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What Portion Do We Have in David?

An heir to his grandfather’s and father’s big legacies, Reheboam had a choice if he would seek God like they did or lean on his own understanding.  Just as we cannot get to heaven on the coattails of another’s faith, the new king should have tapped into what had made David and Solomon’s forty-year reigns great in the first place.

I.  1 Kings 12:1-5.  Born sometime, no doubt, in the spiritual decline of his father’s reign into a chaotic household of 999 stepmothers or “aunts” who worshiped a variety of gods, Reheboam might argue today that he was a victim of a lost world plunged into sin and relative morality.  And yet, he was on the waning edge of Israel’s golden age and knew the covenants God had made with his grandfather.  His dad built the temple!  At the moment of his crowning, however, Reheboam had a choice to make.  Would he include God in his decision-making (Joshua 24:14-15) or would he lean on his own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6)?

II.  1 Kings 12:6-17.  He had at least heard of his father’s wisdom given to him by God (1 Kings 3:10-13) if not seen those coming to the palace seeking it (1 Kings 10:21-27). But, he seemed to have forgotten the important ‘if’ attached to the gift (1 Kings 3:14) and the reason for the spiritual decline of the kingdom because his father had ignored it too (1 Kings 11:1-4).  So, when forced to choose between relying on those who had advised his dad and stepping out on his own, he chose the counsel of the young men who had grown up with him.  The result was that he did get to establish his own legacy–that of splitting God’s kingdom!

III.  John 5:19-23.  Jesus lived to be his Father’s Son as well … except that His Father was God!  He went around doing good (Acts 10:38), spent regular time in prayer (Mark 1:35), insisted on others knowing the Scriptures as He did (Mark 12:24), and was an example for us to live up to (John 13:15).  His dying on a cross and rising from the dead empowered us to be our Father’s children as well (John 20:17).  So, we must seek wisdom (James 1:5-8), answer with gentle words (Proverbs 15:1-5), seek advice from godly counselors (Proverbs 24:6) who follow God’s Word (Psalm 119:24), and live as an imitation of Christ (Ephesians 5:1-2).

Oh, how things might have turned out differently if Reheboam had chosen differently!

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Ask What I Shall Give You

Is it better to “grow up in the church” or to escape the world to seek truth on your own?  The first may not know the sharp edge of the world’s heartache, but often a personal faith is taken for granted and underdeveloped.  The second can create an abiding faith but a lifetime of overcoming sinful habits and baggage.  Inheriting the kingdom from his father, Solomon began well as someone who grew up in the church often does.  But, did he seek God or let his heart be led astray?

I.  1 Kings 3:3-28.  In the beginning of his reign, Solomon loved God and walked in the way of his father, King David, yet as he still worshipped at the high places, there’s a hint that his heart wasn’t fully after God’s heart like David’s was (Acts 13:22).  He asks for wisdom or discernment to govern God’s people, which pleased God, and he was granted many other blessings.  What can an abundance of God’s grace do in a heart, vulnerable to temptation and sin, that is not fully chasing God?

II.  2 Samuel 12:7-9.  When David had yielded to sin, the prophet Nathan tells him that God had given him much and would have given him much more, but David had repaid God’s grace by despising God’s Word.  This principle is carried out in the New Testament by Jesus (Matthew 25:29).  We must prove faithful in what we have been entrusted, so that God can use us in even bigger ways.  Sadly, Solomon did not do this, allowing his blessings, projects, and power (2 Chronicles 1:14-17) and the comfort found in sin (1 Kings 11:1-4) lead his heart astray.  Clearly, the wisdom he had to warn against such falling (Proverbs 5:1-9) wasn’t enough to safeguard his heart.

III.  Philippians 4:4-7.  If we seek God and His Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) and ask for wisdom (James 1:5-8), we must still apply these things to our hearts to truly live for Christ and honor Him as holy (1 Peter 3:13-16).  How do we do this?  We must sell all that this world has to offer (Matthew 13:44) and press on to the goal despite obstacles (Philippians 3:12-16), holding on to what we have already obtained and adding to that in increasing measure (2 Peter 1:3-11).  Then God will guard our hearts.

What could Solomon have achieved if he hadn’t let his heart be led astray?  How could God use you if you used what you’ve already been entrusted with to seek Him and His Kingdom?

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I Have Sinned

David is described as a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22), but that doesn’t mean that he was perfect.  That’s good news for us!  Because, as we strive to also chase after God’s heart, we can become disheartened when we sin.  By exploring how David handled his return to God, we can better travel this narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14) ourselves.

I.  2 Samuel 12:1-15.  The man after God’s heart admits he has sinned.  David didn’t seem to see his sin with Bathsheba or her husband Uriah, and so God dispatched the the prophet Nathan with a parallel story.  The king saw the wrong and pronounced judgment on the wrongdoer.  That’s when Nathan was able to confront David with his sin.  Rather than ignore, justify, or pass blame for his sin as Adam and Eve did (Genesis 3:12-13), the man after God’s heart admitted to his sin.

II.  Psalm 51:1-17.  The man after God’s heart repents of his sin.  Though it may not be part of scripture, most scholars agree that the titles attached to the Psalms are very old.  The title attached to Psalm 51 indicates that this is David’s attitude after he had sinned.  It’s an attitude of repentance.  In this psalm, David takes ownership of his sin and acknowledges that only God can cleanse him from it.  More than that, he appeals for renewal of a right spirit within him, a restoration to the joy of his salvation, and to be upheld by God.  Only then can he teach sinners how to return to God.

III.  Ezekiel 18:21-23.  Admitting and repenting define a man after God’s heart.  Only if we live according to the Spirit and not the flesh can we avoid the eternal consequences of death and live (Romans 8:12-13)!  This means that like David we must admit and repent of our sins as we all must one day give an account to God (Hebrews 4:11-13).  There’s a process for repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10-11).  His kindness is meant to lead us to it (Romans 2:4-5), and He desires it (2 Peter 3:9-10).  Those after God’s heart will do it, and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross will pay the consequence for their sins if they are in Christ (Romans 3:21-26).

Those who don’t admit, repent, and remain outside of Christ will have to pay the consequences of their sins on Judgment Day.  Are you ready for that day to come?

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Serving God’s purpose

By John Henson, Dibrell congregation, McMinnville TN

ACTS 13:36

I. DAVID SERVED GOD’S PURPOSE

  1. By becoming king.
  2. By writing inspired scripture.
  3. By being the one through whom the Christ would come.
  4. By prophesying the coming King — Jesus.

II. WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE FOR US

  1. 2 Corinthians 5:21 That we might be made the righteousness of God.
  2. Galatians 2:16 That we might be justified by an obedient faith.
  3. Hebrews 12:10 That we might be partakers of his holiness.
  4. 3 John 8 That we might be fellow helpers of the truth.

III. ARE YOU SERVING GOD’S PURPOSE?

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