SING UNTO THE LORD A SONG OF PRAISE

PROCLAMATION

“He said: ‘The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.  He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior; from violent people You save me.  I called to The Lord, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies.’”  2 Samuel 22:2-4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

This is the song of praise which David spoke or sang unto The Lord after He delivered him from the hand of his enemies, out of the hand of Saul.  The words are almost identical to the words of Psalm 18 and most of the Bible scholars believe that these words were written in his old age.  This was David’s public expression before the congregation of Israel of his gratitude  for his deliverance from his enemies.  It was written and sung to give praise, honor and glory to The Lord God.

APPLICATION

We have all been in a bad situation which The Lord God delivered us out of or through.  We may not be able to compose a song of praise to The Lord, and we may not be able to sing the words of a song of praise in the proper key.  However, the Bible teaches us that we should “make a joyful noise” unto The Lord. (Psalm 66:1, Psalm 81:1, Psalm 95:1-2, Psalm 98:4, and Psalm 100:1)  We can read out loud the words of this psalm of praise, or some other psalm of praise, to give God glory.  As believers we should not have to be told to praise The Lord, we should do that daily.

BATTLE WEARY AND RESCUED

PROCLAMATION

“Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel.  David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted.  And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, … said he would kill David.  But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him.  Then David’s men swore to him, saying, ‘Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.’”  2 Samuel 21:15-17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

This was near the end of King David’s reign.  He was old and weak, but he did not flee from battle.  His spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak.  David needed help and The Lord God sent someone to help him in his time of need.  David had killed Goliath, (1 Samuel 17:45-51) but he had four sons and one of them, Ishbi-Benob, was about to kill David.  The Lord God delivered David from his enemy and rescued him from Goliath’s son.

APPLICATION

We all have our enemies, some of whom are bigger, stronger, and more powerful than we are.  However, The Lord God is bigger, stronger, and more powerful than all of our enemies, and He will protect us and fight our battles. (2 Chronicles 32:8 and Psalm 59:9)  He is our help when we are in need, (Psalm 121:2) and our strength when we are weak. (2 Corinthians 12:9)  Thanks be to The Lord God who has given us the victory over all of our enemies in this world through Jesus, The Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

NOT EVERYONE IS WILLING TO FORGIVE

PROCLAMATION

“Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there.  He sounded the trumpet and shouted, ‘We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son!  Every man to his tent, Israel!”  2 Samuel 20:1 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

As David was trying to convince the people to accept him again as king, not everyone who came to meet him was supportive of him.  There was a troublemaker in the crowd named Sheba who would lead a second rebellion against King David.  When Sheba openly opposed David, the men of Israel followed him and deserted David, but this time the men of Judah stayed loyal to him. (2 Samuel 20:2)  It is not stated whether or not Sheba was a part of the first rebellion against David led by Absalom.  It is also not stated why David felt that Sheba was more of a problem than Absalom or why Sheba was so influential. (2 Samuel 20:6)  However, after he left, David sent his men to pursue after Sheba and they returned with his head. (2 Samuel 20:22)

APPLICATION

In every crowd there is always a troublemaker present.  Someone who undermines our position, opposes our plan, and wants to lead our followers in a different direction.  It is not always clear exactly why our haters hate us so.  Some people feel that we have done them wrong and they will not forgive or forget it.  Some people don’t like what we have said, or what we have done, or what we stand for, or for being who we are.  There is nothing that we can do to make some people like us, and we really should not try to.  We just need to be ourselves and to follow The Word of God and accept the fact that we will have some haters.  Jesus, The Christ, said that we would be hated (Matthew 10:22) but that we should remember that the world hated Him before hating us. (John 15:18)  So, we should rejoice and be glad because we will be blessed when people insult us, persecute us, or lie on us because of our beliefs, and we should know that we will receive a heavenly reward because of it. (Matthew 5:11-12) 

COMING BACK HOME IS NOT ALWAYS EASY

PROCLAMATION

“King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: ‘Ask the elders of Judah, Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace …?’”  2 Samuel 19:11 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

David had defeated all of the neighboring enemies of Israel under King Saul, and again as the King of Israel after the death of Saul, but he fled the country to escape from his son Absalom.  Now that Absalom had died in battle while leading Israel’s army against him, David was ready to return to Israel and to his throne.  First, he had to get over the death of his son and remember who he was. (2 Samuel 18:33-19:8)  Then, he had to win over the hearts of the people.  The problem was that the people of Israel had anointed Absalom as their king, and they had rebelled against David.  He had just defeated the Israelite army but now he had to deal with the people who had turned on him.  He had to remind some of them that they were his blood relatives (2 Samuel 19:11-14) and some he had to forgive for how they treated him. (2 Samuel 19:19-20)

APPLICATION

Many years ago, I was taught that the way you leave home determines whether or not you can ever come back home.  I also learned that it is possible to be accepted back into the house but that does not mean that you are accepted back into their heart.  Thanks be to God that our Heavenly Father is not like that.  Once we are saved and accepted into the body of Christ as a child of God, we are always accepted. (John 10:28-29)  We may backslide and turn our back on Him and break our fellowship with Him, but we never break our relationship.  Once we confess and believe, we are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)  When we pray and ask to be forgiven for our sins, The Lord God forgives us, (Acts 8:22) and we are fully restored into the family and the fellowship. (1 John 1:6-7)

DON'T BE A MESSENGER WITHOUT ALL OF THE INFO

PROCLAMATION

“Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, ‘All is well!’  He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, ‘Praise be to The Lord your God!  He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king.’  The king asked, ‘ Is the young man Absalom safe?’  Ahimaaz answered, ‘… I don’t know …’  The king said, ‘Stand aside and wait here.’ So he stepped aside …”  2 Samuel 18:28-30 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

In the battle with his son Absalom and the army of Israel, King David instructed each of his three commanders to be gentle with his son.  David’s men routed the Israelite army.  They were not prepared to fight in the forest.  As he fled, Absalom’s long hair got caught in the branches of a large oak tree and his mule kept going leaving him hanging in the tree.  Absalom was proud of his long hair (2 Samuel 14:25-26) and that vanity played a part in his demise.  Joab’s soldiers found him there and, remembering King David’s words, they would not harm him.  When Joab arrived, after confronting the first soldier to find him, Joab thrusted three spears into his body and then ten of his armor-bearers attacked Absalom and killed him.  Ahimaaz asked to carry the news of the victory to the king but Joab initially told him no and sent the Cushite runner instead. (2 Samuel 18:19-21)  A little while later Ahimaaz asked again if he could run to the king with the news even though there was no need for him to do so. (2 Samuel 18:22-23)  This time he was allowed to go, and he outran the Cushite and got to the king first, but he could not give a full report.  It was the Cushite who arrived later that told the king his son was dead.

APPLICATION

Sometimes in our haste, we go off “half-cocked” without all of the information that we need in order to present the whole story.  The first report of “breaking news” is not always the most accurate and it is usually lacking in specific details.  In the courtroom we are told to tell “the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”  All too often we give out misinformation because we do not have, or intentionally do not present, all of the facts.  Sometimes we just accept what we have heard as the truth and share that with others without bothering to verify the information for ourselves.  Just because something comes from a pulpit does not make it right.  We are to also read and study The Bible and verify that which heard is in fact the truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)  It would be good for all of us, not just the preachers, to be diligent students of God’s Holy Word and thereby not be so easily deceived by false teaching.  Without personally reading and studying The Bible we are relying on our own understanding, which is not good, (Proverbs 3:6) or relying on the words of others whose message may be missing significant information.

WHEN WE RECEIVE CONFLICTING ADVICE PRAY

PROCLAMATION

“Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘I would … set out tonight in pursuit of David.  I would attack him while he is weary and weak …’  But Absalom said, ‘Summon also Hushai the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say as well.’ … Hushai replied to Absalom, ‘… You know your father and his men are fighters … So I advise you: Let all Israel … be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle …’  Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.’ …” 2 Samuel 17:1-14 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After King David fled from Jerusalem and Absalom had occupied the city, Absalom first sought the advice of Ahithophel, who had been David’s advisor.  Then he sought the advice of Hushai, who had been David’s friend.  Absalom liked the plan proposed by Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:4) until he heard the plan offered by Hushai. (2 Samuel 17:14)  From a military perspective, Hushai’s advice was better than the advice from Ahithophel, but it was also better for David because it gave him more time to prepare for the battle.

APPLICATION

We should be very careful regarding who we listen to or seek advice from.  Almost everyone has an opinion, and advice is readily available everywhere from multiple sources.  However, when the well-respected experts disagree on a matter and offer different advice, we need to give the matter prayerful consideration.  The “good advice” which we receive may very well benefit someone else.  More importantly, good advice is only “good” if we ask the right question.  The right answer to the wrong question may not help us, and it may send us in the wrong direction.  That is why we need to take everything to The Lord in prayer. (Ephesians 6:18)

CURSED BY MAN FOR PRIOR SINS

PROCLAMATION

“As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there.  His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out.  He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left.  As he cursed, Shimei said, ‘Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel!’  The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned.  The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom.  You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!’”  2 Samuel 16:5-8 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Because his son Absalom had become popular with the people, and had amassed himself a large army, and had declared himself to be king, David and his loyal followers and his family fled Jerusalem.  He went up to the top of the Mount of Olives. (2 Samuel 15:30)  On the other side of the summit he approached the town of Bahurim.  It was here that the man from Saul’s clan came out, cursed him, and threw rocks at him.  One of Davis’s men wanted to kill him for cursing the king, but David stopped him. (2 Samuel 16:9-11)  Even though he had not killed Saul, or his sons, or any members of his household as Shimei accused him of doing, he was a murderer.  David considered Shimei’s cursing to be part of God’s punishment for his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah and he humbly  accepted it.

APPLICATION

As believers in Jesus, The Christ, we do not lose our salvation because we sinned after being saved.  We may lose the joy of our salvation and The Lord God may permit us to suffer as part of our punishment for our sins.  Some of the troubles that we endure and the storms of life that we go through may be things that we brought upon ourselves.  It is also possible that some of the individuals who do wrong unto us may just be part of God’s permissive will as part of our punishment.  “For whom The Lord loveth He chastened …” (Hebrews 12:6)  The Lord God forgives us of our sin once we confess and repent.  However, the devil continues to bring our past sins to our remembrance in order to make us feel unworthy and to interfere with our relationship with The Lord.

EVIL PLANNED VERSUS SPUR OF THE MOMENT

PROCLAMATION

“Absalom behaved in this way toward all of the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.”  2 Samuel 15:6 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After King David told Joab to bring Absalom from Geshur where he fled, back to Jerusalem, Absalom stayed in his own house and did not come face to face with the king. (2 Samuel 14:23-24)  Absalom was in Jerusalem for two years before King David sent for him. (2 Samuel 14:28-33)  Then Absalom began to plot to take over the throne beginning by standing outside of the gates to the city and greeting all who came to see the king. (2 Samuel 15:1-4)  He greeted them, kissed them, told them what he would do if he were the judge, and he won the hearts of the people. (2 Samuel 15:4-6)  Later he went to Hebron after sending his men ahead of him to proclaim him king of Hebron. (2 Samuel 15:7-10)  Absalom offered religious sacrifices with invited guests to help his conspiracy gain strength.  He even sent for King David’s adviser, Ahithophel, to be with him to give his position more credibility. (2 Samuel 15:12)  He gained so much popularity with the people that King David and his followers had to flee from Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 15:13-14)

APPLICATION

Not all sins are impulsive acts or random acts of bad judgement.  Some sins are carefully planned and well thought out in advance.  People will often engage others to help the pull off their evil schemes.  Some of the people who are with us one day, can be persuaded to help work against or undermine us.  Everybody who is with us is not our friend.  There is at least one Judas in every crowd and often there are several of them.  As the song says, “Smiling faces sometimes pretend to be your friend; Smiling faces show no traces of the evil that lurks within …” (The Undisputed Truth)  Sometimes, unbeknownst to us, people will use us in their evil schemes to help them deceive others.  Not all business propositions, money making plans, or religious organizations are actually what they are presented to be.  We need to pray for God’s help before we decide who to let into our homes or into our inner circle of friends. (2 John 1:10)  People don’t take advantage of us by accident, it is done intentionally.  There are people out there now who are planning to take advantage of us.  We need God’s protection and direction.

SOMETIMES WE CAN SEE THROUGH PEOPLE

PROCLAMATION

“Then the king said to the woman, ‘Don’t keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you.’ … The king asked, ‘Isn’t the hand of Joab with you in all this?’  The woman answered, ‘As sure as you live, my lord the king, … Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant.’”  2 Samuel 14:18-19 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After he had his brother Amnon killed for raping his sister, Absalom fled and went to Geshur, because his mother was the daughter of the king of Geshur, and he stayed there for three years. (2 Samuel 13:37-38)  Then Joab, who was the captain of the army under King David, perceived that David’s heart was soft for Absalom (2 Samuel 14:1) and sent for a wise woman from Tekoah.  Joab told her to pretend that she was in mourning and told her what to say to King David. (2 Samuel 14:2-3)  The woman did as Joab had told her to do.  She faked the whole story in order to make a point.  Near the end of her discourse she told David that she was referring to him and that he had judged and convicted himself by not bringing back his banished son. (2 Samuel 14:13)  It was then that David saw through her and knew that Joab was involved in this with her.

APPLICATION

Some people are so good at lying, and are such good actors, that they can put on an academy award winning performance and really deceive people.  However, if we listen to and observe most people, their spoken words and their behavior will allow themselves to be read like an open book.  The ability to discern the motives of people is a gift from God which all of us have not been blessed to receive. (1 Corinthians 12:10)  There is an old saying, “If you give a person enough rope, they will hang themselves.” (Author Unknown)  We need to learn to listen to people but not necessarily believe everything that they say.  We also need to pray for discernment so that we can distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve The Lord God and those who do not, so that we do not fall victim to those who seek to deceive us.

THE PASSAGE OF TIME DOES NOT ERASE SINS

PROCLAMATION

“Two years later … Absalom went to the king ‘… please let my brother Amnon come with us’ …  Absalom ordered his men, ‘Listen!  When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him.  Don’t be afraid.  Haven’t I given you this order?  Be strong and brave.’  So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered …”  2 Samuel 13:23-28 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

David’s son Amnon became obsessed with his beautiful half-sister, Tamar. (2 Samuel 13:1-2)  With the help of his advisor, Amnon developed a plan, pretending to be sick, to have King David send Tamar to care for him and feed him. (2 Samuel 13:3-7)  Tamar went to his house and prepared a meal for him.  When she took the food to his bedroom, he grabbed her, then he raped her. (2 Samuel 13:8-14)  When Absalom found out what had happened to his sister, he hated Amnon, but he kept quiet about it. (2 Samuel 13:20-22)  Years later he devised a plan to kill Amnon for disgracing his sister.

APPLICATION

The Bible teaches us to flee fornication (1 Corinthians 6:18) and that no one is to have sexual relations with any close relative. (Leviticus 18:6-18)  Forced sexual relations with an unmarried relative just make a bad situation worse, and the passage of time does not erase the sin.  While we are taught not to hold a grudge against one another, (James 5:9) some people can hold a grudge for a long time.  Just because time passes by does not mean that we got away with a sin without getting caught.  Man may not catch us, but The Lord God sees all (Psalm 33:13) and one day we will have to give an account for our actions. (Luke 16:2 and Revelation 20:12-13)

THE SIN AND THE PUNISHMENT

PROCLAMATION

“Why did you despise The Word of The Lord by doing what is evil in His eyes?  You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own.  You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.  Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house … ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you.  Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.’ … ‘The Lord has taken away your sin.  You are not going to die.  But … the son born to you will die.’”  2 Samuel 12:9-14 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After King David had slept with Bathsheba and after he had killed her husband Uriah, The Lord God sent Nathan the prophet to David with a message. (2 Samuel 12:1-4)  Nathan told David a parable.  After he heard the parable, David was angry with the man in the parable.  David said that man must pay four times over for doing such a thing, and he must die.  Nathan drew out of David a sentence against himself and then he told David that he was the man. (2 Samuel 12:5-7)  By his actions David had shown no regard for the law of God, the Ten Commandments.  The sixth commandment is: “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13)  The seventh commandment is: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)  The child born to David and Bathsheba became ill and died. (2 Samuel 12:15-19) David would soon have to flee from his son Absalom. (2 Samuel 15:13-14)  Afterwards, Absalom would sleep with David’s concubines during the day in the sight of all Israel. (2 Samuel 16:22)

APPLICATION

There will be a price to pay for willful disregard and disobedience of God’s Word.  It does not matter who we do wrong to, all sin is a sin against The Lord God. (Psalm 51:4)  As a believer we may not lose our salvation because of a sin, but we can lose our joy. (Psalm 51:12)  We need to acknowledge our sins (Psalm 51:3) and ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness. (Psalm 51:1-2)  Only The Lord God can clean us up after we fall, (Psalm 51:7) and only He can create within us a clean heart and a righteous spirit. (Psalm 51:10)

OUR SINFUL LUSTFUL HUMAN NATURE

PROCLAMATION

“One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.  From the roof he saw a woman bathing.  The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her.  The man said, ‘She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’  Then David sent messengers to get her.  She came to him, and he slept with her.  (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.)  Then she went back home.”  2 Samuel 11:2-4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

It was time to go to war, but this time King David did not go with the Israelite army, he chose to remain in Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 11:1)  While walking around on the rooftop patio of the palace, David saw a beautiful woman bathing, probably on the roof of her home.  After he found out who she was, David sent for her and slept with her.  He let his lustful human nature take control and he sinned.  Actually, David compounded the first sin, lust, with another sin, adultery, and then yet another sin, murder.  David had her husband killed so that the sin which he had committed with Uriah’s wife, and her subsequent pregnancy, would not be discovered. (2 Samuel 11:14-17)  David’s actions displeased The Lord God and he would pay for his sins. (2 Samuel 11:27)

APPLICATION

David was a man after God’s own heart, (1 Samuel 13:14) but he was human, he was a man, and like all men he was a sinner. (Romans 3:23)  Here he let his lust for Bathsheba get the best of him.  David was not where he was supposed to be, he was idle, he had a wandering eye, he did not suppress his sinful thoughts, he acted on them.  We all have weakness for one sin or another, and a sin is a sin.  We are more likely to fall into temptation when we are not where we are supposed to be.  There is an old saying, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”   Occasionally we have sinful thoughts (Proverbs 23:7 and Matthew 5:28) and at times we act on those thoughts thereby committing another sin.  That is why we need to pray and ask to be forgiven for our sinful thoughts, words, and actions.  We also need to ask The Lord God to create within us a clean heart and mind, (Psalm 51:10) and for Him to guide and direct us. (Proverbs 3:6) 

GOOD INTENTIONS CAN BE MISUNDERSTOOD

PROCLAMATION

“The Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, ‘Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy?  Hasn’t David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?’  So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.”  2 Samuel 10:1-4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, died, his son Hanun succeeded him.  King David heard that Nahash had died he wanted to show kindness to his son because Nahash had been kind to him. (2 Samuel 8:12)   So David sent a delegation to Hanun to express his sympathy regarding his father’s death. (2 Samuel 10:1-2)  But King Hanun listened to the commanders of his army and treated King David’s envoy as if they were spies.  He humiliated them and then sent them away naked from the waist down.  Then he formed an allegiance with the Syrians, with the Maakahites, and with the Tobites to prepare for war because he felt that he had offended David. (2 Samuel 10:6) 

APPLICATION

Our good intentions and our efforts to be kind to someone can be misunderstood.  Sometimes something as simple as a smile, or a kind word, or a random act of kindness can be completely misunderstood.  Even when we clearly state our intentions, our words may not be accepted or believed.  That may be caused by the person’s own suspicions, lack of trust, or paranoia.  The misunderstanding may also be the result of some misinformation or bad advice from others.  Their personal opinions are not a problem for us unless they choose to take actions against us because of them.  Then we need to pray and ask The Lord God for protection, guidance, and directions.  If we are left to our own devices, we will probably make an emotional response and commit a sin. (Proverbs 3:5-6) 

SHOWING UNEXPECTED KINDNESS

PROCLAMATION

“When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.  David said, ‘Mephibosheth!’  ‘At your service,’ he replied.  ‘Don’t be afraid,’ David said to him, ‘for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.  I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.’”  2 Samuel 9:6-7 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After King David had enlarged Israel by expanding the borders in all directions, (2 Samuel 8:1-13) he began to search for any living relative of Saul to whom he could show kindness for the sake of Saul’s son, Jonathan. (2 Samuel 9:1)  One of Saul’s servants told David that Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, was still alive so David sent for him. (2 Samuel 9:2-5)  David did not know Mephibosheth, he was showing him this unexpected kindness because of his love for Jonathan.  Normally, in order to secure his own position a new king would kill anyone with competing royal seed rights to the throne.  Mephibosheth initially questioned King David (2 Samuel 9:8) but then he humbly accepted the unexpected gift of kindness. (2 Samuel 9:11)  

APPLICATION

Usually when people are much nicer to us than we expect, we tend to question them or distrust them and wonder what they are up to.  This text is an example of showing unexpected kindness with a very large gift and nothing is expected in return.  As believers it is good for us to go about showing random acts of kindness to others while expecting nothing in return.  Jesus, The Christ, said that people will know that we are His disciples if we show love for one another. (John 13:35)  We are even to be nice to our enemies.  When we show them acts of kindness, we are heaping burning coals on their head.  The Lord God will deal with them and we will be rewarded for doing the right thing. (Proverbs 25:22 and Romans 12:20)  Be kind to one another and be forgiving when kindness is not returned. (Ephesians 4:32)

THE LORD GOD GIVE US THE VICTORY

PROCLAMATION

“… The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.”  2 Samuel 8:6 and 8:14 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After David had established Jerusalem as the capital of his kingdom and brought the ark of God there, (2 Samuel 6:16-17) David consolidated and expanded his kingdom.  He defeated all of Israel’s old enemies and enlarged Israel’s borders.  He defeated the Philistines on the west extending Israel to the Mediterranean Sea. (2 Samuel 8:1)  He defeated the Moabites on the east extending Israel beyond the Salt Sea. (2 Samuel 8:2)  He defeated the Arameans of Damascus to the north, (2 Samuel 8:5-6) and the Edomites on the south. (2 Samuel 8:13)  David doubled the size of Israel (according to Baker’s Bible Atlas) and those that he did not kill became his servants.

APPLICATION

It has been said that the more that we do for The Lord God, the more the devil will attack us.  As we get more involved with kingdom building efforts here on earth, and as we do more to spread The Word of God, to enlarge our territory and influence in the name of Jesus, we should expect to encounter more resistance and obstacles to block us.  However, if The Lord God is with us, then who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31)  While we may not be fighting military battles as David did but, with The Lord God on our side, we are more than conquerors of our earthly enemies. (Romans 8:37)  For He has already given us the victory over our enemies in this world. (1 Corinthians 15:57)  He said that He would never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  Besides, some of the battles which we are involved in are not ours to fight, they are His. (2 Chronicles 20:15 and 32:8)  All we have to do is to put on the whole armor of God, so that we can withstand the attacks of the devil, (Ephesians 6:11-18) and just stand and behold the glory of The Lord.

THE LORD GOD MAKES A PROMISE

PROCLAMATION

“When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.” 2 Samuel 7:12 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After King David had brought the ark of The Lord to Jerusalem, The Lord God blessed David and Israel with peace from all their enemies. (2 Samuel 7:1)  David became concerned because he was living in a fabulous palace built of cedar while the ark of God was residing in a tent.  He wanted to build a temple to house the ark of God, but The Lord God told him that his offspring would build the temple for the ark of God. (2 Samuel 7:12-13)   The Lord God also said that David’s house and his kingdom will endure forever, and his throne will be established forever. (2 Samuel 7:16)  This reference was to Jesus, The Christ, and not to David’s son Solomon.

APPLICATION

We don’t like to think about the fact that one day our life will come to an end.  For most of us, when our days on this earth are over and we have transitioned from labor to reward, our children will succeed us and carry on our legacy.  The Lord God will remember us, and He will bless us and our children. (Psalm 115:12-15)  After we die, we will live on in the lives of those that we have touched.  “To live in the hearts of those we leave behind, is not to die.” (Thomas Campbell, 1825, in the poem “Hallowed Ground”)  The deeds of the righteous will be remembered forever, (Psalm 112:6) and the memory of the just will be blessed. (Proverbs 10:7)  However, the kingdom which He will establish that will endure forever will be the kingdom of Christ, and as believers we will be a part of this kingdom.

CELEBRATE THE LORD GOD

PROCLAMATION

“Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before The Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of The Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.”  2 Samuel 6:14-15 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After David had been anointed king of all Israel and had again battled and defeated the Philistines, (2 Samuel 5:17-25) he went to Baalah in Judah to get the ark of God and to bring it to Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 6:1-2)  There was rejoicing and celebrating among the people of Israel. (2 Samuel 6:12-13)  King David was dancing in the street as he celebrated the ark of God entering the city of Jerusalem.  His wife, Michal the daughter of Saul, saw him and she was displeased. (2 Samuel 6:16)  When David came home, she confronted him, and David told her that he was celebrating before The Lord God and that he would continue to celebrate before The Lord, and that he would even do so more vigorously in the future. (2 Samuel 6:20-23)

APPLICATION

Frequently as believers we have been encouraged to pray like David, and to walk before The Lord God as David did.  However, I cannot recall being encouraged to dance like David did to celebrate The Lord God.  When we sing, shout, dance, and get our praise on, it should not be done for show but for the glory of God.  Our praise and worship should not be done for the entertainment of the people.  It is to be a genuine, heart felt celebration of The Lord God for who He is and for what He has done.  Likewise, preachers should not be preaching to entertain the people but rather to teach them what “thus saith The Lord”. (Zechariah 11:4)  All of the efforts of the people of God and the preachers should be done in celebration of God and for His glory.  We shouldn’t let anybody interfere with our celebration of The Lord God.

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT

PROCLAMATION

“When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before The Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.  David was thirty years old when he became king and he reigned forty years.”  2 Samuel 5:3-4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The Lord God told the prophet Samuel to anoint David as the king of Israel. (1 Samuel 16:12-13)  Most Bible scholars believe that David was about sixteen to twenty years old at the time, and possibly even younger than that.  However, even though he had been chosen and anointed, David had to wait for some time before he was anointed king over the tribe of Judah. (2 Samuel 2:4)  Then David reigned for seven years and six months over Judah and the southern kingdom before he was anointed as king over all of Israel. (2 Samuel 5:3)  David waited patiently and let The Lord work things out for him to reign as king of Israel.  David went through a lot during the ten years or so between his first anointing and his third anointing, all of which worked out for his good. (Romans 8:28)

APPLICATION

“Good things come to those who wait.”  This proverbial saying is the modern day version of the quote by the English poet Lady Mary Montgomerie Currie (1845-1905) in a poem which she wrote under her pen name of Violet Fane, “All things come to those who wait.”  It was her way of advocating patience.  As believers we are told to wait patiently on The Lord God.  We are told to wait on The Lord and to be of good courage, and He will strengthen us; (Psalm 27:14) to wait on Him and keep His word, and He will exalt us; (Psalm 37:34) and to wait on Him and He will save us. (Proverbs 20:22)  The Lord God will bless us as He sees fit, and it will be done on His timetable, in due season. (Galatians 6:9)  We are encouraged to be patient. (Psalm 37:7)  “Good things come to those who wait.”  We cannot begin to imagine all that which The Lord God has prepared for us. (1 Corinthians 2:9)  So, in the words of the psalmist, “Wait on The Lord … wait, I say, on The Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)

DO NOT PUT SOMEONE DOWN TO IMPRESS OTHERS

PROCLAMATION

“They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, ‘Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to kill you.  This day The Lord has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.’”  2 Samuel 4:8 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Rechab and Baanah were brothers who were low ranking officers in Saul’s army under Abner.  When they heard that Abner, their commander, was killed by the men of David, they turned on their king and conspired against Ish-Bosheth in order to gain favor with David.  They killed him while he was resting on his bed.  They stabbed him and then they cut off his head and took it to David. (2 Samuel 4:5-8)  Instead of being pleased with their actions as they expected, David had them both killed. (2 Samuel 4:10-12)

APPLICATION

We should not put someone down in order to make ourselves look good or to impress others.  We should never assassinate one person, including character assassination, in order to gain favor with another.  When we want to stand out in comparison to others, we need to let our good deeds speak for us.  We should not try to promote ourselves. (Romans 12:3)  Promotion comes from the hand of God. (Psalm 75:6-7)  The Lord God knows our good deeds and He will not forget them. (Nehemiah 13:14 and Hebrews 6:10)  We are not to speak evil of one another, (James 4:11) or to lie on one another, (Exodus 20:16) or to kill one another (Exodus 20:13) especially for our own personal gain or benefit.  We cannot help ourselves by committing a sin.  The quote which is attributed to Machiavelli, “the ends justify the means”, is wrong.  The good ends do not justify sinful means.   We should never seek to benefit ourselves or to impress people at the expense of others.

AS WE SOW SO SHALL WE ALSO REAP

PROCLAMATION

“Joab and his brother Abishal murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.”  2 Samuel 3:30 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The war between the house of Saul in the northern kingdom and the house of David in the southern kingdom lasted a long time, and the house of David was slowly winning the war even though they were outnumbered. (2 Samuel 3:1)  Abner, the son of Ner, had been the commander of the army under Saul and he was primarily responsible for Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son, being made king over the northern kingdom. (2 Samuel 2:8)  Abner was in the battle at Gibeon between the northern and southern kingdoms, and he and the Israelites were defeated by David and his men. (2 Samuel 2:17)  As Abner fled the scene he was chased by Asahel, the brother of Joab.  Asahel continued to pursue him until Abner stopped running, faced him, fought him, and killed him by thrusting a spear into his stomach, through him, that came out of his back. (2 Samuel 2:23)  Joab and his brother Abishal continued to pursue Abner until the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. (2 Samuel 2:24-25)  Some time later, as this civil war continued, Abner fell out with Ish-Bosheth and he decided to help David unify the two kingdoms. (2 Samuel 3:8-10)  Abner met with the elders of Israel to discuss this and then later met with David. (2 Samuel 3:17-21)  When Joab, the commander of David’s army, learned of this meeting he was upset. (2 Samuel 3:23-25)  Then Joab sent for Abner, under the pretense of having another meeting with David, called him aside and killed him, to avenge his brother Asahel, by stabbing Abner in the stomach (2 Samuel 3:27) as he did to his brother.

APPLICATION

As Abner killed Asahel, so Joab killed Abner.  What Abner did was done to him.  As we sow, so shall we also reap. (Job 4:8 and Galatians 6:7)  We should treat all people like we would like to be treated.  As children, believers are taught to obey “the golden rule”.  We are to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us. (Luke 6:31)  At some point in our lives we lose track of this Biblical principal and the influence of the world seems to overtake us.  We need to let The Holy Spirit of God direct our behavior.  He that sows to the flesh shall reap corruption; but he that sows to The Spirit shall reap everlasting life. (Galatian 6:8)  He that sows sparingly will reap sparingly; but he that sows bountifully will reap bountifully. (2 Corinthians 9:6)  As we sow, so shall we also reap.

A NATION DIVIDED

PROCLAMATION

“Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah.”  2 Samuel 2:4 (NIV)

“Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.  He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.”  2 Samuel 2:8-9 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After the death of King Saul and his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua in the battle against the Philistines, (1 Samuel 31:1-6) David was anointed king over Judah, the southern part of the kingdom.  Saul’s remaining son, Ish-Bosheth, who was not involved in the battle with the Philistines, was anointed king over the northern part of the kingdom.  Then began the nation’s civil war between the northern kingdom and southern kingdom.  David was eventually anointed king over all of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3-5) but there was a cost to pay for this and lives would be lost.

APPLICATION

Jesus, The Christ, said that a kingdom or a house divided against itself cannot stand. (Matthew 12:35, Mark 3:24-25, and Luke 11:17)  If the citizens of kingdoms, governments, or families fall out with one another and disenfranchise one another, then a dissolution of the whole must ensue.  Minor disagreements can be tolerated but major falling outs and in-fighting will lead to a division which causes the unit to fracture and fail.  After a civil war breaks out, one side wins and unity is restored, or a permanent divorce occurs resulting in two independent units, or the two sides destroy each other and they both lose.  This happens with government, families, and individuals when internal conflict cannot be resolved.  There is an internal struggle within all believers between the forces of good and the forces of evil, between The Holy Spirit within us and our sinful human nature. (Romans 7:5-25 and 8:18-27)   We struggle daily involved in this internal civil war of sorts and only with the help of The Lord God will we emerge victorious.

LYING TO IMPRESS DOES NOT WORK AS PLANNED

PROCLAMATION

“David said to the young man who brought him the report, ‘Where are you from?’  ‘I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,’ he answered.  David asked him, ‘Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy The Lord’s anointed?’  Then David called one of his men and said, ‘Go, strike him down!’ So he struck him down and he died.  For David had said to him, ‘Your blood be on your own head.  Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed The Lord’s anointed.’”  2 Samuel 1:13-16 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

King Saul committed suicide after he was wounded and realized that he was losing the battle to the Philistines. (1 Samuel 31:3-5)  This young man brought the news to David that Saul was dead. (2 Samuel 1:4)  He was an outsider, an Amalekite, and sought to gain favor with David by lying and saying that he had killed Saul. (2 Samuel 1:6-10)  He gave David Saul’s crown and bracelet to help make his lie seem more believable. (2 Samuel 1:10)  He lied but it did not work out as he had planned.  Instead of being happy with his report, David tore his clothes, mourned and wept. (2 Samuel 1:11-12)  Then he ordered one of his men to kill the young man.

APPLICATION

People lie for all kinds of reasons.  We usually lie to impress others, to make ourselves appear better, more important, or more whatever than we actually are.  Whether it is “a little white lie” or “a big Black lie”, a lie is a lie, and they all are sinful.  It has been said that when we tell one lie, we must then tell a second lie to tie up the loose ends of the first one.  This usually leads to another lie.  “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” (Sir Walter Scott, 1808)  The Bible teaches us not to tell lies.  “Thou shall not bear false witness … “ (Exodus 20:16, Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:9, Luke 18:20, and Romans 13:9)  All lies come from the devil.  The devil is a liar, and he is the father of lies. (John 8:44)  Don’t tell lies.  One day we will have to give an account for everything that we thought, said, and did, (Luke 16:2) and for every idle word that we spoke. (Matthew 12:36)

MISPLACED CONCERN

PROCLAMATION

“Saul said to his armor-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.’  But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.”  1 Samuel 31:4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

While David was attacking the Amalekites for looting and burning his town of Ziklag, (1 Samuel 30:1-19) the Philistines were attacking the Israelites. (1 Samuel 31:1-3)  King Saul was critically wounded during the battle and he told his armor-bearer to kill him so that the Philistines would not have the pleasure of killing him.  Saul was also concerned that the Philistines would torture him, and he did not want that to happen.

APPLICATION

At the end of his life, Saul was more concerned about being humiliated and physically abused than he was about his soul.  He was concerned about his worldly image and physical pain and dying with some sense of honor.  There was no concern expressed for his soul which would spend the rest of eternity suffering because he died outside of the will of God due to his sinful refusal to accept and obey The Word of God. (1 Samuel 15:17-24)  He denied and defied The Lord God before men and now The Lord God was denying him. (Matthew 10:33)  Let us get our priorities straight and in the proper order.  Let us not get so caught up in and concerned about our worldly human existence until we forget about the salvation of our soul.

TAKE BACK THAT WHICH WAS TAKEN

PROCLAMATION

“David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives.”  1 Samuel 30:18 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

While David and his men were away from Ziklag living with the Philistines, the Amalekites raided Ziklag, looted it, burned it, and took all the women and children captive. (1 Samuel 30:1-2)  David and his men wept when they returned and found the town destroyed and their wives and children missing. (1 Samuel 30:3-4)  After David prayed, he and his men pursued the Amalekites. (1 Samuel 30:9-10)  When he found them, defeated them, and took back all that they had taken from them plus and all that the Amalekites had including their livestock. (1 Samuel 30:17-20) 

APPLICATION

When material things are stolen from us, sometimes we are blessed to have them recovered, and sometimes we are not.  When non-material things are taken from us, like joy, peace, and happiness, we need the help of The Lord God to get them back.  I am reminded of the song that says, “I’m taking back everything that the devil stole from me.”  While it is not Biblically correct, and it is not completely relevant to this text, it does help to make several points.  1. The Amalekites took things from David, not the devil, because David was not were The Lord wanted him to be.  2. The devil does not need to take our material things; he uses material things to lure us away from God.  3. The devil may be bad, but he is not a thief.  He doesn’t steal from us; he wants to steal us from God.  4. We don’t have the power to take anything from the devil, only The Lord God can do that.  5. If the devil has our joy, peace, and happiness, we probably gave it to him by the sinful choices that we made.  Only The Lord God can restore unto us the joy of our salvation, (Psalm 51:12) or grant us His perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3)  Happy is the man who has The Lord God for his help and whose hope is in The Lord God. (Psalm 146:5)  What we have, the world didn’t give it to us, and the world cannot take it away. (John 14:27)

HAVING DONE NO WRONG BUT STILL REJECTED

PROCLAMATION

“Achish answered, ‘I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’  Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is light.’”  1 Samuel 29:9-10 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

During the time when he was discouraged as he continued to flee from King Saul, David left the wilderness of Ziph and went to Gath and settled with Achish, the son of Maok, the king of Gath.  Achish gave David and his men the town of Ziklag to live in. (1 Samuel 27:6-7)  Later, as the Philistines were preparing to go to war, David and his men joined in with them, but the Philistine commanders refused to accept him. (1 Samuel 29:3-4)  When David asked why he couldn’t go with them and what had he done; this was the reply that Achish gave him.  The Philistine commanders rejected David because of who he was and for what he had done in the past. (1 Samuel 29:5)

APPLICATION

David had done nothing wrong for the year and a half that he had been living with the Philistines, but he was still rejected because of his past.  There are people today who will not accept us because of what we have done in the past.  There are others who will refuse to accept us because of who we are.  We cannot change people or the way they perceive us.  We are only responsible for our behavior towards them.  If we are not accepted for who we are, then it is time for us to move on.  Don’t stay where you are not wanted.  If people cannot forgive us there is nothing that we can do about it.  The Lord God has forgiven us for our past sins.  It is Satan who keeps reminding us of our past sins so that we feel unacceptable.  We need to ask God to forgive us and then learn how to forgive ourselves for our past mistakes and move on.  The Lord God can close one door that no one can open, and He can open another door that no one can close. (Revelation 3:7-8)  Trust in God and move on.

WITHOUT THE LORD GOD THERE IS NO HELP

PROCLAMATION

“Samuel said, ‘Why do you consult me, now that The Lord has departed from you and become your enemy?’”  1 Samuel 28:16 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Samuel was dead. (1 Samuel 28:3)  The Philistines were again preparing to attack Israel (1 Samuel 28:1 and 28:4) and King Saul was afraid. (1 Samuel 28:5)  The Lord God did not answer Saul when he called on Him because The Holy Spirit had left Saul (1 Samuel 16:14) due to his willful disobedience and his rejection of The Word of God. (1 Samuel 15:19 and 15:24)  So, Saul consulted a witch to find out what he should do.  He asked her to contact the spirit of the dead prophet Samuel. (1 Samuel 28:11)  Most Bible scholars suggest that it was Satan that she contacted and that they both assumed that it was Samuel by her description of the image which she saw. (1 Samuel 28:13-14)  Satan repeated the words which Samuel had spoken to Saul telling him that his kingdom would be taken away from him and given to David (1 Samuel 15:28 and 28:17) but he did not give Saul any help or advice.

APPLICATION

When non-believers seek help from the spiritual world, who are they contacting?  If The Lord God is not with you, then whose voice are you hearing?  If your advice, guidance, or direction is not coming from The Lord God, then who is it coming from?  Believers know better than trust in man for help. (Psalm 118:8)  Without The Lord God there is no help for us because we know that our help comes from Him. (Psalm 121:1-2)  The devil will deceive many people (Revelation 12:9) but believers know the sound of the voice of The Lord God and that is who we follow. (John 10:27)