Text:
“I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed
them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their
shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among
them : I the Lord have spoken it.” Ezek. 34: 23, 24.
Introduction
There
are a few themes worth noting in 1 and 2 Samuel:
First,
it shows the arrival of the KINGS in Israel. The book of Judges ends with the statement, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what
was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) The deplorable events of Judges
set up Israel’s need for a king.
1
Samuel records how Israel instituted their first king: Saul. This was a
period of relative silence from God (1 Sam. 3:1). He was waiting to punctuate
this time of history with visions and
miracles, so he was allowing a period of
inactivity during the time of the judges. Similarly, for hundreds of years
before Christ, there was no prophetic activity in Israel. Once Christ came,
miraculous activity was frequent.
Second,
it shows the importance of Prophets in Israel. 1 Samuel shows how Samuel—the prophet—was
born and instituted prophets in Israel. He continues to play a significant role throughout the whole book,
anointing Saul and David as kings. Likewise, when David falls into sin,
Nathan—the prophet—calls him on this and David finds repentance (2 Sam. 11).
Third,
it shows the arrival of King David. David is a significant
player in the Bible. He is a type of Christ, and he represents the ideal king
in Israel until Christ arrives.
In
1 Samuel we again are in a transitional time.
The people were wanting to be like the nations around them and be ruled
by a king. They wanted a secular leader,
and this is precisely what they get. Saul
is tall, dark, and handsome (v.2). He comes from a wealthy family (v.1). Saul’s
father, Kish, loses his donkeys, and he tells Saul to go find them (v.3). They
bump into Samuel to see if they can get some insight on where they are. Samuel
is told beforehand that this man will be the first king of Israel (v.16).
Samuel tells Saul that the donkeys were found (v.20). Instead, he informs Saul
that there are more important things that God has for him.
Why
did God choose Saul of all people? Saul’s tribe was from the youngest sons of
Jacob, and Benjamin was also a tribe that was recently massacred (Judg. 20). So,
it fits with God’s wisdom to pick the smallest to make the greatest, and
the youngest to give his promise. It also shows that God shows grace to
people who have messed up (Judg. 20).
Why
wouldn’t God pick a good king? We should point out that Saul wasn’t evil at the beginning, but freely chose to be
evil. At the time, Saul might have been the best option. Moreover, God picks
the king that the people wanted—tall, dark, and handsome (10:23). Saul looks
good, but he lacks the necessary character to lead the nation. They wanted
this, and this is why God warned them (8:12-20). Later, God picks his first
round draft pick: David. He lets them go their way, and then, he shows them the
one who is actually good, humble, and
God-led (16:7).
As
we see the transition taking place from prophet to king, Samuel asked the
question if he has ever mistreated the people (v.3). They agree that he has
been faithful to them (v.4). Samuel reminds them of their past to give them context in moving forward. He
is worried that they will fall into idol worship (v.21). He tells them that God
will not reject them as a people (v.22), but he will let them be taken over
(v.25).
Samuel
was hurt that the people no longer wanted him, but rather a king. Even though they told him he was a good
leader they wanted a king. This shows
that there is actually another deeper issue happening here. The point is that
the Israelites are not trusting God. The reason that the people wanted a king did not rest in the fact that Samuel was a lousy judge, they wanted to be like other
nations.
Saul was thirty years old when he became king and
ruled Israel for 42 years. During that time he was moving away from trust the
LORD. On one occasion he overstepped his
authority and displeased the LORD. In
chapter thirteen of 1 Samuel we see the beginning of the end of Saul's reign.
Saul waited for Samuel to come and
offer the sacrifice to God, but because Samuel was late in arriving, Saul
offered the sacrifice himself (v.9). This was an major overstepping of his
authority. Saul provided a good argument
for why he (the king) needed to offer the
sacrifice, but Samuel wouldn’t tolerate it (v.13). He broke God’s command just
to do what was expedient. This the act that let’s Saul know that someone else
would replace him (v.15).
He final act of disobedience of Saul
came when he was commanded by the LORD to utterly destroy the Amalekites. for their
attacks against Israel, when they were
slaves escaping Egypt (Ex. 17:8-16; Num. 24:20; Deut. 25:17-19). God tells Saul
that he needs to wipe out the entire society. The Kenites were spared because they were kind to the Jews when
they left Egypt (v.6). When Saul battled the Amalekites, he saved the king (Agag) and their valuables
(vv.7-9). As a result, God regrets ever making Saul king.
Saul was so blind that he thought he was carrying out God’s
command (v.13). He claimed that he was keeping the valuables to “give to God”
(v.15). He keeps arguing with Samuel that he had followed what God said
(vv.20-21). Samuel tells him that obedience is essential—more
than sacrifices. This is the coup de gras
on Saul’s kingship. Saul admits that he was in sin the entire time (v.24); he
was justifying what he did. He fell into this because of man-pleasing (v.25).
Samuel went through and killed Agag when Saul wouldn’t (v.33). Sometimes people
are so blind to the truth that they think that they’re following it. Something
to remember is that God’s judgment is severe.
Enter David. God sends
Samuel to go and find David—Jesse’s son (v.1)
And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn
for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn
with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have
provided me a king among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD
said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. And
call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou
shalt anoint unto me him whom I
name unto thee. And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled
at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably: I am
come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves
and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified
Jesse and his sons and called them to the
sacrifice.
The sons from Jesse’s
family step forward one by one. God chooses the man based on his heart—not his
appearance (v.7). God chooses David (v.13), and Samuel anoints him with oil.
God’s Spirit had left Saul (v.14). They “just-so-happen” to recruit David to
play the harp for Saul. The music would make Saul feel better (v.23). Saul
loved David very much (v.22).
At this point, Saul is
unaware of the fact that God had departed from him, and he moved on to David
(v.14). People who are caught in sin are often the last to know that God’s
Spirit has departed from them. We see here that God looks for people’s
character—not appearance (v.7).
David
The Type of Christ
The story of David covers a larger space in the Bible than any
other of the saints, except the LORD; for he is the sum and substance of the
sacred Scriptures. All the people,
places and objects were but shadows or types of Him, as has already been shown
in past sermons. That David was a type of
Christ is evident from the Messiah's being called David in our text, and in
several other places, as Jer. 30: 9. Ezek. 37: 24. Hosea 3: 5.
These predictions do not relate to
David literally, is evident since he has been dead for several hundred years.
We will look at David as a type of the Messiah, in his
person, character, and offices.
In respect of his person, we see that he was in the linage of
Abraham, of the tribe of Judah, and was a branch of the stem of Jesse. He was
the youngest son of his father, born in Bethlehem, Judea, and spent his
youthful years in feeding his father's flock.
In comparison, Jesus was from the linage of Abraham, of the
tribe of Judah, the line of David the king of Israel, born in Bethlehem, from
the tribe of Judah and became the Shepherd of His Father’s sheep.
The prophet Micah said of Jesus’ birth, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he
come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been
from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2
The character of David.
When we look at the character of David we only need to see
how the LORD regarded David, “I have found a man after mine own heart,
that shall fulfil all my will ;” 1Sam. 13: 14. David paid the strictest attention to the law
and worship of God. David was not
perfect. Yet, he recorded his crimes of adultery and murder and his repentance
and godly sorrow for his awful crimes.
In Jesus Christ, however, we find perfection in the strictest
sense of the word. “For such a high
priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and
made higher than the heavens.” Heb.7: 26. Though tempted of the devil, yet
he was without sin. He, indeed, was “the
man after God's own heart.” It was his life’s purpose to do the will of his
heavenly Father. His whole life was an exemplification of David's prediction: “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not
desire ; mine ears hast thou opened : burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou
not required. Then said I, Lo, I come : in the volume of the book it is written
of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I
have preached righteousness in*: great congregation; lo, have not refrained my
lips, O Lord, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I
have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy
lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.” Ps. 40: 6–10.
In the writings of David many Christians have found comfort,
but in Jesus Christ, the Christian has
the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them and the satisfaction
of knowing He will never leave us or forsake us.
David's victory, over the
proud insulting Philistine, who defied the armies of the living God, was only
the beginning of his exploits in serving the LORD. He heard blasphemous
railing; he saw the unmanly terror of the Israelites, who all declined the
single combat of this vain boaster.
David was not intimidated by the fierce appearance of the enemy of
Israel. David was resolved to accept the challenge in the name of the insulted
God of Israel.
Armed with no weapons but his staff and sling, he lays the
enemy of Israel flat on the ground and severed his head from the body with his
own sword. Goliath is an emblem of the devil, the king of terror, who has the
power of death. A high reward is offered
by the King of heaven, to the person who encounters and overcome this challenging
enemy. No man, no angel, dared the difficult task. But Jesus Christ has heard the blasphemous railing of the
enemy of our soul was not intimidated.
He accepted the challenge in the name of the Father. He did this for the
salvation of the human race, and for the joy that was set before him, prepares
himself for mortal combat. His brethren despised him and used him rudely, but he was not frightened from the
business of the Father.
Just as David did not borrow the armor of Saul, Jesus did not
use His divinity to face the enemy of our soul. It was by his own strength and wisdom
he obtained the victory with the staff of his cross; a most unlikely weapon,
the Father was his shield and his glory. He destroyed the devil that had the
power of death:’ and the saying of the prophet is fulfilled; “I will save them by the Lord their God, and
will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by
horsemen.’” Hosea 1 : 7.
David was zealous for the glory of God, and desired to build
a house for Jehovah to dwell in, but was not permitted, because he had been a
man of war; but Christ, the Prince of peace, has made us the dwelling place of
the God. As Paul writes, What? know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost which is
in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? I Cor. 6:19
Looking at the way David governed the people: and “therefore the people loved him because he behaved himself wisely.”1 Sam.
18: 14. And he received the honorable testimony, that “he fed the people
according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skilfulness of
his hands.” Ps. 78: 72. But of Jesus Christ, the Son and Lord of David, it
was foretold: “Behold, my servant shall
deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.” Isa.
52: 13. And the same prophet, speaking of his descent, qualifications, and
conduct, says: “There shall come forth a
rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: and the
Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the
Lord ; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord ; and
he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the
hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and
reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth
with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the
wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the
girdle of his reins.” Isa. 11 : 1–5.
The offices which David
sustained.
He was a shepherd, as
it is written: “He chose David also his
servant, and took him from the sheep folds : from following the ewes great with
young he brought him to feed Jacob, his
people, and Israel his in heritance.” Ps. 78: 70, 71. In this occupation, he repeatedly exposed his life to
most imminent dangers in defense of the flock entrusted to him, and the LORD crowned
his courage and faithfulness with success. So, as an encouragement inducing him
to engage in combat with the giant Goliath, he related to Saul the following
story: “And David said unto Saul, Thy
servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a
lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered
it out of his mouth ; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard,
and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear ; and
this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the
armies of the living God. David said, moreover, The Lord that delivered me out
of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out
of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with
thee.” 1 Sam. 17: 34–37. However tremendous
and admirable the courage and success of David
was but a type of Christ
The sheep of Christ are innumerable
and more precious than all the cattle on a thousand hills; and their enemies
are mighty, vigilant, and persevering ; and although he knew it would cost his
life, yet his courage never failed; and in dying “he destroyed him that had the power of death, which is the devil, and
delivered them who, through fear of death, were all their life-time subject to
bondage;” Heb. 2: 14, 15; and “having
spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing
over them in it.” Col. 2: 15
“Thus saith the Lord God, Behold I, even I,
will both search my sheep, and seek them out; as a shepherd seeketh out his
flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek
out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I
will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel
by the rivers, and in all the in habited places of the country. I will feed
them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold
be : there shall they lie down in a good fold,
and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon
the mountains of Israel. I will feed my
flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God I will seek that
which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up
that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; but I will
destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. Ezek. 34: 11–16.
Referring to this prediction, Jesus, having reproved the hirelings
which abounded in his day, said: “I am
the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that
is a hireling and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf
coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth : and the wolf catcheth them, and
scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth
not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of
mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so,
know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10; 11-15.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them etermal life, and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father,
who gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.” John 10: 27–30.
David was not just a shepherd but a prophet. Under
the influence of the Holy Spirit, he often wrote as actually personating the
Messiah himself. Many parts of writings, though apparently intended of himself,
have no reference at all, except as he was a type of Christ, in whom the very
things predicted were literally fulfilled
Ps. 16: 10. 22: 18. 69: 21. To prove the resurrection of
Christ, the apostle reasoned thus: “For David
speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on
my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and
my tongue was glad; moreover, also, my flesh shall rest in hope : because thou
wilt not leave my soul in hell, (rather my body in the grave,) neither wilt
thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the
ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and
brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both
dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day; therefore, being a
prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit
of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ, to sit on his
throne ; he, seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his
soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.” Acts 2:
25–31.
David
as a type of Christ, In his office as a king.
As David was appointed of God to be king in Israel. In fact, he was anointed three times. To understand why David was anointed
three times before he was king, I believe it is important to point out first
those three times that he was anointed;
1. David is anointed to become king of
Israel, in the place of King Saul who had been rejected by God. Samuel anointed
David king in 1 Samuel 16:13
2. David is anointed to be king of
Judah by the men of Judah. 2 Samuel 2:4
3. David was anointed to be accepted
as king as king of Israel by the elders of Israel. 2 Samuel 5:3
The first anointing is the appointment
by the Lord God. The anointing from God Himself, not of men. It had to be done
by Samuel, the prophet of the Lord.
The second anointing was by the men of
Judah for him to become their king. David was yet to be accepted of Israel.
Judah had all along been perceived to be a separate entity from the rest of
Israel. David had been from the lineage of Judah and was therefore readily accepted
as king by the men of Judah. Judah is also the lineage of our Lord Jesus the
CHRIST. According to how Jacob blessed his sons when he was about to die in
Genesis 49, Judah was blessed to rule over his brothers until the coming of
Jesus the Christ. So, this was the
anointing of acceptance. David received the anointing of approval; Saul on the other hand only received
the anointing of appointment 1 Samuel 10:27.
The third anointing was for David to
inclusively be king over Israel. This as much was also the anointing of
acceptance. Saul had died, and much as
Israel should have resisted the leadership of David, they had no alternative
but to accept him as king over them.
David, though declared to be king in Israel and anointed of
the Lord, yet had to pass through a series of long and complicated trials, to
attain the promise. For a considerable time, he was in a state of reproach,
persecution, and distress. In like manner, the accession of Jesus to his
promised dominion was long and violently opposed ; and he was more afflicted than
any man; “a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief.” David was reviled by his own kindred, as acting from ambitious
views, and other corrupt principles. “I
know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thy heart,”was the slanderous and cruel
speech of his elder brother. 1 Sam. 17: 28. And of Jesus,
it is said, “Neither did his brethren
believe in him.” John 7: 3–5.
The long persecution which David endured from Saul should
remind us of “the child Jesus, against whom both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with
the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together.” Acts 4: 27. How
often was David obliged to flee for his life from place to place, and hide
himself in the dens and caves of the earth!
Jesus Christ wandered from town to town, and very frequently, to avoid
the violence of his adversaries, concealed himself from them, and escaped from
their fury by a miraculous flight. Luke 4: 30. John 8: 59. 10: 39.
There is also a striking similarity in the professed ground
of opposition both to David and to Jesus Christ; that the established government was in danger. As Saul
suspected David to be his rival, so Herod feared that his power would be
subverted by him “who was born King of
the Jews.” Matt. 2 : 2, &c. As David met with formidable resistance
from many of his own people as well as from neighboring nations, particularly from
Ahithophel, one who had been a partner in his councils, and his familiar
companion, but proved a traitor and sought his destruction; so very similar was
the opposition to Christ's kingdom. “He
came to his own, but his own received him not.” John 1: 11.
“His citizens hated
him, and said, We will not have this man to reign over us.” Luke 19: 14. A murderer was
preferred to the Prince of life ; “not this man, but Barabbas,” was the general
cry. John 18: 40. “The multitude,” among whom were, perhaps, many whom he had
fed in the wilderness, freed from tormenting devils, and healed of their
diseases, “cried, Crucify him Crucify
him!” His friends and
disciples fled and forsook him, like sheep when the shepherd
is smitten. Peter, the most zealous of the apostles, denied his Lord and
Master, and swore and cursed, to prove that he knew not the man; while Judas
Iscariot, who had been a near attendant upon his person, entrusted with his
counsel, like Ahithophel, a base apostate, betrayed him into the hands of his
enemies.
David bore his afflictions with patience and meekness; but in
seasons of darkness, under the hidings of God's countenance, he bitterly complained
unto the Lord, as one abandoned and abhorred. Thus the Lord of David, of whom
it is written: “He was oppressed, and he
was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth ; he is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep, before her
shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” Isa. 53 : 7. When suffering
from the immediate hand of God—bearing our sins in his own body on the tree, he
exclaimed, “My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me !” Matt. 27: 46. At length, however, David saw persecuting Saul
removed, the Philistines subdued, and all the neighboring nations either
desolated or made tributary to him; and he reigned king over all the tribes of Israel,
and many of the heathens professed allegiance to him and became proselytes to the God of Israel.
Let this mind be in you, which was
also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no
reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And
that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father. Phil 2:5-11
The Father has “set him
at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and
power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come.”Eph.
1: 20, 21.
As yet, His spiritual government has not attained its perfection. Many refuse submission, to his yoke. But “his people shall be willing in the day of
is power;” Ps. 1.10: 3; “yea, all
kings shall fall down before him ; all nations shall serve him.” Ps. 72:
11. For “he must reign till he hath put
all enemies under his feet.” I Cor. 15: 25. This is that “root of Jesse, which shall rise to reign over
the Gentiles: in him shall the Gentiles trust.” Rom. 15: 12
In Conclusion
Christ is the Great Shepherd, the Prophet and King of kings,
LORD of lords. He will one day come back
and establish His kingdom here on earth.
What is important is that you are ready, that you have made your calling
and election sure in Jesus Christ. Today
is the day of salvation, now is the excepted time, don’t put off accepting Jesus Christ the Lord of your life.
