A House Out of Control

How important is it to surround oneself with strong, determined people? There comes a time in everyone’s life when we choose to take a closer look at who is walking this journey with us. It’s one thing to have the support of people when things are great, but it’s another story when you are at the lowest time of your life, and there are friends and family who stick it out with you. Who stands by you when you can’t see God in rough times?

In our study of David, we will see him at his weakest–when his son Absalom has set out to destroy him–and his throne is in jeopardy. At the peak of his reign, David lost sight of himself and God; David rapes another man’s wife, got her pregnant and tried to cover it up by killing her husband. His season of unwise choices sent his household into chaos.

One of David’s son, Amnon rapes his sister, and David does nothing about it. Absalom, who would normally be next in line as king, is bitter at David’s lackadaisical approach to this atrocity. So, Absalom takes matters into his own hands and kills his brother Amnon forcing him to flee from the possible wrath of his father, the king. After a few years of being away, Absalom is absolved and allowed to come back. Little by little he gains the hearts of people and convinced a large part of the nation to turn their backs on King David.

Trying to Striking the King

For the safety of those David loved, and to keep from causing a war—that he may not win—, David packs up all his things and his other family members and left the kingdom. His remaining friends join him while his son quickly moves in power. Absalom, however, is not satisfied with just taking the throne; he wanted to destroy David and kill all those who were loyal to him. In 2 Samuel 17:3 Absalom wants advice on how to raid his father’s camp, so one man says,

“Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace.”

I feel like this man spoke in the way Satan thinks. The devil thrives on our weaknesses and discouragement and he doesn’t play fair. He waits until you are at your lowest and most vulnerable state to come after you. This man wanted to go after David and strike him down all by himself. He used to be one of David’s closest advisors for several years, but now he wants to be the one to bring the final blow when David was at his weakest. He then goes on to admit it is David who keeps everyone together. This foolish idiot believes if he strikes down David, everyone else will fall in line; that he then will have the control over all the people.

Where last week we talked about how some come after you at your strongest and get defeated, there will be those who wait till we are at our lowest moment. But what they don’t realize is that our weakest moments are actually when we are the strongest.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Surround Yourself With Strength

So why do we find ourselves at times to be the target? For some, it may be because you are the one keeping others together. I’ve seen it a number of times. If you are the one that God is using to hold the moral, bring hope and strengthen others, the enemy knows that by attacking you, the heart and lifeline of others, then the whole group can fall.

David’s son hears this man’s advice and then goes to Hushai (another advisor), whom unbeknownst to Absalom, is a spy for David and relays to him what the first man said. Hushai responds in verses 8-10,
“You know that your father and his men are mighty men and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the people. Behold, even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place. And as soon as some of the people fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and that those who are with him are valiant men.”

David is in a perilous place in his life where he finds himself, again, running for his life. There is something that remains consistent though about him. David made it a habit to surrounds himself with powerful people. Even though he was weak, he surrounded himself with strength. Also, though many turned their backs on David, those who stuck by him were determined men feared by all. Look at how Hushai described David and his men.

1. They were “mighty men.” He surrounded himself with extraordinary, powerful people who possessed might. There is no way for us to have people like that unless they have God inside of them. When you look around are you allowing extraordinary people to walk this walk with you or are you around people who are encouraging you to be mediocre?

2. They were enraged– Think about it, these men were the ones on the run. They weren’t running because they were afraid, the men were running because they were following their leader. Hushai said that their rage was like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. I think that is the worst kind of madness ever. A bear will maul you just for being in the vicinity of her babies, but they are compared to a mother bear who was ROBBED of her cubs! That means that there is no challenge Absalom could place before them that would keep them from getting back what was stolen!

So even though they may be outnumbered, their rage is so escalated that nothing would keep them from ripping you to shreds. We need to be around people who refuse to live in fear no matter how dangerous the challenge.
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
-2 Timothy 1:7

Those you surround yourself with should bring fear to the enemy. At some point, we must understand that if we truly realized who we were and comprehended the power we really possess, then we would be more inclined to cause Satan to think twice before he rose up against us. We need to live our lives where we have Satan on the run, dodging us and putting up barricades to keep US out, not the other way around. Add to that, friends who will stay the course with you and seek God for wisdom and protection as you do. Ooooooooohhhhhhhhh MAN!!!

3. Lastly, Hushia says that David is a mighty man and those who are with him are valiant men. These powerful, God-fearing men attached themselves to David because he kept himself strong and under the Lord. Some of the reasons we don’t defeat our enemy is because we have hitched our ride to people who are weaker, less motivated, unfocused, fearful, doubtful, and distracted partners. There is nothing wrong with helping one who is weak to become strong, but how can you look to the one who is weaker to be the one who can lift you up when you are down?

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”
-2 Corinthians 6:14

Many people use this scripture for couples—where ones believe’s in God and the other doesn’t—that is partially the case but overall this is about locking yourself with someone who doesn’t believe as you do or someone who is living in darkness while you are in the light.

Weekly Challenge:

Are you surrounded by strength? Take an inventory of those you have around you during your vulnerable moment.  Would you call them mighty, would they call you mighty? In this upcoming weak, see who was around you when you were vulnerable, see who is around you now. be honest about the changes that you may need to change.

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