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Monday, August 19, 2013

A Chosen Sovereign

A Chosen Sovereign David's Reign

1 Samuel 31-2 Samuel 4

1 Chronicles 10

When we last left David, he was being hunted down by King Saul. Saul wanted David dead!

The Philistines had been pushed back into the land that they claimed and were not a threat again until Saul allowed them to regain their strength, while he concentrated all his resources in search of David. Nothing else mattered to King Saul.

If we are to remain free in America we cannot focus on things that lack in importance. We must keep a keen eye on all our enemies while remembering that our number one enemy is Satan and we need to keep our focus on Jesus to keep Satan away.

When Saul could have been making Israel a better place and doing more for the people of Israel, he wasted 10 years trying to destroy David.

We also see this happening in America today when our own politicians are more concern with the destruction of each party rather than for the good of the people and our nation.

Saul was not paying attention to Israel's enemies!

AND, America is not paying close attention to her enemies!

*****1Sa 31:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

1Sa 31:2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

Not since Samuel was a child in the hands of Eli and the Ark stolen, had Israel had to flee as they did this day from the Philistines.

Mount Gilboa is a mount that over looks the Valley of Jezreel south of Jerusalem. This mount is remembered in the Bible as the place where Saul and his sons were killed by the Philistines.

Saul's son Jonathan we have read about but Saul had at least three other sons with the two daughters we have already met.

One named Abinadab, also called Ishui, and the other Malchishua who we meet only at their death in this battle with the Philistines.

There was one other son, Ishbosheth, and it is not said why he was not in this battle and we will probably meet him later because Abner made him king after his father's death.

*****1Sa 31:3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

I was a Staff Sargent and a Platoon leader when I was in Vietnam but when we were on patrol every soldier dressed alike. We did not wear insignia and among other things I did not stay close to the ones that handled the radios and sometimes we would all make our selves look like we had radios with our camouflage. We did not want the enemy to tell who was in charge. We did not want a sniper to jeopardize the entire mission.

In fact I walked on point most every where we went for many reasons.

BUT, Saul wore the armor of a king which made him an easy target and there are always those, such as snipers, whose only job to is to try to take out the leaders of an army and they had found Saul and his sons who also wore the armor of royalty or of Generals.

Being "sore wounded" meant that Saul may not have survived those wounds even if he had won the battle.

*****1Sa 31:4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

In those days, a king that was captured in battle was not shown any respect if captured alive.

If we can remember Samson we can see that these Philistines were such a people to do such things.

If we remember Nebuchadnezzar also showed no respect for a King of Israel

It is a fact that even their dead bodies were not shown any respect.

When Saul saw that all his sons had died in battle and he could not defend himself, he chose to die with them.

Jewish tradition says that this armor bearer was Doeg but the Bible does not say who this man was.

It is God who is in charge of all our deaths!

Heb 9:27 And as it is "appointed" unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Appointed means that the time of our death is written down on God's calendar!

It seems Saul did not use his own sword but used a sword nearby, maybe even the sword of Doeg, so it seems he did not want anyone to think he had a weakness even in his death.

Saul wanted to leave an impression that he died in battle!

But even this move had not killed him because his death came by an Amalekite who was scavenging dead bodies to rob them.

*****1Sa 31:5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

We should consider that Jewish tradition says this armor bearer was Doeg

Even Josephus, a Jewish historian says this was Doeg, who had been promoted from head sheepherder to armor bearer and that Saul actually used the sword of Doeg to kill himself.

If this is true and many believe it is, then this would also have been the same sword that had killed 85 of God's priests.

It would seem to be justice served of God!

The Bible does not say these things are true and we cannot know these things to be true.

*****1Sa 31:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

There are those that point out a conflict in the Bible using this verse and one from the next chapter but we know that there no conflicts in God's Word and we must always realize that our English language does not always have the proper words to use while translating the Hebrew language.

The Bible says:

2Sa 1:5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?

2Sa 1:6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

2Sa 1:7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.

2Sa 1:8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

2Sa 1:9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

2Sa 1:10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.

We know that when the Philistines found Saul and stripped him of his armor, his crown and bracelet was not mentioned because they had already been stolen.

This Amalekite was scavenging the dead bodies of the soldiers of Israel to take what he could find of value.

It is more than likely that Saul continued to live for a while in a failed attempt of suicide and this man had actually finished killing Saul.

Again we should remember that Saul had been told of God to kill "all" the Amalekites and he had failed to do this again we can see that justice of God was served.

God said these things:

1Ch 10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;

1Ch 10:14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

And this next verse in the Book of Hosea is a reminder to all national leaders especially Israel:

Hos 13:11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

David could not condone what this Amalekite had done because David himself had had this same opportunity several times and would not kill Saul.

David also knew that if Saul had obeyed the Word of God then this Amalekite could not have killed King Saul.

After all Saul was still in the hands of God and not mankind!

So we read what David had to do:

2Sa 1:15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.

2Sa 1:16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.

Again, One of reasons Saul was condemned was because he had not destroyed the Amalekites, So David could not allow this thief and lier to live!

*****2Sa 1:11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:

When we would think that David would have been relieved at the death of Saul, we see in David the opposite is true.

The Lord had not allowed David to assist in the destruction of Israel.

In fact the Lord had sent David after some of the Amalekites that Saul had failed to destroy.

It had taken three days for the news of Israel defeat to reach David at Ziklag which was 80 miles from the battlefield of Israel.

That Amalekite was not expecting to see this sudden remorse of David and had really expected a reward BUT all he got was death himself.

David had never seen Saul as his enemy but only as the God appointed King of Israel!

If God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked then we should also be like Him!

The Bible teaches us in the Book of Ezekiel:

Eze 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

God ask every lost sinner this same question: Why Do You Choose To Die?

*****2Sa 1:12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

There was this inward show of grief and this outward show of tears because Israel had lost the battle.

Israel had lost their king.

David had lost his closest friend.

It was time to mourn for these things happening to Israel because they had fallen by the sword.

Those that can have joy and not remorse at a time when our own nation is suffering are not true patriots.

We must pray for our nation and it's leaders because they are still God's appointed!

And then David then wrote a new song.

*****2Sa 1:25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.

2Sa 1:26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

2Sa 1:27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

Just as in this day in Israel, many soldiers die in battle and we need to mourn for them.

Since the Revolutionary War, 1,190,085 soldiers, are recorded as died defending our nation.

Since the Revolutionary War, 1,430,290 soldiers, are recorded as wounded defending our nation.

The death or the wounding of every American soldier deserve our respect.

These are the mighty men of America, not the politicians, not the movie stars and not the sports stars.

BUT, even mightier that these are all those that serve in the army of God!

David knew many of these men and David knew these officers and Generals of Saul's army.

As a soldier I can still relate to those that are on the battlefield but I can also relate to those that die as mighty men and heroes of our nation.

We could not be America if these men had not shed their blood!

That hill top Jonathan had chosen to defend had brought his death.

He was David's brother in law and as a brother to David but most of all he was a friend to David, much more than a brother.

Jonathan was not a soldier nor these others that had died on foreign soils but they had died defending their own nation on their own soil.

Hopefully our soldiers will never have to die on our own soil!

We cannot allow our nation be get so weak that our sons and daughters die defending our nation at home but it seems our government chooses this way today!

David would miss all the pleasant conversations he would have with his closest friend.

They had agreed on more things than they had disagreed on.

It was Israel that had bound these two together!

That love they had could be compared to that of a husband and wife, not a sexual thing, but an absolute caring love and respect for each other.

Those weapons of war were not just the armament that they carried.

The true weapons of war that each nation has is in the men and women who carry and use those weapons.

It is these living weapons that were truly lost at this time to Israel.

*****2Sa 2:1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

David knew that Israel was in a turmoil so he did what he should have done, he enquired of the Lord!

David had the only organized army left in all of Israel so God told David to go to Hebron.

Hebron is centrally located in the land assigned to Judah about 20 miles south of Jerusalem.

Hebron was on a mountain and could be defended from an attack.

Hebron was also the city of refuge given to Caleb a mighty man in the time of Joshua.

If David was to defend Israel from her enemies, it would have to begin with the land assigned to his own tribe of Judah.

So, David prepared to defend Israel from the Philistines and all other enemies of Israel!

*****2Sa 2:2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.

2Sa 2:3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

David was in fact Israel's lawful king but at this time it was a time that David's own soldiers and all their families could reunite.

Most of the elders of Judah and all those that knew how David had acted wisely, would also be at Hebron.

*****2Sa 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

David was now 30 years old and had gained the respect of these elders who had witnessed him all the time of King Saul.

This was the second time that David was anointed to be King of Israel.

The Bible tells us 3 times that David was anointed to be King.

Samuel had anointed David:

1Sa 16:13 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.

A second time in our verse and there will be a third time:

2Sa 5:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.

It was this day that David learned the fate of the bodies of Saul and his sons.

The Bible teaches us:

1Sa 31:11 And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

1Sa 31:12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.

1Sa 31:13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

And David immediately thanked these men for what they had done:

2Sa 2:5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

But Abner the general of Saul's army had other plans at this time and King Saul did have one son still alive.

Remember Abner was not only Saul's General, he was also Saul's uncle and adviser!

2Sa 2:8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

2Sa 2:9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

These things caused much turmoil to the nation of Israel and God would not allow this to stand!

God had already anointed the next king of Israel!

*****2Sa 3:1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

This long civil war in Israel lasted 7 and one half years.

David waited patiently in Hebron while God removed all the obstacles and paved the way for David to unite Israel again under one king.

What should this remind us of?

Mar 12:36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

David wrote these words in one of his songs and the Apostle Paul added:

Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Heb 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

We have seen David as a "type" of a Holy Ghost filled sinner, doing good when he followed the Word of God, and doing badly when he did things his own way.

But at this time we can see him as a "type" of Christ.

We will end our lessons on David at this time and next week move into the Book of Mark.

So, Let's revue some things about David:

David was the youngest of 8 sons in an ordinary family that came from the city of Bethlehem.

David had a sincere love for God and a profound trust in Him.

He had displayed this trust in God by slaying a bear and a lion in defense of his father's sheep.

It was God that chose David to replace King Saul.

God knew that Davids heart was firmly planted and anchored in the Lord.

Only Samuel knew what God told him to do with David.

This is where we stand or fall with God!

Because just as Samuel, we are to know and believe what the Word of God tells us!

David's promotion was not announced in the daily paper.

David's promotion was not displayed on the city streets.

None of David's neighbors were told that David was anointed to be their new king.

But what did happened was that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and then, only then, did an evil spirit trouble Saul.

This was something Saul caused and not God!

David was brought in before King Saul because he made beautiful music but even then Saul would have killed David if he had known what Samuel had done and once he sensed it Saul spent the rest of his life trying to kill David.

David had removed one giant that hindered Israel.

But God removed the other thing that hindered Israel.

David in all his ways behaved himself wisely in his time with Saul.

In all these things we should be able to see a "type" of Our Lord Jesus Christ!

Both were born in Bethlehem.

Both were shepherds of their father's flock.

Both were obedient sons and humble in their ways.

Both were misunderstood by their brothers.

Both were mistreated by governmental officials.

Both fled from a king that was trying to kill them. (Herod)

Both of them had many enemies and suffered of them,

Both were men after God's own heart.

Both were anointed to be king long before they reigned. (The Lord will soon be King Of Kings on this Earth)

Both were prophets.

Both wept over Jerusalem.

And Both had the promise of a house from the Father.

David promised to build the Temple, a house for God.

But Jesus promised to prepare a house for those that are the Temple of God!

The Bible says:

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Questions?

Let's Pray!


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