Presence
Series: The Kingdom of God
Speaker: Brian Tung
Date: 3rd March 2012
Passage: 2 Samuel 7:1-29
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Gracious Lord and Heavenly Father, I am a man of unclean lips,
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 and we are people of unclean lips.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 I pray, Father, that you might sanctify my words this morning,
00:00:08 --> 00:00:09 make them yours.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 Ultimately, we pray, Father, that through this morning,
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 our knees will be bowing to the Lord Jesus, the Son of David,
00:00:17 --> 00:00:21 and all glory and power and honour will go to him,
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 and that your rule might be extended in our hearts,
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 in our community, and in all the world.
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 And we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:34 One of the things I think annoys my wife to no...
00:00:34 --> 00:00:35 Is she here? No? Good.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 To no end is we'll be having this conversation,
00:00:40 --> 00:00:44 and she'll say something, and there'll be some words that she mentioned,
00:00:44 --> 00:00:49 and I'll seize upon those words, and I think I know what she's saying.
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 And then, you know, and I'll react to it,
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 and that annoys her to no end.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 Because that's not what she wanted to say to you.
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 That's not, I just haven't taken the time to hear what she's saying.
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 And I think that this is something that we do to God.
00:01:06 --> 00:01:11 We read the Bible, and there'll be certain words that are really important to us,
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 and we'll take those words, and we start thinking,
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 right, you know, this is what the Bible is saying to me.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:25 I wonder if God is as annoyed as Jan is when I do it to her.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 I want to suggest to you that there are three, there are four,
00:01:29 --> 00:01:33 there's some things that we can do to actually guard us against that.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:38 There are four questions that we can ask when we approach the Bible,
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 particularly the Old Testament.
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 And let me outline those questions for you.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 The first question is, what is the story so far?
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 In the first week of the series,
00:01:51 --> 00:01:56 I've suggested that the Bible is not just some random selection of material
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 and wise sayings and principles,
00:01:59 --> 00:02:04 but rather it is a story, a narrative, an unfolding story.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 And so when we approach the Bible from any part,
00:02:08 --> 00:02:13 we have to ask, where does it fit in the unfolding story of God?
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 And we'll get to that in a sec.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 The second question that we need to ask is,
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 okay, given that this is where the story is, the episode,
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 what is this particular episode about?
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 And it is a question of comprehension.
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 If you like, the first two questions
00:02:31 --> 00:02:37 describe what the text that we are reading tells us.
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 The third question is more analytic,
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 is really asking the question, well, what does it mean?
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 The Bible claims to be the Word of God,
00:02:47 --> 00:02:48 and so when we read the Bible,
00:02:49 --> 00:02:50 we have to ask the question,
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 well, what does this tell us about God?
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 And about the way He works in the world,
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 and as we know God, we know ourselves,
00:03:00 --> 00:03:04 what does this passage tell us about us and our world?
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 And the last question is,
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 what difference does Jesus make?
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 We're reading the Bible as Christians.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:16 The Bible claims that Jesus is where you find God.
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 In fact, Jesus Himself says
00:03:19 --> 00:03:23 that the whole of the Bible ought to take us to Him.
00:03:24 --> 00:03:25 And so the fourth question we ask is,
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 well, what difference does Jesus make
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 to our understanding of this particular part of the Bible?
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 And what does this particular part of the Bible
00:03:33 --> 00:03:34 help us to understand Jesus?
00:03:35 --> 00:03:36 Okay, so four questions.
00:03:37 --> 00:03:38 Where does it fit in the story?
00:03:39 --> 00:03:40 What is this episode about?
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 What does this tell us about God?
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 And lastly, what difference does Jesus make?
00:03:44 --> 00:03:44 Is that good?
00:03:45 --> 00:03:45 Okay.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 And what I propose to do
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 is to apply that method to Samuel 7.
00:03:50 --> 00:03:57 And hopefully we can see how this method could work.
00:03:57 --> 00:03:58 Well, the first question is,
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 what's the story so far?
00:04:00 --> 00:04:01 I have some props,
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 and I just feel that we didn't have enough time.
00:04:05 --> 00:04:05 So what I'm going to do
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 is I'm going to invite you
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 to open your Bible to the contents page.
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 So grab your Bible in front of you.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:15 Hopefully this will...
00:04:15 --> 00:04:16 And, you know,
00:04:16 --> 00:04:17 if the person next to you
00:04:17 --> 00:04:18 look a little bit lost,
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 help them to find a contents page.
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 This is where we'll start from,
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 the contents page of the Bible.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:27 Okay, how are we doing?
00:04:29 --> 00:04:30 Yeah?
00:04:32 --> 00:04:33 All found a contents page?
00:04:34 --> 00:04:34 Okay.
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 Now, we started our story from Genesis.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:39 Okay?
00:04:39 --> 00:04:40 It's...
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 Your Bible is more or less chronological,
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 as in the follows time.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 And the Bible begins, really,
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 at the beginning of the universe.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:57 The Christian religion involves not just us
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 who are Christians and believers,
00:04:59 --> 00:05:00 but it involves a whole world.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 And if you go to Genesis 1,
00:05:02 --> 00:05:07 it tells the beginning of a story of God and us.
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 And it is a story of a kingdom, you recall.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 Genesis 1 is a story of how God created a people,
00:05:13 --> 00:05:14 Adam and Eve,
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 his people living in his land,
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 in the Garden of Eden,
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 under his good rule.
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 So that sets the frame,
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 the background to our story.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:25 And, of course, you know,
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 immediately the story doesn't make sense
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 because that's not the world that we live in.
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 It's not a world of harmony.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 It is a world of floods,
00:05:35 --> 00:05:35 of wars,
00:05:36 --> 00:05:37 of divorce,
00:05:37 --> 00:05:38 of...
00:05:38 --> 00:05:39 Well, why is that?
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 Again, stay in Genesis.
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 If you move the story from Genesis 1 to 3,
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 it tells us the source,
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 the beginning of all our problems.
00:05:51 --> 00:05:52 Okay, whatever problem that you have,
00:05:53 --> 00:05:54 that our society have,
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 the Bible says this is the ultimate source.
00:05:57 --> 00:05:58 And the source is sin.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 Okay, that's the Bible word
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 for the source of all our problems.
00:06:04 --> 00:06:05 And sin, of course,
00:06:05 --> 00:06:06 is more than just eating chocolate
00:06:06 --> 00:06:07 when you're on a diet.
00:06:09 --> 00:06:10 Sin,
00:06:10 --> 00:06:10 sin,
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 as the Bible explain it,
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 in the context and frame of the kingdom,
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 is a regime change.
00:06:17 --> 00:06:18 It is rebellion.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:18 It is people
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 who have no right to rule
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 decide to rise up
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 against the one who has the right to rule.
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 Sin is taking the right
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 to be God
00:06:29 --> 00:06:30 onto ourselves.
00:06:30 --> 00:06:31 Sin is deciding
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 that we are the one
00:06:33 --> 00:06:34 who can decide
00:06:34 --> 00:06:35 what is good and what is bad,
00:06:35 --> 00:06:36 what is right and wrong.
00:06:36 --> 00:06:37 Sin is,
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 as you're driving here this morning
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 and you see a big sign saying 50,
00:06:43 --> 00:06:44 and you decide,
00:06:44 --> 00:06:45 I'm late for church,
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 so I'm just going to ignore that
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 because I am the king of my car.
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 So I can drive whatever speed
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 that I think is convenient
00:06:53 --> 00:06:54 and right for me.
00:06:54 --> 00:06:55 That is sin.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 And what the Bible says is,
00:06:58 --> 00:06:59 again, in Genesis 3,
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 tracing in the contents,
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 sin leads to curse.
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 God is still the king
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 of the universe.
00:07:08 --> 00:07:08 And so,
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 everything in this world
00:07:11 --> 00:07:12 is cursed.
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 The land is cursed.
00:07:14 --> 00:07:14 This is why,
00:07:14 --> 00:07:15 for those of you
00:07:15 --> 00:07:16 who have a lawn,
00:07:16 --> 00:07:17 every week you go out there
00:07:17 --> 00:07:18 and you've got to pluck
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 those darn weeds.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:22 You know,
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 our lawn is cursed.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 Our work is cursed.
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 Our family are cursed.
00:07:28 --> 00:07:29 Our marriage,
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 everything is cursed
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 as a result of our rebellion.
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 Sin wrecks everything.
00:07:35 --> 00:07:36 And again,
00:07:36 --> 00:07:37 saying in Genesis,
00:07:37 --> 00:07:38 if you read from chapter 4
00:07:38 --> 00:07:39 to chapter 11,
00:07:40 --> 00:07:40 it sort of traced
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 the spread of sin
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 from one family,
00:07:45 --> 00:07:45 you know,
00:07:45 --> 00:07:46 Cain and Abel,
00:07:46 --> 00:07:47 just faticide,
00:07:47 --> 00:07:48 to mass murder,
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 to violence and chaos,
00:07:51 --> 00:07:52 something that characterizes
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 our whole world.
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 But God is still God.
00:07:57 --> 00:07:58 He has not abandoned us
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 or the world.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 And when you go through
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 the story to Genesis 12,
00:08:03 --> 00:08:04 you see that God has revealed
00:08:04 --> 00:08:05 that He has a plan
00:08:05 --> 00:08:08 to reverse sin,
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 to undo sin
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 and curse in the world.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:14 So if you get to Genesis 12,
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 you will see that God
00:08:16 --> 00:08:17 makes a promise
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 that He would undo
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 Genesis 3
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 through one man
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 and His descendant.
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 Through that one person,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:29 a new human race
00:08:29 --> 00:08:30 will be created.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 A human race
00:08:33 --> 00:08:33 that would,
00:08:34 --> 00:08:35 the new race of people
00:08:35 --> 00:08:36 who will once again
00:08:36 --> 00:08:37 be blessed
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 by being the people of God,
00:08:41 --> 00:08:42 living in the security
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 of His place
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 and being blessed
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 by being ruled by Him.
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 And through this one race
00:08:51 --> 00:08:52 of people,
00:08:52 --> 00:08:53 the whole world
00:08:53 --> 00:08:54 will be blessed,
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 we read Genesis 12.
00:08:56 --> 00:08:56 Again,
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 if you look at the contents page,
00:08:59 --> 00:09:00 you keep going
00:09:00 --> 00:09:00 from Genesis
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 to Exodus.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:04 See,
00:09:04 --> 00:09:05 the plan
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 is promised
00:09:07 --> 00:09:08 in Genesis 12.
00:09:08 --> 00:09:09 and we see
00:09:09 --> 00:09:10 the working out
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 of that plan.
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 And last week
00:09:13 --> 00:09:14 you saw
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 we came to
00:09:16 --> 00:09:17 Exodus 19.
00:09:18 --> 00:09:19 Another covenant,
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 a new dimension
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 is introduced.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 God will reverse sin,
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 bless the world,
00:09:28 --> 00:09:29 save the human race
00:09:29 --> 00:09:29 and the universe
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 and the environment
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 through the descendants
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 of Abraham.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 And we are told
00:09:36 --> 00:09:36 in Genesis,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 sorry,
00:09:37 --> 00:09:38 Exodus 19,
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 that the way
00:09:39 --> 00:09:40 God would do it
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 is calling,
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 saving a people
00:09:42 --> 00:09:42 to Himself
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 and making them
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 into a kingdom
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 of priests.
00:09:48 --> 00:09:49 You remember that phrase,
00:09:49 --> 00:09:50 a holy nation,
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 a people who will declare
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 the glory of God.
00:09:53 --> 00:09:53 The way
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 God will save the world,
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 bless the world,
00:09:56 --> 00:09:57 is by having
00:09:57 --> 00:09:58 a bunch of people
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 who are different
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 to the rest of the world.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:02 They will live
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 under the kingship
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 of God
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 in God's land.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:07 The way
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 they're different
00:10:08 --> 00:10:09 to the rest
00:10:09 --> 00:10:09 of the world
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 is that they
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 will wholeheartedly
00:10:12 --> 00:10:13 love God
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 and they
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 will love
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 their neighbors
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 as themselves.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 How different
00:10:21 --> 00:10:21 is that
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 to the rest
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 of the human race?
00:10:25 --> 00:10:25 That is how
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 God will choose
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 to save the world,
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 to bless the nations.
00:10:30 --> 00:10:30 But again,
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 looking at the
00:10:31 --> 00:10:32 contents page,
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 that's the promise
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 of Exodus 19.
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 you keep going
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 to the end
00:10:36 --> 00:10:37 of Deuteronomy,
00:10:37 --> 00:10:37 the first five books
00:10:37 --> 00:10:38 of the Bible,
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 there is a promise
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 but there is no land.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 There is no place
00:10:43 --> 00:10:44 to call home.
00:10:44 --> 00:10:44 There is a people
00:10:44 --> 00:10:48 and so we begin
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 the book of Joshua
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 and the beginning
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 of the conquest
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 of the land.
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 So there's the kingdom
00:10:56 --> 00:10:57 of God,
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 the people of God
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 living under his rule
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 in his place
00:11:00 --> 00:11:01 and here God
00:11:01 --> 00:11:01 is delivering
00:11:01 --> 00:11:02 on his promise,
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 the beginning
00:11:03 --> 00:11:03 of the conquest
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 of the land.
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 There were decisive
00:11:05 --> 00:11:05 victories,
00:11:06 --> 00:11:06 for example,
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 the conquest
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 of Jericho
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 but victories
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 and conquests
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 were slow
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 and hard
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 and there are
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 two main reasons
00:11:15 --> 00:11:15 for it.
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 One was the
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 enemies from
00:11:18 --> 00:11:18 without,
00:11:20 --> 00:11:20 the enemies
00:11:20 --> 00:11:21 of God's people,
00:11:21 --> 00:11:21 the Hivites,
00:11:22 --> 00:11:22 the Amorites,
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 the Canaanites,
00:11:23 --> 00:11:24 the Hittites,
00:11:24 --> 00:11:24 the Perizzites,
00:11:25 --> 00:11:25 the Jebusites.
00:11:26 --> 00:11:27 They're like this
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 malignant cancer
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 in the land
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 like all those
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 who oppose
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 the good rule
00:11:33 --> 00:11:34 of God.
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 We become a cancer
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 to the environment.
00:11:36 --> 00:11:37 You just can't
00:11:37 --> 00:11:37 get rid of them
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 but as you trace
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 through Joshua
00:11:41 --> 00:11:41 and then to the
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 book of Judges
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 you will find
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 that the will
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 of divine justice
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 grinds slowly
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 but it grinds
00:11:50 --> 00:11:50 exceedingly
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 small
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 for you see
00:11:53 --> 00:11:54 that the land
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 progressively
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 was conquered
00:11:57 --> 00:12:00 and one
00:12:00 --> 00:12:01 by one
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 the Hivite
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 and Amorite
00:12:03 --> 00:12:03 and Canaanite
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 and Hittite
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 and Perizzite
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 and Jebusites
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 they disappeared
00:12:07 --> 00:12:08 into the ether
00:12:08 --> 00:12:09 of history.
00:12:10 --> 00:12:10 I assume
00:12:10 --> 00:12:11 that walking
00:12:11 --> 00:12:11 down Chesswood,
00:12:12 --> 00:12:12 multicultural
00:12:12 --> 00:12:13 Chesswood,
00:12:14 --> 00:12:14 you have never
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 met an Amorite.
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 So the promises
00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 of God
00:12:20 --> 00:12:21 is being fulfilled
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 but they're not
00:12:23 --> 00:12:23 the problem.
00:12:24 --> 00:12:24 See,
00:12:24 --> 00:12:25 we tend to think
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 that the problem
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 is outside.
00:12:27 --> 00:12:28 You know,
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 it's the Mardi Gras,
00:12:29 --> 00:12:29 it's the gay people
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 or the atheists.
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 The real problem
00:12:33 --> 00:12:34 as you trace
00:12:34 --> 00:12:35 through the history
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 that is being
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 unfolded
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 is actually
00:12:39 --> 00:12:40 the enemy
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 from within.
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 The real problem
00:12:44 --> 00:12:45 were the Israelites.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 See,
00:12:47 --> 00:12:47 the way that God
00:12:47 --> 00:12:48 would reverse
00:12:48 --> 00:12:49 the curse
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 on the world
00:12:50 --> 00:12:50 is by having
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 a nation of priests,
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 a royal priesthood,
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 they were anything
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 but priestly.
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 They didn't bring
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 blessing to the nations
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 because when they
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 went into the land
00:13:02 --> 00:13:04 you couldn't tell
00:13:04 --> 00:13:04 the difference
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 between an Israelite
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 and a Perizzite.
00:13:09 --> 00:13:09 They were just like
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 everybody else.
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 They didn't love God
00:13:12 --> 00:13:13 with their whole heart
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 and they certainly
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 didn't love
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 the neighbours
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 as themselves.
00:13:18 --> 00:13:22 And so
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 the biggest problem
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 you see,
00:13:24 --> 00:13:25 God could get rid
00:13:25 --> 00:13:26 of the Perizzites.
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 There was no promise
00:13:27 --> 00:13:27 made to them.
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 But
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 he is his people.
00:13:31 --> 00:13:31 He's made a promise
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 that through these people
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 the world will be blessed.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 What's he going to do?
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 They themselves
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 are the ones
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 who threaten
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 to undo
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 God's plan,
00:13:40 --> 00:13:40 to make God
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 into a liar
00:13:41 --> 00:13:42 as it were.
00:13:43 --> 00:13:44 And if you keep
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 travelling,
00:13:45 --> 00:13:45 you know,
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 there's Joshua,
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 the book of Judges
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 and he's Samuel.
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 By Samuel's time,
00:13:51 --> 00:13:51 the problem
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 is still there.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:52 There were
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 the external threat,
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 the nation of the day
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 was the Philistines.
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 There were people
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 with superior military power.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 But the problem
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 of the Israelites
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 themselves persists.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 And if you begin
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 the book of Samuel,
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 1 Samuel,
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 we get the story
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 of Eli,
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 the priest
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 and his two sons
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 who were ripping off
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 the worshippers,
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 exploiting
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 the young girls
00:14:18 --> 00:14:18 in the temple,
00:14:19 --> 00:14:21 they were terrible.
00:14:22 --> 00:14:25 And 1 Samuel 4,
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 Israel went into battle
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 with the Philistines.
00:14:28 --> 00:14:28 They thought
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 we couldn't lose
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 because God
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 is on our side.
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 So what they did
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 was they took
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 the Ark of the Covenant,
00:14:35 --> 00:14:35 the symbol,
00:14:36 --> 00:14:36 the guarantee
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 as it were
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 in their mind
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39 of the presence
00:14:39 --> 00:14:39 and the approval
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 of God
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 into battle
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 with the Philistines.
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 And what happened?
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 They got absolutely smashed.
00:14:45 --> 00:14:47 They had to run away,
00:14:47 --> 00:14:49 tails between their legs
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 and worst of all,
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 the Ark itself
00:14:52 --> 00:14:53 was taken
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 by the Philistines.
00:14:56 --> 00:14:59 And from 1 Samuel 6,
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 any mention of the Ark
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 was gone
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 from Israel.
00:15:05 --> 00:15:05 And what was
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 Israel's solution
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 to a problem?
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 Again,
00:15:08 --> 00:15:08 tracing through the history,
00:15:09 --> 00:15:09 we're up to
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 1 Samuel 8,
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 if you look
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 at the contents page.
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 Their solution
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 to that problem
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 and the solution
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 that we,
00:15:18 --> 00:15:18 I think,
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 often go to
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 is we've got a problem,
00:15:22 --> 00:15:22 what we need
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 is a new rector.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:24 Sorry, Steve.
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 A new rector,
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 which is, of course,
00:15:28 --> 00:15:28 from the Latin
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 to rule.
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 What they thought
00:15:31 --> 00:15:31 they needed
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 is a leader,
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 a new leader,
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 a strong leader,
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 a visionary leader,
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 a wise leader.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 That was the problem,
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 wasn't it?
00:15:39 --> 00:15:39 They didn't have
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 that sort of leader.
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 And so,
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 they found themselves
00:15:43 --> 00:15:43 a king.
00:15:45 --> 00:15:46 And if you trace
00:15:46 --> 00:15:46 through Samuel,
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 he couldn't do
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 what, well,
00:15:49 --> 00:15:49 they needed.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:50 Couldn't beat
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 the Philistines.
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 By the beginning
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 of 2 Samuel 1,
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 the people's king
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 was dead,
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 and so were his sons.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 They were killed
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 in battle.
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 And the question
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 remains,
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 here's the problem
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 of sin and curse.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 Here's the promise
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 of God
00:16:08 --> 00:16:08 to fix it all.
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 To bless the world
00:16:11 --> 00:16:11 through his people.
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 How is God
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 going to do that?
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 How is he going
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 to save the world,
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 reverse the curse
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 and sin,
00:16:17 --> 00:16:17 bless the nations,
00:16:18 --> 00:16:18 keep the promise,
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 given the way
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 witness
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 of his own people?
00:16:25 --> 00:16:25 Can you feel
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 the tension?
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 And here we are
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 at 2 Samuel 7.
00:16:30 --> 00:16:30 So this is where
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 the story
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 has led us so far.
00:16:32 --> 00:16:32 Right?
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 The next question
00:16:34 --> 00:16:34 we ask is,
00:16:34 --> 00:16:38 what is this episode
00:16:38 --> 00:16:38 about?
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 Okay?
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 So cast your eyes
00:16:41 --> 00:16:41 down,
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 broadly,
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 possibly two parts
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 to this passage.
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 2 Samuel 7
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 is where we are.
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 What is 2 Samuel 7?
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 Well,
00:16:49 --> 00:16:49 there are two parts.
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 The first part,
00:16:51 --> 00:16:51 verses 1,
00:16:51 --> 00:16:51 2,
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 3,
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 you will see
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 that political power
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 and military power
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 is now consolidated
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 in one person,
00:17:01 --> 00:17:01 David.
00:17:02 --> 00:17:02 Okay?
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 There is now
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 a leader,
00:17:04 --> 00:17:04 a rector,
00:17:05 --> 00:17:05 a new rector.
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 And he was able
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 to beat the Philistines,
00:17:09 --> 00:17:09 something that
00:17:09 --> 00:17:11 the people of God
00:17:11 --> 00:17:11 under Saul
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 couldn't do.
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 And the other thing
00:17:14 --> 00:17:14 is the mention
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 of the ark,
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 which disappears
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 since 1 Samuel 7,
00:17:17 --> 00:17:19 has now reappeared.
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 David has now
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 taken the ark,
00:17:23 --> 00:17:23 the symbol of God's
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 presence and approval,
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 he's taken the ark
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 into his city.
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 Everything is working
00:17:29 --> 00:17:31 out just fine.
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 God has blessed David
00:17:33 --> 00:17:35 and David thought,
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 first three verses,
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 God's done something
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 nice for me,
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 I'm going to have to
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 do something nice
00:17:41 --> 00:17:41 back to God.
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 So what I'm going
00:17:43 --> 00:17:43 to do is I'm going
00:17:43 --> 00:17:45 to build a great
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 big temple for God.
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 That's what I can do
00:17:49 --> 00:17:49 for God.
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 So first part.
00:17:51 --> 00:17:53 Second part is
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 from verse 4 onward.
00:17:55 --> 00:17:57 You see God's response.
00:17:57 --> 00:18:00 And it's quite remarkable.
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 God is essentially
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 saying to David,
00:18:02 --> 00:18:04 well, nice plan,
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 good plan,
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 don't need a house.
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 I'll tell you what,
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 I'll give you another plan.
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13 I'll tell you my plan,
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 verses 5 to 9.
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 And when you look
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 at this plan,
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 it just takes
00:18:18 --> 00:18:20 your breath away.
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 And I want to draw out
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 some of the details
00:18:23 --> 00:18:23 of this plan.
00:18:23 --> 00:18:25 You see that this plan
00:18:25 --> 00:18:27 involves another promise.
00:18:27 --> 00:18:29 Hopefully you can see
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 that every high point
00:18:30 --> 00:18:32 in the unfolding history
00:18:32 --> 00:18:32 of the Bible
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 involves some sort
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 of promise.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 Genesis 12,
00:18:36 --> 00:18:36 Exodus 19,
00:18:37 --> 00:18:37 and now 2,
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 Samuel 7.
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 And now the promise,
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 well, what is that promise?
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 The promise,
00:18:41 --> 00:18:43 chapter 7,
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 verse 9b,
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 the promise is that
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 David's name
00:18:47 --> 00:18:49 will be great.
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 Reminds us,
00:18:51 --> 00:18:51 of course,
00:18:51 --> 00:18:51 a little bit of
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 Genesis 12.
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 Just like Abram,
00:18:54 --> 00:18:54 David's name
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 will be great.
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 I don't know,
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 I'll just mention
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 this really quickly.
00:18:58 --> 00:19:00 We don't think much
00:19:00 --> 00:19:00 of names
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 or importance of names.
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 Of course,
00:19:03 --> 00:19:03 they are important.
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 That's what we associate
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 ourselves with.
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 That's what branding
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 is about.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 Why do we drive
00:19:11 --> 00:19:11 Mercedes-Benz?
00:19:12 --> 00:19:12 Why do we think
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 they're good quality?
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 That's what a name is.
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 Having a bad name
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 is the opposite.
00:19:18 --> 00:19:20 It's a matter of identity,
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 of endurance,
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 in a world of change.
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 David will have
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 a great name.
00:19:25 --> 00:19:25 And just like
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 Genesis 12,
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 him having a great name
00:19:28 --> 00:19:30 means blessing
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 will flow.
00:19:32 --> 00:19:32 Verse 10,
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 Israel,
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 this is in the context
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 of war and harassment,
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 in the context of that,
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 Israel would have
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 a home
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 and they will have
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 peace.
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 They will have peace
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 so that they can enjoy
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 the good of the land
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 and the fruit
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 of the labor.
00:19:49 --> 00:19:53 is a recasting
00:19:53 --> 00:19:55 of Genesis 1
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 and the promises
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 of Genesis 12
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 and 19.
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 They will be blessed
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 once again
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03 to be living
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 under God's rule
00:20:04 --> 00:20:06 in his land
00:20:06 --> 00:20:08 as the people of God.
00:20:08 --> 00:20:08 Well,
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 what is new
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 in 2 Samuel 7?
00:20:11 --> 00:20:11 What is new?
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 All these promises
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 God has made
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 and he's essentially
00:20:15 --> 00:20:17 promising the same thing,
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 that God's kingdom
00:20:18 --> 00:20:18 will come.
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 What is new?
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 Well,
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 the new bid
00:20:20 --> 00:20:22 is in verses 11b to 16,
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 I want to suggest.
00:20:25 --> 00:20:25 The new bid
00:20:25 --> 00:20:28 is the promise
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 of the one
00:20:29 --> 00:20:31 who will execute
00:20:31 --> 00:20:31 the plan.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 I think this is
00:20:35 --> 00:20:35 the new bid.
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 The one who will bring
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 peace to Israel,
00:20:38 --> 00:20:38 the one who will
00:20:38 --> 00:20:41 destroy evil.
00:20:41 --> 00:20:41 Well,
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 who is it
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 who will bring
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 all the promises
00:20:44 --> 00:20:46 to reality?
00:20:46 --> 00:20:49 the son of David.
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 The son of David.
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 God,
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 we are told,
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 will establish
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 his kingdom.
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 He, in turn,
00:20:57 --> 00:20:59 will build a house,
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 a plan word,
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 could be a temple,
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 but it could be a family.
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 He, in turn,
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 will build
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07 a people
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 for God.
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 Verse 14,
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 God will be
00:21:11 --> 00:21:13 his father
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 and he will be
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 God's son.
00:21:17 --> 00:21:17 Okay,
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 we read that
00:21:18 --> 00:21:18 and we go,
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 what does that mean?
00:21:20 --> 00:21:20 You know,
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 because we think
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 the son of God
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 is a reference
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 to deity.
00:21:26 --> 00:21:26 Right?
00:21:27 --> 00:21:27 It's God.
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 But that's not
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 what it is talking about
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 and incidentally,
00:21:31 --> 00:21:31 every time you read
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 the phrase,
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 the son of God,
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 this is what
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 it's talking about.
00:21:35 --> 00:21:35 It's not talking
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 about the deity
00:21:36 --> 00:21:38 of the son of David,
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 rather,
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 it's talking about
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 the kingship,
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 the kingship
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 of the son of David.
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 We don't get it
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 because we don't live
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 in an agrarian society
00:21:48 --> 00:21:48 anymore.
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 The father and son thing
00:21:50 --> 00:21:52 is a functional reference.
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 You know,
00:21:53 --> 00:21:53 if you were living
00:21:53 --> 00:21:55 in an agrarian society,
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 sons do,
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 what fathers do,
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 did,
00:21:59 --> 00:21:59 do.
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 So your dad's a farmer,
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 you're going to be a farmer.
00:22:04 --> 00:22:04 You know,
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 in that society,
00:22:05 --> 00:22:05 you can't decide,
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 I'm going to be a musician.
00:22:10 --> 00:22:10 That's just,
00:22:10 --> 00:22:10 no.
00:22:11 --> 00:22:12 Dad and sons,
00:22:13 --> 00:22:13 the sons do
00:22:13 --> 00:22:15 what the fathers do.
00:22:16 --> 00:22:17 And so the son of God
00:22:17 --> 00:22:20 is a king
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22 because God
00:22:22 --> 00:22:24 is the king.
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 The son of David
00:22:26 --> 00:22:28 will become a king
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 and exercise
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 the kingly rule
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 of God.
00:22:31 --> 00:22:33 That's what the promise is.
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 Of course,
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 what does this remind you of
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 in terms of the
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 unfolding story
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 so far?
00:22:38 --> 00:22:39 It reminds us of
00:22:39 --> 00:22:42 Genesis 1.
00:22:44 --> 00:22:46 When the human race
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 was created,
00:22:47 --> 00:22:49 what were they supposed to do?
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 What was the brief?
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 What was the instruction?
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 They were to
00:22:52 --> 00:22:54 rule
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 the world
00:22:55 --> 00:22:57 as God's
00:22:57 --> 00:22:57 agents.
00:22:58 --> 00:23:00 But that was all
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 undone
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 in Genesis 3.
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 But here it is,
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 God's promising
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 once again
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 that
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 a man,
00:23:08 --> 00:23:08 a human
00:23:08 --> 00:23:10 will once again
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 rule the earth
00:23:11 --> 00:23:13 as he had planned.
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 Not just any man,
00:23:15 --> 00:23:15 but
00:23:15 --> 00:23:17 the son
00:23:17 --> 00:23:17 of
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 David.
00:23:18 --> 00:23:21 And it's
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 breathtaking
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 for three reasons.
00:23:24 --> 00:23:24 One is,
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 when you read
00:23:26 --> 00:23:26 the terms
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 of the promise,
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 the kingdom
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 of God,
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 which seems to be
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 what the story
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 of the Bible
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 is about,
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 seems to be
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 coterminous
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 with the kingdom
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 of the son
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 of David.
00:23:39 --> 00:23:39 They're almost
00:23:39 --> 00:23:41 used interchangeably.
00:23:42 --> 00:23:42 You know,
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 God will establish
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 his kingdom.
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 You see,
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 the kingdom
00:23:46 --> 00:23:46 of the son
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 of David
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 is the same
00:23:48 --> 00:23:50 as the kingdom
00:23:50 --> 00:23:50 of God.
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 That's amazing,
00:23:53 --> 00:23:53 isn't it?
00:23:53 --> 00:23:55 To think of a man
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 whose rule
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 will be
00:23:57 --> 00:23:57 like that
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 of God.
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 But more than that,
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 did you notice
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 in verse 13
00:24:01 --> 00:24:01 and 15,
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 this one,
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 his kingdom,
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 his rule
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 will be
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 forever.
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 I mean,
00:24:13 --> 00:24:13 is that
00:24:13 --> 00:24:15 just ancient
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 talk for a long
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 time?
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 Or do you
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 think he really
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 meant forever?
00:24:21 --> 00:24:21 You know,
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 it raises that
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 question.
00:24:23 --> 00:24:23 What about
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 Genesis 3
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 and the curse
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 of death?
00:24:26 --> 00:24:26 Surely,
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 if he is
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 the son
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 of Adam,
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 he could not
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 rule forever
00:24:30 --> 00:24:32 because death
00:24:32 --> 00:24:34 will strike him
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 down like
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 every other
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 man.
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 Could it be
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 true?
00:24:40 --> 00:24:40 And there's
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 another problem,
00:24:41 --> 00:24:41 another
00:24:41 --> 00:24:43 breathtaking
00:24:43 --> 00:24:45 aspect to this
00:24:45 --> 00:24:45 promise?
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 And it is
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 the problem
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 of hereditary
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 rule.
00:24:50 --> 00:24:50 See,
00:24:51 --> 00:24:51 there is
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 salvation for
00:24:52 --> 00:24:52 the Australian
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 Labour Party.
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 If they
00:25:00 --> 00:25:02 did have a bad
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 leader,
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 she or he,
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 could eventually
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 be replaced
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 by a vote.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 That's what we do
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 in a democracy.
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 But you
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 know what is
00:25:11 --> 00:25:11 not available
00:25:11 --> 00:25:13 in a monarchy?
00:25:15 --> 00:25:15 A vote.
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 You're stuck.
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 If there
00:25:20 --> 00:25:20 is a king,
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 you are stuck.
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 That's the
00:25:24 --> 00:25:24 problem of
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 hereditary rule.
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 And the
00:25:26 --> 00:25:26 problem of
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 hereditary rule
00:25:27 --> 00:25:29 is clearly
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 apparent in the
00:25:30 --> 00:25:30 book of Samuel.
00:25:31 --> 00:25:31 You know,
00:25:31 --> 00:25:31 at the beginning
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 of Samuel,
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 there's Eli
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 and his two
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 no-good sons.
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 Imagine if they
00:25:37 --> 00:25:37 had...
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 And then Samuel
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 himself,
00:25:39 --> 00:25:39 one of the
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 last great
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 judges of
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 Israel,
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 his sons
00:25:43 --> 00:25:43 turned out to
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 be a real
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 red bag as
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 well too.
00:25:47 --> 00:25:47 And then there
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 is Saul,
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 the king.
00:25:49 --> 00:25:51 What if he...
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 The problem
00:25:52 --> 00:25:52 of hereditary
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 rule.
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 And now God
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 is promising
00:25:56 --> 00:25:58 that the son
00:25:58 --> 00:25:58 of David
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 will have
00:25:59 --> 00:26:01 absolute
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 power.
00:26:04 --> 00:26:05 It's wonderful,
00:26:05 --> 00:26:05 of course,
00:26:05 --> 00:26:06 because in this
00:26:06 --> 00:26:06 world,
00:26:07 --> 00:26:07 righteousness
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 and justice
00:26:08 --> 00:26:10 and peace
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 could only
00:26:11 --> 00:26:11 be brought
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 about through
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 absolute power.
00:26:14 --> 00:26:15 But the
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 problem for
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 us is who
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 will we give
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 that power
00:26:19 --> 00:26:19 to?
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 A new
00:26:22 --> 00:26:22 rector?
00:26:26 --> 00:26:26 See,
00:26:26 --> 00:26:28 God is
00:26:28 --> 00:26:28 promising
00:26:28 --> 00:26:28 something that
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 is enormous
00:26:29 --> 00:26:30 and breathtaking.
00:26:30 --> 00:26:31 He's saying
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 the son of
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 David is the
00:26:33 --> 00:26:33 one that I'm
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 going to give
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 absolute power
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 and glory
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 and honour
00:26:36 --> 00:26:37 to him
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 forever.
00:26:43 --> 00:26:43 He would
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 have to be
00:26:44 --> 00:26:44 a very
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 different person
00:26:45 --> 00:26:45 to us,
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 wouldn't he?
00:26:48 --> 00:26:48 Well,
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 third question.
00:26:49 --> 00:26:50 What does this
00:26:50 --> 00:26:50 episode tell us
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 about God
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 and us
00:26:52 --> 00:26:52 and the world?
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 The very first
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 thing that
00:26:55 --> 00:26:56 strikes us,
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 which is picked
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 up in John 2,
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 and again
00:27:00 --> 00:27:01 in the speech
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 of Stephen
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 just before
00:27:03 --> 00:27:03 he was
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 martyred,
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05 is that
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 where does
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 he dwell?
00:27:07 --> 00:27:07 He's David
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 wanting to
00:27:08 --> 00:27:09 create a
00:27:09 --> 00:27:09 temple for
00:27:09 --> 00:27:09 God,
00:27:10 --> 00:27:10 and God
00:27:10 --> 00:27:11 is saying,
00:27:11 --> 00:27:11 I don't
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 need a
00:27:12 --> 00:27:12 temple.
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 The whole
00:27:14 --> 00:27:14 world is
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 mine.
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 By the time
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 we got to
00:27:18 --> 00:27:18 Stephen,
00:27:19 --> 00:27:19 and people
00:27:19 --> 00:27:19 were accusing
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 Stephen of
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 preaching against
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 the temple,
00:27:22 --> 00:27:22 they had the
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 same problem.
00:27:23 --> 00:27:23 They thought
00:27:23 --> 00:27:24 God is,
00:27:24 --> 00:27:25 well,
00:27:25 --> 00:27:25 is there,
00:27:26 --> 00:27:26 is here.
00:27:26 --> 00:27:30 God does
00:27:30 --> 00:27:30 not dwell
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 in temple
00:27:31 --> 00:27:31 built by
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 human hands.
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 But the
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 new element,
00:27:35 --> 00:27:35 I think,
00:27:35 --> 00:27:36 in showing
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 us how
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 God works
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 in the
00:27:38 --> 00:27:38 world,
00:27:38 --> 00:27:38 particularly
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 in 2
00:27:39 --> 00:27:39 Samuel 7,
00:27:40 --> 00:27:40 is that
00:27:40 --> 00:27:41 God has
00:27:41 --> 00:27:41 promised that
00:27:41 --> 00:27:41 he will
00:27:41 --> 00:27:42 create a
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 new human
00:27:43 --> 00:27:43 race.
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 He hasn't
00:27:45 --> 00:27:45 given up on
00:27:45 --> 00:27:45 the nations,
00:27:46 --> 00:27:46 he will
00:27:46 --> 00:27:46 bless the
00:27:46 --> 00:27:47 nations,
00:27:47 --> 00:27:47 he will
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 save the
00:27:48 --> 00:27:48 world from
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 the ravages
00:27:49 --> 00:27:49 of sin
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 and curse,
00:27:51 --> 00:27:51 and here,
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 the new
00:27:52 --> 00:27:52 element is
00:27:52 --> 00:27:53 he will
00:27:53 --> 00:27:53 do it
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 through one
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 person.
00:27:56 --> 00:27:57 The whole
00:27:57 --> 00:27:57 human history
00:27:57 --> 00:27:58 will be
00:27:58 --> 00:27:59 centered on
00:27:59 --> 00:27:59 this one
00:27:59 --> 00:28:00 person,
00:28:00 --> 00:28:01 and it's
00:28:01 --> 00:28:01 not,
00:28:02 --> 00:28:02 well,
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 it is the
00:28:04 --> 00:28:05 son of
00:28:05 --> 00:28:05 David,
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 the son
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 of God.
00:28:10 --> 00:28:10 In the
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 Old Testament,
00:28:11 --> 00:28:11 in the time
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 of David,
00:28:12 --> 00:28:12 the way you
00:28:12 --> 00:28:13 recognize the
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 king is by
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 putting oil
00:28:15 --> 00:28:15 on his
00:28:15 --> 00:28:15 head,
00:28:16 --> 00:28:16 is a
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 process called
00:28:17 --> 00:28:17 anointing.
00:28:18 --> 00:28:19 And the
00:28:19 --> 00:28:19 Hebrew word
00:28:19 --> 00:28:20 for the
00:28:20 --> 00:28:21 anointed one,
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 the son of
00:28:22 --> 00:28:22 David,
00:28:22 --> 00:28:23 the son of
00:28:23 --> 00:28:23 God,
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 is the
00:28:24 --> 00:28:24 word
00:28:24 --> 00:28:25 Messiah.
00:28:25 --> 00:28:25 Messiah.
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 In Greek,
00:28:27 --> 00:28:27 it's the
00:28:27 --> 00:28:27 word
00:28:27 --> 00:28:29 Christ.
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 The one
00:28:32 --> 00:28:32 who will
00:28:32 --> 00:28:33 bring about
00:28:33 --> 00:28:34 peace and
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 the redemption
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 of the world
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 is through
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 the Messiah,
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39 the Christ
00:28:39 --> 00:28:39 of God.
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 One of the
00:28:43 --> 00:28:43 nations,
00:28:43 --> 00:28:44 you know,
00:28:44 --> 00:28:44 there's a lot
00:28:44 --> 00:28:45 of promises
00:28:45 --> 00:28:45 here about
00:28:45 --> 00:28:46 Israel.
00:28:46 --> 00:28:46 You know,
00:28:46 --> 00:28:47 Israel will
00:28:47 --> 00:28:47 have peace.
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 What about
00:28:48 --> 00:28:48 the nations?
00:28:49 --> 00:28:49 Where's the
00:28:49 --> 00:28:49 blessings to
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 the nation?
00:28:50 --> 00:28:50 Where's the
00:28:50 --> 00:28:51 mention?
00:28:51 --> 00:28:52 And here,
00:28:52 --> 00:28:52 I want to
00:28:52 --> 00:28:53 just very
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 quickly take
00:28:54 --> 00:28:54 you to
00:28:54 --> 00:28:54 Psalm 2.
00:28:55 --> 00:28:55 And I
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 apologize for
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 the length
00:28:57 --> 00:28:57 that this
00:28:57 --> 00:28:58 is taking.
00:28:58 --> 00:28:59 Psalm 2.
00:29:01 --> 00:29:02 It's worth
00:29:02 --> 00:29:03 just reading
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 that.
00:29:04 --> 00:29:04 And I'm
00:29:04 --> 00:29:05 just going to
00:29:05 --> 00:29:05 read it
00:29:05 --> 00:29:05 very quickly.
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 This is a
00:29:07 --> 00:29:07 coronation
00:29:07 --> 00:29:08 psalm.
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 So every
00:29:09 --> 00:29:09 time a
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 descendant
00:29:10 --> 00:29:10 of David
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 goes to
00:29:11 --> 00:29:12 the throne,
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 this is
00:29:13 --> 00:29:13 sung or
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14 read.
00:29:15 --> 00:29:15 Why do
00:29:15 --> 00:29:15 the nations
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 conspire and
00:29:16 --> 00:29:16 the people
00:29:16 --> 00:29:17 plot in vain?
00:29:17 --> 00:29:18 The kings
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 of the earth
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 take their
00:29:18 --> 00:29:19 stand and
00:29:19 --> 00:29:19 the rulers
00:29:19 --> 00:29:20 gather together
00:29:20 --> 00:29:21 against the
00:29:21 --> 00:29:21 Lord and
00:29:21 --> 00:29:22 against his
00:29:22 --> 00:29:22 anointed.
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 Let us
00:29:23 --> 00:29:23 break the
00:29:23 --> 00:29:24 chains,
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 they say,
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 and throw
00:29:24 --> 00:29:25 off their
00:29:25 --> 00:29:25 feathers.
00:29:25 --> 00:29:26 This is a
00:29:26 --> 00:29:27 way of
00:29:27 --> 00:29:27 saying,
00:29:27 --> 00:29:28 when I'm
00:29:28 --> 00:29:28 driving down
00:29:28 --> 00:29:29 a 50 stone,
00:29:29 --> 00:29:29 I want to
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 decide how
00:29:30 --> 00:29:30 fast I
00:29:30 --> 00:29:30 want to
00:29:30 --> 00:29:30 drive.
00:29:31 --> 00:29:31 This is
00:29:31 --> 00:29:31 what they're
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 saying to
00:29:32 --> 00:29:32 God.
00:29:33 --> 00:29:33 Except God
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 in response
00:29:34 --> 00:29:34 says this,
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 in verse 4,
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 the one
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 unphoned in
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 heaven laughs.
00:29:40 --> 00:29:40 Puny.
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 He scoffs
00:29:42 --> 00:29:43 at them.
00:29:43 --> 00:29:44 And then he
00:29:44 --> 00:29:45 bilks them in
00:29:45 --> 00:29:45 his anger and
00:29:45 --> 00:29:46 terrifies them in
00:29:46 --> 00:29:46 his worth,
00:29:47 --> 00:29:47 saying,
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48 you know,
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 you aren't
00:29:49 --> 00:29:50 really ruling
00:29:50 --> 00:29:50 the world.
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 And you're not
00:29:51 --> 00:29:51 even ruling
00:29:51 --> 00:29:52 yourself.
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 And I'm
00:29:53 --> 00:29:53 going to
00:29:53 --> 00:29:54 show you
00:29:54 --> 00:29:55 how you
00:29:55 --> 00:29:56 can know
00:29:56 --> 00:29:56 that you
00:29:56 --> 00:29:57 are not
00:29:57 --> 00:29:57 the king
00:29:57 --> 00:29:57 of the
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 earth.
00:29:58 --> 00:29:59 And this
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 is what he
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 says in
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 verse 4,
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 I have
00:30:00 --> 00:30:01 installed
00:30:01 --> 00:30:02 my king
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03 on Sion,
00:30:04 --> 00:30:04 my holy
00:30:04 --> 00:30:04 hill.
00:30:06 --> 00:30:06 The way
00:30:06 --> 00:30:07 you know
00:30:07 --> 00:30:07 that God
00:30:07 --> 00:30:07 is still
00:30:07 --> 00:30:08 in control,
00:30:08 --> 00:30:08 that he's
00:30:08 --> 00:30:09 still king,
00:30:09 --> 00:30:09 is because
00:30:09 --> 00:30:10 he will
00:30:10 --> 00:30:11 put his
00:30:11 --> 00:30:12 king into
00:30:12 --> 00:30:13 your life
00:30:13 --> 00:30:13 and this
00:30:13 --> 00:30:13 world.
00:30:14 --> 00:30:15 Verse
00:30:15 --> 00:30:18 7,
00:30:18 --> 00:30:19 this is what
00:30:19 --> 00:30:19 the son
00:30:19 --> 00:30:20 says,
00:30:20 --> 00:30:20 I will
00:30:20 --> 00:30:20 proclaim
00:30:20 --> 00:30:21 the decree
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 of the
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 Lord.
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 He said
00:30:21 --> 00:30:22 to me,
00:30:22 --> 00:30:22 you are
00:30:22 --> 00:30:22 my son
00:30:22 --> 00:30:23 today,
00:30:23 --> 00:30:23 I become
00:30:23 --> 00:30:23 your father,
00:30:24 --> 00:30:24 ask of
00:30:24 --> 00:30:24 me and
00:30:24 --> 00:30:25 I will
00:30:25 --> 00:30:25 make the
00:30:25 --> 00:30:25 nations
00:30:25 --> 00:30:25 your
00:30:25 --> 00:30:26 inheritance,
00:30:26 --> 00:30:27 the ends
00:30:27 --> 00:30:27 of the
00:30:27 --> 00:30:27 earth,
00:30:27 --> 00:30:27 your
00:30:27 --> 00:30:28 possession,
00:30:28 --> 00:30:28 you will
00:30:28 --> 00:30:29 rule them
00:30:29 --> 00:30:29 with an
00:30:29 --> 00:30:29 iron
00:30:29 --> 00:30:29 scepter,
00:30:30 --> 00:30:30 you will
00:30:30 --> 00:30:31 dash them
00:30:31 --> 00:30:31 to pieces
00:30:31 --> 00:30:32 like
00:30:32 --> 00:30:32 pottery,
00:30:32 --> 00:30:33 therefore
00:30:33 --> 00:30:34 you kings
00:30:34 --> 00:30:34 of St.
00:30:35 --> 00:30:35 Paul's,
00:30:35 --> 00:30:36 be wise,
00:30:36 --> 00:30:37 be warned,
00:30:37 --> 00:30:37 you rulers
00:30:37 --> 00:30:39 of Chesswood,
00:30:39 --> 00:30:40 serve the
00:30:40 --> 00:30:40 Lord with
00:30:40 --> 00:30:41 fear and
00:30:41 --> 00:30:41 rejoice with
00:30:41 --> 00:30:42 trampling,
00:30:42 --> 00:30:42 kiss the
00:30:42 --> 00:30:43 son,
00:30:43 --> 00:30:44 lest he be
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 angry and
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 you will be
00:30:45 --> 00:30:46 destroyed in
00:30:46 --> 00:30:46 your way,
00:30:47 --> 00:30:47 for his
00:30:47 --> 00:30:48 wrath can
00:30:48 --> 00:30:48 flare up
00:30:48 --> 00:30:49 in the
00:30:49 --> 00:30:49 moment,
00:30:49 --> 00:30:50 blessed are
00:30:50 --> 00:30:51 all who
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 take refuge
00:30:52 --> 00:30:53 in him.
00:30:53 --> 00:30:54 Where are
00:30:54 --> 00:30:54 the nations
00:30:54 --> 00:30:55 in 2 Samuel
00:30:55 --> 00:30:56 7?
00:30:56 --> 00:30:57 There they
00:30:57 --> 00:30:57 are,
00:30:59 --> 00:30:59 there they
00:30:59 --> 00:30:59 are.
00:30:59 --> 00:31:00 You see,
00:31:00 --> 00:31:00 there are two
00:31:00 --> 00:31:01 responses to
00:31:01 --> 00:31:02 this son of
00:31:02 --> 00:31:02 David,
00:31:02 --> 00:31:03 the son of
00:31:03 --> 00:31:03 God.
00:31:03 --> 00:31:04 You can
00:31:04 --> 00:31:04 either run
00:31:04 --> 00:31:05 away from
00:31:05 --> 00:31:05 him in
00:31:05 --> 00:31:06 rebellion or
00:31:06 --> 00:31:06 you can
00:31:06 --> 00:31:08 run to
00:31:08 --> 00:31:09 him in
00:31:09 --> 00:31:09 refuge.
00:31:10 --> 00:31:11 The way
00:31:11 --> 00:31:12 that the
00:31:12 --> 00:31:12 son will
00:31:12 --> 00:31:12 bring about
00:31:12 --> 00:31:13 justice and
00:31:13 --> 00:31:13 peace in
00:31:13 --> 00:31:14 the world
00:31:14 --> 00:31:14 is by
00:31:14 --> 00:31:15 destroying
00:31:15 --> 00:31:16 evil.
00:31:16 --> 00:31:16 He will
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 smash evil
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 in this
00:31:18 --> 00:31:18 world like
00:31:18 --> 00:31:19 pottery.
00:31:19 --> 00:31:20 But there
00:31:20 --> 00:31:20 is escape,
00:31:20 --> 00:31:21 there is
00:31:21 --> 00:31:21 mercy.
00:31:22 --> 00:31:22 Run to
00:31:22 --> 00:31:23 him.
00:31:24 --> 00:31:25 Last
00:31:25 --> 00:31:25 question,
00:31:25 --> 00:31:26 what difference
00:31:26 --> 00:31:26 does Jesus
00:31:26 --> 00:31:27 make?
00:31:28 --> 00:31:29 See,
00:31:29 --> 00:31:29 we're still
00:31:29 --> 00:31:29 staying in
00:31:29 --> 00:31:30 the Old
00:31:30 --> 00:31:30 Testament.
00:31:30 --> 00:31:30 We're not
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31 even up to
00:31:31 --> 00:31:31 the New
00:31:31 --> 00:31:31 Testament.
00:31:33 --> 00:31:33 What
00:31:33 --> 00:31:33 difference
00:31:33 --> 00:31:34 does Jesus
00:31:34 --> 00:31:34 make?
00:31:35 --> 00:31:35 Romans 1.
00:31:37 --> 00:31:37 Okay,
00:31:37 --> 00:31:37 don't read it
00:31:37 --> 00:31:38 up.
00:31:39 --> 00:31:40 Romans 1
00:31:40 --> 00:31:40 summarizes
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 for us the
00:31:41 --> 00:31:42 gospel of
00:31:42 --> 00:31:42 Jesus.
00:31:43 --> 00:31:43 And do you
00:31:43 --> 00:31:44 know what it
00:31:44 --> 00:31:44 says?
00:31:44 --> 00:31:45 Jesus is the
00:31:45 --> 00:31:46 son of
00:31:46 --> 00:31:46 David.
00:31:47 --> 00:31:48 And then
00:31:48 --> 00:31:48 it goes on
00:31:48 --> 00:31:49 to say,
00:31:49 --> 00:31:51 declare to
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 be the
00:31:52 --> 00:31:52 son of
00:31:52 --> 00:31:52 God.
00:31:53 --> 00:31:53 Jesus
00:31:53 --> 00:31:54 declared to
00:31:54 --> 00:31:54 be the
00:31:54 --> 00:31:55 son of
00:31:55 --> 00:31:55 God.
00:31:55 --> 00:31:55 The king
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 of God,
00:31:56 --> 00:31:57 how?
00:31:58 --> 00:31:58 By the
00:31:58 --> 00:32:00 spirit at
00:32:00 --> 00:32:01 the
00:32:01 --> 00:32:02 resurrection.
00:32:05 --> 00:32:05 How do you
00:32:05 --> 00:32:06 know that our
00:32:06 --> 00:32:07 God is still
00:32:07 --> 00:32:08 in control of
00:32:08 --> 00:32:08 the world?
00:32:09 --> 00:32:09 How do you
00:32:09 --> 00:32:10 know that he
00:32:10 --> 00:32:11 will bring all
00:32:11 --> 00:32:12 to account and
00:32:12 --> 00:32:12 that he will
00:32:12 --> 00:32:13 destroy evil and
00:32:13 --> 00:32:14 bring about
00:32:14 --> 00:32:15 justice and
00:32:15 --> 00:32:16 righteousness in
00:32:16 --> 00:32:17 this world and
00:32:17 --> 00:32:18 peace for all?
00:32:19 --> 00:32:20 Because he
00:32:20 --> 00:32:21 raised Jesus
00:32:21 --> 00:32:22 from the
00:32:22 --> 00:32:22 dead.
00:32:23 --> 00:32:23 And by
00:32:23 --> 00:32:24 doing so,
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 he crowned
00:32:25 --> 00:32:26 him as
00:32:26 --> 00:32:26 the king.
00:32:28 --> 00:32:29 Death has
00:32:29 --> 00:32:30 no place
00:32:30 --> 00:32:30 in his
00:32:30 --> 00:32:31 kingdom because
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 he's defeated
00:32:32 --> 00:32:32 it.
00:32:34 --> 00:32:34 This is what
00:32:34 --> 00:32:35 Paul is
00:32:35 --> 00:32:35 talking about.
00:32:36 --> 00:32:36 This is the
00:32:36 --> 00:32:37 one 2 Samuel
00:32:37 --> 00:32:38 7 is talking
00:32:38 --> 00:32:39 about.
00:32:39 --> 00:32:39 This is the
00:32:39 --> 00:32:40 one who
00:32:40 --> 00:32:40 will execute
00:32:40 --> 00:32:42 the plan to
00:32:42 --> 00:32:43 reverse curse
00:32:43 --> 00:32:44 and sin to
00:32:44 --> 00:32:44 bless the
00:32:44 --> 00:32:45 nations to
00:32:45 --> 00:32:45 save the
00:32:45 --> 00:32:46 world and
00:32:46 --> 00:32:46 he will do
00:32:46 --> 00:32:47 it with
00:32:47 --> 00:32:47 justice and
00:32:47 --> 00:32:48 righteousness.
00:32:49 --> 00:32:49 His kingdom
00:32:49 --> 00:32:50 will be
00:32:50 --> 00:32:50 established.
00:32:50 --> 00:32:51 And the
00:32:51 --> 00:32:51 question that
00:32:51 --> 00:32:52 will be asked
00:32:52 --> 00:32:53 of us is,
00:32:53 --> 00:32:53 well, what
00:32:53 --> 00:32:54 difference does
00:32:54 --> 00:32:55 Jesus make?
00:32:55 --> 00:32:56 How will you
00:32:56 --> 00:32:57 and I respond
00:32:57 --> 00:32:58 to this son
00:32:58 --> 00:32:58 today?
00:33:00 --> 00:33:00 A little bit
00:33:00 --> 00:33:01 of religion in
00:33:01 --> 00:33:02 our world,
00:33:02 --> 00:33:03 in your life,
00:33:03 --> 00:33:04 is just not
00:33:04 --> 00:33:05 good enough.
00:33:08 --> 00:33:09 The very
00:33:09 --> 00:33:10 heart of
00:33:10 --> 00:33:11 Christianity is
00:33:11 --> 00:33:12 the person
00:33:12 --> 00:33:13 of Jesus.
00:33:15 --> 00:33:15 And there
00:33:15 --> 00:33:15 are only two
00:33:15 --> 00:33:16 responses.
00:33:16 --> 00:33:17 You either flee
00:33:17 --> 00:33:19 from him and
00:33:19 --> 00:33:19 be smashed like
00:33:19 --> 00:33:21 pottery or you
00:33:21 --> 00:33:23 run to him in
00:33:23 --> 00:33:24 safety and for
00:33:24 --> 00:33:26 mercy.
00:33:28 --> 00:33:28 This is what
00:33:28 --> 00:33:29 2 Samuel leads
00:33:29 --> 00:33:30 us to.
00:33:31 --> 00:33:32 I wonder how
00:33:32 --> 00:33:32 you would
00:33:32 --> 00:33:33 respond to
00:33:33 --> 00:33:34 the son.
00:33:34 --> 00:33:35 Amen.