Through the Bible - 2 Samuel — Zac Poonen

The Purpose of Studying 2 Samuel

Turn today to 2nd Samuel. 2nd Samuel chapter 1. We saw in our last study how God picked up David when he was a young man and in 2nd Samuel we read about the reign of David. The whole book deals with that from the time of the death of Saul and David is made king and then how he wins a number of victories his fall into sin and then the problems he has in his family right on till the end of his life and ministry as king.

So we'll try and look at the important points in this chapter and the spiritual lessons that we can learn. You remember in the first session I said that all scripture has been given by inspiration of God for correction for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work for our life and for our ministry.

If we keep that verse before us as we study all these books we will receive something that will equip us. See there are many ways in which we can look at the Old Testament. We can look at all the types of Christ in the Old Testament and a clever brain can discover many many things there.

But we don't find the New Testament emphasizing so much of typology a little bit. We saw a little bit in when we study the tabernacle of what Christ stood for. But there are many other types that we could study because study Joseph is a picture of Christ and there are many many ways in which he's a type of Christ.

We could study Boaz and Ruth which we looked at yesterday as a picture of Christ redeeming us and making us his bride. Now all that is interesting but I have not placed too much emphasis on it because the New Testament doesn't give too much emphasis to that type of typology.

A little bit is alright. Ultimately God's Word is given for our life and not for intellectual stimulation. It's very important to remember that that we can study the Bible like we study a book of chemistry.

And that's not the way God wants us to study. He wants us to study in a way that it applies to our life that it equips us for better living and for more effective ministry. That's what we must always keep in mind.

And we must set aside the temptation to be intellectually stimulated because if we go into that line gradually what will happen is our ministry to people also will be just intellectual stimulation and we'll find people remain carnal defeated by sin even though they're getting a lot of intellectual stimulation from scriptures.

David’s Attitude Toward Saul

So let's keep that in mind and let's look at 2nd Samuel chapter 1. Now in chapter 1 we read of the death of Saul and I want you to see something about David's attitude when he hears about the death of Saul.

Now remember Saul was David's sworn enemy. More than once he tried to throw javelin at him to kill him. He chased him all over the caves and villages of Israel to try and find him to kill him. More than once David spared his life when Saul was at his mercy sleep in a cave.

And this is the man whom David now hears is dead. Is something like you're hearing that the man who was trying to kill you is finally dead. The man who once had an anointing but lost that anointing. And it says here a man came to from the camp of Saul verse 2 and he told David I have escaped verse 3 from the camp of Saul.

And David said how do you know verse 5 that Saul and Jonathan are dead. And this man tells a lie. Now we know that Saul committed suicide that we already saw in 1 Samuel 31. But this man in order to get some favor from David tells him that I was the one who kills all he says I by chance.

Verse 6 I happen to be in Mount Gilboa and Saul was leaning on his spear and he asked me to kill him. Verse 9 he said please stand beside me and kill me verse 10. So I stood beside him and killed him and I took the crown and his bracelet and I brought it to you.

And he expected David to say wonderful. But David took hold of his clothes his own clothes verse 11 and tore them. You see that was the sign of weeping. When a man was in great sorrow he would tear his clothes.

That's what David did. And they mourned and wept and fasted from morning till evening for Saul. And then David called this Amalekite and said to him verse 14 how is it that you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed.

And David called one of the young men and said kill him and he killed him. You see David's attitude there. And he said to him your blood is on your head because with your own mouth you said that you kill the Lord's anointed.

This is one of the things that made David a man after God's own heart. He was a new covenant man. In old covenant times Jesus said love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hurt you and harm you pray for them that persecute you.

And David was one man who did it. You see just like I said the other day you can be an old covenant Christian in this time. And in old covenant times there were a few men like Moses and David who lived by new covenant principles.

And here was one of them. He did not hate his enemies. And particularly even if once upon a time that man was anointed even if he's lost the anointing he said I will not touch him once his heart convicted him deeply when he even cut off a bit of Saul's robe.

And David made a wrote a lament we read and he lamented verse 17 over Saul and Jonathan his son verse 17. And he says such wonderful words in praise sincerely from his heart about a man who was a backslidden person who had lost the anointing and who had been chasing him all through his life.

Here is a lesson for us to learn how a man of God should behave towards those who are evil towards him. And David says verse 19 your beauty of Israel is slain on your high places. And a number of times he says how are the mighty fallen.

Verse 27. Verse 25 how have the mighty fallen. How have the mighty fallen. And he says Jonathan. Jonathan to praise him is understandable because Jonathan was a close friend of David's. And he says you've been very pleasant to me.

But to praise Saul and to call him a mighty man and to praise him for the victories he won and that they were swifter than eagles and stronger than lions. Verse 23 to appreciate the good that he saw in Saul and not to speak evil.

A tremendous example. There are very few people like that today. And that is why I say there are very few people who are men and women after God's own heart. Here is point number one that we can keep in mind.

David Waits for God’s Timing

And it is such a man that God picked up and placed upon the throne of his kingdom Israel. I want you to notice here in chapter 2 verse 1 it came about afterwards that David inquired of the Lord saying shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah.

This was a habit with David. We saw that earlier when we looked at one Samuel 23 verse 2 and 4. We see that also in one Samuel 30 verse 8 whenever he went was going to battle. He said Lord should I do this.

Should I do it. You see it here. You see it in chapter 5 verse 19 when he goes into battle he says Lord shall I go up to against the Philistines. A few days later again he prays when another battle verse 523 shall I go.

And this time the Lord says don't go. You shall not go directly go behind them. See each time the Lord change the strategy for the warfare. David was a man of war but he got a strategy from God and that's why he always won.

When there was a famine in the land 2nd Samuel 21 1 he again sought the Lord. There was one time when he didn't seek the Lord. When he saw Bathsheba he didn't ask the Lord. Lord what should I do. A warning for us.

One more time in the last chapter of 2nd Samuel 24 when he wanted to count the people to see how strong his army was me was depending on the strength of his army than on the Lord. He did not seek the Lord.

Joab his commander-in-chief said don't do it. But he didn't seek the Lord and that was another time that he sent. But whenever he sought the Lord Lord what should I do. And waited on him he always got an answer that protected him.

Here's another point a man after God's own heart but his failures also encourage us because we said there was a man who failed and you and I have failed. If I tell you the failures I have had in my life I'm not going to list all of them.

I'll have to take many sessions for that. It'll encourage you to know that God doesn't pick up people who never fail. We fail we blunder. We do stupid things but God is merciful to us. And if you can finish with those stupid things in your younger days at least if it becomes less that you don't do stupid things like some older people do then that's good.

If you can learn lessons in your younger days. We are zealous in our youthful days and we do things in a very unwise way. We speak in a very unwise way but God is merciful. And it's a great encouragement to know that even people like David failed.

But yet God calls him even in the New Testament Acts chapter 13 a man after God's own heart. That's how Paul referred to him when he spoke about him. So we see here that David inquired of the Lord and each time the Lord told him where he should go and this time the Lord told him to go to Hebron and the men of Judah came there and anointed David king verse 4 over the house of Judah.

Later on he was anointed king over Israel. Also we read in chapter 5 verse 4 and 5 he was 30 years old. Perhaps he was 17 or 18 when he was anointed. But he took him 12 more years to be anointed king to actually become king.

And another seven and a half years because before he ruled over all Israel only the tribe of Judah accepted him initially. So we see here that David was willing to wait patiently. Imagine from the age of 17 to the age of 37 20 years before he became king over all Israel.

And he recognized as it says in chapter 5 and verse 12 David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel. There were many times when David's colleagues had told him here is Saul at your mercy kill him and take over the kingdom.

One God is anointed you second the people are with you because you're the great leader who killed Goliath. Take it. David said no I will not grab for myself. I will wait for God to give me in his own time.

Here's another lesson. If you want to be a man after God's own heart or a woman after God's own heart learn not to grab. Jacob was a grabber. As long as he was a grabber he could not become Israel. You see a child comes into the world with its fists closed.

Have you seen little children small babies. You put your finger there they'll grab it. This is man's nature always grabbing. We spend our life grabbing grabbing grabbing grabbing grabbing. Position honor money.

Jesus opened his palms on Calvary. That's the example we are to follow to yield. God will give us a ministry a position everything if we wait for his time. And it's far better to get it from God than having grabbed it ourselves.

Jacob did not have to tell a lie and deceive his father Isaac to get the birthright. He could have waited. God would have given it to him. Just like David we are. So it's a it's a expression of unbelief.

When I grab supposing you are attracted to some young man or young girl whom you feel you should marry. Here is a time when you can think now if I don't get her quickly somebody else will get her. Or if I don't get him quickly somebody else will get him.

That is unbelief. If you trust God you won't grab and say Lord what you have reserved for me I will get. Nobody else will be able to get that person. The ministry you have reserved for me in some part of the world I will get learn to trust God and don't complain about people.

And if God makes you wait 20 years wait you become a much better leader at the end of that. I told you yesterday how Saul never got this training of trial and running around trying to save your life save his life like David had.

That's why he was a useless king. Solomon never had that. People who are born into comfort and born into ease without trials and pressures. I feel sorry for you if your life is like that if your parents have made life so easy for you that you never faced any trials and pressures.

You not had spiritual battles. You not faced rejection from people. You're not fit to be a leader. You'll be pretty useless is the one who has been through rejection whom God has given a ministry is going to be a good king.

That's what we learn about David. Between Sol and Solomon who were useless kings stood David a man after God's own heart. So he waited for God to make him king. But he made his mistakes in more ways than one we read in chapter 3.

In verse 2 sons were born to David at Hebron. His firstborn was through one wife. Second was through another wife and the third was through another way. And the fourth verse 4 was through another way.

Chapter 3 verse 4 and the fifth was through another way. Verse 4 and the 6th verse 5 was through another way. Is a man after God's own heart. He didn't think what he didn't inquire of the Lord. Shall I marry a second one.

Shall I marry a third one. Shall I marry a fourth one. We can't say it was like that in those days. No. Isaac had only one way. That was long before David. Moses had only one way. That was long before David.

We can't say it was like that in those days. There were people who live before David who had only one way. As far as we know Joshua had only one way. Why should David have so many. Because that's how the kings of the world were.

God overlooked it now. Don't think God overlooks it today. We are living in more light today. We are living under the new covenant. There are people who fall into adultery and say well David also fell.

But that was old covenant that he did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. The spirit of the Lord only rested upon David. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside unlike Samson who had him upon him.

So they could only have the Holy Spirit for ministry. But we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside like Jesus for character. So you cannot equate yourself unless you have not received the Holy Spirit. You cannot equate yourself with David and Samson.

No I just mentioned that in passing that there is where David made his mistake. And he suffered a lot because of these children that he had from so many wives. And I want to turn to chapter 4 verse 8.

Vengeance Belongs to God

We see of a time when Ishbosheth chapter 4 verse 1 was Saul's son and somebody brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron and said behold the head of Ishbosheth. Here was another man who thought he could get favor with David by killing one of Saul's sons and said to him thus the Lord has given my Lord the King vengeance this day.

And David said somebody once brought news to me verse 10 that Saul is dead and he thought he was bringing me good news and I seized him and killed him. And how much more when wicked men have killed a righteous man.

Verse 12 David commanded the young men and they killed that man too and cut off his hands and feet and hung him up. You see he's steadfast there that he believed that vengeance belongs to God. And that's a very important principle that you and I must remember revenge does not belong to us.

Romans chapter 12 is very clear. Vengeance belongs to me says the Lord. Now what would you do if somebody fell down at your feet to worship you. You would do what Peter did lift him up and say don't worship me.

Worship belongs to God. Now do you believe that's right. Do you believe that just like worship belongs to God vengeance also belongs to God. When you try to take revenge you are the same as accepting worship.

No difference. Worship belongs to God. Vengeance belongs to God. You have no right to take revenge on another person. Whatever harm that person has done to you leave it to God to deal with him in his own time.

Never never even desire evil towards that person. It's a very important requirement as you serve the Lord in different places in different ways you will find many many temptations to take revenge on people even on other believers who try to destroy your ministry or speak evil of you.

You know I've discovered one thing you cannot serve the Lord in any effective way without having lots and lots of people speaking evil of you speaking false stories about you accusing you of teaching false doctrine and so many things.

And if you try to take revenge on them you'll go astray leave them to God. They cannot destroy your ministry. Your ministry comes from heaven. And all the people accused Jesus and the accused Paul of being false teachers and being casting out demons of the prince of the devils and all that Jesus never wasted his time answering them.

Those who want were to be led astray went astray. But those who did not listen to all them follow Jesus and God blessed. It'll be like that. So don't worry about people who try to harm you whether believers or unbelievers or anyone leave it to God to take vengeance on them.

It's very very important. Most Christians don't follow that. We read even in 1 Corinthians 6 of believers who take other believers to court what for to take revenge. What else they are doing. What God should be doing has done somebody done something wrong to you.

Don't you think God sees that. Don't you think God can deal with that. That's what David learned. Now we turn to chapter 5 and sorry chapter 6 David had a great desire to bring the ark of God verse 2 up to Jerusalem but he did not do it in God's way.

Following God’s Way Rather Than Human Methods

In the early chapters of Samuel 1 Samuel 4 or anything it is we read that when the Philistines have captured the ark and they got a lot of problems because of that they put it on a bullock cart and sent it back.

And that news had spread around. And David had heard it as a young man that the Philistines sent the ark on a bullock cart. So he knew that the law of Moses said the ark must be carried by the Levites the sons of Levi and not only that there was a law in Numbers 4 verse 15 which said that even the sons of Levi were not supposed to touch the ark.

The ark was to be covered and there were poles. They were to carry it on poles. God was teaching them the sacredness of that of his name of his presence. They were not to touch it. That which is in the most holy place.

This was a law. But David said well that was that's okay for short distances but we got to go to long distance. And I think the Philistine method is better put it on a bullock cart and that's what caused all the problems that when he put it on the bullock cart and as they've stumbled on the rough roads the ark began to shake and Uzzah one of the sons of Abinadab reached out his hand verse 6 to hold the ark because the oxen nearly upset it and the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah and God struck him down there for his irreverence and he died there.

You see he did it with a good motive. You can do things with a good motive but if it's a violation of God's laws you still suffer. Motive is not enough. Motive is very important but it's wrong to do a good thing with a bad motive and it's wrong to do a good to do a bad thing with a good motive.

That's also wrong. And here was something God had forbidden. Whatever your reasons if God is forbidden it is forbidden. And that's what Uzzah had to learn. First of all he was not a Levite. Secondly even those Levites were not supposed to touch the ark.

But who was the cause of all this. David. Because he followed this worldly method of a bullock cart instead of God's method of carrying it on the shoulder. And you and I face that problem today in churches when we decide to spread the gospel the question is how you gonna do it.

God's way or man's way. The Holy Spirit's way. Or the multinational companies way of advertising. Is your dependence on money or on the Holy Spirit. Today a lot of people say we don't have money to do evangelism.

What you should say is we don't have the Holy Spirit's power. If you have the Holy Spirit's power whether you have money or not God's work will be done. Companies in the world cannot survive without money.

They can survive without the Holy Spirit. Every company in the world can survive Pepsi Coca-Cola. They all survive without Holy Spirit. They can't survive without money. When the church comes to the place where we say if we have money will go on.

But we can go on without the Holy Spirit. The church has come to the level of these companies. You read the Acts of the Apostles and you find hardly any emphasis on money at all. Occasionally they would send money for the poor people for believers.

That's about all. They were not worried and praying to God for money money money money money all the time like so many people do today. They were praying for the Holy Spirit all the time and that's the difference the methods of the world.

The bullock cart has replaced God's method. And that's why there's death. That's why there was death there. And there's death in a lot of churches today we need to listen to that. We need to understand what God is trying to say to us through this.

And that was a lesson that later on we read that David did it the proper way. In the rest of that chapter he brought the ark finally on the shoulders of the Levites and this time he was so full of happiness.

Worship Without Despising Others

Chapter 6 verse 14 he was dancing before the Lord with all his might. That was the way they express their worship and praise to God. They clap they raise their hands they shouted they dance they use musical instruments and they praise God with all their heart.

David was a worshipper. But it says here that as he was coming his wife verse 16 the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw David dancing like this and was very upset. And she despised him in her heart despised an anointed servant of God who was worshipping in a way that she did not like.

There may be people worshipping God in a way that you don't like. You don't have to imitate them but don't despise them. The Bible never says. The Bible never said that. Mikal also should start jumping and dancing.

No but she was not to despise another. Don't think that the way you do it is right. You see this is the trouble with a lot of Christian groups. The way we do it is right. Everybody must do it the way we do it.

You have some groups when they have Sunday worship meeting everybody sits quiet like in a funeral service and they worship the Lord. Okay. I don't want to do it that way to me Jesus has risen from the dead for these people he's still in the grave so I don't despise them.

If they want to do it that way that's them do it. Then there are other people who are the other extreme who they say. You shout and shout and shout and shout and shout and shout. And then the Holy Spirit comes.

Only then the Holy Spirit comes. The Holy Spirit doesn't come when you raise the volume on your amplifier. I wish it were so easy but it's not so easy. You got to have a clear conscience whether the amplifier inside your sound system inside or outside.

The Holy Spirit is not dependent on these things. But I don't despise them. I said brother if you want to do it that way do it but leave me free to do it the way I want to do it. I see if you want to raise your hands raise your hands I do it.

If you want to clap clap I do it. But I'm not going to force you to do it. That's the lesson we learn from here. Don't despise the way another person worships and don't think the only way you the way you worship is the only right way your freedom.

God looks at the heart. And so David went wanted to dance. I say fine. Don't despise the person who does it and don't compel a person to do it. And the result was that when. And David it says in verse 20.

Look at this verse. David returned to bless his household. What a beautiful verse. I wish servants of God after they've gone out to ministry and they're tired. And particularly if you have danced a lot on the streets for many miles you're pretty tired.

Would come back to bless their homes. That's how we should be. A man who wants to come to bless his home and unfortunately he's got this nagging wife at home. As soon as he enters the door she yells at him.

Some servants have got a godwise like that what to do. But he still comes to bless her and she treats him like that. And he said that's okay. The Lord appointed me as ruler and I will celebrate before the Lord.

And I'm not going to listen to you dear wife 21. And the Lord judged me call verse 23 that she never had any children. In chapter 7 we read about David's desire to build a temple for the Lord and I really see something wonderful there his heart nobody told him he's thought in his heart.

David’s Concern for God’s House

See verse 272. I dwell in a beautiful house but the ark of God is intense. Oh I wish that there were many people like that Lord. Look at how. What a comfortable house I have built for myself. How much money I have spent on my house my clothes my food and how little I have given for your work.

How little I'm concerned about your work. Today we know that God's house is not a physical building but God's work requires money. And God is looking for people who say Lord I've spent so much on myself through these years.

Can't I spend a little bit for you. I've lived so many years doing things in the world. Can't I spend my life doing things for you in the world. They work overtime late through the night to please their companies and to make profit for their companies.

Can't God's servants work overtime and they don't get any extra pay for that. Can't God's servants work overtime without complaining. David was a man after God's own heart. He was concerned about God's house says Lord look at my house and where's your house.

I want to say to you my brothers and sisters have that heart always till the end of your life where you think about God's house more than your house. God will take care of your house. Many years ago I said to the Lord I said Lord I have a house and you have a house.

Give me grace to look after your house and you look after mine. I made little exchange with the Lord and I want to say God's been more faithful in looking after my house than I have been looking after God's.

But have a concern in your heart for God's house. That's the thing I'd like you to see. But God said to him no you can't build this house. The reason he tells in one Chronicles 28 verse 3 that you have been a man of war and only a man of rest must bring build God's house.

There's a principle there a man of war cannot build God's house. We have to go beyond the war to rest. The war is necessary. David did his job by defeating the enemies clearing the ground for Solomon producing all the gold and silver required for the temple and giving it.

Solomon built it. Can you do that. Can you do all the hard work and let somebody else get the honor for doing the work. Or do you want the honor yourself. David did not say no. No. I want to build it.

Here's a man after God's own heart was willing to do all the work in the background to help it and make it easier for another man to build the church build a house and get honor. There's a little verse in chapter 8.

Verse 15 which I want you to notice. It says here in David administered justice and righteousness for all his people. The Living Bible says he was fair to all the people to everyone. A leader must be fair to everyone.

Grace to Mephibosheth and David’s Great Sin

That's just in passing. In chapter 9 we see of his kindness to another son of a descendant of Saul a son of Jonathan called Mephibosheth. There was a son of Jonathan called Mephibosheth who was lame and crippled.

And we see there David's kindness to him and saying that Mephibosheth will verse 10 will eat at my table regularly. It's a picture of grace. Mephibosheth felt that now my grandfather is dead. And he even said in verse 8 Lord I mean what is your servant that you should regard a dead dog like me.

He felt he was like a dead dog and David said no you're not a dead dog. You're going to sit at my table and eat with me. It's a picture of grace a picture of Christ lifting us up like we were like dead dogs lifting us up and saying you're going to sit with me at my table.

Now we come to chapter 11 where we find David's great sin. And there again we can learn some lessons to see how he fell. That first verse in chapter 11 is very very important. It happened in the spring means you know the Kings did not go to battle in the winter when it was cold and raining.

They went to battle in the springtime and in the spring at the time when Kings go out to battle every time when there was a battle David led the armies of Israel. Kings used to lead the armies of Israel in those days they used to go right out in front not like today.

But this time David decided to relax. You know it's when you stop fighting the battles that use that you start sinning. It's when you are not in the place where God wants you to be that you fall into sin.

David's place was on the battlefield. Instead of being in the battlefield he was sleeping in the palace. If he was in the battlefield this story would never have been there. It's when you begin to relax because things have gone very well with you.

And now you say I send my juniors to do the Lord's work. And I sit at home like the Maharaja who is sending the juniors to do the Lord's work. The hard work in the fields those juniors will be alright.

The Maharaja sitting at home is going to have problems. You see you're not like that today. You're all juniors most of you anyway. And you're okay. But wait till the day comes when you think you have now become a little senior and you're going to appoint all the juniors to do the work.