Good afternoon Brothers & Sisters.
I've had the luck of being able to get the Creation Ministries team to come speak at my youth on the 19th and 26th of this month!
The invitation has been extended to my Young adults as well!
If you know of anyone between the ages of 12-30 years PLEASE invite them along!
This will be held downstairs at church at 7pm.
Blessings ☺️🙏🏽
Kierohn
Shepherd to King (8)
“God Makes a Promise”
2 Samuel 7 & Psalm 132
During the seventeenth century the Mughal Empire was flourishing in India. One of their great kings was called Shah Jahan. In 1631 his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died while giving birth to their 14thchild. Shah Jahan was grief-stricken. After several days completely alone grieving for Mumtaz he gave orders for the construction of a tomb for his wife. The tomb took 22,000 men & women over 20 years to complete & was made of gleaming white marble. Inside it was decorated with 28 different kinds of precious & semi-precious gems. A sheet of pearls was spread over the coffin. The doors were made of silver & a gold railing surrounded the monument. This magnificent building was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983. Does anyone know its name? Yes, it is the Taj Mahal.
Shah Jahan was not the first, nor the last person who wanted to build something beautiful for the one he loved. As we once again pick up the story of King David, we are going to see that this is exactly what he wanted to do for God. Of course David was not thinking of building a tomb. He wanted to build a temple.
In our last message in this series “From Shepherd Boy to King”, we saw how David made Jerusalem his capital. He also had the Ark of the Covenant, which represented God’s presence with His people, moved there. He made Jerusalem both the political & religious centre of the nation. And so we come to 2 Samuel 7.
We read in vrs.1 & 2, “After the king was settled in his palace & the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, ‘Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.’” David knew the Lord had been with him through all the years of struggle. When he was just a teenager looking after sheep, God used him to win a great victory over the Philistine giant Goliath. Overnight he became a hero. But then he faced a major problem. King Saul became incredibly jealous. He was determined to kill David, but the Lord brought David safely through all the years he was on the run from Saul. Finally David was crowned king. He defeated Israel’s enemies & at last was able to start building the kingdom. No longer was he a hunted man on the run. He was king over a unified nation. No longer was he hiding in caves. He was living in a palace. In many ways it was a “rags to riches” story or at least a “shepherd boy to king” story.
David was not someone who only turned to God in a crisis. And he was not someone who forgot God as soon as the crisis was past & things had settled down. Even after he became established as king, David was very conscious of the good hand of the Lord upon him. Enjoying peace, comfort, wealth & power did not lessen his love for God. The fact he was living in a palace made of expensive cedar wood while the Ark of God was housed in a simple & ancient tent made David feel very uncomfortable. It just did not seem right! God deserved better than a simple tent. So David’s idea was to build a permanent house of worship in Jerusalem.
Actually, Elizabeth & I can understand a little of how David was feeling. We live in a lovely manse, built long before we came to MBCC, but still much newer than our old, rundown church building. I feel passionate about our church extension. I want the new & renovated facility to look so nice that the Name of the Lord is honoured. His Name is not honoured by a church building that looks neglected & second-rate. Let us be eager to make the Lord’s House nice & comfortable – no less nice & comfortable than we would want our homes to be. Let us make it so presentable that we are proud to invite our friends to church.
So then, David longed to build a temple for God, a place of magnificence that spoke of his love for the Lord. We can learn much from David, can’t we! Whatever his circumstances in life he had a heart for God. It is easy for us to seek God when we are struggling or facing a crisis. When we are trying to settle as immigrants or when we need to find a job or when we face some tragedy – yes, we come to church. We ask for prayer. We make our vows to follow Jesus. We offer to help in the church. However when everything seems to be going well, when we get settled, when we find a job, when the crisis seems to be behind us – then we have other priorities. We become so busy at work, making money, renovating the house, taking kids to sports activities & so on, that we have less & less time for God or church. We find lots of other things to do on a Sunday. We have no time to be involved in any ministries or groups. Why? Well, perhaps it is because we no longer have a heart of gratitude for all the Lord has done for us. We forget His many blessings. Unlike David, we think first of ourselves. We take our comforts, our families, our health, our blessings, for granted. We forget that every good & perfect gift comes from above. Where would we be without the good hand of the Lord upon us? Sometimes we allow petty differences with our brothers & sisters in Christ to distract us from loving & serving the Lord. We take our eyes off Him.
I have no doubt David had pure motives for wanting to build a temple. He was someone who loved to worship. He loved to sing praises to God. No wonder it was on his heart to build a magnificent temple where not only he but the whole nation could come to worship. David was passionate about loving & serving God. By the way, if we as Christians were half as excited & passionate about our faith as many Kiwis are about rugby & winning the World Cup our churches would be no less exciting than Eden Park will be tonight at the final between the All Blacks & France! Yes, David was excited about God & his motives were pure!
Another good thing about David was that he included amongst his advisors people like the prophet Nathan. Not all prophets were true prophets but Nathan certainly was. A true prophet was someone in tune with God, someone through whom God spoke to the king & the nation. This is the first mention of Nathan in the Bible. He was to play a very important role in David’s life helping keep David aware of his need to walk with God. Let us see how Nathan responded to David’s suggestion about building a temple.
“Nathan replied to the king, ‘Whatever you have in mind, go ahead & do it, for the LORD is with you.’” (v.3) Nathan thought that what David was suggesting, building something more permanent for the Ark of the Lord sounded really good. He knew that the Lord was with David & he presumed whatever David had in mind would be in accord with the will of God. However, the fact is Nathan jumped to conclusions. He did not first check with the Lord about what the Lord thought about David’s idea. Sometimes we too are also a little too quick to make decisions. We are faced with what seems an exciting option. It sounds brilliant. It sounds like a great plan – but we should always first check out what the Lord thinks about it.
Well, Nathan had not checked it out with the Lord & in a gracious but unmistakable way the Lord put a check on Nathan. The Lord let him know that He had a different plan. So we read in vrs 4 & 5, “But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying: ‘Go & tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?’” God was in no way angry with David. He knew his heart. And He referred to David as “my servant” – just think of that. David was king of the nation but he was also the servant of the Lord. Which was the greater honour? Of course there can be no greater honour than to be “the servant of the Lord”. Yes, God was not at all angry with David for wanting to build a Temple. However David needed to know that now was not the time & he, David, was not the one to build the Temple.
The message God gave to Nathan to pass on to David was gentle but clear. He said, “I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ (vrs 6 & 7)
God reminded David, through the prophet, that in fact He did not need a fancy Temple. The tent that housed the Ark of the Covenant had all along been the symbol of God’s Presence with His people but in no way should they ever think God was limited to that tent. Many years later when the Temple was in fact built by Solomon, David’s son & successor, Solomon prayed these words, “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built.” (1 Kings 8:27) Of course He who made the heavens & the earth doesn’t need us to provide a house for Him, no matter how magnificent it might be. We need to remember this too as we look forward to the completion of our extension & new auditorium. Far more important than the physical building is the presence & the blessing of God Himself!
But we are jumping ahead by mentioning Solomon. He had not even been born when this idea of building a temple first came to David. So let us return to see what else God told Nathan the prophet to tell David. He continues in vrs 8 & 9, “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, & appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone …Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth.’”
God reminds David of how He called him from being a shepherd of sheep to being the shepherd of His people, the nation of Israel. He reminds David of how He had been with him & given him the throne. But there was far more to come. God went on to make some incredible promises to David. David had wanted to honour God’s Name by building a Temple but God says He is going to honour David by making David’s name great. David had wanted to give God a home, but God says He is giving His people a home. In v.10 God says, “I will provide a place for my people Israel & will plant them so that they can have a home of their own.”
God has of course fulfilled His promise. This promise was made to David in about 1000 BC. How incredible that the Jewish people even today, 3000 years later, are living in the land where God said He would plant them & give them a home. Yes, at times in her history Israel has been in exile away from the land – in some cases for many centuries. But God has not failed in His promise. Yet He had an even more incredible promise for David.
David wanted to build a house for God but see what God promises to do for David - “The LORD declares to you that the LORD Himself will establish a house for you.” (v.11) God goes on to promise that David’s descendants would succeed him. One of his sons would establish his kingdom. In vrs.13 -15 God says about this son, “He is the one who will build a house for my Name, & I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, & he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him …But my love will never be taken away from him.” This son was Solomon, who we mentioned a moment ago. God used Solomon to build the Temple.
Although God did not allow David to be the one to build the Temple He gave him a promise that showed He had a far greater plan. In v.16 God says, “Your house & your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” God was to give David a dynasty that would last forever.
David’s earthly dynasty in actual fact only lasted for 400 years. That is quite a long time of course, but 400 years is not the same as “forever”. Does this mean God’s promise to David failed? No, it does not. God’s promise about his descendants sitting on an earthly throne was conditional upon their following in the ways of their father & ancestor David. When they stopped following the Lord, they lost the throne. Israel was taken into exile. However there is another aspect of the promise to David that we must not miss.
The promise is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus for He was a direct descendant of David. A thousand years later on the Day of Pentecost as Peter preached to the crowds in Jerusalem he spoke about David. He said, “God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, He spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to the grave …God raised this Jesus to life…” (Acts 2:30 & 31) Christ now reigns as King in His spiritual Kingdom & in heaven. One day He will reign over the earth in the New Jerusalem. As the angel said to the virgin Mary when he announced to her the fact she was to give birth to a child, “He will be great & will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, & He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:32 & 33)
I am sure David had no idea of all that was involved in the incredible promise God gave him through the prophet Nathan. However when Nathan reported to him all that God had said David had one reaction. It was not to argue or complain. It was not to feel disappointed that he was not the one to build the Temple. What was his reaction? We see it in the prayer he prayed.
“Then King David went in & sat before the LORD, & he said: ‘Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, & what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant…” (vrs 18 & 19) David felt overwhelmed. He felt totally unworthy & he prays a beautiful prayer full of worship & praise. He says in v.22, “How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, & there is no God but you.” David realised that God’s plan was far greater than his plan had been. God’s plan was to work through the nation, His people, bringing blessing to the whole world. Obviously David had little idea of the greatness of God’s plan for God’s plan was the plan of salvation to bring a Saviour into the world, through whom even you & I are blessed.
David loved God & wanted to build something beautiful for Him – a Temple, not a tomb like the Taj Mahal. However God had a far greater plan. It was a plan to bless David & through the Jewish nation to send a Saviour to the world. I hope you have a heart for God like David had. If you do, then do not be surprised when the Lord blesses you & through you blesses many others. That is the way He works.
From Shepherd to King (7)
“Building the Nation – Putting God First” 2 Samuel 5:17-25 & 6:11-19
Former US President Jimmy Carter is known as a committed Christian. He has never been afraid to hide the fact he is a follower of Jesus Christ. In his book “Living Faith” President Carter writes, “…my Christian faith has guided & sustained me, …it has challenged & driven me to seek a closer relationship with God & my fellow human beings.” King David who lived 3000 years ago & was Israel’s greatest king would no doubt say much the same. Doing what was pleasing to God was his number one priority. As king over both Judah & the other eleven tribes of Israel David wanted to make sure God was put at the centre of the nation’s life. He asked God for wisdom as he set about building the nation. One of the very first things David did was to choose:
A New Capital
He needed somewhere both central & neutral to be the centre of the nation’s political, social & religious life. God led him to make a brilliant choice – a fortress on a hill called Zion that stood on the border between Judah & Benjamin. It was right by an important road running north south along the ridge of mountains, between the Mediterranean Sea & the Dead Sea. The only problem was that the fortress of Zion was occupied by a Canaanite tribe, the Jebusites. The fortress had never been conquered by the Israelites even though for many hundreds of years they had occupied the flatter areas just to the north of the fortress. The Israelite town was called Jerusalem.
The Jebusite fortress was relatively easy to defend because on the south, east & west were steep cliffs. The north side of the fortress had a strong high wall to keep out attackers. So confident were the Jebusites that when David & his men came to attack, we read, “The Jebusites said to David, ‘You will not get in here; even the blind & the lame can ward you off.’” (2 Samuel 5:6) They thought it would be very easy to repel any attack. But how wrong they were! We read in v.7 “Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion - which is the City of David.” And v.9 says, “David then took up residence in the fortress & called it the City of David.” The fortress became known as the City of David though the term came to refer to the whole city of Jerusalem, not just the fortress that David conquered. Today of course the city of Jerusalem stretches far beyond the boundaries of the Old City & the fortress of Zion.
Verse 10 continues to say that David, “…became more & more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him.” The key to David & his men being able to conquer the Jebusite fortress & the key to David’s becoming stronger & stronger was the simple fact “…the LORD God Almighty was with him.” There is a powerful spiritual lesson for us in all this.
The Jebusite fortress can be likened to the spiritual strongholds of the enemy that we sometimes allow to remain in our lives. A spiritual stronghold is any area in our lives where Jesus is not reigning as king. It is any area where we have allowed the enemy to settle, an area where Jesus is not welcome. The places where Jesus is not Lord can become a stronghold of the enemy. If we compromise with the truth, if we allow ungodly thoughts or habits to control us, Satan is building a stronghold from which to attack our spiritual life. Satan laughs at us for he knows that on our own we are powerless to break down the strongholds we have allowed him to build.
We saw that the key to David & his men being able to conquer the Jebusite fortress was the simple fact “…the LORD God Almighty was with him”. In the same way you & I need the Lord to help us defeat the enemy. A simple thing like giving up smoking for some people seems impossible – it is a stronghold. Addictions to alcohol or pornography or illicit sex or over-eating can also be strongholds of the enemy. Others find it hard to overcome things like jealousy or self-pity or anger. Dear friends, we need the power of the Lord to help us defeat the enemy. We cannot do it on our own. But with His strength, with His mighty power – victory is sure. And just as that former fortress of the Jebusites became the fortress of King David – so too those areas where Satan has had control in our lives, can become places where King Jesus is in control. Hallelujah.
Defeating Old Enemies
There were other enemies that David had to tackle. They were their old enemies, the Philistines who still had control of large areas of Israel. For many years the Philistines had harassed the Israelites – often sending raiding parties at harvest time in order to steal their food supplies. The Philistines were not going to stop now that David had been made king. Quite the opposite! We read in v.17 – “When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him.” Hearing that David had been made king of the united tribes of Israel & Judah they thought they had better get rid of him before he became a threat to their power. We read “…the Philistines had come & spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.” (v.18) The Valley of Rephaim was very close, just to the west of Jersualem. It shows how bold & dominant the Philistines were. They were right in the heartland of Israelite territory.
What do we do when the enemy seems so powerful? What do we do when the old enemies of the world, the flesh & the devil threaten to overwhelm us? Let us see what David did. We read in v.19, “David inquired of the LORD, ‘Shall I go & attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?’” Yes, David turned to the Lord for guidance & help. And you & I must do the same when the enemy comes in like a flood, spreading out as if he owns the place. David asked God if he should attack the enemy. He also knew that if he was to win the victory it had to be the Lord who brought deliverance. So he asked, “Lord, will you deliver the enemy into my hands?”
Dear friend, are you being threatened by your old sinful nature? Is that old sinful nature that so controlled your life before you met Jesus, threatening once again to tell you what to do, threatening to control your life, to drag you down? Will you, like David, cry out & say, “Lord will you defeat the enemy? Will you bring deliverance?” What did God say to David? We read, “The LORD answered him, ‘Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.’”(v.19) The Lord did help David & his men & they did defeat the Philistines. In fact the Philistines took off so fast that they left behind all their idols, the images of the gods that were supposed to be protecting them. We learn from 1 Chronicles 14:12 that “David gave orders to burn them [i.e. the idols] in the fire.” That is what we must do with idols. We must get rid of them completely from our lives & our homes.
Well, despite having been beaten the old enemies came back again. We read in v. 22, “Once more the Philistines came up & spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.” Yes, friends, do not be surprised that again & again you & I have to face the same old enemy. We may win one battle but before very long a new challenge will come. While we live on earth we are never free from the temptations of the world, the downward pull of the old sinful nature, & the subtle attacks of the evil one. We are in a spiritual war zone. The battle is on. But do not be discouraged. The Lord is with us & He is able again & again to give us victory.
David did not think: “Last time we defeated them, surely this time I can easily defeat them again.” No, David did not presume he knew what to do. He knew that it was not by his own skill or might that he had defeated the Philistines. The Lord had done it. So wisely, David once again asked God to guide him & deliver him. We read in vrs. 23 & 24 that this time God said to David, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them & attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” David was told to wait until he heard the sound of marching in the tops of the trees. What could this be? Surely it is referring to angelic heavenly forces moving ahead of them to defeat the enemy. Yes, David & his troops were to fight but only after heavenly forces had marched out ahead of them. How exciting it would have been for David to hear the sound of those heavenly troops. What faith & courage it must have given him! Let us ask God to move in our church in the same way – may we hear the sound of God’s army marching out to defeat the enemy. Yes, we do face spiritual attack. Satan is not happy that we want to extend the church. He is not happy that so many want to grow in faith & want to follow the Lord. We need the power of God’s Spirit. We need to hear the sound of the heavenly army.
As soon as David heard the sound of marching in the trees he was to launch his attack. There is a picture here of the cooperation between us & God. We have a part to play. We have to resist the enemy. We have to stand up & fight. The Bible says, “Resist the devil, & he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) Trusting in the Lord, knowing He goes ahead of us, & being obedient to Him in all things, we are then to resist the enemy. V.25 continues the story: “So David did as the LORD commanded him, & he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.” This time it was a decisive victory. David & his men chased the Philistines all the way down to Philistine territory. This victory broke the back of Philistine opposition.
As you & I submit ourselves to God in obedience we can take a stand against all the attacks of Satan. In the Name of Jesus we can reject his lies, his deceptions, & his accusations. We can experience deliverance & victory. If you are a new Christian don’t be discouraged that little things stumble you, that you make some of the same old mistakes & fall for the same old temptations. As you learn how to resist the enemy, you will grow stronger. The enemy will be pushed further & further back as you learn to fight with the Lord’s army going ahead of you. To fight spiritual battles we need spiritual weapons. To overcome the enemy we need the power of God, & His power is available for each one of us, as it was for David.
Finally, in building the nation David saw the importance of:
Spiritual Worship
Not only did David conquer the fortress of Zion & turn it into the City of David. Not only did he defeat the Philistines & break their power. David also saw the importance of worship. He wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem into the very centre of life in the nation. 2 Samuel 6 tells the story of this important event. The ark is not to be confused with the big boat built by Noah before the worldwide flood. And it has nothing to do with Jack & Lucy’s waterproofing company. The ark was a national treasure of Israel dating from the time of Moses when he led the nation out of slavery in Egypt & when God gave them the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. The ark was a wooden box covered with gold which was normally kept in the Tabernacle, or tent of meeting. The ark represented the presence of God with His people. It was holy & could not be touched. Only the priests, the Levites, could carry it with specially made poles.
We do not have time to look at all the details of what happened but here is a little background. For many decades the ark had been almost forgotten – being kept in the house of a man called Abinadab. David gathered a large number of people from around the nation. He wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem. They put the ark on a new cart & we read, “Uzzah & Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it… David & all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums & cymbals.” (vrs 3-5) What happened next, however, was to shock everyone, not least David. They were not far from Jerusalem when the oxen pulling the cart stumbled. We read, “Uzzah reached out & took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, & he died there beside the ark of God.” (vrs 6 & 7) It seemed unbelievable. A well-meaning man trying to steady the cart ends up dying. Why, why should this happen?
David was not only shocked. He was angry & confused. V 9 says, “David was afraid of the LORD that day & said, ‘How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?’” Meanwhile the ark was left in the house of Obed-Edom who lived close to where the tragic event took place. In the next 3 months God blessed Obed-Edom & his family. “King David was told, ‘The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom & everything he has, because of the ark of God.’” (v.12) This news helped David to overcome his fear.
What David & the others had not realised was that there were very clear instructions regarding how the ark was to be moved. It could only be carried by Levites using carrying poles. And it could not be touched. God is a holy God & His laws had to be obeyed or else there would be serious consequences. David had learnt a very important lesson. God is holy. We cannot presume to come to worship unless we are ready to reverence & obey the Lord.
Verse 12 continues, “…So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.” This time David made sure everything was done correctly. He also joined in as one of the most earnest worshippers. He didn’t dress in kingly robes. He dressed like a Levite in a simple linen garment. We read in vrs 14 & 15: “Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, while he & all Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts & the sound of trumpets.” Not everyone shared David’s love for worship – one of them being his wife Michal. Michal had been reunited with David but did not share her husband’s passion for the things of God. Sadly as she saw David dancing before the Lord she despised him for not being as dignified as she thought he should be. David however was unashamed of his God. He loved to be extravagant in worship. He loved music & loved dancing before the Lord. No wonder David was seen as “a man after God’s own heart” – that is, as someone who pleased God. For David true worship was to be at the centre of everyday life. It was to be central in the life of the nation.
And worship should be central in our lives as believers. Do you love & worship the Lord with enthusiasm? Or are you afraid of what others might think? Former US President Jimmy Carter is an unashamed worshipper of the Lord Jesus. Like David, he tried to put the Lord at the centre of everything. How about you?