THE VERY RELATABLE LIFE OF KING DAVID
LOOKING FORWARD TO JESUS
2 SAMUEL 7:8-17
#kingdavid
INTRODUCTION… Significant Events or Theological Passages (p)
Every Sunday we gather and focus on a passage from the Bible in our sermon time. Listening and reflecting on God’s Word is important to us. A sermon is a Holy Spirit driven message presenting God’s Word in a compelling manner to create life change. There are 66 books from the Bible with countless passages to draw upon. Some of the passages are more significant than others for different reasons even though all Scripture is God-breathed and “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
For example:
* Genesis 1-3 is significant because it establishes God as Creator and us as the created and tell us how sin came into our world.
* Exodus 3 is the event of Moses at the burning bush where we are introduced to the Name of God: I AM (YHWH) and even though Exodus 4 is full of Moses’ excuses, it is when God begins the process of saving His people from Egypt.
* I personally find Job 41 significant and quite fun.
* There are prophetic messages that are hugely important such as Isaiah 52-55 and Daniel 7 and Joel 2. Each of these are important and impactful in different ways and theologically significant.
* Matthew 5-7 are three chapters that summarize much of Jesus’ teaching about daily living.
* John 1 and John 3 both share with us much about salvation.
* The end of each Gospel shares the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
* Acts 2 is the birth of the Church.
* Romans 8 is quite deep when it comes to theology and salvation.
Again, there are some passages that help us understand God, His plan, Jesus, Salvation, and other important aspects of life that are more significant than others and there are plenty more than what I mentioned this morning. The passage that we are into today is just such a passage.
2 Samuel 7 is a key passage in the life of David, an important passage in the life of the People of Israel, and believe it or not is a key passage in the plan of salvation which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 2 Samuel 7 is a theologically deep passage. 2 Samuel 7 means a lot as we look forward to Jesus.
Let’s read a portion of 2 Samuel 7:
2 SAMUEL 7
READ 2 SAMUEL 7:8-17 (ESV)
Now, therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of Hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over My people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over My people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to Me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but My steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before Me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
We have the word of the ‘Lord of Hosts’ in this passage. I like that title for God. He is the One in charge of all of Heaven. Whatever beings inhabit the spiritual world, God is the Lord and Almighty Master of them all. So, this is not just some ordinary message, but the very Word of the Almighty God of the Universe. We should take note.
God recounts that He brought David from being a lowly shepherd to being the king over His people. Actually, notice that verse 8 in the ESV uses the word… prince… why does God use that word? God uses that word because God is King. God is Master. David is a prince and ruler over God’s people, but God remains the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Again, this is no ordinary message. We should take note.
God makes a promise directed to David and the people of Israel. He says that He will establish them as a nation. They will have enemies, but God will be with them and defend them. God then mentions that it will be a son of David that will build a temple in Jerusalem. We know that happens because in 1 Kings we read how Solomon reigns after David and builds the temple. God says that God will strive and guide and discipline the descendants of David.
Then, we have a promise in verse 16. 2 Samuel 7:16 is a promise from the Almighty God of the Universe that God is establishing a throne from David’s line forever. That original word we translate as ‘forever’ comes from two words which mean ‘as far as everlasting’ or refers to am ‘indefinite unending future.’ So, the word forever in this verse means forever. It is not a metaphor or some kind of flowery language, but God promises that the authority and kingship of David’s royal line will somehow and in some way extend into eternity. That’s quite a promise from the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and the Almighty Creator of the Universe.
TRANSITION
What does this passage mean?
To understand what this passage means, we have to next go to a Psalm for help. It is not a Psalm written by David. Most of the time we wrongly think David wrote all the Psalms, but he did not. There are a few other creative inspired authors who write Psalms. The writer of Psalm 89 is Ethan the Ezrahite which was one of the Sons of Korah (also Psalm 88) who were the Levitical leaders in temple music. So, we have the inspired Word of God interpreting the inspired Word of God which is always best practice.
Let’s read a portion of Psalm 89.
PSALM 89
READ PSALM 89:19-37
Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: “I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. 20 I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, 21 so that my hand shall be established with him; My arm also shall strengthen him. 22 The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. 23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. 24 My faithfulness and My steadfast love shall be with him, and in My Name shall his horn be exalted. 25 I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. 26 He shall cry to Me, ‘You are My Father, My God, and the Rock of My salvation.’ 27 And I will make Him the Firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28 My steadfast love I will keep for Him forever, and My covenant will stand firm for Him. 29 I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. 30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, 31 if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, 32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, 33 but I will not remove from him My steadfast love or be false to My faithfulness. 34 I will not violate My covenant or alter the word that went forth from My lips. 35 Once for all I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 His offspring shall endure forever, His throne as long as the sun before Me. 37 Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.”
This Psalm moves from talking about David to talking about a Future Descendant of David and then back to talking about David again. Such is the nature of prophecy at times. Ethan the Ezrahite has a message and vision from God about David and what will happen through him.
Starting in verse 19, the Psalm recounts how the Word of the Lord came from Nathan the Prophet (the holy one) and how God revealed His great will and plan through the descendants of David. A lot of it sounds familiar because we just read 2 Samuel 7. God raised up and anointed David to lead His people. God strengthened David to establish Israel.
Through David there is a special covenant established. This is an eternal covenant a lot like the promise God made to Noah in Genesis 8:20-22. Now, covenant is a bit of a churchy word. Covenant basically means an agreement with binding promises from a hugely powerful authority or party and a little itty-bitty weak party. We have several examples of covenants in Scripture. In Genesis 8, as I mentioned with Noah. There is one in Genesis 12 with Abraham. We also find a covenant made in 2 Samuel 7… which is why this passage is so significant.
By the way, as a side note, the only covenant we Christians still enact or refer to in today’s world is the covenant of marriage. Now, please understand that a marriage covenant is not an agreement between a man and a woman. That’s a contract. If you decide to get married in church and involve a pastor and such, the couple is entering a promised arrangement between them and God. God being the hugely powerful authority and the couple being the little itty-bitty weak party. The marriage covenant is until death as all covenants are… which brings about many complications and repercussions we choose not to talk about with the rates of divorce these days. Covenants are a big deal. Covenants were a big deal in the Old Testament and in the New Testament and I would say even today.
Anyway, God promises to establish through David an eternal throne. God swears by Himself… shockingly in verse 35… that even though David’s descendants will fall away and sin and leave Him behind, God will be faithful to His promises.
* God promises in verse 24 that God’s Name will be with One in David’s house.
* God promises in verse 25 that this Descendant of David will impact all nations and people.
* God states in verse 26 that this One will be His Son and He the Father.
* God promises in verse 27 that this One will be the Firstborn and the King of Kings
* God promises in verses 28-29 that this is an eternal promise.
* God promises in verses 36-37 that this One will rule forever.
TRANSITION
We are getting a fuller picture of what is happening in 2 Samuel 7 as we keep in mind Psalm 89, but again, what does this passage mean?
To understand what this passage means, we have to next go to the New Testament for help. Again, we have the inspired Word of God interpreting the inspired Word of God which is always best practice.
Luke 1 begins with the visitation of the angel Gabriel to Zechariah and Elizabeth as he foretells the birth of their son who will become known as John the Baptist. John will be born with a specific job to be the announcer and forerunner of the Messiah. The Messiah is the One promised in 2 Samuel 7 and the one talked about in Psalm 89 and so many other prophecies in the Bible. 2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 89 lead right to Luke 1.
Let’s read a portion of Luke 1.
READ LUKE 1:30-35 (ESV)
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David, 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
No, this is not a Christmas sermon. Yes, this is a sermon all about how the entire plan of God Almighty looked forward to Jesus Christ. Notice how significant Luke 1 is as it pertains to Jesus Christ.
Mary, this descendant of David, has found favor with God. I have always marveled that out of all of the Jewish women in the whole world throughout all time that God picked this young lady Mary to be His mother. I find that amazing. I think the Catholic folks give her way too much credit, but we don’t give her enough credit. The Holy Spirit overshadowed her and life sprung forth in her womb.
Notice verses 32-33. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of everything promised in 2 Samuel 7 and everything reflected on in Psalm 89. Jesus is the answer and the end result of all that God planned for humanity.
* Jesus will bear God’s Name and comes from David’s house
* Jesus is the One who will impact all nations and people by offering salvation to all.
* Jesus is Son of the Most High God
* Jesus is God’s only Son and the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
* Jesus is the fulfillment of all the eternal promises God makes
* Jesus rules as the Son of God forever and always.
The plan of God began even before creation because God knew we would sin and He created us anyway. The plan was hinted about in Genesis 3:15. The plan was predicted in Genesis 12:3. We start to see a shadow of the plan in 2 Samuel 7 as God promises that a descendant of David will have some kind of eternal throne. God promises a covenant with us in 2 Samuel 7. Psalm 89 (among other passages) is a fleshing our of that shadow and firms up that a promised Savior will come and He will be unlike any King we have ever seen. His Kingdom will never end. We see in Luke 1 that all of God’s promises and all of His working in history and every prediction became reality with the coming of Jesus.
TRANSITION
It is my hope and my prayer that you see the very clear connections of 2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 89 and Luke 1. God is Almighty and has been working His plan of salvation throughout the generations. I was going to give you three solid points and a poem on how to apply this passage, but when it came down to it one of the truths just stuck out to me and so that is what I’d like to focus on this morning. So we will look at one point and in the end, I do have a poem.
APPLICATION
As we look at 2 Samuel 7 and then relate those words to Psalm 89 and then see the plan more fully in Luke 1, I can’t help but notice that the God of the Universe is sovereign and He has a plan therefore…
LIFE ISN’T MEANINGLESS OR RANDOM
When I say that ‘life isn’t meaningless or random,’ there is some pretty stout contradictions and competing thoughts with that. Many people feel that human life is meaningless and has no purpose. Our purpose is what we make it. Our future and our lives are based on our own choices. Some would also say that life is very random and there is no reason to so much that happens in the world. It all seems senseless and pointless and useless.
The truth is, the folks that feel like that are not altogether wrong. Life seems meaningless and random because our lives and our world is infected with sin. Everything around us is broken. Nothing in life physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually works the way it should. Relationships break. Weather brings disaster. Sickness hits everyone. Good people suffer and bad people have success. Justice is often a fleeting thing. Life isn’t easy or predictable. Life is difficult and unfair. Many times, we are left with more questions than answers. And yet… life is not meaningless or random. I guess I should correct myself and say that for people who believe in God and are saved by Jesus Christ and have the presence of the Holy Spirit life isn’t meaningless or random. Folks without God are just flat lost and I can see why they might say life is meaningless and random.
But not us.
Not us who believe in Almighty God.
Us who know and believe in Jesus Christ the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
MEANINGFUL
The God we serve is good and holy and love and gracious and powerful and all knowing. God never does anything without meaning. Specifically, in 2 Samuel 7, God spoke to David giving all his struggle and running and stress and battle meaning:
* God meant what He said when He promised the runt shepherd would be king
* God kept His promise to be with David and give him success
* God gave David peace
* God gave meaning for His household in that all nations would be blessed
* God gave meaning in that there would be a King Who rules forever that comes from him
* God promises steadfast love and His presence
All of that gives David’s victories and his trials meaning because there is a plan at work. It is the same for us. God has a plan and He will bring about meaning for the victories in our lives and the trials in our lives. God gives meaning.
PURPOSE
We serve God Who has not left us alone in this world, but send His One and only Son to live life, to die, and to live again that we might have purpose and direction. Jesus was always the plan. Jesus was inevitable because He was always the plan of the Almighty God Who because of His great love for us, redeemed us from sin instead of throwing us away.
If you feel like life is meaningless and random, you are not following Jesus because Jesus is all about purpose and direction. Jesus gives us purpose and direction as the Savior and Lord of our lives. Do you want purpose?
* Abide in your relationship with God and see where His will takes you.
* Seek first His Kingdom and everything you are looking for will be added for you.
* Invest in your faith and God will move you to purpose that He has planned.
ILLUSTRATION… google.com/search?q=look+at+your+life+through+heaven%27s+eyes
In 1998, a movie with the title ‘Prince of Egypt’ was released by DreamWorks. One of the songs, right after Moses meets Jethro and his clan, there is a song. It is called “Through Heaven’s Eyes.” Some of the words get at the Truth I am trying to explain today:
A single thread in a tapestry, Though its color brightly shines
Can never see its purpose, In the pattern of the grand design
And the stone that sits on the very top Of the mountains mighty face
Does it think it's more important, Than the stones that form the base?
So how can you see what your life is worth Or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man, You must look at your life
Look at your life through heaven's eyes
A lake of gold in the desert sand, Is less than a cool fresh spring
And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy, Is greater than the richest king
If a man loses everything he owns, Has he truly lost his worth?
Or is it the beginning. Of a new and brighter birth?
So how do you measure the worth of a man, In wealth or strength or size?
In how much he gained or how much he gave?
The answer will come, The answer will come to him who tries
To look at his life through heaven's eyes.
CONCLUSION
I would like to encourage you today to look at your life knowing that we serve God who wove His plan for salvation through countless decisions and lives and generations and Jesus arrived exactly as He was supposed to and it was all predicted and anticipated because God is all-powerful and all-knowing and more than that, He loves you.
* God wove a plan through David’s life because He loved David.
* God wove a plan to send Jesus Christ because He loves us.
* God has woven a plan through your life because He loves you.
PRAYER
INVITATION
