Sound Doctrine

Guest (Male): When faced with a formidable enemy, what do you do? Run? Or do you face it head-on? Here is Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: The Lord is saying, "I have given you power to tread upon the serpents, to wipe the enemy out. I am with you. I am your strength. I am your shield. I am your sword. The enemy is going to be put under your feet." So many times we run from the enemy. We run from the giant trials that we are faced with, or we think they are going to eat us up and they are going to wipe us out, when the Lord says, "No, you need to face them in my name. You need to look to me, cast your care upon me, and you are going to watch your enemy fall. I am going to give you victory from all of your enemies." That is his promise.

Guest (Male): One of the most obvious and inaccurate measures of how much we really trust God is how we react to the trials in life. Think about a trial you may be going through. Are you bitter so you blame God? Or are you thanking God for always being with you through those tough moments in life? Today on Sound Doctrine, we finish our look at 2 Samuel chapter 22, as Pastor Jeff Johnson shows us how King David, in the last years of his life and facing some real hardship, stayed faithful and kept trusting God. Here is Pastor Jeff Johnson with Sound Doctrine.

Jeff Johnson: I found a scripture over in Luke about the stone. Listen to this. This is in Luke 20. He says in verse 18, "Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken," talking about Jesus Christ. If you come to the Lord, if you humble yourself before the Lord, you are going to be broken in your life. And you need to be. All of us do. We are so stubborn. We are like sheep, each one gone astray. But if we would just cast ourselves upon the Lord, he will lift us up. We will be broken in our spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you desire. I hope that we would be that way.

But then he says, "But on whomsoever it shall fall, the stone shall fall, it will grind him to powder." If you do not receive the Lord and you wait until you either die or the Great Tribulation comes forth and you have to go through that, it is going to grind you to powder. That same beautiful Jesus savior, the Lamb of God, is going to become a lion, and he is coming back in judgment and will grind this place to powder. There is a choice that needs to be made.

So that stone is an unreal study as you go through the scriptures. Look at verse 33. "God is my strength," David says, "and power. He makes my way perfect." We are to stand not in our own strength, not in our own power. David realized that. He knew who gave him the ability and the victory. He says, "He makes my way perfect." He is directing my life to his perfect will. I always pray, "Thy will be done, Lord, in earth as it is in heaven. Thy will be done in my life. Make my way your way, because I know that is where I am going to be the happiest."

David says he is bringing me in that perfect way. He that started the work is going to finish it, and he is able to lead us and to guide us. The scripture says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Verse 34, "He makes my feet like hinds' feet and he sets me upon high places." This is an interesting verse that points us down in the Judean wilderness when you descend from Jerusalem 2,700 feet above sea level. You go down to the lowest point in the earth, the Dead Sea. Out there in that wilderness is nothing except the little oasis of Jericho.

Then you begin to look in the crevices and the rocks, and you find what is called En Gedi. En Gedi is the river falls, or a little rushing waterfall and rivers going down in the wilderness from an underwater spring. It is beautiful. I always bring the group there because in the middle of this wilderness, there is this spring. This is where David hid out from Saul. In this place, you are going to have a lot of animals because you have water. You have all the little Israeli rabbits, the coneys, and then you have also the Ibex, which is the Israeli mountain goat.

It is always great to see those. Sometimes we get to see a whole herd of them as we are sneaking in there and we are crawling around the nature preserve. We are climbing the rocks, and you look up and all of a sudden there is an Ibex looking at you with huge horns. All of a sudden, somebody moves and then they go and they are gone. They are just right up the straight mountain. On this sheer rock, their feet just hit every little nick and cranny going up, and they are fast.

David says in this scripture, "He makes my feet like hinds' feet," like those animals that are so surefooted there in the mountain. He makes me surefooted. He makes me know where I am going, what is going on. He makes me feel that I have got assurance in my life. I have got safety in my life. He brings me up to high places. High places are always the places of victory and vision. David is saying he brings me up to the place where I can see what is really going on. I am not down in the muck and mire of it all. He raises me up so I can see it all.

Verse 35, "And he teaches my hands to war so that a bow of steel is broken in mine arms. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation and thy gentleness has made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me so that my feet did not slip. I have pursued mine enemies, I have destroyed them, turned not again until I have consumed them. I have consumed them and wounded them that they could not arise. Yea, they are fallen under my feet."

David here now lists the weapons of our warfare. He goes down and shares those weapons. He shares about the bow which, in the New Testament, it says that our weapon as Christians is the sword of the spirit, the Bible. It is the weapon against the enemy that will bring the enemy down. He talks about this bow. This bow means bronze in the Hebrew. It is a heavy bow that has got about a 90-pound stretch on it. Most men cannot even pull this thing. But he says the Lord gives me the strength to pull it back and to let it go. He gives me victory over my enemy.

Not only that, he says he has given me a shield of faith to protect me from the lies of the enemy. He has put upon my feet those gospel shoes to share the word of God, as we looked in Ephesians 6, and seeing all of the weapons of our warfare. So he says all of they are fallen under my feet. The enemy is pursued, is destroyed, consumed, wounded under his feet. I thought of that in Luke 10:19. Jesus said, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents, on scorpions, over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

The Lord is saying, "I have given you power to tread upon the serpents, to wipe the enemy out. I am with you. I am your strength. I am your shield. I am your sword. The enemy is going to be put under your feet." So many times we run from the enemy. We run from the giant trials that we are faced with, or we think they are going to eat us up and they are going to wipe us out, when the Lord says, "No, you need to face them in my name. You need to look to me, cast your care upon me, and you are going to watch your enemy fall. I am going to give you victory from all of your enemies." That is his promise.

Note verse 36. He says in verse 36, "And thy gentleness has made me great." I thought that was great. God's gentleness, David is saying, has made me gracious. You see God condescend. He came down. He was made in the likeness of a man. He came down from heaven and he touched here on earth and he was with us, God with us, Emmanuel. Because he became small, he became little, he made us rich. Because he came and was poor, we have been made rich. Because he died, because of what he went through, David is saying his gentleness has made me great.

How we need to hang around with the Lord. How we need to walk and talk with him. How we need to read his word. How we need to hide it within our hearts. Why? Because we will put on this gentleness, this graciousness that the world really needs to see. What is God like? It is through us that they are going to see what he is like, that he is a gracious God, he is a gentle God, he is a loving God.

We are right now in a window here of mercy and grace for those that will hear. The widows, the fallen women, the outcast lepers, the despised sinners, the little children, and then Mary at the cross, every one of them were touched by his gentleness. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Put on graciousness and gentleness in your life. May God look good. May he melt our hearts. May his love captivate us so we can just love those around us, not being legalistic or pharisaical. Stand in the grace of the Lord and be blessed.

Blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. It is a pass-it-on principle. Now notice David's hope here is not in his armies but in his God. Notice verse 40 now. "For thou hast girded me with strength to battle, them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me. Thou hast also given me the necks of my enemies that I might destroy them that hate me." He gives all of the glory to God for the strength to stand in the midst of the warfare, for subduing his enemy.

But then he says something very interesting. He says for putting them where he could have a part in their destruction. You see what God does with us? He wants us to taste the sweetness of victory, so he lets us get involved in the battle somewhat and then he gives us the victory, and then we get to taste of that even though he gave us the victory. Do you see what I am saying? We recognize that he did that, but we still get to taste that it was a fight to see my kid saved or my husband or my wife. Boy, it was warfare. But we just made war in the spirit. We just got down and we prayed and God did this work. To God be the glory, but to taste of that sweetness of victory. You cannot have victory unless there is a warfare. That is why we are in the midst of warfare, so we can taste victory.

David says, "Man, you gave me the enemies and I just destroyed them that came against me," and he tasted of that victory. Then notice verse 42. "They looked, but there was none to save, even unto the Lord, but he answered them not. And I did beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I did stamp them as the mire of the street and I did spread them abroad." If you look at this, you think, "My gosh, what is going on here?"

I will tell you what is going on here. Prayer is such a powerful weapon that even the enemy said, "Hey, we might as well try it too. Why don't we try to pray to their God? Maybe we will get out of this trouble we are in." And the enemy started to pray. Well, of course, it was in vain because God does not hear their prayers. He says it right here. He only hears the prayers of those that are saying, "God, forgive me a sinner." That is the only prayer he is going to hear if you do not know the Lord.

Does he hear the prayers of those that do not know the Lord? It says here he doesn't. That is pretty heavy, isn't it? Who does he hear? It says in 1 Peter 3:12 that his eyes are upon the righteous and he hears their prayers. What a blessing to be able to pray to the creator, to know that he hears and that he is going forth to answer those prayers. What a connection we have got to pray to the almighty God, everlasting father, creator of the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all that dwells therein. After you realize how big he is, you bring your little puny prayer request to him and you just know he can handle it. He is able.

As he did with David, we are going to have certain and complete victory against our enemy. Verse 44, "Thou hast also delivered me from the strivings of my people. Thou hast kept me to be the head of the heathen, of the nations. A people which I knew not shall serve me. Strangers shall submit themselves unto me as soon as they hear. They shall be obedient unto me. Strangers shall fade away and they shall be afraid out of their close places."

Here David realizes God's deliverance and his salvation, and it was for a greater purpose than him just being king of Israel. He is saying, "You are going to put me over of all nations." David was actually prophesying here of what Jesus would do because David is a type of Christ who is going to be Lord of lords and King of kings. The nations are going to be his footstool. God says they are yours, and he gave them to the Lord.

He saved us for a greater purpose than just going to heaven too. He did not save you just to go to heaven. He saved you so you would touch somebody, so you would be a witness for him of his mercy and his grace. There is a greater purpose than just going to heaven. There is knowing him and sharing him with others. Notice he says that the Gentiles will come as they hear and they will be saved as they are obedient. It is more than just hearing the good news that you get saved with. You have got to be obedient and receive it. It is like opening a present. Somebody gives you a present. What do you do with it? Sit there and look at it and go, "Oh, it is a present. It is nice. It is great. It is a gift." What are you going to do with it? "I'm just going to watch it, look at it. It's great. It's awesome." Take it and open it. Be obedient. Come and receive eternal life. That is just opening up the gift of eternal life that he has to give to you.

Notice it says in verse 45, "Strangers shall submit themselves unto me as soon as they hear." There is kind of like love at first sight. As soon as they hear this good news, they know that they have got such a hunger and they know it is right on, they just come. That is what we are seeing today. There is a whole lot of people that know that that world has no hope and know that something is coming down soon in our society. There is a driving force. It is the spirit that has been poured out upon all mankind to convict the world of sin.

No one has to tell you that you are a sinner. You know it. But to hear the good news that you can be forgiven of your sins, that God wants to change your heart and your life, to bring you into an awesome family, at once they receive it. We are seeing people just coming by the droves. These are the last days. This is the last window. Then he says finally in verse 45, "And they shall be obedient unto me. And the Lord liveth and blessed be my rock and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation."

God is doing such a work that he is my rock and he lives. I love that. David closes this whole psalm with a praise at the end. Proof that he is alive because he has done this to my enemies. My God lives. There are other gods that cannot do anything. Psalm 115 says mankind creates gods that look like him. They have eyes but they do not see. Ears they have, they do not hear. Mouths they have, they do not speak. They have got feet, they do not even walk. They are just a piece of stone or a piece of wood.

Maybe it is a car that you worship. The two headlights look like eyes, the grill is a mouth, and so you worship that. Then somebody slams it and destroys it. "Oh, my god just got snuffed." What a god. You will become like your god. That is the sad thing. But if you are looking to the living God who lives and who intervenes in those that come to him, that is what David is saying. My God lives. He intervenes in my personal life. He is putting families back together. He is saving sons and daughters, delivering from drugs and alcohol, sexual abuse.

My God lives. He is active in his creation, and he is my rock. The exalted of a God. This is a song we sing: "The Lord liveth, blessed be the rock, the God of the rock of my salvation." It is God that avenges me and that brings down the people under me. See, God brings out the true justice, doesn't he? He lets us realize that if anybody does anything to you, do not worry about it. Do not hold it against them. I avenge. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. Do not get into it. Do not get into the flesh. Pull back. Be in the spirit. Give it to the Lord. Cast your care upon the Lord.

Do not hold a vendetta. Do not be angry because they did that to me. No, that is the Lord's work. He is good at it. He keeps good books. He writes it all down. He remembers it all. But you know what is great? When you come to the Lord, he forgets it all that he had against you. All the handwriting that was against you is nailed to the cross. Isn't that great? Your slate is wiped clean. Blessed, oh, how happy is the man that knows his sins are not imputed unto him, that he is not writing everything against you, that you have been totally forgiven.

Notice he says in verse 49, "That bringeth me forth from mine enemies. Thou also he lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me." Do you know when you come to the Lord, you are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus? We are put into a heavenly place. We are to have our mind stayed upon Jehovah. We are to be looking at eternal things and not temporal things that pull us down. You see, the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

How we need this place to grow strange and dim as we get our eyes upon him. So he puts us up in that high place. Finally, verse 50, "Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, I will sing praises unto thy name." He sets before me a table in the presence of my enemies, before the heathen, before all this junk that is going on in this world. He blesses me in my life and he continues to bless me.

I do not have to get caught up in it because I am in the world, but I am not of the world. I have been pulled out. I have been separated unto God. He says he blesses me in the midst of the heathen. They are going freaking out about this, freaking out about that, and I am just rejoicing. I am praising God. And they're freaking out going, "Well, who's going to be president next? What are we going to do? What are we going to do now? My gosh, we're going to hell in a handbasket." People are just freaking out going, "What are we going to do?" And when God's people are just saying, "Lord's coming back. Praise God." You see, there is a total different way of thinking.

Does that mean don't vote? No, I don't think don't vote. Go ahead, vote. Vote for the best guy. Pray about it and just put it down. I mean, because we have that privilege. Let's vote. But it's not dependent on that. We are looking for the Lord to come back. That is the most exciting, most awesome thing. That is what causes us to praise him. Then he finishes. "He is a tower of salvation for his king." Gosh, the Lord saved me, he is saving me, and he is going to save me.

Guest (Male): What a great way to bring to a close our study in 2 Samuel chapter 22 here on Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson. Don't go away. Jeff will be back in a few moments with a closing thought. Hopefully, as you listen to these messages in 2 Samuel, you will have ears to hear what the spirit is saying in these critical times. God's word is so practical, giving us direction, instruction, and wisdom to our lives. To hear this message again, simply go to sounddoctrineredio.org or listen through the Sound Doctrine podcast app. You can also hear Sound Doctrine on oneplace.com and wherever you enjoy podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We would very much appreciate your support. It helps us deliver Sound Doctrine on stations like this one all across the nation. You can donate to this radio outreach at sounddoctrineredio.org. Do you ever think about future generations and the challenges they will face? Here is Pastor Jeff with a closing thought.

Jeff Johnson: Notice this: "to his seed forevermore." The promise of the Lord, that it will come to not only us but to our descendants, to our children, and to our children's children. What a promise we need to hold on to folks. Parents, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be saved and what? Your household. Believe for your household because the enemy is trying to get them, but I don't care how bad they look, you just keep believing for them because God's got a nutcracker, remember, for every hard nut.

It might be on their deathbed where they will come. I know my dad made his proclamation and his confession on his deathbed, and I am going to see him in heaven. Boy, that was close. It's scary, but keep praying because God is going to bring down even that enemy, the enemy trying to steal your loved ones from going home to be with you and with Jesus.

Guest (Male): Next time on Sound Doctrine, we will have a look at some of the last words of King David as he nears the end of his life. We will see another example of King David's faith and love for God, even in tough times, as our study in 2 Samuel continues. Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Downey.