Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

It is human nature to avoid trouble.

Yet sometimes trouble is unavoidable.

Our Lord said, “In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart!

I have overcome the world” ().

Oftentimes, God allows trials, temptations, and difficulties in our lives to make us stronger.

Even our failures can be turned into victories by God’s grace.

We can recall a man who, at seven years of age, was forced with his family out of his home, and he went to work.

When he was 9, his mother died.

He lost his job as a store clerk when he was twenty.

He wanted to go to law school, but he didn’t have the education.

At age 23, he went into debt to be a partner in a small store.

Three years later, the business partner died, and the resulting debt took years to repay.

When he was 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him, but she turned him down.

On his third try, he was elected to Congress at age 37, but then failed to be re-elected.

His son died at four years of age.

When this man was 45, he ran for the Senate and lost.

At age 47, he ran for the vice-presidency and lost.

But at age 51, he was elected president of the United States.

This man, Abraham Lincoln, is considered by many to have been our greatest president.

Another great man whose life illustrates that God uses our troubles for his ultimate triumph is David.

His story is contained in 1 and 2 Samuel, originally one book.

While 1 Samuel focuses on three main characters—Samuel, Saul, and David; 2 Samuel is exclusively pointed toward King David’s 40 year reign.

In this book, we learn how David ascended to power and how he fell in disgrace.

The book can be divided in two halves based on these two themes: David’s triumphs () and David’s troubles ().

Even a “man after God’s own heart” is prone to fall.

From this book, we can learn much about safeguarding ourselves from the insidious attacks of evil and sin.

In the story of David’s repentance, we are also encouraged to get up when we fall, that we might find God’s grace and forgiveness.

David’s Triumphs ()

1 Samuel closed with the death of King Saul.

We might expect David to rise to power over Israel almost immediately for David had already been anointed by Samuel as the next king, chosen by the Lord (), and it was of David that the people used to shout, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands:” ().

Nevertheless, this upcoming leader was not readily accepted by the people of God.

For in an earlier effort to survive the deadly and ruthless pursuit of King Saul, David had become, by all appearances, a traitor as he moved into the land of the Philistines ().

The first tribe to trust David, and to entrust their loyalty to him as the new King, was his own tribe of Judah.

How fitting that the tribe,who once and for all promised to carry the scepter of the king ,would be the tribe who would own this great man, a man after God’s heart.

For it was through David that the royal line would be established which would eventually yield the throne to the Lord Jesus, the King of Kings.

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for all his people.

David established his reign over the tribe of Judah in Hebron.

He would later be invited to serve as king over all the tribes of Israel and would establish his center in Jerusalem.

The first chap- ters of 2 Samuel describe David’s reign over Judah at Hebron (), and the remainder of the book tells of his rule over all Israel from Jerusalem ().

For seven and a half years, David chose to reside in Hebron, which was strategically located 15 miles south of Jerusalem and in the center of Judah.

From this vantage point, the remaining tribes of Israel came to see in David a faithful leader exercising justice and defeating his enemies.

Surrounded by the Philistines on one side and by the opposing house of Saul on the other, David was blessed of God and enabled to steadily grow stronger in might and authority ().

Eventually “all the tribes of Israel” acknowledged David as their rightful king.

They confessed that he was really one of their own (“We are your own flesh and blood”), that he had already demonstrated his abilities as a leader (“In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns”), and that they were aware of God’s already choosing David as their king (“And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler’” ().

David is a beautiful picture or type of Christ, who is one of our own (our flesh and blood—), who has demonstrated the perfect life and therefore the right to serve as our redeemer and king (), and who has been chosen of God from all eternity ().

Hebrews 2:14

hebrews 2:14

David was a very remarkable man.

Once a shepherd boy, a court musician, a loyal friend, a great general, a running fugitive, and now a reigning king…David sought God’s will and God’s ways.

This composer of more than half of the Psalms would unite Israel and bring her into a golden age, extending her kingdom from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates, and overcoming the seven great nations which surrounded and sought to smother her ().

Here we find the secret of David’s strength: “The LORD gave David victory wherever he went” ().

Perhaps just as important and instructive for us, however, is the secret of David’s weak ness.

David’s Troubles ()

One of the great evidences of the divine inspiration of the Bible is that it does not hide human weaknesses, while it also demonstrates the sovereign God’s willingness to forgive our sins.

It is not the kind of book humans would write if they could, or that people could write if they would.

David’s biography is not all shiny and perfect so as to make his life appear beyond reproach and unapproachable.

David is shown as fragile and frail, like each of us, dependent on God for mercy.

It may be asked why David has been known through the ages as the “man after God’s heart” if he was a man who fell from grace for a season of his life.

The answer is at once simple and reassuring for us all.

The key to David’s strength among men was his willingness to be weak before God.

When David erred and sinned, he later repented and was restored.

Contrast this humble heart with that of Saul, the king who refused to turn from his destructive patterns and hateful attitudes.

David’s troubles began when he was idle.

We see in that David “stayed in Jerusalem” while the soldiers fought battles on his behalf ().

It is always a dangerous thing to become idle in mind and heart while spiritual warfare rages around us.

This is why Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing” (), and this is why our Lord commanded us to “watch and pray” ().

Out of your own house- hold I am going to bring calamity on you.

Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.

You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.

... because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will die.”

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dangerous thing to become idle in mind and heart while spiritual warfare rages around us.

This is why Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing” (), and this is why our Lord commanded us to “watch and pray” ().

David’s idle mind allowed his eyes to then see what he should have avoided ().

Next the wayward king sent ().

Finally, he sinned ().

To make matters worse, he sought to cover one sin, adultery, with another, murder ().

While David held his wicked acts in his bosom, he suffered ().

His only salvation would be true and outright confession.

To assist the king, God sent the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12).

Once David confessed his sin, he found joy and freedom once again ().

God for- gave his sin and restored to David the joy of salvation ().

However, there were consequences.

David’s reign was troubled by the consequences of his grievous sins fourfold:

The death of his newborn son ();

The rape of his daughter, Tamar, by his son Amnon (); The murder of Amnon by his son Absalom ();

And the ruinous rebellion of Absalom against David ().

Final Thought

David was driven from his throne and forced into exile by Absalom’s rebellion.

It was through much pain, including the death of his own son, that David finally won back his kingdom (2 Sam- uel 18-20).

The avalanche of troubles began through one idle day and one senseless act of plea- sure.

David’s disobedience is indelibly marked in Scripture as a reminder to us all of the grave consequences of sin.

God forgives and restores those who repent.

Yet we will reap what we sow.

“The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” ().

Let us, like David, be a people after God’s own heart.

Let us learn from David’s mistakes the importance of repenting immediately and completely when we fall into sin.

This lesson, from the series “Rescuing Heroes,” is designed to supplement your personal and small group Bible study.

The devotion questions are written for your personal study.