TRIAL BY SWORD

Lev 1:1-9 KJV  And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,  (2)  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.  (3)  If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.  (4)  And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.  (5)  And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  (6)  And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.  (7)  And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:  (8)  And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:  (9)  But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Message:

Altars are associated with the SWORD or KNIFE.

• Sacrifices may look good outside, but the altar sees them die and opened up with a sword and checked INSIDE.

1Ki 1:1 KJV  Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

1Ki 1:5-8 KJV  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.  (6)  And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.  (7)  And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.  (8)  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.

1Ki 1:28-30 KJV  Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.  (29)  And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,  (30)  Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

1Ki 1:50-52 KJV  And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.  (51)  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 to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.  (52)  And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.

1Ki 2:13-17 KJV  And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.  (14)  He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.  (15)  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: for it was his from the LORD.  (16)  And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on.  (17)  And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

When David was near death and was too weak to continue as king publicly, his son born after Absalom, named Adonijah, set out to set himself up as king, when God had neither spoken to that end nor had David agreed.

• We read he did this because David raised him very badly in letting him do anything he wanted to do, and never correcting him.
• It reminds me of ELI the high priest who never corrected his sons who committed adultery while they were priests, and God harshly judged Eli for it.

Parents who let their children do wrong and never take their responsibility to correct them and put a fear of God into them, raise children who will be so selfish as to actually USE GOD, and lie to people.

• To use God and lie to people is to be so full of oneself, that one does not actually love God at all, but loves themselves.
• And God will judge such a person, and judge the parent as well for allowing such foolishness to continue.
• Some children have no fear of God mainly because they were not raised with enough discipline so as to make them feel responsible for their actions.
• Such children may even get hold of God and have an experience, but will run away from him for any little reason, because they really do not fear God.

And when Solomon became King, Adonijah feared and indicated for Solomon to not slay him by running into the Tabernacle and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar.

• This was appealing to God to save him when he knew all men were against him.
• People had to respect that, as did Solomon by letting him free.
• Solomon indicated he respected this appeal to God and said if he is sincere, it will turn out good for him because God will make sure of it.
• But if he is wicked and is faking it, then he will pay for it.

God is real.

• You cannot play with and use God to fool people just to gain a good reputation that is false.
• God knows if we are lying or not.
• He knows if we truly love him, or actually love ourselves so much that we will go through these great extents to simply fool people into thinking we are great folks.

Now, Adonijah plotted with Abiathar the high priest and Joab the general, who agreed to help him be king.

• But Zadok another High Priest, and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei were not with the plot.
• They refused to work with such a wicked and spoiled "brat" of David's, as it were.

We know that Adonijah's intentions were wicked, and that he FAKED his time at the altar by the things he wanted and requested Solomon's mother to ask Solomon to give to him.

2: (15)  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: for it was his from the LORD.  

He claimed the kingdom was his.

• The oldest usually was king.
• Absalom was third oldest but died.
• Amnon was oldest and killed by Absalom.
• Something occurred with the second Chileab.
• BUT GOD NEVER NAMED ADONIJAH KING.
• Probably because he knew his heart.

Also, when he said all Israel look to him, he lied, because we read:

1Ki 1:20 KJV  And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

But Adonijah sounded religious by saying God turned things and willed for Solomon to be king instead.

• If he knew Solomon was to be king, why did he try to be king earlier?
• But it may be he was saying he realized it was not God;s will for him when God made it plain that Solomon rule.
• But we later see his heart exposed when HE ASKED FOR THE KING;'S WIFE to be his.

Lev 18:8 KJV  The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.

He knew Solomon had power to give her to him.

Solomon then realized his heart was exposed and had him slain.

The same thing occurred with a fellows conspirator named Joab.

1Ki 2:28 KJV  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.

But Solomon immediately had him slain.

Abiathar the high priest was told to get out of the city.

Then Shimei, although he did not conspire, was the one who threw stones at David and cursed him when David was king after Saul's death.

David, way back then, said God will deal with him if he is dishonest.

2Sa 16:10-13 KJV  And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?  (11)  And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.  (12)  It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.  (13)  And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

It is a dangerous thing for a dishonest man to put left in the hands of God instead of receive vengeance from the one he wronged.

• God deals with such people.

1Ki 2:36-40 KJV  And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.  (37)  For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.  (38)  And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.  (39)  And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.  (40)  And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

He swore an oath before God to stay in the house in Jerusalem.

• After three years he broke it and went after his servants who ran away.

1Ki 2:42-46 KJV  And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good.  (43)  Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?  (44)  The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;  (45)  And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.  (46)  So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

One man after another was exposed for being fakes before God and dishonest.

Even after Solomon prayed for Wisdom, we read this:

1Ki 3:16-22 KJV  Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.  (17)  And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.  (18)  And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.  (19)  And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.  (20)  And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.  (21)  And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.  (22)  And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

One woman was a liar, but was bold faced enough to lie standing before God';s king Solomon.

• And when Solomon wisely told a guard to cut the baby in half and give each half to the women, the true mother SACRIFICED herself and her chance to have the baby by letting the other have it so the baby could live.
• The liar insisted the baby die so both do without.

The difference between the false and the true mother was SACRIFICE.

• And this same issue exposed Adonijah, Joab and Shimei as fakes as well.
• And this gives us a great lesson about the fear of God.

When people truly love God, they may make mistakes and fail at times, BUT THEY WILL SACRIFICE THEMSELVES when it comes to who is first, GOD OR SELF.
In every instance the liar was exposed because sacrifice and self denial were the tests they failed.

Adonijah and Joab both USED GOD when they grabbed the horns of the altar.

• They enacted such a holy thing before God to make people think they were sincere and genuine.
• But they were not.
• THEY USED GOD.
• And people who do not truly love God and fear God do a very strange thing that proves they do not really believe in God.

THEY DO THINGS THAT THEY WOULD NEVER DO IF THEY REALLY BELIEVED GOD KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS OF THEIR HEARTS.

When someone lies to another person, GOD KNOWS THEY ARE LYING and does not overlook it.

• But to USE GOD in your lie is the worst manner of wickedness.
• It's one thing for the world to lie, for we expect them to do it.
• That is their nature.
• But when people PRETEND before others they are sincere BY USING WHAT OTHERS BELIEVE PROVES sincerity, when in reality they are wicked, nothing could be worse.
• No one who really believed and loved God would ever do that, because they know God sees this and they are putting themselves in His hands to judge them, and they know HE WILL DO IT.
• The people who lie and pretend know the sincere people take the idea of putting oneself into God's hands as a sincere step.
• So since they really do not love nor believe God, they do what convinces true believers they are sincere.
• But wise believers know they are making the worst mistake they could ever make.
• It's one thing for people to deal with someone who is wrong, but for them to put themselves under God’s hand is to put themselves under the hand of the One who can know your very intentions and know if you are lying to Him or not.
• And HE WILL JUDGE.

Shimei swore to God with an oath, thinking that would convince Solomon.

• But Solomon was suspicious anyway, and tested him by having him swear.
• Solomon knew God would bring it out if the man was made to bring God in on the scene.

I like what one man said to me.

• He would never do anything in any form of ministry if he knew he was not right with God, because he did not want to make people think he was right when he was not.
• Such a person truly loves God and believes in God.
• And they remind me of the man with 7 sins in one day who came every time he sinned for forgiveness.
• But there was one man with one sin who refused to repent WHEN ASKED!

Mat 18:15-17 KJV  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  (16)  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  (17)  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

What would make a man who sinned just one sin so stubborn as to not give in so much that he has to be called upon by the ones he offended to repent, and refuse to do so even then?

• Why would he refuse even when two witnesses were taken next, and finally he was taken before the whole church?
• IT IS LOVE FOR SELF MORE THAN LOVE FOR GOD.

When you love yourself more than God you will go through ridiculous efforts to make sure people like you and think highly of you.

• You will want Christians to think you are a good Christian.
• You will want sinners to think you are a great sinner!
• You will lie and tell filth to sinners, and act so religious and do what you know religious people feel proves you are sincere, and USE GOD, HIMSELF to get people to love you and think highly of you.

I knew a man in adultery who was upset when his wife was letting me, her pastor, know of his antics.

• He told he she was ruining his reputation!

If we love God, we may make 490 sins in one day, but we will have so little love for ourselves, that we will not have to be asked to repent, but will come on our own and repent to the one against whom we sinned as many times as we sin!


Mat 18:21-22 KJV  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?  (22)  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

The most dangerous thing you can do is USE GOD AND CHURCH to impress people.

• Never come to the altar, like Joab and Adonijah, when you truly do not want to love God.
• THE TEST OF SACRIFICE will expose you.

The woman who lied to Solomon was exposed when SACRIFICE was presented to her.

• SACRIFICE OF SELF, that is.
• Sinners sacrifice God and everyone else, FOR THEMSELVES TO LIVE.

Mat 10:39 KJV  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

This is the great test at the entrance to the Garden.

Mat 10:34-39 KJV  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.  (35)  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.  (36)  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.  (37)  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.  (38)  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.  (39)  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Jesus brings the SWORD TEST.

• This is associated with SELF SACRIFICE.
• If you are willing to sacrifice YOURSELF, then you truly believe in God.
• People who lie before people, and use God, do not truly believe in God nor love Him, or else they would know he reads their intentions in their minds and will deal with them about it.
• And they do not sacrifice because they do not believe in God who RESURRECTS those who sacrifice themselves.
• That is why the reference to a sword is associated with DENYING YOURSELF in Matthew 10, and losing your life to find it again.

Those who truly have faith and love God have something that goes along with them, -- they deny themselves because the One they love said to do so.

• And this great test of all tests is presented all through our lives and stands in our way to eternal life!
• Finding your life after you lose it is to let go of your MORTAL LIFE and GAIN ETERNAL LIFE.
• If you believe God there is eternal life you believe is for us.
• But you know you have to pay the price of YOUR LIFE for HIS ETERNAL LIFE.
• But if you let your mortal one go, you will find your life again when God changes it into IMMORTAL LIFE.

Gen 3:24 KJV  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

In the entrance to the Garden is a SWORD.

• No one gets through without dealing with the sword.

Mat 7:13-20 KJV  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  (14)  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  (15)  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  (16)  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  (17)  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  (18)  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  (19)  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  (20)  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Why is the way to LIFE narrow?

• The way to eternal life where you get a life you never lose?
• Because a SWORD is there to take what you sacrifice, and you have to sacrifice YOUR WILL and YOUR LIFE for this eternal life.
• If you truly do not believe God nor love Him, you will fail the test.
• And a good tree is made known to be good by SACRIFICE OF SELF.
• The corrupt tree is exposed!

Jos 5:13-15 KJV  And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?  (14)  And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?  (15)  And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

Why did Joshua face this SWORD?

• He had a faith that he had forty years earlier.
• Despite giants and walls, Joshua said they could take the country, because they sacrificed themselves and truly believed GOD WAS WITH THEM.
• What convinces us enough to let go of self and believe God will not let us down?
• TRUE FAITH AND LOVE FOR HIM!
• He would NEVER have withstood that sword had he not truly loved God and knew God was with him.
• And that is the faith it takes to obey God and deny self in sacrifice to one day ENTER THE GARDEN PAST THE TRIAL BY SWORD.