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Henry Mahan

God's Everlasting Covenant

2 Samuel 23:5
Henry Mahan • December, 31 1988 • Audio
1,528 Articles 3,940 Sermons 760 Books
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Henry Mahan
Henry Mahan • December, 31 1988
1,528 articles 3,940 sermons 760 books
Message: 0897a

Henry T. Mahan Tape Ministry
Zebulon Baptist Church
6088 Zebulon Highway
Pikeville, KY 41501
Tom Harding, Pastor

Sermon Transcript

Auto-generated transcript • May contain errors

100%
For the last, I think, two years,
we have been gathering here in the closing minutes of the dying
year and the opening minutes of the new year around the Lord's
table. I have been so pleased with this
arrangement It's really the way that one
of our speakers has already said, that I like to spend the last
hours of the old year and the new moments of the new year worshiping
the Lord with my family in Christ. And I gave some thought to a message,
a brief message to present to you concerning the meaning of
the Lord's Table. And I'm going to ask you to turn
to a rather unusual passage of Scripture. I've never used it
in this regard before, but now that I'm going to, I wonder why
I haven't. 2 Samuel chapter 23. 2 Samuel chapter 23. Now verse
1 begins in this fashion. Now these be the last words of
David. I've tried in my mind to recreate
this scene. Jerusalem is under, probably
late in the evening, These things just seem to take place late
in the evening. And Jerusalem is under heavy,
heavy mourning. Their king is dying. The word
has spread throughout the city. No one is asleep. People are
convening in the streets, in the doors of their homes, in
their living rooms. All around the palace, standing
multitude outside the palace, waiting for word. Messengers
are going in and out, in and out. People are all over the palace.
And then we go upstairs to the king's bedchamber. And there the people are gathered
about his bed, the physicians, and the captains, and the generals,
and those who have served the king,
some of them for many years. And they're just standing quietly
around. I've kept that vigil before. Some of you have, waiting
for someone to die. And on the mind, I imagine, of
every person there is usually What's on my mind when I stand
in a room where someone's dying? What is that person's hope? What is that person's relationship
with God? In just a few moments that one
will be gone and where will he awaken? And then another thing
that's on my mind is what will be his last words that he speaks,
the very last thing he says. Everybody doesn't get to speak
last words. Some people kill instantaneously,
some die of heart attacks, some die under sedation, but David,
David had an opportunity to speak. And with the rest of those people
assembled about his dead on that eventful night and that eventful
hour, we're going to hear exactly what David has to say before
he dies. These are the last words of David.
And it says, David, we're talking about the son of Jesse. You know
what I thought about when I read that? I turned the clock back. I went
way, many, many, many years before, Bob. when the great prophet Samuel
went down to the home of Jesse, the anointed king. And Jesse
had all his mighty, powerful, handsome sons decked out in their
finery. He sent that lad out there to
the hillside to watch the sheep because he didn't think God had
any use for that boy. Then, Roger, God passed by every
one of them and said, And when he walked in the door, I bet
David was thinking about that as he lay there on that day of
dying. His mind went back to that day he stood in the door.
And Samuel said, God the naughtiest of all men. God chose him. Men
didn't choose him. God chose him. Men didn't recognize
God's hand on him. And they usually don't. For he
hath chosen the foolish things of this world, and the despised
things of this world, and the things that are not to bring
to naught the things that are, that no flesh should grow in
his presence. And David walked in that day and knelt, and that
old prophet poured the oil of God on his head, and made him
king of Israel." Now here we're talking about David, the son
of Jesse, the man who was raised on high. Who raised him? God raised him. God indeed gifted
him. How he gifted that man. How he
blessed that man. And how he blessed other men
because of that man. God had his hand on David. He
raised him on high. Made him king of Israel. Made
him the most powerful man in all the world. God put him down.
See, God raises men up and puts them down. God raises up kings
and sheeps of God Almighty. It raises the poor from the dunghill,
and the beggar from the dunghill, makes them sit among princes.
He makes it poor, he makes it rich. God does it. God does it. And it says here he was, who
was this man about to speak? He's the anointed of the God
of Jacob. The anointed of the God of Jacob. God called him, and I'm sure
he recalled this, a man after my own heart. David's heart beat
with God. David's heart beat with God.
With God's heart. He's like Peter. Peter said,
you know I love you. You know you reign in my heart.
David was a man after God's own heart. He was anointed by the
God of Jacob. You know who the God of Jacob
is? He's the God of divine election. That's who he is. Jacob have
a love, and he shall have a hatred. That's what God said. Who's the
God of Jacob? He's the God of divine revelation.
He's the one who revealed himself to Jacob. Jacob wasn't seeking
the Lord. The Lord was seeking Jacob. And
he showed him the way to heaven. Who is the God of Jacob? He's
the God of a changed name. He said, what's your name? Jacob
said, Chief Jacob. God said, you're not Jacob anymore,
you're Israel, Prince of God. Who is the God of Jacob? He's
the God of unchanging promises. He said, I am the God of Jacob,
I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob cannot
proceed. That's this man. That's this
man. David, son of Jesse. David, man
raised on high. David, anointed as the God of
Jacob. And David was the sweet psalmist
of Israel. You've got to pay attention to
what he's saying. But he said in verse 2, the Spirit
of the Lord spake by me. We're about to hear from a man
through whom God spake. We're about to hear from a man
who wrote scripture. This man wrote, this man was
used of God with other holy men to write the Word of God Almighty. Do you understand what I'm saying?
This man. Spirit of God speaks by me. He
said, verse 3, the God of Israel said to me. The Rock of Israel,
Jesus Christ, speaks to me. He's the Rock, isn't he? He said these things. Spirit
of God, whatever he says now, listen, listen. Whatever are his last words are
divinely inspired. God speaking. What shall he say? What will
he say? What is his relationship with
God? Is he afraid? Is he in doubt? Has he been on the wrong road?
Does he have reservations? What is his hope, his relationship
with God? Wait. He said in verse 5, These are the last words now
of David. The journey's end is here. From the house of Jesse, to the
cave, to the mountain, to running from Saul, to the palace, in
exile, back to the palace, to the mighty victory, the times
of great trial, I've got to the victory. And he says, although
my house be not so with God. Although my house be not so with
God. What's he talking about? Well,
his children had literally broken his heart. Amnon, remember, raped
his own sister? And his brother killed him in
cold blood. And then his son Absalom. Oh,
when Absalom died, David said, would God I'd have died for him.
That's how much he loved him. He loved him so much, Joab rebuked
him. Oh God, I wish I'd have died
instead of him. But he died trying to take the
kingdom away from his daddy. God killed him. And he lay there
and said, he said, I'll go to my house, but he not so with
God. And I'm sure he was not only thinking about his children,
he was thinking about his friends. Ziba, you remember? He put Ziba
in charge of Mephibosheth. Old Ziba crossed him up, lied
to him like a dog. Abner, Joab, trusted generals. I'm sure David thought about
his whole household, his friends, his servants. He thought about
his kingdom. And you know, he says it in this
way, although, although my house be not so with God, it's in God's
capable, sovereign hands. I can't do anything about it, Bob. Russell Penn can't do anything
about it. Salvation still of the Lord,
whether it's your kid or mine. Salvation still of the Lord,
whether it's your friend or not. And that's what he's saying,
although my house be not so with God yet. Yet. But God, that's what he says.
We were children of wrath even as others, walking according
to the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye and the pride
of life. But God, who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loves us, not we love him,
he loved us. had quickened up together with
Christ, and raised us up, and made us sit together in the midst
of the frontiers. But God, yet, although my house
be not so with God, yet He, of His own will, by His own decree,
according to His own purpose, He, from all eternity, has made
with me everlasting covenant. An everlasting covenant. What is this everlasting covenant? Don't you turn, let me just read
it to you. Over here in the tenth chapter
of Hebrews, it says, he hath protected forever them
that are sanctified." This man, after he'd offered one sacrifice
for sin forever, sat down on the right hand of God. And this
is the covenant that I will make with them, saith the Lord, their
sins and iniquities will I remember no more. That's the covenant.
and now the God of peace that brought again from the dead that
great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the one everlasting
covenant. You know what David's talking
about on his deathbed? As David lies there in probably
a haze over his eyes and a death rattle in his throat and his
breath coming shorter, thinking about leaving this earth and
going to meet a holy God, he says in his last utterance Although it be not so with my
half, yes, God hath made with me an everlasting covenant. A covenant, a covenant of blood,
a covenant of sacrifice, a covenant of substitution, a covenant of
redemption, A covenant of righteousness, a covenant of sanctification,
a covenant through the sacrifice of another. That's the covenant. This is what David was looking
at when he was talking about this. The sacrifice of Jesus
Christ in the stead, place, and will of his people, what you
preach. This is the man after God's heart.
This is the sweet psalmist of Israel. This is the man exalted
on high. This is the anointed of the God
of Jacob. This is the man to whom we should listen and hearken
because God speaks through him. This man's hope is the same as
my hope, the blood of Christ. I want to die like that. I want to die like that. And
he says this covenant is ordered. What does that word ordered mean?
That word ordered means arranged, arranged and furnished in all
things. There's nothing for me to add
to it. There's nothing for me to do. There's nothing for me
to contribute. There's nothing for me to continue.
There's no payment for me to make. There's no work for me
to do. It's ordered in everything. You know, I thought while David
was reading that, no, Somebody a moment ago was reading John
21. David was. John 21. When Christ
stood there, was in the study, Bible was written. And Christ,
they were fishing out there. And he called them in. And they
rode the shore. And you know what was on the
fire? Fish and bread. He prepared the
whole meal. He said, Come and dine. Don't
you bring nothing. He said, where did he get the
thing? It ain't none of my business, it was on the fire. Where did
he get the bread? That's his business. It was on
the fire. He said, you come sit down and
eat. And that's what he said here, it's ordered in all things
and it's sure, the foundation of God is sure, sure, sure. It's of grace that it might be
sure, he said. It's sure. You know what this
man says as he dies? These are the last words. This
is it. And this is all my salvation. Yeah, but what about your profession?
This covenant is my salvation. Yeah, but what about your preaching?
This covenant is my salvation. But what about your gifts? David,
you served, you labored, you led the armies, you went into
battle, you fought, you drew your sword for the honor of God.
This is all my salvation. I face God just like any other
thief. That's right, this is my salvation.
The body and blood of the Son of God. The person and work of
Jesus Christ. This is all my salvation. And
furthermore, listen, and it's all I desire. I have no ambitions
in the other area. I have no thoughts in any other
direction. This is all my desire. This is all my desire. I don't
care to look into any other area, for this is sufficient. No need for me to say, don't
you want to hear what others have to say? When I hear God,
I don't want to hear what others have to say. Don't you want another
opinion? It's no good, your thoughts are
not his thoughts, your ways are not his ways. David said, this
is it, this is it! Are you listening? This is all
my salvation. He, although it be not so, all
around me, but he made with me. This is all my salvation, this
is all my desire. And I looked at this last statement
before he closed his eyes and went to be with God, although
he make it not to go. Although by appearance it doesn't seem to be much. You see, what you see here is
not what's really here. David was lying there old and
wrinkled. and pale, and dying, and gasping
for breath, and weak, and frail, and just about ready to pass
over. And he says, what you see here
is not what's here. You're looking at corruption.
It shall be raised in incorruption. You're looking here at dishonor.
Oh, I've dishonored God so many times. that he's going to raise
me in glory. What you see is weakness, human
weakness, fleshly weakness, the stains and marks and results
of sin. I'll be raised in power. What
you see is natural flesh. I'll be raised a spiritual body
like his. So don't you judge my expectation
by my appearance. It's not worthy to be compared.
He's not going to show me off on this world. He's going to
show me off in glory. This is not the time for him
to show me off. He's going to do that when he
makes me like Christ. And then they won't be looking
at me, they'll be looking at Christ. Because we're trophies
of his grace. Six more minutes, this year is
gone. And like the dying words of David,
these be my last words in 1988. My salvation and my desire is
in the covenant, and I'm not ashamed of that word, in the
covenant electing, sufficient, particular, peculiar, redeeming
love of Jesus Christ, who loved me and gave himself for me. And
my first words in 1989 will be, thank you, Lord, for saving my
soul.
Henry Mahan
About Henry Mahan

Henry T. Mahan was born in Birmingham, Alabama in August 1926. He joined the United States Navy in 1944 and served as a signalman on an L.S.T. in the Pacific during World War II. In 1946, he married his wife Doris, and the Lord blessed them with four children.

At the age of 21, he entered the pastoral ministry and gained broad experience as a pastor, teacher, conference speaker, and evangelist. In 1950, through the preaching of evangelist Rolfe Barnard, God was pleased to establish Henry in sovereign free grace teaching. At that time, he was serving as an assistant pastor at Pollard Baptist Church (off of Blackburn ave.) in Ashland, Kentucky.

In 1955, Thirteenth Street Baptist Church was formed in Ashland, Kentucky, and Henry was called to be its pastor. He faithfully served that congregation for more than 50 years, continuing in the same message throughout his ministry. His preaching was centered on the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified, in full accord with the Scriptures. He consistently proclaimed God’s sovereign purpose in salvation and the glory of Christ in redeeming sinners through His blood and righteousness.

Henry T. Mahan also traveled widely, preaching in conferences and churches across the United States and beyond. His ministry was marked by a clear and unwavering emphasis on Christ, not the preacher, but the One preached. Those who heard him recognized that his sermons honored the Savior and exalted the name of the Lord Jesus Christ above all.

Henry T. Mahan served as pastor and teacher of Thirteenth Street Baptist Church in Ashland, Kentucky for over half a century. His life and ministry were devoted to proclaiming the sovereign grace of God and directing sinners to the finished work of Christ. He entered into the presence of the Lord in 2019, leaving behind a lasting testimony to the gospel he faithfully preached.

Broadcaster:
Henry T. Mahan / Zebulon Grace Church
Theology:
#Covenant Theology #Soteriology #Grace
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