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My Servant David
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Part One
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Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD
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(2 Samuel 7:5a)
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Brothers and sisters in the Lord, this subject has been touched on in various
writings in the past; how it is our own righteousness that delights the
LORD.
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Also, the mystery of iniquity was a great puzzle; how people could hear
the words of Truth and not react thereto, but carry on in the same old
evil way.
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It would seem that the answer lies in the above passage of Scripture. Only
when I willingly submit my soul to Him shall I be blessed with His promises.
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*A Psalm of David.* The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He
maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still
waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and
thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence
of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and
I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
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(Psalms 23:1-6)
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David had been a shepherd boy, with long periods of solitude, looking at
creation around him, realising that there was a God, that it was God of
Israel (Elohim) and reacting to that realisation in a positive way.
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David humbled himself in the sight of the LORD and he was lifted up both
spiritually and physically, but he never forgot who he was and who the
LORD was.
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It was a Master/servant (willing slave) relationship.
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While still a shepherd lad his faith in God was such that he stood before
a nine foot high enemy and killed him.
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Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine
shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living
God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of
the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the
hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be
with thee.
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(1 Samuel 17:36-37)
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Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and
with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the
LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee,
and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host
of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild
beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in
Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with
sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give
you into our hands.
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(1 Samuel 17:45-47)
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When he was king of all Israel, a worldly dictator, he brought the ark
of the Covenant into the city of Zion dancing with all his might before
the LORD, demonstrating before his subjects his relationship with God.
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We see that at times he consulted with and listened to God and at others
worked through Nathan the prophet.
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The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines?
wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go
up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand. And David
came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, The LORD hath
broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore
he called the name of that place Baalperazim. And there they left their
images, and David and his men burned them. And the Philistines came up
yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And when David
enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a
compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the
mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the
LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. And David
did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba
until thou come to Gazer.
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(2 Samuel 5:18-25)
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And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given
him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan
the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God
dwelleth within curtains. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that
is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee. And it came
to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me
an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house
since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even
to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the
places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake
I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my
people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? Now therefore
so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts,
I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over
my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest,
and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee
a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are
in the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and
will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move
no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more,
as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be
over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies.
Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy
days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up
thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will
establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will
stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and
he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the
rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall
not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away
before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever
before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all
these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto
David.
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(2 Samuel 7:1-17)
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However, we see that this great king never forgot who it was who blessed
and rewarded him.
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Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am
I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast
spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is
this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? And what can David say more unto thee?
for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant. For thy word's sake, and according
to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy
servant know them. Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there
is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according
to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth
is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem
for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great
things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst
to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? For thou hast
confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee
for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God. And now, O LORD God, the
word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house,
establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said. And let thy name
be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over
Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.
For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant,
saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in
his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. And now, O Lord GOD, thou art
that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto
thy servant: Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy
servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD,
hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant
be blessed for ever.
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(2 Samuel 7:18-29)
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And that Person who was described in the above prophecy said:
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These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy
might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my
commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye
are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you
not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have
called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have
made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in
my name, he may give it you.
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(John 15:11-16)
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Oh what joy it is to be called a friend of the Most High.
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Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am
the LORD your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am
the LORD which sanctify you.
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(Leviticus 20:7-8)
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