It is a little frustrating reading sermons about David. There are all sorts of good moral applications out there, such as--- David should have been devoted to God's kingdom-so should you--- David should have been a good father-so should you---But there is little understanding of how the narrative of David is all about the gospel---Our story tonight is all about the cross. Certainly David has created the mess that he is in. But he is the LORD's anointed. And God has ordained that he will prefigure the sufferings of his great son, Jesus.--And if David pre-figures our Lord Jesus - then it is equally accurate to say that sometimes we post-figure Christ- That's what Paul means by speaking of sharing in the sufferings of Christ.--Obviously, like David, much of our suffering is self-inflicted. But David reminds us that even though much of our suffering happens because of our own foolishness, God uses even that suffering to conform us to the image of his Son...

-Sung Psalm- 119-113-120---The literary structure of Romans 5-1-11 centers on verse 6. Notice verse 1 -we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access-- Compare with verse 11, -we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.---The next parallel is verses 3 and 11- -More than that, we rejoice- -v3-- -More than that, we also rejoice- -v11---You can also see the connection between the love of God in verse 5, and the love of God in verse 8.--At the very center of verses 1-11 is verse 6 - which is one of the shortest sentences in the whole book of Romans---Romans is famous for its long sentences- There are frequently 5-10 verses all composing one sentence- So when you get a really short one, you should pay attention---For Christ, while we were still weak, at the right time, for the ungodly, died.-- While we were still weak - he died.- At the right time - he died.- For the ungodly - he died.--Christ came to us in our weakness, in our sin, in our utter helplessness, and he did what we could not do- he reconciled us to God through his death.--We did not have the strength.-We were weak and helpless...

I really, really wish that I could call this sermon, -the return of the prodigal son- - ubt I can't.--Because Absalom is the opposite of the prodigal son. The prodigal son returns in humility. Absalom returns with arrogance and pride...

-Sung Psalm- 102---When was Abraham justified--- Last time, we saw in Genesis 15 that Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness - it was counted to him -or imputed to him- as righteousness.--So you might say that Abraham was justified in Genesis 15.--But, of course, Abraham had believed God many years earlier, back in Genesis 12. So Abraham was justified at least by Genesis 12.--In Romans 4, Paul will talk about the episode in Genesis 17 in terms of Abraham's justifying faith. And in James 2, James will point to Genesis 22 - the offering of Isaac, as a part of Abraham's justification.--This is because the one act of justification - whereby God declares you righteous in his sight, forgiving all your sins, only because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, imputed to us and received by faith alone - that one justification - is experienced by us over and over again.--You see - justification is not a -more and more- sort of thing. You can't be any more justified. You either are justified or you are not.--And walking by faith means that we continue to exercise justifying faith even when it's hard - even when it's impossible---Abraham was 99 - Sarah was 90 - when God told them that Sarah would bear a son. But Abraham believed God...

It is worth saying out loud that the first offspring of David to prefigure our Lord Jesus was David's daughter, Tamar.--David has been called to be what Israel failed to be. But David has fallen short.--We saw last time that Nathan said that David's sin with Bathsheba would be echoed in what David's -neighbor- would do publicly. 2 Samuel 13-20 -eight chapters- will flesh out that prophecy.--God had warned that he would visit the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation.-Sin has consequences-and those consequences can prove deadly.--But God also promised that he would show mercy to a thousand generations of those who loved him.--So even as we witness the judgment to the third and fourth generations - let us also watch for God's mercy - -after all, a thousand generations would be 25,000 years- and we've only made it 3500 years so far--

-Sung Psalm- 32---God is is a righteous judge. The problem is, how can a righteous judge justify sinners--- -Only if his righteous judgment is satisfied. And that is why God -put forward- Jesus -as a propitiation- - as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus took the penalty for our sin in order to show God's righteousness, because the only way for a just God to justify sinners is if he first deals with sin.--In 3-27-31, Paul says that God is not only the God of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles, and he will justify both Jews and Gentiles in the same way-by faith- -For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.- -3-28---But Paul recognizes that some people will hear this as an attack on the law. Is Paul overthrowing the law of Moses-- -v31- To that, Paul says, -May it never be- Rather, we uphold the law.---Okay, Paul, prove it- You say that we are justified by faith, apart from works of the law, but then you say that you uphold the law - show us how---That is what Romans 4 is all about. Romans 4 is Paul's demonstration from the law his point regarding justification by faith...

The story of David's sin with Bathsheba is justly famous. The author of 2 Samuel uses it as the setting for all of the problems that afflicted David's house later.--Many pastors and commentators have pointed out that the context is given in verse 1. In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle... David sent Joab to attack the Ammonites. In other words, rather than lead his people into battle, as the LORD's anointed was supposed to do, David stayed home.--David's sin is seen clearly in the light of the context of 11-1 and 12-26-31. David's sin is couched in the context of David's failure to do what God called him to do.--There are three things to remember from this passage---1- When you stray into sin, the reason is that you have failed to do what God calls you to do. Sin is always a failure to love God with all your heart - so when you sin, ask yourself, -where did I turn away from the path-----2- You need to remember that Jesus is the LORD's anointed - the Messiah who never strayed from his path.--3- Therefore remember, when you stray, repent and believe in Jesus - and turn back to the path that God has called you to walk-

-Sung Psalm- 119-137-144---Before the coming of Christ we heard many voices in the Old Testament proclaiming that God is righteous, and we saw many pictures that bore witness to the righteousness of God.--But it is only in the gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed. What is the difference between witnessing to the righteousness of God and revealing -or manifesting- the righteousness of God-- --Moses bore witness to the righteousness of God when he led Israel out of Egypt, testifying that God delivers his people from bondage.--The sons of Aaron bore witness to the righteousness of God when they offered sacrifices on the altar, testifying that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.--King David bore witness to the righteousness of God when he established his throne in Jerusalem, testifying that the kingdom of God endures forever.--We could multiply examples of words and signs in the OT, all of which testified to the righteousness of God - all of which pointed forward to the coming of the Messiah.--But it is only in the death and resurrection of Jesus that we see clearly the manifestation of the righteousness of God.--We saw this at the beginning of Romans 1 - where Paul says that the gospel of God is all about his Son - descended from David according to the flesh - but declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.--In the resurrection of Jesus Christ we see the righteousness of God made manifest...

Mephibosheth is lame in both feet. And yet he sits at the king's table among the king's sons - who are called priests.--We saw last time that 2 Samuel 7 prepared us for understanding how the Son of David will be a kingly priest according to the order of Melchizedek. 2 Samuel 8-10 now prepares us for understanding what the steadfast love of the king looks like. He is faithful and kind to the lame.--We saw in chapter 5 how the Jebusites of Jerusalem had mocked David, saying that the blind and the lame would ward David off. Now we see that David brings the lame into his city and cares for them - because such is the steadfast love and kindness of the King.--At the very center of chapter 9 is verse 7 - David's covenant protection and provision. This is not mere -protection- - but provision - restoring his inheritance, feeding him at his own table - treating him as his own son -how God deals with us-.--To put it simply- -we are the Lord's Mephibosheths, and there is absolutely no reason why we should be eating continually at the King's table.---And yet here we are---Dale Ralph Davis says well that David's loyalty to his covenant with Jonathan should teach us to be loyal as well. David had promised - and so now he looks for opportunity to do good to the house of Jonathan. And -a love that truly loves is willing to bind itself, is willing to promise, willingly and gladly obligates itself -why----so that the other may stand securely in that love.----We are the Lord's Mephibosheths---You must do what is just and right for those under your care...

-Sung Psalm- 14---I once met a man who openly declared that he had broken at least nine of the ten commandments -taken strictly in a literal sense--, and yet he proclaimed that he was a good man.--What would Paul say to such a man-- Sometimes we seem to think that we need to prove that he is not a good man. And we point to Romans 3 - -there is no one who does good.---But remember that in the previous chapter Paul said that -when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things of the law...they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts.- -2-14-15---In other words, sometimes even unbelieving Gentiles -do the things of the law.- So I think Paul would say to this man, -I do not doubt that you love your wife and your children. I do not deny that in many respects you are a good and honorable man, but according to your own testimony, you have admitted that you are under the power of sin, after all, your conscience is already both accusing and defending you.---Paul's point is not that fallen humanity does nothing good. Paul's point is that there is no one who does goodness. There is no one who only practices goodness. Your track record is mixed. Sometimes you do good, sometimes you do evil - that's the point of 2-15.--At the end of chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3 Paul makes it clear that the Jew is no better...