To Samuel in chapter 23, we read
of the last words of David. We read, now these be the last
words of David. David the son of Jesse said,
and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the
God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, the spirit of
the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God
of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over
men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be
as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning
without clouds, as a tender grass springing out of the earth by
clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with
God, Yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things and sure. For this is all my salvation
and all my desire, although He make it not to grow. Although
my house be not so with God, yet He hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things and sure. For this is all my
salvation and all my desire, although He make it not to grow.
Now David could say that, this psalmist, this great, the sweet
psalmist of Israel as he's described, he could say that on his deathbed
because God had put faith in his heart to trust alone in the
Lord despite great personal tragedy. David speaks and refers to the
great tragedy in his own household, in his own house, in his own
family. His son Absalom had risen up
against him, had rebelled and in the end had been slain and
David wept for Absalom. Yet despite this, he could rise
up even in the midst of sorrow, even in the darkest hour, he
could rise up in faith and praise his God. and rejoice in that
everlasting covenant and rejoice in that everlasting salvation
and know that his God doeth all things well because the Spirit
of the Lord spake by him and his word was in his tongue. Now we see this exemplified in
the 7th Psalm which David wrote. The seventh psalm which David
wrote when he had received word from Cush or Cushi the Benjamite
regarding the death of Absalom. Having cried out in sorrow, Absalom,
Absalom, my son, my son. Having mourned. David writes
the following words. as introduced, Shegayon of David,
which he sang unto the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite. O Lord my God, in thee do I put
my trust. Save me from all them that persecute
me and deliver me, lest they tear my soul like a lion, rending
it in pieces while there is none to deliver. O LORD my God, if
I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have
rewarded evil under him that was at peace with me, yea, I
have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy. Let the
enemy persecute my soul and take it. Yea, let him tread down my
life upon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. Arise, O Lord, in thine anger. Lift up thyself because of the
rage of mine enemies, and awake for me to the judgment that thou
hast commanded. So shall the congregation of
the people compass thee about. For their sakes, therefore, return
thou on high. The Lord shall judge the people.
Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according
to mine integrity that is in me. O let the wickedness of the
wicked come to an end, but establish the just, for the righteous God
triumphed the hearts and reins. My defense is of God, which saveth
the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous, and
God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he
will wet his sword. He hath bent his bow and made
it ready. He hath also prepared for him
the instruments of death. He ordaineth his arrows against
the persecutors. Behold, he travaileth with iniquity,
and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch
which he made. His mischief shall return upon
his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon
his own pate. I will praise the Lord according
to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the
Lord Most High. I will praise the Lord according
to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the
Lord Most High. O Lord my God, in Thee do I put
my trust, save me from all them that persecute me and deliver
me. Save me. Save me. Now two clear themes come through
in this psalm. Salvation and the righteous judgment
of God. O Lord my God, in Thee do I put
my trust. Save me. Deliver me. I will praise the Lord according
to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the
Lord Most High. God judgeth the righteous and
God is angry with the wicked every day. Two clear themes or
one theme. Salvation through the righteousness
of God. When David heard the news of
his son, this is what he penned by the Spirit of God. A song
of praise to God, crying out and trusting both for and in
God's salvation, which David knew was according to righteousness. He rejoiced as the Apostle Paul
did in that gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for therein
in the gospel is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith. As it is written, the just shall
live by faith. David's salvation was in God,
it was in Christ. and David knew it, but he also
knew that that salvation was based on righteousness, it was
just. Sin must be judged, the wicked
must be slain. And if that wicked was one of
David's own household, the son whom he loved, the son of the
wife whom he loved, Absalom. If that wicked that must be slain
in order that there should be salvation was his own son, then
David would rise up in faith and say, so be it. Praise God
for his salvation. I will praise the Lord according
to his righteousness, even if it means the loss of my son.
For this will bring forth salvation. Psalms about righteous, righteous
judgment. And it's only through the righteous
judgment of God, the destruction of sin, the judgment of sin,
the separation of the righteous from the wicked. It's only through
judgment and the upholding of righteousness that the congregation
of the people, that Israel, that God's people should be gathered. David writes, Arise, O Lord,
in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies,
and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. So shall the congregation of
the people compass thee about. For their sakes, therefore, return
thou on high. Awake for me to the judgment
that thou hast commanded, so shall the congregation of the
people compass thee about. Now through the Gospel, and through
God's judgment of sin, through His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ,
God saved a company, a people, whom no man can number. He saved
the mighty congregation, He gathered in the elect, He judged the sins
of all His chosen people and He gathered them and compassed
them about and brought them up in Christ on high. But that salvation,
that gathering, that building of the church can only be through
a gospel in which the righteousness of God is revealed. Only through
a gospel in which the wicked are judged and the righteous
are delivered. Only through a gospel in which
sin is judged according to righteousness. God's mercy, God's love, God's
salvation is never at the expense of his righteousness. And David
knew this almost more than anyone because that judgment, that righteousness
came home in his own household. He didn't speak of it in a theory,
he didn't speak of it at a distance, he didn't praise God for his
righteous judgment with some theoretic praise, but God saw
the effect of that righteous judgment in his household. His
son Absalom was slain and it came at the command of God. and
though it brought David much personal natural sorrow for he
loved his son nevertheless David's faith rose up David's rejoicing
in the gospel rose up above it and he cries out I will praise
the Lord according to his righteousness and will sing praise to the name
of the Lord Most High Yes, this is a psalm of righteousness.
A psalm rejoicing and praising God for His perfection. Which
seems very appropriate for the seventh psalm. Seven being the
number of perfection. That the seventh psalm should
centre on salvation and righteousness. Uprightness. Uprightness in heart. The integrity that is in me,
David writes. for the righteous God triumphs
the hearts and reigns. Now where do you stand before
a righteous God? Can you speak of the integrity
in your heart? If God should look on your heart
and judge you according to the thoughts and motives of your
heart where would you stand? Can any say they have a righteous
heart? Not naturally. not by nature. We're all guilty before a holy
God. There is none righteous, no not
one. Yet David, through the gospel,
can look unto his God and look unto a saviour and say unto his
God, judge me according to my righteousness and according to
mine integrity that is in me. have you been brought to a point
where you can speak in that way? because you've been brought to
look unto a God who has blotted out your sin and brought in righteousness
for you through the death of his son through the death of his son
David knew the death of a son David knew what that death of
that son meant. He knew what it brought in. He
knew what it was a picture of. And he knew that in the death
of God's son, he was made to be righteous. The psalm opens
like this, Shegayon of David, which he sang unto the Lord concerning
the words of Cush the Benjamite. Now this word Shigeion is a type
of song. I will sing unto the Lord. This
is what David sang. It's Shigeion. And it's a song
of emotion. Impassioned emotion. The depth
of a heart which is moved and stirred. These are the words
of a man who is greatly moved. These aren't just surface words
as it were. They come from the very depths.
They come from the very depths of his being. From that which
is within him. For the Lord looketh upon the
heart and triumphs the hearts and reigns. David can say my
defense is of God which saveth the upright in heart these are
the words which spring from his heart and not his natural heart
which was full of iniquity which the Lord slew and judged in his
son but the heart which David was given by God, as one who
was washed by the blood of Christ, a heart which is righteous. These are the impassioned words
of the righteousness of God within the heart of the believer in
Christ, as he cries out and praises his God according to his righteousness. Shecheyon. Or as the margin says,
words or business, these are the words of David, but the words,
the words of a song, which he wrote when he'd heard of the
death of Absalom and cried out, Absalom, Absalom, my son, my
son, my son, my son. Shrigayon. So Gaon is used to
describe a song, a psalm, only on the seventh psalm, it's unique
to this psalm but it is also used appropriately at the beginning
of Habakkuk chapter 3 in a book, in a prophecy in which just before,
in the second chapter Habakkuk has spoken of the just one and
the faith of the just one with reference in particular to Christ
and that faith which brought in the righteousness of God as
we've seen this Psalm Psalm 7 regards righteousness and it shows forth
the faith that David had in his Saviour who brought in righteousness
on his behalf a saviour whose faith brought in the righteousness
of God for his people through his death. Habakkuk 2 chapter
4 says of that saviour, the just shall live by his faith. The just shall live by his faith. As quoted by Paul in that verse
we just read in Romans, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God under salvation, for therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is
written, the just shall live by faith. Then how pertinent
that this psalm regarding righteousness and the faith of Christ, Shigeion
of David, should share this type of words, should share these
words, should share this song with Habakkuk, who speaks also
of the just, who lived by faith. The just shall live by faith.
And it's only by that faith that righteousness could be brought
in, that righteousness upon which David's salvation depended that
righteousness which was at the center of that gospel that David
loved and proclaimed and rejoiced in as we saw in David's last
words in 2 Samuel 23 when David speaks he said that the spirit
of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue The God
of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over
men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. David knew the importance of
righteousness. And his Shegayon he shared with
Habakkuk. who spake of the just one who
lived by faith. Shigeion. But it goes on, Shigeion of David
which he sang unto the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite. As I said, this psalm was written
in the light of the news of the death of Absalom. And it was
Kush or Kushi that brought that news to David's ears. We read
of this in 2 Samuel and chapter 18. The Israelites are at battle
and they suffer a terrible defeat. There was a great slaughter that
day of 20,000 men. And amongst the people, amongst
the Israelites was David's son Absalom. Absalom, that son who
had turned against David and become his enemy, that son who
had raged against his father, that son who had seeked glory
for himself, but nevertheless David loved him and to David
despite what Absalom was, despite that Absalom was as a wicked
man to him, an evil man. He was his son and he loved him
and in this battle Absalom was slain. We read from verse 9 of
Well, we read from verse 6 of 2 Samuel 18, So the people went
out into the field against Israel, and the battle was in the wood
of Ephraim, where the people of Israel were slain before the
servants of David. And there was a great slaughter
that day of twenty thousand men, for the battle was there scattered
over the face of all the country, and the wood devoured more people
that day than the sword devoured. The wood devoured more people
that day. and the sword devoured and Absalom
met the servants of David and Absalom rode upon a mule and
the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak and his
head caught hold of the oak and he was taken up between the heaven
and the earth And the mule that was under him went away. And
a certain man saw it and told Joab and said, Behold, I saw
Absalom hanged in an oak. And Joab said unto the man that
told him, And behold, thou sawest him. And why didst thou not smite
him there to the ground? And I would have given thee ten
shekels of silver and a girdle. And the man said unto Joab, Though
I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would
I not put forth mine hand against the king's son? For an hour herein
the king charged Ian Abishai and Itaiai, saying, Beware that
none touch the young man Absalom. You see, though Absalom was David's
enemy, and though David's men knew he was his enemy, and though
they'd love to see him dead, Yet he was still the king's son.
Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life,
but there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldst
have set thyself against me. Then said Joab, I may not tarry
thus with thee. And he took three darts in his
hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he
was yet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten young men that
bear Joab's arm encompassed about and smote Absalom and slew him.
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing
after Israel, for Joab held back the people. And they took Absalom
and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very
great heap of stones upon him, and all Israel fled every one
to his tent. Now Absalom in his lifetime had
taken and reared up for himself a pillar which is in the king's
dale for he said I have no son to keep my name in remembrance
and he called the pillar after his own name and it is called
unto this day Absalom's place. Then said Ahimaaz the son of
Zadok let me now run and bear the king tidings how that the
Lord have avenged him of his enemies Joab said unto him, Thou
shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another
day. But this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the
king's son is dead. Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell
the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto
Joab and ran. Then said Ahimeaz, the son of
Zadok, yet again to Joab, But howsoever let me, I pray thee,
also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt
thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready? But
howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then
Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi. And
David sat between the two gates. and the watchman went up to the
roof over the gate unto the wall and lifted up his eyes and looked
and behold a man running alone and the watchman cried and told
the king and the king said if he be alone there is tidings
in his mouth And he came apace and drew near. And the watchman
saw another man running. And the watchman called unto
the porter and said, Behold, another man running alone. And
the king said, He also bringeth tidings. And the watchman said,
Methinketh the running of the foremost is like the running
of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good
man, and cometh with good tidings. And Ahimaaz called and said unto
the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth
upon his face before the king and said, Blessed be the Lord
thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their
hand against my lord the king. And the king said, Is the young
man Absalom safe? And Haimeaz answered, When Joab
sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great
tumult, but I knew not what it was. And the king said unto him,
Turn aside and stand here. And he turned aside and stood
still. And behold, Cushy came, and Cushy said, Tidings, my lord
the king, for the lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that
rose up against thee. And the king said unto Cushy,
Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushy answered, The enemies
of my lord the king and all that rise against thee to do thee
hurt, be as that young man is.' And the king was much moved,
and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he
went, thus he said, O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee,
O Absalom, my son! my son, O my son Absalom. So these messengers come back
to the king, to the father, with news of a battle in which his
son has been slain. They brought news of the death
of his son, the death of his son. But note in this passage so much
of the Gospel. Now Absalom, as we know, was
a wicked and a rebellious son. He turned against David. He was
not a man of faith. He did not know the God of David. He was not a friend of David's
God. He had turned against him. He
was wicked. and righteousness would demand
the death of Absalom and justly God slew him. But he was the
father's son and David mourned for his son. And for Israel to
know victory again and for the king to know victory there must
be justice upheld. And this rebellious son, this
sinner must die. Now in this, in this picture,
Absalom is very much set forth as a figure or a type of the
Son of God and the death of Christ. Yes, Absalom's a wicked man,
but he's set forth here as Christ in the sinner's stead. as Christ
as a substitute for his people. He's shown forth here in his
death as Christ when he was made sin and when he bore sins. God justly slew Christ upon the
cross because of what Christ bore. because Christ was made
sin, because he was the substitute. In himself Christ was perfect
and God would not have been just to slay his own son upon the
cross because of what Christ was himself or what Christ did
himself. He never thought, did or said
any evil thing. Christ was perfect, he was righteous. God's justice could not demand
the death of Jesus Christ. But as a substitute, as the one
who was made to be sin in his people's place, as the one who
bore the sins of his people, God's justice demanded his death. His righteousness demanded the
death of his own son. Not for what he was in himself,
but for what he bore, because when he bore that sin, he was
as a sinner. he was as the one that had committed
all those sins that guilt was then his he took that guilt as
his own and the father looked upon him in justice and said
he must die that is why christ died that
is why christ was nailed to a cross that is why christ died upon
that cross of wood upon the tree That's why the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, a figure of the law, brought down its judgment
and penalty against the Son of God. That's why the Son was slain,
was hung upon the tree. Now Absalom, as this rebel, as
this sinner, as the son of the Father, is set forth here in
figure of Christ. The loss of his son is set forth
here as representing what the father saw and felt when he offered
up Christ on behalf of his people. David's son was slain. He was slain by being hung in
an oak tree. He caught his head in the boughs
of the oak And he hung there upon this tree suspended between
the heaven and the earth. And then he was pierced by those
darts of Joab which slew him. but he was hung upon this tree
and he set forth as a picture of Christ hung upon a tree between
heaven and earth there could be no salvation except sin was
judged and there could be no salvation and David knew it except
this wicked son of his was slain although David loved him by nature
he knew it was just and right that Absalom should die and here
he dies suspended between heaven and earth between two people
and two places between as it were the people of God taken
up the heaven and the wicked sent down into the depths here
he is divided in figure two people the righteous from the wicked
the heaven and the earth and he hangs dying upon a tree and
the news is brought of the death of the son unto the father David
it's brought by two messengers two messengers first Ahimaaz
and then Khushi now Khushi was sent forth first but Ahimaaz
insists that he goes too and Ahimaaz when he comes unto the
king brings smooth tidings he brings smooth tidings Ahimaaz
called and said unto the king all is well Well all wasn't well. In a sense
all was well. But Absalom was dead. And he
fell down to the earth upon his face before the king and said
blessed be the Lord thy God which have delivered up the men that
lifted up their hand against my lord the king. Yes his enemies
were slain. But the slaying of David's enemies meant his son was slain. for
his son was amongst them and when God sent forth his son the
Lord Jesus Christ into this world of darkness and when Christ was
crucified upon the cross he was numbered amongst the transgressors
he was counted as an enemy of God he bore the sins of his people
and became an enemy and justice demanded his death all is well
all is well that death brought in everlasting salvation that
death upholded righteousness all is well it was through the
death of the son but Ahai-Me-As He's very cautious in what he
tells the king. He, as it were, brings a message of smooth tidings. Kushi follows him. The king says
unto Homer, stand aside. Let us hear what this other messenger
will say. And he enquires again of Kushi.
And Kushi says, Tidings, my lord, the king. For the lord have avenged
thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. And the
king said unto Cushy, is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushy answered, the enemies
of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do
thee hurt, be as that young man is. He tells the king he's dead. May your enemies be slain also. and David's victory over his
enemies had to be and had to include the death of that young
man the death of that son now what a message to be brought
to the king what a thing to learn he knew it was right that Absalom
should die because of Absalom's sin Absalom's wickedness because
Absalom was an enemy, but he was still his son. And when the
father offered up the Lord Jesus Christ in the place of his people,
because he knew that that must be done if that people should
be saved, there was no other way to save us, no other way
to save a people, no other way to save sinners, No one could
be saved except their sin be judged and destroyed and their
sin could only be judged and destroyed through a substitute
and the only one that could be that substitute was the Son of
God, the perfect Son of God. The only way God could save a
people was to offer up his Son. Nevertheless, though God the
Father knows that must be Yet to be told and yet to know thy
son is dead is a dreadful thing to know. David, as a picture
of the father, as a picture of God the father here, learns that
his son is dead and through that his enemies are conquered. But
the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the
gate and wept. And as he went, thus he said,
O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, would God I had
died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son. O the depth of the
love that the father had for the son. He'd have rather died
for him. And the Lord Jesus, the Son of
God's love for others, for His Father, for His people, was just
as strong. He would rather die for them. You will never exhaust or comprehend
or measure the depth of the love of God. both for his son, the
love of the son for the father, or the love of the son or the
father for his people. There are two messengers here
though. The first comes and he brings as it were smoover tidings.
He smooths it over. He says there was a tumult, I
didn't see what happened. He says all is well. Well it
was well in that David's enemies were slain. But David's enemies
included his son at that point. Brought smooth tidings. Cushy
told it as it was. And how often we see that in
religion. How many want to go and speak of the gospel and of
salvation and bring smooth tidings. They'll tell everyone all is
well. Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. But they
don't want to speak of the price that was involved, they don't
want to speak of the righteousness that his death demanded. They
have a gospel that sidesteps the reality of salvation, that
justice is upheld, that sin must be judged and that Christ paid
the price for that sin. They love to present a smooth
gospel, They love to speak of the love of God, of a universal
love as though God loves all men. As though God won't judge
the wicked, as though there is no everlasting hell. They love
to present a God who wants everyone to be saved and if you're not
saved it's just down to you not choosing to be. They have smooth
tidings. But the truth is that salvation
comes at a price. A huge price. An incomprehensible
price. Justice is upheld. God will judge
wickedness. He will judge the wicked. And
he judged his own son when he was made sin in the place of
his people. Kursi, this messenger, is very
much a figure of the spirit of truth. There were two messengers. One brought smooth tidings, the
other brought the truth. One brought peace, peace, when
there is no peace. The other spake out of righteousness.
Oh yes, the end result was that all is well, but it came at a
price, it wasn't the full story. and people may preach a gospel
in which what they say is true, there is salvation through Christ. But a half gospel's not the full
story. Those who speak with the Spirit
of God, like David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, who could
say, the Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my
tongue, Know that he that ruleth over men must be just. Ruling
in the fear of God. Now Cushy, this truthful messenger,
as I say, is a figure of the Spirit of God. Bringing the news
of the death of his son to the father. Following the death,
the hanging of Absalom in the tree. Kushi goes to where the
king is, the father, and tells him, thy son is dead and thine
enemies are conquered. And when Christ gave up the ghost
and cried out, it is finished, the spirit went up to the father
on high and said, thy son is slain and thine enemies are conquered. and righteousness has been wrought. Righteousness of God, the righteousness
of God has been brought in by the faith of the Son of God who
loved his people and gave himself for them. The Spirit of God. Note where David is stood when
these messengers come unto him. Verse 24, And David sat between
the two gates, And the watchman went up to the roof, over the
gate, unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and
behold, a man running alone. The father is sat between two
gates, and two messengers come unto him, bringing news. And
the one brings news of the death of his son, by which his enemies
are conquered. He stood between two gates. There's
two gates, you see. There's two gates when it comes
to salvation. David when he receives this news
goes and pens that song Psalm 7 in which he cries out save
me and speaks of salvation and speaks of the righteous and the
wicked and he paints a picture he draws a picture of two paths
and two gates two gates which lead to judgment
As Christ said in Matthew, there is a straight gate and there
is a wide gate. There is a narrow way unto life
everlasting and a broad way unto destruction. There are two gates
and salvation depends upon those gates. You will journey through
this world and as you journey you pass through a gate and eventually
you will come to the King, to your Maker, to the Father. But which gate and which path
are you passing through and on? Is it that narrow gate of the
Gospel through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ? Or is it that
wide gate and that broad way that leads unto destruction?
there are two gates and David stood between the two gates and
Cushie came and said Absalom is dead the son is dead and David
was much moved and went to his chamber and said oh my son Absalom
my son my son Absalom Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom,
my son, my son. Two gates. Salvation depends
upon righteousness. O Lord my God, in thee do I put
my trust. Save me from all them that persecute
me and deliver me. Let he tear my soul like a lion,
rending it in pieces while there is none to deliver. David says,
save me. But he knows that his God's salvation
will be based on righteousness. He had an enemy. He had enemies. And one of those enemies was
his own son. And he knew that unless God delivered
him from his enemies, that his enemies would tear his soul like
a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
And we have an enemy, we have enemies. Satan goeth about as
a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And except God
keep you, he will rip you in pieces. He will lead you through
a broad way, through a wide gate and on a broad way to destruction. You have an enemy. O Lord my
God, David's Christ, if I have done this, if what happened to
Absalom, if I'm the cause, if the evil is mine, if I caused
him to do these things, then judge me. O Lord my God, if I
have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have rewarded
evil under him that was at peace with me, yeah I have delivered
him that without cause is mine enemy but if I've rewarded evil
unto him that was at peace with me let the enemy persecute my
soul and take it let him yeah let him tread down my life upon
the earth and lay mine honour in the dust say lah he says God
if it's me slay me oh Absalom Absalom I'll have given my life
for thee if it's me oh lord, judge me oh his love yet he knew
that he had delivered many who without any cause were his enemy
he goes on he says judge me if it's my fault for it's just he
knows it's just he knows if he's the cause then God would be just
to judge him He knows it. And it reflects the heart of
Christ to you. For Christ delivered them who
without cause were his enemy. He did the very opposite of bringing
evil upon them that were at peace with him. He delivered them who
were his enemies. Are you at peace with God? Or
are you his enemy? Have you hated him without a
cause? Have you hated the Lord Jesus
without a cause? Even though he's the only man
that ever lived who truly laid down his life for his enemies? Truly. David says, if there be
iniquity in my hands. Was there iniquity in his hands?
No. Was there iniquity in Christ's hands when he was slain upon
the tree? No. But his hands were pierced
because of the iniquity of others. He died because he stood in their
place. He took their sins and was slain. Because God in justice looked
and said, you must die. Verse 6. Arise, O Lord, in thine
anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies,
and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. When
Christ was made sin, God arose in judgment. It was commanded,
it must occur. The sinner must die, sin must
be judged. Death is the inevitable consequence. And even if the Son, even if
the Son of God, even if God's own Son bore sin, then He must
die. And God spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all. He spared Him not, because His
righteousness said the sinner must die. And when Christ bore
the sins of his people, the Lord arose in anger. So shall the
congregation of the people compass thee about, for their sakes therefore
return thou on high. The Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to
my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in
me. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish
the just, for the righteous God triumphs the hearts and the reins.
This and this alone is what gathers the congregation. This judgment
is what gathers the people. This judgment is what saves and
delivers. Nothing else does. Nothing else
can. No free will gospel will compass
the people of God around him. No works gospel will gather a
people under salvation. No universal love to all men
will gather a people. They're all lies which lead to
destruction. They're all false peace, peace
when there is no peace. They're all a message of all
is well, when the son is dead. The gospel is just, the righteous
God. Triumph the hearts and the reins.
My defence is of God which saveth the upright in heart. The upright in heart. He speaks of being judged according
to mine integrity that is in me. He must be righteous before
a holy God. Now by nature David wasn't and
by nature you and I aren't. But through a Saviour, a Son
who died in the place of sinners, through Him and in Him, we are. and David's hope was in the son
who died in his place. He knew about his son who died
and God took the message of Absalom and put it in the heart of David
and said this is what it will take to save you. The father
must slay the son and I will slay my son David for you. and it's through the death of
my son David that you will be made clean, that I will put righteousness
in your heart, that I will make your inward parts to be perfect
and pure, that you will have integrity. It's through the death
of my son that I will make you righteous within. Because righteousness
isn't what you do, so much as what you are. You can conceal
what you are with good deeds. You can paint a good picture
before men, but God looks upon the heart. He looks upon the
upright in heart. Christ's life was one of righteousness
but that righteousness sprang from what he was within, from
what he is within, from his heart, from his faith, from within. So David says, Judge me O Lord
according to my righteousness and according to my integrity
that is in me. God saveth the upright in heart
and he goes on in the rest of the psalm to say verse 11 God
judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every
day he separates he takes the death of his son he takes that
blood which was shed and he separates If he turn not, he will wet his
sword. He have bent his bow and made
it ready. He have also prepared for him
the instruments of death. He ordaineth his arrows against
the persecutors. Behold he travaileth with iniquity,
and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
The wicked made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch
which he made. O what words for David to write! This is what happened to his
son. He was cast into a pit, and the stones were upon his
head. Christ the Son of God made sin was as it were thrown into
a pit with the stones of the law thundering down upon his
head. His mischief shall return upon
his own head and his violent dealing shall come down upon
his own pate. That's what happened to Absalom,
that's what happened to Christ that he should deliver his people
from their sins. that's the separation of the
wicked from the righteous that's salvation that's what saved David
because God did to his son what happened in figure to David's
from whence by faith David could rise up in praise and adoration,
at a time of much natural sorrow and loss, but a time in which
the eyes of faith were open clear to look through the death of
the Son to the death of the Son, the Lord Jesus, and see all his
salvation, all his desire, an everlasting covenant made with
him, which is ordered in all things and sure, I will praise
the Lord according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name
of the Most High. Oh, can you look into the cross
and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and see the love of the
Father for the Son and see what it took God in order to uphold
His righteousness to save his people Absalom Absalom my son
my son oh feel the father's love for his son when he suffered
and died for sinners my son my son was that son slain for your
sins was god's love was the savior's love for you so great that God
would give his son, that the son would give himself and that
God would cry for you, for his son, my son, my son. Amen.