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- [00:02]
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Have you ever felt overlooked, passed over for a promotion while someone less qualified got the job? Or perhaps ignored at family gatherings while your siblings grabbed all the attention? Well, welcome to Christ in Prophecy. I'm Tim Moore, director and senior evangelist for Lamb and Lion Ministries, and I'm joined, as always, by Nathan Jones, our Internet evangelist. Today we continue our Finding Jesus in the Old Testament series with a story that will encourage anyone who's ever felt like an unlikely choice, the Remarkable Life of King David. Here was a shepherd boy, the youngest of eight brothers, completely overlooked when the prophet Samuel came looking for Israel's next king. Yet this least likely candidate would become the greatest king in Israel's history and earn the title a man after God's own heart.
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And here's what makes David's story so compelling. He wasn't perfect. Far from it. David's life reads like a roller coaster of incredible highs and devastating lows. One day he's slaying giants with nothing but a slingshot and faith, and the next he's committing adultery and orchestrating murder to cover his tracks. Yet through every twist and turn, David's heart kept gravitating back to God. That's what made him such a beautiful foreshadow of our coming Messiah. Not his perfection, but his persistent pursuit of the Lord's heart.
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And that's the beauty of God's grace, isn't it? He doesn't choose us because we're flawless. He chooses us despite our flaws and then works through us for his glory. Today we'll see how David's unlikely rise to the throne, his patient waiting on God's timing, and yes, even his greatest moral failures all point us to Jesus Christ, the ultimate son of David who sits on an eternal throne.
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So whether you feel qualified or completely inadequate, David's story has something powerful to say to you about God's amazing grace. So let's dive into 2 Samuel and discover how this ancient king points us directly to our coming King of Kings.
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Studying Bible prophecy is an important practice for Christians who want to mature in their at Lamb and Lion. We've compiled the best resources to help you explore and explain Bible prophecy. Our online store is stocked with insightful books and charts from authors such as Dr. David Reagan, Tim Moore, Nathan Jones, and more. So why not add a good Christian book to your library today or order one for a friend? Understand Bible prophecy better when you visit christinprophecy.org
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welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio with Tim Moore. I'm Nathan. Well, when Samuel went to Bethlehem to anoint Israel's next king. He was drawn to David's impressive older brothers. But God said, do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1st Samuel 16, 7. This principle would define David's entire life and ministry.
- [02:45]
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Obviously, folks, as we're talking about the life of David, we're not only in 2 Samuel, but we're going back toward first Samuel to just pick up where David was first anointed as king. And yes, David was the unlikely choice. God had rejected Saul because Saul had been disobedient. In other words, he tried to get too big for his britches. Instead of just serving as king, Saul decided to take on the role of priest, something we talked about last week. So he didn't wait for Samuel to come and make the sacrifice. He got impatient and decided to act out on his own. And because of his disobedience, his faithlessness, he was rejected and so sent Samuel to the home of Jesse. And he said, there you will find the next king of Israel. And so he called Jesse to line up the sons. And one by one they came out. Some of them must have been pretty impressive, Nathan, because they were older, they were full grown. And he kept saying, no, that's not the one, that's not the one. Don't you have any other sons? And Jesse finally said, well, I got this one, but he's out with the sheep. He's the youngest, the scrawniest, you might say, well, bring him in. And sure enough, as David came a ruddy young boy, Samuel recognized that he anointed one of Israel.
- [03:56]
B
Yeah. So just as David was the youngest and seemingly least likely choice among his brothers, Jesus came not as a conquering royalty, but as a humble carpenter from Nazareth. Both men were anointed by the spirit of God for their missions, and both men faced years of preparation before assuming their roles as deliverers of their people. So if anybody is considered a type of Christ in the Old Testament, often it's always pointed to David.
- [04:19]
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It is pointed to David. But there is another aspect of David's life that is very instructive. David was anointed as king by Samuel there before his brothers. But it was years before David would take on the office of being king, because there was still somebody reigning on the throne of Israel. That was Saul. So for many years, David served in the court of Saul. As a matter of fact, he would even play on his instruments and sing to soothe Saul's nerves. Saul was a very paranoid person, and at some point he was given an evil spirit. And so he was plagued by all these troubles. He came to resent David because he understood David would come to play. But David was always faithful and patient, even as he waited to be raised up to that role he had been anointed for. And we have to think that Jesus Christ right now is reigning in heaven. But Nathan, as you and I have made the point, he is not exercising his reign here on the earth because Satan is still roaming about and devouring anyone he can. He is deceiving the nations. Quite certainly, yeah.
- [05:20]
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David's patience was amazing because even after Samuel anointed him as a future king, David exhibited some extraordinary patience. He could have killed Saul when he had the chance and cut off a piece of his robe instead to demonstrate his restraint. But as David said, far be it from me, because the Lord, that I should do this thing to my Lord. Lowercase The Lord's anointed. 1st Samuel 24:6. Jesus waited 30 years before beginning his public ministry, submitting to the Father's perfect timing. I would go even so far as saying that when the universe was created, it says that the Lord was ready. He was going to die for the sins of the world. Even before mankind was created. He had waited thousands of years to get to the point where he could come as a man in earthly form and to die for our sins. It was his passion, Jesus, passion to die. And like you said, Tim, now we're waiting for him to take his throne. 2000 years have passed. The Lord is incredibly patient.
- [06:12]
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He is patient. You know, I think it's instructive even to think about Jesus first miracle. It's recorded in John chapter two. We know of it as the changing of water into wine. But we think that at this point in his life as a human, Jesus was about 30 years old, at least in his late 20s. Let's face it, many rabbis started as younger men and so would have been in the full force of their ministry, so to speak, by that age. But Jesus was waiting on the Father's timing. So even as his mother, being a good Jewish Mama, encouraged him to put himself forward and kind of demonstrate his own power and authority. She understood some aspect of what his calling would be. He said to her, my hour has not yet come. This is in verse 4. Jesus was patient to wait upon the Father and dare I say, Nathan, I think he is still doing that today.
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One thing that we circle back to from the beginning of this program is David's heart for God. That's what sets him apart. Even despite all his sins and imperfections, he took responsibility for his failures. And when confronted by the prophet Nathan, I like that name, about his sins of adultery and murder, David immediately repented. He had a broken and contrite heart. He said this in Psalm 51:17. The sacrifices of God, or a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, and you will not despise. You know, Tim, I'm always amazed that when David sinned, he sinned extraordinarily. I mean, we're talking about murder of hundreds, if not thousands of Philistines, of his rival for Bathsheba, her husband, and other sins that he committed, like taking a census that resulted in thousands of Jewish people losing their lives. And each and every time he didn't stand up in pride and say, oh, it's not my fault, or it's your fault, he took responsibility. He set himself before God. And what he said is not that I have sinned against me or my people. I've sinned against you. He always knew that no matter what sin he did, it would always be a sin against the Lord.
- [08:06]
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I think that's so instructive for us, Nathan, because David's imperfections did not disqualify him. He was still a man after God's own heart. God is not looking for perfection because none of us would be worthy. The only perfect person that has ever lived is Jesus Christ, which is why he was a worthy sacrifice. No, God is looking for that broken and contrite heart that recognizes its utter need of salvation, its dependence upon God through the person of Jesus Christ to cover all sins. And so David highlights God's grace and points us to our need for the perfect king who again, was without sin. So coming up, we're going to examine some current events and see how David's courage in the face of overwhelming odds speaks to our day and age.
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God boldly recorded his prophecies in the Bible so that we could know for sure that he alone controls the future. Nobody is like God, and Bible prophecy points us to this fact. To find out what's really going on in the world, keep listening to Christ in Prophecy. It's your weekly perspective on the signs of the times through the lens of God's prophetic word. Your hosts are Tim Moore, senior evangelist for Lamb and Lion Ministries, and our Internet evangelist, Nathan Jones. Lamb and lion is a non denominational ministry whose purpose it is to proclaim to as many people as possible as quickly as possible that Jesus is returning soon. To find out more, go to christinprophecy.org
- [09:36]
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welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio. We are in a segment we call what's really Going on when we talk about current events relative to whatever passage we've been speaking from. And so today, Nathan, as we look back at King David being this man after God's own heart, we think of the incident where he was so bold as to go out and fight a giant named Goliath when all the other warriors of Israel cowered in their trenches, so to speak. And here's this young boy come to bring some food supplies to his brothers who says, how dare this pagan speak ill of Israel and of our Lord God. And so he went out armed only with a sling and a few stones to fight the giant.
- [10:14]
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I just love to go to the valley of Elah there and be where David fought Goliath. To think that one man's faith in God, he wasn't looking at himself in his stature or his weaponry or his power, but he knew that if God was with him, that nothing could stand him against him. And we know the story, folks. That sling threw that stone, it hit Goliath and Goliath fell over and David cut his head off and the Philistines fell in fear and ran away from Israel. Well, Tim, my heart's heavy because back in September at the United nations, almost every western country joined in in declaring that there should be a two state solution to take land away from Israel so that they're indefensible. Except for the United States and a few countries out in the Pacific, almost the entire world has come against Israel. So now Israel, like David, is having to fight a worldwide system at Goliath. What is their hope?
- [11:03]
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Well, obviously we can look back in the recent history of Israel. In 1948, the experts said there is no way that Israel can survive the onslaught of all the Arab armies that are going to come against it if it declares statehood. The secretary of state at the time, one of my military heroes, George Marshall, told President Truman, do not recognize Israel because they are going to be annihilated. Well, Truman had been to Bible study and to Sunday school, so he understood the promises of God and he recognized Israel anyway. In 1967, Israel was expected to be defeated again by the amassed armies of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. And yet Israel emerged victorious again and again. Israel was the David before this onslaught of Goliath. The world's perception has been turned on its head to now think of Israel as the Goliath and all these oppressed peoples like the Palestinians as the Davids. But in reality, Israel is still surrounded by millions and millions of hostile peoples, whether Muslims, whether the rest of the world, who hates Israel, Israel with a satanic hatred. And yet they will survive. Why? Because God plus one is a majority against any number of foes.
- [12:12]
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You know, people don't seem to understand that there's seven million Jews living in Israel. Seven million, that's it. Do you know how many Arabs there are in the world surrounding them? 650 million. So obviously Israel is the David and the Arab world is the Goliath. And yet repeatedly, because of propaganda, people seem to believe that Israel is the giant aggressor, punishing and persecuting the nations around them. Folks, that's not true. And maybe you have bought into that lie that the Arab world is the victims here. But the Jewish people survive only because they stand strong against the constant attacks against their people. And so, folks, we believe here at Lamb and Lion Ministries that we should take a stand for Israel. Why not? Because they're secular and fallen. And we believe everything their government teaches. We don't even agree with everything our government does. But what we believe in is that God is working a miracle through the Jewish people. He resurrected a nation from the dead. He's got all these prophecies, promised that he will achieve through Israel. And when we support Israel, we support what God is doing through Israel.
- [13:15]
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You know, the other reality is, and this came to my attention recently when a young man I care for very much asked me how I could support Israel when their government sometimes does things that would seem counter to what I would prefer to what would be good for the United States, whatever. And I said, well, let's just go to Scripture instead of talking about the nation of Israel and having to define whether that means the government or the land or the state or the people group, I said, let's just use biblical terms. So In Ezekiel, chapter 36, the Lord says, Beginning in verse 22, therefore say to the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord God. It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for my holy name which you have profaned among the nations where you went. He goes on to explain what he is going to do. But again in verse 32, he says, I am not doing this for your sake. Let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. So the phrase I want a key on is house of Israel, that is the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the genetic descendants who we know of as Jews, and many of them have streamed back to Israel again. Their government may make bad choices and bad policy, just as ours does, but God said he would bring the house of Israel back so that he would be glorified, not because of their behavior, not because of their faithfulness, but because of his promise. And when he fulfills his promise, he is glorified. And so we stand with Israel because that's what Scripture tells us to do. And even today, yes, in the face of all the world, whether it's United nations, so to speak, whether it's individual countries, whether it's the satanically inspired haters throughout the region, Israel is the David, but armed with nothing but a handful of rocks and a sling and the living God, they will defeat their enemies and God will be glorified before our eyes. And so that's what we look forward to. Whether it's victory over these temporal foes or whether it's God's fulfillment of all his promises to Israel. We are excited to see what is happening right now in our own day and age. Stay with us and we'll be right back to talk more about David, the man after God's own heart.
- [15:27]
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Want to know what the Bible has to say about advancing technology, wars in Israel, natural disasters, rapid changes in society, and the end times? To get a trustworthy biblical perspective, keep listening to our radio program, watch Christ in Prophecy TV and read the Lamplighter magazine. It's all available online@christinprophecy.org
- [15:51]
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welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio with Tim Moore. I'm Nathan Jones. Well, we're looking at the most significant prophetic aspect of David's life, and it's going to be found in God's covenantal promise to him, which we can find in 2 Samuel 7. It's called the Davidic covenant, and it has both immediate and eternal implications. It points directly to the Messiah who had come from David's lineage.
- [16:11]
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So let's just read that passage briefly, 2 Samuel 7, 12, 14, which says, when your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, in other words, when you die and pass on David, I, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, in other words, from the line of David and I will establish his kingdom, he shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. Now, we understand that even this promise has kind of a dual Fulfillment in the short term, it would be David's son Solomon, who would come after him and would actually build the temple. And but we also know ultimately that this prophecy would be fulfilled in none other than Jesus Christ.
- [16:53]
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And Jesus Christ would be the temple. He's the object of worship. And he would then replace it with not only his millennial temple, but in the eternal state, a personal relationship where you can walk and talk and have fellowship with God the Father. So the temple will be our home one day in that eternal state. But it's beautiful to see David's response. He had quite the heart of worship. He was very humble. He said in 2 Samuel 7:18, and this folks, reveals his character. Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far? His prayer continues in verses 21:22. For the sake of your word and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness to let your servant know. For this reason you are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you, and there is no God beside you.
- [17:37]
A
You know, this is another indication of David's heart of worship. David, even in the midst of some of his terrible decisions, in the midst of his repentance, in the midst of his defeats, in the midst of his victories, he was always praising the Lord. If you want to read psalm after psalm after psalm of David's worship, if he's pouring out of his heart, go to the book of Psalms. And it is nothing more than worship music pouring out the heart of a man after God's own loving and worshiping him. And that's what David did throughout his life. Again, an imperfect man with a great love, a great reverence for and worship for the true and perfect God.
- [18:13]
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David had a unique perspective too. Because even though Judah was a major player amongst the tribes of Israel, his family was of a small family and of a small clan inside that. So he was raised as a shepherd boy. And folks, you got to remember that shepherds were considered the lowest of the low in ancient Israelite society. And so here we've got a shepherd boy raised to become a king. And so he knew his humble background. And so he would always then be just amazed that God would take something so humble and raise it up to such lofty heights. Folks, same thing with us, that we are fallen, sinful people. But our Savior, our God died on the cross for our sins. And one day he will raise us up in our glorified bodies and we're promised to rule and reign with Him. What a thing to be Thankful for,
- [18:57]
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you know, even as he was looking back on his life and getting ready to sing what was recorded as the last words of David in 2 Samuel 23. This is recorded in 2 Samuel 22:47. David declared, the Lord lives and blessed be my rock, and exalted be God, the rock of my salvation. David understood that even as a king, he needed a savior. This rock of salvation would come through his own lineage as the person of Jesus Christ. I recently read about a rabbi who said, what we need is a perfect redeemer. In other words, tzadit, which is in the Hebrew language, a righteous one. And the rabbi lamented the fact that there has been no real righteous one. And even the Jewish people needed a truly righteous one. Well, Nathan, you and I know the truly righteous one that is the descendant of David, the promised anointed one of Israel, none other than Yeshua Hamashiach, Jesus, the Messiah.
- [19:53]
B
Yeah. What if God came to us and said, someday your descendant will be President of the United States? You're like me. I'm just some lowly guy, but you're going to bless one of my future descendants. That must have been so heartwarming for David. And David then showed the kindness of God even to his enemies. You know, King Saul persecuted him greatly, even though he was best friends with Jonathan, Saul's son. Jonathan had a disabled son named. It's hard to pronounce, but it's Mephibosheth. And he had a disabled son. And David wanted to treat Saul's family well, so he beautifully illustrates God's unmerited favor. David asked for Mephibosheth to come to the king's table, which was a great honor, not based on Mephibosheth's own merit, but on his love for his father, Jonathan, our Heavenly Father also welcomes us to his table to share in his love with his son, Jesus Christ.
- [20:42]
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Yeah, you know, every one of us is unworthy. Not just disfigured and disabled somehow physically, but disfigured and disabled through sin. And yet God welcomes us to his table because his son says, father, this is my brother. This is my sister. And so we are welcomed in to his family. When David meets his descendant, David will worship. And he already is, because I believe that David has already come to know his descendant, Jesus, the anointed One, who would fulfill every prophecy. Last week, Nathan, we talked about how Eli had sons who did not follow in the faith of their father. Samuel, who was called out at a young age, had sons who did not follow in their father's footsteps. David, who at a later age had a son who tried to usurp his authority. As a matter of fact, he had to flee own kingdom when Absalom tried to gain power for himself. Solomon, who was the anointed son, had sons who followed after him and ruled foolishly. The righteousness of a king will not extend forward to future generations unless we pass on the faith that has led to that righteousness. We don't call David the righteous king. We call him a man after God's own heart. If we aspire for our children to be after God's own heart, we have to pass our faith down to them, to our children's children, to every generation we can influence. Otherwise, our kids and our grandkids will turn out just like all these prophets and kings of old.
- [22:08]
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Excellent point, Tim. David's life demonstrates that God uses flawed people for his perfect purposes. His heart for God, his willingness to repent, and his role as a type of Christ all point to our coming king. Well folks, stay with us. Tim's going to come back. He's got some final thoughts about God's amazing grace. Then afterwards, we invite you to go to our website@christinprophecy.org, if this program has been a blessing to you, then please click that donate button. We'll be back in just a moment.
- [22:35]
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Here at Christ in Prophecy, we want everyone to know that Jesus is coming back and he doesn't want his people to be unprepared. So to stay up to date about unfolding events, get a biblical perspective on the signs of the times, and dig deeper into God's prophetic word, check out our free bi weekly Lamplighter magazine. You can easily sign up to have Lamplighter magazine delivered directly to your email inbox when you go to christinprophecy.org Sign
- [23:04]
A
up today when I ask Christians who would be their favorite exemplar from scripture other than Jesus Christ, many of them cite David, a man after God's own heart. David's story offers profound encouragement to every believer who has ever struggled with failure and sin. Here was a man who committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband Uriah's death to cover his tracks. And yet Scripture still calls him a man after God's own heart. How is this possible? Clearly, the answer lies not in David's perfection, but in his heart's response to conviction. When the prophet Nathan confronted him, David didn't make excuses or blame others. He immediately acknowledged his sin and cried out to God for forgiveness. His broken and contrite heart is beautifully captured in Psalm 51, where he pleads, create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. David's greatest failures became testimonies to God's greatest grace, as we see in his treatment of Mephibosheth. David learned to extend the same unmerited kindness that God had shown him. This is the pattern for all believers to follow. We love because he first loved us, and we forgive because we have been forgiven. But David was just a shadow of the true King who was to come. Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, the Son of David, who will reign on David's throne forever. Unlike David, Jesus never sinned, yet he took upon himself the penalty for all our sins. He is our perfect king, our faithful shepherd, and our coming Messiah. If you've never trusted this great Son of David for your salvation, I encourage you to do so today. Like David, acknowledge your sin, trust in God's grace and discover what it means to have a heart after God. And if you have trusted in Christ, let David's example encourage you to worship with abandonment and serve with dedication, knowing that our King is coming soon. Come, Lord Jesus, and Godspeed.