2 Samuel 21-22 Our Deliver

Our Deliverer

2 Samuel 21 & 22
V.1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, "It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.

It was a national calamity that caused David to SEEK THE FACE OF THE LORD

A) Often times it takes a DESPERATE situation to get us to seek the Lord.

Wakes us up – Shouldn’t have to be that way so often it is!

B) The Lord ANSWERED David

1) Here is a wonderful illustration of a New Testament truth

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

C) Revealed: The reason for the drought and famine was sin

1) A Sin committed some 40 years earlier

When the children of Israel first came into the promised land under the leadership of Joshua, it was obvious that the hand of God was with them

A) The people of the city of Gibeah understood that their only hope to escape extermination was to make a treaty with Israel

B) They KNEW that there was to be NO treaties between Israel and the Canaanites / So they KNEW that they would have to resort to deception

C) Here is what they did: they pretended to come from AFAR

1) They brought moldy bread and wore torn garments and worn sandals as evidence of their long journey (Judges 9:4-6)

D) Joshua and his men made a FATAL mistake{ They didn’t inquire of the Lord and they made a treaty with these people.

E) Joshua did NOT SEEK THE FACE OF THE LORD

1) Israel was thus prohibited from wiping out the Gibeonites

2) They could only relegate the Gibeonites to being manual labor in Israel

Well For some reason, AFTER 400 years under the rule of the Judges, Saul decided to break the treaty and wipe out the Gibeonites

A) His actions are not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture but here

B) But it was for THIS that God was judging the Israelites by means of this drought and famine during the time of David

C) Now There are those who believe that this chapter may not be in it’s correct order Chronologically because God would not have waited 40 years to deal with this issue

D) Some place it AFTER David’s kindness to Mephiboshet (2 Sam.9) and before the rebellion of Absalom (2 Sam.15-18)

E) Those who hold to this chronological order refer to the opening of Ch.21 as pointing to the famine being an event early on in David’s reign

I do NOT believe that it such a position must be taken dogmatically

A) See the time of the passage does NOT lessen the ramifications of sin

B) The DELAY of Divine justice is NOT a token of innocence

1) The sin MUST be dealt with

C) God in His patience allowed 40 years to pass before dealing with it

1) Evidence that sometimes the affects of our sin – falls on others

D) Happens here and David is going to deal with it { RD v.2-9

ALL SEVEN TOGETHER - This would nearly extinguish the house of Saul

A) In 1 Chron. 8 & 9 there are NO descendants of Saul listed other than from the line of Jonathan

10 Now Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, [SACKCLOTH speaks of repentance and brokenness] from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.

RD 11-14

B) David once again in his kindness to Jonathan takes care of the Family of Saul!

2 Sam 21:15

When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint - At this time David was OVER 50

v16 Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David.17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying,"You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."

Ishbi-Benob was a son of Goliath

A) weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight,

B) This was about 30 pounds

1) The shot put in High School is 12 pounds... In college it is 16 pounds

C) It is hard to imagine throwing a 30-pound spear {Big Boy

David, though he grew faint, HELD HIS GROUND and the Lord provided him a TIMELY rescue {Abiashi

A) We remember how in the Garden of Gethsemene, when Jesus grew faint, the Father sent Angels to minister to Jesus

B) APPLICATION: In spiritual warfare, even strong saints grow faint

1) Satan attacks even more fiercely

C) But those who stand their ground will be relieved and become more than conquerors

1) The need for Good friends – Pray – Help !!!!!! Not Alone!

RD v.18-22

NOTE: There are FOUR GIANTS killed What a bunch of FREAKS

A) If there were a FAR SIDE cartoon then, they would be the featured

Freaks 6 fingers and toes

B) David in the beginning of his ministry is fighting Giants and He is still fighting giants at the end

C) Make no mistake about it... The Christian fight does NOT get easier... There are giants ALL of the way

E) I do NOT say this to depress you- I say it to NOT disillusion you when it does NOT get easier

But this is what I find interesting is that when David yrs before went out to do battle with their father – Goliath – told – 5 small stones

A) Been suggested and this would lend credit to it – One for Goliath and one for each of his sons

B) David finished off Goliath – but not the Sons – He didn’t get the chance – but here in his last Battle – the sons are taken down

1) Not by David – but by his sons in the faith if you would

By some of his mighty men.

C) Lesson for us in this: Ministry is not taught – it is caught!

1) David holds a unique title of being a Giant Killer – and here some of his men are given that same title

D) There is no record of any of Saul’s men killing giants – why? Saul didn’t kill any giants

I think that our sons & daughters and our sons & daughters in the faith need to see our Christianity lived out.

A) They need to see our victories and see us walking in Victory

B) See our greater than David – Jesus was also a giant killer – he was Victorious and because He was – we can be as well.

C) Those behind us – they need to see us in ministry and see our Christianity in action.

D) Part of the weak State of the Church in America today is that there is a generation that has watched another generation cater to themselves

1) That my friends is not why we are here.

E) I pray that in this Church – the Generation behind us – will see that we are a generation on the move

1) Active in Serving- Hearts for the world – Hearts that want to see God do the impossible – take out some giants

F) We are indeed as the scriptures declare – More than conquerors thru Him who loves us!

Ch.22 : Rd V.1
Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

Now Ch.22 – really Psalm 18 which was written at an earlier time in David’s life – after his deliverance from Saul.

A) It seems that at this moment David feels led to look back and sing this Psalm written earlier – because it applies to his current situation

B) The Theme of this Song – Is Deliverance: ‘

1) We could literally spend weeks breaking down some of the RICH truths presented in this Psalm –

C) But tonight I want to take it as a whole – It presents for us a wonderful pattern for Worship.

1) The message of chapter 22 breaks down in this way! 5 section

1) V.1-3 I praise God because He is the One who keeps me safe.

2) V.4-20 When I call on Him, He rescues me.

3) V. 21-28 God saved me because of my righteousness.

4) V. 29-46 God saved me by giving me the strength to fight and to prevail over my enemies.

5) V. 47-51 EXALTATION

Rd. v. 2-3

Now often times a psalm is viewed as the summarizing of a more complex set of truths or statements.

A) But I would point out that a psalm can also work the other way.

B) Sometimes a psalm is the expansion of a simple thought, by way of parallelism and repetition. For example

1) David could have simply told us that God is our refuge, but instead, he employs the imagery of 8 different terms to describe God in verses 2 and 3.

C) Each one adds further detail to the Statement!

1) Rock: Firm foundation to stand upon

2) Fortress: A place to hide in – His place of safety – His Castle!

3) Deliverer: Rescuer

4) Shield: The one who Protects and stands in the gap!

5) Horn of his Salvation: Because a horn was used by animals as a weapon it came to speak of power and might.

6) Stronghold: A walled city- the wall stood as part of its defense.

7) Refuge: A place of Resort and Safety - CHURCH

8) Savior: Ultimate Salvation

So David looks at the Lord as his deliverer with a wide-angle lens that captures 8 different aspects of his Deliverance.

A) Is your experience with the Lord – Multi faceted? Friend / Lover / Strength / Fortress/ refuge etc – We should

B) Our Worship should be broad – That which captures many different angles of who the Lord is to us!

C) That is what David does here!

D) Move on to section 2 when I call on Him, He rescues me!

RD V.4-20 Highlighting call, called and cried.

So here in this section David reveals something of God’s Sovereignty over Creation

A) Earthquakes / Darkness / rain & thunder storms – Lighting Rods like Arrows being Strategically Shot

B) All of this to rescue his servant – whom – He delighted in

C) Couldn’t help but think about – The scene at the Cross –

1) Darkness – Earthquake

D) That is what was happening as the wrath of God was being poured out on Jesus in order to RESCUE YOU AND ME!

3^RD Section: Why he saved me! RD v.21-28

A) When David first wrote these words it was in his pre Bathsheba Days

Pre Uriah

B) He could say with some degree of confidence – He was blameless and righteous in how he walked – especially in his dealings with Saul

C) But now – he sings it as a man who has been forgiven. As a man who knows the pleasure of experiencing the Joys of Repentance.

Psalm 32:1-2

Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven,

whose sin is put out of sight!

^{2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!}
C) Jesus said once – He who loves much is the one who has been forgiven much.

D) There was a time in my life – where I really felt that if I was good enough that God would reward me

1) Blessing that came into my life where going to be because I didn’t do certain things – stayed out of trouble – Etc

E) Performance based acceptance mentality

Now there is a cause and effect aspect to right living. I know that I am not going to get an STD – if not being Promiscuous

A) My marriage is going to be blessed when I am loving my wife

B) But those things are not the Basis of my righteous standing before God – It is the Blood of Jesus

C) There is a certain amount of stress & frustration that comes with trying to stand before God in your own righteousness –

1) Something inside – tells you – I really haven’t measured up

D) But what a blessing it is to stand before the Lord as one who has been forgiven – sin forgotten

Motivation to live righteously – But also a comfort in Knowing – when I have bad days – Sin – flesh comes out – The blood of Jesus covers us

A) The Lord rewards us today based on our RIGHTEOUS POSITION in Jesus – Glory be to God.

Section 4 V.29-46 God saved me by giving me strength to fight –

RD V. 29-46

Note the action words in our text on David’s part and the enabling word’s on the Lords part.

Action words:

V.30 I can run – I can leap

V.38- I pursued – I didn’t turn back

V.39 I have destroyed them

V.43 I beat them – I trod them – I spread them.

Enabling words:

V.33 God is my strength and my power

v. 33 He makes: my way perfect

V.34 He makes: my feet like the feet of a deer

V.34 He sets me on high places

V.35 He teaches my hands to make war.

V.37 He enlarged my path

V.40 You armed me

V.40 You subdued under me.

This Psalm really lays before us a wonderful example of that truth that Paul declared in Philippians: Phil 2:12-13

work out your own salvation [Sanctification] with fear and trembling;13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

A) In David’s Life we see that God supplied the means the strength the power and the resources for victory – But David still had to act

B) David had to take what God gave to him – and put it to use

1) David had to run / leap / fight - / continue – and He realized that he could only do so by the Lord and in the power of the Lord

C) Christian life is a life of action{ Victory happens – ministry takes place lives are impacted only – when we take what God has supplied and use it

5^th Section 47-51 EXALTATION

Next week David’s last song – V.1-7 Ch.23

David’s mighty men

Finish Ch.24 – One last tragedy

Closing