Sermon: A Son’s Rebellion

I invite you to take a copy of God's word this morning and turn to second Samuel chapter 15, second Samuel, chapter 15. If you are using a pew Bible, you can find that on page 266. And this morning we will be reading and hearing from the entire chapter of Second Samuel chapter 15,

second Samuel chapter 15, beginning in verse one. Listen carefully for this is God's word.

After this, Absalom got himself a chariot and horses and 50 men to run before him. And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had to dispute come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, from what city are you? And when he said, you're servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel, Absalom would say to him, see, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.

Then Absalom would say, oh, that I were a judge in the land. Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me and I would give to him justice. And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king,

please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord in Hebrew for your servant vow to vow. While I lived at Gesher in Arum saying, if the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord. The king said to him, go in peace. So he arose and went to Hebron. But Absalom sent messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel saying, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, Absalom is king at Hebron.

With Absalom went 200 men from Jerusalem who were invited guests and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he went for a hield, the Gil Knight, David's counselor from his city Gelo. And the conspiracy grew strong and the people with Absalom kept increasing. And a messenger came to David saying, the hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom. Then David said to all his servants who are

with him at Jerusalem, arise and let us flee or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword. And the king's servants said to the king, behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my Lord the king decides. So the king went out and all his household after him and the king left 10 concubines to keep the house

and the king went out and all the people after him and they halted at the last house and all his servants passed by him and all the cites and all the pite and the 600 gadites who had followed him from gath passed on before the king. Then the king said to itai the Tite, why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king. For you are a foreigner and also in exile from your home. You came only yesterday and shall I today make you wander about

with us since I go, I know not where. Go back and take your brothers with you and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. But itai answered the king as the Lord lives and as my Lord the king lives wherever my Lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life. There also will your servant be. And David said to Itai, go then pass on. So Itai, the Tite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who are with him

and all the land wept aloud as the people passed by and the king crossed the brook brook kidron and all the people passed on toward the wilderness and Abby Athar came up and behold Za Ach came also with all the Levites bearing the Ark of the Covenant of God and they set down the Ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. Then the king said to Zadak, carry the Ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord,

he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. But if he says, I have no pleasure in you, behold here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him. The king said also to zadak the priest, are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace with your two sons, Ahaz, your son and Jonathan, the son of Abby Ethar. See, I will wait at the fors of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me. So Zadok and Abby Ethar carried the Ark of God back

to Jerusalem and they remained there. But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives weeping as he went barefoot and with his head covered and all the people who were with him covered their heads and they went up weeping as they went. And it was told David, a hitha fell is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, oh Lord, please turn the council of a hitha fell into foolishness while David was coming to the summit where God was worshiped, behold who shy,

the aite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. David said to him, if you go on with me, you'll be a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant oh king, as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant, then you will defeat for me. The council of Hitha fell of not Zadak and abey Ethar the priest with you there. So whatever you hear from the king's house, tell it to Zadak

and Abby Ethar the priests, behold their two sons are with them there a him as Zas son and Jonathan Abby Ethar son and by them you shall send to me everything you hear. So who shy David's friend came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

Let me pray for us this morning.

Father, we are thankful for the gift of your word. We do pray that you would attend to it in our midst this morning, that we would find that you are speaking to our hearts, our very souls, that we are a people that are affected by you

and we do pray that you'd receive the glory and the praise. Amen. Appreciate Pastor Dave praying the congregational prayer in the spare moment and Pastor Nate reading the word in spare moment. Uh, just a real quick, my, my voice was a mess in the first service. So uh, and um, I ask them to pray at the beginning of that service. I ask you to pray as we go through this service. You have the added benefit of them having listened to

what was a very poor voice in the first service. So I have about 15 variations of cough drops, uh, throat spray Robitussin and someone went home and made tea and brought it back to me. So you have all the benefit of that on top of your prayers in this service. This morning though, we're going to look here at Second Samuel chapter 15. One writer said it this way, they said betrayal is a kind of death and it is. The previous chapter ended.

If you remember with Absalom, the son of David who had killed his brother Amon and was on the run and had been an exile of Israel, he was welcomed back to Israel by his father and by the king. David and David, you'll remember at the end of chapter last week, gave a kiss to David, uh, gave a kiss to Absalom as a sign of having welcomed him back into his presence. He's no longer a fugitive. He's a prince in Jerusalem. He's restored by his father.

But David's kindness and David's forgiveness did nothing to quell the bitterness and the anger that was brewing with an Absalom and that dark cancer in him will continue to rage and burn and that bitterness bred betrayal. And this morning what I want to do is look at this in two ways. I want to look at the betrayer and then I want to look at the betray. Now look at the betrayer and then look at the betray.

For those of you that have experienced betrayal in life, you can testify that it is one of the most severe pains in life. It strikes at the the very core of of who we are. John Calvin once commented upon this by saying nothing can be more unnatural than to hate and cruelly, persecute those who love us. And betrayal is marked by an unnaturalness because it's aimed at those who truly have sought to love us. It strikes a blow like few other things

because it requires for there to be betrayal present, it requires that it's someone that I love or someone that's a friend and then they betray.

And when it happens we often respond as when a loved one dies, we're shocked. We feel an ache within it can cause you to weep, it can cause you to be afflicted with a deep sorrow and anger, even despair and, and then the questions begin, what did I do to deserve this? Didn't they love me like I loved them? Didn't they know that this would hurt me significantly? Did they really detest me that much?

And then the why questions begin the why of the situation. Why would they do this of God? Why God would you allow this, the personal why questions that begin, why didn't I see this betrayal coming? Why did I ever love them? Serve them, trust them. And this can happen in any close relationship.

A wife who has long supported her husband, his career, his aspirations, and then he runs away with a woman in his office

or a husband who is sought to live in an understanding and gentle way with his wife to the best of his ability. And little did he know that she was out there slandering him to all the other women in their small community and his entire reputation has been destroyed in that community or a friend, someone you've laughed with, maybe you've cried with, you've dared to share intimate secrets with and then they've used those secrets against you

or you're a leader who made personal sacrifices. Your family made personal sacrifices for those you led in the community or the church or business or an association. But a very small issue erupts that you differ with the person that you served and now all of a sudden that very small thing is a reason for them to hate you

and to consider you an enemy.

Betrayal flips relationships on their head. It's supposed to be love. His friendship.

David not only spared Absalom's life whether right or wrong, but, but he restores them Jerusalem in a very real sense. Absalom owes everything to David. Everything is very life and his response is betrayal.

And notice how he goes about betrayal. It's a pretty well laid path. First, he plays the part, Absalom plays the part, he makes a show. We're told them verse one, that he got himself a chariot. This would've stood out, but that was not enough just to have a standout means of transportation. He also accrued 50 men that would run before his chariot as his chariot wove through the streets of Jerusalem and everybody would know

he's something, he's powerful, he's got influence. It was not only that the 50 men running before the chariot would make the chariot have to go slow through the road so that everyone could get a full sight of this man from who was perfect, from the crown of his head to the foot of his soul. They would see his beauty, they would see his power. He was painting a picture of himself before the people he was playing a part.

Here's a man we can look to

told them verse two, that he was not only a man who played the part but a man of purpose. He, he rose early. He was seriously committed to his plan. When betrayal is in the heart of a man, it will motivate him greatly. So he rose early, stay stand beside the way of the the gate to greet those traveling into Jerusalem. He, he was not only painting a picture of a man they could look to, but he rose early with purpose to curry favor.

As people would come to meet with King David, they would come regarding some matter in their life, some case that they had some trial that they were going through, some complaint that they were bringing to the king to judge on their behalf. And Absalom would ask in verse two, from what city are you? And when they would say, well I'm from this or that city, well then Absalom would lie and he would say, ah, there, there's no one

to hear your case. There's no one that's been assigned to that city or to that region and it's a lie.

We know this because the people of Israel were allowed to to come to David. We saw that last week that the woman of Tekoa had access to David and could make her request known. But Absalom the betrayer, he has a purpose. He casts the line with his lie to set the hook of curing their favor and everyone who came through the gate with an issue, he would tell them, your claim is good, your claim is right.

Everyone likes to hear that they're good and that they're right. And then he would set the hook verse four, oh, that I were a Judd in the land. Then every man with a dispute or a cause might come to me and I would give him justice. Those curing favor will always test the waters. They'll throw out a little bit just to see if you bite on it,

will you give a listening ear? Will you and I support And if we show ourselves to be any sense of an ally as they reach for power, will we bend an ear to their subtle hint of betrayal? There's the part betrayer plays, there is this purpose and then there is this posing. It's it's feign affection. Absalom has for them that there's no concern for them or their cause. Absalom is about Absalom

and that is true of almost every betrayer. He poses as if he is a man of the people. Verse five we're told that when they would respond by seeking to pay homage to him, they would reach out their hand to him. He would then kneel before them and he would take their hand and he would kiss their hand

as if he was on their level. He was posing affection identification with them and it was really all about him.

We have this interesting dynamic in American presidential politics in our day where everyone that runs for president, man or woman that they belong to the elite, but they have to try and convey to you and I that they're not elite, that they are identified with us, a common like us and they care about us.

At least in my memory. I think it started with Bill Clinton going on the Arsenal Hall show. That was the show of the people at the time, the late night show. And he picked up the saxophone and began to play like he was just a regular guy. And ever since, everyone running for president tells folks these stories. They tell about how their parents had to work hard when they were growing up. They tell you about this or that economic time.

That was a hard time for their family that they had to go through. They're one of us. I'm like you, I care for you. All that plane, the part, the purpose and the posing, it works for Absalom, it often works. We're told verse six that he stole the hearts of the men of Israel and the betrayal was afoot.

Rick Phillips said about the people of Israel, their gullibility shows how easily we are impressed with outward displays of personality looks and charm. You and I are to look deeper,

had a seminary professor, he was the chair of the historical theology department and I remember him saying something one day in class that just, oh, it's always stuck with me. And he said when he was looking for the assistant professor for his department, he said, you know, when I was looking for that man, I wasn't looking for the man that was the best teacher or the man that had written the most journal articles or the man that had the most knowledge

and could recite it on a spur of the moment. He said, I can teach all of that.

I was looking for a man with the best character that met the qualifications its character and Absalom is known such man of character for four years. For four years he labors in this way to set the groundwork for his rebellion. It it's hard to imagine if it didn't happen so often that one would spend so much time fermenting rebellion or trying to upset the order or to try and undo someone or to rebel against someone or to tear someone down

because they're filled with so much bitterness.

After four years he launches the plan for seven. He approaches David and he asks that he might be allowed to go to Hebrew for he says he is made a vow to God and he wants to fulfill that vow. It's a lie. He's made no such vow and now he's not only lying to the people, but he's lying to his father, the king now. Now he's lying to God. Terrific. This is how much a man that is gripped by bitterness will descend.

He's preying upon his father's faith commitment. He knew that David would desire the pursuit of God more than anything else in his son and he uses that to deceive his father.

It reminds us of the the kiss that Judas will use and betraying Christ. How horrific. So wicked defe love to the one who came in love

and David here is being approached by his son Absalom, who feigns a heart for God to the man after God's own heart. That's so wicked.

What's fascinating, at least to me, is the last sweet words that David speaks to him are found in verse nine and and and he says, go in peace. There's Absalom. When he had hatred in his heart, unbeknownst to David, he he simply once wants Absalom to thrive.

And that is so often the case

for the betrayer to betray. They have to believe that the person they are betrayed has no good aimed at them, wants nothing good for them, that everything about them is wrong.

Absolutely no doubt heard those words and he shrugged his shoulders or he mocked, but David met them or he wouldn't have said them. He, he wanted a son to know peace

but bitterness, blinds the goodwill of others towards us. And Absalom was in a pit. It was a pit he had dug himself and he could only see that blackness and so on. He goes, he sends out messengers to all the tribes of Israel and he tells them that when they hear the trumpets that then they're all to cry out. Absalom is king at Hebrew and that's not a mistake because that is where David began as king in Hebrew

verse 12 we read of maybe even a greater blow to David that oph his, his counselor and his friend has joined the rebellion,

not just his son but, but it's his one of his best friends, his great counselor. The one that he would turn to when he had questions, when he was struggling, when he didn't know what to do when he just needed a trusted voice. This is the man he turned to and he joins the rebellion and he gives it strength.

That's the betrayer. And let's consider the one betrayed. How does David respond? How? How are you to respond when you are betrayed?

First you look for little glimmers of God's grace. Look for little glimmers of God's grace.

We see it in the text. What happens is, is that you and I get in the midst of suffering or in the midst of a trial, especially something like betrayal. And betrayal is so hard because it is so close. I trusted that person, I loved that person. It's right here and because it's right here, you and I have trouble seeing anything beyond what is right here.

But God for his people often sprinkles little glimmers of his kindness and his grace in the midst of trial, in midst of suffering. We see it in the text David. So in verse 13 that quote, the hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom. And so David chooses to flee. He doesn't want the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants to be wrecked and so he begins to leave. But you'll notice that when he leaves, there are people

that have chosen to stick with him. His servants are sticking with him and it must have been absolutely gut wrenching to leave the city to leave the capitol to leave knowing that his son and his good counselor and friend that betrayed him. But there's little glimmers of God's grace here and David recognizes it.

I get to the edge of the city, we are told it's the last house of the city and there before they cross over there, David stops and he, he stops there so that all those that have chosen to align themselves with David, that all of them pass by him so that he looks every single one of them in the eyes and every single one of them is a little sign of God's grace. Not all of Israel has gone after Absalom.

Here are some that have not think about it like a military review where a president stands there and the whole third armored division passes in front of him. And so David is counting every single one of them, all those that are loyal to him, it becomes demonstrative and the person of itai the to serves as a kind of foil to Absalom. He's a foreigner. He's new to Israel, he is new to David. David says, you've only been with me a day,

probably an exaggeration there. And he says to him, just stay. Why don't you stay? And while we go, this doesn't belong to you. This shouldn't matter to you.

Makes this wonderful vow. In verse 21, he says, as the Lord lives, he's a believer. He's a believer. As the Lord lives based upon his belief as the Lord lives and based upon his loyalty and as my Lord, the king lives wherever my Lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be what? An encouragement to David whose spirit must have been failing and flagging.

Here's one that is believed in the Lord and is honoring his king. And it doesn't matter whether he lives or he dies, he's committed to David.

The greatest gifts in this life are brothers or sisters willing to stand with you in the midst of trial, especially betrayal

and others wavered, they stood firm another slender, they remained committed. When others left they stayed. The betrayal's still there but, but it's bearable with some friends.

David receives other little glimmers of God's grace in this and Abby Ahor and Zadak coming with the Ark of the Covenant. They also are remaining loyal to him, which leads to our second application. Second, you rest under the sovereign will of God, rest under the sovereign will of God.

They bring the ark, these priests, ACH and Abby aar. But David sends them back with the ark to Jerusalem and then David makes his great profession. Verse 26, let him meaning God, let him do. To me what seems good to him, he's resting under the sovereign will of God.

It's the safest place to be. It's the best place to be. Frankly. It's the place you are whether you acknowledge it or not, but, but David has come to a place where he's acknowledging it and he's resting in it by faith, he's resting under the sovereign wing and will of God and it's a great hiding place. It gives you that peace which surpasses all understanding.

David, still in this path of suffering,

there's no getting out of that. This is often the sovereign will of God for his people.

And I'll tell you that when you get to the end of your journey through this life, you'll never look back with one ounce of regret on the suffering that you endured for the crown that you received. And David understands this.

It's, it's taken him a while, but he understands it. This is the same man who stood on his balcony and and looked over and saw Bathsheba and according to his own power and sense of self-importance and desire, he, he grabbed her and then he decides he is gonna try and hide it because you know he can. He's in control of all things he thinks, but he's learning and he is learned.

The best men are weak men, but weak men who understand that the greatest strength in the world is dependence upon God, not self.

There's no strength there, you're weak.

Saint Augustine commented on this and the confessions, he commented, God that I quote, sought a way to obtain strength enough to enjoy you. And then he goes on to say quote, I was not yet humble enough. I did not know what his weakness meaning Jesus, his weakness, what his weakness was meant to teach. Augustine confesses that he, he missed the importance of Jesus' weakness. What's he talking about? What we celebrate this month,

what your eyes are fixed upon this month, the incarnation, he came in weakness, not in power, in weakness.

And Augustine comments that he saw Jesus as quote a man of excellent wisdom which none could equal. And he, he sought to follow Christ and he sought to imitate Christ. But all that did was puff him up.

It was when he says he began to contemplate and understand the incarnation that he began to find true stability in the Christian life. He realized that the Christian life is built upon humility,

we're weak and we depend upon him.

Absalom has no humility, David, this type of Christ to come as learning the blessing of weakness, of humility as he says in verse 26, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him. Jesus in the garden, we'll echo this. Not my will be done, but thy will be done.

He's sweating drops of blood anxious about the suffering that he's about to endure. Not my will but thy will be done.

The writer of Hebrews was saying chapter two, it was fitting that he for whom and by whom all things exist and bringing many sons to glory should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Suffering is the graduate school of the Christian life.

It's meant to teach you that you are indeed weak,

teach you that you are to dwell in humility and you're utterly dependent upon this God

and you can rest under his sovereign will.

David is resting under the sovereign rule of God. There are a number of psalms that he wrote at this time when he is fleeing from Absalom and he is on the run from his own son. Psalm three tells us in the very beginning that he wrote it at this time. I think another that it's very clear that was written at this time is, is Psalm 55 and Psalm 55 it, he says in verse 22, he says, cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you.

It's a true burden. Betrayal is a true burden. It feels like a weight

and it's, it's hard to take that next step.

I wanna point out to you the promise that is there in Psalm 55 is not that God will remove the burden. It may be our companion for a few hours or a few days or a few weeks or even for a lifetime. The promise is not the relief of the burden, but rather quote, the Lord will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved. He says almost exact same thing in Psalm three. David says, I lay down and slept. I woke again for the Lord sustain me.

It means we won't falter. It means that we won't fail. It means that we won't descend into the oblivion. It means that you won't be dashed, your life will not be dashed upon the rocks of this betrayal he sustained.

And that promise can carry you on to the next step. And the step after that and the step after that, he

sustained Christ.

He sustained David, he sustains the church, he sustains the individual Christian.

Peter says it this way, one Peter five, humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that the proper time, he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. David now understands this Christ understood. This Christ is betrayed by Judas. He's betrayed by the whole nation of Israel. He's abandoned by every disciple and yet he's able to take the next step. He sets his face like Flint to Jerusalem.

He goes on and he can trudge all the way up that Mount Calvary. And then he can even hang upon that cross and he can say to the Father, I entrust my spirit to you.

One with God is a majority. It's always been that way.

Third, that we rest under God's sovereign rule. We also appropriately act.

David and the people mourn, they weep aloud in verse 23, the people, you, you, you've been betrayed there. There's true injury, there's true reason for sadness and that they, they are a weeping David. We are told to sins the of olives which overlooked the city of Jerusalem. He's looking out upon all that that he has lost and all that this betrayal is meant for him. And he weeps we're not stoics has real effect.

It's not just that he, he prays when he hears that a hitha fell is now absalom's counsel. He, he prays that God would confuse his counsel,

but he doesn't just mourn and he doesn't just pray. He also takes action in other ways.

You have this Hai, the orite that comes to David and he's aligning himself with David. And David says, you'll be a burden to me. It must be that Hai was an older man and so to travel with him would mean that they would have to go too slow. And so David says, I would have you do this. Why don't you go into the city and be a kind of spy for me?

And he sets up this little spy network Hai. You be there with Absalom, Absalom will tell you things and you can tell them to Zadok and Abby Athar the priest and they can tell it to their sons and their sons can cross the river and let us know.

Now we have to be careful. We don't strike out as we have been struck against.

Resting under God's sovereign will doesn't mean an action,

doesn't mean you have to sit on your hands and be a pacifist. And we always gotta check ourselves. We want whatever it is that we do. We we want to clear conscience. We want to be able to say that I have not acted in any way. That is not according to your law and according to your rule, my God, there has been no root of bitterness in me. I have not struck out as I've been struck against. You want a clear conscience before the Lord.

There are times and there are ways to act. Finally, in the midst of betrayal, you trust God as your defender. You trust God as your defender.

It is interesting to me to read through the Psalms, be good exercise for you and how often the psalmist is writing about people that are persecuting him, that are slandering him, that are betraying him. And often the scene that he paints is, is one of them laying a trap, seeking to lay a trap, capture him. And what he so often says is that as they lay the trap, they fall into their own trap.

It's not his life that is ruined, it's theirs. It's not his reputation that is ultimately sly as theirs. It is not his life that is touched on every side and made to crumble. It is theirs betrayal like every other. Wickedness is self-defeating.

God is a just judge. He's not confused like you and I.

So you wait upon him, you rest in him. You trust that he is ultimately your defender. In Psalm three, after pleading with the Lord to save him, David says for you, strike all my enemies on the cheek. You break the teeth of the wicked salvation belongs to the Lord. In Psalm 55, David says, the Lord will cast them down. Their hatred and treachery will not last. And so he concludes in Psalm 55. I will trust in you

the greater David who entered that garden of Gethsemane and he's been betrayed by his creation. He's been betrayed by his nation. He's been betrayed by the governing authorities. He has been betrayed by his disciple.

He felt the anxiety of plotting enemies. He underwent the burden of severe trial. He experienced the torment brought by the anger and the bitterness and the hatred.

He was betrayed by those that he shared meals with and life with and ministry with.

And yet he trusts his father to be his defender.

That the Christian, we are simply following in the footsteps of our savior.

What did he say? He said, if you would come after me, let let you deny yourself. Pick up your cross and follow me.

It's a cross centered life.

It's a life of suffering. What is it that you want in this life? What is it that you're after? Christian?

It must be to look more like your savior. That's the calling. That's to be the heartbeat.

His path was one of suffering,

of bearing the cross, of being persecuted. Of being betrayed.

Our great goal is to look more like him, not justification in the eyes of men, not to have those around us, celebrating us not to have a, a good reputation among that group and that group and that group and this group.

But rather to enter into the heavens on that last day and to walk through those gates and to hear well done my good and faithful servant. That's what we want.

Lord is the great safeguard of your reputation

and he is worth whatever you sacrifice in this life for you. Think about Jesus himself. He was, he was called a madman.

He was called a blasphemer. He was called a rebel leader. He was called a criminal. He was accused of drunkenness.

He was accused of lying. He was accused of being proud. And yet on that last day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he's Lord.

He safeguard his reputation to the Father. Father never, never fails,

let men say what they will in our day.

It only accrues more treasure for you on that day

and all our sufferings, including betrayal for the sake of Christ and his people, we lose nothing. We lose nothing, and we gain everything

cross before the crown. Let's pray.

Our Father, we are thankful that you are sovereign. We're of heaven and all of earth, that you are a defender and our great protector that though men

may betray us, that you are God who is ever faithful and true. We thank you that we have a great high priest who understands all our weaknesses and infirmities, one in whom we can look to with trust when do even now intercedes for us and one who has conquered all his and all our foes and is laying them as a footstool beneath his feet. You keep our eyes fixed on that which is eternal. We pray all of this and the strong name of that Christ

and Lord and Savior of men and women, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.