KING OF KINGS
2 Samuel 7:10-16 (KJV)
Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,
And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
A number of weeks spoke about the various ages, or dispensations that are found in the Bible. There are eight of these ages in the Bible:
· The Age of Innocence
· The Age of Guilt
· The Age of Government
· The Age of Law
· The Age of the Kings
· The Age of Grace
· The Age of the Millennium
· The Age of Eternity
These various ages are separated by what I call pivot points:
· The Fall[1]
· The Flood[2]
· Abraham[3]
· Moses/David[4]
· The invitation to the Cross[5]
· The Great Tribulation[6]
· The Return of Christ[7]
· The Great White Throne Judgment[8]
Because of the nature of these pivotal points, they’re going to come up many times in the course of a series on the subject of Bible prophecy.
This passage, a pivotal point in the life of King David – is a major key to our understanding of Jesus Christ.
One of the first events in the life of Christ – even as a baby was the wise men who came asking, Matthew 2:2 (KJV)
“Where is he that is born King of the Jews? …”
During the years of Christ’s popularity, the Bible says,
John 6:15 (KJV)
… that they [the people]would come and take him by force, to make him a king, …
One of the accusations made against Christ concerned whether Jesus was a king.
John 18:33-37 (KJV)
Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
And, when Pilate would have let Him free, the people in one accorded cried out, John 19:15 (KJV)
… Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
And even his disciples, after His resurrection wondered,
Acts 1:6 (KJV)
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
All of that was founded in the promise God made to David that, “thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”
It had a fulfillment in Solomon, but the ultimate fulfillment is in Jesus Christ.
Even the purpose of the two genealogies of Christ the one in Matthew and the one in Luke are designed to prove Christ’s qualifications as the rightful and legal heir of King David’s throne.
And the second coming of Jesus Christ in Revelation 19:11-16 (KJV)
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
It all springs from this promise/prophecy made to David.
I noticed, in 2 Samuel two separate but connected roles of David:
· He was a king and
· He was a father
I want to take the second of the two and preach to you on the subject,
How to influence your family’s future…
Years ago, a contrast was made between what was called “the Max Jukes family” and “Jonathan Edwards’ family.”
Jonathan Edwards was a respected American preacher of the 1700’s. Many consider him to be the best theologian the United States has ever produced.
Edwards’ family legacy was once traced through 150 years. “Jonathan Edwards’ legacy includes:
· 1 U.S. Vice-President,
· 1 Dean of a law school,
· 1 dean of a medical school,
· 3 U.S. Senators, 3 governors,
· 3 mayors, 13 college presidents,
· 30 judges,
· 60 doctors,
· 65 professors,
· 75 Military officers,
· 80 public office holders,
· 100 lawyers,
· 100 clergymen, and
· 285 college graduates.”[9]
His legacy was then contrasted with another family legacy, that of Max Jukes. Jukes, a non-Christian and a prisoner in the State system, lived in the same state (New York) and the same time (1700’s) as Edwards. From Jukes’ family came,
· “7 murderers,
· 60 thieves,
· 190 prostitutes,
· 150 other convicts,
· 310 paupers, and
· 440 who were physically wrecked by addiction to alcohol.
Of the 1,200 descendants that were studied, 300 died prematurely.”[10]
Who would question that the character and contribution of a child’s parents influences their future – and that of their children and children’s children?
I would simply like to point out three features leading to God’s promise for King David’s family:
The prophecy comes first,
I. IN RESPONSE TO A SERVANT’S HEART
In this case we could consider the lifetime of David.
· We first find him tending his father’s sheep
· We see him taking food and cheese to his brothers and
· Getting news to give his father
He became:
· A servant of King Saul and then
· A servant to the people of Israel and
· Always a servant of God
In the Psalms he says, Psalms 84:10 (KJV)
For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
He was:
· A musician
· A poet
· An organizer
· A soldier
· A leader
And he was ultimately all of those things in service to his God.
This leads me to suggest that one of the ways we may best influence our children for good is to be a servant.
A. Let them witness as we serve the Lord
Far better than telling them to:
· Go to church
· Read your Bible
· Say your prayers
Let them witness us doing these things.
Let them see us:
· Teaching a Sunday school class
· Singing a special during services
· Participate in the choir
· Attend churchwide visitation and
· Sweat at church work days
I promise you, they will notice, and they will remember.
B. Let them see us serve others
There are any number of ways we demonstrate that we have a servant’s heart.
· Being on time at work
· Being thankful for our job
· Being kind and helpful to our neighbors
· Being patient in traffic
· Allowing someone else to go before us in the grocery line
· Carrying someone’s bags
· Letting a pedestrian cross the walk before we go
They are little things that we don’t think matter, but our kids see it, and they will one day copy it.
Thoughtfulness to others is perhaps the best form of service.
Our society is becoming increasingly selfish.
You can break that cycle in your family by being thoughtful of others.
C. Let them experience our service to them
I realize that, when our children are young, it’s our job to train them.
But if you think about it, our job is really to serve them.
· We serve them warm food
· We serve them a clean diaper
· We serve them a comfortable bed
· We serve them an education
When they get a bit older, we may serve them by helping them make wise decisions.
When they are adults, we may still serve them by being a friend and encourager and by giving them a shoulder to lean on.
The other day Lisa wrote to Anita a little note that said of our home that it is, “The one place on earth where all the problems of the world are left at the road.”
Anita and I want to serve our children by providing them a safe place in this world.
That means no judgment, no commanding, just a place to come and be loved.
We might influence our families with a servant’s heart.
The prophecy comes second,
II. IN DESIRE FOR A HOUSE OF GOD
2 Samuel 7:2-5 (KJV)
That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
David wasn’t asking for a kingdom. He was asking for a house for God to dwell in.
David never did “desire” to be king.
God had Samuel anoint him to be king after Saul and David accepted his role when it came – but it was not his ambition to be a leader.
He did, however, have an ambition to be a servant and an ambition to build a house of God.
And, while it turned out that it was not God’s will for him to build it, David did spend the rest of his life helping prepare his son to do the work.
· He made relationships with people who would be able to help Solomon
· He gathered materials that Solomon could one day use for the building and
· He saved up money for Solomon to pay for the house of God
Technically David did not build the Temple, but he sure made it easier for Solomon to get it done.
Everyone who knows me knows how much value I place in the local church.
I do not believe any church is perfect – but I do believe it is God’s perfect place for Christians to grow in faith.
I can’t imagine a better way to influence our families for the future than to influence them to poor themselves into the house of God.
· By being faithful to church
· By being positive about church
· By inviting and bringing others to church
· By giving in the services of the church
· By praying for your church
You do two things:
· First, you help to ensure that there is a solid church for your family to attend in the future
· Second you teach your family to have the same attitude toward the church that you have.
David influenced his family for the future
· By having a servant’s heart
· By having a desire for the house of God
The prophecy comes finally,
III. IN COUNSEL TO HIS PREACHER
Let me read this passage to you again, and note with me every time Nathan’s name is mentioned.
2 Samuel 7:1-17 (KJV)
And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;
That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:
And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,
And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
One of the first things you see is that Nathan was not perfect.
Despite that:
· David sought for and accepted his counsel and
· Nathan was corrected and corrected his message
There is no question that, over the last few decades, some mistakes were made concerning people and the preacher:
· Some pastors thought they were perfect, but more often
· Some church members thought they were perfect
There have been some abusive preachers.
Recently a well-known preacher, whose father I know, delivered a message apologizing for the abuse his dad delivered to the church from the pulpit.
This preacher, who pastors the large church his dad founded and saw grow to many hundreds of people, claimed he has PTSD from the effects of his father’s ministry.[11]
The message has spread all over social media[12]and has resulted in one person after another feeling the need to share their own problems with PTSD because of a preacher.
Now – this guy’s dad WAS abusive. I do not mean to give him a pass.
But hard preaching is not abusive.
I remind you of the teaching of the Word of God.
2 Timothy 4:1-4 (KJV)
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Titus 1:13 (KJV)
This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
Revelation 3:19 (KJV)
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
I want to suggest to you that much more dangerous, and commonplace, than a preacher thinking he is perfect, is a church member who thinks he should be perfect.
Do not hold your pastor up so high that when he falls your faith in God is damaged.
He is not God.
Neither should you disregard his message just because it has what you believe are mistakes.
In his weakness God is made strong.
God uses his weaknesses for the good of the people God places under his care.
If you get disappointed because he doesn’t meet your expectations, you will never get the lesson God sent him to give you.
If you want to influence your family for the future:
· Flee the pastor who is genuinely abusive, otherwise
· Forgive your pastor his failures and
· Respect and love him for his ministry
Conclusion
We would be way off base if we were to think that all of David’s children and children’s children turned out well.
It just isn’t what happened.
And I freely admit that the real reason God’s promise was fulfilled was, not because of David, but because of the will of God.
But David’s family did produce the better kings than did Jeroboam and the rebellious Northern kingdom.
And the genealogies of Matthew and Luke prove that Jesus Christ, the Son of God is both legally and legitimately also, the Son of David.
[1]Genesis 3:1-24
[2]Genesis 9:1-7
[3]Genesis 12:1-7
[4]Exodus 20:1-17, 2 Samuel 7:12-16
[5]Matthew 11:28-30
[6]2 Thessalonians chapters 1 and 2
[7]Revelation 19:11-21
[8]Revelation 20:11-15
[9]https://www.ywam-fmi.org/news/multigenerational-legacies-the-story-of-jonathan-edwards/
[10]Ibid. Note, certain historians challenge the validity of the Jukes study (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jukes_family) I am not qualified to either confirm or deny their challenges. I merely use this contrast to point out the importance of a father’s influence in his family’s future.
[11]I confess that I did not listen to the message. I make a few assumptions based upon the responses from some of those I know who did listen to it.
[12]In my opinion, one of social media’s most notorious problems.