Turn to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews
chapter 11. This is not our text this morning. I'm sorry to say. But as I was studying our text,
I could not get this one verse of Scripture off my mind. I kept
saying this one verse of Scripture. And so I want to begin by reading
it this morning. Hebrews 11 and look at verse
13. It said, these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them. and confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Isn't that a comforting verse?
These all in Hebrews 11, and these all died in faith, not
having received the promises. But they saw Him afar off, and
they were persuaded of Him. And they embraced Him. And they
confessed that they were just strangers and pilgrims on the
earth. Okay, now let's turn to our text.
It's 2 Samuel chapter 23. Second Samuel 23, let's read
the first five verses. It says, Now these be the last
words of David. David, the son of Jesse, said,
And the man who was raised up on high, the anointed 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 said, The Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over
men must be just. ruling in the fear of God. And
he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth,
even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing
out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house,
be not so with God. Yet he hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. For this is all my
salvation and all my desire, although he make it not to grow." died in faith, not having received the promise. But he saw it afar off. And he
was persuaded of it. And he embraced it. And he confessed
that he was just a stranger and a pilgrim on this earth. Verse 1 says, Now these be the
last words of David. Those are important words, aren't
they? Those are important words. A
man's last words. When a man realizes his time
is up, it's over. He has just enough energy and
just enough time to say one more thing. One more thing. We've seen the movies, you know,
the old man is dying and he pulls the young man close and he says,
son, you've got to know this. You've got to hear this. When a man says his last words,
That is the moment when he's going to cut straight to the
heart of the matter. He's going to tell what he believes
is the most important thing in life. The most important thing
in life. Verse 1 says, now these be the
last words of David. David knew he was a dying man,
speaking to dying men. and women. And it says in verse 1, David
the son of Jesse. David was a man. He was just
a man. Just a regular man. God said
he was a man after his own heart. But David was just flesh and
blood like you and me. He was just a man. When David took a stone and he
put it in a sling and he started running towards Goliath, he had
no idea where that stone was going to go. No idea. He didn't know if it
was going to miss him altogether. He didn't know if he was going
to drop dead instantly. He didn't know if it was just
going to make him mad and then here it comes. He had no idea
he was just a man. Turn over to James chapter 5.
Hold our text because we're going to turn back and forth a little
bit. James 5. And look at verse 17. James 5, 17 says, Elias, Elijah,
was a man. Elijah, just a man. Subject to like passions as we
are. That word passions means feelings
and experiences and it goes on to say usually painful. He was
just a man. Elijah. We started in Hebrews
11. Go back to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 verse 17 says, By
faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac. And he that
had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. When
Abraham had Isaac, his son, laying on an altar, bound up, and a
dagger in his hand ready to plunge, he had no idea what the outcome
was going to be. He was just doing what the Lord
told him to do. He had no idea. Verse 24 says,
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for
a season." When Moses made that decision, he had no idea what
the outcome would be. He was just a man. Verse 29 says, "...by faith they
passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land, which the Egyptians
assaying to do, were drowned." Israel is hemmed up and the Egyptians
are chasing them. And they're at a sea. Nowhere
to go. And the people are asking Moses,
what are we going to do? What are we going to do? And Moses very wisely says, stand
still. Just stand still. And see the
salvation of the Lord. But Moses had no idea what they
were going to do. He had no idea. He was just a
man. Until God told Moses, strike
the water, Moses was thinking, I don't know what we're going
to do. I don't know. I have no idea. God did. Verse 30, By faith the walls
of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days. They're walking around Jericho
for seven days, and at the end of every day, you know they had
to be asking, does anybody see any cracks or anything? Does
it look like we're making any ground at all? Is anything happening? They were just men. They all
died in faith. David was just a man. Our text
back in 2 Samuel 23 says David was the man who was
raised up on high. David, in his last words, is
taking this opportunity to tell how great things the Lord has
done for me. He said, I was an object of God's
grace. I was nothing. I was a beggar
on a dumb hill. I was a shepherd boy, just a
keeper of sheep, and God made me a king. Turn over to 1 Samuel chapter
2. 1 Samuel chapter 2, look at verse
6. This is Hannah praying. It says,
The Lord killeth. The Lord killeth. And maketh
alive. He bringeth down to the grave
and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor and maketh
rich. He bringeth low and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of
the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill to set
them among princes, and to make them inherit the
throne of glory. For the pillar of the earth are
the Lord's, and He set the world upon them. In Revelation 1, John said, He
hath made us kings and priests unto our God. David says, this is the most
important thing I have to say. These are my last words. And I want to tell you how great
things the Lord has done for me. Now our text says in 2 Samuel
23, verse 1, David was the anointed of the
God of Jacob. Now turn to 1 Samuel chapter
16. 1 Samuel 16, verse 11 says, And
Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said,
There remaineth yet the youngest. And behold, he keepeth the sheep.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we will not
sit down till he come hither. And he sent and brought him in,
Now he was ready and with all of the beautiful countenance
and goodly to look to, and the Lord said, Arise, anoint him,
for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of
oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren, and the Spirit
of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." When David
was anointed, What that anointing was, was the Spirit of the Lord
coming upon David. And let's notice what that caused
in David. Back in our text, it says, the end of verse 1 says, he was
the sweet psalmist of Israel. The Spirit of the Lord caused
grace to pour from His lips. The Psalms were so sweet because
every single psalm had the same subject. The Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit of the Lord was upon
Him. Everything He wrote about and
spoke was the Lord. He was determined to know nothing
save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And David says in verse 2, the
Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue.
David says, the things that I have written in the form of psalms
are the words of God. And I say this morning, the things
that I speak, not every word that comes out of this mouth,
I'm a sinner. But the things that I declare
from this word, they are the words of God. These are not Gabe's
words. They're not David's words. It's
the word of God. Well, David uses his last words
to say in verse 3, the God of Israel said, the rock of Israel
spake to me. And this is what he said. Son,
make sure you hear this. He that ruleth over men must
be just, ruling in the fear of God. David said, the Lord told
me that somebody is coming and he's going to take over the
throne and he's going to rule it forever. Somebody is coming. He that ruleth
over men is going to be just. He's going to rule in the fear
of God. Verse 4 says, And he shall be
as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning
without clouds. as the tender grass springing
out of the earth by clear shining after rain. He's the Son of righteousness
with healing in His wings. That's who's going to sit on
the throne forever. Let's see where the Lord told
David this. Let's turn to 2 Samuel chapter
7. 2 Samuel 7. Verse 12 says, Nathan the prophet,
the Lord is speaking through him to David. Verse 12 says,
When thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers,
David, when you die, I will set up thy seed after thee, which
shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
Now, David has to die for someone else to take over the kingdom.
He knows he's going to die and somebody's coming to take over.
And he said, it's coming out of your seed, out of your bowels. Verse 13, And he shall build
a house for my name. I will establish the throne of
his kingdom forever. 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 forever before thee. Thy throne
shall be established forever." According to all these words
and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
David knew the promised one is coming. That's what he's saying
in his last words. Somebody's coming. He knew it
was somebody from his seed. Somebody is going to take over
the throne, be the salvation of Israel forever. Now, David
was just a man and he didn't know how. He didn't know why. He just heard
the promise. You know with every single son
and grandson that was born to David, he was looking for the
promise. Watching that child. Watching
him like a hawk. Is he the one? Could that be the One? Someday,
somebody's coming, and one day a child is going to be born,
a son is going to be given, and He's going to be the One. Is
that Him? And it didn't take long at all.
Sin would rule. And He'd say, no, He's not the
One. He's not the One. So David says
in his dying words, verse 5, although my house be not so with
God. So far, no one in my house has
fulfilled this promise. We are all sinners. We're just all sinners. I haven't physically seen the
Messiah yet. I haven't physically seen the
Savior yet. He says in verse 5, Yet He hath
made with me an everlasting covenant. Just listen to this. Ecclesiastes
3 verse 14 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 men should
fear before Him. That which hath been is now,
and that which is to be hath already been. And God requireth
that which is past. The things that haven't happened
have already happened. What David is saying is, it's
ordered and it's sure. Ordered in all things, he says
in verse 5. And sure, this covenant. David
says, let it be known and let me be remembered for this. This
is all my salvation. If these are my last words, let
them be this. This is all my salvation. This is all my salvation. And by God's grace, in spite
of me, it's all my desire. This is all my hope. I add nothing
to it. I take nothing from it. My all is in His covenant. It says in verse 5, although,
or even though, he make it not to grow. Even though I have not
seen the fulfillment of it yet. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and his righteousness. And I dare not trust the sweetest
frame. But I completely and I totally
lean on the Lord Jesus Christ's name. On Christ the solid rock
I stand, and all other ground is sinking sand. Those were David's
last words. That's what he's saying. I pray that those will be our
last words. Our last words. Well, let me ask this question.
Did the Lord God keep his promise to David? He said, somebody's
coming out of thy seed. Somebody's coming to take this
throne. This covenant he made, who was
he talking about? With each one, David wondered,
is that him? No, that's not him. Is that him? No, that's not him. Who was he
talking about? Who will reign on the throne
forever? And who does David represent?
Let's turn to Revelation chapter 22. The last chapter in the whole book.
Revelation 22, verse 16. The Lord says, I, Jesus, have
sent mine angel, and that means preacher, to testify unto you
these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring
of David. I'm the one. I am the bright and morning star
that 2 Samuel 23 is talking about. I'm the one. Now, let's turn
back to our text. David represents the Lord Jesus
Christ. Let's read our text as it being
his words. Now, these be the last words
of Christ. He is the first. He is the last. He changeth not. The words in
the beginning that He spoke are the same words He spoke in the
end. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His first
words are His last words. Verse 1 says, Christ is the Son
of Jesse. Isaiah 11 and verse 1 says, There
shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse. And a branch
shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall
rest upon him. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding. The Spirit of counsel and might.
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. That is
the Lord Jesus Christ. Our text in verse 1 says, He
is the man who was raised up on high. Lifted up was he to
die. It is finished was his cry, and
now in heaven he is exalted high." He is the one who was lifted
up. He is the anointed of the God
of Jacob. John said, I saw the Spirit,
and it landed on Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of Peace, the
sweet psalmist of Israel. David wrote the words that flowed
from his lips. He said in verse 2, the Spirit
of the Lord spake by me. It's my spirit. And his word
was in my tongue. Verse 3, the God of Israel said,
the rock of Israel spake to me. He that ruleth over men must
be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light
of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds,
as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining
after rain. And he says in verse 5 the good
news of the gospel. Our Lord says in verse 5, although
my house be not so with God. My house. My people. My creation. My chosen. My house. They're not so with
God. They have fallen from God. They
have sinned against God. They've rebelled against God.
Although my house be not so with God, Yet He hath made an everlasting
covenant with me." With man, it is impossible. But with God, all things are
possible. Our Savior said man could not
keep this covenant. But God didn't make this covenant
with man. He made it with me. And I'm here to tell you, it
is perfect. It is finished. It is ordered
in all things. Every single thing is working
together because of this covenant. And it is sure. In Isaiah 46
verse 11, the Lord says, I have spoken it. I will do it. He says, I have spoken it, I
will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it, I will also
do it. And he says in verse 5, this
is all my salvation. This salvation is all my salvation. Salvation has nothing to do with
you and everything to do with me. And thankfully, he says, it's
all my desire. Why did our Lord do all of this?
It is only because He wanted to. That's why He did it. He wanted to. It was His will.
He said, I will that where I am, they may be also. And He did
it for the joy set before Him. He wanted to. He delights to
show mercy. He said, it is my pleasure. It's
my pleasure. It's all my desire. He says in
verse five, although he make it not to grow. He's saying to his people, you
are washed. You are sanctified. You are justified. You're actually holy in my covenant,
in my salvation, in my desire. If I desire it, you're holy. Even though you cannot think
it, you can't feel it, even though He make it not to
grow, Ask a believer, do you feel like
you are growing in grace? If a person will really, really
get honest in their heart before God, are you growing in grace? A believer will say, if I'm honest,
I feel like I am worse than the day I started. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God. And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be." We're just men. We have no idea. But we do know
this. When He shall appear, we're going
to be just like Him. I want to read this to you. This is a hymn in our Gatsby's
hymn book. This comes from this text, and
Brother John was looking at it this morning. We almost sang
it. It says, Come, saints, and sing
in sweet accord with solemn pleasure. Tell. The covenant made with
David's Lord in all things is ordered well. This covenant stood
ere time began. It was made before the foundation
of the world. that God with man might dwell. Eternal wisdom drew
the plan. In all things, it's ordered well.
This covenant, O believer, stands, thy rising fears to quell, sealed
by the surety's bleeding hands. In all things, it's ordered well.
for it was made with Jesus for His bride before the sinner fell. It was signed and sealed and
ratified, and in all things it's ordered well. When rolling girls
depart on fire and thousands sink to hell, this covenant shall
the saints admire. In all things ordered well. In
glory soon with Christ their King, his saints shall surely
dwell in this blessed covenant ever saying, in all things order
well. Although it be not so with my
house, with me, this tabernacle I live in, God has made an everlasting
covenant. It's ordered in all things and
it's sure. And it's all my salvation. It's all my desire. Even though
I can't see it yet. Thank God for these wonderful
last words. May the Lord bless us. Brother
John.