In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of resting in God's ability to do His work without the need for excessive promotion or striving. He contrasts the constant effort required to attain and maintain worldly goals with the peace that comes from trusting in God's provision. The preacher references the story of David, who humbly recognized that his kingship and the promises for his future were not his own doing, but a result of God's goodness. The sermon also highlights David's joyful celebration and praise as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem, contrasting it with the negative response of his wife, Michelle.

2 Samuel chapter 1. 1 Samuel dealt with the reign of King Saul over Israel and it ends with the death of Saul at the hands of the Philistines. Saul, the tragic story of a man who had many natural abilities and many God-given opportunities and yet his was a wasted life and never achieving the full potential of his being. A life of failure because he failed to submit himself totally to God. As the prophet Samuel said to him, because you have rejected the Lord from ruling over you, and that was the basic flaw of Saul's life, he had rejected the Lord from ruling over his own life. He was a self-determined, self-governed man, self-willed, and that destroyed him from achieving and attaining those things that God intended for his life. A story of failure, dying at the hands of the Philistines, his body mutilated, hung on the wall of the temple in Bethshean until the men of Jabesh-Gilead came and cut it down and buried it over in Gilead, the other side of Jordan. Now, the fact that the men of Jabesh-Gilead broke through the lines of the Philistines and rescued the bodies of Saul and his sons is interesting because Saul's career as king sort of began with the situation that developed at Jabesh-Gilead. There was an invading king who came to Jabesh-Gilead and demanded that the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead surrender or that they capitulate to him on the basis of plucking out the eyes of all of the men and laying them out with the right eyes and laying them out before him. And so they cried unto Saul for help who came with the army of Israel and destroyed this invading army and so the city of Jabesh-Gilead was saved by Saul and that was the thing that sort of catapulted Saul into prominence and into acceptance by the people as king over Israel. Up until that time there were men who were saying, shall Saul rule over us? Who is he? And all and there were those that were objecting to Saul's reign, but when he came to the rescue of Jabesh-Gilead, led the armies of Israel to victory, then he was catapulted into the limelight, became the king over Israel. And so it is significant that the men of Jabesh-Gilead are the men who came and rescued his body. They of course felt a great obligation and debt to Saul. Now Saul's greatest failure perhaps was his failure to obey the commandment of God to utterly wipe out the Amalekites. God sent him down against Amalek and with the instructions he's to utterly wipe them out. When he came back from the victory and Samuel came out to meet him, he greeted Samuel with the words, as the Lord liveth, I have done everything the Lord commanded me to do. That was a giant lie. He had not done everything the Lord commanded him to do. He had not utterly destroyed the Amalekites. He had left many of them alive. He utterly destroyed the weakest of the cattle, the ill-favored sheep, but he kept the best of the cattle, the best sheep. He kept King Agag alive, plus he allowed many of the other Amalekites to live. Now in Scripture there is interesting typologies so that Egypt becomes a type of our old life in the bondage of sin in the world. The Red Sea becomes a type of baptism where I come out of the old life and into a new relationship with God. The wilderness becomes a type of that life though redeemed yet still dominated by the flesh. Coming into the promised land is a type of coming into the full walk and life of the Spirit. And in biblical typology, Amalek is a type of the flesh life. And there are many places in the Scripture where Amalek is given as a type of the flesh and the life of the flesh. And thus when God ordered the utter destruction of the Amalekites, God was in a sense ordering the utter destruction of the flesh. In Romans 8 it said, if we thereby do mortify the deeds of the flesh or put to death the deeds of the flesh, we shall live. Know ye not that your old man was crucified with Christ? And as Paul declared, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. Now God has not developed any programs of reform for your flesh. God has only one edict for your flesh and that's let it be crucified. The Bible says give no place for the flesh to fulfill the desires thereof. God orders its utter destruction. It's not to rule over you. By the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh in order that you might live. For the mind of the flesh is death. And God doesn't seek to reform or modify our fleshly activities. He said don't give any place for them. Let it be crucified. And thus the command to utterly, utterly wipe out the Amalekites is an important command in a spiritual sense. And as we get into the first chapter of 2 Samuel, we see something very interesting indeed. Now it came to pass after the death of Saul when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites. Now you see, the Amalekites were still very much alive. David had had an experience with them when he took his men and went up to join with Achish in the battle because the city of Ziklag where he was living was emptied of all of the men. The Amalekites came in and and stole all of their things, burned their city and took all of their wives and children captive. Now had Saul utterly destroyed the Amalekites they couldn't have done this. You know if you leave a place for the flesh it's going to come back to haunt you. If you leave a foothold of the flesh in your life it's going to come back to destroy you. So David and his men were two days there in Ziklag and it came to pass on the third day that behold a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes torn and he had earth upon his head or he put dirt on his head and so it was when he came to David that he fell to the earth and he did obeisance. And David said unto him where have you come from and he said out of the camp of Israel I have escaped. David said unto him how did the battle go I pray thee tell me and he answered that the people are fled from the battle and many of the people are fallen and dead and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. And the young man that told him said as I happened by chance there on Mount Gilboa behold Saul leaned upon his spear and lo the chariots and the horsemen were following hard after him and when he looked behind him he saw me and he called unto me and I answered here I am and he said unto me who are you and I answered him I am an Amalekite one from that nation that God ordered Saul to utterly destroy and he said to me again stand I pray thee upon me and slay me for anguish has come upon me because my life is yet whole in me 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 his bracelets and I have brought them to you. Now one of two things here in the last chapter we read that Saul fell on his sword and died it may be that this Amalekite is making up this story about Saul thinking that he's gonna get in good with David because he killed David's it would be wrong to say David's enemy because actually Saul was never David's enemy but and Saul David was an enemy of Saul but the one who had been trying to destroy David David's adversary and maybe he felt that by making up a story that I killed him that he would find favor in David's eyes it could be this is a lie and it could be that it is true in the last chapter we read that Saul turned to his armor-bearer and said kill me because he had been shot through with an arrow and and he figured he was going to die and he didn't want the Philistines to catch him and torture him actually he was afraid of being tortured by them if they get him alive and so he asked his armor-bearer to kill him but the armor-bearer was afraid to do it and so Saul set out his sword in front of him and he lunged himself onto his sword to run it through him to kill himself and when his armor-bearer saw that Saul had fallen upon his sword he said his sword out and he fell on his sword also now it could be that the young man is telling the truth that even after running himself through with his own sword falling on his sword it could be that still he had got fully you know that it's still he was still alive and he saw this young man said who are you I'm a mock I kill me please I don't want the Philistines to torture me catch me in torture and it could be that he did slay him or it could be that he's making up this story that he came and found Saul dead ripped off his crown and bracelets and and made up the story I don't know we are only left to conjecture nobody really knows for certain however there is an interesting thing here if indeed this young man did kill Saul it would make an interesting spiritual analogy concerning our flesh and that is if we don't utterly destroy the flesh ultimately the flesh is going to destroy us had he utterly wiped out the Amalekites then this young Amalekite boy could never have killed him but his failure to obey the Lord and utterly ripe out the Amalekites it came and a young Amalekite boy killed him and it is true that God tells us to put to death the flesh the things of the flesh because if we don't if we keep making allowances and tolerate our flesh you can be sure the flesh is going to come back and destroy you make no provision for the flesh walking after the flesh walk after the spirit so David when he got this news wept and he fasted he wouldn't eat anything and he began to mourn the death of Saul and Jonathan then David took hold of his clothes and he just ripped him and of course this was always a sign of great emotion and feeling you just rip your clothes and he mourned and wept and fasted until the evening for Saul and Jonathan and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel because they had fallen by the sword and David said that the young man that told him this who are you and he answered I'm the son of a stranger I'm an Amalekite and David said unto him weren't you afraid to stretch forth your hand against the anointed of the Lord how is it that you would destroy God's anointed now again it is interesting the tremendous respect David had for the anointing of God this marvelous respect for God's anointing upon a person's life because of that anointing upon Saul because he had been anointed to be king David wouldn't touch him now David did prophesy God will either strike him or he may fall in battle and as David said he may fall in battle exactly what did happen to Saul he fell in battle but David wouldn't touch him I will not stretch forth my hand to touch God's anointed and so when this young man came and said you know that he begged me and I killed him David said weren't you afraid to touch God's anointed and he called one of his young men and he said fall on him with your sword because he dared to touch the anointed of God and so one of David's young men fell upon him and killed this young man who thought no doubt that David would promote him and give him a position of honor maybe even give him a reward for what he had done and David rewarded him but not as he thought David said the your blood be upon your head because from your own mouth you've testified against yourself that you have slain the Lord's anointed and David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son this beautiful lamentation of David also he had them teach the children of Judah the use of the bull it is written in the book of and this is his lamentation the beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places how are the mighty fallen tell it not in Gath which was one of the principal Philistine cities publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon which was another of the five major cities of the Philistines lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph actually when the men came back from the war with the victories and all the young girls would get their tambourines and they would come out in their dances and they would go through their dances praising the men for their battle and their valor and their victories and all and and David could see the celebrations in his mind that were going on in these Philistine cities because this mighty man Saul and this beloved friend Jonathan were slain and so he's crying out don't publish it in Gath don't publish it in Ashkelon lest the daughters of the Philistines come out in their dances and they rejoice and all then he turned to the Mount Gilboa where Saul fell and he said ye mountains of Gilboa let there be no dew neither let there be rain upon you nor fields of offerings for there the shield of the mighty is virally cast away in the shield of Saul and though as though he had not been anointed with oil from the blood of the slain and from the fat of the mighty the bow of Jonathan turned not back and the sword of Saul returned not empty Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death they were not divided they were swifter than eagles they were stronger than lions now this sort of curse upon Mount Gilboa because Saul had fallen let there not be the dew of heaven or rain fall upon me let there not be wheat fields grow upon thee very interesting because you go to Israel today and look at Mount Gilboa and it's barren a rocky barren mountain now all around it the mountains are just covered with trees lush beautiful and green but Gilboa stands out because of its barrenness now I guess the people of Israel sort of helped this prophecy out because in all of the reforestation of Israel they planted millions of trees but they won't plant trees on Mount Gilboa because of this lament of David and so it is interesting that Mount Gilboa remains barren to the present day in fulfillment of this lament of David and it's always just sort of you know interesting to look at Gilboa and see the barrenness of it and then remember ye mountains of Gilboa let there be no dew let neither let there be any rain upon you or fields of offerings and then he addresses himself to the daughters of Israel ye daughters of Israel weep over Saul who clothed you in scarlet and with other delights who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel how are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle Oh Jonathan thou was slain in thine high places I am distressed for thee my brother Jonathan very pleasant has thou been unto me thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of women how are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished now there are some perverted minds who declare that David and Jonathan had homosexual relationships a homosexual relationship going between them because of this declaration of David and such thing is the worst kind of trash it's blasphemous no such thing is inferred from this in the Hebrew text of all it's blasphemous now it came to pass after this that David inquired of the Lord and he said shall I go up to Judah now to me it is interesting as we observe David he doesn't take any actions without first of all seeking guidance from God now there is a scripture that says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path now many times we complain that we don't know what God wants we are confused as to the leading of God within our lives and oftentimes it is as James said you have not because you ask not the scripture tells us that if in all of our ways we acknowledge him he will direct our path you see our problem is that we're prone to just go ahead and barge in and then later say Lord what am I doing here why did you allow me to get in this place whereas had I stopped beforehand and said Lord shall I go in he would have said no stay out of there there's problems in there so it's important that we acknowledge the Lord in everything and if we do then God will direct our path and here David is a classic example of seeking the guidance of the Lord in in every mood now you remember he was living in the city of the Philistine the actually the king of Gath H Kish had given them this city of Ziglag because Saul had been chasing him all over he got tired of running from Saul feared Saul's finally gonna catch up with him and kill him and so he fled over to the Philistines knowing that Saul wouldn't pursue him there and a Kish gave him this Philistine city of Ziklag and so David now says Lord shall I go to one of the cities of Judah and the Lord answered David and said go up and David said where shall I go Lord and the Lord said to Hebron so here's David inquiring of the Lord seeking the guidance of God for each move that he made so David went up there and his two wives also Ahinoam the Jezreelitis and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite and his men that were with him David brought up every man with his household and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron and the men of Judah came and they anointed David King over the house of Judah and they told David saying that the men of Jabesh Gilead were those that buried Saul so they came anointed David King and he was informed at that point of the of the men of Jabesh Gilead who took Saul's body and Jonathan's body out of the temple at Beth Sheen and took them over to Jabesh Gilead for a decent burial so David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh Gilead and said unto them blessed be ye of the Lord that you have showed this kindness unto your Lord even to Saul and you have buried him and now may the Lord show kindness and truth unto you and I also will requit you this kindness because you have done this thing I'll remember this David said therefore now let your hands be strengthened and be valiant for your master Saul is dead and also the house of Judah hath anointed me to be king over them however Abner the son of Ner who was the captain of Saul's host he was the one that David had chided earlier because he had failed to guard Saul he took Ish-beth-sheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahaneim which is on the other side of Jordan and he made him king over Gilead and all of the Azurites and over Jezreel and Ephraim and over Bethlehem and all of Israel so Ish-beth-sheth Saul's son was 40 years old when he began to reign over Israel and he reigned for two years but the house of Judah followed David and the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months and so the kingdom is divided later on the kingdom is to be divided again at the time of David's grandson Rehoboam because of his stupidity the northern ten tribes pulled out and formed a separate nation Israel the southern two tribes became known as Judah but David ruled only over Judah the rest of the tribes swore their allegiance to Saul's son Ish-beth-sheth under Abner's instigation now Abner it would seem knew that God had anointed David to be king Abner was actually a cousin to Saul and was probably more or less seeking to reign himself but using Ish-beth-sheth as sort of a figurehead and so it was his own ambitions more or less to rule and Ish-beth-sheth because he was the son of Saul became a sort of a figurehead sort of like Carter is and not really ruling you know but just taking orders from those that control the things now Ish-beth-sheth was 40 years old when he began to reign David was 30 years old when he began his reign in Hebron and David reigned for seven years and six months in Hebron over just Judah it wasn't until seven and a half years later that there came to David the rulers of Israel and said we want you to rule over all of us and so his reign began in Hebron over just the tribe of Judah now Abner who was the general and more or less the guy in charge of the Israel and the servants of Ish-beth-sheth the son of Saul went out from Menaim to Gibeon and Joab who was David's general and the servants of David went out and they met them together by the pool of Gibeon and they sat down one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool and these guys are tough bloody men of war there's very little to be admired in Joab in fact Joab was a very cruel and and and difficult person tough as nails David tolerated him because he had such tremendous devotion to David and he was such a tremendous fighter but David really was never comfortable with Joab because of the nature of the fellow and so what we read now isn't it all commendable or pleasant or it just shows really the corrupt nature of man so here's Abner with the men of Israel young fellows here's Joab from David they're sitting by this pool and they say how about having a little sport all right you know and so ten of the young men of David and ten of the young men from Abner got out to entertain these two generals and they all of them grab each other by the head and ran each other through with their swords great sport you know it's just sort of hard for us in our Christian Western culture to even imagine such a thing as being sporting or whatever and so that escalated into a real battle and Joab and his men jumped up and Abner and his men and Joab began to prevail the men of David began to prevail over those of Abner and Abner and his men began to flee and there were three sons there two brothers of Joab actually three sons of Zariah Joab and Abishai and Asahel now Asahel was as as fleet as a deer he was a just a great runner and as Abner was fleeing Asahel started chasing him but evidently Asahel didn't have any armor just running after him and Abner turned around and said hey grab the armor from one of those young boys in order in order that you might be able to have sort of a fair fight but he wouldn't do it he just kept right on his heels just running after him right on his heels and finally Abner said hey turn away why should I smite you but he wouldn't listen he just stayed right on his heels and finally Abner ran him through with his spear and you know all the way through and Asahel died there and as the men of David came up to the spot they just sort of waited sort of shocked to see Asahel the brother of Joab dead and when Joab and his men came up then they were getting ready to pursue again in the morning it was evening and and they in the morning started pursue and Abner was up on a hill and he said you know shall we fight with the sword forever you know we're just gonna you know what value is it and so Joab said good thing you said that or else you know we would have been destroying each other and Joab and his men went home however Joab in his heart carried that desire for vengeance against Abner now there was a long war verse chapter 3 between the house of Saul and the house of David but David became stronger and stronger and the house of Saul became weaker and weaker now David began to display a weakness that ultimately led him to that terrible sin for which he received so much notoriety he began to add wives and concubines so we have here a list of six sons that were born to him while in Hebron and all six of them by different wives so he just started taking wives and women into his harem so to speak and of course his son Solomon carried this thing to ridiculous extremes but David started multiplying wives now that was one of the things that the Kings were not to do according to the commandment of God in Deuteronomy when you set up Kings they are not to multiply wives and so forth but David started doing that and it shows a weakness in David's flesh that ultimately led him to that great sin with Bathsheba now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rispa Saul of course had done the same thing he had wives and concubines and this one concubine Rispa had born Saul two sons and so Ish-bosheth said to Amner why have you gone into my father's concubine now this evidently was a false charge it was a grievous charge actually to go into another man's concubine even though the other man was dead it was symbolic of taking over his authority and his rule you remember later on in David's career when Absalom his son rebelled against him and David fled from Jerusalem as Absalom was moving up from Hebron with his troops and David deserted from Jerusalem when Absalom came into the city he went into David's concubines there in the sight of all the people went into where David's concubines were which was equivalent of ascending to David's place and taking over David's place so the accusation you've gone into my father's concubine why did you do that was equivalent of saying what are you trying to do take over my father's place and Amner became extremely upset with this false allegation and he was very angry with Ish-bosheth and he said am I a dog's head which against Judah do show kindness this day into the house of Saul thy father and to his brothers and friends and have not I delivered thee into the hand of David that thou charges me today with a fault concerning this woman and I've not delivered thee into the hand of David you know look what I've done for you and yet you're making this stupid allegation so do God to Amner more also except as the Lord has sworn to David even so I do to him now notice he knew that the Lord had sworn to David that David should be the king in spite of the fact that he knew that the Lord had sworn to David that he should be king yet he had gone against that in establishing Ish-bosheth upon the throne so it was something that he knew was wrong and yet he did it and so I swear to David to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah from Dan even to Beersheba now Dan is up in the furthermost northern part of Israel it's where the Jordan River comes right out of the ground and begins its course southward and Beersheba was on the southern extreme just on the border of the wilderness from which area south it was just desert wilderness area so it sort of circumscribes the northern and southern borders of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and Ish-bosheth could not answer Amner a word again because he was afraid of him so Amner sent messengers to David on his behalf saying whose is the land saying also make a league with me and behold my hand shall be with you to bring about all Israel to you and he said well I will make a league with you but one thing I require of thee and that is thou shalt not see my face except you first bring me Michelle Saul's daughter when you come to see my face now Saul ended of course done a dirty deal to David and and he had promised David his daughter as a wife because of the killing of the Philistine he promised whoever kills the Philistine giant you know you can marry my daughter and he gave his daughter Marib to another fellow because he was jealous of David and then he heard that Michelle was in love with David he said ah she's a you know a little vixen she'll really fix him and so I'll let him marry her you know and he was really planning to let her just be a irritant David she probably a self-willed strong little gal and and he figured she had really given a bad time and so he allowed David to marry Michelle but when David fled from Saul's presence then Saul gave Michelle to another man they deal and and he became her husband but this other guy was really crazy about her but David sort of this is not you know a lot of David I admire and there's some that I don't admire and this is one part that I really don't admire he almost is vindictive in this point or he's just you know wanting almost to just prove something which he really doesn't need to prove but he when Abner sends a message and said you know I'd like to make a league with you I'll turn all Israel into your hands and so forth he said that's fine I'll be glad to but you can't see my face unless you bring Michelle who was his wife now as I pointed out he had already taken many more wives and he brought had a bunch of concubines and wives and and it wasn't really because of some sexual deprivation or whatever that he was wanting this gal it was just to prove some kind of an ego point or something and so David sent messengers to Ischbosheth Saul's son saying deliver me my wife Michelle which was a spouse to me for the dowry that he had given to Saul for her and Ischbosheth sent and took her from her husband even from Phaethiel the son of Laish and her husband and this is a sad scene because evidently he liked her and he went after her weeping behind her to bay her room and then Abner said to him go and return and so he returned and Abner had communication with the elders of Israel saying you sought for David in times past to be the king over you now then do it for the Lord has spoken of David saying by the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and out of the hand of all their enemies so he knew that David had been anointed of God and that God had declared that through David they would be delivered so Abner also spake in the ears of the tribe of Benjamin and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin so Abner came to David to Hebron 20 men with him and David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast and Abner said to David I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord the king and they will make a league with thee that you may reign over all that your heart desires and David sent Abner away and he went in peace and behold the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop now at this time Joab was gone when Abner was down here and there was this bitterness that was being harbored in Joab's heart against Abner because Abner had killed his brother so when Joab came back the guy said did you know that Abner was here and he made a league with David Joab said nah you sure yeah and so Joab sent men after Abner saying you know come on back there's some further things to discuss and so Abner returned and Joab met him in the gate and said here I want to talk to you and took him in to a place and ran him through the heart through under the fifth rib which is where the position of your heart and so he smote him under the fifth rib and he died in the blood for the blood of Asherahel his brother now when David heard it he said I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever for the blood of Abner the son of Ner let it rest on the head of Joab and on his father's house now here David actually curses Joab and his house for this deed it's cruel it's vindictive it's wrong and David acknowledges the wrongness of it and he curses the house of Joab horrible curse let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue or that is a leper or that leaneth on the staff or that falls on the sword or that lacks bread man he really wiped him out you know let there be a plague upon his house let them be crippled let them fall by the sword let them become beggars let him be destitute so Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because he had slain their brother in Gibeon and David said to Joab and to all the people that were with him tear your clothes put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner and David followed the casket and they buried Abner there in Hebron and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner and all of the people wept with him and the king lamented over Abner and said died Abner as a fool dianth thy hands were not bound or thy feet put into fetters as a man falleth before wicked men so you fell and all the people wept again over him so David is giving a public demonstration of his disapproval of Joab's deed so that everyone knew that David disapproved of the thing that Joab did cursing Joab and Joab's house for it and putting on a big demonstration at the funeral and lamenting over the death of Abner and when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day day David swear saying so do God to me and more also if I taste bread or anything else till the Sun has gone down and all the people took notice of it and it pleased them and whatsoever the king did pleased all the people now David was behaving himself very wisely and allowing God to work to establish the kingdom with him in other words though he knew that he had been anointed by God to be king over Israel he figured if God anointed me king and God wants me to be king God is able to work out the circumstances and so David isn't in there trying to work things out for himself he's letting God take care of all of these things he's behaving himself very wisely and prudently and the people are noticing it and are really being attracted and drawn to David because he shows that he does have a heart and he does desire the right things and he's not really out promoting himself now in one of the Psalms we are told promotion comes not from the east or the west but promotion comes from the Lord and David really believed that he wasn't out trying to exalt himself or promote himself he was just waiting for God to do it that's an important lesson it would be good if each of us would follow the same thing it seems that so many people are out to hype themselves and to hype their programs and the world is filled with big hypes everybody trying to hype everybody else you know but David was not seeking to promote himself he was just waiting upon God and letting the things fall and letting God do it having that kind of confidence in God if this is what God wants this is what God is able to bring to pass how beautiful it is to have a commitment to the purposes of God knowing that if I just stay open and yielded God is able to work his purposes out in my life and not try to push things or press things because I know that this is what God wants I know that this is what's right so I get in and I push and press and I can actually push myself ahead of God and out of the will of God it is better that I just kick back all right God that's what you want I'm open to it I'm ready for it but I'm gonna let you work the thing out and it is so much better when God does the promotion I look at what God has done here without any full-page ads in the paper you know and radio ads and the big heights and all look what God has done it's absolutely phenomenal years ago when we were still over in the other church God was pouring out his spirit and blessing us and so many at that time of the hippie kids were coming in and receiving Christ and it was sort of a novelty as far as the news media was concerned and of course CBS had been down and done a story and look magazine had done a story and there have been a lot of readers digested a story and there was just a lot of publicity going out BBC the German broadcasting system magazines in Europe magazines in South America everybody in fact I was in Israel up in Kfar Giladi a couple of weeks ago and a Frenchman came up to me and he said you wouldn't happen to be Chuck Smith would you and I said yes and he said oh praise the Lord oh brother this is exciting he said I read about you 10 years ago in a magazine in France and I saw your picture and I thought I recognized you you know hey I thought all right 10 years ago and you still recognize me you know so all of this publicity and and we weren't you know out beating bushes or trying to you know it was just it was there and of course people were coming then to see the hippie church and and the Jesus people and all that well I read in Time magazine they had a big write-up on Blacks Beach down in San Diego 20 kids stripped to the buff and went swimming and it made you know this big article in time of of these young people in California the drug scene and new bathing and all this kind of stuff new public bathing and the whole thing and and it was a big splash because there were 20 kids down at Blacks Beach in in San Diego that swam in the buff well it so happened that we were having a baptismal coming up at Corona Del Mar and there were about a thousand kids to be baptized and I thought to myself I ought to call the religion editor of Time magazine and tell them that other things are happening in the beaches of California than just a few kids swimming in the nude that's some exciting things if you got 20 kids swimming in the nude but you got a thousand kids who are being baptized committing their lives to Jesus Christ and if 20 kids swimming the nude were worthy the article in time and and all space and I surely a thousand kids being baptized ought to be worthy a little article in Time magazine also sort of as a contrast you know kind of an article and as I was driving home I was thinking about well I just need to call the religion editor of Time magazine and let him know what's going on because he could maybe send a reporter out and and cover the story and it would just make good good story for time and as I was thinking this driving home the Lord spoke to my heart and he said who has been your publicity agent up till now and I said well you have Lord and he said aren't you satisfied with the job that I'm doing you've been in Look magazine you've been in Reader's Digest you've been on CBS and NBC aren't you satisfied with the job I'm doing I said oh Lord forgive me how stupid of me of thinking to you know call somebody to try to get some you know publicity to what is happening here and I just repented and asked the Lord to forgive me for even thinking of trying to publicize what God was doing I got home and there was a stranger in my living room which wasn't unusual in those days and so my wife said honey this fella is a reporter from Time magazine and he's been sent out here to do a story on the Jesus people and so the fellow introduced himself she can't he said do you have anything like a baptism or something coming up that you know that we could oh Lord you know you're just always a step or two ahead you don't have to get out and hype something you don't have to get out and promote and you don't have to get out and spend a lot of God's dollars in advertising God is able to do his work and how good it is for us to rest in God now when a person strives to attain a goal and you achieve and attain your goal by great strivings big heights publicities and all of this kind of stuff when you strive to attain then you must strive to maintain you know you got this big ball rolling but now you gotta keep pushing to get to keep the thing rolling you know and it's a constant striving constant effort and and the ministers are just dropping off with heart attacks and everything else has so much push so much pressure but when you don't strive to attain then you don't have to strive to maintain you can just kick back go to Hawaii once in a while God's gonna keep the thing you know if he wants to and if he doesn't then all of our efforts isn't gonna keep it anyhow the work of the Lord the purposes of God he is fully able to accomplish and David had this as a deep consciousness God is able to accomplish his purposes I don't have to get in push I don't have to get in the stride God's able to do it and he was using real wisdom just letting the things fall as God directed rather than getting in and striving and and thus we can learn much from David's example in these things so everything that David did was was pleasing the king he was behaving himself properly and all of the people throughout all of Israel understood that it wasn't David's desire to destroy Abner and the king said to his servants and these are beautiful words know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel and I am this day weak though I though I'm the king and these men the sons of Uriah they're too much for me may the Lord reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness and and so Joab and his brother Abishai they said they're just too much for me may God take care of it well David took care of him later we'll get to that as we move on in Samuel but David got it he got Joab ultimately now when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron he be his hands were feeble and all of Israel was troubled and Saul's son had two men that were the captains of his bands and these two men came in to the palace as though they were going to get some wheat and then they jumped on him while he was taking his afternoon lap nap and they smote him under the fifth rib a common phrase that means they ran him through the heart and they escaped they cut off his head and escaped and they came running to David with a head of ish but chef and so they said to David behold here is the head of ish but chef the son of Saul your enemy which sought your life and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed and David answered these two generals reach heaven the nah his brother and said to them as the Lord lives who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity when a young man told me that Saul was dead thinking that he was bringing good tidings I took hold of him and slew him there at ziglag when he thought that I was going to give him a reward for those tidings how much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand and take you away from the earth and so David commanded his young men and they slew them cut off their hands and their feet and hang them over the pool in Hebron but they took the head of ish but chef and they buried it there in the grave of Abner there in Hebron so David again showed that he was not trying to promote himself and punish these men who did this dastardly deed to ish but chef then all of the tribes came to David there in Hebron and they said behold we are of your bone where of your flesh in times past when Saul was king you are the one that led us out to victories over our enemies and you the Lord said to you that you are to feed my people Israel and thou shalt be a captain over Israel so all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron and King David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord and the anointed David King over Israel and David was 30 years old when he began to reign he reigned for 40 years seven of those years in Hebron and 33 years there in Judah or Jerusalem over all of Israel now notice the David was called to feed God's people and to be captain over them God's people always need feeding Jesus said to Peter lovest thou me feed my sheep Peter later wrote feed the flock of God that is among you in Jeremiah's God said I will give them shepherds who will feed them with the knowledge of God God's people the greatest need is that of feeding David was a true shepherd called to feed God's people so David and his men came to Jerusalem where the Jebusites were still there in a stronghold now the Jebusites figured that their city was impregnable the Israelites had never been able to take Jebus it was the ancient site of Jerusalem but it was a walled city it had excellent defenses and no one had been able to take this city of Jebus and when David came they said to him unless you can defeat our blind and our lame you're not going to be able to take our city in other words they were saying to David hey we're just going to put the blind and the lame men to fight you you're not even able to overcome them they felt that their their their defenses the walls and all were that strong that they could actually man them with just blind and lame men nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion and the same became the city of David David said on that day whosoever get us up to the gutter and smites the Jebusites and the lame and the blind that are hated of David's soul he shall be the chief and captain wherefore they said the blind and the lame shall not come into the house so David dwelt in the fort and he called it the city of David and David built round about from Milo and inward Milo and inward and David went on and he grew great and the Lord God of hosts was with him and Hiram the king of Tyre sent down cedars and carpenters and Masons and all and they built a palace for David and David took more wines and concubines out of Jerusalem when he was come from Hebron and he had many more sons and daughters and a list of some eleven more sons and daughters that were born to him there in Jerusalem now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David the king over Israel all of the Philistines came to seek David and David heard of it and he went down to the fortress and the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Riphim and David inquired of the Lord now again David seeking counsel of God and he said shall I go up against the Philistines will you deliver them into my hand and the Lord said to David go up for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines in your hand so David came to Bel-Purism and David smote them there and he said the Lord has broken forth upon my enemies before me as a breach of waters therefore he called the name of the place Bel-Purism which means the plane of breaches and the Philistines left their images there and David burned them with his men and the Philistines came up the second time into the same valley and David inquired of the Lord again and the Lord said thou shalt not go up but circle around behind them and come in and attack them from the rear but wait over there until you hear the sound of the wind in the mulberry trees and then's the time to attack so David is receiving directions from God inquiring of the Lord and God is directing him and thus he is very successful as is any man who will seek guidance from God and so David did so and they smote the Philistines from Geba even to Gezer and again David gathered together the chosen men of Israel thirty thousand of them and David arose and went and all of the people that were with him from Baal of Judah to bring from there the Ark of God now Baal of Judah is actually Kirjath-Jerim it's about eight miles from Jerusalem it is where they had brought the Ark of God and and so he was coming now to bring the Ark of God into Jerusalem and in coming to Kirjath-Jerim what they did was made a new cart and they put the Ark of the Covenant on this new cart and they got these oxen to pull the cart and as they were coming with all of this big celebration the oxen pulling the cart with the Ark of the Covenant upon it the ox one of the oxen tripped in this cart began to shake and the Ark of the Covenant looked like was going to fall and this one fellow reached forth his hand Uzziah and he reached out his hand to steady the Ark of God so it wouldn't fall and when he reached out his hand to touch the Ark of God God smote him dead and this angered David number one with God and it put a fear in David's heart he said hey man that thing's powerful who among us can live around that thing you know seeing the power of God against anyone who would dare to violate the Word of God David really got panicked because he knew that he wasn't doing that close you know and who can live around this thing so he just had to turn in and he headed back to Jerusalem empty not taking the Ark of the Covenant but he just put it in there at the house of Obed Edom and it is interesting though that as David sought to bring the Ark of the Covenant back rather than going back to the book of the law to see how God had ordered the Ark of the Covenant to be transported David was following the Philistine example when they sent the Ark of the Covenant back they had built a cart and they took oxen and had that pulled back with a cart pulled by oxen now that was the Philistine's method of transporting the Ark however the law of God said that when they bore the Ark they were to put these staves through the rings and it was to be born by four priests so David really wasn't following the law of God in building this new cart and having it pulled by oxen he was not following God's pattern but the Philistine pattern and it had of course disastrous results and so they just put the house the Ark there at the house of Obed Edom and God began to bless Obed Edom like everything because the Ark of the Covenant was there and for three months this guy was just blessed of God and they came and told David Wow is Obed Edom ever being blessed because of the Ark of the Covenant and so David decided well all right I'll go and get it and I'll bring it on into Jerusalem so this time now he went back to the Scriptures to follow the law of the Lord and they had the priest bear the Ark of the Covenant and when they would walk six steps he would make a sacrifice unto the Lord then go three six more steps and they'd offer another sacrifice unto the Lord and he was out there he had on just a linen robe a common garment took off his kingly robes and everything and was just dressed in a common garment of a common person out with the crowd dancing with all of his might before the Lord I mean he was just having a hilarious time he was so excited bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem with tremendous excitement and joy and the people were praising the Lord offering sacrifices dancing before the Lord David in the middle of them dancing with all of his might and just singing praises unto God as the Ark of the Covenant was coming unto Jerusalem and his wife the daughter of Saul Michelle looked out the window and saw him doing that and she hated him in her heart so David had a big party gave everybody a big portion of meat jug of wine sent him on their way bless all of the people everybody was thrilled he was you know on cloud nine just all right you know just so thrilled and he came in to bless his house just overflowing and who should meet him at the door but icicles Michelle and she said didn't the king behave himself gloriously today uncovering yourself in front of all of those handmaidens they're gonna despise you boy that big cold put down cold blanket you know it is so hard when you've had such a glorious experience with the Lord and you're just floating you meet someone well aren't you just the one you know any and you know yeah well David's not one to be messed with and he said to her he gets very caustic with her he said it was before the Lord which chose me cut cut cut before your father and before his house to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord over Israel therefore I will play before the Lord it was before the Lord I wasn't out there before the people that you know you making a big show in front of all those people out there dancing making a big show making a big thing of yourself and all David said it was before the Lord who chose me before your father in his house and I'm gonna play before the Lord and I will be yet even more vile than this and will be base in my own sight and of these maidservants which you have spoken of I will be held in honor of them therefore Michelle the daughter of Saul had no child into the day of her death he actually disgraced her by refusing then to have relationships with her and refused her the honor of having a child which in that culture was a most important thing for a woman was to bear a child a son especially for her husband and David got even he was not one that you really wanted to mess with now it came to pass when the king sat in his house and the Lord had given him rest roundabout from all of his enemies now he's established he's strong he's powerful that the king said unto Nathan the prophet look I'm dwelling in a house of cedar but the Ark of God is dwelling there in the curtains Nathan said to the king go and do all that is in your heart for the Lord is with you now David is expressing his desire to Nathan to build a house for God look Nathan I'm dwelling in this beautiful palace the Ark of God is still in that tent I want to make a house for God and Nathan the prophet is taken with the idea ah David that's great go and do all that is in your heart but when Nathan went home that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan saying go and tell my servant David thus saith the Lord shall you build a house for me to dwell in whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt even to this day but I have walked in a tent and in the tabernacle in all of the places wherein I have walked with the children of Israel did I ever ask anyone to build me a house now therefore so shalt thou say to my servant David thus saith the Lord of hosts I took you from the sheep coat from following after the sheep and I made you the ruler over my people over Israel and I was with thee wherever you went and I've cut off all your enemies out of your sight and I've made you a great name like to the like the name of the great men which are upon the earth moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and I will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them anymore as before time and as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel and I've caused thee to rest from all of your enemies also the Lord tells you that he will build you a house and when thy days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers I will set thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy loins and I will establish his kingdom he shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever now in Acts chapter 2 verse 30 is Peter is making a commentary on this particular passage of Scripture the Word of the Lord to David Peter tells us there that being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit upon his thrones David understood that God was promising that the Messiah was going to come through his lineage and it was a glorious promise of God disappointment to David you can't build a house for me but good news David I'm going to build you a house from you the Messiah shall come the Lord said I will be his father and he shall be my son if he commits iniquity I will chasten him with a rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I took it from Saul whom I put away before thee and thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee and thy throne shall be established forever according to all these words and according to all this vision Nathan related it to David faithfully and when King David went in and he sat down before the Lord and he said who am I O Lord God and what is my house that you have brought me to this place God reminded him of his past you were just a shepherd I took you from following after the sheep and I made you the king the ruler over my people who am I O Lord God and what is my house my family was nothing that you should make me the king he was just looking at the goodness that God had shown to him that you should bring me to this place of ruling who am I O Lord God and this was yet a small thing in thy side O Lord God but you have spoken also of thy servants house for a great while to come in other words Lord this is not a small thing this is tremendous but that isn't all you now start to talk to me about my house for a great while to come you start telling me of the future you know you look at what God has done for you as David said he brought me up out of the horrible pit out of the miry clay he established my feet upon the rock and he established my guards God redeemed me from my sin he's made me his son beloved now are we the sons of God it doesn't yet appear what we're going to be but we know when he appears we're going to be like him for we're going to see him as he is in other words God has already done this for us but then God gives us fabulous promises of the future of the kingdom of God where we shall dwell with him in righteousness in joy and peace in the everlasting kingdom and we shall be heirs with him joint heirs with Christ we shall reign with him all the glorious things of God has spoken of your future it's not a small thing that God has already done it's fabulous what God has already done for us when you think of what God took us from and what he has made us now as children of God in the fellowship with him but then he just doesn't stop there he goes on and he speaks about your eternal blessedness in his kingdom as you're living with him forever and ever is this the manner of man oh Lord God no it isn't the manner of man this is this is divine grace of which we know so very little in experience as far as man is concerned and what can David say more to these things God I'm just speechless I don't know what I don't I don't have words to express what I feel about your grace Paul said and what shall we say to these things if God before us who shall be against us who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect it is God who is justified who is he that condemneth it is Christ who has died ye rather is risen again and is even at the right hand of the Father making intercession for you what can you say about it number one God is for you so many times we think God's against me no God is for you and if God is for you who can be against you well Satan can be against you but who is he against God who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect it is God who is justified God's not laying any charges against you oh how blessed is the man to whom God does not impute sin God isn't laying any charges now Satan is constantly charging you with failure weakness and so forth but God isn't charging you with these things he's justified you he considers you as though they never happen who is he that condemner Jesus isn't condemning you he said hey I didn't come to condemn the world but that the world through me might be saved and he that believeth note carefully is not condemned there is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus he that believeth is not condemned who is he that condemneth it is Christ who died yea rather is risen again and is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for you Jesus is there tonight before the throne of God interceding in your behalf because of your weaknesses and your failures and you're stumbling he's there to intercede for you not condemning you he's not saying Oh father look at that fell again didn't he why don't we wipe him out why don't we just forget him let's go to somebody else father not at all as you stumble he says father just put that one to my account lay that on me father forgive them they know not what they do he's there interceding not condemning but interceding for you pleading your cause hey if God is for us what can you say to this just Oh Lord too much too much we become just speechless when we realize the greatness of God's love and grace towards us what more can David say the most literate of all people a guy who was so gifted at expression of himself as hard as feelings I love to read the Psalms because of David's gift of expression he's able to say the things that I feel that I can't say he's able to articulate feelings of the soul and spirit that I've only been able to feel never articulate as the deer thirsteth after the water brooks so pence my soul after thee O God my soul thirsteth for thee as in a dry and barren land oh you know you go on it whoo that's beautiful I love it you know and and this guy who was so articulate man he got to the place where you just speechless God you're too much if what you've already done you've made me the king I was just a little kid following sheep you've made me the king of your people and if this wasn't a small thing Lord you've spoken now of my house for a great while to come you've promised the Messiah's gonna the Messiah's gonna come you know Lord what did I say what do I say for thy word's sake and according to your own heart have you done these great things he says hey Lord I know it's not me I know it's not you know it's not because I'm somebody great or I'm so good it's for your word's sake and according to your own heart that you've done these things these things proceed from your righteousness not from mine they proceed from your goodness not from my righteousness God's grace is never a reward for your goodness or righteousness God's grace always proceeds from his heart and for his own word's sake he does for you not because you're worthy not because you're you're especially nice you you're especially good now you're gonna get this special blessing never it's just because he loves you and that's his nature and that's his heart to show his love to you and just to totally overwhelm you though you realize how totally undeserving and how unworthy you are and the hardest thing to do is just to accept grace gracefully my son came up he called me Monday Wednesday morning he said dad I need to talk to you and so I said okay he said I'll be up there about 2 30 this afternoon I said fine I'll wait for you so he came in and he sat down he said dad I'm really worried I said what about and he began to tell me of all of the blessings that have been laid upon him lately just God has just opened up and began to pour out blessings on that kid so much so that he said I just worried you know God has given me so much I'm just getting worried you know the church bought them a new washer and dryer and just a lot of neat things and and he was just concerned I said it's really hard to accept grace gracefully isn't it and that was his problem just accepting God's goodness surely you know this is too much for me I surely don't deserve this you know and and just when when God begins to pour it on it gets hard to take you know oh no it's just too much like I don't deserve that and and all and that's one thing though that we have to learn is just to accept grace gracefully God loves you and he does it for you just because he loves you not because you deserve it not because you're worthy Lord it was for your word's sake and because of your heart I know that you've done these things it isn't because David is so good or so deserving God I know that wherefore Lord thou art great Oh Lord God for there is none like thee neither is there any God beside thee according to all that we have heard with our ears Lord you're just great there's no one like you or any other God beside you and what one nation in all of the earth is like your people even like Israel whom God went to redeem for a people to himself and to make him a name and to do for you great things and awesome for thy land before the people which thou redeemest to thee from Egypt from the nations and their gods for thou has confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee forever and thou Lord are become their God and now O Lord God the word that you've spoken concerning your servant concerning his house establish it forever and do as you have said and let your name be magnified forever saying the Lord of hosts is God over Israel and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee for thou O Lord of hosts God of Israel has revealed to thy servant saying I will build thee a house therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto you and now O Lord God thou art that God and thy words be true and you have promised this goodness unto thy servant therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant that it may continue forever before thee for thou O Lord God has spoken it and with thy blessings let the house of thy servant be blessed forever all right God you said it you want to do it have at it go ahead Lord fulfill your promise I know that you've said it and now Lord I want you to do it establish the house forever so David's response to that glorious promise of God in the establishing through him the coming Messiah we'll pick up with chapter 8 next week in our study shall we stand may God bless you and give you a very profitable week may your heart be knit to him in love and may you be open to God that you might receive those blessings that he is desiring to bestow upon you just because he loves you for no other reason but just he thinks you're tops and may you just experience that blessing of God flowing unto your life may you wait upon the Lord and seek his guidance in all things looking to him for direction for the leading for the timing thus may you walk in the spirit and thus have a very profitable beautiful week in Jesus name