his sonship, and distant enough to get away with all kinds of schemes right under his nose.

a. His Ambition

--Right away, it became clear that Absalom intended to present himself in a royal manner, to act the part of a king in the way he conducted himself.

--He was ambitious to become king.

2 Sam. 15:1 Now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men as runners before him.

b. His Appeal

--Playing his cards carefully, Absalom traded on his good looks and smart politics to cultivate favor with the people—usually at David’s expense!

· Personally Attractive

2 Sam. 14:25 Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no defect in him.

· Deviously Manipulative

u 2 Samuel 15:2-6

--Absalom effectively stole the hearts of the people who were more taken with the outward fluff than the inner substance of the man.

--As in politics to this day, it is more the appearance than the substance that usually carries the day—what is promised more than what is delivered!

--So Absalom appealed to the general population because he looked good and made big promises, even if he did not necessarily have the power or authority always to keep them!

--He did just enough favors to make himself a favorite, but not enough good to make himself a trustworthy leader.

c. His Aggression

--Once Absalom had gotten enough momentum going for him, he decided that the time was right to make his move…to seize the throne and have himself declared king.

2 Sam 15:10, 12 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’” ¹² …And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

--With the conspiracy going strongly in his favor, he figured he could be very aggressive and kick his own father out.

--All the while, David appears to be oblivious to all that was going on at the hand of his own son to undermine and sabotage his reign.

--What an incredible weight that burden must have been for David to carry!

B. CAST ASIDE BY THE DISLOYALTY OF AN UNRELIABLE PEOPLE

--With all his success, all his power, all his popularity, one would have thought that David would never be vulnerable to a “take over,” especially from within his own family!

--For that to happen, he not only had to have a treacherous son but also an unreliable people, capable of being swayed easily by the shallow overtures of Absalom and inclined to switch allegiances with hardly a care.

--The result was that David was cast out and forsaken by the disloyalty of a very fickle nation.

1. Forced to Flee in Humiliation

2 Sam 15:14 And David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, for otherwise none of us shall escape from Absalom. Go in haste, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

2. Reduced to Tears of Grief

2 Sam. 15:30 And David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went, and his head was covered and he walked barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they went.

3. Subjected to Shame of Curses

2 Sam. 16:7-8 And thus Shimei said when he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow! ⁸ “The LORD has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!”

--David was rejected, despised, and forsaken as those who once followed him quickly turned to another.

II. THE ENDURANCE OF AFFLICTION CAN STRENGTHEN THE MEEK.

Psalm 62:1-2 My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

--David endured the affliction by accepting it as a fully justified consequence for all that he had done in his sin against the Lord.

u HE CHOSE TO…

A. FLEE INSTEAD OF FIGHTING BACK

--Choosing meekness rather than combativeness, David chose to leave Jerusalem lest those closest to him, and even his son who was aligned against him, suffer “the edge of the sword.”

--Even if his mighty warriors could have made a strong defense, David decided that the hand of the Lord would be better served if he fled instead of fighting.

B. DEFER INSTEAD OF DEMANDING SUPPORT

--David had many come out with him, longing to remain with the anointed king, but instead of demanding that they and others demonstrate their loyalty, he deferred to the hand of the Lord and sought to send them back.

1. The Gittites (15:19-20) – They were not even Israelites but had been with David through the bad times and the good and were not about to leave him now.

2. The Priests and Levites (15:24-26) – They brought out the Ark of the Covenant with them to demonstrate their commitment to David as the rightful king, a leader with a heart for God.

--Instead of trying to rally as many to his side as he could, David chose to encourage others to try to remain neutral and get along rather than join him and be targeted as an enemy of Absalom.

C. RECEIVE INSTEAD OF RETALIATE

--Along the way, Shimei, a relative of Saul came out cursing him and throwing stones at him and his entourage.

--Although some of his men wanted to shut him up by chopping off his head, David took the low place and in meekness received the abuse as though it were from the hand of the Lord Himself.

2 Sam. 16:11-12 Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him. ¹² “Perhaps the LORD will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.”

D. DEFEND INSTEAD OF DESTROY

--Later, when the showdown came with Absalom and David’s warriors, David charged his troops to protect his son and in their fighting to “deal gently” with him.

--After all Absalom had put him through, he was still committed to his son and loved him enough to try to defend him right to the very end.

2 Sam. 18:5 And the king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom.

--David chose meekness instead of combativeness, meekness instead of assertiveness, meekness instead of demanding his rights.

--And so he endured the affliction in a manner that made him stronger, deeper, more mature in his trust of the Lord.

III. THE SHARING OF AFFLICTION CAN UNIFY THE COMMITTED.

--David did not insist that anyone go with him but his own servants (15:14), but many others chose to be numbered among the followers and supporters of their king.

--The real heroes of this passage are those who lined up to follow a rejected king because they believed in him and loved him and trusted his heart!

--If that sounds familiar, it should because that is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ!

Note: David left Jerusalem rejected as king and took a path familiar to us…he passed over the brook Kidron (15:23)…he ascended the Mount of Olives weeping as he went.
Jesus went the same way…”He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11).
As a rejected King, Jesus now calls to us to come and follow. Regardless of how it appears, He is still the Anointed King and deserves our allegiance and loyalty and commitment.

--Following Christ is costly because His suffering must be shared by all who choose His way instead of those ‘who would be king’ in His place.

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

2 Tim. 3:12 And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

1Pet. 4:12-14 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; ¹³ but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. ¹⁴ If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

--Those who went with David chose to “share his suffering” because they knew that in spite of the ‘pretender’ making noises like a king, they would never turn away from the true king, God’s anointed king.

A. A BOND THAT TRANSCENDS DIFFERENCES

--When David reached the edge of the city, he looked around and saw among his followers that 600 Philistines led by Ittai the Gittite were right there with him.

--His efforts to dissuade them did no good for they had seen his character and his heart and were determined to follow no one else!

2 Sam. 15:21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.”

--Ittai’s commitment to follow David was not diminished either by the dangers of exile or the differences of nationality.

B. A LOYALTY THAT DEFIES HARDSHIP

--No threat of pain, no warning of coming affliction, were sufficient deterrents for those who committed to follow the king.

--There were no ‘fair-weather’ friends in this bunch!

--David had plenty of followers when life was easy and living was bountiful, but now only the committed remain.

The story is told often of a secret house church in a communist nation being invaded by the police. With threats that everyone who did not recant and deny Christ would be killed, many ‘fair-weather’ followers and a few ‘informants’ quickly recanted and got out of there!
After only the committed remained, facing the guns with a loyalty greater than the threat of death, the ‘police’ put their weapons down and said, “Now that only true believers remain, let’s worship!”

C. A LOVE THAT TRIUMPHS OVER SUFFERING

--True love would rather embrace suffering with the beloved than enjoy favor with the enemy.

--David found out who really loved him as he watched one after another take a triumphant stand with him—willing to suffer, even die, rather than reject their king!

--Paul expressed the same conviction centuries later when he wrote,

Phil. 1:20-21 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Rom. 14:7-8 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; ⁸ for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

--True love for Christ will always triumph over suffering and not waste time debating and wondering “Why me?” but instead give thanks that He considered me worthy to suffer for the sake of His name!

CONCLUSION: Suffering and affliction come into all of our lives. There are no status checks, no prominence checks, no financial checks that identify us as exempt from the pain that comes from living in a fallen world.

Sometimes the pain is self-inflicted and the harshness of life comes as a result of horribly bad judgment calls on our part. That was the case with David…to a certain extent anyway.

Other times, bad stuff just happens and we have to decide whether we are going to be crushed by the weight of it, or enlarge the foundation of our trust in the Lord. God promises to provide sufficiently for us not to be crushed, if we are willing to follow Him and let Jesus Christ be our Solid Rock, our firm foundation.

Are you ready to share in the sufferings of Christ if that is what it takes for you to grow up in Him? Are you willing to say what Ittai said to David when he was asked if he was sure he was ready to follow David, a rejected king, into the uncertainty of life in exile, living as an alien and stranger in a world that was not his home?

In life or in death, will you go wherever your king goes? Will you be whatever you King calls you to be? Will you allow Him to strip away all that is in you that would keep you from taking your place at His side?

Then when life gets hard, look up and trust Him for the perfect result that enduring affliction will bring…”that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

That is what Christ offers to those who will follow Him unconditionally!