Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20030112.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part LVII: Learning To Accept God's Use Of Sinful Insubordination To Our Leadership
(2 Samuel 18:1-33)
  1. Introduction
    1. When God calls us to lead in an institution, and a subordinate sinfully disobeys our leadership efforts with very painful consequences, we may feel our cause is fruitless and want to give up or resign the office!
    2. Yet, we must wait upon God to work without giving up, for He rules over our sinful subordinates, and at times gives them room to function to so that His final purposes may be accomplished:
  2. Learning To Accept God's Use Of Sinful Insubordination To Our Leadership, 2 Samuel 18:1-33.
    1. When David prepared his followers to battle Absalom's forces, he fully intended to save Absalom's life as seen in his explicit instructions to that affect in the hearing of many witnesses, 2 Samuel 18:5.
    2. However, it was God's will that just the OPPOSITE occur -- that Absalom die, and that for two reasons:
      1. For his rebellion against David, his vengeance against Amnon and his abuse of David's concubines, God decided Absalom would be destroyed in judgment, 2 Sam. 17:14 with 15:1-37; 13:1-39 and 16:22.
      2. Second, God had before predicted through Nathan the prophet that, due to David's adultery with Bathsheba, the sword would never depart from David's house, 2 Sam. 12:10. This meant violent deaths in his family by slaying would be a regular event in David's life, so Absalom would have to die.
    3. Accordingly, God permitted insubordination to David's will regarding Absalom to occur in Joab, one of David's commanders, to fulfill his will regarding Absalom's need to die, 2 Samuel 18:1-33:
      1. God arranged for David to be absent from the battle so he could not save Absalom from death, 18:1-4.
        1. When he mustered his forces, dividing them into three companies with leaders for each company, David informed his followers he would lead the companies into battle, 2 Samuel 18:1-2.
        2. Fearing David's death would be more disastrous to their cause than the death of 10,000 of them, the people urged David to remain in the city of Mahanaim and be ready to help them from there if they got into trouble and were routed by Absalom's forces, 2 Sam. 18:3; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn.
        3. David hearkened to this advice, a move that kept him from protecting Absalom in the conflict, 18:4.
      2. Then, in the conflict, God arranged for David's forces to route Absalom's men, for most of Absalom's losses came by God's use of the forces of nature, 2 Sam. 18:6-8 with 1 Sam. 7:10-13 with 1 Sam. 2:10.
      3. In keeping with God's use of these natural forces, God arranged for the fleeing Absalom to have his head caught fast in the boughs of an oak as he rode his mule under it, 2 Sam. 18:9; God also arranged for a messenger to inform Joab, a man who held a grudge against Absalom for burning his barley, and who was known for his murderous treatment of others, 2 Sam. 18:10 with 14:30-31; 3:22-31; 11:14-22.
      4. Accordingly, Joab violated David's command to salvage Absalom alive by thrusting three javelins through Absalom's heart as he hung alive in the tree; Joab's men then made sure Absalom was dead, and Joab buried him in a pit on the battlefield, 2 Samuel 18:11-18.
    4. In the end, David deeply grieved, and wished he had died for his sin with Bathsheba as opposed to living to see the violence that came upon his own household, including the death of Absalom, 18:19-32, 22.
Lesson: If we cannot influence a subordinate to submit to our oversight, instead of becoming dismayed over it, we must recognize GOD is ALLOWING the insubordination to occur even if it is EVIL for the purpose of arranging events to fulfill HIS purposes. Like Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:19, sometimes evil divisions must occur even in God's people to display the sin and righteousness among believers that exist to the weak and carnal who lack such insight!

Application: (1) If we face uncontrollable insubordination to our oversight in a marriage, family, business, church or governmental realm, we must NOT become DISMAYED at it! We need to TRUST GOD'S INVOLVEMENT to achieve what HE wants, and that often includes the fall of sinful people in the process in accord with His discipline. (2) If WE are in the SUBORDINATE role, and we see other subordinates VIOLATING the expressed directives of the overseer, we must equally not become overly distressed, but see God's PERMISSIVE hand in it to accomplish His desires. However, WE should be sure WE are obeying the rightful directives of the righteous overseer!