Address—D. Mearns
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One thing I make a prevail.
We trust and protection will lean on his mind where God is directions.
The Savior.
Could you turn with me, please to the book of Hebrews?
In the book of Hebrews and.
The second chapter.
Chapter 2 and.
We'll read from verse 6.
For one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou made us him a little lower than the angels. Thou pronounced him with glory and honor, and did set him over the works of thy hands. Has put all things in subjection under his feet for him, that He put all in subjection under Him. He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus, who has made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
I've enjoyed this portion of the word of God just from this standpoint that the apostle here he opens this this course by saying one in a certain place testified saying, and you know, the apostle well knew that that was David. He well knew that that was David. But the apostles wanted he wanted David to be eclipsed and he wanted the focus to be on the Lord Jesus. And so we have here we see Jesus who has made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. I just so appreciate the way the apostle brings that out and he hides David.
In the side.
But this afternoon it's my purpose to take up the one in a certain place.
I would like to look at David.
And to further the introduction, let's just go to the Book of Acts for a moment, the 13th chapter.
We find the apostle preaching at Antioch, and he speaks about Saul in 21St verse, that says, after they desired a king, and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kiss, a man of the tribe of Benjamin by the space of 40 years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them 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 fill fulfill all my will.
And we know that here we find David a picture of that blessed one, our Lord Jesus. But I just was wondering in my own soul some time ago as to the features that would cause David to be looked at as a man after God's own heart.
And what I would like to do this afternoon with the help of the Lord. I have enjoyed these thoughts and yet I just feel so inadequate to put them together.
We just trust that the Lord will be able to speak this afternoon. What I've enjoyed in connection with the life of David, which is such a vast subject. The apostle, even before he takes it up in the 11Th chapter, he says time would fail me to speak of David, and I feel that way this afternoon. But I would like to look at a particular subject and look at David who was.
First of all, he was a shepherd. He was a shepherd boy. And then we find him as a military man coming up out of the valley, Vila with the head of Goliath in his hand.
We find David was a man who was used to bloodshed the hardness of the life of a warrior. We see we see David as as someone who was a father. We see David as someone who was also a husband. And yet we see David as someone who was a very tender man. And there's eight times that we find in the word of God that we find David weeping and sold. For our purposes this afternoon, what I would like to look at is to isolate those eight times that David weeps.
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And to see some of the circumstances on either side of David weeping that it would cause him to do such a thing. And to see how David.
Reached out.
To latch on to that resource.
Of his God.
This afternoon I look around this room.
And this meeting has been designated, if you look on your little sheet there, those who are young Christians.
And so this afternoon, a trust to direct my remarks, particularly to those here.
Were in their teens and those here who are young fathers and young mothers.
So let's turn to the first one in the book of First Samuel.
In the book of First Samuel.
Chapter 20.
I've taken up different pieces of David's life at different times, never taken up this subject in this way.
The first one we find here in First Samuel chapter 20 and verse 41.
As soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of his place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept one with another, until David exceeded. Now turn with me back to the.
The 16th chapter.
I just want to look at a verse here in the 16th chapter.
To touch on.
A few of the characteristics that David had as a young man in First Samuel chapter 16, when Saul is having trouble from an evil spirit and he's seeking to have someone to play the heart.
And in the 17th verse of First Samuel, chapter 16, Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants, that said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning and playing, a mighty valiant man, a man of war, prudent in matters, a comely person, and the Lord is with him.
I covet those characteristics that we see in David and young people. I trust that you would come to covet them too. We find here that this one who is a servant, one of the servants, he says, Behold, I have seen the son of Jesse, that he is cunning and playing.
You know, David is one of David's characteristics was he was able to soothe troubled spirits.
Never spoke to someone that's got a troubled spirit. They're really troubled. You know, I've been thankful for those that have come to me when I've had a troubled spirit and have been able to soothe the situation. Now, David had that, had that ability to do that, the ability to be able to soothe troubled spirits. And we find it goes on here. It says he's cutting and playing. He's a mighty valiant man. You know, David was a fearless man.
And I covet that in my own soul.
David didn't have fear, the apostle writes to Timothy, who was, perhaps.
Characterized by fear, he writes to Timothy and he said the Lord hasn't given us the spirit of fear, but of love and of power and of a sound mind. Well, here we find David. He was a man that didn't have fear.
And then we find that it says here he was a man of war. David was a man who in his young life had proved the Lord. And I know that there are those here this afternoon. And in your young life you have proved the Lord.
And this afternoon my desire is to address exercise because there are those of us on the path of faith. Although we've proved the Lord, we get discouraged. We do get down. The enemy comes in like a flood, and there are those times when we've proved the Lord.
In all this matchless grace to us, and then the enemy comes in and takes the turnus aside. Well, David was one that had proved the Lord. There is that aspect of David that there were those cattle thieves around that perhaps came to realize soon on that you didn't mess with David sheep as a man of war. But I believe that David in his personal life, he had learned to prove the Lord. And then we have here he was prudent in matters or notice the marginal reading. He was prudent in speech.
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Young people there are those of our friends that it's nice to talk to. We enjoy speaking with them. They're just prudent in speech. And I enjoy that in my own soul, being able to go to someone and and speak to them and know that I'm going to gain something that they've meditated upon from the word of God. This is a characteristic that David had. He was prudent in speech and then it says he was a comely person.
I enjoy that. You know, how would you, how would you be able to explain what a comely person is? You know, as I thought about it, I thought, you know, that characteristic that Joseph had in the New Testament when he found out that Mary was expecting a child, it says that his desire was to put her away privately. You know, that's the thought of Cumley. That was David's character that he had as a young man. And the Lord is with him. So the servant, he spelled these things out and David has called for, well, we know what transpires over the next few chapters. Let's go back, back to where we started.
In the first Samuel.
We'll go to the 20th chapter.
Because we know that David comes to the point in his life where he's married to Saul's daughter. And then Saul gets jealous and he hates David with a passion, tries to kill him, tries to throw a javelin on him, to do his, to take his life away from him on more than one occasion.
And we find that here, in the end of the 20th chapter, is the first time that David weeps.
But why? Why?
We noticed a change in David's life.
From those characteristics that I spoke of.
And the earlier part of the 20th chapter, we'll read it now, the first verse that says David fled from May off in Rhema, and came and said before Jonathan, what have I done, and what is my iniquity, and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
He said unto him, God forbid thou shalt not die. Behold, my father will do nothing on the great or small but that he will short me. Why should my father hide this thing from me? Is it not so?
David swear, moreover, and said, My father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes, when he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.
5th person David said to Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the King at me, but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field under the third day at even if thy Father had all missed me. Then say David earnestly asked leave of me, that he might run to Bethlehem and city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
You know young people, we enjoy the story of David and it's many aspects.
And I so enjoy.
That David is a picture to us of the Lord Jesus in his rejection.
My first was this afternoon is to look at David and his life.
And this sixth verse that I've read.
5th and 6th verses.
I'll explain it this way.
When I was a boy.
And I would say some things that were less than the truth.
My father would address it with me and he'd address it in this way. He'd come right face to face with me and he would say David.
That is a bear faced lie.
You know, that's what this is. That's what this is.
We can, we can make this palatable any way we want, but that's what it is. And young people, I just want to caution you as to telling the truth.
That's been a difficulty in my life on occasions.
And I've seen that at difficulty in those that are older that we call it little white lies or we call it stretching the truth a little bit, but it's not that. It's bare faced lice. And we find that here in David's life at a time when he started to run from Saul and there was a situation where his state of soul was such that as we go on chapter after chapter.
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His desire was to to spend that time with the Lord. But there were those things in his life that were lacking, and one of them was this difficulty with the truth. You know, if we were to turn to Proverbs, the 6th chapter, we would find that.
The Lord says that there are six things that the Lord hates, and one of them is a lying tongue.
Young people, I would just caution you, always tell the truth.
Always say what is the truth? Let's go on down now.
The 27th verse came to pass on the Morrow, which was the 2nd day of the month, that David's place was empty and salted. And to Jonathan, wherefore cometh thou not the son of Jesse to meet neither yesterday nor today? And Jonathan answered and said, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. And he said, Let me go, I pray thee for our family, a sacrifice in the city. And my brother, he had commanded me to be there. And now if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not under the King's table.
A total fabrication. A total fabrication. Now we read these things from the word of God and we read them as nice stories, but that's what it is.
Young people, we can say nice things, perhaps we can get ourselves into a bind and think, you know, the best way to get out of this situation is to just twist the truth a little bit and I'll be free of it. That's what David tried to do here.
And it caused him sorrow of heart.
We find at the end of the chapter David he has to has this separation with Jonathan.
But we know young people. One thing leads to another.
Notice the 21St chapter. And David came to Nob to him elect the priest. And Himaleck was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why aren't thou alone, and no man with thee? And David said unto him, Like the priest, The king hath commanded me a business. And he said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business, whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee. And I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
Another total fabrication. You know, once we start saying things that are not right, it snowballs and we have an easier time saying things that are not true from that point on. And now here, David, he's removed from Saul, he's removed from Jonathan, but he's in the same situation. He's in that lane of traffic that it's hard to get out of. You know, people that happens to us, that happens to us.
And what happens the eighth verse?
David said unto him, like, Is there not here under thine hand, spear, or sword? For I have now there brought my sword, no, my weapons with me, because the King's business required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath and Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Eva, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If I'll take that, take it, for there is no other save that. And David said, There is none like that giveth me.
As I pointed this portion.
My mind went back to the valley of Elah when David went down there with a staff, with a shepherd's bag, with a few stones. And I wondered here at this time, when he's speaking with the priest here, the high priest, where was the staff then? You know, he could face Goliath and said, you come to me with a sword, with a spear and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord my God. Where was the staff here? Where was that confidence in the Lord here? You know, there was that development. I believe in David's life.
That brought him into that position. Well, you didn't have a good conscience where the Lord was concerned. His desire was to follow the Lord.
His desire was to realize all that Lord had done for him in the past. But he's swimming here and he wants a sword. He wants a sword. And he looks at the very sword that he disdained at one time and said, give me that. There's none like that. Oh, young people, may it touch our hearts to see David as he weeps with Jonathan. And sometimes we weep tears. You know, I don't think there's a one here that hasn't wept tears. And I know that there are those here who have wept bitter, bitter tears.
For many reasons, and we're going to see that there are many reasons for David to weep those cheers.
Here, David, there's a separation from Jonathan. Let's go on to the next one.
In.
First Samuel, chapter 30.
First Samuel, chapter 30.
And verse one, it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire, and had taken the women captives that were therein. They slew not any either great or small, but carried them away and went on their way. So David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire. And their wives and their sons and their daughters were taken captives. And David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep. And David's two wives were taken captives.
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I know him, the Jezreelitis, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
And David was greatly distressed, for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Here it comes to Ziklag. Just picture the scene.
And this is where he lives, this city.
It's burned with fire.
Everyone's gone.
It's wives, children, those of his men gone. Place is sacked.
And I can't do the thought process of what that meant to David.
And I would like to look.
For a moment at the 25th chapter to see some of what caused David just to rend his salt before the Lord. Here in the 30th chapter. First Samuel, chapter 25.
In this chapter.
We have 3 characters. We have David.
We have neighbor the Carmelite, and we have his wife.
And we read that in the second verse of First Samuel 25, there was a man in Mayon whose possessions were in Karma. The man was very great. He had 3000 sheep, 1000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Karma. And the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and of beautiful countenance. But the man was churlish and evil in his doings, and he was of the House of Caleb.
I was thinking of this portion a little bit this morning when Jim was telling us about how he was brought up in the ME first generation, and it's a little different now. It's ME only.
And we find that with Naval. Look at his little speech here in the 10th verse.
When David has protected Nabel's men, he's protected his sheep and the servants come to naval and here David at least Nabel answers the servants. In the 10th verse Nabel answered David's servants and said who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? That there be there be many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master.
Just look here at how self-centered Mabel is. Shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shears, and give it unto men whom I know not once they be?
Self is a wretched thing.
It's a wretched thing and it produced wretchedness in Naples life.
I enjoy listening to Gordon and Mary Jane's tapes.
On one of them.
Gordon's reading a passage from Mr. Darby.
And he makes this comment.
He says. I've never met a man.
Who was full of himself.
To repeat, the expression was not full of himself.
You know, when I heard that first, I had to hit the reverse on the tape and send it back and listen to it again and I'll say it again, he said. I never met a man.
Who was full of himself. To repeat, the expression was not full of itself, and we find that here with Mabel.
You know, we look at neighbor and we say, well, that's an extreme situation. It's an extreme situation. But you know, we find the same with David. We find the same with David in this portion.
And David, he hears the report of what the servants come back after having this little discourse with Mabel.
And David is just enraged and he just tells him and he says, get you sorts. We're going to go down there. And it's just not right. I'm just going to deal with the situation. You know, young people, there are many times in my own life.
When there's been a situation and my toes have been stepped on and I've been offended.
And you know how I'm going to make it right.
It's just not right that someone should speak to me like that. It's just not right that they should do such a thing. And I'm just going to, I'm just going to tell them about it. I'm just going to, I'm just going to make it right. David here, that's what his desire is. He's going to make it right.
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And so you can just picture the scene, you know, he's just.
He's angry and he's reckless.
And he grabs his sword. 400 men, they grab their swords, and down the mountain they go.
And what's been so impressive to me is to see that there's someone who just steps in the way of that army, and it's Abigail.
Abigail.
Now notice what it says in the third verse. It says she was a woman of a good understanding and of a beautiful countenance.
But what I've really enjoyed.
In connection with Abigail.
Is that she recognizes the situation for what it is.
She recognizes.
Her attachment to Nabal.
She recognizes who David is. She realized that there's evil determined upon the house.
And you know, we would say inner forwardness, but it's in her meek and her quiet spirit. And I just want to make a comment here, particularly to those who are young sisters. Take note of what we have here in Abigail. It's been such a blessing to my own soul. That was such a blessing to David. So that when it came to Ziklag and it was burned with fire, that was one thing. But Abigail was gone. That was another thing.
We find here that she speaks in the 27th verse.
And I want you to notice what she brings before David, because what Abigail does is she takes David, who is consumed in his present circumstance. And we understand that concept, don't we? You know, you have a hard day and just, there's so much and we just, the enemy comes in and we just get so full of, of what happens in a day and we can't see beyond it. And that was David's portion at this time. And he was going to make it right. He had 400 men behind him. They all had their swords. And he was going to get rid of naval and he was going to feel better about it.
And Naval comes in, you know what she does? She makes 7 statements and each one of those statements takes David from his present circumstances and points him to a coming day. You know, I so enjoy that in my own soul when someone comes along and I've just been stewing about someone, you know, when they have a nice thought that they've just enjoyed about the coming of the Lord, and it just transported me from that which I've just been stewing in.
To that coming day. And so let's look here now in the 28th, 1St the 27th verse now and now this blessing which thine handmaid have brought unto my Lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow. My Lord, I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid. Now what a cheetah. What had Abigail done? Young sisters, just take note of the characteristics that we find here in connection with Abigail. She says forgive the trespass of thine handmaid, for the Lord will certainly make my Lord.
I sure have. Now David was being driven from post to post. He was living in caves. He was living wherever he could. And Abigail, she comes in, she says, you know, David, there's a day coming and the Lord's going to make you a shorthouse. And I would say, young people this afternoon, be careful where you build your house. Complete a duck that built a nest on my brother in law's property pulse right on the side of the road, right on the side of the road. A duck building a nest on the side of the road filled it with eggs.
When I saw it had, I don't know, 12 eggs in it.
Well, we all rushed back the next morning to see how the eggs were. They're gone. Bad place to build a nest. Bad place to build a nest.
We had a Robin, you know, Robin's getting mixed up when they look at the rafters and they're all the same.
Robin built a nest, then built another nest, built a third nest, laid 2 eggs in one nest, 2 eggs in the second nest, one egg in the third nest. It wasn't a good place to build a nest. Probably a young bird. I don't know the circumstances, but it gave me to realize, you know, there's a place to build young people. Be careful where you build.
No, David, at least Abraham. He looked for a city that had foundations. He was content to live in a tent.
He's content. He knew that there was a city and he was content to look for that city whose builder and maker was God. Well, here Abigail, she brings before David that there was a time coming when the Lord would make for him a sure house, as it says here in the 28th verse, the 29th verse, yet a man is risen. Notice he doesn't call Saul the king, just a man. A man has risen to pursue thee and to seek thy soul, but the soul of my Lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God.
And we sometimes sing that little hymn, Lord Jesus, are we one with thee? Oh, height or depth of love, crucified and deadened with thee. Now one in heaven above. You know, Abigail brought that picture to David. That's what she did. Here's the time. He's just enraged with his present circumstances and he's pointed off that coming day when he's going to be one with the Lord.
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The third one is the souls of thine enemies. Then shall he sling out as the middle of a sling. You know, there's a day coming when all the enemies of the Lord are going to be put down. The Lord Jesus will have His rightful place. And here Abigail brings that thought before David. Notice he's standing there. All his men are standing there. Here's this wonderful woman with that beautiful character, and she removes them from those circumstances to a coming day. The 30th verse, the 4th one, when the Lord shall have done to my Lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning me.
You know, Joshua, at the end of his days, he speaks to the people and he says, you know, the Lord has accomplished everything that he said he was going to do. He's done absolutely everything. The day coming when we'll look back.
Will see that very thing and that was pointed to David.
The end of the 31St and shall have appointed the ruler over Israel. Just think what that meant to David when he was.
He was so full of himself that he was going to deal with this little situation. And Abigail presents to him, You know, David, you're going to be ruler of the whole scene. You're going to be ruler of the whole scene.
And then in the next verse. And this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offensive heart unto my Lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my Lord had avenged himself.
You know, that's a little picture of the judgment seat, isn't it?
And Abigail didn't want David to come to the throne.
And to suffer loss, if I could put it that way, to have that in his conscience, to have that which he acted so unwisely about in connection with Nabal. And she says, you know, there's a day coming.
And I don't want you to be in that situation where you're going to be sorry for today. And then it says the last one here is in the the end of the 31St verse. And when the Lord shall have dealt well with my Lord, then remember thine handmaid, I don't know what capacity she had there, but we have brought before us that beautiful picture of Christ and his bride and all. Doesn't that take us from our present circumstances? Doesn't it do that? Look at that moment when we'll be with the Lord Jesus and like him for all eternity. You know, that's what that's what Abigail did when she stepped in front of David.
But I thought, what was it that caused her to have such moral courage to be able to do such a thing?
Let's look further down in the chapter.
We find that.
The 36th verse that Abigail has this feast like the feast of the king, he's drunk.
His heart dies with him and he became, he becomes like a stone. You know, there's no response from a stone.
He dies, and the servants of David come to Abigail, to Carmel, and they speak to her the 40th verse, saying, David sent us unto thee to take thee to him to wife.
Notice these lovely characteristics, dear young sister. Just take these next two verses to heart.
And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth. Now I looked at those two things, and I think, how can you put those two things together to arise and to bow?
But young people, it takes real energy.
To prostate ourselves.
Before the Lord.
Here we find she bows herself on her face to the earth, but it says she arose. It takes real energy to do that. It takes far more energy to do that than to lift yourself up.
Oh, that's what characterized her. She arose, bowed herself on her face to the earth and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant. That beautiful characteristic that we see of the Lord Jesus as he walked is seen for those 33 1/2 years as a servant.
Obedient unto death, even the death of the cross here to wash, to be a servant, to wash the feet, not to wash the feet of my Lord, but to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord. Help me to turn to John's gospel who define the Lord Jesus as he goes through that best scenario of taking the towel and taking the basin. But when he's all done, he says, if I, your Lord and master, have washed your feet, Sawaki, also to wash one another's feet, young people, that's a marvelous work to be involved with. That's a marvelous work to be involved with, to seek to wash one another's feet.
Yeah, we hear. We hear thoughts. It's easy to make the water too hot. It's easier to make the the water too cold.
Easy to sometimes easy to have a rough towel.
Just to seek to strengthen the things that remain.
It's a marvelous work to wash one another's feet. Those are the characteristics that gave Abigail that courage to stand in front of David. And now David, when he comes to Ziklag, she's gone.
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Let's go back to the 30th chapter.
The sixth verse.
David was greatly distressed, for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
We're not doing very well for time.
I'll just touch on this before we go on to the third one.
I believe the reason that David was able to encourage himself and the Lord his God is because if we were to go to the previous chapter.
We find that David has been with a Kish for some time and you know, he's gotten used to this situation and he finds he's in a bind and he's he's going to do battle and he's going to do battle with Jonathan. That's what's happening to to to just to put it the way it is.
And I'm sure that was hard for David. And yet David finds himself in a circumstance that he can't get out. And the Lord puts it in the minds of the Lords of the Philistines to say to Akish, you know, we don't want this guy with us, Get him out of here. And David, I believe, encouraged himself. And the Lord is God because he saw the Lord reach down and pick him out of a circumstance into which he couldn't get out. I've proved that in my own life, circumstances that I got myself into that I couldn't get out.
It's not that we're to tempt the Lord, but to have the confidence.
And the Lord that David had, he recognized that there was something here. The Lord had delivered him from a circumstance and he looked at this circumstance. The Lord was able to do the same and he encouraged himself in the Lord his God. Let's go over now to the second Samuel, the 1St chapter.
What happens in the first chapter of Second Samuel?
Is the death of Jonathan?
And let's read from the 11Th verse.
Of Second Samuel 1 Then David took hold on his clothes and rent them, and likewise all the men that were with him, and they mourned and wept. This is the third time that David weeps and fasted, until even for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the House of Israel, because they were fallen by the sword.
I'd like to go back and look at what it is.
That.
David.
To be so upset when he heard that Jonathan was dead. Let's turn back to the 18th chapter.
We could go back and we could read about Jonathan and his armor bearer.
But David, I don't believe, was there in the 17th chapter of First Samuel.
We find David a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus.
In the 57th verse, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, Abdur took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. You know that's David's work.
58% Saul said unto him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered and said, I am thy son. I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite, That's his person.
And in the first verse of the 18th chapter it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, ask his word.
You know, a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus, His person, His work, and His Word. And when Jonathan observed that, notice what it says.
It came to pass when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit, but the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul, his person, his work, and his word, and it just transfixed Jonathan.
But you know, Jonathan, he had a love for David. And I just like to tie in that because often we we zero in on Jonathan and how he gave, he gave David everything but his shoes and he didn't follow in David's rejection. And that's true.
And that was a more on Jonathan's life. But there was that which characterized Jonathan that David really appreciated. And we'll just go through it quickly. In the 19th chapter and the second verse, it says Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David. The third verse, I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee, the fourth verse and Jonathan spake good.
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Of David the end of the verse, because his works have been good to thee word very good.
The 20th verse and the fourth verse. The 20th chapter in the fourth verse. Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
The 20th chapter in the 17th verse. And Jonathan caused David to swear again because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul. And Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon, and thou shalt be missed because thy seat will be empty.
The 23rd verse Partway through the verse. The Lord be between thee and me forever.
32nd Verse Jonathan answered, saw his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? What hath he done? And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him, whereby Jonathan knew it that it was determined of his father to slay David. So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month, where he was grieved for David, because his father had done some shame. 42nd Verse Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, For as much as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed, and thy seed forever.
Young people.
We see in these verses.
That tremendous characteristic that Jonathan had in his love for David.
It's beautiful.
But there came a time in David and Jonathan's life where they had to separate him. They had to separate.
And that's hard.
Young people, it's hard to have friends that you love because all that they've done for you and the marvelous characteristics they might have.
To share in the rejection of our blessed Lord.
To me it's the saddest thing to read the end of the chapter and it says this.
And he rose and departed.
And Jonathan went into the city.
David went into his rejection and Jonathan went into the city.
There was a period in my life where there was a separation between myself and those who were my friends.
And young people, I would caution you as to who your friends are. Are your friends those?
That encourage you in the Lord.
Or they just love you.
You know, we found that Jonathan even had that characteristic where he encouraged David and the Lord, but he wasn't, he wasn't willing to walk with David.
And so David arises here and Jonathan goes into the city. We don't really have any time to speak anything more about that. So let's go on to the.
The next time that David weeps.
And.
Chapter three of Two Samuel.
The 32nd verse.
Well, let's read the 27th verse. When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died for the blood of Asahela's brother. 32nd verse. And they buried Abner in Hebron, And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner. And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dyeth.
38th Verse And the king sent unto his servants, Oh ye not that there was a Prince and a great man all in this day in Israel, And I am this day weak, though anointed king. And these men, the sons of Zeruaya, be too hard for me. The Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.
Hold your place here for a moment and go over to Second Samuel, or rather to 1St Kings.
First Kings.
2nd chapter.
There came that time in David's life when the rains had been passed to Solomon.
And there were a few things that need to be tidied up in the Kingdom.
And David presents them to Solomon, and one of them is this matter that we've read about in Two Samuel chapter 3.
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What's what's affected me so much is to realize that David had an attachment to Abner.
We don't have the time to develop that, but he's mentioned 62 Times in the word of God, 62 Times. That's a lot of times for a man to be mentioned from the first time that Abner.
Saul said to Abner when he saw David slay Goliath, whose son is the Stripling.
Until the time that we find here David berries Abner, David had come to appreciate Abner. But you notice in in First Kings chapter 2, the very first thing that David brings before Solomon is the matter concerning Abner. And we find it in the in the fifth verse of First Kings chapter 2. Moreover, thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeraya did unto me, not what he did unto Abner's family, not what he did to the children of Israel, what he did unto me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel unto Abner the son of Mirror. Very first thing that David brings before Solomon as to clean up because it affected him so much.
Back in our chapter it says the king said unto the servants, Know ye not that there is a Prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? You know, brother, and I have to hang my head in shame.
Because as we look over a two year period amongst the gathered Saints.
There have been some Princess.
And there have been some great men that have fallen.
Do we look at them?
As David looked at Abner.
As a Prince and a great man.
I just present that to my own heart and to my own conscience.
Let's turn over now.
To Second Samuel.
The 13th chapter.
I'm sorry, the 12Th chapter.
Second Samuel, chapter 12.
And this we won't go through the situation. It's where where David commits adultery with Bathsheba and he kills, he murders Uriah with the sword and Nathan addresses him.
And now we find the 22nd first verse is where David weeps.
Bathsheba has given birth to a little boy.
And the little boy dies.
21St verse Then said his servants unto him.
What thing is this that thou has done that is fast, and weep for the child while it was yet alive?
When the child was dead, thou just arise and eat bread.
And I just want to make a comment in connection with the.
51St Song.
We could turn there for a moment. Psalm 51.
We're David here.
He starts off by saying, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
We had before us last weekend in our meetings in Rio Ferry. We had a day of meetings.
And we took up first, John.
And we had there the thought of we confess our sins, He is faithful and justice to forgive us our sins.
I just want to make a comment to those here who are younger.
That confession which David did here in the chapter that's before us Two Samuel, chapter 12.
That confession does not constitute restoration.
Sometimes we read First John and we translate that. Now that's not the subject in First John. Restoration is not the subject.
In the abstract truth that John brings before us, but confession, as another has said, confession is an act and forgiveness is an act.
But repentance is a process.
And restoration is also a process.
And for us to confess, for us to think that there's restoration, that's not the way it works in young people. We, we sometimes treat communion like the kitchen taps where the water is going and we can turn the water off and we can turn the water on anytime we want. You can't do that with communion. We can turn it off quick enough.
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But to get back to the Lord is sometimes a different story, and I believe that David experienced that in the psalmist before us, because he says here, have mercy upon me, he says.
The third person, I acknowledge my transgressions, my sin is ever before me. He's confessed this sin, he's been forgiven, but oh, he's burdened here, He's burdened. He's burdened about that which is was has transpired and that ongoing guilt as the Lord works repentance in his heart and brings it to that moment where at the end of the chapter he can offer bullocks.
And there's full restoration. Young people don't translate confession as being restoration when the Lord's desire is that there be a work of God in our hearts. Let the Lord work. You know, it says about Jacob that it doesn't say he wrestled with a man. It says a man wrestled with Jacob. The Lord does that with us.
And so in Second Samuel chapter 13, we find that while the child was alive, David wept, but now that the child was dead, needed a rise and eat. Let's go over to chapter 13.
You know we're not going to make it, so we're just going to touch in on the 6th time that David weeps here.
And it's in connection with.
With David's sons.
I would just make a comment in connection with the 36th verse it came to.
It came to pass. Second Samuel, chapter 13. This is after.
Absalom has risen up, and he is slain. Amnon.
And all they all of a sudden they ride away, and they're, they're weeping. And it says here in the 36th verse, it came to pass as soon as he had made an end, that behold, the King's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also, and all his servants wept.
Very sore.
You know.
In the beginning of the chapter, and I would encourage you to read it yourself, you find a situation that you wonder how come the Lord would record such a thing in the Word of God.
Where you have M non and he defiles his sister, he defiles Absalom's sister.
The end result is that M non is taken and sling.
And I've wondered, you know, Abigail had a son whose name was Daniel.
And he was there at that scene where he watched his older brother be killed by the older brother was right above him, be killed by the brother that was right below him, Absalom.
And you know, we never we never we read of some of David's son's four of them that are vying for the throne. But Daniel who was next in mind. Daniel was Abigail's son, who was really next in line for the throne. We find there's no competition there. He's not mentioned. It's not part of the picture. Just the beautiful thing to search through for yourself. But here it says the king and also all the servants, they wept very sore at the beginning of the chapter. We find there's that situation with Amnon. And I would I would just make this comment to the young fathers that are here.
And when we read this portion, I'm sure that there was a sense in David's soul of how the Lord had picked him up from the sheep quote. And there was nothing that David could do. He recognized the sovereignty in God and working in his life and how there was no possible way that he could be an heir to the throne or he could be, he could be king of Israel. It was all the Lord's work. And he recognized the Lord had done that. And I believe David perhaps took the same attitude where his children were concerned. And when that situation transpires with Amnon, you say where was David? I would just say, young fathers, be aware of where your children are just before this meeting.
There was a young father sitting beside me, the children.
Screwing here and there. I said, you know, it's hard to keep track of these children. Yeah, it's hard to keep track of them. Be aware of where they are. David wasn't. And we find here because of it. He weeps. He weeps. Let's turn now the page over to the 15th chapter.
The last one is in the 18th chapter when Absalom dies and the king is much moved and he goes up over the chamber and he says, Oh my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom would God I died for thee, O Absalom, my son.
But in the 15th chapter here.
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We find that David finds himself in a circumstance and you wonder at it. You know, sometimes there are situations in the assembly that we wonder at. Here's David. He's the king and he's being chased out of the land by his son. It doesn't make any sense at all. Sometimes there are things in the assembly and they just don't seem to make sense. But here, David, he goes out and you know, there are those that have an affection for David. And I enjoy the 19th verse here it says.
And the king said unto Etihad the Gittite. Wherefore of course thou also with us, return to thy place, and abide with the king, for thou art a stranger and also an exile.
Whereas, alchemist, but yesterday should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I may return now and take back my brethren, and mercy and truth be with thee. And if the I answer the king, and said, as the Lord liveth, and as my Lord the King liveth, surely in what place my Lord the King shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.
You know on the 30th verse it says David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet and he wept as he went up. He had his head covered, he went barefoot. All the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up weeping as they went up.
There was that time where there was the Levites and we find Zadok. They carry the ark out to David.
You know David looks at the ark and he says it's nice but take it back, take it back. It might be that Lord will bring you back, maybe not, I don't know, but take the ark back, take the ark back. David had a sense in his soul of the hand of God upon him and he was impressed by the affection here. You know there was this man, he was from Gaff and I believe that ETI one time he had a champion. That champion was Goliath and you know he saw a shepherd boy go down and take off his champions head.
And come up out of the valley with his champions head in his hand. Is it any wonder that idiot had such affection for David?
You know, young people, that's what the Lord's desire is for us this afternoon. He wants our hearts.
Going to the Proverbs, we would find my son. Give me thine heart here David, he weeps as he goes up, and you know the circumstances that the Lord brings us into. He's able to change like that and he did in David's life. But here we find the affection the idiot had for David.
I carry around in my Bible a little note.
It was given to me when the children were young.
And it was the Father's Day or something. And the kids, they had their little trinkets, they were wrapped up in tissue paper and, you know, obviously a less than professional job wrapping. And they all had their gum and their lifesavers or whatever it was they gave me. And one of the children had no present. I was feeling kind of bad. And so I got to see them out. Dad.
I could not think of anything to give you.
So I'm giving you my love.