How To Triumph Over Trouble Series

Illustration

A little boy continuously rebelled against his parents. To teach him a lesson, his father told him he would drive a nail into the door of the barn every time he disobeyed. After seeing the nails add up on that door, the son repented of his rebellion. To demonstrate his forgiveness, the father removed the nails from the door. Later, the son returned again with tears in his eyes. The Father asked what was wrong. The son answered, “The nails are removed. But the holes remain.”

This Psalm of David was written when he fled from Absalom his Son."

David’s son Absalom had decided to take family matters into his own hands, so he killed his half-brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar. As punishment for his actions, Absalom was forced to live in exiles for many years. He successfully pleaded with his father, King David, that he might be allowed to return to his homeland. Finally, King David agreed to allow him to return but refused to see him. After two years Absalom forced David into seeing him. David decided to allow Absalom to have liberty and freely move about his kingdom. Despite of David’s goodness to Absalom, Absalom begin to use all of his energies to convince everyone that the Kingdom of Israel would be better off with him as King instead of his father David.

You will remember the sad story of David's flight from his own palace, when in the dead of the night, he crossed the brook Kedron, and went with a few faithful followers to hide himself for a while from the fury of his rebellious son. Remember that David in this was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, too, fled; he, too, passed over the brook Kedron when his own people were in rebellion against him, and with a feeble band of followers he went to the garden of Gethsemane. He, too, drank of the brook by the way, and therefore doth he lift up the head. Many expositors entitled this Psalm, “THE MORNING HYMN.” May we ever wake with holy confidence in our hearts, and a song upon our lip

2 Samuel 15:1-20:22 Rebellion against David

2 Samuel 15:13-23 NIRV - David Runs Away From Absalom

1. THE LORD IS MY SHIELD

"The Lord is my refuge and strength. A very present help in the time of trouble. Therefore, I will not fear, though the mountains give way and they fall in to the heart of the sea. There is a river that makes glad the city of our God." (Psa 46:1,2)

A little boy continuously rebelled against his parents. To teach him a lesson, his father told him he would drive a nail into the door of the barn every time he disobeyed. After seeing the nails add up on that door, the son repented of his rebellion. To demonstrate his forgiveness, the father removed the nails from the door. Later, the son returned again with tears in his eyes. The Father asked what was wrong. The son answered, “The nails are removed. But the holes remain.”

2. THE LORD IS MY GLORY.

The word used here for glory is the word that typically refers to the glory of God. When used in reference to humans, it speaks of dignity and honor. David is saying here that his sense of self-identity and self-worth is rooted in God. Being banished from his throne and exiled from his city by his own son dishonored David. Yet David declares that his honor was not in his throne, city, subjects, armies, or riches. The Lord is my glory. Literally, David says, “I am somebody – not because I am a king – but because I belong to the one who is the true King of heaven and earth. The Lord is my glory.” Psalm 4:2-3 says, “O man, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain works and seek after lies? But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.”

3. THE LORD IS THE LIFTER OF MY HEAD

Samuel 15:30

Reports that David fled to the Mount of Olives weeping, barefoot, and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads. The grief, pain, and shame David experienced caused him to cover his head. There was nothing he could do to lift his head in victory. But the Lord was the lifter of his head.

Illustration

The story is told of Mr. Yates, who owned a farm in Texas. The Great Depression came and he was having trouble keeping up with the payments on his farm. The bank began to press Mr. Yates and gave him thirty days to pay his back payments or face foreclosure. With three weeks left to go, a man came to Mr. Yates door. He worked for an oil company. He asked Mr. Yates to give the company a lease to drill on his farm for oil. Yates knew he was going to lose the farm anyway, so he decided it couldn’t hurt. Well, that oil company did drill and hit a gusher – eighty barrels of oil a day. Mr. Yates immediately became a multi-millionaire. When did Mr. Yates become a millionaire? When the oil company struck oil? Nope. Mr. Yates was a millionaire the moment he bought the farm. But he did lived in poverty because he did not know what was underneath the ground. Likewise, the moment you put your faith in Christ, you were blessed