For today we're in 2 Samuel chapter 1.
Our passage is only the first 16 verses.
! So verses 1 through 16.
! I read this and I invite you to receive it, trusting that it's God's inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear, sufficient word.
It's his very own word for you and me, his people.
2 Samuel 1.
Now it came to pass, after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites,
and David had stayed two days in Ziklag,
on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head.
So it was when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.
And David said to him, Where have you come from?
So he said to him, I have escaped from the camp of Israel.
Then David said to him, How did the matter go?
Please tell me.
And he answered, The people have fled from the battle.
Many of the people are fallen and dead.
And Saul and Jonathan, his sons, are dead also.
So David said to the young man who told him,
How do you know that Saul and Jonathan, his son, are dead?
Then the young man who told him said,
As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa,
there was Saul leaning on his spear.
And indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
Now when he looked behind me, he saw and called me, and I answered, Here I am.
Then he said to me, Who are you?
So I said to him, I am an Amalekite.
He said to me again, Please stand over me and kill me,
for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.
So I stood over him and killed him,
because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen.
So I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm,
and have brought them here to my Lord.
Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them,
and so did all the men who were with him.
And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul
and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord,
and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
Then David said to the young man who told him,
Where are you from?
And he answered, I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.
So David said to him, How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand
to destroy the Lord's anointed?
Then David called one of the young men and said,
Go near and execute him.
And he struck him so that he died.
So David said to him, Your blood is on your own head,
for your own mouth has testified against you,
saying, I have killed the Lord's anointed.
The word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God. Please be seated.
Let's pray.
Oh Lord, we trust your promises about your word,
that your word is sharp.
It pierces through where no man can,
in the hand of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, we ask that your Holy Spirit will take your word,
even this ancient narrative,
and that your spirit will shine the light of Jesus Christ
on this ancient passage,
and apply it to our lives in a way, Lord,
that you intended when you gave this to your church.
We pray that you will help the preacher, Lord,
to proclaim truths that exalt you,
that are right, and that edify your body.
We pray for your church, Lord,
to receive you by faith,
to have discerning ears,
to be pulled deeper and deeper into your word.
And we thank you, Lord,
for how though we are so limited,
you are so powerful.
And we pray, Lord,
that you will minister in your powerful way,
despite our weaknesses,
that you'll do this for your glory in our lives,
we ask.
Amen.
Well, to survive in this world,
we have to find out what is enough.
What's enough study time to get an A for that teacher?
How fast do I have to run a mile in order to make a team?
How many times do I have to practice my lines
to be ready to perform them live on the stage?
For some of you,
it's how much do I have to go above and beyond
to get the bonus,
to get the five-star rating?
How much is enough?
And today's passage forces us to face the same question
as this young Amalekite.
He wants to secure a place in David's rising kingdom.
David has been anointed by God.
The word anointed is Messiah.
The word Christ is anointed.
So David is a shadow for us of the coming kingdom.
And there's no question more important
for you and me today than that as well.
What is enough to secure a place in the kingdom?
I think we can learn from this non-example
four things that are not enough.
And then with God's help to answer from Scripture
what is enough.
So number one,
is it enough to secure a place in God's kingdom
knowing who the true king is?
I want to argue that it's not enough
to simply know who the true king is.
Look at verse one.
It came to pass after the death of Saul
when David had returned from the slaughter
of which group?
Which people?
The Amalekites.
Remember the Amalekites,
the predatory parasites
that sneak in and prey on the weak?
The ones who burned down Ziklag
and carried off all the women and children?
That's who David just went out
and with God's power they slayed them.
Now 400 of them,
I think it was,
they fled off on camels.
And David had come back now
having rescued the women and children,
they're back in the ashes of their town.
He stayed there two days,
smelling that smell,
the fire that these Amalekites
had set to their city.
But at least it's with his family,
with their wives, their children.
They get to see one another again.
Verse two says,
on the third day,
behold it happened
that a man came from Saul's camp.
The narrator unfolds
small but important details gradually.
That's all we get for now.
You can see almost the silhouette
walking towards them of a man.
And it's from the direction of
where this battle took place.
And as he gets closer,
they can see his clothing,
their torn clothes.
And there's dust on his head.
This is what you would do
if you're grieving and mourning publicly.
You want people to know right away,
I'm a person that's hurt and injured emotionally.
Give me space.
And ask me what's going on.
Outwardly,
this man appears to be
emotionally distraught,
undone.
And so it was,
when this man now gets very close
and he came to David,
he falls to the ground
and prostrates himself
before David,
the man anointed to be the king
under the Lord
over his people.
Well, this initial impression
we get of this man
is one who outwardly appears
to be on the side of Israel.
Outwardly, he appears to be humble,
meek,
and one who belongs
to the kingdom of heaven
coming to earth
in this shadowy form in Israel.
And let's just pause right here
because
it's hard to interpret
these Old Testament passages correctly
and the science of
correctly interpreting God's word
is called hermeneutics.
And then when we go to apply God's word,
we often get it wrong as well.
So here's a very simple rule
we need to remember
on difficult passages like this.
We are always
the worst person
in any narrative.
That's us.
Let's just start with that.
And then the next part is
what does this reveal about God?
So right away,
let's recognize
that this Amalekite,
this man approaching David,
prostrating before David,
this is who we need
to identify with.
Some of us have known
the emptiness
of this type of worship.
Maybe some today who
this is the only type
of knowledge of God
that you have.
Let me put on
an outward show
of reverence to him
and maybe he'll remember
me when he comes
in glory and power
one day.
Brothers and sisters,
for you and me,
that's been part
of our testimony.
Is that enough
to know who the true king is
and put on an outward show
of religion?
It's not enough,
is it?
in Matthew 8,
29,
the demons
recognize the son of God
walking the earth
and they say to him,
what have you to do
with us,
son of God?
Have you come here
to torment us
before the time?
The demons knew
who the true king is.
It's Jesus Christ.
Christ.
And that's not enough
to have a place
in his kingdom.
Not only is
that superficial worship
and knowledge of God
insufficient,
but also doing
what we guess
the true king
wants done
is also not enough.
Doing what we guess
the true king
wants done
is also not enough
to secure a place
in his kingdom.
That's what the Amalekite
tries next.
Look at verse 3.
David said to him,
where do you come from?
So he said to him,
I have escaped
from the camp of Israel.
Well, the immediate thought
that David has here
is I want to hear
the report
because again,
he's been off
fighting a different battle,
saving back his women,
the women and children
from Ziklag.
And he's been wondering
now for two days,
is the battle over?
How did it go?
And this is the first report
he gets.
So it's what's on David's mind
in verse 4.
David said to him,
how did the matter go?
Please tell me.
And he answered,
the people have fled
from the battle.
All of Israel retreated.
They ran away.
Many of the people
have fallen dead,
including Saul
and Jonathan,
his son.
They're also dead.
We can put ourselves
there with David.
This is his beloved friend,
his brother in the battle,
the one who had recognized
David as the one
that God has anointed
and chosen.
I would love to have
a place in this kingdom.
And he hears these words
that Jonathan and Saul
are both dead.
What's on David's mind
in verse 5?
David said to the young man
who told him,
how do you know
that Saul and Jonathan,
his son,
are dead?
Isn't that one of the
early stages of grief?
It's shock and denial.
I just got to know
if this is going to even
sink in.
Are you an eyewitness?
Do I need to accept
this hard truth from you?
Verse 6,
then the young man
who told him said,
as I happened by chance,
it already makes you wonder
if that's a stretch.
That's what this
Amalekite's claiming.
As I happened by chance
to be on Mount Gilboa,
there was Saul
leaning on his spear.
Well, you can look back
to the last chapter
of 1 Samuel,
chapter 31,
verse 4b,
says that Saul
leaned on his sword,
not his spear.
Now, we know more
than David knows.
We've heard
the narrator's account.
David hasn't.
But we're already
even more suspicious.
If at first
it was profiling him
for just being
an Amalekite,
maybe that was wrong,
but now we're suspicious
of his report.
And then what he says next,
indeed the chariots
and horsemen
followed hard
after Saul.
Well, chapter 31,
verse 3,
says it was the archers
who got Saul.
Three times in one verse,
the archers,
not the chariots.
Verse 7,
now when he looked
behind him,
he saw me
and called,
and I answered,
here I am.
This Amalekite's
positioning himself
as a servant
to the king of Israel.
Here I am.
In Hebrew,
it's a heavy word.
It's the same response
of Abraham to God.
Here I am, God.
I'm your servant.
It's the response
of Moses
at the burning bush
to God.
Here I am, God.
And Isaiah
in the throne room,
here I am.
It signifies
total availability
and submission
to the greater king.
And this Amalekite's
portraying himself
as faithful,
obedient servant
of the king of Israel.
And he's trying
to say that
anything I did
was just out of
my duty now
to the one
who I've said
is my king.
In verse 8,
he said to me,
who are you?
So I answered him,
I am an Amalekite.
He said to me again,
please stand over me
and kill me
for anguish
has come upon me
but my life
still remains.
The word anguish,
Shabbat,
it's rare
and difficult
to translate this.
Some scholars
suggest it refers
to a seizure,
like a spasm
of all the muscles.
Perhaps implying
that Saul's armor,
there's the armor
of Saul
making another appearance,
had become a trap
for him
and he's suffocating.
Maybe he was paralyzed
by the terror
of the moment.
The Amalekite
uses this specific
medical sounding term
and it adds detail
to the story
and maybe this part
is true
that he did seesaw
there.
By the way,
he walked away
with the bracelet
and the crown.
He did get those somehow.
So maybe those details
are accurate.
Verse 10,
so I stood over him
and killed him
because I was sure
he could not live
after he had fallen.
So the Amalekite's claiming
I did the right thing.
I took the old man
out of his misery.
He was in anguish
and I just was doing
a gracious thing.
I was mercifully letting him
die in peace,
end his suffering.
But he's saying
that I'm the one
who killed Saul
and now we know
he's bearing false witness.
He's lying.
Chapter 31,
verse 4b says
that Saul killed himself.
The Amalekite
is most likely
trying to take credit
for something he thought
the true king,
David,
would want to have done.
He's guessing
at what the new king
wanted to happen
and telling this report
to promote himself
in the eyes
of the rising king.
But doing what we guess
the true king wants
done
is not enough
to secure a place
in his kingdom.
How many of us
have approached God
that way?
I don't know
what God wants
but I think God wants me
to do this or that
and so I'm going to
do these things
and my intention is
to get some points
in God's eyes
and be able to present
this back to God.
Look what I have done
for you, Lord.
And our Lord Jesus
warned about that
in the New Testament.
He doesn't want
our sacrifices.
He wants us
to obey him.
And what he's called us
to do is very simple.
Believe in me.
Follow me.
I will be the king
of your life.
I will be your good shepherd.
Abide in me.
That's what he calls us to.
Our flesh,
we want to go around
doing what we guess
he wants us to do.
Adding on
what we think
are good works
in order to secure
a place in his kingdom.
And that's not enough.
Number three,
giving what we think
the king wants
to receive
is also not enough
to secure a place
in his kingdom.
Giving what we think
the king wants
to receive
is not enough
to secure a place
in his kingdom.
Look at verse 10.
The Amalekite continues,
I took the crown
that was on his head
and the bracelet
that was on his arm
and I have brought them here
to the Lord,
to David.
I could have sold these,
I could have bartered them away.
It's a lot of gold
and silver in my hands.
My clothes are torn
and I'm bringing them
to you, David.
But it's a transaction.
It's bartering.
These are very valuable.
But what's even more valuable
is a high place,
a standing secured for me
in the kingdom
of this new king.
The Amalekites saw
a power vacuum
over the Israelites
who David had just
defeated the Amalekites.
And by bringing the crown
and the bracelet to David,
he was essentially
crowning David himself.
Likely hoping for
a high-ranking position
or some kind of
massive financial reward
for delivering the news
and the emblems
of the power
David would soon hold.
In verse 11 we read,
Therefore David
took hold of his own clothes
and tore them.
And so did all the men
who were with him.
And they mourned
and wept
and fasted
until evening
for Saul
and for Jonathan his son,
for the people of the Lord
and for the house of Israel
because they had fallen
on the sword.
It shows you David's heart
one more time.
It's not for the crown.
It's not for what
this world could offer.
His heart is for
the Lord's anointed
and his son
and the people of God.
The whole house of Israel
for his brothers in battle
who were all
slain by the sword.
Many of these
would have been
those same 3,000
skilled soldiers
who had been chasing
David and his men
around in the wilderness
all these years.
These Benjamites
who they could have viewed
as their enemy.
And this is
tearing David up
in his heart.
Instead of celebrating
the death of his rival,
his reaction was one
of genuine sorrow.
And as goes the king,
so goes his kingdom.
All his people,
his men with him,
share his heart
for the Lord's people.
Verse 13,
Then David said
to the young man
who told him,
Where are you from?
And he answered,
I am the son
of a stranger,
an Amalekite.
This is the same
question and answer
that Saul used
with this young man.
Who are you?
Where are you from?
I'm an Amalekite.
And now,
the new king
asked that same question
and answer.
So Saul's interaction
with the Amalekite
is set up
as a contrast
with David's interaction
with the Amalekite.
The downfalling king
and the uprising king
set in contrast
one to the other.
Saul represents
the way of the world,
a king like
all the other nations.
And David represents
the kingdom of God.
In verse 14,
David said to him,
How was it
you were not afraid
to stretch forth
your hand
and destroy
the Lord's Messiah?
That's the word he uses.
You have attacked
the one that God anointed.
This is not just
a crime against man.
It's an assault
upon God himself.
Here the Amalekite came
bringing to the king
what he thought
the king would want
to receive as a gift.
The crown.
The thing that David's
been very patiently
waiting for
in God's timing.
Here it is
in your hands.
And instead,
David's heart
has been reserved
by the spirit
for God's timing.
For God's way
of doing it.
Giving the king
what we think
he wants
is not enough.
we can fall
into that same
temptation
of the Middle Ages.
I'm going to
drop some coins
into the offering box
and God will use
that to overlook
a portion of my sins.
Or I'm going to
sacrifice and give
in all these other ways.
But yet,
my heart isn't
the Lord's.
My heart's not
for his people,
for his coming kingdom,
what he's made
very clear.
We need to repent
of that
and instead of
trying to bring
a gift
we think the Lord
may want from me,
we need to give him
ourselves.
We need to surrender
our whole lives
to the Lord.
That's what he's after
with God's people
all along.
It's our heart.
Well,
the fourth observation
is the last one.
It's still no solution.
But to sum it all up,
it's this.
There is nothing
we can do
or bring
or know
to secure a place
for ourselves
in the kingdom
that is coming.
There's nothing
we can know,
do,
or bring
that will ever
be enough.
Verse 15 says,
Then David called
one of the young men
and said to him,
Go near
and execute him.
And he struck him
so that he died.
In a military
or royal context,
this term,
young man,
that's been used
of the Amalekite,
it refers to
a servant
or an armor bearer
close to someone
important.
And that's how
the Amalekite
had portrayed himself.
I'm Saul's helper.
I'm this young man
associated with
Israel and Saul.
The irony is that
David uses
his own young man,
his own armor bearer
to execute
this man
who bore
a false witness
and who killed
the Lord's anointed.
It creates
a measure
for measure
parallel.
This servant
is now killed
for being an assassin.
In verse 9,
the Amalekite claims
that Saul had said
that he was in
anguish
and pain.
And in verse 16,
David said to him,
Your blood
is on your own head
for your own mouth.
You testified
against you saying,
I have killed
the Lord's
anointed.
Saul's not
letting him
off the hook
even if his
story was true.
Even if King Saul
had asked you
to do that,
your blood,
his blood
is on your hands.
You're guilty.
David's acting
as a king.
The king
in a monarchy
judges.
He makes decisions.
He rules
in hard cases
like King Solomon
had to judge,
be the supreme court.
And David
has now declared
this man guilty.
He says,
Your mouth
has answered
against you.
You have said
I killed
the king.
We know more
than David.
We also know
that this man
is bearing
false witness.
He's lying.
Someone commented,
Anytime that the
witness of an
Amalekite disagrees
with the witness
of the narrative,
never listen
to the Amalekite.
The narrator
is inspired
by the Holy Spirit.
Of course,
the cynics
and critics
will point to this.
Oh, see,
the Bible
contradicts itself.
The Bible
has even errors,
some have said.
No,
the Amalekite
bore false witness
and under Torah law,
a malicious witness
who seeks
the death
of another
through lies
deserves
the same punishment.
So the irony,
even though David
didn't know
as much as we know,
is that he had lied
about killing Saul
to get this reward
and that lie
was now the legal
basis furthermore
for his execution.
Luke 18,
14,
Jesus said,
all those
who exalt themselves
will be humbled
and those
who humble themselves
will be exalted.
Saul had exalted
himself over
and over
and over again
and he has been
brought low.
And in the kingdom
of God,
this pattern
will stop.
the first person
trying to creep
into David's kingdom
is an Amalekite
trying to pretend
like he's not
an enemy
of God's kingdom
and God's people,
trying to exalt himself
and he ends
with execution.
This will not happen
in the kingdom
of God's anointed
where the Lord
truly rules
over his people.
It's those
who humble themselves
low before
the anointed one
of God
who kiss the son
lest he be angry
and you will perish.
Those are the ones
he is pleased
to exalt.
There is nothing
we can do
or know
or bring
that will ever
be enough.
Think of
what other stories
this reminds you of.
Probably a lot.
God's word
is so rich
and there are really
only so many themes
in all of scripture
but they're rich
and beautiful
and they all work together.
The Amalekite
wanted to trade
these pieces
of gold and silver
for a place
in the kingdom
of God
under David.
He was self-promoting,
manipulating,
leveraging
to get a reward
for himself.
The Amalekite
viewed the death
of the Lord's anointed
as an opportunity
for gain
in this life.
He was like
a shadow of Judas.
Aren't you picturing him?
Both men
viewed the Messiah
as a commodity
to be traded
for personal advancement
and financial gain.
They saw
the true king
but they completely
missed out
on his kingdom.
Brothers and sisters,
my last question
for us today,
we've come to the end
of our passage
but I've only given you
depressing news so far.
Here's the last question.
What is enough
to have a place
in the Lord's kingdom?
What is enough
to have a place
with King Jesus?
David,
the man after God's heart
which is better
translated this way,
the man
upon whom God
had set
his divine heart
elected by God
not because
he deserved anything
but because
God chose
to show David grace.
He refused
the crown
this way
because the Holy Spirit
caused him to.
He would
receive the crown
from God alone
in God's timeline
and in God's way.
To David,
the crown
wasn't something
to be snatched
for himself.
The Lord
had already taught him
this lesson
several times
to wait
upon the Lord.
David has been
anointed
but his whole life
so far
has been misery,
suffering,
wilderness.
He's in exile.
He's a sojourner.
A man without a home.
The home he temporarily
had just got burnt
to ashes.
But he has received
from the Lord
a promise.
And all things
have not yet
been put under
his feet.
And he's trusting
by faith
that God
will be true
to his promise.
And God
will do
what he said.
You see how
David foreshadows
the great king,
the great anointed one.
Think of Matthew 4,
9 and 10.
Jesus says,
all these things
I will give you.
I'm sorry.
In Matthew 4,
the enemy tempts Jesus.
Satan says to Jesus,
I will give you
all these things.
I will give you
the kingdoms
of this whole world,
Jesus.
But you must fall down
and worship me.
And our Lord Jesus
quotes back to the enemy.
You shall worship
the Lord your God.
Jesus is the king
ruled by God's word,
ruled by God's law,
fearing God alone.
Luke 9, 58.
The son of man,
Jesus Christ,
has nowhere to lay
his head.
He traveled this earth
like David,
like an exile.
A man that was poor.
No one recognized
him as the true king.
Philippians 2, 8 and 9.
Jesus Christ humbled himself
and became obedient
to the point of death.
He is the one
who reversed
the pattern
that Saul could never keep.
Instead of exalting himself,
Jesus made himself
as low as could possibly be
and then much lower still
and cursed.
And therefore,
because of his obedience,
his act of obedience
to the Father,
God has highly
exalted him.
In Hebrews 2, 8,
God has put all things
in subjection
under the feet
of King Jesus.
Already spiritually,
he rules.
And one day,
he will rule physically
and consummately.
His kingdom
will cover the earth.
We do not yet see
all things put under
his feet,
Hebrews tells us,
but we know
he is the king.
Luke 18,
as we read earlier,
Jesus is teaching
those who came
into the house of God
a place that's meant
to be a house of prayer.
And he said,
a Pharisee stood
and prayed
with himself,
God, I thank you
I'm not like
other men sinners.
A man trying
to manipulate God,
trying to self-promote
within the kingdom of God,
just like the Amalekite.
And telling God,
here's a list of reasons
why you should
show me your favor.
And Jesus said,
there is another man
standing far off
who would not so much
raise his eyes
to heaven,
but he pounded his chest
saying,
God,
be merciful to me,
a sinner.
I tell you,
Jesus said,
to all those listening
then and now,
this man
went down to his house
justified,
the one that said,
have mercy on me,
Lord,
the one that bowed low
before God,
that humbled himself
before the true king.
The other man
did not go home
forgiven or justified.
For everyone
who exalts himself
will be humbled
and he who humbles himself
will be exalted.
The Samalekite
tried to get
the anointed king
to remember him
based on what he brought
and what he had claimed
to do.
He tried to secure
a place in the kingdom
of God
based on his own
merits.
Lord Jesus,
remember
me
who did all of this
for you.
Brethren and sister,
if that's your prayer
or your attitude
toward the Lord,
there is no place.
We need to humble ourselves,
put all those things aside.
It's the sinner
just like the thief
on the cross
who had nothing
to bring,
nothing to offer
the true king.
I think the reason
we're so encouraged
by the criminal
on the cross
is because
his faith
in that moment
as he's dying,
it's what we all
cry out
and we do have
some things
we can look to
in our lives
and that man
in that moment
had nothing
and he cried out,
Lord,
remember me
when you come
into your kingdom.
That's the same prayer
that the Amalekites
asking David
in other words
and that's our prayer
in this life
and as we think
about the life
to come,
Lord,
will you remember me
when you come
in your kingdom?
Is there more I can do
to have that place
secured with you?
But be encouraged,
brothers and sisters.
Like,
this is Jesus'
own words,
the sinner
who said,
beating his chest,
have mercy,
I'm a sinner.
That's all I have
to bring to you.
Or the criminal
on the cross.
There's nothing,
no basis
for Christ
to remember him.
When Christ
is going to remember
that criminal,
all he'll be able
to think of is
there's nothing
he did good,
he was found guilty
of crimes
deserving a torturous
!
death on the cross.
What can that man
point to
to be remembered for?
Based on what?
And you know
what our Lord Jesus
said to that man
and he says this
to you and me,
today,
you will be with me
in paradise.
I will remember
you in my kingdom.
Not because you
have brought me
anything of your
own merit,
but because I
purchased you
with my very
own blood.
It's based on
faith that Jesus
Christ welcomes
sinners like you
and me into
his kingdom.
It's based on us
simply trusting
he is who
he says he is.
And we are saved
on the basis
of what he
has promised.
That God
is gracious
and merciful,
abounding
in steadfast
love
and faithfulness
to sinners
like you
and me.
Do you receive
that promise
again today?
Do you trust
this?
Then you can
pray with confidence
knowing the answer,
Lord,
remember me
when you come
into your kingdom
and you know
your place
is secure
with Christ.
Let's pray
and thank
our great Lord.
Lord,
we confess
our faith
is weak,
but we confess
in the same breath
that our Savior
is great.
Lord,
oh Lord,
it's our flesh
in us
that always
makes us think
we need to do
more to please you,
more to make
ourselves saved,
secure in you
forever.
Help us to receive
again today
the simple,
glorious gospel
truth
that God
so loved us
that he sent
his only
begotten son,
Jesus Christ,
to save sinners
like us
that whosoever
will believe
what he has
promised
shall have
eternal
life.
Help us to know
this today,
Lord.
Be stirred up
to love you more
because you first
loved us
and gave your son
for us.
May you be glorified,
Father,
in this church.
Amen.