second book of Samuel or second half of Samuel the book of Kings and focusing on David there are three aspects that is usually highlighted in this book it's David's triumphs chapter 1 through 10 his translations 11 through to 12 and travels 13 through to 24. We found ourselves at chapter 7 this evening and so we'll work our way from chapter 7 through to the end and it's interesting that it falls within the section where David sins against God and despite that God makes this covenant with him which is again just an act of God's grace. But the impact of his sin has implications not only for his own life but also for the life of his family. Keyword is David and Covenant. And then the purpose is to chronicle the reign of David from the heights of his ascension, triumphs, and the covenants to the depths of his sin, tragedy, and trials, showing a need for a greater king than David. And so obviously David was and still remains one of the best kings that Israel's had. And so they look to the Messiah to be a greater king than David. Alright, so I'm just going to jump in. I'm not going to review, I'll jump in on 2 Samuel 7. So if you have your Bibles, please open it to 2 Samuel 7. After the bringing of the ark back to of Jerusalem and David's dancing which insulted his wife Michelle, or Michael as some say. The event prior to that, most of you know this event, is where Uzzah touches the Ark of God and is struck down. There's another event like that in Leviticus. Anybody remember where two individuals are struck down? Yes? Chapter? Well done. Chapter 10. as two occasions in the Old Testament that relates to worship where people are struck down. Nadab and Abihu, Leviticus chapter 10, 2 Samuel chapter 6 with Uzzah and the ark. And do you know of another instance where people are struck down in the context of worship? Not just struck down for disobedience, in the context of worship. No? Was it X? Are you asking me? I think I asked the questions. Ananias and Sapphira, right? Acts chapter 5, right. That's the other one. Acts chapter 5, context of worship, Barnabas brought a gift in chapter 4, brought it to the apostles and for them to distribute. He sold a piece of his land. They saw his recognition the Apostles' recognition of Him and wanted that fame as well, and one worship service they decided to do the same because they wanted the public recognition, and during this worship they lie before God and God strikes them both dead. It's interesting that in the beginning, in the beginning of the giving of the law, and where especially the elements regarding to sacrificial service, God over and over reminds them to not let the fire go out. Nei Rebena Bayu, don't let the fire go out. Make sure that you keep the fire going. They bring, quote-unquote, strange fire to the presence of God. Why? Because they let the fire go out. And so God strikes them dead for not obeying His command. God makes a point in that. I am holy. I am the one that makes the rules. You don't get to come your way, you worship my way. The same thing happens with Uzzah and the same thing happens with Ananias and Zephira. God makes a statement by their death and in fact the result of that is that the people fear and that is not trembling fear that is awe they fear God and the Word of God continues to spread so that fear resulted in a spread of the word so that wasn't the oh I'm scared of God that is wow this is an awesome God Later on it says that everyone who heard it, and now it's beyond the church, everyone who heard it, they feared. And so definitely God makes a statement in both testaments about who He is and why worship should be done in a way that honors Him. God doesn't strike David dead for dancing. Interesting, right? He strikes Uzzah dead for touching the ark, but doesn't strike David dead for dancing. Part of the Jewish culture was to have dancing as a part of their worship. That today is not a part of our culture, and there are certain cultures, African cultures, that they do have dancing as a part of their worship, and we would frown on that. The Jewish culture does not have a problem with in the bodily movement. We do, and so for us it would be an offence, but clearly in the Old Testament it was not an offence to God, and not that we are going to allow that to happen in our context. All right, so let's move on to chapter 7. God says to Nathan, verse 4, but the same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, go and tell my servant David, thus says Yahweh, would you build me a house to dwell in? Interesting. God approaches David to ask him, Are you going to build me a house? Anybody knows the answer to this? What does God tell him? No, you're not. Why did you ask if I'm not the one? Well God is going to go beyond just the construction of the temple and God is going to give him a blessing that extends right up through the time of Christ to the new heavens and the new earth. And if you read, I'm not going to read the whole section, but during the time of David, God provides peace to the nation of Israel on both sides because of the promise that He makes for him, verse 10, that He makes to him, verse 9. And I have been with you wherever you went, and I have cut off all your enemies before you, and I will make for you a great name. Does that sound familiar? Anybody remember another covenant where that comes up? A great name like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will point a place for my people Israel. Does that sound familiar? location. Think about those questions that I've just asked. And I will plant them, and that's a very important word, I will plant them so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more as formally for the time that I appoint from the time I appoint judges over my people Israel and I will give to you rest from all your enemies moreover Yahweh declares to you that Yahweh will make you a house when your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers I will raise up your offspring after you who shall come, so that is Solomon, who shall come from your body and I will establish his kingdom. And most commentators would acknowledge that that actually refers to Christ since the first one relates to Solomon. He shall build a house for my name, that is Solomon, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever, and that is Christ. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son, that is Solomon. And when he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him. as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you, speaking about Solomon. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever, that your throne relates to the throne of David, upon which the Eternal One will sit on. in accordance with all these words and in accordance with all this vision Nathan spoke to David. There's two things that you need to understand here. When he speaks about Solomon it is not with eternal language. When he speaks about Christ It is with eternal language. And you can see that difference. I will raise up your offspring after you, who will succumb from your body, and that relates to Solomon. I will establish his kingdom, that relates to the Messiah. Now, there is some going backward and forward here, and it's difficult to see in the English text, it's difficult to see in the Hebrew text, and that's why when they read this, they didn't see the distinction between Solomon and Christ. he shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." That cannot be Solomon because he was not on the throne forever. The one who sits on... how king kingdoms worked in their day was generally related to the longevity of the king. So it was named after the king and as long as the king stood, sat on the throne, that was his kingdom. So to have an eternal throne, what does it tell you? you will have an eternal one sitting on the throne, right? That is the idea. So God is clearly making a distinction between the one that will come from David's loins, which is Solomon, and the one who will sit on the throne forever. Again, not 100% clear in the text, but now, in hindsight, as we look back, we know that this is what God has meant, because He reaffirms it in Luke chapter 1, and we will look at that in a moment's time. So whenever it relates to the forever kingdom of God, or forever kingdom of the throne, or forever existence of the throne, it relates to the Messiah. The eternal throne, eternal house and the eternal kingdom is promised to David and his lineage. Obviously to get to that eternal throne there's got to be a line of kings that lead up to that. It is an unconditional covenant. Go to Psalm 89. You can keep your hand there, we'll be back in a moment's time. By the way, as you turn there, What does the Davidic Covenant sound like? There's another covenant that has similar language. Anyone? Abrahamic Covenant. Great name and land. But Abraham was not promised a throne or one will sit on his throne forever. Psalm 89 as Ethan rejoices in the faithfulness of God. Look at what is at the heart of their remembrance of God's faithfulness. I will sing of the steadfast love of Yahweh forever. And with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. He's telling us what he's talking about. He's talking about God's forever steadfast unchanging love and God's forever unchanging Faithfulness for I said step was love will be built up forever in the heaven in the heavens You will establish your faithfulness. What is the sign or the? Establishment of the sign of his faithfulness when you see the heavens remember this you will know that my faithfulness endures because the heavens have not been destroyed Verse 4, I will establish your offspring forever and build your throne for all generations. What does it sound like? Yeah, Samuel. It's the covenant with David that is being repeated. Listen to verse 5. Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Yahweh, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones. Why is he repeating heavens? Because he's got a point to make. When you see the heavens, you will know that God's faithfulness is still standing. for who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh who among the heavenly beings is like Yahweh and he goes on to speak about the greatness of God and how God establishes his faithfulness and the testimony of his faithfulness is in the earth and above the earth which is heaven and earth 14. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Don't miss that. now he's moved from the promise of David in verse 3 to God having a throne and he's saying that it is your throne that is righteousness and that is justice and righteousness and your throne will demonstrate your steadfast love and faithfulness as it goes before you. Again There's significance in that because what the author has done is what we often miss. He said he's connected the one who sits on the throne in verse 4 to who God is. Jumping down to verse 20. I have found David my servant with my holy oil I have anointed him so that my hand shall be established with him. My arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him, and the wicked one shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers." Are we still talking about David? he shall cry to me you are my father my God and the rock of my salvation and I will make him the firstborn that is not the one born first That is, I will make him the most important one in all creation. Look at the next line. The highest of all kings of the earth. That's where the language of firstborn comes from in the New Testament. It is the best position, not the firstborn. Yes, that is the language in the Old Testament of those who were born first. God is not saying I'm going to make him my firstborn. I am going to make him the most important person in all of creation. Jump down to verse 34. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. In other words, God is a man of his word. God will not change the promise that he has made. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness Interesting that that's the passages we spoke about this morning. God keeps his word and God swears by himself. I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever. Is that Solomon? Nope. He is thrown because now his offspring that shall endure and live forever is explained. He is thrown as long as the sun before me. Remember the references to the heavens? This is why. Like the moon it shall be established forever a faithful witness in the skies. As long as you see the testimonies of the sun and the moon and the heavens and the earth, as long as you have these testimonies you will know that I have not rescinded on my promise. I will keep my promise as long as you see these things. Now that does have an eschatological problem because is God going to destroy the sun? Is he going to revamp the earth? That's a discussion for another time. I have a different view than some guys. I don't believe it's going to be utterly destroyed. I think it's a renewed earth and a renewed heaven because the promises are made for this earth and these heavens. And so the testimony that God is making here will stand forever. He's saying that the sun is a lifelong testimony of my covenant to David. As long as you see the external witnesses, the luminary witnesses that exist in the heavens, as long as you see those things, you will know that I have not changed my plan for David. Verse 49, Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which is your faithfulness you swore to David? This is Israel's longing for God to fulfill His promise to David. Why? Because they need a king that will reign forever. They don't want these individual short-lived, 40 years, 70 years, 40 years dead kings. They want an eternal king who will reign in justice and equity. the psalmist understands what God meant in 2nd Samuel chapter 7. He is writing a commentary on God's promise to David and he gets it that it's not David but the eternal one that will sit on the throne and that one will be the fulfillment of God's will receive the fulfillment of God's promise to David in that he will be on the throne of David forever. Okay, any questions thus far? Nope, go back to 2 Samuel chapter 7. Alright, so it's unconditional and irrevocable. God will never go back on his word. That is Psalm 89. It foreshadows Christ and the greatest son of David and I've pointed out to you when it refers to the Eternal One on the throne, it refers to the Messiah. When it doesn't, it generally refers to Solomon It's not an ironclad argument, but for the most part, you can see that distinction. It is key to understanding Old Testament and New Testament hope, and hopefully we are able to get to, maybe, let me go there now. Luke chapter 1, let me show you how the Jews understood that promise. Luke chapter 1, verse 31 through to 33 there's multiple passages of promises that's being fulfilled here and behold verse 31 you will conceive in your womb and be a son that is Isaiah 9 verse 6 and you shall call his name Jesus and he will be great and will be called the son of the Most High." And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David. 2 Samuel chapter 7 and he will reign over the house of Jacob that is the united Israel forever and of his kingdom there will be no end that's why it's an eternal throne that's why it's an eternal kingdom because the one who will be seated on the throne of David is eternal And so they understood, and this is the promise to this Gabriel who writes, who gives his testimony to Mary, and Luke understands what is being written here and what is being promised here, and he records it in terms of the the future promise of having the Messiah sit on the throne. Did Jesus sit on the throne of David in the time that he was on earth in his 33 years? Not at all. That promise is outstanding. Jesus does not spiritually fulfill the promise to David which means God partially fulfilled the promise to David and he will fulfill the rest of the promise because he says I will not and I cannot go back on my word since I've sworn by myself. Psalm 89. Alright, moving on. If there's any questions or comments you are free to jump in at any time. Covenant is a center or one of the major covenants in the Bible. It connects from Eden right through to the New Covenant. And so understanding its connection, understanding what God is doing, helps us to understand how important it is. In the Covenant of Creation, I call it the Covenant of Creation even though the word Berith, which is covenant, is not there. You see God's promise to Adam and Eve that they will have dominion, they will have blessing, and they will have, and they have a promised seed. That is given in the Garden. The Noahic Covenant, The dominion aspect relates to kingdom. God has always, always intended for his people to have a kingdom to reign in, not over, in. They are not the ones to reign over the kingdom. They are not the ones to have absolute dominion. There is one who will reign over all things but whom we will reign with. And so right in Genesis God uses dominion language to, not a charismatic dominion language, uses dominion language to establish where he's going. The whole purpose of creation is the kingdom because the kingdom walks into the eternal state The kingdom is where christ establishes. This is revelation chapter 20 where he begins his eternal reign He's not reading eternally now. He only begins his eternal reign in the kingdom And so that's why the kingdom language in the entire bible is so important That's why the kingship is so important because god is giving them small snippets of what it means to be under a king small snippets of what it means to be a kingdom of priests. The New Testament moves that analogy along. The Noahic covenant establishes redemptive history establishes God's promised seed to, promised to his people that he will always have a remnant. God will never wipe out the human race again because of sinfulness and therefore God will provide redemption through, despite their disobedience, through one like Noah's son. And then Abraham, Abrahamic covenant, which is considered to be the heart of all covenants, the promise of land, the promise of seed, and the promise of blessing is repeated in the Davidic covenant. The promise of land is that Israel will have a land. The promise of seed is that there will be a people and the promise of blessing is that the blessing of Abraham will be global, will reach the nations. There will be one family in Abraham and that also takes its fulfillment in Christ. Part of it not fully takes fulfillment in Christ. And then we have the Mosaic Covenant. It's a holy nation and demonstrates a need for a mediator, points to Christ. Creation points to Christ. Nahui Covenant points to Christ. The Abrahamic Covenant points to Christ. The Mosaic Covenant points to Christ. The Davidic Covenant speaks of an eternal kingdom, an eternal throne, and an eternal house points to Christ. The New Covenant in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel chapter 33 speaks of a new heart, a new spirit, and a new law, God taking His law, putting it in our hearts, and thereby we are able to live in accordance with His will. Specifically made with a nation of Israel. External law and requirements will be converted to internal obedience when Jesus comes to establish His kingdom with the nation of Israel. We get to share in that the promise of the kingdom is actually not for the Gentiles, it's actually for the nation of Israel. And so we get to share in that this period is God's judgment on Israel, the age of the church, this period of the church, or dispensational language, this dispensation of the church is the period of judgment of Israel for rejecting the Messiah. If Israel If Israel received the Messiah at the time that he came, God would have established the kingdom then because the offer of the kingdom was made in Matthew, it was made to the nation of Israel. So since they rejected Israel, yeah, the true Israel, they rejected the Messiah, the promise or at least the blessing of Christ's offer has now been extended to the Gentiles. We don't know what it would have been like had they accepted. I mean, I don't know what they would have done for the cross because redemption is by means of His sacrifice. So that to me is not clear, so don't ask any questions on that. Right, moving on. The Davidic covenant explained, I covered this in the previous, not the previous slide, the former slide, there's a house perpetual dynasty for David. There's a kingdom, secure realm for God's people. There's a throne and eternal authority from which Christ will reign and rule. There's a seed and a son. The initial seed mentioned is Solomon and the son is related to the eternal son, which is the son of God. The temple is the son, which is Solomon will build a house for God, but he's not the one that will sit on the throne of his father forever. Let me move on from the prior covenants to the Davidic covenant. From the seed to the kingdom and to the presence. The seed from Eve to Abraham to Judah to David, all these link God's plan. That God has never let go of His plan. You see that Judah's line is saved, you see that Abraham is preserved, you see that David's line is saved so many times. Why? Because God has a plan for a son of David to sit on his throne. And so God has to, because of his promise to David, even before David comes along, the book of Ruth, even before David comes along, God upholds the promise that he's going to make to David. He preserves the line of David. Kingdom, the Edenic dominion, presumes that there will be a royal seed in Abram and then takes us to David as the prototype king. The reason the language of peace on both sides in the Davidic language, in the Davidic covenant when God speaks about that is because David is a type of what Christ will do in his kingdom. And then presence, God with his people in Eden, God with his people in the tabernacle and then God with his people in the temple. So that is important as we move forward to the millennial reign of Christ, God will come and dwell with his people. The whole point of this covenant is to bring God to his people. from the Davidic Covenant to the New Covenant. King, kingdom, and presence. I added law as I was thinking about this as well. King Jesus is the son of David, and like I pointed out in Luke chapter 1, but he's also king. And so the promise is that there will be a king on David's throne forever. I heard somebody talking. Did you speak up? And then kingdom is global and there will be a restored Israel. That's important because in Luke chapter 1 the word Jacob is used and Jacob refers to Israel without its distinctive tribes and so the idea there is that Israel will be restored as a unified whole. um the spirit indwelling God's people now later on Messiah will dwell with his people in Zechariah chapter 14 which points to the bodily return of Christ to mount and then to Jerusalem and He will dwell with His people personally. That raises a couple of questions what happens to the Spirit. Remember what Jesus said to the disciples that I have to go in order for the Spirit to come. So when Jesus comes what happens to the Spirit? Yeah, I think the spirit leaves because now he dwells with his people. He doesn't need to have the mediator, the paracletos with us anymore. Good question, yeah. So why is the spirit given to us? Are we saved by the spirit? Why is the spirit given to us? Why was the spirit... Yeah, why did the Spirit come upon the Jews in the Old Testament? What was the purpose? Not to you, to anybody. Okay, answer is empowerment. Sorry? Empowerment or ability. So the Spirit gave them ability or empowered them for specific tasks. That's why He came upon them. Do we see anything different happening in the New Testament other than Him indwelling us? No, it's empowerment and ability. He doesn't save us, right? God saves us and gives us the guarantee of His promise, the promise that He made through Christ, by giving us the indwelling of the Spirit. When Jesus comes, He comes to dwell physically with us. And He says in John chapter 14 that He needs to go, because if He doesn't go, yeah, it's 14 and 16, if He doesn't go, then the Spirit won't come. And so there seems to be the case that Jesus won't be present when the Spirit is present, and the Spirit won't be present when Jesus is present. I don't know how that works, I'm just saying that it does seem that when Jesus comes to dwell physically, there is no need for the Spirit to be present. Now we think in terms of Him indwelling and empowering us, it's a new era that takes place when Jesus comes to Mount of Olives and takes His seat in Jerusalem. It's a new era in the history of mankind. Just like the church is a new dispensation, a new era, where Acts chapter 2, where the Spirit comes to indwell the saints, so the millennium period will be a new era that establishes a new kind of new relationship that he has with his people because now he dwells with all his people. The saints coming with him, some people will be raised, they will be resurrected, that's a new dispensation. I don't have a different word, so I'm just going to use era and dispensation. If you don't like dispensationalism, that's your problem. But the idea is that there's a new period taking place from the time that Jesus comes back. And so I think in terms of that, Spirit now, Messiah later, you will have him physically with you. I know that that raises a lot of theological questions. I don't have the answers for all of them, but if you do have an answer, please let me know. Law, written on hearts. Okay, that is important. So in the New Covenant, in both Jeremiah 31 and in Ezekiel 33, the promise is made, 36 is what I think, right? 33 and 36. The promise is made that God will take His law and put it in our hearts. And what do we see when we read that? We think in terms of us Gentiles. That promise is actually made to the Jews, to the nation of Israel, that I will take my law, because the law was given to them, and put it in your hearts, and you would obey me. That is interesting. I know that we think in terms of church that that relates to church, but it doesn't. The covenant is made with Israel. We are benefactors of that new covenant. God blesses us. And remember the language that Paul uses of the vine? What are we? The Gentiles have been what? grafted in because it's the covenant, the promises are not actually made to us. We have been grafted in. Now the church has come and stolen that language and you get some anti-Israel, anti-Jewish churches that would say that God has no more covenant with Israel because the church replaced Israel. No, we've been granted in what gives us the right to take the position of Israel. God has never given us that right. Anyway, so law will be written on the hearts of God's people. And in Isaiah nine, we will see that he will execute justice by his law. He will reign and apply the law in all its ability and all its legal requirements to the people. So There is a return, and you see this in Zechariah 14 as well, there is a return to the law in the millennium. Why? Because the millennium is focused on who? Israel, not the church. We get to reign with him, but the church is not the primary focus. Now the church is. And we get, you know what, we get to be part of God's kingdom building work now. God has given us a mission. To the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. God has given us a mission. We get to be part of filling the kingdom. We don't appreciate the time we have as God's people now. We don't appreciate the blessing we have as God's people now. Because once God moves back to Israel, we're just going to be there. But His focus is going to be His nation. Okay, questions, because I know that there's concerns now. Okay, move on. Okay, so that's the very coven. It is hugely Important. I can't stress the importance. That's why I spent so much time on it. It is dramatically important The new covenant does not replace the Davidic covenant. It supplies the heart change that allows people to thrive Under the eternal King. It is the preparation For the eternal reign. What does Jesus say to Nicodemus in terms of the kingdom? How do you enter the kingdom? It's very simple John chapter 3 Jesus says Except a man be what? Born again, he cannot what? Enter or see, depending on which translation you have. See the kingdom of God. So hang on, hang on, hang on. Just think about what Jesus is saying. The only way for you to enter the kingdom, to go in, is to what? First be saved. That's our task, is to preach the gospel so that people can be saved and enter the kingdom. When do they enter the kingdom? Now if you're not dispensational, you're going to say they entered it now, right? That's not what Jesus was saying. He's saying the only way to get to the end goal, which is the goal of God, the kingdom, in order for you to get to the end goal, you've got to be born again now. So the end goal is the kingdom. The means is given now. The avenue, the door to the kingdom has been opened to us through the gospel. No questions. Let me move on to David's transgression. That is the Davidic Covenant and I encourage you to do further study in it because it's dramatically important in so many different ways. Okay, David's transgression. You know this. I'm not going to spend too much time on it. In chapter 11 there is the grievous sin of taking a woman that is not his wife, a woman of another man and then murdering that man. We have an amazing ability to silence our conscience. Look at David. He made a decision. He knew that he was doing it wrong. There's a number of different things I can point out here. It takes place when the kings go out to war. David stays home, sets himself up for failure. David remained at Jerusalem at the end of verse 1. He separates himself from the people that were his advisors, the people that were supposed to hold him accountable. His duty was to translate the law and to lead the people of God. Translate the law and lead the people of God. That's all that he was supposed to do. What does he do? You don't see him translating the law yet. You don't see him lead the people of God yet. David has abandoned his duty. Every failure deals with abandonment of the Word of God and abandonment of duty. Every failure. When it comes to a man leaving his wife, when it comes to a woman leaving her husband, it comes down to that. You have abandoned God by moving away from His commands and you have abandoned your duty in what God expects of you as a woman or as a man. God sends Nathan in chapter 12 to rebuke David. Do you remember the Hebrew here? Yes? Let me see, it's such a cool statement. Verse 7, David draws up this analogy. If you can find, let me see if I've got, where's my Hebrew text? Yeah, I don't have it on my... Yeah, I do it. So, Nathan is sent to David and he gives him this analogy of this corrupt individual. Now, there came a man, a traveler to the rich man and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock in the herd to prepare for the guests who had come to him. But he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him. And David's anger was kindled against the man. And he said to Nathan, as the Lord loves, the man who has done this deserves to die. trying to get to the Hebrew, but I can't get to it. And he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity. Nathan said to him, is it ha-a-ish? Something like that, right? You are the man. That is a very dramatic statement. It's emphasized, it's intensified in the Hebrew and he says, David, you're the guy. What are you talking about? The man who deserves to die, you're the man, wow. Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul, and I gave you your master's house and your master's wives in your arms, and you gave the house, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the Word of the Lord to do what is evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. David was guilty of both adultery and murder and interestingly the question is why have you decided to do this evil in God's sight? Nathan rebukes David because he understands that the sin is not only against Uriah, it's not only against Bathsheba, it's not only against God's people, but ultimately it is against God. Psalm 51 is the outflow of this context. If you ever read Psalm 51 and Psalm 33 again, read it with 2 Samuel 12, 11 and 12 in mind where David is caught out. David is caught out and the sin is laid before him. What is the right response? He must repent or God will remove him. And so David repents. See, the New Testament application of Matthew 18 is not new at all. It is the Old Testament that God has established the principles of excommunication and it's reaffirmed in the New Testament. There's continuity between the Old and the New. The consequences of David's sin is seen in David's troubles. This is the last section from verse 13 through to 24. The whole point of the next section is to point out that your sin is never private. David's sin was a personal private sin with Bathsheba, right? Not so right. It was a public sin that affected more than David, that affected more than Bathsheba. The entire nation got affected and his family bore the burden of his sin. Absalom for instance, was opposed to David, wanted to take his throne. Tamar, poor girl, got violated by her brother and it's just ongoing problems that came up because of this trouble that he has caused to his family. We see Absalom's rebellion and civil war. I'm just rushing because my time is running out. David's sorrow and the restoration and then the census and the plague in chapter 24. David decides, because he's not right with the Lord yet, decides to take a census and the Lord judges him for taking the census. David wanted to see how great he was. by counting the people and so God humbles him and slays Israel. Again, Davidson people suffered. Why David? Because when Moses sinned, when Abram sinned, he was judged for his own sin. An implication here that David failed on so many fronts but yet was considered the greatest king. David's son, greater son, will be unlike David in that he will never fail in any place, in any way, and so what you experience under David will not and cannot be compared to what you will experience under the son of David, the greater son of David, which is Jesus. Alright, so I'm going to end on that because my time is quickly running out. Any questions? Any comments? It's one of those things that kind of lets you, leaves you, not confused, but really astounded by the way God works when sin is forgiven. I mean, this tremendous sin of David left his family mocked and with so much came in, the consequences were huge. Yet as you go through 2 Kings, And every king that comes from that line who's good reminds you like his father David. Even though David sinned, and Ahaz sinned, and Rehoboam sinned, but those are the two dividing factors. David's sins were given, and God has always recognized him as a king who was almost a model for kings that came from him. Whereas the other kings who sinned and were not forgiven, they were the evil kings. And that line is so stark as you go to 2 Kings. So what sets David aside from other kings is that he did not fall into the sin of idolatry. Yes, he had multiple wives. The question with the multiple wives, and it's an interesting question, and I said I would ask this question last time, is does God permit multiple wives? Often the comment is made, well, God never condemns it. He doesn't condemn it in the Old Testament. In fact, you see a deal with David, God doesn't condemn it. You see it in the New Testament. God doesn't actually, according to that argument, condemn multiple wives. And so with the patriarchs and with David, does that mean that it's permission for sin? Does God condemn every sin? There are a lot of sins that we perform that God does not actually condemn. Why? Because it falls under the canopy of sin, right? Does God have a standard for marriage? Yes, He does. Where? Why do we go to Genesis? It's right, but why do we go to Genesis? It's the pattern, right? Is that the pattern though? Is Genesis 1 the pattern? Yeah, Genesis 1 actually points to a greater reality which is what? The union, yeah, Ephesians chapter 5, the union between Christ and the church because Paul says that I write of greater things that this marriage that you're talking about actually points to what? The union between Christ and the church. So marriage has been established to point to one thing. What is that? The union between Christ and his church. So God gives us a pattern in marriage but it has one goal to show that there is one husband and one bride. So does God denounce multiple wives? Of course he does because he gave us a pattern in Genesis and he gave us the example in Christ and the church. There cannot be multiple wives. Anything that falls short of the standard is a perversion of the standard. So it doesn't matter. If a culture allows it, it doesn't matter if a government allows it. Governments allow various sins to be illegal. That doesn't give us an answer and a reason to permit those sins as being acceptable. You cannot make a biblical argument for multiple wives. It doesn't matter if culture allows it. There is no biblical answer for multiple marriages. Does God put up with a sin? Yes, which is what I wanted to come to now, despite David's sin. Despite his failure, God graciously still use him, uses him. God still decides to make him one of the greatest kings, if not the greatest king in all of Israel. To be the greatest king in Israel would mean what? That you are the greatest king in what? The entire world. To be leader over Israel is to be the greatest leader in the world. That's how God has established it. I have set my king in Zion. There can be other kings, but my king, the greatest king, is set in Zion. So, up till that stage, God... There was no king like David and there will not be a king like David until Jesus returns and takes his place in the throne of the house of David in Jerusalem. That leads us to eschatology which is another discussion. God promised that David would sit on his throne, David's son would sit on his throne and he will. A lot of people see the fulfillment only in Solomon's time and don't consider the future implications for that. Our theological themes, God's sovereignty, human failure, divine faithfulness, topology, David is prefigured as Christ, but Christ never fails or will never fail. The need for a righteous and eternal King will fall in Jesus. Second last slide. God's plan continues through flawed instruments. It's what Peter was talking about. It's amazing how God is still able to use people who have failed. Now we, today, if a man fails, we cancel him. He's done forever. That's not how God, look at Peter. Not only denied Jesus, I mean Jesus is being persecuted right there and he's standing there, I don't know that man. I swear I don't know that man. I don't think there's a greater failure than that. That's denying the one who saved you. That is absolute failure. And what does Jesus do? He goes to him and says, Peter, feed my sheep. We would never do that if any of our leaders decide, I'm done, I'm done for now, turn his back on Jesus and walks away. And then a few years later he comes back and he's restored and he's faithful, goes on for the Lord and God has dramatically changed his life. We will never put that man back into leadership. Jesus did. You know, we have raised the standard to higher than Jesus. Jesus used failed, flawed men. But we look for perfect men which don't exist. Anyway, God disciplines but does not abandon his people. Leadership must be marked by humility and repentance. And that is what matters to God. A man of the God's own heart is what David is because when the sin was pointed out, David repented. And he listened to God. David was hard because he walked away from God. And that can happen to anybody. Anyone. Not just leaders. Anyone. When you don't commit to submitting your heart to the authority of God's Word and you don't do what He has called you to do, you will wander. There's a lot to think about here. There's a tremendous amount of learning that we can glean from the Old Testament, so please take some time and read through it. It did not work out the way that I intended. I intended to do this in one year. I don't think that's gonna happen. But nevertheless, this is our last in the Old Testament for now, and then we will do some marriage classes and then counselings. Thank you for your patience. Our time is up. Let me close in a word of prayer. Do you want to sing a song? Is that why you had the song up there? Okay, let me close in one prayer and we'll call it an evening. Father, thank you for being such a faithful God. Your promises are yea and amen. You never rescind or change your mind. You have been faithful to David throughout the ages, even before he was born. You knew that his line was important, so you preserved it. Even after David had gone you preserved the line of Judah so that the Messiah could come and be the king that you have promised he would be. Now he's not seated on the throne of David yet but he will one day as the temple will be restored So we think about these future events we recognize that Israel is now under judgment and they may be acting out of your will in what they are doing and so we pray for grace for them, we pray that you would bring them to repentance as they would one day see the coming Messiah. We pray Father that as the war continues to unfold that you would preserve your people through this. There are Christians in Israel, there are Christians in Iran, there are Christians in Palestine, and so we pray that those believers whom you have called and whom you have saved, and even if they do pass away, that would be your will, but if it's not, Lord, we pray that you would preserve them, keep them safe, and help them to joy in their suffering, despite the difficulty that you have brought upon them. Thank you for your goodness, thank you for the promises that you make, and thank you for being a faithful God. What we've learned tonight is that you are a God of faithfulness, a God that is unchanging in all His ways. And so we look forward to the fulfillment of the promises. We give thanks to you now in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.