DIFFICULT TIMES
We have read about David in what were difficult times for him, and I have been thinking of the times in which we are. It says that “in the last days, difficult times shall be there”, 2 Tim.3:1. Difficult times have come upon the history of the testimony, but we can see the way in which help comes in from God. We sang of the greatness of God;
‘Blessed God, we own Thy greatness
From and to eternity’ Hymn 319.
In this scripture, David’s son was usurping his position; Absalom was projecting himself. The time that we are in, beloved brethren, is not a time for projecting ourselves, but for humbling ourselves. David had come to the throne at thirty years of age, and he reigned for forty years. He was a man who was loved by all of Israel. Absalom was a robber; he stole the hearts of the men of Israel, but David had drawn out the affection of all Israel. Israel and Judah had all loved him – why? What was their reason for loving David? Because he had saved them, he had been prepared to lay down his life for them in meeting Goliath. Nobody else could overcome Goliath, but David did. He represents the Lord Jesus when He annulled death. It says that “through death he might annul him who has the might of death, that is, the devil; and might set free all those who through fear of death … were subject to bondage”, Heb.2:15. David was loved and cherished by the people, and what was being attacked was the great matter of sonship. The Lord would set free men and women to be worshippers of the blessed God whom we have been singing to.
So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and at David’s command, did not see the king’s face (2 Sam.14:24). Then Absalom twice sent for Joab (v.29), but Joab would not come to him. Then he said to his servants, Joab has barley: go and set it on fire. That was a very wrong thing to do; the food supply is represented by the barley, and Absalom was giving orders to set it on fire. That is a very insidious tactic of the enemy, to destroy the food supply. It is a very important supply, but Absalom told someone to set it on fire. And so we see in the end of verse 12 that “the conspiracy gathered strength; and the people increased continually with Absalom” (v.12).
My object in reading these scriptures, which may appear negative, is that faithful men are brought to light. Ittai was brought to light as were many others at this time. The enemy does his best to unsettle things, for where Christ is made much of, Satan will soon attack. But then David left Jerusalem and asked Ittai why he came too. When numbers are small, the enemy attacks, but God uses individuals. We often pray in the prayer meeting that God might raise up men, women and young people, because young people are mentioned in this period of David’s history, in the references to sons. We need to be on our knees about these things, and often our faith is tried and tested, and yet God answers our prayers. David says to Ittai, “return to thy place, and abide with the king; for thou art a foreigner, and besides, thou hast emigrated to the place where thou dwellest”. But Ittai shines and says, “As Jehovah liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be”. What a fine commitment. Ittai was not looking for outward support, but all the support he needed was to remain in this vibrant, living sphere where “my lord the king shall be”. In Christianity we are brought into a living realm. Ittai’s commitment reminds us of Ruth and Naomi. Naomi in effect said to Ruth, ‘I have nothing to offer you, just go back to your people’ (Ruth 1:11). But Ruth would not go back; she went with Naomi. There are things we can hold on to, and Ruth did that. So Ittai says that he would keep close to the king. For us, it means keeping close to Christ. That is most important for us. We cannot live on terms or on outlines of the truth, as valuable as they may be, but we must live in nearness to Christ, as Ittai was near to David.
In verse 32, Zadok and Abiathar and their two sons, and Hushai the Archite, came to meet David, Hushai with his coat rent and earth upon his head. These are just five people, and we might say, ‘What can they do?’, but they were the undoing of all that Absalom was trying to do. They represent persons whose “life is hid with the Christ in God. When the Christ is manifested who is our life, then shall ye also be manifested with him in glory”, Col.3:3,4. The Lord will first come privately for His own, then He will come publicly, when every eye shall see Him. Meantime, we are to go on even in smallness. We have here these five persons left behind, just going on faithfully, but this was the undoing of Absalom. We need to prove divine power to meet the efforts of the enemy. The enemy seeks to divide. Absalom had set himself up as king, and that was going to be met by these five people. The conspiracy gathered strength and with Absalom there were four hundred, while there were just these five men who were committed to David. In our day, we must be committed to the Lord in rejection.
I just felt that we are in difficult times, as David was, with his son seeking to take over the kingdom and telling persons who had a problem to come to him. If we need help, we must get our directions from the Lord and from the Holy Spirit; from God Himself. There is One to go to, the Lord Jesus, for an answer to the difficulties. I say this to encourage us, for the days are difficult. Men are lovers of self, “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”, 2 Tim.3:4. You see persons around going on in darkness, and the darkness is increasing. Absalom was seeking to rob persons of their place with David, but the true ground was held and Ittai too was one who held it. Throughout Scripture, you find persons, young and old, who held to what they knew was of God, and the Lord will use those who make themselves available to Him, who love Him because He died for us and He lives for us. We are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Rom.3:24), and thus we learn to love Him more and grow up to Him. Then we can be available for the great service of praise which we experience on the first day of the week after the Lord’s supper, a service of praise in which our hearts can rise in adoration and worship to each divine Person and to God Himself.
May the Lord bless the word.
Given at a meeting for ministry, Grimsby
16 June 2022
Edward Mair
Edited and published monthly by John Brown and Paul Martin
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