Pts. 11&12, A Biblical Story - David

 
From Shepherd to King – A Story of David Pts. 11 & 12, The Biblical Story By Pastor Dan Kennedy © April 27, 2014 www.pastorkennedy.com The Lord Is My Shepherd The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23 (ESV) What impact does the life story of one person have on another? What traits of the heart characterize who a person is? Is “who we are” greater than “what we do”? o What does the world think? o What does God think? Are the purposes of our heart greater than the outward accomplishments of our life? What is God looking for in a life that truly pleases Him? How does one tell the story of the life of David? Do we focus on his exploits and trials as a young man, or his grand success as king? Do we emphasize his sin? How do we outline the travesty of David’s son, Absalom’s rebellion? Who was David and why did God declare that he was a “man after God’s own heart”? (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22) Today we are going to explore several aspects from David’s life, some of which we may know very well and some, possibly not so well. Our primary objective today, is seeking to discern David’s relationship with God and how that kind of daily relationship might affect our lives and our future. God Knew Who David was Even though it was a Surprise to his Family: A Surprise Anointing…for the Youngest Uninvited Son – 1 Samuel 16 After God had rejected King Saul because of his disobedience, the Lord sent the Prophet Samuel to Bethlehem to the home of Jesse, to anoint the future king of Israel. Samuel asked Jesse to have his sons come before him one at a time. When Eliab, Jesse’s firstborn walked in, Samuel immediately thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed,” but a classic response came back to his spirit from God. “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 Seven of Jesse’s sons came before Samuel. Jesse obviously felt his older sons were the most acceptable candidates, but God definitely had a wider perception of who David was, and who he would be. None of the older brothers were accepted as the one to be anointed, so Samuel had to ask Jesse if he had seen all of his sons. “There remains yet the youngest,” Jesse responded, “But he is keeping the sheep!” Jesse sent and brought David to Samuel. Now David was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” What does this tell you about God’s perception? What does this tell you about who David was as a young man? David faced a grossly Lopsided Challenge: A Confident Teenager who slew a Giant Warrior – 1 Samuel 17 The story of David and Goliath is known almost everywhere! It is often used to characterize a very, very lopsided mismatch where the winner overcomes amazing odds against him. Where did David find such a motivation, when the Israeli seasoned warriors around him would not even consider engaging such a match? The motivation came from David’s heart. David was a teenaged shepherd, glowing in health and love for his God, armed only with a shepherd’s slingshot, but motivated to do battle against the Philistine’s champion soldier who was defying Israel and her God. The giant Goliath was over 9 feet tall, dressed in heavy armor – his coat of mail weighed 125 pounds and the iron spearhead alone on his massive spear weighed 15 pounds. He had been trained as a fierce, coldhearted and fearless warrior from boyhood and Goliath had turned out to be the Philistine’s epitome of a Special Forces soldier. He was huge; he was muscle bound; he was mean; he had the latest and greatest weaponry and shining armor; and he was the army’s killing-machine. Just the sight of him made Israel’s whole army draw back and cower. Goliath strutted back and forth in front of Israel’s army twice a day for forty days, hurling insults at the Israelites (and their God) – calling for a champion from Israel with which to fight. The Philistine army was on one mountainside and the Israeli’s were on the opposite mountainside with the Valley of Elah in between giving a place where the armies would fight once one side or the other was provoked enough. David had been sent by his father, to the battlefront from shepherding the family’s sheep, to carry food supplies to his three older brothers who were in Israel’s army. David arrived at the camp just as the two armies lined up to face off in battle in the valley. Every day, when the armies faced off was the time when Goliath showed up strutting back and forth, cursing Israel, and ranting and raving as usual about Israel sending someone out to fight him; and, just as the Israeli’s had done twice a day previously for forty days, as soon as Goliath came out calling for someone to fight, the Israelites ran back cowering up their side of the mountain. David started asking around why someone didn’t go out and fight this heathen man who was cursing Israel and her God. The news got back to King Saul, so he called David into his war tent headquarters, looked him over, admired his courage and offered him the job of fighting this war machine. King Saul happened to be the tallest soldier in Israel’s forces and the king who was suppose to lead his forces into battle, but he was frightened too. Maybe this shepherd boy had enough courage to at least save face for the Israelites so they could get past this macho “champion” thing and the common soldier’s battle could begin…even if this kid did get killed in the mean time, as collateral damage. Saul offered David his armor, but it didn’t fit and David wasn’t used to it, so David left it in Saul’s tent, went to the creek and chose five smooth stones and relied on God and the countless hours he had spent in practicing precise, hard hitting sling shooting. After all, every army of that day had its crack units of sling shooters (Judges 20:16; 1 Chron. 12:2) – both left handed and right handed shooters, when there weren’t enough swords to go around for all the soldiers. David had prepared himself with what was needed to protect his sheep from predators – lions and bears and he had killed and driven off both with the deadly accuracy of his sling and the power of a club. This Philistine champion was only another human predator who defied God and Israel. He wasn’t going to back off. You have to admit; this teenager had the right heart, the right attitude and the right motivation. Even the king let him try – though it was a death wish! Instead, it was a death wish for Goliath. Again, Goliath cursed, sneered in contempt and swaggered toward David to crush him, but David too ran toward Goliath letting him know that defying God was absolutely wrong and that God was going to give David the victory. Arming his sling with a stone and letting it go after a furious whirl, and with a God-guided aim, the projectile sank deeply into his enemies’ forehead, seriously stunning him and crumpling him down to the dirt. David didn’t hesitate; he ran up to the massive warrior lying facedown on the ground, pulled out Goliath’s own sword, killed him and cut off his head. Both armies had been breathlessly watching the incredibly mismatched challenge; all of the men in both armies expected the same outcome, unless there was a miracle! Immediately the tables were turned with the hurling of one stone, the clumsily falling hulk of a warrior, and the slaying of the Philistine champion! The Israeli army charged after the Philistines and won a surprising and stunning victory that memorable day of war. To this day “David vs. Goliath” carries with it great meaning…one only needs mentioning the phrase and everyone understands the potential dimensions of the challenge. Qualities of David What were the qualities in this story about David that revealed qualities setting him apart as a “man after God’s own heart”? • Love and Heart for God. David had a heart and love for God – this is evident from the Psalms he wrote in context of being a shepherd watching his fathers flock. What David meditated about on those lonely Judean hills while leading his sheep, revealed the meditations of his heart focused on God. • Healthy Responses against Evil. David was incensed when God’s enemies defied God and His People. • Healthy Initiative. David took healthy initiative in responding to others about what should be done about this enemy of God…it brought him to King Saul’s tent, as the possible champion to fight Goliath – since everyone else was afraid to be the champion themselves. • No Intimidation. David was not persuaded by or intimidated by his older brothers or by the other men of the army to back off what he knew should be done (and everyone else knew too – only they were afraid to act and face the giant). • Not Prideful or over confident. The Scripture does not even hint at a prideful, over confident, or self-sufficient attitude evidenced in David. He was determined to do the right thing even if it put him in harm’s way. • Confident in God-given Ability. David used what was in his hand, which he had obviously practiced to an art. He was wise enough not to use untried weaponry or armor. • Fearlessness. David was fearless in his trust of God and went forward when he believed it was the right thing to do – no matter the consequences. • Positive. David was positive regarding the outcome, infusing confidence even in the fearful king, who authorized this teenager to fight for the whole army of Israel. What stands out as the primary quality in the life of David that would make God declare that David was a man after His own Heart? Is it not the fact that David loved God and wanted to serve Him with all of his heart, soul and mind? …What Jesus said was the First and Greatest Commandment? Now we all know that David sinned. There were times, as there are in all of us where we sin. We pay consequences for our sin…David sure did. Does that mean that he no longer was a man after God’s own heart? Well, certainly when he was sinning he was not “a man after God’s heart”, just as we are not; but, David repented, just as we need to repent. Repentance is something that God wants us all to do…which renews our relationship with God. David was a Young Man of 20 or 21 who Commanded 1,000 in the Army and was loved by all Israel 1 Samuel 18:12–16 12 Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. 15 And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them. David was an Anointed Man who Ran for His Life from Jealous King Saul, for 8 Years 1 Samuel chapters 18-31 Saul was jealous of David. It began when the women sang, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands”. Jealousy turned into rage when an evil spirit came upon Saul and he tried to kill David with his javelin. David ran for his life. As he was escaping he stopped by a town for priests and their families, called Nob. David asked for some food and any weaponry. Goliath’s sword was stored there so it was given to David. Some time later, the whole priestly town, whole families were slaughtered by Saul’s men, out of Saul’s jealous passion, because they had given help to David. David and his men ran for their lives from Saul for eight years. The first four years Saul and his men chased David through various parts of the wilderness and waste lands of Israel, the second four years David had moved outside the boarders of Israel, away from the jurisdiction of Saul, to the land of the Philistines. At first they lived in Gath, for a little over a year through the generosity and hospitality of King Achish. They then moved to Ziklag, a town Achish gave to David, his men and their families, so they could settle down. This was when David was 22-30 years old. In a battle with the Philistines Saul and his sons were killed. Judah, David’s tribe, made him king for seven and a half years, then all of Israel called David to be their king, where he reigned for another thirty-three years – for a total of forty years king over Judah and Israel. David a King who was after God’s own Heart 2 Samuel chapters 1-10 • David judged the people justly and served them honorably as king. • Those who loved God were honored; those who were wicked were punished. • He led Israel successfully against their enemies. • He established a righteous kingdom. • During David’s reign Israel’s borders were extended roughly from Egypt to the Euphrates. • David’s kingdom became exemplary among the kingdoms of the world. David’s Sins of Epic Proportions #1 The Scripture does not cover up David’s sins; neither does it whitewash his sin’s disastrous outcomes. It is frank and graphic, revealing Scripture’s trustworthiness. David’s sins have given great cause for God’s enemies to blaspheme God’s Name. David’s repentance has also given cause for all who have sinned, to example the same kind of heart-conscious sorrow, leading to honest repentance before God…not the pseudo-repentance evidenced by tearful Esau (Heb. 12:16-17). 2 Samuel 11-12 David and Bathsheba o The Crushing blow of Moral Failure • The Deceitfulness of our Human Heart Jeremiah 17:9–10 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” • The Deception of Sin • The Deepening Pit of Cover-up leading to worse sin • The Blindness of Compartmentalization • The Wake-up Call of Confrontation A Heartfelt Repentance and God’s Forgiveness Psalm 32:1–2 1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Psalm 51 For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. 1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. 14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar. The Consequences of Sin 2 Samuel 12:14 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.” Romans 2:24 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” The Rebellion of Absalom in the face of his father David. David’s Sins of Tragic Proportions #2 o Numbering the military might. The Destructiveness of Pride and the glory of Power through relying on our own massive assets. God wanted Israel to rely on Him, not on their military might. 2 Samuel 24 2 Samuel 24:9–17 9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand. 10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” 11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 12 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ ” 13 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.” 14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.” 15 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah (also called Ornan) the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family.” Upon the prompting of the Prophet Gad, David purchased the threshing floor of Araunah (Ornan) the Jebusite and sacrificed to the Lord his sin offering, to stop the plague of death on the people, because of his sin. The tragic consequences: 70,000 Israeli’s were killed by a plague. Interestingly enough, that same parcel of land – the threshing floor that became the place of sacrifice, purchased by David, became the future site of Solomon’s Temple (2 Chron. 3:1-3). Today the Muslim mosque, the Dome of the Rock now sits on that same parcel of land, and one day, the next temple built by those in Israel will be located there. For the Jewish Nation, it is the only acceptable temple site. All Jewish sacrificial offerings have stopped until the temple is rebuilt there. King David’s Eternal Heritage God promised David’s heritage to be eternal (1 Kings 9:5-7)…and it is through the Eternal King, Jesus Christ: “A Lion of the Tribe of Judah, of the Seed of David!” (Rev. 5:5) Who are we – from our heart? • Do we want to look busy and productive by doing many good and worthy things (which might be great to do) – but somehow miss the real essence of who we should be before God and others, by not living as we should before God – in our hearts? Luke 11:42 42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice, (mercy and faithfulness - Matt. 23:23) and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” Matthew 23:27–28 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. • Do we measure our success by how hard we work to achieve our goals, how much money we have in the bank, what kind of vehicle we drive, how many people we have working for us, or how many friends we have? • How do we respond when we know we have sinned against God and/or others? • How does God measure our success? • God’s measurement of David’s life was not based on his successes or failures, but on who David was –both in his successes and repentance in failures. • Has God gifted you to be successful in life, in home, in business, to be responsible and juggle many balls in the air at the same time and accomplish many goals? Then exercise your gifts – as King David did developing a wonderful and successful kingdom, responding to failure, and dealing with adversity…but primarily focus on who you are in your relationship with God, through each dynamic of life. Guard your heart! • The Importance of the Final, “Well Done!” A person who is seeking God from his or her heart becomes more concerned with what God is going to say to them when he or she comes before Him, than what the circumstances around them may be…for good or ill. Matthew 25:21, 34 “…Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” Do we love God and want to serve Him with all of our heart, soul and mind? Do we love others, as we ourselves? Our Heart is the Central Issue of Success in God’s Eyes! Luke 6:45 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23 http://www.pastorkennedy.comshapeimage_1_link_0