Week 8 - Day 3 - An Abandoned Throne

Today's Treasure:

"Then the king said to Zadok, 'Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again.' "

2 Samuel 15: 25

What do you believe is the difference between reuniting and reconciliation?

Reuniting just involves contact in a relationship that has been hurt

Reconciliation is necessary forgiveness and working through the hurt feelings enough to move forward in that relationship

Read 2 Samuel 15: 1 - 12. Where would Absalom stand?

By the side of the road leading to the city gate

Explain what you think Absalom was trying to accomplish in verse 4.

He was trying to manipulate the people into thinking he would take care of them and give them justice. He wanted them to feel that David was not capable of doing these things for them.

What evidences do you see to prove Absalom was trying to present himself as a very approachable alternative to his unapproachable father?

When the people came and knelt before him, he would embrace them. He knew the people needed to feel that their matters where important to him. The more important they felt to Absalom, the more they would trust and admire him.

Verse 6 states Absalom's motive and obvious success.

"Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the men of Israel."

Verse 10, Absalom sent secret messages throughout the tribes of Israel to say:

"As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say Absalom is king in Hebron."

Verse 12, Absalom planned to steal David's personal counselor, Ahithophel. Why do you think he might have wanted Ahithophel?

Ahithophel would be able to give him important information. But, I am thinking...if this guy is such a great counselor, why isn't he intelligent enough to see through Absalom

Has anger or bitterness stolen years from your life? How many?

I have definitely allowed anger/bitterness to have time in my life. I don't know if I focused on it so much that it could be years, but I am sure I do not realize the full extent of what I experienced. I was very bitter with my birth father until I was able to complete forgive him.

Has your season of bitterness ended? If so, how did it end?

I realized that being angry towards my birth father was doing nothing to help me become the person God wanted me to be. I knew that I had to truly forgive him and place all of the baggage of feeling unworthy into God's hands and walk away from it. My birth father has never come to me asking for forgiveness, but I had to do it for myself. You know, I don't even know if God has broken him to the point that he realizes what his actions did to me. So, he may not even know that he needs to ask for my forgiveness. He never had an example of a godly father to use. So, he didn't know anything but what he was taught by his father. How can I stay angry with that? I knew that the only people that would suffer from my anger would be me, Brian and my children. What purpose would that anger serve except to eventually cause issues in people that did not deserve to pay for my birth father's mistakes. So, I had to let it go. With God's help, I did. I can tell you that he has turned my anger into a desire to pray that one day my birth father accepts Him and eventually knows what happiness is.

What does Luke 23: 34 say

"Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided up his clothes by casting lots."

Beth points out that we need to remember some important facts about these words. Christ asked God to forgive these people because He had no room in his heart for unforgiveness. We often hear, "what would Jesus do?" Well, there is a perfect example. Not one of those people casting lots was focused on asking Christ to forgive them. They didn't care that the Son of God was hanging on that cross in front of them. Yet, Christ knew it was important to ask this of His Father before He took His last breath.

Have you ever resisted forgiving someone who hurt you or disappointed you because the person never took responsibility for his/her actions and asked forgiveness?

I answered this in the above question. Yet, there is another point I want to make. I am kind of glad I forgave my birth father out of a desire to please God rather than a desire to please him. If my birth father had come to me asking for forgiveness, I probably would have obliged in order to avoid conflict. My forgiveness would not have been sincere. Yet, the way God moved me into a heart of forgiveness allowed me to want the peace in my life, and it was real.

When we harbor bitterness and refuse to forgive, we become our own persecutors. While we blame the other person, we really continue to injure ourselves. What percentage of Absalom's eleven years of bitterness - and ruined life- was David's responsibility? What percentage would you assign to Absalom?

I think the blame should be assigned to both of them equally. David was not the father he should have been to Absalom. He should have reached out to him much earlier in the game. He also should have been more stern and dealt with all of the problems that were going on in his family. Yet, Absalom was a grown man. If he is capable of planning his revenge so well, he certainly could understand how he should have handled his relationship with his father.

Read 2 Samuel 15: 13 - 37

What did David do when he heard the news of Absalom's conspiracy?

He fled

In verse 23, how did the people over the countryside respond to David's departure?

with weeping

According to verse 30, where did David and all the people go?

To the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped.

What was David's prayer concerning Ahithopel?

"O, Lord, turn his counsel into foolishness"

Read Psalm 3. What is your impression of David's heart and state of mind as he wrote these words from His holy hill.

David was overwhelmed and broken, but he was also beginning to renew the knowledge of his need for God. He knew God could protect him.

This completes Day 3...I hope this message spoke to you in a wonderful and inspiring way

I love you all!!!

Tiff