2 Samuel 23
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
Amen. Man, I had to sit reflectively, thinking about all the people of impact in my life and the history and the churches. To be thankful for how God works in our lives is a wonderful thing. We are in 2 Samuel 23. Guys, we are almost there. Next week is the last week in 2 Samuel. So we made it.
We've been in the epilogue. So 1 and 2 Samuel, as we've said, is all one book. We've got to divide it into two books over time. And we're in the epilogue. We're in the final few chapters that function a little bit differently, that are not exactly chronological. They're picking up different themes as it's wrapping up the life of David.
And in this final part, it's structured in a way that's really exciting if you get into the text and see what's happening. And I want to explain to you what's happening. And I have to use a word that may not be familiar. It's called a chiasm. All right?
Get excited. All right? Because the whole last few chapters functions chiastically. Now, to explain what a chiasm is, I want to talk to you about sandwiches. So chiasms function quite a bit like sandwiches.
Okay? When you build a sandwich, you've got the outer layers that mirror each other. That's the bread. Okay? Then the next layer, it mirrors each other.
And that's the condiments. But that middle layer is where the meat is found. Okay? And a sandwich is not a sandwich without meat. You go to Subway and you get a Veggie Delight. You throw that immediately in the trash.
It's not worth it. Okay? So the meat is the main substance of it. And that is how chiasms function. I want to show you the last three chapters of what's happening here. Because sometimes we think that the ancients, that they were not all that smart, they were brilliant.
And God used their brilliant minds and inspiring scripture to write these in that help explain what's going on. So here's how the last three chapters function. So we already saw this in chapter 21, verses 1 through 14. Israel suffers famine because of Saul's really a failure in leadership. Okay? But then next week, as we close it out, we're going to see that Israel suffers pestilence because David numbered the people.
That's the census. So that's the outer layer. That's the bread. Okay? Those mirror each other. Then you've got the next layers.
Okay? B, we've got this David's mighty men kill the giants. Okay? And that's 21:15 through 22. What's the back part of ours today in chapter 23 is David's mighty men and their deeds. So the mighty men, that's the mirroring there.
But it gets to the meat. And that, interpretation-wise, is the main substance of what's happening here. These final few chapters come together and they really center on these few sections. So Matt led us through David's song of deliverance last week. And the beginning of chapter 23 today is David's final song. And it's his last words.
And these together form the substance, the really meat of these final few chapters. And that's where we land today. So chapter 23 is a little interesting to walk through because we've got two kind of different parts. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to take it out of order, in reverse order. We're going to start with the mighty men because that's not the main substance of these chapters.
And we're going to walk through that. Then we're going to come back to the very beginning, verses 1 through 7. And we're going to walk through these final words of David. And as we walk through and spend most of our time in David's final last words, we're going to see why they are significant and how they come to pass. So let me pray for us and then we'll get going.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word. I thank you that it is a gift to hear what you have to say, the eternal truths of scripture. God, I pray you'd open our hearts to receive this. We seek to understand your word and apply it in our lives. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, before we get going, I'm realizing that my phone is on me.
Brandon, catch. There we go. I almost never do that, but I felt it buzz and I was like, oh, that's a problem. All right, here we go. So verse 8, so this is on page 315 in those black Bibles so you can follow along with us.
We're going to start in 8. So before I can set up this mighty men list, you might come across lists in the Bible and wonder, why is all this here? Why do we have all these names? You might be guilty of just saying, ooh, a bunch of names. Skip, which we've all done. Okay?
Let me tell you why it's important and why God actually inspires texts like this that have value. First, history matters. Okay? The history of God's people, their story, the history of redemption. These names are attached to real situations amongst in the scripture. Okay?
So that's firstly why it matters. But second, more directly to these mighty men right here, is that these are men that laid their lives down for David. Okay? They fought and laid down their lives for David. David trusts the Lord. He is God's anointed king.
So what's happening here is that they are courageous in trusting this king who trusts their God. So all the battles, all the fights just kind of shows they are courageous and God works through it in some pretty mighty ways. So this list of mighty men is broken down into two main sections. The first is a section of men called the three, which is a pretty memorable nickname. The three. This is his top three warriors.
So we're going to read some stuff, some stories about them. Then the rest of it is the 30. Now, when you get to the end, you realize there's more than 30. There's a reason for that. Because it's his top 30 warriors. And it functions a little bit like the top 25 in college football.
Okay? In an even football season, you're going to have 40 or so teams that end up in that top 25. Because some are going to win and get in. And some are going to lose. And they're going to come out. The Gamecocks, every now and then when they make the top 25, we get excited and hopeful.
I don't know why. Because history should teach us. And then they're gone. Because Vandy or Kentucky or Tennessee or just someone takes us out. So there are people that made the top 30 list.
But then they died. And they opted out. So 37 people on that list. So let's walk through this list of mighty men. Starting in verse 8. These are the names of the mighty men whom David had.
Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite. So just preface, you guys. You're going to hear a lot of names. And some of them are quite difficult to pronounce. So Josh from T-Town.
He was the chief of the three. He wielded his spear against 800 whom he killed at one time. So chief of the three. And how you make top three. Because you're so courageous. That with one spear and a battle, you kill 800 men.
So that's the kind of action that you're going to see in these top three guys. Then we have verse 9. And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar, the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when he defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle. And the men of Israel withdrew. So he's fighting.
The Israelites retreat. And he's alone. Verse 10. He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary. And his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day.
And the man returned after him only to strip the slain. So he defends this area just himself and a sword. You know how sometimes when you're sword fighting and your hand is super tired because you've been swinging it all day. And you're just like it's just cramped. You know? No.
This is we type in cramped. But this guy, sword, becomes his hand basically and just takes out a bunch of guys. And they come back probably wondering, oh, I guess he didn't make it. No, he's still alive. And it says the Lord worked a great battle and a great victory through him. So then we've got verse 11.
And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi where there was a plot of ground full of lentils. And the men fled from the Philistines. So again, got a mighty warrior here. The Philistines are coming. His men retreat.
Verse 12. But he took a stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines. And the Lord worked a great victory. So then we have this guy, Shammah, who he obviously cares about private property. Stands his ground in the middle of the plot full of lentils, which you may wonder why Middle Easterners love lentils. They do.
So much so that in ancient times they would defend the ground in which they were growing. But he defends the ground and he stands his ground against the Philistines and he defeats them. And again, they come back and he is one. And it just shows the great courage that these men displayed and the great victory that God works through them. So there's three individual stories about the three.
Now we get one collective story about the three, starting in verse 13. And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. And David said longingly, Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate. Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew out water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried it and brought it to David.
But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord and said, Far be it from me, O Lord, that I shall do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives? Therefore, he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did. So I preached on this in 2020 at our Give Series.
This story is just a wild moment in the Old Testament. Because David, at this point, the Philistines, they're holding his hometown Bethlehem. And he just expresses a desire. Oh, nostalgically. If I could just drink of the water from the well that I used to drink that was so good. And his three mighty men hear that and they say, Done.
And they go. They break through enemy lines. They go and they get water. They risk their lives. They bring it back to him. And they give it to David.
And David takes it. And he goes, Oh. And pours it out. And when you read it, you're like, That seems very inconsiderate. They risked their lives to get you some water. And you pour it out to the ground.
But when you dig into it, it's beautiful. Because what he does is so holy. He says, This water was risked with the blood that was shed. The lives that were risked to get this from me is not. I'm not worthy of this. And he pours it out as an offering to the Lord.
And it's just a beautiful story of how God, how David was wholly devoted to God. And worship of him, like pouring out a drink offering before him. So, that's the three. Now we're going to get into the 30. And there's a couple of guys in the list of the 30. That, you know, they're not quite the three.
But they are kind of well known amongst the 30. So, starting in verse 18. Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the 30. And he wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them and won a name beside the three. He was the most renowned of the 30 and became their commander. But he did not attain to the three.
So, Abishai, we've read him already. He's the brother of Joab. And he is mighty. And he kills 300 men. I don't know if there was a threshold of men you had to kill with a spear. It wasn't 800.
So, he doesn't make the three. He's renowned amongst the 30. But he's not the three. But that is Abishai. And he becomes a commander at one point of the army. Then, verse 20, we have a second guy.
You might be wondering, what.s an Ariel? I thought that was a mermaid. It's not. Ariel, and the best we can make of the original word, is a lion of God. So, it's a courageous warrior. So, these would probably be the two most courageous warriors of Moab.
So, he strikes them down. He says, he also went and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. Verse 21. And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. Which, again, some of the details here. I just, I don't know why I had to mention that he was handsome.
But he was. Maybe his eyes were dreamy. And they just got lost in him. And that's why he was very good. But that's it.
The Egyptian, a handsome man. And it continues. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand. But Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. These things Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, did and won a name beside the three mighty men. He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three.
And David set him over his bodyguard. So, Benaiah eventually becomes the bodyguard of David. And one of the things that's significant about Benaiah is that we've kind of, we've seen this, if you've been walking with us through 2 Samuel, that Joab, who is a commander of the army for much of David's reign, is pretty wicked. He murders, he assassinates, he does great evil. And there's this kind of wondering, is he going to get what's coming to him? Like David's, you know, basically, there's some hints that's like, is this, is he, is judgment going to come on him for all of his wicked ways?
And when Solomon takes the throne, he does. And Benaiah is the one who delivers that justice. And the blood guilt is absolved because of Benaiah and his mighty actions against the ruthless Joab. So, all right, we're going to finish this out. And I'm going to read verses 24 through 38 to list, to go through this list of names. And I'm going to do this in solidarity with every one of you that has been in group, and you volunteered to read a section, and all of a sudden you got in too deep, and there are so many names, and you're like, oh, I can't get back out now.
And you fought your way through it. This right here is probably the most compact list of difficult names in the Bible. So, here it is. This is the rest of the mighty men. Verse 29. Here we go.
Here we go. These names are worth reading because we remember the people who fought to establish the kingdom of God. These are men that were brave in their actions. They defended and established David and his throne, and they were devoted to David as he was devoted to his God. So, that is this section of these courageous men. Now, I want to go back to what is the meat of these chapters and look at David's final words.
Now, here's what a really fun surprise is. Have you ever eaten a sandwich? And then all of a sudden, maybe you went to a restaurant, and they cut it in half, and they kind of split it in half, so you could see it with the fries in the middle, and then you look inside the sandwich, and there's a sandwich inside the sandwich. You ever been there? Right? You feel blessed.
You get a sandwich within a sandwich. You're like, I don't know what I did to deserve this. That's us this morning, you guys, because we have a sandwich within a sandwich. We have a chiasm and a chiasm. Okay? So, let me explain the structure real quick, because this final speech that David gives us is a song.
It's poetic, and it's also chiastic. And understanding the interpretation of it as a chiasm is actually quite important. So, I'm going to throw this up here. Here's the structure of this sandwich within a sandwich. We've got David speaks in third person at the top in verse 1 and at the bottom. Now, the difference is when we get to verse 6 and 7, he's going to shift from himself to evil men.
And the B, this middle part, is David. Dan, you can, don't highlight those yet. We'll go back to them in a moment. David speaks in first person. That's going to be verses 2 through 3A. And then we're going to see it again in verse 5, which means that middle part.
This is why this interpretation of help matters. When the Lord speaks, this is like the centerpiece of this passage. Okay? So, that's what we're about to see as we walk through this. So, let's work through this and understand the substance of David's last words. Verse 1.
Now, these are the last words of David. Okay. Before we get into this, let's just pause for a moment. It is significant to receive someone's final words. Okay? It's a gift.
To be able to hear the final words are important. They have weight. I remember in college when my Grammy was dying, I realized that I wasn't probably going to be there for the very final moments. So, when she was in the hospital, I wanted to go and visit her. And I knew that this was going to be my last time to talk to her. So, I went in.
And I was an adult at this point finally. And I just got to talk to her. And I got to ask her all kinds of questions about life, about the best parts of life, the difficulties, regret, all of it. I had this adult conversation that is so precious to me that I'll never forget. And it's because final words have weight. They have significance.
This is what you're trying to give someone before you depart this world. And David, as we're going to see, is giving what is his people, but more specifically, is his future sons and grandsons who are going to take the throne. That he's giving them wisdom that they should keep. So, it says at the very top, David speaks in third person. This is the part that we're going to be in first. The oracle of David, the son of Jesse.
The oracle of the man who was raised on high. The anointed of the God of Jacob. The sweet psalmist of Israel. Okay. So, oracle is not a word that we are maybe familiar with. It's a word that often when it shows in the scriptures, it applies to God.
But when it applies to man like this, this is a prophetic word that God has given to man that, specifically here, David is declaring. Okay. Now, in a moment, we're going to see what that prophetic word is. That's the meat of this. But that's what that oracle part means.
And there's just some nods here to David, a man who was raised on high. Remembering his life and how he was raised from a lowly shepherd up to being king. David calls him the sweet psalmist. That's language for the great songwriter of Israel. He's the greatest songwriter of Israel. Honestly, probably the most renowned songwriter of all time.
If you think about how the Psalms have impacted so many songs in Christian worship and also Western literature. He is the most probably famous songwriter of all time. The sweet psalmist of Israel. So, the first layer. Here's the second layer. David speaks in first person.
The spirit of the Lord speaks by me. His word is on my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken. The rock of Israel has said to me. So, this is David saying that the Holy Spirit, the spirit of God has given him these words. This comes from the God of Israel, the rock, the foundation.
And that sets up this central message, the meat of this section in the middle where the Lord speaks. So, this is where we're going to spend most of our time. When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. And that is the centerpiece of this section. And it's something that I want us to spend some time in because what he's articulating for his son and his grandson and his great-grandsons to remember and for the people of God to remember is that godly leadership embodies two main qualities.
The first, that he ruled justly. The second, that he feared God. So, I want to spend some time in those ideas. That's what godly leadership looks like. Ruling justly, fearing God. Let's take that first one.
To rule justly. God cares deeply about justice. You can't read the scriptures. You can't walk through the Old Testament and not see this over and over and over again. That God wants his people to be a people of justice and righteousness. In Deuteronomy the Law, in chapter 16, verses 18 to 20, this will be on the screen.
It says, You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God has given you. And according to your tribes, they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. And you shall not accept a bribe. For a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.
Justice and only justice you shall follow that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you. And it's just, that theme is all over the law and the prophets. As they're setting up a nation and all the Judges in the land. So you're going to rule justly. Be a people of justice. Don't accept bribes.
Don't be greedy and accept bribes. Don't pervert justice. Don't show partiality and choose your favorites. Do what is right. Do what is just. Because here's something.
Listen. It's very clear in the scriptures and it's very clear in real life. That leadership has great power to have good impact in people's lives when it's wielded justly. And when it's not, it has devastating impact. To hurt people. It functions a little bit like dynamite.
With dynamite, you can blow open a mine where you can mine precious jewels and minerals. Or when it's used badly, it can level a city block. So leadership matters. And God wants just leadership for his people. In Deuteronomy chapter 27, 19, it says, Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. And there's curses handed down for those who pervert justice to the sojourner, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.
Jeremiah picks up on this as all the other prophets do. It says, Thus says the Lord, Do justice and righteousness and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. And you see this over and over and over again. That God wants his kings and rulers to have power that is wielded justly. To make their nation a place where the vulnerable are protected.
And the kings of Israel were to ensure this. But y'all, this matters. At every level. That the heart of this and the law shows up in the New Testament as well. That this is how we are to be a people that think and act justly. Because here's the deal.
It's easy to critique a lack of justice when we see it. It's easy in this day and age to look at political leaders, the kings of our time, the rulers of our time. And to point out when they're acting unjustly. It's easy to see when they don't care for the vulnerable. When it comes to the lives of unborn children that have been systematically slaughtered for decades. And leaders have both allowed this and incentivized this in wicked ways.
And it's easy from the scriptures to critique the injustice that I see very present in this moment. Where the foreigner among us has just the attitudes towards them has been vile. And the attitudes towards the foreigner in this country have been wicked in so many ways. And you can look at the scriptures and look at our leaders and say, Look at all the ways in which their ruling and their attitudes are wicked and unjust without actually beginning to look in the mirror ourselves. Because leadership at every level matters. And God is not okay with all types of injustice.
Especially when it's given to us and how we should answer for the things that we do. Because we can all day look at D.C. and the things that happen there. And the cesspool that it is. The insider trading. The bribes that are taken. Without ever looking in the mirror.
We can say they're thieves. The D.C. is full of thieves. But without ever looking and thinking. What are the ways in which we steal? Do you order water from a fast food restaurant and go and get a soda? Because the same heart that is bound up in that is bound up in the things that our leaders do.
That stealing music or movies or games or software. Is stealing. Cheating on our taxes. And we like to think that if we ever got power we would never do the same. Without ever looking in the mirror. That we should consider the power that we've been given on our own local level.
Because we don't think about that. We don't think that we've been given power. But we have. God entrusts power to us in a variety of ways. If you have children. You've been given dominion and power in your home.
And are we using that rule that God has given us for good? Or are we complaining about our kids? Are we belittling them? Are we failing to lead them? Are we failing to discipline them? That if you're a boss.
Do you have the kind of workplace. Where your employees are treated well. Or do you mistreat. The employees that work under you. If you're a shift leader. Do you demean your subordinates?
And when you think about. The neighboring that God calls us to be as good neighbors. Do we neglect the elderly. The widow. The mentally disabled. The weak.
And the vulnerable. Those are things worth evaluating in our own hearts. Because here's the deal. If we will be a people. With what God has given us. If we will rule justly.
I mean. If you look at verse 4. This is what a just ruler does. For the nation of Israel. He dawns on them like the morning light. Like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning.
Like rain that makes grass sprout. To sprout from the earth. That right there is the language. It's ancient near eastern language. For fertility in the land. For blessedness.
And it's like if you're ruling justly. You bless. The area. The people in which you lead. And we should think about that. That as parents.
That we have the blessedness. And the ability to guide our children. The ways of eternity. And wonderful ways. That bosses. You can make your businesses.
A rewarding place to work. The kind of place where. Your employees. Show up to work. And they feel fulfilled. With the good work that God has given them.
And they go home. Happy to see their families. That husbands. That we can lead our. Lead and love our wives. In gentleness.
In a way that allows them to flourish. That those of you that are teachers. You can be the kind of teacher. That you always grew up wanting to be like. The kind of teacher that. That shaped you intellectually.
Morally. Wonderfully. That those in our health profession. Doctors and nurses. That you can. Patiently heal.
Broken sufferers. Who I know. Will lash out at you. And I know will malign you. And I know. Some of them will try to sue you.
But you can do so. In a way. Remembering that Jesus Christ. Heals us. Even when we are. Evil towards him.
You see how this works. We can act justly. And we can bring. Order to chaos. In wonderful ways. We can be like the warm sun.
Like the rains in the field. We should be a people. Immersed. And what God calls us to be. Is a people. Who are just.
Second. The second quality of leadership. That is displayed here. Is he must be God. Fearing. That David.
Prophetically from the Lord. Is calling his line. To fear. The Lord. So. Some people.
Have an aversion. To this phrase. Fear the Lord. And I've heard people go. Well actually. What's happening here.
Is this is more. Reverent. Worship. And what they're trying to do. Is strip away. The actual fear.
Aspect of it. Now. I can meet them. Where they're at. Because. Fear.
Fearing the Lord. Is reverent worship. But there's a reason. That fear the Lord. Is one of the most. Consistent commands.
In all of the scriptures. It's a reason. Why it's a part of our reverent worship. It is because. Creatures. His creation.
Should fear. The awesome power. Of God. And that power. Is not just. Exemplified.
In his fierce love. But it's also. Displayed. In his. Fierce wrath. Towards.
Sin. So. Evan. Bud. Is. One of our.
Members here. He's a group leader. Not going to point him out. But he's also a zookeeper. At Riverbank Zoo. And if Evan ever looked at me.
And said. You know what. I want you to come. Wednesday morning. Before the. Before the zoo opens.
I'm going to give you the behind the scenes tour. First off. I'd take it. I'd do it. Just put that out there. But second.
If he took me. And we got to see all the different animals. And I got to hold a koala. And do all the things. And then we got to the lion pit. And then he pushed me in the lion pit.
And locked the door behind me. And I turned around. I see his. Evil face. Which would be. So shocking.
Because he's one of the nicest guys you will meet. The first thing that I would fear. Or the first thing that I would feel. Is not. Betrayal. But it's fear.
Because. In the face of lions. As an unarmed man. There's no shot. Those lions will tear me to pieces. In a matter of seconds.
Because fear. Is an appropriate reaction. To a force. That is vastly superior. In size. Scope.
Power. And might. So. I should be fearful. When I stand before lions. So yes.
Fear. Is reverent worship. But. If you study. The original Hebrew. And then you get into the real.
Correct. Correct. Translation of it. What it means is. Fear. To be afraid.
To be fearful of. And the reason. That that is important. Because as God's creatures. We. Pale.
In comparison. To him. Because of the size. Scope. Power. And might.
The discrepancy between us and a lion, and us and God, is greater.
And more infinite. So we should fear. The power. Of God. And that's important. For his kings.
To understand. And. The question is. Okay. Well then. How.
Do his kings. And how do those in leadership. Fear the Lord. We obey. What he commands. We take.
We take sin. Seriously. And we obey. What he commands. Because part. Of godliness.
Is fear. The Lord. Proverbs 16. 6 says. By steadfast. Love.
And faithfulness. Iniquity. Is atoned for. And by the fear. Of the Lord. One turns away.
From. Evil. That part of the way. That we grow. In Christ likeness. Part of the way.
That we grow. To be more like him. Is that we fear. The power. Of God. The Puritan Thomas Watson.
From centuries ago. Once talked about this. And he described. Fear the Lord. As an embankment. That keeps out water.
So the fear of the Lord. Keeps out. Uncleanliness. And what he was illustrating there. Is that fear the Lord. Creates an embankment.
That keeps out. Polluted waters. From coming in. And. I so appreciate. That imagery.
Of helping us. Realize. That. Fearing the Lord. And obeying. What he commands.
Is what keeps. Sin. From invading. In our lives. That when we. Understand this.
The commands of God. Don't become. Just. Neat. Sayings. They don't become.
Light rules. That we can choose. To follow. To pick up. Or leave. When we understand.
Whom. They come from. That they are thundered. From a mighty. Awesome. Powerful.
God. Who upholds. The universe. Every atom of it. Simultaneously. Every moment.
Of existence. When we understand. The scope. And the size. And the glory. And the power.
And the might of God. When he speaks. We step. And fearing the Lord. Matters. Especially.
For kings. Who have so much power. That in a moment's notice. They can snap their fingers. And get whatever desire. They delight.
So they're to fear. Him. And the application of that. For us. Is that we should be a people. In the phases of life.
That we get to lead. That we should be a people. Who rule justly. And who fear. The Lord. Now.
Let's finish out this. Part of his. Final words. The rest of this. Chiastic. Poetic song.
In the next section. Where David speaks. In first person. It says. For. Does not my house.
Stand so with God. For he has made. With me. An everlasting covenant. Ordered in all things. And secure.
For he will not. Cause to prosper. For will he not. Cause to prosper. All my help. And my.
Desire. And that right there. Is a nod. To his. The covenant. That David.
Has made. With God. With the Davidic covenant. We read about. In second. Samuel seven.
And there's this. Hopefulness in it. That as he remembers. The covenant. That God has made. With David.
And his line. That the kings. That will be on the throne. For eternity. There's this hopefulness. Will he not.
Cause to prosper. You see his hope. And his desire. And that's contrasted. With the final part. Of his.
Final words. Where David. Speaks in third person. About evil men. In verses six and seven. But worthless men.
Are all like thorns. That are thrown away. For they cannot be taken. With the hand. But the man.
Who touches them. Arms himself. With iron. And the shaft. Of a spear. And they are utterly.
Consumed. With fire. His hopefulness. Of David's throne. Was going to endure forever. Not like.
The worthless men. Who can't be handled. As like thorns. They must be handled. With force. With spear.
With fire. And that's how it ends. This call. For his line. To rule. Justly.
To fear. God. As the line. Of David. Continues to rule. Now.
He says this. And then. First Kings. Chapter two. He passes away. We won't read this.
Because we're going to stop. In second. Samuel 24. But I just want to go there. To complete the story. Says.
Then David. Slept with his fathers. And was buried. In the city of David. At the time. That David reigned.
Over Israel. Was 40 years. He reigned. Seven years. In Hebron. And 37 years.
In Jerusalem. So Solomon sat. On the throne. Of David. His father. And his kingdom.
Was firmly established. And that. Kingdom. Was firmly established. Is this hope. That with the Davidic covenant.
These kings. Are going to reign. And reign. And it's going to be filled. With justice. And kings who fear the Lord.
But if you've been with us. For the last few months. What have we seen? That. Doesn't. Happen.
Solomon. Towards the end of his reign. Goes astray. Then King Rehoboam. And it all falls apart. And there's this.
Longing. For this king. That's going to fulfill this. For a king. That's going to come. Who will rule justly.
Who will obey. The commands of God. The father. And as we've said. Over and over again. The fulfillment of all of this.
Is Jesus Christ. That Jesus Christ. Comes. And in Matthew 12. He's described as one. Who will not break.
A bruised reed. Who will not quench. A smoldering wick. That he's going to. Help. The weak.
He's going to be patient. With them. It talks about. In Matthew 12. That he'll bring justice. To victory.
And then Christ displays. Perfect. Justice. And righteousness. Over and over again. That the son of David.
Who fulfills. Every command. Of God. The father. Who's obedient. To him.
With every single stroke. Of the Old Testament law. To the point. Of obedience. Even death. On a cross.
That Jesus Christ. Goes to the cross. And dies. For unjust people. Who do not fear him. And in a few weeks.
We're going to be in the book of Acts. And very quickly. We're going to see what happens. After he's resurrected. That at the ascension. Jesus Christ.
Rises to the right hand of God the Father, initiating the kingdom of God and his church, which should display his righteousness and his justice and be a people who fear him and obey what he commands. Jesus Christ. Is the fulfillment. Of 1 and 2 Samuel. He is the true.
And better David. He is the only king who rules justly in a world full of rulers and kings.
Who do not rule justly. At all. That he is a king. To be feared. To be obeyed. To form the embankments.
In our hearts. That help us stay. On the path. Towards righteousness. In him. Jesus Christ.
Is worthy. Of our fear. And our awe. And our surrender. And our worship. And our obedience.
And our lives. And as we sing. This final song. In worship today. Some of us may have. Many of us may have.
Business to do with our king. And I pray that we would. That we would not be. Just hearers of the word. But we be doers of the word.
That we would consider. The commands. That we need to obey. The sins that we need to be. Repenting of. The fear that is owed.
The worship that is given. And the hearts that should be. Surrendered. Let's pray. Heavenly Father. We thank you for.
Your word. The complexities of it. The difficulty of it. That you might go to work. And our hearts. That we might be a people.
Who embody. Your perfect justice. That we might. Reflectively consider. The ways in which we should. Repent.
The ways in which we should. Shift our lives. The ways in which we should. Fear you. And adore you. And love you.
And behold you as mighty. And therefore the commands. That we are to obey. Lord may you give us grace. For our ways in which we fail. Spirit may you work.
In our hearts. In our lives. Empower us to be. The men and women. Of God. That you called us to be.
And may that. Be. The reason. That we sing. To your glory. In Jesus' name.
Amen.