THE STRATEGY OF AN OVERCOMER
What do you do when you find yourself facing what appears to
be an insurmountable challenge?
Sometimes life seems to be rolling along for us when suddenly we find
ourselves hit with some major crisis which threatens to knock us back on our
heels.
Everyone faces such things, but why does
it seem that some people find it almost impossible to recover while others
seize the opportunity to regroup and come back as strong as ever? The difference is found in how people respond
to adversity—even failure. Giving up and
accepting that you are beaten accomplishes nothing. Getting up and seeing the failures as
stepping stones for future successes in learning how to trust God accomplishes
great things!
David had experienced his share of
failures and adversity and now finds himself prepared to enter a season of
phenomenal blessing as God shows Him how to move forward with Him.
2
Samuel 5:10
David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him.
David had learned that in order to
overcome, no other resource would be sufficient but to trust in the Lord in all
things.
THESIS: Those who wait on the Lord and depend upon
Him will find His promises to be true and His power to overcome.
After all the years of waiting, God’s promise
for David to be the king of all Israel was now coming true. His strategy in the end had proved to be
quite simple—wait on the Lord and in His strength and timing I will overcome
all things to fulfill His will.
I. CONFIRMATION AS KING
--Now
that David’s day had finally come, it came with full honors and a time of
national celebration as he was confirmed as king over all Israel.
A. RECOGNITION OF HIS RIGHT
--What
Judah’s leaders had done seven and a half years before, now Israel’s elders and
people did—recognize that David alone had the right to rule over them.
2 Samuel 5:1-2 “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and
in. And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will
be a ruler over Israel.’”
· Leader by the Lineage of His
Family
· Leader by the Battles He Had Won
· Leader by the Design of the Lord
--They
finally came to their senses and recognized that no one but David had the right
to rule them as king.
B. REPENTANCE FOR THEIR REBELLION
--In
the account in 1 Chronicles, an entire chapter is devoted to a listing of the
men of war who marched rank and file into Hebron to announce their agreement
that David was to be their king and by so doing to confess that they had been
wrong to look elsewhere.
1
Chronicles 12:38
All these, being men of war, who
could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart, to make
David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to
make David king.
--David
welcomed them with open arms and did not hold their past transgressions against
them.
C. RESTORATION OF THEIR UNITY
--After
so many years of oppression under Saul, then civil war under Ish-bosheth, what
an incredible reunion this day must
have been for all the people as they were now able to experience the unity that
had so long escaped them!
1 Chronicles 12:39-40 And they were
there with David three days, eating and drinking; for their kinsmen had
prepared for them. Moreover those who
were near … brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and on oxen, great
quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen
and sheep. There was joy indeed in Israel.
--Can you imagine what a glorious time that must have been, what a
joyful meal with three days of fellowship and laughter that comes when all is
well?
Throughout the Bible, God has recognized
the value of celebration when there has been a restoration and
reconciliation—when the past has been forgiven and relationships have been made
right. Where better do we see that than
in the Lord’s Supper as the place where we celebrate our unity with joy?
Lesson: Coming to the King with a whole heart and one
mind to recognize His Lordship, to confess to Him our defiance, and to offer
Him our devoted service opens the way to great joy and victorious power.
II. CONQUEST OF JERUSALEM
--The
first point of action taken by David as leader over all Israel was to establish
a place from which the kingdom would be ruled.
--Jebus
had long been a thorn in the flesh of Israel and had never been conquered in
all the years Israel had been in the land (from Joshua up to the time of
David).
--The
Jebusites held this stronghold, this fortress city easily because of its place
on a pinnacle giving it the ability to repel attackers with little effort due
to its superior position, surrounded by steep inclines on three sides and
fortifications on the fourth making it very difficult for enemies to mount an
assault.
--David,
however, knew of a tunnel that came down from the city to the spring of Gihon,
a primary source of water for the small community (no more than eight acres).
--How
appropriate that the battle was not won from the outside in, but from the inside out!
--How
important for us that when the King of Glory, Jesus Christ, takes over, He does
so in our hearts from the inside out!
--The
throne of the new king of Israel was located at the border of the land of
Benjamin (Saul’s tribe) and Judah (David’s tribe) as a place of neutrality but
also a place of historic significance (Mt Moriah was the rocky hilltop just
north where Abraham had prepared to sacrifice Isaac, the site of Araunah’s
threshing floor and later the site of the Temple).
A. A BOLD DEFIANCE
2 Sam. 5:6 Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites,
the inhabitants of the land, and they said to David, “You shall not come in
here, but the blind and lame shall turn you away”; thinking, “David cannot
enter here.”
--The
Jebusites were notorious idolaters in the midst of God’s people and were an
abomination to those who belonged to the one true God.
--They
defied anyone to challenge them, persisted in their practices of witchcraft,
sexual perversion and even child sacrifice…their deeds made their name
synonymous with wickedness and their evil deeds and defiant attitude made them
the object of hatred for all who loved God!
B. A CRUSHING DEFEAT
--Now
by God’s design and in His perfect timing, the ascension of David to the throne
provided the perfect opportunity to seize this stronghold and claim it for His
glory.
2
Samuel 5:7-8 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold
of Zion, that is the city of David. 8
And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him reach
the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water
tunnel…”
--And
so it happened…
1 Chronicles 11:6 Now David had said, “Whoever strikes down a
Jebusite first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went
up first, so he became chief.
--The
stronghold that had been impossible to overcome was now taken under the control
of the new sovereign, the reigning king of Israel.
When
the King of our hearts takes over, one of the most remarkable results is that
those sins which had so long held us captive, which had been such strongholds
in our lives, are taken over by Christ.
Whatever your greatest struggle has
been, the strongest pull toward sin has been, when Christ comes to the throne,
friends, that can be the first enemy to fall!
Long held habits, lifetime practices and patterns of thinking, can be
overcome by the power of your new King!
C. A NEW DWELLING
--No
longer would Israel be without a place for the throne…and eventually a place
for the Temple…the city of David and the city of God, Zion, the city of the
great King!
2
Samuel 5:9-10 So David lived in the stronghold, and called
it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and
inward. 10 And David became
greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him.
--To
this day, Jerusalem remains the most hotly contested piece of real estate on
the globe!
--It
is not for political reasons, but for the religious impact of this strategic
city that we find nations warring against the people of God daring to claim the
holy city as our own!
Lesson: Even long-standing strongholds in our lives
can be defeated and routed when God’s chosen King reigns over us.
III. COMPROMISE WITH THE WORLD
--In
the midst of his advances in the Lord, David gave in both to the practices of
the surrounding culture and to the pressures from his own desires.
--He enjoyed success with the nation but
failure at home!
--David
compounded his family problems by adding multiple wives as well as concubines
to his household.
2 Sam. 5:13 Meanwhile David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem,
after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David.
--Like
many today, David was enjoying tremendous success and becoming greater and
greater outside the home but failing as a father and a husband as we shall see
in the events of coming years.
--The
seeds of his later heart-aches were being planted now as he compromised God’s
plan for the home even while he was more determined than ever to hold onto His
plan in his role as King of Israel.
Lesson: Compromising God’s dominion over any one area
of our lives can destroy our peace and severely limit our effectiveness in
bringing Him the greatest glory.
IV. CONFLICT WITH THE ENEMY
--For
the past seven and a half years, the Philistines had little concern over the
pitiful divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah who were embroiled in civil war.
--However,
they immediately grew concerned when the kingdom was united under David…and
Jerusalem became the capital.
A. A LEGITIMATE THREAT TO THE ENEMY
2
Sam. 5:10, 12 And David became greater and greater, for the
LORD God of hosts was with him… 12 And David realized that the LORD
had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom
for the sake of His people Israel.
--The
rise of David in power and might alarmed the Philistines and awakened the other
neighboring countries for several reasons, not the least of which was the
declaration that all these things were happening because “the LORD God of hosts was with him…that the LORD had established him
as king…had exalted his kingdom….”
1. Hiram Chose to Pursue an Alliance
2
Sam. 5:11 Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to
David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and they built a house
for David.
--Seeing
the handwriting on the wall, Hiram chose to be David’s ally instead of his
enemy.
2. Philistines Chose to Press for War
2
Sam. 5:17-18 When the Philistines heard that they had
anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek out David;
and when David heard of it, he went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines came and spread themselves
out in the valley of Rephaim.
--The
Philistines, on the other hand, believed that their idols were strong enough to
defeat the monotheistic religion of Israel and the new king.
You
can count on the attack of the enemy, the rallying of his forces against you,
the minute the throne belongs to the Lord alone. When your heart is united in devotion to Him
above all, the enemy will then view you as a threat and press the attack.
But the good news is that our King
is greater than our enemies…in His name and by His power, we will prevail!
B. AN EMPOWERED RESPONSE TO THE ENEMY
--David
was not foolish enough to try to combat the Philistines with his military might
or expertise…his years of experience in battle counted for nothing.
--What
mattered was not how many horses and chariots each army had, but who had the
power and plan of God!
Psa.
20:6-7
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy
heaven, With the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some boast in chariots, and some
in horses; But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.
1. David Inquired of the Lord
--Two
separate attacks prompted David to turn to and inquire of the Lord what his
response should be in order to go forth in the powerful name of the Lord God.
2 Samuel 5:19, 23 Then David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall
I go up against the Philistines? Wilt Thou give them into my hand?” And the
LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your
hand.” … 23 And when David inquired of the LORD, He said, “You shall
not go directly up; circle around behind
them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.
2. David Trusted the Lord
--David
did not intend to rely on yesterday’s responses from the Lord for today’s
challenges.
--With
each new challenge, he returned to the Lord to ask what to do and how to do it.
a. He Went Forth, When God Said
--The
first inquiry resulted in instruction to go forth with an attack and seize the
victory over the Philistines…so that is what David did.
b. He Waited, When God Said
--When
the second wave came, David did not rely on what God had shown him the first
time…each new challenge requires a new insight and instruction from the Lord!
--This
time, the Lord told him to wait and not go directly up but to allow God to do
what He was going to do first.
2 Sam 5:24 “And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops
of the balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then the LORD will have
gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”
--New
orders for a new day can only be followed if we ask for them and then listen.
Relying on
yesterday’s answers from the Lord will never do since He fashions His plans for
each new circumstance in such a way that He gets the most glory—and those ways
are seldom the same!
Today may be, ‘Go and attack the
problem head-on!’ Tomorrow may be, ‘Wait
and see what I will do before you move one inch!’ The answer will not always be the same so we
must continue to ask daily, seek His will for each new situation, and follow
His instructions with the greatest care.
Lesson: Whenever we bring everything under the
dominion of the Lord, we will face the strongest opposition but also enjoy the
most extraordinary outpourings of God’s power and most amazing demonstrations
of His glory!
Where are your failures and adversities taking you? Are you falling into a pessimistic and
cynical frame of mind about where your life is going?
Perhaps yours is the opposite
experience…you have succeeded in reaching beyond your dreams and have achieved
more than you could have hoped for. Will
you trust the Lord just as much in times of prosperity as in times of
adversity?
David knew both…and he discovered that
when he was on the bottom, he was one promise and one prayer from coming to the
throne. When he was on the top, he was
one difficulty from being knocked down again without complete dependence upon
the Lord.
David learned to depend on the Lord in all
things. God allowed him to be an
overcomer because his strategy for success was simple…
Psalm 34:1-3 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually
be in my mouth. 2 My soul
shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear it and rejoice. 3 O magnify the LORD with me, And
let us exalt His name together.
January 16, 2005
Providence Baptist Church
© David Horner 2005
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