The Seven Seals and the Four Horsemen
Revelation 6
THe seven Seals and the four horsemen
Revelation 6
The central drama of Advent is that of judgment and redemption, and yet we live in a time of wholesale reaction against the notion of judgment… But Christian hope is founded in the promise of God that all things will be made new according to his righteousness. We [must] continue to cherish the idea of a community of the living and the dead awaiting the coming of the Redeemer of the world. Advent faces into death and looks beyond it to the coming judgment of God upon all that deceives, twists, undermines, pollutes, contaminates, and kills his beloved creation. There can be no community of the resurrected without the conquest of death and the consummation of the kingdom of God. In those assurances lies the hope of the world.
~ Fleming Rutledge, Advent: The Once & Future Coming of Jesus Christ
Main Idea: We can patiently endure a world under judgment a little longer by faith in the Lamb.
I. The Advent Reality (6:1-8)
As the Lamb who was slain begins to break the seals on the divine scroll (Rev. 5), four horsemen accompany the first four seals (cf. Zech. 1:8-11, 6:1-8; Matt. 24:6-31).
Seal #1: White Horse (6:1-2): either Christ (cf. Rev. 19:11) in his first coming and the gospel “conquering” throughout the world or a messianic imposter bringing instability and conquest
The forms under which Christ conquers are the Palm Sunday donkey, the slain Paschal Lamb, and the failed messiah, mocked and crucified. But it is precisely these forms that are realized in faith as conquering.
~ Eugene Peterson, Reversed Thunder: The Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination
Seal #2: Red Horse (6:3-4): representing warfare, violence, and bloodshed, as peace is removed from the earth
Seal #3: Black Horse (6:5-6): the ‘scales’ in his hands are for measuring food during a famine and economic upheaval
Seal #4: Pale Horse (6:7-8): the color of a corpse, representing Death and Hades (the place of the dead)
Two realities we must acknowledge about these seals:
The horsemen are sent from the One seated on the heavenly throne, as the Lamb opens the seals on the scroll of history; He sovereignly “gives” and “permits” all that takes place. The evils of war and unrest, economic upheaval, and even death itself are not “uncontrollable” realities (cf. Rev. 1:18).
This is taking place in our world right now, not some time in the future (cf. Rom. 1:18ff)
Why would God allow these things? … God wants a clear contrast between what results from embracing his rule and what results from rejecting it. God wants people to see what happens when humans reject the true God and embrace false gods. God wants people to see what happens when humans reject the rightful King, the Lord’s Messiah, Jesus, and replace him with some chump who looks good and speaks well. So God lets these fools have their day in the sun, and he lets all the mayhem and ruin that results from their pride and folly defile his world. God lets all this happen so that his wisdom, his power, his righteousness will be seen clearly. God wants people to know that only he can bring peace, justice, security, and happiness. God wants to be worshiped as God, and he wants people to embrace the rule of King Jesus, the Messiah.
~ Jim Hamilton, Preaching the Word: Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches
II. The Advent Prayer (6:9-11)
Seal #5: The Martyrs: the souls (in the intermediate state) of those who have been slain for the word of God are with God (cf. Rom. 8:35-39) under the “altar,” their deaths as an offering and sacrifice to heaven (cf. 2 Tim. 4:6).
The Prayer: “O Sovereign Lord, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (cf. Ps. 13:1-2, 74:10, 94:3)
This prayer of longing is not for a personal vendetta, but for the Righteous and Just God to vindicate their death and render his perfect justice over all the earth. Romans 12:19: Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
The Response:
Be assured of your status and reward: “each were given a white robe”
The answer to your prayer: “a little longer…”
More will join them in repentance and martyrdom: “until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”
2 Peter 3:8-9: But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Waiting for God to act, waiting for him to set things right, can seem so very long that we’re tempted to wonder if that day will ever really come. But you can be assured that the day of justice is going to come. The question, ‘How long?’ will one day be answered to the full satisfaction of every believer who has cried out to God with hot tears. God has set a day when he will set things right. The suffering of God’s people has an expiration date. We have to wait a little longer.
~ Nancy Guthrie, Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation
III. The Advent Question (6:12-17)
Seal #6: The Day of the Lord: the answer to the prayers of the martyrs comes with the final judgment. The ‘apocalyptic’ & symbolic language used here is steeped in the OT (cf. Isaiah 13:9ff, 34:14, Ezek. 32:7, Joel 2:31) & from Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24, Mk. 13), as the end of human history is at hand.
What the rebellious dread the most is not the falling apart of the earth or death itself, but the righteous & just judgments of the Lamb (6:16); the “great ones” of the earth cannot trust their power, influence, money, good works, or anything else before the omniscient judgments of the One seated on the throne.
The Key Question: “Who can stand?”
Revelation 7:9,14b: After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands… They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.
2 Peter 3:10-13: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
The Lion, the Lamb, and the Scroll
Revelation 5
The Lion, the Lamb, and the Scroll
Revelation 5
The fundamental problem in the church today is that God rests too inconsequentially upon the church. His truth is too distant, his grace is too ordinary, his judgment is too benign, his gospel is too easy, and his Christ is too common.
~David F. Wells
Main Idea: Come, let us adore him.
I. The Sealed Scroll (v. 1)
Revelation 5:1: Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
In the right hand of God is the the scroll of all of his promises, all of his purposes for redemption and judgment for the entire universe. But they are sealed up, and the only way they are going to be brought to pass is if the seals are broken and the scroll is opened.
II. Is Anyone Worthy (v. 2)
Revelation 5:2: And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
III. No One is Worthy (v. 3)
Revelation 5:3: And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.
IV. Weeping as if All is Lost (v.4)
Revelation 5:4: …and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
V. Weep No More, Behold (v.5)
Revelation 5:5: And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:9–10)
The Root of David (Isaiah 11:1–10)
VI. Jesus Alone is Worthy (v. 6-7)
Revelation 5:6-7: And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
1 Peter 3:22: [Jesus] has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Hebrews 10:12-13: But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
Notice what happens around him. “… encircled by the four living creatures and elders.” They’re offering their homage to him. From now on in the book, again and again and again, there is rarely a mention of God without mentioning the Lamb.
John’s vision of the lamb continues.:
seven Horns - Jesus has full power and authority (Matthew 28:18)
seven Eyes - Jesus has all the attributes of divine omniscience (Ps. 33:13,18)
VII. Let Heaven and Nature Sing (v.8-14)
Revelation 5:8: And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
The Ransomed Priesthood (v.9-10)
Revelation 5:9-10: “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
bloody Atonement (v. 9)
broad Atonement (v.9)
The Ransomed Priesthood (v.9-10)
Revelation 5:11-12: Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
The Cosmic Choir (v.13-14)
Revelation 5:14: And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
The Heavenly Throne
Revelation 4
The HEavenly Throne
Revelation 4
Main Idea: We are invited to behold the holy, transcendent, and sovereign Lord, enthroned in heaven, worthy of endless worship.
I. The Door Opened (4:1-2a)
The Apostle John sees a “door standing open in heaven” (cf. 3:20), with an urgent invitation (‘like a trumpet’) to enter and see the next vision from the Lord. The emphasis shifts from the persecuted, struggling, and fledgling church on earth to the glorious ‘unveiling’ (‘apocalypse’) of heaven, previously hidden and unseen (cf. Isa. 6, 2 Ki. 6, Acts 9 & 10).
Through this open door, John is ushered into the spiritual, timeless dimension of God’s heavenly throne room; this throne is the central image of this section, referenced 17x in Rev. 4-5. As John attempts to describe the truly indescribable, he uses imaginative, symbolic imagery that is steeped in Scripture (such as Ezek. 1, Isa. 6, Dan. 7).
“Through John’s written account of his vision, you and I get to see into the heart of ultimate reality in the timeless presence of God and his heavenly court. We get to see into heaven as it has been and is since the resurrection and ascension of Jesus to the Father’s right hand. We’re invited to see the celebration that is taking place right now in heaven. We get to see what is at the center of heaven around which everything revolves… In the heart of ultimate reality, we see, along with John, what is most important, what really matters. We see what suffering Christians of John’s day needed to see. We see what struggling believers of every age have needed to see – God on the throne of the universe.”
~ Nancy Guthrie, Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation
II. The Throne Occupied (4:2b-8a)
John is unable to describe the one seated on the throne, so he describes everything going on around this central reality in a concentric pattern:
Bright, Majestic, Glory (4:3; cf. Ezek. 1:26-28)
‘Jasper’ and ‘carnelian’ were gemstones that would reflect and intensify glorious light; they were found in the ephod of the high priest (Ex. 25:7) and in the foundation of the new Jerusalem (21:20)
The encircling ‘rainbow’ is a radiant reminder of the Noahic covenant and God’s glorious grace
Heavenly Beings (4:4, 6b-8a)
The 24 elders represent the people of God (cf. 21:12, 14); they are seated on their own thrones, clothed with white garments (righteousness) and golden crowns (royalty)
The 4 “living creatures” (cf. cherubim in Eze. 1:5, 10:15) represent the best and most powerful of the created world: a lion as the noble king of the wild animals, an ox as the mightiest of the domesticated animals, a human as the wise and crowning glory of creation, and an eagle as the most swift and majestic of the flying creatures. These creatures have six wings (cf. seraphim in Isa. 6:2) and were covered with “eyes” as the all-seeing agents of God
Holy Separation (4:5-6a)
From the throne came flashes of lighting and rumbles / peals of thunder (cf. Ex. 19:16-19), showcasing the awesome terror of God’s glory
Before the throne are “seven torches of fire” and the “seven spirits of God” (the Holy Spirit), signifying God’s holy, blazing presence
A “sea of glass” lies between the throne of the Lord and the rest of the heavenly creatures, distancing him from the others, and continually reflecting his glory back on himself
We keep trying to fill [earth] with monuments to our own glory—kingdoms, businesses, hit songs, athletic victories, and other mechanisms of self-salvation. But the truth is better than all that. Created reality is a continuous explosion of the glory of God. And history is the drama of his grace awakening in us dead sinners’ eyes to see and taste to enjoy and courage to obey.
~ Ray Ortlund, Isaiah: God Saves Sinners
III. The Worthy One Worshipped (4:8b-11)
The scene of heaven is full of worship, as the creatures “never cease” to praise the One seated on the throne and the elders cast their crowns before him. Their worship focuses on the Lord as:
The thrice “holy” and eternal one (cf. Isa. 6:3)
We must not think of God as highest in an ascending order of beings, starting with the single cell and going on up from the fish to the bird to the animal to man to angel to cherub to God. God is as high above an archangel as above a caterpillar, for the gulf that separates the archangel from the caterpillar is but finite, while the gulf between God and the archangel is infinite.
~ A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy
The Creator of all (Rom. 1:21, Isa. 55:12, Ps. 19:1)
The ruling & reigning King of the universe
Though the Emperor Domitian insisted on being addressed as ‘lord and god’ while seated on the Roman throne, there is only one true “Lord and God” who is seated on the heavenly throne of the universe, with the earth as his footstool (cf. Isa. 66:1).
By ascribing worthiness to God, [the hymns] are intended to change the way people live in the present. They praise God for his majesty, his beauty, his greatness, his justice, his sovereignty, and his redemption… they significantly help believers endure suffering and resist compromise so that they will be witnesses in the world. The hymns, by praising God and the Lamb, show that the loyalty of believers isn’t to the emperor but to the one true God and to the Lamb. Those who are full of praise and gladness, those who see God and the Lamb in all their majesty and beauty, are fortified in their daily lives. We could say that the hymns bring heaven to earth by reminding the saints of what is happening in God’s throne room... The hymns remind readers and hearers, amid the sufferings and tensions of life, that the purpose of life is doxological.
~ Tom Schreiner, Revelation (Baker Exegetical Commentary)
Holy Joy
2 Samuel 6
Holy Joy
2 samuel 6
Saying “God is holy” is like saying “God is uniquely God” or “God alone is God.” He has no rivals. He is his own category – 1 Samuel 2:2 describes it like this “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you.” He is set apart, morally in a completely different category, and as an implication, if God is holy, God’s people are to be holy, characterized by being set apart and morally like God.
Habakkuk 2:20: For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Main Idea: God’s holiness does not suppress our joy but stimulates it.
I. The Ark (6:1-2)
2 Samuel 6:1-2: David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim.
Number 10:25-26: And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.
The Ark signifies God’s presence and underscores three realities:
Rulership: in 1 Chronicles 28:2 David refers to the ark as the “footstool of our God.” King’s sit on thrones and use footstools. If the ark is the LORD’s footstool then surely the LORD is king of the people with the ark.
Reconciliation: on the annual Day of Atonement the high priest would sprinkle blood of the sin-offering on the “mercy seat” of the ark (Leviticus 16:14-15). Ultimately, these annual sacrifices were highlighting and pointing to the need for a “better” sacrifice that would “once and for all” atone for the sins of the world (Hebrews 10:10-14)
Revelation: inside of the ark were the stone tablets containing the covenant commandments God had given to his people (Exodus 25:16; Deut. 10:1-5). Beyond that, the ark remained the place where the LORD would meet with Moses to communicate additional instructions for Israel (Exodus 25:22). The ark, for the people of God and Israel was the place of God’s directing word.
Observe how Jesus Christ fulfills all that the ark signifies. In my communion we often say that as our Redeemer Christ carries out the offices of prophet, priest, and king (see Westminster Shorter Catechism, nos. 23-26). Does the ark signify Yahweh's revelation? So Christ is our prophet who reveals to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. Does the ark speak of Yahweh's reconciliation? So Christ is our priest who brought his own blood into the sanctuary (Heb. 9:12). Does the ark as Yahweh's foot-stool proclaim his rulership? So Christ is our king 'in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies'. It shouldn't surprise us that this Old Testament furniture that so fully speaks of Yahweh should as fully point to Christ 'for in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form' (Col. 2:9, NIV). How can I keep Yahweh's presence central in my life, in my church? Answer: Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
~Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity
II. The City (6:3-11)
Context: In chapter 7 we will see the LORD’s covenant promise with David to raise up one from the line of David who will “establish the throne of his kingdom forever” of whom the LORD will “be a father” and “he shall be a son” (2 Samuel 7:5-17). God, in his divine providence and orchestration is using the place, the people, and his presence, found in the ark itself, to bring about his plan for redemption. The place matters. Jerusalem is to be where the ark is kept.
Significance: In verse 8 we see that the anger of the lord “broke out” against Uzzah. This is the same word that was used back in chapter 5 when the LORD “broke out” against the Philistines and gave them into the hands of David. The truth is the holiness of God is dangerous for those who would stand opposed to him. First for the Philistines, and then here against his own people and in particular Uzzah.
Application: This leaves us asking the same question that David was asking in verse 9. He says “how can the ark come to me?” We must ask ourselves this same question. How can God ever come to us? Left on our own devices we are stuck; we can’t live with God because He is dangerous to sinners. But we can’t live without Him either, because He is the Source of Life and all good things.
III. The Priestly King (6:12-23)
What makes the difference? A "priest" offering a sacrifice. Something dies on route both times. The first time round it is Uzzah. The second time it is animals, dying in the place of the people. The first journey starts with celebration and ends in death and fear. The second starts with death — a sacrifice — but ends in blessing.
~ Tim Chester, 2 Samuel for You
In our churches there are any number of folks who are very concerned with services and externals and procedures and mechanics and meetings and decency and order but who really can't understand anything of the joy of the Lord. There are some who can muster enthusiasm and gusto over professional sports but who somehow cannot fathom anything but professional detachment over Jesus Christ. Exuberant praise and tears of repentance are strangers to them. W.G. Blaikie has carefully drawn the bottom line: There are, doubtless, times to be calm, and times to be enthusiastic; but can it be right to give all our coldness to Christ and all our enthusiasm to the world? Does the presence of God ever move us?”
~Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity
Hebrews 12:2:…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
As an example, think about Paul, persecutor and hater of Christ, sees him and experiences his holiness and it changes everything. He becomes unashamed and even joyfully suffers for Christ's sake. (Rom. 1:16, 1 Cor. 1:23-25, & 1 Cor. 4:1-13)
Romans 1:16:For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
1 Corinthians 4:10-13:We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
Heidelberg Catechism, Questions 1 & 2
Q: “What is your only comfort
in life and in death?”
A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Q. "What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?"
A. "Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance."
A Tale of Two Kingdoms
2 Samuel 2-5
a Tale of two kingdoms
2 samuel 2-5
“The earthly reign [of David] is a token in which we must contemplate the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation of his Church to the end of the world.” ~ John Calvin
Ephesians 1:9-10: …making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Main Idea: Despite opposition, we must patiently wait for the coming Kingdom of God by looking to King Jesus.
I. The Kingdom Inaugurated (2:1-11)
After David “inquires of the Lord (2:1), he and his company go up to Hebron where the men of Judah anoint him as king. Though Hebron is theologically important (notably in the life of Abraham; cf. Mt. 1:1) and God’s chosen king is visibly ruling for the first time, this coronation seems insignificant and anticlimactic (cf. Matt. 13:31-32).
As David’s kingdom is being established by God, a rival kingdom is being established with a puppet king (Ish-bosheth) by human ambition in sinful rejection to God’s anointed (cf. Lk. 19:14, John 1:11). Though David had waited decades to receive his rightful kingdom, he must wait another seven and a half years for it to be fully realized.
Psalm 2:1-3: Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
“Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
II. The Kingdom Opposed (2:12-4:12)
The opposition to the Kingdom of David mirrors the opposition to the Kingdom of God throughout history. There are four means of opposition highlighted in these chapters:
1. Opposed by Violence (2:12-32): Abner and Joab set up a “contest” to see who the true “Israel” was, only for the 12 combatants from each side to kill each other; this sparks a bitter, violent rivalry between Joab and Abner that results in death and bloodshed.
2. Opposed by Political Expediency (3:6-21): Though Abner knew that God had chosen David to be king over Israel (3:9-10), he only acknowledges this when the deck is stacked against him; there is no repentance in Abner, only self-serving political expediency to save his own life and maintain a sense of power and control.
Abner is not far from any one of us. We share an Abner-nature that harbors sin’s stupidity, perversity, and twistedness. Let Abner preach to you. Let him tell you that it is possible to know the truth but not embrace the truth, to quote the truth but not submit to the truth, to hold the truth and yet assault the truth.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity
3. Opposed by Revenge (3:22-39):Joab mistakenly assumes he knows better than his King, assuming David is (at best) naïve and (at worst) weak and vulnerable in his response to Abner’s “defection.” He tricks Abner and murders him out of vengeance and personal vendetta in the same way his brother was killed in battle.
4. Opposed by Injustice (4:1-12)
They come with blood on their hands but theology on their lips, expecting that the latter will magically bleach the former. Murder always seems more pleasant when wrapped in religious considerations... Their methodology is [to] use theology to cover sin and folly. For them theology is not truth that lures us to worship God but technique that enables us to justify ourselves.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity
III. The Kingdom Coming (5:1-5)
In the face of all this chaos, King David exhibits a few key postures that point us to the Kingdom of God and to King Jesus:
Patience & Humility: David refused to take the kingdom by unrighteousness or by his own hand; he trusted God and waited patiently to receive what was rightfully due to him by the Word of the Lord; David became strong as he waited on the Lord and his kingdom (cf. Ps. 27:14, 130:5)
Justice & Righteousness: Rather than delighting in the death of the wicked (cf. Ez. 33:11), David trusted that the Lord would repay evildoers (3:39; cf. Prov. 20:22, Rom. 12:17-19); he laments death, loves his enemies, and welcomes former rebels to his kingdom.
The people of Israel, now ready to acknowledge God’s anointed, recognize David (5:1-2) as their:
Head (cf. Col. 1:18)
Savior (Mt. 1:21, Acts 5:31)
Shepherd (Heb. 13:20, 1 Pet. 2:25, Rev. 7:17)
The Mighty Have Fallen
1 Samuel 31-2 Samuel 1
The mighty have fallen
1 Samuel 31 - 2 Samuel 1
Proverbs 22:8: Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.
Main Idea: Unrepentance always leads to death, while repentance always leads to life.
I. The Fall of Saul (1 Samuel 31)
1 Samuel 31: Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers.
Here then is Jonathan’s obituary. He remained a true friend to David and a faithful son of Saul. He surrendered his kingship to David (18:1–4); he sacrificed his life for Saul. In this hopeless fiasco, Jonathan was nowhere else but in the place Yahweh had assigned to him—at the side of his father…maybe this is not tragic at all. What is tragic about remaining faithfully in the calling God has assigned us? Was it tragic when Jonathan laid aside a kingdom he could not have to enter a kingdom he could not lose?
~ Dale Ralph Davis
Saul falls in battle on Mount Gilboa (v 1): Mountains are associated in the scriptures with worship. Normally, temples were built on high places, and they are always symbolically called high places. David will pick up on this in his lament, “Your glory is slain on the high places.” The mighty have fallen on high places.
Saul falls on his sword (v 4): In 1 Samuel 17, David refused Saul’s weapons and instead relied on God. In his speech to Goliath, he explicitly rejected the need of weapons. Now Saul dies by those very same weapons. Saul’s armour is placed in the temple of the Philistines (31:8–10). Perhaps it has returned home, for Saul’s attitude to military power has always been Philistine. “If you live by the sword you will die by the sword (Matthew 26:52).” But perhaps it is a reminder of when the ark was brought into Dagon’s temple in chapter 5, and therefore a reminder that God can bring victory out of defeat.
Saul falls from the throne: The Philistines did not remove him from his throne; David did not remove him from his throne (he refused to do so); Saul did it himself. He fashioned his own downfall through his faithlessness and disobedience. This was then confirmed by his suicide.
II. The Rise of David (2 Samuel 1)
2 Samuel 1:1-2: After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4: For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
When he comes to David, David repeats Eli’s question after a previous battle with the Philistines: “What happened?” (1 Samuel 4:16; 2 Samuel 1:4). The first question marked the end of a priestly house; the second, the end of a royal house.
A . Glory/beauty/gazelle slain; mighty fallen, v. 19
B. Daughters of Philistia do not rejoice; no offerings to Dagon, v. 20
C. Fallen shield, v. 21
C. Bow and sword in life, v 22-23
B. Daughters of Israel, weep: contrast to the Philistine women, v. 24
A. Mighty fallen; Jonathan slain on heights v. 25
1 Samuel 2: God reverses
2 Samuel 1: The mighty are fallen (the house of Saul)
2 Samuel 22: The lowly are raised (the house of David)
Mark 15:10: Who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
The King, the Witch, and the Word of God
1 Samuel 28
The king, the witch, and the word of god
1 Samuel 28
Main Idea: In our moments of desperation and fear, we must look to God’s Son and listen to God’s Word.
I. Searching in Desperation (28:1-10)
Saul’s desperation comes from a 3-fold reality in this text (28:3-5):
Samuel’s Death (cf. 25:1)
Philistine Threat
The Lord’s Silence: the typical channels of revelation from God have been closed off to Saul (dreams received by kings, Urim used by priests, the word from prophets)
Saul here is presented as all on his own, and his desperation leads to great fear (6x in this chapter). Rather than trusting the Lord and obeying his voice (cf. Ps. 112:6-8a), Saul’s reality is “having no hope and without God in the world” (cf. Eph. 2:12).
Saul’s desperation drives him to a sinful, misguided place. Though the Law clearly forbids consulting mediums, necromancers, magicines, fortune-tellers, etc. (Lev. 19:31, 20:6-7, Deut. 18:10-12), Saul swears an oath by the Lord to do something the Lord forbids.
Saul seems to have two motivating desires in this action. He is:
desperate for guidance and a word from the Lord
desperate for companionship and the presence of the Lord
II. Looking Among the Dead (28:11-25)
To the medium’s surprise, Samuel appears; whether she typically operates as “fake” or uses deception does not matter, as the Lord shows his sovereignty and power over the “unseen” realm in bringing Samuel (cf. Col. 1:16). Samuel is wearing the same robe as his last encounter with Saul in ch. 15.
Luke 16:27-31: And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
Isaiah 8:19-22: And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.
The problem is not that God has not spoken to us, but that often we do not want to hear what God has to say. We do not want to admit our need of God, and we do not want to submit our lives to God. We want comfort without demands. We walk away from the God who loves us and into the hands of people who exploit us or, worse still, into the hands of demons who deceive us. It is not just those who consult mediums who do this. We are all doing it… You may not be tempted to consult a medium, but you may try to predict the future and control your world through technology in a way that replaces trust in God. Christians are not immune from ignoring and replacing God. We may not consult a medium. But often we want some extra message. The Bible is not enough for us.
~ Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You
Saul’s final meal is a tragic but fitting end to the arc of his life; his rule and reign begins by eating with Samuel in the house of the prophet, but now he is served a fattened calf in the house of a witch, with his death imminent (28:19). “It was a meal fit for a king. The trouble was, it was eaten by a man not fit to be king” (John Woodhouse, 1 Samuel: Looking for a Leader)
III. Listening to the Voice Beyond the Grave
The good news of the gospel tells us that there is one who has gone beyond the grave who answers the deepest longings of our desperation and fears:
The resurrected Jesus has given us his all-sufficient word (cf. Deut. 18:15-18, Heb. 1:1-2, 2 Pet. 1:16-19a)
The resurrected Jesus has promised us his presence through life’s fears and trials (Mt. 28:20)
Isaiah 55:6-7:
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
The Honorable Heir and the Mad King
1 Samuel 18-20
The Honorable Heir and the mad king
1 Samuel 18-20
For every new testament point, there is an old testament picture.
James 3:13-4:2: Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.
Main Idea: Envy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. Humility leads to peace, love, and joy.
I. The Honorable Heir (18:1-5)
1 Samuel 18:1-4: As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.
David was thirty when he became king (2 Samuel 5:4). Saul reigned for forty years (Acts 13:21). So David must have been born in the tenth year of Saul’s reign. Jonathan was already fighting with Saul during the third year of his father’s reign (1 Samuel 13:1, see footnote); and an Israelite solider needed to be at least 20 (Numbers 1:3). So in the tenth year of Saul’s reign, when David was born, Jonathan must have been at least 27. This means that Jonathan is old enough to be David’s father.
Real love offers no room for envy.
1 Samuel 18:5: As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on.
II. The Mad King (18:6-19:24)
1 Samuel 18:5: And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
It is through pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.
~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
…sorrow for another’s good
~ Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica
Envy is self-destruction. Envy is self-deconstruction.
Love says, “I’m happy when you’re happy, I’m sad when you’re sad.”
Envy says, “I’m happy when you’re sad, and I’m sad when you’re happy.”
Romans 12:14-16: Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.
Throughout these three chapters (18–20) we see the envy of Saul fill him with murderous hate over ten times:
David evades the spear of Saul twice (18:11)
Saul sends David to the front lines (18:12)
Saul tries to form an alliance through marriage (18:17a)
Saul tries to outsource his murder (18:17b)
Saul gives his daughter to David on one condition (20-28)
Saul tells Jonathan and Company to Kill David (19:1-7)
Saul attempts to kill David by spear (19:8-10)
Saul sends messengers to kill David at his house (19:11–17)
Saul chases David to Ramah (19:18-24)
Saul places David on a hit-list (20:30-31)
Saul hates Jonathan as though he was David (20:32-33)
III. The Story Retold (20:1-42)
The Savior King
Matthew 3:16-17: And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 4:1-2,17: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry…From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
The Honorable Heirs
John 3:28-30: You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The Mad Kings
When Jesus called out His hometown for their unbelief (Luke 4:16–30).
When Jesus challenged the Pharisee’s traditions about the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–14; Mark 2:23–3:6; Luke 6:1–11).
When Jesus placed Himself above the Pharisee’s level of authority (John 5:1–18).
When Jesus called Himself by God’s name (John 8:48–59).
When Jesus referred to Himself as being God (John 10:31–39).
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:45–57).
When Jesus cleansed the temple the final time of corruption (Mark 11:15–18; Luke 19:45–48).
When Jesus told the chief priests and Pharisees that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to another nation (Matthew 21:33–46; Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–19)
Mark 15:10: For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.
Romans 8:32: He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
David, Goliath, and the Living God
1 Samuel 17
David, Goliath and the living god
1 Samuel 17
Main Idea: David’s victory over Goliath anticipates Christ’s victory as our mighty champion.
I. The Stand-off (17:1-11)
This scene opens with a stand-off, as the Isrealites are under threat from the Philistines, fearful of a “giant,” just as they were before they entered the promised land (cf. Num. 13:32-33). The Israelites’ fear of who dwelt in the promised land contributed to their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, while their fearful stand-off in this scene has lasted for 40 days (17:16)
Goliath is given one of the most detailed descriptions of anyone in the Bible. As the “champion” (lit. ‘man of the in-between’), he is outwardly impressive and intimidating because of his:
Height: ~ 9.5 ft tall (or ~7 ft depending on manuscripts)
Armor: more than 125 pounds of bronze protection on his body
Weapons: wielded a large curved sword and a spear with a head of more than 15 pounds
Protection: a shield-bearer went before him to protect him from long-range attack
Goliath invites the Israelites into a “representative warfare,” urging them to “choose a man” for themselves to battle on behalf of each nation, while “defying” (taunting, scorning, or mocking) them. Though Saul is the obvious choice, both he and “all Israel… were dismayed and greatly afraid” (17:11).
II. The Contender (17:12-37)
David suddenly enters the storyline, underestimated by the people around him, just like the account of his anointing as the future king. As David brings provisions to his family, he hears the taunts of Goliath, and is stirred to righteous anger over his scorning of Israel and Yahweh.
David has never spoken before in our story. Now the silence is broken. David brings a whole new world view. To this point the narrative has been “godless” (much like our own stewing over some insoluble dilemma), but now David injects: Doesn’t having a living God make a difference in all this? … Israel thought the Philistine invulnerable; for David he was only uncircumcised. A living God gives a whole new view of things. David’s question is not a magic charm for solving every problem; but surely it instructs us... All the believer’s life and all the church’s life requires theocentric thinking. The tragedy is that were someone to hear our thoughts and words in our dangers and troubles they would never guess that we had a living God.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel: Looking on the Heart
Before he stands up to Goliath, he must triumph over 2 others: Eliab (17:28-30) & Saul (17:31-37). David appeals to the wild beasts he has faced as a shepherd, confident that God delivered him then, he will deliver him now against this blasphemous giant. David had already learned dependence upon God in difficulty, and the Lord has trained and prepared him for this moment.
We ought not to be unmindful of the way by which the Lord our God has led us, for if we are we shall lose much. Some saints have very short memories. It has been well said that we write our benefits in dust and our injuries in marble, and it is equally true that we generally inscribe our afflictions upon brass, while the records of the deliverances of God are written in water. It ought not so to be. If our memories were more tenacious of the merciful visitations of our God, our faith would often be strengthened in times of trial.
~ Charles Spurgeon, “The Lion-Slayer—The Giant-Killer”
III. The Battle (17:38-49)
Saul (ironically) dresses David in his kingly armor, trying to equip him for battle like Goliath. David refuses, choosing to fight with the weapons of a shepherd, not the weapons of the world.
The lengthy speeches leading into the battle reveal the theological clash of this scene. Goliath is offended that Israel sends a young man to fight him, and curses David (and Yahweh) by his gods; David appeals to the true God, who saves through what the world would regard as weakness.
Psalm 118:22-23:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
IV. The Victory (17:50-58)
The narrator continually draws attention to the “head” of Goliath to show the folly of idolatry and as an allusion to Genesis 3:15. He has already described the armor of Goliath as being “scale-like” (17:5) as he defames the name of God. David takes the instrument of the enemy meant for evil and death and defeats him with it (cf. Heb. 2:14-15).
In the same way, we, as it were, stand on the hillside, surveying the story of history. Down in the valley we see our Christ, Jesus, entering the battle armed only with a beam of wood strapped to his shoulders. We see him face the snake who has tyrannized our lives, as he hangs on the cross. There is Jesus, like David, appearing small compared to the might of the Roman Empire, appearing weak compared to the power of the snake. But he enters the battle bravely. He entrusts himself to God. We see him saying, in effect, what David said: ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, with lies and threats and accusations, with sin and law and death. But I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, whom you have defied. This day you may strike my heel, but the LORD will hand you over to me, and I will crush your head.’ As we look, we see defeat turn into victory as Jesus bursts from the tomb. The snake is defeated. His head is crushed.
~ Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You
Upon the defeat of the enemy by their “champion,” the Israelites rush down the hill into the field of battle, striking down the Philistines, and plundering their camp. In the same way, we must follow our champion into the battle, plundering the camp of our defeated enemy, knowing the victory has already been won by Christ (cf. Eph. 6:10-20, 2 Cor. 10:3-5).
Romans 16:20: The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Seeing the King
1 Samuel 16
Seeing the king
1 Samuel 16
1 Sam. 16:7 [lit.]: “The Lord sees not as man sees, for man sees according to the eyes, but the Lord sees according to the heart.”
Main Idea: Though the Lord sees differently than we see, he has given us illumination by the Holy Spirit.
I. Seeing According to the Eyes (16:1-6)
Despite the failure of the king the people wanted for themselves, God will provide (lit. ‘see’) for himself a king to rule over his people, from the family of Jessie in Bethlehem.
Why did God not just simply announce to Samuel at the beginning who the new king would be?... Why did he need to have each of Jesse’s many sons presented to him rather than just David? The answer is that this episode is not primarily about the next king, but about God. God looks at people differently from how we do. When Samuel met the first of Jesse’s sons, it seemed as though this was the obvious choice as king. He had the right look and stature. It was as if he’d come straight from central casting. He looked the part. And that’s the point… God tells Samuel something significant here about humanity. We look at outward appearance. Not just that we notice one another’s outward appearance, which is natural and understandable, but that we assess one another by outward appearance... We know there’s more to people than how they look, but we nevertheless resort to making appearance what shapes our estimation of them.
~ Sam Allberry, What God has to Say About our Bodies
II. Seeing According to the Heart (16:7-12)
1 Samuel 13:14: The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.
“A man after God’s own heart” has been taken in popular Christian jargon to mean a particularly godly man, a man with a heart like God’s. But I do not believe that the words can mean that. “A man after God’s own heart” means a man of God’s own choosing, a man God has set his heart on. “A man after God’s own heart” is—if I can put it like this—talking about the place the man has in God’s heart rather than the place God has in the man’s heart.
~ John Woodhouse, 1 Samuel: Looking for a Leader
Though David has “beautiful eyes” and is “handsome,” he is hardly kingly-material from an earthly valuation; in God’s economy, external appearance and impressiveness neither qualifies nor disqualifies someone. Jesse assumes it must be one of his 7 older sons, not the “youngest” (‘inconsequential’ or ‘insignificant’).
The Lord’s choosing of David as King is consistent with his great work of redemption:
The “insignificant” and “inconsequential” youngest son is precisely who God loves to use for his glory (cf. 1 Cor. 1:27-29)
The menial work of shepherding becomes the primary metaphor for leadership over God’s people (cf. Ps. 23, John 10:11)
This small place (cf. Mic. 5:2) and ordinary family will be the birthplace of the Messiah to come
The greater Son of David appeared to the eyes to be nothing special, but is the long-promised Christ (cf. Isa. 53:2-3, Mk. 6:3)
III. Seeing According to the Spirit (16:13-23)
In the OT, the Holy Spirit came upon particular individuals to empower and authorize them to complete God-given tasks, such as ruling, prophesying, or building. As the Spirit rushes onto David in his anointing (and remains from that day forward), He departs from Saul, removing his authority and ability to be an effective king over God’s people.
From an earthly perspective, David is filled by the Spirit and then immediately put into harm’s way and a dangerous situation. From a divine perspective, this is the consistent pattern of God (cf. Mk. 1:10-12) in order to learn dependency and submission to God. No matter what difficulties David encountered, “the Lord was with him” (16:18).
Yahweh equips David… but no sooner does the Spirit touch David than he is catapulted into endless trouble—the envy, anger, and plots of Saul from chapter 18 on. David, the man with the Spirit, will be hunted and betrayed, trapped and escaping, hiding in caves, living in exile, driven to the edge—right to the end of 1 Samuel. We must see this larger view of verse 13 in the context of the whole: The Spirit comes, the trouble begins … No sooner are we brought into subjection to Jesus than we are swamped in trouble; there may seem no end to the pressures, no relief from the pounding we seem to be taking. But if we remember David and his Descendant we begin to understand that this conflict is not a sign of our sin but a mark of our sonship, that we are under not God’s displeasure but his discipline. The wilderness is not the sign of the Spirit’s absence but the scene of his presence.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel: Looking on the Heart
Because of the finished work of Christ, we have been given the indwelling Holy Spirit in order to have the “eyes of our hearts enlightened” (Eph. 1:18) to rightly see both our difficult circumstances and rightly behold Jesus.
Psalm 118:22-23:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.