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You arewelcome

StoneCreek

www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

February 17, 2013

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David is King of Judah.

Ishbosheth was a puppet king ruling at Abner’s pleasure.

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2 Samuel 3 1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

David and those with him were on God’s side, working to do the

Will of God.And that makes all the difference!

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The contest between grace and corruption in the hearts of believers, may fitly be compared to this warfare.

There is a long war between them, the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; but as the work of holiness is carried on, corruption, like the house of Saul, grows weaker and weaker; while grace, like the house of David, grows stronger and stronger.

Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary

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As we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He works in us to change our character and make us

more like our Father day by day.

He produces in us the qualities of God:

Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith (to be unwavering), meekness, and

temperance (self-control in the Power of God.)

The key is our submission to the Lord --

Doing what God wants us to do.

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2 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

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4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

David was forming alliances with marriages.

But that was not the Will of God.The king of Israel was to depend completely on

Jehovah, God Almighty.

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Deuteronomy 17 15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

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Human logic would say that forming alliances with other nations by marrying daughters of the king is

the way to go.

Logic would say that having horses and chariots to make the army stronger is the way to go.

Logic would say that to accumulate wealth is the way to go for a king to have a strong kingdom.

But God forbade all of these for Israel.God doesn’t follow human logic!

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Psalm 20 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the Name of

the LORD our God.

Your own personal life will be made strong through the Name of the Lord, our God.

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6 And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul. 7 And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?

This act reveals Abner’s mindset and intentions.

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In the North, Abner took Rizpah, a concubine of Saul, as one of his own, a common practice in the ancient Near East when one wished to indicate his succession to a king.

Ish-Bosheth understood the meaning of the act and rebuked Abner The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of

the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

Ishbosheth was a puppet king ruling at

Abner’s pleasure.

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8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me today with a fault concerning this woman?

Too much anger shows he knows he’s wrong.

He did see himself as ruler and Ishbosheth as a puppet on his string.

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(TLB) 9-10 May God curse me if I don’t do every-thing I can to take away the entire kingdom from you, all the way from Dan to Beersheba, and give it to David, just as the Lord predicted." 11 Ish-bosheth made no reply, for he was afraid of Abner.

David needed nothing from Abner.He said it himself: “Just as the Lord predicted.”

God will give David the kingdom.

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Ishbosheth had put his trust in a man.

He should have gotten on God’s side.

(NIV) 2 Chronicles 32 7 "Be strong and coura-geous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater Power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

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Men and women will fail you, and even turn against you, as Abner did Ishbosheth.

But God will never let you down.Psalm 63 7 Because Thou hast been my help,

therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.

8 My soul followeth hard after thee: Thy Right Hand upholdeth me.

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Hebrews 13 5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

God Almighty is the only One to depend on.

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God will never desert His people, as long as we put our

trust in Him.

Live it.Power

We trust through submission:

Believing and Obeying