Long Story Short 7: David – a Giant and an Everlasting Throne

 

Redemption Church Plano Tx

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt and I am glad to share this moment with you today.

Hello to our online Church friends. Please leave us a comment and let us know you are there.
Hello in person worshippers. Please amen me frequently so I know you are there. 

Long Story Short

We are in the 7th week of our Long Story Short series.  Tonight we are going to talk about king David and famous battle he fought, but first we have some fill in some timeline.

Last week we made an Exodus from Egypt with Moses.

Moses dies – leaves them with God’s commands for worship and life.

Joshua leads – they take the promise land – Israel (fulfilling the promise to Abraham)

People judge – Book of Judges, people judging for themselves how to live. (messy)

Samuel speaks – Priest and prophet leads people in a chaotic time.

Desire for a king – The people desired a king.

1 Samuel 8:5 (NIV) They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”  

They wanted a king, but why? The other nations had them…

Israel was called to be different from other nations. Their King was to be God. They were to show the world that it was BETTER to make God your King.

Israel wanted to be like everyone else, rather than be the uniquely different people God called them to be.

God has called you to be different.
  -Respond to conflict differently – with love and patience.
  -Desire righteousness more than what you can buy on Amazon.
  -Honor your leaders, but love God above all.
  -Serve others and forgive others

God has called you to be different, but like Israel, we often want to… FIT IN AND BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.  

Tall King Saul

God gave the people what they wanted… God hand selected a king that Israel would want…

He was tall, good looking, and strong.

When Saul was anointed king of Israel the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he prophesied. (1 Samuel 10:10)

All of Israel was thrilled that Saul was their king, but Saul was the people’s choice and not actually God’s choice.

Way back in Genesis 49 there was a prophesy about a King and messiah. Jacob/Israel while in Egypt said this…

Genesis 49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

 “The Scepter” refers to a king’s power. It says that power will belong to the tribe of Judah and that the messiah will come from the same tribe of Judah and be King.

Since week 1 we have been talking about the promise of the seed of Eve in Genesis 3:15. This is that same promise now described as a king of Judah.

Saul was not from the tribe of Judah, but from the tribe of Benjamin.

Saul was the people’s choice, but was never God’s choice.

God’s Choice is BETTER

If you are popular with people, but unpopular with God… look out!
If you are unpopular with people, but popular with God… look up! God can use you.

Saul was the people’s choice, but not God’s choice.

Saul disobeys God. God regrets and then God rejects.

1 Samuel 15:11 (NIV) “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” 

1 Samuel 15:26 (NIV) “You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”

Even while Saul sits on the throne and wears the crown, he is rejected as king by God.

God has already made a choice of who he wants to be king of Israel, and that king is a young boy who is sitting in a field, singing praise to God and shepherding sheep.

Shepherds play a big role in the Bible. Other people look past shepherds, but not God.

Able – shepherd.
The people were of Israel were shepherds and the Egyptians found shepherds “detestable.”(Genesis 46:34)
Now God is choosing a shepherd as king…
Jesus calls himself a shepherd.
Shepherds are invited to the birth of Jesus.

The lowly calling of shepherd is a high calling in God’s kingdom.

In 1 Samuel 16 God tells Samuel to go to a small town named BETHLEHEM. Sound familiar?

Bethlehem is the city of David’s birth, and the city of Jesus’ birth.

Samuel was instructed to go to the house of Jesse and that God has selected one of his sons to be king.

It was a big deal for the priest, prophet, and judge, Samuel to come to your house.

I Samuel 16:4 (NIV) Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”

5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

Samuel is in the home of Jesse and is meeting his sons.

6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

Samuel knows that God said that one of the sons of Jesse would be king, but he has met all three of these sons and God has not chosen any of them.

Learn the faith of Samuel.  Samuel does NOT question God, but instead questions Jesse.
Samuel DOES NOT think God made a mistake, but questions if Jesse has made a mistake.

1 Samuel 16:11 “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Jesse and his family did not think well enough of David to invite him.

David was unpopular with his family, but he was popular with God.

David walks in and God says, that is the one I choose to be king. Samuel anoints him to be the king of Israel, even while Saul is still sitting on the throne as king.

God’s Choice is BETTER

Compare the people’s choice and God’s choice.

Saul was the choice of the people because of his outward appearance.
The older son’s of Jesse were present because of their outward appearance.

1 Samuel 13:4 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

God has sought a man after what?  HIS HEART!  God choice is about the heart!

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

God looks at the heart. God’s choice is about the heart!

We check our appearance in the mirror daily… do we take time to check out our heart?

 

The next chapter is all about outward appearance vs heart. The next chapter is a well known story…

A Giant named Goliath

The name Goliath means “splendor.”  His very name is about the outward appearance of splendor, majesty, and magnificence.

Goliath was a giant killing machine.

There are arguments over his height. Some texts said he was nearly 7 feet tall, and some texts say he was over 9 feet tall.

Either way, Goliath was very tall and would have rocked the NBA.

He was a fierce warrior who terrified all who faced him.

1 Samuel 17:8 (NIV) Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

Saul and all the Israelites were terrified. No one wanted to face Goliath. For 40 days he shouted and taunted Israel.

But one day David came to that valley.  What brought David to the valley of Elah?

David was bringing food to his brothers. This should remind us of Joseph who also brought food to his brothers. And just like Joseph, SERVING OTHERS sets up the WILL OF GOD.

David hears the shouts of Goliath and says “I’ll fight him.”

1 Samuel 17:32 (NIV) David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

Saul looks on the OUTWARD APPEARANCE of David and says, you can’t fight Goliath. David testifies to king Saul, telling him how God had delivered him in a fight against a bear and a lion while tending sheep.

Saul is still focused on the outward appearance…

1 Samuel 17:38 (NIV) Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.

40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

STOP TRYING TO LOOK LIKE OTHER PEOPLE. JUST BE YOURSELF.

The heart is more important than the outward appearance.

 

David approaches the Giant…  and what do you think the Giant focuses on… OUTWARD APPEARANCE.

1 Samuel 17:41 (NIV) Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”

OUTWARD APPEARANCE
To the Giant David looks a boy… an easy win.
David is NOT CONCERNED with the outward appearance of Goliath. DAVID IS FOCUSED ON GOD!

1 Samuel 17:45 (NIV) David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

David makes sure the giant is dead. He takes Goliath’s sword and cuts of the head of the giant.

The Philistine army flees in fear.
David is an immediate national hero.
Saul is instantly jealous of David and tries many times to kill him.
David spends many years running for his life because of king Saul. But God gave David a promise…

David was anointed king by the prophet Samuel. David trusted the promise of God.

Saul because of his rebellion, dies in battle, and later David becomes king of Israel.

2 Samuel 7:12 (NIV) When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

 

An Everlasting Throne

God promises David that he will establish his throne forever. David will have a descendant who will build a house for the name of God.

This was an amazing promise that could only be performed by the messiah.

The kings that followed after David did not do so well…

Solomon built a temple for God… but he handed a divided kingdom to his son.

Rehoboam ended up losing half the kingdom… and suddenly there were 2 kings in Israel.

It got worse and worse for Israel because the kings got worse and worse for Israel.

 

Kings became focused on outward appearance rather than a heart for God.

Eventually Israel is defeated in battle by Babylon and once again live in slavery. It looked like the throne of David would not be everlasting after all.

 

#LongStoryShort #AllAboutJesus

What are we to make of this story? This story is all about Jesus.

That prophesy that Jacob gave about the scepter of Judah… Jesus is from the tribe of Judah.
That prophesy about a son of David building a house for God and establishing the kingdom forever… Jesus is that son.

The angel told Mary…

Luke 1:31 (NIV) You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Jesus will one day come back to earth and be king forever. Jesus will be the fulfillment of the everlasting throne of David.

Israel exists right now, but they do not have a king… or a house for God (the temple). God’s Word tells us that Jesus will return as King of the world.

 

The Heart Jesus

The story of David focuses on the heart and not the outward appearance. This points us to Jesus.

What was amazing about Jesus was not his outward appearance…

Isaiah 53:2 He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

What was amazing for Jesus was his heart. The Gospels constantly talk about the heart of Jesus.

If you look on the outward appearance of Jesus, you might not think twice…
If you see the heart of Jesus, you could never forget it…

 

Are you focused on the outward appearance, or the heart?

God is focused on your heart today.

God looked at the heart of David and said, I can use this guy.

Have you been focused on your outward appearance?
Do you think you are qualified or disqualified according to your outward appearance?

Let’s focus on our heart. What do you think your heart looks like to God?

This is a song that David wrote…

Psalm 139:23 (NIV) Search me, God, and know my heart;  test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,  and lead me in the way everlasting.

 

Can you make that your prayer today?