Well we come to 1st Samuel chapter
16 this week again I say it every week I never intended it to be
a series but it's turning into a series And the chapters that
this one and the ones that follow are stories in them that I remember
being taught as a young child. They're lovely stories. They're stories that the world
loves. There's a lot of the word of
God that the world hates, but the world loves these stories. The youngest of the brothers,
the sons of Jesse, being the one to be chosen to be king of
Israel. God's choice of the one to be
king. Oh yes, you know, all the others,
all the strapping lads, all the big likely candidate. No, no,
not them, not them, not them. The youngest one, the youngest
one. He's the one. Yeah. And people like that, don't
they? And then we go on and we look
at it probably next week, but where he meets Goliath, You know,
the giant, the nine foot tall giant, the huge giant. Who doesn't
like, who in the world doesn't like the story of David defeating
Goliath? You know, it's in folklore, isn't
it? It's used as a threat. Oh, this
really is where some small organisation meets the financial might of
a huge great thing. They talk about it in the news
as a David and Goliath situation. It's so well known. But what
do these mean to us? What do these stories mean to
us? They're accounts, they're actual true accounts, they historically
happened as they're recorded in the Word of God. But what
must we always look for when we turn to the Old Testament?
What must we always look for? These are they, said Jesus to
the Pharisees, these are they which speak of me. What is the
purpose of the scripture? To teach us nice moral stories?
No. You can get some nice morals. I don't begrudge the unbelieving
world liking the story of David being chosen and David and Goliath,
but look, I tell you, there is no salvation in just knowing
that. The purpose of God in his word, as I keep saying, is to
declare how he saves his people from their sins. How it is that
you go from being a child of wrath, in a fearful state, unprepared
to meet the living God, how you go from that to being blessed
of God, to being accepted in the beloved, to hearing that
voice from the judgment seat of Christ that says come ye blessed
of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you. This is what
this book is about and what this chapter teaches us is about election. It's about the election of God. Fallen human nature hates election. Why? Fallen human nature says
it's unfair. That is unfair. I remember years
ago was in Barrow-in-Furness years and years and years ago
doing a Bible study for some young people and we started a
series in Ephesians and you don't have to go very far in Ephesians
you get to verse 4 and it talks about the people of God being
chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and I remember one
Confident young lady there. She was so incensed by what the
Word of God said. I remember her now. Christine
probably remembers her. Janet. Janet saying, that's unfair! How can you possibly believe
that? And it was there written on the page of Scripture right
in front of us. Chosen in Christ. Before the
foundation of the world. Human nature hates it. It's unfair. And human nature, and religious
human nature, invents idle gods conforming to their idea of fairness. Isn't it? That's what idolatry
is all about today. Idol gods in the mines, in the
dark, you know, people cut down trees and carve idols in primitive
tribes. I tell you there's a dark forest
in the minds of people and they cut down their idol trees and
they carve their idols in their minds. But what should we be
concerned with? What saith the scripture? What does the scripture say?
That's the thing. I don't care what your opinion
is. Oh, let's have a debate about it. No, no, no, no, we don't
debate. Thus says the Lord. What does God say? What does
God say? What has God revealed? Remember
what we heard last week. Obey, to obey is better than
sacrifice. To obey what? to obey his word,
to obey his gospel precepts, to obey his command to obey the
gospel, to believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and
inherit eternal life. Remember, to obey is better than
all of your religious inventions. In 1 Samuel 16 we see God's choice
of David in place of Saul. But what does it say to us concerning
the truth of God and the salvation of God? What does it say to us
today is what we must always ask. It pictures Christ as the
only saviour of his people. It pictures election as God's
eternal way of sovereign grace to sinners, and all the whatever
your flesh might think in terms of unfairness, all the while
we're assured, throughout the word of God, that the God of
all the earth shall do that which is right. Is there injustice
with God because of election? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. As Paul says in Romans 9, who
are we, creatures, to question the creator and his right to
do with what he has created as he will? If we have any sense,
if we have any sense of eternal justice, the right thing to do
is to bow to the word of the living God. And the word of the
living God is a message of sovereign electing grace. First of all,
because I've called this message a picture of Christ and a picture
of God's elect. A picture of Christ in this passage
of David being chosen, a picture of Christ. How is it a picture
of Christ? This lovely story of the youngest
boy, the Jesse the father didn't even think it was worth calling
him to the sacrifice. You know, here are all the important
ones, the seven sons, the strapping lads, the ones that are making
their way into society, the ones that are going to have position
in their social circles. These are the ones from which
the replacement for Saul will be chosen. Forget about David. He's a good lad, but he's out
on the hills looking after the sheep. We won't bother ourselves
with David, he doesn't need to come. and he's the one all the
time that God says is a man after his own heart. A man after his
own heart. What does it picture to us of
Christ? If there is to be satisfaction of divine justice for sinners
right good question is there to be satisfaction of divine
justice for sinners who is there that is able and willing to do
that which is required who is there that is able and willing
let's have a look can we see anyone that is able and willing
to do that which is required to satisfy divine justice for
sinners do you know what that reminds me of revelation chapter
five The call goes out, the scroll,
the seven-sealed scroll, and the call goes out. Who is able
to undo the seals, to open, loose the seals? Who is able to do
it? And what was the response to that call? I'll tell you.
A deafening silence. There was nobody. Because that
scroll, if you remember from those studies several months
ago, is the plan of God to save his people from their sins. Who
is there able to implement the plan? Nobody was found. And John
wept much, and the elders said to him, Don't weep, don't weep,
look. Look at the lion of the tribe
of Judah. Look at him. And I looked, and
I beheld. And what did he see? Did he see
a lion? He saw a lamb. A lamb with all the marks of
being slain. That's the Lord Jesus Christ,
who came to die for his people. You see, That is God's way. Can
fallen man devise a suitable saviour? Would we recognise the
required qualities? Would we? Only God can decree
who is able to stand as a substitute for his people. Not what man
would choose. What would we choose? We'd choose
all sorts of things that wouldn't be what God would choose. David
was the least of his brethren in their eyes. You read further
on, when it comes to the account of David and Goliath, the oldest
brother, Eliab, says to David, he says, I know what you're like.
It's like older brothers have always done to younger brothers.
I know what you're like. You need what I got when I was
a youngster. You could do with a good hiding
from your mum and dad. That's what you need. Your naughtiness. This is what Eliab says to David.
Older brothers always have contempt for their younger brothers, don't
they? They always do. David was the least of his brethren.
Human judgment failed to see what God had determined. You see? Jesse His brothers,
even Samuel the prophet, failed to see what God had determined. Verse 12, look, the Lord said,
when David came in, arise, anoint him, for this is he. You know,
when it says he was ruddy, that's old-fashioned language for he's
got a really good complexion, he looks healthy, he was a healthy
lad. And he wasn't a little boy either. Don't get that idea.
I think he was probably well into his teens, probably late
teens I imagine. And he was of a good countenance,
a beautiful countenance. This is he. This is he. This
is the one. So Christ. So the Lord Jesus
Christ. God says this is he. Behold my
son. You know when the disciples are
on the Mount of Transfiguration, the three of them, with the Lord
Jesus Christ, and he was transfigured before them. And his countenance
shone like heaven, brilliant light. And Moses and Elijah came
and talked with him. And Peter, in his nervousness,
said, let's build three booths, one for you, one for Elijah,
one for Moses. And the voice came from heaven.
No, no, no. This is the one, my son. Hear ye him. Listen to him. Who is he? he's a baby born in
Bethlehem in poverty disrespected by his brethren you know in John
7 verse 5 come up to the feast if you're coming and they were
pouring scorn on his ministry his brothers who lived in the
same house as him brought up by Mary and Joseph for even his
brothers it tells us in John 7 verse 5 didn't believe in him
so unlikely He wasn't a political leader. The Lord Jesus Christ
was not a political leader. He wasn't a military man. He
had, as Isaiah says, no comeliness that we should desire him compared
to other men, but to the one given the faith required from
God to look, is there anybody fairer than him? Is there anybody
of a more beautiful countenance to look upon? To the eye of faith
that sees him, is there any more beautiful to look upon? He, let's
read the Song of Solomon, Song of Solomon chapter 5 and verse
10. what's your beloved like more
than another beloved there's plenty of beloved surely any
of them will do what's your beloved like that you want this one more
than any other and she comes back the Shulamite my beloved
is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand and the praise
flows and goes on how much she could see the beauty in him.
Children of God, you can see beauty in the Lord Jesus Christ,
for he has saved you from your sins by his grace. Natural man
couldn't see it, but God said this, you can turn to it if you
want, but Isaiah chapter 42 verse 1, I'll read it to you. God says
this in Isaiah 42 verse 1, behold my servant, look at my servant,
whom I uphold, mine elect, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. What's he talking
about? This is God through the prophet saying, look at my Christ. Look at the Christ who I'm sending,
the Messiah whom I'm, he's my servant. He's the one I will
uphold him. He's mine elect. He is the, just
as God chose David, God chose Christ to be the representative,
the substitute, the surety of his people. His soul, says God,
delights in Christ. He's put his spirit upon him
without measure. He didn't give him it in a limited
way. It was unmeasured. he shall bring
forth judgment to the Gentiles. What does he mean there? I believe
it means that from amongst the Gentiles God has a people who
he will call out and he shall justify them before the law of
God. God said to Samuel in verse 1
of chapter 16, fill thine horn with oil and go. Fill your horn
with oil. The horn was the cow's horn,
the bull's horn, you know, hollowed out. And they were the original
horns, you know, blowing the trumpet horn. You could blow
through it and it would amplify the sound. But it was also used
for carrying oil, the oil of anointing that would be poured
on the head, and that was regarded as a very good thing in dry climates
where skin tended to dry. The horn is also a symbol of
power. Fill it with oil of anointing.
I'm going to show you who is going to be the king for my people
and the pattern king for my people for all eternity. When we get
to the New Testament, and John the Baptist is foretold to be
coming, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, and Elizabeth,
his mother, and Zacharias, his father, they're old, and they're
stricken with years, and they're unable to have children, but
the angel comes and says, you're going to have a son, and it's
going to be John the Baptist. And Zacharias didn't believe it,
and so he was struck dumb. But when the child was born,
and they came to name him, They said, well, he ought to be called
Zacharias, and no, no, no, he should be called John. Why should
he be called John? The angel had told Zacharias.
Zechariah was given a tablet and what shall the child's name
be and he wrote down he shall be called John and they were
staggered and at that moment the mouth of Zacharias was open
and his dumbness was stopped and he sang a praise a song of
praise to God and this is what he said blessed be the Lord God
of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath
raised up and horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant
David. Christ is coming after the line
of David. He was born in Bethlehem of Judah. Micah 5 verse 2, Bethlehem Ephrata,
Bethlehem in Judah. Samuel came to Bethlehem, Judah,
to Jesse, the city of David. That's where he came and Christ
was born there. When the fullness of the time
was come, a thousand or more years after these things twelve
hundred years I think something like that when the fullness of
the time was come God sent forth his son where? in Bethlehem made
of a woman fully human made under the law subject to his own laws
God to redeem those who are under the law that his people might
receive the adoption of sons whereby we cry Abba Father the
Psalms speak of it who wrote most of the Psalms, David. The
shepherd boy, the king of Israel, wrote the Psalms. Such a picture. What are they full of? They're
full of Christ. They're full of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Messiah, and what he would do. Psalm 78, verse
70. He, God, chose David, also his
servant. Here, in chapter 16, this is
where he did it. He chose David, his servant,
and took him from the sheepfolds. Turn over to Psalm 89, if you
can. doesn't matter if you can't I'll read it out to you Psalm
89 verse 15 this is what the this is one of those I'm not
sure whether David actually wrote this one but never mind he wrote
many of the Psalms but in verse 15 blessed is the people that
know the joyful sound We had a message on that some time ago.
What is it to know the joyful sound? What's the joyful sound?
It's the joyful sound of salvation. When the jubilee, in the 50th
year, the jubilee trumpet was sounded, and for every slave
and every bonded servant, there was no more joyful sound than
that trumpet of jubilee. Blessed are the people who know
the joyful sound. What's it a picture of? Salvation. Do you know the gospel of salvation?
They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In
thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in thy righteousness
shall they be exalted. It's in God's righteousness that
his people shall be exalted. For thou art the glory of their
strength. And in thy favour our horn, there's
that word again, shall be exalted. For the Lord is our defence,
and the Holy One of Israel is our King. Who's the Holy One
of Israel? It's the Lord Jesus Christ. He's
the Holy One of Israel. God come in flesh, God contracted
to a span, incomprehensibly made man. come for the salvation of
his people. Then thou spakest in vision to
thy holy one and said, I have laid help on one that is mighty. I have exalted one chosen out
of the people. I have found David my servant. With my holy oil have I anointed
him." How strong is the connection between that psalm and 1 Samuel
16. They found literal David in Bethlehem,
Judah. God, in his eternal purposes
of grace, found, in a mysterious way, the Lord Jesus Christ at
Bethlehem, when God became man, to save his people. I have found
David my servant, with my holy oil have I anointed him, with
whom my hand shall be established. You see, he's coming to save
his people from their sins. you can read about it too in
the New Testament in the Acts of the Apostles when Paul is
preaching in chapter 13 and verse 34 let me read these verses out
to you and Paul's preaching to some people here and he says
as concerning that he raised him Christ up from the dead now
no more to return to corruption the corruption the rotting the
decay of death he said on this wise I will give you the sure
mercies of David. What are the sure mercies of
David? It's the salvation that he accomplished. the salvation
of his people. It's what it says in Isaiah 55,
verse 3, about the sure mercies of David. And in Psalm 2, verse
8, what are they? They're the heathen for thine
inheritance, a people called out from amongst the Gentiles,
a people that he would save from their sins. Therefore, he says
in another psalm, thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to
see corruption, for David After he had served his own generation
by the will of God, fell on sleep, he died, and was laid unto his
fathers, and saw corruption. His body rotted like all dead
people do. But he, Christ, whom God raised
again, saw no corruption. He saw no corruption. Be it known
unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached
unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are
justified from all things from which ye could not be justified
by the law of Moses. Oh, what great salvation! How
shall we escape if we neglect it? Behold, says God, behold
my servant. He shall bring forth judgment.
Behold my servant, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I
have put my spirit upon him. Often in Scripture David, the
name actually means beloved, in scripture David is set forth
as a picture of all that God would bring to fulfilment in
Christ. Again and again, David, he's
the king of Israel. Who's Christ? The king of the
Israel of God. God has an Israel now, it's the
Israel of God, it's composed of Jews and Gentiles. all those
who are bought by the blood of christ and christ is the king
he's king of kings and lord of lords he says that he gives him the
sure mercies of david salvation and the heathen for an inheritance
do you see the saving beauty of our david the lord jesus christ
what is he accomplished for your eternal soul Do you meditate? Do you think on these things? You know, often you have wakeful
periods in the night and often when you have a wakeful period,
your head's filled with all sorts of trivia and all sorts of concerns
about the things of the day. But the other night, I had a
wakeful period about three o'clock in the morning and I was absolutely
struck with something that I've known for years. I've known this.
I've known this. that Jesus, the man, the suffering
servant, the crucified one, is our God. And you know you can
know it in your head, can't you? Oh yes, I know that he's God.
But do you know, just in that quiet time, three o'clock in
the morning, it just struck me. This man is our God. He is our
God. Show us the Father and that will
suffice. Let us know who is the God who's
made us, to whom we're answerable. Show us the father and that will
suffice. Philip, have I been so long with you? and you have
not known me he who has seen me has seen the father this one
who came as the fulfillment of which David was the picture and
the type is our God behold your God say unto the cities of Judah
behold your God there is no strange God among you by him Christ came
the grace and truth of God in contrast to the law which came
by Moses the law to condemn but grace and truth to save and satisfy
the justice of God came by Jesus Christ. This is God's sovereign
way. It's His choice. It's His election. It's not as man would seek to
save, but it perfectly accomplishes all of His intentions in salvation. In Matthew 21 verse 42, Jesus
himself, speaking to the Pharisees, said to them, Did ye never read
in the Scriptures The stone which the builders rejected, the same
has become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, and
it is marvelous in our eyes. Who's going to save Israel, the
Israel of God, from their sins? It's the stone which the builders
rejected. You know when a builder building
a rough stone wall if you ever see a builder build a rough stone
wall of the type that there are in Wales and the Lake District
and all over this country and you'll see them they don't mortar
they don't stick them together with mortar they pick up stones
and they look at it and they'll reject that one and this other
one they'll pick it up oh that's a good one they'll put that in
the place on the wall and sometimes they'll pick up a stone and they'll
reject it when in actual fact it's a very good stone for a
different position. And that's what that is talking
about, the stone which the builders rejected. Who's the stone which
the builders rejected? He's the one who is the chief
cornerstone, the head of the corner, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who are the builders? He was speaking to the Pharisees,
those that thought they were building the kingdom of God,
the city of God. Those, they rejected the one
who was actually the head of the corner. They rejected Christ. He was the one. They rejected
him. It's the Lord's doing, all of it, and it is marvellous in
our eyes. Is it marvellous in your eyes?
What is marvellous? That our God should be just and
the justifier. of the one who has faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ. He's still just. He must punish
sin. His law must be satisfied but
in Christ he's done all of that and justified his people. How
do you react to that? Does it have the fragrance of
life or the smell of death to you? I'll tell you the most important
question. Jesus asked it of the Pharisees.
He's talking about David at the time. He said, What think ye
of Christ? Whose son is he? Is he David's
son? Yes, they would say. The scriptures
say that Christ is going to come from David. They all, they revered
David, the best king that Israel ever had. They revered David. He was such a mighty warrior.
Yes, he's coming in the line of David. Well, how then does
David call him who is his offspring his Lord? The Lord said unto
my Lord, sit at my footstool till I make your enemies my footstool.
What think ye of Christ? That is the test. What do you
think of Christ? Well let's move on then. A picture
of the elect and I must be quick with this. Not only did God choose
Christ as he chose David as his means of accomplishing salvation,
he also chose the objects of that salvation. The people he
would save from their sins. the elect of God you say I don't
know whether I like this I just want to avoid this doctrine of
election you know I'm a good faithful Christian but I don't
want anything to do with it as I said before Ephesians 1 verse
4 you can't avoid it chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world an innumerable multitude without distinction of race and
language are you numbered with them? What does God's choice
of David tell us concerning his choice of his elect? First of
all, God's choice is not as our choice. Just as David wouldn't
have been our natural choice, but one of the other brothers.
God's choice is not as our choice. David's father and his brothers
didn't consider him at all a suitable candidate for Samuel's anointing.
you know, the one he's anointing, keep quiet about this for now
because Saul's still in power, but the one he's anointing is
going to be the ruler of Israel. David's not a suitable candidate
for that. You see, because naturally we look upon external things,
don't we? How much we look upon external
things. We look upon external appearance.
We look upon the rank of somebody in society or in an organization. We give credence to the education
that someone's had, to the social manners that they portray, to
their skills and their talents in various ways. But that's not
what God does. Because God looks upon the heart. And God had given David a heart
to seek him. There's a verse that I love that
I'll turn to now. Jeremiah 29 and verse 11. Jeremiah 29 and verse 11. For
I know the thoughts that I think toward you. This is God through
the prophet speaking to his people. I know the thoughts that I think
toward you, saith the Lord. This is God speaking. If we're
believers, this is God speaking to you and me this morning. I
know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord. Thoughts
of peace and not of evil. To give you an expected end.
then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me,
and I will hearken unto you, and ye shall seek me and find
me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, and I
will be found of you, saith the Lord, and I will turn away your
captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and
from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord, and
I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to
be carried away captive. Clearly speaking to the Jews
of the captivity, about to go into captivity, but nevertheless
he's speaking to us as his people. He's believing people now. Has
he put it in your heart to seek him? Has he? He does that with
his elect. God puts it into the hearts of
his people. Has he put it into the heart
of David to pray? We read that in 1 Samuel 25. God put it in his heart to pray.
Has God put it in your heart to pray? He does, God moves in
these ways. Has he put it in your heart to
seek him? He did, David. While David was alone tending
the sheep, he was meditating on the things of God. He was
out in the hills with his sheep, alone, in the night, keeping
his sheep safe from the wild animals. He was looking up at
the stars, You know, there's this big thing about light pollution
now, and where are designated dark sky places? I tell you where
David was, that was a dark sky place in the night. He looked
up through those clear skies in those hills. He looked at
amazing stars up in the sky, meditating on the things of God.
Meanwhile, the other seven, his brothers, they were reveling
in their society. as jesus said to the pharisees
you see the pharisees thought they knew who would enter the
kingdom of god matthew twenty one verse thirty one jesus says
to them verily i say unto you pharisees you religious folks
that think you've got it all right that the publicans and
the harlots go into the kingdom of god before you the ones you
despise as sinners they're going to be there in heaven you know
what i think it was john newton said that three things will amaze
him when he gets to heaven. Number one, the people he expected
to be there that will not be there. For many will say to me
in that day, said Jesus, Lord, Lord, haven't we done this in
your name? And he will say to them, depart from me. I never
knew you. No, you'd be surprised at that.
The people he thought would be there, but will not be there.
And then he said, I'll be surprised at the people who are there that
I never thought would be there. Oh, publicans and harlots, how
can they be there? But God, by his grace, has saved
some, and they will be there. And the one that will amaze him
most is that he will be there, he, a servant of slaves, a sinner
saved by grace. Even in your own eyes, if you
don't believe this morning, even in your own eyes, you may seem
a most unlikely object of God's grace, but you may be such. You may be such. You may be one
amongst that multitude that was put in Christ before the foundation
of the world. And if you are, God will get
his way with you. God will get his way with you.
God will come. His grace is irresistible. You will not be able to resist
it. You will not be able to defy him in unbelief. He will come
and he will get you. the most wicked of all the kings
of Israel, even more wicked than Ahab, was Manasseh. And he did
such dreadful things. He was the least likely of Israel's
kings to be an object of God's grace. But if you read in 2 Chronicles
somewhere, I can't remember the reference, Manasseh turned to
God and God saved him. He will do what he will do. As
Eli said, it is the Lord, let him do as he will. Let God be
true and every man a liar. Secondly, God gave David a new
heart and it was evident within him. It was evident within him. When he was young he meditated
on eternal things. Now I know some are called late
in life. Some like the thief on the cross
were called on the day he died. But God often works this way.
When he was young, he meditated on eternal things. I don't know
whether it was before this event or after it that David penned
the words, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want He makes me
to lie down in green pastures. He feeds my soul. Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil. For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff comfort
me. Thou hast prepared a table before me in the face of mine
enemies. You have anointed my head with oil, my cup runs."
The young man. was meditating on the things
of God. He wrote in Psalm 104 verse 34,
My meditation of him, of God, shall be sweet. The meditation
of the child of God shall be sweet. When Saul sought to kill
him, he acted again and again in the following chapters with
integrity in the fear of the Lord. He could have many times
killed Saul and taken the kingdom but he didn't, he acted with
integrity and the fear of the Lord for there was a new heart
from God within him. When he was older he fell into
grievous sin with Bathsheba and when it was brought to his attention
by Nathan the prophet he was overwhelmed with the sense of
it and he wrote Psalm 51 I was born in sin. In sin did my mother
conceive me. Everything about me is sin. Against
thee, thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight.
Is God working in your heart? You, who at this stage seem a
most unlikely candidate for the electing grace of God? Is he
giving you, has he given you a sense of your sin and your
need to be right with God? That's a second mark that David
had. And then thirdly, David believed God, and all the true
elect of God. This is the mark. They believe
God. As Paul says to the Thessalonians,
Beloved, a thanks be to God for you, beloved, for God has from
the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit. and belief of the truth. That's the evidence that you
are amongst the multitude that God chose in Christ before the
foundation of the world. You believe him. At the end of
his life, David said this, 2 Samuel 23 verse 5, God has made with
me an everlasting covenant. That's a covenant of salvation.
Ordered in all things and sure, no doubt about it. For this is
all my salvation. and all my desire. That was his
testimony. He believed God. His confidence
is the mark of all God's elect. All God's elect believe him.
They believe God. They believe his gospel. They
believe his son. They've obeyed his gospel. Not
only do they believe it, it is all their desire. Ask yourself,
child of God, Is it all your desire? The hearts of all God's
elect, by grace, are set upon things above. Set your hearts,
says Paul, on things above where Christ is. And in him they rejoice
in spirit. God reveals himself as a God
who chooses whom he will to accomplish his sovereign purposes. That's
what we see in this chapter. You will either rebel against
him, you will reject his right to rule as he sees fit and you
will go to a lost eternity without him or you will bow to him, you
will repent of your sin, you will trust his son and you will
rejoice in his salvation. God's choice, God's choice of
David, a picture of Christ and a picture of God's elect.