Wilderness Enemies

Order of Service

• Announcements
• Hymn — God of Grace and God of Glory
• Call to Worship — Psalm 105:1-6
• Hymn — God of Grace and God of Glory
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Faith
• Scripture Reading — Acts 21:17-26
• Hymn — Be Thou My Vision
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Hymn — Children of the Heavenly Father
• Sermon
• Hymn — For All the Saints
• Benediction

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Sermon Title: Wilderness Enemies

Scripture: 2 Samuel 16

I. The Wilderness Enemy of Ziba the Deceiver

A. Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth, meets David with provisions in the wilderness (2 Samuel 16:1-4)

1. Ziba brings donkeys, bread, raisins, summer fruit, and wine to David's starving company
2. Ziba claims Mephibosheth has stayed in Jerusalem hoping to reclaim Saul's throne
3. David grants Ziba all of Mephibosheth's property

B. Ziba is in fact lying — this is confirmed in 2 Samuel 19:24-30 when David and Mephibosheth are reunited

1. David's credulity is understandable given the widespread betrayal he has experienced from Absalom, Amnon, Ahithophel, and Joab
2. Rejecting Ziba's gift without evidence would have demoralized his famished followers

C. Application: As pilgrims in a fallen world, we must allow for the possibility of being deceived rather than adopt a quick accusatory spirit

1. Jesus teaches in Matthew 13 that wheat and weeds grow together — we must not pluck up weeds lest we uproot the wheat
2. Love believes all things; slander and presumption are serious sins before God
3. Only God has perfect hindsight — he alone reads hearts and will bring all to light, whether in this age or at the last day

II. The Wilderness Enemy of Shimei the Curser

A. Shimei, a Benjaminite of the house of Saul, follows David's company cursing him and throwing stones all the way to the Jordan (2 Samuel 16:5-14)

1. Shimei accuses David of shedding the blood of the house of Saul, likely referencing the death of Ish-bosheth in 2 Samuel 4
2. Ironically, Recab and Baanah — the murderers of Ish-bosheth whom David had executed — were themselves Benjaminites; Shimei curses his own tribe
3. Abishai asks permission to take Shimei's head, but David restrains him

B. David's remarkable response reflects deep humility rather than royal pride (2 Samuel 16:11-12)

1. The original Hebrew manuscript likely reads that David hopes the Lord will look upon his iniquity and return blessing — not merely his affliction
2. David understands the wilderness as God's chastisement for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah
3. Nathan's word in 2 Samuel 12:13 — "The Lord has put away your sin" — shows David lives only by sheer grace

C. Application: The Christian in suffering recognizes that all of life is undeserved grace

1. From Genesis 2-3, the wages of sin is death — every heartbeat is mercy
2. Total depravity must be experienced on one's knees, not merely recited from a catechism
3. When this truth takes root, it transforms how we receive hard providences — we throw ourselves on the mercy of God rather than assert what we deserve

III. The Wilderness Enemy of Ahithophel the Public Shamer

A. Ahithophel, David's chief counselor turned traitor, advises Absalom to sleep with David's concubines publicly on the rooftop (2 Samuel 16:15-23)

1. In the ancient Near East, taking a conquered king's harem publicly signified the transfer of royal authority
2. Though wicked in itself, this act fulfills God's direct judgment pronounced through Nathan in 2 Samuel 12:11 — "I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor"

B. Ahithophel is the Judas of the Old Testament — a betrayer of God's anointed used as an instrument of divine judgment

1. In Mark 14:21, Jesus says the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to his betrayer — Judas, like Ahithophel, is a pawn in God's sovereign hand
2. Unlike Ahithophel, Judas is used not to bring judgment on the king's sin but on ours

C. Application: In the heat of battle, vision is often blurry — the resurrection gives clarity

1. The disciples hiding behind closed doors at Golgotha could not see what Resurrection Sunday would make plain
2. Paul's promise in Romans 8:37 — "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" — is preceded by the image of sheep led to the slaughter
3. Now we see dimly, but then face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12)
4. Like soldiers at Iwo Jima looking up at the flag on Mount Suribachi in the heat of battle, we look to the banner of Christ on Calvary and are encouraged to fight on
5. Christ is the covenant token — as the rainbow assures us the flood will not consume us, so Christ assures us that no suffering will ultimately overwhelm his people