Let's turn it over to 2 Samuel chapter 15. Now, as we look at this chapter and the next few chapters, it covers the rebellion of Absalom, and this means that we're going to encounter a number of figures involved in the overthrow of David to not only unseat him from his throne, but to put him to death.

And we'll see that some try to make this happen and others come to the aid of David and are made useful to deliver David. The Lord blesses their work and uses it to deliver David. And so there are those that do love him and support him, but there are others who betray him and seek to destroy him.

Now in these figures, we can learn something of ourselves. We learn something of Christ. And we also see our need of the grace of God to deliver us from the things which have consumed those that hate David. Because David is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And there's a picture there of what the inhabitants of this world by nature do. They reject Christ, just like Adam and Eve ran from the voice of the Lord in the cool of the garden, so man runs from God. He sees God as his enemy, and so it takes the Lord's grace and salvation, it takes His Spirit to remove that enmity and to give us light and love for our God. to love him and to serve him. And so that's something of what we do see here. Now let's pick up in verse seven. We looked at the first six verses, but this develops a little bit further now.

It came to pass after 40 years, Now, David's whole reign was 40 years, so I don't think this is speaking of Absalom doing that wickedness that he was doing for 40 years. He hadn't been doing it for that long, sowing the seed of deceit. But rather, it's believed David had been king now for about 30 years. And Saul was king for 10 years before him, so about 40 years into this reign of a king in Israel here. So this is just how the whole thing is developing of the kingdom that the people wanted rather than the Lord.

And so it came to pass after 40 years that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord in Hebron. For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Gesher in Syria, and he said, If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord, and the king This being his son, probably delighted in hearing this. We delight when there's a confession of the Lord in our children's hearts. Any parent would love to hear that, who also loves the Lord. And the king said unto him, go in peace. So he arose and went to Hebron.

And so one thing that we see here is that Absalom, being the deceitful, rebellious man that he is, thinks nothing of taking the Lord's name in vain. This is truly taking the Lord's name in vain. He's using this religion, this work that sounds good on the surface, he's using it as a cloak of unrighteousness. He means to do evil against the kingdom of God, against their king and against the people there. And so he thinks nothing of this to advance his plot.

He gets a clearance from the king, the blessing from the king, so now he doesn't have to hide, he doesn't have to run off. He can just do what he's going to do now, make his preparations and go, because he's going under the peace of the king. The king's saying, go ahead, you do this. And it says something to us about when a man's conscience is seared, when all our thoughts and attention are on this world, as is very common with men, when this is all our focus, it's very easy for the conscience to become seared, as with the hot iron, Paul speaks of them.

And when that happens, it gives a man no pause There's no reflection on what he's doing or about to do. He just does what pleases himself. And that's just pure wickedness. That's just serving the flesh. That's not why we are here. But rather we ought to give heed and thought to our God and our Creator. And this man had a conscience seared as with a hot iron, and so it didn't matter what he was doing. He didn't care. He was just looking to advance himself. That was the only thing important to him.

But the Lord is showing us here and throughout the scriptures that it's folly. It's folly for us to do that. We shall all stand before the Lord. And I know the way that things go in the world, especially at various times, It may not seem like it, but there is a God, and He has revealed Himself to us in His Word and in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ, to deliver us from death.

Because when you set your heart on this world, it is death. It is death. There's no hope in that. Even if you advance and gain the whole world, but to lose your own soul for that? Big deal if you had 70, 80 years in this world, or even 100, it's nothing.

David, we read Psalm 3 at the beginning of the service, he wrote in Psalm 3, verse 6, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. and acknowledging the Lord and seeking the Lord, He's very gracious to reveal Himself to you and affirm those things which you do know about the Lord.

He affirms those things to you and shows you that He is, and that He is the true and living God. And so, the other thing in regards to that is If you know anything about how this plays out, you know that those who opposed David and rebelled against David, that they died. David lived, but they died. And it testifies to us of what the end shall be for all those outside of Christ and who oppose the King, the one whom the Father chose and set to be Lord of all. He chose Christ before the foundation of the world to glorify His Son in His people. It pleases the Father. And so, by His grace, we too rejoice in Christ and love Him. It's what He gives us. It's what He teaches us and leads us to do.

So, Absalom gets permission from his father to go to Hebron, and this is important because this is the place from which he's going to now execute his coup d'etat, right? The overthrow of David and stalling himself as king. And he's gonna be able now to do it in such a way that it appears that all the people are with Absalom. He's gonna do, he's gonna make it look really good. Look at verse 10.

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron. I think Israel's about the size of maybe New Jersey or something. If that, you can get there in a few hours.

And so if there's enough guys who blow the trumpet, you can hear it so far away in the other cities and then make it known that Absalom reigneth in Hebron. And that's important, because Hebron was known as a royal city. It was known as a royal city. That's where David ruled from the first, what is it, seven years, I think, as king, seven or eight years as king in Hebron. And so some might think, oh, isn't that nice? He's paying homage to his dad. For all they know, David has gotten sick and ill. Maybe he's abdicated. the throne, and so it looks good so far for Absalom. Maybe this is all normal and fine.

Verse 11, and with Absalom went 200 men out of Jerusalem that were called or invited to go with him, and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not anything. And so the importance of this thing here is it's saying that these would have been important men. These would have been men of renown. These would have been men who had been seen with David, who were around David, who were in David's court, and David did business with them and entrusted them.

And now all these men are with Absalom. they're going with Absalom. 200 men going off with Absalom to Hebron. And why anybody would go off to a feast with Absalom after what he did to Abnon is beyond me, but David blessed it, and so it seemed okay for him to do, and so they go with him now. And this is all about optics. Because again, the people would see, well, that's David's friend, and that one is really close to David, but now he's with Absalom. They're seeing all these important people, so it looks really good.

It's looking like Absalom has been blessed of David to do this thing. But in reality, it's all hypocrisy. It's all a show. It's all being put on under a pretense of religion with the intention of doing evil and wicked things. And so, seeing David or seeing Absalom doing this, this hypocrisy under the guise of religion, if it turns your stomach, if you see what a wicked thing to do, what a horrible thing to do.

Well, that gives us a picture of what the Lord sees when he looks at the heart of man and he sees hypocrisy in men. And all of us have played the hypocrite at some point, and to some degree, we all do, and we need the grace of God to save us. And it shows us just how evil, how corrosive, how awful hypocrisy is, because God sees the heart, and he knows what's in our heart, and he knows the thoughts that we have, and he knows the games that we play, and the show that we put on, and the pretense that we can make for men. And it's so corrosive, it's so corrupt, that our Lord spoke about hypocrisy. He warned his disciples a lot about hypocrisy, because certainly if the Pharisees and the scribes were hypocrites, then once his disciples tasted power and positions of leadership, they too would be subjected to that same sin and that same wickedness because it's in the nature. Sin is in our nature. Any one of us is capable of being a hypocrite and playing the hypocrite.

And so our Lord, I'm not going to say everything that our Lord spoke about hypocrisy, but he said, for example, when you do your alms, Don't do them before men. Don't blow a trumpet and announce what good thing that you're going to do in giving your alms because that's what the hypocrites do, seeking glory of men. And that's exactly what Absalom was doing.

He was seeking glory of men. Again, he tells us that the hypocrites love to pray standing up in the synagogues and on the street corners. Why? Because they love to be seen of men. And Absalom loved to be seen. He wanted to be seen as the king over Israel by the people. And the Lord says of the hypocrite, they have their reward. They have their 15 minutes of fame. They got what they were after. And Absalom's going to get that for a brief time, and then he dies. And then he does it.

All that he did comes to nothing. Again, our Lord says in Matthew 23, 27, and 28, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited supplicars, which indeed appear beautiful outward. but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." And that describes Absalom.

He's a beautiful man. He's a good-looking guy. He's charismatic. People liked him and followed him and just admired his beauty. And he looked good. He was even doing what he did in the name of religion. but evil. Murder was in his heart. His feet were running to shed blood. And so he's doing this here, and he's doing some brilliant things on the outside, right?

He's putting together quite a campaign to overthrow his dad, but it's all a lie. It's all a lie, and all it's gonna bring forth is death and destruction. God is going to expose him, and God is going to destroy him and those that sided with him on purpose. And that's exactly what hypocrisy does. It brings forth death. Putting on a show doesn't help anyone. Putting on a show of religion, that doesn't give life to us. It doesn't give light to us. It doesn't help. It just brings forth death and ruin and misery.

It's better to be honest before God and men and confess your sin. Lord, I'm a sinner. have mercy upon me." That's what the Lord does. He brings His children to see our weakness, to see our infirmity, to see our imperfections, that we might behold the glory of the Lord, to behold Him who is perfect, whom the Father sent to save us from our sins. He gives us that on the backdrop of our sin and what Sinners we are dead and trespasses and sins that we might see and behold the perfection of Christ and the holiness of our Lord and so He's shown us Worshiping God is is not a game.

It's not a it's not a play thing God is God and he deserves to be worshipped and and and we ought not to take that up like Absalom who took up going to worship God and in vain, in vain really and so he's not a man to be followed this Absalom and yet many do. Don't seek the honor of man, don't seek to be seen of man, don't seek to put on a show.

Be who you are and trust the Lord and seek the Lord and beg him for to keep you, because that's what we need. There's really nothing different about us. We need the Lord. And David would also say in Psalm 27, 14, wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. We can be confident that all things are in his hand, that we don't have to make a thing happen, we may go to him and trust him and believe him to bring it to pass just as he said he will. And it's a wonderful thing to trust in the Lord rather than to trust in men. All right, verse 12.

And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor from his city, meaning Ahithophel's city, even from Gilo, while he offered sacrifices. I don't know if that is Ahithophel offering sacrifices or Absalom, while he was offering sacrifices before he pulled off what he was doing, sent for Ahithophel.

It says, the conspiracy was strong for the people increased continually with Absalom. And so, in other words, this was a brilliant strategy. And the fact that he calls Ahithophel, and Ahithophel goes to him so readily, might explain why it was such a brilliant strategy and why everything was going so well here.

And I think I should say, and what I want to do here is just say some things about Ahithophel. and look at the scriptures concerning Ahithophel, because his sad end describes the sad end of all who oppose Christ, all who reject God's King, whom God has set on the throne.

So let's look at a few verses about this, man. Let's first go over to chapter 16, verse 23, just so you see why Absalom's coup was going so well and why it was so strong. Verse 23 there, and the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God or of a prophet. This man is like a prophet when he speaks. It comes to pass.

So was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both with David and with Absalom. Now, based on what it said back in chapter 15, verse 12, it seems that Ahithophel was more than ready to work with Absalom now that Absalom had this coup underway there, and Absalom sent for Ahithophel.

Now, we're told this man was David's counselor, but he wasn't with David at this time, which is odd. that he wasn't with David at this time. He was back in his home city, Guilo, and it never says why. It doesn't say if he retired from working with David or if he had made an excuse to go there to the city so he wouldn't be with David at the time when this is going down. We're just told that he's at his hometown and that just seems awfully convenient for him to be there. Now, whatever the cause for Ahithophel not being with David in Jerusalem, we can only imagine why. And it's going to become obvious very quickly that Ahithophel's heart is not with David. It's just not with David. He does not love David. He doesn't want to serve David anymore for sure. And some think it's because of what happened between David and Bathsheba and Uriah. that this angered Ahithophel very much, and he was greatly put out by what David had done.

And so, let me show you a few scriptures that actually would back that up. So, staying in 2 Samuel, turn back to chapter 11 and look at verse 3. There's just a detail here that we should get. 11-3 And David sent, so this is before, right before he committed adultery with Bathsheba, he Caesar. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, is not this Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

All right, well, who is this Eliam? Turn now over to chapter 23, 2 Samuel chapter 23. This is the chapter where the 37 captains of David's army are listed for us in their mighty deeds, some of their mighty deeds. So in chapter 23, verse 34, at the end of that verse, It lists Eliam, the son of Ahithophel, the Gilanite. So, that means Eliam is the father of Bathsheba. Bathsheba is Ahithophel's granddaughter. It's Ahithophel's granddaughter.

All right, now drop down to verse 39, chapter 23, 39. and it lists Uriah the Hittite, 30 and 7 in all, meaning Uriah was also a captain. Eliam and Uriah were captains in David's army, likely good friends. So much so that Bathsheba was given to Uriah, his friend, to marry. Uriah loved Bathsheba.

Uriah, Bathsheba, I mean, the way Nathan speaks of Uriah, he was sweet on her. He poured himself out on her. He loved her. He treated her and nourished her and doted on her and loved her. And it would seem that just as he loved Bathsheba, Uriah loved Bathsheba, he would have been a dear friend. He would have been a beloved family member of the family of Ahithophel and Eliam because he was married to Bathsheba there.

And so what David did, in destroying that marriage, in destroying the friend of Eliam and his granddaughter's husband and shaming her and putting her in this really bad situation, Ahithophel could have been very angry about the whole thing. really angry about what David had done. And if Ahithophel didn't know outright, I mean, it's very possible he did know exactly what David did, but if he didn't, he certainly had the wherewithal to piece it together and to figure out what David had done to cover his own sin.

And this could have been a root in his heart, a root of bitterness, a root of hatred against David. And so he could very well have likely been seeking David's destruction. And whether he's the one that pushed Absalom to this or Absalom recognized it and came and asked him to help him, I don't know. It doesn't get in to that. But this man definitely had a reason from a natural standpoint to despise David for hurting his family the way that he did.

And if God wasn't going to take David's life, because the Lord said to David, you shall not die. David judged the man who has done this thing shall die. Because that was the right thing. He deserved death. But Nathan gave him the word of the Lord and said, you shall not die. The Lord hath put away your sin. And Ahithophel thinks, well, if God ain't going to kill him, I'm going to do it. I'm going to see to it."

And we know how that goes, because now he's made himself an opposer of God's will, of sovereign God's will. Now, this is why the scriptures tell us to love our brethren. This is why the scriptures tell us to forgive our brethren, and show us our sin, and show us that we're all guilty sins.

What David did was awful. It's heartbreaking. I understand why it hit the fell. would be so disappointed in David for doing what he did. It was cruel and very hard that David could do that, but the Lord gave David repentance. There's no doubt about that. David was a broken and a contrite man. He was made to know his sin.

And so the scriptures tell us to love your brethren as Christ also hath loved you." The Lord Jesus Christ has laid down his life for wicked people, people who did sins just like David. Just as cruel, horrible sins, there are people just like that. It's all of us. We're all sinners. Even if we don't do those things, the Lord It's in the heart of everyone. That depth of sin is in the heart of everyone.

So the scriptures teach us to love one another. The scriptures tell us to be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Because whom the Lord loves and whom the Lord forgives, who are we to seek their destruction? And to do, against them what God has purposed not to do. Because if God wanted to, God could have destroyed David. He could have ended David, his life. He could have ended his kingdom. He could have done it in any number of ways.

He's almighty God. But the thing is, is that the nature of man, if he has not the spirit of God, he's going to look to take vengeance. He's going to lust for vengeance upon another who's hurt him. But if God has a purpose to do that, who are you to do that? Wait on the Lord. Trust the Lord. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. It's not yours. It's not mine. It's the Lord's.

It says also in Hebrews 12, verse 11. Go to Hebrews 12. Let me just show you this. Because I think this is relevant here to seeing David and to trusting the Lord and what he does and how he teaches. We're dependent on the Lord to teach us. If a brother or sister has sinned against you, trust the Lord to teach them.

And don't take things into your own hand. But it says in Hebrews 12 verse 11, now, no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

And you could say David is being chastened. He is. He's being chastened, he has been chastened, and he's continuing to be chastened. He's being exercised by it. Wherefore, lift up the hands which hang down in the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. And so, David is being chastened, and David is a humble man. He is broken.

He is, the Lord is getting truth in the inward parts from David. Just as David wrote in Psalm 51, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, the Lord's getting truth in the inward parts of David. I mean, he's sinking low, And he's going low, as he's going out of Jerusalem, you know, his heart is breaking, because he knows that he's responsible for this.

And we'll continue to see this as it develops. Follow peace with all men in holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God. lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled."

And so it's clear David is being chastened and affected by the Lord for what he's done with Bathsheba and despising the Lord the way he did, but he's not the only one being chastened, I don't believe. Ahithophel is being chastened here too, but the problem is Ahithophel is not going to endure chastening. He's going to take matters into his own hand. He's going to try and execute vengeance on a man whom the Lord is chastening himself and doing what he will.

And so Ahithophel is harboring this root of bitterness. And because of that bitterness, it's defiling many. It's bringing a horrible time into the kingdom. It's defiling many people. lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." Now, I'm sure Hithophel charged David with being a fornicator.

He labeled him as the fornicator, but it's a Hithophel that shows himself to be a fornicator in what he counsels Absalom to do. Look back in our in our text in 2 Samuel 16, verse 20 and 21, when they come into Jerusalem, in verse 20, Absalom asks Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we should do. What do you say we should do now that we have Jerusalem? Ahithophel, what should we do? Verse 21, and Ahithophel said unto Absalom, go in unto thy father's concubines. lay with them which he hath left to keep the house, and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father.

Then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong." In other words, make it known that what you, because once you do that, I mean, you've just crossed the line, and it's going to show that dad's not going to be reconciled to you, and then everyone else is going to be left unreconciled, who sided with you. But you're going to make yourself a stench in his nostrils, and then they'll join to you.

But who's the fornicator? It's Ahithophel, the very thing that he's probably accusing David of, of being an adulterer and a fornicator. And yet he's the one doing the same thing, guilty of the same exact thing that he's charging David with sin and doing. And so again, it just exposes the hypocrisy and the self-righteousness of us. And that's why the Lord says, love your brethren, forgive your brethren. Don't get into that. Don't do that. Don't try and make right. Leave it with the Lord. Trust the Lord in it.

And so it would seem that what he hated about David was there in his own heart. And so Ahithophel, he's a self-righteous man who opposes God and his king. He seeks to destroy the man that God has set on his throne, that he's pleased to put there as king over Israel. And that's exactly what self-righteousness is. That's exactly what the self-righteous, who hear Christ and do not believe, who refuse Him, who say, I will not have that man to reign over me. And they seek to establish their own righteousness. They seek to make themselves happy and provide for themselves and do what they want to do, all the while rejecting the Lord.

And that's a dangerous, that is a deadly place to be. And that's exactly what the end result is for Ahithophel and Absalom who have opposed God in opposing his king. And it says, I mean, you're away from Hebrews 12, but I'll just read the last verse,

17. Afterward, when Esau would have inherited the blessing, and you could insert Ahithophel there, He was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." And after Ahithophel went and joined himself to Absalom, there was no going back.

There was no turning back, and the conspiracy was strong for the people increased. with Absalom here, and it's a well-orchestrated growing coup against David. Now, back in our text there, chapter 15, verse 13 and 14, it says, And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. All the propaganda, all the lies are working.

And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise and let us flee, for we shall not escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us and smite the city with the edge of the sword. And so David, again, is suffering greatly. He knows as he's going out, this is my sin that's done this. I've brought this on me, I've brought this on the people here, and I think that's why he left Jerusalem. Rather than going out against Absalom and going to fight Absalom, he realizes that this is God's hand of chastening, who said to me, I will raise up evil against thee out of your own house. And David is bearing it, and he's heading out of town now, and look down in verse 31, chapter 15, verse 31, and one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

And so David grasps the gravity, the danger that he and those with him are in here, but it turns him to the Lord. that he does turn to the Lord, to worship the Lord. He is seeking the Lord in this to deliver him. And that's what the Lord works in the heart of his people, is a heart that seeks the Lord, a heart that needs the Lord, a heart that cannot survive but the Lord go with me, Lord save me. And that's what the Lord has clearly given David a heart for.

Now David's old counselor and former friend Ahithophel has betrayed his king and he's aiding David's son against him in this conspiracy. And Ahithophel was so against David that he wanted to be the one to kill David. He wanted to oversee David being put to death.

Turn over to chapter 17, 2 Samuel 17, 1-3. Moreover, Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night. And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid, and all the people that are with him shall flee, and I will smite the king only. And I will bring back all the people unto thee. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned, so all the people shall be in peace.

And so that's how serious his hatred of David was. And David wrote of Ahithophel in Psalm 55, verse 12 and 13, saying, for it was not an enemy that reproached me. then I could have borne it, neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me, then I would have hid myself from him. But it was thou a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance."

And now we see here, this picture here, these words are rightly spoken of Judas who betrayed our Lord. These are the words spoken of by him when Judas, for thirty pieces of silver, sold the Lord. and betrayed the Lord, and even went out with the band of soldiers and officers to arrest Christ, right? He went out with them to oversee and make sure they got the right man there, just like Ahithophel, just like Ahithophel.

And David, who's betrayed his in a very dark time, and it speaks to, there's other things in there that we'll look at another time there that speaks to just the heaviness that we see our Lord going out of Jerusalem. When he went to the Mount of Olives, when he crossed over the brook Kidron, and he went with great heaviness. It speaks to what our Lord patiently bore in sorrow and suffering for, his people, and being betrayed by Judas, among many other things. Now, how did Judas end his life? He hung himself, right?

Well, in 2 Samuel 17, 23, that's Ahithophel's end also. When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass. They didn't. They chose Hushai's, because the Lord turned Ahithophel's words to foolishness. And it says that when he saw that his counsel wasn't followed, he saddled his ass and arose and got him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself and died, and was buried in the sepulcher of his father. This man knew the conspiracy was over, that God had turned his counsel into foolishness, and that God had purpose to deliver David's life. from this coup. He knew he was on the wrong side of all of this, just like Judas here.

And Ahithophel, he's a picture of the heart of rebellion, that stiff, hard-hearted heart that will not hear, that does not trust the Lord, that does not believe the forgiveness of God, that thinks that justice is obtained by my own hand. Whether it's hatred toward another, or you're seeking to justify yourself with God, it is false, it is a lie, and it will not save you. It is enmity against the true and living God, and it's darkness, and it's folly. The fool has said in his heart, no God, no God, I won't bow, I won't do that. But he that sinneth against me, against the wisdom of God, wrongeth his own soul. All that hate me love death." And that's exactly what Hithophel got.

And so this rebellion against David is really a picture of the rebellion of man against God and against his appointed king. who He sent, who came and faithfully obeyed the Father in everything the Father sent Him to do, spoke the Father's words, did all the works of the Father, and then went willingly, faithfully to the cross, laying down His life for His sheep, whom the Father gave to Him before the foundation of the world.

And He accomplished our redemption. He accomplished our forgiveness. He obtained it. He obtained for us eternal life. so that you who know what you are in this flesh you that have no righteousness you that have nothing to recommend you to God who see in your own heart the very blackness that Ahithophel and Absalom have but God has delivered you from it and be merciful to you Though like David, you stumble and fall, but God has broken your heart.

Rejoice in the Lord. Trust Him. Believe Him. Don't be turned to the works of this flesh. Don't be turned to do what your wicked heart wants to do. Trust the Lord. Beg Him for a new heart and a new spirit and to believe Him and to walk in that light and that grace. Our God has shown to us in raising Christ from the dead that He has made Him both Lord and Christ. He's the King. He's the one in whom the Father is well pleased. Therefore, do not seek to oppose Him. Do not set yourself up against Him.

The end of those that do is death, just like Absalom and Ahithophel. But the way of those who trust the Lord is the way of life and peace and restoration and satisfaction in and by the Lord Jesus Christ forevermore. I pray the Lord bless that to our hearts.