The Times of the Kings (Part 3)

Today's message is going to be a continuation of last week's, as I kind of looked and considered the calendar and the fact that I wanted to walk through the kings of Israel and having come up to David last week. Obviously, you can't fit it into one part. We need, if we really delved into it, multiple parts. But I'd like to just kind of keep it together here in two parts, and I didn't want to wait a month to bring the second installment to you. So today we're going to continue to explore the life of King David. As you recall, he's a man that was called from the sheepfolds of Bethlehem and anointed by Samuel, called by God to here eventually take the throne to shepherd his people Israel. Last time we examined David's rise to prominence as a great war hero and a man who feared God. We covered his years on the run from King Saul as Saul sought David's life, and we reflected upon the fact that David really was trusting in God, waiting upon his timing to open the way for him to take the position that God intended. Last sermon ended with the death of King Saul and Saul's son Jonathan at the hands of the Philistines, and we saw David mourning. You know, mourning the man who had hunted his life, mourning the death of the anointed of the Lord, the King of Israel, and his son whom David loved, Jonathan, dear and close friendship between those two. And so that's where we left off here the last time in 2 Samuel chapter 1 with the death of Saul. So today I want to pick up and carry forward from that point. Very much like the last message, we're going to cover a lot of territory, but we'll just try to build a skeletal framework through the years of David's reign, and certain areas will just kind of hit in a quick overview. But I encourage you to go back and read the story in detail at your convenience. The title of the day is The Times of the Kings, part three, A Man After God's Own Heart. Definitely that identifies who and what David was, A Man After God's Own Heart. And today we'll cover in some perspective 2 Samuel chapter 2 through the end of the book, as well as 1 Kings chapter 1 and 2, essentially the remainder of the life of David. Now David's lament over Saul and Jonathan revealed something very profound about the depth of David's character. After all, the throne was literally within reach, but his heart wasn't set on ambition. It wasn't like David was ready at the first instant to snatch the throne, snatch power, and grab the scepter by any means. He was filled with humility, which is where we left him, and a very, very humbled, very humbled man. The rest of David's life is going to show us what happens when a man after God's own heart receives the promise of God, and even what happens when the same man experiences huge failure, huge stumbling. Indeed, both are recorded throughout the course of David's life. Now, after Saul's death, David does something very important and something that's been consistent with his character all along. He seeks God's guidance. So let's begin there today in 2 Samuel chapter 2. We'll begin here in verse 1. 2 Samuel 2 and verse 1. And it says, Now it happened after that David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go? And God said to Hebron. A very important lesson in that example for us would be inquire of God. Whenever you're faced with decisions in your life, major or small, reach out to Him, inquire. He'll guide and direct you by His Spirit.

Verse 2. So David went up there, and his two wives also, Hinoim the Jezreelite and Abigail, the widow of Nabal, the Carmelite. He stumbled over this this morning. It's not Carmelite.

I'm sure she was a sweet gal. Carmelite. Verse 3. And David brought up the men who were with them, every man with his household, so they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. Verse 4. Then the men of Judah came, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah. Okay, understand, this isn't king over both Judah and all the tribes of Israel. It starts here with Judah.

Of course, David was one of their own from the tribe of Judah himself. Jumping down to verse 8, it says, But Abner, the son of Nur, commander of Saul's army, took Ishboceph, the son of Saul, one of Saul's remaining living sons, brought him over to Mahanim, and he made him king over Gilead, over Asherite, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all of Israel. So Ishboceph, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David. Verse 11. In the time that David was king in Hebron, over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. So after all the years of waiting, David is anointed king of Judah, and that son of Saul ordained, or, well, I guess that's too strong of a word, but appointed as the king over Israel. So he would have actually, if we're looking at the times of the kings, his short-lived reign, he was the second king over Israel, with David being the second king over Judah, and eventually third king over the rest of the nation of Israel. And yet as we look at this time, Israel is not yet, at least at this point, united. We have Saul's son over one and David over the other. And during that time, there's tension. During the seven and a half years that David's reigning over Judah alone, there's a degree of tension, there's conflict, there's civil unrest, the commander of David's army is sparring with the commander of Israel's army back and forth, and you can read those accounts which are there. And yet David didn't try to force unity, you know, he didn't psalm his army and say, let's go attack the son of Saul and take the kingdom by force. David, as he had done so many times before, trusts the unfolding into God's timing. Now, 2 Samuel 4 shows that the instability within Saul's house reaches an end when Ishbo-Seth is assassinated by his two captains. They essentially come into his house and kill him in his bed where he lay. They cut off his head and bring it to David as something that they feel is a trophy he'll be happy with. But if they'd known David all along, David was not happy with such things.

And he condemned these men as wicked murderers, essentially, had them both killed because they would dare go in and raise their hand up against the king of Israel to take his life, making it clear once again that David won't seek the kingdom through bloodshed or treachery, but instead he trusts God to establish him in righteousness. If we go to 2 Samuel chapter 5 and verse 1, it says, Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, Indeed, we are your bone and your flesh. We're brethren here. Let not there be this conflict in this division among us as a nation. Verse 2, Also in the time passed, when Saul was king over us, you were one who led Israel out and brought them in. And the Lord said to you, You shall shepherd my people Israel and be ruler over Israel. Therefore, all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. And so we have the promise that was given long ago by Samuel, actually from God through Samuel, the anointing which took place. Now this has come to full maturity as David takes the throne over the entirety of the nation. Verse 2, The word shepherd is significant because it reminds us that David's not merely crowned as a ruler.

I mean, Saul was a ruler, and there's other people that would come that would be rulers and rule in various ways, but David was called to be a shepherd, to guide and direct God's people, to care for them like a shepherd over a flock. And indeed, as we looked at last time, that was the way in which God had brought them along before David even recognized what God would do in his life.

One of David's first major acts as king over all Israel was to capture Jerusalem. And we see that next here in verse 6. Second Samuel chapter 5 and verse 6, it says, And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, You shall not come up in here, but the blind and the lame will repel you, thinking David cannot come in here. Okay, this was a stronghold, actually somewhere that had military strength, just in terms of even the position where it sat. And all through the Bible, it talks about going up to Jerusalem. So this was a place that was defendable.

And the point is, yeah, go ahead and try, but even the blind and lame will repel you. Nevertheless, verse 7, David took the stronghold that is of Zion, that is the city of David. Now David said on that day, Whoever climbs up by way of the watershaft and defeats the Jebusites, the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Therefore, they say, the blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

Verse 9, And David dwelt in the stronghold, and he called it the city of David, and David dwelt all around from Melo and inward. And so here we see David taking the stronghold of Zion. He's establishing the seat of his throne in a very strong way, a political way, a military way, in which it would show his strong command and lead over the nation of Israel.

Jerusalem became the city of David. And it's actually, it made sense because this was a neutral city. They went and took it from the Jebusites. So no one tribe really had control over that until David then comes in and dominates it. And this becomes thus a unifying center from which David will reign. Verse 10, So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. And that last phrase is significant. The Lord God of hosts was with him.

It outlines why David's ability to reign was there, and why he reigned well. That special relationship between God and David would lead to the greatest human king Israel ever knew. And it's fascinating as you go through the story, again, the highs and lows, the triumphs and the failures. God never left David. You know, there was a time here and there where David's focus left God, we could say, but he always returned. And God was always there, guiding and directing.

And it was because of this special relationship they had that God would lead David to be, again, the greatest human king that Israel ever knew. Verse 11, it said, Then Hirem the king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons, and they built David a house. So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he had come from Hebron, and also more sons and daughters were born to David.

So we see over this course of time David's kingdom increases, his fame goes throughout the region. The kingdoms around Israel begin to understand the power that God is raising up in that land. There's military conquests. There's David going out and securing and pushing back the enemies of Israel that had encroached into their land. So there's recognition. And indeed, outside kings then that would send in supply and various things to show honor to the king of Israel.

So in so many ways, this was a wonderful time in the life of David and the nation of Israel, and he is being highly exalted. But again, even through this, we see one of David's weaknesses is exposed, and that he takes to himself more wives, more wives as he comes up to Jerusalem and takes control. By this point, it appears that David had at least seven wives by the time he came up to Jerusalem, and additional wives were taken during his 33 years reigning there, including, as we know, Bathsheba. She was perhaps number eight or nine or ten. We don't know exactly what number she was. The account in 1 Chronicles chapter 3, verse five through nine, 1 Chronicles 3 verse five for nine, Alyssa the children born to David in Jerusalem. There were four sons born by Bathsheba, including Solomon. Nine sons are born to his other wives. In addition, there are also other sons and daughters born to David's concubines who aren't listed out by name. So essentially, there's a total of 16 sons that are named that are born to King David, other sons that are not named, other daughters born to David as well. Now, sadly, all of this is going to lead eventually to a great deal of dysfunction within David's family and actually play out in a way that'll have a great impact even on the nation. And I would just say that biblically in the accounts that we see, multiple wives rarely ends well. You know, I would say, show me a case, really, where they didn't end to conflict among the wives or conflict among the children jockeying for control or position or inheritance or, in David's case, among his sons, the numbers that made an attempt for the throne in one way or another. It's something that was, say, a weakness in the life and example of David that led to challenges, indeed, throughout the record of his life. Now, David's next great act was spiritual rather than military. In 2 Samuel chapter 6, he brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. This is not the first attempt. You'll recall the first attempt to the successful attempt was when they take the Ark and they load it onto a cart and hook up ox into it and a man named Uzzah is driving the cart and they're making their way down the bumpy road, I suppose, and the ox stumbles and the Ark starts to go over and Uzzah, in a, I would say, probably a very well-intentioned maneuver, reaches out, grabs hold of the Ark to stabilize it, and God kills him. And sometimes you look at that and think, what is that? I mean, the guy was just trying to save the Ark of God, you know, this very holy piece of furniture. I don't know if that's too simplistic of a word, but the Ark, you know, and God kills him. And what we need to understand, even in lessons from that, was, okay, this wasn't a proper handling of the Ark. God had given instructions about how it was to be moved in a very specific way because this was holy and it was connected with his presence. And the lesson for David and us is that good intentions don't replace obedience.

And I think that ties into even what we heard in the sermonette today, you know, good intentions don't replace obedience. You know, something sounds nice or good or fun, or you have you have good intentions in what you do, but what God says to do, indeed, is how we must respond.

God had given those instructions to his people about how the Ark was to be handled, and that wasn't it. And verse 9 says, David was afraid of the Lord that day. You know, put a degree of fear even in the heart of David. Be careful how you approach this holy God. And indeed, the lesson for all of us is that God must be approached according to his word. You know, Aaron's sons found that out at another occasion. Now, eventually, the Ark is brought to the city of David, and as it enters, David is dancing before the Ark. He's leaping for joy. He's whirling and leaping and dancing, and as I imagine in my mind, lifting up his hands in praise to God.

Second Samuel chapter 6 and verse 13. Second Samuel 6 verse 13, and so it was, when those bearing the Ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep.

Then David danced before the Lord with all his might, you know, just all in, and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David, in all the house of Israel, brought up the Ark of the Lord, was shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. Now the Ark of the Lord came to the city of David.

When it did, Michael, Saul's daughter, looked through the window and saw King David, leaping and whirling before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. Not to make light of it, but I was thinking this morning about the line dancing tonight. I will do my best.

Verse 17. So they brought the Ark of the Lord, then they set it in the place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord, and when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts. Then he distributed among the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, a cake of raisins. And so all the people departed, everyone to his house.

Verse 20. Then David returned to bless his household, and Michael, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet David and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today!

You know, you can almost just maybe read the sarcasm between the lines. How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself. You know, sometimes I get asked, Was David naked?

You know, when he's dancing before God? No, that's not the point. The point is, and it seems to be, he'd taken off his royal garments, right? His robe, his coverings, his royal garments. Said he was in a linen ephod, which was basically like priestly linen undergarments. So at least as I would imagine it, he's fully clothed, but he's in these basic undergarments as he's leaping and whirling and dancing and celebrating before God. And basically in her eyes she despised him as like, what a undignified thing to do, right, as the king of Israel. Again, this was not undignified, not in the eyes of David nor God. Verse 21, so David said to Mykal, It was before the Lord who chose me, instead of your father and his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel.

Therefore I will play music before the Lord. You know, the trumpets, the fanfare was going on, again, the music and the dancing and the celebration. And I will be even more undignified than this, David says, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor. Therefore Mykal, the daughter of Saul, had no children to the day of her death. You know, the concept is likely that Saul, David put her away, the daughter of Saul, put her away, didn't divorce her, but again, had no children with her, the remainder of her life, because of how she looked at David and despised him. You can kind of see some of the unraveling, some of the challenges already taking place. This was Mykal, the daughter of Saul, David's first wife, the one whom when David was on the run from Saul, Saul took her and gave her to another man. And she was his wife for 10 years, 13 years before David became king over Judah and said, hey, give me my wife back. And they sent her back. But now David has other wives, multiple wives, and you can see how the relationship between these can very easily become fractured and challenged. So David here, his dance was joyful, it's energetic, it was an act of worship, and in no way is an undignified display. What also stands out here is that the king is not ashamed to worship God openly. You know, David's the king, right? You know, royalty, and he has power. He is the most powerful man rising to be on the face of the earth. And here he's not afraid to go out in the sight of all Israel and dance and sing and praise and lift his hands to God, the one who had been with him all along. And of course, that was the example he set for the people. He was unreserved in giving God glory and praise.

As we go to 2 Samuel, chapter 7, we come to one of the most significant moments in the Old Testament.

David desires to build a house to the Lord. You know, he's brought the ark up to Jerusalem. He solidified the seat of his throne there. He's got a temporary tabernacle there, but he's thinking, God, we need a house for you now at this time in this place where the throne sits here in the midst of Israel, a temple, you know, more than a temporary structure. And that's his desire.

But you know, God turns that offer around. Second Samuel, chapter 7 and beginning in verse 8, it says, Now therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, okay, so this message will come through Nathan, This says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be the ruler over my people, over Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. Okay, David, don't underestimate the rise of his stature, not just in Israel, but among the nations. Verse 1 of chapter 7 says, It came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, that the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around.

So David was a victorious king, and he has secured Israel, and the nations around knew, at least by sight, what it is that he had accomplished. Of course, it was what God was accomplishing. But verse 9, he says, I've been with you wherever you have gone, have cut off all your enemies from before you, have made you a great name, like the great men who are on the earth.

Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more, nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them any more, as previously. He says, since the time that I was commanded the judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies, also the Lord tells you that he will make you a house. So David says, I'm gonna make you a house. I want to make you a house. And God says, no, how about I make you a house? But understand, physical structure has already been built. We're talking about a dynasty. Verse 12 says, when your days are fulfilled, and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build the house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Okay, this is actually a dual prophecy. It points in the short sense to Solomon, who would be his son, who would build the temple of God. But actually, it points in more fulfillment to Jesus Christ, who would be the son of David, who would build the house of God, the church, and who's thrown in rain would last forever. So there's a duality here, but in both cases, it comes through the line of David, and that's the promise that's being made. Verse 14, I will be his father, he will be my son, and if he commits iniquity, speaking of Solomon, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you, your throne shall be established forever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. And so we have this promise. God says, no, David, I don't want you to build me a house. And in fact, in 1 Chronicles, it's explained that God said, you're a bloody man in terms of your man of war. You have blood on your hands, so your son will build the house. And David later in life then busied himself with gathering together the materials, then, that would be used in the temple construction. But the actual building would come from Solomon. But the promise here is David's house. The David's throne and David's kingdom would last forever. It's what's known as the Davidic covenant. The Davidic covenant between covenant between God and David. Not merely about Solomon, but rather it stretches forward through history to the Messiah, the true son of David, whose kingdom will never end. As I said last time, there's so many story threads that run through the story of David, and we don't have time to chase them all. But I'll just remind you of a sermon I gave on the Feast of Trumpets. It was either 2023 or 2024, titled, God Send the King. And it followed the line of David in the throne all the way down until eventually the return of Jesus Christ the Messiah, who reign as King of Kings on the throne. In this moment is the height of David's reign. He sits enthroned as one of the most powerful rulers on earth. His reign is filled with unity. The nation has been brought together under his head, is filled with victory, and those victories God has provided. It's filled with promise, the promise of a eternal dynasty. It's filled with divine favor. And indeed, David is riding high at this time. But you know what happens to human beings so often when life's good?

You know, when it's together, when it's going well, and you're riding high, what so often happens to us as people? Very easily and quickly, we can begin to lose perspective, and we can become complacent. And indeed, that was a challenge David faced. As we go into 2 Samuel chapter 11, we see David's momentum takes a dramatic shift sideways. 2 Samuel chapter 11 verse 1, says, It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabah. But David remained at Jerusalem. David remained at Jerusalem. This decision marks the beginning of David's greatest failure. You know, instead of going out and leading the army and going out to fight as he had done so many times before, David stays back, he stays home.

And it's where we enter now then into the darkest period of David's personal and spiritual life.

He was around 50 years old at this time, been on the throne for 20 years, received the blessings of God, knew clearly who had established him in his place. After decades of close relationship with God and experiencing his hand dramatically in his life, David now steps away from that faithfulness for a time, for a moment. But he gives into something that takes his eyes off of God.

Verse 2, it says, then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed, walked out on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman, and someone said, is it not Bathsheba, the daughter of Ilium, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

Okay, so let's just understand for a moment who Uriah the Hittite is. This is one of David's most trusted men, one of his most loyal men. Uriah the Hittite had been one of David's mighty men out in the wilderness on the run from Saul. You know, he had his back, and he guarded David with his life.

It's interesting, okay, so he goes up on the roof of his house, and he sees. So this is right in the neighborhood, right around the house of David, right around the palace. So in all these societies, who does a king surround himself with? It's going to be his inner circle.

It's going to be his closest advisors and his most trusted people that are placed around, in that community around the king. So as he's standing up there and looking out, he knows who this is. You know, the question is, you know, however it is that he put it, though, but he knows who this is, and he knows who her husband is, and she's there in a position of actually trust towards David as well. So what David does then is step into a place that is very dark, enters into treachery against a close personal friend, a defender of his life, and while Uriah is gone, David takes his wife to himself. Very, very, very sad story.

Verse 4, then David said, Messengers took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity, and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, so she sent to David and told him, I am with child. You know, the apostle Paul warns in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 12. He says, Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall.

You know, it's a warning for all of us. David crossed the line in a very terrible way, and it cost a lot. What Bathsheba's part was in all of this, it's not entirely clear, but David was the king. David held the greater accountability and responsibility in this. In fact, verse 4 said that David sent messengers and took her. So it's like, you're called to appear before the king, and the king did what the king did by the authority of the king. You know, it takes two, but the fact is, David really owned the greater part of accountability in this.

And so we know the story. Bathsheba becomes pregnant, and as the word comes to David, David says, I've got to cover this up, and I've got to hide this. So he recalls Uriah from the battle, brings him in, feeds him a meal, says, you know, my friend, how's the army doing? How's does the battle go? And then he says, you're here. Eat, drink, go home, be with your wife.

And Uriah says, you know, I can't do that, not while the troops are in the field, while my brothers and sisters are fighting for the king. So Uriah spends the night sleeping at the king's door. So David, you know, steps it up a bit. Let's get him drunk, have him back the next night, feeds him, eat and drink, go be with your wife. But again, Uriah that night, a faithful man to David, does not leave his front door, his stoop. So David has to devise another plan. He writes a note to Joab, the commander of his army, the note that contains the death sentence for Uriah, and sends it by the hand of Uriah. Of course, he's a faithful man. He's not going to open it up and look at the king's instructions, and he delivers it to Joab. And the result is, when the battle is fierce, you put him on the fiercest front, on the front line of the battle, and at the appropriate time have the front line pull back, leave him exposed, and he'll be killed. And indeed, that's what happened to Uriah. You know, for all Uriah knows, he is a faithful man defending his king, and he is killed in battle when the front line draws back. How many commandments did David break related to this sin? Because, you know, sin very rarely involves more than one violation.

You know, he looked, he coveted his neighbor's wife. There's one. He committed adultery with her.

That's another one. He attempted to lie, to cover it over, okay, which is another one. He sent Uriah out into battle and murders him. There's another one. Maybe he put another God before him, his own personal passion and desire. I mean, just go down the line. Jesus Christ says, if you've broken one of them, you've broken them all. And indeed, you see how closely God's word ties these things together. David, a man after God's own heart, abandoned for a time the character that caused God to look upon him with such favor. People read David's story, and it's here for us, and they say, how can this man be called a man after God's own heart? And the point is, he wasn't being a man after God's own heart when he did that, but what made him a man after God's own heart was his desire to return to God again. Verse 26, 2 Samuel 11, verse 26, it says, when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah, her husband, was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done, it displeased the Lord. Very sobering words, I think, for even God to say, I'm displeased would cause anyone to tremble. 2 Samuel 12 and verse 1, then the Lord said to Nathan, sent him to David, and he came to him, and he said to him, there were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. So now here's going to be the aha moment for David. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had brought and nourished, and he grew up together with him, with his children. Okay, just a very, you know, pets become family too, right? It ate his own food and drank from his own cup. Yuck! And lay in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him.

So then a traveler came to the rich man, this traveler, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but rather he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him. So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, as the Lord lives, the man who has done this thing shall surely die, and he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, you are that man. As you can maybe just imagine, it was like cut to the heart in that moment, confronted with his sin and all the guilt and the grief that would come crashing down on him, considering the anger he had towards a fictitious character, and yet being told, David, no, you are that man. Psalm chapter 51 records David's repentance, and I think it's important we read a few highlights, because therein we find the heart of one who was restored to God again. You know, he could have, let's go there, Psalm 51. David could have resisted Nathan, he could have killed the prophet for even standing up to him in such a way, you know, that was not David's response. David wasn't Saul. Saul made excuses. Saul misdirected. Saul pointed over there.

He said, but the people, but their fault, but, but, but. David simply acknowledged, I have sinned before the Lord. Psalm 51 verse 1 says, to the chief musician, a psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him after he had gone into Bathsheba, verse 1, have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your mercies, blot out my transgressions. You know, David clearly understands who it is he must run to in order to find forgiveness.

Verse 2, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you and you only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight, that you may be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge.

You know, David had sinned against Uriah, he had sinned against Bathsheba, but ultimately all sin is against God. He is the king of the universe and it is his holy law that we violate when we stumble into sin. Going down to verse 7, David says, purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness that the bones you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. David is pleading with God here and he's like, I am, you know, a wretched man that I am. And he's saying, I have sinned, I have stumbled, and this is a breach in our relationship.

And that's a place I don't ever want to be. He says, please forgive me, but more than that he says, heal me, restore me, give me back what I've lost and what I've damaged by sinning against you. Verse 10, created me a clean heart, O God, and renew his steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

To me, this is a model prayer of repentance. And there's times where on my knees before God, I will quote verse 10 and 11 to God, because he is merciful and he is faithful. But the example of David, you know, this isn't just the example of a flawless man that lived a wonderful life. You know, this is a example of a flawed man who tripped and stumbled and made huge mistakes, but it's a story of a man who never wanted to be separated from God, got up and brushed himself off again, pleaded for repentance, and God restored him.

And I do hope his story is of incredible encouragement to you and me, because his story reminds us that God can take someone who is flawed and broken and restore them again, and still he will fulfill his purpose in them. If we run away, if we deny, if we misdirect, if we just justify, that was Saul. And God said, I cannot use him. But David, despite his many flaws, God said, you're a man after my own heart. Restore to me, verse 12, the joy of salvation, and uphold me by your generous spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners shall be converted to you.

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, and the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall show forth your praise, for you did not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it, you did not delight in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. These, O God, you will not despise. You know, David was a very passionate man, and when he sinned, he sinned big. You know, taking Bathsheba, another man's wife, having Uriah killed, murdering the man, that's a pretty big sin.

And you know, the day is coming when Uriah is going to come up in a resurrection, and he's going to have to figure out how he's going to resolve this with David. God's forgiven David. What will Uriah do? That's a big question that will ultimately, I would say, determine Uriah's salvation. But again, David, broken before God, pleads for forgiveness, and God indeed extends it. God extends it. What we recognize is, even though God forgives upon repentance, forgiveness often does not erase consequences.

And so sadly, the child that was born to David and Bathsheba dies. Let's go back to 2 Samuel chapter 12.

Verse 24.

2 Samuel chapter 12 verse 24. The child has died. It says, Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and went into her, and lay with her, so she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon.

Now the Lord loved him, and he sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet, so he called his name Jedidiah because of the Lord. So here we have the second born through David and Bathsheba was the one who would become the next king of Israel, Solomon. And what it shows us is that even in the aftermath of David's failure, God is at work to fulfill what he will fulfill in him, because David was humble and David was repentant. And for us, it reminds us, if we're always willing to come back to that place, God will not forsake the work that he's doing in you and me, even if we falter along the way, as long as we're willing to come back in repentance and restoration. Again, he called his name Solomon.

Nathan also told David, beside the fact that the child will die, he also told David that the sword would not depart from his house. And indeed, it did not. Chapters 13 through 18, David's son, Amnon, assaults his half-sister Tamar. Okay, we're going to cover some broad overview here. You can go back and read the details. But Amnon, who was son of David, from one wife, assaults his staff sister Tamar, rapes her, who was from another wife. Okay, understand the family dynamic. David is angry, but seems passive about it. He really doesn't do anything. But Absalon is angry. Absalon Tamar's full brother, and this festers for a time because David really seemed to do nothing.

Absalon then takes matters into his own hands. After two years, he has Amnon killed for what he did to his sister. And as a result, Absalon then flees to Geshe, where he remains in exile for three years. So the family dysfunction in the sword not departing from David's family because of the sin is coming back around into play. Geshe was actually the region where one of David's wives came from, where he was a political alliance and was given to David. So Absalon essentially runs to Grandma and Grandpa for three years. Eventually he returns to Israel, and as he returns then, he begins to steal the hearts of the people. Second Samuel 15 verse 6 says, So Absalon stole the hearts of the men of Israel. You know, he sat in the gate. He listens to people's stories. If somebody had a complaint, he'd listen and be like, oh, that there was somebody to to give you a righteous judgment and a righteous outcome in this. And he was sympathetic, and he listened, and it says he stole the hearts of the people. He created a following to himself, is what he did. The result then is a full-scale rebellion erupts against David. David's forced to flee from Jerusalem, the very city he's established as his throne, because Absalon arises against him in opposition of David and tries to kill him. During the rebellion, Ahithophel, one of David's trusted counselors, joins Absalon. He might say, well, what a traitor!

Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba. So it's interesting, as you dig into the dynamics of these things and consider that this man, trusted advisor nonetheless, but was not pleased with what David had done. And he switches sides here with Absalon, becomes his advisor. He encourages Absalon to take David's concubines and to lay with them publicly, thus fulfilling Nathan's prophecy that what David did in secret would be repaid openly. Eventually, the rebellion ends when Joab, David's commander, kills Absalon. The order was, you know, let's defeat him, but don't kill my son.

But as you remember the story, Absalon rides under a tree and he has all this hair and he gets hung up in the tree and Joab comes along and he's hanging in the tree and, you know, the military commander is going to recognize an opportunity and he runs him through and he kills him.

And David's devastated, right? He's heartbroken. Second Samuel 18 verse 33, David's crying out, Oh Absalon, Absalon my son, you know, if only I had died in your place.

The sin was for a moment with Bathsheba, but the ripple effect played out. Indeed, throughout the remainder of David's life, he had been forgiven, but there were consequences to these things.

The mighty king became a grieving father and David's private sin has become a public catastrophe.

It involves the whole nation now as rebellion rose up and the king fled and the king's son is killed as the rebellion is put down. What a sad story. Sadly, the unrest doesn't end there. In chapters 19 through 21, Sheba the Benjamite rises and revolts against David. You know, it's like there's blood in the water and there's discontent. Things have become known about what David did and God forgave him and he's still on the throne, but you know, when there's discontent, somebody's going to rise up and tries to seize power, but that rebellion is quickly suppressed. But the incident reveals that division is still simmering under the surface in the nation. Then a three-year famine erupts in the land and it's a result after inquiry of an earlier sin of Saul. Consequence rippling down the line and David then has to go and make resolution then to that, address it and make it right. The latter half of chapter 21 focuses on David's final battles against the Philistines and the Philistine giants. You know, there's still giants around. Goliath had brothers.

There were others among that line that were with the Philistines and so David and his men go out the fight and in the duration of the fight, David gets tired, he gets weak, there's a giant coming after him. I think I can take David and David literally is on the point of being slaughtered and his nephew stands up and takes out the giant and it was at that point then his army say, you know, I was going to say, dude, king dude, respectful, you're not coming out to battle with us anymore.

You know, David's 55, 60 years old and out there fighting the giants, you know, God had brought him through his facing of Goliath but they're saying, let's be real here, you're not coming to the front lines with us anymore. David, though, throughout all of this remains a faithful worshipper of God throughout all of these years. Second Samuel 22 contains David's song of praise to God for deliverance from all his enemies and I'll for time leave you to read through that. It reads very much like a psalm where he says, God, you're my strength, my stronghold, my refuge.

And indeed, I'll remind us that so many of the psalms of David were written throughout this course of his life. So we might be hitting some of the high points of even the low points of his life but recognize there's so much contained throughout his life that's recorded in the psalms of his praise to God. This leads to another sobering event in David's latter years. In Second Samuel 24, he orders a census of Israel. He wants a count. Essentially, he wants to know how big his army is because, you know, as a mighty king of the earth, you look around at the other kings around you, you look around at their army and the strength of their empire and you say, how strong is mine?

And so David orders a census, an account of his standing army, and it's an act that's rooted in a degree of pride and a growing reliance on military might. And so David again stumbles, he sins, but as before, he's always willing to, when he comes to himself, acknowledge his sin and seek God's forgiveness again. Second Samuel chapter 24 and verse 10. Let's take us to the end of the book.

Second Samuel chapter 24 and verse 10. And David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. You know, I don't know what that means exactly, but I assume it means, you know, he felt guilty. He knew he had done wrong, and he was remorseful over what he had done because heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, I have sinned greatly in what I have done, but now I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly. Even near the end of his life, David is still learning dependence. You know, that's one of the clearest markers of his character. He never stopped returning to God, no matter what point of his life he was at, all the way till his last day.

He never stopped returning to God. But the consequences of his sin were severe. As the story goes on, the plague follows, and 70,000 men of Israel die. And when the angel of the Lord reaches Jerusalem, it stops at the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite. So, you know, the plague has stopped, or the the angel of the Lord comes to there, David runs to there, okay?

And David insists on purchasing that spot, which is on Mount Moriah, and there he offers burn offerings and peace offerings to God, and the plague has stopped as a result. So, again, sin can be forgiven, but oftentimes the consequence remains. And David had to deal then with the fact that 70,000 men of Israel had died due to his sin. Now, interestingly, this is the very site, the threshing floor here of Ornan, the Jebusite, the very place that David purchased was the place that ended up being the location of Solomon's Temple. And it shows that even during judgment, God is weaving redemption into David's story. During his final days, which are recorded in 1 Kings chapter 1 and 2, David's strength begins to fade. Another one of his sons, Adonai-Jiah.

I'm not Hebrew, but it should be easy. Adonai is the first part, right? So, let's just say, Adonai-Jiah. Adonai-Jiah, as he goes and he attempts to seize the throne. But David acts decisively and he installs Solomon, the son of Bathsheba, as the king. Again, right up to the end, there's jockeying for position. There's jockeying for the throne among the sons of David, among that woman's son, right? Not my son, that woman's son. Bathsheba is saying, you know, this guy's trying to be king, but my son, my son must be king. And David installs Solomon as king. David's last days are recording here in this first part of 1 Kings, they're recorded as faithfulness to God, but also passing on instruction of that faithfulness to the next king.

So look at 1 Kings chapter 2 and verse 1. 1 Kings chapter 2 and verse 1. David's last recorded charge to Solomon here is going to be simple and yet profound. 2 Kings 2 verse 1, Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth. Be strong therefore, and prove yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. Verse 4, that the Lord may fulfill the word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart, with all their soul, he said, You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel. And so David's final concern for his son, the next king of Israel, was obedience in the eyes of God. You know, give yourself to God. Make him your God as he is my God. Walk in his statutes and judgments, commandments, and obey, and if you do, it will be a blessing to you. Dropping down to verse 10, 1 Kings chapter 2, verse 10, So David rested with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David. The period that David reigned over Israel was forty years. Seven years he reigned in Hebron, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established. You know, the kingdom David handed Solomon was a kingdom largely at peace, a kingdom that was among the most powerful of the earth and a throne that would be of a dynasty of a line of kings that would continue. And Solomon's part in that would depend on truly his obedience to God. David died at seventy years old after forty years on the throne. He lived a life marked by victory and failure, a life marked by sin and repentance. And again, he handed off a peaceful and a powerful kingdom to his son. 1 Kings chapter 15, verse 5, later states that David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not turned aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. You know, that one matter, that story that everybody knows, you know, that was devastating to David and indeed his life, but it did not define him.

What defined David was his heart of repentance and his desire to always be restored to God again.

In Acts chapter 13, verse 22, God calls him a man after my own heart, not because David never sinned, but because he never stopped repenting, never stopped worshiping, never stopped trusting in God.

So let's consider four brief lessons from the reign of David. Again, you'll have to write quickly.

Lesson number one, spiritual success does not eliminate the need for vigilance.

Spiritual success does not eliminate the need for vigilance. Even seasoned believers can fall compliant or complacent, you know, they can fail to be keeping their eyes on the things God would have them live by. When you think, I'm good, I've made it, I'm in a good position, God is with me, never grow complacent. Number two, sin always costs more than we expect.

Sin always costs more than we expect. You know, David's moment of indulgence brought years of family pain. Point three, true greatness is measured by repentance. True greatness is measured by repentance. A heart after God is not a heart that never fails. You know, the only one who was perfect was Jesus Christ, and He gave the sacrifice for us all. We trip, we stumble, we make mistakes. True greatness, though, is measured by our willingness to be like David and always return to God in humility, always seeking to be reconciled to Him again. Point four, God works through imperfect people. God works through imperfect people. Again, Jesus Christ, the only one who was perfect. But the Messiah would come through David's line, not because David was flawless, but because God is faithful. And so, maintain what David maintained in your life to constantly return to God, acknowledge your sin before Him. We're coming up on Passover in a month and a half. You know, keep this story in mind as we walk up to that and recognize what it is that God has extended to us through the sacrifice of His Son. He works through imperfect people, and He can take you and me and fulfill His purpose within us. Not because we're perfect, but because we're humble. We pray.

As we close today, we must remember that David's story does not end at his deathbed in Jerusalem.

Instead, God's promises to David extend far beyond his physical reign. He is a man who is a man of a name. Ezekiel 37 contains a millennial prophecy where the prophet sees two sticks, and these two sticks represent a divided house, Judah and Israel. David united them, but it was shortly after, the next reign after Solomon, that Israel and Judah divided again under Rehoboam and Jeroboam, and remain such. And yet the millennial prophecy shows that God will do something great by reuniting a divided nation. And notice who will sit as king. Ezekiel 37, verse 21.

Ezekiel 37, verse 21. Then say to them, Thus says the Lord God, Surely I will take the children in Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side, and bring them into their own land. Again, a millennial prophecy. We celebrate these things at the Feast of Tabernacles, showing that God is going to regather Israel and settle them in the Promised Land to be his covenant people and his model nation to the world. Verse 22. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king over them all. They shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. They shall not defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions, but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God. Verse 24. David, my servant, shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall also walk in my judgments and observe my statutes, and do them. He says, Then they shall dwell in the land in which I have given to Jacob my servant, the Promised Land, where your fathers dwell. And they shall dwell there, they their children, their children's children forever, and my servant David shall be their prince forever. It's describing a future restoration where David will not merely be a memory. He will be a resurrected, glorified king sitting on the throne over a united Israel, where he will reign forever. When Jesus Christ returns as King of Kings, brethren, David will reign under him in righteousness. What a story! You know, what a story from the shepherd boy to the king of Israel to the resurrected prince in the kingdom of God. The story of David is not only history, it's prophecy.