September 20, 2026 - Tough Decisions
Tough Decisions
Pastor Logan
September 20, 2026
David’s Family Trouble:
David needed to make a decision about Absalom:
2 Samuel 14:1–3 (NET)
David Permits Absalom to Return to Jerusalem
14:1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king longed to see Absalom. 14:2 So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He told her, “Pretend to be in mourning and put on garments for mourning. Don’t anoint yourself with oil. Instead, act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for some time. 14:3 Go to the king and speak to him in the following fashion.” Then Joab told her what to say.
Wise – the same word used about Jonadab in ch.13 (crafty)
2 Samuel 14:4–7 (NET)
14:4 So the Tekoan woman went to the king. She bowed down with her face to the ground in deference to him and said, “Please help me, O king!” 14:5 The king replied to her, “What do you want?” She answered, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 14:6 Your servant has two sons. When the two of them got into a fight in the field, there was no one present who could intervene. One of them struck the other and killed him. 14:7 Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying, ‘Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the death of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.’ They want to extinguish my remaining coal, leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband.”
What does this remind us of? – When the Prophet Nathan confronts David
Spiritual Warfare Lesson #1: The enemy will try to mimic God’s work.
Spiritual Warfare Lesson #2: When evil seeks to be tolerated, it must manipulate our emotions.
2 Samuel 14:8–11 (NET)
14:8 Then the king told the woman, “Go to your home. I will give instructions concerning your situation.” 14:9 The Tekoan woman said to the king, “My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and on the house of my father. But let the king and his throne be innocent!”
14:10 The king said, “Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won’t bother you again!” 14:11 She replied, “In that case, let the king invoke the name of the Lord your God so that the avenger of blood may not kill! Then they will not destroy my son!” He replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
Spiritual Warfare Lesson #3: You are never trapped.
2 Samuel 14:12–14 (NET)
14:12 Then the woman said, “Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter.” He replied, “Tell me.” 14:13 The woman said, “Why have you devised something like this against God’s people? When the king speaks in this fashion, he makes himself guilty, for the king has not brought back the one he has banished. 14:14 Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored.
Spiritual Warfare Lesson #4: God does not compromise His law to forgive us.
John 10:18 (NET)
10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father.”
Spiritual Warfare Lesson #5: We are all called to forgive, but reconciliation is contingent upon repentance.
2 Samuel 14:33 (NET)
14:33 So Joab went to the king and informed him. The king summoned Absalom, and he came to the king. Absalom bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and the king kissed him.
Main Spiritual Warfare Lesson: Following God’s Word is always best.
We don’t do people favors when we allow someone to hold onto their sin that is going to bring about destruction.
Pastor Logan
September 20, 2026
David’s Family Trouble:
- Amnon raped Tamar
- Absalom murdered Amnon (2 years)
- Absalom fled/banished (3 years)
David needed to make a decision about Absalom:
- Condemn Absalom to death for the murder of Amnon (carry out the law)
- Pardon Absalom for the murder of Amnon (break the law)
2 Samuel 14:1–3 (NET)
David Permits Absalom to Return to Jerusalem
14:1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king longed to see Absalom. 14:2 So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He told her, “Pretend to be in mourning and put on garments for mourning. Don’t anoint yourself with oil. Instead, act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for some time. 14:3 Go to the king and speak to him in the following fashion.” Then Joab told her what to say.
Wise – the same word used about Jonadab in ch.13 (crafty)
2 Samuel 14:4–7 (NET)
14:4 So the Tekoan woman went to the king. She bowed down with her face to the ground in deference to him and said, “Please help me, O king!” 14:5 The king replied to her, “What do you want?” She answered, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 14:6 Your servant has two sons. When the two of them got into a fight in the field, there was no one present who could intervene. One of them struck the other and killed him. 14:7 Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying, ‘Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the death of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.’ They want to extinguish my remaining coal, leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband.”
What does this remind us of? – When the Prophet Nathan confronts David
- They both use a story.
- Nathan comes himself; Joab deceives David with an apparent grieving widow.
- Nathan is straight forward; the woman story is suspicious.
Spiritual Warfare Lesson #1: The enemy will try to mimic God’s work.
- The goal was not to bring about righteousness, but to dismiss God’s law.
- To change the standard by which we make decisions.
Spiritual Warfare Lesson #2: When evil seeks to be tolerated, it must manipulate our emotions.
2 Samuel 14:8–11 (NET)
14:8 Then the king told the woman, “Go to your home. I will give instructions concerning your situation.” 14:9 The Tekoan woman said to the king, “My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and on the house of my father. But let the king and his throne be innocent!”
14:10 The king said, “Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won’t bother you again!” 14:11 She replied, “In that case, let the king invoke the name of the Lord your God so that the avenger of blood may not kill! Then they will not destroy my son!” He replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
Spiritual Warfare Lesson #3: You are never trapped.
2 Samuel 14:12–14 (NET)
14:12 Then the woman said, “Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter.” He replied, “Tell me.” 14:13 The woman said, “Why have you devised something like this against God’s people? When the king speaks in this fashion, he makes himself guilty, for the king has not brought back the one he has banished. 14:14 Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored.
Spiritual Warfare Lesson #4: God does not compromise His law to forgive us.
- Partial truth ≠ truth
- God did not break the law to forgive us, He satisfied it.
John 10:18 (NET)
10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father.”
Spiritual Warfare Lesson #5: We are all called to forgive, but reconciliation is contingent upon repentance.
2 Samuel 14:33 (NET)
14:33 So Joab went to the king and informed him. The king summoned Absalom, and he came to the king. Absalom bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and the king kissed him.
Main Spiritual Warfare Lesson: Following God’s Word is always best.
We don’t do people favors when we allow someone to hold onto their sin that is going to bring about destruction.
Posted in David Sermon Series
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