Will you turn with me to 2 Samuel,
2 Samuel chapter 23, 2 Samuel 23. I want to talk to you a while
this morning about God's everlasting covenant or testament, God's
everlasting covenant. This is what David speaks of
here in the first five verses of 2 Samuel chapter 23. 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 spoke 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." These be
the last words of David. This morning, after I had finished
preparation on the message, received a bulletin from John Reeves,
pastors out there in Rescue California, and he had an article in it titled,
I Die Daily, by Brother Don Fortner. Let me just read a few sentences
of that article. Don wrote, my friend, you would
be wise to hold everything in this world with a loose hand.
Once a pastor was visiting one of his old men in the congregation. They were sitting in the man's
garden. He had a large estate, a fine home, a good piece of
property. His wife, his children, and his
grandchildren were all present. And the old man said to his pastor,
these are the things that make it hard to die. Indeed they are,
Don wrote, but all of these things are perishing. We must hold them
very loosely. Child of God, you must be ready
at a moment's notice to turn loose of everything in this world. Everything. For your soul's sake,
for your happiness, for your peace, I urge you not to build
your nest in any of the trees of this world. They will be cut
down and cast into the fire. I can imagine, I can imagine
David now the aged. Not the young psalmist, but David
the aged, now with death so near at hand, and the grandeur of
his kingdom is just slipping away. The pulse, that pulse that
once beat so strongly, now is just ebbing away. As the shades
gather around the dying king, you know what David does. We
just read it. He speaks of the king of kings. He sets his sight upon that one
who is his rock. He seems to be already looking
at those things not seen with the natural eye of the flesh,
but with the eyes of faith. He sees on the horizon that one
he calls my rock, the rock of Israel. David's last words remind
me of Augustus Toplady's most famous hymn, Rock of ages, rock
of ages, while I draw this fleeting breath, when my eyes shall close
in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, and see thee on thy
judgment throne, O rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself
in thee. As in David's song of thanksgiving
in the previous chapter, look there if you will, chapter 22,
Verse 32, David says, For who is God, save the Lord. Verse
32 of chapter 22, For who is God, save the Lord. And who is
a rock, save our God. As I read those verses, I thought
that that sounded much like another believer. Years before David's
time, Moses. Moses said much the same thing
and he did so as David right before his death. Deuteronomy
chapter 32. This is Moses' song of praise
right before God took him out of the world. Deuteronomy 32
and 4. Speaking of God, Moses said,
he is the rock. He is the rock. His work is perfect. For all of his ways are judgment,
they're just, they're right. A God of truth and without iniquity,
just and right is he. The rock is expressing power
and stability, something that endures. The rock is used to
declare that God has been true to his covenant to his children
in every age, in every circumstance, in every difficulty. Moses sounds
the same sweet note as David did in his dying song. And this
is the song of every true believer. Every child of God can sing this
song. Christ our God is our rock and
there's none like him, Billy. There's just none like him. Oh,
that I might know him, be found in him. Joshua, another one comes
to mind. On his deathbed, he spoke much
the same thing as David and Moses. Joshua chapter 23, verse 14. I love this verse. And behold,
as he gathered the elders of the children of Israel around,
he said, and behold, this day I'm going the way of all the
earth, the way of all flesh. All flesh is grass. And ye know
in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing
hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake
concerning you. All are come to pass unto you,
and not one thing hath failed thereof." Not one thing. Not one promise. Nothing that
got its purpose did he fail to bring to pass. All these men
would join in singing these words, Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither
by thy help I am come, and I hope by thy good pleasure safely too
arrive at home. Yes, the storms will rage, They
did for King David. They did for Moses. They did
for Joshua. What our Lord said concerning
his people is true no matter when they lived, where they lived.
In the world you'll have tribulation. Count on it. Bank on it. He told
his disciples that night before he went to the garden. He said,
I'm telling you these things ahead of time. I'm warning you. I'm forewarning you so that when
it happens, it won't be a surprise to you. Expect it. In the world,
you'll have tribulation. Yes, storms will rage. And the
rains will pour down. And the winds will beat up on
our house, that house built upon a rock. But this will never happen. It will not fall. I like that. In Matthew 7, our Lord talked
about those two builders and those two houses. The difference
was the foundation. The wall was built upon sand. Anything other than Christ is
sand. And when the storm came, it washed
that house away. But that house founded upon the
rock. God is my rock, Moses sang. The rock of Israel, along with
David. Yes, the storm will come, but
that house built upon the rock will never fall. Again, from
Deuteronomy chapter 32, the song of Moses, this is verse 31. For
their rock is not our rock. Their rock, little r, is not
our rock, capital R, even our enemies themselves being judges. Indeed, this is the rock upon
which the church of the living God is built. God had laid this
foundation. This rock is the foundation.
And Christ said, upon this rock I will build my church and the
gates of hell, that is the powers of hell, cannot prevail against
it. Attack it, they will. Tempt it,
they will. Accuse it, they will. But they'll
never prevail. They'll never overcome the church
of the living God. Because Jesus Christ, the church
of Jesus Christ rests on a foundation that God Almighty put down and
not man. And that being so, David says
in verse 47 of chapter 22 here in 2 Samuel, the Lord liveth
and blessed be my rock. Oh, blessed be my rock and exalted
be the God of the rock of my salvation. Oh, how firm, how
firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith
in his excellent word. What more can he say than to
you he hath said, to you who for refuge that Jesus hath fled,
that soul, that soul, that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
he will not. That's his promise. His honor
is engaged to see that it's so. The soul that
Jesus had leaned for repose, he will not, he will not desert
to its foes. That soul, though all hell, should
endeavor to shake, he'll never, no never, no never forsake. God, by the prophet Isaiah, spake
these words in chapter 28, verse 16. Thus saith the Lord God, behold,
behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious
cornerstone, a sure foundation. He that believeth shall not make
haste. Don't get in a tizzy. Don't get
all worked up. Don't be nervous. Don't throw
up your hands and say, oh, what are we going to do? No. Don't
make haste. Just stay calm. Just stay calm. Everything is right on schedule. Everything. God is still in control. That man in the White House doesn't
determine what goes on. God Almighty determines what
goes on. God put him there and God'll
take him out. God's in control of everything. So just calm down. Just rest easy. Old David, in
his dying hour, laid his head down upon a pillow of sure comfort
and repose, God's everlasting covenant of grace. God's people
are in good hands. Are they not? Is it Allstate Insurance? They have that commercial that
says, you're in good hands with Allstate. Well, now I got my
doubts about that. But I don't have any doubts about
this. In the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, we're in good hands. We're in the very best hands.
And now, brethren, this is Paul speaking to the elders of the
church at Ephesus. He says, when I'm gone, I know
this will take place. He said, there'll be ravenous
wolves come in, try to devour the flock. There'll be men rise
up right from amongst you, false prophets. And he said, also, no, I won't
see you again. I won't see you again in this life. And they
wept. But Paul gave them some good news. He said, but now,
brethren, I commend you to God. and to the word of his grace,
which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance
among all them which are sanctified. In notes full of comfort, full
of joy, but not without sadness, David says, although my house
be not so with God. And we all can identify with
that, can't we? Every believer has the same sad
confession. My house is not as I would want
it to be. Oh my, David had his share of
sorrow and a lot of it he brought up on himself. Though my house
be not so with God. We have lost sons and lost daughters,
standing on the very brink of eternity and they could care
less about it. And it's heartbreaking. It's
heartbreaking, isn't it? Our loved ones, flesh of our
flesh and bone of our bones, Never give God Almighty a serious
thought. Though my house be not so with
God, but bless God, David's dying testimony doesn't end on that
sad note, does it? Yes, that is true. Yet, David
said, yet, look at verse five again, yet, no matter what, yet,
he had made with me an everlasting covenant. Actually, he's made
it with Christ on David's behalf. He has made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things and sure, oh, this is all my
salvation and all my desire. Oh, what a blessed little word
we find there, yet, yet. Here is a happy blessed note
in David's song, a note of certainty, a note unchanging no matter what
else may change. A note that has the triune God
as the reason that it must be accomplished. This is God's covenant. This is God's purpose of grace.
David knew something about covenant mercy, didn't he? He sang about
it often. Psalm 89, the entire psalm is
about God's covenant mercy. You remember when Saul was trying
desperately to take David's life? Saul's son Jonathan and David
were, oh, bosom buddies, close-knit friends. They promised one another
no matter what happened, they would remain so. After David
had ascended the throne and Saul was dead and Jonathan is dead,
David asked this question, is there any yet that is left of
the house of Saul that I may show kindness for Jonathan's
sake? for Jonathan's sake. David commanded,
when he heard that there was one, Jonathan had a son, a lame,
a cripple, Mephibosheth. When David heard that news, he
said, go fetch him. Go fetch him. Now when, this
is in 2 Samuel 9, when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son
of Saul, was coming unto David, he fell on his face and did reverence.
I'm sure he thought, well, he's going to take my life. My grandfather's
gone, my father's gone, now he's going to take my life, he's going
to wipe out the whole line. And David said, Mephibosheth?
And he answered, Behold thy servant. And David said, A name? Don't
be afraid. Oh, and don't be afraid. Fear not, for I will surely show
thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake. and will restore
thee all the land of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat bread
at my table continually, continually. And he bowed himself and said,
What is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead
dog as I am? You see, when David looked at
Mephibosheth, he saw Jonathan. I'll show mercy upon him for
Jonathan's sake. And when God looks at a believer,
he sees the Lord Jesus Christ. That's exactly right. For Christ's
sake. Yes, God made an everlasting
covenant with Christ on the behalf of his people. This covenant,
this testament, is eternal, it's final, it's been ratified and
sealed with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And God will
constantly, constantly look after the safety The well-being and
the great shepherd will always keep his sheep. God receives
us, deals with us for Christ's sake. Listen to the great shepherd
speak about his sheep. Listen to how certainly, listen
to how matter-of-factly he speaks. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. Perhaps that prodigal son is
one of those. Perhaps that wayward daughter
is one of those. Or perhaps they are one of those
that God put in the hands of the great shepherd. And Christ
says, Him that cometh to me, I will let no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. God
sent Christ into this world. When the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth His Son. And this is the Father's
will, which it sent me, that of all which He hath given me,
I should lose nothing. We read that a moment ago, didn't
we, in John 18. But you raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone would
seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting
life. And I will raise him up at the
last day. Those words by the Lord Jesus
Christ sound doubtful. Is there any uncertainty whether
they'll be realized or not? Listen to him speak again, child
of God. Listen to this. I am the good
shepherd, I know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father
knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life
for the sheep." Again in John 18, if it's me you seek, I am. Take me, take me. But these must
go their way. Oh, blessed Savior, glorious
substitute. Oh, great Redeemer. He says to
God's justice, oh, here am I, take me. Arise, O sword, God
says. Awake, O sword, against the man
who is my fellow. Smite the shepherd. Smite the
shepherd. The shepherd's been smitten.
There's no question about that. And the sheep must go free. Oh, my soul, payment God cannot
twice demand. First at my bleeding surety's
hand, and then again at mine? Ignorant people speak about God
as being unfair. Well, if God would do that, judge
Christ through my sins, and then turn around and judge me for
those same sins, then that would be unfair, though that can never
happen. I'm the good shepherd, and know
my sheep, and other sheep, oh, listen to him, and other sheep
I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must, I must
bring, I must bring. Oh, but they're stubborn, they're
hard-hearted, they're depraved, I must bring. They won't be willing,
I must bring. They're not able, I must bring.
They won't bow, I must bring. Oh, thank God, Robin and I talked
about this the other day, about our children, grandchildren.
Her son asked her one time, Robin was trying to witness to him
and he said, well, mom, what if it's all just a myth? All
this stuff you believe, this Bible and so forth, what if it's
all just a myth? And I said, Robin, don't let
that disturb you. God can change his tune. God can bring him down
and change his tune. God Almighty's arm is not shortened
that it cannot save. His ear is not heavy that he
cannot hear. And he still delights to show
mercy. And the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ still avails, still mighty to save. I give them eternal
life, he says, and they shall never perish. Well, some might
deny it, they shall never perish. Some will say they never knew
you, they'll never perish. Some will wander, wander away,
but they'll never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand." Yes, yes, we're in good hands. The hands of our
substitute, our great shepherd, with whom our Lord God entered
into this everlasting covenant, are the hands of absolute dominion. His are the hands of omnipotence,
hands that never cease to protect and keep his people, hands that
will continue to drop grace and more grace and more grace into
the hearts of his children until every one of them in Zion appear
before God. God leads his dear children along
through floods, through fire, yes, but he leads his dear children
along. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
will keep flowing to his own and not cease until they are
all in glory. in the Father's house, in the
Father's house, with that one who redeemed them with his own
precious blood. Yes, there's that sad note, although,
that David speaks of his house not being right with God. But
he still has plenty to rejoice his heart in his final hours. Nevertheless, nevertheless, the
foundation of God standeth sure, Having this seal, the Lord knoweth
them that are his." Yes, David, as well as every believer, could
say there was much in his lifetime that he regretted, that he couldn't
say that he had never brought reproach upon his God. He had. He had. Nathan told him, by this
sin, you brought reproach upon God. Yet, he had made with me
an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. David
couldn't claim there were no times in his life that he walked
contrary to the will of God there was. Listen to him, confess,
so foolish was I and ignorant. I was as a beast before thee,
yet he had made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,
ensure. And because of that, David could
say, even though he had acted like a brute, ignorant beast
before God, with envious at the unbeliever, he said, nevertheless,
Oh, that's grace, that's grace. Nevertheless, I am continually
with thee. Thou hast holden me by my right
hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy
counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Because what makes
this covenant ordered in all things ensured is that it was
made with the great shepherd. The triune God entered into this
covenant on the behalf of his sheep. Listen to the Lord here
in Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55 verse 1, Ho, every
one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. He that hath no money,
come ye, buy and eat. Yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend money
for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which
satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness. Incline your ear and come unto
me, and your soul shall live. And I will make an everlasting
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have
given him for a witness of the people, a leader and commander
of the people. The sure mercies of David, briefly,
what are they? They're God's purpose of grace
to his chosen people. God saves people on purpose. God never has a new thought. Whatever God did today, he determined
since he changes not. If God loves me today, if I'm
made aware, that I'm loved by God, the very fact that he reveals
his love to me today is proof that he must have loved me before
today, yesterday, all the way back before time ever was, before
the foundation of the world. God's purpose of grace to a chosen
people, that's what this covenant is. Paul spoke about it in Ephesians
1, He said, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly
places in Christ, having made known unto us, verse 9, the mystery
of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath
purposed in himself, in whom, that is, Christ, also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated. We're not afraid to use that
word, we're being predestinated according to the purpose of Him,
not according to my merit, not according to my worth, not according
to my work, not according to my faith, but according to His
own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began. God's purpose to bestow mercy,
to save a people, is what makes this covenant so sure, because
God willed to do so. How can it not be realized? Who's
going to prevent it? Who's going to stop God from
accomplishing His will? There are no ifs, no maybes,
no perhaps in the everlasting covenant of grace. Listen to
these words in Jeremiah chapter 32. Jeremiah 32 and verse 38. And they shall be my people.
and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart
and one way that they may fear me forever for the good of them
and of their children after them. And I will make an everlasting
covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do
them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts that they
shall not depart from me. He will never, ever leave me
or ever let me quite leave him. Here's the second thing. Christ
is the surety and the mediator of this everlasting covenant
of grace. Hear what God has to say about
Christ, the surety of this covenant. This is Psalm 89 that I referred
to a moment ago. Psalm 89, 19. Then thou spakest in a vision
to thy holy one. This is God speaking of his son,
to his son. He said, I have laid help upon
one that is mighty. John says, there's one among
you whom you know not. He's mightier than me. He's mightier
than me. I have exalted one chosen out
of the people. I have found David, no, the Messiah,
David's son and David's God. I have found David my servant
with my holy oil I have anointed him, with whom my hands shall
be established. Mine arm also shall strengthen
him. The enemy shall not exact upon him, nor the sun of wickedness
afflict him. I will beat down his foes before
his face, and plague them that hate him. But my faithfulness
and my mercy shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn
be exalted. I will set his hand also in the
sea. and his right hand in the rivers.
He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock
of my salvation. Also I will make him my firstborn,
the firstborn among many brethren, higher than the kings of the
earth. My mercy will keep him forevermore, and my covenant
shall stand fast with him. I can trust him with my purpose.
His seat also will I make to endure forever, and his throne
as the days of heaven. My covenant, verse 34, my covenant
will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my
lips, once I have sworn by my holiness that I will not lie
unto David. His seed shall endure forever,
and his throne is the sun before me. It shall be established forever
as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven, Selah. That's God's purpose committed
into the hands of his son. Jesus Christ is our David. with
whom God has entrusted all the stipulations of this covenant.
Christ agreed to do whatever God Almighty demanded, whatever
God Almighty required in fulfilling all the requirements of the covenant
of grace. Christ is responsible for His
sheep. Christ has the answer to God
the Father for His sheep. And glory to His name, He will
not fail to bring every one of them every one of them, back
to the Father's house where He is, that where He is, there they
may be also with the glorious proclamation to His Father. After
fulfilling every stipulation of their everlasting covenant,
the last thing He brings them all around the throne of God
and says, here they are, Father. They're all here. Everyone that
you put into my hands, here they are before you. I lost none. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, what
a Savior. I will put my trust in him. Behold,
I and the children, Christ says, which God have given me. How
can the mercies of our David be anything other than ordered
in all things and sure? Again, God speaking of his righteous
servant. Isaiah 42, behold my servant,
whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have
put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. He shall not cry or lift up,
nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed
shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench. He
shall bring forth judgment unto truth. Listen to this, he shall
not fail, Oh my soul, how about that? Christ, Christ, he shall
not fail nor be discouraged till he has set judgment in the earth
and the owl shall wait for his law. God trusted Christ to fulfill
all that the covenant of grace demanded and Christ did not fail
to do exactly that. I come to do thy will, oh my
God. Isaiah 53, yet it pleased the
Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, it might be for nothing.
No. When thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong
his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his
hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Last of all, David ends his dying
testimony with these words, for this is all my salvation and
all my desire. I don't want anything else. As
if to say God has given me such a good hope through grace, and
with such a mediator making this covenant to be ordered in all
things and sure, I can lie down and sleep in peace. Because whether
I wake or whether I sleep, I'm the Lord's. Whether I live, whether
I die, I belong to him. Loved with an everlasting love,
the hymn writer wrote. Loved with an everlasting love,
led by grace that loved to know, spirit sent from Christ above,
thou hast taught me it is so. Oh, this full and precious peace,
from his presence all divine, in a love that cannot cease,
I am his, and he is mine. The Lord hath appeared of old
unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. Therefore, with lovingkindness
have I drawn thee. He is forever, only he is, who
the Lord and me shall part. Ah, with what a rest of bliss
Christ can fill the longing heart. Heaven and earth may fade and
flee. Firstborn light and gloom decline. But while God and I
shall be, I am his and he is mine. Ain't nothing gonna change
that. Now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of
the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working
in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ
to whom be glory. forever and forever. Amen. Amen. God bless you.