Trusting God With Your Enemies
Dec. 2, 2001 Northwest Bible Church
2 Samuel 17
Trusting God with your Enemies
INTRO
- GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER THE HEARTS OF MEN
Genesis 20:6 and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.
Genesis 50:20 you meant evil against me, God meant it for good
Exodus 4:21 but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Deuteronomy 2:30 for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate
Judges 9:23-24 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem;
1 Kings 22:20-22 Then He said, 'You are to entice and also prevail. Go and do so.'
Ezra 1:1 the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia,
Ezra 6:22 for the Lord had . . . turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them
Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.
2 Thessalonians 2:11 God will send upon them a deluding influence
Revelation 17:17 For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose
- GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER DAVID’S _____________.
David’s prayer is found in 2 Samuel 15:31.
- God answers David’s prayer (2 Samuel 15:31-32). Hushai was the first part of the answer to David’s prayer.
- God answers David’s prayer in a different way than David prayed.
1) Ahithophel’s counsel was “good”, not morally but ______________.
His first counsel in 2 Samuel 16:20-22 was to help give an outward show of His possession of the throne. This was the fulfillment of 2 Sam. 12:11
His second counsel was a swift search and destroy expedition. This was “good” for two reasons:
- a) David was in fact camped on the west side of the Jordan and Ahithophel’s plan would have been the best (2 Samuel 15:28).
- b) It is called “good” in 17:14.
2) Absalom regarded Ahithophel’s counsel as _____________.
Why did Absalom side with Hushai?
- GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ABSALOM’S .
- Absalom’s folly was “ordained of the Lord” (2 Samuel 17:1-14, esp. v. 14).
Job 5:12 ”He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, so that their hands cannot attain success. Is. 8:10; Prov. 19:21.
The saints must have the confidence that even when the kingdom is under attack, God is in control.
Hushai is not the hero, _________ is.
- The purpose of Absalom’s folly (2 Samuel 17:14).
“. . . so that the Lord might bring calamity on Absalom.”
1) The escape of _____________ (2 Samuel 17:15-22).
2) The death of _________________ (2 Samuel 17:23).
- a) Why did Ahithophel commit suicide (human perspective)?
- b) Absalom loses his good counselor.
3) The death of ________________ (2 Samuel 17:24-18:18).
- COMFORTING TRUTHS FROM THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD
- GOD OWNS HIS ENEMIES
- GOD OWNS YOUR ENEMIES
CONCLUSION