Sermon: Mighty to Save

This morning, second Samuel chapter 10, and we're looking at verses one through 19. And let me pray before we open God's word together.

Father, we are thankful this morning for your exceeding kindness to us and reminded of that as we come before your throne, as we open your word, as we commune in your presence by the power of your spirit. So reminded that even now that your son intercedes for us at your right hand now and forevermore, and we do pray that as you have promised, so you would fulfill that promise that your word would not return void this morning.

That it would work in the hearts, in the minds, the very souls of all of us that are gathered in this place and that you would receive the glory and that you would receive the praise. And we pray all of us in the strong name of our Lord and our savior Christ Jesus. Amen. This morning two Samuel chapter 10 verses one through 19. This is holy iner, sufficient word of God. After this, the king of the Ammonites died and hain, his son reigned in his place

and David said, I will deal loyally with Hain, the son of Neha as his father dealt loyally with me. So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father and David Servants came into the land of the Ammonites, but the princes of the Ammonites said to hain their Lord, do you think because David has sent comforters to you that he is honoring your father? Has not. David sent his servants to you to search this city

and spi it out and to overthrow it, Hanin took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle after hips and sent them away when it was told David he sent to meet them for the men were greatly ashamed and the king said, remain at Jericho until your be beards have grown. And then return. When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David the Ammonites and hired the Syrians of Beth Reha

and the Syrians of Zoba, 20,000 foot soldiers and the king of Macau with a thousand men and the men of Tobe 12,000 men. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the hosts of the mighty men and the mites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate and the Syrians of Zoba and of re hobe and the men of Tobe and Maca were by themselves in the open country. When Joab saw that the battle was set against him,

both in front and in the rear rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and raided them against the Syrians, the rest of his men, he put in charge of Abishai, his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. And he said, if Thes Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me. But if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you be of good courage and let us be courageous for our people

and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what seems good to him. So Joe Ab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against thes Syrians and they fled before him. And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abhai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem. But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together

and hey, zer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates. They came to heal him with Shaba, the commander of the army and Hadad Zer at their head. And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to heal him. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him. And the Syrians fled before Israel and David killed the Syrians, the men of 700 chariots

and 40,000 horsemen and wounded Showback, the commander of their army so that he died there. And when all the kings who were servants of hate at ease saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore. Know the grass withers and the flower fades. The word of God is forever. Thanks. Speak to God. Amen.

I think about this passage in kind of an overarching way to start with this morning. And that is that, uh, we live in a hostile world under a king as the king's people, Vince, of this week, uh, whether they impacted you significantly or not, uh, all Christians are facing this struggle that we live in a hostile world that's just reality. And you live under a king and you live as the king's people. And this passage has something to say to us, uh,

I think along those lines. But what I want to do, we, we need to look a little bit at the narrative here first and wind our way through this narrative so that we can get there. We saw last week that David had extended a, a comfort and a hospitality to mephibosheth the kindness to him. And the theme continues here. David hears that the king of the Ammonites has died and his son Henin has now taken the throne. And David the king, has compassion.

In fact, it's exact same word that we saw last week that he extended Mephibosheth that is used here at the beginning of this passage as well to carry that theme over. That he is reaching out with that hesed, with that kind of covenant love that faithfulness now to this new king Hain. He shows him kindness and he does so by sending some of his servants to be ambassadors on behalf of him, to be comforters to Hanan, to extend comfort and to console him.

So it's quite a trip. It was a trip about 50 miles across the Jordan River into what today would be. Modern day Jordan and Hain receives this kindness, but he returns something far different. Uh, he is a young thoroughbred of a ruler. He is haughty and he makes sure that David, the King of Israel, knows that I am not your boy. I am in no need of you or anyone else. I have my own throne

and I am in my own land. And there is often an arrogance and a machismo that comes with young leaders. So stop here for a second to speak to young men, young leaders for a second. You need two constant reminders. It seems like to me. You should surround yourself with more than peers as advisors. And second, that you should be more patient than you think is bearable. Uh, the, the princes of the Amorites young men, they offer counsel to Hein

and often young men, your peers will encourage you down destructive path. They want your favor, you're a leader. And so they will flatter by telling you to be bold. It costs them absolutely nothing to do that.

But because they stoked your ego, they immediately gain your trust because they show confidence in you. So you surround yourself with older men because they will be more careful and they will careful far less about earning your favor. The second is be more patient than you think is bearable. Young men, especially leaders, are often in temperate. And that's much of what we see online. That's much of what you see in podcasts.

That's much of what we see in our culture this week. Today. Patience is a virtue. You think you're being patient. Will you teach your patience, some patience, be more patient than you think is bearable and then, then maybe you're starting to be patient.

Hein is a man of the world and he responds to the compassion of this king David with pride. He, he shaves one side of the beard of these men. So they have a half shaven face and then he cuts off their garments at the midsection so that both their fright front and their back privates are showing. And he sends back these men exposed who are comforters to his court, half shaven, half dressed and walking, returning insults.

They no doubt they were laughed at. No doubt they were mocked. No doubt they were pointed at these ambassadors, people of the king. They would've been forced out of that powerless. They would've been driven into the streets. One can imagine the embarrassment of being paraded through the mite crowds with no doubt. Crowds gathered around and geering and laughing and pointing, and then you make it through those streets. And then you gotta walk 50 miles,

half clothed all the way back across the Jordan River, to the land of Israel, half exposed and fully embarrassed and all when they came as envoys of the king to offer comfort in his kindness. And that is often the way of the world in response.

And Hein, he knows what he's done. He's laid down the gauntlet. He's promised battle. And so in our passage he desires to hire mercenaries. He contacts Assyrians, he contacts the king of Macka, he contacts the Minto. 30,000 soldiers are added to all of the Ammonite soldiers in a grand alliance against the nation of Israel. And now they've arrayed for battle. But what is so fascinating is that this entire passage is about the details of this war,

but it's absent of war details. There's none there. And that's meant to awaken. You thousands die in this passage, but we have no intense scenes. You have no charging troops, you have no bloody swords, you have no cries, you have no clashing. You can't see the battles, let alone hear them. All we're told in this entire passage is Joe Abs battle plan. He takes a small contingent of the best soldiers, the Navy Seals of Israel,

and he went against Assyrians the Amorites while he gave his brother the host of the army to battle the Ammonites Amorites on one side. Ammonites on the other side. No details are given. The entire narrative centers upon the one statement of Joe Abb in verse 12. He details his underlying approach. That's his focus. Here are the details be of good courage. Let us be courageous for our people. And may the Lord do what seems good to him.

And that seems to be a word for the king's people in the world under the king a good word.

I may shock you, we've, we've met Joab before in this book. He's a man that seems to be a man of very little faith in the book. He is often a man of impulse, not a man that that looks to the Lord. Very often, often an angry man, not a a man that I would point to and say to my son, uh, imitate Joab. But again, the author is focusing us. 'cause we're going from second Samuel chapter nine to second Samuel chapter 11. And we see the exact same thing in David.

David's an equally confusing personality with Joab. He's such a man of character and kindness and protection. And chapter nine, he's providing comfort from Mephibosheth. He does the same thing in reaching out here to Hain. But then we see him fall horribly in chapter 11 and 12 where he seems to have no faith. And the author here is centering us on Joab before we have to wrestle with David so that we can see that men have feet of clay

and yet we can still learn from them in their best moments of faith and faithfulness. He's setting the scene for us.

Oh, job's not a man. I'd point my son to what he says here is meant to grip us. And it's meant to remind us of what is true and what is good as we function as the king's people in this world underneath this king, especially before we hit chapter 11 in the midst of trial in the world as the king's people, here are three good principles. He says, first inwardly fight be of good courage. Second outwardly witness for our people

and for the cities of our God. He says, third upwardly trust. May the Lord do what seems good to him. Inwardly fight outwardly. Witness upwardly trust. First inwardly fight. He says, be of good courage. He says, opposition has come. He didn't ask for it. He wasn't looking for it. Just the opposite. And they're confronted with true enemies because there are true enemies in the world. They have the amorites before them.

They have ammonites behind them. The world is set against God's people and it has an effect. And often the effect is this discouragement. Discouragement. Don't miss that. My soul has troubled. Jesus says, troubled. Troubled. The Lord Jesus

Can't help but think of these ambassadors. You think that they, they they've marched those 50 miles and then they've gone all the way to this city and expect to be well received and they're, they're now coming all the way back home to Jericho and it makes no sense the way that they were treated. No sense except the world hates even the kindness of the king because it hates the king. There's a pride that refuses to accept anything.

If we were to bridge the gap to to our day, there are many Christians who have trouble understanding the opposition they receive. They take it so very personally that they are ridiculed, that they're insulted, that they're hated, that they're persecuted, that Christians are sometimes killed when they are. But extending truth and grace and kindness, it seems so confusing.

What did they do?

It's a rejection of the king.

It's ambassadors of David. They, they come to hain and to comfort him. But you see that would've required hain to recognize that he had some kind of need, that he was in some way weak.

The world doesn't like to be told it's weak. It doesn't like to be told it's wrong. It doesn't like to be told. It has need.

Coming in kindness thinks the servant of the king. I'm saying kind words and truths and offering compassion and you get insult in return.

It's 'cause the world rejects the king. It's too much for a proud and impetuous heart. That is the way of the proud world. Isaiah prophesied the world would respond this way to the king. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and as one from men from whom men hide their faces. Faces he was despised. And we esteemed him. Not yet, he came to bear our grief and carry our sorrows, be pierced for our transgressions,

crushed for our iniquities, compassion

and yet insult and persecution and return.

And we're now his people in the world.

And the world will reject you because it rejects him, but you're still his people.

So you keep reaching out with his compassion. You keep reaching out with his comfort. You keep reaching out with his truth as he sends you and he has sent you.

But it can be so very discouraging.

So what do you do with that? Well, you inwardly fight.

You fight the discouragement.

Job says to his brother, Abishai, with all of these enemies around, he says, be of good courage. Be of good courage. This is the way. Why do you need to be of good courage? Because discouragement is a real thing.

If you're not experiencing it as a Christian, you're not living as a Christian.

It's fascinating how often the exhortation is found in the scriptures. Moses will tell Joshua, Deuteronomy 31, be strong and courageous. It comes from the very mouth of God. He says to Joshua, upon the death of Moses and Joshua one multiple times, be strong and courageous. The Psalmist will write in Psalm 27, wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord. Paul will write very similar things.

For example, one Corinthians 16, be watchful. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men Be strong. There's reason to be fearful. So there's reason to be discouraged. There's reason for thus the exhortation. There are enemies of our king disease and sickness and death and the grave and temptation and sin and famine and amorites and ammonites and atheists are real enemies and living in this reality. We inwardly fight.

We don't inwardly cave to the enemies of God's people. Whether that's immaterial or spiritual or bodily. We seek to be of good courage. You inwardly fight and you, you have to fight Christian. Nobody can do that for you.

It's fascinating here, Joe Ebb. He, he's reminded abishai that both of them has to do this. Jobb can't do that for abishai. Abishai can't do that for Jobb. He charges both of them. What does that look like? Well, you're trying to fan and to flame your courage of faith in the Lord.

I've always appreciated those sermons that D Martin Lloyd Jones gave that were turned into a book, spiritual depression. And in that book he will speak of this. And in those sermons he talks about this inward fight. And one of the things that that he says in that book and some of those sermons as he says, look, you, you have to talk to yourself.

Now, sometimes talking to yourself is the definition of insanity, but sometimes it's the definition of sanity. Talk to yourself. You see this throughout the scriptures. You take it a step further and say that it's actually godliness often to talk to yourself. This is what David is doing when he says to his own soul in Psalm 42, why are you cast down? Oh my soul, why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God for I shall again praise him.

My salvation and my God, it's self-talk. Why? Because there's discouragement.

And he's telling himself, be courageous inwardly. Fight.

Second, you outwardly witness Job says, let us be courageous for our people and for the cities of our God. He, he's reminding himself, he's reminding his brother that our struggle with the enemies of our soul and the enemies of God's people. It's not simply a personal struggle. This isn't just about you. You don't get to throw in the towel because you're tired, because you say, it doesn't really matter now I'm done. No, it's a community project.

Others are watching and others are being impacted. Why? Because I belong to a greater body. Again, we, we are not pollyannish. We aren't acting like there's no reason for discouragement or fear or anxiety. But as we inwardly fight, it produces through us an outward witness of courage. Courage in the fight. We care about our impact upon others.

And that's always a good reminder when you're being assaulted. This isn't just about

me's about us, us.

Third, notice what the courage though is founded upon. It's not moxie on our part. It's not that, ah, I'm gonna pull up my bootstraps and charge through this. It's not pride on our part. It's not self dependence. It's not even that Joab knows that they will have victory in this moment because he doesn't.

Our third point, he just upwardly trusts. He says, may the Lord do what seems good to him. He simply trusting the king.

Now that trusting it could end with their defeat. In this moment, Abishai and the army could fall into the hands of the Ammonites on one side or Joe Ab and the mighty men could fall into the hands of the Amorites on the other side. They could all be destroyed in the moment or they could all be victorious in the moment he doesn't know. What he does know is that the Lord is worthy of his trust.

Again, why take the time if you're the author of two Samuel to stop here in chapter 10 and do this because we're getting ready to head to chapter 11. And he wants us to know that Joab is a man of clay. He is weak in faith. In one moment he's strong in the next moment. And we're going to see that David was strong in moments. And now we're going to see that he is very weak in moments. And that men will fail and men will have faith.

They will have faith and they will fail. So it's ultimately in the Lord that we upwardly trust.

And you see this the same, the same threefold emphasis throughout the Psalms. David in his best moments is doing this over and over throughout the salter. I've been thinking about this a lot over the last couple of months. Inwardly fight outwardly witness upwardly trust. Psalm 62, 1 of the many upon many examples, David the psalmist inwardly fights. He says to himself, for God alone, my soul waits in silence. He fights inwardly. He's talking to himself outward witness.

He says, trust in him. At all times, though people pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. He upwardly trust on God rests my salvation and my glory, my mighty rock. My refuge is God. Psalm 42, inwardly fight. Why are you cast down? Oh, my soul outwardly witness, he longs. He says to go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with loud shouts and songs of praise, upwardly trust. He says hope in God.

He says, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

And here was a thought that revolutionized my life. This summer, I was sitting with um, Christopher Ash, who has written a wonderful four volume commentary set on the Psalms. And he said this, this was a life-changing thought for me. Never had this thought ever. He said to some of us, he said, you know that the word is inspired. It is God breathed. It was, it was brought into the world by God's appointment. He gave us that word

and he said, that means that the son of God, do you know that he gave that word? The Son of God inspired that word. And do you know, as you look at the gospels, how often is it that you get an insight into the emotional life of Christ, the way that he's thinking by his quoting of the Psalms, and this was his thought.

He said, the Son of God

ordained and inspired the word for his own training in faith and faithfulness in his humanity.

So that as Luke says, he grew in wisdom and stature with both God and men. That in his humanity as the Son of God, as he is going through life, he is meditating upon the Psalms. And the Psalms are actually teaching him, growing him in wisdom in how to go through this world, in faith, in greater measures of faith unto his father, above being made perfect as he suffers for us. He's the man of faith.

And you read through these psalms and you start to think about them in this way and start to think, ah, this, this word in Christ's mouth,

Why? Because he's a man that also had to face discouragement in the world. World, in the garden of Gethsemane. My soul is very sorrowful even to death. So he goes and he falls on the ground and he prays.

He he, he never suffers inward temptation like we do, but he's being assaulted from without and he, he has to exercise faith.

And he prays. He falls on the ground and he prays that inwardly fight to faith.

He's fighting sorrow, discouragement, pain. He brings the three inner disciples with him. Sit here while I pray outwardly witness and he upwardly trust. Remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what you will.

You inwardly fight the fight of faith You outwardly witness, you upwardly trust.

You say, let let the amorites and let the ammonites come.

I don't know if we're gonna survive this sickness or this disease or this sorrow or this hostile professor or this melancholy. We don't know whether standing firm in the faith will prevent us from that promotion or that graduate program or from being able to sit down with our family at Thanksgiving. You don't know in this world as the king's, people under the king, whether you will succeed in this moment or that Joab doesn't know it,

but Joab knew and Christ knew. And we are to know that our Lord above is worthy of all of our trust. I'm not in the hands of the Amorites. I'm not in the hands of the Ammonites. I'm not in the hands of disease. I'm not in the hands of sorrow. I'm not in the hands of depression. I'm not in the hands of anything including Satan. I'm not in the hands of, I'm only in the hands of the Lord.

If I'm in Christ

and they're good hands

and the Lord do what seems good to him, you can trust that

into your hands. I commit my spirit. Jesus says, not my will, but your will be done.

That's what you do in a hostile world.

This passage ends with all of these nations defeated now, making peace with Israel subject to them in the end, the king is victorious for his people.

Whatever you face, whatever you suffer, whatever the so-called defeat or embarrassment or shame or ridicule or hatred or loss or pain, you endure for the sake of the king. It is. But as Paul will say, a slight momentary of affliction preparing for us the weight of eternal glory, it's slight, it's momentary.

The beards of those men grew back.

Every one of our enemies,

they're already conquered foes, and we are more than conquerors in him who suffered and died and rose for us are king has the victory.

You sing it. He will hold you fast. You're going to sing it. He's worthy of your trust. So you be of good courage. You fight that inward fight of faith. You maintain that outward witness and you be steadfast in your upward trust of him. That's how you live in this world. Let's pray together.

Our Father, we are thankful that in such a hostile world that you sit enthroned above but not idly, not reservedly, not distantly,

that you are a God who sovereignly, reigns, who has already conquered all of our foes in the person of your son, who even now is seated and thrown above. As we continue through this world, may we do so with the eyes of faith. And may we look to you with that upward trust, knowing that one day all the pains and the trials and the adversaries and the hostility of this war will be gone forever and we shall bask in the glory of your son day

after day, forever and ever. And that be of comfort and balm to our souls. We pray and we pray all of this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.