THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

The Books Of Samuel: God's Shift Of Israel From Apostasy Under The Judges To David's Reign

II. 2 Samuel: The Reign Of David Over Israel

H. God's Solution For Public Insecurity

(2 Samuel 7:1-17)

Introduction: (To show the need . . .)

Insecurity in the public at large is widespread and intense today, and man's institutions are unable to quench it:

(1) Erica Werner and Alan Fram's AP story, "GOP health care bill dies" (Republican-American, March 25, 2017, p. 1A) told how "President Donald Trump and GOP leaders pulled their bill to repeal Obamacare off the House floor Friday when it became clear it would fail," and "Democrats said Americans can 'breathe a sigh of relief'" while President "Trump said Obama's law was imploding 'and soon will explode.'"

However, much is at stake: the New England Journal of Medicine claims healthcare comprises 17.9% of the Gross Domestic Product so that "(m)ost experts believe" failure to rectify the healthcare issue long-term will have "catastrophic consequences for the federal government and the U. S. economy." (Victor R. Fuchs, Ph. D., "The Gross Domestic Product on Health Care Spending," July 11, 2013; nejm.org) Thus, the healthcare issue also puts at risk long-term the federal government and the U. S. economy, but the White House and Congress still have not solved it.

(2) The Supreme Court foments insecurity, too: Mark Sherman and Kevin Freking's AP story, "Supreme Court nomination headed for filibuster fight" (Ibid., March 24, 2017, p. 3A), noted, "Senate Democrats vowed Thursday to impede Judge Neil Gorsuch's path to the Supreme Court, setting up a political showdown with implications for future openings on the high court." This stalemate in the Senate has been caused by the Supreme Court's having been politicized by replacing legal and moral absolutes with political correctness, creating insecurity in the public.

(3) Economic instability and its resulting insecurity afflicts grassroots citizens: Christopher S. Rugaber's AP story, "'Deaths of despair' kill off middle-age whites with little education" (Ibid., March 24, 2017, p. 3A) told of a "paper by two Princeton University economists" that claim "less-educated, middle-age white Americans" are "dying from what one expert calls 'deaths of despair' -- suicides, drug overdoses and alcohol-related diseases," and that this "trend is driven by the loss of steady middle-income jobs, for those with a high school diploma or less."

(4) Insecurity due to Islamist terrorism affects many nations: the AP story, "British authorities make more arrests in London attack probe" (Ibid., March 25, 2017, p. 4A) reported that "British police are" exerting great efforts "to trace how a British man became radicalized and launched a deadly attack on Parliament," and that "(t)he Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack . . ."

If native born citizens in Western lands can be radicalized by the Islamic State, a nation's authorities have precious little way of predicting where future terrorist threats will arise, intensifying insecurity in the general public.

Need: So, we ask, "What is God's answer to the widespread and intense public insecurity of today's world?!"

I. God gave David the 2 Samuel 7:11b-17 Davidic Covenant with a focus on providing public security:

A. After the Lord gave David rest from his enemies and security in his kingdom, David voiced concern to the prophet Nathan about the contrast between God's transitory tent and his own luxurious palace, 2 Samuel 7:1-2.

B. God responded, telling David through Nathan that He was the One Who had provided the stability of David's kingdom, and that He would greatly increase His people's security, 2 Samuel 7:3-11a:

1. God told David that He had not ordered anyone to build Him a temple, but that He alone had been the Cause of David's rise from the sheepfolds to rule in power and fame over the nation Israel, 2 Samuel 7:3-9.

2. Accordingly, just as God alone had securely raised David up in his kingdom, the Lord promised He would enhance the security of His people Israel by firmly establishing them, 2 Samuel 7:10-11a (as follows):

a. God promised to "plant" (nata') His people, figuratively meaning to "establish" (B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 642) them in their own place that they might not have to move again as they had done in fleeing from their homes when Gentiles defeated their army, cf. 1 Samuel 31:7; 2 Samuel 7:10a.

b. Also, God promised that wicked men would no longer "afflict" (KJV) them, the Hebrew word ragaz here meaning "quake; be perturbed, anxious," Ibid., p. 919. Since ragaz in 1 Samuel 14:15 and 2 Samuel 22:8 is used to describe earthquakes and in 2 Samuel 19:1 it depicts David's unnerved grief over his son Absalom (Ibid.), God promised that Israel would no longer experience insecurity, 2 Samuel 7:10b-11a.

C. These promises of enhanced public security would occur by God's 2 Samuel 7:11b-17 Davidic Covenant:

1. The Lord promised to establish a lineage for David, a king to follow in his line, 2 Samuel 7:11b-12.

2. That son and not David would then build the Lord's temple, 2 Samuel 7:13a.

3. Also, God would establish this son's kingdom forever, making it eternal, 2 Samuel 7:13b, 16-17.

4. The Lord would treat this man as His son, disciplining him with afflictions administered by other men, but God's mercy would not depart from him like He had removed it from Saul before him, 2 Samuel 7:14-15.

II. The ultimate fulfillment of this covenant of PUBLIC SECURITY will occur in Christ's Messianic reign, but a TYPE of its fulfillment applies to TODAY'S Church era by Christ's promise in Revelation 3:21:

A. The Angel Gabriel said God would give Jesus His father David's throne forever, Luke 1:30-33. The ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant then starts with Christ's Millennial Kingdom! (Rev. 20:1-6; Amos 9:11)

B. Yet, Christ promised a type of His Millennial Kingdom rule to occur in upright Church ministries today:

1. Overcomers in today's Church era that we before learned is predicted in Revelation 3:14-22 will be granted of God to sit with Christ "in" His throne as He overcame and sat down with the Father "in" His throne.

2. As Christ's throne is His Davidic throne in His Messianic Kingdom (Isaiah 2:3-4) over believing people (Isaiah 19:19-25), this promise via Revelation 3:21 suggests God will provide an obedient servant of His influence over believers on a worldwide scale today!

C. The expression "in [one's] throne" occurs in Scripture only in Revelation, and at Revelation 7:17 it appears with Christ's shepherding of oppressed believers who come out of the Great Tribulation. Applied to our era, God promises today's expositors of His Word who overcome worldliness as Christ overcame it (John 16:33; Rev. 3:18a) via their ministries to provide nurturing influence for oppressed believers worldwide.

D. One significant result of this ministry as suggested by way of 2 Samuel 7:10 that speaks of the effects of the Davidic Covenant in Christ's ultimate Messianic Kingdom is security in heart for oppressed believers!

Lesson: God promised to provide great institutional security in Christ's Kingdom through the Davidic Covenant. Since today's local church Bible expositors who overcome worldliness will be used of God to accomplish a type of the same ministry (Revelation 3:21), today's expositors of God's Word who overcome worldliness and expound Scripture will be used of God to nurture oppressed believers on a vast scale, providing them great security in heart.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ for salvation from sin, John 3:16. (2) Then, (a) if we are called of God to minister to God's flock as a messenger, may we rely on the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16) for the power to overcome the world in its lusts of the flesh, of the eyes and of the pride of life (1 John 2:15-16) to be used of God to nurture many believers oppressed by today's public insecurity. (b) If we are not called to be such a messenger, but we overcome worldliness ourselves, may we heed the Bible exposition God provides for us to be nurtured into security.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

We illustrate how Bible exposition overcomes widespread and intense public insecurity today (as follows):

(1) President Trump's order Tuesday to curtail former President Obama's climate change regulations was met with dire warnings from various authorities. For example, Carol Davenport's story, "Trump Signs Executive Order Unwinding Obama Climate Policies" (nytimes.com, March 28, 2017) cited Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton as saying the order could lead to "the world" failing "to stay out of the climate danger zone.'"

However, we counter this fear with Genesis 8:22 where God promised to control earth's climate so that the earth's crop production might persist as long as the earth exists, and Revelation 20:11 shows the earth will exist until after Christ's Kingdom, countering "climate change" extremism. Also, the op-ed, "No Need to Panic About Global Warming" in The Wall Street Journal, January 27, 2012, p. A15, that sixteen scientists signed, claims, "Speaking for many scientists and engineers who have looked carefully and independently at the science of climate, we have a message to any candidate for public office: There is no compelling scientific argument for drastic action to 'decarbonize' the world's economy. Even if one accepts the inflated forecasts of the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change], aggressive greenhouse-gas control policies are not justified economically." (brackets ours)

(2) Also, each insecurity-causing issue in our introduction can be met by applying Scripture: healthcare and its long-term threat to the economy and government, the challenge to personal liberties of a politicized Supreme Court, job needs and the threat of terrorism are all countered as follows: (a) Ephesians 2:10 claims God has foreordained all the works a believer is to perform for Him, and (b) Philippians 4:19 in the context of material needs claims God will meet all the needs godly believers have by His glorious riches in Christ. (c) Thus, all we believers have to do to enjoy God's secure blessings is focus on doing His assigned will and He will meet our every need -- be it in the realm of healthcare or the government or the economy or personal liberties or income or protection from terrorism!

May we then stay faithful to the Word of God to see Him provide continued security and blessing!