A Savior Came: David

Advent Reading:

Week Three: Love (from 2 Samuel)

David was 30 years old when he became king of Israel, and he reigned for forty years. Now, David wasn’t perfect, but he put his trust in God and served him well. And God blessed King David, and Israel flourished during his reign. After God had given him success against his enemies, a palace was built for this great King of Israel. When the palace was finished and David was settled in his new home, he called for Nathan the prophet and said,

It is not right that I am living in a palace of cedar, while the house of God remains in a tent.

David wanted to build a temple for God to take the place of the tent that had served as God’s home for many years. That night God came to Nathan with a word for David.

This is what the Lord Almighty says; I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, and I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own. The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you; when your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you. I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Who was the Lord talking about? Who was this offspring who was to be raised up? Jesus. God chose to give up everything—to become nothing.

God made a covenant of love with David that day: a covenant in which God promised never to take his love away from David or from his offspring. The line of David would remain on the throne of Israel forever. You see, from the line of King David would come the King of all kings. This King would save God’s people, not just for a time, but forever. God’s love is so much more than our own, and we celebrate that today as we remember how he sent his Son, a King in heaven, to earth to be with us. What love!

An Ordinary Job

David was just an ordinary shepherd in what we now call the middle-east. Not someone who anyone would have expected to become a king. He came from good stock as his father Jesse was the son of Obed and Obed’s father was Boaz. This makes Ruth, as in the Ruth from the book of Ruth Naomi's faithful daughter-in-law, that Ruth, She was David’s Great Grandmother.

Jesus was just an ordinary carpenter in that same middle-eastern country. He lived in a backwater town called Nazareth where nobody believed any thing good could come from. However, Jesus too was from good stock in fact his lineage could be traced all the way back to David on both sides of his family.

An Ordinary Face

David was not someone who stood out in a crowd. Samuel the prophet called him ruddy and good looking but Samuel saw his older brother Eliab as much better looking for a leader. Samuel said of Eliab in, 1 Samuel 16:6 “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” So David wasn’t even the best looking in his family.

Jesus also was not a face that stood out in a crowd. Isaiah 53:2b said that the messiah “He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.” We shouldn’t think of Jesus as being the best looking among the whole of Israel in his day but just an ordinary face.

An Extraordinary God.

Despite the fact that the Life of David was ordinary God had big plans for David. God didn’t look at the outside, He saw who David would become. God saw inside David a willingness to grow and to lead. Inside of this young boy beat the heart of a king, a king who was chosen by GOD.

Despite the fact Jesus came from the wrong part of Israel and had no features that should make us follow Him, Jesus was God. Jesus was the chosen Messiah.

David did much to protect, lead and rule over God’s people in a way that saved them. However, what David couldn’t do was restore the relationship that man broke because of sin. Jesus however did. Jesus wasn’t just a baby that we celebrate at Christmas. No. Jesus was the Messiah that humanity both desperately needed and had been waiting for. Because Jesus was not only a man but also God Himself he was able to be tempted by the same sin we are tempted by but Jesus was able to resist sins seductions in a way we never can. Jesus’ life death and resurrection are means by which He saves us from ourselves, as His sacrifice is the greatest gift given for our forgiveness of sins and salvation into the family of God. He restored the restored the relationship between God and Man and he stands as our rightful king. We have an Extraordinary God

Gospel

‌If you are here today and you know that you are not a believer, you have never asked Jesus into your heart, or maybe you did but haven’t ever allowed God to change you, then let me tell you how you can change that today. Your sin and your brokenness are there to point you to Jesus because only He can provide you with a real solution. The sacrifice that Jesus made for you is that solution. Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” ‌It is just that easy. You can confess Him as your savior. If that is your desire today, you can say this prayer with me. Bow your heads. God holds out His outstretched hand for you. Are you going to continue in your sin, or are you going to take His Hand? He is calling, and all you have to do is believe.

‌It is just that easy. You can confess Him as your savior. If that is your desire today, you can say this prayer with me. Bow your heads.

‌Dear Lord, ‌I know that I’m a sinner. I’m sorry for my sin, and I ask you to forgive me. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I repent of my sins, and I ask you to come into my life and take control. I make a commitment to follow you, and I trust you as my Lord and Savior.

‌Friend, if you prayed that prayer today I ask that you come and speak to me after the service.