0:01 You might have noticed last week that we did not cover the entirety of second Samuel chapter 21, and that is okay because I'm here to comfort you tonight that we will cover those verses in this chapter. Sometimes the chapter breaks may, may confuse us or may, cause us to separate the thought pattern, but we have to try to look past as much as those chapter breaks and numbers and verse numbers are helpful, we have to also see beyond that and see the flow of thought. And so we will look at some of these verses in a moment here, but I want you to see the first word of chapter 22. If you have the ESV, it's the word and. If you have the New King James version, you'll have the word then.
0:43 And the first word there denotes that what is happening here in chapter 22 is connected to the collection of verses in the preceding section. What you see in the last part of chapter 21 is very much tied to what you and I are going to be introduced to here in chapter 22. And what you have in the last verses of chapter 21 is quite interesting. You have here a bullet point form report of David and his men fighting against the common foe, the Philistines. That's what you see.
1:21 Very rapid fire style, just some reports of how David and his men conquered the Philistines. But not just the Philistines in a general sense, in a very specific sense. What you will see there in those verses is how David and his men conquered the giants who were numbered among the Philistines. You have four specific skirmishes, and each one of those battles refers to a giant who has been overtaken by God's people. I want us to read it quickly before we come into chapter 22.
1:55 Verse 15 to chapter 21. There was a war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. And Ishbi Benab, one of the descendants of the giants whose spear weighed 300 shekels of bronze and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. But Abishai the son of Zuriah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him.
2:24 Then David's men swore to him, you shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel. After this, there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibekai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. And Elhanan, the son of Jair Oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. Chronicles tells us that this was actually Goliath's brother.
2:58 Verse 20, there was again war at Gath where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down. These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. You can take each of these incidences and and expand upon them. We're not gonna do that.
3:31 I want us to take a few points from an overarching perspective. I wanna make one point here to start. First, recognize how this is mentioned in the latter part of David's life. He became weary. Seems as though David is getting old at this point.
3:48 He's not the same agile, quick, strong, fierce warrior that he was in his youth. No. His body, like it will with all of us, you know, is gonna take a toll. And it did take a toll on him, and the men under him recognized that and he said, you're done. You're not coming to war with us anymore.
4:03 You have to stay back. Let us take care of it. What I find so significant about this is that David is still fighting giants near the end of his life. David is still fighting these towering foes even as a seasoned warrior. When David fought Goliath as a youth, it was not a one time event.
4:26 No. What we see here is that there is reoccurrence. These giants reintroduce themselves. And like David, you and I might have known battles in our younger years in the faith. We might have seen God bring great victories in certain aspects of our sin and our flesh, but that does not mean that that same sin, that same temptation is not willing to revisit us with a vengeance.
4:54 In fact, you can expect that. You should keep that in mind so that your heart would be strong and that you would be you'd be discerning with your awareness and not to let your guard down. David here is dealing with giants yet again. Your battle will with sin will continue until you give up your final breath. It doesn't decrease as you increase in age.
5:18 No. No. You you can expect a lifelong struggle with sin. And when I mean struggle, I don't mean defeat. I mean a constant wrestling with the flesh.
5:28 That's what Galatians five tells us, that the spirit and the flesh are constantly at war with one another. And we see that here in a physical sense, and it's it's true. It points to the spiritual trajectory of our own lives. We can expect that. Here are giants yet again.
5:43 And I think this is helpful for even those who serve in the in the local church setting. There are people in the local church who who are devoted to serving, who are very much involved with the lives of other people. And if you've been in the local church long enough, you know that in the church, problems arise. And if there's a time of peace, then surely, at any point, there will be some kind of turbulence that will make its way among the people of God. And I've heard it I've heard people say, haven't we already dealt with this issue before?
6:12 Haven't we already faced these problems before? Hasn't our church learned enough already? And if you're there, if you feel that way, if you if you sense your your body, your soul, your mind, your heart becoming weary, remember David. Remember David with the giants. Understand that Goliath had siblings.
6:38 Sin has siblings. Sin multiplies. Sin is ever present. Sin is waiting and always ready to wage war. So keep that in mind, not to discourage you, but to encourage you.
6:53 Your flesh may grow old, may become weak, but our hearts cannot afford to do so. The lord will be with us. Secondly, we mentioned these giants and noticed that although David was the main target of the Philistines, they wanted him. He was the lamp of Israel. He was the shining star.
7:10 If we can get him, we can get the rest. Was it David who conquered the giants? What did we read? It was his servants. Four servants.
7:21 Four different servants who faced four different giants. That's not an accidental insight. That is very much strategic by the spirit to tell us something so wonderful so wonderful about your faith and my faith. Consider this. Why is this important?
7:36 Because David, for the longest time, was recognized and praised as the giant slayer of Israel. When David faced off Goliath, who did he have behind him? Cowards in Saul's army. Not one single soldier was willing to stand up against Goliath. Only one teenager was willing to face off with this blasphemer and through his faith in the living God saw victory.
8:11 And the nation recognized him and crowned him and praised him as such. But according to this text, eventually something happened. What happened? Some of those who admire David, follow David, submitted to David's leadership, followed his example. David wasn't the only giant slayer now.
8:32 You have different men who did the same. What do we learn from that? Here's what you learn from that. David's faith, his obedience, his trust inspired those around him. Inspired those around him to believe the way David believed and to be courageous the way David was courageous.
8:57 Consider that. That's glorious. That's awesome. Because what it tells me is that there is something profoundly beautiful and glorious about a single-minded devotion to Jesus Christ. When you are willing to allow your faith to go to the place where David went, to stand alone if you have to stand alone, then God is able to take that quality of faithfulness and use it as a means to birth a new conviction in the dormant or the fearful.
9:28 He's able to do that. Do you remember the the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians one fourteen when he was writing to this church in prison? I love that epistle because here's this man in prison writing to Christians in their church and their homes, rejoice over and over. Rejoice. Rejoice.
9:44 I mean, you would think they would write letters to him and say, rejoice. Rejoice. Rejoice. He's writing to them from a dungeon. You rejoice.
9:51 I'd be convicted just reading those words. But he says something so interesting in Philippians one fourteen. You can turn there if you'd like. He gives this wonderful insight insight that solidifies really the point that I'm trying to make. He says here, and most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
10:20 What was it that inspired the brethren to become more bold in their proclamation and their witness? It took Paul and his willingness to go to great lengths in his devotion to God, even if it meant his imprisonment, even if it meant what? Potential death. Remember there he was talking about Philippians one. Look.
10:38 I might die. I don't know. I have this tension. Should I go up? It's far better.
10:42 But if I stay, it's better for you. So there there was rumors there. There was talk that he could even be put to death. And the Christians who knew about Paul's imprisonment said, if he can go through that, if he's willing to go there, surely we can. Surely we can.
10:58 If you just choose to stay and to fight for your marriage in the spirit. Who knows what kind of hope you will give to other marriages that are struggling? If you, young person, listen to me. I'm so glad to see so many young people here. If you but choose to be pure in this defiled, disgusting, distracted generation, perhaps your faith will shine and will be a way out for others who have been convinced that compromise, degeneracy, lukewarmness, indifference is the norm.
11:38 Shock people. What happens when something or someone so precious to you is taken from you, and yet you still choose to sing, and yet you still choose to serve the Lord? Surely God can take such a faith and use it as a supply of strength for those who will face their own sorrows and their tomorrows with their own song. So we see here that these men followed the example of David, and they slew their own giants. Who knows what God can do with your faith?
12:12 Who knows what God can do with your devotion? It might take some time, but it's worth it. You may not know it immediately, but you can believe that that is how contagious faith can be. Fear is contagious, but so is faith. We always talk about how contagious fear is.
12:25 Let's talk about how contagious faith is. Side note. David was a leader. Be careful who you allow to be a leader in your life. Who do you sit under?
12:37 What kind of pastors do you sit under? What kind of teaching do you listen to? Because whether you realize it or not, their level of faith will inspire you for the greater or for the worse. And so be very, very discerning. Be very, very careful.
12:51 Nobody's perfect. Understand that there is a level of imitation that occurs when you willingly choose to make someone a leader in your life. Saul, look what he did with his men. He confused them. They they were just it was a mess.
13:07 David wasn't perfect, but, oh, did he have faith, and that faith trickled down to those who said, we wanna follow David. Speaking of song, what's the substance of chapter 22? You look at it just from from a face value perspective, and you can recognize that this is a psalm. This is a hymn. This is this is a worshipful praise that's being given unto the Lord, and it's confirmed here at verse one.
13:33 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. Chapter 22 is a song, and notice again that first word and or the New King James then. Not only is this song, it is a song placed on the backdrop of giant killing victories. To teach us what? There there seems to be again just just see past that big number 22 and that title that's been inserted there, and if you just have the text, you see a flow of thought in which the spirit wants to convey continuity.
14:14 And so right after this just short tribute of these men killing giants, you come to this song to to convey what? That on the other side of radical obedience, that on the other side of complete trust in the Lord, especially in and through your trials, awaits a song so powerful, so deep, so rich. An exuberant praise that will burst forth from your bosom. That's what we see here, David rejoicing with the backdrop of all the victories that God has brought him through. And I love to see that.
14:56 Proverbs twenty nine six says that an evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices. A righteous man sings and rejoices. What's the connection? An evil man is ensnared in his transition, but a righteous man sings and rejoices. It's very hard to sing when you don't have a clear conscience.
15:19 It's very hard to sing when you're in bondage. It's very hard to sing when your enemy, not just not just people who are being used by Satan, the sin, your flesh, the world and the philosophies of this world and narratives and all the discouragements and the allurements of this world, when those things have a hold on you, it's very difficult to sing. But when you are set free, then you'll know how to sing. Then you'll know a true song as we're about to find out. You know, but I looked at this and I thought there's more.
15:50 There's more here. People debate when this was written. Most people agree that this is not chronological. Some believe that this was written at a later time or an earlier time rather. There's debate.
16:02 There's debate here. But one thing is for certain that based on what we see in '21, based on what we see even in '22, this is this is somewhere in the second part of David's life. How do we know that? Because he wrote it when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, All his enemies and from the hand of Saul. So definitely post Saul.
16:24 But all his enemies, at some point, David knew a level of victory where he was able to pause and reflect on God's faithfulness and then rejoice in light of it. Now if you know your Bibles very well, you will notice that this is not the only place where this song is written. Does anybody else know where almost a copy paste version is found in the Bible? That's right. Psalm 18.
16:47 It's almost word for word. Psalm 18. Why why did the Bible include the same song in two different places? And here's what most people believe, that Psalm 18 was actually written by David when he was much younger. And then in second Samuel 22, you have David singing a song with minor adjustments in his later years.
17:11 You know what's so inspiring about that? David is still be able to sing with the same strength, the same depth, the same passion as he did when he was first walking in the grace of God. That tends not to be the experience of many professing believers. It seems to to deflate over time. What do I mean?
17:37 Their song is not as strong. Their singing is not as exciting. They lose that passion and that fierce faith. You don't see that with David. David was able to sing with that same type of faith and knowledge of God as when he first was introduced to the fragrance of the Lord's power and mercy over him.
18:02 I want you to be able to say out of this Bible study, I Lord, I want to be able to sing in my final days, not just in my former days, not just when I started, but when I'm finishing. I want to be able to say, it is well with my soul. I want to be able to say, how great is our God. I want to be able to say, he will hold me fast because he has helped me fast. You see this?
18:28 This is a man singing a song later in life. It's easy to sing when it's fresh, but for so many, it becomes normal and familiar and common, and now it's just routine. You cannot read this song and think that this journal entry is routine. This is a man who has remained consistent. Though he had ups and downs, his faith remained.
18:59 His faith remained. And, oh, lord, would you help us have that same end? So you see it's a large, large song. We're not gonna be covering verse by verse. We're gonna pause in some verses.
19:13 We're gonna read over others, but let's look at this just skimming through and trusting that we will still be blessed as we do so. Let's look at verse let's look at verse two. He said, the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior, you save me from violence. It's difficult to move forward without looking at the great acknowledgment that David gives to the Lord, the wealth of titles that he ascribes onto his God. Look at this.
19:59 Rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, horn of my salvation, stronghold, refuge, savior. These are profound. And you almost get the sense that David is in in a in a good way frantically trying to express all that God is to him. Lord, you're this, and you're this, and you're this, and you're this. You ever meet a young guy or young gal who's who's madly in love with somebody else?
20:24 It's amazing how they become like Shakespeare. Right? They're just able to come up with things, and they they they they try to put language to what's going on in their hearts. And that's the impression that you get here from David who just starting off by adoring the Lord and ascribing all these beautiful things, these titles and these elements of who he is. That's profound, but what's more precious to me is how David verbalizes and communicates these ideas of God from personal experience.
20:57 Did he say the Lord is the rock, the fortress, the deliverer? Did he say he's the shield, the horn of my wait. What is he saying? Is it the? No.
21:05 It's my. Big difference between the two. Big difference between the two. And I'm afraid that many professing Christians are content to live with the former perspective. Many Christians are are are content in having an accurate and maybe even a deep theological understanding and framework of the nature and the character of God, but with no testimony with it.
21:28 Theology without testimony, what a miserable state to be in. What a miserable state to be in. To be able to say the, but not be able to say my. That's not God's will. Theology, good theology, sound doctrine is not an end in itself.
21:45 It's a means to an end. God doesn't want us to just stuff our brains with truism for us to be able to boast. Look how sound we are, and look how look how biblical we are. That's not God's intent. It's for it to change you, for you to taste it, not just stuff it.
22:00 For you to be able to say, This is true of me, not just true on a screen. Big difference. And here's this man oozing out glorious, specific, profound truths, but preciously ascribing it from a personal testimony. How can one effectively pray? How can one effectively praise?
22:24 How can one effectively proclaim unless he can say with confidence, he saved me? He provided for me. He protected me. I don't wanna refer to this example to the wrong person, but there's an old preacher many hundreds of years ago who, when he trained his missionaries, would not allow them to preach unless those missionaries were fully convinced that they were forgiven for their sins. Why go and tell people about what Christ has done in the world if you can't be able to say, and he's done it in me?
23:03 Where's that authority? And that doesn't even please God. What did Paul say in Galatians two twenty when he talked about Christ living in him? He ended it by saying, who loved, what, the world? Who, what, loved the church?
23:18 No. Who loved me and gave himself up for who? The world? The church? No.
23:25 Me again. Who loved me and gave himself up for me. There's personal intimate implications with these awesome truths that do apply to all men, but are meant for you to be able to say, it's true of me. My rock, my deliverer, my fortress, glorious. And then we see here in verse four the depth of his intimacy with the Lord.
23:53 I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. I call upon the Lord, second part, and I am saved from my enemies. Now wait a minute. We read at the end of verse of chapter 21 of four different men who saved David. If you look at it from a human standpoint, four different men who came to his side, four different men who rescued him.
24:22 If you talk to a shallow person, they would be able to say, David, it was Abishai who saved you. David, it was Elhanan who saved you. It was Sabecai who saved you. It was Jonathan, your relative, who saved you. And David would acknowledge that.
24:37 The Holy Spirit acknowledged that they were instruments. But you see, these men were not operating independently from God's provision and God's providence. These men were the answers to David's prayers. I call upon the Lord. I am saved from my enemies.
24:54 Well, you and I just saw how he was saved from his enemies. What does that mean? It means that when God saved him, he used these men. You know, many of God's answers to our prayers are wrapped in flesh and blood. We just need the eyes to see it.
25:09 And not just the the saint of your local church or the saint in your family. Was Abishai a saint, or did David have trouble with Abishai? No. He had trouble with Abishai. Are ravens clean animals according to the Levitical law, or are they dirty animals?
25:24 They're unclean animals, and God used them to feed his servant Elijah. God's resources are very colorful, very colorful. And he tends to prove to us that when he really wants to bless us and help us and come to our aid, he's never in need. He's never low on resources. He can even make your enemies help you.
25:53 And so we see here that David recognized that although these men were faithful, were servants, they were an extension of God's mercy, and they were the answer to his prayers. Now before we move on, it's worth noting how prayer is mentioned in the song so early. Why? It's because prayer, in a major way, is the cause of this man's great praise. Do you see that?
26:19 If we wanna know greater praise from our hearts, then we must know how to first give ourselves to serious prayer on our knees. Praying people are people who know how to praise, true praying people. And David could praise often because David prayed often. Saying, what's the connection? It's very easy.
26:41 Apart from salvation, can you think of a greater stimulation, a greater motivation than almighty god who inhabits the heavens answering your puny voice when you have a need. That will get you to church, and that will get you to sing no matter who else is not singing. And this is exactly what David is trying to communicate. He tells us even in the beginning of his song that I'm telling you why I'm singing. I called upon the Lord, and he saved me.
27:15 He saved me. And we might think, well, yeah, that's a Bible story and that's David and he was a unique character. No. No. No.
27:24 Give prayer a chance long enough. Be specific enough with your prayers, and you will come to the same conclusion. In fact, David gives us exactly what it is that happened when it came to God saving him. It says here, for the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me, the cords of Sheol entangled me, The snares of death confronted me. What is he trying to say?
27:49 I'm I'm surrounded. Like, this is it. I'm at my end. In my distress, I called upon the Lord. To my God, I called.
28:01 From his temple, he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears. Again, apart from the cross, me personally, maybe you would disagree. Is there anything more glorious than this? I can cry, and heaven can hear me. I was just talking to somebody the other day how how amazing this idea of FaceTime is.
28:24 I remember the days I remember the days where dial up was the thing. And so you would go and if you picked up the phone, you ruined the connection. Remember that horrible, torturous sound when you picked up the phone? Some of you remember that. And in such a short amount of time, I'm able to press a button, and somebody across the world, I can see their face.
28:45 They can show me the room, show me what's going on in that very moment. This is more impressive. Where the seraphim cannot look, where the seraphim cover their feet, my voice can reach that very throne room. This is what he's saying. My cry came to his ears.
29:05 Didn't come to an angel, then go no. It came directly to god himself. And then he says what happens after that takes place. He says then, verse eight, then then as a result of my crying and my calling upon the Lord, let me tell you what happened. Then the earth reeled and rocked.
29:28 The foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils and devouring fire from his mouth. Glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
29:45 I'm not gonna keep reading, but you get the idea. This is rich in imagery. This is metaphorical, obviously, but there's a message behind it. Look back at verse eight. Then the earth reeled and rocked.
30:01 The foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked because he was angry. He heard my cry, came to his ears, and this is what happened. And can I give you a modern translation of verse of verse nine or rather verse eight? God moved heaven and earth to answer my cry. God moved heaven and earth to come to my aid.
30:29 In fact, he goes on to describe, as I just said, in great length how it is that the lord came to him. Look again at verse 11. I stopped at verse 10. He rode on a cherub and flew. He was seen on the wings of the wind.
30:44 Translation, the swiftness of God, the quickness of God, the promptness of God, the willingness of God. The moment he heard my voice, he got on a cherub, and he came down. He flew to me. He didn't walk. He didn't pace.
31:00 He flew to my aid. And what that means is that God is not reluctant to hear your prayers. God is not hesitant. God is not too busy. God does not put you on pause because he's overwhelmed with everything else that's happening in China and Australia and Africa.
31:18 According to the need, he will move in perfect accordance to meet it. He's never late. He never delays. He's never annoyed. He is swift.
31:29 He will fly to come to your assistance. That's what David is conveying. He came at the right time. He's like a father that hears his child outside playing and that child falls. And when he cries, he drops everything to stoop down and to wrap his arms around me to bring me into his safety.
31:50 It's very hard for us to say amen to because we don't sense that in our prayers. Right? We just get silenced most of the time. Well, think about David's experience. Not every single time he prayed, God came through.
32:00 He spent many, many years in the wilderness. What David is saying is, I have cried out to the Lord, and he's always come at the right time. That's the point. He's always come at the right time. And we see other verses.
32:12 Look down at verse 17. He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters. Remember, this is David reflecting on what has been done in the past.
32:22 Many waters. I've almost drowned many times, and God has never failed to pick me up and to rescue me. He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. But the Lord was my support.
32:41 Oh, what a song to be able to sing near the end of your life, and I get it. You might be discouraged more than encouraged because, again, k, this is Bible study. This is a sermon. It's it's motivational. I'll give you that, but this is David.
32:51 He had a special covenant with the Lord, an everlasting covenant. It's obvious why God was sparing him and giving him so much grace. I work a nine to five. I'm trying to pay my bills. I barely make it to church.
33:07 This Bible study doesn't really help. It's inspirational, but it's not very practical. And I would say, hold on. Don't let your thoughts and your doubts swallow you yet, because because this is not the only Psalm that David has written. This is not the only Psalm.
33:20 It's not the only Psalm that the holy spirit used David to pen. Can I show you another one that will give you the hope that you need to look at this Psalm in another way? Go to Psalm one forty five in your Bibles quickly, and look here at verse 18. This is David still, and notice what David says in Psalm one forty five verse 18. You've heard it over and over.
33:40 I called. I cried. In my distress, you heard my voice. That's you, David. What about me?
33:52 Well, here's David by the spirit, Psalm one forty five eighteen. The Lord is near to all who call on him. Not some, not a few, not the special supernatural super saints. The Lord is near to all who call on him. Here's the first condition.
34:16 To all who call on him in truth, he fulfills the desire of those who, here's the second condition, who fears him. He also hears their cry and saves them. How can I know the support that David has known? How can I be assured that my cry can reach the ears of almighty god? Two things.
34:41 Call on him in truth and walk in the fear of the Lord. Call on him in truth. Be sincere. Don't let your mouth contradict your heart. Don't hide anything from God.
34:52 Walk in the light, and also fear him. Give him the reverence and the awe that he deserves. Ascribe onto him the worth that he alone deserves. And when these two simple conditions are met, then we will know what David has known, God's ear at all times. And this is what's fascinating because you see here and back in our main song in verse 42 of second Samuel 22, when describing and condemning his enemies, David says of them, they looked, but there was none to save.
35:26 They cried to who? Baal? Molech? No. They cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
35:34 They cried to the Lord, and he did not answer them. Why? Because they did not call him in truth. They did not fear him. They were trying to kill the anointed one.
35:42 They were living in contradiction to God's desire and will, and they thought that they had the right to call upon the Lord. Lord says, no way. You know, people mock prayer, but it's amazing how many heathen are willing to pray when when the temperature is right. I saw a clip not too long ago of the World Trade Center, some of the the footage of the planes of pa of, pedestrians, people walking on the streets who had their cameras and just the different angles of the the the planes flying into the towers. And what struck me, as much as that footage was just unbelievable, what struck me was the the shrieks and the cries of the people who witness it.
36:24 And you know what was the common cry? Oh, my god. Oh, lord, have mercy. That's what people were saying over and over again. And between those cries were just pure shrieks.
36:39 Oh, my god. Lord, have mercy. Lord have mercy. There's something in us that is aware that there is something transcendent above us, and even the heathen have a knowledge, so they try to suppress it. When they're squeezed just right, it's amazing what peaks up.
37:01 It's amazing what they squeal. The heathen hear, they cry to the Lord, but he did not answer them. Not that he's willing not willing to forgive them, but you can't have your sin and have the support of the Lord at the same time. You can't. And these are the conditions that David lays out, and you can say that David indirectly alludes to those conditions in the second half of this song.
37:20 Let's come down here back to second Samuel, and let's look at verse 21. David says something quite amazing here that actually has caused people to be stumbled in some way. 21. The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands, he rewarded me.
37:38 For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn aside. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt. And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. Anybody concerned with David's words here?
38:03 You've been with us, especially in second Samuel. These collection of verses have led people to believe that when David wrote this song when do you think they believe he wrote it? Yeah. Before Bathsheba, before Uriah. It's very difficult to reconcile David's confidence with his major moral failure.
38:30 How how can you say that after what you've done? And some people don't even go that far with their thinking. They just are disturbed with what he's saying altogether. Why would you say this in a song? Can you imagine all of us singing on Sunday morning, the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness.
38:50 My hands are clean. For us, many people don't think this is pharisaical. We don't talk about our righteousness. We don't talk about our holiness. And that's the impression that you get that David seems to be saying, I have this divine favor because I've been a good boy, and I've been walking in obedience.
39:07 And so I have God's face shining upon me. And the way, the remedy from any confusion or misinterpretation is one discipline that we cannot forget. It's the discipline of looking at the context. Just look at the context. Consider why David is saying this at this point and what the song is really all about.
39:27 What is this song about? It's a song of deliverance. Deliverance from who? His enemies. How God has rescued him from his foes.
39:37 And this makes more sense now when we consider why he's saying this with the surrounding ideas of him being surrounded by evil people who wanna attack him, who wanna kill him, who speak lies about him. Why is he saying this? Because he's trying to communicate that the righteousness and the cleanness of my hands is in relation to my dealings with these people. This is not David going on a different train of thought and talking about how awesome he is and how he has gained eternal life because of his good works. You get that idea when you pull these verses out of the context.
40:14 But when you honor the surrounding, what you see David doing here in his prayer, in his song, he's appealing to a clear conscience. Without a cause, they are hating me. My enemies want to kill me. They want to surround me. They want to devour me, but I didn't do anything.
40:34 I desire peace, but when I speak, they are for war. So what David is doing is in the context of his dealing with these people, he is confessing to God, I'm in the right in this. As long as my conscience bears witness, there is nothing that I know that I have done that would cause me to be in the wrong in this situation, that would invoke and provoke them to treat me in this way. And so that's what we see here. This is not a man talking about how his standard of righteousness has won God's eternal life or it's just him saying, in this situation, I'm blameless.
41:14 In this predicament, I don't see how I'm guilty. And David's word here does highlight whether you like it or not. It highlights how your behavior and mine can actually influence how we experience God's blessing. Not how we receive his his grace for everlasting life, but how we experience God in our life. I know you've been told something else probably.
41:39 Right? No matter what you do, God will do this for you. God no. That's not true. No.
41:43 You can't do whatever you want to do and expect God to bless you in the same way. No. I don't know where you got that from, but stick it back in the the cookie and send it away. Right? That's fortune cookie theology.
41:58 What you see here is that David is is proving that there is a principle. If I live in a certain way, if I act in a certain way, then I can expect God to treat me in a certain way, and that's what he confirms in verse 26. With the merciful, you show yourself merciful. With the blameless man, you show yourself blameless. With the purified, you deal purely, and with the crooked, you make yourself seem torturous.
42:28 What was David's conviction throughout his exile when Saul was alive? He continued to show mercy. Mercy. Mercy. Mercy.
42:38 Mercy. You know what's so fascinating? I'm persuaded that when David had that one season where he was among the Philistines you remember that when he was so discouraged? He said, Saul is gonna kill me. I'm one step away from death.
42:50 I'm going among the Philistines. He'll stop bothering me then. Remember that? And it led him to all these issues and how God still was able to pull him out of that and bring him back to where he was supposed to be. I believe in great part how God did that was because God remembered how merciful David was.
43:05 And in remembering how merciful David was, God chose to be merciful to him. Look. Just let's just talk plainly here. With the merciful, you show yourself merciful. How I treat other people, am I ready to receive that same treatment from God?
43:25 There is a mercy that you and I, no matter what we've done, God is still willing to dispense it on our lives. That's the cross. But in practical day to day life, imagine that. This this is a divine administration in God's universe. With the merciful, you show yourself merciful.
43:39 With the blameless, you show yourself blameless. With the crooked, you make yourself seem torturous. Lord, please. When I am offended, help me remember this. When somebody has wronged me, help me remember this rule.
44:02 No matter how bad it's been in your life, I've never sat in a counseling session, maybe once, where somebody said somebody wants to try to somebody wants to try to kill me. I don't I don't I don't think that's the norm. Right? Nobody in here has ever had their father-in-law chase them around Chicago and try to kill them. Right?
44:20 Maybe maybe you don't wanna say it. That's okay. And, yeah, David could still be merciful to such a man, And he experienced God's mercy as a result. God looks at how we treat people, even in their sin, and he considers it. There's so much more to say, but just scroll down here in verse 31.
44:44 Can you imagine we're just a little bit over half of this psalm, this song? This God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord proves true. He is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. What a statement.
45:04 This God, his way is perfect. Remember, this is David reflecting. This is David pausing and pondering after all that he's been through, now in his old age. And and you've been here every week. You know what he's been through.
45:19 In caves, betrayed, lied about, people attempting to assassinate him, family fractured relationship, all this mess, all this delay. I mean, it looked like he was about to become king of Israel, then there's another delay. And then it comes again and then all these problems. And yet in hindsight, he could confidently say, oh, his way is perfect. His way is perfect.
45:49 Hey. Honestly, if I looked at that, I wouldn't consider that perfection. I would avoid some of those potholes. I would fill some of those up. Less ups and downs and more ups.
46:00 And yet David, by the spirit, says, no. No. You don't understand. The way God has led me was absolutely necessary. I wouldn't wanna when he's saying it's perfect, what he's saying is there is no other way I would wanna have it.
46:14 And usually, such a confession comes at the end of the tunnel. But the Holy Spirit has given it to us here so that you can say it while you're in the dark. If it was true for David, it's true for you now. You don't have to wait to be able to say it. You could say it right when you're beginning to feel the pressure, the persecution, the trials, the test.
46:37 You can say with a smile, with your chest out and your shoulders back, this God, his way is perfect. Bring it on. The word of the Lord proves true. He's a shield for all those who take refuge in him. He comes down here, and I'm gonna end this with a couple more thoughts.
47:05 Just one thing after the next, talking about what he's done for him. He made my feet like the feet of a deer, verse 34. He set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation.
47:20 I love this phrase. Your gentleness made me great. The gentleness of God. You read back I mean, gentleness, smoke coming out of your nostrils, mountain shaking, arrows being shot at your enemies, gentleness. Gentleness for his children.
47:41 Gentleness for his children. It's another story for those who persist to be his enemies. You gave a wide place for my steps under me. My feet did not slip. Verse 40, you equipped me with strength for the battle.
47:55 You made those who rise against me sink under me. Verse 47, the lord lives. The lord lives. He's alive, and I can prove it to you. Look at my look at the giants.
48:11 Look at all the things that he has taken care of. He's alive. And blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation. Now notice here what he says in verse 50. For this, I will praise you, oh, Lord, this is so fascinating, among the nations and sing praises to your name.
48:33 Among the nations. You would think he would say among the great congregation. He said that in Psalm 40, but he's not speaking about his own people. He's speaking about the neighboring nations. I will sing among them.
48:45 You know what he's saying? Lord, how you have worked in my life has given me the conviction to not make my praise private, to not shy away when I'm in the presence of the heathen, but to be willingly oh, Lord, I even ask for the opportunity to be among the Gentiles and to be able to sing your praise even though I may sing alone. You know, you and I have opportunities to do that in our own lives in different ways. Give me some ideas of how you and I can actually honor God among the nations. I'm not even looking for, like, these magnificent ideas, just very simple ways.
49:29 I have one in mind. When you go out with your family to that restaurant after Sunday service, when you're out there with your friends at some place that you heard about and you're excited to taste, what can you do there among the nations? Lord, we thank you for this food, and we just wanna tell you that you are the reason why we get to enjoy these beautiful gifts. All the sights, all the taste, this comes from you. We wanna pause and give you glory for it.
50:00 In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Amen. I'll praise you among the nations. Don't miss those opportunities.
50:11 I've sat with Christians over the years. I know they're hungry. I know the service was long and just, they just go right into it. You're missing an awesome opportunity to praise among the nations. It's subtle.
50:21 Right? And it should be something like out of day like David, his heart wanting to give on. Not in a not in a legalistic way. Not in a showy way. In a genuine way.
50:31 May the lord give us wisdom to know how to do that. But you know what's so fascinating? Paul quotes this very verse to make a different point. Does anybody know, because this is found also in Psalm 18, what text in the New Testament points to this reference? Any idea?
51:02 Think. Any idea? Well, if you don't know, it starts with the letter r. Anybody know now? The book of Romans.
51:21 Romans chapter 15. I want you to see this with your own eyes, and we'll close here. I'm not surprised that after such a lengthy song, for there to be found a prophecy of some sort. Romans 15 verse eight. Let's go to verse eight.
51:41 Paul speaking to these Christians. You know what's happening with these Christians? There's division among them because some have the conviction of certain foods being healthy and holy, and others say, hey. It doesn't matter. We're free in Christ.
51:52 Some people believe some days are holy. Others say, no. These days aren't necessarily to be sacred. And there's divisions. And that division obviously is somewhat known among the Gentiles and the Jews who are in the same church.
52:04 And so Paul wants to exhort them, and he says, for I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy as it is written, therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name and sing to your name. In David's context in second Samuel 22 and in Psalm 18 when he sin when he says, I will sing to you among the nations, what he's saying is I will unashamedly testify of you. I will sing in the presence of the pagans. I have no fear. You are worthy.
52:47 You've been so good to me. Paul takes that by the spirit because he has that authority and he has a different bent on it. He's speaking to this church that is experiencing division among themselves namely Jew and Gentile and he goes to this verse to say, do you realize that in God's mind hundreds of years ago, he had it in his heart that you would have Jew and Gentile singing together? So in David's setting, it's singing to the nations. Paul takes that verse by the spirit, and he says, it's not to the Gentiles.
53:23 It's with the Gentiles. And he's trying to hammer this point. God wants you to be unified. You know, one of the ways that we can proclaim our unity displayed is when you and I come together and sing. Ever thought about that?
53:39 I'm just thinking about it now. I mean, one of the ways that we express our or express our unity as a nation, we have an anthem. We have these slogans. We have these chants. We have these phrases.
53:51 They they color. They put some they put some glue to what it is that we have as convictions in our hearts. And when we see this text, what I see here is that God in his heart did not just have it in mind that we would all experience forgiveness. That is true. But through that forgiveness, through that salvation, we would come together and sing.
54:10 There is something very ancient that's happening every time you and I gather here and express ourselves in worship and praise. Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name. I said I was done, but one more thing. Go back to chapter 22 verse one. Do you know where I get my permission to do that, pastor Daniel Benner?
54:46 In Philippians, Paul says finally in chapter three, and he had much more to say. So when you hear a preacher say I'm almost done, they're following the steps of the apostle Paul. Alright? And he said, follow me as I follow Christ. Second Samuel 22 verse one.
55:05 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song when? On the day when the lord delivered him from the hand of all of his enemies and from the hand of Saul. It's amazing how the spirit doesn't put Saul under the category of enemies. It's fascinating. But what's interesting too is that it says on the day.
55:35 David was not only not forgetful, not negligent, and giving God heartfelt, mindful gratitude. He saw it with delightful urgency. Praise in David's mind was an absolute priority, especially when God has come through in one way or another. On the day, if you wanna know one way to please the heart of God well, Christ does it for us. I know positionally that's true.
56:10 That's wonderful. We can rest in that. But if you want your life to bless God, one of the ways you can be assured that this can happen is by giving him thanks. And with the urgency that you might had in pleading with the Lord and petitioning with the Lord and seeking the Lord, when that answer comes, when you see some sort of relief, you know what blesses him? When you're just as urgent in giving him glory for it.
56:42 I see that with Jesus in Luke seventeen seventeen. There was 10 lepers. They were all healed. One came back. And Jesus asked in that verse, where are the others?
56:53 Is it only this foreigner who has come back to praise God? It's a picture of the Gentiles. Yes. I get it. Coming to the fold.
56:59 And the Jews not seeing the mercy of Jesus and who he is. But there's practical implications. Only one? After what I've done? And so I see from that text in Luke 17 that what blesses the lord is when I intentionally when I I shake off all the other things that would try to hinder me from being grateful, and I say, Lord, thank you.
57:25 David didn't wait another day. On that day, was it a specific moment? We don't know. But when the revelation of God's deliverance from all his enemies fell upon him, What came from him was what you read here. I want that.
57:42 Not just now at this point in my life. I want that when I am old and weary like David was. Can we ask God to give it to all of us? He will surely help us. Lord, thank you for this bible study.
58:07 Thank you for the simple nudges of the simplicity of our faith. Lord, we are aware that there's so much more that you have to say through this chapter, but what we heard suffices for us to stop and to apply what we just learned. Thank you. Oh, lord. Thank you for your goodness.
58:34 We can declare by faith this god, his way is perfect. And, Lord, though we may not fully realize how you will pull us away from all the waters that seem to be pulling us in, you've reminded us that all who call upon him in truth and all who fear him, you will hear and you will deliver. Help us love you, fear you, honor you. Help us believe even now that our cries to you, whether they are silent or whether they are heard by others, they they reach your ears. And when the appointed time comes, you will swiftly come, fly in our direction.
59:22 You will, in your mysterious providence, raise up Abishai's and use people that we might have known for years to extend your grace in our lives. Help us see when you answer a prayer. Help us recognize when you come through. Help us not miss it to God. We thank you for this family, and, lord, we pray that we would honor you for what you had in mind many, many, many, many years ago, that people from different backgrounds, different nations, different tribes and tongues coming together to sing of a common salvation, to sing the Lord lives.
1:00:01 Oh, we give you honor tonight in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Well, shall we do that? Shall we do that?
1:00:07 Shall we fulfill an ancient prophecy that the most unlikely people would come on a Friday night because they actually enjoy singing to an invisible god, but who is ever present still? Yes, indeed. The lord is worthy. Let's do that.
