"FEED MY SHEEP"
Knowing what you do about the LORD and the way He works, what do you think the LORD wanted David to do when He called him to become King over Israel?
a) Was it to conquer more territory?
b) Was it to build more cities?
c) Was it to strengthen the military?
d) Was it to collect taxes?
e) Was it to feed the people?
f) Was it none of these?
Please take a minute with me and choose one of these. GTFR
Now open your Bible with me to the Book of II Samuel and let’s see which of these is correct. II Samuel chapter five and look with me at verse one. II Samuel 5:1 “Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. (2) Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. (3) So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. (4) David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. (5) In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.”
How many of you thought it was letter “e” – “feed my people”? You are correct. Look at the words of verse two.
(2) Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.
I’ve titled today’s sermon “Feed My People.”
Of all the tasks that you would have expected the LORD to lay upon the King of Israel, you might not have expected Him to say this. “Feed my people.” Yet that is exactly what the LORD called David to do. Throughout all of history, beginning with the Bible, there appears one main calling that God gives to kings, queens, prime ministers, governors, and rulers and leaders. That one main calling is what I’d like to speak about today.
I would like to show you today just why God wants leaders to do this.
First, the declaration of submission. Look with me at II Samuel 5:1. “Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.” King Ishbosheth is now off the scene. General Abner is now off the scene as well. And the Jews become one people again.
Now did you notice verse one says that “all the tribes of Israel” came to David said this? Ten of these tribes had sided with Ishbosheth when Abner crowned him king. They had had Saul as their king and, in a sense, after Saul’s death, had remained loyal to him by choosing Ishbosheth as their King, the King of Israel. Remember this – there were as much as ten times the amount of people within the borders of Israel as there were within the borders of Judah. There was ten times as much land. Their army was, likely, ten times larger than David’s.
Can you see what verse one then implies? It means that size and numbers may certainly not be a sign of either success or obedience to the will of God. Here’s David, now thirty years of age. And he’s being crowned King over all Israel. He’d spent the last thirteen years learning how to walk with God while the King of Israel, King Saul, had relentlessly pursued and persecuted him.
Yet here are the ones, I’m sure, many from Saul’s army, who had obeyed orders and pursued David over the hills of Judea. Now they’ve surrendered. Surrender, as you know, is not a bad word.
They now see David as he truly is, a man who is both trustworthy and honorable. Yes, he was Saul’s enemy; but not because he chose that position. These Jews have now switched their allegiance to a man who was a true man, a perfect man.
a) Was it to conquer more territory?
b) Was it to build more cities?
c) Was it to strengthen the military?
d) Was it to collect taxes?
e) Was it to feed the people?
f) Was it none of these?
Please take a minute with me and choose one of these. GTFR
Now open your Bible with me to the Book of II Samuel and let’s see which of these is correct. II Samuel chapter five and look with me at verse one. II Samuel 5:1 “Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. (2) Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. (3) So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. (4) David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. (5) In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.”
How many of you thought it was letter “e” – “feed my people”? You are correct. Look at the words of verse two.
(2) Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.
I’ve titled today’s sermon “Feed My People.”
Of all the tasks that you would have expected the LORD to lay upon the King of Israel, you might not have expected Him to say this. “Feed my people.” Yet that is exactly what the LORD called David to do. Throughout all of history, beginning with the Bible, there appears one main calling that God gives to kings, queens, prime ministers, governors, and rulers and leaders. That one main calling is what I’d like to speak about today.
I would like to show you today just why God wants leaders to do this.
First, the declaration of submission. Look with me at II Samuel 5:1. “Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.” King Ishbosheth is now off the scene. General Abner is now off the scene as well. And the Jews become one people again.
Now did you notice verse one says that “all the tribes of Israel” came to David said this? Ten of these tribes had sided with Ishbosheth when Abner crowned him king. They had had Saul as their king and, in a sense, after Saul’s death, had remained loyal to him by choosing Ishbosheth as their King, the King of Israel. Remember this – there were as much as ten times the amount of people within the borders of Israel as there were within the borders of Judah. There was ten times as much land. Their army was, likely, ten times larger than David’s.
Can you see what verse one then implies? It means that size and numbers may certainly not be a sign of either success or obedience to the will of God. Here’s David, now thirty years of age. And he’s being crowned King over all Israel. He’d spent the last thirteen years learning how to walk with God while the King of Israel, King Saul, had relentlessly pursued and persecuted him.
Yet here are the ones, I’m sure, many from Saul’s army, who had obeyed orders and pursued David over the hills of Judea. Now they’ve surrendered. Surrender, as you know, is not a bad word.
They now see David as he truly is, a man who is both trustworthy and honorable. Yes, he was Saul’s enemy; but not because he chose that position. These Jews have now switched their allegiance to a man who was a true man, a perfect man.
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