Trust God's Grace | & 1 Chronicles 11:4-9

Hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning, we're going to be in both 2 Samuel chapter 5 and 1 Samuel chapter 11.

Why these stories dovetail and overlap, and that's kind of how we're going to try to accomplish this a little bit.

I'm going to try. We're going to see how it goes. Maybe we'll keep going one thing and another thing, or do both chapters together.

We're going to try both chapters together today. But how does David become king in Jerusalem?

Because he's been in Hebron this whole time, right? Ziklag and then Hebron.

So let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll find out how David moves to the new capital city.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for blessing us with King Jesus.

We thank you for your word. We pray that as we read your word, your spirit would help us to understand it.

And that you would have it applied to our hearts and our lives. Lord, it's a blessing to have your word.

Even in languages we can understand.

So, Father, please teach us. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Here you go. 2 Samuel chapter 5, verses 6 through 15.

16. And then we'll go into 1 Chronicles.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying,

You shall not come in here, but the blind and the lame will repel you, thinking, David can't come in here.

Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.

Now David said on that day, whoever climbs up by the way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites,

the lame and the blind who are hated by David's soul, he shall be chief and captain.

Therefore, they say, the blind and the lame shall not come into this house.

Then David dwelt in the stronghold and called it the city of David.

And David built all around, from Milo and inward.

So David went on and became great.

And Jehovah, God of hosts, was with him.

Then Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar trees and carpenters and masons.

And they built David a house.

So David knew that Jehovah had established him as king over Israel,

and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he had come from Hebron.

Also, more sons and daughters were born to David.

Now these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem.

Shemua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nefeg, Japhia, Elishamah, Eliadah, and Eliphelet.

And then 1 Chronicles chapter 11 says,

And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.

But the inhabitants of Jebus said to David,

You shall not come in here.

Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.

And David said, Whoever attacks the Jebusites first will be chief and captain.

And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, went up first and became chief.

Then David dwelt in the stronghold.

Therefore they called it the city of David.

And he built the city all around it, from Milo to the surrounding area.

Joab repaired the rest of the city.

So David went on and became great.

And Jehovah of hosts was with him.

Well, we need to ask ourselves, A, what is this about?

B, what's the best verse to summarize this?

And C, what are we called to do in response to this?

So, A, what is this about?

This is about David becoming king in Jerusalem.

Now, the Jebusites are a Canaanite-type people, right?

The conquest isn't fully done, apparently.

And they have this stronghold city in Jerusalem.

And they're mocking David, like, He can never get in here, right?

The lame and the blind are going to repel him.

And David's like, All right, boys, we're going to take it.

And whichever one of you goes up and actually defeats them,

you're going to be the captain.

And Joab, now, this is the same Joab that killed Abner, right?

But this Joab says, I'm going to do it.

And he goes, and he has a great victory.

And he is the one that actually captures the city.

And so, we find David taking the stronghold of Jerusalem,

of the Jebusites, Zion itself, and he makes it his headquarters.

And then he builds up Jerusalem.

He builds the walls.

He builds the surrounding area, right?

David really goes on a development spree here.

And David knows that God is blessing him, right?

Establishing his throne over all of Israel because of this.

And so, this is what God is doing there.

Now, it's interesting that in both places, it says that,

So, David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel

and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel, right?

God was prospering David for the sake of the good of his people.

And it's because the Lord of God of hosts was with him.

So, Jehovah, God of armies, was with him.

Similarly, in 1 Chronicles 11, 4 through 9,

David went on and became great.

And Jehovah of hosts, Lord of armies, was with him, right?

So, this is how David is establishing his throne in Jerusalem.

Now, we do see here that David is doing something wrong.

God is prospering him.

And yet, David's doing something sinful, right?

In verse 13, David took even more wives and concubines in Jerusalem, right?

He's starting to look more like the pagan kings around him

than following the law that he's supposed to write down and keep with him.

And that's going to become a snare and a downfall,

even to his son, Solomon, as he follows in that path.

And so, David's not perfect, but yet God is still working through this.

What's the best verse to summarize this?

Oh, boy, I have verse 10 underlined.

I have verse 12 underlined.

And then 1 Chronicles 11, I have verse 9 underlined.

That's what I would underline in my Bible.

Last, seek calling.

What are we called to do?

I want to pull us into someplace different.

I want to look at Psalm 51.

At the very end of Psalm 51, David actually prays that God would build up the walls of Jerusalem.

And I don't think that's post-exile language tacked on to the end of Psalm 51.

I think this is David's just conquered the city.

He's still building walls.

He still wants to see Jerusalem established.

But David finds himself in a place of sin and has to confess his sin to God.

And has to find reconciliation with the Lord himself.

And I think this is this beautiful picture of David being both the one the Lord establishes and makes king over Israel and yet isn't the perfect guy.

But he lives under the kingdom of grace.

He lives before a God who he can be honest about his sin, confess his sin, ask God forgiveness for his sin, and then pray that the Lord would still prosper and bless his people.

I think that's the gracious God we still serve.

The God who is all about justice and requires his law and yet is a God of grace, showing mercy and loving kindness.

And so there are consequences in this life for sin?

Yes, absolutely they are.

And yet we serve a gracious and loving and good king, the Lord of armies, as God himself who is establishing David's throne.

And so we shouldn't be surprised, even today, when we see Christians who rise to the highest echelons of power and then fall.

Who are wonderful and godly in some areas and yet still sin because we are a mixed bag.

None of us are going to be perfect.

We're following King Jesus and it's only King Jesus who's perfect.

And so we can't put our hope, our faith, our trust in princes or principalities.

They'll always let us down.

We look to the King of kings.

We look to the Lord himself.

He keeps his covenant.

He's wonderful to his promises.

And so we trust in him.

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you.

Lord, we thank you that we are not just looking to a earthly Jerusalem, but to a heavenly Jerusalem.

The one with innumerable saints and where our king dwells, enthroned in glory, who is righteous forever.

Lord, we pray that we would follow after you and love you all of our lives.

Lord, we thank you for your goodness and kindness to us.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Well, may the Lord bless you as you follow King Jesus.

May you trust him and hope in him all your life.

And I'll see you next time.

Bye.