Today we went with our neighbors to a different church. The preacher there is good. However, today he beat around the bush a little and he called Absalom a nut job. Overall, the simple message he was trying to deliver. The T-S-C of what to do when the bottom falls out, was lost in his ramblings, rantings and just running all over the place. I have never, and I repeat never been a fan of acronym sermons! Even so, here was a simple and beautiful sermon, you just had to pan for the nuggets in the muck.
You may know that I am very, very fond of Absalom. So of course I did start to huff a little when the pastor painted Absalom with the wide brush strokes of villainy. Calling him a nut job... I mean, come on.
Is it really necessary to cast the characters opposite David as villains to cement David as the hero? We love David, but wasn't he just a man like you and I? Truth be known, prior to Absalom's coup was the most ineffective period of David's reign. His people were dissatisfied, the King was not wrecking out justice and he was not taking an active role in his kingdom. He hadn't even punished his eldest son, Amnon, for the rape of Absalom's sister, Tamar (David's daughter, and Amnon's half-sister). So in reality wasn't Absalom, just a hurt child lashing out at his impotent Father? Haven't we all felt that? Haven't we all tried to usurp authority in our lives? Are we nut jobs, too? Okay, I'm getting a little preachy.
I sense that I am becoming an adult. Because, instead of totally shutting down and focusing only on the above, I was able to garner wisdom among the chaff. During Absalom's attempt to overthrow his father, David wrote the 63rd Psalm. The Psalm was the crux of this sermon. I came away from this sermon knowing, when the bottom falls out: T- Think on God, S- Sing His praises and C- Cling to Him.
You may know that I am very, very fond of Absalom. So of course I did start to huff a little when the pastor painted Absalom with the wide brush strokes of villainy. Calling him a nut job... I mean, come on.
Is it really necessary to cast the characters opposite David as villains to cement David as the hero? We love David, but wasn't he just a man like you and I? Truth be known, prior to Absalom's coup was the most ineffective period of David's reign. His people were dissatisfied, the King was not wrecking out justice and he was not taking an active role in his kingdom. He hadn't even punished his eldest son, Amnon, for the rape of Absalom's sister, Tamar (David's daughter, and Amnon's half-sister). So in reality wasn't Absalom, just a hurt child lashing out at his impotent Father? Haven't we all felt that? Haven't we all tried to usurp authority in our lives? Are we nut jobs, too? Okay, I'm getting a little preachy.
I sense that I am becoming an adult. Because, instead of totally shutting down and focusing only on the above, I was able to garner wisdom among the chaff. During Absalom's attempt to overthrow his father, David wrote the 63rd Psalm. The Psalm was the crux of this sermon. I came away from this sermon knowing, when the bottom falls out: T- Think on God, S- Sing His praises and C- Cling to Him.
It made sense.
Psalm 63:6-8
"On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me."
Psalm 63:6-8
"On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me."
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