Welcome to Fellowship! We're glad you're here! Please fill out our CONNECT CARD.

Are you the parent(s) of a young child and want to dedicate them to the Lord Jesus? Join Jackie & Tonya on June 14th & 21st (10am) for a time of parenting tips & tools, along with digging into the Scriptures to be reminded of the parents' spiritual role in the life of their children. This will be followed with a brief time of dedication during our 2nd worship gathering at 11am.

Click Here to Sign Up

Check our website for upcoming events and over lots of past teachings on many different topics.

Help us forward the mission of Fellowship to share Jesus with young and old, with people across the street and people across the ocean. GIVE ONLINE or at the Giving Boxes at each exit.

Betrayal has shattered countless friendships, families, and churches—but it doesn’t have to destroy your faith. Discover how David remained “Betrayed Yet Believing” and why trusting God in painful seasons is still the path to peace.

2 SAMUEL 15:1-3

After this, Absalom got himself a chariot, horses, and fifty men to run before him. He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for settlement, Absalom called out to him and asked, “What city are you from?” If he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,” Absalom said to him, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king does not have anyone to listen to you.”

The king was the ultimate judge who would hear the issues of his people and then hand down a just decision. But now Absalom parks at the road that led to the city gate and is telling people King David doesn’t have time for their petty concerns. 

2 SAMUEL 15:4-6

He added, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land. Then anyone who had a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would make sure he received justice.” 

When a person approached to pay homage to him, Absalom reached out his hand, took hold of him, and kissed him. Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for a settlement. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

Absalom has developed a small army to protect him, 2) taken on the role of judge, a role that belonged to the king 2) Absalom has endeared himself to the people of Israel while making his Dad look bad.

After four years of winning hearts, Absalom has positioned himself to launch a coup against the king, his own father.

• Ironically, while David said, “Shalom” - “Go in peace”, this short journey to Hebron would light the fuse for war.
• Absalom means “father of peace” (ab - as in abba; shalom), yet he is the one who bring war on his father.
• This is the LAST TIME David will ever talk to his son.

2 SAMUEL 15:19-23

The king said to Ittai of Gath, “Why are you also going with us? Go back and stay with the new king since you’re both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland. Besides, you only arrived yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I go wherever I can? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.” But in response, Ittai vowed to the king, “As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether it means life or death, your servant will be there!”

“March on,” David replied to Ittai. So Ittai of Gath marched past with all his men and the dependents who were with him. Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly while all the people were marching out of the city. As the king was crossing the Kidron Valley, all the people were marching past on the road that leads to the wilderness.

Many didn’t want David to leave. Except for his disobedience regarding Bathsheba & Uriah, David proved to have been a righteous king. But now David leaves Jerusalem, crossing the Kidron Vally to the Mount of Olives.

Abiathar was the priest who fled from Saul to David when his father was killed (1 Sam 22:20–23). Both he and Zadok served as co-high priests under David’s reign.

Do you hear the humility that has returned to David? He has been BETRAYED, but…He still BELIEVES Yahweh’s promises and His decisions. He trusts God in the middle of one of the toughest times of his life. Even when family and friends have drawn battle lines against David, David trusts God.

David is rejected and weeping as he climbs the Mount of Olives, where the ultimate King would later weep on the eve of His rejection by his people. 

Could it get any worse? David’s own son has betrayed him and one over citizens of Israel. And now, one of David’s most trusted advisors is a turncoat too! The man who knew David’s way of thinking and likely knew his battle plans…has BETRAYED him.

What can David do? David can PRAY. David asks Yahweh to turn this man’s wise counsel into foolish counsel. In this moment one can understand how David’s psalms say things like this:

Sadly, even after all the grace David had shown crippled Mephibosheth - treating him like a son - he had been convinced he had a better deal with Absalom too - OR so it seems. It’s very possible that Ziba is lying (see chapter 19). Imagine you are in David’s position; your son, many of your people, your chief advisor, and now an adopted son…have all betrayed you.

2 SAMUEL 16:5-8

When King David got to Bahurim, a man belonging to the family of the house of Saul was just coming out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he was yelling curses as he approached. He threw stones at David and at all the royal servants, the people and the warriors on David’s right and left. Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, you wicked man! The Lord has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul in whose place you became king, and the Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. Look, you are in trouble because you’re a man of bloodshed!”

That doesn’t sound like cocky David, does it? It sounds like humble David, even willing to receive God’s discipline through a stone throwing peasant.

And there we see it - BETRAYED yet BELIEVING - David is trusting God’s will above his own.

The consequence of David’s sin has been brutal, and it’s not over yet.

As David left Jerusalem and headed out across the Kidron to the Mount of Olives - WEEPING, Jesus crossed over the same spot many times, even weeping over the people of Jerusalem not receiving him. That’s even where he went the night he would be arrested.

As David’s own son betrays his own father, so too Jesus was betrayed with a kiss from Judas, who had lived with him for at least 3 years and who had experienced the last supper seated next to Jesus. You can see why John notes that Jesus quotes Ps 41:9 just hours earlier during the last supper.

John 13:18 …the Scripture must be fulfilled: The one who eats my bread has raised his heel against me. [Ps 41:9]

As King David was betrayed by the people of Israel for another king, King Jesus was betrayed by the people of Israel who handed him over to the Romans and claimed that Caesar was the king they wanted.

Both were BETRAYED, yet both BELIEVING the plan of God the Father would be worked out.

Betrayal has a way of convincing us that God has abandoned us.

Jesus was betrayed, abandoned, falsely accused, mocked, beaten, crucified, and yet continued entrusting Himself to the Father.

He went to the cross for YOU.

He was betrayed for YOU.

He suffered for YOU.

He died for YOU.

And He rose again for YOU.

The next time you go through a tough time (not a natural consequence of your sin), the next time you are betrayed (even when you’ve been faithful), remember what the Lord Jesus has done for YOU! His love has been demonstrated for you.

• Seek His will above yours.
• Ask Jesus & your faith family for HELP!
• Lay your head on the pillow and BELIEVE Jesus - TRUST Him! Believe His promises. Trust His character. Bask in His love.
• Remember: what feels like a temporary struggle may have eternal significance in the hands of God.