The Celebration of God\'s Redemptive Plan
The Celebration of God’s Redemptive Plan
2 Samuel 23:1-7
“Truly is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all things, and secured; for all my salvation and all my desire, will he not indeed make it grow?”
When you stand at the end of your life and look back, what will you see? 2 Samuel 23 records the last song David wrote, a song capturing the totality of his life as he reflects on the events he experienced. As he reflects upon his life, the one thing that stands out, and defines every event, is the covenant God made with him. It was not just the high point of his life; it was what defined everything that happened to him.
As David looked back, he stood in wonder at the blessing of God. As he expresses his rise to being the king of Israel, he is not boastful of what he has done; instead, he celebrates the wonder of God's activity in his life. With a sense of awe and amazement, he recognized that God had anointed him to be the King of Israel. But as he writes these words, he does so with an eye set forward to the future king, to the one who would fulfill this righteous standard perfectly.
God who redeemed and anointed the troubled Jacob is the same God who took a young shepherd boy, belittled by his own family, and elevated him to the position where he was the “beloved of Israel’s songs” (vs. 3, NIV). But even more astonishing was that he was anointed as a prophet of God. God used him not only to lead the nation but to write the hymns that would be sung by the nation (and future generations of God’s people) to celebrate God’s glory.
Furthermore, through God’s empowerment, he embodied the essential qualities of a godly leader who leads in righteousness and the fear of the Lord. His success did not come from his political skill but God’s grace as David relied upon him. Through his pursuit of righteousness and his embodiment of the fear of the Lord, he led the nation in growth and the blessing of God.
In verse 5, David celebrates the covenant that God made with him. He marvels that God would establish an eternal dynasty through him that would bring a blessing to his house by granting him his every desire. This God did for him, but for future generations as well. This would be fulfilled with the arrival of the messianic king.
Even as God blessed David and his decedents so they could be counted upon to bring justice and judgment upon evil men (vs. 6-7). This again finds its fulfillment in Christ, who not only brings righteousness and salvation but also judgment upon those who reject God.
In these verses, we see David celebrating his reign, not because he regarded himself as the perfect king, but because he saw the hand of God upon him. With a sense of wonder, David looks back at his accomplishments as the King and recognizes that they resulted from God’s grace and sovereign activity in his life. When he reflects upon his life, he does not see his accomplishments but God’s accomplishments through him.
When we look back, do we take pride in what we have done and see our accomplishments as the testimony of our greatness? Or do we look back and see God’s hand and activity in our life as a testimony of his grace and our accomplishments as evidence of his work in our life? As Edward Goodrick affirmed, “O wondrous grace, How can it be that thou canst use the likes of me.” May that be said of us.
2 Samuel 23:1-7
“Truly is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all things, and secured; for all my salvation and all my desire, will he not indeed make it grow?”
When you stand at the end of your life and look back, what will you see? 2 Samuel 23 records the last song David wrote, a song capturing the totality of his life as he reflects on the events he experienced. As he reflects upon his life, the one thing that stands out, and defines every event, is the covenant God made with him. It was not just the high point of his life; it was what defined everything that happened to him.
As David looked back, he stood in wonder at the blessing of God. As he expresses his rise to being the king of Israel, he is not boastful of what he has done; instead, he celebrates the wonder of God's activity in his life. With a sense of awe and amazement, he recognized that God had anointed him to be the King of Israel. But as he writes these words, he does so with an eye set forward to the future king, to the one who would fulfill this righteous standard perfectly.
God who redeemed and anointed the troubled Jacob is the same God who took a young shepherd boy, belittled by his own family, and elevated him to the position where he was the “beloved of Israel’s songs” (vs. 3, NIV). But even more astonishing was that he was anointed as a prophet of God. God used him not only to lead the nation but to write the hymns that would be sung by the nation (and future generations of God’s people) to celebrate God’s glory.
Furthermore, through God’s empowerment, he embodied the essential qualities of a godly leader who leads in righteousness and the fear of the Lord. His success did not come from his political skill but God’s grace as David relied upon him. Through his pursuit of righteousness and his embodiment of the fear of the Lord, he led the nation in growth and the blessing of God.
In verse 5, David celebrates the covenant that God made with him. He marvels that God would establish an eternal dynasty through him that would bring a blessing to his house by granting him his every desire. This God did for him, but for future generations as well. This would be fulfilled with the arrival of the messianic king.
Even as God blessed David and his decedents so they could be counted upon to bring justice and judgment upon evil men (vs. 6-7). This again finds its fulfillment in Christ, who not only brings righteousness and salvation but also judgment upon those who reject God.
In these verses, we see David celebrating his reign, not because he regarded himself as the perfect king, but because he saw the hand of God upon him. With a sense of wonder, David looks back at his accomplishments as the King and recognizes that they resulted from God’s grace and sovereign activity in his life. When he reflects upon his life, he does not see his accomplishments but God’s accomplishments through him.
When we look back, do we take pride in what we have done and see our accomplishments as the testimony of our greatness? Or do we look back and see God’s hand and activity in our life as a testimony of his grace and our accomplishments as evidence of his work in our life? As Edward Goodrick affirmed, “O wondrous grace, How can it be that thou canst use the likes of me.” May that be said of us.
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