A Little Past the Top of the Hill

2 Samuel 16:1–2 KJV

¹ And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. ² And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.

David had a lot of hills to climb

This particular one was in relation to his son Absalom

A little history:

2 Samuel 11 records David’s great sin concerning

Bathsheba

Uriah the Hittite

2 Samuel 12 records Nathan calling David out

2 Samuel 13 records the Amnon and Tamar affair (pun intended)

Also including the beginning of problems with Absalom in relation to Amnon

2 Samuel 14 records Joab’s attempt to restore Absalom and David.

2 Samuel 15 records the conspiracy and revolt of Absalom

David flees Jerusalem to protect the innocent

2 Samuel 16 is where we find ourselves today!

1. The High Place that was Reached

2 Samuel 16:1 (KJV)

¹ And when David was a little past the top of the hill,

Have you ever climbed any big hills?

It can be a grueling task.

Some might wonder why people climb mountains

•     or why go through the trouble of getting to the top of a big hill in the backcountry?

There are many answers to this question that vary depending on the individual

•     but one thing is universal:

David needed to do the work

•     David needed to do the work

•     Go through the effort

•     Suffer through the experience

•     in order to reach the top of the hill

•     in order to reach the HIGH place

We need to do the same

Just like the disciples in Mark 6 were told to go to the other side of the sea of Galilee

•     They were going to need to go through a storm in order to obey the Lord

›     Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to the LORD?

•     The Lord knew the storm was coming but told them to go anyway.

•     We need to go through the struggle so we can reap the blessings

which brings us to point # 2:

2. The Provision that was Received

2 Samuel 16:1–2 (KJV)

¹ behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. ² And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.

Before the blessing could be received

•     David had to do what was necessary to get “a little past the top of the hill”.

If you will do what is necessary

•     If you will go through the struggle

•     If you will stop trying to avoid the hard thing that must be done or experienced.

THEN

•     you can receive the blessing.

1 Peter 5:10 KJV

¹⁰ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Our hope at Irvington Bible Baptist Church is that this podcast provided some encouragement and has helped you to develop a closer relationship with the LORD Jesus Christ.