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Let's pray Lord God, we ask that you would bless your word wherever it is proclaimed make it a word

of power and peace.

To convert those not yet your own to confirm those who have come to saving faith

may your word pass from our ears to our hearts from our hearts to our lips and from the lips

to our lives as You've promised.

Your word may achieve the purpose for which you've sent it.

We ask this all through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Okay, so we are in 2nd Samuel and I'll try to go in order this week so

last week we did chapter 2 before chapter 1 and Think of that song this

senior moment.

So if you remember from last week Saul is dead.

Jonathan's dead.

Mephibosheth is dead and Abner Without any office

has anointed David to be the not David but anointed one of

the sons of Saul to be the king of Israel.

He had no authority to do so and Abner is in rebellion to God's Word.

But as I said last week, this story is actually one of repentance and it

actually speaks pretty well of One of the themes we talked about in our sermon today

and that is the scandal of the forgiveness of sins the scandal of grace.

It's actually quite scandalous that people who are outright treasonous

Rebels against Christ can be forgiven.

I mean do you think of it this way did Abner?

What what what should Abner have done upon the death of Saul?

He should have bent the knee to David.

Did he know?

He didn't instead without any authority whatsoever.

He anointed a new king over Israel so the kingdom remains divided and

there's been now a battle fought between David's guys and Abner's

fellows and people have lost their lives there's a lot of rancor and hatred and disunity

and discord in Israel and What does Abner?

Deserve.

Deserves to be hung by a tree.

You have this carcass hung up for everybody to see.

As an example of this is what you do with with people who are treasonous traitors of this type.

But we're gonna note as we read this text Abner is not going to be strung up on a

tree as he deserves.

Instead Abner through the word is going to repent.

Not only is he going to repent he's going to actually be forgiven by

David and Treated as a brother Treated as a prince.

Now.

Remember that one of the brothers of Joab

Has died as a hell has been killed by Abner and they're bearing a grudge.

Do you think they're gonna be on board with this Abner being forgiven thing?

No, and so in this story, we actually kind of see a microcosm of the fact that

Christ forgives the worst of sinners and That that forgiveness

is boundless.

It is limitless and that there are no asterisks.

That's a word right.

Yeah, I I like to follow baseball, right.

And Sometimes when somebody wins a championship or there's been scandal or

the season hasn't been quite right.

They technically they go into the record books.

But when they go into the record books, they have a what an asterisk.

You think of you know, the fellow who years ago, you know became the home run king, you

know.

Right, right.

He he hit the 70 home runs in a year, right?

Well, he was taking steroids.

So he was in the record books, but he had an asterisk.

That.

Well bonds.

No.

No, no, no,

he played for st. Louis,

yeah.

Josh pay attention to this.

We want to make it a lot sound like we're smart.

So when we can't find the answer squish the video audio together to hide the evidence.

But you there was an asterisk, right?

So when People are forgiven by God.

Is there an asterisk?

No.

Thank God.

Now we say that for ourselves, but what about that person?

It's tougher.

It is tougher.

Is it I.

You're being honest?

All right, so we sit there and we'll say well it's not so tough

to not have an asterisk for the town.

Whore the town drunk.

The.

Guy who went to prison for knocking off a convenience store.

Or that fellow who Whose marriage blew up.

But what about like the pastor who has a terrible fall from grace, right?

Public sins.

What about that guy?

You know, what about somebody who was you know?

Just start start naming the thing.

But as soon as you start putting an asterisk on anybody's forgiveness What are you doing?

You're judging and you're you're who.

But who are you judging?

Yeah, you're not judging the person who committed the sin.

You're actually judging Christ who forgave it.

That's the issue, huh?

Yeah, that's a biggie.

Yeah.

Yes, it's okay for you Jesus to forgive these people this group but to forgive that

group.

You know Nazis that's a little too much you can't forget.

Right you start as soon as you start throttling it.

The person you're judging is not the sinner who committed the sins.

You're forgiving the Jesus who forgave them and That's a very

dangerous place to be in because now you have become the

one who gets to decide Who gets forgiven and who doesn't and it's not based on the

biblical standard.

What?

Right, it's not okay.

So when I took my ordination vows, I took my ordination vows.

I promised that I would forgive the sins of the penitent and

In my ordination vows it I did not say I'll forgive the sins of the penitent as long as the sins are not this that or

the other thing.

I Have authority to forgive sins of the penitent.

I also have authority to retain the sins of the in penitent, right?

So.

Regardless of the magnitude of the sin at least in our eyes

Christ Can and does forgive people freely.

And again this gets to the scandal of grace and

What's really scary is when you get people in church offices who will say?

You don't get an absolution because I don't think you're penitent enough.

I haven't seen enough Tears, I haven't seen enough Fruit from your

repentance yet.

What are they doing.

They're literally damning up the grace of Christ.

You don't want to do that.

That's really kind of the motif that we're gonna be working in here.

So we're gonna see Abner straight up Treasonous fellow who deserves

to no doubt die for his treason against the true king.

No doubt about it, and that's not what's gonna happen.

And so that creates the scandal here.

2nd Samuel chapter 3 verse 1 then reads there was a long war between the house of Saul and the

house of David.

How needless that is right?

David grew stronger and stronger while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.

2nd Samuel chapter 3 now verse 2 the sons of and sons were born to David at Hebron.

The first was I am non of a Hanoam of Jezreel and the second

Hillyab of Abigail the widow of Neville of Carmel the third Absalom the son of

Macha The daughter of Talmai the king of Gesher.

So you're gonna note here.

This is kind of fascinating here.

First mention of her.

Macha.

Absalom will later Try to have his father killed and kicked out of office

and take his place.

So we're gonna see here that while David is in Hebron Macha the daughter of

Talmai king of Gesher.

This is a political marriage.

Political marriage now, we don't understand how these necessarily work in our context in the United States but think of it

this way back in the ancient world you go back to ancient Europe or you know, even medieval Europe and

When I was in college and I had to take European history, I was lost.

I mean I yeah, yeah, because all the intrigue isn't is among the different royal families and

so you got Spain fighting with England and this thing going on with the the Duke

regent of Whatever right and you just your head spins because number one, you don't know

the geography number two.

You've never heard of these people and number three is like this reads like a soap opera and I'm bored to tears

by soap operas but we kind of understand that in in that context

that if two nations were hostile to each other one of the ways in which to prevent

hostilities would be that a king would take his daughter and give her in marriage to

The prince of the king of the land where there was hostilities with this kind of thinking that

well now that they're married.

Now that they're married the chances of that of that Regent attacking us is

bad because his wife would give him grief.

Well, you're gonna kill my father.

You're gonna attack my people out there.

You see how to get the idea so we see here that David now while he's in Hebron

has Gotten married to a princess the

princess of Of the who's the daughter of Talmai the king of Gesher?

The fourth is Adonijah the son of Haggith and the fifth

Shephatiah the son of Abital and the sixth Aetherium of Agla

David's wife.

These were born to David in Hebron.

No, they're all his wives.

There are technically all his wives.

Well, no in this particular case, it's the the immediate reference is the is the is the child who was

born of Agla.

She's also one of his wives.

So they're all wise but it just in that particular sentence.

It's dealing with the one child who was born to this particular wife.

So there we go now I need to give you a little bit of history also.

I may have mentioned this before but it bears repeating in this context in the ancient Near East

in this era in this age that

a king was the best way I can describe it is that a

King and his wives was similar to a lion and his pride of lionesses.

It was kind of like that and I'm kind of pulling on a naturalistic metaphor

and.

That.

This is an important thing that when a king died or Somebody was making

a run at Trying to usurp the king and become king himself.

That one of the ways that occurred so if a king dies the fellow who succeeds

him By having mating privileges with his harem That

that is seen as an act of him saying to the world I'm king.

Or if somebody's making a run at the king sleeping with his wives and concubines Would be a way of

telegraphing his intent to overthrow him.

I know it's just weird because it's like where did that come from?

I don't know.

It does.

Okay.

Yes.

Yeah, and this is why I liken it to a pride of lions because technically this is how a lion pride works.

If you if you know how male lions when when they're adolescent and they start to get their manes they're not strong

enough to take over a pride and it's not until a lion is

older in a pride and his loses his strength that he's then usurped by a younger lion and.

That with that goes mating privileges with the females.

Yeah, I've seen this on some animal thing that I was flipping channels.

It's like yeah.

Anyway, you kind of get the idea.

Yeah, so it's like that.

So the animal kingdom has come now into human kingdoms.

So you got to know that little subplot here in order to kind of get what comes next.

Right on.

Okay.

I grew up in Southern, California.

So the only bulls I saw were in cartoons.

So.

Right.

Second Samuel chapter 3 verse 6.

There was a war between the house of Saul and the house of David.

Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul and you're gonna see how now Saul had

a concubine whose name was Rizpah the daughter of a aha and ishbosheth said

to Abner.

Why have you gone into my father's concubine?

Notice the text said that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.

There's a real simple reason why he Had sex

with Rizpah is.

Because.

He was making himself strong.

It's not that he had that Wibbly -wobbly feeling inside for her and they wanted to make a house together and

put up a white ticket fence.

It was because of political intrigue.

He was making himself strong in Saul's house so Abner.

Okay typical when people are confronted with their Sins, he was

angry very angry over the words of ishbosheth and said am I a dog's head of Judah?

Try that one out with your neighbors sometime when you're insulted, you know, am I a dog's head of Oslo, you know

the interesting retort.

To this day.

I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father to his brothers And to

his friends and have not given you yet into the hand of David and yet you charge me

today with a fault.

Concerning a woman actually the charge was that you're Making a run at being

King yourself.

God do so to Abner and more also if I do not accomplish for David what Yahweh has

sworn to him to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David

over Israel and over Judah and From Dan to bear Sheba now note here.

This is the first rumblings of Abner's repentance and the

first rumblings are he's going to do the right thing for the wrong reason.

Which is kind of fascinating what's the reason why he's now going to transfer the kingdom to David.

Because he's ticked that he's been called on the carpet by ishbosheth regarding

Rizpah.

He's angry and incensed about it and this is an honor culture and he's feeling dishonored.

So first mention of this he's he's now beginning to think he's going to do the

right thing.

But for the wrong reason but note here that he's made it clear that in his

breath are the actual words of God.

Did not the Lord swear to David to transfer the kingdom to him and so he's remembering

now God's Word and Repentance is worked through the Word of God.

It doesn't just come out of nowhere.

It works through the Word of God.

So he's remembering what God said.

He's it's now on his mind.

It's in his heart.

It's on his lips and Still he's gonna do the he's setting out to do the right thing for the wrong

reason.

But this is going to change.

This is going to change because God's Word is now going to work repentance in him.

So Abner Sent messengers to David on his behalf saying to whom does the

land belong?

Make your covenant with me and behold my hand shall be with you to bring over all of

Israel to you.

Right thing wrong reason and notice he wants to cut a deal.

It's cutting a deal here.

I'm gonna bring all of Israel over to you.

So make a covenant with me.

We can work this out.

I Know it's not his to give and yet again, he's doing the right thing.

But the reason why is still off.

So David said good I will make a covenant with you.

But one thing I require of you that is that you shall not see my face.

Unless you first bring the call Saul's daughter when you come to see my face.

Then David sent messengers to ishbosheth Saul's son saying give me my wife McCall for whom I

paid the bridal price of 104 skins to of the Philistines actually he paid

to Who's counting and ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband Paul

TL the son of Laish?

But her husband went with her weeping after all after her all the way to Bahrain.

Then Abner said to him go return and he returned a little bit of a note here scripture actually

talks about that if a woman has committed adultery and returns to her husband it would be an

Actually a bad thing in this particular case, although this was against her will she's been with

Paul TL now and She's been an adulteress the whole time.

And so when you read the Church Fathers on this and you can't push too hard on it they see in this some kind

of picture if you would of the church and Christ.

You know the estranged wife now being brought back to Christ although she's technically an adulteress and

of him forgiving her for her adulteries and Desire and desiring for the relationship to be restored.

You can't push too hard on it because you're gonna see that McCall.

She's gonna end up dying childless.

You know later in the story, but at this point you can kind of see there's a picture if you would of the church we

are all born dead and trespasses and sins enemies of God and Christ and Christ

bleeds and dies for us and Washes away our sins and restores the relationship and we

are the bride of Christ collectively.

You see how that works.

So kind of a it's an interesting typology then then and I get it I get it.

It's you can't push too hard on it.

I think that's a good way of you know.

Kind of like focusing it on Christ and meditating on that particular theme in Scripture is beneficial.

All right next.

Abner conferred with the elders of Israel saying for some time past you have been seeking

David as king over you now then bring it about for Yahweh has promised

David saying and now watch this direct quote.

Now the actual Word of God the direct quote from the Prophet Samuel is now in the lips of

Abner.

By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the

Philistines and from the hand of all of their enemies.

And When you hear a prophecy like this By the hand of my servant David, I will save

my people.

You.

Can't help but think there's got to be like a twin fulfillment here.

One pointing to David and the old the the ultimate fulfillment of a prophecy like this pointing to Christ.

Because this is a salvific theme and that's oftentimes house how prophecies work.

So now Abner is actually he's gone back checked his notes.

He knows exactly what the Lord has said.

God's Word is on his lips and God's Word does not return to him void

and now the Word of God is now working in him and you're

gonna see that he's going to change from doing the right thing for the wrong reasons and He's already beginning to do

this to do the right thing for the right reasons recognizing that it was the Lord who

established David and Tacitly in public

Recognizing that he's been working against that and that's kind of what the gist of this little speech is here.

Right.

So Abner also spoke to Benjamin.

Then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin

thought good to do when Abner came with 20 men

to David at Hebron.

David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.

Huh?

Which parable does this sound like?

Sounds exactly like the prodigal son.

Does it not?

Okay, let's take a look at that real quick because I think it's worth Reviewing

because the themes are unmistakably identical.

Hang on a second here.

I spilled that wrong.

Unfortunately, it's a user error.

Luke 15 1.

This is a picture of repentance.

The tax collectors and the sinners were all drawing near to Jesus.

Oh, we got to put a stop to that.

At least that's how the Pharisees thought right and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled saying this man.

Receives sinners.

That's weird because if Jesus were to eat at a Pharisee's house would he be eating with sinners.

Yeah, so, you know, it's kind of the theme here against the self -righteous.

So Jesus told them this parable and it's important to note parable here is in the singular.

This is one parable three chapters.

Chapter one what man of you having a hundred sheep if he has lost one of them does not leave the 99 in

the open country go after the one that is lost until he finds it and when he has found it he lays it On his shoulders rejoicing and

when he comes home He calls together his friends and his neighbors saying to them rejoice with me for I have found my sheep that was

lost.

So I tell you there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need

no repentance.

So the angels have a party every time a sinner repents and sinner.

Repentance is here likened to a shepherd finding a lost sheep picking the sheep up putting on a shoulder.

Carrying it back to the sheep pen and you can say that little sheep is going.

Hey, look at me.

I'm repenting.

Right the whole time.

Who's the active agent in the repentance then?

God is working that in the sheep.

Okay, and if you miss the point chapter two of the one parable or That

what woman having ten silver coins and this is the day when they did not have nice hardwood floors floors were made

out of dirt.

Okay, having ten silver coins if she loses one coin does not light a lamp sweep the house

seek diligently until she finds It and when she has found it she calls together her friends and neighbors saying

rejoice with me.

I have found the coin that I had lost.

Just so I tell you there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents by the way.

What did the lost coin do to be found?

Nothing.

Right, so you notice here.

One parable three chapters opening chapters make it clear who the active agent is in

repentance.

It's God.

Now we get to chapter three.

There was a man who had two sons.

The younger of them said to his father father Give me the share of property that is coming to me and he divided his property

between them.

Not many days later the younger son gathered all that he had and took a journey into a far country

and there he squandered his property on reckless living.

So just so you kind of get the gist of what's going on here.

Honor culture son basically says to dad dad.

It really upsets me that you're not dead yet.

Since you're not doing me any favors and dying anytime soon.

I don't really love you.

I just want what you have.

Would you just give me the inheritance now and we'll just I'll wait for you to die later.

That's kind of the gist of the subtext of what he's saying.

What a lovely son.

Lovely son.

All right.

Just has the best bond with his dad, right.

So when he'd spent everything so he spends his property and reckless living important to note here.

It doesn't actually say what he does except for its reckless living.

It doesn't define what reckless living is.

Not sure what that is.

Maybe he was at the racetrack.

Who knows when he had spent everything a severe famine arose in the country?

He began to be in need so we went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country who sent him into his

fields to feed pigs and He was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate and

no one gave him anything.

So we have a Jewish boy feeding pigs, that's just the lowest of the low.

But when he came to himself, he said how many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread.

But I perish here with hunger.

I will arise go to my father and I will say to him father I've sinned against heaven and before you I am no longer

worthy to be called your son.

This is most certainly true.

Treat me as one of your hired servants.

Notice.

He's trying to cut a deal.

The confession is correct, but he wants to cut a deal which means he's still kind of in charge but watch what

happens.

So he rose came to his father.

But while he was still a long way off his father saw him felt compassion very strong in the

Greek.

His plug needs of my were just wrenched within him and he ran and he

embraced his son and kissed him and The son said to him father I have sinned

against heaven and before you and I am no worth no longer worthy to be called your.

Son.

Full stop.

That's the confession of sins.

This is most certainly true.

But watch this the father said to servants quick.

Bring the best robe put it on him put a ring on his hand his shoes and his feet.

Bring the fatted calf kill it.

Let us eat and celebrate for this.

My son was dead and is alive.

He was lost and is found and they began to celebrate.

They began to party like it was BC 99.

That's grace.

Was there an asterisk?

Nope.

Full rights as son full honor full forgiveness

full pardon and.

How do you think the older son is gonna like that?

He won't.

Next part his older son was in the field.

He came drew near to the house.

He heard music and dancing and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

He said your brother has come your father has killed the fatted calf.

Because he's received him back safe and sound and he was angry and refused to go in.

Who's he angry at?

His father.

That's who he's angry at.

The person who is scandalized by the gospel is angry at

Jesus.

How dare you forgive him or her?

Because remember the context was this.

The Pharisees were incensed.

That what?

Jesus was eating with sinners.

He was angry.

He refused to go in.

His father came out and entreated him and notice.

His father is being insulted by this son.

And being dishonored by him in his behavior.

But he asked he answered his father.

Look these many years. I have served you.

I Never disobeyed your command yet.

You never gave me even a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends.

Notice that this the son is describing himself not as a son, but as a slave or a

servant.

It's not interesting.

But when this son of yours Came who has devoured your

property with prostitutes.

Yeah, I I don't.

It didn't say that in the text.

That's weird kind of slander there.

You killed the fatted calf for him and he said to him son You're always with me

and all that is mine is yours.

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad for this.

Your brother was dead and is alive.

He was lost.

And is found.

This is the motif.

This is the doctrine.

This is the theology that is in our Old Testament text.

So here you have Abner the treasonous fellow who's caused Israel to be split.

Who's put ishbosheth in an office as king with no authority to do so.

This is the fellow who deserves to die.

He's killed.

He's killed.

Asahel and Joab and Abishai are gonna get vengeance on him.

And this is the fellow now who because God's Word is working in him is

Laying down his arms rallying all of Israel and gonna transfer the kingdom to

David and David gives him

asterisk free.

Pardon and.

It's.

Scandalous.

Absolutely.

Scandalous.

So just then 2nd Samuel 3 Oh verse 20

Abner came with 20 men to David at Hebron.

David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.

Abner said to David I will arise and go.

I will gather all of Israel to my lord the king so that they may make a Covenant with you and that you may reign over

all that your hearts desires.

So David sent Abner away.

He went.

Bach.

Shalom in peace Peace Shalom.

He went in peace and that's what forgiveness does.

It gives us Shalom with Christ.

Go in peace.

This is not going to sit well.

With Joab.

So just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from raid Bringing much spoil with them, but

Abner was not with David at Hebron for he had sent him away and he'd gone in Chile in

peace.

Bach Shalom.

When Joab and all the army that was with him came It was told Joab Abner the son of

Ner came to the king and he has let him go and he has gone.

Bach Shalom, he's gone in peace and Joab goes

what?

What.

So Joab went to the king and he said what have you done?

Who's he blaming David?

What have you done?

Oh Abner came to you.

Why is it that you've sent him away so that he's gone?

You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you and to know you're going out and you're coming in and to

know All that you're doing.

Oh, isn't that interesting?

Joab wasn't even there.

He didn't hear any of the words of Abner.

He didn't see his demeanor didn't see the sincerity of what he is doing and he's straight

-up lying about him and It's basically ascribing to his

motives the worst of intents what he's really planning on doing.

He's here to spy this all out because he's gonna come and slaughter you

knew what what.

Joe I have trust in him.

I Mean David trusted trusted Abner.

David trust in him.

Uh -huh.

David held a feast for him.

The one who was lost has been found.

He's not he's not he's not listening to Joab

so when Joab came out from David's presence He sent messengers after Abner

and they brought him back from the cistern of Sarah but David did not know about it and

When Abner returned to Hebron Joe had Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak

with him privately and There he struck him in the stomach so that he died.

For the blood of Asahel his brother.

Remember Asahel died when Joab took the back end of his spear To get him to stop and they

went right through his stomach and ended up dying.

So now this is a vengeance killing.

Total vengeance killing.

David knew nothing about it.

David didn't sanction it and you can see that when Joab left the

presence of David he'd gotten nowhere with David.

So he's acting all on his own.

Forgive this fellow.

How dare.

You.

Have a feast for him.

How?

Dare.

You.

So he struck him in the stomach so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.

Afterward when David heard of it, he said I and my kingdom are forever guiltless

before Yahweh for the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all of his father's house.

I made a house of Joab.

Never be without one who has a Discharge or who is leprous or who holds a

spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread?

So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death

in the Battle of Gibeon.

And.

This is a huge curse, by the way.

This is a cursed reserve for the most of it most impenitent.

Refusing to forgive those who have been forgiven.

To treat somebody as

unforgiven who is forgiven is a grievous sin in the eyes of God.

There's a grievous sin in the kingdom of God.

You see it.

Terrible.

David's.

Actions next are beautiful because how much Repentance

has Abner had time to demonstrate

prior to his assassination.

Almost none.

All we see was his intent to make things, right?

And he was on his way to undo his own sin.

He hadn't even had time to basically make things right.

Not at all and.

How is David going to treat him remember he is a treasonous.

Murderous.

Rebel who's divided the kingdom and Through his treason deserved to

die but watch how he's treated in his death.

So David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him tear your clothes put on sackcloth.

Mourn before Abner and King David followed the beer.

David takes Abner's funeral and turns it into a state funeral.

The king himself following the casket Right behind it.

They buried Abner at Hebron.

The king lifted up his voice and he wept at the grave of Abner and all the people

wept.

Remember Jesus weeping at Lazarus's tomb.

The king lamented for Abner saying Should Abner die as a fool dies.

Your hands were not bound your feet were not fettered as one falls before the wicked.

You have fallen.

And all the people wept again over him.

Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day, but David swore Saying God

do so to me and more if I taste bread or anything else until the Sun goes down.

He weeps he laments he fasts.

And all the people took notice of it and it pleased them as everything that the king did pleased all the people.

So all the people in all of Israel understood that day that it had not been the king's will to put to

death Abner the son of Ner.

And the king said to his servants Do you not know that a prince and a great

man has fallen this day in?

Israel You have got to be kidding me

notice he goes.

From.

Treasonous rebel.

All the way to Prince.

That's crazy.

But I'll tell you what.

It gives me hope

gives me hope It shows me the limitless Boundless

nature of Christ's forgiveness and mercy and his pardon is without asterisk.

And it's humbling and.

It's beautiful.

You get a picture of the results of the cross here in King David.

Unfortunately, there's way too much Joab in me.

Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel and I

was gentle today though anointed King these men the sons of Zariah are more severe than I.

Yahweh repay the evildoer according to his wickedness

from a political point of view.

What Joab did?

By the world standards was very helpful for David.

It helps establish his kingdom gets rid of the man who is blocking the kingdom from being united.

But the circumstances mean everything.

David is behaving like Christ here Joab like.

Sinful grudge -bearing, huh.

Murderous thugs.

Yeah.

No.

Absolutely not.

No.

So this is where you you have to keep the right in the left -hand kingdom separate in your mind

so the idea then is that the left -hand kingdom has been given the sword for the

purpose of punishing the evildoer and This keeps evil at bay

so let's say that Some fellow, you know, he goes on a murdering

spree kills a bunch of people.

He's a pagan and He's found guilty goes to prison and

In prison he's brought to penitent faith in Christ his Punishment for this because he lives

in Texas is that he's going to be executed because Texas does this right?

So now that he's brought been brought to penitent faith in Christ Should we be sitting there going?

No, you can't execute him.

He's forgiven by Christ.

No we actually say to this fellow you're going to die

as as a temporal consequence for your sins and This is good and right in

God's eyes because God has given the government and the government has said you must die for this.

And so you must but we say your eternal

consequences are paid for by Christ and so what we do is that and if

somebody commits a crime and they end up having to serve out their full sentence and they're Released and they're brought to

penitent faith in Christ.

Well, and they come here to Kongsvinger.

Does it matter that they are a felon who's been forgiven as far as membership in our church.

Nope.

Are they welcome during fellowship time to sit here and eat with us and drink with us to pray with us to have the Lord's?

Supper on bended knee at our altar.

Absolutely.

What they did makes no difference to us.

They have the full rights and privileges of citizens of the kingdom of Christ in

this.

Church.

Now they still might have consequences they have to serve in the temporal world.

I mean it could be parole.

It could be a whole lot of other things.

Difficulty getting a job and stuff like that.

That all goes along with this but here Makes

no difference.

We're all equal.

Forgiven.

Pardoned traitors.

Asterisk free.

We don't sit there and say oh he sat at this table.

I'm gonna go sit over there.

I Don't want to be with him.

He scares me.

His tattoos are demonic.

Right.

Yeah, right.

You see the difference?

Yeah

Yes.

Yes, exactly.

Yeah, and I'll keep coming back to because I think it's so poignant is again pastor Gerke, who was the chaplain

to the Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, you know, he just keep coming back to that.

It's the perfect example of it.

You know six of the fellows that he was ministering to were brought to penitent faith in Christ.

They all hung for their crimes and.

Rightly, so and pastor Gerke went to the gallows with them didn't ascend the steps but he walked them to the gallows

and they went up the steps and I loved that one of them as he was ascending the Steps looks at his pastor and

says I'll see you later.

And so there you see the right and the left hand kingdom at work absolved with Christ.

Paying the penalty for his crimes as he rightly should.

That's what the left -hand kingdom is for.

Yeah, and so that Nazi war criminal.

He's way he's there.

He's there in the presence of Christ right now.

Seeing him face to face.

Are you offended that when you get there?

That you might have to make eye contact with that guy, you know.

Yes.

Yes, yes.

So we must always look to Christ who's bled and died for the sins of the

world asterisk free and He pardons and his

pardon is full.

Is without asterisk is without measure.

It is with full state honors that Abner's funeral

he was declared a prince.

This treasonous terrible man Was declared a prince by David.

It's a beautiful picture of mercy and forgiveness.

I Think you get the idea asterisk free forgiveness.

I Think we'll end there, but Don you had a question.

Yeah, and I I love I love the fact that this still plays out and

Challenges us to this day.

I mean, that's a great example of a modern -day exam, you know an example of this how it all works out.

But unfortunately again, I'll kind of point this out within myself man, I see

a lot of that older brother who's Upset that the father killed the fatted

calf for that no good lousy dirty rotten thieving.

Dishonorable.

Miserable excuse for a brother brother, right?

Yeah, but see the fault doesn't lie with the father and his mercy

fault lies with me and my self -righteousness and my lack of love.

It's terrible.

It's absolutely terrible.

So stories like this.

I love how they challenge us they challenge us with the fact

that Christ forgives freely and Completely and as far as the East is from the West so he casts our sin

from him.

Or I like to say he takes all of our sin throws it into the sea of God's forgetfulness and puts up with an old fishing side,

yeah.

Yep, and the person who wants to bring up somebody else's sins You know somebody's penitent

forgiven Absolved right standing in the church and wants to continue to remind the public of

the sins that person is Joab,

it's a dangerous spot to be in because Joab is cursed for this lack of forgiveness

mercilessness.

No love at all is nothing.

He's not has nothing in common with David at all.

That's the point.

Alright, we'll pick this up next week.