Once again the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. Sermons
I. HOW THE ASSURANCE OF VICTORY IS IMPARTED. How does God assure us that we shall be successful in the Christian war? 1. By the intuitions of the soul. When we distinctly place before our minds the combatants, we cannot doubt which will ultimately be victorious. It is a conflict between good and evil, truth and error, right and wrong, holiness and sin, God and Satan. Evil is mighty, but good is almighty, because the living, true, and holy God is almighty. 2. By the promises and prophecies of his Word. These assure victory to every faithful soul in his own personal contest (see 1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 6:10-13; James 4:7; Matthew 24:13), and triumph to the Church in the conflict with error and sin in the world, notwithstanding the deep and firm hold they have upon men, their extensive prevalence, their long reign. These assurances abound throughout the Scriptures, culminating in the descriptions of the conflict in the Apocalypse, and of the victories of the great Leader and his forces, and summed up in the triumphant shout of the great voices in heaven: "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). 3. By the mission and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came as our "Leader and Commander" (Isaiah 55:4), and, by his personal conflict, endurance, and conquests, not only led the way for his followers, but secured victory for them. "Be of good cheer," he says, "I have overcome the world" (John 16:33; see also Hebrews 2:9, 10, 14-18; 1 Corinthians 15:24, 25). 4. By the victories already won. The gift of the Holy Spirit and his mighty operations in apostolic times and all through the Christian centuries. The victories over the old paganism; the Reformation; the revivals of religion at various periods; the successes of modern missions. Every true hearted Christian has in his own experience not only a pledge of final victory for himself, but an encouragement to seek the salvation of others. II. THE EFFECT WHICH SUCH ASSURANCE SHOULD HAVE UPON US. "Go up." Engage in the battle with evil; and do so with: 1. Confidence and courage. 2. Resolute zeal and determination. 3. Persistency, notwithstanding all delays, discouragements, and partial failures. 4. Songs of victory. Not only forevery advantage gained, but for the final and complete victory already to faith as good as won. If the hope of victory in other conflicts produces such effects, much more should the absolute certainty which the soldiers of Christ have. An altogether ill effect is that which the Divine assurances produce on some. They say that, as the battle is the Lord's, and he is sure to conquer, their efforts are needless. As relates to a man's own salvation, such a persuasion is fatal; for victory is promised only to the earnest combatant, and the assurance of Divine operation is made a reason why we should "work out our own salvation" (Luke 13:24; 1 Timothy 6:12; Philippians 2:12, 13). And as respects the spread and triumph of the kingdom of Christ, such a feeling indicates ignorance, indifference, indolence, and unfaithfulness, rather than faith in God. It is quite inconsistent with both Scripture and reason, and will deprive those who cherish it of all share in the joy of final victory, even if they are not utterly cast away as "wicked, slothful, and unprofitable" (Matthew 25:26, 30). - G.W.
Thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel. There are both sides of the great division in evangelical theology — and : man's doing, and God's planning. The Lord said that David should lead Israel; and David did lead Israel. And the people of Israel gave a fair prominence to both sides of the question. They saw that David could do what the Lord had said he should do; and they knew that the Lord had said that David should do what they saw he could do. As a practical matter, these two sides of the truth have to be considered by all of the Lord's people, in all their doing and in all their judging. If a man is called of God to a special work, the man must show by his doing that he is the very man whom God has called, and who was the man to be called of God. And in judging of another's fitness for his work, it is right for us to consider the call of God to that man, as well as that man's apparent success in his work. If the man is clearly out of the place to which he was called of God, all his ability and apparent fitness for this other place must be counted insufficient to inspire confidence in him for permanent success here. It has been well said, as to a Christian's personal duty in God's service, that he ought to work in his appointed sphere as if everything, depended on his own exertions, while he ought to trust as if everything depended on God's strength as given to him in that sphere.(H. Clay Trumbull.) People David, Eliada, Eliphalet, Eliphelet, Elishama, Elishua, Gibeon, Hiram, Ibhar, Japhia, Jebusites, Nathan, Nepheg, Saul, Shammua, Shammuah, Shobab, SolomonPlaces Baal-perazim, Geba, Gezer, Hebron, Jerusalem, Millo, Tyre, Valley of Rephaim, ZionTopics Add, Direction, Philistines, Rephaim, Reph'aim, Spread, Themselves, Valley, YetOutline 1. The tribes come to Hebron and anoint David over Israel,4. David's age 6. Taking Zion from the Jebusites, he dwells in it 11. Hiram sends to David, 13. Eleven sons are born to him in Jerusalem 17. David, directed by God, smites the Philistines at Baal-perazim 22. And again at the mulberry trees Dictionary of Bible Themes 2 Samuel 5:22 5087 David, reign of 4528 trees Library One Fold and one Shepherd'Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2. Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed My people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. 3. So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel. 4. David was … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Sound in the Mulberry Trees Early Days God's Strange Work The King. The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6. A Cloud of Witnesses. The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. ) Samuel Links 2 Samuel 5:22 NIV2 Samuel 5:22 NLT 2 Samuel 5:22 ESV 2 Samuel 5:22 NASB 2 Samuel 5:22 KJV 2 Samuel 5:22 Bible Apps 2 Samuel 5:22 Parallel 2 Samuel 5:22 Biblia Paralela 2 Samuel 5:22 Chinese Bible 2 Samuel 5:22 French Bible 2 Samuel 5:22 German Bible 2 Samuel 5:22 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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