2 Samuel 23:1-7

2 Samuel chapter 23 we’re going to be looking at verses 1 to 7 tonight now these be the last words of David David the son of Jesse said and the man who was raised up on high the anointed of the god of jacob and the sweet psalmist of israel said the spear of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue the God of Israel said the rock of Israel spake to me he that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God and he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth evening evening morning without clouds as the tender grass springeth out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns throw, rust away because they cannot be taken with hands. But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear. And they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. May God bless to us, His sacred and His Holy Word this evening. Before Pastor Thomas Hogg died in 1692, the Scotchman charged his congregation to dig his grave right at the threshold of the church. Hogg’s purpose in this particular act was as to a silent sentinel against the church, the congregation, if they should, by any means, bring in an unworthy minister to the pastorate there. So if you walk into the church, the inscription on Hogg’s tombstone read this way. This stone shall bear witness against the parishioners of Kilt Earn if they bring one ungodly minister in here. Those were, as one might say, his last words, anticipating what possibly could happen in the future. Our text provides David’s last words on record. as they look forward to the future. This appears to be some type of public statement that has been prepared by David, issued in the prospect here of David passing the king eventually dying here. He’s getting to that age where he sees his days are numbered. In contrast, the last words that we read about in 2nd King’s chapter 2, are his personal words for his son, Solomon. He gives him like a preparation for entering into the kingship. But here, these are like public words that David would have the whole nation not no. What our text provides is, in a sense, a prophecy about God’s kingdom and the hope that is associated with it. As David contemplates his coming death, his focus is on the Messiah and, of course, on his kingdom, especially with God’s gracious covenant with him, which he sees is the hope of his salvation. David here provides certainly a good example for every child of God when we are facing death. Certainly, we ought to reflect upon Christ in his kingdom and the covenant of grace. that he has made with us. The wise person not only believes in preparing for death, but he also knows what truths have the power to best fortify his soul against that coming death. Let me begin tonight by saying here, you find the inspired message of the kingdom in verses one and two here. Now these be the last words of David, David the last words of David, the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, the spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. Now, in preparation for the inspired message that he mentions in verse 2, he talks about himself. He talks about the fact that God is the one who has exalted him. David speaks of his low belief. he mentions he’s the son of Jesse. And when you think about it, he was unknown really among the Israelites at that time when King Saul asked, you know, whose son is this after he slew Goliath, his army commander said, oh, King, I can’t tell, I don’t know who this son, who is this man’s son, who he is the son of. When Samuel visited David, because and was going to anoint him. Remember, he came to visit, and was going to anoint David as the king, the next king. David wasn’t even counted worthy out of all the sons of Jesse to come to the feast with the prophet. They left him behind because he was the least in the family. He was taking care of the sheep. And yet God raised up David, gave him an exalted position as the king. of Israel. He was anointed with oil by Samuel. He became the sweet psalmist of Israel, and he was God’s spokesman. This, if we look at this carefully, we can think about our own situation, our own lowly beginning, indication perhaps of the pit from which we were dug, because God does not reach out and call many who are rich and famous. but he often calls those who are common and plain and simple in this world according to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. As the scriptures declares God hath raised us up together with Christ and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. You found favor in God’s sight. God made you a king, according to Revelation 1-6, and enable you to rule and reign with Christ. you too were anointed, not to rule over an earthly kingdom, but by the outpouring of the spirit upon you, for we read in verse John 2, 27, but the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you. And while you have not been privileged to author any of the Psalms that we sing, you two are a sweet psalmist in the Israel. of God. For as the scripture says, as any Mary, let him sing Psalms. Or as Psalm 105 says, sing unto him, sing Psalms unto him. Matthew Henry says, the singing of Psalms is a sweet ordinance, very agreeable to those who delight in praising God. And thus it is a high privilege for us to sing these Psalms of God. Notice how David’s exaltation was for the benefit of the kingdom of God. God’s kingdom here was benefited. David would be king because it would be useful for the kingdom of God. David would be a psalmist because God would be a psalmist because God would have the kingdom enriched with the right kind of worship. The same should be true to view. Because whatever gifts and abilities God has given you should be for the purpose of advancing God’s kingdom on this earth where we are to seek first the kingdom of God as we go through this light. So God is the one who has exalted you. You’ve been given an inspired message according to verse 2 and also you’ll notice verse 3A goes on to say the God of Israel spake and the rock of Israel spake to me here. The message about the kingdom is a divine. message. David claims here that God spoke by him. He spoke through him, if you would. He repeats this truth in verse 3 for emphasis. This indicates to us, of course, the inspiration of the scriptures. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, as Peter tells us in 2nd Peter 1. What David writes is a perfect expression of the mind of God, down to the words that are chosen. Every word of the message was conveyed by the Spirit of God to David. So David claims here to be supernaturally directed, and his words are therefore, therefore, the word of God, inerent and certainly imperishable. Now the repetition that he uses here certainly I think is for emphasis. They suggest an old story about a young minister who announced his text, Behold, I come, and then as he was ready to proceed, he forgot, his mind went blank. He didn’t know what else to say. So he couldn’t recall what he had planned to say next. So he repeated the text, Behold, I come. But still, nothing came to mind. In desperation, he leaned against the pulpit and said with more gust, behold, I come. Well, he leaned too hard. The pulpit gave way, and it fell into the front pews there, and he tumbled into the lap of the young lady and the foremost pew. Embarrassed the preacher apologized profusely. But the woman insisted in his Assuming the blame. She said, no, no, I should have been prepared. You told me three times you were coming. We should pick up on David’s repetition here in the same manner in the sense that this is not merely wishful talking here about the future. This is divinely revealed truth that he’s giving us. And he keeps hammering away that God gave me this message. All our hopes for the future have to be rested on the foundation of God’s word. So you have the inspired message of the kingdom here. Now you find the divine ruler of the kingdom in verses 3 and 4. The God of Israel said, The rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springeth out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Three points I want to make before we actually get down to looking at the text itself in particular. This text is speaking about the Messiah as the king. You’ll notice in verse 5, David confesses, my house isn’t like this. He’s not talking about himself. He’s not, he’s talking about someone else here. And notice that he says, he ruleth over men. Here we might include the idea. of mankind here, not just Israel. As we saw from last week in chapter 22, verses 44 and 45, thou hast delivered me from the strivings of my people. Thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen. A people which I knew not shall serve me. Strangers shall submit themselves unto me. As soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me. So I think we have this indication. That’s the first thing I want to be. mention the second is this there are those who see it in this and I think rightly so here a reference to the Holy Trinity you’ll notice in verse two it is the spirit notice that he’s a true person it’s his words it’s not he’s not something he’s not impersonal he’s personal the God of Israel is God the Father Hebrews 1 1 and 2 God spake in times past by various means. And then the rock of Israel is the son or the mediator, for he is the stone which the builder is rejected and often is referred to as a rock or stone in scripture. A fuller manifestation of the Godhead and the Holy Trinity certainly is found in the New Testament, but there are hints and certainly I think enough evidence in the Old Testament for us to see the doctrine as well. The third point I’d make brief. that is this. The rulers should imitate Christ. The reference here is specifically that Jesus Christ as king, but all rulers should reflect the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, their duty is to be like Christ, to meet the standard that Christ sets here in this text. I mean, God is going to hold rulers accountable if they fail to meet this standard here. Now with that in mind, you see Christ is a universal king, he that ruleth over men. And we just looked at the passage in chapter 22, 44, 45 with reference to this. Christ rules not merely over Israel, but he rules over mankind. His kingdom is said to be a universal kingdom in Daniel chapter 2. Daniel chapter 7 puts it this way. There was given him dominion and glory in a kingdom that all people, nations, and languages should serve him. Speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, we have in our American Pledge of Allegiance that were one nation under God. And that rightly so, because all nations and all governments are under God whether they want to admit it or not. They’re all called to kiss the son, lest he be angry. and they perish from the way. He calls upon rulers in particular to do so in Psalm 2. Indeed, Christ is the head over all things, ultimately for the benefit and good of his church, as Ephesians 122 tells us. He is the king of kings and the Lord of Lords, so that the kings of this earth and the lords of this earth have someone over them, and that’s Christ. So political leaders are all under his authority and are all accountable to Christ. So you see, Christ as a universal king in this sense. You see Christ as an attractive king also. Every king or political leader should rule justly, should administer justice. Ruling not only according to the laws of the land, but according to the law of God, this is a major failure today that we see. The only way that you can possibly do this is if you do have the fear of God. Ruling in the fear of God, unless you have that fear of God in your heart, you won’t be like that. Sadly, if you look at our politics today, it’s rampant with injustice. People are taking bribes, people are getting payoffs, there’s corruption of all kinds they’re going on. The justice system is broken to where we don’t see equal justice under the law. Not everybody’s treated the same. If you have the right connections, you know, you get off. You don’t have any problems. So David points you to a coming ruler. He points you to the Messiah here, who rules righteously over men. This is the Lord Jesus Christ. As the God man, he rules as one who truly fears God. and is completely concerned with carrying out the will of God in this world. We read in Zechariah 9-9, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold, thy king cometh unto thee. He is just having salvation. John 530. Jesus himself said, I judge and my judgment is just. Acts 314. We find Peter. saying this, you have denied the Holy One and the just, and have desired her murderer to be granted unto you and killed the prince of life. The book of Revelation, chapter 15, in verse 3, we read, Just and true are thy ways, thou king of the saint. It’s the king of the saints. Now, the Lord Jesus is also the light and the glory of his people, according to verse 4. I think there is a promise of growing and increasing. in happiness under Christ’s rule. His rule is like the morning light that keeps getting brighter as the day goes on. There are no clouds. There’s no foreboding of dark times, if you would, no remorse in Christ’s reign. When Christ appeared in the flesh, the Son of righteousness had arisen. He scatters the darkness not only among the Gentiles, but even among his own nation, the Jews. This includes Christ’s growing and expanding kingdom, reaching to the uttermost parts of this world. With the gospel light, like tender grass springing out of the earth or the sunshine, returning after a rainstorm, Christ’s rule is fruitful, refreshing, renewing, full of life and having. happiness. All these metaphors, we look at them, certainly suit Christ very well. Is he not the true light? Is he not the bright and morning star? Is he not the day spring from on high? Is he not the son of righteousness? Does he not say he is the light of the world? Aren’t we drawn to this king precisely because you’ve never seen a ruler like this in your life? There’s no one like him. When Pastor Dale Davis was growing up, he said he would sit at the suffering table on Sunday nights and they would have some type of meal after church. He said cheese in some form was invariably on the table. It was part of the Sunday night meal. Davis said, I remember seeing my father on many occasions, seeing the last slice of cheese on the plate in the middle of the table. And he said, my father would stay. down the cheese. He would just look at it. Wouldn’t reach out and grab it right away. You just like look at it. It had to be a thoughtful, contemplated process. So when he would eye the cheese for some time, he said, almost oblivious to what else was going on on the table. And then at last, as though it were the climactic moment of a lively mind versus stomach debate, he said he would reach out and he’d take that last piece of cheese. He said, only once during all the time I was growing up, did I ever get an explanation about this particular ritual that took place every Sunday night? He said it was this. His father said this about his craving for cheese. I never got enough cheese as a kid. He was deprived of cheese, and so he had this hankering for cheese all the time. Doesn’t this explain our attraction when we think about Christ’s kingship? from democracy to dictatorship, no matter where you go in this world, you don’t find any king like this anywhere. None display this kind of character. Most political leaders of this age are immoral, corrupt, oppressive, power grabbing, and so forth. So this should stir your heart that we might pray that Christ’s kingdom would fully come and God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That would be something we can rejoice. sin. So you find the divine ruler of the kingdom, the universal and attractive king that he is. My third thought is this. You find the covenant of grace associated with the kingdom in verse 5. Although my house be not so with God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things insure for this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. Now, you and I, like David, have sorrow over personal failure. David responds here to what God has revealed about His kingdom and Christ. But David’s house, his family, his kingdom, if you would, was not so bright in flourishing and prosperous or godly as what that of His kingdom. His seed the Lord Jesus Christ would be. He sees that. Great sins were committed. We know that there was disorders and rebelliousness taking place. David himself was guilty of some tremendous sins of adultery and murder and so forth. And we’ll see in chapter 24 of numbering the people. Not carrying out justice with regard to his sons, whether we deal with Amnon or Absalon or Adonaja or Adonaja or. or even the army commander of Joab, not disciplining them and bringing justice to bear as he should have. So there was no stability or firmness to David’s kingdom. We had this rebellion, we have insurrection, and so forth. But he believed that the kingdom would be firm and it would be stable in the Messiah. It would spring the Messiah who would spring from him. As we read in Luke 1, of his kingdom, there’s not going to be any end. It’s an everlasting kingdom we read about when Christ is born, and he takes the throne of his father, David. You know, I think all believers have some, all those in their lives, as David had here. We don’t always match up to God’s standard. There is trouble. There’s turmoil. There’s rebellion. Not only in the family, but in the church at times. and we have to mourn the sad state of affairs that we see. It’s enough to distress and discourage you because of the present condition of the kingdom of God. But we also should look and see how much far greater it will be. There is a day coming when all wickedness and all sin will be banished and God’s will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now, you have gladness because of God’s gracious covenant. He says, yet, despite my failures, he says, yet here, and then he speaks about the covenant. Notice the divine origin of the covenant. He made a covenant here with me. This is not a covenant of human origin. It’s a covenant of divine origin. Man’s promise and man’s word. is not reliable. Men easily break covenants. They dissolve them at their will, at their pleasure. This is not a covenant which your father or mother made with you regarding your salvation, but Almighty God himself sovereignly makes the covenant with you. No, it’s not a cooperative covenant. It’s no cooperative effort here. The divine potter decides the eternal destiny of all his creatures. from His Majesty to reach out in grace and bring you into fellowship with himself. This is the divine origin. And then the particular application, he made it with me, he says. Now, that God makes a bond of friendship with men is something we might find interesting. We might find it beneficial. But it’s only going to do you good if he makes it with you. Right? If you’re part of the covenant of grace. You may believe there’s a covenant of grace, but it’s important that you are one who participates in it. Have you found grace in the eyes of the Lord? Has God made a bond of friendship with you? Because only then can you rejoice with David and take a delight in the fact that God delights in you. We see the everlasting duration of this covenant. He says it’s an everlasting covenant. This covenant is never going to come to an there’s no termination point. There is no expiration date. This covenant speaks of God’s everlasting love with his people or to his people, if you would. Nothing can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Romans 8 tells us God doesn’t change his mind. Human friendship can be fickled. Friendships can be lost. But if God loves you now, you can be assured that he loved you yesterday, and you can also be assured he’ll love you in the future. God’s election has no recalls. Christ’s redemption never loses its power, and the Holy Spirit’s calling is irrevocable. So the gospel proclaimed in the covenant of grace is an everlasting gospel. There are no revisions. It remains the same. It’s everlasting duration. We see it’s carefully ordered. It’s ordered in all things, it says. Everything about this covenant, all things, has been carefully planned and prepared by God down to the tiniest detail. Nothing is left to chance. God’s wisdom assures that there is no way that this covenant comes unraveled. There’s nothing unforeseen. that’s going to somehow pop up and ruin everything. Neither Satan, or your most ardent enemy, can do anything to undermine this covenant that God has made with you. It’s perfect. It’s ironclad. So he says it’s absolutely sure. It’s sure, he says. You know, health, wealth, protection, and security in this life are never sure. They can go in a moment’s notice. but you can’t fall out of the covenant of grace. If God’s covenant fulfillment depends upon you and I, then I would be worried. But your life is hid with Christ in God, and therefore this bond of friendship is secure. You may fail God, but God never fails you. You may stray from God, but he ever pursues his friendship with you. So it’s absolutely sure. and it guarantees salvation. He says, this is all my salvation. This covenant with the Lord is such that you enjoy everlasting life. Everlasting communion and fellowship with the Lord is associated with this covenant. Not just in this life, but throughout all eternity. This is what you are counting on for salvation. Nothing else. We’re not like the moralist. We’re not like the religionist. thinking about some kind of good works. No, no. We’re counting on God’s promise in the covenant. Your soul, through this covenant, is secured from the terrorists of hellfire. Your sins have been forgiven. They’re buried in the deepest sea. And you stand by Christ’s blood and Christ’s righteousness justified in God’s sight. God does not impute sin to you. Christ is prepared a place for you in heaven, he says. Your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life with unerasable ink, so to speak. God is your God, and you are one of his people for forever. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. It’s unchangeable. Notice it is also a delightful covenant. He says, it’s all my desire. There is no real satisfaction in any of the schemes of self-changeable. that are devised by man. But God’s plan of salvation is such because it’s based purely on grace and God’s sovereign purpose that it delights the believer. We delight in it. We find ourselves attracted to it and joyous in it. There’s peace and comfort and knowing Christ’s purchased eternal redemption for you. You may wonder with delight at the wisdom of God in planning and executing this covenant. We’re going to sing forever of it. I read in the book of Revelation how they speak and sing of the worthy as the lamb and so forth who has redeemed us. Now he does end this by saying although he make it not to grow. He means at the present time David’s fame, their house is not experiencing what it will when the seed of David arrived. when Jesus Christ comes. Although right now things don’t look so good, he’s counting on this everlasting covenant that God makes. You know, if you have delivered to your door in a package, a garment, maybe it’s a suit or maybe it’s a dress, that fits you perfectly, what would you conclude? This garment has been specially made in my size, tailored to conform to my body and the conclusion is, this garment must be for me. On the same manner, if God’s covenant perfectly suits your needs and completely satisfies your soul, you conclude, God meant this for me. So you find the covenant of grace associated with the kingdom, and finally, you find the doom of the enemies of the kingdom here in verses 6 and 7. Let’s look at that. But the sons of Belai. shall be all of them as thorns thrust away because they cannot be taken with hands, but the man that shall touch them shall be fenced with iron and the staff of the spear, and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. Not everyone wants Christ reigning, and his kingdom of righteousness to progress in this world. There are the sons of Belial. There are the enemies of Christ. There are wicked men in this world, and they have no delight in the covenant of grace. They are like thorns here, which mar the beauty of Christ’s kingdom and cause pain. There are thorns and briars that are hurtful and troublesome. You’ll notice he says they cannot be taken with hands. You can’t handle them gently. You have to put on your armor, as he indicates, here and war against them. But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear. As we go through this life, we have to battle those who are evil. Not that we use weapons that are carnal, as we mentioned last week, but we use the spiritual weapons at our disposal. But they are thorns and briars, if you would. But they will eventually be removed from Christ’s kingdom. For I read in scripture, and in Matthew 13, they’re going to be a day. When Christ reaches that final state, when he sends his angels and he separates the righteous and the wicked, and he gathers the wheat from the tears, and they get burned up in the fire, whereas the righteous are stored in the barn, so to speak, and preserve. So they will eventually be removed and perched. This teaching about eternal punishment and exclusion certainly isn’t a popular message today. Supposedly, if you go to funerals today, almost everybody, except probably the most notorious sinner goes to heaven. Doesn’t matter how wicked they may have been. Seems like unless you’re a Nero or a Hitler or something, you go to heaven. Scripture, however, teaches here that Christ, bring severe judgment on all those who oppose him and his gospel. They refuse to obey it. They refuse to repent and believe. And as we read in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 when he comes in flaming fire, he will destroy those who obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation, we talked about this morning, ends with an exclusion. Nothing that the files enter into. the city of God. So our text then concludes with a solemn warning, submit to Christ or perish, because this is the end of those who don’t submit to Christ. Well, Thomas Hogg left behind on his tombstone at the door of the church, a severe warning against the congregation bringing in an ungodly minister. These last words were of Hogg were placed on record. Our text here provides David. his last words publicly for the record. And as such, they carry special weight. They speak of the hope of the kingdom. And as we saw, this is a divinely inspired message about Christ, the king, the covenant of grace, and the destruction of all the enemies of the kingdom of God. When it comes time to die, I hope you and I will be focused as David was on the kingdom of God. Well, let us close. Thank you.