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M. E. Arbaugh
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Better than the Blood
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FROM THE DESERT TO THE
CROSS
COVENANT WITH DAVID
LESSON SIX
They said "We want a King like the other nations." They (Israel) got what they asked for. This was a sorrow to God, but not a surprise, He knows the beginning, the middle and the end of all things.
Peace had prevailed during the time of Samuel. From the way the people acted they must have been bored with peace. People who do not know God are very restless. The word says the wicked are as the troubled sea, they cannot rest and as the waters of the troubled sea cast up mire and dirt, so it is in the lives of the wicked. God says there is no peace for the wicked. Isaiah 57:20 So the people came together, looked upon the other nations and decided they needed a King. Israel got Saul, a tall good looking, rash, self-willed, jealous, disobedient to God, and unstable king.
When Saul took over the kingdom, it is safe to say he was not a statesman. We are told he fought with the nations on all sides. Where ever he turned he made it worse for Israel. 1 Samuel 14:47
Then we are told he did valiantly and delivered Israel from her oppressors. It appears he created emergencies and then, stepped in to settle the emergency he had created. Can you imagine the press release from the palace? King Saul has once again valiantly led our troops to victory against the oppressors and plunderers of our land. Three cheers for King Saul.
As a result, there was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. His reign was marked by cruelty, he cared not for the nation, but only for his own public image. Years later God spoke through Hosea concerning Saul and said, "In my anger I gave you a King and In my anger I took him away." Always remember character is more important than good looks. Man tends to look on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. God is not interested in how old we are, how young we are, tall, short, talented or untalented, male or female. He is not even interested in what we used to be. He is only concerned with what we can be. It was a sin that Israel asked for a human king. The result of Israel's sin was a country torn by war for forty years. Every home must have felt the loss of a husband, a brother or a son. What a painful situation, what a national mess. What can be done with such a mess?
Most of us during our life times have had occasion to reflect that our lives were in a mess because of some wrong choice we made. Some may have felt there was no hope, but that is never true. God can take the hopeless mess we created and turn it into a teaching experience. He can use it as a method of revelation, and this He did with Israel's mess. When Saul was rejected, God moved to give Israel another king, this time He did not consider the carnal views of the people. God chose one who would submit to His will.
When we look at the lad David, we might think, what a poor choice!! A seventeen year old, red headed, sheepherder, with a harp. HOW'S HE GOING TO RULE A NATION?
HEAR THIS......When God calls a man or a woman, HE ALSO EQUIPS THEM for the task. The one called need only be obedient and give thanks to God for the enabling.
IS THAT RIGHT? What about Saul? He was just minding his own business, out hunting for his fathers mules, when his servant said lets go ask the prophet where to look. Then Samuel pours oil on him and says you are king. Did God equip him? Look what a mess he made.
1 Samuel 9:27-10:1 "And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but you stand still a while, that I may show you the word of God. Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, The LORD has anointed you to be captain over Israel."
1 Samuel 10:6 "And the spirit of the LORD will come upon you and you shall prophesy with them, and you shall be turned into another man."
Did God equip Saul? Yes. Was Saul obedient? No. Did Saul give honor to God? No. So God in His anger, removed him as king.
Calling and equipping go hand in hand. Did you know God has called each of us to a life of holiness? He has, and as He has called, He equips. That's one of the reasons the Holy Spirit was given, so we might have the power to be overcomers in this life. We have the same choice as Saul. We can be obedient, and give thanks unto God, knowing it is not us but Him; or we can be disobedient and think it's under our own power that we are successful. The first way leads to a victorious life, the second to death. The best advice available is, choose life.
1 Samuel 16:5-13 "........... And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. But the LORD said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for men look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen him. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen him. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The LORD has not chosen these. And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all of your children here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest and he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, 'Send for him: for we will not sit down till he comes. And he sent, and brought him in. Now David was ruddy, handsome, and pleasant to look on. Then the LORD said, to Samuel, anoint him: this is the one. Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed David there among his brothers: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah."
David comes in from tending the sheep, there is a big family dinner, the prophet anoints him with oil, tells him he is king. In the same circumstances, what would you do? Would you pack your belongings and prepare for a move to the palace? Most of us would quit our jobs sell off household goods, call a taxi and head for the palace. That's not what David did. He went right back to the sheep. Even at this tender age he apparently understood that God's schedule of events does not always operate according to human time tables. He apparently believed, what God promises He will perform. I can imagine that he stood open mouthed as the announcement was made, and then thought, hey, this is great; but it's time to water and feed the sheep.
David was aware of his duty to the sheep, when we have a responsibility, we should be faithful to it. Even if the prophet drops by and says we are destined for great things. In due time God will promote us and the sheep we are currently in charge of will not suffer because of it.
David had a sweet unassuming spirit, when his brother Eliab spoke with jealousy and accused him of neglecting the sheep. 1 Samuel Chapter 17. David replied with words of peace. In effect he said, I didn't mean to upset you. He could have said, watch it buster, you are speaking to your future king. This young man already shows confidence in God, patience, responsibility and the attitude of a peace maker. Not bad for under twenty-one. Maturity is not to be judged by age. There are some fifty year old babies walking around and there are some very responsible seventeen year old youths. 2 Samuel 5:4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
Saul did not obey God, so God rejected him. If we are not obeying the established rules of God, we may still be hanging around the palace and wearing a crown, but power and peace will not be our portion. For thirteen years Saul went through misery.
Mean while David moved back and forth from the sheepfold to the palace, to the battlefield, to playing music, to observing at the palace, to protecting and soothing the sheep at the sheepfold and to fighting Saul's battles. He waited thirteen years from the first anointing to the fulfillment of God's promise.
After assuming his duties as king, David led the people in battle, God gave the victory and Israel was once again at peace. Jerusalem becomes the city of David.
David, who has for most of his life slept outdoors, now builds himself a cedar house. No doubt he appreciated it, and as he enjoyed it, his thoughts turned to God, whom he recognized as the provider of all blessings. So David speaks to Nathan the prophet and says, I want to build a house for God. Have you ever wanted to do something for God and had him tell you no? Then you will understand how David must have felt. He had this wonderful thought and God said no. However, no was wrapped in these words. "I will build a house for David."
2 Samuel 7:11-16 ".........Also the LORD tells you (David) that He will make you an house. And when your days are fulfilled, and you sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, which shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He (Solomon) shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the blows of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you: your throne shall be established forever."
Even though there is no mention of the actual blood covenant ceremony in this portion of scripture it is evident this was Berith (to cut till blood flows). Blood covenant, the covenant of strong friendship, was very well established at this time. This was a procedure understood by everyone and was considered so ordinary, that it was not necessary to give reference to it. It is obvious David understood blood sacrifice and covenant. He was a keeper of covenant. Jonathan and David cut a covenant. David honored Jonathan's son Mephibosheth even though the custom of the time was to slay all of the previous king's offspring. 1 Samuel chapters 18 and 20, 2 Samuel chapter 9.
That David regarded this declaration (2 Samuel 7:16) as a covenant is clear from:
2 Samuel 23:5 "For He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure."
2 Chronicles 7:17-18 "And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and shall observe my statutes and my judgments, then will I establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David your father, saying, there will not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel."
From the above conversation (God speaking to Solomon) it is also clear that God Himself considered the agreement to be Berith.
God took the mess (created by the sinful desire to replace God as King with someone their eyes could see) and used it to reveal that Messiah would be King as well as sacrificial lamb. In David, the line (through which Messiah will come) is narrowed down. This line was first mentioned in Genesis 3:15, where God revealed, deliverance would come in human form. After the flood, the promise is renewed and Shem is mentioned as the avenue. (Genesis 9:9-26) Then from the line of Shem, Genesis 11:11-32, God chose Abraham.
Isaac the son of promise was next, then Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons, it was the fourth son Judah (his name means praise) who was selected. (Genesis 49:10) Through him the promised Messiah would come.
When Hannah (Samuel's mother) sang for joy before the Lord. The Holy Spirit moved to make this wonderful announcement. "The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them He will thunder in Heaven. The Lord will judge (all peoples) to the ends of the earth; He will give strength to His King, and exalt the power of His anointed, His Christ." This last statement is a double reference, which includes David and Jesus. Israel demanded and received a human king, that was sin. But God, used that sorry situation to reveal the promised redeemer who would also be King.
Now these are the last words of David; David, son of Jesse says, and the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, says. "The Spirit of the Lord spoke in and by me, and His word was upon my tongue. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me, when one rules over men righteously, ruling in the fear of God. He dawns on them like the morning light, when the sun rises on a cloudless morning, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear shinning after rain. Truly, does not my house stand so with God? FOR HE HAS MADE WITH ME AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, ORDERED IN ALL THINGS, AND SURE. For He will cause to prosper all my help and my desire." 2 Samuel 23:1-5
David's last words prior to his death declared his confidence in the covenant of God. That the throne of David would endure forever is clearly established both here and in Luke 1:32-33 where Mary is told her Son would be given the throne of David.
Overcoming
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It is said, Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and that he sat
on the throne of his Lord. During the last thousand years of the Old Testament,
the Messiah's kingdom on earth was identified with the throne of David. 1
Kings 2:12 and 1 Chronicles 29:23 The setting up of the kingdom of
the Messiah on earth was called the raising of the tabernacle of David. Amos
9:11 They are one and the same.
During the thousand or so years between the time David ruled and when Jesus was born (to the natural eye) it did not always look like the throne of David endured forever. David and his descendants (like Abraham) were required to look beyond the natural, in order to behold the real thing. From Saul to the time of Jesus, Israel had kings, but from the time of the divided kingdom there were only a few of David's descendants who reigned. At the time it appeared God was not keeping the "Berith" He made with David. Does God keep His covenants? Yes, Yes, Yes. Does He do it according to our plans, method, and time schedule? No. God does not hurry and yet the solution we need, is always on time.
Over 40 years ago I entered into blood covenant with God. He has pledged
to take all my liabilities and give me all of His assets. He pledged to be
my redeemer, my healer, my protector and my provider. Everything that is
His is mine. When we cut covenant with God, we must then follow His three
point plan for success, which is think the word of God, speak the word of
God and do the word of God. When we do this, the rest is in His hands. HE
WILL NOT FAIL US.
HAVE YOU CUT COVENANT WITH JEHOVAH? Have you believed that Jesus is the
Son of God and that He died for your sins? Have you asked Him to forgive
you? Have you believed that He, the righteous one, died in your place?
Have you believed that God raised Him from the dead? If you have, have you
confessed your faith with your mouth? If you have, hear this, the
scripture says that no one who believes in Him....who adheres to, relies on
and trusts in Him....will ever be put to shame or be disappointed. No one for
there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over
all of us and He generously bestows His riches upon all who calls upon Him
in faith. (Romans 10:9-12) If not, there is no time like the present.
Make this a day that will change the course of your personal history. Come to Him now, everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord (invoking Him as Lord) will be saved. (Romans 10:13) There are no exceptions, YOU are included in the word everyone.
If you have entered into blood covenant with God, have you been thinking, speaking and doing God's word? Maybe you need to consider the thoughts of your mind, the words of your mouth and the actions of your life. If they fall short of victory, Jesus has the answer. He is just waiting for you to ask Him.
Most of God's children want to do what is right, they want to live a life that is pleasing to Him. But they don't know how or they are trapped by a stronghold of Satan in their life. Some of you may even think you have done things that are unforgivable. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. He will in no wise cast out those who come to Him. He's not mad at you, He loves you, He is a God of a second, third, fourth, fifth, and more chances. Trust Him. Deliverance is available, but you must ask.
Father I pray for those who read these words. I use the authority you have given me to break the power of Satan over them. In Jesus name, DEVIL YOU MUST RELEASE THEM, SPIRIT OF DOUBT, YOU MUST LEAVE THEM, I COMMAND YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS. Now Father, I release the ministering angels to touch the lives of those who are now and all who are to become heirs of salvation. I thank you that it is done in the name of Jesus. Amen. Praise God.
Now you pray, just talk to Him. You will be glad you did.
Next: LESSON SEVEN
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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
Last Update:
January 1, 2009
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