Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / 2 Samuel 5 (Part 1) Bible Study | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Transcript

2 Samuel 5 (Part 1) Bible Study | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

• 0:03
  I'm eager to get into the ward with you.
• 0:05
  And so, would you meet me in second Samuel chapter 5?
• 0:12
  It's been two weeks since we've come to this book.
• 0:17
  And so, I'm especially excited to return to this text with you.
• 0:21
  Meet me in second Samuel chapter 5 and when I hear the rustling
• 0:25
  of the leaves, cease will pray. Lord.
• 0:38
  We thank you for another Friday night for you have in your
• 0:43
  sovereignty allowed us to be in this place.
• 0:46
  Lord, it was our desire but more importantly it is your will for
• 0:50
  us to be in your house at this time.
• 0:53
  And will we recognize that? And we are overwhelmed by the
• 0:55
  privilege of being able to receive spiritual food for our
• 1:00
  souls. And Lord, we ask that there
• 1:03
  would be life in the delivery of this study.
• 1:08
  And they're also being openness in the reception of every word
• 1:11
  that you have prepared for us, Lord, cancel every distraction
• 1:16
  externally internally and Lord, would you subdue anything that
• 1:20
  would try to exalt itself above or against the knowledge of God?
• 1:26
  We want to be molded and shaped into the very image that you
• 1:31
  that you have predestined for us that is our longing and our
• 1:35
  yearning. Thank you.
• 1:37
  That that desire? Loan is a miracle, granted by
• 1:40
  the Holy Spirit we are fully aware that.
• 1:43
  We are a product of your grace and power.
• 1:45
  Now Lord made that Grace and power continued as you sanctify
• 1:49
  us more and more in Jesus name. Amen.
• 1:55
  For quite some time. You and I have been studying the
• 1:57
  life of David carefully throughout the scriptures as we
• 2:02
  have taken the time to pause at almost every episode, that would
• 2:08
  try to record this man's dramatic Journey to the throne
• 2:11
  of Israel. And so much has been learned
• 2:15
  already from the days of David as a humble Shepherd boy, in his
• 2:20
  father's field. It was no small Expedition from
• 2:24
  his days of his first encounter with the prophet Samuel to the
• 2:27
  establishment of his government in the city of Hebron.
• 2:31
  But what felt so far? And what seems so long is now
• 2:36
  here? Meaning as we open to this
• 2:38
  chapter you and I are really standing at the threshold of the
• 2:42
  Fulfillment. Of the prophetic call over
• 2:46
  David's life. You have to remember that David
• 2:50
  was called to be the king of all of Israel.
• 2:52
  And at this moment, he's about to be recognized and he's about
• 2:55
  to be crowned as such. And this is really a David's
• 3:01
  third and final anointing David's life is made up really
• 3:06
  at their Monumental things throughout his life, but there
• 3:09
  are three anointings that David experience throughout his life.
• 3:13
  The first one was a private anointing.
• 3:16
  It was performed by Samuel at the house of Jesse.
• 3:18
  David's, father. The second anointing was a
• 3:21
  public anointing. It was the anointing that took
• 3:24
  place with the tribe of Judah, his Kinsman, where he became the
• 3:29
  ruler at Hebron. And now we come to the third and
• 3:32
  final anointing which I would refer to as the Pinnacle
• 3:36
  anointing. So you have the private, you
• 3:38
  have the public and now you have the Pinnacle, you have the
• 3:41
  climax so to speak of Is call where he is now going to be
• 3:46
  designated the ruler over every tribe of Israel.
• 3:50
  Which was in fact, God's Will from the beginning.
• 3:53
  And so as we arrived here to this chapter, we are really
• 3:56
  coming to a new chapter in David's life, and it is no small
• 3:59
  chapter up to this point. You and I got a glimpse of the
• 4:04
  humble Shepherd, boy, the son of Jesse, unknown unnamed unsung
• 4:08
  hero. And then we saw David Elevate as
• 4:11
  the servant of Saul A particular honor was given to him a
• 4:15
  particular promotion was given to David.
• 4:18
  And he went from the servant of Saul to the hero of Israel.
• 4:23
  Celebrity praise adored love cherished and he went from being
• 4:28
  the hero to The Fugitive of Israel unjustly.
• 4:33
  He was exiled, he was driven out of his home out of his, his work
• 4:38
  out of his familiarity Into the Wilderness.
• 4:40
  And from there, we know that through series of events, he
• 4:43
  Came the king of Judah and now we will see him as the king of
• 4:48
  Israel from this moment on for the rest of our study, in this
• 4:50
  book you and I will be whole just that we will examine the
• 4:53
  life of David in the position that God had ordained for him,
• 4:58
  the ruler and the leader of this chosen people.
• 5:03
  And it is in the first five verses of chapter 5 where we're
• 5:05
  going to spend our study. There's a lot of verses here.
• 5:08
  I thought we were going to go longer but as I study, I thought
• 5:10
  you can't pass these five verses at least in my eye.
• 5:13
  Estimation and what these five verses really served is as a
• 5:17
  really a summary of David's inauguration into this new role.
• 5:22
  But this summary, listen should not be skimmed over.
• 5:25
  Because if you and I have the discipline and the desire to
• 5:29
  know what God will say, he has much to say in these verses that
• 5:33
  we would think are just transitional and so let's read
• 5:36
  these verses. First one, then all the tribes
• 5:40
  of Israel came to David. I'd had Braun and said, behold
• 5:44
  we are your bone and flesh in times past when Saul was King
• 5:48
  over us, it was you who let out and brought in Israel.
• 5:52
  And the Lord said to you, you shall be Shepherd Of My People,
• 5:56
  Israel, and you shall be Prince over Israel.
• 5:59
  So all the Elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron and King.
• 6:02
  David made a covenant with them at have brown before the Lord
• 6:04
  and they anointed David King over Israel.
• 6:08
  David was 30 years old when he began to Reign and he reigned 40
• 6:12
  years at Hebron. He reigned over Judah, seven
• 6:15
  years in six months and had Jerusalem, he reigned over all
• 6:19
  Israel and Judah, 33 years You have your Bibles.
• 6:25
  Look at the first verse, and in the first verse, I argue that
• 6:29
  there are at least two things that we can learn One deals with
• 6:33
  a commendation of David. The other deals with a
• 6:36
  condemnation of the general population.
• 6:40
  One is a scornful thing concerning the Israelites and
• 6:45
  one is a praiseworthy thing concerning The Man David, let's
• 6:48
  deal with the condemnation of Israel.
• 6:51
  Notice here that some time has passed between David.
• 6:55
  Being remember, the king of Judah and David becoming the
• 6:59
  King of Israel. How much how much time has
• 7:02
  passed? Does anybody remember the exact
• 7:03
  number of years? We just read it but Seven years,
• 7:09
  seven years for seven years, David occupied just one faction.
• 7:18
  One part of this nation. And what's interesting is at the
• 7:22
  same time, we learn here by confession of the Israelites
• 7:25
  that during those seven years, they were fully aware that David
• 7:29
  ought to be the king over all of Israel.
• 7:32
  Then they say that and the Lord said in the second part of verse
• 7:36
  to, you shall be Shepherd Of My People Israel.
• 7:40
  So for seven years, at least seven years, the people believed
• 7:43
  and understood that David was the true king, Natasa the son of
• 7:48
  Saul, but David, but throughout those seven years, they were
• 7:52
  unwilling and held back from uniting and acting upon that
• 7:56
  truth. And so this is an indictment.
• 7:59
  In fact let me be more specific. What we have before us is yet
• 8:02
  another example of the distress of even the devastation that
• 8:08
  comes from you You want to catch this delayed?
• 8:11
  Obedience delayed obedience. I mean, they knew very well that
• 8:16
  David ought to be the king and they did not did not work
• 8:19
  towards that goal. They didn't make it happen, they
• 8:22
  trusted in something else, they believe the Ally.
• 8:26
  And what we see here is that they had the full Revelation,
• 8:28
  they had the light, they had what God wanted, they had to
• 8:31
  decree. And on top of all, they had
• 8:34
  David himself, proving his calling because of his
• 8:37
  leadership abilities being confirmed, Throughout his life
• 8:40
  before them. And what we, what we behold now
• 8:44
  is this, that this is a commentary, the unfortunate
• 8:47
  reality of so many, who knows? So much about God, who hurts so
• 8:51
  much gospel. And yet, at the same time,
• 8:53
  refused to submit to the truth. That, that a demands.
• 8:59
  Maybe you're that person in here.
• 9:02
  This is what like your seventh hundred sermon and yet nothing
• 9:06
  has changed. Your heart is not fully given
• 9:08
  over to Christ. I look at this and I think to
• 9:13
  myself what loss consider and count the loss of this nation
• 9:20
  because of this prolonged, pause of making David King.
• 9:24
  Remember the casualties between the civil war with each
• 9:28
  bichette? And David remember that realize
• 9:30
  that at the same time, the Things are still a pressing, the
• 9:33
  nation of Israel, you still have that going on as well.
• 9:36
  They were so busy with their internal strife.
• 9:38
  They can't even deal with the Real Enemy.
• 9:39
  Welcome to most of the problems in local churches.
• 9:43
  On top of that, you you see that there is the sluggish Rise Of
• 9:48
  The Nation on the global scale which will, which will
• 9:51
  accelerate once David becomes king.
• 9:53
  And so, they're robbing themselves are those Abundant
• 9:55
  Blessings in various ways as well.
• 9:57
  Here's what I want to tell you. Our loss is always outweigh.
• 10:00
  Whatever gain we think we attained when we pacify our
• 10:04
  conscience and think we could pave Our Own Way in life.
• 10:08
  You will always lose. Always, again, whatever.
• 10:13
  When you think you're getting, it will always always, always be
• 10:16
  outweighed by the lawsuit every time.
• 10:20
  People tend to comfort that kind of compromise by rehearsing
• 10:24
  Christian lingo. Well, God will restore the years
• 10:27
  that the locusts have eaten, God will redeem the years that I've
• 10:31
  burned up for myself and and God will miraculously just make it
• 10:37
  all. Okay, again, can I give you the
• 10:39
  biblical answer? Yes, and no.
• 10:42
  Yes, and no. I know I might have shattered
• 10:44
  your coffee mug but it's, yes or no.
• 10:48
  If you mean that God will redeem the years though?
• 10:51
  You knowingly? Understood what it meant to
• 10:53
  follow? Jesus Christ, and still went the
• 10:55
  other way that he will forgive you restore you and use you
• 10:59
  again then yes, he will redeem. But if in that same argument you
• 11:04
  believe that God was somehow miraculously. restore those
• 11:08
  years and that time, The know there is a cost to Disobedience,
• 11:16
  I know people won't tell you that, but this preacher will
• 11:19
  tell you that there is a heavy cost of Disobedience.
• 11:23
  But I will also say this because I've counseled many people who
• 11:25
  grieve over their loss, who rehearse the fact that they knew
• 11:30
  very well what they were doing when they were out in the world
• 11:33
  and they can't seem to get over it.
• 11:35
  And so, let me say this, if this is you, if even tonight is
• 11:38
  Edition decision for you to say enough is enough, I'm not going
• 11:41
  to Favor between what is true. And what is false.
• 11:43
  I will not serve bail and the Lord.
• 11:45
  I will serve the Lord. Only do not overthink, do not
• 11:50
  prolong your meditation. Pondering too much about the
• 11:55
  years or the months or the weeks that you've wasted living for
• 11:58
  yourself. If you're going to put your
• 12:00
  energy into anything, put it into this that with whatever
• 12:04
  time you have left. That God would use it maximally
• 12:07
  for his glory just do that. Lord, I walked away.
• 12:12
  I failed to understand the significance of your will for my
• 12:17
  life of obedience to your word, but I can't do anything.
• 12:20
  These scars will remain, but I want to make the rest of my life
• 12:23
  count, and that's a prayer God will answer.
• 12:26
  That is something he will redeem because he is that good.
• 12:29
  That gracious. Do you realize that, there's a
• 12:31
  contrast between Saul and David? And these first two verses
• 12:35
  especially in verse 2, in the people's mind you have Saul and
• 12:39
  David and these Do men, really symbolizes spiritual truth.
• 12:44
  They saw that King saw was a disappointment.
• 12:50
  And they realize that David was the truth, and he was the one
• 12:53
  that would bring true fruit. So, here's how you have to
• 12:56
  understand, Saul symbolizes your choice and mine in the flesh.
• 13:03
  David symbolizes, God's purpose. And what we see here is that
• 13:07
  every time we Elevate our desires, our wisdom, our
• 13:10
  purposes, it will never fail to fall short, and to lie to you
• 13:16
  about its promises. All the time.
• 13:21
  But when you see David, when you see God's choice, you will never
• 13:25
  go wrong. You will never go wrong and an
• 13:29
  honest evaluation of any life that is lived in a season of
• 13:33
  sin. Will confess that my personal
• 13:36
  ambition did not live up to the expectations that persuaded me
• 13:41
  to begin with. It will never be able to satisfy
• 13:46
  you in the way that Christ Jesus can satisfy because your soul
• 13:49
  was designed to be intermingled with him.
• 13:54
  And so, listen, you don't have to waste several years to do
• 13:56
  that. I remember preaching on a youth
• 13:58
  conference and right after I preached on a very similar
• 14:01
  subject, a young man, 18 years old, sat in the front row and he
• 14:04
  seemed like he was disappointed with my message and so I saw
• 14:08
  with and I say why Why the grief?
• 14:11
  I didn't say like that was much kinder.
• 14:15
  And he said, I hear what you're saying.
• 14:17
  But I'm not convinced. I'm going to college and I will
• 14:21
  do what I think I want to do. And when I'm ready, I'll come
• 14:25
  back. Said it doesn't work like that.
• 14:30
  And I looked at him, I said, you're not, you're not curious,
• 14:33
  you're hungry. You're not curious.
• 14:37
  You're hungry. I tell you the buffet that
• 14:41
  you're headed, towards is going to make you very sick.
• 14:45
  So why don't you settle it now and save your years and save
• 14:48
  psychological and spiritual damage.
• 14:53
  And just give your heart to the Lord.
• 14:54
  Now, He's warning you now. He's in love, calling your
• 14:59
  attention. Now he knew exactly what you
• 15:00
  were thinking. He knew your premeditated sin,
• 15:03
  he knows what you signed up for and he wants to rescue from
• 15:05
  that. And guess what?
• 15:09
  Never gave me an answer. I don't know where he is to this
• 15:13
  day. Why don't you spare yourself in
• 15:19
  the mistake of believing that you can govern your own life and
• 15:22
  give it to the one who made it? And no joy that no other Joy can
• 15:28
  give. This is the condemnation of the
• 15:31
  nation of Israel. It took him so long to finally
• 15:34
  act upon the truth that they knew the bottom of their hearts.
• 15:38
  But look at the Commendation of David verse, to entice past when
• 15:41
  Saul was King over us. It was you who let out and
• 15:44
  brought in Israel. So here's what's amazing,
• 15:47
  they're acknowledging. The throat Saul's years as King
• 15:53
  David was really the blessing. David was the one who really
• 15:56
  served them and saw who was supposed to guide and lead the
• 16:00
  nation failed to do. So as we just heard now, many
• 16:04
  things can be said about saw, many things can be said about
• 16:06
  Israel and this tax. But I want to just focus on
• 16:09
  David on in a very personal way, what they're not saying is
• 16:12
  David, you try to usurp the authority of sawing, you try to
• 16:14
  push you away to the throne. We know we've studied enough of
• 16:18
  David to see that he had the Opposite attitude in humility
• 16:21
  waiting upon God to be promoted to that place.
• 16:25
  All they're saying is, you've proven your gifting, you've
• 16:28
  proven your leadership abilities to be the king over our people,
• 16:32
  but look at it in a relevant way.
• 16:34
  Look at it. On a personal note, this verse
• 16:36
  helps us to see saying something about David and something about
• 16:39
  ourselves that you do not need any seat of Honor, any place of
• 16:44
  authority to be able to bless people.
• 16:47
  This is David prior to him, being King.
• 16:50
  He's becoming King. Now, leading up to this point.
• 16:52
  Still, the people had a lasting impression made upon them based
• 16:58
  on David's presence in their lives and that is something
• 17:02
  extremely encouraging for the person who yearns to be used for
• 17:05
  the glory of God. Why do you have to believe that
• 17:09
  in order to be effective? There needs to be some elevation
• 17:12
  of status or some popular vote or some credential.
• 17:18
  It's a simple as honoring, what God has brought to you, and what
• 17:22
  has he's given through you and then just walking in that.
• 17:25
  It's a simple as that. There's no need to complicate
• 17:28
  it. So put your soul at rest, settle
• 17:30
  it in your heart that you rather remain in obscurity.
• 17:34
  If that means that you will be fruitful A true success in the
• 17:39
  economy of God is not measured by your exalted status and
• 17:44
  Christian them. I know for some people it is.
• 17:47
  You heard it at the conference simple service.
• 17:50
  Simple service to the ones that got in his Providence has
• 17:53
  brought before you and just enjoying the knowledge that you
• 17:58
  are, simply pleasing your master and whatever he demands of you.
• 18:02
  In fact, if Saul teaches anything is that you can have
• 18:05
  the position, you can't have the degrees, you can't have the
• 18:07
  credentials, you can have the position and be totally bankrupt
• 18:11
  of true substance. Saul did nothing for his people
• 18:15
  at least in the latter years. David wasn't king.
• 18:19
  And they said you let us out you blessed us.
• 18:21
  You served us. Well, praise God.
• 18:24
  So you'll never have a YouTube account who cares serve God
• 18:28
  you'll never be invited to a conference who cares serve God
• 18:33
  it doesn't matter nobody will write about you who cares?
• 18:38
  Serve God. That we come to verse three.
• 18:43
  We cease all the Elders of Israel.
• 18:45
  Came to the king at Hebron and King David made a covenant with
• 18:48
  them and have brought before the Lord and they anointed David
• 18:50
  King over Israel. So here's what happens.
• 18:52
  You have the Elders of Representatives of the tribes
• 18:54
  who approached David and it is at this point that they want to
• 18:58
  acknowledge Him and say you are the king.
• 19:02
  Here's what's amazing, here's why we need to know the totality
• 19:04
  of the scriptures. The complimentary book found in
• 19:07
  first Chronicles gives us even deeper details of what's
• 19:10
  Happening. Now this event is huge.
• 19:13
  And so huge is this event that in first Chronicles chapter 12
• 19:18
  you can turn there now and tuck your hand in that place.
• 19:21
  And First Chronicles chapter 12, you have a list of the military
• 19:28
  Of David and the tribes who chose to send certain amount of
• 19:33
  men to join the military. And what's amazing is when you
• 19:37
  look at the inventory, there is insightful and instructive in
• 19:41
  sight. About these men and the quality
• 19:45
  of men they were and how they contributed to the kingdom of
• 19:49
  David and that can be translated in certain truths about the
• 19:54
  kingship of Jesus Christ, things that will stir our hearts.
• 19:58
  As we have declared him to be Lord over our lives.
• 20:01
  And so if you're there first Chronicles chapter 12, look here
• 20:04
  with me and verse 23. So this is the same event.
• 20:09
  But Chronicles gives us a different vantage point of the
• 20:11
  same occurrence. These are the numbers of the
• 20:15
  divisions of the Armed troops who came to David and Hebron to
• 20:19
  turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of
• 20:23
  the Lord. So now you have two divisions of
• 20:25
  the army coming, we're not going to go over each tribe, only
• 20:29
  highlighting a few. And so you have all 12 tribes
• 20:33
  the number of men and most of them and certain qualities
• 20:36
  attached to these tribes that I hope will get you to realize the
• 20:43
  No significance in light of Jesus Kingdom.
• 20:46
  And those those who join his kingdom and were part of his
• 20:48
  kingdom. Look at verse 26.
• 20:50
  Let's go to the tribe of Levi. First, Chronicles, 12:26 of the
• 20:55
  Levites 4,600. The prince, your whole idea of
• 21:00
  the House of Aaron and with him, 3,700 tzaddik a young man,
• 21:07
  Mighty and Valor and 22 commanders from his own father's
• 21:12
  house. What's interesting at the fact
• 21:15
  that the Levi's are participating in this any idea?
• 21:25
  Not that they don't have men who land.
• 21:28
  Okay, that's one thing but in relation to the military
• 21:30
  operations, the priest, Their designated as worshippers.
• 21:37
  They are what their mediators between God and people namely
• 21:41
  the nation of Israel and so they're set apart for a
• 21:44
  different purpose. What are they doing?
• 21:46
  Taking up arms and joining the ranks now they're different
• 21:51
  arguments. I argue that if you look at
• 21:54
  different scriptures you'll see that one of the roles of the
• 21:56
  priest is that they were to actually physically guard and
• 22:00
  protect the house of worship. And so I think that this is the
• 22:04
  intention behind their participation that they're not
• 22:06
  necessarily going out to fight like the different tribes were,
• 22:09
  but they would be designated for a certain operation that is
• 22:13
  connected to the house of God. But besides the point notice
• 22:17
  that when the Levites are brought up, there is a
• 22:19
  particular man. That is highlighted and this man
• 22:24
  here is found in verse 28 zadok. And all were told about tzadik
• 22:29
  is that he was a young man Mighty and Valor Here's what I
• 22:33
  take out of this in light of our relationship.
• 22:35
  With the Lord Jesus. This should excite the young
• 22:39
  believer and seeing that God has a particular honor and takes
• 22:45
  note of what you. And I do with our youthful
• 22:48
  years, This is a young man and that is important to God.
• 22:55
  The spirit highlights that and connection to David.
• 22:59
  And we see that the spirit also highlights that in different
• 23:02
  portions of scripture and this dispensation in God's Redemptive
• 23:06
  history. But I also see something here
• 23:08
  that those who might be skeptical of the young in our
• 23:12
  generation, the Youth of Our Generation take note, and
• 23:14
  understand that we should never lower expectation of who God,
• 23:18
  can recruit into his army. It looks bleak out there, it
• 23:23
  looks very, very scary. But know this that God can in
• 23:27
  fact, move Hearts to the degree that even the young can be
• 23:30
  intentionally devoted to the cause of Jesus Christ.
• 23:34
  If we're not careful, not only will our efforts.
• 23:37
  Diminish and reaching and preaching to gen Z and the
• 23:42
  future Generations. Or if we do see somebody who
• 23:45
  comes into our church and they have this Zeal and this passion
• 23:49
  and excitement, even though their theological vocabulary
• 23:52
  might not be so developed we would Overlook them or even
• 23:55
  dismissed the idea of investing in them because we think what?
• 23:58
  Well, this is this is emotional. And I remember that day when I
• 24:02
  was like that too and and and they're just going to become
• 24:06
  normal. Normal and things will get busy.
• 24:09
  And so, just, okay. This is very cute, and it's
• 24:12
  very, it's very exciting to see. It's going to wear off.
• 24:18
  I remember hearing somebody recently asked actually saying
• 24:21
  in light of all the things that we're seeing in our Evangelical
• 24:24
  circles, all these popular pastors who are falling left,
• 24:28
  right and center and everybody's trying to understand how this is
• 24:31
  happening. And I heard somebody say this
• 24:33
  comment that I've never heard before up to this point.
• 24:36
  That one of the common denominators of all these
• 24:39
  pastors who are falling, who have great platforms, is that
• 24:42
  they all started very young in Ministry.
• 24:46
  Meaning they all started in their 20s or 30s in their
• 24:50
  leadership positions and that young in faith young and years,
• 24:55
  young, and number, and I think, to be honest, the Apostle Paul
• 24:58
  will have some trouble with that interpretation of the scandals
• 25:02
  in our day. And I can show you many biblical
• 25:06
  examples of how that is not the case.
• 25:09
  And here's an example before us did that happen to tzadik He was
• 25:13
  a young man Mighty and Valor meaning he was courageous.
• 25:17
  He was Fearless what happened to tzadik any idea that he fall off
• 25:21
  into the Wayside that he'd disappear in the background that
• 25:24
  he just become a normal servant and the kingdom of David Who is
• 25:29
  addict? when we get to First Kings
• 25:35
  chapter 2, many believe that the same tzadik is the tzadik who
• 25:40
  Solomon ordained to be the highest priest in his kingdom.
• 25:45
  And so tzadik who started out as is this young man?
• 25:50
  This Warrior ended up becoming a leader of worship.
• 25:57
  So, do not despise those who are young.
• 26:01
  Do not despise what God can do in you young, man.
• 26:04
  Young woman, believe that he has much to invest in you.
• 26:08
  In the more time you give him the more he can do in you.
• 26:12
  And so now we come down to verse 29, we're still in first
• 26:14
  Chronicles 12, when we come to another tribe, The Tribe of
• 26:18
  Benjamin. and what's interesting here is as we come to this
• 26:22
  tribe, it is a very unlikely people group to have any kind of
• 26:26
  involvement with David's ordination for the simple reason
• 26:30
  of what Saul is from The Tribe of Benjamin.
• 26:36
  Is he not? And here we read of The Tribe of
• 26:39
  Benjamin. And what do we told about this
• 26:41
  tribe? Verse 29 of the Benjamin i'ts
• 26:44
  The Kingsmen of saw three thousand of whom the majority
• 26:48
  had to that point kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.
• 26:54
  And so it seems strange and it seems unlikely, but it happened
• 26:58
  the Bible highlights, the fierce loyalty of this tribe to their
• 27:03
  brothers saw they share the same blood and so strong, where their
• 27:08
  ties to this man that even up to this point.
• 27:10
  When David became the nationally recognized King, a majority of
• 27:14
  them said now we're not going to admit it.
• 27:17
  The jealousy was too intense. 2nd was so tense.
• 27:20
  They would not even dare to give him the attention.
• 27:23
  And that the other tribes were giving him.
• 27:26
  And yet at the same time in this tribe, we were told that 3,000
• 27:31
  did they did say, yes, they did wholeheartedly and humbly
• 27:35
  acknowledge it, and they were willing to separate themselves
• 27:38
  from their brethren in blood to come to pledge.
• 27:41
  Allegiance is something that is deeper than blood, and that is
• 27:44
  the things of the spirit. And so they approached David,
• 27:47
  they acknowledged, David, and great humility.
• 27:49
  And that's exactly what the Bible highlights with this
• 27:51
  tribe. They're great willingness Enos
• 27:54
  to Humble themselves to God's will, over any emotional or any
• 27:59
  logical, understanding of what should take place in their
• 28:02
  lives. And it's amazing to think how
• 28:04
  these men were willing to hold on to Saul's Dynasty.
• 28:09
  Even when it was looking terribly wrong.
• 28:12
  Remember, before this for seven years, the kingdom of Saul and
• 28:16
  his son is beset was getting weaker, and weaker, and weaker.
• 28:20
  And yet up to this point, almost, you can say to the last
• 28:23
  second The Tribe of Benjamin would not dare say, David is the
• 28:28
  true king. But then 3000 said, yes.
• 28:34
  How does that resonate with you? And I and light of Jesus Christ.
• 28:36
  Here's how it should resonate. Do you know anybody who is
• 28:39
  extremely stubborn and their sin?
• 28:43
  Do you know anybody who can almost never be persuaded to
• 28:48
  consider the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
• 28:50
  Is there any hot head hard-headed people that you love
• 28:54
  dearly? It seems like they were never
• 28:57
  even. Think about the condition of
• 29:01
  their soul, their Eternal destination.
• 29:03
  Well, be inspired by these men because what we see here is
• 29:07
  possible for them, there is hope in this.
• 29:10
  Even the most unlikely candidates can actually bend the
• 29:13
  knee at the cross of Jesus Christ.
• 29:15
  So, don't give up, and don't lose hope.
• 29:19
  Even though people like this tribe could not be easily
• 29:22
  shaken, though. Their worlds were being shaken.
• 29:26
  It's possible that at the right time, they can say yes to the
• 29:31
  Lord. And what I mean, when I, what I
• 29:34
  think is so amazing here is that this is not just a reflection of
• 29:37
  the hearts of this. This people group at a heart of
• 29:39
  David, the grace of God willing to accept these men without any
• 29:45
  hesitation without any rebuke, without any program, they need
• 29:49
  to enroll in in order to prove their loyalty to himself.
• 29:52
  He receive them immediately. And you can say, as I said at
• 29:57
  the last second, I mean really, when they lost all hope it was
• 30:00
  like, we have, we have nothing now.
• 30:02
  Like David is our only option so to speak.
• 30:06
  Now they didn't come with that attitude.
• 30:07
  I don't think they came because they know they lost, but they
• 30:10
  did come when they lost all hope because we re later on that.
• 30:14
  Every tribe came with wholehearted Devotion to David.
• 30:17
  And so, this this group of 3,000 genuinely came to David, but
• 30:21
  they came at an interesting time when life failed them.
• 30:25
  When plans failed them. And I've talked to people who
• 30:29
  have even expressed honestly, but I kind of feel guilty that I
• 30:32
  came to the Lord at a low point in my life.
• 30:35
  Like, what does that say about my love for Christ?
• 30:37
  I only came to him when everything was broken, when I
• 30:40
  hit rock bottom, I mean, is that really a way to give myself to
• 30:45
  somebody and to their cause and to their message and and I just
• 30:48
  don't feel like it's right and I always respond the same way.
• 30:52
  You are the perfect candidate for Jesus Christ.
• 30:57
  Because he said, come to me all who are heavy laden?
• 31:03
  All who are weary all, who are sick and tired of life if I can
• 31:07
  paraphrase. Who are overwhelmed who are
• 31:10
  burdened, who are carrying something that is overwhelming.
• 31:13
  Them come to me. And so he beckons you to come at
• 31:18
  that time. He doesn't look at you and say,
• 31:20
  oh, now you come. So those years when I was
• 31:23
  telling you to believe on me and everything was going well, you
• 31:25
  said no, but now that you need help you want some.
• 31:27
  That's not our Lord. That's us, that's not the Lord
• 31:30
  Jesus. And so, even though this tried
• 31:33
  came at the last second, it's a reflection of how God is willing
• 31:37
  to swing open the gates of Heaven.
• 31:38
  Even in your dying breath though, with every other breath,
• 31:41
  throughout your life, you lived it for the devil and your flesh.
• 31:45
  No, I don't propose that. You wait for your dying breath,
• 31:48
  you might not get one. In other words, you might not
• 31:51
  have that bed where you can lay and contemplate Your Existence
• 31:54
  without pain intruding with your thought process.
• 31:57
  Wait, no. Now But for that rare case,
• 32:01
  realize that Christ arms are still open like the thief on the
• 32:04
  cross. These men came to David when
• 32:07
  when they lost all hope is Christ any less gracious.
• 32:11
  I know, you know, the answer to that.
• 32:14
  Now, we move on to the next track.
• 32:15
  Look at verse 30. Therefore mites 20,800 Mighty
• 32:20
  Men of Valor famous men and their fathers houses.
• 32:24
  So here's a spotlight now coming to this tribe and what is
• 32:27
  brought forth is the fact that among these men, they were
• 32:31
  famous men from their tribe, even famous Across the Nation.
• 32:35
  And I think that's quite interesting because The spirit
• 32:39
  of God saw it necessary to highlight their prominence,
• 32:42
  their exalted status their success, and how they were
• 32:46
  eagerly willing to Humble themselves to God's program and
• 32:51
  presided over them. They said, yes, we are
• 32:54
  significant individuals, but we see something greater than us.
• 32:57
  And so famous men, came and surrender to the call of God.
• 33:03
  Here's what's amazing. When you and I know of somebody
• 33:05
  who becomes famous or successful, whether in in the
• 33:08
  Darrell more secular realm. If I can use that word.
• 33:12
  We often think they're a lost, cause it's done.
• 33:15
  And that's not a wrong assessment because we know the
• 33:19
  grip that power and fame and accomplishments, we know that
• 33:28
  what that grip can do, and it can Cloud someone's judgment
• 33:31
  very quickly to see their own need to be saved or to
• 33:35
  prioritize God's purposes in their lives. but what's amazing
• 33:39
  here is that these men this man proved otherwise, Listen success
• 33:48
  is no rival to the satisfaction that God can bring.
• 33:51
  It's amazing. I've talked to so many
• 33:52
  Christians throughout my time in Ministry, who are more
• 33:55
  passionate about personal success than a month, the cause
• 33:58
  of Christ. It's disappointing, it's
• 34:00
  heartbreaking. But what we see with these men
• 34:03
  as that, no matter how successful you become, it will
• 34:07
  never fill that void. It will never feel that what as
• 34:10
  anybody, who had a amount of money in mind to make and they
• 34:12
  get there, and what happens? They want more and when they get
• 34:15
  there they want more when they get there.
• 34:17
  That's what Ecclesiastes says as anybody who has a number of
• 34:20
  followers on their social media, they get that what happens?
• 34:22
  It's just these digits on the screen.
• 34:24
  It does not fill the soul and these men here prove that no
• 34:29
  matter what, Heights you reach in this life, there is no
• 34:32
  greater satisfaction and being in the will of God and they do
• 34:36
  that here. And they surrender.
• 34:41
  And here's another thought to consider, you have those like
• 34:44
  the Pharisees who have prominence, who have Prestige,
• 34:48
  and they discourage the possibility, or the mock, the
• 34:50
  concept of anybody of importance following Jesus Christ, right?
• 34:56
  The remember what they said when they send the soldiers out to
• 34:58
  arrest Jesus in John chapter 7, I love that verse.
• 35:02
  They come back and they're empty hand and the fears that were.
• 35:04
  Where is he? Like no one has spoken like this
• 35:08
  man. I just can't imagine what it
• 35:11
  was, like, they were Spellbound. When they heard Jesus speak,
• 35:14
  they came. I can just imagine with
• 35:16
  aggressive faces. They came with intimidation, and
• 35:18
  as they stood there in the presence of the word, made
• 35:21
  flesh, and the Lord was just speaking.
• 35:23
  These glorious truths, they melted and they were mesmerized
• 35:27
  only to return like little puppies.
• 35:30
  No one's ever spoken like this man.
• 35:33
  And I want to read to you, I have it here before me, so you
• 35:36
  don't have to turn there unless you want to.
• 35:37
  I want to reach you how the Pharisees responded and John
• 35:40
  747, the Pharisees answered them.
• 35:44
  Have you also been deceived have any of the authorities or the
• 35:48
  Pharisees believed in him? Like what arrogance had have you
• 35:52
  been deceived? And here's what they say.
• 35:55
  Do you know any authorities or do you know any Pharisees that
• 35:57
  believe in it? You know, here's the
• 35:58
  translation. Anybody who is intelligent,
• 36:02
  anybody who seems to be educated anybody who seems to be
• 36:05
  insightful or innovative. Such people don't follow Jesus
• 36:12
  Christ. Only only simple tends to do.
• 36:16
  Only people who need a crutch in life.
• 36:18
  Do only people who can't rely on their own strength or can't
• 36:22
  strategize and how to get themselves out of a rut.
• 36:24
  Those are the people, the authorities in the Pharisees do
• 36:27
  you and do you know any of them who have claimed that Jesus was
• 36:29
  the Messiah. So why would you consider it?
• 36:33
  And that's what we have in our Educational Systems to Do you
• 36:36
  believe that God created the world in seven days?
• 36:41
  Are you you believe and they mock the idea that if you
• 36:45
  believe these things that you have a low IQ or that you're not
• 36:49
  educated or that you were just isolated from truth, their idea
• 36:54
  of Truth. But we see that these men show,
• 36:59
  otherwise that it's possible. It's possible to be men of
• 37:03
  importance, men of success, men of his steam, High Steam, and
• 37:08
  still surrender to the will of God, joyfully And in the New
• 37:12
  Testament, you have many examples.
• 37:14
  If you didn't know it, you have many examples of famous people.
• 37:19
  Upstanding people in society who have chosen to follow Jesus, any
• 37:24
  ideas who think about it? Think of famous people who given
• 37:27
  their lives to Christ in the New Testament.
• 37:28
  I'm asking if you have an idea, lift your hand.
• 37:31
  The EF yo Pian eunuch. He was a high official in the
• 37:36
  courts of the queen. Yes Yeah, exactly.
• 37:42
  The man who decided to open up his tomb, untouched for Jesus
• 37:47
  burial. He was a secret disciple, but he
• 37:50
  was praised for his devotion. Any other famous people?
• 37:57
  Nicodemus. Yes, it is debated.
• 37:59
  Whether he truly follow Jesus, but it's kind of hard to see how
• 38:02
  he didn't love the Lord when he came to the burial site with 70
• 38:06
  pounds of ointment. That's what John says that's the
• 38:10
  last thing you see of Nicodemus. So Jesus confronts him.
• 38:13
  In John 3 and we see him speaking up in John 7 and when
• 38:16
  you come to John the end of John.
• 38:18
  Jesus is about to be buried and Nicodemus comes with Joseph and
• 38:22
  we were told with 70 pounds of ointment like he had to have
• 38:25
  brought a cart or something that's not very being very
• 38:28
  discreet. Sure.
• 38:32
  But there's like little people like not little people but names
• 38:34
  and little references that we don't even consider their,
• 38:38
  their, the end of Romans. Erastus, erastus, right.
• 38:43
  And he was the treasurer, he was a Treasurer in Rome, there's
• 38:48
  another one in Acts 13 one when those men were together
• 38:52
  worshiping and fasting and seeking the Lord and then Paul
• 38:54
  and Barnabas are set apart as a missionary team.
• 38:56
  There's a men in their men naive in the lifelong friend, Who.
• 39:04
  Who is he lifelong friend, to Herod the tetrarch, you go to
• 39:09
  Luke 8 and one of herod's household Herod, had a lot of
• 39:13
  people Herod, household manager was a follower of Jesus Christ.
• 39:18
  And so even had a man, man, I ain't, who was a lifelong friend
• 39:22
  to Herod, who obviously, including hated Jesus.
• 39:25
  And Mark, Jesus become a follower of Jesus, and he played
• 39:27
  a huge role in the early church action.
• 39:30
  So it's not impossible. It is possible.
• 39:33
  Christ. Can save to the uttermost the
• 39:34
  most unlikely, believe it. Now, let's move forward.
• 39:39
  Verse 31, do I still have you tonight?
• 39:43
  Verse 31 of the half tribe of Manasseh, 18,000 who were
• 39:47
  expressly name to come to make David King.
• 39:50
  This one, personally touches my heart who were expressly name to
• 39:54
  come and make David King. So, what's happening here?
• 39:57
  Is that the half tribe of Manasseh?
• 39:59
  They realized the Monumental shift that is taking place in
• 40:04
  Israel's history like this is huge, this is a huge turning
• 40:07
  point and instead of just sending anybody to the Shouldn't
• 40:15
  they hand-picked, they select certain emissaries write.
• 40:19
  These diplomatic ambassadors to represent their tribe so that
• 40:24
  they can go with great honor and that's because they saw how
• 40:29
  great of an honor, it was to be able to come and make David King
• 40:32
  to be able to acknowledge Him. And so, this was a, this was a
• 40:36
  marvelous thing in the eyes of this people, this is knows
• 40:39
  insignificant thing. This is not a small thing, this
• 40:42
  is a great thing. NG and so great, it was that
• 40:45
  they wanted to send their best. They want to send their best for
• 40:49
  this event to represent their Clan.
• 40:53
  How much more? How much more you?
• 40:55
  And I is ambassadors of Jesus Christ.
• 40:59
  Think about it. There is no greater identity.
• 41:02
  There is no finer purpose. There is no Superior rank in
• 41:07
  this world that can come close to being a servant of the most
• 41:12
  high. God Understand that and believe
• 41:16
  that because when somebody comes to Christ, we as a church we
• 41:19
  celebrate it. We celebrate it like Like, it's
• 41:24
  a birthday. Make a whole day out of it and
• 41:27
  rightfully so but it is also equally, no small thing not just
• 41:30
  to be born again, but to live for him in the day-to-day and
• 41:35
  you and I must be conscious of that at all times.
• 41:39
  These people realize that they realize it and they prepared
• 41:42
  themselves from head to toe. They calculated and they
• 41:47
  designated. So that through through this
• 41:52
  deployment of these ambassadors, people would realize these
• 41:58
  people are serious. I wonder if you and I feel the
• 42:03
  weight of that. When we go to social events, do
• 42:08
  you feel the uniform that you're wearing?
• 42:10
  I represent him or maybe in the simple way of dressing
• 42:13
  ourselves. I know that's controversial
• 42:15
  these days but the way we communicate our, how we are.
• 42:20
  I mean, does it ever occur to us?
• 42:22
  I have been commissioned. Like I represent a different
• 42:27
  Embassy Embassy not in Nations here but of a permanent one of
• 42:33
  one that is to come and take over all others.
• 42:38
  It's an honorable identity, but with that, great identity comes
• 42:41
  awesome responsibility, which means that you and I, wherever
• 42:43
  we go, must be aware that I am one of Heavens delegates.
• 42:49
  I'm a deputy. I'm sent by him.
• 42:54
  He is my king and I want to represent him.
• 42:56
  Well, More can be said about that but we go to verse 32 of
• 43:02
  issachar. So now this tribe men who had
• 43:05
  understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do,
• 43:09
  200 Chiefs and all their Kinsmen under their command.
• 43:13
  We're not told about the number of people they had but we are
• 43:17
  told of the quality of the people of this tribe and the
• 43:20
  thing that is brought forth, the comment that sticks out is that
• 43:24
  the men of issachar were Discerning men.
• 43:28
  They were able to interpret the times and then from that know
• 43:32
  what they should do at this time.
• 43:34
  So there is much debate about what it means, when they says
• 43:36
  they had understanding of the times.
• 43:38
  But based on the context and their participation, in all of
• 43:41
  this, it's pretty simple. These men were able to read the
• 43:45
  circumstances around them and then take the proper course of
• 43:49
  action that would benefit them and bring about the best
• 43:52
  results. Here's the thing.
• 43:56
  What we see with the men of issachar is something, every
• 43:59
  believer should be operating in And I've alluded, I'm not going
• 44:03
  to do it this time because I've done it in so many.
• 44:05
  So many segments, I've alluded to First Corinthians 7 about how
• 44:09
  Paul interprets the present conflict and distress of his
• 44:13
  day. And then based on what was
• 44:15
  happening in this day. By the spirit, brings about
• 44:18
  particular instruction of how Christians should live in light
• 44:21
  of the Civil distress, in light, of the cultural things that were
• 44:25
  happening. He said, okay, do you see what's
• 44:27
  happening here? This is how we ought to respond.
• 44:33
  And so you and I with with spiritual eyes and with wisdom,
• 44:37
  we must be at all times be able to look at Global events.
• 44:41
  What's happening in our nation and not try to find the
• 44:44
  particular date in which Jesus coming back.
• 44:47
  But allow these things to motivate us to straighten up for
• 44:49
  our Redemption is nigh. He tells that to the Romans,
• 44:53
  he's like I'm paraphrasing. But look at the our, our
• 44:56
  Salvation is nearer than ever. Before wake up from sleep.
• 45:00
  I said this a few weeks ago, I'll say it again.
• 45:02
  Christians have been asleep for the past two years.
• 45:06
  I mean, I'll hammer this truth and D me repetitive if you may
• 45:12
  But listen, you still have Christians who are more
• 45:14
  concerned that they can't go to their favorite spots or go to
• 45:17
  Vacations, or they're worried about their future than about
• 45:19
  how this relates to the prophetic timetable of the
• 45:22
  return of Christ. I heard more Christians complain
• 45:25
  how they couldn't go to this and couldn't go to that when
• 45:27
  everything broke out initially with the pandemic or whatever
• 45:31
  you want to call it. More concern about all of that.
• 45:34
  Now I can do this and I can do that in the fact that you
• 45:37
  realize that nothing like this has ever happened in our
• 45:39
  history. Like if this is that forget your
• 45:43
  little vacation spot, forget that you can't sit in your
• 45:46
  favorite restaurant. We're closer to the return of
• 45:48
  Christ more than ever. and so, to be honest, In the in the past
• 45:57
  two years, there was a lot of lack of discernment of anything
• 46:02
  else, so much lack of discernment to be honest.
• 46:06
  The secular people had more discernment, the most of people
• 46:10
  who are Christians They were able to see the severity.
• 46:14
  They were able to see how all of this will affect our future in a
• 46:19
  no-return policy way. And most Believers are just
• 46:23
  dragging their feet and Just wake up.
• 46:28
  Be alert. This is what we hear with this.
• 46:30
  What, we see here, these people who came to the ranks of David
• 46:34
  were an alert, people weren't aware, people were sensitive.
• 46:38
  People were calculated. People were serious, people, and
• 46:42
  Believers should be the same. Let's end with zebulun, shall
• 46:46
  we? Verse 33 of zebulun 50,000
• 46:48
  seasoned troops equipped for battle with all the weapons of
• 46:53
  war to help David. Now, here's the point with
• 46:55
  Singleness of purpose with singleness of purpose.
• 46:59
  This is what's brought forth to the surface.
• 47:00
  Okay? These men had undivided
• 47:04
  commitment to David and his kingdom, they were sold out.
• 47:09
  There is no other desire that they had.
• 47:12
  There is nothing to had preeminence more than the fact
• 47:15
  that David is our King, and we will do what he wishes and what
• 47:19
  you see here. It's pretty straightforward as
• 47:21
  a, not, if David had this, how much more the King of Kings, the
• 47:25
  true anointed, one capital, a capital O singleness of purpose.
• 47:31
  My affections are Divided here. I don't have like the pie.
• 47:35
  I don't have 75% for Jesus, five percent for my job. 10% for this
• 47:40
  and 2.5% for that. It's Jesus.
• 47:43
  All of it. And everything orbits around it.
• 47:51
  Jesus is not something orbiting around something else,
• 47:54
  everything revolves around that and that's exactly what these
• 47:58
  men are reflecting. And so you and I have to
• 48:00
  understand that if this is what David demanded, how much more
• 48:04
  our Lord David say these men politically economically.
• 48:10
  Christ saved us eternally. You know, it's one thing to
• 48:15
  volunteer for the kingdom of God when you feel extra motivated,
• 48:19
  or when you are not so worldly for a stretch of a few weeks,
• 48:22
  but that is not what Jesus asks of us.
• 48:25
  Unwavering commitment and conviction and faithfulness to
• 48:31
  the Cross of Christ. And here's what's amazing, it
• 48:37
  wasn't just zebulun, scroll down to verse 38 and what do we read?
• 48:43
  All these Men of War rate in battle order came to Hebron with
• 48:46
  a whole heart to make David King over all Israel.
• 48:49
  Likewise all the rest of Israel have single mind to make David
• 48:52
  King. That's the overarching
• 48:54
  commentary over every tribe, a whole heart.
• 48:57
  Like this is why we live. This is, this is what we exist
• 49:02
  for. This is why we're here.
• 49:07
  And notice the fruit of that, I want you to see the sequence of
• 49:10
  events and this is how it concludes in verse 40, be
• 49:14
  patient, as I read this and pay attention to the last few verse
• 49:17
  versus the last few words of the last first, and also their
• 49:21
  relatives from as far as it's a car and zebulun and naphtali
• 49:24
  came, bringing food on donkeys, and on camels, and on mules, and
• 49:28
  on auction, abundant provisions of flour.
• 49:31
  Cakes of figs, clusters of raisins and wine and oil, oxen,
• 49:35
  and sheep for there was Hawaii and Israel.
• 49:42
  There should be like a sigh for the reader because up to this
• 49:45
  point for years, for decades, there was enjoying Israel.
• 49:51
  And if there was any Joy, it was just bursts of superficial Joy.
• 49:54
  When they made Saul King that wasn't God's will, but it was a
• 49:58
  temporary relief but the pain that they knew the loss, the
• 50:03
  disappointment and then Abner came in.
• 50:05
  He made it even worse for another seven years.
• 50:09
  But everything was made, right and true Joy erupted in the
• 50:12
  hearts of the people, once David became king.
• 50:18
  What this is all about if you want to, if you want to just
• 50:20
  simplify the quest of every single person in life, is that
• 50:27
  every person is searching for joy.
• 50:30
  And they are experimenting to know what it is.
• 50:32
  That brings the most lasting and pain-free happiness in life if
• 50:39
  that's you in this place. Or if you're a person, Who can
• 50:43
  honestly examine your heart and say, I don't know if I have
• 50:48
  lasting joy. That doesn't mean if you have
• 50:51
  lasting joy that you won't shed tears and you won't be
• 50:54
  conflicted and you won't be tested and you won't endure
• 50:57
  trials. But with that it does mean is
• 50:59
  that down deep inside? There's this deep-seated
• 51:01
  contentment listen if you're a person in this place who can say
• 51:05
  look that's not really real here.
• 51:09
  I mean most my Christian experience is being stimulated
• 51:12
  emotionally because of Sure, had a good day and he preached a
• 51:15
  pretty well thought-out sermon. I want to just give you a
• 51:20
  question based on this, that will help.
• 51:22
  You know why it is, you're in that place because the sequence
• 51:26
  of events is clear, right? After certain things were done,
• 51:30
  then the joy was made known. So all you have to do is go back
• 51:33
  to verse 38 and ask yourself. Does Jesus Christ have my whole
• 51:39
  heart and a my of single mind to make him my king.
• 51:47
  If you can't answer that, that is the answer to the lack of joy
• 51:51
  in your life. Pretty, pretty simple, right?
• 51:56
  No program. You have to join no pyramid
• 51:58
  scheme. I don't have to yell at you and
• 52:02
  try to get you motivated. It's very simple with my whole
• 52:06
  heart and with singleness of purpose is Jesus.
• 52:11
  My king do. I want to make him my Lord?
• 52:15
  Do I really want to know him? If not, you will be insecure.
• 52:20
  Unfulfilled disappointed, hitting your head against the
• 52:24
  wall. Trying one thing after the next
• 52:27
  and you will be no different than the nation of Israel before
• 52:29
  this. Where they try different Kings
• 52:33
  before they came to the right one.
• 52:38
  And so answer that settle that, and I assure you that a joy that
• 52:42
  you've never known will be unlocked.
• 52:44
  But remember this, Joyce was preceded by a willful decision
• 52:49
  to say, Jesus Christ, take this stubborn brain of mine and
• 52:54
  rewire it so that it has single purpose for you.
• 52:57
  Take this heart that loves to flirt with myself and with
• 53:01
  everything else rewire it so that it is devoted to you and
• 53:05
  watch how the joy will flush out.
• 53:08
  Thing else in your life and keep you sustained in that Joy.
• 53:15
  It's as simple as that. Let's go back and with the two
• 53:20
  verses 2nd, Samuel 5, 4 and 5. And then we're done.
• 53:27
  But you don't have anywhere to go anyway, right?
• 53:37
  David was 30 years old when he began to Reign and he reigned 40
• 53:41
  years at Hebron. He reigned over Judah, seven
• 53:45
  years in six months and a Jerusalem he reigned over all
• 53:47
  Israel and Judah, 33 years The Bible has a tendency.
• 53:55
  To give a summary about something or someone and then to
• 53:59
  flesh it out in detail. So seems strange to read about
• 54:02
  David's full years in rain, and then describe the beginnings of
• 54:07
  his His government. but you can't skip over this because
• 54:15
  there's so much to learn just from that verse first verse in
• 54:17
  verse 4, David was 30 years old when he began to reign Just
• 54:23
  meditate on that. So, if he was 30 when he began
• 54:27
  to reign as the king of Israel, how long was he King overhead
• 54:30
  Braun? Seven years.
• 54:33
  So how old was he when he became king of Hebron 23 safely.
• 54:38
  So if he was 20 and whose years 23 years old, 23.
• 54:43
  Imagine becoming a king over a tribe at 23 years old now, that
• 54:48
  means he was 23 when he became king of Hebron.
• 54:51
  Then how old must have been when he was first anointed by Samuel.
• 54:57
  For sure he was under 20 years old.
• 54:59
  Most people believe you want to know what age 15.
• 55:02
  So who here is 15 years old. Evan, you lifted your hand.
• 55:10
  Some people even believe he was as young as 12 13.
• 55:14
  That's kind of hard to imagine, but here's the point, I want to
• 55:17
  make, he was anointed. Definitely under 20.
• 55:23
  Let's say, 15. he wasn't walking in the call of God for his life
• 55:29
  until 15 years went by And the point is very simple, God takes
• 55:34
  his time when he makes his men. God takes his time when he makes
• 55:40
  his men. I hope this point encourages the
• 55:44
  point. Before, this point, was to wake
• 55:45
  up, the person who's still at the ABCs of Christianity, like,
• 55:49
  you're still wondering if the Lord is really worth, giving
• 55:52
  everything to in your practical day-to-day.
• 55:55
  You love him. You know, he died for you, but
• 55:56
  you're just like, you have other things in life that are rivaling
• 56:00
  against that. I'm not we talk to you, okay?
• 56:04
  You can still pay attention, but who I'm talking to Is the person
• 56:07
  who really really wants to be used by God.
• 56:11
  You pray about it all the time. You have dreams about it.
• 56:14
  You long for it, you yearn for you have no you have no other
• 56:17
  desire in this life. I want to encourage you with
• 56:20
  this point, God takes his time when he makes his men / woman.
• 56:28
  I'm still in the process of breaking this out on my own
• 56:30
  mind, but it was just an observation I made today.
• 56:33
  When I realized that, the scripture says that he rained
• 56:36
  for 40 years, Because the first three kings of Israel each
• 56:43
  rained for 40 years, saw according to acts rained for 40
• 56:49
  years. David who followed?
• 56:52
  We were just told 40 years. You go at the end of Solomon's
• 56:56
  life First, Kings 11. He reigned for forty years So
• 57:02
  they share the same term of office, but how different that
• 57:07
  they all look. If you were to put Saul David
• 57:13
  and Solomon here and compare compare not just their Journeys
• 57:19
  but how they ended? How would you categorize it?
• 57:22
  Here's how it categorize. It David had a much different
• 57:26
  journey through that. Then the other to the other to
• 57:30
  ended in Devastation. The other two you can argue
• 57:33
  ended in apostasy the last that we see of solids, that he
• 57:36
  consults a witch, Which was punishable by death.
• 57:40
  And the last that you see of Solomon is what he's worshiping
• 57:43
  Idols because he thought it'd be a good idea to marry a thousand
• 57:46
  people. 700 wives and 300 concubines and they led him into
• 57:52
  apostasy that's how they ended David.
• 57:54
  You can't say that about David, he had hiccups, he sinned
• 57:57
  greatly during his Reign but he was a man after God's heart, 40
• 58:02
  years for Saul 40 years for Solomon, 40 years for David, and
• 58:08
  yet David stands out from all of them.
• 58:11
  What was the the factor? What was the Difference Maker?
• 58:16
  I think it's many things and it's worthy of an in-depth
• 58:18
  study, especially for leaders. How is it that David and
• 58:22
  comparison to the other two had an equal chance with the equal
• 58:25
  task do something. So, different and up with
• 58:28
  different results and a different Commendation from God,
• 58:33
  and based on this, I argue and I'm still processing perhaps.
• 58:40
  Part of the success was God's patient preparation with David
• 58:51
  You don't get anything close to David's, Journey to the throne.
• 58:56
  With Solomon and wood saw, do you?
• 58:59
  No. And it makes you wonder does it
• 59:03
  not during those years those 15 years.
• 59:06
  Did God do such a work in David that it was able to sustain him
• 59:10
  to the end. And that is not my subjective.
• 59:16
  Hermeneutic my interpretation of this to try to come up with
• 59:19
  something clever. That's a Biblical truth.
• 59:24
  What do I mean? Because when you take into
• 59:26
  account, David's preparation, it was riddled with suffering.
• 59:32
  So much suffering. And there is so much
• 59:37
  faithfulness that was demanded of him while he was hidden.
• 59:41
  But don't forget the pain, don't forget the Betrayal, don't
• 59:45
  forget the doubts. Don't forget the moments that
• 59:47
  were crushing to his soul. We explored so many Psalms that
• 59:51
  were birth in those years. And here's why I bring this up
• 59:57
  because the Bible tells us how character is develop and
• 1:00:02
  character is the necessary ingredient for longevity and
• 1:00:06
  Ministry. Romans 5, 3 and 5.
• 1:00:11
  Not only you don't have to turn there, just listen, just pause
• 1:00:14
  and just hear these words, not only that, but we rejoice in our
• 1:00:21
  sufferings Christian didn't say we endure in our sufferings that
• 1:00:27
  would make sense. We can endure.
• 1:00:29
  We have a good God, he gives us power.
• 1:00:31
  No no more than that, we rejoice.
• 1:00:38
  That's the infusion of the holy spirit in us.
• 1:00:41
  That's the work we Rejoice. Have you met a rejoicing
• 1:00:46
  suffering Christian lately rejoicing?
• 1:00:49
  I've met many suffering Christians, very few and I know
• 1:00:53
  the temptation to not very few rejoicing suffering Christians.
• 1:00:58
  And yet that's the standard Paul says we rejoice in our
• 1:01:01
  sufferings. Well why Paul tell us why
• 1:01:03
  knowing should Joyce connected to knowledge?
• 1:01:08
  Not something miraculous to come before you.
• 1:01:11
  That you can have a monopoly on and say, look what God did for
• 1:01:14
  me. And no no knowing something that
• 1:01:17
  suffering. Produces endurance and endurance
• 1:01:21
  verse for produces character. Suffering, produces character.
• 1:01:30
  With David and during those 15 years was powerful pruning that
• 1:01:36
  can only be known. Through sovereignly ordained
• 1:01:41
  trials and tribulations. He was developed in those years,
• 1:01:48
  there was something that was chiseled in the man and it hurt
• 1:01:52
  in the moment. But not as much as it would hurt
• 1:01:55
  to fall on your face and idolatry.
• 1:02:00
  Because of the lack of conviction because the lack of
• 1:02:03
  the fear of God, because of a lack of an experience of the
• 1:02:06
  goodness of God, through your suffering.
• 1:02:09
  So don't despise it, don't shrink from it.
• 1:02:11
  Don't don't don't shriek when you suffer.
• 1:02:15
  I'm speaking to the person who really wants to be used by God.
• 1:02:21
  Christian character is often matured in the school of
• 1:02:25
  suffering. So embrace it embrace it with a
• 1:02:30
  tight grip and rejoice as you embrace it, because Christ is
• 1:02:35
  producing something in you, producing something in you that
• 1:02:39
  Seminary, cannot give you producing something in you that
• 1:02:44
  a load of money. From your denomination.
• 1:02:46
  Can I give you? Christ takes his time to make
• 1:02:53
  his men and oftentimes the tools on his belt.
• 1:02:57
  That he will use our painful in the moment but glorious in the
• 1:03:01
  results. I'm wondering if I should finish
• 1:03:06
  on a different note. David was thirty years old, when
• 1:03:14
  he began to Reign and he reigned 40 years, 30 plus 40.
• 1:03:23
  When did David die? At the end of his Reign.
• 1:03:27
  So what age? Is that mess with anybody's
• 1:03:31
  sunday-school imagination? It's even more strange.
• 1:03:36
  When you go to First Kings chapter 1, and you see his
• 1:03:38
  physical condition, he could not even warm himself, no matter.
• 1:03:42
  How many blankets they put on him.
• 1:03:44
  I mean, when you read about the man and his dying days, you
• 1:03:47
  think he was in his late 90s or early 100s, the man died at 70.
• 1:03:59
  And here's what I find fascinating and I will end on
• 1:04:01
  this now. If your hand is still tucked in
• 1:04:05
  first Chronicles, go to the last chapter.
• 1:04:09
  And if it's not turn there, And notice how the Bible parallels,
• 1:04:16
  the description of David's Reign and concluding fashion.
• 1:04:28
  Verse 26 of chapter 29. Thus David, the son of Jesse
• 1:04:35
  reigned over all Israel. We've been reading that the time
• 1:04:39
  that he reigned over Israel was 40 years.
• 1:04:42
  We just read that he reigns seven years in Hebron and 33
• 1:04:46
  years in Jerusalem. We just read that but notice the
• 1:04:48
  added, notice the complement of this portion of scripture.
• 1:04:54
  Verse 28, then he died at a good age.
• 1:04:59
  Now, notice this full of days. Full of days.
• 1:05:06
  Riches and honor and Solomon. His son reigned in his place. 70
• 1:05:12
  years old, and he died at a good old age, right?
• 1:05:18
  Full of days. now, even in our standard and Society to hear of
• 1:05:25
  somebody dying at 70, you don't get the sense.
• 1:05:30
  Yeah, that person was ready to go.
• 1:05:33
  We know people who are in their late 60s, approaching 70s, like
• 1:05:36
  my father is in his late. 60s is approaching 70 soon to me 70,
• 1:05:42
  there's still life there. They're still there still
• 1:05:44
  memories to be made there still fruit to be produced and so when
• 1:05:47
  we think 70, we can still equate that with a tragedy as a loss,
• 1:05:51
  but in our human reasoning. Because here the holy spirit
• 1:05:54
  says David died, full of days. Because the Bible does not
• 1:06:00
  equate fullness of life with the length but with the substance,
• 1:06:04
  huh? The Bible equates, the fullness
• 1:06:08
  of life, not in length, but in substance her go.
• 1:06:12
  Jesus died. At 30.
• 1:06:14
  Did he die? Prematurely no.
• 1:06:18
  Did he die full? Yes.
• 1:06:19
  Did he die satisfying? The will of God.
• 1:06:21
  Absolutely. So we have to change our
• 1:06:23
  thinking here. You can live 70 years and Die,
• 1:06:28
  full full of days with richness. And you can live up to 300 years
• 1:06:37
  and be a waste. Think about that, God forbid,
• 1:06:42
  you can die like your lord at 33 years of age.
• 1:06:51
  And still die with glorious purpose.
• 1:06:54
  In comparison to somebody who lived three times as long as
• 1:06:57
  you. So as Christians we don't we
• 1:07:01
  don't again we don't equate success or blessing with
• 1:07:05
  numbers. But that's not how we think.
• 1:07:09
  Success is Not based on the number of people here, but on
• 1:07:12
  the substance of each person that represents this ministry.
• 1:07:15
  Success is Not equated to the number of dollars you have in
• 1:07:20
  your bank account, but where your treasure is there, your
• 1:07:23
  heart will be. Also Success is Not acquainted
• 1:07:26
  to how long you live but what you do with your years and David
• 1:07:30
  was a man who died at 70? No wonder I mean the guy went
• 1:07:35
  through so many battles the brutality.
• 1:07:38
  He put his body through Through it makes sense.
• 1:07:41
  And yet God and his perfect with his, a time to go home, may we
• 1:07:45
  live a full life. Full of days for the glory of
• 1:07:49
  God though, we thank you for this Bible study.
• 1:07:54
  Louis, thank you that even Through sickness, you're able to
• 1:07:58
  be gracious to us. We just pray that the truths
• 1:08:03
  that we heard would with minister to our hearts.
• 1:08:11
  And that Lord, we would be able to leave here with instruction
• 1:08:13
  from the holy spirit for our lives, but we worship you now.
• 1:08:17
  We adore you and we remind ourselves that we are.
• 1:08:24
  Subjects to your kingdom. You are a king and gladly
• 1:08:27
  gladly, do we declare that you are King.
• 1:08:31
  You are the greater David, the son of David, the ruling
• 1:08:35
  raining, Lord, who will come back again.
• 1:08:37
  And we will be hold you on a throne with a scepter in your
• 1:08:41
  hands and the Nations will come to bow at your feet.
• 1:08:46
  Thank you for calling us to be a part of that.
• 1:08:49
  We are overwhelmed by your grace in our lives, in Jesus name, we
• 1:08:52
  pray. Amen.
• 1:08:54
  Let's stand worship together.