2 Samuel 19:4
“But the king covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, ‘O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!’”
I recently watched a news segment which focused on two teenagers who decided to rob a local business. One of the boys was reluctant to get involved, while the other boasted confidently that “no one would get hurt.” Sadly, as the story unfolded, one man lay dead and two young men were sent to prison for life. Sin is just like that. It promises to bring us happiness, and ensuring us that no one will get hurt. Regrettably, David found this out the hard way. One night, while allowing his passion to be distracted from the Lord, David made the choice to pursue his lust and begin a relationship with another woman. What he thought would bring him pleasure, continued to cost him over and over again. This chapter reveals some of those costs.
After what must have been the worst battle of David’s life, his son Absalom lay dead in the street. Because of David’s inability to deal with the pain, the nation was confused and susceptible. It did not take long for someone to seize the opportunity and take advantage of Israel’s vulnerability; the nation was divided, turning the cities into a battle field.
We must be clear, even though sin is confessed, repented of, and will always be forgiven, it never comes without cost. No man is an island, and we never sin only unto ourselves. When a man walks away from his family, his children and unborn grandchildren will be impacted. This will become a great mountain they will struggle to clim, for the rest of their lives.
If you are toying with sin because you have such a difficult life, believing you deserve the pleasure you think it will bring, remember the consequences of sin are far greater than you want to pay. You don’t want to observe all that you have built being ripped apart, as you weep at the loss of that which matters most to you.
Pastor Jim
David is one of the most famous men in history. He was a gifted singer, song writer and musician. By today’s standards, he would be considered a superstar. He was also a war hero, who led armies to great victory. No doubt, in that era, David would experience the same treatment as our most famous athletes. His popularity spread throughout the nation, so much so, that songs were being written about him. After reading of a lifetime of successes, we come to a striking passage where we read,
During the reign of Saul, Israel faced constant attack from within and without. From within, they faced uprisings from the Philistines; while beyond their borders, they were threatened by Moab, Ammon, and Syria. Saul’s foreign policy was to react to attacks as they came; once an enemy showed signs of attacking the armies of Israel, they would respond. David had a different approach. He decided to go on the offensive and remove the threats once and for all, even drawing a line in the sand to make his stance very clear. 
This Psalm is written as a result of David’s meditation upon what motivates people to sin. It seems to me, if we can understand what leads to sinning, we can avoid a lot of pitfalls. According to David, the number one reason for sinning, is “there is no fear of God.” To fear God means to be more concerned with pleasing God, than pleasing self or others. When a person puts God first in their life, and seeks to do what pleases Him, he will avoid much of what leads to sin.
After taking the throne and ruling over all of Israel, David focused his attention on three crucial areas that would help to guarantee a long and successful reign.
King Ishbosheth’s officers could see that the kingdom was collapsing; Abner, the head of the military had joined forces with David and Ishbosheth was so depressed he spent his days lying in bed. Baanah and Rechab saw this as an opportunity to make a name for themselves. Thinking they would be richly rewarded, they decided to kill the king and bring his remains to David. Their thoughts and behaviors were a clear violation of the Word of God, and of the heart of king David, yet they convinced themselves they were serving God.
Although David wrote this Psalm as an expression of the experiences he was facing, it has a much bigger application than he ever could have conceived. It was on the cross that Jesus uttered the opening words to this great Psalm.
Like all of us, King Saul struggled with his emotions. When he looked at David, he did not see Israel’s rising star, or a man after God’s heart, but only a man who was a threat to his throne. Saul found himself filled with jealousy, fear, pride, and anger. As the story unfolds, we find these sins ultimately became his downfall. His failure was partly due to the way he dealt with his sin.
In many ways, the Old Testament serves as a picture book to illustrate New Testament principles. That is not to say the events recorded are not factual, but that they were designed to bring out Biblical principles in living color. The story of Saul and his battle to defeat the Amalekites unfolds like a motion picture, illustrating the battle we face with our own flesh. It does not take long for every Christian to realize, we struggle to resist some of the things that God has forbidden. Overcoming the ungodly desires within us is the daily struggle of the believer, and the story before us helps to unveil one of the secrets to success.
As the second year of king Saul’s reign began to unfold, the nation of Israel was in trouble. The Philistines who occupied the southwest portion of the land were seeking to expand their territories by defeating Israel. When Saul’s army saw the Philistines approaching, they began to hide in caves, and many deserted. It did not take long before his three thousand soldiers were reduced to six hundred men. Understandably, Saul was overcome by emotion.
Jim Gallagher 