Sunday
Morning Bible Study
Men’s Retreat
November 19, 2000
The life of David
David was the standard by which later kings would be measured. His walk through life, his “journey” was the example
that all other kings were to follow.
God promised Solomon:
(1 Ki 9:4-5 KJV) And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy
father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to
all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: {5}
Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I
promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the
throne of Israel.
Yet see what happened to Solomon:
(1 Ki 11:4-6 KJV) For it came to pass, when Solomon was old,
that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not
perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. {5} For
Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the
abomination of the Ammonites. {6} And Solomon did evil in the sight of the
LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
Bad King Abijam:
(1 Ki 15:3-5 KJV) And he walked in all the sins of his father,
which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his
God, as the heart of David his father. {4} Nevertheless for David's sake did
the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and
to establish Jerusalem: {5} Because David did that which was right in the eyes
of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the
days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
David was not perfect. He had
sinned. But he was still the example to
follow.
All the kings seemed to have been measured against David. Good kings were like David (1Ki. 15:11; 2Ki.
18:3; 22:2). So-so kings weren’t quite
up to David’s standards (2Ki. 14:3). Bad
kings did not follow David’s example (2Ki. 16:2-3).
Good King Asa:
(1
Ki 15:11 KJV) And Asa did that which was
right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.
So-so King Amaziah:
(2
Ki 14:3 KJV) And he did that which was
right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according
to all things as Joash his father did.
Bad King Ahaz:
(2
Ki 16:2-3 KJV) Twenty years old was Ahaz
when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not
that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.
{3} But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to
pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the
LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
Good King Hezekiah:
(2
Ki 18:3 KJV) And he did that which was
right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.
Good King Josiah:
(2
Ki 22:2 KJV) And he did that which was
right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father,
and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
1. A Heart for God
When God rejected King Saul as king over Israel, God said
(1 Sam 13:14 KJV) But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the
LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, …
That “man” was a boy. A shepherd
boy. David.
When God sent the prophet Samuel to find a new king to replace Saul, he
came to the house of Jesse and asked to see Jesse’s sons. When Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab walked by,
Samuel thought that this would make a fine king.
(1 Sam 16:7 KJV) But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on
his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him:
for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance,
but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Seven of Jesse’s sons walked before Samuel, but none of them would do. It wasn’t until Jesse called his youngest,
who had been out in the field watching the sheep, that the king was found. It was David.
(1 Sam 16:12-13 KJV) And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was
ruddy (“reddish”), and
withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said,
Arise, anoint him: for this is he. {13} Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and
anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon
David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
God is very concerned about your heart.
We may have all sorts of ideas as to what is most important in living a
victorious life, but at the top of God’s list is your heart.
David wrote,
(Psa 139:23-24 KJV) Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me,
and know my thoughts: {24} And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead
me in the way everlasting.
2. Courage
Probably one of the things we think of first when we think of David is his
battle with the giant Goliath. The Israelites, let by King Saul, were facing
the Philistines in battle,
(1 Sam 17:4-10 KJV) And there went out a champion out of the camp
of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a
span. {5} And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a
coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
{6} And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between
his shoulders. {7} And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his
spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went
before him. {8} And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto
them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine,
and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
{9} If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your
servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our
servants, and serve us. {10} And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of
Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
The Israelites were no dummies. They
were terrified, just like you and I would be.
Nobody was stupid enough to take on a challenge like that. But then along came a young kid named
David.
(1 Sam 17:32-37 KJV) And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart
fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. {33}
And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to
fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
{34} And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there
came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: {35} And I went out
after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose
against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. {36} Thy
servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine
shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
{37} David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the
lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of
this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
(1 Sam 17:40-51 KJV) And he took his staff in his hand, and chose
him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which
he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the
Philistine. {41} And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the
man that bare the shield went before him. {42} And when the Philistine looked
about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and
of a fair countenance. {43} And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog,
that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his
gods. {44} And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy
flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. {45} Then said
David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and
with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of
the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. {46} This day will the LORD
deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from
thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto
the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth
may know that there is a God in Israel. {47} And all this assembly shall know
that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's,
and he will give you into our hands. {48} And it came to pass, when the
Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and
ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. {49} And David put his hand in his
bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his
forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to
the earth. {50} So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a
stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the
hand of David. {51} Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and
took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut
off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead,
they fled.
How could David do such a thing? Was
he just crazy?
He had a relationship with God. He
knew his God. He had a better
perspective on things than the rest of the nation. He knew that Goliath was nothing compared to
God. He knew that if God was on his
side, Goliath didn’t stand a chance.
All through David’s life, he faced giants of various kinds. Towards the end of his life, we read about
David facing even more giants (2Sam. 21:15-22).
It appears that Goliath had relatives.
But instead of David facing these new threats, some of David’s neighbors
and relatives were now up to the task.
(2
Sam 21:15-22 KJV) Moreover the
Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his
servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
{16} And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose
spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a
new sword, thought to have slain David. {17} But Abishai the son of Zeruiah
succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David
sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou
quench not the light of Israel. {18} And it came to pass after this, that there
was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite
slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. {19} And there was again a
battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a
Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear
was like a weaver's beam. {20} And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a
man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six
toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. {21} And
when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew
him. {22} These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of
David, and by the hand of his servants.
David had not only become known as a giant-killer, but he set the example
for others to follow.
Paul writes,
(Eph 6:10-13 KJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of his might. {11} Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. {12} For we wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places. {13} Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We too are in a battle. God wants us
to stand in the battle.
Some of us will be facing battles this year.
Remember that God is greater than any enemy. You can stand against the enemy if you stand
with God.
3. Surrounded by mighty men
Sometimes the man of God has to go it alone. Sometimes there is no one else around to
encourage you, and you have to encourage yourself in the Lord.
(1 Sam 30:6 NLT) David was now in serious trouble because his
men were very bitter about losing their wives and children, and they began to
talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God.
But David wasn’t a “loner”.
He had friends like Jonathan. When David was running for his life …
(1 Sam 23:16 NASB) …Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to
David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God….
He friends like his “mighty men”.
(2 Sam 23:8-12 KJV) These be the names of the mighty men whom
David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the
same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew
at one time. {9} And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of
the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were
there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: {10}
He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand
clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the
people returned after him only to spoil. {11} And after him was Shammah the son
of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop,
where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the
Philistines. {12} But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and
slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
mighty men – gibbowr (or,
plural, gibbowrim) – strong man, brave man, mighty man
These were his comrades, the core of his army. They were the men who had been with David
through many battles. They were men who
were famous because of their own great deeds.
They weren’t just guys who liked to hang around a king, they were men
who went out and did great things for God in their own right.
Do you have “Gibborim” in your life?
Paul wrote,
(1 Cor 15:33 NASB) Do not be deceived: "Bad company
corrupts good morals."
Who are you hanging out with? Do you
hang out with anybody? Surround yourself
with mighty men.
4. Obedience
A man living a victorious life is a man who learns to do what God tells him
to do. But first you need to know what
God wants.
Illustration
Predicting The Weather
A film crew was on location deep in the desert. One day an Old Indian went
up to the director and said, “Tomorrow rain.”
The next day it rained. A week later, the Indian went up to the director
and said, “Tomorrow storm.” The next day
there was a hailstorm. “This Indian is
incredible,” said the director. He told his secretary to hire the Indian
to predict the weather. However, after
several successful predictions, the old
Indian didn’t show up for two weeks. Finally the director sent for him.
“I have to shoot a big scene tomorrow,”
said the director, “and I’m depending on
you. What will the weather be like?”
The Indian shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know,” he said. “Radio is
broken.”
We don’t have to depend on a radio.
We have God’s Word. We can ask
God and He will show us.
Asking directions for battle
(2 Sam 5:18-25 KJV) The Philistines also came and spread
themselves in the valley of Rephaim. {19} And David inquired of the LORD, saying,
Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And
the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines
into thine hand. {20} And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them
there, and said, The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the
breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim. {21}
And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them. {22} And
the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of
Rephaim. {23} And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go
up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the
mulberry trees. {24} And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in
the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then
shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. {25}
And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from
Geba until thou come to Gazer.
This was a common thing in David’s life.
He was continually wanting to know what God wanted Him to do. And when he found out what God wanted, he did
it.
Bringing the ark into Jerusalem
One of David’s desires was to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the city
he had made his capital, Jerusalem. Now
moving the Ark wasn’t something the people had done too much of in David’s
lifetime, and it seems that the people didn’t spend a whole lot of time looking
into the proper way to move the Ark. As
a result, they did it improperly, putting it on an oxcart. When one of the priests died because of the
blunder, David stopped the whole process and had to rethink what he was doing.
In the meantime, someone found out that God had always wanted the Ark to
carried about on the shoulders of the priests, not on some cart. What did David do with this information? Did he say to himself, “Gosh, I failed last
time, I don’t think I want to try this anymore”? No, David got back to the business of moving
the ark, and doing it with style.
(2 Sam 6:13-15 KJV) And it was so, that when they that bare the
ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. {14} And
David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a
linen ephod. {15} So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of
the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
For some of you, things have been made clear to you this weekend what God
is asking you to do. The real issue for
you is not what kind of thrill or experience you’ve had this weekend, but
whether or not you will go home and do what God has asked you to do.
For others, you have a desire to do something, but you’re not quite sure
how to go about it. Perhaps you’ve
already made an attempt at something and felt like you failed. Could it be that you went about it in the
wrong way? Could it be that God wants
you to get up and obey Him?
5. A Clean Heart
Sometimes we think that a victorious life is going to be a perfect life.
Illustration
Smart Dog
A dog walks into a butcher shop with a purse strapped around his neck. He walks up to the meat case and calmly sits
there until it’s his turn to be helped.
A man, who was already in the butcher shop, finished his purchase and
noticed the dog. The butcher leaned over the counter and asked the dog what it
wanted today. The dog put its paw on the glass case in front of the ground
beef, and the butcher said, “How many pounds?”
The dog barked twice, so the butcher made a package of two pounds ground
beef. He then said, “Anything
else?” The dog pointed to the pork
chops, and the butcher said, “How many?”
The dog barked four times, and the butcher made up a package of four
pork chops. The dog then walked around
behind the counter, so the butcher could get at the purse. The butcher took out the appropriate amount
of money and tied two packages of meat around the dog’s neck. The man, who had been watching all of this,
decided to follow the dog. It walked for several blocks and then walked up to a
house and began to scratch at the door to be let in. As the owner opened the
door, the man said to the owner, “That’s a really smart dog you have
there.” The owner said, “He’s not really
all that smart. This is the second time this week he forgot his key.”
A victorious life isn’t going to be a perfect life, and David was certainly
not perfect. In fact, one of the things David is most famous for is his sin.
(2 Sam 11:1-5 KJV) And it came to pass, after the year was
expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and
his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of
Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. {2} And it
came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked
upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing
herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. {3} And David sent and
inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of
Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? {4} And David sent messengers, and took
her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from
her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. {5} And the woman conceived,
and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
You know how the story went on from there.
David sent word to his pal Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, and had him
brought home from the war. He tried to
convince Uriah to sleep with his wife, but Uriah refused, feeling he was somehow
not being a good soldier if his comrades were still out fighting the war. And so David secretly arranged for Uriah to
be sent back to the war and put on the front lines to die.
It worked. David had got the girl
and gotten rid of the guy.
But God knew. And God sent the
prophet Nathan to confront David. After
Nathan drew David in by telling him a story about a rich man taking advantage
of a poor man, Nathan confronted David with his sin. God had known all along.
Here’s where we see David’s correct heart.
When confronted over his sin, he admitted that it was true. He confessed to his sin,
(2 Sam 12:13 KJV) And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned
against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy
sin; thou shalt not die.
God responded to David’s confession by forgiving Him. God responded by making David clean.
Illustration
Soap and Water
A pastor was asked to dinner by one of the ladies in his church who he knew
as being a bad housekeeper. When he sat down at the table, he noticed that the
dishes were the dirtiest that he had ever seen in his life. “Were these dishes ever washed?” he asked his
hostess, running his fingers over the grit and grime. She replied, “They’re as clean as soap and
water could get them”. He felt a bit
apprehensive, but blessed the food anyway and started eating. It was really
delicious and he said so, despite the dirty dishes. When dinner was over, the hostess took the
dishes outside and yelled, “Here Soap! Here Water!”
God does a whole lot better job than “soap and water”.
God will wash your conscience. God
will forgive you.
6. Willing to trust God
Towards the end of his reign, David found himself faced with the rebellion
of his own son Absalom. Absalom was a
handsome man and he thought it was time that he become kind, so he began by
talking to people and “stealing their hearts” from his father. Eventually the time came when Absalom had so
many people on his side, that he decided to declare himself king and march on
Jerusalem. David ended up fleeing for
his life, along with those faithful ones that stuck it out with him. How did David handle this?
(2 Sam 16:5-13 NASB) When King David came to Bahurim, behold,
there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was
Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came. {6} And he
threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people
and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. {7} And thus
Shimei said when he cursed, "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and
worthless fellow! {8} "The LORD has returned upon you all the bloodshed of
the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has given the
kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your
own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!" {9} Then Abishai the son of
Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the
king? Let me go over now, and cut off his head." {10} But the king said,
"What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the
LORD has told him, 'Curse David,' then who shall say, 'Why have you done
so?'" {11} Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants,
"Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this
Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him. {12}
"Perhaps the LORD will look on my affliction and return good to me instead
of his cursing this day." {13} So David and his men went on the way; and
Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed,
and cast stones and threw dust at him.
I understand that some see this as the low point in David’s life because he
wasn’t even willing to defend himself from this cursing man.
I think that it certainly was a low point in David’s life. People close to him had turned on him. His own son was out to kill him.
But I see David’s response as one of trust.
He was willing to trust Shimei’s cursing into God’s hands and let God
deal with it.
Illustration
Feeling better?
Let me take you through a little “new age visualization” exercise (bad
joke):
Picture yourself near a stream.
Birds are singing in the crisp, cool mountain air.
Nothing can bother you here. No one knows your secret place.
You are in total seclusion.
The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air
with a cascade of serenity.
You can easily make out the face of the person you are
holding under the water.
There now. Feeling better?
The problem is that sometimes this is exactly how we want to handle
things. That’s not how David did it.
Don’t misunderstand me here. I’m not
saying that there is never a time to defend yourself. David will continue fleeing from Absalom,
regroup, and then his troops will attack and win the kingdom back for David.
But there are times to let things go.
There are times to put things into God’s hands and let Him work them
out.
Peter writes,
(1 Pet 4:19 KJV) Wherefore let them that suffer according to
the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto
a faithful Creator.
For some of us, we are going to have to let go and trust God to take care
of things.