(11) How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? (12) And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.”
By now you know what kind of man this King David is.
1. He’s a man after God’s own heart.
2. He’s a man with a perfect heart.
3. He’s faithful.
Let’s see if I can help you see what kind of character David is made of.
1. He’s faithful to those who have been unfaithful to him.
In I Samuel we read story after story where David was faithful to a very unfaithful man, King Saul. Time after time, Saul tried to destroy the young man who killed Goliath. Yet, a quick reading through the Book this afternoon and you’ll see that, in spite of all that hatred and all of Saul’s attempts to take his life, David insisted on being faithful to an unfaithful man, King Saul.
2. He’s faithful to King Saul in his death. He honors the man who totally disrespected him. He grants him an honorable funeral service and even writes a Poem of Remembrance about him.
3. Then there’s General Abner. Read his story in the first three chapters of II Samuel and you’ll find David faithful again to a man who was unfaithful to him.
4. Now we’ve come to King Ishbosheth, a man who clearly disrespected and despised him. And how does David treat the unfaithfulness of Ishbosheth now that he’s dead? Does he gloat over his death? Not in the least.
Look with me at verse ten again. (10) “When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: (11) How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?”
Have you even wondered where the David’s of this world get their ability to be like this; especially in the face of unfaithfulness? How does David remain faithful to people like Saul and Abner and Ishbosheth? One way, he knows who he’s really being faithful to. Like Joseph of old who stayed true to the LORD in the face of temptation.
Your faithfulness isn’t just so that you’ll have a good history and something to brag about. Rather, your faithfulness has eternal consequences. Remember what Jesus said to His apostles?
Luke 16:10 “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. (11) If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (property, earthly goods, gain, anything of value), who will commit to your trust the true riches?”
You’ve only got this world in which to be faithful in. You’ve only got a faithfulness realm here on earth. In heaven, (and I’m not being disrespectful) you won’t need it. You’ll be like Jesus through your entire being. But today you are being transformed. Today your soul is being converted. Today is the day God is calling you to be faithful – to Him.
1. Be faithful to those who are unfaithful to you.
2. Be faithful today because, if you are, tomorrow will take care of itself. You might know the end of David’s life. But there came a day later on when David chose unfaithfulness as an alternative. Yet, that unfaithfulness to a man named Uriah resulted in huge loss for both him and his kingdom.
You don’t know how your faithfulness to God will be tested tomorrow. But, yes, it will be tested. Today, though, is the day when you’ve got to watch over your heart to be faithful.
By now you know what kind of man this King David is.
1. He’s a man after God’s own heart.
2. He’s a man with a perfect heart.
3. He’s faithful.
Let’s see if I can help you see what kind of character David is made of.
1. He’s faithful to those who have been unfaithful to him.
In I Samuel we read story after story where David was faithful to a very unfaithful man, King Saul. Time after time, Saul tried to destroy the young man who killed Goliath. Yet, a quick reading through the Book this afternoon and you’ll see that, in spite of all that hatred and all of Saul’s attempts to take his life, David insisted on being faithful to an unfaithful man, King Saul.
2. He’s faithful to King Saul in his death. He honors the man who totally disrespected him. He grants him an honorable funeral service and even writes a Poem of Remembrance about him.
3. Then there’s General Abner. Read his story in the first three chapters of II Samuel and you’ll find David faithful again to a man who was unfaithful to him.
4. Now we’ve come to King Ishbosheth, a man who clearly disrespected and despised him. And how does David treat the unfaithfulness of Ishbosheth now that he’s dead? Does he gloat over his death? Not in the least.
Look with me at verse ten again. (10) “When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: (11) How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?”
Have you even wondered where the David’s of this world get their ability to be like this; especially in the face of unfaithfulness? How does David remain faithful to people like Saul and Abner and Ishbosheth? One way, he knows who he’s really being faithful to. Like Joseph of old who stayed true to the LORD in the face of temptation.
Your faithfulness isn’t just so that you’ll have a good history and something to brag about. Rather, your faithfulness has eternal consequences. Remember what Jesus said to His apostles?
Luke 16:10 “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. (11) If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (property, earthly goods, gain, anything of value), who will commit to your trust the true riches?”
You’ve only got this world in which to be faithful in. You’ve only got a faithfulness realm here on earth. In heaven, (and I’m not being disrespectful) you won’t need it. You’ll be like Jesus through your entire being. But today you are being transformed. Today your soul is being converted. Today is the day God is calling you to be faithful – to Him.
1. Be faithful to those who are unfaithful to you.
2. Be faithful today because, if you are, tomorrow will take care of itself. You might know the end of David’s life. But there came a day later on when David chose unfaithfulness as an alternative. Yet, that unfaithfulness to a man named Uriah resulted in huge loss for both him and his kingdom.
You don’t know how your faithfulness to God will be tested tomorrow. But, yes, it will be tested. Today, though, is the day when you’ve got to watch over your heart to be faithful.
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