2 Samuel 5

[0:00] Again, the reading is 2 Samuel chapter 5 on page 257. Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, Behold, we are your bone and flesh.

[0:20] In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.

[0:32] So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

[0:47] At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah. Thirty-three years. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off, thinking, David cannot come in here.

[1:11] Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. And David said on that day, Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him go up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul.

[1:26] Therefore it is said, the blind and the lame shall not come into the house. And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the millow inward.

[1:37] And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him. And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons, who built David a house.

[1:53] And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.

[2:08] And the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem, Shemua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Euchar, Elishu, Nefeg, Japhia, El Shammah, Eliadah, and Elphilet.

[2:22] When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, and all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold.

[2:35] Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of the Lord, Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand? And the Lord said to David, Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.

[2:50] And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood. Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim.

[3:02] And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away. And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, You shall not go up.

[3:15] Go around to the rear, and come against them opposite the basalm trees. When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the basalm trees, then rouse yourselves. For then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.

[3:29] And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Good morning.

[3:45] Good morning. Good morning. It's good to be with you today and to continue our summer trek in the book of 2 Samuel.

[3:56] What a book we have before us, and I pray that God would bless and teach us all and guide us all through his word from here. Let me pray. We'll get into the book.

[4:06] Heavenly Father, we rejoice in you. Thank you for your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We praise you for your word that's before us this morning.

[4:20] And pray, Lord, that it would speak to us clearly, powerfully, redemptively, transformatively. May it be so for the glory and honor of your name is our prayer in Jesus' name.

[4:34] Amen. Amen. My wife recently celebrated 24 years of employment at her now-farmer employee, Circle Urban Ministries.

[4:49] We had a couple events that commemorated that milestone. And during those events, we took lots and lots of pictures. As a part of my personal tribute to her, I wanted to put together a book that includes many of those pictures.

[5:07] Not all of them made the cut for one reason or another. I just had certain ones that I wanted to put in. And so I uploaded or downloaded them. And you know how you can make those great books.

[5:19] Hopefully, it will be coming this week. My point is that the narrator has done something similar in our text today. He has downloaded certain snapshots or clips, if you will, from the life of David in order to show God's hand of blessing on David and on his kingship.

[5:44] Various glimpses that are put together here. One writer has called this a collage of sorts. And what we see here is probably best not to take the things that we see here as going in chronological order.

[6:01] Again, he has downloaded certain things in order to give a picture of what he wants you to get, of what he wants you to grab hold of. But I want to help you to see these snapshots today.

[6:14] And again, what he's trying to show, he's showing us that David's king over all of God's people.

[6:26] What does he want us to see? The first thing you see in verses 1 through 5. What he's showing us is that David is a God-appointed king. A God-appointed king.

[6:39] What we have here before us, even in verse 1, there's a delegation of elders from Israel that found their way to Hebron.

[6:50] And they show up at David's doorstep. So like they're knocking on his door. Why are they showing up? One of the reasons is that they are a leaderless people.

[7:02] They are a leaderless people. They are a helpless people. What has happened is we see what has transpired in the chapters between chapter 2, where we were last week, and up to today, Abner, the great general of Israel, was dead by the hands of Joab.

[7:23] Isbosheth, the man of shame, likewise, he was murdered. So here, there comes a knock at David's door, and the leaders of Israel show up, and they want to make him king, not simply, over the house of Judah.

[7:42] It's going to be king over all the house of Israel. Matter of fact, look at the alls in the text. You can see verse 1. Then all the tribes of Israel came.

[7:55] Look at verse 3. So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And then, notice in verse 5, he reigns over all Israel and Judah for 33 years.

[8:11] They come. And they come based on several things. They make an appeal to him. The first thing they make an appeal to him in verse 1 is on the basis of family ties.

[8:25] You see that there? David, behold, we are your bone and flesh. It's an appeal on the basis of kinship. David, you're one of us. We've got common roots.

[8:38] You are one of us. And then, notice what the second appeal is based on military successes. You were a successful leader.

[8:49] Look and see that in verse 2. In time past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, that's the third thing.

[9:00] First of all, the successful leader. Even when Saul was king, the point that we're making is that David had exercised successful leadership over them.

[9:13] He led the charge against Goliath and otherwise had fought the Lord's battles, so much so that there was a popular course in Israel. But Saul has slain his thousands.

[9:27] David has slain his ten thousands. That was a popular course. But notice the third thing. God's sovereign choice.

[9:38] The Lord said to you, you shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel. From his anointing as a teenager by Samuel, the Lord's intentions for David had been known in various kinds of ways.

[9:55] And acknowledging that David was God's choice for leadership over God's people. You shall be the shepherd of my people Israel. You shall be prince over Israel.

[10:07] Later it would be written in Psalm 78 the following words. He, that's God, chose David and took him from the cheap foes. From following the nursing ewes, he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance.

[10:22] With upright heart, he shepherded them and guided them with skillful hands. That's David. God's leader for God's people and all of God's people.

[10:36] I want you to turn to 1 Chronicles chapter 12 because it is there that we really get a wider angle view of what's going on here.

[10:49] The narrator in 2 Samuel didn't give us a full-blown picture. The chronicler, who tends to be very David friendly, he gives us a more close-up look at what is going on.

[11:04] And it's actually marvelous what we see. Look particularly 1 Chronicles chapter 12. And look at verse 38 where I will begin reading.

[11:16] There we get, this was really a big deal that was going on. Nothing like this had ever happened in Israel up until this point. When I think of this, I think of the historic 2008 election of President Barack Obama.

[11:32] You remember that particular, our nation was absolutely elated. The world, the eyes of the world are upon us, were upon us as a nation. People were making their way with planes and automobiles and buses going to Washington for that occasion.

[11:48] Some people took off work. Some people who couldn't afford to be there were there. But it was a big deal as far as what was happening in Washington. But notice what we have here in verse 38.

[12:00] All these men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David king over all Israel.

[12:11] Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king. And there were David, notice, for three days eating and drinking for their brothers had made preparation for them.

[12:26] And also their relatives from as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys and on camels and on mews and oxen, abundant provisions of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, and oxen and sheep.

[12:42] Why? But there was great joy in Israel. Why was there great joy? At last. God's king had assumed the position that God had ordained for him.

[13:00] And friends, it was a time for joy in Israel. Israel wanted David's protective leadership that had been exercised in the past and promised by God himself.

[13:15] In this time of crisis, the nation then comes to its senses. They had experienced the folly of following another king.

[13:26] We're back in chapter 5. Courageously and out of necessity, survival really depended on them. They did the right thing.

[13:37] They come. They made David their king, the right leader. Have you noticed that sometimes it takes a crisis or a near crisis for us to come to our senses?

[13:50] That's the way life works sometimes. Sometimes things have to get really tight and really hard, and we wake up. And such was the case in Israel.

[14:01] Boy, they were threatened. They were leaderless. So they did the right thing in making David king. As we look at verses 4 and 5, it really confirms the fact David was not just king over some of them.

[14:17] He was king over all of them. God's promises, friends, and God had promised that, can be snail-like or TARDIS-like in their fulfillment.

[14:28] But they are sure, and God's promises are worth waiting for. God is not a man that he should lie or the son of man that he should repent. Hath he not spoken and shall he not do it?

[14:40] Has he not promised? Shall he not make it good? David is God's appointed king over the scope of his rule. It is over all of God's people.

[14:53] But not only is David God's appointed king, David, in verses 6 through 16, he is a God's established king. A God-appointed king, but also a God-established king.

[15:05] There are several things that we see coming into play. In verses 6 through 10, we have the establishment of a capital city. So how did this happen? How did David happen to make Jerusalem the place from which his governing would take place?

[15:23] King and his men, they go up there. First of all, Jerusalem was sort of a borderline kind of city. It wasn't exactly in Judah, the southern kingdom. It wasn't exactly in Benjamin.

[15:34] It was sort of neutral territory. That's one of the reasons. Again, David was a military and really a political strategist, so to speak, as far as the things that he did.

[15:45] It was inhabited by the Jebusites. Geographically, they were Canaanite, but ethnically speaking, they were Amorite and Hittite people.

[15:56] These were the people that Joshua was unable to drive out during the conquest. We see that in Joshua chapter 15. So well fortified was the city that the inhabitants, they taunted David with the words that we find in verse 6.

[16:12] David, you will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off, thinking David cannot come in here. I remember my army days, Fort Sam Houston and basic training.

[16:28] Physical training was a part of our regiment. And there were ways in which one basic training unit would taunt another basic training unit.

[16:38] And we would see them there going through their regiment. And we were I mean, we were marching or either running. And we would look at the commander who was leading the march.

[16:50] And sometimes we would go along. We would sing our chance. And the one who was leading, he would say to the left, speaking about those guys over there. We would say sick call.

[17:00] They were right for medical attention as far as we've been served. They did not arise to the stature of those who were in our unit.

[17:11] So as we marched by and looked at them, we called them sick call. That was the collective word or the collective utterance of those who were in our unit.

[17:22] They are just right for the doctor, pointing or characterizing their weakness. So in a sense, that's what these were saying. David, I mean, even the weakest among us will not allow you.

[17:34] We are so well fortified that I mean, our weaklings. I mean, we'll send the kids. We'll send the nursery folks out for you. You can't come in here. Huh? That was the idea.

[17:46] But nevertheless, notice what it says. David, what did he do? He took the stronghold of Zion. Huh? That's the first thing he did. And then he lived in the stronghold.

[17:58] Verse seven, he took the stronghold of Zion. That is the city of David. He called it by his name. Huh? But not only did he take it, he lived in it. He made it his home in verse nine.

[18:10] Particularly at verse 10, though, because we see really the power behind David's successes. David became greater and greater.

[18:20] How was it so? Verse 10. For the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him. He was, David was able to conquer because the Lord was with him.

[18:33] The idea here, what we see here, here's a conquering king who takes a city for his own. And this place became the, his capital of his kingdom and eventually would become the worship place for the people of God.

[18:47] Huh? Huh? Taking of a city. A strong city. Reading this particular passage makes me think of our vision of city transformation. The various forms of resistance that we face in the realization of such a vision.

[19:04] City transformation needs the empowerment of the Most High, the Almighty God. Oh, how we need him to overcome the seemingly impregnable forces that lurk in every neighborhood of our city.

[19:21] Some are more visible than others. But if there are going to be kingdom successes, it's not going to be on the basis of our prowess or our wisdom.

[19:31] It is only through God's power that we're able to make impact in this city or wherever God's people are. Not trusting in ourselves.

[19:43] We need God's wisdom to garner the good and the positive and the wholesome that's here. To recognize and support such efforts and use them as bridges for kingdom advance.

[19:54] Again, we need the wisdom to see that, but we need God's power for execution. We, within ourselves, are unable to have the kind of impact that we need for city transformation.

[20:07] The obstacles are absolutely too great. Oh, I just think of the many challenges that we face in our city. Whether it's crime or whether it is the educational system.

[20:19] May God help us to have impact in ways that really lead in various ways to city transformation. Transformation. Did we, in our own strength, confide our striving with Pelozi?

[20:33] We're not the right man on our side. The man of God's own choosing. You ask who that might be. Christ Jesus, it is he. Lord, sabba oath his name.

[20:48] From age to age the same. And what? He must win. The battle. Not in our strength, but in his. David stormed Jerusalem and secured it as a place for his rule.

[21:01] His government. Again, the summary statement is quite clear in verse 10, isn't it? He became greater and greater for the Lord of hosts was with him. The establishment of his city.

[21:13] But not only is David settled and secure in a capital city, which was also his home. But notice the establishment of a reputation. We see that in verses 11 and 12.

[21:24] He is a respected king. How do we know that? Because one of the, I mean, he is respected, you might even say internationally. Again, it is believed that, again, that this is not a chronological kind of account because Hiram actually may come later in David's reign.

[21:43] But what we see here, again, he is recognized as far as God's hand of favor and God's power and might upon him. He's recognizing. So Hiram then demonstrates his respect for him by donating labor and materials to build a palace for him.

[22:00] In other words, Hiram co-signed what the Lord was doing in the life of David. Notice what we also see in the verses that follow. We see the establishment of a family.

[22:12] So he's a secure king. He's a respected king, but he is also a fruitful king. If we will look back in chapter three, we'd see that he had six children by six wives in chapter three in Judah.

[22:29] But here we see another account, what then happened in Jerusalem. David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron.

[22:39] And notice more sons and daughters were born to him. And notice the idea of increase and fruitfulness that is there, that is being brought forth. He is a fruitful king.

[22:52] David grew stronger and stronger. So he settles them in the city. He's safe. He's at home. He's bothering children there.

[23:03] Was not childbearing a sign of God's blessing. I believe that's what the narrator is showing us. He's secure. He's respected. He's fruitful. But as Dave pointed out on last week, the narrator is also, he's adept at leaving some clues behind in this narrative.

[23:21] Clues that help explain some things that come later in the story. Politically and culturally, David was on solid ground with his practice.

[23:32] Politically motivated marriages. Yet biblically, friends, and we'll see this more. He was on very shaky ground. And the law had something to say about the conduct of king.

[23:44] Listen to what Deuteronomy 17 and 17 says. He shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

[23:56] There was a law. There was a law. There was a prescription in the law as far as boundaries for those who were to lead God's people. Huh? While David was fruitful, he's also flirting with folly at this point.

[24:13] Huh? Well, aren't there very many ways that we flirt with folly? Certainly male-female relationships are just one of those that not only leaders need to be on guard of, but all of God's people.

[24:31] Flirting with folly. Running red lights. Playing with matches, so to speak, can lead to ruin and shame.

[24:45] Huh? There's one more thing that we see about David's reign in this chapter. He's a God-appointed king. He's a God-established king. But he is also a God-directed king.

[24:57] You see that in verses 17 and following, huh? Here we see the strategic, very strategic victories of the king and the reason for them. Huh? The author of 1 and 2 Samuel, he loves contrast.

[25:13] And what we see here are contrasts in several ways with Saul and his reign, Saul and his leadership. Unlike Saul, David sought the Lord and he listened to him.

[25:28] Very few times, if any, do we see Saul really seeking God. We see him in 1 Samuel chapter 28. He is seeking counsel through the witch of Endor.

[25:39] Huh? God allows a dead Samuel to come up and speak words of judgment to him. But David, notice what we see of him in the text. Huh? Look at verse 17.

[25:50] While the Philistines heard that David had been anointed over Israel, all the Philistines came to search for David. David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. Now, the Philistines had come up, spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

[26:05] And David inquired, this is what he does, verse 19. Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand? And the Lord said to David, go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.

[26:18] He's inquiring and he's getting direction. The victory that we see here, it gives us a flashback to David's victory. 1 Samuel chapter 17, where we first see him, likely as a teenager.

[26:33] Roughly 20 years have passed. He's a man now. And the kingdom was no longer a dream. It was no longer a promise. The kingdom here was a reality for him.

[26:44] It had indeed come to him just as God had promised. And the people of God were better off under his leadership. Goliath was long dead. But Goliath's people lived on.

[26:58] But so did the Lord's anointed, who continued to fight the Lord's battles. He was a God-directed king. He was a war veteran.

[27:09] How many wars and battles had David won? He was a decorated hero. But notice what he's doing. In the face of the enemy, he is seeking God's direction.

[27:22] You know, it doesn't make any difference how many times you've done something or how adept you are at doing it. The wise thing to do is based on Proverbs 3, 5, and 6.

[27:36] What? Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your what? Your own understanding in all your ways. Acknowledge him.

[27:47] And he will direct your paths. He inquires of the Lord, likely of using the priest in the process. And victory is the result.

[27:59] The triumph of the Lord is further indicated. In fact, notice what happens. The idols, verse 21, are being taken away. You remember what happened when the 1 Samuel chapter 4, when Israel thought that taking the ark into battle would secure victory for them?

[28:18] What happened? The ark was captured. It went, it was 1 Samuel chapter 5, taking it into the house of Dagon. And so notice the juxtaposition of what's happening here.

[28:29] The next chapter is going to deal with the ark narrative. But again, here what we see is David conquering, conquering the Philistines as well as the gods of the Philistines.

[28:42] David obeyed. And check it out. The first time he inquires of the Lord, the Lord tells him in verse 19 to go up. Look at verse 23.

[28:54] You shall not go up. Go around to the rear and come again. And so it was a different kind of instruction for a different kind of battle. It wasn't necessarily a one size fits all.

[29:07] Again, he sought the Lord each time. What's going on here in this chapter? The writer is careful in helping us to see the marks of David's kingship.

[29:19] But he is careful in helping us to see that really ultimately it was the Lord who was the true power behind the throne. You see that there in verse 12?

[29:31] He knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel. The scope of his rule, the place of his rule, the security of his rule, the power of his rule.

[29:42] Those are the things that come into view in this chapter. God's king is enthroned. And God is working through him, not ultimately for David's glory, but for the sake of the well-being of God's people.

[29:59] We see that in verse 12. He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. The right leader makes all the difference in the world and the well-being of God's people.

[30:13] Leadership is key. And of course, in David's reign, we see reflections of his greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the human offspring of David, the lion of the tribe of Judah.

[30:25] Think of the joy and satisfaction of those who are under the rule of David. Again, earlier they had sung about this young strapping warrior. Now he is their king.

[30:38] And there's joy and there's safety and security. But how much more for those who embrace and recognize Jesus as king?

[30:50] Did you know that he is God's appointed king and God's established king? Listen to what Acts 2.36 says. Let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him, that's Jesus, both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

[31:07] The scope of his rule? Presently, Jesus' rule includes his church. He rules in heaven, from heaven, over his church. But the scope of Christ's rule will one day include all the kingdoms of this world.

[31:21] Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, Revelation 11 and 15. There were loud voices in heaven saying, the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.

[31:35] And he shall reign forever and ever. He's God's king who has defeated the worst of enemies. Think of the victories of Jesus over the enemies of God's people when he came.

[31:47] He's God's kingdom demonstrated in his earthly ministry. People unattended to by the religious leaders of the day were like sheep without a shepherd. But Jesus steps on the scene and he heals them.

[31:59] He gives them life. He delivers them. And ultimately, he provided a sacrifice for the worst of all of our enemies, our sinful separation from God. His death and resurrection have given us life.

[32:13] So the question is, is this king, is God's king, that is Christ, is he your king? And is he leading you and guiding you and directing you?

[32:25] Is he your leader, huh? The snapshots of what we see in 2 Samuel 5 are reflections of a greater king whose future victories and reign are pictured so well in Psalm 2.

[32:37] And I'll close with that. I want you to turn that to that passage with me, Psalm chapter 2. And what we see here is a call both to individuals as well as nations not to resist him, but to receive him and to worship him and to serve him.

[33:04] Just allow me to even start at verse 1, if you will. Why do the nations rage? People's plot in vain. The kings of the earth set up themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed, saying, Let us burst their bonds apart and cast their cards from us.

[33:25] He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying, here it is right here. As for me, I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.

[33:42] See that reflection in David? And again, this is prophetic speaking ultimately about Christ. I will tell the decree. The Lord said to me, you are my son. Today I have begotten you.

[33:54] Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your heritage, the ends of the earth for your possession. And you shall break them with a wrought iron and dash them in pieces like a father's vessel.

[34:05] Now, therefore, O kings, be wise. Kings, I would say, and others. And be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

[34:17] Kiss him or submit to the son, lest he be angry. And you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

[34:27] God's king. Huh? Reflection of him in 2nd Samuel 5. And on today, I call you to recognize him, the kingship of Christ.

[34:43] I call you to worship him and serve him with all your hearts. I call you to submit to him. Huh? Huh? He's God's appointed king like David.

[34:54] He's God's established king. And he is God-directed king. Is he your king? I hope so. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we...