*ABUSIVE SYSTEMS* *David’s Wilderness Sons* These were the children born to David in the wilderness when he was running away from Saul, when the wilderness was growing him, when God was teaching him and he was developing leaders. All those wilderness kids were not born because of love. It was more of lust and hit-and-run, after returning from a raid in the tent. Wilderness sons produce because it is their appetite. It is a need. Noteworthy is that the wilderness sons had no God factor in their names. They were weeds. *David’s Hebron Sons* David’s second set of sons was born in Hebron (2 Samuel 3:2–5). Hebron is the place of covenant, and if you read their names you can note the God factor. David’s Hebron sons are Amnon, Chileab, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah and Ithream. The God factor is in their names because Hebron is another place. It is a peace place. It is a covenant place. *David’s Kingdom Sons* The third set of sons born to David was kingdom sons (2 Samuel 5), born to build the kingdom. The wilderness sons fought the kingdom while the covenant sons served the kingdom. However, it is the kingdom sons that built the kingdom. We have too many sons that fight the kingdom because of where they were born. The wilderness sons were born running from Amalekites and starving because Nabal did not want to give them anything to eat when they could see the resource. David was absent from their lives while he ran from Saul, and acted like a crazy man because the Philistines wanted to take him out. They saw all this weird behavior and because they were raised as weeds, when they came to the palace where there was plenty they acted out and fought the kingdom. *ABSALOM* Although born in Hebron, Absalom was a wilderness son who tried to build his own image. These sons attempt to build their own ministries, their own recognition. Absalom’s hair—which represents headship—was growing, and every year to prove his ability he shaved off his headship and put it in a scale in front of the people to show his power. Then in one year his hair grew back again, but because he did not have the God factor in his life Absalom was corrupt. He was immoral. He could not be trusted, and his death was symbolic of his power struggle. Look at kids who fight the kingdom. Look at how they die. Absalom in his best day, with his best hair, was caught in the branches of an oak. The lowest branch of the oak tree was the system of the process. The lowest branch of the process was higher than the best of what he grew. Fathers must know these sons. https://chat.whatsapp.com/ElKaNjH1oHz6UF5yulS7b2 https://chat.whatsapp.com/ExCD9jKcKnR8wQUJqC1mSj