PSALMS – Introduction and Invitation

Posted on July 25, 2024 by dkoop

You’re Invited to Our New Series in Psalms!

Description: Psalms, the ancient songbook, written by various authors such as Moses, David, Solomon and Asaph explore the full range of human emotions and experience in a personal and relatable way. Psalms encourages its readers to praise God for who He is and what He has done. Psalms illuminate the greatness of our God, affirm His faithfulness to us in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His Word.  In our series, we will learn to practically apply the truths these magnificent hymns to our own lives.

Dates           Titles                      Scripture                Events

 July 28 – God’s Word (Psalm 1)

Aug. 4 – God’s Encouragement (Psalm 42)

Aug. 11 – God’s Leading (Psalm 23)
Aug. 18 – God’s Forgiveness (Psalm 51)                    Communion

Aug. 25 – God’s Power (Psalm 95)

Sep. 1 – God’s Presence (Psalm 84)                 Labor Day Weekend

Introduction:

“Hi, how are you?” “Fine.” Not exactly an “in-depth” discussion, this brief interchange is normal as friends and acquaintances pass and briefly touch each other with a cliché or two. Actually, clichés are a way of life, saturating sentences and permeating paragraphs. But if this is the essence of our communication, our relationships will stall on a superficial plateau. Facts and opinions also fill our verbiage. These words go deeper, but the true person still lies hidden beneath them. In reality, only when honest feelings and emotions are shared can real people be known, loved, and helped. Often, patterns of superficial communication spill over into our talks with God. We easily slide through well-worn lines recited for decades, or we quickly toss a cliché or two at God and call it prayer. Certainly God hears and understands these feeble attempts, but by limiting the depth of our communication, we become shallow in our relationship with him. But God knows us, and he wants to have genuine communication with us.
At the center of the Bible is the book of Psalms. This great collection of songs and prayers expresses the heart and soul of humanity. In them we find the whole range of human experiences expressed. This book holds no clichés. Instead, David and the other writers honestly poured out their true feelings, reflecting a dynamic, powerful, and life-changing friendship with God. The psalmists confess their sins, express their doubts and fears, ask God for help in times of trouble, and praise and worship him. As you read the book of Psalms, you will hear believers crying out to God from the depths of despair, and you will hear them singing to him in the heights of celebration. But whether the psalm writers are despairing or rejoicing, you will always hear them sharing honest feelings with their God. Because of the honesty expressed by these writers, men and women throughout history have come, again and again, to the book of Psalms for comfort during times of struggle and distress. And through the psalms, they have risen from the depths of despair to new heights of joy and praise as they also discovered the power of God’s everlasting love and forgiveness. Let the honesty of the psalms guide you into a deep and genuine relationship with God.

Vital Statistics

Purpose: To provide poetry for the expression of praise, worship, and confession to God

Authors:  David wrote 73 psalms; Asaph wrote 12; the sons of Korah wrote 9; Solomon wrote 2; Heman (with the sons of Korah), Ethan, and Moses each wrote one; 51 psalms are anonymous. The New Testament ascribes two of the anonymous psalms (Psalms 2 and 95) to David (see Acts 4:25; Hebrews 4:7).

Original Audience: The people of Israel

Date Written: Between the time of Moses (approximately 1440 B.C.) and the Babylonian captivity (586 B.C.)

Setting: For the most part, the psalms were not intended to be narrations of historical events. However, they often parallel events in history, such as David’s flight from Saul and his sin with Bathsheba.

Key Verse: “Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!” (150:6)

Key Person: David

Key Place: God’s holy Temple

Outline:  

• BOOK ONE PSALMS 1:1–41:13
While the psalms are not organized by topic, it is helpful to compare the dominant themes in each section of the Psalms to the five books of Moses. This first collection of psalms, mainly written by David, is similar to the book of Genesis. Just as Genesis tells how mankind was created, fell into sin, and was then promised redemption, many of these psalms discuss humans as blessed, fallen, and redeemed by God.

• BOOK TWO PSALMS 42:1–72:20
This collection of psalms, mainly written by David and the sons of Korah, is similar to the book of Exodus. Just as Exodus describes the nation of Israel, many of these psalms describe the nation as ruined and then recovered. As God rescued the nation of Israel, he also rescues us. We do not have to work out solutions first, but we can go to God with our problems and ask him to help.

• BOOK THREE PSALMS 73:1–89:52
This collection of psalms, mainly written by Asaph or Asaph’s descendants, is similar to the book of Leviticus. Just as Leviticus discusses the Tabernacle and God’s holiness, many of these psalms discuss the Temple and God’s enthronement. Because God is almighty, we can turn to him for deliverance. These psalms praise God because he is holy, and his perfect holiness deserves our worship and reverence.

• BOOK FOUR PSALMS 90:1–106:48
This collection of psalms, mainly written by unknown authors, is similar to the book of Numbers. Just as Numbers discusses the relationship of the nation of Israel to surrounding nations, these psalms often mention the relationship of God’s overruling Kingdom to the other nations. Because we are citizens of the Kingdom of God, we can keep the events and troubles of earth in their proper perspective.

• BOOK FIVE PSALMS 107:1–150:6
This collection of psalms, mainly written by David, is similar to the book of Deuteronomy. Just as Deuteronomy was concerned with God and his Word, these psalms are anthems of praise and thanksgiving for God and his Word. Most of the psalms were originally set to music and used in worship. We can use these psalms today as they were used in the past, as a hymnbook of praise and worship. This is a book that ought to make our hearts sing.

Main Ideas: 

Praise Psalms are songs of praise to God as our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. Praise is recognizing, appreciating, and expressing God’s greatness. Focusing our thoughts on God moves us to praise him. The more we know him, the more we can appreciate what he has done for us.

God’s power – God is all-powerful; and he always acts at the right time. He is sovereign over every situation. God’s power is shown by the ways he reveals himself in creation, history, and his Word.
When we feel powerless, God can help us. His strength can overcome the despair of any pain or trial. We can always pray that he will deliver, protect, and sustain us.

Forgiveness – Many psalms are intense prayers asking God for forgiveness. God forgives us when we confess our sin and turn from it.
Because God forgives us, we can pray to him honestly and directly. When we receive his forgiveness, we move from alienation to intimacy, from guilt to love.

Thankfulness – We are grateful to God for his personal concern, help, and mercy. Not only does he protect, guide, and forgive us, but his creation provides everything we need.
When we realize how we benefit from knowing God, we can fully express our thanks to him. By thanking him often, we develop spontaneity in our prayer life

Trust – God is faithful and just. When we put our trust in him, he quiets our hearts. Because he has been faithful throughout history, we can trust him in times of trouble.

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Source: Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 841–842.

 

 

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Betrayal – 2 Samuel 15-18

Posted on July 24, 2024 by dkoop

Betrayal is part of life, but God is still in control.

Have you ever had a conflict with a person that you tried to resolve and work out? Perhaps you met with them, talked about differences and came up with a solution or reconciliation. You shook hands, hugged one another, and prayed together. You left the appointment feeling, “case closed” and all is OK only to find out later that the person is still mad, perhaps, still bad mouthing you. Have you ever been in that boat? How did you feel? Were you hurt, frustrated, or confused?

Have you ever had a dear friend turn their back against you, try to hurt you or undermine your reputation? If so, you know how painful it can be. Such is the case with David in this chapter. What looked like a reconciliation between David and Absalom in chapter 14 was not what it appeared to be and a man that David counted upon as a good friend turned out to be a traitor and betrayed him because his friend was duped by the Thief of Hearts.

Absalom is the Thief of Hearts. He becomes one more member of the Rebellious Sons Club, joining the ranks of people like Cain, Hophni, Phineas and the sons of Samuel.[1]

A father’s mistakes can be reflected in the lives of his children. In Absalom, David saw a bitter replay and amplification of many of his own past sins. God had predicted that David’s family would suffer because of his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah. David’s heart was broken as he realized that God’s predictions were coming true. God forgave David, but he did not cancel the consequences of his sin. David was horrified as he saw his son’s strengths run wild without the controls God had built into his own life.

By most casual evaluations, Absalom would have made an excellent king, and the people loved him. But he lacked the inner character and control needed in a good leader. His appearance, skill, and position did not make up for his lack of personal integrity.

David’s sins took him away from God, but repentance brought him back. In contrast, Absalom sinned and kept on sinning. Although he relied heavily on the advice of others, he was not wise enough to evaluate the counsel he received.

Can you identify with Absalom? Do you find yourself on a fast track toward self-destruction? Absalom wasn’t able to say, “I was wrong. I need forgiveness.” God offers forgiveness, but we will not experience that forgiveness until we genuinely admit our sins and confess them to God. Absalom rejected his father’s love and ultimately God’s love. How often do you miss entering back into God’s love through the door of forgiveness?[2]

We Can’t Control Who Betrays Us (15:1-6)

And it came to pass after this.… after two years in Jerusalem, Absalom begins to run for the Presidency, if you please. He is on the campaign trail. Absalom begins to stir up trouble in Jerusalem by his attitude, actions, and accusations. A look at what he does reveals the characteristics of a betrayer, a person who creates trouble and problems.

 Betrayers are prideful. They like to elevate themselves, and promote themselves with pomp and splendor. Their goal is to get a following before they make a move. Absalom prepares chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him. Chariots and runners were similar to a parade honoring a hero. The runners cleared the traffic for the chariot and announced the name of the person coming. Runners and chariots were usually used by rulers or those who desired to rule (1 Kings 1:5). Absalom had begun to set his plans in motion to steal the hearts of the people. Samuel prophesied that this would happen (1 Samuel 8:1).

Betrayers are critical. Scorners have difficulty seeing good in anything. Those in leadership do nothing right. They question the authority of others. Absalom undermines the authority of his father at the city gate. The gates were like the city hall or shopping mall. It was a place of much activity with many people as business and governmental affairs were being taken care of.

The judicial cases were backlogged because David is not in good health to hear the cases. Psalm 41 and 55 are psalms written by David during this time period. Psalm 41 reflect the criticisms and sickness and Psalm 55 refers to his heart. Absalom is trying to convince the people that David doesn’t care about them and that he does.

Betrayers want power. They claim to have all the answers or to be something they are not. They will gloat over the inability of others while whining “I wish I had a chance.” They believe they are God’s gift to mankind. Absalom is saying, “If I were king, I would be just and solve your problems.” Absalom continues to campaign, planting the seeds of rebellion into people’s hearts. The betrayer is hard at work.

Absalom “stole” means taking what belongs to another without consent or done in secret. It often involved deception. This same word is used in Exodus 20:15.

Betrayers are thieves. Absalom’s actions were a put on, a show. He was gushing over the people to get something from them, not to do something for them. He was a phony. All Absalom wants is power. If he cared for these people, he would not put them in a position of risking their lives just to put him into power. David was not wicked, evil, or oppressive. He would not put their homes in jeopardy by starting a civil war.

Absalom was a smooth talker. His plan worked. He was a thief of hearts. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords (Psalm 55:21). Absalom exalted himself instead of letting God exalt him.[3]

A messenger tells David that the hearts now belong to Absalom and David realizes he must quickly leave Jerusalem or else be killed along with those left in the city. So David evacuates with his entire house, but leaves ten concubines behind. Leaving them behind was a symbol of David’s rule in Jerusalem. David is not relinquishing the throne but moving out temporarily due to this threat. David notes that all of these people who attached to David from Philistia were also going to go with him. David attempts to send them back to stay in Jerusalem. But notice verse 21. “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” (2 Samuel 15:21 ESV) This is what it looks like to follow the king. Where our king goes, we will go, whether for life or for death. You might remember that Thomas said something similar in John 11:16 and Peter showed he would do this in the garden, pulling out his sword when the mob came to arrest Jesus.

In fact, this picture becomes clearer in verse 23. The people are wailing for the king while he crosses the brook Kidron to the Mount of Olives (15:30). This is exactly what Jesus does as recorded in John 18:1. After telling his disciples about his betrayal, they leave and cross the Kidron Valley to the garden where Jesus would pray and be arrested. One more parallel picture to Jesus in this immediate scene. To see the parallel, we must wonder why David is not fighting for Jerusalem. Why not go to battle against Absalom and defend his kingship? We see why in verses 24-30.

Zadok and the Levites also come out of the city with the ark of the covenant. They set the ark down and begin offering sacrifices to the Lord. But look at what David says in verses 25-26. David instructs the ark to be taken back into the city. David does not attempt to manipulate God through the ark but will trust in God’s will. David says, “If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me what seems good to him.” David places himself at the mercy of the Lord. He is unwilling to maintain his hold on his kingship. He will not fight for the throne. He is going to trust in the Lord. He is going to depend on God for vindication. If God wants me to be king, then he will bring me back and will be in God’s presence. But if the Lord does not take pleasure in me any more, then let the Lord do to me as he sees fit. What humility! What submission! What devotion to the Lord! He puts himself in the hands of God.

This is what we need in life. We need to hit bottom hard to wake up and trust in the Lord. David is watching everything slip through his fingers. He is losing everything that God has given him. But that is what it takes for us to wake up. There has to be humility when we hit the bottom. There has to be looking to God when we hit the bottom. This is what David is doing. David is not looking at trying to get God to do what he wants. He says to leave the ark in Jerusalem. David is ready to go wherever God is going to take him. He is not directing God. He is waiting for God to direct him. This is what it looks like to wait for the Lord and trust in the Lord. When Jesus traces this same path for his righteousness, not for his sins, he does the same thing as David. He entrusts himself to the Lord. He does not hold on to Jerusalem or the throne but submits to God’s will. As disciples, we must do the same. Hitting rock bottom hard teaches us to entrust our lives to God.

The knife goes further into David’s back when he learns that his close companion, his trusted advisor, Ahithophel is among the conspirators (15:31). Some of the deepest pain in life comes from the times when those you trust and those who are close to you betray you. Jesus had the same thing happen to him. One of his close companions, the apostle Judas, came with the crowd to arrest Jesus. But look at what David does again. David trusts the Lord. He turns to God in prayer (15:31). David asks for God’s hand to be involved in the future circumstances as they unfold.

The cascade of problems have not stopped for David. In chapter 16 As David and his men travel into the wilderness, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family named Shimei comes out and starts cursing David. He shouts to David, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man!” As he shouts these curses at David, he is throwing rocks at David and his men (16:5-7). But look at what he tells David in verse 8. The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in Saul’s household. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer! One of David’s fighting men, Abishai, asks David why they should be listening to this dead dog. Let me go over and cut off his head. Makes sense, right? How dare you curse the king? How dare you throw stones at the Lord’s anointed? Further, please note that what Shimei is saying is not true. David has not wiped out Saul’s household. David has not been a man of blood to the house of Israel. David has been reserved and has not seized the kingdom for himself. David brought justice to Saul and Jonathan when they were killed by the Philistines. Shimei is just wrong, making up lies, as he curses David.

But notice what David does in verses 11-12. First, David holds his peace and allows the slander to happen. He does not go over and kill this man. He allows the slander and mocking to happen. Not only this, David says that he deserves this. The Lord has told him to do this. David knows his sins and realizes that he must accept the consequences for his sins. He accepts the consequences of his sins. Notice in verse 12 that David’s hope is that his righteous restraint will be seen by the Lord and the Lord will repay him good for the evil that is being done against him now. David says he will do good in the face of this evil with the hope that God will do good to him later for maintain his righteousness. David does not retaliate but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. This also foreshadows what Jesus will do toward those who mock and slander him (1 Peter 2:23). The rest of the way Shimei follows them, throwing rocks and dirt at them as they go. What a picture of humility and faith again!

We cannot avoid the consequences of our sins nor should we blame God when we suffer betrayal from another sinner.  What Shimei is saying and doing is not right and not fair. Should Shimei be throwing rocks at David? Should Shimei be lying about David’s life? No, but David accepts this as the consequences for his sins. True repentance accepts the consequences of our sins, even if we think they are unfair in our minds.

Consider all that Jesus endured for us as the consequences of our sins, not his own sins. We can stand firm through suffering and endure the pains of life, just or unjust, because we can see what Jesus has done for us. He suffered for us. He endured more than we endure. Our suffering is for our learning, so that we will hit bottom and truly trust in the Lord rather than ourselves. When you let God down, learn from the failure. See that the failure came from trusting in ourselves and not God. Let the pain of our sins be the reminder that we want to keep away from sins. Sinning does not provide the joy that it promises, only pain. Finally, see our suffering for our sins as from God’s hand. Do not resist what God has put in place in your life. It is there for spiritual growth and learning. Accept your new circumstances and trust God to take your through this dark valley.

  • We Can Trust that God is in Control

As we get into Chapter 18, we see that David is about to get on another emotional roller coaster. He is will enjoy a great victory, but suffer excruciating sorrow too. The turning point concerning his trial with Absalom is about to begin in one of the saddest chapters of the Bible. David’s army has been supplied, renewed, refreshed, and is about to do battle with their own people. It will be brother against brother in some cases. Explicit instructions have been given to the men to be gentle with Absalom. Yet, in the end we will see the final ruin of this rebel.[4]

The Bible records many betrayals and rebellions. Many were against God’s chosen leaders. They were doomed for failure and the rebel’s life usually came to a violent end.[5]   Will we trust God or will we take matters in our own hands and rebel and betray?

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

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Sources:

[1] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from 2 Samuel, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2002), 193.

[2] Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 487.

[3] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from 2 Samuel, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2002), 194–195.

[4] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from 2 Samuel, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2002), 248.

[5] Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 493.

When you Let God Down, Brent Kercheville,

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Confession – 2 Samuel 12

Posted on July 16, 2024 by dkoop

We will not be perfect, but we can be forgiven through confession.

After a tough exam, two college roommates headed to the campus tavern to have a few beers and relax. When they parked the car, the rider pointed out a sign that prohibited parking in that area. Since he usually lent the money to pay off his roommate’s large collection of parking fines, he was annoyed. “Don’t worry,” the driver assured him. “I won’t be getting any more tickets ever again.”

“How do you figure that?” the other retorted sarcastically.

“Well, I looked at the problem scientifically, collected the variables, studied the data and came up with the solution that will eliminate any further encounters with the law.” As he walked away, he added, “I took the windshield wipers off the car.”

Instead of dealing with the real problem, we too, work at inventing ways to get away with it.

While that may work in some cases with the law of our land, it never works when we violate the law of God. As we saw in chapter 11, David tried to cover up his sin with Bathsheba. But he encountered one inescapable flaw: “… the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Sam. 11:27). David had not reckoned on the fact that “all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13).

God let David go for about nine months to a year. The child conceived by David and Bathsheba’s illicit union had been born (11:27). Then, when God, who knows the hearts, knew that David was miserable in his guilt and ready to repent He sent Nathan the prophet (12:1). Nathan wisely told David a story about a rich man with many sheep who mercilessly took the only pet lamb of a poor man and slaughtered it for his dinner guests. When David’s anger flared at the rich man in the story, Nathan sprung the trap by pointing his finger in David’s face and saying boldly, “You are the man!” David had condemned himself.

Let’s look at how we can get right with God when we’ve done wrong. God has made provision for us to experience consistent victory over sin. But in spite of this, we all do sin. It is therefore important that we learn how to deal with our sin God’s way so that we can be restored in our relationship with Him and go on growing in His grace. David’s response to Nathan’s rebuke shows us that

We get right with God when we’ve sinned by confession to God’s dealings with us.

David confessed his sin openly (12:13; Psalms 32, Psalm 51)

First, we see that

  • Sin has to be Confronted

 We deal with it head on, not make excuses or try to hide it.

Since Adam and Eve fell into sin, there has been the innate tendency in the human heart to attempt to cover our sin. Sin results in guilt and estrangement from God and from our fellow man. Our sin embarrasses us and so we try, as Adam and Eve did, to put our fig leaves in place to cover our sin. There are various types of “fig leaves” that we use in our attempts to hide our sin from God and from one another:

(1) Deception and lying. David tried this first. He brought Bathsheba’s husband Uriah home from the battle and tried to get him to have relations with his wife so that the child would appear to be his. The human heart “is more deceitful than all else” (Jer. 17:9). So almost invariably when there is major sin, there is also deceit and lying.

(2) Being judgmental of others. The person who covers instead of confesses his sin is often judgmental of the same or even lesser sins in others. Note David’s harsh reaction to the rich man in Nathan’s parable (12:5-6). The law of Moses did prescribe four-fold restitution for the sheep (Exod. 22:1), but not the death of the one who took it. Certainly taking the man’s pet lamb was a crime, but it was nothing compared to David’s crime of taking a man’s wife. David’s harsh condemnation was a fig leaf to cover up his own wrong. If Nathan had not known better, he would have thought, “My, how zealous David is against evil!”

When we excuse sin in our lives, we often become very critical and judgmental of others. A third “fig leaf”:

(3) Attacking the one who confronts us. David did not do this with Nathan, probably because Nathan was so shrewd in the way he got David to condemn himself. But if Nathan had been more direct, who knows but what David would have said, “Who are you to condemn me? You’re a legalist, Nathan!”

Even though David didn’t yet realize it, the rich man in Nathan’s parable confronted David. David’s angry response was to attack the man: “He deserves to die.” We sometimes attack our confronter by applying the law to him but not to ourselves. If a man who stole a lamb deserves to die, what about an adulterer and murderer? “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye (Matt. 7:5).

We’re often like the college student who was filling out a questionnaire to help determine roommate compatibility. By the questions, “Do you make your bed regularly?” and “Do you consider yourself a neat person?” he checked the box marked “Yes.”

His mother read his answers and, knowing they were far from the truth, asked why he had lied. “What?” he replied. “And have them stick me with some slob!”  We think its ok for us to be slob, but not others.

As someone put it, “Most of us are umpires at heart; we like to call balls and strikes on somebody else.” We’re all adept at applying God’s standard to others, but dodging its application for us.

So, the one being confronted often attacks the confronter, rather than facing his own sin. Two brief applications:

(a) If you find yourself getting angry and attacking the person who confronts you with your sin, it should serve as a warning that there may be some truth to the charges.

(b) If you go to confront someone in their sin, be prepared to bear the brunt of their anger. Recognize it for what it is–a fig leaf–and don’t take it personally. A fourth fig leaf:

(4) Rationalizing our sin. David did this when he sent word to Joab, “… the sword devours one as well as another” (11:25). In other words, “That’s the way it goes! We’re not responsible for such mishaps.” We rationalize when we make up excuses to absolve us of responsibility for our sin. Our whole criminal justice system has bought heavily into this mentality. Everyone is a victim, but no one seems to be responsible for his actions: “It’s just the way I am!” “I had a tough childhood!” “If you had been through what I’ve been through, you’d understand why I behave like I do!” A fifth fig leaf:

(5) Blaming others or God. David did not use this one, as far as the text reveals, but I include it because it’s so common. Adam blamed Eve and the Lord who gave Eve to him; Eve blamed the serpent. And we’ve all been in the blame game ever since. David could have blamed Bathsheba for bathing in a visible location. He could have blamed God for giving him such a strong sex drive. But if you’re blaming, you’re not confessing. Whatever fig leaf we use, covering our sin is not confessing it.

  • Sin has to be Confessed

David confesses his sin in 12:13: “I have sinned against the Lord.” In Psalm 32:5 (written after David’s confession, to extol the blessings of God’s forgiveness), David wrote, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’” The word “confess” used in that verse means to make known or declare. God’s method is not to hide sin, but to expose it. So to confess our sin means to admit and expose it openly before God and usually to those we have wronged.

For confession of sin to be genuine, three elements must be present:

(1) Accepting full responsibility for my sin. “I have sinned.” David didn’t say, “We all mess up once in a while,” or “What do you expect when a red-blooded man sees a gorgeous, willing woman?” David admitted his own responsibility for it and he called it what it was–sin. As long as we shrug off sin or see ourselves as a victim of circumstances, we are not accepting responsibility for our sin.

(2) Agreeing with God concerning my sin. This means that I see my sin as God sees it. It is primarily “against the Lord.” Sin is despising God and His Word (12:9, 10). God sees sin as serious enough to separate us from His holy presence. That’s why He took the drastic solution of sending His Son to die for our sin. I need to see how my sin has wronged the holy God above all others. Just as God sees it as “displeasing” (11:27), so must I. Agreeing with God means that I must turn from it.

But if we stopped there, we would all be afraid to confess our sins. We would want to run from God rather than run to Him.

(3) Applying the blood to my sin. “The Lord also has taken away your sin” (12:13). Only God can forgive our sin, and that only on the basis of the shed blood of Christ: “Without shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22). Living under the Old Covenant, David’s forgiveness was based on what the sacrificial system pointed forward to. Living under the New Covenant, our forgiveness is based on the finished work of Christ on the cross, where He paid the penalty for all our sins.

All of your sin is forgiven at the moment you put your trust in Christ as Savior. God has once and for all reconciled you to Himself through the cross. But when you sin subsequent to salvation, in order to experience God’s forgiveness and to enjoy fellowship with Him, you must apply the blood of Christ by confessing your sin. It’s best to keep short accounts with God. The instant you’re aware of sin, whether in thought, word, or deed, turn from it and confess it to Him and you will enjoy renewed cleansing and communion with our holy and gracious Father.

But confession is only part of the matter. Many people don’t understand God’s holy opposition to all sin. So they expect there to be no consequences once they’ve confessed their sin. But if our confession is genuine, we will submit to God and His dealings with us:

  • Sin has Consequences

The fact is, even though God forgives our sin, He does not erase all the consequences. He often deals severely with us after we’ve sinned in order to vindicate His own righteousness and to impress upon us the seriousness of what we did. God dealt very severely with David in the immediate death of his newborn son and long-range through multiple family problems. The genuineness of David’s confession is seen in the fact that he submitted to God’s dealings with him and never shook his fist in God’s face. If we’re defiant, thinking that God has no right to treat us so severely, we haven’t truly confessed.

We must remember the law of sowing and reaping, stated in Galatians 6:7-8: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

I remind us all that the law of sowing and reaping occurs in Galatians, the epistle written to defend God’s grace, and so it is consistent with God’s grace and applies to those under grace. It is God’s gracious, although sometimes severe, means of impressing upon us and others the serious nature of our sin. It is seen when a loving parent, whose teenager irresponsibly crashes the family car, forgives the boy and fellowship is restored. But to teach him the serious responsibility of driving a car, the parent restricts the boy’s driving privilege and requires him to work off the repair bill. There is forgiveness and fellowship, but there are consequences to teach an important lesson.

The crucial question is: How do you respond when God deals with you in the aftermath of your sin? Do you shake your fist in God’s face and exclaim, “It’s not fair!”? Do you pout and say, “See if I ever serve God again”? Note David’s response (12:19-23). His infant son had died. But instead of maligning God, David worshiped Him! He submitted to God’s dealings with him. He said in effect, “You are God; Your ways are right. If my affliction can vindicate Your holiness and can be used to impress upon others the serious nature of sin, so be it! I submit to Your dealings with me.”

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

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Sources:

Bible.Org 2 Samuel

Steven J Cole, Life of David

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Legacy – 2 Samuel 7

Posted on July 10, 2024 by dkoop

Legacy. What is a legacy?  “The long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life.”  Oxford Dictionary.

What type of legacy did your parents or grandparents leave you?  What type of legacy are you leaving your children and grandchildren?  And most importantly,  what legacy has Christ left us?

We will see that:  God’s blessings in our life through Christ are lasting.

This is one of the greatest chapters in all the Bible, one of the greatest promises ever given by God, covering the greatest hope ever given to the human race. This chapter covers the wonderful promises of God given to David and, through him, to the whole human race. J. Vernon McGee gives an excellent introduction to this chapter, an introduction that is well worth quoting in its entirety.

“Frankly, it is very difficult to understand the prophets from this point on without knowing about this covenant. One of the reasons many people find themselves so hopelessly confused in the study of prophecy is because they do not pay attention to a chapter like this. Second Samuel 7 is by far the most significant chapter thus far in the Old Testament. The New Testament opens with: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David.…” That is important because the promises God made to David are to be fulfilled in prophecy.
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he said, “… Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the LORD God shall give unto him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:30–32). You see, God is fulfilling His promise to David.
Peter began in 2 Samuel 7 when he preached on the day of Pentecost: “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore 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 on his throne” (Ac. 2:29–30; see also Ac. 2:25–31, 34–36). Peter is making reference to that which God promised to David.
Paul, in the Book of Romans, says, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our LORD, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh” (Rom. 1:1–3).
The New Testament closes with the Lord Jesus Christ saying, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Re. 22:16). These are only a few of the fifty-nine references to David in the New Testament.1

As this chapter opens, we’re reminded that throughout the years God had richly blessed David, giving him victory over all his enemies, empowering him to conquer Jerusalem and to establish it as the capital of Israel, and giving him the wealth to build a palace fit for a king and his household. For some time David had been settled in his palace and the LORD had given peace to the nation, rest from all the enemies that surrounded Israel. But David was not satisfied, for he had a burning desire to build a temple for the LORD. The LORD had provided a wonderful rest for him, but he had a fervent zeal to provide a place where the presence of the LORD could rest (He. 4:1–11). Because the LORD had blessed him so richly, David wanted to show his gratitude by building a temple for the Ark of God. Remember that the Ark was a symbol of God’s very own presence, His presence that dwelt between the two cherubim or angelic beings. David was obviously disturbed, troubled over the fact that he was living in a palace while the Ark, the very symbol of God’s holy presence, was being housed in a tent.

David loves the Lord dearly. He begins to contemplate all that his God has done for him. He looks at his home and where the Ark is housed and feels God deserves better. God deserves the best from us. David wants to build a house for the Lord. His attitude of gratitude should be ours too. Let’s not  give the Lord the left overs of our lives.

Above all things, we must honor and glorify the LORD just as King David wished to do. It is the LORD who has created and who sustains the universe, who holds the earth and heavenly bodies together and keeps them functioning in an orderly fashion—all by the power of His Word.  But there are other reasons for honoring and praising the LORD.

⇒ It is the LORD who saves us from sin, death, and hell.
⇒ It is the LORD who strengthens us either to conquer the trials and temptations of life or to walk through them victoriously and triumphantly. It is the LORD who helps us when we face some need or difficult circumstance.
⇒ It is the LORD who enables us to face hardship and misfortune such as severe disease or disabling accident.
⇒ It is the LORD who loves us when we are unlovely and who forgives us when we confess our sins and wickedness.
⇒ It is the LORD who stands by our side in moments of loneliness and in facing death.

For all these reasons and so many more, the LORD is to be honored and praised.

At some point in time, David shared his burning desire to build the temple with Nathan the prophet (v. 3). And Nathan immediately encouraged David because the LORD had always been with David in whatever he did. But note, Nathan was only encouraging David as a personal advisor, expressing his own feelings, not sharing specific instructions that had been given by the LORD.
This is the first mention of Nathan the prophet in Scripture. As a prophet in the royal court of the king, his task was to give spiritual and religious advice to David. Nathan was the prophet who corrected David when the king committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed (12:1–15). At the end of David’s life, he also helped Solomon secure the throne in obedience to David’s wishes (1 K. 1:10–45). Along with David and Gad, he helped arrange the music for the worship services in the temple (2 Chr. 29:25); he also recorded a history on the reign of David (1 Chr. 29:29) and on the reign of Solomon (2 Chr. 9:29).

The very night that David shared with Nathan his dream of building a temple for the LORD, the LORD gave Nathan a message for David, one of the most important messages ever given by God to a man. This particular message is also the longest recorded speech by God since the days of Moses, which to some degree indicates its importance.

In this message from Nathan, God is saying that he doesn’t want David to build a temple for him. God told David that his job was to unify and lead Israel and to destroy its enemies. This huge task would require David to shed a great deal of blood. In 1 Chronicles 28:3, we learn that God did not want his Temple built by a warrior. Therefore, David made the plans and collected the materials so that his son Solomon could begin work on the Temple as soon as he became king (1 Kings 5–7). David accepted his part in God’s plan and did not try to go beyond it. Sometimes God says no to our plans. When he does, we should utilize the other opportunities he gives us.
David’s request was good, but God said no. This does not mean that God rejected David. In fact, God was planning to do something even greater in David’s life than allowing him the prestige of building the Temple. Although God turned down David’s request, he promised to continue the house (or dynasty) of David forever. David’s earthly dynasty ended four centuries later, but Jesus Christ, a direct descendant of David, was the ultimate fulfillment of this promise (Acts 2:22–36). Christ will reign for eternity—now in his spiritual kingdom and in heaven, and later, on earth, in the new Jerusalem (Luke 1:30–33; Revelation 21). Have you prayed with good intentions, only to have God say no? This is God’s way of directing you to a greater purpose in your life. Accepting God’s no requires as great a faith as carrying out his yes.

David wanted to build God a house (the temple), but God promised to build David a house—a dynasty forever! The word “house” is used fifteen times in this chapter and refers to David’s palace (vv. 1–2), the temple (vv. 5–7, 13), and David’s dynasty, culminating in Messiah, Jesus Christ (vv. 11, 13, 16, 18–29).

God’s first announcement of the coming of the Savior was given in Genesis 3:15, informing us that the Savior would be a human being and not an angel. Genesis 12:3 tells us that He would be a Jew who would bless the whole world, and Genesis 49:10 that He would come through the tribe of Judah. In this covenant, God announced to David that Messiah would come through his family, and Micah 5:2 prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem, the City of David (see Matt. 2:6). No wonder the king was so elated when he learned that Messiah would be known as “the Son of David” (Matt. 1:1)!

In this section, the Lord speaks about Solomon as well as about the Savior, who is “greater than Solomon” (Matt. 12:42). Solomon would build the temple David longed to build, but his reign would end; however, the reign of Messiah would go on forever. David would have a house forever (vv. 25, 29), a kingdom forever (v. 16), and a throne forever (vv. 13, 16), and would glorify God’s name forever (v. 26).
All of this is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of David (Ps. 89:34–37; Luke 1:32–33, 69; Acts 2:29–36; 13:22–23; 2 Tim. 2:8) and will be manifested when He returns, establishes the promised kingdom, and sits on David’s throne. The spiritual blessings God offered to David are today offered in Jesus Christ to all who will trust Him!

What a legacy we have in Jesus Christ!  Forgiveness of sins, peace, salvation, purpose, direction, God’s indwelling presence, and a home in heaven for all eternity!

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Sources:

Oxford Languages 

1 J. Vernon McGee. Thru the Bible, Vol. 2. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1981), p. 202.

Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2 Samuel, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 54–55.

Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 474.

Rod Mattoon, Treasures from 2 Samuel, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2002), 87.

Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Restored, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2002), 50–51.

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