Bible Talks

1 Chron. 19:1-191Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. 2And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. 3But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land? 4Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away. 5Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return. 6And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria-maachah, and out of Zobah. 7So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. 8And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. 9And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field. 10Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians. 11And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon. 12And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee. 13Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the Lord do that which is good in his sight. 14So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him. 15And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. 16And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them. 17And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host. 19And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more. (1 Chronicles 19:1‑19).
We have spoken of the blessings of the kingdom established under David as typical of the time when Christ will come as the true Son of David to set up His kingdom in power on the earth. We know, that then, judgment will fall upon all who will not own Christ as king, and Israel as the center of earthly glory (Isaiah 60:1212For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. (Isaiah 60:12)). Our chapter forms a picture of this, as we shall see. King David heard of the death of Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, so he sent messengers to comfort Hanun his son in his sorrow. Their princes, however, despised David's kindness and misused the messengers, sending them back to him in a disgraceful manner. In a similar way the Lord will send out messengers, after the Church has been taken to glory at His coming, to announce the gospel of the kingdom which will be established in the millennial day. Those who receive the messengers, believing their message of the grace and goodness of God which will be displayed when the kingdom is established, will be brought into blessing (Matt. 25:3140), while those who despise them will be sent into everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:41-4641Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:41‑46)).
Knowing that the judgment will be so solemn upon those who refuse the gospel of the kingdom, how serious it is for those who despise the gospel of the grace of God which we preach now. Little do some think of what a terrible sin they are committing when they turn away and despise the free grace of God. The Scripture says, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" Hebrews 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3). If one should be reading these lines who has not yet accepted God's free offer of pardon through the Lord Jesus Christ, we would warn you of the judgment that
is coming upon you. You may be "good' living," as people say, but if you reject the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour you have committed the greatest sin of all. You have rejected the only way of escape from judgment and there is 110 other. Why not turn to Him now, before it is too late?
When the children of Ammon realized how they had displeased David, they gathered together a number of their allies and came out to fight against him. Joab then went out with an army of mighty men, and the Lord put Israel's enemies to flight before them. When the Syrians saw that they had been defeated, instead of acknowledging their wrong, they gathered a fresh army together and fought against Israel again, only to be defeated the second time. We know that at the end of the tribulation period when the Lord Jesus appears on the white horse, as the true Son of David, the nations will be gathered together against Him, and His people Israel (Revelation 19:11-21,11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11‑21) Zech. 14:1-51Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:1‑5)). Even though great alliances have then been formed (and we see the beginning of these alliances today), they will have no strength at all against the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will then judge the world in righteousness as God has said (Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)).
Whether it is individuals or nations it is a tremendously serious thing to oppose the rights of Christ in the earth. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." Psalm 24:11<<A Psalm of David.>> The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. (Psalm 24:1). All the peace conferences in the world will never bring about peace until the rights of Christ are owned, but sad to say men and nations go on as though all depended upon their efforts. Judgment hangs over this world which has crucified God's Son, and the only way of peace now is "through the blood of His cross.'
Messages of the Love of God 1/12/1958