Justice and Mercy

Psalm 37 David wrote these very powerful words. Delight yourself in the Lord your God and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way on him. Trust also in him and he will bring it to pass.

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. David at that point in time needed desperately. The truth is that we haven't Psalm chapter 37.

Some great and some glorious cruise and he needed those truth because Joab had deceptively and maliciously killed Abner that to a monkeywrench into David's plans for David Abner had joined together in a in a peace treaty and they are joined together and Abner had promised him that he was going to remove extra shaft the king that was the king of Israel. He was gonna removing thought from the throne and he was going to bring the other 11 tribes of Israel under the reign of David and David would not have to lift a finger. But now Joab is killed Abner and he is killed him to avenge the death of his brother as her. David is doing everything he can to try to soothe the feelings of the people of Israel because they loved Abner he is rebuked Joab in public. He is given Abner an honorable burial. He's even spoke the eulogy at Abner's funeral. He's done everything he could to try to rectify the the murder of Joab of Abner by Joab he's done all we could but here was the problem.

Abner had plans to remove issue share from the throne, and to bring David to the throne of Israel. That would've been a very easy transition for David. But now Abner has died whenever.if Michelle stood up and said I'm not leaving the throne. I'm staying right where I am. This would've been a perfect opportunity for issue a shift to a done what was right is the chef at this point in time could've come and said hey I resign. I turned the throne over to David that this was not right to begin with and David had been anointed by the prophet Samuel 20 years ago and I should have never stepped foot forward and gotten on the throne of Israel and now Dave and I am sorry and I turned the throne over to you.

I resign and if you will let me live I will serve you for the rest of my life.

He could've done that but he did not do it and so now what was David to do. David could've attacked Israel and he could've one very easily. That would've left a bad taste in the mouth of of Israel. What David wanted. Was this David wanted Israel to want him as king he wanted Israel to come to him and say David we love you and and we respect you and we are giving you the crown were given you the throne. We want you to be the king over us and so we surrender to you and we praise God that you will be our new team. David decided to wait. He decided to pray about this and then just let God bring all these things to pass. David followed the advice of his own. Psalm the song that David had written delight yourself in the Lord your God and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way under him, trust also in him and he will bring it to pass. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, but some will be honest with you I need those others versus every single day of my life. I need to meditate them on them every single morning before I get going for my day. I need to do delight myself in him. I need to get my joy from Jesus. I need to trust in him. I need to wait upon him. I've been sharing with you the last several weeks that I believe that persecution is coming to the church in the US and I believe that we very much need to prepare ourselves for this persecution. Some people have asked me a question will.how do we prepare will I'm not telling you to prepare by going out selling your house and moving up to a cave in the mountains now not telling you that we prepare for persecution by going out getting a fistfight with a liberal.

I'm telling you this to prepare yourself for persecution is to delight yourself in the Lord your God is to come to grips with this fact that this world is not our home. I remember back in 1986 is walking through a bookstore Baptist bookstore in Charlotte*checking out the new books that had just come in and I saw title the book that intrigued me. It was desiring God by John Piper that Tom I never heard of John Piper never heard of the book, but the title intrigued me, so I took the book off the shelf and I read the first page. After reading the first page. I ran up to the counter and about the book I absolutely devoured that book for John Piper, whoever he was, was telling me that God was deeply concerned about my joy and that God does not want me serving him out of the sense of duty, a sense of drudgery that God absolutely truly wanted me to be happy, not happy in the world. Not happy with the things of the flesh, but happy in God and in the closer that I would get to Jesus, the more and the more joy I would have in the sweeter the deeper that joy would be John's ministry is built on this truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. God wants me to seek joy in him over and over again in that book desiring God.

Piper went back to that what that great verse in Psalm 37 verse four. Delight yourself in the Lord your God and he will give you the desires of your heart and are never thinking to myself will often times the desires of my heart are not good. Oftentimes I desire something that is fleshly or something that is of the world. But here's the key. If I delight myself in the Lord my God, he should change my desires so that his desires will become my desires brothers and sisters. This is the greatest way to fight sin. What we are fighting see and how you do it, Matteo. Most of us do it.

We say well I'm just gonna suck it up. Mom will really try harder has that worked out not very well does it, why because our willpower is so weak. Here's the best way to do it. What we we replaced hours are sin with the superior pleasure we will replace lust or greed or selfishness or sale for our self-righteousness, or covetousness, we replace it with joy in God. But this does not happen automatically. It happens is waiting at the end as we obey Romans chapter 12 verses one into I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable in the God which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. There it is, is the renewing of your mind, you quit thinking your way and you start thinking God's way, what is God's way. Here's how God would have us to think enjoying the presence of Jesus is better than getting revenge enjoying the presence of Jesus is better than alcohol because enjoying the presence of Jesus is better than lusting at for a beautiful woman enjoying the presence of Jesus is better than coveting someone's new house folks delighting yourself in God is accomplished by getting your fellowship in your joy out of Jesus Christ. It is replacing your sin with the superior pleasure. Waiting on the Lord doesn't mean twiddling your thumbs and doing nothing waiting on the Lord while you're waiting you are you are praying your meditating on God's word you were seeking joy from him so here in this passage that's exactly what David is doing. He rested in the Lord and waited patiently on him as three points on share with you today.

Number one, a horrible murder. Look at verses one through seven.

When if Michelle Saul's son heard that Abner died at Hebron. His courage failed and all Israel was dismayed that Saul's son said to me in it were captains of rating bands name of one was Vena the name of the other was reckoned sons of rim and Amanda Benjamin from bear off for bear off also discounted part of Benjamin, the bearlike slayer to get tamed and have been certain sojourners. They are to this day. Jonathan, the son of Saul had a son he was crippled in his feet.

He was five years old news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel and his nurse took him up and fled as she fled in her hasty fail and became lame. His name was for a shift. Now the sons of rim and the bearlike recommend Vena set out about the heat of the day they came to the house of issue a shift as he was taking his noonday rest and I came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat and a stabbing in the stomach then recommend buying his brother escaped and in the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. There is a statement that is added here that gives a lot of clarification. We redo that statement of a whole. The doorkeeper in the house had been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept so recommend Vena's brother slipped in. In verse seven. When I came in the house as he lay on his bed in his bedroom.

They struck him and putting the death and beheaded him. They took his hand and went. By the way of our about all night.

Verse one.

The Scripture says that is the ship heard that Abner had died and that his courage failed him. It's interesting to read that in the Hebrew for what it actually literally means is that his hands dropped in other words, he just lost hope totally lost all of hope and he was absolutely scared to death only share with you moment what John Calvin said about is Michelle's folding up under this pressure. John Calvin is saying in this passage that we're looking at right now he that he's using these verses to remind us of a three important things. Number one that God is big. Number two. That truth is important. And number three is that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. Listen to what Calvin said if Michelle and his followers show how easily overthrown are the wicked who seem to pose a deadly threat to God's people, let us not doubt when we see the enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ and power that it will take nothing to make them broken people who will not know which way to turn and why, because they do not have God on their side they cannot call on him. Jesus once said that the true faith is revealed its perseverance under trial resin, false faith, having no route with others under tribulation. David has unwise and unbelieving moments, but in the darkest trials is faithful into safety. He was like a brave soldier was sometimes taken by surprise and driven back or sometimes weary so as to halt the advance but he always recovers and returns undaunted to the battle issue a share, in contrast with like a braggart, who boast when the enemy is running away, but shrinks in the face of determined opposition. What made David different David was upheld by the consciousness of a higher strength be enabled to turn in prayer to the secret place of the most high taken hold of him as his covenant God. Unlike issues she has. David had true faith that getting the inspiration and strength that he needed to prevail under trial. If Michelle had two men who were military leaders that were under his power and these men were were bare thoughts. They were not truly Israelites, but they were in, and officers of the Israelite army names were recommend Vena and recommend Vena had come to understand what Abner knew. With all of his heart and that is that if shift was a weak king, and that there was really no future in following him and so recommend Vena decided that they would turn their allegiance away from is Michelle and I would go to David and give him his allegiance and I believe that the best way to get his approval was to try to make a straight path for him to the throne of Israel. So what if they do, they went to the house of of issue share. When I got there. The house was unguarded. They went into his bedroom and he was taken a nap. I took a knife and they stabbed him in the stomach, the killing, and then they took a sword and they's severed his head from his body. They walked out of this is a house with his head as a trophy holding in their hand and they headed to the home of David.

What these two rascals did was wrong and it deserve judgment and they would get judgment, but I want you to see this. It was also a judgment on this machine with its Michelle had been on the throne of Israel for 7 1/2 years.

He had no ride on that throne. God had said that David wouldst be the next king of Israel and issue a shift took it upon himself, having given himself to a sinful calls. He was slain by very wicked hands over the last several years I found myself terribly frustrated with politicians doing wicked horrible things, committing crimes and then it comes out people know it and nothing happens.

They get away with it. They just do what they want to do and it's like there's no punishment there's no getting dealt with.

Nothing happens and so I get very frustrated with that. Something to be dealt done done with this somebody out. I have to have to be punished for the as they need to be dealt with is like the Lord just let me on the in the face so Doug I will be dealt with. They will be dealt with powerfully totally and eternally for Hebrews chapter 1 verse 27 says, for theirs appointed him to me and wants to die and after that the judgment in Psalm 37 verses one into the Scripture says this, fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like the grass and whether is the green herb. We should understand that we don't need to fret over the victories of the wicked for the victories of the wicked were very short-lived. But their judgment is eternal instead of fretting over them and envying them. We need to pray for them .2 is a just vengeance. Look at verses 8 to 12 they brought the head of this Michelle to David at Hebron and they said to the king.

Here is the head of this machine at the sun's all your enemy who sought your life. The Lord is avenge my lord the king this day on Saul and all his offspring, but David answered. Recommend Vena his brother, the sons of rim in the verified as the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity. When one told me the whole Saul is dead and thought he was bringing good news. I seized him and killed him exec lag which was the reward I gave him for his knees. How much more when wicked men and killed a righteous man in his own house. July not now require his blood in your hand and destroy you from this earth. And David commanded his young men, and they kill them and cut off their hands and feet and hang them beside the pool at Hebron, but they took the head of this Michelle buried in the tomb of Abner at Hebron very interesting situation recommend Vena show up at David's house. One of them is holding the head of issue a shift in his hand like a trophy and they had this idea that David's going to be really happy with what they've done. They think that Davis could be really greatly appreciative of what they have done and so they are very excited about that. They thought David would be pleased, and so they were all proud and I thought David will either give them monetary blessing or military privilege. So they're standing there just all excited and pumped up with pride in what is David say evidently they had not heard what it happened with the Amalekite. You remember when the Amalekite came to David and told David that he was responsible for the death of Saul.

What did David do David had them executed immediately the Amalekite since always was trying to commit suicide. I just helped him out. I pushed him down the sword and and I killed him. And David said how dare you lift your hand gets God's anointed and had them executed there on the spot and now David says to recommend Vena what they did was a horrible thing. What he did was a horrible thing, but what you have done is much, much worse. Your sin is a more horrible sin.

Your sin is a much deeper sin. You murdered a innocent king while he was sleeping, and while he was helpless. Verse eight. Recommend Vena Cynthia's peers ahead of this Michelle, the son of Saul. Your enemy who sought your life. The Lord has avenge my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offering, what recommend Vena do wrong number one, they were sleek and unjust reward and number two, they were using God's name to do a very wicked thing. This was the justice of God that David would execute these wicked murderers I have is this applicable to us but to look at what's going on in America today and I can't help but to believe that any judgment that comes on America is most certainly deserve judgment with killed over 60 million babies in the womb with exalted perversion and mocked God's law. We are forbidden schoolchildren to pray and to read the Scriptures in the classroom we legalize gay marriage and we've made that which God calls an abomination we've exalted that what should we expect, but judgment over the book of Isaiah. The two passages read to you very quickly where the nation of Israel has been thumping their nose in God's face. They've been sending and just rolling around in their sand like a pig rolls around as much in the mud and the Lord speaks to them in Isaiah chapter 5 the Lord said this whirlwind of them who call good evil and evil good, you put light for darkness and darkness for light, but sweet for bitter and bitter for sweet who are wise in their own eyes intrude in their own site and then in chapter 1 verses two through seven hero heavens, and give a euro worth of the Lord has spoken. Children have all reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its master in the donkey it's Masters Creole, but Israel does not know my people do not understand sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity off spring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly. They have forsaken the Lord they despise the holy one of Israel. They are utterly estranged while you still be stuck struck down while you continue to rebel the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint for the sole of the foot, even to the head. There is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds. They are not pressed out or bound up or softened with all your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire in your very presence. Foreigners devour your land is desolate is overthrown by foreigners.

The folks we are covenantal Presbyterians. We believe that the Old Testament Israel is a picture of the New Testament church. So in these passages in the Old Testament God was speaking specifically to Israel but have they relate to us. Does this mean that God is speaking specifically to spiritually dead America. I don't think so. I think it means that God is speaking specifically to spiritually lethargic church in America.

The church in America is losing its witness because our standard has become the culture instead of the word of God.

The church used to influence the culture now. The culture influences the church. The church used to permeate the culture with truth and love in Christ likeness. But now the tables have turned. Why because of compromise because of liberalism because a wishy-washy preaching because of lack of clarity in the pulpit and so the church today is filled with lies in the sensuousness and in lust puts the church in America today has become the one church, God help us how's this happened so quickly in his book, chaos, corruption in the Christian response. John MacArthur said this in their rebellion against God. Israel had flipped morality on its head, their opposition to the Lord and turn their view of truth, righteousness and virtue upside down.

That is, in essence, the nature of fallen humanity to believe lies to overturn right and wrong and to replace God's holy standard much like Israel in Isaiah's day, we are living in another historic manifestation of the compromising, perverting influence of sin were watching the same up the ending of morality happen every day with a hearty applause of the rebellious culture fully convinced of its own merit and virtue. Look no further than the recent headlines to see how sinners currently call good evil and evil good peaceful protest results in riots, looting, destruction and death. Those who claim to be anti-fastest shout down and violently suppressed opposing viewpoints, antiracist argue for ethnic segregation hiring quotas and other forms of organizational and financial partiality, law-abiding citizens ordered to stay home while the mayhem of violent mobs is indulged and encouraged protesters poured into the streets to proclaim that black lives matter. While The organization that slaughters nearly a thousand black babies every day. Others demand the self-styled justice based on scant facts and snap judgments. Criminals are more does martyrs while the police are routinely vilified on top of the endless chaos surrounding us. Our society is drowning in a sea of lies such as the cultures permeated by sealants of devastating insecurity. We no longer have confidence in politicians, health experts, social activists, academics, or the media. All of them is lost credibility by pursuing an agenda over honesty, even religious leaders have shown a knack for doublespeak and outright outright deception when it suits their purposes. We been lied to so routinely that we treat every claim is dubious. Living in that constant state of doubt and suspicion is both exhausting and exasperating folks who can we trust we can trust Jesus and we can trust his word. Jesus said in John 1717.

Sanctify them, and that truth, thy word is truth had a man call me last week.

Don't know when but he called me and asked me if I talked with him a moment. He said that he's going to a church where he is just been terribly frustrated. He said Pastor he said I don't know where our preachers stand. He said there main topic of their their sermons now is all about unity. A sentence like unity is all that really matters.

And if we have to compromise if we have to step on our convictions in order that we might have unity.

He said that's where these preacher say we have to go pieces I don't know where our preachers stand and I said to him, unity is not the most important thing in the church, the Lordship of Christ is the most important thing in the church, and you cannot have godly unity without truth brothers and sisters are culture is stealing truth and it's time for the church to stand up and say that's enough.

That's enough, the souls of our children, our grandchildren and our great grandchildren are in danger. So how do we fight Paul gives us this encouragement hastens this the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, but we don't fight with physical weapons we fight with spiritual weapons we don't fight with cannons and an AK-47's, we fight with the word of God. We put on a defense first, then we take up our offense of weapons. Paul said in in Ephesians chapter 6 put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the wiles of the devil. We put on but the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness. We put on the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith. The shoes that carry the gospel and then we take up our offensive weapons, which is prior and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God High Point three is a serious mercy. Verse four I'll get to that just a moment, but we just seen issue she has removed from the throne of Israel is killed by two wicked men recommend buying up stabbed to death in his head was severed from his body.

That was a wicked thing and these men were judge for it but yet what we see is that God is so sovereign that he takes this wicked thing and he uses it for his own purpose and reminds me a lot of What Took Pl. in Genesis chapter 50 verse 20 when Joseph's brothers came to Joseph after their data died they were scared that Joseph was going to enact revenge on them and and they were scared and wanted they done to Joseph well they had sold Joseph into slavery when he was a teenage boy. Joseph was bought by an Egyptian politician very very wealthy man to be a man very high in the political world and he became a servant slave for this man. He worked out well.

He became the manager of Potter first household and then Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph and Jo's ahead would have none of it and he ran from her and so she accused him falsely of sexual molestation. Joseph was thrown in prison and he was there in in in this horrible prison there for several years, having been accused and sentenced unjustly. This was a terrible horrible thing that Joseph had to go through.

But while he was there he was found out by the Pharaoh that Joseph had the ability to interpret dreams so the Pharaoh called on him. He interpreted his dream and when he interpreted his dream. The Pharaoh lifted him up and he became the Prime Minister of Egypt had the second most powerful position in all of Egypt. It was because of that, that he was able to save the lives of his of his family of his brothers and their wives and their children, and because of that the Jewish line was able to continue to live in. Joseph said to his brothers, you meant this for evil but God meant this for good books recommend Dana meant what they were doing that they meant that murder for evil but God meant it for good, for now. Now David could ascend to the throne and be the throne of Israel and David never had to lift a finger against issue shifts at is serious mercy there folks, but I want to show you an even more serious mercy. Undulate with me at verse four and verse four is a very intriguing verse. It breaks right in the middle of the story and it seems weirdly out of place. Look at verse four.

Jonathan, the son of Saul had a son who is crippled in his feet. He was five years old on the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel and his nurse took him up and fled and as she fled in her hasty failing became lame. His name is my favorite chef won the world that got to do with the death of issue shifts has nothing to do with that. It was like God put this verse right in the middle of the story is a wake-up call. It was like God sent look in the midst of all this chaos in the midst of all the death in the midst of all this judgment.

He said I what you see, my grace and he tells us a story about Jonathan son a young boy name for the shift. At this point in time David does not know that my fever should even exist but for a shift when he was five years old, was picked up by his nurse. They were running away, fleeing from danger, and that the nurse Fallone broke both of his legs and he was crippled for the rest of his life, he started growing up came a teenage boy and people started talking towing symbol for the shift you are the heir to the throne because you are the grandson of King Saul. David is going to be after you, David is gonna kill you.

You don't have a chance.

David is going to end your life and so he ran down to a place called Lodi bar is a young man is living there with a bunch of thugs. David finally hears that Jonathan had a son and that he's actually living and so David seems to Lodi bar to get proficient in bringing back and sweep the that the soldiers go they getting and they bring him back in the for the shift is scared to death because right before the throne and he's down for David's feet tremble and shake and just picturing their data looks down at my favorite chef is Jonathan son he looks. Danny sees John and sees with a vicious face and it looks so much like Jonathan. I can imagine the tears rolling down David's face any system of for vicious son son, do not fear for our loved your daddy.

I was in a covenant with your daddy. I made a promise to your daddy that I would protect all of his children and that promise. I'm going to keep to you now. You will eat at my table and you will.

We will fellowship with my children, you will be part of my family because I loved your day, the 20 stat that's amazing Grace. That's the gospel. Jonathan became part of David's family and I mean the for vicious became part of Taylor's family not because of what looked to be should have done because of David's covenant with Jonathan is that not the gospel but we have become part of the family of God. God the father took us in to his family, not because of what we did for Jesus because of what Jesus did for us because of the covenant of redemption that took place before the foundation of the world when God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit entered into this covenant, and so that we could enter into the family of God, not because of what we did for Jesus, but because of what Jesus did for us right here in the middle of this story about the life of David. We have to cross the cross. The cross in a time like we are living in today is tough is it may be, no matter whether the persecution comes or not we can look to the cross and the cross is our hope is pray.

Heavenly father, we thank you for the cross.

It is our hope is our anchor.

It is our joy. David lived a thousand years before Jesus was born. David killed the giant Goliath. He defeated Philistines and destroy the Amalekites. The United the 12 tribes of Israel. He was a great and mighty king. He did many wonderful things that he was a sinner and he needed the cross. So the way I pray this study on David would be more than a history lesson that it would be more than a biography may appoint us to Jesus and may we run to the cross. In this time of turmoil, may we not fear man but what may we trust God, may we pray, David's words in Psalm 56 verse three.

Oh God, when I'm afraid I put my trust in you for us in Jesus name we pray.

Amen