1 Chronicles Chapter 11 We'll read the first three verses. Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. And moreover, in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leadest out and broughtest in Israel. And the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel.' Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of the LORD by Samuel. Amen. Thus far we read the Word of God. Our theme is loyalty to Christ. Loyalty to Christ. If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha. 1 Corinthians 16 verse 22. If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Those who trust Christ begin to love Christ and they begin to honour the Son even as the Father. And the people of God at this time, they manifested their relationship to God and to the Lord Jesus by their attitude toward David. David was the Lord's anointed. He was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ to come. But although he was a type of the coming Christ, he was the Lord's appointed King in the present. So that those who were looking for the Redeemer, trusting in the Redeemer who was to come, that would be manifest in their submission to God's appointed king in the present. And so those who were loyal to David were showing their submission to God. Of course, that isn't to say that everyone who professed loyalty to David was regenerate because people can profess what is not true. But Nevertheless, in general terms we can say that submission to David was submission to God's appointed king and therefore to God himself, whereas rebellion against David was rebellion against the Lord and against his appointed king. And so David's kingship was not only typical but in a sense it was something of a sample in that it was an actual divinely appointed kingship. Firstly then, unity under Christ. Unity under Christ in these first three verses. The death of Saul and the penetration of the Philistines into the land had left the people no doubt very shaken and very unsettled. Many of the Israelites had been driven from their homes by the Philistines. And Saul's own instability while he lived, his almost paranoid concern for his kingship, left the nation divided. open to civil war after his time with the Benjaminites and the other tribes and there was a great need for unifying and that was to come through David and this explains the special mention given of the family of David, the descendants in chapter 3 and verses 1 to 24 and His seven-year reign in Hebron is only briefly mentioned here. In 2 Samuel it's given three chapters, chapters two to chapter four. But here it is only briefly mentioned. Now the reason is not that the inspired author here was trying to gloss over anything. but rather that the aim of the book of 1 and 2 Chronicles was not simply to repeat the history given in Samuel and Kings, but his purpose was to show how the Lord blessed Israel when they were faithful to the Lord, when they submitted to the word of God, and in particular at this time when they submitted to their appointed king and therefore to their God. And so the selection of material is governed in order to underline this point, the blessing of God upon the faithfulness of the people. Now David's qualifications were clear. He had the blessing of God in such a signal fashion that it marked him out even as a general. Verse 2, And moreover, in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that led us out and brought us in Israel. It was evident that God was with him, so much so that the women said Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands and of course that provoked the jealousy of Saul but God's blessing upon David was marked it was unmistakable ever since he slew Goliath he came to the fore as a man who had the Spirit of God and who had God blessing him and making him triumphant. Also, as well as that mark of God's blessing, most important of all, there was the Word of God. In verse 2, And the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel. And again at the end of verse 3, And they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of the LORD by Samuel. So it was the word of the LORD that was decisive. This was God's appointed king. And when all the people submitted to the word of the LORD, and to His appointed government there was unity, what we would call unity in Christ. And so it is now. Shared submission to Christ and to His Word and to His appointed government is the proper basis of unity in the Church of God. Not everyone doing their own thing. not rampant individualism, but when the people of God, by the Spirit, are brought into subjection to God's Word and ordinances and appointed government. Secondly, the Shepherd-King. The Shepherd-King. Verse 2. And moreover, in time past, where even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leadest out and broughtest in Israel and the LORD thy God said unto thee thou shalt feed my people Israel and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel David was to feed or shepherd the people as well as rule over them and he was of course a shepherd in his youth of actual sheep but the Lord took him from the sheepfold and made him a shepherd to Israel. All of this points to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the shepherd of the sheep and the king and head of the church. David risked his life for the sheep in his youth with the lion and the bear But our Lord Jesus did far more. He didn't just risk his life. He gave his life. He laid down his life for the sheep, his people, and suffered not only physical death, but the wrath of God upon him. And yet, though the Lord Jesus is the shepherd, the great shepherd of the sheep, He is also the King and Head of the Church whom God has appointed King in Zion. Thirdly, the Kingdom is the LORD'S. Verse 4 down to verse 9. Verse 4 reads, and David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. How apparently precarious this kingdom was. It seemed so shaky. The Jebusites still held Jerusalem. In fact, it was called Jebus at that time. The Canaanite inhabitants of the promised land. And they're still there. And in verse 5 they call out, thou shalt not come in hither. In other words, you're not getting in here. In 2 Samuel 5 verse 6, it seems as though they actually said, even the blind and the lame can keep you out of this city. Such was their confidence and their arrogance. So how precarious David's kingship seemed. It all seemed so haphazard. And yet it became the city of David. So verse 5, And the inhabitants of Jabez said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which is the city of David. So that despite all of this talk, it became the city of David anyway. And in verse 6, David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up and was chief. So his nephew Joab became the Chief General of the Army of Israel. And the real reason for this progress, this move forward, this taking of Jerusalem and the repair of it by Joab mentioned in verse 8 but the real reason is given in verse 9 so David watched greater and greater for the Lord of hosts was with him the Lord of hosts the one who commands the hosts of heaven was with David it was not automatic because of David's prowess in war great though that undoubtedly was. He was given talents and gifts but except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. It was because the Lord was with David that he had such success. So what seemed rather wobbly and precarious was not uncertain at all. And the Kingdom of Christ the Kingdom of God of which this was a phase, it will develop according to plan. The Lord is well able to deal with all his enemies as he did these Jebusites through his servant David. The Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of Grace is not uncertain or shaky, it will advance according to the divine plan. God's Word will not return void, but will accomplish that where to He sent it. Fourthly, serving Christ flat out. Serving Christ flat out. And This takes verse 10 to 25. Joab became chief of the army, but alongside him in the first three were two men of outstanding gifts, devotion and ability. Verse 11, and this is the number of the mighty men whom David had. Jashubim and Hachmanite, the chief of the captains, he lifted up his spear against 300 slain by him at one time. And after him was Eliezer, the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties. He was with David at Pasdamim. And there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley, and the people fled from before the Philistines and they set themselves in the midst of that parcel and delivered it and slew the Philistines and the Lord saved them by a great deliverance. These were the other two of the first three alongside Joab and they did amazing things. Their bravery, their stamina is extraordinary. and it leaves us almost reeling to think of what these men did by the grace of God. They showed tremendous courage and others further down the list we read of them of Abishai and Benaiah and others of the mighty men Asahel These men, though differing in rank as it were, they all did mighty deeds in the cause of David, for David as king and above all in the kingdom of God. Whatever their different abilities, they used all in loyalty to King David. How much more, now the son of David has come. These men were given wonderful abilities, but they used them in the cause of the Kingdom of God. We're not saying that every one of them was well motivated but many of them were and surely if they used all their gifts and strength for the kingdom of God as represented at that time through David as the type of him who was to come we upon whom the ends of the world now come who have seen the promised Christ has come Surely we should be spending our strength in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that whether our gifts are prominent or whether they are more hidden, all ought to be used for the glory of Christ. These men were prominent. They were to the fore. Others took a lesser role. or a less visible role, but always to be used for the glory of God and the cause of His Kingdom. It is always in our best interests to follow the Word of the Lord. They accepted David as King and God blessed Israel at that time. We ought to devote ourselves with our whole heart to the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus. With whatever capacity we have, all should be done for Him. Fifthly, misdirected zeal. misdirected zeal. In verse 17 to 19, when they were in the cave of the Dolomites, David longed and said, O that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem that is at the gate. And the three break through the host of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it. and brought it to David. But David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord, and said, My God forbid it me that I should do this thing. Shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? For with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest." So three of his loyal men among the best in Israel. They heard him say that he longed for the water from Bethlehem and they actually broke through into Bethlehem and drew the water and came back with it to David. But David, though acknowledging the greatness of their zeal, their loyalty, He would not drink it because they'd risk their lives for this water. It would be like drinking the blood of these men. And he poured it out to the Lord as an offering to the Lord. True zeal for Christ can be misdirected and it was here. Their courage and zeal for the cause of God and truth was good but the application of it was reckless and so David would not take of it. He poured it out, the fruit of their zeal he poured out to the Lord. Young Christians can be zealous for the Lord and yet not always do things wisely and their zeal is to be encouraged but directed along more biblical channels and that's not unique to young Christians although that is perhaps more often where it is found. So misdirected zeal, it's good to be zealous for the Lord but let our zeal be channeled along biblical lines and not in rashness assume that everything that comes into our head to do must be of the Lord. Let our zeal be governed by the Word. And then finally, the whole army of the Lord. The whole army of the Lord. Verse 26 on to the end. Many of these names are simply names to us. By and large, that's the case. As it were, the list and the description of the army of Israel goes on into the next chapter. But even these men of lesser standing, they are known to God and the Lord will acknowledge the slightest service done out of real desire for his glory, even the cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple. Verse 41 reminds us of the solemn reality of David's sin. Uriah the Hittite, and you remember that Uriah the Hittite was deeply betrayed by David and his death brought about by David who committed adultery with his wife that reminds us that there is a distinction always between the type and the anti-type between David and Christ the son of David David betrayed Uriah David's behavior was utterly inexcusable and obnoxious But it will never be so with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus will never do what David did. He said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. He will never be as a deceitful brook. He will never mislead us, or abandon us, or betray us, or give us into the hand of the enemy. as David did so foully in the case of Uriah the Hittite. The application is simple and two-fold. Firstly, are you submitting to Christ? Are you submitting to Christ? Very basic question. If the answer is not at all, then obviously we're not in the faith. But are we submitting to Christ Wholeheartedly, are we willing to have fellowship with others on that basis of a shared submission to the Lord Jesus Christ? Then secondly, are we fervent in business, serving the Lord? That is to say, are we like these mighty men, perhaps not in their prominence and in their gifts and in their ability, but in zeal for the Kingdom of God and for the cause of truth. Our Lord Jesus, now manifest and reigning at the Father's right hand till all His enemies are put under His feet, surely He is worthy. The devotion that these men showed, it astonishes us But it's nothing more that is due to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David. Let us present our bodies as living sacrifices unto God. Let us pour ourselves out in service to our Lord Jesus Christ. He is worthy. He is worthy. Never mind other people. He is worthy. Let us do all for Christ's sake and for His glory. Amen.