2 Samuel: 3-5a: The Reigning King
“Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king of Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty three years over all Israel and Judah.”
David was first anointed by Samuel to be the king of God’s choosing over Israel while still a shepherd boy, probably around 17 years of age. We are told the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward. He was called in to soothe King Saul when he was distressed for David was a poet, a talented musician known for his songs. Then in one of the most well -known stories in the Bible, David killed Goliath the giant and became an instant national hero. Ironically, it was Abner who brought him to King Saul. David would become the King’s right hand man, marry his daughter and lead the army in victory after victory. He became the most popular and admired man in all of Israel and as a result King Saul became insanely jealous of David and attempted to kill David. Thus began a 10 year period of running and hiding from King Saul.
After Saul’s death, David was anointed King of Judah. It would be another seven years and six months before he becomes king of all Israel. 2 Samuel 3 & 4 tell us of the bizarre events which lead to his becoming king. Abner rejects David’s reign. He was humiliated by David when David entered the camp while he slept and took Saul’s spear from him. Abner props up King Saul’s son, Ish-Bosheth as king. But in those 7 .5 years, Saul’s house grew weaker and David’s grew stronger. Abner breaks from King Ish-Bosheth and in a secret meeting with David arranges for David to become king of all Israel. Abner will then be assassinated by Joab. And King Ish-Bosheth is killed by two of his own men, who seek to curry favor with David. They will be executed. Finally, David comes to reign over all Israel. He had also during those 7 plus years taken on more wives in violation of God’s commands regarding kings in Deut. 17. His disregard of God’s commands created heartache. His first son, Ammon, rapes his half-sister Tamara and is in turn killed by her brother Absalom. Absalom would later attempt to take over rule by plotting to kill his father and is then killed himself. Everything in the Bible is not good. But everything is true. These stories reveal how when God does not rule and reign in your life, the flesh will take the throne. But when man does not obey God’s rule, God overrules and His plan will not be thwarted.
The key word in today’s lesson is: REIGN
Saul was a king of the people’s choosing. He was picture of the flesh. And the flesh lusts against the Spirit. Which brings us to the question of this lesson: Who is the reigning king in your life? Is the flesh, the old nature sitting on the throne of your heart? Remember we must reckon the flesh has been crucified with Christ. This is why we must take up the cross daily to follow Him.
Adam was created in God’s image. He was created to reflect God’s Glory. He was placed in a beautiful, perfect garden and given dominion over everything. Dominion means rule. Adam was created to rule and reign with God under His authority. He disobeyed God and lost his position of rule and reign. From that time we will read, sin and death reigned. And as a result the whole world was under the sway, the influence of the evil one. Who rules in your life? Today we live in a culture which says this is my life, do not tell me how to live it. And as result everyone does what is right in their own eyes. They demand their leadership to give them what they want.
There can only be ONE KING in your life. Who will it be? Turn to Romans 5, one of the most important chapters in the Bible as far as who rules and reigns in your life. The key word “reign” appears 5 times, the phrase “ much more” appears 5 times and the word, “one,” appears 11 times. The Book of Romans is a book of logic. It is a book of “therefores”. Example: as a result of justification, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. We are told in the first verse: “Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. “ (Romans 5: 1)
THE BLESSINGS OF JUSTIFICATION
- Peace with God. The unsaved person, the natural man is at “enmity with God”. We were all born this way and we were condemned as sinners. There existed between us and God a declaration of war. Justification means God declares us righteous and as a result we have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Access to God. We can go behind the veil in the temple in heaven to the very throne room of heaven and draw from the riches of His grace which are unlimited. We are encouraged by our Heavenly Father to call on Him and He will show us great and mighty things we know not.
- Hope in the glory of God. Glorious hope in the future. He has taken care of my past so I may have peace. I have access to Him in the present to find help in the time of need. He has told me not to worry about tomorrow because one day in the future I will see Him and be like Him. He has told me He has gone to prepare a place for me; so that where He is I will be also. What hope this give us!
- Christian character. These trials, like the ones David faced are for the purpose of conforming our character which comes from patience and perseverance in trials. God is working all things together for good, for those who love Him and worship Him as King of our lives. We must remember waiting on the Lord is an important part of the sanctification process. He drives the enemy out little by little.
- We have God’s love within us, shed abroad in our hearts. O, what manner of love is this He has lavished upon us, that we might be called the children of God.
- We are saved from His wrath. I am saved from God’s wrath, because of Jesus who bore my sins and received the punishment I deserved. Let me caution you as Peter did we will face wrath from the enemy. In fact, Peter said you should not consider these fiery trials as strange. We are told in Revelation 12: “For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Put on the full armor of God, Christian Soldier! The battle grows fiercer each day.
- We have received reconciliation. Christ died for us. Living He loved me. Dying He saved me. Buried He carried my sins far away. Rising He justified freely forever. One day He is coming- o glorious day.
HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
Paul explains how this is possible in detail in Romans 5: 12-21. We will look at three key words: “reign”, “one” and “much more.” We are born with Adam’s sinful nature. This is why we must be born again. We are born the second time, we are partakers of His (Jesus’) Divine Nature. Adam and Jesus are both pictured reigning over a kingdom. Paul then contrast Adam and Christ. Adam was given dominion over the old creation, before the flood. Adam sinned and as a result he lost his kingdom. Because of Adam’s sin, all mankind is under condemnation and death. God created everything to reproduce after its own kind, so we were all born with a sinful nature. We are told sin reigned. Because the wages of sin is death, Death reigned also. Paul explained the principle of obedience, the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves and that one is your king.
Now some would argue this is not fair, that I am condemned because of Adam’s sin. It is not only fair, it was the wisest and most gracious thing God could do. Since sin entered by one man, and death by sin, then by one man could sin be atoned for. “For if by one man’s sin, death reined through that one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will rein in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Here is God’s wisdom: by condemning the human race through one man (Adam), God was then able to save the human race through One Man, Jesus Christ. Each of us humans are racially united to Adam, so his sin affected us all. We were born infected with the deadly virus of sin. Fallen angels cannot be saved because they are not of the human race.
Sin reigned. Because sin entered the world, death entered the world. All have sinned. All have come short of the glory. There is no one righteous. Sin reigned in your life and mine. Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even thought the law had not been given. Death is 100% for each generation, with the exception of those who are raptured. But Jesus said anyone who believes in Him will live, even though he dies. And anyone who believes in Him will live and never die. (John 11) Sin abounded. But Grace abounded more. “… Much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will rein in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
In the first Adam, we lost our kingship. But in Jesus Christ we reign as kings. In the trespass of the one, Adam, we lost the kingdom. In contrast, in the obedience of One we were justified, made righteous.
Let us be clear, the Christian is subject to death and his/her old nature tempts us to sin; but in Jesus Christ we can “ reign in life” through Jesus Christ, Who is now my life.
God rejected King Saul, a picture of the flesh. God chose David based not on his outward appearance but because of his heart. Those who trusted David and served him shared in his kingdom.
Like David, Jesus Christ is the anointed king.
Like Saul, Satan is still free at this time to work in the world and seek to win men’s allegiance. This is why we are told clearly by King Jesus, ‘you are either for me or against me.’
For those who are in the kingdom of darkness, death and sin reign in their lives. Jesus is the Light of the World and in Him is life.
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Here is what happened at Calvary at the Cross where I first received my sight and the burdens of my heart were rolled away.
“Mercy and truth have met together; Righteous and peace have kissed.” Psalm 85
The Old Testament is the book of the generations of Adam. Guess how it ends?
“And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4: 6- last verse of OT)
The New Testament is the book of generations of Jesus Christ. Guess how it ends?
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And THERE SHALL BE NO MORE CURSE, BUT THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB SHALL BE IN IT AND HIS SERVANTS SHALL SERVE HIM.
And they shall REIGN FOREVER AND EVER!
So each day, choose who you will serve. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God. “(Romans 12: 1, 2)
“Come Lord Jesus!”