New King, New Throne, Same Lord, Part 1

It's hard to imagine a young shepherd becoming the king of Israel. That's exactly what happened and to this day David boy on a hillside is a celebrated model of courageous leadership today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll presents his midpoint message in the biographical teaching series on David, we come to a pivotal point in our study as we witness David's assent to the highest office in the land in this message Chuck invites us to pause and reflect and take a panoramic view of David's remarkable life from shepherd to King. What a contrast. David love God with all of his hard and his heart was always tender toward God's hand upon his life.

No wonder God called him a man after his own heart. However, decades later, after shepherding Israel as their king is hardwood stray and tragically, his life would spiral downward toward a bittersweet ending were going to take panoramic view of David's life in this particular message to cover just one segment of David's ascension to power. I want to prepare you for that by reading the fifth chapter of second Samuel from the message. Please follow along as I read three separate sections from that fifth chapter of second Samuel. Before long all the tribes of Israel approached David and him Ron and said, look at us your own flesh and blood in time past, when Saul was our King.

You were the one who really ran the country even then God said to you, you will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be the prince. All the leaders of Israel met with King David had Ron and the king made a treaty with them in the presence of God and so they anointed David king over Israel.

David was 30 years old when he became king and he ruled for 40 years and had Ron. He ruled Judah for 7 1/2 years in Jerusalem.

He ruled all Israel and Judah for 33 years, David and his men immediately set out for Jerusalem to take on the Jebusites who lived in that country, but they said you might as well go home. Even the blind and the lame could keep you out you can't get in here they had convinced themselves that David couldn't break through. But David went right ahead and capture the fortress of Zion known ever since.

As the city of David that day. David said to get the best of these, Jebusites, one must target the water system. Not to mention this so-called lame, and blind bunch that David hates. In fact he was so sick and tired of it.

People coined the expression know lame and blind allowed in the politics David made the fortress city, his home and named it city of David. He developed the city from the outside terraces inward.

David proceeded with a longer stride. A larger embrace since the God of the Angel armies was with him. It was at this time that Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David along with timbers of Cedar. He also sent carpenters and masons to build a house for David. David took this as a sign that God had confirmed him as king of Israel, giving his kingship, world prominence for the sake of Israel. His people David took on more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he left Habre on and more sons and daughters were born to him that on number 17 when the Philistines got word that David had been made king over all Israel that came on the hunt for him. David heard of it and went down to the stronghold when the Philistines arrived, they deployed their forces in ruffling Valley then David prayed to God, shall I go up and fight the Philistines, will you help me beat them go up.

God replied, me will help you be finally. Verse 25. David did exactly what God told him he routed the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to get now the message titled new King new throne same Lord Saul number 78 the last three verses provide us with a general survey of the life of David, since we come about halfway in our study of that life is good place to stop and take a panoramic view that life Carl Sandberg is probably best known to all of us as a poet rather than a historian, but one of my treasured set of volumes in my library happened to be four volumes marked Lincoln in the war years. Sandberg is a real job of covering the darkest years of Lincoln's life as he traces those events that led up to ultimately, that that assassination. One of the one of the saddest points in our American history, but in the chapter that follows the death of Lincoln. Chapter 75 in the fourth volume, he draws the title of that chapter from an old woodsman's proper which says a tree is best measured when it's down I think about that when I come to a life like David or other great biblical characters. I think I'm glad that there down because you couldn't measure their life while they're still standing a tree is not only best measured its best praise evaluated and it has to be down for you to reach it and it took the felling of the tree of Lincoln for us to appreciate the character that was in the man.

And so it is with David and since he's fallen to good chance for us to to measure the tree and we want to do that rather than each little meticulous detail want to just take an overview of his life.

It's a good refreshing breath of air because we dug into it. Up to this far in his life would he's now age 30, just before we look to the next 40 years of his life working to look at him. In general, survey number 70 of Psalm 78. Here's the tree best measured he that's God.

He also chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfold's from the chair of the use with suckling lands. He brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, and Israel.

His inheritance so he shepherding them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with the skill fullness of his hand. Just keep looking at the verses you can earmark 70 years. In these three verses, beginning with verse 70. He chose David his servant. That was about age 17. He was not yet 20 he took him from the sheepfold.

That's when he slew the giant. He thought he left the sheep from the care of the use with suckling lambs.

He brought him to shepherd Jacob his people. That's age 30.

Between ages 17 and 30 David is on the run, and finally at age 30 he comes to that pinnacle moment in his life, physically or he takes the throne of Israel, and he verse 72 shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart. Parenthesis ages 730 through 70 can put it right in your Bible, you got a pinpoint of his life, age 17 or 18 got the next stop off at age 30 and finally a trace him all the way to the end, age 70 when he dies as a matter of fact, the life of David could be measured like the roof of the house for the first 30 to 50 years of his life.

Everything is on an upswing. In fact he never knows defeat in the battlefield.

He never knows what we would call any measurable failure. Though there were excursions in the flesh. No measurable failure is experienced by David from the Shepard life to the king life for these 30 years and more.

David is walking in the integrity of his heart, but when it comes to Bathsheba. There is a turn and there is tragedy.

The first 3550 years of his life try out the last 20 years. Tragedy, the first part of his life is a model of character and integrity.

The last part of his life as a downhill slide in which I believe David died a broken man with a broken heart and become a sort of school about his life this evening look at second Samuel chapter. Chapter 5 measure this tree called David second Samuel five will give us a good general statement verse four as far as time is concerned. There's so much more here than just chronology, however.

Second Samuel 54. David was 30 years old when he became king and he reigned 40 years second Samuel 54. Now it is. It is very easy for us to forget because he is now exalted as the king is will see in the study tonight.

It's easy to forget what led to it.

Our tendency is to see the now and to forget yesterday or the tomorrow's. Some of the yesterday needs to be forgotten and some of the tomorrow's need to be left to the Lord without worry.

But there is a real sense in which we need to keep a perspective like God keeps on life said and I were listening for a few minutes this afternoon to an excellent speaker. As he was sharing psychologically some things about our past and he used a beautiful expression of yesterday as he talks about walking down the corridor of our past and it's like an art gallery in the long on those walls are hung pictures of yesterday our homes are childhood are are are rearing heartaches, the difficulties even the abuses the inequities of our life, and he says if Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

You can take the Christ of today and walk with him into yesterday and from those walls have him remove the pictures that bring bad vibes. In fact, defeating kind of memories and that is so very important for the Christian to let Jesus invade the yesterday and to deal with those years of affliction in which the the locus have eaten and to remove from the corridors of our lives. Those scenes I have them you have them. He needs to leave the miracles that bring pleasure and victory. He needs to take from the walls, those things that bring defeat thinking more more about that these days it's easy for us to just look at the kingship and say what a life. David had a great it must've been and forget the fact that for years he was a fugitive and no doubt spent some days and disillusionment in the wilderness was a broken humbled man. During those days as a fugitive will now he comes to be the king that you might wonder how to take the throne that a storm at Betty take over like a like a trooper would know he's a sensitive man. He's learned that in the in the afflictions of yesterday the chapter to this book. Looking verse one, second Samuel 211 show you how he took the promotion were often better at handling affliction than we are having promotion. Carlisle said that for every man that can handle success. There are 100 that can handle affliction. Here's a man whose face was success. His predecessor is dead. He killed himself. There was ever a chance for a person to take on his own. Take life by his own two fists and walk into it.

It was David. He didn't say verse one. It came about afterwards. That's after you heard the news of Saul that David inquired of the Lord saying shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah say he remembered when Samuel anointed him and said he will be the next King. He remembered that from his years as a teenager and he says Lord shut so I booked one of the cities so we waited and the Lord said to him, go up and repeatedly run out. He said, where shall I go up. He said to Hebron just a simple conversation in those days I take it that the Lord spoke audibly to his servants. Today he speaks from his word. You might wonder how I take this decision God's obviously open the door. I'm about to walk into it our tendency would be to race in when there is some benefit that will be accrued to us and and the Lord says to the life of David. No way. Even when taking promotions walk carefully.

Be sensitive so I go up go up. Where shall I go go to Hebron and that's precisely what he did. Chapter 5 I'm sorry chapter 2 verse 11 and the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months so don't lose the train of thought. Now we brought David to age 30 and then he goes to Hebron and he has a limited reign over the people of Judah are 7 1/2 years.

He doesn't go to Jerusalem to take over the whole nation.

There are some mom well there some satellite kings. There are some self-appointed man who would ride in the shirttails of Saul and David lets the Lord take care of everyone up. He goes to Hebron and he lives there and he settled to live in that in that limited place knowing that he has ability to handle the whole nation but not in God's not listen to God's time. So he goes to Hebron and he lives there. He stays there. 7 1/2 years will make some decisions there that he lived to regret. If you turn the page. The chapter 3 you'll see a couple of verse one were looking at the king a season Hebron over Judah for 7 1/2 years was a long war between the house of Saul, the house of David. David grew steadily stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker continue now.

Note to sound like an uninteresting genealogy, but if you keep it in your mind. You learn something about this man's failure. Sons were born to David Hebron's firstborn was Amnon remember that name, but at a hello and the just like this. The second was Gilead by Abigail, the widow of Mabel the third was Absalom, the son of Maia, what have you read so far you've read not just of three children, but of three wives. Keep that in mind, a henna lamb. Abigail may verse four yet 1/4 son named Adonijah remember that name, the son of hag. That's 1/4 wife in the fifth chef via the son of at the top. That's 1/5 wife in the six 3M by David's wife aglow.

That's a six wife. These were born to David that Hebron I know that all of you who have been studying with us the life of David, have wondered at times when you going to get around to talking about the polygamy in his life. Well, tonight's a good night to do it. It will do it later as well because it was one of the well. It was one of the bad spots in his life. If I count correctly. The total size of his family was enormous seal wives that he took in Hebron henna when Abigail Maca hag Patel aglow and he took Michael back.

She had married again, but to she went back to David. Then when he was in Jerusalem. One wife is named Bathsheba, but there are other wives according to the Chronicles and from those other wives. There were these children born, beginning with imparting and ending with Jaramillo don't know anything about most of them you know something about some of them, of course, name is Solomon, one of Bathsheba sons but if I count correctly. We have 20 sons and one daughter. The daughter his team are she's listed among the sons of are the children of Maca up there in Hebron. She had Absalom and in Absalom's blood sister was team are why would I spend time on something like this. Well I want to keep it all in mind because it's very important. David had a sizable family. He had along with the wives and by the way, some of the wives or even mentioned a number of nameless concubines, along with the wives. A number of concubines and from them were born children so David's family was enormous.

Now back to the study.

If you just hang onto that thought will wrap it up in a moment. Go to chapter 5 again second Samuel five verse five at Hebron. He reigned over Judah seven years and six months but in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years over all Israel and Judah. So now the moon are outlined to the king as he lives. As king over all Israel and headquarters is Jerusalem is a limitless rain, great power, great blessing from God drop down to verse will take verse six. Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, so there was a war and they had to drive out the Jebusites and he did that verse seven, David captured the stronghold of Zion that is the city of David Jerusalem, David set on that day whoever would strike the Jebusites. Let them reach the lame and the blind were hated by David sold through the water tunnel. Therefore, they say, the blind and the lame shall not come in the house. David lived in the stronghold and called the city of David. He was the one who named in such David built all around for me hello and inward. David became greater and greater for the Lord God of hosts was with him. Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons and and they built a house for David. David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he, God had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel before you read the next verse.

Let me share with you what G Frederick Owen of very fine historian who writes like a novelist says about this reign of David everything favored national prosperity for Israel. There was no great power in Western Asia inclined to prevent her becoming a powerful monarchy, the Hittites had been humble in Egypt under the last kings of the 21st Dynasty had lost her prestige and had all but collapsed. The Philistines were driven to a narrow portion of their Old Dominion, the king of Tyre sought friendly alliance with David with a steady hand. David set out the force back and defeat Israel's enemies who had constantly crowded and harassed the Hebrews to his people. David was King Judge Gen., but to the nations roundabout. He was the leading power and all the near Eastern world. The mightiest monarch of his day going to hit pause right here because were running out of time, but please stay with us because Chuck Swindoll is in the studio to share a closing illustration in just a moment.

This is insight for living and Chuck titled today's message new King new throne same Lord.

To learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insideworld.org were already receiving wonderful feedback from people who are enjoying not only this broadcast series, but Chuck's full-length biography on David, it's nearly 300 pages in length and titled David a man of passion and destiny.

This would make a great read because it chronicles the unfolding story of David from his years on a hillside as a shepherd boy to his assent to the highest ranking Israel and it's all told in a fashion you've come to enjoy on this program, one of your fellow listener said it's a wonderful book and well worth reading. Another road I've read Chuck's book on David twice now and I am loving this series to purchase a copy of Chuck's biography on David give us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or visit our website@insight.org/offer.

Here's Chuck. Thanks, Bill okay for a moment. Picture this. Imagine walking a pair of crutches down an open sidewalk. All of a sudden someone kicks your crutches making you fall the ground somewhat miffed you look back at the perpetrator and to your surprise is none other than God. All right, all right you realize it's an unpleasant picture. Nevertheless, that's really how God works at times almost rely on crutches.

We are leaders by design, but in reality, only one crutch can give us the true support we need. So what is God, remove our crutches.

Well, David gives us a clue. Remember one by one, God kicked his crutches away good position going. His wife gone homeland gone, his friend Jonathan gone. Here's the point David needed to feel the pain of leaning on anything other than God, so he could then feel the stability of leaning on nothing other than God. It saddens me that so many of us lean on shaky crutches and for that reason, day after day inside for living invites our global audience to take God's hand and lean holy on him. So as we approach the end of another ministry year. Will you join me in helping others depend on the stabilizing support of Jesus Christ alone. The Lord is been generous to us this year and we believe he will continue to bless our efforts through the generosity of people just like you so let me hear from you today okay June 30 is our final deadline for this fiscal year together. This help others lean on Jesus is all sufficient.

Jesus Christ is all thanks Chuck and here's how you can respond if you prefer to get online just go to insight.org or if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 many people depend on insight from living as their source of Bible teaching and spiritual direction occupying that space is an honor and because we too have tasted the goodness of God and we want every life to enjoy his stability even when the crutches are kicked out to join us in this where the mission can give your donation by calling if you're listening in the United States call 800-772-8880 or it may be quicker and more efficient to simply give your gift online@insight.org/ride David's appointment, king of Israel tomorrow on insight for living in the preceding message new King new throne same Lord is copyrighted in 1978, 1988, 1997, 2009 and 2022 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2022 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved. Wine duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited