WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.400 fallen. The weapons of war have perished. Amen. So today we are thinking about leadership matters, 00:00:12.980 --> 00:00:19.160 and we're doing that because I think we all understand that leadership matters. You think 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:24.660 about what's going on globally. This seems to be a season of leadership campaigns, leadership 00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:29.480 changes. So in the UK, we've just gone through a general election. We have new government. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:36.939 We are hearing about the presidential campaign in America. If you've been watching the news over 00:00:36.939 --> 00:00:43.539 the last couple of weeks, you'll have seen and read of violent protests against particular forms 00:00:43.539 --> 00:00:50.560 of government in places like Bangladesh, claims of voting corruption after an election in Venezuela, 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:57.400 and it points us to certain truths that we all recognize. And it's true in government. It's 00:00:57.399 --> 00:01:04.859 true in a workplace. It's true in a family. It's true in a church that our leaders matter. Who is in 00:01:04.859 --> 00:01:16.500 charge is important. How they come to power matters, and their character matters. We come to 2 Samuel 00:01:16.500 --> 00:01:24.840 chapter 1, and we are in the national life of Israel, where they are on the brink of leadership change. 00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:37.500 Their first king lies dead. The nation is mourning. And in this moment, David, who we've just been 00:01:37.500 --> 00:01:45.319 reading about, he is now on the brink of power, because after all, he is the Lord's anointed. 00:01:46.460 --> 00:01:54.359 Now, what I want us to do for the next few minutes is to put ourselves within this story. 00:01:55.140 --> 00:02:00.760 Okay, so we find ourselves today in the city of Edinburgh. I want us to imagine ourselves in the city 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:09.259 of Ziklag. Now, where do we find ourselves in this story? Not as King David waiting to be crowned in 00:02:09.259 --> 00:02:15.920 due course, but imagine we are one of the men, the women, the boys and girls living in this city. 00:02:16.580 --> 00:02:22.400 We are watching. We are learning. We are listening to David. 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:30.460 We've said this before. The message of the book before these books, the message of judges, 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:38.240 is that God's people needs a king. One of the big messages coming to us in 1 Samuel is that David 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:44.259 is God's anointed king, the king after God's own heart. So, today, as we gather in Ziklag, 00:02:44.659 --> 00:02:49.920 we are going to learn some truths about the heart of God's king. 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:58.420 And as we do, and as we then think about our own lives where we maybe find ourselves in positions 00:02:58.420 --> 00:03:05.480 of leadership or where we live with the authority of different leaders, we want us to move beyond 00:03:05.480 --> 00:03:11.580 human leadership to think about God's leader, God's king, to think about King Jesus, 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:18.480 to think about what we discover about his heart that stands as good news for us, perhaps as we wrestle 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:25.699 with some of the struggles that we have with leadership. So, let's get into our story, 00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:30.500 a story that reveals the heart of God's king. And we're going to begin with the reports. 00:03:31.319 --> 00:03:38.620 In the first 12 verses, we get a whole range of different reports, beginning there in verse 1 and 2, 00:03:38.659 --> 00:03:47.060 which set the scene for us. So, Ziklag, it was a city recovering from rioting. 00:03:47.060 --> 00:03:55.020 Think about our own nation. There has been violent raids. Buildings have been burned down. 00:03:55.460 --> 00:04:01.500 Men and women and children have been taken hostage. David has gone and recovered them and 00:04:01.500 --> 00:04:08.439 brought them back. And now we're in the midst of a cleanup operation. No doubt as well, a time of 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:17.060 enjoying happy reunions. But in the midst of that, after two days of recovery, from over the hill 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:25.480 comes a man clearly bearing bad news. His clothes are torn. There's dust on his head. And so David 00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:35.240 asks him to give a report. Where have you come from? And what we get is a battle report. And it's bad news. 00:04:35.240 --> 00:04:42.740 Israel's. Israel's army has been defeated and they're on the run. Israel's king lies dead. His son 00:04:42.740 --> 00:04:54.139 lies dead. A moment of national tragedy. God had said the people need a king. Here is Saul, 00:04:54.220 --> 00:05:00.400 the first king. He's united the whole nation. Now he's dead. Struck down in violent defeat. 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:09.519 This is huge news. And so David, as if he was a BBC journalist, he wants to fact check. 00:05:10.259 --> 00:05:18.739 He wants to verify. These claims are so huge. The impact is so massive. As you look at verses 5 to 10, 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:28.419 we get a more detailed report from this man who is an Amalekite. He's come from Saul's camp. 00:05:28.420 --> 00:05:37.360 And he paints the picture for us. In verse 6, we get the scene being captured. 00:05:38.780 --> 00:05:44.439 It all happens on Mount Gilboa. The young man said, there was Saul leaning on his spear with 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:52.360 the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. We get a sense of the battle. And here's where it 00:05:52.360 --> 00:05:58.300 has the ring of truth for David. He knows how connected Saul is to his spear. Because remember, 00:05:58.420 --> 00:06:06.560 two times Saul has tried to pin David to the wall with that spear. And then the Amalekite moves on to 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:15.960 give report of a conversation between King Saul as he lies dying and this Amalekite. And the conversation 00:06:15.960 --> 00:06:23.379 in effect has Saul saying, put me out of my misery. I am dying. Strike me down. 00:06:23.379 --> 00:06:31.100 And then in verse 10, we're told of the man's actions. I stood beside him and killed him because 00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:40.939 I knew that after he'd fallen, he could not survive. A mercy killing. And then the symbols of royal rule, 00:06:41.060 --> 00:06:50.159 the crown and the arm bracelet, they're taken to David. This is a scene that's full of irony. 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:57.960 There's lots of striking down and there's the Amalekite always there. So, David, beginning of 00:06:57.960 --> 00:07:04.100 the story, has been having success striking down the Amalekites. And we are supposed to know that's 00:07:04.100 --> 00:07:08.400 good news because the Amalekites are God's enemies and he has said, strike them down. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:20.560 Saul, in chapter 15, is a king who is rejected by God because he failed to strike down the Amalekite 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:28.159 king. But what happens to Saul as judgment comes, he himself is struck down by an Amalekite. So, 00:07:28.239 --> 00:07:35.799 there are many ironies, but there is clearly a scene that is full of tragedy in a defeated army and the 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:42.740 death of the king. So, in verses 11 and 12, we get the final report of the response of David and his 00:07:42.740 --> 00:07:50.939 men. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son and for the army of the Lord 00:07:50.939 --> 00:08:03.000 because they'd fallen by the sword. Then we move on from the reports to an act of judgment. Verse 13, 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:11.139 after the time of mourning and grieving, the young man is brought back in. But before we think about 00:08:11.139 --> 00:08:20.699 that, here's a good question for us to ask. What did the Amalekite expect to happen next in Ziklag? 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:32.039 Because this man, he could have stayed quiet. He could have stayed in the shadows. He could have 00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:41.000 remained anonymous. But instead, he chooses publicly to come to David to say, I killed the king. 00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:50.339 And it's really interesting because this report of the death of Saul, if you compare it with what 00:08:50.339 --> 00:08:57.959 happens in 1 Samuel chapter 31, there's differences. And so, we need to ask, why are there differences? 00:08:57.960 --> 00:09:05.780 So, in chapter 31, the message is that Saul killed himself. Okay, so how do we square that with what's 00:09:05.780 --> 00:09:13.900 happening here? Either Saul tries to kill himself and this Amalekite man helps him along, or Saul does 00:09:13.900 --> 00:09:22.660 kill himself and this man is flat out lying. And so, we need to ask the question, why? Why does he then 00:09:22.659 --> 00:09:29.379 bring the report? Why does he come with a crown to David? What's he expecting? He's expecting reward. 00:09:31.779 --> 00:09:39.959 This is how kingship typically operated. You know, you fought for your own power. You fought to gain 00:09:39.959 --> 00:09:47.500 glory. And in that context, if someone else works on your behalf, backstabbing, showing treachery, 00:09:47.500 --> 00:09:55.480 well, that was fine. That was just part of the way the system worked. This Amalekite thinks he is doing 00:09:55.480 --> 00:10:04.120 David a favor, and he expects he's going to gain status and security and reward. And that's what 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:11.240 he would have got if David was just like every other king. A little bit like David's men. Remember, 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:16.720 David's men said to him, in effect, when they were in the cave and Saul was in the cave and Saul was 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:26.160 vulnerable, kill the king and grab the throne. They too misjudge David's heart. Back to the 00:10:26.160 --> 00:10:31.080 questioning. David asked the man, where are you from? Turns out he's Amalekite. Remember, the Amalekites 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:41.379 are the sworn enemies of God's people. And so, David announces judgment on the basis of his own words. 00:10:41.379 --> 00:10:48.080 Let's your blood be on your own head, your own mouth testified against you when you said, 00:10:48.220 --> 00:10:55.720 I killed the Lord's anointed. And he asked him, why weren't you afraid to do that? Because David 00:10:55.720 --> 00:11:02.399 understands if you kill the Lord's anointed king, you are acting in deliberate rejection and rebellion 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:15.259 of the Lord's anointed leader. So, judgment falls. And next, we come to a song. David pens a personal 00:11:15.259 --> 00:11:26.980 and then a national lament for the king. Again, we're in the city of Ziklang. What reaction would we expect 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:37.539 as David hears that King Saul has been killed? Remember that King Saul twice has tried to kill him? 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:44.060 Remember that David and his men have been forced to flee and take to the mountains and to the caves, 00:11:45.180 --> 00:11:50.740 driven away. Saul has made himself an enemy of David. So, what do we expect? 00:11:50.740 --> 00:12:02.700 Maybe a sigh of relief. We don't have to run anymore. Perhaps we might expect to see in David a sense of 00:12:02.700 --> 00:12:09.680 personal victory and vindication. Maybe we might expect a party, a celebration to break out. 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:20.360 I was thinking of this text as I was remembering, watching the Olympic high diving competition. 00:12:20.740 --> 00:12:26.460 And the commentator, I think, probably spoke for many, at least if you are British and you are 00:12:26.460 --> 00:12:32.360 watching. He said, to be very honest, he said, I know I shouldn't say this. This was as everybody 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:36.740 was coming to their final dives, but I hope our competition falls flat on their faces. 00:12:38.860 --> 00:12:44.779 That might well have been what we would have expected to see in Ziklag. A sense of joy, 00:12:44.779 --> 00:12:53.199 an enemy, an enemy, the competition has fallen in the dust. Think about the Wizard of Oz, ding-dong, 00:12:53.339 --> 00:13:00.220 the witch is dead. When an enemy dies, a sworn enemy, you might expect a moment of celebration, 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:09.500 but instead we have heartfelt lament for King Saul and his dear friend Jonathan. We don't have time to 00:13:09.500 --> 00:13:16.379 look at the lament, but just to pick up some of the themes, see how it begins and ends in verse 19, 00:13:16.500 --> 00:13:27.120 the theme, how the mighty have fallen. Think about how David looks to show honor to Saul. Verse 23 is a 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:32.799 good verse. Saul and Jonathan, in life they were loved and admired, and in death they were not parted. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:40.959 They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions. Appreciating those aspects of Saul's 00:13:40.959 --> 00:13:51.159 character that were good. How the mighty have fallen. David is not gloating here. David is grieving. 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:59.099 We are witnessing something very striking in Ziklag on this day. 00:13:59.100 --> 00:14:08.279 In a culture full of revenge stories, where you might hire an assassin to kill off a rival, 00:14:09.680 --> 00:14:14.800 where you might, if you were the new king, you might murder the whole family line of the former 00:14:14.800 --> 00:14:20.659 king to make sure you held on to power, where the use of force and violence to take what you thought 00:14:20.659 --> 00:14:29.080 was rightful, yours was fair game. David stands apart. We had a glimpse into David's heart. He 00:14:29.080 --> 00:14:37.540 puts the nation first. This is a moment of grief and uncertainty. He is able to recognize and to 00:14:37.540 --> 00:14:43.400 honor what is good and noble in Saul, and he refuses to play the political game. 00:14:45.720 --> 00:14:53.480 In our own day, when it might not be uncommon in the political sphere to hire people to try and dig 00:14:53.480 --> 00:14:58.600 up dirt to find the skeletons in the closet to deliberately attack and destroy an opponent's 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:06.080 character. In a workplace setting where it might not be unusual to see people fighting and backstabbing 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:12.720 and stepping on others to get ahead, chasing power and influence as an end in itself, don't we find 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:21.220 ourselves sometimes longing for different kinds of leaders? Leaders with integrity and dignity, 00:15:21.220 --> 00:15:31.220 with character that puts others first. As we have that longing and as we meet with disappointment, 00:15:31.500 --> 00:15:39.139 it reminds us, ought to remind us to look beyond, to look beyond human authority to Jesus Christ, 00:15:39.139 --> 00:15:45.480 God's true King. And that's what I want us to spend the rest of our time doing, having thought about 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:52.580 the story, to draw some lessons together that we might see the heart of God's King, that as we see 00:15:52.580 --> 00:15:58.639 the heart of David, it might show us the heart of King Jesus. Four lessons for us. The first is this, 00:15:59.000 --> 00:16:05.860 we see in David a King who refuses the way of disloyalty and violence. 00:16:05.860 --> 00:16:13.419 He judges the Amalekite, he doesn't reward the Amalekite. And that's the consistent pattern 00:16:13.419 --> 00:16:22.000 of the life of David. He would reject those clear chances to kill Saul. He would ignore the suggestions 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:31.779 that he takes matters into his own hands. His rule will not be connected with corruption. And that 00:16:31.779 --> 00:16:41.620 matters as he stands as a signpost to Jesus, his greater Son. We admire this kind of integrity, don't 00:16:41.620 --> 00:16:49.519 we? I think as Christians, it reminds us to pray for those in authority, to guard our own hearts as we 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:56.600 find ourselves in positions of authority also. But most of all, it prepares us for the beauty of Jesus' 00:16:56.600 --> 00:17:03.720 integrity. Because remember, shortly after Jesus was baptized and he begins his public ministry, 00:17:03.860 --> 00:17:09.099 the Spirit leads him into the wilderness to be tempted. And one of the things that the devil 00:17:09.099 --> 00:17:17.099 tempted Jesus towards was towards the ultimate disloyalty. The devil said to Jesus, worship me and I can 00:17:17.099 --> 00:17:26.460 give you all the kingdoms. You can have it all. How did Jesus respond? Worship the Lord your God 00:17:26.460 --> 00:17:34.279 and serve Him only. Towards the end of his public ministry, when the enemies of Jesus came to arrest 00:17:34.279 --> 00:17:43.720 him, there would be no resorting to violence. Put your swords back in their place. He said to his disciples, 00:17:43.720 --> 00:17:54.940 if I wanted to, I could call down ten legions of angels. But he would go like the lamb led silent to 00:17:54.940 --> 00:18:04.279 the slaughter. He knew as the king, he would receive a crown of glory, but he must first walk the path 00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:12.460 of suffering and death. And he would not swerve from that. Nothing and no one would shift him from that. 00:18:13.120 --> 00:18:23.500 We have a king who refuses the way of disloyalty and violence. A second lesson we learn from David is 00:18:23.500 --> 00:18:33.380 that we have a king who takes no delight in the death of the wicked. Why did the Amalekite presume that 00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:43.700 David would reward him? Because he imagined that as Saul had made an enemy of David, that David would rejoice. 00:18:43.700 --> 00:18:55.840 remember the number of times that David had shown faithfulness in his words and his actions to Saul. 00:18:56.500 --> 00:19:01.700 Saul, I've got no intention of doing anything to harm you. I'm not going to grab the throne. 00:19:02.420 --> 00:19:11.840 But Saul had made it his life mission to destroy David, to keep the throne for his family. 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:21.019 Now, whether we're thinking about rival football players and their fans, France, Argentina, 00:19:21.299 --> 00:19:25.939 Hearts, Hibs, school where you will, whether we think about opposing political parties, 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:32.199 whether we're thinking about bullying behavior in a school or a workplace, our instinct, 00:19:32.200 --> 00:19:41.120 when there are those who oppose us, if we see them defeated, if we see their downfall, 00:19:42.120 --> 00:19:44.620 that can easily prompt us to joy. 00:19:47.019 --> 00:19:57.200 So often it's revenge and not mercy that pours out when we hear of the downfall of those who oppose us. 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:09.259 Wonderfully, David is not like that. David is the man after God's own heart, and David gives us a glimpse 00:20:09.259 --> 00:20:18.620 into the heart of our God and to his son, the Lord Jesus. We heard earlier Ezekiel 33, 00:20:18.619 --> 00:20:26.959 which is a short reading there where God calls his prophet Ezekiel to stand as a watchman. 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:33.219 A watchman would stand at the top of the city walls and watch out for any enemies that were coming over 00:20:33.219 --> 00:20:38.179 the hill, to warn the people to come back into the safety of the city and to get ready. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:44.239 Ezekiel was called by God to be a watchman, to warn the people of God's coming judgment. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:54.359 They turned their back on him again. But why was he told to be a watchman? What was God's design? 00:20:56.740 --> 00:21:07.279 Turn, turn, live. Why would you die? Do you remember the reading? God's pleasure is not 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:17.279 in the death of the wicked. His pleasure is that people would turn to him and live. 00:21:19.420 --> 00:21:26.420 And so God, through Ezekiel, was holding out salvation to the people. Turn away from your sin. 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:29.359 Turn to me. Choose life. 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:37.759 And then we heard a very short New Testament reading. Jesus' words approaching the city of 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:46.219 Jerusalem, a city that would a few days later cry, crucify him. We have no king but Caesar. 00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:57.719 Does Jesus say with tears in his eyes, I longed to gather you like a hen gathers her chicks under his 00:21:57.720 --> 00:22:03.279 wings. I longed that you would find protection, that you would turn and be saved and live. 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:10.180 But he says you were not willing with the result that judgment would come 00:22:10.180 --> 00:22:15.640 for those who wouldn't choose to turn to a life-giving Savior. 00:22:17.720 --> 00:22:20.259 And then we hear Jesus on the cross, 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:26.299 hanging there between two criminals, one who continues to pour abuse on him, 00:22:26.299 --> 00:22:32.599 but another at some point who turns and sees Jesus. 00:22:33.940 --> 00:22:37.180 We get what we deserve, but this man, he's done nothing wrong, 00:22:37.980 --> 00:22:45.059 recognizing Jesus an innocent one, and recognizing Jesus as a king with a kingdom. 00:22:45.059 --> 00:22:51.899 And as he turns and he says, remember me, when you come into your kingdom, 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:57.039 what does Jesus say of this wicked man who'd lived killing people and robbing people? 00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:59.039 You're getting what you deserve. 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:03.039 No, he shows mercy, he shows grace today. 00:23:03.740 --> 00:23:06.759 You'll be with me in paradise. 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:13.019 Because he turned and he looked to his Savior and he lived. 00:23:13.559 --> 00:23:17.279 And the wonderful thing about our risen and glorious King Jesus, 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:21.940 who came as a Savior, that his heart in heaven is unchanged. 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:27.319 And still he says to you, to me, to our world, 00:23:27.819 --> 00:23:28.420 turn. 00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:30.680 Why would you die? 00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:32.460 Why would you die in your sin? 00:23:32.519 --> 00:23:33.560 Why not live? 00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:36.940 Have eternal life knowing me. 00:23:39.299 --> 00:23:44.220 Here's a third lesson that we learn from our king here in Ziklag. 00:23:44.299 --> 00:23:49.220 We have a king who laments the death of his friend. 00:23:50.820 --> 00:23:55.740 To read the lament is to understand that David felt a sense of grief 00:23:55.740 --> 00:23:58.519 about the death of Saul, what it meant for the nation. 00:23:58.519 --> 00:24:06.019 But we also see, don't we, the deep pain he has at the loss of his dear friend, Jonathan. 00:24:06.279 --> 00:24:07.000 Verse 26, 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:09.400 I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. 00:24:10.420 --> 00:24:11.700 You are very dear to me. 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:16.039 Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women. 00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:22.799 Jonathan and David had entered into a covenant together. 00:24:23.700 --> 00:24:25.980 They were bound to one another. 00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:32.200 And David knew that Jonathan was somebody who always pursued his good. 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:36.200 He was the friend he could turn to. 00:24:36.839 --> 00:24:39.339 His companion, his advisor. 00:24:39.799 --> 00:24:43.860 Even when Jonathan's father Saul was threatening David's life, 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:47.539 even at great risk to Jonathan's own life, 00:24:48.180 --> 00:24:53.220 he would protect and defend and care for David. 00:24:53.220 --> 00:24:56.160 When David was feeling low, 00:24:57.279 --> 00:24:59.880 Jonathan came and strengthened his arm in the Lord, 00:24:59.980 --> 00:25:03.120 encouraging him to trust God's word of promise. 00:25:04.220 --> 00:25:07.339 And so David had come to taste and experience 00:25:07.339 --> 00:25:10.140 the good gift of friendship. 00:25:12.460 --> 00:25:16.180 That good gift, which as J.C. Ryle so helpfully puts it, 00:25:16.180 --> 00:25:21.120 is that gift which halves our sorrows and doubles our joy. 00:25:22.299 --> 00:25:23.539 And David has lost it. 00:25:24.320 --> 00:25:26.620 And so he laments that loss. 00:25:26.620 --> 00:25:32.140 And we get this impression of a king who feels and who feels deeply. 00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:38.220 He doesn't live at a distance remote from others 00:25:38.220 --> 00:25:41.759 because he occupies a place of prominence. 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:44.940 He grieves. 00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:47.839 What about Jesus? 00:25:49.940 --> 00:25:51.339 The king of life. 00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:55.500 See him in John chapter 11. 00:25:56.559 --> 00:26:00.480 Come to the grave of his friend Lazarus. 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:05.360 Jesus knowing from the beginning that everything that was about to take place 00:26:05.360 --> 00:26:08.120 would demonstrate God's glory. 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:13.200 Even knowing that he was the resurrection and the life 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:15.819 and he was about to raise his friend Lazarus 00:26:15.819 --> 00:26:18.339 as he came to the grave. 00:26:19.059 --> 00:26:23.539 As he saw the effects of sin that leads to death. 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:29.579 As he saw the misery that death brings of separation and sorrow. 00:26:29.579 --> 00:26:34.240 We read that Jesus wept. 00:26:36.039 --> 00:26:39.480 But wonderfully, on that day, 00:26:40.139 --> 00:26:42.480 Jesus would display his glory. 00:26:42.599 --> 00:26:43.359 The king of life. 00:26:43.460 --> 00:26:44.399 The king of love. 00:26:44.500 --> 00:26:45.699 Because after the weeping, 00:26:46.699 --> 00:26:48.059 comes the speaking. 00:26:49.099 --> 00:26:51.000 Lazarus, come out. 00:26:52.099 --> 00:26:54.519 And in that moment, as Lazarus comes, 00:26:54.679 --> 00:26:56.299 still wrapped in the grave clothes, 00:26:56.299 --> 00:26:59.439 here is a love that is stronger than death. 00:27:00.220 --> 00:27:03.659 Here is a king who loves so much that he laments. 00:27:04.399 --> 00:27:08.699 Here is a king with such loving power that he defeats death. 00:27:11.559 --> 00:27:15.319 Anticipating what would happen there on the cross. 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:22.199 Jesus would go to war against the forces of spiritual darkness 00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:24.019 and he would conquer. 00:27:24.019 --> 00:27:27.580 By his perfect obedience. 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:32.340 His life laid down as a sacrifice for sin. 00:27:32.779 --> 00:27:35.740 He too would be placed in a tomb. 00:27:37.120 --> 00:27:40.039 On Easter Sunday, he comes out in victory. 00:27:40.039 --> 00:27:43.119 And trusting this king, 00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:47.819 we have a hope beyond death. 00:27:48.859 --> 00:27:53.440 We have comfort in the face of grief. 00:27:53.819 --> 00:27:55.879 Grief that death brings. 00:27:56.440 --> 00:27:59.920 We have the promise of eternal life. 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:01.380 So we turn to the New Testament. 00:28:01.500 --> 00:28:03.680 We're told that as believers in the Lord Jesus, 00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:06.220 yes, we grieve. 00:28:08.620 --> 00:28:10.180 But we grieve with hope. 00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:16.279 We understand and we feel the reality that death hurts. 00:28:16.279 --> 00:28:23.099 But as we grieve the loss of those who love the Lord Jesus, 00:28:23.099 --> 00:28:28.180 we know that all our partings become eternal reunions. 00:28:28.180 --> 00:28:31.640 Because of our king. 00:28:32.660 --> 00:28:34.019 Because of the heart of the king. 00:28:34.580 --> 00:28:35.299 He loves. 00:28:35.460 --> 00:28:36.180 He saves. 00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:39.360 He gives eternal life to those with faith. 00:28:41.860 --> 00:28:43.279 There's one last lesson. 00:28:45.700 --> 00:28:46.820 And it's this. 00:28:47.100 --> 00:28:49.000 That the king teaches us. 00:28:50.279 --> 00:28:51.380 It is a crime. 00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:54.160 It is a terrible thing. 00:28:54.759 --> 00:28:56.680 To kill the Lord's anointed. 00:28:58.180 --> 00:29:00.779 The Amalekite came with this public confession. 00:29:00.940 --> 00:29:02.779 This proud statement. 00:29:02.940 --> 00:29:05.000 I killed the king for you, David. 00:29:05.840 --> 00:29:06.660 Here's the crown. 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:12.539 That boast brings his sentence of death. 00:29:13.820 --> 00:29:16.799 To kill the Lord's anointed king is to reject God. 00:29:16.799 --> 00:29:18.019 To reject his will. 00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:22.620 If it's a serious crime to kill the Lord's anointed 00:29:22.620 --> 00:29:24.740 when he's the unrighteous Saul. 00:29:25.160 --> 00:29:27.580 How much more serious. 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:32.360 To kill Jesus, God's son, the righteous one. 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:34.140 The eternal king. 00:29:35.700 --> 00:29:38.900 When we come to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:29:38.900 --> 00:29:41.460 we encounter the worst conspiracy of evil 00:29:41.460 --> 00:29:44.220 in the history of this world. 00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:48.940 People conspiring in this great act of treason 00:29:48.940 --> 00:29:51.120 against a creator king. 00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:55.299 To say no to the Savior. 00:29:55.899 --> 00:29:57.719 A great sin of unbelief. 00:29:57.799 --> 00:30:01.919 A deliberate rejection of God's salvation. 00:30:02.199 --> 00:30:04.779 God's savior king as he came. 00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:09.719 The apostles, the followers of Jesus, 00:30:09.859 --> 00:30:10.759 they understood this. 00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:12.939 So when the Spirit comes upon them 00:30:12.939 --> 00:30:14.559 after the resurrection of Jesus, 00:30:14.679 --> 00:30:16.599 his return to glory as he sends the Spirit, 00:30:16.699 --> 00:30:17.839 they begin to preach. 00:30:17.839 --> 00:30:20.859 They will speak to the crowds that were there 00:30:20.859 --> 00:30:24.539 at the arrest, the betrayal, the death of Jesus. 00:30:25.339 --> 00:30:28.740 They will say, you killed God's anointed one. 00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:33.619 You delivered a guilty verdict on the sinless Son of God. 00:30:33.859 --> 00:30:36.679 You turned away from God's Savior. 00:30:36.680 --> 00:30:37.680 You turned away from God's son of God. 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:38.680 You turned away from God's son of God. 00:30:41.140 --> 00:30:44.920 Helping them, helping us to understand 00:30:44.920 --> 00:30:49.640 that any rejection of Jesus as Lord and King, 00:30:50.180 --> 00:30:53.640 any refusal to give him the loyalty and love 00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:56.420 that he deserves is the sin of rebellion 00:30:56.420 --> 00:30:58.320 against the King. 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:00.820 That's a serious thing. 00:31:02.299 --> 00:31:04.500 Not one of us, no one in this world, 00:31:04.580 --> 00:31:05.640 can say, I am innocent. 00:31:05.640 --> 00:31:07.360 I am innocent of that. 00:31:08.900 --> 00:31:10.940 And as we recognize that, 00:31:11.640 --> 00:31:13.400 that every sin that we commit 00:31:13.400 --> 00:31:16.600 is an act of treason and rebellion against God, 00:31:17.180 --> 00:31:19.140 we need the good news of the gospel. 00:31:20.320 --> 00:31:22.660 We need to hear the preaching of the apostles. 00:31:23.280 --> 00:31:25.700 They could say that you killed Jesus. 00:31:25.800 --> 00:31:26.720 That was your verdict. 00:31:26.840 --> 00:31:27.740 He's worth nothing. 00:31:27.940 --> 00:31:29.960 But God raised him from the dead. 00:31:31.220 --> 00:31:34.480 You rejected him, wanted nothing to do with him, 00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:35.500 but by grace. 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:37.759 God has sent you a Redeemer, 00:31:37.880 --> 00:31:39.380 and there's salvation in him. 00:31:39.420 --> 00:31:41.180 If you turn and if you trust, 00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:45.420 you and I are guilty. 00:31:46.700 --> 00:31:50.480 But in Jesus, there is grace and forgiveness. 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:55.299 That Jesus went under the sword of God's judgment 00:31:55.299 --> 00:31:57.940 so that you and I don't have to. 00:31:57.940 --> 00:32:02.960 And the King's merciful voice still calls out, 00:32:03.160 --> 00:32:06.200 turn to me and be saved. 00:32:07.140 --> 00:32:10.120 Turn to me and live. 00:32:12.120 --> 00:32:15.440 The scene that we have in Ziklag on that day 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:19.779 is a vivid reminder that leadership matters. 00:32:21.220 --> 00:32:22.200 Character matters. 00:32:22.360 --> 00:32:23.640 Integrity matters. 00:32:23.640 --> 00:32:26.300 But it matters more than just 00:32:26.300 --> 00:32:28.220 who sits on the throne of government, 00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:31.920 or who's the ultimate boss in my company, 00:32:32.100 --> 00:32:34.100 or who's the head of a family. 00:32:34.180 --> 00:32:35.600 We need to recognize 00:32:35.600 --> 00:32:40.100 the God who sits on the throne of the universe. 00:32:41.220 --> 00:32:42.500 To recognize today, 00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:45.620 King Jesus sits at the Father's right hand of glory. 00:32:45.619 --> 00:32:49.039 And we need to be really clear 00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:52.299 about who sits on the throne in our hearts 00:32:52.299 --> 00:32:53.279 and in our lives. 00:32:54.139 --> 00:32:58.399 Whose rule, whose values govern our life? 00:32:58.919 --> 00:33:01.359 Who sets the course and direction 00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:03.219 that we will take? 00:33:06.199 --> 00:33:11.719 King David helps us to see the heart of God's King. 00:33:11.720 --> 00:33:14.559 To see the heart of King Jesus, 00:33:14.680 --> 00:33:15.799 the King we all need, 00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:16.839 that He is merciful, 00:33:17.360 --> 00:33:18.380 that He is loving, 00:33:18.500 --> 00:33:19.500 that He is gracious. 00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:23.019 He is the Lord's anointed, 00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:25.640 who was struck down and killed, 00:33:26.779 --> 00:33:27.960 but who lived again, 00:33:28.660 --> 00:33:30.940 so that His people might turn 00:33:30.940 --> 00:33:33.519 and be saved and live. 00:33:34.100 --> 00:33:35.240 Let's pray together. 00:33:35.240 --> 00:33:35.360 Amen. 00:33:35.360 --> 00:33:35.440 Amen.