Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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My list is a meeting for Christians, and I believe there are Christians here at all ages and so did the Lords help. I'd like to look at the life of David and see right from his boyhood through how there are many lessons that we could learn. And first of all, I'd like to turn to the 13th of Acts and see what the Spirit of God says in connection with David. Acts Chapter 13.
The 21St verse.
And afterward they desired a king. And God gave unto them Saul the son of Sis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin by the space of 40 years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto him David to be their king, to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Then the 36th verse.
For David after he had served his own generation by the will of God.
Fell on sleep, and was laid unto his Father's, and saw corruption.
It was particularly those two particular comments that we have about David. It says a man after God's own heart, and then he served his own generation by the will of God. And I'm sure that every true Christian desires that this would be true of us, at least in some measure. David, as we know, was not without failure. God has recorded those things in his life.
That are indeed very humbling. But yet the Spirit of God could tell us that he was a man after God's own heart, and also that he served his own generation by the will of God. And I say again, this is a very important thing for each one of us. We might wish that we lived in different times, we might wish that we lived in a different assembly. We might say it would be easier to be in another family. But you know, God has placed each one of us.
In the very spot where He wants us to be, where we, these two things can be true of us, and that we can live our lives after God's heart that is after His plan, and also that we can serve our own generation.
We don't find David setting up something. We often wish there were things that were kind of set up and that we could fit into them and function with them. But, you know, the important thing for us is to seek to follow the divine direction for the generation in which we live. And God will always have those whom he raises up to serve each generation. We're living in the year 1982 near the end of it. And if the Lord leaves us here, there is going to be still greater changes. No doubt that will take place in 1983.
Is it possible for us to seek to live in such a way that it can be true?
That we are seeking to live after God's own heart and that we are serving our own generation. What a blessing this would be in every home, in every assembly if this were only true. And so I'm going to ask you, and I trust it'll be true of myself, to point the finger at ourselves and just ask ourselves, is this really the desire of our hearts? And if so, how do we act in the situations in which we find ourselves?
For the situations vary in each person's life, but God is sufficient. For everyone of these situations, the Lord Jesus is sufficient. And our lives aren't just an accident, the place where we live, the family that we're in, our whole general makeup is not something that perhaps we might have planned ourselves, but God has placed us there. It reminds me of a dear old man who.
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Later in life left the Lord's table and got away from the Lord. And he was speaking to his son, who was a younger man. And his son has gone happily on with the Lord through his life. And his father said to his boy, Oh, he said, it would have been different if such and such a person hadn't been in our meeting. Well, the reply of his son was a very wise one, he said.
Father, God placed him there. Father, He said, God placed him there. In other words, it doesn't matter what the situation may be. You might think, oh, it would be so different if that person wasn't there, or if such and such a situation were different. But God has ordered these things and He is sufficient. The time in which David lived was not an easy time. The time in which our blessed Lord and Savior walked on this earth was not an easy time.
And if we think it's difficult in 1982 by surely we can count upon the same Lord who sustained David and who also sustained many of His servants, and the Blessed One who walked here as our perfect pattern, going through everything that we could possibly go through sent apart. What an example. What a Savior we have then. Well, just bear in mind then those two things.
And as we look at some of these passages in the life of David, let's think of those two things, that David was a man after God's own heart, and that he served his own generation by the will of God. As I thought about this, I thought about 10 different phases in David's life. And you know, can in the Bible figures responsibility Godward. And I just like to look at these ten different phases in the life of David, and perhaps it can speak to each one of us here.
For as I said, there are Christian young people, there are Christian children, there are Christians who are in middle age, and there are some of us who are a little bit older. And there's something for each one of us. For David lived to be quite an old man, Hester, And first of all to First Samuel, chapter 16. And here we have this young man brought before us.
First Samuel, Chapter 16.
Verse 10.
Again Jesse made seven of his sons, to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, And behold, he keepeth the sheep.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down, till he come hit her. And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ready and with all of a beautiful countenance and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he well, perhaps, as we see this introduction to David, I speak to those who are a little bit younger. Now how would you feel?
If someone came to your house with the express purpose of anointing someone to be king.
And all the others in the family were called in, but you and you were just left to do some menial job. Oh, you say. That would hurt me tremendously. I I feel that way sometime. I think my parents really like my brother and sister better than me. They seem to get all the breaks and I don't get any opportunities at all. And it really hurts me. Have you felt that way? I suppose on this occasion, maybe David felt that way.
But I say again, the Bible tells us that David was a man after God's own heart, and he was being fitted to serve his generation. And that was a very necessary and good training for him. You know, to be always pushed forward and to be noticed and to be given a place of prominence when we're young isn't always the best thing for us. Sometimes those things that put us down a little bit are very good for us.
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I've sometimes said to the young people at Otter Lake Watch, the ones that are poor losers are good losers.
Because you'll find they have a little better character anybody can be.
A good winner, but it's hard to be a good loser. It's hard to go on when things seem to turn against you. And so here, I believe, is a little lesson. The first lesson in connection with our introduction to David was that he was left out. He was unnoticed, and yet God had purposes of blessing for him. How do we take these things? Do we sulk under them? I have known young people who so soft under them that.
Finally they got disgruntled and left home and got away from the Lord. And you find when you trace it back it was because something like this happened in their home. Everybody else seemed to be noticed and they were the left out one. But we find that alone. This point David was left out. Why? We find that God was going to bless him and use him. And I say again, this is a necessary training in God's school. In the schools of men they give diplomas.
And, you know, you can get good Marks and a good diploma and honors and all this kind of thing. But, you know, in God's school there are two great lessons, lessons that we never learn in the schools of men, but the only lessons that are really worthwhile if we're going to be any use for the Lord, and that is our own nothingness and the all sufficiency of Christ. Those are God's two great lessons for us, and they're not very pleasant, but.
It says in Lamentations it's good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth. So I look over here. If there's a young person and you're discouraged and you've been left out, your seven brothers and sisters seem to get all attention and you're just not hardly noticed. Remember, God may be training you. God may be fitting you because you'll never serve the Lord well, unless you're content to be left out at times, unless you're content to recognize that we are nothing.
And when the Lord sees with any of us a tendency that we should be exalted, he's going to bring something into our lives to help, to keep us humble. Because it says to this man, will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and the tremulous at my word. So I just say this, first of all to those who may be a little bit younger in this company this afternoon and perhaps just feeling this very kind of thing, but it's lovely what Samuel says. He said we won't do anything until he comes.
And so David is brought in and it tells us, they said.
We will not sit down till he become hit her. And so we find that the one who was unnoticed becomes the most noticed of all in the end. And the Lord says to Samuel, arise and anoint him. And he had a beautiful countenance. What was his occupation? He was keeping the sheep. He was keeping the sheep. Do you have a care for the people of God? They're his sheep. They're dear to him. The Lord Jesus said to Peter, Feed my lamb.
Feed my sheep and know how the Lord values that, he says to those who have a responsible place in the assembly. Feed the flock of God, which is among you. And so here was.
Sam here was David Rather, who could feel so totally left out, but he was doing a very useful thing. He was feeding the flock, and so he was just unnoticed. But he wasn't unoccupied. He was busy, and he was doing something that was worthwhile.
The Lord will always make a right appraisal on everything that we do. No matter what other people may say or think or do. The Lord always has a right appraisal. He always has the record correctly. So we have this introduction to Samuel, and it tells us that he was anointed, He was beautiful, a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to, and he was now chosen.
Well, is this a turning point where everything is going to be easy? Oh no, dear young people and older ones, we never graduate from God's school. Now, this wasn't sort of a turning point where from this point on, everything was bright and rosy. Oh no, there were many, many more lessons that he learned and that he was learning all through his life. Bible speaks of an old and foolish king who will no longer be admonished.
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We are learning all our lives, and when we come to the point that we're not learning why, then we're not going to be much use because we never fully acquire what God would seek to teach us. We're always, as should be, at least, learners in His school.
Well, let's turn over then to the 17th chapter.
The 17th chapter, and we'll begin at the 17th verse. And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren, and ether of this parched corn, and these 10 loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren, and carry these 10 cheeses under the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare and take their pledge.
Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
The 28th verse, 10 Alive his eldest brother heard, when he spake unto the man. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David. And he said, Why came us thou down, hit her? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thy heart.
For thou it come down that thou mightest see the battle, And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
The 34th verse David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and smoked him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. I servant slew both the lion and the bear, And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies.
Of the living God. And David said, Moreover, the Lord hath delivered me out of the paw, the lion out of the paw, the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.
And then the last two verses of the chapter. And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul, but the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said unto him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant, Jesse the Bethlehemite. Well, there's some little thoughts here in connection with David, and that is first of all obedience.
And we see here that his father wanted him to go down and take these cheeses and food to the captains of the host and see how his brethren were doing. This wasn't very easy for him in a time when there was conflict, at a time when perhaps his brethren didn't understand and might have felt and did feel a little bit jealous about him now. And yet we find that David went well. I think this is a little lesson too.
And we're living in days where there's not much obedience to parents. The Bible says the character of the last days is disobedient to parents. But you know, God values obedience. And I was struck by reading a remark how in the 6th chapter of Ephesians, 5th chapter of Ephesians, I always wondered why it was that the order was as it was speaking to the wife. First submit yourselves speaking to the.
Child 1St and telling the child to obey their parents and then how the parents should act. Then after telling the wife to submit, then it tells the husband how he should act. And then the same with the servant. It tells the servant to submit and then afterwards tells the master how to act. Wouldn't you have expected the order to be different, the head of the house to be addressed first and then the wife? Well, you know there's a very important little thought in that and that in each one of these cases the first principle that is taught is obedience.
And you know, that's the thing that we don't like very much. We're naturally self-centered. We like to have our own way. As I heard a brother say one time, if we're honest with ourselves, the thing we like most is our own way, but it's the most harmful thing for us. And God orders in our home that we would learn that very, very important principle He or he intends when marriage takes place, that that principle would be that which is establishes the home where there is the recognition of God's order.
Whether it's the husband and the wife or the children and the parents. And so we find here with.
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With David that there's obedience. He might have said again. Well, I don't think my father really thinks much of me because he left me out when all the other seven came, and so why should I take my risk like this? But David was obedient. David went, And let me encourage you, dear young people, to honor your father and your mother. It's the first commandment with promise if David was going to be a man after God's own heart.
If David was going to be a man who could serve his own generation, then he must learn these things in his youth, and we see him learning them. And he is exposed here to a certain amount of jealousy, because Eliab didn't like it, that he had come down and was talking to these other men and counting upon the Lord enough that he could say why the Lord has undertaken for me when I was shepherding the sheep.
And he took care of me when the lion and the bear came, and I'm sure that he will take care of Maine. He wasn't self confident, but he was confident in the Lord herself. Confidence is always a bad and dangerous thing. Peter was self confident but that was his worst fall. But we can be and we should be confident in the Lord. As Dave as Paul could say, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me, so may we learn.
That confidence in the Lord, but not in ourselves. David said, The Lord has taken care of me when the lion came and when the bear came, and I can count upon him to take care of me when I go out against this uncircumcised Philistine. And so we see in this little view that we get of David, we see a quiet confidence in the Lord. We see obedience, as I remarked. And then there was another thing.
In the end of the chapter, and that is that he was content to be unnoticed. This seems rather strange when you read Saul asking who this young man was, because if you read in the chapter before, it tells us that David had come and had played the harp in his presence. How is it that he didn't know him on this occasion? He knew him when he played the harp in his presence, but he didn't know him on this occasion.
Well, I suppose we could say in a in a spiritual sense that many, many people in this world know the Lord as a benefactor. That is, they know him as the one who provides good things, food and raiment and sunshine, beautiful days and health. They know him as that, but.
They don't know him as a savior. They don't know him as a savior. So David had played the harp and King Saul had appreciated this. And sometimes people appreciate nice weather, good days, good health, but they don't know him as savior. We can speak of that in a spiritual sense, but then there's another side to it too, and that is when you do something for the Lord, are you content to be unnoticed? Are you content that?
It seems that when you do it that nobody hardly knows who you were. Even people that you expected would notice it and would appreciate it. They didn't even notice. Have we? Have you experienced something like that? People who were your good friends? And then when you did something, they didn't even hardly notice you. They paid no attention. This was part of God's schooling for David. We need to go through these things, brethren. We need to realize that many of many of the difficulties come in our assemblies and in our homes, because we don't.
See these things in the ways of God with his people.
This was all part of what God could speak of in connection with David, a man after his own heart. We think of our precious Savior when he was here. Did he ever give up in his service of love because of man's lack of appreciation when he cleansed the 10 lepers, and only one came back? When he spoke about going to the cross, and Peter said thus it shall not be to thee. Did anything like that turn aside his love? No, our brother read to us this morning.
Many waters could not quench love. Do you give up because someone doesn't appreciate what you do, or they find fault? Or do you still seek the blessing and good of God's people? That's what David did. He took his life in his hands and went out against the Philistine, not looking for some appreciation from man, but instead counting upon the Lord, the one in whom he had confidence to deliver his people and set them free from the yoke of the Philistines.
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Well, may there be something of this with us. When we accomplish something, may we be content to be unnoticed. That was the snare of Gideon. God used Gideon for a mighty victory in Israel and then he refused to be made their king. But he said, I just asked one thing. He said bring all the earrings and all the jewelry and he formed an effort out of it and set it in his house and it said it became a snare.
To him and to his household. Yes. If you do something for the Lord, don't set up a memorial of it. The Lord always has the record. You can leave it. I've often said, you know, if you failed. Well, God says remember what we were in time past. It would help to keep us humble. But if you've done something for the Lord, why he says forget that because I'll remember that he said I I've forgotten your sins, but you remember them. It'll help to keep you humble.
But if you do something for the Lord, he said, you can afford to forget that. Because he said, I have a record and he has a record and everything is going to be manifested, even a cup of cold water or a thought upon his name. So perhaps we could say that the second thing that we find in David here.
His obedience, A willingness to go out and to risk his own life for the good and deliverance of God's people and content to be unnoticed. How needful these lessons are. Are you going to try and serve your own generation? Here's God's pattern for us, something very blessed.
Know how we need those who love their brethren, who try to serve them, and who try to serve them according to God's own heart.
Then in the next chapter we find here about David. He's brought into the court of Saul, and Jonathan makes a covenant with him. And I just wanted you to notice what it says about David in the fifth verse. And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him and behaved himself.
Wisely if you go down a little farther in the 14th verse. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways. And the Lord was with him 15th verse. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. Then in the 30th verse, then the Princess of the Philistines went forth, and it came to pass.
After they went forth that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul.
So that his name was much set by.
As we noticed in the last chapter, David had been mightily used of God. He had won a great victory up to this time. Saul seemed to appreciate him it as we noticed he had him there in his court playing the harp. And when he had won this victory, he allowed Jonathan to bring him home, and he was given a place in the court of Saul, but tells us in this chapter that the damsels came out playing.
And they said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his 10s of thousands. And then it says, as Saul I David from that day forward, why did he eye him from that day forward? What had happened? What made him get concerned? Was he not glad that he had taken his life in his hands and delivered the children of Israel? All you know as well as I do What was the matter?
The thing that he didn't like was just what he said, he said they've ascribed thousands to me and they've described they've ascribed 10 thousands to David, and he couldn't stand to see David now in a place of honor above himself. This boy who was unnoticed, not even given any recognition, so that his seven brothers were brought in and he was left out. This boy who his brothers found fault with, his brother Elihib, I should say.
When he came down has now been used of God. And now something springs up, a horrible thing. Thing that has spoiled more homes and families and assemblies than, I suppose, anything else. And that's jealousy. What a horrible thing this was. How can a person behave under such circumstances when something like this comes up? Well, isn't this lovely about him? He's a man after God's own heart. And what did he do? Well, the Bible says if any man lack wisdom.
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Let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.
And it shall be given him. And you know, brethren, it takes a lot of wisdom to go on and walk the path that is pleasing to the Lord freely from the our hearts, seeking the good and blessing of our brethren. But it's well worthwhile. It's well worthwhile. What is going to count, I say, in that coming day, is the Lord's approval. That's the only thing that will really count. But we find here that when David found himself.
The object of jealousy. He doesn't allow one feeling of meanness or anything to stir in his own heart.
We don't find and as we go on in his life we'll see that there was number, no animosity in his heart to King Saul at all. There was nothing but love and kindness to King Saul in spite of all this. And the Bible says be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Oh, remember that verse? What does that verse mean? If thine enemy hunger feed him and if he thirst give him drink?
For in so doing, now shall heap coals of fire on his head. Perhaps you wondered why? Why would you want to heap coals of fire on a person's head?
Wouldn't that do him harm? Well, I believe the thought is just this. Heaping coals of fire on his head means that by acting kindly, feeding him and so on, you bring him to self judgment. Because fire is a picture of judgment and maybe has those feelings. But your continued kindness to him will make him feel ashamed of himself and he'll begin to judge himself. And we find this actually happened with with King Saul later. He couldn't help but witness the fact that.
David held absolutely no animosity. All brethren, let us never, never carry an unforgiving spirit in our hearts. I've often noticed that when people carry an unforgiving spirit, maybe someone else has done them a wrong. Very definitely Saul had done wrong things. Imagine throwing javelins at him and planning for his death by trying to get him married to his daughter. Just think of all the horrible things that solve plan.
But in spite of all this, why we find with David carrying that spirit of forgiveness through it all. And it's so beautiful to see this. And he just went on in that service of love. And that's what the Lord would have us to do. And so we find that King David was subjected to all this And I say again, if if a person has an ill feeling toward another.
The Lord Jesus said that if we didn't forgive, were delivered to the tormentors.
And you know, I'll tell you this, and I'm sure you know it as well as I do. There's nothing so tormenting to yourself as an unforgiving spirit. If you have an unforgiving spirit to anybody, you're delivered to the tormentors. You're just miserable. Maybe the other person doesn't bother their head about it, but you're the one that's suffering because you're the one that's carrying this feeling in your heart. And every time you see them, you let it stir up again. What about dear David? Every time he saw King Saul? That we have recorded it was always with some act of kindness. And even when he was slain upon the mountains of Gilboa, it tells us that he mourns over Saul.
He didn't sail at last. They got rid of my worst enemy. No. He mourned over him and spoke what he could of him that was well. Well. David was a man after God's own heart. He served his own generation by the will of God. Let's turn over and we'll see this recorded in the 24th chapter.
First Samuel, Chapter 24.
Beginning at the 16th verse.
And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said.
Voice, my son David. And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded the evil. This is the coals of fire heaped on his head. See the way he saw his feeling now? And I was showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me. For as much as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killest me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go Well awake, go well away.
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Lord, reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. And now behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the Kingdom of Israel shall be established in nine hands. Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off my feet after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. And David swear unto Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his man got him them up into the hold.
Here's the example that I was Speaking of. This, I believe, is the 4th one. We find that he was first behaving himself wisely. More wisely. Very wisely. To know how much we need this in the situations, how we look back and think of some situations where we acted so foolishly. We didn't ask the Lord. Oh, you say, But it provoked me and I spoke out of turn. Well, we may be very sorry. Words are hard to call back, you know. Let's ask the Lord to help us to act wisely and more wisely.
And then to carry this forgiving spirit. And here, as I say, we find those coals of fire heat upon the head of King Saul. And he's, he's repenting now. And he says, David, I know that you have dealt kindly with me, and I haven't been what I should to you. This brought forth this confession. But it tells us here that when this was all over, David got himself to the hold, that is.
I didn't mean that he actually trusted King Saul.
He forgave him, he loved him, but he didn't trust him. He didn't trust him. And the next time, why? We find that he haunted him again. And David could easily have said the second time. Well, I showed kindness to him once and he doesn't appreciate it. He said he was sorry, but he didn't mean it. So I'm through. No, he didn't act that way. How many times are you to forgive your brother? 70 * 7 And we find with dear David that when the second occasion arose again, he dealt in that same way that spirit of kindness and love.
That is so beautiful. Well, I believe these are moral lessons for us. Let's turn now to Second Samuel and the 5th chapter.
Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone, and thy flesh also. In time past, when Saul was king over us, thou was he that led us down and brought us in Israel. And the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron and King David.
Made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord.
And they anointed David King over Israel. Now just notice here in the.
17th verse.
But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David, and David heard of it, and went down to the hole. The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Raphael. And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
And David came to bail treason, and David smote them there, and said, The Lord has broken forth upon mine enemies before me as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place bail Paris, and.
The 22nd verse. And the Philistines came up yet again and spread themselves in the valley of Refium. And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up, but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the Mulberry trees, and let it be when now here is the sound of it going in the top of the Mulberry trees.
That then thou shalt be stir thyself for them shall the Lord go out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines. And David did so as the Lord had commanded him, and smoothed the Philistines from Giba, until I'll come to Gazer. Now a time comes in David's life when he's anointed king. There do come times in our lives when perhaps some special honor or position is given to us and.
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David had been haunted by King Saul for a good long time. He had had a very difficult time. But now the time has come that God is going to give him the position that he was to have as king. But, you know, these kind of things may come in our lives too. There may be somebody, you just got a promotion. Somebody has appreciated what you have done in the home or in the assembly. How may I say this, Don't get a swelled head over it. Don't think that you're somebody important.
Because just as surely as we do, the Lord can do without anyone of us if He if we get to think that we're something.
By the Lord will have to bring us down, that no flesh should glory in his presence.
And what I think is so beautiful about King David here, that when he came to the throne, why we find in these first two conflicts that he had, that he asked the Lord directly what he should do and how he should handle it. He was dependent. He didn't say. I've proved myself all through those years. Now I've given this place of honor. I can handle it. I can do it. Oh, how often that spirit comes into our hearts. And the Lord has to let us feel our own nothingness.
At all, if the Lord has in any way given you a place of usefulness where you can be some help to your brethren, where you can be a blessing to them, remember, you need constant dependence upon the Lord for you say, but experience is a good thing.
David went out against the Philistines. He asked the Lord and the Lord said to go and that they would be delivered into his hand. And he went out and there was a great victory. And he could have said the second time, well, Lord help me last time, I'm sure I can handle it. I'll just do exactly the same as I did last time. You know, I remember a little comment that I read in Mr. Darby that I thought was helpful. He said when difficulties arise, experience is a help. But he said let's not lean on it because it's God we need.
It's God we need. And you may say, well I did that last time and it worked, but it may not work this time at all. No set of circumstances is exactly the same. The second time is always a little bit different. And so the second time it came up, he inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord said, you've got to handle this situation in an entirely different way. There was nothing about the Mulberry trees or listening for the sound of the wind in the Mulberry trees the first time, but the second time there was.
Oh, may this be a lesson to us every.
Every time a new and special problem arises in life, let's not think well, I can handle this because I've done it before. Every new situation requires fresh grace, fresh strength, fresh help from the Lord. And just as surely as we think that we can do it, the Lord may have to let us see how very weak we are, because it's only through His strength, it says.
When I am weak am I strong? But it says I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. So we see that when David became king, he recognized, and this was a very necessary and important thing, that he couldn't hold that position of honor that was given to him without daily and special help for every occasion that arose. Had I say this to each one of my fellow brethren, her life is filled with all these new situations. There may be an entirely new situation that you meet at the office when you go back when the holiday season is over.
Maybe a new situation arise in your assembly that's never risen before. There may be a new situation arises in your home. The Lord is able. He's He's sufficient for every one of those difficulties and situations that arise. May we know what it is to look to him at all times. He's sufficient for every one of those difficulties and situations that arise. May we know what it is to look to Him at all times.
This was what characterized David, that he was looking to the Lord for that wisdom and that help. He was, as I say, a man after God's own heart. He was serving his own generation. What a blessing he had been at this point among the people of God.
And so we find here that the Lord used him so mightily. And now let's turn to the 132nd Psalm.
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132nd Psalm.
First verse, Lord, remember David and all his afflictions, How he swear unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob. Surely I will not come unto the Tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed. I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the Lord, and habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Though we heard of it at a frata, we found it in the field of the wood. We will go into his Tabernacle.
We will worship at his footstool. Arise, O Lord, into thy rest, thou and thy the ark of thy strength. Let thy priest be clothed with righteousness, and let thy Saints shout for joy for thy servant. Davids sake, turn not away the face of thine anointed. Well, here I think we see something very wonderful.
With all that we have noticed about David, now we see something that.
Is very, very beautiful. And that is. He said he wouldn't give rest, sleep to his eyes, or slumber to his eyelids till he found out a place for the Lord and habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Now that is, we know that the Lord had a Center for his people. We know that the people had become careless, and the ark had been carried and brought down to the country of the Philistines, and then it was returned and it was in the House of obed Edom and.
We see that David began to have an exercise about a place for the art for the mighty God of Jacob. And you know, this is a very important thing. And there are many, many who think, well, how can I be useful? How can I accomplish something great in my life for the Lord? And their whole idea is to do something that they feel is great. That seems to have the word accomplishments attached to it.
But here we find that David gave such prominence, such importance to this he said, it's more important than even my sleep that I should find a place for the mighty God of Jacob. And I wish to say, and and I trust in all humility and that it's a very, very great privilege to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, to be gathered as those who seek to give testimony to the truth of the one body, and to acknowledge the whole truth of God's word.
It may seem to you dear young people, and perhaps some others, For I have lived to see quite a few that were very dear to me, very energetic young people who loved the Lord, who wanted to be useful, but they didn't put First things first. And I believe that to give the Lord His rightful place first of all means, and that we recognize, and that there is His own word to direct us, that we could gather according to His word, and around the Lord Jesus.
Oh, may that dear young people, and may it dear brethren, be ever precious to us.
There may be and there are problems arise in our assemblies and there may be things that have discouraged you as a young person.
And they discourage some of us who are older too, and we see some things that happen and we say I couldn't, I just couldn't take that and oh, how sad it is. They stay awake at night and they don't give slumber to their eyelids. But the whole thing is that how they're seeking a way out of the situation and their own way instead of just saying, well, I want to do what the Lord has directed in His word. And I believe that it's very, very beautiful to see this with David.
This desire that was in his heart, he spoke in a great deal about his attitude toward his enemies, his humbleness and all this.
But here he wanted to give the Lord that place that was due to him. And there's quite a few scriptures that we could turn to that refer to this. But I don't have time. Now. We know that first of all, when he wanted to bring back the Ark, he used a human plan about it, and they put it on the card of us. And the Lord was displeased. And then what did he do? Well, he searched the word and he found out that the Ark was to be carried on the shoulders of the priests.
And when he followed God's word, then the ark was brought up, and it was brought to Jerusalem and put in its place. And so may the Lord grant that if there's anyone here today and you're exercised about doing something for the Lord, have you lost a little bit of sleep to try and?
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Find out from the word of God where the Lord wants you to be and to be gathered to His precious name.
And to be in that path of the truth that is according to his word.
Full May the Lord keep us, brethren. When in the last days the enemy is busy, it's easy to get discouraged. There are many things that happen here and there that do cause a great deal of discouragement. But the Lord is still the same, and I believe that He's faithful, even though we are so unfaithful. I'm not standing here to boast and say we're the people, but I am here to say that God's Word has marked out a path, and that He's willing to show it to us if we're in earnest, He has promised.
If any man will do his will, he shall know as a doctrine whether it be of God.
Or whether I speak of myself. And so I believe if we really desire us, he will show us.
May the Lord grant that each one may desire to be gathered according to His word.
And valued such a place and privilege. Now there's another one in the 51St Psalm that I'd like to turn to.
The first verse, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. I don't have time to read this whole Psalm. I'm sure many of us are acquainted with it. There had been a very, very grievous failure.
In the life of David. And we find here David's restoration. He's humble. He takes the low place. And you know there might be failure in your life. Have you taken a humble place? Are you justifying yourself? You know when King Saul sin. He said to Samuel. I've sinned. He had honor me. Now I pray thee in the presence of the elders of my people. He was more concerned with still having a position of honor.
And then taking his true place and submitting to God's hand upon him. And how may I say this, If there has been any failure in your life or mine, may the Lord grant that we'll be willing to get right with the Lord to take the humble place. David had to suffer for this the rest of his life. The Thor didn't depart from his house, but David didn't allow even this to get him away from the Lord in his soul. And let me tell you this, if I may say it, and I trust in a humble way.
If there has been some failure in your life, I don't get so discouraged that you give up altogether. And if the Lord has allowed circumstances that you're reaping in your life, take them from Him, and the Lord will make himself very precious to you. Even in the midst of such situations. David, in all the trials that he went through in his family life, he had many, many, and then he brought them on himself. And yet we see there was submission.
He was drawn nearer to the Lord through these trials, and I believe you might wonder why that expression that David was a man after God's heart.
But I believe that when there was failure, that he took his right place. He was upright. And that's what God's heart is for us, brethren, if we have failed not to just brush it off as though nothing had happened. Not to just pretend that we're like King Saul. We want to have all the honors that were hours before, but rather now that we're content to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. And then the Lord will give us a real sense of his presence. And those things that David learned through all this, I believe that he walked nearer to the Lord.
Even after his.
Failure. And I wasn't the only failure in his life, as we know. There was that failure in connection with the carrying up of the ark. And I believe, too, that when he had his wife Michael, who was held the seed of Saul, that he really didn't seek the Lord's mind about that. But yet we find that in spite of all these things, there was submission in David's life to the hand of God, And many of those beautiful Psalms were written a David had learned.
In the school of God, those lessons that the Lord alone can teach us.
And so I believe we can say that if there has been a failure in your life, or failures, than there are with everyone of us in some measure. May we walk softly, may we walk humbly, May we be content to just allow these things to draw us nearer to the Lord. Count upon his faithfulness, Let us not be like King Saul, who is more concerned about what others thought of them to be consciously in the presence of the Lord.
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But then there's another passage that I'd like to turn to in First Chronicles 22.
Just pardon. I'd like to look at two or three more scriptures here. First chronicles, chapter 22. Now, my son, verse 11. Pardon me now, my son, The Lord be with thee, and prosper thou, and build the House of the Lord thy God, as he has said on of thee only. The Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the laws. The Lord thy God. Then shall thou prosper if thou takeest heed to fulfill the statues and judgment.
The Lord charged Moses with concerning Israel. Be strong and of a good courage. Dread not, nor be dismayed. Now behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the House of the Lord, and 100 towns, 100,000 towns of gold, and 1000 thousand towns of silver, and of brass, and iron, without weight, For it is in abundance timber also, and stone have I prepared, and thou mayest add thereto.
To me, there's something very, very beautiful in this, and that is that. Hello. It tells us that David served his own generation, that we see him laying up a great store for the one who would follow him. And you know, God hasn't planned that we should set up institutions or something like this to be carried on in the hands of man. But he has given us a charge and we find the same thing in Second Timothy.
Where Paul said to Timothy, the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou of faithful man who shall be able to teach others also. And all that David passed through, he was laying up for the generation that followed. Are you and I doing that? Some of us are getting a little older. I've started with the youth of David, but now he sees getting older. He's getting to the end of his life. And what is he thinking about? He wasn't like Hezekiah.
You know, when Hezekiah was told that there was going to be difficulty come, and the things were going to be carried away to Babylon, all the comment that he made was good, is the word of the Lord. There shall be peace and truth. In my days he made no preparation for the generation that was to follow, and you know that wasn't the way it was with David. Just think of all this that was laid up, and may I say, and I trust humbly to those of us who are older.
Are we helping our younger people?
To see that these things are precious to us, and that the heritage that we want to pass on to them is something that's worthwhile, something to be valued. And then this lovely little comment and thou mayest add thereto we who are all, who don't have everything but we can pass on something. And then they can add thereto. They can study the word for themselves and become a blessing in their generation. I see something very lovely in this.
In the latter part of David's life that he was thinking of the generation to follow and was laying up all this store, this silver, this gold is timber and everything for the House of the Lord. Not just material things for a personal use of Solomon, but for the House of the Lord. Oh, how beautiful this is. And then if you turn to the next chapter, the 23rd chapter and the 27th verse.
For by the last words of David, the Levites were numbered from 20 years old and above, because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the House of the Lord in the courts and in the chambers, and the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the House of God, both for the showbread and for the fine flower, her meat offerings, and for unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size.
And to stand each every morning to thank and praise the Lord and likewise that even, and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the Sabbaths and the new moons, and on the set piece by number, according to the order commanded unto them continually before the Lord. And that they should keep the charge of the Tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the House of the Lord.
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Well, you know, this is something very lovely too, and that is I I really appreciate this fact that it says here that he, by the last words of David, he was talking about people that were 20 years age. You know, that's nice, isn't it? Sometimes when we get older, we tend to move in our own circle.
And just think, well, young people are so different today, and we're living in a different generation. We just don't understand them. There's a generation gap. Isn't this very lovely to see? Here's an old man, and by the last words of David, what was he thinking about? He was thinking about those dear young people and how they could be useful. He was going to pass on, perhaps if the Lord took him and did. But here were these. And it's rather remarkable that if you go back to numbers, you would see that they were numbered 25 years up and 30 years up. But here he drops down to 20.
Because there seemed to be a special need to be lovely if our dear young people were standing in the House of the Lord, that they were really seeking to live useful lives for the glory of God and for the blessing of His people. May I say to you, younger people here don't say I got to wait till I have Gray hairs on my head before I can do anything. Here were these dear young people, and they value the things of God. They valued the House of God and the things that were precious to God.
And may the Lord grant your young people that you will too, and that you will become a blessing.
And now just one more before we close First Samuel Chapter 23 or pardon me, Second Samuel Chapter 23.
Verse one Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse, said the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Israel, and the sweet psalmist of Israel. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake to me. He that ruleth over man must be just ruling in the fear of God, and he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises, even a morning without clouds.
As the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear, shining after rain. Hello, my house, be not so with God.
Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure.
For this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he maketh not to grow.
I don't have time to read all this chapter, but to me these last words of David really touch my heart as I read them. Here we see David at the end of his life because he looked back and say I have won great victories, I've done great things. Now he said I failed, my house isn't so, he said I'm not lowering the standard because he that ruleth over man must be just ruling in the fear of God. He said I failed, but God is faithful. He's made promises.
And may I encourage anyone here to this afternoon who's discouraged all you say. My house isn't so. My life isn't just the way it should be. Well, it's a good thing for us all to own how we failed. But we can count upon God's grace. We can count upon His faithfulness. We can count upon the fact that He's made promises and He's going to fulfill them. He loves his own to the end. Nothing is going to change that faithful love that He has for his own.
Having loved them his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And then what does he do in the end of the chapter?
He talks about his own failures, but what does he talk about at the end of the chapter? All that other people have done, All that other people had done, all those mighty men, Even Uriah, the Hittite, that poor man that had been unkindly treated by him, He puts him among his mighty man. And so we see that at the end of his life, instead of thinking a great deal of himself, his heart is going out for the House of God. His heart is going out for the young people.
His heart remembers all the things that others have done, and he also say a thing about what he did. That record is down in God's own book, and the Spirit of God could comment about this man, that he was a man after God's own heart, that he served his own generation by the will of God. And dear brethren, it's still in some measure, can be done today. You and I can still seek amidst our failures and weaknesses and all that we are. We can seek, still seek to.
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We can still seek to do what is according to God's heart in every situation and serve our own generation. What a blessing it would be in our homes and in our gatherings and everywhere if we just took these things to heart. There's only a little time left and the Lord says Occupy till I come, may keep us in these last and closing days for His glory and for the blessing of His people whom He loves so dearly.
So we looked to him in prayer.