[Matt's Messages] "David's Kingdom"

“David’s Kingdom”
The LORD Is My Rock: The Message of 2 Samuel
March 23, 2014 :: 2 Samuel 5:1-25

Last week, our sermon was titled “King David” because, at long last, David was King of, not just Judah, but Israel as well.

And so the big question is, what will David’s new kingdom be like?

What will characterize the reign of David as king over Israel?

So our title for today is simply, “David’s Kingdom.”

That’s what chapter 5 is all about it. It establishes what David’s kingdom was like, especially in the early years.

Chapters 5 through 10 are the pinnacle of the books of Samuel. This is the best of times in David’s life and David’s reign in David’s kingdom.

We’re going to enjoy and be encouraged by a lot of what we read in the next 5 chapters.  This is the good stuff!

Today, I’ll try to summarize David’s Kingdom in three key words.

Promised, powerful, and prosperous.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

And we’ll see that each of those kingdom blessings comes from and is for the glory of the LORD and the good of His people.

So out of those 3 key words we will see some key applications for our lives today.

Last week, we read verses 1-3 through and ended on the promise of God.

David’s Kingdom came through the promise of God.

I’d like to start there again this week. Let’s read verses 1-5.

“All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, ‘We are your own flesh and blood. [We’re related to you!] In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. [We remember your service as the general of the army!] And the LORD said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will  become their ruler.'’ [They have heard of the promise given to David at his anointing by Samuel. And now the promise is KEPT. V.3]  When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.”

#1. PROMISED.

David’s Kingdom was a promise that God kept.

And I don’t think that we can overemphasize that.

Our God is a promise-keeping God.

And we can trust Him.

Think about that with me for a just a second.

Was the fulfillment of God’s promise an automatic thing?

It sure wasn’t a quick thing!

Years and years have gone by since God made that promise to David.

And even after he became king in Judah, it was still more years until he began to reign over all of Israel.

The promises of God are sure, but they often require waiting.

Are you waiting on the promises of God?

These promises were also opposed, weren’t they?

For chapter after chapter we said that David was chased but not caught.

It wasn’t always easy to trust in the promises.  In fact, most of the time, it was hard.

I think that some people think that faith is easy. But it’s not easy. It’s hard. It’s good, but it’s hard. It involves waiting and enduring.

David, “You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will  become their ruler.”

Didn’t say when.
Didn’t say it would be easy to get there.

But here’s the point–he did get there.

God’s promises are sure.
Our God is a promise-keeping God. So hang in there.

Hang in there.

God’s promises weather the storms of life.

Are you going through a storm right now?

Imagine what it must have felt like for David to finally wear that crown!

Trust God to keep His promises.

Including the promise of Christ’s return.

Sometimes, we can get weary waiting for the return of Christ and start to wonder if He’s really come back for us.

But Peter says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

So, hang in there.

Just as David’s Kingdom was a promise and then a promise kept, so will David’s greatest Son Jesus’ kingdom be soon a promise kept.

Moving on. V.6

“The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, ‘You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.’ They thought, ‘David cannot get in here.’”

Now, stop there for a second.

This is also going to be a promise kept.

Anybody know when the Jebusites are first mentioned in the Bible?

Enter “Jebusites” in the search engine on your Bible app, and you’ll get a bunch of  search results.

The first is Genesis 10 listing them as the sons of Canaan.

The second is Genesis 15 where God promises to give Abraham’s children the land of the Jebusites.

That’s a long time. Around 800 years, I think from Abraham to David.

And the Jebusites get mentioned again and again in Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges.

Always enemies, and up till this time unshakable in Canaan.

Joshua and the armies under him were not able to dislodge them from Jerusalem.

They were still living there in the days of the judges.

But now, what’s going to happen?

Now, God’s promise is going to be kept.

David marches up to this fortified city on a hill, and says, “That’s the one I want for my kingdom’s capital.”

And the Jebusites say, “Over our dead bodies!”

And David says, “Okay. Over your dead bodies.”

And the Jebusites say, “You can’t beat us. It’s inconceivable.”

And David says, “That word. You keep using it. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”

Not exactly what happened, but close.

They say, “Even the blind and the lame can ward you off.”

“Our city is impregnable! It could be defended by soldiers without eyes or arms fro the likes of you!” v.7

And David, “Oh yeah?” v.7

“Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.”

By the way, that’s the first time that the word “Zion” appears in your Bible. It won’t be the last.

David captured the fortress of Zion.

Now, verse 8 is notoriously hard to translate, but the NIV does a pretty good job with it, I think. V.8

“On that day, David said, ‘Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those 'lame and blind' who are David's enemies.’ That is why they say, ‘The 'blind and lame' will not enter the palace.’”

I think what that means is that v.8 gives us the strategy David used. He knew about a secret way in, through the water shaft that fed fresh water from the Gihon to the city of Jerusalem.  Many scholars think it refers to “Warren’s tunnel,” “a narrow vertical shaft fory-nine feet long dug through rock ... [and] difficult to climb.” (Bergen, pg. 321).

Apparently, David sent a strike force up the shaft to let the rest of the army into the walls, and reach the “lame and blind,” David’s enemies.

He uses their taunt against them. The “lame and blind” are pejorative nicknames for the Jebusites. And they will no longer be allowed in the palace. V.9

“David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward. And he became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him.”

There’s number two.

#2. POWERFUL.

David’s Kingdom was powerful.

He took up residence in the fortress and called it “The City of David.”

“And he became more and more powerful.” Why?

“Because the LORD God Almighty was with him.”

David’s ascendancy was not an accident. It was not a freak of nature or the forces of history.

David’s rise in power was from the LORD.

It’s really important for anyone in power to realize that they are in power at the moment by the will of the LORD.

What would happen if every public official came to deeply realize that their authority was not something they earned or deserved or were worth, but they were powerful in that moment as a gift by and stewardship for the LORD God Almighty?

Wouldn’t that change a lot of government?

David became more and more powerful because the LORD God Almighty was with him. V.11

“Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.”

There’s a lot there.

David gets a palace. A throne room in a cedar house in Jerusalem where his powerful kingdom can be centered.

And see again in verse 12 what David knows about his power.

“And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom [it’s from God] for the sake of his people Israel.”

That’s really important.

David realized that God had given him this power, not for himself but for his people.

The point of David’s Kingdom is not David.

It’s God’s people.

God gave David power over the people but for the people.

That’s really important.

So often, those who are in power assume that they are in power because they’re so great and assume that the people under them are there to make them look good.

But in God’s kingdom, power is given to authorities to truly serve those under authority.

Husbands, take note of that.

Yes, the Bible calls for wives to submit and husbands to be the head of the home.

But the point of being the head is to take responsibility to see that what is done is whatever is best for your wife.

The head sacrifices.

The power is given, not for the glory of the man but the good of the wife.

The same is true for pastors.

We pastors can be very tempted to think that the church is all about us.

It’s “My Church.”

That’s “Pastor Matt’s Church.”

No, actually, it isn’t. I have authority here, yes, but it’s an authority that exists to truly serve you.

And if I’m not, then I’m not being a pastor. I’m being an anti-pastor.

My point is that David realized at this time in his reign that his power was given to him for a purpose, a people-purpose.

And we would do well to adopt that philosophy ourselves.

Everybody in authority.

Parents.
Teachers.
Older siblings.
Bosses at work.
Foremen.
Managers.
Church leaders.

Whatever authority we have comes from God and is given for a time for a people purpose–other people than ourselves.

How are we using our power?

There will be a day when David gets this wrong, but today he gets it exactly right.

V.12 again.

“And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom [powerful] for the sake of his people Israel.”

#3. PROSPEROUS.

And by that, I mean both blessed and victorious.  V.13

“After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.” Stop there for a second.

I think we’re supposed to get two things out of this paragraph.

The first is that David was prosperous. His family grew. His dynasty grew. His power in Israel probably grew through marriage alliances.

He was blessed with a full quiver of kids with hard-to-pronounce names.

But I also think that there is a hint here of trouble to come.

Like I said last week, multiple wives may have been allowed but it always spells trouble in the Bible and falls short of the intention of marriage set out in Genesis 2.

I think we might hear a hint of the trouble to come where David is concerned. David is not perfect. He is not a hero to be worshiped. He has feet of clay and women (or at least one particular woman) is going to be part of his downfall.

We’ll keep an eye on that as we progress through the book.

But you can’t say that his family is not prosperous!  Now, verse 17.

“When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.”

This is another thing that happened early in David’s kingdom, the Philistines heard about his anointing over all of Israel and they got worried and decided to chase after him.

We’re not sure if it’s Acish or one of his successors. It doesn’t say.

If it was Acish, he’s probably kicking himself from here to the moon over this one.

V.18

“Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?’ The LORD answered him, ‘Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you.’

So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, ‘As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me.’ So that place was called Baal Perazim. [Lord Break Out!] The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.”  Probably to the garbage dump.

Now, notice where the prosperity, the victory comes from.

It’s the LORD. He breaks out against David’s enemies.

Notice that David inquired of the LORD before attacking.

That’s been his pattern, and it’s a good one.

Seeking the LORD’s guidance before a major initiative.

But the Philistines aren’t done yet. V.22

“Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, ‘Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.’”

Notice, again that David doesn’t just assume that God wants him to fight or fight a certain way.

He inquires.

And it’s good thing because the LORD’s strategy was different this time.

Circle around this time.

And notice what the marching sound will mean.

“The LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.”

The LORD will be the captain of the army.

He will be in the vanguard.

The LORD doesn’t just send His troops to war. He goes ahead of them!

And David is obedient. That’s the mark of David’s kingdom. Obedience. V.25

“So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.”

Victory in David!

David prospers.

David wins.

By the hand of God.

Notice, again, that David did as the LORD commanded him.

With obedience comes blessing.

David’s kingdom was blessed because David had a heart for the heart of God and that meant that He sought out the LORD’s will and then did what he knew the Lord wanted.

And that’s what we should do, too.

Ephesians 5 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise,  making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is” (15-17).

And when you understand it, do it!

Are you and I being obedient to the will of the Lord?

Are we inquiring for His guidance in prayer and in the word?

And are we doing what we know He wants us to do?

Because it’s with obedience that comes blessing.

Not that we deserve it. Blessing is all of grace because we don’t deserve anything.

But God loves to match up a heart that wants what He wants and a life that is lived as He wants with blessing upon blessing.

Prosperity–not in many wives and children and houses of cedar and defeated military enemies–not today.

But prosperity where it really counts–peace and joy and hope and love and eternal life and defeated enemies of sin and Satan forever.

That’s prosperity! Not just today but forever.

If you think that David’s kingdom was prosperous, just read about David’s greatest son’s kingdom and how prosperous it will be!

Streets of gold and all that!

Let’s trust in Jesus.

His kingdom is promised and it will come.
His death and resurrection have made that certain!

All we have to do is trust and endure and wait in hope.

His kingdom is powerful. Powerful beyond our imaginings.

And He uses His power for the good of His people which brings glory to His name.

His kingdom will be prosperous beyond imagination and forever and ever.

Let us praise King Jesus!

Messages in This Series

00. "How the Mighty Have Fallen!"
01. King David

02. David's Kingdom