Humanity’s Endless Greed

This passage deals with the selfishness and lack of spiritual discernment that came to light as David regained his throne. After Absalom's rebellion, the tribes of Israel and Judah, eager to welcome David back, quarreled over who would meet him first and be rewarded; in this the sermon points to the endless greed of people who gave no help in time of trouble but joined the scramble for power once things went well. It also warns, through the way Joab, the commander of the army, murdered a fellow commander for his own advancement and defied the king's orders, that those who cannot tell the spiritual from the fleshly will end up as chaff rather than grain.

The sermon sets side by side the wisdom with which David kept the wicked Joab in check and stabilized the kingdom, and the good sense of the wise woman of Abel, who handed over Sheba to save lives. It emphasizes that believers who hold offices in the church must not bring the world's methods and greed into the church, but must judge by the word of truth. It teaches that although God sets a time and judges, in the meantime believers must take care not to be used as tools for raising others up, and must have the patience and wisdom to accomplish good purposes.

The sermon asks what believers must hold on to so that their devotion will be recognized as grain, and how they can develop the spiritual discernment to drive out sin like Sheba quickly.