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 rises,
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. That's our Lord. Oh my. Look back here with me a second
Samuel. And I want to talk about comfort from God's
covenant. Comfort from the covenant. Comfort of the covenant. You
know, I love to find comfort and assurance
in God's Word. You know, when you read the Psalms,
you can find yourself up and down, in and out. You find yourself
in so many ways. But I ought to be able to find
comfort and assurance in the scriptures. God's word. You know I was talking to a fellow
the other day. Tell him I was a preacher and
a pastor here. I said I never have, you know, it's not my business
to tell people how to live. It's my business to tell people
where life is. in the Lord Jesus Christ. If
a man has Christ, he'll know how to live. Don't he? He'll know how to live. He'll
live the way God saved him, by grace. That's how he'll live. He'll live by God's preserving
power. And so we love to find comfort
and assurance in God's Word. And the Holy Spirit often takes
the Word and stirs in our hearts and stirs in our souls. And this
here that I read this morning is one of those blessed, blessed
passages of Holy Scriptures that instructs us and comforts us
and strengthens us. May God make it so today. May
God make it so today. Now look what David said here.
These first few words carry a lot of weight. Look what he says.
Now these be the last words of David. The last words of David. You know they'll take the last
words, the dying words of a man in a court of law or anywhere
as being true. As being true. And you look at
the last words of so many dying saints. You can find different
things talking about what they went through and how they did
it. And the words, last words of
a dying prophet here is especially memorable. But you got some people's
dying last words written in the Bible for us, written in the
Scriptures for us. Paul's last words were written
in the Scriptures for us. He said, the time of my offering
is at hand. My time of my departure is at
hand. My time of my departure, that's
what he called it, departing. It's time for me to leave here.
Time for me to depart from this flesh that's so heavy and so
troublesome and so weary and go be with the Lord Jesus Christ. Time for me to depart from this
world of sin and the sin that dwells in me and leave it all
behind. Time for me to go and dwell in
that place where nothing but righteousness is. Time for me
to leave this world of sight and go to the place where nothing
but faith and love dwells. Time for me to do that. And he
said, I fought a good fight. Oh, I fought a good fight. And
then I kept the faith. I kept that faith that Christ
taught me. That faith that God's blessed
Savior taught me. And I finished, finished by course. That's a man's dying last words.
I'll tell you who's the most important last words in the Bible
are, the last words of our Lord Jesus Christ. He said, it is
finished. Now those are dying last words
and that's what David is saying here. These be the last words
of David. Wonder what our last words will
be. Wonder why you ever don't go to bed without saying I love
you. Don't talk on the phone with somebody unless you say
I love you before you hang up. Let the last words that come
out of your mouth in case you don't make it the rest of the
day. I love you. For the people that you love.
I think those would be some wonderful last words to leave behind, wouldn't
it? I love you. I love you. And I'll tell you
what Demi goes on to say here. It says, David the son of Jesse. He comes from no remarkable lineage
here. His grandmother was Ruth, a Moabitess. His great-grandmother was Rahab,
a Harlot. Talked about her ways tonight.
And I tell you what, and it says here, and the man who was raised
up on high, God took him from a sheepfold, took him from tending
sheep, not even important enough for his dad to call him when
Samuel was there to anoint a king over Israel. Wasn't even important
enough, wasn't even important enough to his own daddy. He's
tending sheep out here on the side of the hill, outside Bethlehem. And then God said a man who God
raised up. Huh? Raised him up. God exalted him. Took him from
being a shepherd boy to being the king over Israel. God took
our blessed Savior from a manger. And he was king before he got
here. He was born king, he lived king, he died king, and he still
reigns as king. Raised him up, exalted him to
be a king, called him to be a prophet. Gave him an everlasting throne.
Our Lord was called the Son of David. Then look what else he
said. There in verse 1. The anointed
of the God of Jacob. The God of Jacob. Oh my! To be the God of Jacob is the
God of electing grace, the God of sovereign grace, the God of
almighty grace. The anointed of the God of Jacob. God anointed him. He anointed
Abraham. Anointed Jacob. Anointed Isaac. And he says, I was anointed.
God put his Spirit on me. God called me. God anointed me. God put his Holy Spirit upon
me. And the Spirit of God was upon him. Ain't that what he
said? And oh, and he listened to this. Then he calls himself
the sweet psalmist of Israel. He wrote some sweet psalms. The
Lord is my shepherd. That's a sweet one. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
all that is within me. Bless His holy name. Blessed is the man who delights
in the law of the Lord. Here's a man the sweet psalmist
of Israel Sweet psalmist to wash me and I shall be whiter than
snow So I'll tell you what he is the sweet psalmist of Israel
and then look what he says there in verse 2 the Spirit of the
Lord spoke by me You know God spoke by David He was not only a king but he
was also a prophet. And he said his word was in my
mouth. God put his word in his mouth. And the Lord spoke through
this man. And you know how many things
he spoke through this man? How many times he talked about
and referred to the Lord Jesus Christ. This 22nd Psalm. The
18th Psalm, the 110th Psalm, this even some of the things
he says here refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke of Christ. That's why the Lord says, Why
did David, being called his son, say unto my Lord, set at my right
hand, until I make thine? Why did my Lord say to my Lord? And I tell you what, the Lord
speaks through this man. and he spoke of the Lord Jesus
Christ through this man and God speaks to us through prophets
through his precious word and he spoke to us how many times
did David when we read his words speak to us and then look what
he says and he that the God of Israel
said the rock of Israel see how that's capitalized that's one
of God's titles the rock of Israel The rock, rock, he stand on a
rock. Water came out of that rock.
The rock of Israel spake to me. And he says this, he that ruleth
over men must be just. Well, David failed in that respect. Remember he had Joab killed? Took Joab's wife, I mean not
Joab, but Uriah. Has Uriah killed? Took Uriah's
wife? So he wasn't just. But the Lord Jesus Christ is
just. He rules in the fear of God.
He ruled, beloved, all the days of his life with one reason to
do it. to bring glory to his father
and whatever his father gave him to do. He rules justly on
this earth right now in every way and every respect. I'm telling
you he rules and I tell you whatever he does is right. Whether he
slays one or slays 10,000, he's right. Whether he saves one or
saves 10,000, he's right. He's just. And I tell you what,
he saved us justly. That's one of the most blessed
things that ever happened. You understand that God was just. Stayed just and holy. And yet
saved us at the same time. Huh? Oh, Christ is just. And then look what he says, we
know he's speaking about Christ here. And he shall be as the
light of the morning. David wasn't as the light of
the morning. Christ is like the light in the
morning. You get up in the morning, the light comes through. That
sunshine is soft and easy. When the sun rises, and you get
up, and it's rained, and it's cloudy, and it's stormy, and
you wake up the next morning, a morning without clouds. And
all that tender grass starts springing up. when the sun shines
on it, clear and shiny as the sun shines on it after the rain. And then but now, look what he
says. Look what a sad, sad confession.
I have to say this myself. I know some of you do. Although
my house be not so with God. Oh, when David says, although
my house be not so with God, He's talking about his children,
talking about the people, his children, his sons and his daughters,
his wife. You know, his sons and his children
and his wife gave him an incredible amount of great, great grief
and heartache and trouble and sorrow. You remember when Micah
David's wife, Saul's daughter. David was dancing in the Spirit
of the Lord. And she looked out the window
and said, look at that fool. Showing his nakedness. Made fun
of him, hated him and despised him from that day forward. When
David was dancing in the Spirit of the Lord. Rejoicing in God. And she said, look at that. She
despised him from that day on. David hated the sight of David. And David had a son named Ammon.
And Ammon defiled his own sister. Absalom had all of his brothers
come to a party. And then he got them in there
and he killed 70 of them. So one of David's sons killed
lots and lots of his own brothers. You know why he killed them?
Because he said, I'm going to take my father's throne. I'm
going to throw my father David off his throne. Everybody loves
me. I'm big, handsome, strong man.
My hair hangs down the middle of my back, just as curly and
beautiful. And I'll tell you what, he come
into Jerusalem with a whole bunch of people behind him. Long live
Absalom! Long live Absalom! David had
to get up and leave the city of David, leave Jerusalem. And then God killed Absalom. Killed him. And you know what
David did? when they come told him the news
he said what about my son said he as as he should be the king's
enemy and he said oh Absalom oh Absalom my son he mourned
for him mourned for him so David said though it not be with my
children so it might not be with my household And then when David
said Solomon was going to be the king after him. And he set
up Solomon to be on the throne. One of his sons decided, no,
he went over and sat on the throne. Said, I'm going to set him the
throne. Well, he died for that effort. So I tell you what, David,
he said, though it not be so in my house. I've had heartache. I've had grief. I've had sorrow
through my wife through my children Heartache upon heartache grief
upon grief And he lived a long time And
he lived to see grief upon grief trouble upon trouble Look what
he said over in Psalm 131. Look at look at this just one
verse of scripture, but I want you to see this You know David You say, I thought you were going
to talk about comfort. Well, I'm telling you how David was
thinking, what he was feeling here. These are his last words. Lord, be not so with my house. Oh, you only got saved children
and God saved them by His grace and brought them to faith in
Christ and they rejoiced in Christ and rest in Christ. You ought
to get up and bless God every day. Go to bed and bless Him
every night. I heard old Scott say one time,
if God saves my boys, you'll hear me shout all the way from
West Virginia to Tennessee. Heard him say that one time. The Lord saved two of them that
I know of. I've got three now. But look what he said here at
verse 31. Psalm 131 verse... 132 in verse 1, excuse me. He said this
one thing, Lord, Lord, remember David called himself
by his name and watch this and all his afflictions and all his
afflictions oh my yet though his house be not so
with God does he get despondent? does he give up? does he faint?
no listen to what he says Yet. Yet. Oh, that little bitty word. Although my house be not so with
God yet. Yet. He. He. You know where he finds his
comfort at? Not in himself. Not in his house. Not in his sons. Not in his griefs.
Not in his sorrows. but he hath made with me with
me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure now see
by the distance when the rubber hits the road he says he hath
made with me Are you one of those that God
hath made with you? Can you say, can you put you
in there? He hath made with me an everlasting
covenant. And what he's doing here, he's
looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. He's talking a lot more about
than just his house here right now. And he said, he hath made
with me an everlasting covenant. And when he talks about an everlasting
covenant, he's talking about a perpetual covenant. Why is
it perpetual? Why is it everlasting? Because
it comes from an everlasting, eternal God. And anything God
does is eternal. He can't do anything else but
eternal things. He don't even think in terms
of eternity. He just thinks and he don't even
think, but he just realizes that time is nothing. Space is nothing. There's no time, no space to
him. And he said, God made with me
an everlasting covenant. When did he make it? Before David
was born. before he ever existed, before
he drew his first breath. He said over in one of the Psalms,
I forget where it's at, dad, he said, He numbered my members
while I was yet in my secret places. In the secret place. He numbered my members. He called
all my members. He knew everything about me.
My hair, my fingers, my toes, my eyes, everything. And oh my,
it's a perpetual covenant. And it comes from an eternal
God. And you know a covenant, a covenant, listen, it has benefits. David said it has benefits. You
know, when God makes a covenant, there's benefits to a covenant.
And this covenant between the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit,
there's blessings that go with this covenant. Benefits that
go with it. And they're endless. Endless
to God's dear sake. When we get into eternity, it'll
still be the same thing. It'll still be based on God's
eternal everlasting covenant. That's what our blessed hope
is based upon. On what God promised us in Christ. And so everything that we have,
they're endless to us, what we're giving to them. He said, I give
unto them, what? Eternal life. Now how long does
eternal last? There was a time I didn't have,
now I got it. And I tell you what, some of
these benefits are being chosen of God. Whoa, what a benefit
for God to choose you in Christ. When? Before the foundation of
the world. Huh? Then not only did He choose
you, but then He called you. called you set you apart called
you he said my sheep hear my voice and I know them and I tell
you what they hear me and they follow me when he calls a man
a man's coming Lazarus come forth, Zacchaeus come down bring old
Barnabas over here to me when he calls somebody they're coming
and I tell you everyone he chose he calls them And He calls them
by Spirit. And then after He calls them,
you know what He does? Then He preserves them. They
persevere, but you know why they persevere? Because He preserves
them. Preserved in Christ Jesus. Everybody, you know, it's been
a long time since, you know, used to make preserves all the
time. And you know you make those things and they's good. But I tell you this is the best
preservation, best preserves it's ever been when God preserves
his people. That's a sweet news ain't it
Dirk? That's sweet news. You know the only reason why
I keep on keeping on is because God preserved me. Yeah. He preserved me in Christ, preserved
me in the gospel, preserved me in grace, preserved me in the
covenant, preserved me from before the foundation of the world and
said this is my elect, my beloved, and I'm gonna choose him, I'm
gonna call him, and then I call him, I'm gonna save him, and
then I'm gonna keep him. And there ain't nothing they can
do to make me run them off. Nothing they can do to make me
run him off. I watched a fella here recently
run a man off from his house. Pulled up there and he come out
and a guy popped off to him. He wrenched
into the car and jerked him. I mean that guy backed out of
there. You know, but I tell you there's nothing we can do to
make God say, get out of here. If that could have happened,
that would have happened to me 10,000 times. That would have
happened to me. And I tell you, and not only
me, but it would you. Because you can't turn your hand
in the difference for us. Huh? And oh my. And I tell you,
it's promises. Not only is this benefits and
blessings, endless and perpetual. But it's promises in this covenant. They're like God. They're eternal.
They're everlasting. He gave us an everlasting righteousness. He gives us an everlasting forgiveness. You know what He said? Their
sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now when He says I don't
remember them, that's everlasting. And then
everlasting joy. Look in Isaiah 51. Let's look
at Isaiah 51 together here. Look at this. Isaiah 51 in verse 11. Look at this. Everlasting joy. Everlasting peace. That word
everlasting. Look what it says. Here in verse
11. Therefore the redeemed of the
Lord shall return and come with zeal unto Zion and everlasting
joy shall be upon their head. They shall obtain gladness and
joy And listen to this, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. When is that going to happen?
When eternity dawns upon us. Then look what else he said back
over here in our text. Now go back over to Samuel. 2
Samuel. Oh, he hath made with me an everlasting
covenant. And then look what he said. ordered
in all and sure ordered in all you know all things in this covenant
has been ordered ordered God's a God of order and all things
in this covenant have a time and a place they have a time
to start and a place Now, when was the time and place for God
to order this covenant? You know that this covenant started
with the Father. Started with the Father. Before
there was ever an earth. Before there was ever a sun,
a moon or stars. Before the sons of God ever shouted
for joy. before anything ever happened
in this world in heaven and hell and earth before anything ever
happened the father the father he said I purpose I've got a
purpose I do everything on purpose And let me say something right
here. People talk about the decrees
of God. When you come to talking about
decrees, there's no decrees, there's one decree. One decree. God declared the end from the
beginning. One time He said this is going
to happen. And that's what happens. And
so He purposed, purposed this covenant. He purposed this covenant. And then the Son of God, His
blessed Son, His eternal Son, who had been with Him from everlasting,
God's eternal Son, He entered into this covenant with His Father.
And His Father said, Son, my beloved Son, this is what I will
to do, this is what I purpose to do. I purpose to choose a
people after I put Adam in the garden of Eden and I know exactly
what he's going to do and I tell you what when after he falls
he said I've got a people that I've already chosen I know every single one of them
as I count the stars that's in the heaven and call them all
by their name it ain't nothing for me to set up a people from
all the foundation of the world and name every one of them give
them all to you all that the father gives me
shall come to me and they entered into this covenant and he said
this is the only way in the world I can save these people and do it according to my righteousness
and my holy nature is for you son to go into that world down
there and take upon you flesh like they've got become a man
like they are without sin and the only way that can happen
is for you to come through the womb of a virgin and for me to
be your father and if you'll go He said, you know what I'll do?
I'll take all their sins and charge you with them. I'll take
all their iniquities and lay them on you. I'll see that you're
wounded for their transgressions. And when I see the travail of
your soul up there on that tree, I'll be satisfied. and you will take your obedience
and your righteousness and your love for me and I'm going to
give it to them. You know what our Lord said? Oh father
I'll go. I delight to do thy will. Oh father thy will I delight
to do. So it was ordered. Where was
it ordered at? Way, way, way, way, way, way
back yonder. Oh my. And he came into this
world. Oh my. And he says this. Thou hast given him power over
all flesh. Listen to this now. That he should
give eternal life to all those God has given Him. Amen. Oh my. And then you know what
we got in Him? When God did this for us, do
you know what He turned around and gave us everything that Christ
had? Gave us Christ Himself. Gave
us all our spiritual blessings in Christ. Made Him to be our
Head. And when we see Him and know
Him, we understand that all the fullness, all the fullness of
God Himself dwelt in that body of our Lord Jesus Christ. And
then you know what the next day says? Ye are complete in Him. And then there was a time and
a place for you and for me. How can I know I'm in this covenant? How can I know? Well, God comes to where we are. We can't go where He is. He comes
to where we are. the ninety and nine safe in the
fold he leaves the ninety and nine goes into the wilderness
and finds that lost sheep you know here's a difference between
people there's lost sheep and then there's goats every lost
sheep will be found if you're a sheep you're going to be found
you may not know you're a sheep yet But you'll be found. But never ever is a goat turned
into a sheep. No. He only laid down his life
for the sheep. Herein doeth I receive my commandment
from my Father, that I lay down my life for the sheep. Nobody
takes it from me. And I tell you what, you know
where the believer's place is in this unworthy, unworthy people
like ourselves? We receive all, everything we
do by grace and mercy and the benefits of this blessed covenant.
Receive the righteousness of God Himself. We receive the justification
of Christ. We receive the forgiveness of
all sin. All sin, past, present and future. David had already done some horrible
things, but he lay in his last words, The Lord hath made with
me. An everlasting covenant ordered
in all things. Ensure. And then He gives us
faith to receive all this and believe this and rejoice in this. Oh my. You know what we are? We just stand with hands out
and we are receivers of the free grace of God in Christ. Although it be not so with my
house, God can, I'm going to freely, freely love them. I'm going to justify them freely. I'm going to give them everything
in my Son freely. What do you got to give? Nothing. Nothing. And I tell you, in this
everlasting covenant, there's cleansing from the guilt of sin. Let me ask you something. If
there is no sin, how can there be any guilt? If there ain't no sin, how can
there be any condemnation? If I ain't got no sin, why in
the world would I be guilty? What would I be guilty of? Right? Think about that. You
ever thought about that? If I sin, if I ain't got any,
then I have no guilt. Where'd it go? There's no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. Huh? Oh, there's joy in this
covenant for sorrow of heart. Strength in this covenant for
all of our defects and our weaknesses that's in us. And there is immutability
in this covenant. For the mutability that is in
us. You know what immutability is? That means that we are just
like clay. Oh my! But God said Because I
changed not, you sons of Jacob, you're not consumed. David, oh
what a mutable, mutable man he was. And he fell, and he fell
grievously. But you know what? God remained
faithful to him, faithful to him. Because of the covenant,
he said, he hath made with me before I was. And then it says,
not only did he make this, but it's sure. It's sure. The foundation of God standeth
sure. The Lord knows them that are
His. And that word sure means safely laid up and kept. Safely
laid up and kept. You know men have safes. They have safes to keep their
valuables in. They have wheels and safe deposit
boxes. And they put their valuables
in these things like that. Well, God laid up this covenant
for us and it's sure. He kept it just for us. Our treasures
in heaven, they're called the sure mercies of David. And everything
is as strong and sure as its foundation. And this covenant
has its foundation in God himself. He is immutable. He's unchanging
in His person and in His purpose. It's sure because of Christ.
Now let me wind this up. Listen to this. And he says, this is all my salvation. It's all of it. It's all of it. It's all of it. It's all my salvation. David said, it's everything.
I'm not looking for salvation because I'm a prophet. I'm not looking for salvation
because I'm a king. I'm not looking for salvation
because I slew Goliath. I'm not looking for salvation
because I slew a bear and a kid lion. No, I'm not looking for
salvation because of my faithfulness. Oh with all my failings I need
a sure salvation. Oh gotta have one that's sure. If it depended on me it could
not possibly be sure. If it depended on my free will
it could not be sure. If it depended on me not sinning
it would not be sure. But if it's of God, and it's
ordered, and it's everlasting, and it's sure, then it's all
my salvation. That's what makes it sure. And
I tell you in this covenant, we find infinitely, infinitely
everything we could possibly need. Life from death, fullness
in our wants, security when we're in danger
and peace when we're in trouble he said this is all my salvation
and when he says it's all my salvation it leaves nothing out
nothing out that we need for our salvation and then look what
he said And this is all my desire. What else could I possibly want?
What else could I desire? What else could I desire? It
restores all I lost. It restores all I can lose. It's
full. It's complete. And it's given
in this covenant. It leaves nothing, nothing to
be desired. Huh? Does it not give you everything
you need? Huh? Our Father, who blessed His Savior, I thank you for your great abundant
mercies for the everlasting covenant ordered in all things insure.
This is all our salvation, all we desire. And you fulfilled
the desires of our heart in giving us Christ. We could never desire
anything more than Him. And Father, we pray that you'd
cause this message to be a blessing, to be an encouragement, to be
a help, to be a strength to your dear people wherever they may
be and that are listening. We ask for it in Christ's blessed
name. Amen. Amen. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. And the things of earth will
grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace.