[Matt's Messages] "Why Is This Sordid Story in the Bible?"

“Why Is This Sordid Story in the Bible?”
The LORD Is My Rock: The Message of 2 Samuel
May 25, 2014 :: 2 Samuel 13:1-39

Last week, we read about David’s Scandal and saw both the deadly seriousness of sin and the magnificent amazingness of grace.

If we had put King David up on a pedestal, he took a dive off of it last Sunday. David  lusted. He enticed. He committed adultery. He lied to Bathesheba’s husband Uriah, and then he had Uriah killed. And he tried to cover up the whole scandal.

But it didn’t stay covered. Thankfully, when he was confronted, David confessed and repented and was forgiven–the magnificent amazingness of grace.

But God said in 2 Samuel 12, verse 10, “[T]he sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.”

And that sword struck, just as God said it would. The sword struck down David and Bathsheba’s first son.

And it will continue to strike.

I almost titled this sermon, “The Sword Strikes Again.”

Because that’s what we’re going to be reading about for the next several weeks. We’re going to see how the sword divides David’s family and brings misery upon his head.

I’m afraid that we’re going to be further disappointed with David after today.

This chapter is not one of the highlights of David’s life and reign.

In fact, it’s one of the worst moments in his whole story.

It’s not so much about his own sin but about the sins of his children, which are no small thing.

This is a story that I’d rather not read to you and that I’d rather not preach to you.

It’s a sordid story. It’s a profoundly sad story about yucky, repugnant, disgusting sin that I find no pleasure in reading or preaching about.

And yet, this is God’s Word. And all of “Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that [we] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Including this chapter.

And this chapter is the next chapter, so we’re not going to skip it today.

Here’s the title that I ended up picking, “Why Is This Sordid Story in the Bible?”

That’s a really good question anytime when you’re trying to figure what the Bible passage you’re studying means and how to apply it.

Ask yourself, “Why is THIS story in my Bible?” And often when you get that answer, you know what it’s about and how it could apply to your life.

Cody is going to preach again for me on June 29th, and that’s the key question that he should ask of the passage he’s going to preach for us. Why is this particular passage in the Bible?

But it’s really a question that you really feel when the story is seamy and ugly and yucky like this one is.  Why is this sordid story in my Bible?

Why do I have to read it? Why did God include this stuff? I don’t want to read about this!

This isn’t the only story that feels like that–we experienced it back in the book of Judges, too. And there are many more.

So it’s a good question to ask as we read 2 Samuel chapter 13. Also known as the rape of Tamar.

Here’s how we’re going to approach it. We’re going to pray first, and then I’ll read the chapter too you pointing out features in the story as we go, and then I’ve got, at the end, four big reasons why this sordid story is in your Bibles. I’m sure there are more, but these are four that I see and want to press home on our hearts.

2 Samuel 13, verse 1.

“In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.” Stop there for just a second.

You can see from the first verse that there’s going to be trouble. And it’s trouble with the next generation.

David has been, a we’ve said, unwise and married multiple wives and had multiple children. In one sense, that’s a blessing. Fruitfulness!  Growth!

But wherever you have polygamy in the Bible, you have trouble. And David has this sword of consequences that won’t depart from his house, as well.

So, you’ve got a next generation that is going to be a problem.

All three of the people mentioned in the first verse are children of David. Amnon who is apparently the firstborn and the current heir to the throne.  Tamar, his half-sister, a daughter of David who is the full sister to Absalom, a dashing young man who is also the son of David.

The next several chapters are going to be about this son named Absalom. We will get tired of hearing his name in the next month.

But the story starts by focusing the camera on his half-brother, the crown prince, Amnon.

And Amnon has a problem. He’s in love (or so he thinks) but the object of his love is unattainable. It’s his half-sister. V.2

“Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.”

You can already tell that there is something messed up in this story. Tamar is a virgin, protectively kept separate from the others and out of his reach.

And it’s driving Amnon crazy, sick-crazy that he can’t do anything to her.  That’s actually a good translation. Amnon is sick. He’s a probably a spoiled brat, and his glands are bigger than his brain. V.3

“Now Amnon had a friend [a companion] named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. [A cousin, then.] Jonadab was a very shrewd man. [Watch out for shrewd men.] He asked Amnon, ‘Why do you, the king's son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won't you tell me?’ Amnon said to him, ‘I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.’

[And Jonadab should have right then gone to get a psychologist! But instead, he says, V.5]

‘Go to bed and pretend to be ill,’ Jonadab said. ‘When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.'’

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.’

David sent word to Tamar at the palace: ‘Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.’ So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat. ‘Send everyone out of here,’ Amnon said. So everyone left him.”

Now, you and I can see where this is heading, but I don’t think Tamar could. And I doubt that David could have forseen this one. He just thought that Amnon was sick. He was duped by all the “sister” talk and didn’t see how lustful Amnon was.

He’s got her in his home. He’s dismissed the servants. V.10

“Then Amnon said to Tamar, ‘Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.’ And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, ‘Come to bed with me, my sister.’”

“‘Don't, my brother!’ she said to him. ‘Don't force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don't do this wicked thing. What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.’”

She puts up a good fight and offers good arguments.

“No, please! This would be incest. The pagans may do it, but the LORD’s people should not! It’s wicked! It’s wrong.  And it would bring disgrace on me. And it would make you disgraceful, Amnon. You would be a Nabal, a wicked fool in Israel.  Talk to Dad. He’ll let us get married if you want me so badly.”

By the way, I don’t know if that’s true or not.  David apparently was a bit of push-over in this phase in his life. So he might have given in to that request, but it’s doubtful. I think she’s just grabbing at any straw to stop him from doing what he’s planning to do. But nothing works. V.14

“But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.

Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, ‘Get up and get out!’

‘No!’ she said to him. ‘Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.’ But he refused to listen to her. He called his personal servant and said, ‘Get this woman out of here and bolt the door after her.’

So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing a richly ornamented robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore.

Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.”

I don’t have to tell you that this is bad.

It’s bad.

Tamar owned a coat of many colors. Same words as what Joseph was given.

And on this day, she ripped it to shreds herself and put ashes on her head and ran screaming and crying from her “brother” Amnon to her brother Absalom. V.20

“Her brother Absalom said to her, ‘Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart.’ And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman.”

Her life had been wrecked ... by someone who should have been protective over her.

And what kind of counsel was that from her brother Absalom?  “He’s your brother. Don’t take it to heart?”  He’s clueless as to what to say to her.  And so, apparently, is her father. V.21

“When King David heard all this, he was furious.” ...

And? ...

No actions.  David is furious and passive.

Perhaps he’s unable to bring justice to his son because he’s ashamed of his own example in the sexual arena. “Who am I to judge?”

Well, you’re the king. You’re their Dad. You’ve got to! But he doesn’t. And so Absalom’s rage grows. V.22

“Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.”

And nothing happens!  No justice comes!  No action is taken.  Absalom just stews about it for 2 years and never speaks to Amnon. And then he gets an idea. V.23

“Two years later, when Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king's sons to come there. Absalom went to the king and said, ‘Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his officials please join me?’

[He’s hoping David will say, “No,” thinking that he’s just being polite. And David bites. V.25]

‘No, my son,’ the king replied. ‘All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.’ Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go, but gave him his blessing.

Then Absalom said, ‘If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.’ The king [suspicious?] asked him, ‘Why should he go with you?’

But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons.

Absalom [who knows how to get things done] ordered his men, ‘Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' then kill him. Don't be afraid. Have not I given you this order? Be strong and brave.’ [A wicked thing to say.]

So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. [Murdered at a family gathering!] Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.

While they were on their way, the report came to David: ‘Absalom has struck down all the king's sons; not one of them is left.’ The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.

But Jonadab [there he is again] son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, ‘My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom's expressed intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.’

Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, ‘I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.’

Jonadab said to the king, ‘See, the king's sons are here; it has happened just as your servant said.’ As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his servants wept very bitterly.

Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned for his son every day. After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death.”

Now, what we just read there is key to understanding what’s going to happen next in the story. Absalom was special to David.  Amnon was, too, I’m sure. But he was dead. And David was consoled about him–he had been a rapist, after all. So, it’s not  wrong for him to die.
But David really misses Absalom.

Even though Absalom has lied to him and manipulated him and killed, murdered, his firstborn son!

David misses him. “The spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom.”

So, that’s the story.

You’re probably sorry right now that you came to church this Sunday!

Rape and murder.

Raped sister, murdered brother.

What a great family.

Why is this sordid story in our Bibles?

If you read through the Bible each year, why do you have to read 2 Samuel 13? Why can’t we skip this? Why can’t we do without it?

It’s disturbing. It’s troubling. It’s no fun. It’s not positive and encouraging.

And God isn’t even mentioned once in the whole chapter!

Why is this sordid story in the Bible?

Let me give you four reasons.

#1. BECAUSE THE BIBLE IS ABOUT REALITY.

And this stuff was real and is real.

This did happen. It is history. And it’s the kind of thing that does happen in our world today.

Our world is profoundly broken, and the Bible understands that.

Things like rape and murder happen in real life, and the Bible doesn’t sugarcoat that and pretend that it doesn’t.

Some people think that the Bible is a bunch of nice little fairy tales.

You know who believes that? People who haven’t read it.

The Bible is full of sin, and shame, and brokenness and things being all messed up.

And it doesn’t sugercoat its heroes either!

David does not have a halo.

I’m so thankful that Bible is about reality, the way things really are.

It describes the world is really like, what people are really like. And that’s not always happy or fun. Sometimes, it’s profoundly sad. But that’s life!

I don’t want a book that says that it explains life that doesn’t understand how terrible life in our fallen world with fallen people can really be.

We need that. We need a big dose of reality.

Because we’ll only understand the good news if we get the whole story, the bad news first.

Now, I want us to look squarely into the face of the reality of this sin of this chapter.

There are four men in this chapter, and they all fall very far short of what they ought to be and to do.

Amnon.  The reality of his sin is that he is driven by lust. His “love” for Tamar is little more than glandular passion.  And he’s driven by a twisted desire to control. And he uses violence to get what he wants.

That’s evil.

Let’s just say that. What Amnon did was wicked.

Jonadab.  He might be worse than Amnon. He didn’t follow his glands, he schemed a way for Amnon to do it.

He doesn’t seem to have any conscience.  One author I read said that Jonadab had “wisdom but no conscience.” He was smart. He was shrewed.  But he was wicked.

He could show you the way to get what you want. But he never said whether or not you ought to want that thing.

Do you know anyone like that? A schemer?  A plotter? A guy who knows how to get things done, even things that should never be done?

The Bible knows that Jonadabs exist. They’re real.

Or look at Absalom. Here is was a man who allowed himself to be filled with hate. Hate to the degree that he murdered his own brother.

That wasn’t justice. That was revenge.

Smart guy. He gets away with it, for the time being...

But a hate filled guy. Do you know anyone like that? The Bible knows that they exists and tells us that they are there in reality. The Bible is about reality.

And then there’s David.  David is furious but passive.  He feels the right thing. It is right to be furious about sexual assault!

But he doesn’t allow his righteous anger to move him into action.

And that’s wrong, too.

David becomes like Eli here in this story.

Remember Eli?  An okay priest but a terrible dad.  He didn’t do anything to discipline his children, and so he had to share in the consequences.

That’s wrong.

The Bible calls it like it is. Sin is sin, and it’s bad.

And it has consequences. That’s point #2.

This sordid story is in our Bibles....

#2. BECAUSE THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES.

Remember what we read on Mother’s Day?

Galatians 6? “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”

Remember, this is happening to David’s family because of what David did to and with Bathsheba and to her husband Uriah.

“The sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.”

These are consequences for those sins.

Sins are not little isolated things that don’t affect anything else.

They are significant, and they bring consequences.

Even for those that are forgiven!  Like David.

I was telling this illustration at prayer meeting on Wednesday.

When I was younger, I used to drive my Dad's copper-toned 1982 Chevy Citation with a sun-roof.

Woo!  Was that sweet ride?!  That little Citation had pick-up.  I should have had more traffic citations in that Citation than I did.

Well, it had 99,999 miles on it and then it flipped over to...what?

It's a 1982.  What did it flip over to?

Zero!  The odometer only went up to 99,999.

So, the odometer said that the car been forgiven.  Nothing on the odometer!

A clean slate. Forgiven!  Perfect.  Miles free.

But, were there still the marks of 100,000 miles on that little car?

There sure were.  And no-matter what the odometer said, there were still natural consequences that we had to accept.

It's the same in our lives.  We can be forgiven our sins where it's most important–by the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf.

But we still often have to accept some of the consequences of those sins in our lives.

Are you living with consequences?

Are you facing a temptation and need to be reminded that if you give in there will be consequences?

This sordid story is here to remind us that sin is no small thing, no insignificant thing.

More than that. Number three.

This sordid story is in our Bibles:

#3. BECAUSE THE BIBLE GIVES A VOICE TO THE VICTIMIZED.

We might not like to hear or see what a victim of sexual assault goes through, but God made sure that there was at least one story told in His Word so that victims will know that they are not alone.

And that God knows about it and cares.

And that God says that sexual abuse is wicked and wrong.

The statistics say that one in four women and one in six men have been or will be the victim of sexual assault in their lifetimes (Rid of My Disgrace, pg. 37).

So that means that several of us in this room have been sinned against in a similar way to Tamar.

Aren’t you glad, if you have to go through that in your life, that the Bible knows that it exists and names it and calls it what it is: a heinous sin?

And more than one third of all sexual attacks come from family members, too.

This chapter gives a voice to the victimized.

Tamar is the only person in this story who does what she should.

And at least part of the reason why her story is here is to say to you ladies, “It’s not your fault.”

Don’t believe the lies that your abuser told you.
Don’t believe that you are the problem if you’ve been raped.
Don’t believe that you are damaged goods, no longer good for anything but more abuse.

Seek help. Speak up. Report the abuse. Get assistance.

The Bible gives you a voice.

Here’s some more homework for you this week. This afternoon, read Psalm 10 through the eyes of a victim.
It’s about how perpetrators think and act...and what they have coming for them if they do not repent.

I’m not glad that Tamar had to go through what she went through. But I am glad it’s in our Bibles so that if precious people like you have to go through it, too, she’s there to tell you that you are not alone, and that it’s not your fault.

And that there is grace to cover your disgrace.

Because our Lord Jesus Christ knows all about disgrace.

He knows all about shame.

Nobody was ever shamed like Jesus was.

Nobody ever had shame placed upon Him like Jesus did.

And He went through that for us to lift off and wash clean the shame that others have put on us.

He doesn’t just forgive us of our sins at the Cross. He bore our shame and lifts it off of us. He gives us a new ornamented robe that is not torn. A new identity to live out of.

He accepts us. He receives us. He loves us. We are not damaged goods to Him.

We are the apple of His eye.

You are, if you are in Christ, the apple of His eye.

One more and then we’re done.

Why is this sordid story in our Bibles?

#4. BECAUSE THE BIBLE REMINDS US THAT OUR LORD IS SOVEREIGN OVER EVERYTHING.

Now, why do I say that?

Do you remember when we started that I said that the LORD is never named in chapter 13?

Thirty-nine verses and none of them contain the name of God.

So, is God absent in this chapter?  Has he gone on a vacation?

Is he taking a moment to collect Himself?

I’m sure that’s how it felt to Tamar.

But you and I know better. We know that this the sword striking this family.

We know it’s the sword of the Lord.

We know that it is consequences for David’s sin.

God is sovereign over this. It fits, somehow, into His plan.

He doesn’t like the part of the plan. He hates Amnon’s lustful violence. He hates Jonadab’s cold-blooded scheming. He hates Absalom’s murderous rage.  He hates David’s cowardly passivity.

But none of that is outside of His sovereignty.

Somehow, I don’t pretend to know how, God uses even our sinful choices to effect His sovereign purposes in the world!

It’s mysterious, but true. And I find it incredibly comforting.

Like Joseph telling his brothers, “What you intended for evil, God intended for good.”

This sordid story is in the Bible to remind me that God is sovereign over all of the sordid stories and is working them together for our good and for His glory.

How do I know that’s true?

Because of the most sordid story ever.

The most perfect person who ever lived was crucified.

He was innocent. He was holy. He was good. All good.

And they killed him. They shamed Him publically and they put Him to death.

And that most sordid story ever was part of God’s plan.

The early church said in Acts 4, “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.”

Our Lord is sovereign over everything! Even over the worst sins ever committed.

So, if you are being sinned against, take heart. God hates that sin, but it’s not out of His grasp.

If you belong to Jesus, you are in His grasp, no matter what happens to you.

And He will love you forever and ever and ever and ever and ever.

All of this will be made right and worked together for your eternal good and joy.

Trust Jesus and believe in His Lordship over the story of your life.

Because chapter 13 is not the end of the story. Revelation 22 is the end of the story!

And I’ve read the end of the story–God wins! And so do we!

***

Messages in This Series
00. "How the Mighty Have Fallen!"
01. King David
02. David's Kingdom
03. The Right Way to Worship
04. "I Will Build a House for You."
05. The Rule of King David
06. David's Scandal

Read More

[Matt's Messages] "The Right Way to Worship"

“The Right Way to Worship”
The LORD Is My Rock: The Message of 2 Samuel
March 30, 2014 :: 2 Samuel 6:1-23

Two weeks ago, David became king over all Israel.

And last week, we saw what David’s new kingdom was like: promised, powerful, and prosperous.

David’s power grew and he conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital. The City of David.

It seemed like everything David touched at that time turned to gold.

And now in chapter 6, David believes that it’s high time to bring the ark of the covenant up to Jerusalem, as well.

This is a momentous occasion, because it will bring together the monarchy, the capital city, and the center of worship all into one place.

David is trying to unite the kingdom and center it on the presence of God.

Because that’s what the ark symbolized.

You remember the ark, right?

The ark was very important in the early chapters of 1 Samuel.

And, if the scholars have it right, it’s languished in the city of Kiriath Jearim for about 60 years!

But now, David is going to do something about it.

He’s going to bring the ark up to Jerusalem. And that’s a very big deal.

We’ll see how it goes.

Now, as you can see from the back of your bulletin, I’ve entitled this message, “The Right Way to Worship.”

Because there is a wrong way and a right way to worship.

Worship is not just “as we please.”

I remember a few years ago, I was trying to help a needy person buy a new mattress. Hers was flea-bitten and nearly destroyed.

And I invited her to church here with us. And she said, “I prefer to worship God in my own way.”

And I didn’t say it then, but I thought it later, “Wouldn’t it smarter to worship God in His own way?”

I think that’s the application of this story to our lives today. It reveals the right way to worship by also showing us the wrong way.

Because David knows that this “bringing up of the ark” is a big deal and a time to worship.

2 Samuel chapter 6. Verse 1.

“David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark.”

Stop there for a second and let those numbers sink in.

David is going to bring up the ark (v.2), and he gets a group of chosen men. Thirty thousand of them.

I’ve never noticed that number before. They are not going into battle. They are going into a worship service.

They are the military procession fitting for moving the ark from one location to another.

In other words, David is “doing it” up big-time.

Because this is the “ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark.”

This is the early throne of God. It symbolizes (it’s just a symbol. We learned before that you cannot put our God in a box, but it’s a powerful symbol) of the presence of God.

He is enthroned between the two cherubim angels on top of the ark. Symbolically, he sits there and rules from between them.

This gold covered box contains the original 10 commandments (at least the second copy, the one that Moses did not smash). It includes the staff of Aaron that budded. It stands for the covenant, the relationship between God and His people. The top of it is called the atonement cover or the mercy seat.  It stands for the reconciliation that the sacrifices provide making things right between God and man.

This box is so connected to God, that it is (v.2) called by the Name.

It stands for God. It is not God, but it stands for God.

So this is a big deal. 30,000 men in a parade to bring it to its new home in Jerusalem. V.3

“They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill.”

Now, what just a second. Here’s where the story goes wrong.

It looks like David is respecting the ark. There are all of these troops. And there is a brand new cart to move the ark along.

However! Are you supposed to use a cart to move the ark?

No. The law given by God to Moses had very strict instructions, rules, for how the ark was to be transported. And it involved Levites with poles carrying it on their shoulders.

So, there is a disregard here for the law given by God. Middle of verse 3.

“Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it.

David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.”

I don’t know what a sistrum was, do you?

Whatever it is, they are rocking now!  This is a quite the worship service.

They’ve got the full band, and everybody is rocking along, singing a song, playing their instrument, giving it their all.

Have you ever been in a worship service that was really enthusiastic...

...but there was something missing?

Lots of music, even “worship music” does not equal lots of true worship.

Not if the hearts are in the wrong place.

And there is a disregard going on here for the holiness of God.

Now, you probably know what happens next.  The ox pulling the cart stumble. V.6

“When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.”

What?!

Uzzah was just trying to help!

The ark was going to fall.

But he wasn’t supposed to touch it.

And God is holy.

No matter how rocking the worship band is, if we don’t treat God as holy, then our worship is just a bunch of noise.

What’s the right way to worship?

#1. WITH HOLY FEAR.

There was plenty of warning before Uzzah’s bad choice.

The law was clear. God didn’t want anyone to die! That’s why He gave them detailed instructions about dealing with holy things.

But David’s crew ignored the instructions and Uzzah dared to grab the ark.

Now, if Uzzah loved the Lord, he went to heaven.

But you can’t just worship God however you feel like it.

We need to worship God with holy fear.

And that’s not just for Old Testament believers.

We don’t have the ark today, never mind what you see on Indiana Jones.

But we have the same God today as they worshiped then.

The New Testament says, “live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.” That’s 1 Peter 1:17. “Reverent fear.”

Hebrews 10 says, “let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” Reverence and awe.

Holy fear.

There is a lot of triviality in worship today. Treating God as a small thing, a light thing, a warm and fuzzy thing.

But we forget, to our peril, about God’s “lethal holiness.” (Dale Ralph Davis, pg. 76)

Yes, God’s wrath is consumed by the sacrifice of Christ, so there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

No, we don’t have to worry that if we somehow pray or sing wrong at church on Sunday that God will strike us dead on the spot.

But that doesn’t mean that we should call God, “The Man Upstairs” or make light of Him or treat Him as a small thing that we can safely ignore or put on the shelf between Sundays.

Or stop paying attention to what He wants.

Remember, worship is not just a Sunday thing. It’s a 24-7 thing.

We can worship Him wrongly by not treating Him as holy the other 6 days of our week.

God is not cute.

God is holy, and if we want to worship Him rightly, we will worship in holy fear.

Reverence and awe.

David got mad. V.8

“Then David was angry because the LORD's [anger] wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.”

Who’d David get mad at?

Some people think it was the LORD, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense. God is just doing what is right.

Maybe he was mad at Uzzah.

But my guess is that he was mad at himself because he knew that he was responsible.

“Oh, I should have followed the law. I should have obeyed the Lord. Oh, I should have led my team to worship with holy fear. What have I done?”

Last week, the Lord broke out against the Philistines.

Now, he’s broken out against the Israelites who have not revered Him rightly. V.9

“David was afraid [not just angry, afraid] of the LORD that day and said, ‘How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?’ [I’ve messed up.] He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.”

David is scared that he’s flunked worship for good and that the ark will never reside in Jerusalem.

And that’s a good thing.

It’s right for David to be concerned. He’s thinking now, not just feeling.

Worship is a thinking thing. It involves our feelings, but it starts with our thoughts.  What we think about God is important.

“Is God done with me now?”

The answer is no.  v.11

“The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household. Now King David was told, ‘The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.’ So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.”

He tries again.

And, this time, he does it right. V.13

“When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.”

Six steps?!  1-2-3-4-5-6. Sacrifice.

For 10 miles!

And notice that there is no ox cart. “Those who were carrying the ark.”  1 Chronicles 15 tells us that they were doing it, this time, as they should.

Taking God seriously. Worshiping with holy fear.

Is there anything you need to adjust in your worship, either on Sundays or daily, to make sure that you are worshiping with reverence and awe and not slappy dappy happy sappy?

Now, I think it’s interesting that David makes sacrifices and (v.14) dresses in linen ephod, which was a priestly kind of garment, whatever it looked like.

David is not a Levite, and he does not sacrifice in the temple. He does not act as a Levite.

Perhaps all this means is that he directed these kind of sacrifices to happen.

But I also wonder (following some stuff I read this week in the commentaries) if he didn’t see himself as a different kind of priest. Maybe like a priest in the order of Melchizedek?  As ruler of Jerusalem like Melchizedek was?  It’s possible.

We’ll see that he’s also blessing people like a priest does.

King and Priest together(?)–that has possibilities to think about.

However it works, this time it’s right. It’s reverent. And it’s also joyful. V.14

“David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.”

Verse 12 said that it was with rejoicing, and v.14 says that David danced.

I almost called this sermon, “David Dances.”

And they’re shouting. And playing the trumpets.

The worship band is rocking again! And this time, it’s right.

But somebody’s not happy about it. V.16

“As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. [She’s not going to attend this worship service!] And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.”

It must have been quite a sight to see the King of Israel leaping and dancing before the LORD as part of the procession.

What joy he was experiencing!

How he gave himself over to worship.

But Michal, his wife, despised him. V.17

“They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD.

After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty.

Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.”

It was probably the greatest worship event since at least the end of Joshua and probably since the Red Sea Rescue and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.

But David’s wife was not happy. V.20

“When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, ‘How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!’”

Was David being lewd?

I don’t think so.

He’s wearing a linen ephod and the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 15 says that he also wore linen robe.

He’s not disrobed. He’s not immodest. He’s not flashing the crowd.

But he’s not been dignified either.

At least, not dignified enough for Michal.

She’s disgusted with him because he’s not been wearing the royal robes and the crown and acting the part of the king.

Remember she learned kingship from Saul.

Notice that every time she’s named here, she’s named, not as the wife of David, but as the daughter of Saul.

She’s got her priorities in the wrong place.

What’s the right way to worship?

#2. WITH HUMBLE JOY. V.21

“David said to Michal, ‘It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel–I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.’ And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.”

David is saying, “You’ve got it all wrong, Mic.”

I wasn’t putting on a show for the girls.

I was worshiping God alone.

“I will celebrate before the LORD!”

And nothing is going to stop me.

David was worshiping with humble joy.

We can see the joy part in his dancing.

But we get the humble part by his self-forgetfulness.

He’s not focused on how he looks.

Do you ever worry about how you look when you’re worshipping?

How you look?!

Now, we should try not to distract people in corporate worship. They aren’t here to watch us.

But we aren’t here just for them, either.

We’re here for Him!

V.22. “I will become even more undignified than this.” Watch me. “And I will be humiliated in my own eyes.”

“I am just a servant. Yes, I’m the king. But I’m just the LORD’s servant.”

“And I will risk being misunderstood to worship the LORD with gladness and joy and abandonment.

And if you can’t see that, Michal, that’s your problem!

Even the slave girls of Israel will be able to see it rightly, and honor it.”

And the daughter of Saul never had a child. Judgement upon her for being too much the daughter of Saul.

Humble Joy.

Joy and gladness and rejoicing and enthusiasm–not to put on a show but because we truly have the joy of the Lord.

That’s the right way to worship.

There are people who will jump up and down and scream in their living room or on the field when their team scores a goal, but who will not even lift up their voice and sing to the God who saved them.

David worshiped with humble joy.

He knew how much He had to praise God for.

He knew how worthy God was.

And He didn’t care who saw him humble himself before the Lord.

Do we worship with humble joy?

Or are we Michal’s, judging everyone else’s worship and thinking that it isn’t quite up to snuff.

Let’s give our all to the Lord is worship.

Not just on Sunday. Worship is not just a Sunday thing.

It’s a every day thing.

Every day should be a day of humble, joyful worship of our holy God.

Psalm 2:11 says, “Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.”

That’s right.

It’s both/and not either/or.

“Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.”

Holy Fear and Humble Joy. That’s the right way to worship.

Messages in This Series

00. "How the Mighty Have Fallen!"
01. King David
02. David's Kingdom

03. The Right Way to Worship

Read More

[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

Read More

[Matt's Messages] "King David"

“King David”
The LORD Is My Rock: The Message of 2 Samuel
March 16, 2014 :: 2 Samuel 2:1-5:3

Last week, we ended one sermon series and started another. We finished 1 Samuel which is really just the first part of the big book we call Samuel.  And we started 2 Samuel, and I didn’t even know then what we were going to call this new series.

But I do now. Our series on 2 Samuel will go under the name, “The LORD is My Rock.”

Which is one of David’s favorite things to say. He says it at the end 2 Samuel in chapter 22 as a kind of summary of his life story, and he also says it again and again in the psalms.

So, that’s our title, “The LORD is My Rock.” And I hope that we all grow in our faith and confidence and ability to make that declaration ourselves because we’ve studied 2 Samuel together.

I want us each to be able to say with confidence and joy, “The LORD is My Rock!”

Now, today’s message in this new series is going to be titled, “King David.”

Because that’s what actually finally happens in our story for today.  David is Kinged!

We’ve been chasing after that for a long time, haven’t we?

Our last series was entitled, “A Heart for the Heart of God” which referenced what God thought about David’s heart.

Twenty one sermons on thirty one chapters and David was never made king.

He was anointed by Samuel. He was promised to be king by God Himself.

But he has not yet gotten there until now.

“King David.”

Now, last week, King Saul died and so did 3 of his sons, including David’s friend Jonathan.

So you might be tempted to think that David would automatically become king himself and be accepted as king by all of his fellow countrymen.  Easy peasy!

But if you thought that, you would be wrong.

David was not automatically accepted as king by all of his fellow countrymen. In fact, it was a long, convoluted process with lots of factors, lots of political intrigue, and lots of new important characters involved.

In fact, it’s a little hard to follow who’s who in these 3 chapters!

Who’s on who’s side and when?

I’ll try to make that clear as we go through this. I loved finally sorting it out for myself this week.

And the key is to keep your eye on the prize.

How does the kingdom come?

That’s the key question. How does David actually become King David?

How does the kingdom come?

And, that’s where we will find our applications for today because David’s kingdom was, in many ways, a picture, a pre-figuring picture of King Jesus’ Kingdom. The kingdom of heaven.

And there will be things we see about this kingdom that will find their fulfillment in King Jesus and His Kingdom.

Including how his kingdom came.

And so it applies to us.

Okay? Let’s dive in. Chapter 2, verse 1.

“In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. ‘Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?’ he asked. The LORD said, ‘Go up.’ David asked, ‘Where shall I go?’ ‘To Hebron,’ the LORD answered. So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David also took the men who were with him, each with his family, and they settled in Hebron and its towns. Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.”

King David!

“[T]he men of Judah came to Hebron and there they anointed [confirming] David king over the house of Judah.”

That’s exciting!

Notice, that David didn’t assume the throne. He inquired of the LORD if it was time to take up the throne.

Old Saul never did that, and ignored what God said when he did.

This shows again David’s heart for the heart of God.

“What do you want, Lord? Shall I go up?”

“Yes, go up to Hebron.”

David burns all of his bridges with the Philistines and takes up the throne of what?

Judah.

That’s the sad part about verse 4. It’s just the one tribe, Judah, that has made David king so far.

How does the kingdom come?

#1. SMALL AT FIRST.

David’s kingdom comes small at first.

He tries to grow it by reaching out to the men of Jabesh Gilead. V.5

“When David was told that it was the men of Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul [remember that last week?], he sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead to say to them, ‘The LORD bless you for showing this kindness [hesed] to Saul your master by burying him. [Good job!] May the LORD now show you kindness [hesed] and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this.

Now then, be strong and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.’”

That’s bold. He’s appealing to Saul’s most loyal subjects and inviting them to follow him.

That’s bold! David knows that he is rightfully anointed king and that he was faithful to Saul, so it just makes sense to him.

We actually don’t know whether the men of Jabesh Gilead came over at that point or not. It doesn’t say.

What it does say is that Abner and Israel didn’t. V.8

“Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel. Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. The length of time David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.”

We met this guy Abner back in 1 Samuel chapter 14. He is the cousin of Saul.

And he fancies himself a king-maker.

He makes Saul’s son (the one who didn’t die on Mount Gilboa, Ish-Bosheth “Man of Shame” not the most promising name! He makes Ish-Bosheth) the king over Israel.

So, again, these people have two kings.

One king is king by divine calling.

The other one is named king by his first cousin once removed.

How do you think that’s going to turn out?

What I want to emphasize here is that David’s kingdom comes small at first.

And so does Jesus’s Kingdom.

Jesus said that his kingdom “is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31).

He also said it was “like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Jesus’ kingdom often starts small, but it doesn’t end that way!

And I think that should encourage us when we try something for the LORD and it starts out really small.

We start a prayer initiative, and it seems so paltry.

We reach out to a neighbor, and we say, “I don’t know if that did anything.”

I had a some interactions with some people this week, and I thought, “I wonder if that did any good.” It seemed so small.

Well, that’s the way His kingdom comes. Small at first.

Don’t despise the day of small beginnings.

David may not have been king over all Israel, but he was king, finally and actually. That’s something.

God loves to work in small ways that become big.

Do you need to hear that today? I did.

His kingdom often comes small at first.

Now, here’s where it starts to get complicated, so I’m going to give you the big point up front so that you can keep your eyes on the ball.

How Does the Kingdom Come?

#2. NOT BY MIGHT.

And by that, I mean not by human ingenuity, intrigue, political wrangling, or treachery.

We’ll see a lot of that in these next few stories. God, of course, works His plan even through all of those things, but they in themeslves are not the way to get God’s kingdom to come.

Now, there are two main characters here that are the generals of the two kings’ armies.

Abner is Ish-Bosheth’s general and Joab (who is David’s nephew) is David’s general.

And here they enter into a blood feud. Verse 12.

“Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. [He’s on the move. He’s on the attack.] Joab son of Zeruiah and David's men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side. [A stand off.]

Then Abner said to Joab, ‘Let's have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.’ ‘All right, let them do it,’ Joab said. [Representative fighting. Kind of like David and Goliath.]

So they stood up and were counted off–twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.

Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger into his opponent's side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.”

You can see how this is. Blood everywhere. Israelites fighting Israelites.

Who won?

Nobody one. 24 young men are dead. More to come.  V.17

“The battle that day was very fierce, [it didn’t end with the 24. It started with them.] and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's men.

The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel. [David’s nephews. Zeruiah was David’s sister.] Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle.

He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. [Asahel figures that if he can take out the general, he’ll win the army.]

Abner looked behind him and asked, ‘Is that you, Asahel?’ ‘It is,’ he answered. Then Abner said to him, ‘Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons.’ But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

[I think Abner’s trying to get it to become a fair fight. Asahel may be fast, but Abner is better armed and more dangerous. And Abner doesn’t want to kill Asahel because he doesn’t want to get into a personal family feud with Joab or David for that matter.]

Again Abner warned Asahel, ‘Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?’  But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel's stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.”

I get the idea that Abner wasn’t trying to kill him, but it Asahel basically ran into it.

And now the blood feud begins.

[By the way, this is not the way the kingdom comes.] V.24

“But Joab and Abishai [brothers] pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon. Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill. [High ground. Tactical advantage.]

Abner called out to Joab, ‘Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?’

Joab answered, ‘As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit of their brothers until morning.’

So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, continued through the whole Bithron and came to Mahanaim. Then Joab returned from pursuing Abner and assembled all his men. [And counted heads.] Besides Asahel, nineteen of David's men were found missing. But David's men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner. [Decisive victory there.] They took Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.”

It’s not over though. Chapter 3.

“The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. [That’s important. The kingdom is coming, just slowly and piece by piece.]

Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel; his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream the son of David's wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.”

Busy guy!

I think the point of this genealogy here is to show how ascendent David is.

He multiplies heirs. His dynasty grows. His alliances grow, with other nations.

Now, that’s not to say that this was a wise strategy, making multiple marriages.

Every time in the Bible there is more than one wife, there is major strife. It may have been permissible, but it was not the ideal started in the Garden of Eden.

I don’t think we’re supposed to be proud of David’s marriages, but we are supposed to see how powerful he’s becoming.

And someone else is becoming powerful, too. And it’s not Ish-Bosheth. V.6

“During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. [He’s the power behind the throne. But the diminishing power on the throne feels threatened, so he broadcasts a sex scandal. V.7]

Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, ‘Why did you sleep with my father's concubine?’

[You’re making a play for the throne, aren’t you?]

Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said and he answered, ‘Am I a dog's head–on Judah's side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven't handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman!

May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD promised him on oath and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David's throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.’

Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.”

Oops. That didn’t work.

Now, I think that Abner is an opportunist. He isn’t looking out for David or for the LORD’s promise.

He’s looking out for Abner.

And he uses this as an excuse to defect to the other side. Maybe he can become a powerful general there.

Maybe he can bring the two kingdoms together under David and become the power behind that throne!

[By the way, this is not the way the kingdom comes.] v.12

“Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, ‘Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.’ [Alright. We can talk.]

 ‘Good,’ said David. ‘I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.’

[Why would he want Michal?

Maybe for a son. If he and Michal had a baby, the baby would be Saul’s grandson and that could unite the kingdom.

Because David was still legally Michal’s husband. V.14]

Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, ‘Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.’ [And Ish doesn’t seem able to say no to anybody.]

So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her [supposed] husband Paltiel son of Laish. Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, ‘Go back home!’ So he went back.

Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, ‘For some time you have wanted to make David your king.

Now do it! For the LORD promised David, 'By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.'’

[Abner knows the prophecies. He’s been fighting them up till now, but now he’s preaching them, because it fits his desires.]

Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin wanted to do.”

Here comes the deal. There’s a big deal in the works.

But there’s just a little problem. And it’s name is Joab. V.20

“When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men. Then Abner said to David, ‘Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a compact with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.’ So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

[Safe conduct. The deal is on.]

Just then David's men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.

So Joab went to the king and said, ‘What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone!

You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.’

Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it.

Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the gateway, as though to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.”

That’s treachery.  He had safe conduct from the king. He was in Hebron which was even a city of refuge.

But Joab was livid and vengeful.

And this puts the kingdom deal at risk, too, doesn’t it?

The northern kingdom will assume that David is behind this and back out of the deal to make him king.

But David is wise, and shows himself kingly. V.28

“Later, when David heard about this, he said, ‘I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. May his blood fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house! May Joab's house never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.’ (Joab and his brother Abishai [we find out here] murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)

Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, ‘Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner.’ [You must.] King David himself walked behind the bier. [Chief mourner.]

They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner's tomb. [He’s been on the other side until now!] All the people wept also. The king sang this lament for Abner: ‘Should Abner have died as the lawless die? Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. You fell as one falls before wicked men.’ And all the people wept over him again. Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, ‘May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!’

All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. So on that day all the people and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.

[That’s not how the kingdom will come! Murder is not the answer. That’s not how a man after God’s own heart does things!

Now, one day not too long from now we’ll see a day when David does do just that.

But that was not right. And it was not the way that the kingdom was to come. V.38]

Then the king said to his men, ‘Do you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!’”

Apparently, David didn’t think that he had enough power to execute his generals, but he did discipline them strongly, curse them, put them in their place, and ask God to bring them to justice.  In time, we’ll see how that turns out.

So, David is on the rise. Ish-Bosheth is going down. And here’s how. Chapter 4.

“When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. [What’s going to happen next?]

Now Saul's son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin-- Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin, because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day.”

Okay, these two guys.  Baanah and Recab.

But first, is Ish-Bosheth the last heir of Saul?  No, there is one more. V.4

“(Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)”

That’s a little bit of foreshadowing of a great story yet to come.

And it also shows how weak Saul’s family has become. V.5

“Now Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest. They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah slipped away. [Brave guys who kill a sleeping man!] They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.

They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, ‘Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to take your life. This day the LORD has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.’

[How do you think David is going to react?]

David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble, when a man told me, 'Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!

How much more–when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed–should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!’

So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron.”

Guys, that’s not how the kingdom comes!

That’s not how the kingdom should come!

Injustice?
Murder?
Machiavellian schemes?
Intrigue?
Politics?

No!

“Not by might, nor by power, but my Spirit says the Lord.”

That’s not how the kingdom comes.

Not Abner’s way.
Not Joab’s way.
Not Baanah and Recab’s way.

That’s not a heart for the heart of God!

How might we apply this to our lives today?

I mean, I doubt that any of us here are planning to murder anybody to bring in the kingdom. I hope not!

When Jesus stood before Pilate, he said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place" (John 18:36).

He told Peter to put away His sword and then healed that chopped off ear.

His kingdom doesn’t come through our human power plays.

The crusades in the middle ages were not the way to bring the kingdom of God to the world.

And it’s true of politics today.

Sometimes we erroneously think that if we could just elect the right people, the right godly people[!], then God’s kingdom would come right here.

Now, I’m not saying that we should try to elect godly leaders, but that’s not the way the kingdom comes.

Not where we should put our trust.

Whatever ways we try to pull a power play and use human ingenuity and fleshly wisdom to bring in the kingdom, we are short-circuiting the kingdom!

Pastors, like myself, can be tempted to manipulate people to accomplish our goals–even good goals, kingdom goals!

But we must use kingdom means to achieve kingdom goals.

Verse 9 is really key.  David says, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble.”

The LORD has saved me. He’s delivered me.

I’ve got to do things HIS WAY.

Are you doing things His way?

That’s why David cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies up on the billboards.

It was to say, “That’s not how we’re going to do things in this kingdom!”

Injustice will not reign!

We’re going to do things the LORD’s way.

He’s saved us, so we’ll let Him call the shots.

How does the kingdom come?

Not by (human) might or political power.

But...

#3.  BY THE PROMISES OF GOD.

Chapter 5.

“All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, ‘We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.'’ 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.”

The important thing to see is v.2 where the people of Israel admit that they have been wrong and proclaim that God has promised David the kingdom.

“And the LORD said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.'”

That’s how the kingdom comes.

It comes by the sure and certain promise of God.

King David!

And how much more is this true of King Jesus?

Psalm 110.

“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’” (v.1)

The LORD has promised that King Jesus will reign forever and ever.

And LORD always keeps His promises.

It may not seem like it yet.

The kingdom starts out small at first.

And it doesn’t come through our human machinations.  Our efforts.

But it’s coming. Oh, it’s coming.

You can be sure of that.

And the key is to be on the right side of that kingdom.

To trust in that King and believe that He won the Kingdom by His own blood.

And that He has been raised to indestructible victorious life.

And to lay down our arms and embrace Him as Lord.

As our Lord.

The kingdom comes by the sure and certain promises of God.

The great and precious promises of God.

Believe them. Trust them. Put your confidence in this King.

Sing with the seventh angel of Revelation 11, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

He is Lord.

Messages in This Series

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

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