Bible Survey Archives - Page 17 of 25

The David Chronicles 39: A Servant Throne

Joe Harby on August 4, 2013

Introduction

When things are going our way, we want to build God a house. But God says no, let me build you a house. This is God’s way of doing things, and this is what justification by faith alone is all about.

The Text

“And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet . . .” (2 Sam. 7:1-29).

Summary of the Text

The Lord gave David rest round about from his enemies, and so the king sat in his house (v. 1). The king said to Nathan that he lived in a house of cedar, while the ark was in curtains (v. 2). Nathan, apart from a word from God, thought it was a good idea to build a temple (v. 3), but that night a prophetic word came to Nathan (v. 4). He was told to tell David, shall you build Me a house (v. 5)? Has God needed a permanent house up to this point (vv. 6-7). God took David from his role as shepherd (v. 8), and God has made David great (v. 9). God promises that He will plant Israel, and not move them around as before (v. 10). He then comes to the great promise—He will make David a house (v. 11). First, he will establish a line, a dynasty, unlike Saul (v. 12). David’s son will build the temple (v. 13). He will receive fatherly discipline (v. 14), but will not ever be rejected as Saul was (v. 15). God will establish the Davidic throne forever (v. 16). This was the word of the Lord through Nathan (v. 17).

So David went into the tabernacle (of David) and sat before the Lord (before the ark) (v. 18). “Who am I?” he said (v. 18). What is this? (v. 19). What can I say? (v. 20). God did this for His Word’s sake (v. 21). There is no God like the Lord (v. 22). And related to this, there is no nation with a history of deliverance like Israel (vv. 23-24). As Mary said, so let it be as you have said, so also David (v. 25). Let God’s name be magnified in His faithfulness to the house of David (v. 26). David’s prayer this way is based on God’s promise (v. 27). God has promised goodness to his servant (v. 28).

A Servant on the Throne

When David was established in his rule, and had been given rest from his enemies round about, we see this described as him sitting (v. 1). After Nathan’s word to him, he goes into the tabernacle and sits before the Lord there (v. 18). This is the only time in the Bible where sitting is described as a posture of prayer, but it is fitting. It is a coronation prayer—David is being enthroned.

But at the same time, it is a servant king who is being enthroned. The word servant is used eleven times in this chapter. This is a covenant-making occasion (Ps. 89:19-37; Ps. 132:10-12). Keep this in mind whenever you are thinking about Romans 13—where civil magistrates are described as God’s servants, God’s deacons.

Apostolic Commentary

One of the great tragedies of our time is the refusal of modern Christians to allow the New Testament to interpret the Old Testament for them. We often start to go down that road, but then pull up short.
First, Hebrews 1:5 quotes from our text, and applies it to Jesus. The promise to David included Solomon, and the rest of the Davidic kings (“when he commits iniquity . . .”), but it does not stop there. The throne of David is forever because Jesus is enthroned on it (Luke 1:32).

But we need to be prepared to be staggered the way David was—even though it is hard to be prepared for something like that. Our passage is also quoted in 2 Cor. 6:18. “And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” He shall be my son includes, in the original context, many sons. But here Paul makes it explicit, and includes all of you in this room. “Ye shall be my sons and daughters.”

Remember how in David’s grateful prayer, he included God’s goodness to Israel, and His goodness to the house of David, mingling them together. It is the same here. You are a called and separated and holy people (2 Cor. 6:16-17). Come out, come out.

Jesus is the Public Person

If God fulfills His promises through Jesus, then He is also fulfilling all His promises through those who are in Jesus. If Jesus is the seed of Abraham, and He is (Gal. 3:16), then we can be the seed of Abraham, and we are (Gal. 3:29). If Jesus is king and priest, and He is (Rev. 1:5), then we can be kings and priests (Rev. 1:6; 5:10). If Jesus rules the nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 12:5; 19:15), then so can we (Rev. 2:27).

In Jesus Christ we find that all of God’s promises find their yes and amen.

“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 1:19-22).
Jesus is the Bridegroom, which means that all the accounts are joint accounts. Everything He has and is has been given to you.

Come to Jesus

In business jargon, the “come to Jesus” talk refers to the time when you finally talk to wayward employees, telling them to get with the program. This is a faint shadow of the come to Jesus appeal at the end of a hot revival meeting in a tent in east Texas. But there is more we must say. That is a faint shadow of the come to Jesus that we see in New Testament. To come to Jesus is to come to everything. To come to Him is to come to height and breadth and depth. It is to come to all things made new, and to all things now put right. It is to respond to the message that the Church has been given by the Spirit. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come” (Rev. 22:17).

The David Chronicles 38: A Savior for Gath

Joe Harby on July 28, 2013

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Introduction

God’s intention in salvation has always been for the salvation of the world. He has always had all the nations of men in mind, and the fact that Israel was the chosen nation was not in tension with this reality, but rather was the down payment on it, the first installment of it.

The Text

“Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand . . .” (2 Sam. 6:1-23).

Summary of the Text

David has established Jerusalem as his capital city, and determines to bring the ark of the covenant to that place. He starts by gathering some elite troops, 30,000 of them (v. 1). Having done so, he goes to Kiriath-jearim, where the ark is (v. 2). They put the ark on a cart that had never had a profane use, and they set out—Uzzah and Ahio driving the cart (v. 3). Eleazar, their brother who had been keeping the ark, is not mentioned here. Uzzah apparently sat up on the cart, and Ahio walked in front (v. 4). David (and everyone else) played on all kinds of musical instruments (v. 5). When they reached Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached to steady the ark (v. 6). God was angry with him for this, and struck him dead (v. 7). David was angry in his turn, and he named the place after the Lord’s bursting forth upon Uzzah (v. 8). Not only was David angry, but also fearful (v. 9), and diverted the ark to the house of Obed-edom (v. 10). The ark was there for three months, and the household of Obed-edom was greatly blessed (v. 11). When David heard this, he went to bring the ark up to Jerusalem, and did so with gladness (v. 12). The ark was carried this time, and when the men carrying it had taken six steps, a great sacrifice was made (v. 13). David was dressed in a linen ephod, and danced before the Lord with all his might (v. 14). And so it was that David and the whole house of Israel brought the ark up to Jerusalem with shouting and trumpets (v. 15). When the ark entered the city of David, Michal looked out the window and saw David dancing, and despised him (v. 16). They brought the ark to the tent that David had prepared for it, and more sacrifices were made (v. 17). David then blessed all the people, and gave them gifts (vv. 18-19). Afterwards, he came home to bless his own house, and was met with sarcasm from Michal (v. 20). David replies sharply—it was before the Lord, the same God who chose Michal’s husband over Michal’s father (v. 21). David insists that he will continue to behave in the same way (v. 22). As a result of this clash, Michal had no children (v. 23).

A Moment for Michal

Without arguing with the providence of God—to which we gladly submit—we can at least take a moment to feel bad for Michal. The last time she saw David in Scripture, she was helping him escape from a window (1 Sam. 19:12), and now she looks out at him through a window in contempt. She had been given to a man who loved her (Phaltiel in 2 Sam. 3:15-16), and had then been taken back from him by David, for apparently political reasons. When she comes back to David, he already has other multiple wives and probably a small harem. Great.

But she is still a female Uzzah. Uzzah was concerned that the ark would be dishonored if it fell, and so he took it upon himself to steady the ark the way he thought best. You know, he had his reasons. But God still struck him down as a result. Michal is concerned for David’s royal dignity, and objects to him being dishonored. When she complains that he had “uncovered” himself, she was not complaining about nakedness, because it says that he was wearing a linen ephod. He was not wearing his royal robes—and he was dancing in a way that she believed was inconsistent with his office. She tries to steady him, and has no children as a result.

Do it the Way God Says

David has 30,000 troops present for the first attempted transfer, and is humiliated in front of them. That is the same number that Israel lost to the Philistines in the battle at Aphek (1 Sam. 4). God had burst forth on the Philistines in the previous chapter, and He burst forth on Israelites for acting like Philistines in this chapter (transporting the ark by cart was a Philistine technique). This happens at a threshing floor, which is a common symbol of judgment in Scripture. David is defensively angry and fearful at first, but he learns the lesson of true gladness from the blessings that fall upon the head of the ark’s new temporary home. All of which is to say that reverence is defined by the Word of God, and not our own makeshifts.

Christ for the Nations

It would be easy for us to think that God loved the Jews exclusively in the Old Testament, but that the Gentiles are included in the New through a bit of reverse engineering. But the Gentiles are in view from Genesis through Malachi. There are too many passages to cite here, so let’s just look at what we have that is connected to our passage.

Obed-edom, who is given responsibility for the ark, is a Gentile. His name means servant of Edom, and he is a Gittite—which means that he was from Gath, Goliath’s home town. About 600 Gittites were in David’s refugee army later (2 Sam. 15:18), when he fled from his own son. David had 600 Israelites when he fled from an Israelite king, and 600 Gittites when he fled from Absalom. So here God blesses a Gentile and provokes David to action.

When the ark arrives in Jerusalem, it is established in a tabernacle that David built on Mt. Zion. When Solomon finally builds the Temple, he does so on Mt. Moriah. After Shiloh had been destroyed a generation or so before, the main high place was Gibeon—where God appeared to Solomon. What Solomon did was combine the functions of Gibeon and Zion in the building on Moriah—which is one of the ways music came into the formal worship of God. Some innovations are bad (carts) and others are good (music).

So what did the tabernacle of David on Zion represent? According to Scripture, it represented the salvation of the Gentiles. The prophet Amos declared that in the latter days, the tabernacle of David would be restored (Amos 9:11), and he was talking about this tabernacle. And James the Lord’s brother cites that verse from Amos as being fulfilled in the conversion of the Gentiles (Acts 15:16).

So Christ is the Savior of the nations, and this is why we sing to Him.

Ahab and Naboth

Joe Harby on July 21, 2013

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The Text: 1 Kings 21

1-3 Naboth’s Vineyard

Although the capitol of Israel was Samaria, and this is where Ahab’s palace was, Ahab established what was essentially a summer home in Jezreel. The city overlooked the valley of Jezreel and was known for breathtaking views to the northeast, towards Syria. As Ahab looked to establish his connection with Ben Hadad, it made sense for him to develop an opulent estate in Jezreel. Ahab’s family became quite attached to this palace. It is here that Jezebel will be later thrown from the window (2 Kings 9:30-37). And it is here that Jehu will slaughter Ahab’s seventy sons (2 Kings 10:1-11).

Naboth had a vineyard here, just next door to Ahab’s palace. And Ahab began coveting the land for his own. Selling to Ahab was prohibited (Num. 36:7, Lev. 25:23), which is why Naboth refuses to sell.

4 Sullen and Displeased

The two words here describe both stubbornness and ill-temper. It takes two ingredients to create a good sulk. You have to be displeased with the situation and you have to refuse to get over it. A real estate deal gone bad is a great picture of what this looks like. We always see so much potential in the opportunities that are just out of our reach. And our inability to let go of these things can put us into a funk.

5-7 Enter Jezebel

Jezebel’s statement to Ahab is dripping with irony. Is it Ahab or is it Jezebel that exercises authority over all Israel? The relationship between Ahab and his wife is such a striking picture of a very particular and very common kind of manipulation that it is worth taking a moment to examine.

First, men frequently have very fragile egos. This can be good because it drives them to achievement. But it can be bad because it makes them so susceptible to manipulation. Nothing is easier to control than a man whose insecurities are obvious. Be careful, men, about what whispers you let yourself hear. In particular, the claim that your greatness is being neglected or insufficiently rewarded is poison to your soul.

Second, women who have found this button to push can get anything they want out of their husbands, but they make their marriages miserable. Wives, do you fuel contentment or discontent in your husband? How many women tell themselves that they are being Abigail when they are actually being Jezebel.

8-16 Proclaim the Fast

Jezebel orders two sons of Belial to accuse Naboth at a fast. A fast is a strategic moment for making an accusation against Naboth because suspicions would have been aroused. Two witnesses were required to make the charge (Deut 17:6. 19:15, and Num 35:30). The charge was cursing the King and God and the penalty was death (Ex. 22:28 (cf. Acts 23:5) and Lev. 24:16). With Naboth out of the way, Ahab was free to seize the vineyard.

17-26 The Curse

Elijah returns to give Ahab some bad news. As the worst Israelite king of all time (v. 25, cf. 2 Kings 21:3), Ahab gets a whopping curse levelled at him. Fist of all, note that even though we saw Jezebel’s hand behind all this, Ahab remains responsible. He cannot say, “the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” To be have been manipulated is not an excuse. It’s an extra sin. Ahab will be cut off. Just as he has done to Naboth, so will be done to him. Ahab is killed in battle and the dogs licked his blood from the chariot (1 Kings 22:38). Jezebel is thrown from the heights of Jezreel and the dogs ate her (2 Kings 9:30-37).

Joram, the son of Ahab, is killed by Jehu and his body is thrown onto the ground of Naboth’s vineyard (2 Kings 9:24-25). Ahaziah, who is the grandson of Ahab and the king of Judah, is killed by Jehu (2 Kings 9:27-29) and his forty-two brothers (2 Kings 10:12-14). Seventy sons of Ahab and then all the descendents of Ahab are all killed by Jehu (2 Kings 10).

In fact, even the genealogy of Jesus is expunged all the descendants of Ahab (Mat. 1:8, 2 Kings 8:16-18).

27-29 Repentance

At hearing this, Ahab is brought to repentance. There doesn’t seem to be any insincerity here. Just as he was in a funk at being refused Naboth’s vineyard (v. 4), now he mourns over the curse that is on him. And God acknowledges Ahab’s sorrow. It is only enough to postpone the curse, however, and does not delay it. Ahab has been capable of these kinds of turns on a dime throughout his life.

Ahab and Syria

Joe Harby on July 14, 2013

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1-11: The Threat is Sent

Ahab was willing to comply humbly with Ben Hadad’s initial demand (v. 4). But it would appear that Ben Hadad smelled weakness in Israel and decided to try for much more. Ben Hadad repeats his demand, but this time with the addition that his servants will be free to roam through Samaria taking whatever they want (v. 5-6). It is clear that Ahab sees this as a stiffer demand. Most likely, Ahab interpreted the first demand to be a requirement of tribute of some sort to Syria, which he was willing to give. But the second demand indicated that Ben Hadad was looking for complete and utter subservience. Ahab and the elders of Israel are not ready for this kind of submission to Syria and they send their defiance to Ben Hadad (v. 9). Ben Hadad responds with an oath, vowing Samaria’s complete and total annihilation (v. 10). And Ahab responds with one of the best trash-talking lines of all time (v. 11).

12-22 Know That I Am the Lord

The Syrians do not take the threat too seriously. They are busy getting drunk in their tents (v. 12 and v. 16). Meanwhile, God sends an unnamed prophet to Ahab to let him know that this victory will come from God, leaving Ahab without excuse before God. The army is to be lead by the “youths / servants of the leaders of the provinces.” The point is that God is not sending out the seasoned leaders, with the exception of Ahab. Just as in the last chapter God had Elijah appoint the next generation of leaders, here also God is sending a new crop of leaders out to see his hand deliver Israel in battle. What is weird is that the army that is sent out is 7,000. (cf. 19:18). These are the men that God had reserved for himself.

The Syrians are over confident. Their leaders are drunk back in their tents. And the men are sent out with orders to capture these men alive (v. 18). It’s important to note that the command to take them alive is not a mercy. The only reason to take them alive is so that they can be taken back to Syria and be made an example of. But God is with the Israelites and they slaughter the Syrians. Ben Hadad has to run.

23-34 Ben Hadad Tries Again

Ben Hadad tries to figure out what went wrong. And he decides that the God of the Israelites must be good at fighting in the mountains and not good at the plains. It is this boast that provokes God to once again deliver Israel mightily. Ahab disobediently spares Ben Hadad, who was a moment ago his Lord (v. 4) and is now his brother (v. 32).

35-43 Ahab Rebuked

The disobedient prophet who was devoured by the lion is a picture in miniature of Ahab’s disobedience. God used lions often at this time to judge men who failed to serve him (1 Kings 13:34, 2 Kings 17:25). In this instance, the prophet failed to strike the one that God sent him to strike. This is hard for us to stomach, because it seems severe to us.

We are all guilty of sin and under the penalty of death (Rom. 3:23 and 6:23). In the ultimate sense, there is no such thing as an innocent victim. The problem is not that we don’t deserve death. It’s that we aren’t just executioners. We don’t have the right to take one another’s lives, except where God has given it. This is the right there are a host of restrictions that God puts on him as well. But since we are all guilty, there is no ultimate injustice in our deaths. What can’t be explained by justice is our living.

When we talk about the problem of appearing before God, we are talking about this – the just sentence of death that hangs over us when we stood before a perfectly holy God. And this is why we are so grateful for Jesus. The grace of Jesus Christ is God’s sovereign interruption into justice, to save us. We are talking about the wonderful mercy of God that set aside his righteous anger against us by sending us a Savior.

Ahab is now judged by his own words. He knew what justice looked like when applied to others. Because of this a curse is pronounced on Ahab (v. 42), a curse that is fitted according to Ahab’s own judgment (Mat. 7:2).

Two Closing Thoughts

First, Ahab confused his own glory for God’s and misunderstood what the worship of God was about. The point of conquering Ben Hadad was to bring glory to God’s name. But Ahab quickly began to think that the point of conquering Ben Hadad was to bring wealth and glory to Ahab. When God answers our prayers, the point is to teach us to trust in him.

But what often happens is that we begin to put our trust in the relief that he has brought us. We trust in our financial security, the last clear results that the doctor gave us, the family and friends that surrounded us. But these are all the result of trusting in God. They are not things to be trusted in themselves. They say that there are no atheists in foxholes. But there are very few theists in palaces (Heb. 11:24-26 and Mat. 19:24).

Second, we need to be clear on grace. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Without understanding this, we don’t really get what Jesus did for us on the cross.

The David Chronicles 37: Lord of the Bursting Dam

Joe Harby on July 7, 2013

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Introduction

If God is not establishing a work, or a house, or a kingdom, or a nation, then it cannot be established. And if God is doing so, then nothing whatever can prevent it—however mighty that opposing force might be.

The Text

“Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh . . .” (2 Sam. 5:1-25).

Summary of the Text

The tribes of Israel come to David and present three arguments for making David king. They are related to him (v. 1), David has proven himself in battle (v. 2), and God has promised the shepherding/kingship to him (v. 2). And so the elders, representing the tribes, come to David in Hebron and make a pact with him (v. 3), and anoint him king over all twelve tribes (v. 3). David was 30 when he first became king in Hebron, reigning for 40 years total, 33 years over a united kingdom (vv. 4-5).

David starts by conquering a capital city from the Jebusites, a city that would not be part of any tribe—just as D.C. is not part of any state. At the same time, the city was in the territory or region of Benjamin, some consolation to the tribe of Saul. The Jebusites do a little trash talking from the wall, the meaning of which is ambiguous. The best guess is that they were saying that an army of blind men and cripples could defend this place against you all (v. 6). But David captured the city anyway (v. 7). They did it by climbing up a steep water tunnel (which archeologists have found and identified), and that is how David got saddled with Joab (v. 8; 1 Chron. 11:6). That water course was about fifty feet tall. David then consolidated his rule (v. 9), and God blessed him greatly (v. 10), and which David saw clearly (v. 12). Hiram of Tyre made an alliance with David (v. 11), and David had many more sons (vv. 13-16). From all these sons, the only two which receive subsequent mention are Nathan and Solomon, both sons of Bathsheba (1 Chron. 3:5). Nathan is an ancestor of Joseph (Luke 3:31).

At this the Philistines invaded, and David retreated into a stronghold (v. 17). The Philistines set up in the valley of Rephaim, a valley named after giants, just a couple miles west of Jerusalem, easily within sight (v. 18). David inquired of the Lord, and was told to go out (v. 19). He went and was victorious, like the breaching of a dam (v. 20). They captured the Philistine idols and burned them (v. 21). These idols were so pathetic that they weren’t even capable of running away like their worshipers could. The Philistines tried again, in the same place again (v. 22). When David inquired of God again, he was told to attack the Philistines from behind this time (v. 23), and to follow the lead of the Spirit in the tops of the trees (v. 24). The botanical identification of the trees is uncertain (mulberry, balsam, aspen?). This David did and struck down the Philistines decisively (v. 25).

Constitutional Government

When Samuel established the monarchy, he wrote down a constitution, and placed it before the Lord (1 Sam. 10:25). When David became king, the Lord had anointed him (through Samuel), but the people also established him as king through anointing him. He was the king-in-principle from the moment Samuel anointed him, but he was not installed until the people anointed him. This is contrary to the whole “divine right of kings” approach, and it is utterly contrary to the arrogant attitude of our current ruling elites. This is something which the Reformers saw very clearly, and was the basis of their understanding of government. We owe our republican forms of government to that understanding.

When David was anointed by them, he also made a covenant with them (v. 3). Israel was governed by the law of God (Deut. 17:14-20), of course, but it was also governed by a written constitution. This is because written constitutions are a great barrier to dishonest men, not to mention the cowardly men who let them be dishonest.

Big with Mercy

The last verse of Cowper’s great hymn (God Moves in a Mysterious Way) expresses a very biblical truth in an altogether lovely way:

“You fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and will break
In blessing on your head.”

God’s deliverances often are given to us in bursts. The first victory here against the Philistines was at Baal- perazim, Lord of the Outburst. David said that the Lord broke forth on the Philistines like the breaching of water. In 1 Chronicles (1 Chron. 13:11), and in 2 Samuel, the time of this victory is followed by “the breach of Uzza,” or Perez-Uzza. This breach was a judgment, but also a mercy. Although Uzza died, the people of Israel were taught to receive back the ark of the covenant in reverence (carried by Levites, as the law required), and not hauled on a cart, the way the Philistines did it.

And David is the descendant of Perez, so named because he “breached” before Zarah, who had been marked and identified by a scarlet cord tied to his wrist (Gen. 38:28-30). Achan, who died for his treachery, was descended from Zarah. Rahab, who was the mother of David’s great-grandfather Boaz (descended from Perez), completed the breach when she let down a scarlet cord from her window at Jericho. Here is the line of blood red redemption, found always in the unlikely places! This is the line of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. What was His death and resurrection but the bursting of death’s dam?

And Then Pentecost

After the Lord breaks through, like the breaching of water, He delivers Israel in another unlikely way. He tells David to go around behind the Philistines, and to wait for the sound of the wind (think of the Spirit) in the tops of the trees. The text says explicitly that the Lord was going before them (v. 24). And then attack, following the Spirit. Never run ahead of the Spirit. Wait in Jerusalem until you receive power from on high. This second victory over the Philistines was just about a couple miles from where the Spirit was poured out upon the disciples centuries later.

This is how we are to fight giants in the valley of giants. We pray for the Lord to make a breach, like a dam bursting. We pray for the Lord to rush before us, like the wind in the top of the trees.