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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Adam Ramdin

A Tale of Two Stories

The Bible reads here, and I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up.

And it was in my mouth sweet as Honey, and as soon as I had eaten it my belly was what?

Brita and we know this is a an account of the history of the Advent movement because initially it was a very positive and it was a very powerful thing and everyone was very happy and and looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ in 1844 October 22 and Then on October 22 as the day went on it was becoming more and more apparent that the event was going to become known as the great disappointment.

And it's written here in Revelation as when it got to his belly, it was bitter.

And then verse 11 reads, it says, and he said unto me, thou must prophesy what's the next word again before many people's nations tongues and Kings and this has been I believe part of the Commission of the Adventist Church ever since 1844 The Bible says you must prophesy again.

You've already prophesied once the first time.

You got a few things off and a few things wrong.

And a lot of you were disappointed but take heart that the message is go and prophesy again.

And every generation since 1844 has heard these words, thou must prophesy again.

And so we live towards that, we focus towards that.

We know as Revelation 14, verse 6 tells us that when this gospel, not when this gospel, Revelation 14 tells us that the angel was flying in the midst of heaven with the everlasting gospel to preach to how many people?

All the every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

And so we focus as Adventists on Revelation 14 looking at this everlasting gospel message.

And this morning I want us to look at a story in the Bible that I believe shows examples of who we can be, who we might be in this day and age in which we're living in.

Don't answer me, but just think in your minds.

Is it the information that you know, however much it is?

Be it about the Bible or be it about any other subject.

Is the information you know and the amount you know on any given subject more important than your chosen pre-thought sometimes process of evaluating and implementing the information.

Is it what you know that's more important?

Or is it the process that you choose to implement the information that you know that is more important.

You know, we live in a very complex society and we have a challenge as Adventists because we have a message that is very distinct, that doesn't really make any apologies, and yet we live in a society where there's not really much that's right and there's not really much that's wrong.

And we kind of complexity of our times are that you know we have need to have certainty as a people amidst the confusion surrounds us.

We believe in a monotheistic religion and God in the midst of atheism and polytheism and agnosticism and pluralism.

And it sets us apart as something different.

Now the Bible tells us in Romans 15 verse 4 that whatever things were written before time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

And so as we look at what the Bible has written there, it gives examples, illustrations for us today that we can gain patience, comfort, and hope for the day and age in which we live.

If you will, turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel, back in the Old Testament, chapter 18.

And We're going to look at a few of the verses here in this chapter, but before we do so I Would like to recap a Few of the preceding chapters and the story which goes before this chapter We can't understand chapter 18 outside the context of chapter 3rd 12 and onwards or so several chapters prior to chapter 18 David has committed adultery with Bathsheba Feels very bad for it later on and and but it leads to ricocheted effects.

You know 1 sin does not just Is isolated it has a ricocheted effect on all those around it because later on in david's life when his son amon Raped his daughter David should have executed judgment in that situation.

But feeling paralyzed by his own sin, he doesn't do anything.

He just kind of closes his mouth and does nothing.

Now what happened then was Absalom stepped in the gap and so to speak, killed his brother Ammon, something that the government or David should have done.

David was very angry at what Absalom had done.

So Absalom had to flee and he flees for his life and he goes out there in chapter 13.

Now Joab tries to bring some reconciliation between these 2 parties and eventually he works it so that Absalom can come back into the city but David still refused to see him, he refused to speak to him.

So while he's there in the city the Bible says he sat in the gate and he gained the affection of the people there as he was talking to the people and probably saying what a better job he could do than David.

And while David didn't really address the situation and really take care of the problem that was there, he just let it fester and continue.

The Bible says later on how Absalom fled and he went to Hebron and declared himself king.

You have Absalom the king, you have David the king.

Absalom obviously is not the true king and David flees Jerusalem, left 10 of his concubines behind.

Absalom came to the city of Jerusalem, slept with David's wives, therefore preventing any reconciliation and basically declaring civil war in Israel.

It's a war in Israel, but it really starts with a household rebellion.

And it really starts between all these problems in David's house that he hadn't taken care of, escalating from 1 thing to the next.

Now the whole nation is involved in David's little problem.

Absalom has been advised to attack David in person.

It appealed to his vanity and his ego to attack David in person.

And we come to chapter 18 where David is now in Israel.

He is saying goodbye to his troops, his last words before he goes.

And as the Bible says in verse 3, he counts his men and he puts a third of them under Abishai, and a third under Joab, and a third under Eti.

The Bible says there in verse 5, That the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Eti saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.

And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

As his men are about to leave, as they're about to go and fight for David, willing to lay down their life for him, the last words he says is, deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake.

Reading through in the book Patriarchs and Prophets, Ellen White's account of this, she says those words that he said to them as they left only increased and deepened their indignation against Absalom and almost resolved them more firmly to take care of Absalom whereas David was telling them just leave him and bring him back alive.

The Bible account goes how they go off into battle.

Next several verses and the Bible says how more men died through the the woods and the trees than actually by the hands of the soldiers.

20, 000 men died that day and the Bible says there in verse 10 that a certain man saw Absalom who was hanging in the tree, he was hanging by his hair up there in the tree.

And Joab said to the man in verse 11, you saw him and why didn't you smite him to the ground?

You know this is the man who's been in charge of the rebellion.

This is the man who's been in charge of all the trouble in Israel and yet you didn't kill him.

And the young man, the soldier says back to Joab, he says, verse 12, though I would receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son for essentially he says you heard him say don't touch the young man Absalom the Bible says our job says verse 14 I may not tarry thus with you He took 3 darts in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak." Jobs like saying I'm not going to mess around with philosophizing about why's and why not's when we have the job to do.

And I believe here in the situation he executed the will of God against what may have been popular opinion and also emotion.

He took care of Absalom, who was the rebellion, the enemy of Israel.

And now it brings us to the crux of the story that I want us to focus on this morning.

The Bible says in verse 17, they took Absalom, cast him into a great pit in the wood, and they laid a very great heap of stones upon him.

And all Israel fled, every 1 to his tent." So there's been a rebellion, an uprising.

All the soldiers with Absalom ran and went home, and now somebody has to take the message back to David that his son has been, that the rebellion has been squashed and his son is now dead.

It's not a message that I believe any 1 of us in this room would have really loved to tell Going there before David say oh, by the way, your son is dead especially when he said deal gently with the young man for my sake Specific message that has to be born.

The Bible says in verse 19, Then said Ahimaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run and bear the king's tidings, how the Lord has avenged him of his enemies.

The Bible says I want to run not just run But I want to go and tell the king how his enemies have been destroyed and taken care of Here we have a willing person someone who wants to run that Job takes a look at the man, he eyes him up, he knows who he is.

And the Bible says there in verse 20, And Job said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings.

Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day.

But this day you shall bear no tidings because the king's son is what?

Now we asked to go and run and the response is no, you can't go and run.

And the reason why in verse 20 is you shall not bear tidings this day, You will bear tidings another day because the king's son is dead now Joab I believe understood the character of the man that he was dealing with Essentially he was telling them was you are not up to the task.

You are not fit for this situation High pressure high high intensity.

Therefore you're not gonna run He turns to cushy in verse 21 the Bible says and he says the king said to Joab said to Cushi go and tell the king what you have what?

Not what I'm telling you to tell him But you go and tell him what you yourself have seen with your own eyes and the Bible says Kushi bowed himself unto Joab and ran and there he goes.

He's on the way to the king He's on the way to give the message now with him house doesn't give up yet He's already asked wants to run is told no you can't run and verse 22 He says and him has the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, But howsoever let me, I pray thee, run after Cushi.

Now there's no need for him to run because there's already a messenger dispatched.

Now we know from previous reading of the book of Samuel that he was a messenger.

He was someone that liked to run and in fact he was very well known for being a fast runner.

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A Tale of Two Stories

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