This morning we'll be in the
Old Testament, in 2 Samuel. We're here with 2 Samuel 23.
2 Samuel 23, we'll be looking at
verses 1 to 5. He fulfilled it all. The message's name is Covenant
Mercies in Christ. Covenant Mercies in Christ. God is a God of covenants. And
we're looking at the everlasting covenant. Covenant mercies in
Christ. Now, these be the last words
of David. David, the son of Jesse, said in the man who was raised
up on high and the anointed of God, of the God of Jacob and
the sweet psalmist of Israel, said the spirit of the Lord spake
by me and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel has
said, the rock of Israel spake to me. He that rules over men
must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the
light of the morning when the sun rises, even a morning without
clouds, as the tender grass springs out of the earth by clear shining
after rain. And this is our main text here.
Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me
an everlasting covenant. ordered in all things ensure
that this is all my salvation and all my desire, although he
make it not to grow." The words we are looking at today are David's
last words. And we see in his last words
before us the trust and the reliance upon God in Christ Jesus, our
Lord. Sometimes people's last words
are recorded or written written down for us to read or to hear.
And you can find out a lot about a person from their last words.
You can find out who they're hopeless or what they're hopeless. And we certainly know from a
text before us who and what David's hope was with his last words.
His promotion is soon to come. He's soon to graduate. and be
taken up on high. And during this time, he found
his comfort and his hope and his salvation in God's covenant. The covenant of mercy and grace
revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the surety of the covenant.
Hebrews 7 says this, By so much was Jesus made a surety of a
better testament, Wherefore, he is able to also to save them
to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth
to make intercession for them. Now, David was a great king. And he won many victories. And
he reigned over Israel for 40 years as God's king. He was used greatly of God to
write many psalms that we read. And he's a great hero of the
faith. But let us notice something, let us notice his hope, the hope
of his salvation was not in what he had accomplished. It was not in what he had done.
But his hope was in Christ alone, was in the covenant God had made
with him. He's not listing and we can go through, he's not listing
the amazing things that occurred. He slayed Goliath. He's not boasting
in that. He recovered the Ark of the Covenant.
He's not mentioning that. He's the great shepherd who penned
a lot of the Psalms. He's not glorying in that. He's the one who was anointed
king. His brothers were passed by and he was anointed king.
The one who they didn't think was going to be king. Because
man looks on the outward, but God looks on the inward. And he was one of those chosen
that you sang about, sister. He was one of those chosen of
God. God said he was a man after his
own heart. He's not resting in that. And
he's also, notice in the text, he's also not despairing in the
sins. He committed adultery with Bathsheba.
He's not despairing enough. He's the one who had Uriah sent
to the front lines and killed. He's not despairing, as he knows
that God has forgiven him for all his sins. All of them. Paul quotes him
in Romans 4, verses 7 and 8, saying, Blessed are they Blessed
are they whose iniquities are forgiven. And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. That's a blessing. And it's only
found in Christ and in him alone. So he's not boasting in what
he's done and he's not despairing in the sin. He describes the
hope of every believer in verse five. Let's look again at verse
five. Although my house be not so with God, yet he has made
with me an everlasting covenant. Ordered in all things, ensure
for this is all my salvation. Is Christ not all the believer's
salvation? Is Christ not all the believer's
desire? When we get in trouble, we look
at situations or others. That's when we get in trouble.
We need to focus on Christ, you know, on him alone. Oh, although
we are sinners, all of us, we looked at this morning by birth,
by nature and by choice, every one of us, we come into this
world dead in trespasses and sins. Scripture says, Behold,
I was shaping an iniquity and in sin did my mother concede
me. Although we are guilty before God, Now we know that what what
thing soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the
law that every mouth may be stopped. There's no one who's not guilty.
And all the world may became guilty before God, all the world. Although we deserve nothing but
the judgment of God and his wrath for our sins, for the wages of
sin, the payment in the Greek, it says it's the payment. It's
like a soldier receiving payment. For his duties, the wages of
sin, this is what we deserve, but is dead. Oh, beloved, but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Yet God delights to show mercy,
although we are guilty, God delights to show mercy to sinners because
of the eternal covenant of grace made with the Lord Jesus Christ.
And no other reason. Now, the God of peace that bought
again from the dead, our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd. Of the sheep through the blood
of the everlasting covenant, his blood will shed for the blood
of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good
work to do as well, working in you that which is well pleasing.
In his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory again to give
him all the glory, we give him all the glory and all the praise.
To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. This is this is mercy beyond
measure. This is grace pressed down and
overflowing. Our sinful condition does not
hinder God's almighty purpose. And His grace in Christ Jesus,
our Lord, for when we were yet Without strength in due time,
Christ died for the ungodly. That's us. Before the Lord saves
us, we're ungodly. Christ died the sinner's substitute
for the ungodly, the sinless one, dying in the room instead
of his people. Fully satisfying the law and
justice of God. Daniel 4.35 shows us that our God is absolutely
sovereign. He rules and reigns and does
what He will. We can't hinder His purpose. I remember, I had never seen
this verse until the Lord showed me grace. Daniel 4.35, And all
the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And He doeth, a sovereign King,
He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay as Andrew say
unto him, what doest thou? See, when folks say, well, that's
not fair that God chooses. Who are we to argue with God? Be thankful that he chooses the
people. No one can thwart the purpose or providence of God.
No one can hinder his purpose or his grace in the Lord Jesus
Christ. He is absolutely sovereign. And the believer loves and rests
in that. So let's look at five points
about the covenant David has spoken about in our text. Let's look at five points of
this. Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made
with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. This covenant, beloved, is everlasting.
It's everlasting. The covenant is everlasting in
its counsel. Before there was a sinner, there
was a savior. Before Adam fell, the surety
stood. And all that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him whose names are not written in the book.
of the of the life of the lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. God, the father and son. And
the Holy Spirit entered into a covenant with one another.
Before time ever was. Before the foundation of the
world. Before God had spoken existence
out of nothing. We can't fathom this, but before
he did. Before there was ever any angels. Before any song stirred
the silence of eternity in which God ruled supreme. God, the father,
had entered into solemn council with himself, with his son and
with his spirit, and in that council decreed, determined,
purposed and predestinated the salvation of his people. This makes it absolutely not
dependent upon us. It's not that God looked down
through time and saw that people would have faith, so they chose
him. That's works. No, it's by the free and sovereign
mercy of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord, that we're saved. Plus
nothing. And this covenant is everlasting
in its continuance. No one can thwart his counsel,
no one can thwart his covenant by anything said or done. Whatever God does, it shall be
forever. It shall be forever. Ecclesiastes says, I know that
whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever. Nothing can be put
to it nor anything taken from it. And God doeth it that man
should fear before him. Because God never changes, his
covenant will never change. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today and forever. He doesn't change. I remember when I was in dispensationalism,
I used to think that the Old Testament was for the Jews and
the New Testament was for believers. Oh, was I in for a big surprise.
It's the same God in the Old Testament is in the New Testament.
And remember, too, that when Paul was preaching and Peter
and James and John, they didn't have the New Testament. They
were proclaiming Christ from the Old Testament. And the road
to Aramaic, the law and the prophets, they testify of me, of me. And the believers, is in the
everlasting covenant is predestined to be conformed to the image
of Christ. Turn with me, if you would, to Romans chapter eight.
I know it's a passage we're all familiar with. But it's. It's good for us to
look. Romans chapter eight. And this
is in mind of the everlasting covenant has everlasting consequences. And we notice most of this is
in past tense. Romans chapter 8, verse 28. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God. A lot of folks stop
right there. We have to read the rest of the
passage. And this is the verse that the Lord used to open Brother
Henry Mann's eyes. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called. There it is, the called according to his purpose. For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren. And look at this. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
it's all past tense. Then he also called. In whom
he called, then he also justified. In whom he justified, then he
also glorified. God does not live in time and space like we
do now. It occurs for us in time and
space. But according to God's economy, Christ is the lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. And that which was purposed and
planned in eternity came to pass in time and space. We see that the consequences
of the covenant is everlasting. And what we have just read, what
what wonderful mercy. What matchless grace is displayed
before us in the everlasting covenant? And we marvel at the
grace of God in Christ for sinners. So we see that the covenant David
spoke of in our text is everlasting. The second portion I'd like to
look at, again, back to our text in 2 Samuel 23, 5. Although my
house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting
covenant. And the next point I'd like to look at is ordered
in all things. Ordered in all things. God is
a God of order. And he's a God of decrees. What
he has decreed will come to pass. This is why we can say that he
will he will. We're on the trail of God's sheep.
He will get every one of the sheep. God will get every one
of the sheep. He will. There's no doubt. Not one will
be lost and not one will ever fall away. because He keeps them. The mercies
and grace of God are not left to luck or chance, nor the sinner's
will. Our will is bound by our nature
before we're saved. We have no free will. We're bound
by our dead nature. But the mercies of God are left
to the determinate counsel and purpose of God. Ephesians 1,
verses 3-6, Scripture declares, Blessed be God, be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. See, outside of Christ,
no spiritual blessings. In Christ, all spiritual blessings. All of them are in Him. According
as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.
There's the everlasting covenant. that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace,
wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. May we think
on this, that God puts the doing of our salvation not in our hands,
but in Christ alone. who cannot fail. He cannot fail. Isaiah declares he shall not
fail, nor be discouraged till he have set judgment in the earth
and the isle shall wait for his law. He shall not fail. It's sure it's ordered, and we're
going to look at it sure to Moses told Joshua and Deuteronomy chapter
31. Be strong and of good courage.
Fear not, nor nor be afraid of them. For the Lord thy God, He
it is that doth go with thee. He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." And Moses
called unto Joshua and said unto him, in the sight of all of Israel,
be strong and of good courage. For thou must go with this people
unto the land which the Lord has sworn unto their fathers
to give them. And thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And
the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee. He will be with
thee. He will not fail thee." Again.
Neither forsake thee, fear not, neither be dismayed. Deuteronomy
31, verses 6-8. He is with His people. And His
covenant shall not fail. It shall never fail. May we rest and repose in these
sweet words. May they be honey to our souls. And the Lord, He it is, Let God
go before thee. He will be with thee. He will not fail thee. Let's
just rest in there. Neither forsake thee. People
may forsake us. God will never forsake his people.
Never. He said, I'll never leave you
nor forsake you. Never. And in the Greek, it's
never, not ever, never. It's a triple. Beloved of God, salvation is
of the Lord. Not of man's will or doing. It's
all of grace, it's 100 percent grace or it's not salvation.
It's 100 percent grace or it's not grace at all. I remember
Brother Jean-Claude telling me the analogy of a balloon. We
see it all the time, a balloon filled with helium, and it's
full, and it's full of air, full of helium. And if you just put
a pinprick in that balloon, just a pinprick, you can't even see
the pinprick sometimes, but just a pinprick. And that's like men
mixing works with grace. And what happens? That's what happens if you mix
works with grace. It's not grace. Romans 9, 13 to 16, Scripture
declares, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I
hated. What shall we then say? Is there
unrighteousness with God? Folks, they get angry with that. What? And Paul and the Holy Spirit
had Paul pen this, knowing that that would be man's natural reaction.
Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he sayeth
to Moses, I have mercy on whom I have mercy. The mercy of God
in Christ that we're saved. And I'll have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, there goes free will. Nor of him that runneth, there
goes works. But of God that showeth mercy. So we see the covenant David
spoke of. And our text is ordered by God. It's ordered and decreed
by God. Back to our text again. In verse five, although my house
be not so with God, yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant
ordered in all things, so it's an everlasting covenant. It's
ordered. And the next word is ensure. Sure. There's not much in this world
or anything, really, that's sure. But this covenant is made by
him who dwells in eternity. Who holds all things by the word
of his power. It stands upon a sure basis. Its foundation is sure. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the foundation which this covenant rests upon. He is the solid rock. Therefore, thus says the Lord
God, behold, by laying Zion for a foundation stone, a tried stone,
a precious cornerstone. And here we are a sure foundation. He that believe it shall not
make haste. Timothy in the New Testament
says, nevertheless, the foundation of God's standard sure having
this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. You see, He knows
who His sheep are. He knows them. He knows them
by name. Before we know Him, He knows
us intimately. Why? Because He bled and died
in our womb instead. And we were given to Him. who
were given to Him in Christ before the foundation of the world.
He loves them with an everlasting love. God loves His people with
an everlasting love. The believer then can sing with
the hymn writer, My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood
and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. So we see that the covenant David
spoke of in our text is sure it's it's everlasting, it's ordered,
and it's sure because it's God, it's his covenant. The fourth
point I'd like to look at is it has a particular application. Let's look at our text again.
Although my house be not so with God, yet he has made with me. An everlasting covenant ordered
in all things and ensure. The believer can marvel, God
has made with me. It's particular. It's not for
everyone. We proclaim the Gospel to all,
but Christ draws and saves His sheep. And those who flee to
Christ can say, God hath made with me a dead dog sinner, an everlasting covenant. David could put his hand on his
breast and say that God hath made with me in everlasting covenant. He could rest in this as He is
dying. God has made with me an everlasting covenant. Not based
upon anything He said or done, but based upon the pure and free
and sovereign grace of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yet He has made with me an everlasting
covenant. And this is for all who flee
to Christ. all the elect of all the ages. The covenant which David rests
and stands secure is the covenant which God made with him. The
everlasting God who dwells in eternity made a covenant with
his people in Christ. In Christ. Yet he hath made with
me an everlasting covenant. God the Father The everlasting
Father has made a covenant with his people. God, who in the thickest
darkness dwells and reigns forever in majesty alone. We add nothing to God. He rules
supreme, God, who spoke the world into existence by a word. God holds the destiny of all
creation in his hands. The prince of the kings of the
earth, Jehovah of all the ages, the everlasting God, the self-existent
one. That God, stooping from his majesty,
makes a covenant with his people in Christ Jesus, our Lord. What condensation, what condensation? May we marvel in the depths of
divine mercy. It's bottomless. Who has he made a covenant with?
David says, me. And this is personal for every
one of God's people. Beloved to God, those trusting
in Savior, we can apply this text personally. God has made
with me an everlasting covenant, not based upon anything I do.
I don't deserve it. But it's by his mercy and his
grace. Rejoice, beloved. It's a personal covenant in Christ
for his people. The fifth point I'd like to look
at in our text is, David says, for this is all my salvation.
The everlasting covenant is totally based upon Jesus Christ, our
Lord. It's based upon his person, who he was, who he is and what
he's done. He's the God-man mediator. He's
God in the flesh. Fully God and yet fully man.
When I was a Catholic, this verse rattled my faith in 1 Timothy
2, 5, For there is one God and one mediator between God and
man. There's only one. You don't have to go to a man.
There's only one God and only one mediator between God and
man. The man Christ Jesus. He is the sinner's substitute.
All we like sheep have gone astray. We turned everyone to to his
own way. And the Lord laid on him, laid
upon him the iniquity of us all. He bore it and bled and died
for his people on the tree. It's based upon his sacrifice.
Our salvation is based upon his sacrifice, his righteousness,
him perfectly fulfilling the law and justice of God in our
room instead as our substitute. The gospel tells us what man
cannot do for himself in order to be accepted before God and
what God himself has done for us in Christ. We must live a perfect life to
be acceptable before God, we can't do that. So Christ lives a sinless life
before the law and justice of God. The gospel declares that Jesus
Christ, our Lord, did this in our room instead as the sinner's
substitute. The holy law of God was lived
out perfectly by Christ and the penalty was paid perfectly. Perfectly
by Christ for our sins. Perfectly. The sword of God's justice was
unseen and it was plunged into Christ. The soul that sinned, it must
die. Christ is a sinner substitute. He dies before the law and justice
of God. Sinless. But the sacrifice for
the sins of his people. At Calvary. Mercy and truth are
met together. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. The living and dying of our Lord Jesus Christ
for us, and this alone is the only basis for our acceptance
with God. The only basis. So the believer rejoices in the
fact that the Lord Jesus Christ has paid the price for all my
sins. Oh, for all of them. Past, present and future. Turn
with me, if you would, to Colossians chapter two. Oh, may we rejoice. Jesus paid it all. Colossians chapter two. Verse 13 and 14. Oh, this is
a this is mountaintop scripture. It shows our state by birth. And you being dead in your sins,
verse 13, in the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened,
ruined, ruined, absolutely ruined, dead in sins, regenerated, hath
he quickened together with him and redeemed. Heaven forgiven
you all trespasses, all of them. And in verse 14 it says, blotting
there in the Greek, it means to obliterate. Heaven forgive you all trespasses,
blotting out, obliterating the handwriting of ordinances that
was against us. And there was many. Which was
contrary to us and took it out of the way, nailing it to His
cross. Oh, what wonderful grace. What
wonderful mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ and him alone. This is
grace, as I said earlier, grace and mercy without depth. It's
depthless. You cannot plumb it. You cannot
fathom the depths and mercy of God in Christ. And all this he
did for his people. And this is why David says this
is all my salvation. God pardons the sinner based
upon the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ in the sinner's
room instead, plus absolutely nothing. It's all what Christ has done.
A friend of mine was teaching in a Christian school back in
Oregon. He got himself in a little bit
of trouble. He put on his chalkboard. Salvation equals Jesus Christ
plus nothing. And it was a workspace school
and it didn't go over very well, but that's truth. Salvation is
Jesus Christ plus nothing. We just flee to him. And even
that he gives us, he makes us willing to come to him. What
mercy, what grace. And beloved of God, this so strips
the believer. It's stripping grace. It strips,
strips the believer of having any measure of confidence for
salvation in himself. It's stripping grace. And what
does the gospel do? Builds us back up in Christ. Oh. And it makes the sinner flee
to Christ as his only hope. Jesus Christ is not a way. He
is the way. Jesus said unto him, I am the
way. There's no other way. The truth. And the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. No other way. No other way but
Christ. This is why we say cast your
works aside. Don't think you're gaining merit
and favor with God by doing anything. Just trust Christ. Just rest
in him. Will the believer desire to live
a holy life? Absolutely. I don't know any grace creature
that that would say you can go out and live however you want.
Absolutely not. Because why? The love of Christ
constrains us from sin. It's the love of Christ that
constrains us. No other truth but Christ. No
other life, no eternal life, but in Christ and through Christ
and him alone. No ability to come to God. but
through the Lord Jesus Christ. So we see the covenant that David
spoke of in our text is the believer's salvation. It's all about Christ.
It's all. The believer's salvation is in
Christ and him alone. With no hope outside of him.
Let's look at the next portion of our text. So we see that it's an everlasting
covenant, it's ordered, it's sure. It's all David's salvation. And next we see in all my desire. This is the believers desire.
We rejoice and have no confidence in the flesh, none at all. None
at all. Philippians. Scripture declares,
for we are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoice
in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. None. I don't have
any confidence in my flesh. My hope and confidence is in
Christ and in him alone. Though I might have confidence
in the flesh and remember who Paul was, he could he he had
a pedigree, didn't he? He says, though I might have
confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath
whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. Circumcised the
eighth day of the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew
of Hebrews, is touching the law, a Pharisee. Concerned and zeal,
persecuting the church, touching the righteousness within the
law, blameless. He thought he was perfect. Was he in for a
big surprise, just like every believer, eh? But what things
were gained to me? Those I counted lost for Christ.
No confidence in the flesh. All his desire is Christ. Yea,
doubtless, I count all things but lost for the excellency of
the knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things, and do count them but done, that I may
win Christ and be found in Him." And be found in Him. Not having
my own righteousness. It's not about our works, is
it? No. Not having my own righteousness,
which are like filthy rags before the Lord. which is of the law,
but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness,
I love this, which is of God by faith. Philippians chapter
three, verses three to nine. Oh, the believer is robed in
the righteousness of Christ. We desire to know more about
Jesus Christ and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of him. As newborn babes desire the sincere
milk of the word that she may grow thereby, if so be of taste
that the Lord is gracious and he is gracious. He is so merciful. Mercy for the miserable. Oh. Is this not a desire of every
believer? To grow in Christ. More price, more price than less
of myself. He must increase, but I must
decrease. In closing, beloved, let us let
us think on these things. Yes, we are sinners to our shame. But Christ died for sinners. Yes, the law condemns us. But Christ honored the law in
his people's room instead. Yes, justice has a claim upon
us. But Christ satisfied that claim in the room instead of
his people. Yes, we are imperfect in faith,
we are imperfect in commitment, imperfect in love, but he knows
our frame and remembers that we are dust. and loves us all the same. Beloved God, we are in Him by
His choice. Have you ever marveled at that?
Me? We are redeemed by His blood. We are called by His Spirit.
He is the Alpha and He is the Omega. He is the Author and He
is the Finisher of our faith. And we are kept by His power
through faith which He gave us. Salvation is of the Lord. It's
of the Lord. Turn with me, if you would, to
Jude. And may this text just fill our
hearts with joy. Jude 24 and 25. Oh, may this
be our comfort. Now unto Him, Christ, that is
able, to keep you from falling. Christ saves His people and He
keeps His people. He keeps them. Now unto Him that is able to
keep you from falling and to present you faultless. Faultless. faultless before the presence
of His glory. And I love this, with exceeding
joy. To present sinners faultless
with exceeding joy. To the only wise God, our Savior,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Amen. David, as he's dying, his only hope is Christ. His
only hope is that God has made a covenant with him. It's sure. It's ordered. It's everlasting. It's personal. It's all his salvation. It's all his desire. He has no
hope anywhere else. Oh, may God remind us and keep our mind focused upon what
He's done for us. And may God be glorified in the
preaching of His Word.