David Teaches - Part One

As we come to the second part of this first week, in the second to last month of a closing year, we are learning from a well-known name. He is David, known widely as a psalmist. He shall take us through to the end of the week.

David was such a dedicated servant of God, whose heart was so towards his God that he simply wanted to please God. Faith pleases God, but there can be no pleasing faith without deep reverence and respect to God and of God.

We are learning from this servant of God, true service in love. Our schoolroom is an intimate moment with David and his Lord, where he has sweet communion with Him. Here is the Bible verse which shall inform us.

It happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said to him, Go up. David said, Where shall I go up? And He said, To Hebron. 2 Samuel 2: 1. 

It is necessary for us to have the correct picture and setting before us, to ensure the pure, undefaced truth of David’s heart of deepest, love, respect and honour of his God. Before you are facts, not just relevant facts, but these are things that are current, alive and working.

Who is David, at this time of his life, when he is inquiring of his God? David is God’s anointed king of Israel. However, he is unable to fulfill his role because of a powerful enemy, powerful in numerous ways, who has been a deep, piercing, sorrowful thorn in David’s life. Nevertheless, our first curiosity comes with this phrase, It happened after this. Naturally, we are very ready to know what the pronoun, this, refers to. The word, this, refers to David’s present, and recent freedom.  Here is it in a nutshell.

As was mentioned earlier, David is God’s chosen and anointed king, but David is not free to rule because of barriers and blocks in his immediate pathway. However, this is not the case today as he is before his God. Today David is king not just in his anointing and appointing, but in his working. After this, refers to the fact that Saul, the first anointed king of Israel, the one whom God rejected and set David up as king in his stead, is now dead. In Saul’s fierce and vicious battle against David’s men, Saul is killed. How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished! 2 Samuel 1: 27. David is free to be anywhere now, not having to dodge and hide and live as a fugitive any more. He can go where he wants and when he wants without even having to think of his arch enemy. He is a fully free man, king and servant of God. It is in this understanding, this fact, that we are being taught.

It is therefore after David is free to go where he wants and as he pleases legally and legitimately mind you, as he is king, anointed by God that he puts all this aside, humbles himself and asks permission of God to move on in this newly given freedom. Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?

Our first demonstrated lesson from David is humility in this unlimited freedom now being experienced. David’s now received freedom, does not puff him up in any way. Though he now has the right and liberty to go up to any of the cities in Judah, he denies himself of all things, all rights, and asks God’s will in the matter. David is free! Not a hindrance stands in his way in living the freedom and liberty of his God-given authority to move about as he pleases, in his jurisdiction. Wisely, he lives in the Jurisdiction of his God who is Ruler over all. His humility in liberty teaches us much, but most of all, it gives us a perfect image of our Lord and Master, Jesus.

Jesus was more than free to do as He pleased, since He was not just Son of God, but He was very God of very God. Yet we read this of Him. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2: 8.

This leads us to many facts about all of us who are made free in Jesus. One sure fact is that because of the freedom and liberty we enjoy in Jesus, such as not being held to the law of salvation through good works, we must be humble in how we live in this freedom. Paul, who was a man, made free, in Jesus, from the chains of law, humbled himself making himself not free to do as he pleased. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 1 Corinthians 8: 9

Believer, let not your freedom in Jesus become your licence to do as you desire. Always seek the Will of God.