Fulfill the Purposes of God • 2 Samuel 8

51:33 Teaching begins

Notes

David wanted to build God an exalted temple for God’s own glory, and God said, “No. You are not the guy.”

Can you imagine David’s reaction? If I were David my reaction would have been something like, “What’s the matter with You? I want to do a good thing for You. You ought to be glad somebody somewhere wants to do something nice for You for once. Why don’t You take it and be grateful?”

That’s because God has a purpose for David to do in his part of the plan of the ages. That means God allows David to do some things and doesn’t allow him to do others. But if David fulfills the purpose for which God made him, that’s enough.

Doing your own thing for God is NOT the important thing in life. What is important is that you fulfill the purpose of God for which He made you.

I’m reading in 2 Samuel 8.

1. David makes peace for Israel all around, vv. 1-6.

A. These nations are all around Israel—Philistines to the west, Moab to the east, Zobah and the Syrians are to the north, Amalek is in the southwest, and Edom to the southeast.

B. The reason for this is all these nations attacked Israel.

1. 1 Samuel 14:47-48 Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, the sons of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines; and wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment. He acted valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them.

2. That verb for “plundered” shows that it was going on all the time, continually. Saul had to deal with constant attacks on all sides from these surrounding nations who are raiding and picking on Israel.

2. David is putting an end to these nations’ ability to attack and destabilise Israel.

A. He defeated the Philistines right to their chief city. This is not the end of the Philistines. This is the end of their ability to attack Israel at will.

B. Same with Moab. We might be tempted to say David was harsh by reducing Moab’s male population by 2/3. In reality they are lucky David doesn’t put them all to death for their constant attacking of Israel.

C. These Syrians, Hadadezer and the Arameans of Damascus, are bullies who oppress and harass and pick on those who are weaker and fewer and can’t defend themselves.

1. Hadadezer of Syrian Zobah was trying to recover territory in the direction of the Euphrates River, and Hamath was in the way. So he was trying to trample Hamath.

2. David wiped out Hadadezer and put garrisons in Syria. There is going to be no more oppression and attacks. Enough is enough.

3. And Toi king of Hamath said, “Thank you so much for getting rid of that pest! Anybody who gets rid of Hadadezer is a friend of mine.” So David isn’t at war with Hamath.

3. The result is peace all around Israel so that the temple can be built in peace.

A. We know this from 1 Chronicles 22:7-10 David said to Solomon, “My son, I had intended to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

B. God told David you can’t build My temple because you have shed much blood. It’s not fitting.

C. Your son shall be a man of rest. That’s his name. I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. That’s when my temple will be built, in peace, by a man of peace.

D. God is giving Solomon rest in his days through what David is doing now.

4. David is winning battles through the help of the Lord.

A. Twice it says that the Lord was with David everywhere he went, vv. 6 and 14. So God is in this.

B. These victories come through trusting in the Lord and it was not easy. They had to depend on the Lord to help them. That’s emphasised in Psalm 60.

For the choir director; according to Shushan Eduth. A mikhtam of David, to teach; when he struggled with Aram-Naharaim and with Aram-Zobah, and Joab returned, and smote twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

O God, You have rejected us. You have broken us; You have been angry; O, restore us. You have made the land quake, You have split it open; heal its breaches, for it totters. You have made Your people experience hardship; You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger.

You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and answer us!

God has spoken in His holiness: “I will exult, I will portion out Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet of My head; Judah is My scepter. Moab is My washbowl; over Edom I shall throw My shoe; shout loud, O Philistia, because of Me!” Who will bring me into the besieged city? Who will lead me to Edom? Have not You Yourself, O God, rejected us? And will You not go forth with our armies, O God? O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain. Through God we shall do valiantly, and it is He who will tread down our adversaries.

C. Notice the enemies in Psalm 60 are those listed in 2 Samuel 8: Moab, Edom, Philistia, and the Syrians Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Zobah.

D. Doing God’s will wasn’t easy. Sometimes David lost battles. That humbled him and made him look to God to defeat enemies that were probably more powerful and numerous than Israel. God helped them do the job He called them to do.

5. David is accomplishing another purpose: gathering supplies to build the temple.

A. When David defeats an enemy of Israel he takes their bronze, silver, and gold. These bullies all got their stuff by taking it from someone else. David is not taking it for himself but for the Lord.

B. He dedicates it all to the Lord, even the nice stuff that Toi king of Hamath sends by his son Joram. David says to Joram, “Wow, nice stuff. Tell your father thank you.” To himself he’s saying, “This stuff goes with all the other stuff dedicated for the temple.”

C. His attitude is, “If I can’t build the temple myself, I can provide for it with all my might.” When Solomon is ready to build the temple David can say, 1 Chronicles 22:14-16 “Now behold, with great pains I have prepared for the house of the LORD 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weight, for they are in great quantity; also timber and stone I have prepared, and you may add to them. Moreover, there are many workmen with you, stonecutters and masons of stone and carpenters, and all men who are skillful in every kind of work. Of the gold, the silver and the bronze and the iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may the LORD be with you.”

6. There’s a third purpose, even greater than these wars of David: through him God is fulfilling His word spoken 2000 years before.

A. When Isaac’s wife Rebekah was pregnant with twins there was a struggle in her womb. She sought the Lord and He told her, Genesis 25:23 The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.”

1. The younger twin was Jacob, whose descendants became Israel. The older twin was Esau, whose descendants became Edom.

2. That prophecy is being fulfilled by David conquering and putting garrisons in Edom.

B. Jacob’s father Isaac also prophesied to Esau Genesis 27:40 “By your sword you shall live, and your brother you shall serve; but it shall come about when you become restless, that you will break his yoke from your neck.” That happened about 150 years after David.

C. These two prophecies were fulfilled 2000 years after they were given. God knew what would happen in 2000 years, and He fulfilled His word. I mention this because Jesus prophesied that He would return in power and glory to the earth. He said that almost 2000 years ago. You could say, look, it’s been 2000 years since He said that. It doesn’t look like that’s ever going to happen. 2000 years is a long time. Here we have a precedent for a prophecy being fulfilled 2000 years after it was given. God always fulfills His word.

7. So what? David deals with the fact that he is not doing his own will but the purpose of God in his generation.

A. God says, “You wanted to build the temple, and that’s fine, but you’re not the guy I want to do it.”

B. David could have pushed back, but he would have been doing his own thing, thinking only about his glory. He would not have been doing what God wants, and what is fitting for His glory.

C. So we see David serving God in the way that pleases God.

1. Is it God’s plan that the temple be built in peace? David can establish peace so that the next guy can build the temple.

2. That guy will need supplies. David can gather those supplies as he does his job of defending the nation.

3. David might not have seen his role as being a military peacemaker and a gatherer of supplies. But he readjusts and says, “I’m going to do what God allows me to do with all my might.”

4. As he pursues what God has for him he fulfills prophecy, a greater result than he ever thought of.

D. Part of our Christian life is discovering what God wants to do with us, through us. He is doing an individual, unique work with you. He wants to work through you as He did through David, Abraham, Paul, Peter, John. All these men and the women in the Bible are unique and individual. They do  things. Not one of them is alike. Their situations are all different. That’s God—He doesn’t have to repeat Himself.

E. You surrender yourself to Jesus. He said, “If you save your life, you will lose it. But if you lose your life for My sake, you will find it.” If you are afraid, say to Jesus now, “Help me. Here I am. Anything You want.”

F. However God leads you, you will find it’s humbling, and it’s not exactly what you had in mind. It may not be what you’re good at. You find you need to depend on Jesus to give you what you need to do what you’re not naturally good at.

G. David wasn’t allowed to do what he really wanted to do. So he did what God allowed him to do. That is how you fulfill God’s purpose for you in your generation.

Let’s pray.