King David Wrote His Own Obituary Series

2 Samuel 23:1-7 (p. 226) March 16, 2014

Introduction:

As I shared with you last week...God’s people, the Israelites were never designed by God to have a King...or maybe I should say, a king other than God. The nation of Israel was designed to be a Theocracy not a monarchy.

The problem...People have a tendency to look around themselves for answers instead of up towards God. And even though God had provided judges and leaders like Samuel to remind the Israelites of their covenant relationship with Jehovah God, they began to look around themselves, to other nations and instead of wanting to remain distinct, unique and one of a kind, the Israelites said,

”WE WANT A KING LIKE ALL THE OTHER NATIONS WE SEE AROUND US.”

And God tried to warn them

1 SAMUEL 8:10-21 (p. 190)

God will let you eat the fruit from the tree...God will let you choose a King over Him...God will let you turn aside and go your own way...as an individual and as a nation.

However, there will be consequences...death, governmental enslavery exchanging the truth of God for a lie and God eventually giving you over to a depraved mindset.

All this happens under Saul, Israel’s first king. And I genuinely believe all this is happening in America.

But God is amazingly merciful. He constantly calls His people back. His response is “I’ll take you back” again, and again, and again.

At the end of Saul’s life Israel is in deep trouble. Saul has turned away from God, disobedient, even seeking answers from the occult. Israel’s sons have been conscripted for war, daughters are made palace slaves, taxes are levied, and the Philistines have put them under their thumbs (very big thumbs). Israel is weak, afraid and under attack. Ring any bells???

And this is when we meet David, son of Jesse.

I. THE SHEPHERD WHO WOULD BECOME WARRIOR AND KING

God has a way of choosing the weak, the shameful and the foolish...over the strong, honorable and wise.

So, at the end of King Saul’s reign, God sends the anointing prophet Samuel to the house of a man named Jesse. Jesse has 8 sons when Samuel shows up he sees Jesse’s oldest “Eliab” and says, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” (1 Samuel 16:8) But God tells Samuel one of the most important truths about His heart and wisdom.

1 SAMUEL 16:7 (p. 196)

Loose paraphrase...”What’s inside a person is more important than what’s on the outside.” The exact opposite of how our culture operates!!!

Then Jesse introduces Samuel to 7 of his 8 sons...”But the Lord has not chosen any of them.” Samuel asks Jesse...is this all of them and Jesse says, “No, there’s still the youngest, but he’s out tending sheep.” (1 Samuel 16:10-11)

Go get Him!

1 SAMUEL 16:12-13 (p. 196)

Why did God choose David? The only answer I have is David was nothing...the youngest...the shepherd...an afterthought for his father.

And God operates like that over and over and over again...Abraham...100 years old...Sarah, barren...Samuel’s mom...Hannah...barren...Rahab, Ruth, Joseph, Peter, James, John, Mary, Joseph. Why? To show:

Salvation begins with God, not us. Repentance starts with God’s intervention...not our wisdom. Can you say “no.” Absolutely. There was more than 3,000 there when Peter preached on Pentecost.

But Romans 9 tells us “God will have mercy on whom He has mercy..and He will have compassion on whom He has compassion. It does not, therefore, depend on human desire, or effort, but on God’s mercy.” (Romans 9:15-16)

[I am living proof that God’s mercy is not fair. And we don’t like things that aren’t fair, we don’t like someone being paid the same for working for an hour as much as the person who worked for 12. God doesn’t care if we like it or not. He will chose to call the 17 year old pothead rebel to repent because...it’s His mercy to use as He chooses. He will call the arrogant, legalistic Pharisee...the violent, hateful, judgmental...worldly, successful, mean, if he chooses.

What do both of us do when we realize His unlimited grace and patience. “Fall on our faces in thanksgiving...realize we are exhibits on the courtroom of grace...and never forget we are the worst sinners that have ever lived!]

That’s why the redeemed, arrogant, violent blasphemer wrote: “For this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example.” (1 Timothy 1:16)

It’s why he would write to the Corinthians:

1 CORINTHIANS 1:25-29 (p. 793)

Why did God choose David above Eliab...because He’s wiser...because He’s stronger...because He’ll give mercy on whom He chooses to. It’s not how the world operates or thinks. God’s ways blow the world’s ways out of the water!

That’s how a shepherd boy becomes a warrior and king. And, it’s the same truth for a 17 year old high school dropout.