2 Samuel 15:25
And the king said to Zadok, "Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then He will bring me back again, and show me both it and His habitation."
David, the king, now deposed, left the his capitol. Weeping, barefooted, with his head covered, on his way to exile, shows trust and a firm resolve in the Lord. Leaving his life and the kingdom in the hands of the Lord, he becomes a doer of God's word in Romans 8:28. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." A great example for all of us, that the Lord is working on our behalf, through the good and bad.
Pastor Russell
2 Samuel 14:17b
"....so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you."
The woman sent by Joab to speak to David had some good words, whether from a preconceived script or speaking of her own volition, it would be applicable to David or most people. Oh that the Lord would give us wisdom to know good from evil, and the Lord would be with us. So simple, yet so profound, that God would endue us with the ability to choose between good and evil, and that we might walk with Him. Good words for us all.
Pastor Russell
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and the He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul hits the message of the gospel in two short verses. His reminder to all believers for all time reminds us of the fact that Jesus died for our sins, and just as importantly we are reminded that He rose again on the third day. "For in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive." (vs 21) Our hope is in our resurrected Lord, and that the power that raised Him will one day raise us to be alive with Him for all eternity.
Pastor Russell
Psalms 16:11
"Thou will make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever."
We find the week of the passion of Christ upon us, and we rejoice at the reminder of His love for us as He willingly laid down His life for us. All of a sudden in Him, the weak have their strength renewed, the hopeless are filled with renewed vigor, those mired down in a quagmire of doubt have their faith made new in Him. The completed work of Christ on the cross of Calvary means life and hope, forgiveness of sin for those who embrace Him. Lets never forget the great things He has done and accomplished on our behalf.
Pastor Russell
2 Samuel 12:13
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David, "The Lord has taken away your sin, you shall not die...."
As horrible as David's sin of adultery, conspiracy and murder was, even greater was the forgiveness and grace and mercy of the Lord. God's love far outweighs the heinous acts of man, and the depravity within all of our hearts. Like the old-time gospel song we sing, amazing grace, how great the sound, that saved a wretch like me, we can only thank Him, for His amazing grace for us as He demonstrated His love, going to the cross on our behalf. Let's never forget what He has done for us.
Pastor Russell
2 Samuel 11:27
"But the thing David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord."
David, after experiencing all the victories that the Lord had brough him, now turned to a dark side of self, being entangled in sin against God. All the prayer and communion with God, now turned into the intrigue of adultery, plotting coverup, then turning to conspiracy and murder. Here, the sweet psalmist of Israel, the man after God's own heart, would be caught in the ugliness of his fleshly desire. Judgement was to come swiftly, long term ramifications would raise its ugly head, but it was the Lord and only Him who could begin a work of forgiveness and healing. It would begin with confession and then turning back to Him, a place where we all need to be.
Pastor Russell
2 Samuel 8:6,14
"And the Lord helped David wherever he went."
David it seemed, had led a life up to this point of surrender to the Lord. His life, seemed to have been hallmarked by humility and a desire to honor God, and to commit his way and works to Him. David, lived in awe of God, of what He had done and what He was doing. Unfettered by the works or desires of the flesh, he chose to live day by day, moment by moment to walk with, to seek and to serve the true and living God, his heart solely given over to Him. What an example he sets for himself as well as we who stand back and look towards a heart turned towards the Lord in worship.
Pastor Russell
2 Samuel 7:16
"Your house and your kingdom shall endure before me forever; your throne shall be established forever."
As David had in his heart to build the Lord a house, we see here that the Lord had other plans. God would build the house of David that would endure for all eternity, in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Coming through the lineage of David would be Jesus, whose throne and reign would endure for all eternity. Like the angel who approached Mary with the news of her virgin birth, to the prophet Nathan who brought the news of God's eternal plans to and through the house of David, we see God's marvelous plans. For us, we receive all the promises in God's word with awe and wonder.
Pastor Russell
2 Samuel 5:11
"Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household."
While suffering miss step in the transportation of the ark, David left the ark in the care custody and control of this Gittite. Though not a child of Israel, this Obed-edom, a Philistine by birth, apparently was one who might have been called or described as a God fearer, or one who revered the Lord. Like Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort in Caesarea, described as a devout man, one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people, and prayed to God continually. (Acts 10) We see, while the ark was within the home of Obed, the Lord blessed he and his household, showing us that God was not one who rejected or turned away those outside the nation of Israel, but welcomed those who sought Him. Much the same today, the will embrac2 Samuel 5:11e those who seek Him.
Pastor Russell
2 Samuel 5:4
"David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years."
Not counting all the drama and trial of actually becoming king, David would be given over to great victories of consolidating Israel, all the while making treaties with neighboring nations, defending from their enemies, and watching the ongoing drama from within his family, even falling himself to temptation and sin. Though anointed by God to be king, it was no reign without its trial. David, the man after God's own heart, to his credit, continued to cling to the Lord, through the good and bad, not giving in to the temptation to cut and run. Forged early on under the heavenly skies, was a relationship that refused to be broken.
Pastor Russell
2 Samuel 3:1
"Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David grew steadily stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker continually."
As the war continued within the nation of Israel, it took it's toll upon the people. Leaders were given in to manipulation, posturing, threats of mayhem and even outright killing and murder. The need for a Savior, Jesus Christ is magnified as we look at man's rampant raging on in the flesh. Yet too few looked toward heaven crying out for the Lord to come rescue and bring relief. The heartbreak and pain of man's depravity is magnified as we see many continuing on in the flesh, bringing sorrowful results. Mankind today, suffer much the same consequences, until we cry out to Him.
Pastor Russell
2 Samuel 2:21
So Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil." But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him.
As Asahel pursued Abner relentlessly, no amount of pleading would turn the young man away. Whether driven by the thrill of the chase, or a desire to take out his enemy, or perhaps pride in his physical prowess, he would not relent. We see as we read on that the outcome was not good. So we too may be advised that prudent thinking, wise counsel, God's wisdom is always best as we too may be prone to fixate upon things that are not the Lord's perfect will.
Pastor Russell
1 Samuel 31:6
"Thus Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together."
In the heat of battle with the Philistines, Saul and his men were killed on the battle field. A sad ending for one whose life had started off with so much hope and potential in the Lord. Saul, from the early days of his anointing by God, had allowed personal ambition and pride lead him away from the simple precepts of the Lord, thus blinding him from God's purpose for his life. It's a fitting encouragement for us, that we finish strong the work the Lord has for us, not being misled by the circumstances that surround us.
Pastor Russell