Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20061008.htm

1 AND 2 CHRONICLES: GAINING DIRECTION OUT OF THE AIMLESSNESS OF APOSTASY
Part II: Gaining Direction From God's Work In The Reign Of David, 1 Chronicles 10-29
A. Gaining Direction From Noting God's Work In David And His Subjects To Establish His Monarchy
(1 Chronicles 11:1-12:40)
  1. Introduction
    1. Jesus said He would build His Church, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it, Matt. 16:18.
    2. Due to humanly stiff challenges faced, we often need encouragement that this prediction is being fulfilled, and the way God worked in David and his subjects to establish his monarchy can edify us in this matter:
  2. Gaining Direction From Noting God's Work In David And His Subjects To Establish His Monarchy.
    1. God first pledged to set up David as Israel's king in his anointing by Samuel to that end, 1 Sam. 16:1-13.
    2. Now, for David to become king over Israel, tremendous human obstacles had to be overcome as follows:
      1. Saul was ruling when God sent Samuel to anoint David, and Saul was very opposed to God's blessing or exalting David to where he repeatedly sought to kill David, cf. 1 Sam. 16:1; 18:7-9; 19:1; 20:30-31.
      2. When Saul finally died in battle, many Hebrews still supported Saul's line, so a long civil war occurred between the followers of Saul and those of David that impeded the start of David's reign, 2 Sam. 3:1a.
    3. However, God worked in David so that Saul's subjects might shift their allegiance to follow David:
      1. God's Spirit left Saul and came upon David, causing him to excel and Saul to fail in his efforts, and this influenced the people to begin to accept David as their ruler, 1 Samuel 16:13-14; 18:6-7, 28-30 et al.
      2. As David fled from Saul, men began to leave Saul to follow him, 1 Sam. 20:42; 22:1-2; 1 Chr. 12:22.
      3. During this time, David learned to trust in God under his trials with Saul as Psalm 18 reports.
      4. Saul finally died in battle, and David continued to trust and obey the Lord, refusing to take vengeance on Saul's line to where all Israel came to trust and love David, cf. 2 Samuel 3:33-37.
      5. Accordingly, the people finally came together to David at Hebron to make him king, 2 Samuel 4:8-5:3.
    4. Additionally, and just as important, God worked in the hearts of others around David to persuade them to follow him so that the obstacles to David's becoming king in God's will were gradually overcome:
      1. 1 Chronicles 11:1-2 reports that, at the death of Ish-bosheth, Saul's ruling son, all Israel came to David.
      2. They identified themselves with David as "thy bone and thy flesh," a phrase demonstrating a sense of brotherhood with David essential to the establishment of the Davidic monarchy, 1 Chronicles 11:1.
      3. The people also recalled how God had used David to lead them in past military conquests, starting with David's slaying of Goliath (1 Samuel 18) followed by all his later military victories, 1 Chron. 11:2a.
      4. The people of Israel also recalled that God had told David he would shepherd His people Israel just as David had once shepherded his father's flocks, 1 Chron. 11:2b with 1 Sam. 16:1, 11-13.
      5. Thus, David pledged to heed the Mosaic Law as their king, and Israel's elders anointed him king of the nation in Hebron where he already ruled over Judah, 1 Chron. 11:3; Bib. Know. Com., O. T., p. 603.
      6. David then moved his home to Jebus, the citadel that later became Jerusalem, as it was "centrally and neutrally located," and so further united the nation under his reign, 1 Chronicles 11:4; Ibid.
      7. From 1 Chronicles 11:5-12:40, a long list of mighty men with their deeds who served David appears, showing God was working to motivate and enable his subjects that David might have a kingdom:
        1. David's military commander overcame the pagan Jebusites to set up the city of Jerusalem, 11:5-7.
        2. David then built up the area, becoming stronger and stronger under God's help, 1 Chron. 11:8-9.
        3. Thus, heroes arose and did mighty works to help David, 11:10-12:40: Jashobeam and Abishai each slew 300 foes with a spear at a time (11:11, 20); Eleazar and David protected a field of grain from the Philistines (11:12-14); 3 mighty men risked their lives to fetch water for David from Philistine held Bethlehem (11:15-19) and Benaiah killed two lion like men of Moab, descended into a snowy pit to kill a lion on a snowy day and slew a 7' 6" Egyptian by grabbing the spear out of his hand and killing him (11:22-23)! Other great men and their deeds are described in 1 Chronicles 11:26-12:40.
Lesson: Against great human odds, God's Spirit worked in David and in the people of Israel who saw his life and call to rule arrange for God's promise to establish David's reign become a reality.

Application: May we yield to the Holy Spirit's leading and rely on His power that God might use us in His building of His Church against all human obstacles just as God used David and his men in his era!