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Do You Want Mercy Or Judgement?

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• Exodus chapter 21, and we're going to read verses 12 through 17. You're going to have to follow with me today because I'm going to be reading a lot of scripture. The title of the message is "Do You Want Mercy or Judgment?" Do you want mercy or judgment? Exodus chapter 21, and let's begin reading there with verse 12. God says, "He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. But if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand, then I will appoint thee a place where he shall flee," referring to the city of refuge. "But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die. And he that smiteth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death. And he that stealeth a man and selleth him, or he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death. And he that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death."

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• A very pertinent question is, do you want mercy or judgment? I can assure you that anyone in his right mind that would answer that question would say, "I certainly want mercy." But the way one answers and what he ends up with may be something totally and completely different. One may desire mercy, but he may end up with justice. And you could ask why? And the answer is because that which one desires is not always that which one gets, because he actually gets based upon his life and the way he lived. The Bible tells us it was wicked Balaam, who was a false prophet by the way, in Numbers 23 and verse 10 said, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." Well, Balaam certainly did not die the death of the righteous, and his last end was certainly not like a righteous man. And the answer as to why his death was not righteous was because he was a wicked man. He was ungodly. And according to Joshua 13 and verse 22, Balaam was slain with the sword of the children of Israel.

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• So, he may have desired a righteous death, but he did not live a righteous life. So, in order to die a righteous death you must have a righteous life. So, many desire mercy and they request mercy, but it is their actions that actually demand justice. Let me point something out and I think you will see this in our text as well as in our illustrations a little bit later. It may surprise you to find out that there comes a time when mercy ceases. There comes a time when God will no longer be merciful. Now stop and think about that. There are very few that really and truly ask for or even demand justice. Now we may demand justice in the lives of other people, but very few people really want to demand justice in their own life. I was recently talking to a young friend who lives in California.

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• His name is Joe David Sepe. And Joe David has probably listened to about 400 of my messages. In fact, he can probably tell me what's in some of my messages more than I can remember. But as I was talking to him, he mentioned an illustration that I'd used years and years ago. And to be honest, I'd basically forgotten it. But the illustration that I gave was simply this.

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• I was preaching in Illinois, and it was a pretty good congregation. And in that congregation that night was a young Mormon boy. Needless to say, the young Mormon boy was not really into my sermon. He did not like it. He was greatly upset and greatly offended because I was certainly not preaching anything related to Mormonism. So he was so angry that afterwards he came up to confront me, and as he tried to say certain things,

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• I would just simply quote scripture to answer them, and the more I quoted, the angrier he became. And finally in desperation, he said, "Let me just ask you one question." I said, "Go ahead." Then he asked this: "Is not God just?" And my response was, "Absolutely. He is the just God." And then the young man said this: "All I want from God is justice. All I want is what I deserve." And I looked at him and I said, "Son, that is exactly what you're going to get. But once you get it, you will have wished that he had given you mercy instead of justice."

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• But there are some people who are like that. It is true that our God is merciful. In fact, you can read about God's mercy in probably every book of the Bible. And anyone who's ever been saved by grace acknowledges now the only reason we're saved is because of God's grace and because of God's mercy. Someone has aptly pointed out that grace is that which gives us that which we do not deserve, and it is mercy that keeps us from getting what we do deserve. Certainly that is true.

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• But let me just show you a couple of passages as you hold Exodus 21. We are coming back there. But if you will turn in your Bibles very quickly to Psalm 103. We'll just look at a few passages in the book of Psalm. I think that I could probably multiply these passages for a week, but these shall be sufficient. But in Psalm 103 and verse 8, look what the Bible says: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." That's our God. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. If you would turn right over to Psalm 116 and look at verse 5, again David acknowledges this truth. He says, "Gracious is the Lord and righteous; yea, our God is merciful." So God is the merciful God. And then if you look in Psalm 117 and verse 2, again the Bible says this: "For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord."

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• Note: "For His merciful kindness is great toward us." So although God is known as the merciful God, and although God is rich in mercy, and plenteous in mercy, there comes a time when mercy ceases and the only option that is left is justice and/or judgment.

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• Now, if you look back in our text in Exodus chapter 21, and the main text I want to amplify today is found in verse 14. He says, "But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar that he may die." So God is telling us here that if someone is guilty of premeditated murder, someone who is blatant and maliciously murdering someone, and then he flees to God's altar begging for mercy, God says you're to take him from mine altar that he may die. Now if you look at the text that I read in verses 12-17, you will find that there are various actions that demand the death penalty. For instance, verse 12 again speaks about a murderer: "He that smiteth a man so that he die shall be surely put to death." So although God demands the death penalty for murder, He does not demand the death penalty for what you and I would call accidental killing. He says in verse 13, "And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand, then I will appoint thee a place where he shall flee."

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• Which refers to the cities of refuge in the Bible. And then he says in verse 14, "But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar that he may die." Verse 15, "And he that smiteth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death." Verse 16, kidnapping: "And he that stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death." And then look at verse 17: "And he that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death." Now, when you look back in verse 15, and it says, "He that smiteth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death."

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• Now the word "smite" in the Hebrew could of course refer to murder, but usually this word means hitting, wounding, beating, scourging, or striking. So any man who strikes his father or his mother would be considered worthy of death. Then he says in verse 17, "And he that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death."

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• Now the cursing here of course refers to treating your parents with contempt, dishonor, making them despicable, despising them as vile, and despising them just as persons. And God says that merits the death penalty. Now there are biblical reasons for the death penalty in each of these cases. And if you really want to know what cursing father and mother happens to be, you can read about that in Matthew 15 and Mark chapter 7 because our Lord amplifies that and deals with that. But it doesn't matter where you're talking about someone who's guilty of murder, someone who's guilty of striking a parent, or someone who's guilty of cursing a parent. What the individual is doing is number one, despising the image of God in that individual, and in the case especially of parents, it's not just despising the image of God, it is despising God's ordained authority as well. But the verse I want to call your attention to is verse 14 again.

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• He said, "Thou shalt take him from mine altar that he may die." So God is telling us that there is to be no sanctuary, there's to be no refuge, there's no mercy for an individual who murders maliciously. So in verse 14 we're talking about a man who comes presumptuously upon his neighbor, and of course with malice in his heart and in his countenance there is a bold, daring, and hostile nature so that he actually ends up murdering his neighbor. In such an instance God says there is to be no sanctuary, there is to be no refuge, no asylum, there is to be absolutely nothing that keeps him from justice. So in this instance, mercy has passed. Mercy has ceased. And the only thing left is justice. God says, "Take him from mine altar that he may die."

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• Now, let me tell you that pagans often thought and taught that if a man committed something worthy of death and he fled to a place of sanctuary and begged for mercy, that he was to be spared. And if anyone then killed him once he got in the place of sanctuary, then that person was cursed. Well, of course, it was a pagan scruple. It was something that is certainly not true. And God here attacks that scruple and says, "Look, if a man does something worthy of death, even if he flees to my altar and grabs hold of the horns of the altar, rip him from the altar and put him to death." Now that ought to throw a little light on what we are seeing today in our land when certain cities refer to themselves as sanctuary cities, where they harbor murderers, rapists, kidnappers, human traffickers. God says no. Any individual that deserves death is to be ripped from his sanctuary, from his asylum, and executed according to God's law.

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• Now, I want to read a quote to you from John Calvin. I want you to listen. Calvin is quoting, or at least commenting I should say, on Exodus 21 verse 14. Listen to what he says: "Lest by overlooking murders they should defile the land, God commands that murderers should be torn away even from His altar, whereby He signifies that they are as unworthy of divine or of human aid."

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• "For although the sanctity of the altar might afford an asylum for the protection of those who would transgress through imprudence or error, yet it would have been wrong that impunity for crime should have been derived from hence, because the sanctuary would have been thus converted into a den of thieves, and religion or Christianity would have been subjected to gross profanation. Wherefore, although criminals embracing the altar should implore God's aid, the law commands them to be torn away from thence to punishment, because it would have been disgraceful to abuse God's sacred name as affording license for sin."

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• "Hence it appears how great was the folly of old in supposing that churches were honored when they were made asylums for the encouragement of evil deeds. This indeed was derived from the ordinary custom of the heathen, but it was a foolish imitation thus to mix up God with idols in a spurious worship." So, think about this because we have cases like this all the time in this land.

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• A number of years ago, and I forget exactly where, I think it may have been Texas, I could be wrong, but there was a woman who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Her first name was Carla. I forget the last name. And this woman evidently was very genuinely converted to Jesus Christ while she was in prison waiting for her execution. And consequently there were a number of preachers,

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• as well as other Christians who were imploring the governor of the state to spare her because she had now become a Christian. Well, the truth of the matter is this, and what Calvin is saying, someone who has done something like this should implore God for mercy, but mercy cannot be handed out until justice has been executed in one sense of the word. And so for a state, or for a governor to pardon someone who is worthy of death is a violation of Exodus 21 and verse 14. It is true that God forgives sin.

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• And a murderer can be saved, and a murderer can be forgiven. But that does not mean that a murderer is going to escape the judgment that God has pronounced upon them.

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• Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Exodus 21, but look in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs chapter 28, and notice if you would please verse 17. And then I'm going to give you several commentators' expressions and teachings upon this verse. They're short and sweet, but look at it. Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 17. Look carefully. Proverbs 28 verse 17. God says, "A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him." Now just stop and think: a man that doeth violence to the blood of any person—he's a murderer. Let him flee to the pit, the grave. Let no man stay him. John Trapp, the old Puritan, said this commenting on Proverbs 28 verse 17: "Let him die without mercy. Let no man mediate for him, lest he pay down as Ahab did, life for life, people for people. Lest he draw upon the land the guilt of blood." So it's interesting. He says, "Let no man mediate for him," that is, let no man try to intercede for him.

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• Then Matthew Poole, another commentator, says it like this: "Let no man stay him. So it is a prohibition that no man should endeavor to save the life of a willful murderer, either by intercession or by offering satisfaction or any other way." Then he says, "Which see Genesis 9:6, Exodus 21:14, Numbers 35:31. Or as the ancient and many other interpreters render it, 'No man shall stay him,' none shall desire or endeavor to save him from his deserved punishment."

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• "He shall die without pity, being an object of public hatred." Wow! Then Keil and Delitzsch says it like this: "The proverb lying before us cannot thus mean anything else than that no one should give to the murderer as such any assistance, that no one should save him clandestinely, and thereby make himself a partaker of his sin. Grace cannot come into the place of justice till justice has been fully recognized. Sympathy, human forbearance under the false title of grace do not stand in contrast to this justice."

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• Now, when you stop and think about Proverbs 28 and verse 17, and you think about Exodus chapter 21 and verse 14, how do we explain that? And what are illustrations that help us to understand exactly what God is saying? And I want to give you two illustrations. The first one is from a man by the name of Adonijah. I hope you understand that Adonijah was David's son. Absalom was dead and Adonijah is now the elder brother of David's children. And so Adonijah just simply assumes that he's going to be king when David is old and dying. Adonijah takes it upon himself to call Joab the captain of the host, Abiathar the priest, and a number of other individuals together, and he's going to proclaim himself king and inaugurate himself as king. Basically what Adonijah is doing is a conspiracy against David, against Solomon, against Bathsheba, against Nathan the prophet, and of course he is caught red-handed. So I want you to look in your Bibles, hold Exodus if you would, but turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 1.

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• We are going to be looking a lot between 1 Kings and 2 Samuel. But notice if you would 1 Kings 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 5. 1 Kings 1, verse 5. Look what the Bible says: "Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so?"

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• "And he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants: but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not."

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• So you now have a conspiracy. And the conspiracy is that Adonijah is going to take over the throne regardless of what David wants, and regardless of what the Lord wants. Well, David gets news of what is happening. He gets it first from Bathsheba. Then he gets it from Nathan. And David says, "I'm going to settle this." And so he takes his crown and places it upon Solomon, causes Solomon to ride on his royal mule, and all the people now are praising Solomon and saying, "God save the king." And Adonijah and his company hear the uproar, and all of a sudden someone comes and tells him, "Our lord David has made Solomon king, and the people are shouting, 'God save the king.'" Well now Adonijah is in a problem.

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• And I want you to look at what happens. Look in 1 Kings chapter 1 beginning there with verse 50. 1 Kings chapter 1 and verse 50. So Solomon is now king. And in fact, let's read verse 49. Here's what happened: "And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way." Well, Adonijah was afraid as well. "And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon; for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword." So Adonijah, knowing that he's caught in his conspiracy, runs to the tabernacle, grabs hold of the horns of the altar, and he's begging for mercy. Well, Solomon answers. Look in verse 52 and 53: "And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth:

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• but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house." So here is a man that had planned a conspiracy, and actually you could say planned a rebellion and a revolution against his own father, and against the Lord, and the people of the Lord. And yet he has begged for mercy and Solomon says, "Look, that's fine. As long as you do right, there is not going to be any problem between us. But the day that you do wrong, you are going to die. It is just that simple."

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• Now, interestingly enough, a short time later—and I might add a very short time later—Adonijah is still trying to get the kingdom. And the way he does it this time is very devious. He goes to Bathsheba and he asks her to intercede with Solomon that he might marry Abishag. Abishag was the Shunammite woman that ministered to David as he died. She was not his wife; she was just a young woman that ministered to him.

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• So look at it if you would please in 1 Kings chapter 2 beginning with verse 12. I told you it was a very short time. So look at it in verse 12: "Then Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly. And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably."

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• Now just stop right there just for a moment. Isn't that a strange thing that Bathsheba is looking at one of David's sons—David was her husband, I guess this would have been a stepson then—and she asked him, "Comest thou peaceably?" In other words, there had been real problems. And she knew of course about the conspiracy. And he said, "Peaceably." Verse 14: "And he said, Moreover I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's:

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• for it was his from the Lord." So he's acknowledging God had chosen Solomon and God wanted Solomon to be king, but he said, "It was supposed to be mine, and everybody else wanted me to be king." Well, that's not true. Not everybody wanted him to be king. But anyhow, he says, "This is the way it turned out." Now watch verse 16: "And he said, I pray thee, speak unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king." Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah.

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• "And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand. Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay."

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• "And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also? for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. Then king Solomon sware by the Lord, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. Now therefore, as the Lord liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died." Now here's something I think that is very interesting. And I think the point is very simple and very clear. Adonijah initially was given mercy. You remember he fled to the altar and grabbed hold of

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• the horns and he begged Solomon to let him live. And what did Solomon say? "As long as you do right, fine. Go to your house, enjoy life." But now he's conspiring again, and Solomon has him executed. Now, judgment and justice was given to him in the end. And he was appealing for mercy originally, and he had mercy given him temporarily, but his life was one of conniving and conspiring and wickedness and rebellion. He requested mercy, but what he got was justice. So here's the principle: Just because someone is given mercy temporarily does not mean that he will not receive justice ultimately.

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• God's paydays are not always on Saturday. And certainly he got exactly what he deserved.

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• Now, I'm going to show you another illustration. Now, Adonijah is an illustration of begging for mercy and yet getting justice. And here's another one: Joab. Joab was mentioned here because he was the captain of the host under David. Joab, of course, was a mighty man and he was a warrior exceedingly. But Joab murdered two men in cold blood. He murdered Abner the son of Ner, and he also murdered Amasa the son of Jether. I want you to look at the counsel that David gave to Solomon concerning Joab as David was dying. Go back to 1 Kings chapter 2 and look if you would at verses 5 and 6, because David is actually giving Solomon counsel and advice on what to do to clean up the kingdom. So in 1 Kings chapter 2 verse 5, David tells Solomon: "Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the host of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed

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• the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace." In other words, he is saying what you need to do is execute Joab. And David was not able to do so. And there are reasons.

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• That's another sermon in and of itself. But you have to answer this question: Why did Joab murder Abner? And why did Joab murder Amasa? Let me answer the first question. Why did Joab murder Abner? And the answer is because Abner killed Asahel, his brother, in battle. If you will look in 2 Samuel chapter 2, go back there, 2 Samuel chapter 2. You know our definitions of "play" are not exactly the same as the definitions they held back in Bible times. Because in 2 Samuel chapter 2, look if you would please beginning there with verse 12.

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• By this time—let me explain this before we read the scripture, okay? David has been made king of Judah. He is not king over all Israel just yet. Alright? Saul is dead. Ish-bosheth his son is king. And Abner is now the captain of the host of Ish-bosheth in Israel. Joab is the captain of the host over Judah. So here it is in 2 Samuel 2 verse 12: "And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool." So you've got the servants of Ish-bosheth on one side and the servants of David on the other side. And Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now arise, and play before us." Really? And Joab said, "Let them arise." So you think that when they talk about playing, they're saying, "Well, let's just see what they're made of."

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• "Let them fight a little bit." Oh, no, no. It didn't work like that. Watch verse 15: "Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon."

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• "And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David." Now look what happens. "And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe." He could run. "And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am. And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him." Now here's what Abner is saying: "Don't mess with me. If you want to be successful, you turn aside and get one of these young bucks who do not really know how to fight, and you can have his armor, but leave me alone. Do not mess with me." Now watch verse 22: "And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground?

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• how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?" So he says, "Look, please don't make me kill you. I could never face Joab if I have to kill you." Verse 23: "Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still." So all Abner did, he just slowed down until Asahel got close enough. He didn't even turn back. He just took that spear and pushed backward, and it killed Asahel.

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• But I want you to understand now this is a battle. Let me tell you what has happened in the meantime. Of course, Abner escapes and the men of Israel escape. They call off the battle and Joab and the men of Judah go home and Abner and his men go home. That is those that are left. Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, who was exceedingly weak, accused Abner of messing with one of his father's concubines, and Abner became unglued. He said, "You mean to tell me that you are reproaching me over this woman?"

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• Whether it was true or not I have no idea, but he was very incensed. And he told Ish-bosheth, he said, "This day, this day I'm going to turn the kingdom over to David. I'm going to go to David and I'm going to side with him, and you're going to die and all Israel is going to be united under David." You remember David reigned in Judah for seven years and then 33 years over all of Israel. So, what Abner does now is he goes to David and he makes a covenant with David to turn the kingdom over to him.

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• Now, I want you to look in your Bibles if you would please to 2 Samuel chapter 3. 2 Samuel chapter 3 and we'll begin reading at verse 20. "So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast. And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace." So David and Abner now have made a covenant together. And Abner is going to bring all Israel to David. "And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop." Joab was not there; he was out fighting. So they come back and they brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace. "When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace."

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• "Then Joab came to the king, and said," now listen to this, can you imagine just somebody walking into a king and talking like this? "Joab said to the king, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone? Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest." By the way, Joab and David were related. But Joab still was captain of the host. Verse 26: "And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not. And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly,

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• and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner: let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread. So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle." So here Joab actually murders Abner for killing his brother in a battle. So it was not like Abner purposely killed Asahel.

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• He begged him to leave him alone. Let me show you something else. He not only murdered Abner, he also murdered Amasa. If you look in your Bible to 2 Samuel chapter 17, now this may surprise you. If we understood the relationships between all these people it would really amaze us. Did you know that Amasa and Joab were first cousins? Well, look at it: 2 Samuel chapter 17 and verse 25. "And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother." So Abigail and Zeruiah were sisters, which would make Amasa and Joab first cousins. Wow!

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• So here is what has happened. Joab has murdered Abner. Joab has disobeyed David concerning Absalom. And so now David makes Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab. So let me put it like this: Joab is demoted and Amasa is promoted. So if you look in 2 Samuel chapter 19 and verse 13: "And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab." So David now makes Amasa captain in the place of Joab.

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• Now, the problem is this. David is coming back home from the battle with Absalom, there is another rebellion that is brewing. And it is led by Sheba the son of Bichri. And so David says, "If something is not done, then this is going to be worse than what happened to me under Absalom. We need to take care of this." And so he asks Amasa to gather the men together within three days so that they can take care of it.

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• Look, if you would, in 2 Samuel chapter 20, beginning there with verse 5. In fact, we can read verse 4: "Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present." He wants the men here in three days so we can take care of this. "So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him."

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• "And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us." So, he says, "Alright Abishai, Joab has been demoted, you are the brother, and Amasa is not here, something has got to be done, you take these men and you go take care of Sheba."

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• Watch if you would please. Verse 7: "And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them." So he catches up. In fact, he's a little ahead of them. "And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out. And Joab said to Amasa," now Joab's with him.

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• "Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab. And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him. And when he saw that every one that came by him stood still, when he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri."

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• Now, let me show you something that I think is ironic, and in one sense of the word it is humorous as well. As Sheba has gotten himself into a city, Joab and these men now are encompassing this city and they're going to destroy the city in order to get Sheba. Okay, so look if you would please verse 15: "And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down. Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear. Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel

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• at Abel: and so they ended the matter. I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?"

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• Now look what Joab answers. "And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy." Really? Just murdered two innocent men. So Joab murders Amasa, his own cousin, because Amasa was promoted and he was demoted. Now let me point this out. David, you remember, is giving counsel to Solomon and he tells him, "You remember what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and how he murdered Abner and Amasa." And he said, "Let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. You execute him." Now go back in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 2. 1 Kings chapter 2. Let me show you what happens. 1 Kings chapter 2, Solomon is on the throne, David has given him counsel as to what to take care of. 1 Kings chapter 2 and let's begin reading there with verse 28: "Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar."

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• "And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever:

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• but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the Lord. So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness." Do you remember that passage in Exodus chapter 21 verse 14 where God said, "If someone slays, murders maliciously, and he flees to my altar, remove him from thence that he may die"? So here's Joab holding on to the altar. He says, "I'm not getting up. I'm begging for mercy." But the time for mercy had passed, and all he got was justice. He had escaped justice temporarily, but he did not escape justice permanently. In due time God brought it upon his own head. Now listen, I begin this message by saying, "Everyone wants mercy." But what we want and

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• what we get may be two totally different things. How we live, how we act, what we believe, and how we treat others, all of this does indeed matter. You may desire mercy, but if you live in such a way as you only merit judgment and justice, that's exactly what you're going to get. Your desires are not going to overcome your actions. Remember that passage where God says He judged every man according to his works? Wow, let me show you something.

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• I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel chapter 22. 2 Samuel chapter 22 and look if you would please at verse 26. Just a couple more passages, but look at this. 2 Samuel chapter 22 and verse 26. David, of course, is writing this psalm. You will find this psalm in Psalm 18. In fact you will find this exact same verse in Psalm 18 and verse 25. But in 2 Samuel 22 and verse 26 he says this: "With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright." So with the merciful, God is going to show Himself merciful. Like I say, He repeats this same verse in Psalm 18 verse 25. Look in your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 11 and verse 17. Proverbs 11 and verse 17. Look what God says: "The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh." The merciful man doeth good to his own soul, but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

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• You remember in Matthew chapter 5 in the Beatitudes our Lord says in verse 7, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. In Luke 6 and verse 36 he says, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." I want you to look in your Bibles to James 2. James 2 and notice if you would please verse 13. James chapter 2 verse 13. Look at what he says: "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment." For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy. So God is telling us that we must be merciful individuals. Let me explain something. When God tells us that we are to be merciful individuals, we are to be individuals who execute mercy according to God's Word, according to His principles, and not in

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• violation of them. Here's a good illustration. Here's a man sitting beside or on the street corner and he's hungry and he's asking for food. Let's pretend that this man is hungry and he's asking for food because he has been sick. He's been unable to work. And he's hungry.

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• Now, if I'm a merciful man, I'm going to feed him. Let's take the same individual. Let's say he's hungry. He's sitting on the street corner begging for food. But the reason he's hungry and the reason he's begging for food is because he is too lazy and too sorry to work. If I give to him now, it is not an act of mercy, it would be a violation of the Word of God. For God said, "If any will not work, neither should he eat." So there is a vast difference now between God's mercy and what you and I would call human sentimentality or human emotionalism. Follow? So when we exercise mercy, it's got to be exercised according to the principles of the Word of God.

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• Now, let me make just a couple of quick applications. The first one is this. Simply because judgment or justice is not executed instantly and immediately does not mean that it's not going to be executed. There is a due time for judgment. There's one verse that you should memorize, I would say it would be Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35. God says, "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time." Notice what he said: "Their foot shall slide in due time. For the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." What's he saying? God's going to execute His judgment in His due time, and when His time comes, whatever He has ordained for them, it's going to make haste; it's going to happen. So many people think that just because God does not smite them down instantly that they've gotten away with it. No, that's not true. God will judge them in His time. We have to learn to be merciful because we have received mercy.

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• And if we desire mercy for ourselves, our families, our churches, even our nation, we have to understand folks we do indeed reap what we sow. That's why James 2 and verse 13 is so important: "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy." God said, if you want my mercy, you show mercy. With the merciful, he will show himself merciful. Which brings me to this one. There will come a time when many will seek for mercy, beg for mercy, ask for mercy, but they will not receive it. Because there is a time when mercy ceases.

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• What did he say in Isaiah 55 verses 6 and 7? "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found," indicating there's a time when he cannot be found. "Call ye upon him while he is near," indicating there's a time when he is not near. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." But the only way that God is going to pardon is if there is repentance and we call upon him when he hears us and when he is near. Those who deny the Lord Jesus Christ and refuse to bow to him may desire mercy and may want mercy, but all they will ever find is justice. Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus Christ is God. And God is merciful, but there comes a time when His mercy ceases. So the question, "Do you want mercy or do you want judgment?" is very pertinent because it will determine who we believe, what we believe, and how we live that really determines what we're going to receive.

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• God said, "If that man does wrong and he murders, take him from My altar that he may die." He was at an altar begging for mercy, but all he got was justice. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we ask, Father, that You would teach us and that we would indeed, Lord, be merciful individuals based upon Your mercy and Your kindness and Your graciousness. Help us to live for Thee and to love Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

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• so

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T00:19:33Z