2 Samuel 14: Absalom’s return
Outline David the manipulated Absalom the manipulator Introduction God has promised to discipline David, it will eventuate in David’s throne being stolen by Absalom. The text is mapping out for us the events that bring about David’s decline. Perhaps it has stood out for you as well how God is working out His purposes of discipline. He leaves David to make his own bed before he has to lie in it. David does not properly punish Amnon, and now David will not properly deal with Absalom. David is under God’s discipline and David is the rod for his own...
Read More
1 Samuel 17: David and Goliath
Thanks to Jono Macfarlane for preaching this afternoon; Jono is an elder at Christ Sanctuary in Palmerston North. You can read 1 Samuel 17 here.
Read More
2 Samuel 13: Amnon and Tamar: Part Two
Sorry, no audio recording is available for this sermon. Outline Jonadab’s council Absalom’s hatred David’s permissiveness Introduction ‘The sword shall not depart from your house.’ We are in the middle of looking at the shadow of the sword of God’s judgement on David’s sin and how it is affecting his family. Last time we looked at the terrible action of Amnon raping his sister. This chapter has no redeeming aspects to it, it leaves you feeling dirty at the end of it, and this is all deliberate. When the snowball of sin begins to roll down the hill this...
Read More
Ephesians 4:26-27: Anger management
Introduction: How does the devil destroy churches? If we were hit with an earthquake and all of our buildings were destroyed that would not undermine our standing and integrity as a church. It often happens that persecution is the thing that God uses to strengthen and purify churches, so this is often a tactic that backfires on the devil. The most effective ways to undermine the church are by diluting the truth it believes and the Gospel it preaches, dropping all reference to sin, wrath and sacrifice. We are told that a little leaven affects the whole lump and...
Read More
2 Samuel 13: Amnon and Tamar: Part One
Outline Amnon’s lust Jonadab’s counsel Absalom’s hatred David’s permissiveness Introduction ‘The sword shall never depart from your house.’ This sword of God’s chastening hangs over David’s life as we move forward. The main way in which judgement is going to come upon David’s house is through Absalom. So although this chapter is all about Amnon and Tamar, you will notice in v1 that it begins by mentioning that Tamar was Absalom’s sister. This chapter is nothing more than the backstory as to how Absalom will rise up against David as a fulfilment of the punishment God is meting out....
Read More
2 Samuel 12: A sinner restored
Outline Burden of sin Repentance for sin Forgiveness of sin Chastisement for sin Introduction If you know you’re a sinner; if you know the heavy weight of sin, if you have a deep desire for forgiveness and have agonised over how God sees a child who has sinned grievously against Him, then this is one of the most important chapters of the bible for you. David has committed adultery with Bathsheba, he could not trick Uriah into thinking the baby was his, so David conspired to have him killed. The last words of the last chapter are these, ‘But...
Read More
2 Samuel 11: David and Bathsheba
Outline Preparations for sin Anatomy of sin Multiplication of sin Introduction There are only a handful of very famous sins in the bible, the fall of Adam and Eve, the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, and right up there is David and Bathsheba. I feel like I cannot emphasise the importance of this chapter. David is one of the great saints of the bible, the man who earned the accolade, ‘a man after God’s own heart.’ Of all the authors of the bible, it is David’s prayers and praise that are recorded more than any other for...
Read More
2 Samuel 10: David defeats the Ammonites
Outline Hanun’s rejection Ammon’s defeat Joab’s faith Introduction 2 Samuel 10 reads like just another chapter out of the wars of the Ancient Near East. However, this chapter plays an important role in the life of David as well as the life of the believer. These two chapters of 9 and 10 where David is honouring promises and human life are a backdrop for the coming catastrophe with Bathsheba and Uriah where David dishonours the covenant of marriage and human life. The Ammonite wars are the historical situation for these events. But for the believer who is in a...
Read More
2 Samuel 9: David and Mephibosheth
Outline David’s faithfulness Mephibosheth’s blessing Introduction If you had to pick the highlight of David’s life, what would you choose? Some might choose David as a young man slaying Goliath in defence of God’s honour; some might choose David’s desire to build God a temple. I would choose 2 Samuel 9 where David keeps a covenant and shows covenant love to Mephibosheth. It is not David’s bravery, or wit, or military strategy, or good looks, or riches and success; it is not even his faith, but his mercy to Mephibosheth that is put on display. This chapter stands out...
Read More
2 Samuel 8: David’s administration
Outline David’s victories David’s worship David’s rule Introduction 2 Samuel 8 is one of those chapters that you would find unmemorable except that it might violate your modern sensibilities. Sandwiched in between the great chapters on the Davidic covenant and David’s mercy to Mephibosheth it gets very little air time. But this chapter plays an important role in that it is the final part of the long ascent of David to the throne. If you were to divide the life of David up into two parts, you would have David a servant after God’s heart from 1 Sam. 15-2...
Read More
2 Samuel 7: The Davidic Covenant
Outline David’s promise David’s praise Introduction One of the key things the covenants of the bible do is manifest the grace of God. To a greater or lessor extent God’s glorious grace is put on display. And in this chapter we have the Davidic Covenant presented putting forward another glorious glimpse of our gracious God. This is one of the most important chapters of the bible because it is one of the major steeping stones in the lead up to the coming of Jesus as the Saviour of the world. As you move through the OT you see a...
Read More
2 Samuel 6: The Ark comes to Jerusalem
Outline The ark of the covenant The God of the covenant The king of the covenant Introduction The domestication of God, familiarity with God, trivialising God, underestimating God, these are the sins of our ignorant and sinful hearts. The holiness of God is something we will always insult by our conceptions, our worship and our actions. Until we see Him and are worshipping in a perfected state we will always fall short of the glory He deserves. 2 Sam. 6 is a chapter which shows David and Israel doing the same thing. They made light of God, they did...
Read More
2 Samuel 5: David Anointed King
Outline Ascendancy Occupancy Prosperity Victory Introduction Chapter five acts as a scrapbook collection of God’s promises fulfilled to David. We have been looking at David’s long journey and preparation to be king. We have followed David the young boy anointed king who fought in Saul’s army; David the refugee running for his life; David the mercenary and his stint in the Philistine army; and David the king of one tribe in the midst of a civil war. Chapter 5 acts to show God’s promises to David fulfilled, and how it pulls out some highlights to indicate God’s faithfulness. This...
Read More
2 Samuel 3:6-4:12: Power struggle
Outline Abner Joab David Introduction The change of governments and especially civil war is a hard time for any government. The corruption, the ambitions of men, the manipulations, blackmail, negotiations, the deceit, the murder and all this mixed with civil war. This is what we find in our portion. Yet the will of God triumphs, the promises of God come to pass. Why do we have the details in the 7 ½ year period before David becomes king recorded? To show that God’s promises will triumph; but not without a lot of interference and trouble along the way. One...
Read More
2 Samuel 2:1-3:5: Establishing God’s Kingdom
Outline David seeks the kingdom Abner seeks the kingdom Introduction Saul is dead and you would expect that David who had been anointed King years earlier would suddenly ascend to the throne and rule Israel. This is not the case. Chapters 2-4 cover a 7 ½ year period, only at the end of which David will be the uncontested king. These chapters will be dominated by two men seeking to make themselves king in Israel, David and Abner. David seeks God’s will and God’s kingdom, Abner seeks his own. The overarching theme in the opening 5 chapters of 2...
Read More
2 Samuel 1: David and the Amalekite
Outline The Amalekite David Introduction Two worlds colliding: that is what we are seeing when we see the Amalekite and David acting towards the same event, the death of Saul. The Amalekite is a picture for us of our opportunistic selves, and David portrays a man whose heart is gripped with a fervour for the glory of God. The book of 2 Samuel continues on the heels of 1 Samuel. The judgement of God has fallen upon Saul and Israel. The Philistine army has conquered and settled in Israel, Saul has committed suicide and Israel is without a king....
Read More