The Home of Forgotten Kings: Part One

The Home of Forgotten Kings
by
Josprel

2nd Samuel Chapters 14 - 19
Particularly Chapter 19:11-12

All Scripture references taken from the "Good News Bible”

King David may have been a man who passionately loved God, but his family life often was in shambles. A study of his life reveals that, among his children, there was immorality, fratricide, treason and even the rape of a brother against a sister.

The rebellious treason of David’s son, Absolom, against his father resulted in the temporary overthrow of David from his throne and his son declaring himself king of Israel. Fearing for his life at the hand of Absolom, the king fled Jerusalem, while the generals of his armies, the brothers, Joab and Abishai, led the troops still loyal to the king against Absolom and his rebels.

Absolom was a very handsome young man with extremely long hair. The battle went bad for the rebels and, as Absolom was fleeing astride a mule, his flowing hair caught in the branches of a tree. The mule sped on, leaving the young rebel helplessly hanging by his hair. One of David’s men saw what happened.

“Sir," he reported to Joab, “I saw Absolom hanging in an oak tree.”

“Why didn’t you kill him on the spot? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”

“Even if you gave me a thousand pieces of silver, I wouldn’t I wouldn’t lift a finger against the king’s son. We all heard the king command you . . ., ‘For my sake, don’t harm the young man, Absolom.’ But if I had disobeyed the king and killed Absolom, the king would have heard about it . . . and you would not have defended me.”

Then ten of Joab’s men went and killed Absolom. Hearing of his son’s death, despite Joab’s protests, David mourned and wept for his son. He afterward sent a message to the chief priests in Jerusalem, asking, “Why should you be the last to help bring back the king to his palace?” You are my relatives [brethren KJV], my own flesh and blood; why should you be the last to bring me back?” (2nd Samuel 19:11 12).

According to the above Bible passages, David had fled Jerusalem to avoid being assassinated by his son Absolom, who coveted the throne. Crossing the Jordan River, David waited there until a report came of Absolom’s defeat. He then dispatches a message to some of his subjects who had remained unharmed in Jerusalem. The message was directed to the leaders of the tribe of Judah, David’s own tribe his own relatives, which in effect asked, “Why haven’t you expressed a desire for my return. Why haven’t you brought me back to be your king? I’m waiting for you to bring me back.”

There are some lukewarm believers who have peritted Absoloms to ascend to the thrones of their hearts. These Absoloms cause their hearts to rebel against Jesus Christ, He who is the rightful King. To such a believer, through the voice of the Holy Spirit, Christ asks, “When are you going to bring me back? I’m waiting to once again return as King of your heart and life. Are you going to be the last to bring me back?”

“Yes, you are a Christian. Yes Jesus Christ is your Savior. Yes, you love Him. But you nonetheless are holding something back from Him. You have not made Him your King. So, is it any wonder that the voice of the Holy Spirit reminds you that Jesus Christ desires to be welcomed back as your King? He’s waiting for you to dedicate yourself completely to Him.

Some time back, this writer read an article concerning how rulers who had been deposed fled to a certain place for refuge to await the possibility that they might one day be invited to return to power. To this end, their paramount concern was the political progress of their former kngdoms.

Jesus Christ also waits in the hope that those spiritually have sent Him to the home of forgotten kings, will soon call Him to return. What will determine such a return is the spiritual condition of one’s heart.

The Old Testament records that, initially, God’s perfect plan for the nation of Israel was that He was to be their king, but Israel wanted a human king. “We want to be like other nations. Give us a king.” So God acquiesced, but not before warning them of tremendous problems that would result from their choice. True to God’s warning, Israel experienced the grim consequences. After winning a war against a determined enemy, Saul, Israel’s first king, disobeyed God’s command that all of the captured enemy booty was to be destroyed. Israel was to claim nothing of it for itself. Saul also disobeyed the order to not offer sacrifices himself, but to wait until the Prophet Samuel came to do so. He was a headstrong king who always attempted to excuse his sinful actions. Though there were several good kings in the history of Israel, many were depraved, and some even took to worshiping pagan gods. The nation had sent God to the home of forgotten kings, and ultimately was conquered by the nations who worshiped these false gods.

Webster’s definition of a king is: “A person who is a hereditary sovereign.” That person rules by right of birth. Jesus Christ, the heavenly King, also rules by right of birth; He is a king by birthright. There is an account of a seminary professor who shocked his students by declaring, “I’m in God’s second best will!”

He went on to explain that when he was only a young preacher, God called him as a foreign missionary to a certain country, but he had just received a good job and he rebelled against the call, until that particular mission field closed its doors to more missionaries. “I refused to go, and so now I’m in God’s second best will,” he sadly repeated. What had happened to him? He had sent God to the home of forgotten kings. He had forgotten that Christ was his king by birthright. The results may not always be so drastic, but to dethrone Christ from our hearts for even a short while is a dangerous thing to do.

Continued in Part Two