God's Conquering King: Part 2 (1 Chronicles 19-20)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.440 --> 00:00:03.359 I'm going to be reading a longer section of God's word this evening, so 2 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:09.509 I'll invite you to sit tonight. This is first chronicles, chapters nineteen and 3 00:00:09.669 --> 00:00:18.949 twenty. This section, these chapters, for chapters nineteen and twenty, go 4 00:00:19.109 --> 00:00:25.059 together with eighteen as well, which we considered because two weeks ago, and 5 00:00:25.620 --> 00:00:31.420 this whole account gives a to US David as he comes to power, his 6 00:00:31.820 --> 00:00:38.130 defeat and rule over his enemies. The here are the last two chapters of 7 00:00:38.210 --> 00:00:44.850 this larger section, nineteen and twenty of first chronicles. Let's hear God's word 8 00:00:47.009 --> 00:00:52.240 now. After this, Nahash, the king of the AMMONITES, died and 9 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:56.359 his son reigned in his place. And David said, I will deal kindly 10 00:00:56.560 --> 00:01:00.600 with Hannoon, the son of Nahash, for his father dealt kindly with me. 11 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:07.590 So David Sent Messengers to console him concerning his father, and David servants 12 00:01:07.629 --> 00:01:11.629 came to the land of the AMMONITES, to Hann to console him. But 13 00:01:11.750 --> 00:01:17.510 the princes of the AMMONITES said to Hannan, do you think, because David 14 00:01:17.549 --> 00:01:21.579 has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Have not 15 00:01:21.780 --> 00:01:26.379 his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the 16 00:01:26.459 --> 00:01:33.049 land. And so Han and took David's servants and shaved them and cut off 17 00:01:33.090 --> 00:01:38.290 their garments in the middle at their hips and sent them away and they departed. 18 00:01:40.409 --> 00:01:44.969 When David was told concerning the men, he sent messengers to meet them, 19 00:01:45.489 --> 00:01:51.159 for the men were greatly ashamed and the king said remain at Jericho until 20 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:57.159 your beards have grown and then return. When the AMMONITES saw that they had 21 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:01.629 become a stench to David Hannan and they ammanite sent a thousand talents of silver 22 00:02:02.069 --> 00:02:08.590 to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram, Maaca and from Zoba. 23 00:02:09.389 --> 00:02:15.069 They hired thirty two thousand chariots and the King of Maak with his army, 24 00:02:15.509 --> 00:02:20.979 who came and encamped before Medeba. And they ammonites were mustered from their 25 00:02:21.099 --> 00:02:23.819 cities and came to battle. When David heard of it, he sent Joe 26 00:02:23.939 --> 00:02:28.979 AB and all the army of the mighty men and the ammonites came out and 27 00:02:29.060 --> 00:02:32.129 drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, and the Kings 28 00:02:32.449 --> 00:02:38.770 who had come were by themselves in the open country. When Joe AB saw 29 00:02:38.930 --> 00:02:42.210 that the battle was sent against him both in front and in the rear. 30 00:02:42.289 --> 00:02:46.319 He chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 31 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:51.960 The rest of his men he put in charge of Abbeyshai, his brother, 32 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:55.719 and they were arrayed against the ammonites. And he said, if the 33 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:00.430 Syrians are too strong from meet for me, then you shall help me, 34 00:03:00.150 --> 00:03:04.669 but if the ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you 35 00:03:05.949 --> 00:03:09.030 be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the 36 00:03:09.150 --> 00:03:14.460 cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him. 37 00:03:15.460 --> 00:03:19.419 So Joe AB and the people who were with him drew near before the 38 00:03:19.539 --> 00:03:23.219 Syrians for battle, and they fled before him. And when the ammonites saw 39 00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:29.090 that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abyshei, Joeb's brother, 40 00:03:29.810 --> 00:03:35.969 and entered the city. Then Joe AB came to Jerusalem, but when the 41 00:03:36.090 --> 00:03:40.009 Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought 42 00:03:40.050 --> 00:03:46.080 out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates, with Sho Fok, the commander 43 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:49.919 of the Army of Hata Desert, at their head. When it was told 44 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.639 to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to 45 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:59.349 them and drew up his forces against them. And when David set back set 46 00:03:59.430 --> 00:04:03.030 the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him and the Syrians 47 00:04:03.069 --> 00:04:09.110 fled before Israel and David killed of the Syrians, the men of seven thousand 48 00:04:09.150 --> 00:04:14.539 chariots and Fortyzero foot soldiers, and put to death also Showfok, the commander 49 00:04:14.699 --> 00:04:17.699 of their army. And when the servants of Hata deserts saw that they had 50 00:04:17.740 --> 00:04:23.660 been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. 51 00:04:24.290 --> 00:04:29.889 So the Syrians were not willing to save the ammonites anymore. In the 52 00:04:29.970 --> 00:04:32.810 spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joe 53 00:04:32.850 --> 00:04:38.410 AB led out the army and ravaged the country of the ammonites and came and 54 00:04:38.490 --> 00:04:43.920 besieged Raba, but David remained at Jerusalem. and Joe AB struck down Rab 55 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:47.279 and overthrew it, and David took the crown of their king from his head. 56 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:51.439 He found that it weighed a talent of gold and in it was a 57 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:57.509 precious stone, and it was placed on David's head and he brought out the 58 00:04:57.589 --> 00:05:00.910 spoil of the city a very great amount, and he brought out the people 59 00:05:00.949 --> 00:05:04.470 who were in it and set them to Labor saws and iron picks and axes, 60 00:05:05.069 --> 00:05:10.060 and thus David did do all the cities of the AMMONITES. Then David 61 00:05:10.100 --> 00:05:15.620 and all the people returned to Jerusalem. After this there arose a war with 62 00:05:15.699 --> 00:05:21.410 the Philistines at Ghezzer. Then Sibakai, the hushathite, struck down Sippai, 63 00:05:21.970 --> 00:05:27.290 who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued. 64 00:05:28.209 --> 00:05:30.250 And there was again war with the Philistines, and El Hanan, the 65 00:05:30.329 --> 00:05:34.209 son of J are, struck down Lammy, the brother of Goliath, the 66 00:05:34.370 --> 00:05:40.160 gettight, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. And there 67 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:43.959 was again war at Gaff, where there was a man of great stature who 68 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:48.199 had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty four 69 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:53.189 in number, and he also was a descend was descended from the giants, 70 00:05:53.949 --> 00:05:58.149 and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan, the son of Shimia, David's brother, 71 00:05:58.269 --> 00:06:01.949 struck him down. These were descended from the giants and Gaff and they 72 00:06:02.029 --> 00:06:08.699 fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. May 73 00:06:08.740 --> 00:06:16.779 God bless his word. Well, the contents of these two chapters, I 74 00:06:16.899 --> 00:06:20.850 think, is pretty self evident. There's a lot of battles, a lot 75 00:06:20.889 --> 00:06:25.730 of fighting and a lot of winning on the part of David and those who 76 00:06:25.769 --> 00:06:30.889 are under his command. The big idea in all of this is that Israel 77 00:06:30.970 --> 00:06:34.600 trusts in God and God proves himself to be true. Isn't that true? 78 00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:40.680 Over and over again, throughout this chapter and the last, we see David 79 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:45.800 and his coming to power through faith in the Lord, Trusting in God, 80 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:53.110 and in all this God proves to be true. The theological center, we 81 00:06:53.149 --> 00:06:57.790 might say, is found in Joe ABS words that he says back in Chapter 82 00:06:57.829 --> 00:07:04.259 Nineteen. He says, he says to the men, he calls them together 83 00:07:04.379 --> 00:07:09.379 and calls them to be strong. This is in verse thirteen. Be Strong 84 00:07:09.779 --> 00:07:13.819 and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our 85 00:07:13.939 --> 00:07:17.170 God, and may the Lord, May Theah Way, do what seems good 86 00:07:17.649 --> 00:07:24.850 to him. I wonder if these words sound familiar to you, these trusting 87 00:07:25.050 --> 00:07:30.519 words, this call to put faith in God as they go out against their 88 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:34.920 enemies. Well, it's very, very similar to several commands that are given 89 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:42.040 to Joshua, and Joshua in turn gives to Israel as they are coming into 90 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:46.990 the promised land. Moses tells Joshua, the Lord tells Joshua, Joshua and 91 00:07:46.069 --> 00:07:54.350 turn tells the people be strong and courageous, don't be afraid. These words 92 00:07:54.470 --> 00:07:59.339 then remind us that God is fulfilling his promises that go back a long ways. 93 00:08:00.300 --> 00:08:03.540 This command that he's given to David to go and defeat these enemies, 94 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:09.139 to create peace in Israel, to establish a land, a holy place for 95 00:08:09.259 --> 00:08:13.850 God's people, I'm has been something that is promised. I've been promised by 96 00:08:13.930 --> 00:08:22.769 God to Abraham, I'm to Moses. But this faith that we see demonstrated 97 00:08:22.810 --> 00:08:26.360 here was not always the case. Do you remember when the people came out 98 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:31.120 of Egypt and first approached with Moses, the Promised Land? Do you remember 99 00:08:31.159 --> 00:08:35.039 what happened when the spies went into the land to see what would be like? 100 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:41.159 Can Soe you what it would be like? They ammonites fear when they 101 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:45.070 say to Han no, and hey, these these people aren't here to console 102 00:08:45.149 --> 00:08:48.750 us, they're here to spy out the land and overthrow us. Well, 103 00:08:48.950 --> 00:08:52.509 you can see why they might have thought that. That's because that's exactly what 104 00:08:52.710 --> 00:08:56.220 the Israelites did when they came into the promised land. But you remember what 105 00:08:56.299 --> 00:09:03.460 happened. They saw the giants, they saw these great mighty warriors and other 106 00:09:03.620 --> 00:09:07.899 things, fortified cities, strong places, and they said, we do not 107 00:09:09.100 --> 00:09:13.769 want this, this is too much, this is too great, and they 108 00:09:13.809 --> 00:09:18.330 ran away. God called them to go and to be strong and to enter 109 00:09:18.450 --> 00:09:24.639 into the promised land, and they didn't and they were judged for it. 110 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:31.080 That generation died away before their children were able to return and try again, 111 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:35.399 so to speak. That time they remained faithful, they trusted in what God 112 00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:39.309 said, and you remember what happened. They went up to Jericho and the 113 00:09:39.429 --> 00:09:43.990 walls fell down and victory after victory, city after city, they established themselves 114 00:09:45.590 --> 00:09:50.389 in the land. And this is what Joshua's ministry was. It was this 115 00:09:50.750 --> 00:09:56.500 conquering ministry, this this Ministry in which he was bringing peace for God's people. 116 00:09:56.940 --> 00:10:03.220 But it was a victory that remained incomplete in many ways. When Saul 117 00:10:03.460 --> 00:10:09.370 comes to power, we see that the Philistines and many others are still waging 118 00:10:09.570 --> 00:10:15.129 war. These same people's that had been fighting had, throughout the book of 119 00:10:15.210 --> 00:10:20.129 judges, for example, continue to and God but the but in David, 120 00:10:20.210 --> 00:10:24.840 God annoints a king who will do what has what still needs to be done, 121 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:30.840 what remains to be done. And so that's what we have here. 122 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:35.549 In Joe AB's words. We have this call to faith. Be Strong and 123 00:10:35.750 --> 00:10:39.710 courageous, he says, or be strong and let us use our strength for 124 00:10:39.950 --> 00:10:45.070 our people and for the cities of our God. And notice the second part 125 00:10:45.110 --> 00:10:48.070 of it. He says. And may the Lord do what seems good to 126 00:10:48.149 --> 00:10:52.500 him. He says. Ultimately, this is in God's hands, it is 127 00:10:52.820 --> 00:10:56.539 his war, it is his desire that is going to be fulfilled. That's 128 00:10:56.580 --> 00:11:03.419 what Joeab and David and all the people are trusting in. Well, that's 129 00:11:03.460 --> 00:11:07.730 the call to faith there and then throughout the rest of these chapters, filling 130 00:11:07.769 --> 00:11:13.330 around this theological center or this call to faith. We have a faithful God, 131 00:11:13.529 --> 00:11:20.720 don't we? Victory after victory after victory. I'm where there was fear 132 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:26.159 initially, but with the people in the land now there is great faith and 133 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:33.309 we see these enemies of God odd being defeated. Let's go through those a 134 00:11:33.389 --> 00:11:37.750 little bit and consider, consider a little bit of the details. Here you 135 00:11:37.909 --> 00:11:43.190 have this movement, kind of geographic movement, from east to West. It 136 00:11:43.429 --> 00:11:50.059 starts with the AMMONITES, who are in the southeast of Israel. They're on 137 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:52.659 the other side of the Jordan, and then by the end of the chapter 138 00:11:52.700 --> 00:11:58.220 we get to the Philistines, who are over on the west side of Jordan. 139 00:11:58.779 --> 00:12:01.850 This, by the way, is exactly the same way that God's people 140 00:12:01.850 --> 00:12:07.370 came into Israel, crossing from east to West, I'm, into Israel and 141 00:12:07.450 --> 00:12:11.570 establishing themselves in the land. So let's begin in the east, but the 142 00:12:11.690 --> 00:12:16.840 AMMONITES. So we read at the beginning that there is peace already. The 143 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:22.320 chronicler here is summarizing a lot of material. That happens that we have in 144 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:26.480 second Samuel. But he tells us that there is peace, genuine peace of 145 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:35.149 some kind, kindnesses that have been traded, and this prince's father dies and 146 00:12:35.309 --> 00:12:41.710 David, I'm desiring to keep the peace and show kindness, sends messengers to 147 00:12:41.789 --> 00:12:48.100 go and console this prince. But this prince receives bad advice, doesn't he? 148 00:12:48.139 --> 00:12:54.700 He receives very bad advice and instead of sending them a way, they 149 00:12:54.820 --> 00:13:03.490 do something quite terrible. They break the piece by putting this undeserved humiliation on 150 00:13:03.610 --> 00:13:07.929 David's messengers. Do you remember what they did. You read it in verse 151 00:13:09.129 --> 00:13:16.519 four and following. He took David Servants and shaved them and cut off their 152 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:22.639 garments in the middle at their hips and sent them away, noticing the extreme 153 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:28.269 nature of the humiliation. It's likely that there was the bottom half that was 154 00:13:28.389 --> 00:13:35.029 cut off and they beards were shaven. This was a big deal. There 155 00:13:35.070 --> 00:13:39.470 are these letters that we have, the Mauri letters, that are they are 156 00:13:39.549 --> 00:13:43.220 called, where in Assyrian King says to his son, are you not a 157 00:13:43.299 --> 00:13:46.860 man? Have you no beard? This is, of course, really fun 158 00:13:46.940 --> 00:13:52.460 for me to talk about, but he the beards. The beards were a 159 00:13:52.700 --> 00:13:56.649 sign of virility, of strength, of power, of manliness. I remember 160 00:13:56.649 --> 00:14:01.649 hearing a Shakespeare play, I think, once where someone was called a lackbeard. 161 00:14:01.049 --> 00:14:05.210 It's that same kind of that same kind of idea and these and this 162 00:14:05.370 --> 00:14:09.399 culture especially, as what they were doing. They were going to shame these 163 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:13.960 men, they were going to shave their beards, and that's why David says, 164 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:18.600 will grow out your beards before you come home. And this is what 165 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:24.830 they do. They shave their beards, they send them off naked. Well, 166 00:14:26.269 --> 00:14:33.190 the piece that was there has now been broken and David will not take 167 00:14:33.309 --> 00:14:37.029 this lying down. It says that they became a stench to David, a 168 00:14:37.149 --> 00:14:43.220 word that's used an exodus, when the fish die in the Nile and there 169 00:14:43.340 --> 00:14:50.340 is a great stink arising up throughout Egypt. These people become a stench to 170 00:14:50.419 --> 00:14:54.769 David. And when Hannoon Heroes of it, you know what he does. 171 00:14:54.210 --> 00:14:58.409 He says we are going to need help, we are going to need help 172 00:14:58.409 --> 00:15:05.169 big time, and so he sends a thousand talents of silver to hire an 173 00:15:05.289 --> 00:15:11.919 army, a thousand talents at thirty kilograms, equaling a talent, which is 174 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:18.120 an approximation. The estimates vary, but that's on the low end. Thirty 175 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:24.629 kilograms a talent. We're talking about something like sixteen and a half million dollars 176 00:15:24.990 --> 00:15:28.470 in today's money. This is the kind of money that the ammonites send, 177 00:15:28.830 --> 00:15:33.269 sixteen and a half million dollars, and they say give us your men, 178 00:15:33.509 --> 00:15:37.539 give us your chariots, and the Syrians say all right, and they send 179 00:15:37.580 --> 00:15:43.059 them down and they send down, they send down this army and they encamp 180 00:15:43.259 --> 00:15:50.649 against Israel. Well, David Responds in verses ten and following by sending the 181 00:15:50.730 --> 00:15:54.970 leader of his mighty men, Joe AB, out to battle. It's Joe 182 00:15:56.009 --> 00:15:58.289 AB and Abbey Shy, his brother, and they come up with this plan. 183 00:15:58.450 --> 00:16:03.570 They say, we'll send some of these people over to the Syrian side 184 00:16:03.970 --> 00:16:07.759 and will send other people over to the ammonite side. They're kind of in 185 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:11.799 the middle and if you are having a hard time, will come and help 186 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:14.480 you, and if you're having a hard time, will come and help you. 187 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:18.000 And this is what they decide to do, and this is when he 188 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:23.870 calls them to be strong and courageous. Imagine being on one side of the 189 00:16:23.990 --> 00:16:30.629 battle and having a victory, being the better of the two, and then 190 00:16:30.750 --> 00:16:33.379 hearing the call from your brother, Hey, we're having a hard time here, 191 00:16:33.460 --> 00:16:37.580 come help us out. It's kind of a sacrifice, wouldn't it be, 192 00:16:38.259 --> 00:16:41.740 to leave your station, to leave the battle that's being won and to 193 00:16:41.820 --> 00:16:47.769 go and help? In this way, we see a kind of solidarity in 194 00:16:47.970 --> 00:16:52.769 Israel. It's not just David going out, but it's David and these armies 195 00:16:52.850 --> 00:16:56.730 and these leaders and everyone seems to be acting in perfect unison. At this 196 00:16:56.889 --> 00:17:07.119 point. There is great focus and vision in terms of what needs to be 197 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:11.160 done and how it needs to be done, how the call of faith is 198 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:15.829 to be responded to. So there they are, and are there in the 199 00:17:15.869 --> 00:17:18.869 middle, an army on this side and army on this side. They split 200 00:17:18.950 --> 00:17:23.470 themselves up ready to do battle. And you know what happens? The Syrians 201 00:17:23.549 --> 00:17:27.630 run away. It seems as if there wasn't even a fight. And then 202 00:17:27.670 --> 00:17:32.539 when the Ammanite see the Syrians running away, then the Ammanites run away and 203 00:17:32.660 --> 00:17:36.619 there's Joe AB and Abbey Shies left standing there saying, well, I guess 204 00:17:37.339 --> 00:17:41.460 God is faithful. This is the case, isn't it? Over and over 205 00:17:41.579 --> 00:17:47.769 and over again, Israel trusts in God and God proves to be true. 206 00:17:48.730 --> 00:17:52.769 Well, when the Syrians back home here about this in Verse Sixteen, they're 207 00:17:52.970 --> 00:17:59.240 not happy. They realize that this poses a somewhat of a threat upon themselves. 208 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:03.119 So when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated, they sent messengers 209 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:08.200 and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates. This is a fairly 210 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:14.109 good distance now, and they have showfok, the commander of this army, 211 00:18:14.230 --> 00:18:21.309 at their head. And then there is another battle. David gathers together Israel, 212 00:18:21.390 --> 00:18:25.910 they cross over the Jordan, they come to them and he defeats them. 213 00:18:25.950 --> 00:18:32.140 There's some question as to what exactly these numbers are in Second Samuel, 214 00:18:32.140 --> 00:18:37.259 the number is seven hundred. On the chariots here at seven thousand. There's 215 00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:44.089 also some question about exactly what the these these numbers refer to, whether their 216 00:18:44.130 --> 00:18:51.569 chariots or chariot teams. But the basic point is perfectly clear. David Wins 217 00:18:51.809 --> 00:18:56.079 and he wins strong and he puts them to death and the commander of their 218 00:18:56.200 --> 00:19:00.799 army. And when we read in Verse Nineteen, the servants of Hotta desert 219 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:04.680 saw that they had been defeated by Israel. They made peace with David and 220 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:10.710 became subject to him. And then this great line. So the Syrians were 221 00:19:10.789 --> 00:19:15.910 not willing to save the ammonites anymore. No thanks, you can keep your 222 00:19:15.990 --> 00:19:21.549 money. We are done. But isn't this a great I love this sentence 223 00:19:21.630 --> 00:19:26.980 because it's a great contrast. Where the Syrians are unwilling to save the ammonites 224 00:19:26.019 --> 00:19:30.740 anymore, God, we see, is willing and able every time to save 225 00:19:30.859 --> 00:19:37.700 his people, Israel's help and Israel's great support, never backs down. He 226 00:19:37.900 --> 00:19:44.609 always succeeds in the battles that he desires to win. Am Non lost his 227 00:19:44.809 --> 00:19:52.200 help, but David, and US included, will never lose his well with 228 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:56.960 the Syrians, defeated. The ammonites seemed to be a relatively easy pickings. 229 00:19:57.079 --> 00:20:02.759 Now they go into that country in the war time, in the spring, 230 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:08.470 and they lay siege to various cities and they even take the crown of the 231 00:20:08.509 --> 00:20:14.190 king and take it from his head. Take it from his head and put 232 00:20:14.190 --> 00:20:18.589 it on David's. We read that in verse two, he found that it 233 00:20:18.670 --> 00:20:22.980 weighed a talent of gold and it was and in it was a precious stone. 234 00:20:25.420 --> 00:20:30.140 But this talent of gold would be about sixty six pounds. That's fairly 235 00:20:30.180 --> 00:20:37.490 heavy crown. Perhaps it's symbolic, perhaps it was placed on for a short 236 00:20:37.529 --> 00:20:40.650 period of time, but whatever it was that, you can imagine that it 237 00:20:40.769 --> 00:20:47.369 was fairly dramatic this large, heavy crown, with probably a rather large jewel 238 00:20:47.849 --> 00:20:53.279 on it as well, being placed on King David. David or the ammonites 239 00:20:53.359 --> 00:21:00.920 now are not just a vassal country or a country which there's various political dealings 240 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:07.589 with that the ammonites have a new king. David is not only King of 241 00:21:07.710 --> 00:21:14.950 Israel now, but he is king of the AMMONITES. These people are set 242 00:21:14.990 --> 00:21:21.980 to work and David rules over them and the people of Jerusalem of Israel. 243 00:21:22.339 --> 00:21:26.420 So these are the battles in the east, on the east side of the 244 00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:30.539 Jordan. And then in the final verses of Chapter Twenty, we read of 245 00:21:30.619 --> 00:21:36.009 the West side, of the Philistine side. And here those mighty men, 246 00:21:36.210 --> 00:21:41.930 these great giants that we read of back in Exodus, are no longer feared. 247 00:21:44.369 --> 00:21:48.839 Instead, they're taken down one by one. First there is this SIPPI, 248 00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:53.640 and then lammy and then a nameless one, but very memorable. Six 249 00:21:53.799 --> 00:21:59.680 fingers on each hand and six fingers on each foot, twenty four in number, 250 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:04.150 these three giants mentioned. And again it's it's not David going out right 251 00:22:04.230 --> 00:22:11.309 JD David, the giant slayer, the Goliath killer, it's his servants, 252 00:22:11.430 --> 00:22:15.460 it's his men that are going out and defeating them. And see this power 253 00:22:15.660 --> 00:22:21.420 that is invested in David, this anointing that God gives to him, is 254 00:22:21.539 --> 00:22:25.980 not just in this one person, but it extends out to the people. 255 00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:33.650 In David. Israel is blest in him. They are strong and even as 256 00:22:33.930 --> 00:22:40.930 the Boy David defeated Goliath, we see these other giants going down. Strong 257 00:22:41.369 --> 00:22:45.839 men, powerful men, a shaft whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 258 00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:52.240 Weaver's beam is about two twenty, two and a half inches in diameter. 259 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:56.480 That's something like this big. That's a big piece of wood, and rather 260 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:03.349 heavy too. These were big men, but of course never too big for 261 00:23:03.470 --> 00:23:10.950 God. So here David is king of Kings, is he not? He 262 00:23:11.150 --> 00:23:15.539 is defeating Kings, ruling kings, becoming supreme in his own country and and 263 00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:22.460 and end in the area surrounding so here, in these ways, we see 264 00:23:22.579 --> 00:23:29.970 the call to faith and we see God's faithfulness, his promises being fulfilled. 265 00:23:30.730 --> 00:23:34.490 Well, how does all this apply to us? How are we to read 266 00:23:34.569 --> 00:23:38.809 these stories and understand them and think about them? Well, one of the 267 00:23:38.930 --> 00:23:44.599 things that we've been reflecting on as we've been going through first chronicles is that 268 00:23:44.680 --> 00:23:49.559 David's covenant is our covenant. The promises that are made to David are fulfilled 269 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:56.269 in Jesus and we in him. Therefore have a pardon that you remember. 270 00:23:56.309 --> 00:24:00.309 What David Prom are what God promises David Right. He promises to establish him 271 00:24:00.789 --> 00:24:07.589 and His throne forever, unto eternity, through his son. This doesn't happen 272 00:24:07.670 --> 00:24:11.619 with Solomon, it only happens with Jesus. He promises defeat over his enemies 273 00:24:11.700 --> 00:24:17.140 and a great name for David and his kingdom. He promises peace in Israel, 274 00:24:17.180 --> 00:24:23.329 all things which we see here to a degree with Dave, but not 275 00:24:23.529 --> 00:24:30.690 even closed, not even close to the degree that we see them in Jesus. 276 00:24:32.650 --> 00:24:41.079 Hebrews tells us that Jesus, that in that God I'm crowned Jesus with 277 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:45.599 a great, great glory. We read in Philippians that after Jesus did his 278 00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:48.880 work, he ascended on high and God gave to him the great reward of 279 00:24:49.079 --> 00:24:55.029 his obedience. We read of Julie. Jesus is rule and power and authority 280 00:24:55.349 --> 00:25:00.990 in all places throughout the New Testament, an authority that comes to him as 281 00:25:00.150 --> 00:25:04.549 the son of David, this expected child that we read of in Matthew. 282 00:25:04.589 --> 00:25:11.099 Jesus is the fulfillment of this covenant, and we in Him are like those 283 00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:15.940 who were under David. We are called to be strong and to be courageous, 284 00:25:17.339 --> 00:25:22.089 to not fear and to trust in God. Now, for the enemies 285 00:25:22.130 --> 00:25:30.609 of Christ, this fact is a dangerous thing, that Jesus is a king, 286 00:25:30.690 --> 00:25:36.559 and a much greater king and infinitely greater more powerful King Than David was. 287 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:45.200 You can hear in these words in revelation nineteen, nineteen, verse eleven. 288 00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:52.150 Then I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. The one sitting 289 00:25:52.190 --> 00:25:55.990 on it is called faithful and true, and in his and in righteousness, 290 00:25:56.430 --> 00:26:02.990 he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, 291 00:26:03.990 --> 00:26:08.220 and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that 292 00:26:08.460 --> 00:26:12.900 no one knows but himself. He has clothed in a robe dipped in blood, 293 00:26:14.019 --> 00:26:17.819 and the name by which he is called is the word of God. 294 00:26:18.089 --> 00:26:22.890 And the armies of Heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, 295 00:26:22.049 --> 00:26:26.730 were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with 296 00:26:26.769 --> 00:26:32.210 which to strike down the nation's and he will rule them with a rod of 297 00:26:32.369 --> 00:26:36.440 iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of his wrath of God 298 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:41.079 the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, 299 00:26:41.720 --> 00:26:48.630 King of Kings, Lord of Lords. After this, an angel calls 300 00:26:48.710 --> 00:26:55.630 and calls to all the head birds of the heavens to come and gather for 301 00:26:55.710 --> 00:27:00.549 the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh 302 00:27:00.630 --> 00:27:03.579 of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of the horses and 303 00:27:03.660 --> 00:27:07.180 their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, 304 00:27:07.380 --> 00:27:18.009 both small and great. This is Jesus, US, Jesus with his great 305 00:27:18.170 --> 00:27:22.329 and powerful armies, riding like David did, to defeat the enemies of the 306 00:27:22.450 --> 00:27:30.480 Lord. For those who are against Jesus, just as those who were against 307 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:38.359 David, there should be great fear. But to those who fear the coming 308 00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:44.990 wrath of God in his son, the anointed King, who will smash all 309 00:27:45.150 --> 00:27:52.230 his opponents with a rod of iron, there is a call by God himself 310 00:27:52.470 --> 00:27:57.109 not to remain there in fear, but to trust, by faith, in 311 00:27:57.150 --> 00:28:03.980 the promises of peace. There is a way to have peace with God other 312 00:28:04.180 --> 00:28:11.420 than being smashed, other than being destroyed by him. It is to trust 313 00:28:11.579 --> 00:28:15.650 in the one who was smashed and destroyed and suffered under the wrath and curse 314 00:28:15.690 --> 00:28:22.930 of God. For us, Jesus is victory over sin and death will for 315 00:28:22.049 --> 00:28:30.759 the devil began on the cross, where he secures for us eternal life, 316 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:36.319 where he transfers us from the bad guy side to the good guy side. 317 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:40.960 Or, instead of us being those who are fighting against him and his king 318 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:45.230 him, he brings us into his kingdom, makes a citizens of Heaven, 319 00:28:47.309 --> 00:28:53.670 citizens of the Kingdom of God. Through faith, we can kiss the sun 320 00:28:55.630 --> 00:29:00.579 and be saved. To those who belong to him, then, let me 321 00:29:00.740 --> 00:29:06.220 ask you, shall we be any less courageous than these mighty men who stood 322 00:29:06.220 --> 00:29:10.250 face to face with the AMMONITES and face to face to the the seert with 323 00:29:10.329 --> 00:29:15.410 the Syrians? Are we going to back down and cower? If they could 324 00:29:15.410 --> 00:29:22.690 be strong under David, can we not be strong under Jesus, the King 325 00:29:22.890 --> 00:29:26.079 of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the one who didn't extend his empire 326 00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:30.960 just to one kingdom a little bit to the east, but to all the 327 00:29:32.119 --> 00:29:38.869 heavens and the earth? In that light, consider a passage like Ephesians chapter 328 00:29:40.109 --> 00:29:48.509 six, where we're called a together in the plural, in unity, two 329 00:29:48.829 --> 00:29:55.339 verse ten. Be Strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 330 00:29:56.940 --> 00:30:00.460 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand 331 00:30:00.500 --> 00:30:04.819 against the schemes of the devil, for we do not wrestle against flesh and 332 00:30:04.940 --> 00:30:11.009 blood, but against the rulers and against the authorities, against the cosmic powers 333 00:30:11.130 --> 00:30:15.730 over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 334 00:30:17.970 --> 00:30:22.000 Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able 335 00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:26.200 to withstand evil or withstand in the evil day and, having done all, 336 00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:33.160 stand firm you see what Paul, the servant, this Minister of Jesus Christ, 337 00:30:33.319 --> 00:30:38.470 calls us to do. He says be strong, be courageous. Your 338 00:30:38.549 --> 00:30:44.430 Joshua, your David, your king, is doing battle, is ready to 339 00:30:44.549 --> 00:30:51.980 do battle, and you must withstand the forces in our evil day. But 340 00:30:52.059 --> 00:30:55.940 how do we stand firm? What is the armor we put on? The 341 00:30:56.099 --> 00:31:02.339 battle is somewhat different now, in this age, in this time, we 342 00:31:02.619 --> 00:31:08.769 fight not with swords and spears, but in this way, stand firm, 343 00:31:08.849 --> 00:31:14.450 therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, having put on the breastplate 344 00:31:14.490 --> 00:31:18.559 of righteousness and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness 345 00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:23.759 given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield 346 00:31:23.799 --> 00:31:30.319 of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil 347 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:33.309 one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, 348 00:31:33.349 --> 00:31:37.269 which is the word of God, praying at all times in the spirit, 349 00:31:37.829 --> 00:31:44.309 with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, 350 00:31:44.349 --> 00:31:48.339 making supplication for all the saints. And then, Paul adds, and 351 00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:52.380 also for me, that words may be given to me and opening my mouth 352 00:31:52.420 --> 00:31:57.940 boldly to proclaim the mystery of the Gospel. This is how the enemy is 353 00:31:57.980 --> 00:32:04.210 of darkness will be defeated, with faith, with the word of God, 354 00:32:05.289 --> 00:32:10.089 with the Gospel being proclaimed boldly and powerfully. Is this not how the forces 355 00:32:10.170 --> 00:32:15.359 of evil that are in you were overcome? Is this not how you were 356 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:22.160 transferred from the dominion of darkness to the Kingdom of God's beloved son? It 357 00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:27.759 is, and it's with these weapons that we also fight with strength and courage 358 00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:31.190 in the name of the Lord Jesus. We fight with grace and with patience 359 00:32:31.269 --> 00:32:36.990 and with hope and with love. We fight with faith against much more powerful 360 00:32:36.990 --> 00:32:42.549 enemies than the AMMONITES, but we win. We win because the Lord Jesus 361 00:32:42.589 --> 00:32:50.299 is at our side. So the big idea as we end is again to 362 00:32:50.460 --> 00:32:54.500 trust in God, to put your faith in him and see how faithful he 363 00:32:54.660 --> 00:32:59.009 is to you. Let's pray