Transcription
I'm speaking this morning. [Music] On overcoming the traps of bad advice. The traps of bad advice. Overcoming the traps of bad advice.
Every one of us will be consistently exposed to bad advice. And take note, we are focusing on bad advice and not necessarily bad advisors, because bad advice can come from a good man. Bad advice can come from a good woman. [Music] Bad advice can sometimes come from a good advisor. Such was the case with highly reputed counselor, carrying the grace of God, in the name of Ahithophel. But eventually, the same man gave very, very bad advice to Absalom when Absalom rebelled against his father, David, in Second Samuel chapter 13, verse 3. [Music]
I looked up five versions in the Amplified Bible Classic Edition. This man is described as a very crafty man. In the Contemporary English Version, he's described, he says, he always knew how to get what he wanted. [Music] There are people like these who always know how to get what they want. [Music]
Anyhow, so pretense is nothing. Sincerity is nothing to such people. The end justifies the means. [Music] In the Easy-to-Read Version, he's described as a very clever man. Good News Translation describing him as a shrewd man. And then King James Version described him as a soft man. Now, take note of the word "soft." For those of you who are very used to King James, you would immediately remember that in Genesis chapter 3, verse 1, when the serpent was being introduced before tempting Eve, this was the same description. In fact, it's very likely that the same words that were used to describe Jonathan in the various versions are the same words, exact words, that were used in Genesis chapter 3, verse 1, to describe the serpent in those same versions of the Bible. Jonathan had that cunning and crafty spirit that the serpent at the Garden of Eden had. In the Message Bible, he's described as saying he was exceptionally streetwise. Exceptionally streetwise. [Music]
What kind of advice did this man give? In verse 5, you see that just one verse captured his advice. One verse, and everything that happened thereafter. Do you know that Amnon died? Eventually, he died. A big scandal came up in the entire family because of this act. There was immediate hate and bitterness from certain quarters against the culprit, Amnon. Absalom went further now to also make his own plans, very secret, to kill Amnon in revenge. Amnon died. And it's not a surprise because if you look at how he behaved here, it's predictable that people who don't have that kind of behavior are most likely they will not last and they won't end well, except they change. He died. What kind of advice did he give? In verse 5, he said, "Jonathan said to him, 'Go to bed and pretend you are sick. And when your father David comes to see you, say to him.'" So you can see that people who give bad advice, people with this kind of spirit, they encourage you to betray the trust that certain people have extended to you. They don't have, they don't enjoy that level of trust with the same people. They want it, but they can't get it. And you, that is privileged to have that measure of trust, they will, by their advice, they will tell you to do certain things that will be a real breach of trust, betrayal of trust. To such messages. [Music]
"Say, when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Let my.'" And take note, this man Jonathan did not say, "My friend, my cousin, please give me tomorrow to get to tell you to think and get back to you." No, it was instant. Instant. He is a gifted guy, man. He is a, a gifted con man. Gifted con man. [Music] And you, as I'm preaching this message, certain names have already come to your mind. Certain names, both male and female. "Let my sister Tamar come and give me food and prepare it in my sight that I may see it and eat from her hand." That was his advice, and it came instantly. Don't fall victim to bad advice. Don't fall victim to bad advice. Can I tell you something? Everything we do in our, in our work in Christ is seen as foolishness, even in the eyes of people in the church, talk less of people out there without Christ. Everything we preach is seen as foolishness. So when people give you bad advice, it will counter everything that you have heard from the Holy Spirit directly and through messages and counsel from godly people. Don't fall victim to bad advice.
The same way we are talking about two men here now, Amnon and his close associate, Jonathan. The same way, this same story plays out every day, and two women are the key actors. There is a second, there's a second woman. She's a very crafty and cunning woman, giving very devilish and bad advice to her close friend, her first cousin, her relative. Don't fall victim to bad advice. Don't fall victim to wicked suggestions. Wicked suggestions. A door that God has refused to open for you, don't force that door open. Don't force that door open. Don't force that door open. Whatever comes out of it won't last, and most times it comes with repercussions. Don't force that door open.
In Proverbs chapter 11, verse 14, Proverbs 11, verse 14, Amplified Bible, it says, "Where no wise guidance is, there people fall." Exactly what happened to Amnon. Exactly. What is happening will happen to your children when privately, as a parent, you don't subject them to sex education. They are going to now get that mentorship in that subject from some other people. [Music] And it will be very misleading. It says, "By the multitude of counselors, there is safety." Then the Message Bible says, "Without good direction, people lose their way." May you never lose your way. I mean, your children never lose their way. The more wise counsel you follow. Take note, the emphasis is not only on wise counsel. [Music] The emphasis now is on multitude of counsel, because even from a source of good counsel, in the process of time, in certain circumstances, a good advisor can wrongly advise you. [Music]
People give wrong advice sometimes based on the major character flaw in their own life. A tribalistic pastor will advise you right on almost all issues. [Music] But you go to that same pastor now and tell him that God has is showing me the man to marry, the woman to marry, and his primary concern is the tribal similarity between you and the person, and he may advise you very wrongly in that same light. So sometimes it pays to sample out the opinion of at least three people. At least three people. In the multitude. In the multitude.
So how bad was this man's advice? You could see how bad it is when you look at verses 12 to 14. Look at what Tamar said in verses 12 to 14. Then you can see how bad the advice of Jonathan was. In verse 12, the Bible says she replied, "No, my brother, do not force and humble me, for no such thing should be done in Israel." The Jonathan that you know mentioned this as one of the, uh, not the consequences, as one of the shortfalls of that option he was preferring. No. [Music] "Do not do this foolish, scandalous thing. The moment it happens, it's a scandal." The people advising you to do something that amounts to a scandal will never let you know the mark. How can someone tell you to go and write about your spouse on social media? [Music] How can someone tell you to do, you know, certain unacceptable things that will instantly become a scandal and tell you that is the best thing to do? Look at verse 13. He said, "I, how could I rid myself of my shame?" He didn't tell him that. But you know, this woman is going to be heartbroken by the time you do this thing. He was completely silent on all of these things, even though he knew, because he was streetwise. A man cannot be classified as exceptionally streetwise, and that man does not look at the two sides of every action that you take. Men that are streetwise, instantly they can visualize what will happen if they take this action, positives and the negatives, the advantages, and they concede right instantly. But they will choose to be silent. The same thing the devil does when he's giving you wrong advice. Rituals. So this, every time you are done with this ritual, oh, you will enter into instant world. He's not going to tell you that you will die in five years' time. He's not going to tell you that all the glory of your destiny and life that would have come from God, knows maybe 40 years, is what is being compressed and given to you to last for only four years. [Music] It's not going to tell you that after a few years you will begin to have certain health problems, and there will be no cure for that health problem as a result of the ritual you did. They are silent on the repercussions. They are silent on the consequences. But they will advise you in a way that makes that advice look as the best way forward. [Music]