2nd Samuel 14:13-14 / Let Others Off The Hook
13And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
14For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
I wanted us to look at this passage tonight because reality is sooner or later someone will hurt you. Sometimes people hurt us accidentally. Sometimes they hurt us intentionally. Sometimes they hurt us by their words; sometimes they hurt us by their actions.
Whatever the case you can be assured at sometime in your life your going to be hurt by another person. People will talk about you.
No need in you getting mad about it, folk been talking about folk every since there’s been a world, so what makes you think you’re going to stop someone from talking about you? They talked about Jesus. Just make sure what their saying isn’t true and go on about your business.
Truth be told you ought to be glad about it – that you’re being talked about. At least that means somebody’s thinking about you. You ever thought about it that way? You must be all that to them, you must be on their mind a whole lot if you’re always on their lips. So talk about me! One writer said you can talk about me as much as you please the more you talk I’m gone bend my knees.
People will exclude you from their groups. Someone may block you from a promotion. The one person you thought would never disappoint you will let you down. So what can we do when other people hurt us?
Is there a healing for emotions? Is there mending for a broken heart? The answer is yes but the remedy is so often overlooked.
Forgiveness, something so simple yet so overlooked, and so misunderstood that it is either ignored or ridiculed. I’m sure that when I said forgiveness somebody probably thought “Is that all he’s going to talk about tonight.” For forgiveness is something that not only seems impossible but it also seems illogical.
It doesn’t make any sense and it’s the last thing we want to do. Somehow we believe that when we hold a grudge we’re making the wrong doer suffer as badly as we suffered. But listen that grudge you carry will end up causing you more pain and frustration than the original pain inflicted on you by them.
Job 5:2a “Wrath kills a foolish man”
The effect of wrath and bitterness can be deadly. Physically: anger, bitterness and stress will raise your blood pressure. (Regardless of age). Emotionally it will put you in depression. Spiritually it will spoil your worship and socially it will cause you to be so unpleasant won’t nobody want to be around you.
And so let me remind you on this revival night that a key to restoration is found in what Jesus said in:
Matthew 5:44 “ Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
Forgiveness does not imply “I’m a push-over, say what you want, do what you want, cause I’m gone forgive you anyway. That’s not what forgiveness means. Forgiveness means I love me too much to let you destroy my life. Forgiveness means I love me too much to let pain rule my life. Forgiveness means I love me!
So I’m going to forgive not because I’m crazy about you, I’m going to forgive because I’m crazy about me. I’m in love with me. It don’t have nothing to do with you, it’s all about me. I want my soul happy, blessed, content. And that way I can roll over and sleep in peace at night regardless of how you’ve treated me.
Forgiveness lifts a burden off your body and soul and it puts the wrong doer in God’s hands. See as long as you hold to it, you tie God’s hands. But the moment you say I forgive. God steps in and says I’ll take over from here. You were just gonna mess up it anyway, move out the way so I can work this out.
In 2 Timothy 4:14 the Apostle Paul mentions a man named Alexander who Paul says did him much evil. And all Paul said after that sentence was “The Lord will reward him according to his works.”
In other words I’m not worried about it, I’m not going to hang around his car and wait on him. I’m not going to wait for him on his front steps. I’m not going to call the lady with the turban on her head and have her put a root on him. Paul said I’ve forgiven him and the Lord will reward…
You see forgiveness does not mean an injustice did not occur. Forgiveness means you have matured to the point of knowing God is a better administrator of justice than you. Forgiveness means your turning justice over to God. Yes it can be a difficult thing to do, difficult but not impossible.
In the text it seemed like the possibility of forgiveness was almost non-existent with David. We learn in the first verse that David wanted to forgive his son Absalom (LAB) He wanted to forgive but he needed a little push in the right direction.
I’m glad God always sends what we need just when we need it. (LAB) In the text God sent Joab: leader of David’s army. Joab got with what the Bible calls a wise woman and together they devised a plan to hopefully correct David of his ways. That says to us that there’s more than one way to correct an issue. There’s more than one way to deal with a person you think is wrong.
Joab could have went and publicly embarrassed David. But he chose a more quiet serene way. Question if we’re supposed to follow the scripture what’s wrong with us. Some of us seem as though we get a satisfaction out of belittling another person.
Some appear to know no other way to correct an issue outside of bringing attention to them and the individual they have a problem with. But that’s not what Joab did. The scripture says he chose a wise woman. And that’s what it takes to correct issues – wisdom. That’s what it takes to resolve dilemma’s – wisdom. And how do you get wisdom?
James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
Joab was a peacemaker. Are you?
Maker: bringing it into existence.
Peace does not come by fate. Peace does not come accidentally you have to work at making peace happen. If you want peace in your home you got to work at it. If you want peace in the church you got to work at it. It doesn’t just happen you have to work at making it happen.
And why do you have to work at being a peacemaker? Because there are peace breakers in our midst, those who like to disturb, those who like start mess, but:
Matt. 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
So the woman went to King David with a story. He didn’t know it was fictional, he thought it was real talk.
(Remember women didn’t work – husband – sons)
She went to the king fell on her and spoke with an expression of sorrow – O King, help me! I’m a widow and my two sons had a fight in the field and since no one was there to separate them one killed the other.
Now the rest of family is demanding that I surrender my other son (Eye for an eye, be killed for killing) If I do that I’ll have no one left – poor – homeless – both sons dead my husband name…(rest of the story)
She said swear to me by God…. Well, since you in such a good mood can I ask you one more question? Say on. Why have you convicted yourself? King, you’ve made a decision to save my son, but you won’t bring your own son back home.
King if you’re going to show mercy why don’t you start in your own house. And my brothers and sisters who are the people you need to forgive before you start telling others what to do? Who are the ones you need to let off the hook so you don’t make yourself out to be a hypocrite?
(Paraphrase Matt.7: 3-5)
Damaged feeling, destructive behavior patters, a flawed outlook on life, these things stem as a result of holding on to things done to us and not forgiving those who have hurt us.
And here’s why you got to lay aside that weight, let go of that painful past. “For we must die.” Water spilled on the ground.” When you gone you gone. There is no coming back, there is no reincarnation, you won’t be a butterfly, a bird, or bunny rabbit this is it.
And so hatred ought to do, anger ought to die; resentment ought to die, before those of us who resent one another die leaving a void that can never be filled.
(Paraphrase Matt.5: 23–24)
The saddest sight at a funeral is when people try to jump in the casket. Every time I see folk carry on at service it reminds me of the Franchize Boyz going lean wit it, rock wit it. Folk be leaning on the casket, they rock on the casket, one brother told me “I can’t leave her.” Brother she’s already gone.
But that’s a sign of no reconciliation, that’s a sign of unforgiveness.
I’ll be through here in a minute but listen, I hear Jesus saying if you do not forgive men of their sins, neither will I forgive you of yours. And so if for know other reason you ought to forgive so you can be forgiven. You ought to let others off the hook because you were let…
I know you got some scars, I know you got some wounds from the hurtful experiences people have took you through. But no matter how badly you’ve been mistreated, just remember that you’ve never been wronged like you wronged Jesus.
No matter what they said, no matter what they did, it can’t be compared to what you did to Jesus. He who knew no sin became sin for us – you’ve never been wronged, like you wronged Jesus. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon him – you’ve never been wronged like you wronged Jesus.
But still I hear him on Calvary’s cross letting you and I off the hook when he prayed father forgive them for they know not what they do.
And so what is our response as believers to what Christ did for us? To achieve spiritual renewal there are things we must let go and give to God. You cannot be restored; you cannot be made whole if you hold on to that which is detrimental to you both mentally and spiritually.
Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.’
And if there is one here tonight who has never trusted God for forgiveness. I say to you tonight
"Be reconciled to God." There’s nothing left to do except believe.
Believe that you’ve been let off the hook. Believe that there is forgiveness and no condemnation to those who accept Christ Jesus. Are you willing to trust Christ, are willing to receive his forgiveness.
