Village Church Annandale (Sydney) sermons

David having heard the news that Bathsheeba is pregnant embarks on a series of strategies to cover up.

But Uriah, perhaps alerted by friends to what has happened between the King and his wife, doesn't make it easy for David.

2Samuel 11:5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.” 6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.

10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”

11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents,[a] and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”

12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.

‘God will save his people from their enemies’ is the big message of 2 Samuel 8.  The Lord acts decisively through his King David, and then even more decisively through Jesus to do what he has promised to do, save his people from their enemies.

Of course in Samuel’s time, the enemies were Philistia and Moab.

Today those enemies are very different, but just as real.  And the generosity and mercy of God is even more dramatic. 

Join us today from Village Church Annandale as Dominic Steele opens up an amazing chapter of the life of King David.

Up till now David has been an exemplary man. And so what happens here appears even more devastating. John Woodhouse says the events of 2 Samuel 11 are comparable with Genesis 3.

David saw, delighted, desired, took just as Eve saw, delighted, desired and took.

11 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 

There's a lovely line in today's reading. Israel is under attack from both sides. And Joab, the army commander says, in 2Samuel 10:12:

Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done.

It's a line that echos down through the centuries to God's people today!

2 Samuel 10:6 When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired twenty thousand foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, one thousand men from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob.

7 David heard about it and sent Joab and all the elite troops. 8 The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were in the field by themselves. 9 When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some of Israel’s finest young men and lined up in formation to engage the Arameans. 10 He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai. They lined up in formation to engage the Ammonites.

11 “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll come to help you. 12 Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done.”[a]

13 Joab and his troops advanced to fight against the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab withdrew from the attack against the Ammonites and went to Jerusalem.

15 When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped. 16 Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam with Shobach, commander of Hadadezer’s army, leading them.

17 When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. Then the Arameans lined up to engage David in battle and fought against him. 18 But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers.[b] He also struck down Shobach commander of their army, who died there. 19 When all the kings who were Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became their subjects. After this, the Arameans were afraid to ever help the Ammonites again.

Here we see the kindness of God's King. David attempts to be kind to the neighbouring king of the Ammonites. Sadly the Ammonite king despises the kindness of God.

We are reminded of Romans 2:4

Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed.

2 Samuel 10:1 Some time later, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. 2 Then David said, “I’ll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent his emissaries to console Hanun concerning his father. However, when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, hasn’t David sent his emissaries in order to scout out the city, spy on it, and demolish it?” 4 So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved off half their beards, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.

5 When this was reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, since they were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”

6 When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired twenty thousand foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, one thousand men from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob.

7 David heard about it and sent Joab and all the elite troops. 

What is it to eat at the King's Table? Well it's an expression of generosity from the King. A sense of provision. But on the other hand the recipient is giving acknowledgement, dependance and implying (at least) allegiance.

Cross references in the Old Testament are Daniel 1, Daniel 11:26 and 2 Kings 25.

But this picture of the King's Banquet gives us a deeper understanding of the picture of the banquet in heaven, from Luke 22:29,30, John 14:1-5 and even in Luke 14, when the rich won't come to the banquet, then others are invited in from the alleys, byways and the lanes.

2 Samuel 9: 11-13 So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table just like one of the king’s sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All those living in Ziba’s house were Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king’s table. His feet had been injured.

We see here the Kindness of God's King. David having been given victory over his enemies, rules his kingdom with justice and righteousness.

He fulfils here his promises to Saul:

1 Samuel 24: 20 “Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established[j] in your hand. 21 Therefore swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” 22 So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.

And his promise to Jonathan.

1Samuel 20:14 If I continue to live, show me kindness from the Lord, but if I die, 15 don’t ever withdraw your kindness from my household—not even when the Lord cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” 

2 Samuel 9:1 David asked, “Is there anyone remaining from the family of Saul I can show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “I am your servant,” he replied. 3 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.” 4 The king asked him, “Where is he?”

Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.” 5 So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.

6 Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, fell facedown, and paid homage. David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“I am your servant,” he replied.

7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “since I intend to show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.”

Today at Village we look at one of the greatest chapters of the bible, and the greatest speeches of all time.

The Lord's address to David via the prophet Nathan, brings together the great promises of God to Abraham and the ultimate fulfilment of those promises in Jesus Christ.

As you read though the chapter, put your mind to the many places in the bible explicitly and implicitly connected with the many rich themes on display.

Dominic Steele is teaching on 2 Samuel 7.

The Lord’s promise | 2 Samuel 7 | Dominic Steele | 8 August 2021

1 The Lord’s promise cf Genesis 12:1-3

2 One of the most important chapters in the Bible 1-3, cf Deuteronomy 12:10-11

3 The Lord’s promise for David 4-

a You won’t build a house for me 4-7

b I took you … 8-9a

c I will make your name great 9 cf Philippians 2

d I will give you a place 10a cf 1 Corinthians 15 e I will give you rest 10b-11 cf Revelation 14:13

4 The Lord’s promise beyond David

a I will raise up your descendant as king forever 12-13 cf Revelation 4-5, Galatians 3:16

b I will be his father, he will be my son 14-15 cf Luke 3:22

c Your thrown will endure forever 16

5 The Lord’s promise that leads to praise and prayer from David

a ‘Who am I?’ 18-19

b This is for all mankind/humanity 19b cf Philippians 2

c The Lord’s promise that leads to praise | You are great 20-24

d The Lord’s promise leads to prayer | Fulfill your promise/your will be done 25-29

6 The Lord’s promise