“And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing,” 2 Samuel 15:11.
There is likely a link between the sad events of 2 Samuel 15 and the experiences over which David mourns in another of my Bible readings this morning, Psalm 69. It is widely believed that Psalm 69 refers to the grief and suffering caused to David by Absalom’s rebellion.
I must acknowledge that I find daily in God’s Word that which strengthens me in the midst of the present controversy I have with some foolish men within our denomination with regards their forsaking of the “old Paths” unto which the Lord led our founding fathers in 1951.
I wish to examine the actions of these men, mentioned in our text, who in their “simplicity” and ignorance were caught up in Absalom’s wicked rebellion.
The word “simplicity” means ‘integrity’. They were acting in innocence and ignorance but sadly, they were engaged in something very wrong.
I believe that these words have an application to the circumstances that have arisen within the Free Presbyterian Church.
Please read Part 1 before reading this article.
I. INNOCENT AS THEY MAY HAVE BEEN, THEIR ACTIONS INFLUENCED OTHERS TO ENGAGE IN THE REBELLION AGAINST GOD’S ANOINTED KING!”
“And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom,” verse 12.
1. Yes, they were innocent at the beginning but surely that innocence soon evaporated as the rebellion progressed! They may have started in innocence but if they continued on then they became culpable of aiding a rebellion against David, God’s king.
I wish to draw the attention to those who may have been deceived into thinking there was some substance behind the accusations directed against those of us who have voiced concern at what is taking place within Free Presbyterianism, and that for a number of years.
I have highlighted, to quote but one example, the actions of Mr Mervyn Storey, an elder in Ballymoney Free Presbyterian Church, when he was a DUP minister in the Executive of the Stormont Assembly.
Back in 2015 I wrote an article headed:
The Clerk of Presbytery was informed on a number of occasions of this wickedness by this elder, as well as other articles delineating his wrongdoing. But he remains in good standing. Attempts have been made by others to raise such matters in the Presbytery but by various means they have been stymied.
The failure to deal with transgressions and violations of our separatist stand must surely cause questions and doubts to arise amongst those who have gone along unthinkingly with the calls for action against those who have but spoken out in obedience to God’s Word!
2. The soul of David was greatly distressed as a result of the rebellion. “And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up,” verse 30.
How reminiscent this is of that moving scene recorded in Luke 19:41-46.
“And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Here is what ignorance of the mind and will of God can bring. Here is the vexation that such causes to the Lord, our Head and King.
Here is the havoc such brings to the house of God — “And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Not wrong
Our protests against what is going on are no more wrong than were the Lord’s here, or those of Jeremiah and other prophets who rose up at God’s bidding and protested.
“But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward,” Jeremiah 7:23-24.
Are there those in our Presbytery who, heedless of the many Scriptures set before them, are determined to go “backward, and not forward”?
3. The rebellion gave some the opportunity to mock David.
“And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left,” 2 Samuel 16:5-6.
Scriptural protests are born of a desire to honour the Lord and rebuke the defying of His Law. Such was the action taken in Crossgar in 1951, which gave rise to the birth of the Free Presbyterian Church.
However, a defying of God’s Word and an ignoring of the protests, only bring dishonour upon the Lord and His cause.
The miscalling of those who are engaged in calling the Free Presbyterian Church back to its ‘first love’ has given occasion to those who are the opponents of the Gospel to join in and add their voices to the slandering of God’s servants.
Social media, such as Facebook, I am given to understand, contain the most evil misrepresentations of those who engage only in seeking to glorify the Saviour.
II. HOWEVER, IN THE MIDST OF THE REBELLION, THERE WERE THOSE WHO PROVED THEIR FAITHFULNESS
“And the king’s servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint,” verse 15.
See also verses 18; 21; 24; 32-37 for examples of the loyalty displayed for King David.
Heresies
There is an interesting verse in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.
“For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you,” 1 Corinthians 11:19.
Heresies bring division and the heretics are separated from the orthodox! It is not what the devil plans from his introduction of error, but it is what is accomplished by the sovereign grace of God.
Separation from sin and false doctrine is ever the purpose of God. The consequence of Absalom’s rebellion was a separating of the true ‘Israelite’ from the ‘rebel’! That is likewise taking place today within our denomination.
We desire not war but rather an awakening among our people, especially those who may have been deceived about the issue at the heart of the controversy. What we wish is a turning away from that which has been promoted in our midst of late — a stepping off the “old paths” unto that which is deemed modern, up to date and very ‘WOKE’ (whatever that means)!
Please recall the events recorded in Exodus 32:26.
“Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.”
1. It is to the Lord’s side that we must gather. Moses issued the call and it was to him that the faithful came but they did so to indicate that they were on THE LORD’S SIDE!
Siding with the faithful preaching of God’s Word does not make one an acolyte of that preacher. No it is his message and the Saviour he is preaching, you are siding with.
Thus Paul was able to say: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ,” 1 Corinthians 11:1. They were getting into Paul’s company for he was in the company of the Saviour.
2. Getting on the Lord’s side means conflict with those who are not on His side. This is what bothers far too many Christians today and causes them to foolishly hide their allegiance.
“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue,” John 12:42.
That is a most shameful state of affairs!
1964
The Free Presbyterians with whom I joined company back in 1964 were unashamed of their bond with the Saviour.
How many times outside ecumenical gatherings and the like, where we assembled to protest, were the words of the old hymn heartily sung:
I’m not ashamed to own my Lord,
Or to defend His cause;
Maintain the honour of His Word,
The glory of His cross.
The question for many Free Presbyterians today is – ‘Are we still of that mind?’ ‘Are you ready today, irrespective of who it is you are required to oppose, to defend His cause’?
Far too many fear the face of men and therefore stay silent when they should be shouting out!
3. The Israelites who obeyed Moses’ call were blessed by the Lord. That is all the encouragement we need to act obediently.
“For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day,” Exodus 32:29.
We are not required to put acquaintances to the sword in the ‘battle’ today. But we may find ourselves offending some who were our close friends.
That is what is required of us if we are to obey the Lord.
“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. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me,” Matthew 10:37-38.
I have known many in the past whose standing with the Lord cost them much, even the love of their family. But they were not the poorer for that in time, and most certainly not in eternity.
Christian, it is time to choose.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
30th September 2026