Despise Not The Chastening Of Your Father

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King James Bible StudyAnd when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

Date: Friday, May 17, 2019
Chapters: II Samuel 16-18
Message: Despise Not The Chastening Of Your Father

Hello My Friend,

Born again Christians have something going for them than no one else on earth does, God is their Father. And since God is our Father, we can expect love, correction, and discipline, just like any responsible father would do. God loves us way too much to watch His children suffering needlessly, which is why His mercy and grace are limitless. Part of God’s love for us is chastisement, which teaches us, or ought to teach us, not only His will for our lives, but dependence upon Him as well. Far too many of God’s children are suffering needlessly because they either cannot face their Father for unrepentant sin, forgive themselves for their past, are backslidden and will not turn to Him, or, and I am going to say it, arrogance. Yes, many of God’s children, especially if they are actively serving Him, become arrogant the more their Father blesses them, which is why He chastens them. “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. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and 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.” – Hebrews 12:11-13.

but let it rather be healed.” There is no use fighting God on this, even if we fell into sin, and have a legitimate cause for the chastening, we are to give it over to God, and let Him use the bad and turn it into something good. Remember, there is a purpose for everything, judgment always begins at the house of God, and He is faithful and just to cleanse us of our unrighteousness when we come to Him, hence the reason for chastisement. Absalom was David’s oldest living son and if he had done everything right he would have rightfully been the next king by heir, but he was not willing to receive the crown by growing in God as David did, he wanted it now, even willing to kill his father to get it. Now, David, not fearing for his life, but rather his people’s lives, could have questioned why God used his own son to judge him, but he knew that all this was repercussions of his sin with Bathsheba, and her husband. As he made his way up to Mt. Olivet, a man began cursing David, revealing to all the people with him that all of this was a result of what he had done to Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband in having him killed.

And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.” – II Samuel 16:5-5-9,11-12.

and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.” Finally, David is starting to come around and trust God to see him through this. Yes, he might have prayed, but I suspect that it was not fully executed because of his guilt, once he reminded himself that God is merciful, and he is forgiven that was when he actually turned to God for help. I am guilty of this, I spent years praying to God, but never had gotten over the guilt of my past, and that hindered my one on one relationship with my Father. Imagine serving God with a guilty conscious over something that happened years ago that you never fully forgiven yourself for? That was me, until I realized that I was the one punishing myself since God had already forgiven me. When our Father chastens us, He uses that affliction to not only show us that we truly are forgiven, that blessings actually come through our faithfulness. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” – II Corinthians 4:17-18.

for the things which are seen are temporal;” As long as we are not living in sin, chastening is only temporal, it will not last. God had no intention of taking the throne from David or Absalom being the next king, as you recall, he did kill his own brother, and conspired against his own father, and would have killed him to get the throne. God made His point, He executed the judgment He placed upon David, and now it was time for all of this to end. It all started when Absalom sought advice from this wicked Ahithophel, who had his own wicked plan for seeing Absalom become king, and Hushai, who was there secretly on behalf of David.

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: Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith. And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time. Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person. And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom. And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.” – II Samuel 17:1-2,5,7,11,14,23.

and hanged himself,” If you recall something similar happened, after Judas Iscariot turned Jesus in, it was then that he realized he turned in an innocent man, in which he oddly hanged himself from a tree around the same time that Jesus was on the cross, (Matthew 27:3-10). Death always catches up to those who are intent on getting things through deceit, often killing themselves in their pride. to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.” You see, God had already dealt with David, he was chastened, and finally repented of his guilt, and now it was time for Absalom to face judgment for what he had done. Hushai suggested that all the forces of Israel be gathered and that Absalom, the commander-in-chief himself, be at the head of his great army. Doing it this way, gave him a sense that he would gain the recognition of being the rightful king of all Israel while it gave David and his army time to prepare for the battle. Absalom, full of pride even rides on a mule to distinguish himself as a king, but his pride caught up to him, and he lost his life.

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. 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 bare Joab’s armour compassed 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.” – II Samuel 18:9-10,14-18.

and all Israel fled every one to his tent.” Do you see how fast people run when the leader of the pack gets taken out? We have all been deceived by a friend, family member, and even our own flesh and blood from time to time in their attempts to gain control of things. They do not care who they deceive, destroy, or kill, they will do anything in their power to get what they want, even if it takes years to get it. You see, God chastens His children so that we can become a reflection of His Son. We are to never despise the chastening of our Father, He knows what is best, and in the end we will come out stronger and better prepared to handle life here in earth until He brings us home. “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” – Hebrews 12:5-7.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse, And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.” – II Samuel 17:27-29.

Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your gift of eternal life that no law is required to be saved from my sins, but that I admit I am a sinner, believe in the finished work of Your Son, who died in my place for my sins, and accept Him as my Saviour. Not only am I saved, I have become one of your very own children, and I know that You me to live the best life I can possibly live until you bring me home, and that includes chastening so that I can stay humble and completely depend on you through every step I take. While you do chasten Your children, I know it does not last, and through it You teach me, grow me, and make me more like Your Son. Lord, try me, prove me, reveal to me anything that I have not acknowledged that You want me to confess, and if there be anything wicked in me, lead me in the way to repentance. Lead me and guide me, fill me with Your mercy, grace, and the power to endure any chastening, whether it be of my own doing or righteous judgment. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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