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good morning to everyone the welcome back to free grace baptist church in a welcome to any visitors with us we always rejoice when we have new faces in the pews so it's good to have you with us for Lord's Day worship here this morning just a reminder this this is the the third weekend in August a third sunday in august but there is no fellowship lunch and a reminder that those were canceled for the last couple months the next one will most likely be the third sunday in September but we'll have a notification regarding that let's begin our worship then if you'll turn in your Bibles with me to Psalm 103 our call to worship will be a reading of verses 1 to 14 of Psalm 103 Psalm 103 beginning in verse 1 the Word of God a psalm of David bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless His Holy Name bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your iniquities who heals all your diseases who redeems your life from destruction who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the Eagles the Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed he made known his ways to Moses his acts to the children of Israel the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in mercy he will not always strive with us nor will he keep his anger forever he has not dealt with us according to our sins nor punished us according to our iniquities for as the heavens are high above the earth so great is his mercy toward those who fear Him as far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our transgressions from us as a father pities his children so the lord pities those who fear him for he knows our frame he remembers that we are dust amen well let's stand together and sing in your Red Trinity salter that's the thinner book in front of you we're going to sing in the psalter Psalm 146 let's stand together Psalm 146 let's go to our God in prayer let us pray our righteous and holy God we come to you now in prayer as these your gathered Saints to rejoice in you and to properly hallo your name we pray first that your name would be hallowed in this place this morning we long to honor you as we ought those who have you those whom you have brought forth from darkness to light in Christ Jesus the Lord your Saints we pray that we would properly praise and honor you this day Father Son and Holy Spirit we do pray yet again that this would be the case around the world in your churches that you're gathered assemblies would sing your praises that they would come before you in reverent worship that they would bring before you prayers and supplications mingled with Thanksgivings and we do pray that this would be the case here and around the world we rejoice in the fact that you have brought us forth and you're appointed and accepted time from darkness to light in life in Christ Jesus the Lord by grace we have been saved and we thank you so much for the Savior knowing that he came into this world sinners to save and that that is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance we thank you for his perfect life of obedience unto your law in the place of all those who believe we rejoice in that blessed victory upon Calvary's cross wherein he took in himself the punishment due for the sins of all the elect that all those who believe in him might have the forgiveness of sins we rejoice in the resurrection from the dead on the third day we thank you that he now sits at your right hand where he ever lives to make intercession for his people where he subdues the hearts of his elect and where he conquers his enemies we rejoice in our risen and exalted christ that one who has saved us from our sins and given given us an inheritance along with him and along with all the saints we have to look forward to that blessed state of everlasting life in the presence of Christ and we long we long on this earth as we gather on this Lord stay Lord's Diana in a manner that is prepper Torion to that great day we pray that you would help us to sing your praises are right that we would have gathered in this place this morning having not brought any blind or lame sacrifices but that genuinely in earnest ly we would gather now is the saints of Christ and sing joyfully unto you and give you that worship that is do your Most High name we thank you again for the finished work of our Savior we pray that you would forgive us a fresh by virtue of his saving his saving perfection his shed blood upon Calvary's cross we know the Prophet promised that there is a day that has been opened up a fountain that has been opened up for sin and for uncleanness and we rejoice in the blood of our Savior and we pray that you would wash us a fresh in that blood knowing that we have perfect forgiveness by virtue of the perfect work of Jesus Christ our Savior we pray Lord that you would be with those who are unable to join us this morning whether traveling or whether because they are sick and unwell and unable to join we just pray that you'd watch over your Saints those who travel those who are sick that you would bless them that you would strengthen them Lord those who are dealing with disease and with physical affliction that you would strengthen them in body we pray that you would be with Don and Sandra quick koski this morning Lord we pray that you would strengthen them in the midst of all their physical difficulties that you would heal them in body we pray though unable to join us that you would strengthen them in spirit that you would uplift them and it caused them in their spirits though in physical distress to nevertheless in spirit be lifted up with unto high thoughts of the triune God and the blessings of Jesus Christ and forgiveness of sins through him we do pray that you would watch over Samuel with these stomach issues and with the his present sickness we do just pray that you would strengthen this young one that you would heal his body and just cause him to be returned to full health we pray that in the midst of this physical trial that you would by your grace caused him to rejoice in the Savior to rejoice in the triune God and be holy resigned to your promises and to your will and all things we do just pray that you would bless this family we would ask God you'd be with dawn neufeld as well that you would strengthen our brother help him in the midst of his ongoing physical difficulties to rejoice in our God and to find all things in you we do pray that you would uplift him unable to join us this morning that you would uplift him in spirit and just cause him to rejoice in our God we do pray for the van shakes Lord and for many others suffering physically there's a long list we do just pray that you would gird up your saints that you would strengthen them that you would bring to them healing and seasons of reprieve from pains discomforts and and all those things associated with illness we do pray that in the midst of these things they would rejoice in our Blessed God we would ask Lord that you would be with your persecuted Saints we know that there are so many around the world and in other countries foreign lands who suffer under the heavy hand of oppression and persecution and we do just pray that you would help our brothers and sisters in the midst of all of these things to lay hold of that hope of their calling without wavering that they would stay strong by your grace and by your provision of endurance that they would be able to continue to endure in this lower world in the midst of persecution just be near to them help them to rejoice even in the face of such persecution knowing that they have the Blessed promise of Christ we do pray that you would be with those that you would deal with those who persecute them we pray that you would as the the him said that you would subvert the wicked that you would cause those who seek to oppress and seek to oppose your people Lord we pray that you would cause them to stumble like drunken men that they would wither away as the snail so that they might no longer bring violence upon our Blessed Saints we do pray though that many of those who are presently your enemies many of those opposed would hear the gospel and that they would turn from the madness of their ear religion and that they would turn unto the religion of the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ that they would own him whom they formerly persecuted that they would own hit on him as king of kings and Lord of lords we do just pray that you would do a mighty act this day by your grace and for your glory that a multitude of newly redeemed tongues would sing the praises of their victor and Redeemer we do pray God that you would be with those who are still pregnant we rejoice and these gifts that you give to your people we pray that you would watch over them you would strengthen mother that you would encourage father we do pray that for the babies in the wounds that you would strengthen them day by day and we pray that in due time you would bring them forth without problem that they would be born at Lord God that they would grow and that in due time they would own the Savior and rejoice in our God we do pray that you would be with us now as we continue in worship Lord we know that the minister as he comes up here and pastor Butler comes to grip this pulpit we know that he does not lean upon ingenuity that he does not lean upon his own strength but Lord he relies upon the triune God and we do pray that you would give him much help in this pulpit to open his Bible and to proclaim richly the things of Christ and we would ask yet again as we have gathered yet again for the worship of our triune God that you would help us in the pews we require that same ministry of the holy spirit though in a different way as we attend worship is we hear the preaching in the reading of the word we do pray that you would help us your Saints Lord God to be strengthened to be well fed to take in instruction and to rejoice in our God we pray that you would by your spirit equip us to go into this week to work and to live and to do unto your glory that we might conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ and we do pray again father for amazing race in this place and we do pray that by the preaching of your word and by an attending spirit that sinners unbelievers who entered these two doors this morning would leave by your grace singing the praises of Jesus Christ we pray that you would save sinners this morning by your grace and for your glory we pray Lord God that this would as well be the case around the world that you would do a mighty act of turning hearts unto you of removing stony hearts and replacing them with hearts of flesh that beat for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ we do pray Lord God as well for those who govern over us we would ask that you would be with kings and those in authority that you would remove from were those who are an abomination in your sight who seek to sanction laws that uphold wickedness and put down godliness we do pray Lord God that you would turn the hearts of those who rule that those who rule would do so according to your will and that you would cast off any who would seek to uphold wickedness in the land we do pray that you would call your people to a via praying people for these things that we might pray knowing that there is a God whose the nations of the world are his that the nations of this world are the nations of our God and His Christ and that your people would cry out for righteousness in the land and Lord God that you would vindicate your name in all the earth so be with us now might we worship after that manner of spirit and truth might we Lord God be your true worshipers genuinely and earnestly coming before you and with great joy bringing praises and honors to the triune God of heaven and earth and we pray in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ amen let's stand and sing that our next him in the larger hymn book will be 27 let's stand as a church and sing to each other in to our God 27 you you you turn in your Bibles for our new testament scripture reading to Matthew 16 Matthew chapter 16 we'll begin reading in verse 1 and finish at verse 12 Matthew 16 verse 1 the Word of God then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and testing him asked that he would show them a sign from heaven he answered and said to them when it is evening you say it will be fair weather for the sky is red and in the morning it will be foul weather today for the sky is red and threatening hypocrites you know how to discern the face of the sky but you cannot discern the signs of the times a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah and he left them and departed now when his disciples had come to the other side they had forgotten to take bread then jesus said to them take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees and they reasoned among themselves saying it is because we have taken no bread but Jesus being aware of it said to them oh you of little faith why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the 5000 and how many baskets you took up nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up how is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees then they understood that he did not tell them to beware excuse me verse 12 again then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees amen let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for this the reading of your scriptures we thank you for the instruction of Christ as we have it here in Matthew we would pray Lord God that you would continue to strengthen us and help us with regards to our knowledge of the Christian faith in our walk with respect to doctrine we thank you that you have caused us to be brought forth from darkness to light in life in Christ and we know that this comes with the reality that we have put off false knowledge and we have put off false religion that we have put off false doctrine and that we have put on the Lord Jesus Christ and that we can know him we can know as Peter would say in the following verses that he is the Christ the Son of the Living God and we can rejoice in the salvation and the doctrine of it afforded to us by virtue of being brought forth from darkness to light we thank you that we can know you the triune God Father Son and Holy Spirit that we can know the true doctrine concerning Christ and salvation and all things revealed in your Holy Word and we pray that we would never put on or be entertained by her be tempted to follow after the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees the leaven of any false teacher that would seek to steal away our souls we know that we are firmly rooted in you and we pray that you would continue to grow us in the grace and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord that we might love your truth and that we might not seek to be stagnant but that we might seek daily to grow thereby to be nourished thereby we do pray that this would be the case even as we now look forward to the preaching of your word that central aspect of the worship of the triune God we pray that you would help us Lord God to be attentive we would pay attention to the proclamation of your Holy Word that we might leave this place as your Saints Lord God growing in the knowledge of Christ and Lord God that that self-same preaching would be unto the salvation of sinners that you would now attend worship by your spirit having already attended that you would just punctuated this gathering with salvation we pray that many would leave or god this day having entered outside of Christ whether young or old but they would leave singing the praises of your Most Holy Name we pray in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ amen well let's stand then our final him before the preaching again in the barger hymnal will be him 54 let's stand and sing 54 together well please turn with min your Bibles to 2nd Samuel chapter 21 my apologies to those who were here on Wednesday night are those who tuned in this material much of it will be review but scripture does present review as a good concept so this the section that we dealt with on Wednesday night I think it has much to teach the church concerning several New Testament concepts that will look at along the way and at the end so i want to read 2nd samuel chapter 21 beginning in verse 1 now there was a famine in the days of David for three years year after year and David inquired of the Lord and the Lord answered it is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house because he killed the Gibeonites so the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel but of the remnant of the amorite the children of Israel had sworn protection to them but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah therefore David said to the Gibeonites what shall I do for you and with what shall I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord and the Gibeonites said to him we will have no silver or gold from Saul or from his house nor shall you kill any man in Israel for us so he said whatever you say I will do for you then they answered the king as for the man who consumed us and plotted against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the territories of Israel let seven men of his descendants be delivered to us and we will hang them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul whom the Lord chose and the King said I will give them but the King spared mephibosheth the son of jonathan the son of Saul because of the Lord's oath that was between them between David and Jonathan saw so the king took armoni and mephibosheth the two sons of rizpah the daughter of aya whom she bore to Saul and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul whom she brought up for adriel the son of barzilai the mahalo thigh and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites and they hanged them on the hill before the Lord so they fell all seven together and were put to death in the days of harvest in the first days in the beginning of barley harvest now rizpah the daughter of aya took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven and she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night and David was told what risk bought the daughter of aya the concubine of Saul had done then David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of jay bash Gilead who had stolen them from the street of best Shan were the Philistines and hung them up after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa so he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of benjamin and xela in the tomb of cash his father so they performed all that the king commanded and after that God heeded the prayer for the land when the Philistines were at war again with Israel David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines and David grew faint then-ish be banaba who is one of the sons of the Giant and the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels who was bearing a new sword thought he could kill David but a bashai the son of zoraya came to his aid and struck the Philistine and kill them then the men of David swore to him saying you shall go out no more with us to battle lest you quench the lamp of Israel now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at God then sibuk I the hood fight killed saph who is one of the sons of the giant again there was war at gob with the Philistines where L hannun the son of Jair or a game the Bethlehem aight killed the brother of goliath agatite the shaft of whose spear was like a Weaver's beam yet again there was war at gas where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each end and six toes on each foot 24 in number and he was also born to the giant so when he defied Israel Jonathan the son of shamea David's brother killed in these four were born to the giant and gas and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants a man will let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for the written word and we pray now for the Holy Spirit to guide us as we consider this sobering passage of scripture God in many ways it probably puzzles many of us as to see this sort of thing take place god I pray that we'd have a proper understanding of it in its context in the larger context of redemptive history and how we thank you most high for your Holy Spirit and we pray that he would be in us now guiding us and illumining our minds in our hearts we thank you that you've not left us alone in this world you've given us that truth that we have in Scripture and you've given us the spirit of truth and how we pray that he would be present among us even now we ask that you would forgive us for all of our sins and our transgressions and we pray that you would cleanse us from all iniquity through that precious blood shed by our Lord Jesus Christ in that atonement that in many respects is hinted at and pointed to even in this passage in second samuel we thank you for your graciousness to us we thank you for your goodness and for your mercy and we just pray now that you would be glorified and honored and the word would do genuine good to the souls of your people and as well to those who are outside of Christ our hearts desires that they would see their sin and they would see the sufficiency of Jesus Christ alone to save to the uttermost and we pray and his Most Blessed name amen well just briefly I want to set this section in its larger context again it's a reminder for those who attend the wednesday night studies but essentially what we have in sec Samuel is the history of David the king of Israel that certainly starts in First Samuel but in second samuel in chapters one two four you have the commencement of david's rain at a Braun and then in chapters five to eight the consolidation of David's reign over all Israel and then chapters 9 to 20 is the consequences of David said David was indeed a man after God's own heart but David was not a perfect man he was not an infallible man David committed adultery and he committed murder in order to cover that and as a result God promised through the Prophet Nathan that the sword would never depart from his house that adversity would rise up from within his house and that his own wives would be publicly humiliated before all Israel and certainly in nine to twenty we see those things played out now chapters 21 to 24 sort of a final assessment of the author's regard for David's ministry and it's a positive assessment and there is a sharp contrast between David here and soul which we may have occasion to notice at the end of the message this morning so 21 22 23 24 are a collection of chapters designed to assess the reign of King David of Israel it serves as well as the precursor for the succession narrative in first Kings one and two in Solomon David's son occupies the throne now this chapter breaks down into two sections first the Gibeonites avenged in verses 12 14 and then the Philistines destroyed in verses 15 to 22 essentially what we find is that God advances the kingdom in spite of internal threat and external threat the internal is seen here there is famine in the land due to the sin of salt and so God gives them a way out a means by which to preserve themselves and then the external threat of course of the Philistines described in verses 15 to 22 but let's notice the Gibeonites avenged in verses 1 to 14 under four considerations in the first place will notice the situation secondly the resolution thirdly the execution and then fourthly the aftermath or how the parties respond to what occurs and there are serious things going on in this chapter and if you have listened to the reading of the word you will understand that it's a sober text it's a serious text it deserves are considered our careful attention as we seek to uncover what's happening note in the first place the situation there's famine in the land verse 1 now there was a famine in the days of David for three years as a reader of the Old Testament you need to pay attention to such things oftentimes as we see fleshed out here it is an indicator that God's judgment is upon his people Leviticus 26 in Deuteronomy 28 specify curses to the people of Israel if they violate the Covenant of God so when we read that there is a famine in the land for three years we ought to take notice of this God is angry with the nation of Israel now no doubt David interpreted this way because he inquired of Yahweh he sought to understand he wanted to know why there is famine this does not reflect well upon an earthly King when his people are dying the king is to serve the king is to Shepherd the king is to protect the king is to defend the king is to make sure that his people prosper and are doing well and if they're dying as a result of fair man what David does is absolutely appropriate here he inquires of the Lord now note the divine response and this is a great mercy from God you ever considered that the pagans the heathen pray to a god who has ears but he cannot hear they pray to a god who has a mouth or a tongue but he cannot speak they pray to a god who has eyes but he cannot see so what does that indicate when they even pray to their gods do they get responses absolutely not if the dumb Idol can't speak if he's non-existent he certainly can't answer why there's famine in the land it's a shot in the dark and I think the heathen are somehow in their heart of hearts conscious of that reality but not the worshipper of the true and the Living God isn't he describes us throughout all the New Testaments he is the Living God you know one of the benefits is of praying to that living god is that you get real answers to life's problems and difficulties you seek out the aid of an idol and you will be frustrated you come to Yahweh of Israel and he gives answers and this is a blessed thing and he gives specific answers such that David seeks to address the problem so that he can help the people of Israel notice what he describes in verse 1 Yahweh answers it is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house because he killed the Gibeonites this is the issue that that was not supposed to happen Saul was not supposed to destroy the Gibeonites more on that in just a moment so David receives the divine response and now he calls for the Gibeonites to come to come to him note verse tues to the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel but of the remnant of the amorite the children of Israel had sworn protection to them but Saul had sought to kill them in a zeal for the children of Israel and Judah you can turn to Joshua 9 to see this swearing of an oath to these people called the Gibeonites joshua chapter 9 now these Gibeonites deceived the children of Israel they deceived Joshua but nevertheless Joshua and the leaders swore a covenant to the Gibeonites that they would allow them to live in the land and so as the Gibeonites approach David he they remind him of this particular oath that had been sworn notice in Joshua 9 at verse 15 says so Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant literally he cut a covenant with them more on that in just a moment he caught a covenant with them to let them live and the rulers of the congregation swore to them and it happened at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them then the children of Israel journeyed into the sit there cities on the third day now their cities were Gideon Khafre beareth and care Jeff jera but the children of Israel did not attack them because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel and all the congregation complained against the rulers then all the rulers said to all the congregation we have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel now therefore we may not touch them this we will do to them we will let them live last wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them and the rulers said to them let them live but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation as the rulers had promised them so you see what happens the nation of Israel swears an oath cuts a covenant with these Gibeonites to preserve them alive now they're not going to be kings and bankers and merchants in Israel they're going to be wood gutters and water carriers but they're going to be living would gutters and water carriers that's a great boon a great benefit so back to 2nd Samuel 21 the wrath of God is upon the nation because Saul sought to destroy the Gibeonites there's no record of this in First Samuel we need to understand that though it's not indicated in First Samuel it doesn't mean it didn't happen Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah wanted to do it to exterminate liquidate the Gibeonites and so you see the rub now Israel had sworn an oath in the name of Yahweh and they had reneged on that they had broken it it was a violation of the third commandment a violation of the ninth commandment a violation of holding sacred the great name of god most high in Saul's pretended zeal for Israel and Judah he engaged in gross covenant sin and that's what's happening in this particular instance now note under the situation still David's request in verse 3 so he says to the Gibeonites what shall I do for you and with what shall I make a own meant that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord now that word atonement is necessary for us to understand we often talk about the atonement of Christ what do we mean by the atonement of Christ it means the same thing it meant for David as he asks these Gibeonites what shall I do or with what shall I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord the word atonement in its most basic meaning means to cover we want to cover something we want to cover a particular transgression we see it used in context as forgive or cleanse or ransom it altima tlie has to deal with the avert averting of God's wrath God is angry and we provide atonement and his wrath is averted it does not come upon the people to whom it is targeted because of that atoning sacrifice and so this is precisely what David says to the Gibeonites in an attempt to rectify the situation to correct the famine in the land so that the children of Israel can have peace and be blessed and increase and do those things God called them to do now note the resolution in verses 4 to 6 the Gibeonites make their request know the Gibeonites here reflect their understanding of numbers 35 in numbers 35 the text is very conspicuous and very specific that if there is blood guiltiness committed in the land you can't pay a price for that in terms of silver or gold you can't pay a ransom in terms of murder the only way that a murder can be atoned for is by the blood of the murderer and that is why the Gibeonites say it cannot be gold it cannot be silver and it can't just be any man it has to be the man that was guilty of the actual act of transgression now since Saul was dead he obviously couldn't be the man that died in this sacrifice so that's why the Gibeonites demand the seven sons of Saul but note specifically numbers 35 underscores this reality in verse 33 so you shall not pollute the land where you are for blood defiles the land and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it except by the blood of him who shed it now it's just hear that people in the 21st century have a bit of a recoil at the sacred tax well this seems barbaric this seems unjust this seems horrific this seems ungodly that these men would demand the blood of seven sons of Saul why seven I don't know probably the number of completion the number of wholeness the reality that this is the Vengeance of God most high being inflicted upon that but we need to understand something brethren Israel covenant with God in the Old Testament would have never SAT idly by while abortion was being practiced I'm talking about the remnant obviously the ungodly were throwing their children to Moloch so they didn't give one you no care whatsoever concerning the demand of God but in terms of the faithful their land was not to be polluted with blood guilt their land was not to be a place for gross sexual immorality and it was certainly not supposed to be a place of idolatry you see we've grown accustomed to such sins those are three Biggie's in North America idolatry sexual immorality and blood guiltiness you trace out the Old Testament you will see there are three sins in particular that God the Lord demands punishment for and very specifically in its idolatry blood guiltiness and sexual immorality fact this is why God tells Israel to go and dispossess the land of the Canaanites because they engaged in gross immorality they engaged in all manner of beastial sacks they engaged in child sacrifice they engaged in the scent of blood guiltiness and certainly they were idolaters so God says to Israel go ahead and stem out not because God is capricious or God woke up on Tuesday and thought wow would it be nice for Israel to inherit all that the Canaanites built it was because the Canaanites were wretched how many times do we receive those arguments from unbelievers say well that stuff in the Old Testament is harsh you know it's harsh sinning against God not God's judgment for that sin we get it all backwards that seems a bit severe we never give any thought or concern whatsoever to the fact that a sinner stands before a holy God and rebels and rejects him we have more problems with the fact that this holy God punishes sin and the church so often is right alongside the unbelieving world embarrassed by passages like these soul had defiled the land Saul must pay if Saul is not present it will be his seven sons the Gibeonites are not bloodthirsty the Gibeonites are not driven by personal revenge matthew henry notes that had they been they would have pursued this a lot earlier but now the problem is the famine in the land david summons the Gibeonites the Gibeonites are consistent with what we find in numbers 35 and the Gibeonites say it can be silver camp eagle can't be any man but rather give us the seven sons of Saul so that we may hang them before the Lord whom a choice all this is what's happening now you might be tempted to think about the text in Deuteronomy 24 Deuteronomy 24 16 a brother and this is all going someplace if you think well I don't know what this has to do with anything then please pay attention this passage teaches us several concepts that I hope are starting to take shape in your own mind and in your own heart God is holy sin is terrible an atonement is absolutely necessary if a new covenant believer hasn't grasped that fat and doesn't appreciate something of that fact more after considering second Samuel 21 then we really need to pay closer attention we need to understand what's happening here but Deuteronomy 24 16 says fathers shall not be put to death for their children nor shall children be put to death for their fathers a person shall be put to death for his own sin we understand that the act of Saul polluted the land with blood guiltiness so there must be blood atonement that much is granted as well the active of saw was the breach of a covenant oath now I mentioned that in Joshua 9 they cut a covenant that's the language that's employed by the Hebrew authors when they refer to making a covenant more often than not when your English version says make a covenant the literal is cut a covenant and the significance behind this is the ceremony involved its most vividly spelled out in Genesis 15 God the Lord covenants with Abraham and one of the aspects of that covenant ceremony is to take animals and to split them in pieces take dog and all not dogs but bulls and don't think of vital at home getting split open for your sins but the sacrificial animals they are split in two and put on either side of a particular walkway the parties to the Covenant walk between those animals the significance is in the maledicte rio 'the we all know what a benediction is at the end of the service sometimes we pronounce of benediction a good word from God mal addiction is the opposite it is to take on oneself the curse of God and so the parties to the Covenant walk between the animals and the symbolism is this if I renege on my covenant obligation if I break or I breach my covenant oath may what happened to these animals happen to me may I be cut into pieces may I be destroyed may God require it at my hand and if you ponder the Genesis 15 covenant I think it takes on even more significance when we understand that it's only Yahweh that passes between the animals it's not Yahweh and Abraham and then we get to Galatians 3 and we find out that Christ became a curse in other words what happened to those animals happens to the Son of God on our behalf at Calvary's tree it's beautiful they cut a covenant they swore in the name of Yahweh and they violated it they broke it so they have under saw collectively and nationally sad what happens to those animals may it happen to us as well the act of Saul was not as an individual but he was a public person it was representational he's acting as the Covenant head so when he sends all Israel sins also the act or that the demands of Deuteronomy 24 16 were not applicable here because those were individual criminal offences it wasn't this national public covenant breach so what's all does here on behalf of the people does not bring him under the that the guys are the auspices rather of 24 16 when commentator said the few instances where punishment of children was legally sanctioned were not criminal cases but those involving offenses against God such as a violation of national oaths and you know the way we know for sure that it doesn't violate Deuteronomy 24 16 because God accepts it so that's what I always want to say to those dear brethren that recoil in horror against second Samuel 21 that's barbaric that's horrific that's terrible that just seems so on God ish what happens rizpah sitting with the bodies until the rains come what do the rains coming signify the famine ends verse 14 it says and then the Lord heated the prayer for the land so before your more holy than God and start condemning what happens here at Gibeah understand that God received did God accepted it God's wrath was averted the atonement was wrought and the Lord Most High remedied the situation as a result of punishment being inflicted properly upon the house of Saul now notice thirdly but we have a major concern the execution vs 729 I mentioned on Wednesday night that's a bit of an unfortunate choice of terms but I think you get the point the carrying out there's a sharp contrast between verse 7 and verse 2 and the careful reader ought to appreciate this especially in a final assessment of David's rain what's a Saul known for according to verses 1 2 3 in second samuel 21 covenant breaking violating the oath sworn to the Gibeonites Saul is the pinnacle of unfaithfulness according to our author but note verse 7 David is the Covenant keeper David is consistent David swears an oath to his own hurt he does not change this text is very specific he spared mephibosheth there are two mephibosheth sin the passage don't think the author forgot what he just SAT there is the the mephibosheth that David made a promise concerning to sana 'then back in First Samuel 20 David swore to Jonathan that he would not destroy the descendants of Jonathan's house in second samuel 9 David finds mephibosheth and he grants him access to his table he includes him as one of his own sons he blesses him he provides for him and he gives him provision CC faith where Saul is busy killing Gibeonites faithful David is busy sparing mephibosheth the Covenant keeper here the Messiah of God protects his people again David's greater son does that very same thing with his people he protects them he watches over them he cares for them he rance them table access he provides for them he nurtures them he cares for that he makes sure that if arm is coming he surrounds them under the shadow of his wing David is the covenant keeping man in this instance but Saul is the covenant keeping wretch notice the identity of the sons that were chosen are given in verses 8 and 9 so the king took armoni and mephibosheth the two sons of rishta the daughter of aya whom she bought us all and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul whom she brought up for adriel the son of barzilai the mahalo fight now Michael did not have five sons it was mereb Michael's sister that was married to adriel the the margin of the New King James reflects that it identifies it as Mara the actual text of the New King James supplies for us that it was Michael that brought up these children either way the identity is giving us or indicating to us the seven sons that were chosen two sons of a risk paw and then the five signs of Mara so they then deliver them over or David delivers those seven over to the Gibeonites and then notice in verse 9 says and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites they hang them on the hill before the Lord so they fell all seven together and were put to death in the days of harvest in the first days in the beginning of barley harvest so was done that actually happened I'm serious if I preach this in another church people are probably rolling their eyes I think I've shared with you before I go to the Cascade every other Wednesday to teach a Bible study there and there's one old doll I love her dearly but whenever I say I'm going to teach from judges or revelation she kind of rolls her eyes or you know lifts or her eyebrows I think the church does that with certain books in the Bible or certain chapters this is an unsavory theme for a Sunday morning the death of seven judicially innocent and it wasn't them that killed the Gibeonites it was their father they hadn't done anything wrong not that they were sinless or perfect but in terms of this particular offense they were innocent why in the world would you bring that to nice people on a Sunday morning who have a nice day planned out this is very negative it's very downer it's very cloudy day ish the church simply doesn't have time for such things when we need to be upbeat and positive when we need to be the sorts of people that bounced from place to place to play showing smiles and reverie and all the light for the people around us brethren I suggest there's a whole lot more in second samuel 21 verse 9 that is applicable to the church than much of the drivel that is peddled day in and day out under the name of gospel preaching this is the unjust standing in the place of the jaw or the just rather scanning in the place of the young just put your new covenant cap on one of these seven sons of Saul typifying that just one who went to the cross for us unjust sinners yes this happened and yes God accepted it now note the aftermath of this you know we may go home today and have a burrito and discuss the sermon to know after this took place after these seven men were hanged before the Lord there's a bit of difficulty in terms of the text we could either understand it as they were killed and then impaled or they were killed by impaling either way I think we've got the point seven innocent man judicially innocent of the offensive aunt died in the place of Saul on that day so we may go home and we may talk about this today well there was an aftermath involved here there was a response I mean what do you do after this right what if your witness to this particular situation what if you understand the situation that has just occurred how does one on the author gives us a glimpse specifically into one of the mothers hearts rizpah now verse 10 really isn't essential to the narrative at all but the author wants us to consider it as essential he wants us to ponder the scene he wants us to muse over it he wants us to feel the effects notice in verse 10 now rizpah the daughter of ayah remember she had two sons that were hanged before Yahweh that day she took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven it's a good translation she didn't takes a cloth and make a tent to cover the bodies the sackcloth was for her to watch the bodies she does this from the beginning of harvest until the late rains port on them from heaven and she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night I suspect when I read through that the first time and maybe even this time you haven't really thought through this you haven't really entered in your thinking about the burrito I just mentioned you thinking about how these are down our subjects and this doesn't make me feel peppy do you think it made rizpah feel peppy do you think she's standing at the foot of her dead son's felt the jocularity and the frivolity that so often punctuated the professor loved God today doesn't James tell us and James for that there are seasons for lament for sorrow for weeping isn't our Savior characterized as a man of sorrows and one acquainted with grief it behooves the people of God yes to rejoice with those who rejoice but to weep with those who weep this is a pathetic seen this is a horrible scene this is seen in all of its consequences and all of its grim reality this is what we see in this case of rizpah one commentator says the moment we allow our imagination to dwell on the details of her situation we recoil the bodies just hang there and it's probably for a significant amount of time the author takes pains to let us know when the hanging took place in verse 9 he takes pain to tell us that in verse 10 the later rains came Deuteronomy 21 specifies that if a man is hung for a crime you to take his body down it's not to remain overnight less the land beakers Matthew Henry suggests this was an extraordinary case that's why the bodies were left hanging but but but visualize the sea not visualize the way these weirdos tell you but think about the same Smothers watched her two sons be hanged to death and now she's making sure that birds and beasts don't get them focal men again the moment we allow our imaginations to dwell on the details of her situation we recoil the bodies just hang there exposed to the elements the stench and the sight of decay can hardly be borne by any outsider let alone a relative and rizpah is a mother who day in day out weekend week out is forced to experience this with their own children the horror defies description and the narrator does not describe it either it's terrible it's wretched why because Saul wanted to kill Gibeonites do you ever let our minds go to where sin will ultimately take us I don't think we do you know man wants to commit adultery or he wants to fornicate or a woman wants to commit adultery or fornication ever think about the consequences of sin they never consider what the outcome may be Saul and his pretended zeal for Israel and Judah wanted to exterminate Gibeonites did he ever think did he ever contemplate that if it did he ever consider the possibility that seven of his sons might die in his place brethren maybe we ought to take notice of this and consider that the consequences of other sins do affect us and to contemplate the fact that the consequences of our sins affect others and we as fathers when we continue in the black and laziness and sloth we cannot be surprised when our children imitate that self-same ethic when we as the professed people of God continue in patterns of rebellion and wickedness we can't suppose for a moment that it's not going to have effect upon others we as mothers set terrible examples we don't submit to our own husband's as to the Lord not a suggestion by the way or when we as mando love our wives as Christ loved the church what are we doing we're promoting consequences of our sins to fall upon the heads of others it's really terrible when you stop and think about it the hem writer says he who think of sin but lightly here its guilt may estimate and he's pointing us to the cross I mean ultimately that's where we ought to ponder this connection but I think we see it here with rizpah at the foot of the son's death she knows all too well what's all sin man to the house of Saul so David then collects the bones of Saul and Jonathan mingles them with the bones of the men hanged at Gibeah and he gives them a burial that's his action that's his response he enters in at least to some degree to the suffering into the grieving of rizpah collects those bones and gives them a proper burial and then the response of Yahweh verse 14 be and after that God heeded the prayer for the land God heated the prayer for the land we're going to just quickly run through this destruction of the Philistines you have several men here descended from the giant he's identified as ray fought and several things we ought to observe just quickly the death of ish be banaba in verses 15 to 17 david is faint in the battle some commentators take this as an indication because there's no really consensus on the timeframe of chapters 21 to 24 but some suggest that the faintness of david indicates that he's an old man at this time and he just doesn't have the gumption for battle that he had at one point could have been that David in his youth have the gumption for battle that he always possessed because he battled so much so David was unable to take ish beeban on you can kind of hear ish beba not he sees the faintness of David he thinks why I can clean house now I can get him but a bashai the trustee swordsman is there any dispatches ish be but not on behalf of David and the men of Israel say to David we don't want you to go out to battle anymore we don't want the lamp of Israel extinguished this indicates the Revere that these men held David in this indicates the esteem that they had for him it also indicates to us that while the Bible presents David very favorably as typical of his greater son it never portrays a uh uh uh gives us a portrait of a perfect man he sinned he committed adultery he committed murder as well he wasn't Superman in battle he needed a bashai he needed faithful troops he needed ones and her son to come alongside of him to help dispatch ish beeping up then you've got this fellow called SAFF and he's taken out by sibuk I then you've got this this man called la me he's not identified as such in verse 19 we take the text is written in second samuel 21 without the suppliers notes it will read that l hannun killed goliath there are anti David commentators out there that say ohana really did kill de lyoth in the valley of ayla but once David's popularity started to grow this pro David faction said that it was David who killed Goliath in the valley of a lot i think the suppliers are right there working with first chronicles 20 verse 5 goliath that big meathead had a brother named la me and it's a hannun who took la me out there is no contradiction in the sacred texts David did what the narrator tells us David did and we give glory and praise to God from whom all all servants calm and then you have this man in verses 22 21 if I were to ask you what is his problem I hope you'd understand he need to go to a special place that sold you know extra large gloves and shoes right I mean he had six digits on each hand and on each foot digits or your fingers and your toes I think they're also known as phalanges is that correct I learned that from my granddaughter many years ago phalanges this is the six-fingered man six on each hand six or six toes it's not fingers on toes but he had six toes on each foot he said certainly that's a problem I mean where does this guy find shoes how could he find you know loves big enough to fit such hands that's not his problem physical abnormalities are not his issue his problem is indicated for us in verse 21 he defied Israel the same language applied to Goliath in the valley of a law when he continued to trash-talk Israel and God him self so you see in each of these instances what we are given is a glimpse of God's victory over the Philistines through his King David but notice as well David didn't actually physically kill all the ones indicated in this passage David had help David had servants and the sacred narrative gives us their names if Paul in Romans 13 tells us with reference to the governing authorities that we render honor to whom honor is due shouldn't we honor national heroes shouldn't we praise God from whom all oh LOL Hannon's flow or or or this Civic I shouldn't we praise God for an Abba shy who's quick with the sword who defends our King and keeps the Philistines at bay this is what the author is doing is highlighting this victory over the Philistines specifically mentioning the men who got the kills in the scenario and then verse 22 summarizes the passage and says these four were born to the giant in Gath and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of servants so what do we learn well in the first place I hope that we learned there are some contrasts between Saul and David Saul and David the first place Saul violates the covenant with the Gibeonites David keeps covenant with Jonathan and lefebure chef you see we made this observation on Wednesday night this is job number one for a political leader I know it's become common for us to just accept that all Paul of politicians lie it's almost become synonymous I suspect some day when we type in in our google search and an engine politician the definition will be liar or will type in liar and we'll get you know politician or we'll get google images of various politicians who have lied you know in course David wasn't the psalm 15 man but he was a psalm 15 man he swore to his own hurt and he did not change yet integrity he made a covenant to Jonathan or with Jonathan concerning mephibosheth so when push comes to shove he protects him as well Saul fails to protect Israel from the Philistines this is one of his mandates in First Samuel 916 if Saul had been successful we wouldn't need 2115 the 22 couple indicators here the fact that it was famine in the land when David was raining and it was connected to Saul indicate something of the nature of Saul's rain the fact that these pesky Philistines are still a problem for Israel shows us something of the failure of Saul but it shows us David and his faithfulness who knew what Philistines were for as well Saul tried to kill David you'll see this in 20 21 Saul tried to kill David David by God's grace flees from Saul you see what the author is doing final assessment of David A plus well maybe not a plus he had some sins along the way he wasn't a perfect man but the final assessment of David in terms of Saul Saul was a wretch and as well here in chapter 21 they're reaping the wrath of God for the sin of Saul did Saul ever repay it's all ever forsake did false Saul ever confess his sins now in 24 David will be called out for sin that he had committed he numbers the children of Israel when God comes to call him on it what does he do he repents he confesses he says that he is sin so 21 to 24 present there's positive image of David as the king and ruler over Israel a second thing we ought to take from the passage is the protection of God over the people of God with reference to the enemy's internal and external God purges the sin from Israel with reference to Saul's transgression and God protects the people of Israel from this Philistine threat carry that into the New Covenant situation the Lord most high will protect us he'll watch over us his kingdom marches on Jesus wasn't lying I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it whatever Philistines Philistine hordes may try to destroy God by the power of the Spirit will keep them out as well with internal threats when there's issues when there's trials when there's difficulties we would be at a loss apart from the word in the spirit but God gives us the word in the spirit so that we're able to deal with those internal things that threaten the safety of God's people were able to confess to one another we're able to talk with one another we're able to reconcile with one another we're able to enact what Paul says to forgive one another even as God in Christ forgave us I told someone yesterday a pastor friend of mine I'm amazed that the kingdom of God still marches on but I know that it does because God has promised to secure it God has promised to protect it and God has displayed that right before our eyes and second Samuel 21 from problems in and from problems out nevertheless we emerged with the kingdom thirdly this is where i reworked the sermon just a little bit from Wednesday night in terms of rizpah and talking with the dear brother he suggested some things to me that I totally agreed with but I mentioned on Wednesday night that the Ralph Davison his commentary said we shouldn't look at rizpah here and you know just try to pull out a bunch of you know self-help applications well I want to dare to be your is pop you're never probably going to be a rizpah I mean you may have trials and difficulties I don't want to discount them but the thought of you watching two of your son's hanged before Yahweh in Gibeah and then watching their dead bodies decompose for however long keeping birds off of them keeping beasts off them which she couldn't have been completely successful she had to sleep sometime sackcloth not the most comfortable mattress in the world but the most tired we get will fall asleep anywhere you're not going to have a rizpah ministry fact Davis suggests the thing we ought to appreciate in verse 10 or the thing we ought to ponder is the reality that it's good for us to be sad once in a while he says the writer tells you this very solemn story especially about rizpah because he wants to make you solemn he depicts this very sad episode because he wants you to be sad over it and marinate in that sadness and not go not to go worrying about how to pill for some application from it again in further reflection and discussion I think we ought to try and at least glean something from it I think there's a theological lesson for us in the sorrow of rizpah and I think I even mentioned it on Wednesday night but in the first place we ought to recognize the sadness associated with living in a sin cursed world I don't know why but sometimes we get surprised when their sorrow and hardship and difficulty we just can't believe it that we'd be with Jesus and get into a boat and the waves would come and the winds would crash and the the sea would be tumultuous we just get blown away how could you know bad things happen to me on a child of the king this has been fostered of course by the health wealth prosperity gospel and you know hymns that basically tell us that if as long as we do it we're supposed to do everything is just going to be peachy keen this is a sin sick world and connected to living in a sin sick world is sadness sorrow hardship heart ache whether it's our own sin of the sins of others Paul was not kidding we are to weep with those who weep we are to enter in we're not to try and fix everything you know what sometimes the best thing you can do for people is listen to them and cry with them you can't fix everything you're not good you don't have the magic bullet you don't have the five-point sermon you don't have the ability to get into the hearts of men turn them properly so that they can embrace the reality was it this job's complained to his friends you're miserable counselors miserable I just needed to pour out my heart and weep and cry you guys are going to lecture me on how on the sinner I'm not just I'm not righteous that's what job says to his friends miserable counselors are you Paul brethren do you realize that fixing things at times just means to sympathize with brethren to cry for brethren to weep for brethren to pray for brethren to sorrow with brethren somebody might just need to tell you something well let me give you a 15 part response on how best to fix this that might be fitting in certain instances but in others it isn't I remember an illustration from a book I read many years ago the author suggested that when a woman has had a particularly bad day you come home at five-thirty and you know the dinner isn't ready and the kids have you know green stuff down their faces and and diapers full of things that we don't want to think about on a Sunday morning your wife doesn't need a three-point sermon on time management she may just need a hug sometimes the people of God don't need a three-point sermon on how to be a better you they may need a hug they may need some tears they may need the encouraging word I will pray for you maybe that's what the authors the by the hand and causing us to reflect on in this particular instance as well we ought to consider when we look at RIT spa standing at the foot of her dead son's the terrifying wrath of god it's good to consider that as well God accepts this atonement God sends Wade God's anger is averted by the sacrifice this ought to cause us to reflect on the Day of Atonement it ought to cause us to reflect upon the realities involved these people in Israel didn't go through this sacrificial system because God wasn't wholly they went through it precisely because God was holy Christ didn't die on the cross because God wasn't wholly but precisely because he is holy we ought to reflect with whispah something about the terrifying wrath of God and then of course the wretched consequences of our sin and of others people's sins we've already pointed out this earlier but it bears repetition now finally we ought to look at the typical significance of the chapter other words what is a type a type of some thing an event or a person or a place in the Old Testament that points us to a reality in the New Testament we call that reality the antitype not like against the type but a fulfillment of the time so for instance paul says in romans 5 that Adam was a type of him who was to come in fact the Bible Paul specifically speaks of the first Adam and the last Adam Adam was a tight he pointed forward to the typical are to the antitype which was Jesus Christ so as we've been studying the book of Samuel and I hope First Samuel the other books before that we've sought to acknowledge the typical significance along the way the words in light of the entirety of the Bible how should this point us so where should this point us in the first place and we won't spend a whole lot of time here because we've already touched on it the victory of the kingdom and spa ight of internal and external threats I wonder at times if David would have said I don't know how we continue I don't know how we continue to manage I don't know how we're still standing a power of God the glory of God the majesty of God in the second place we ought to appreciate the Messianic protection of his people in light of the Covenant David provided for mephibosheth according to verse 7 David's greater son provides for New Covenant mephibosheth according to covenant in John 6 verse 39 Jesus says this is the will of the father who sent me that of all he has given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day he speaks the same sorts of things in the priestly prayer and John 70 he is the Covenant keeper who provides protection for his people he secures us he stabilizes us he'll never let us go muse on this reality Romans 8 there is nothing that shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Philippians 16 I am confident Paul says of this very thing that he will began a good work in you will complete it unto the day of Christ consider John 10 jesus says believers are in my hand they're in the hand of the Father and there is nobody who can snatch you out Paul in Romans 8 says who is he who condemns it is Christ who his diet and has risen brethren we have comfort protection security safety and blessing not because we're good not because we're upright not because we're excellent but because our mediator is because our David is because he swore to a jonathan i am not going to let destruction come to your household and he made good on the promise in the third sense we ought to appreciate the typical significance of rizpah it's not a formal type the way Adam and Jesus is but brethren I would at least think the suggestion may have entered your mind that when r is paw is standing at the foot of her hung Suns it makes you think of another woman who stood at the foot of her tongue or hang that Sun again not a formal type I don't think the author saying OK Rizla's typical of Mary and you ought to make all those connections but but do you get the suggestion am I grasping at straws everybody see this rizpah standing at the foot of to Jude judicially innocent sons who took the place of soul and Mary standing at the foot of the cross of her son who was judicially innocent completely innocent who took the wrath do to us in Luke two verses 34 and 35 Simeon says to Mary behold this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign which will be spoken against yes a sword will pierce through your own soul also and he gets somewhat common in Protestantism because Romanism elevates Mary we almost never say Mary Mary was the mother of Jesus Mary stood at the cross of Christ Mary saw her son butchered her judicially innocent son hanged as an atoning sacrifice Gill comments on the text the sorrow she met with on account of her son as he was a man of sorrows so she was a woman of sorrows from his cradle to his cross and his sorrows like so many darts or javelins rebounded from him to her again not like a Roman Catholic mediate tricks that somehow she was a co sufferer or co mediator with Christ but if Christ really was here according to his humanity if he really was a physical being as the Bible sets forth he really had a real mother that he cared for and he loved and he commended to the care of John the Beloved Disciple we are not to neglect the fact that this woman is our sister who was redeemed by the same Savior and we ought to appreciate the lengths she went to again not as a co mediator but as a sufferer for the kingdom of God most high he says rebounded from him to her and pierced her soul through as when Herod saw his life when she had lost him for a whole day and when he was frequently exposed to danger among the spiteful and malicious Jews but never more than when she stood at his cross and saw him it is agonies extended on the tree bleeding gasping and dying so let respawn point you to Calvary and that's the last of the typical significance that we ought to appreciate this morning we ought to notice conspicuously if it has not been yet we are to see predominantly the vivid reminder of substitution Airy atonement rendered to satisfy the Justice of God what we have in Gibeah is what christ accomplished for us what we have here with the seven-man is substitution what we have here with their death is penal substitution what we have here is the satisfaction of the demands of a holy God to deal with the blood guiltiness and the Covenant unfaithfulness of a sinful nation this is what christ did christ is the just who stands in the place of the unjust Christ is our representative Christ took in himself the punishment that was due for us the just for the on just burying our sin taking our penalty then dealing with the wrath and fury of God listen to what Davis says I quoted this on Wednesday night it probably needs to be quoted more and more not that he's God or that his commentaries or the 67th book of the Bible but he had a way of just capturing the scene he says and he muses on the fact that this is a troubling passage you ever come to passages like that at the end of judges is tough isn't it is it a tough one he cuts up his concubine and sends pieces to the twelve tribes to assemble them together do you read that and then go play golf we probably do but do we plunder what sin is produced in this world we contemplate the ravages of wickedness in this world you ever stop and think that what Jesus went through on our behalf was real that real humanity suffered the real humanity bled that real humanity was torn apart do you ever consider that Jesus and I think I've told you this before was whipped twice the Jews brought Jesus to Pilate he sought to his swage their blood thirst by having Jesus scourge this was a less formal and not as serious form of scourging he did it to appease the mob I'll have him whipped you guys will be satisfied and off you go well of course they weren't satisfied and they said away with him away with him crucify him when the order was given to crucify another scourging took place this preceded the actual act of crucifixion and this was the particularly and notoriously nasty one this was the whip that had tied into it the bone of the metal of the glass so that as the whip landed on the back it pulled the flash right from the victim this is why the Prophet says in Isaiah 53 by His stripes we are healed do we Christians ever consider what stripes means there it means the blood of Jesus Christ it means his back open Paul uses a similar convention in Galatians 6 from now on that let nobody trouble me for I bear and my body the brand marks of Jesus what does he mean was he tatted for Jesus did he have you know Jesus on his forehead no he had lashes in his back he had wounds from being stoned he had the actual representations of his having suffered for the cause right so brethren we need to move to the point where we ponder a new and afresh what happens at Calvary and perhaps Gibeah kid kankan spur us on to that and this is how Davis reports it he says most readers are simply a ghast at the sheer horror of the episode that I suggest points us to its primary application readers should be aghast we should be we should be shocked he says the text says atonement is horrible it is glory atonement is never nice but always gruesome we need to see this for we easily fall into the trap of regarding atonement is merely a doctrine it is a doctrine we need to preach the doctrine but we need to understand the doctrine represent something true it represents something that happened it represents a reality he says we fall into the trap of regarding atonement is merely a doctrine a concept in an abstraction to be explained a bit of theology to be analyzed or little better to view it as a moving story to be replayed during Fashion Week but we should know better surely the Israelite worshiper realize this when he towed a young bull to the tabernacle and had to slit it's throat skin it cut it in pieces and wash the insides and legs see a few kids we're living back then and you came to church on Saturday the Sabbath back then the positive institution under the Old Covenant and you came to the tabernacle it wasn't to come and sit on these really comfortable pews and to sing out of these books and you know to hear some guy ramble on for however long but you came with your father who had an animal from your flock that you probably grew accustomed to I mean it's hard they say oh don't you know don't love them don't don't be affectionate toward animals they're just beasts they grabbed our hearts don't they I mean a little sheep or whatever they're just cute and cuddly we love that well you get to see dad cut its throat cut it up and present it to the priest so you would understand back then that atonement was bloody business it's not bloody business for us anymore we have to constantly remind and constantly encourage and again this isn't a bad thing that this cup we drink is the blood of the new covenant we have to associate that wine with the blood of the new covenant in this old covenant setting when you saw a dad take you know puffy the sheep and and cut its throat and dissect it and present it up you knew that that atonement was bloody business as Davis goes on to say it was all mess and gore from slicing the Bulls throw Leviticus one all the way to Calvary God has always said atonement is nasty and repulsive Christians must beware of becoming too refined longing for a kinder gentler faith if we've grown to use to Golgotha perhaps Gibeah can shock us back into truth atonement is a drippy bloody smelly business the stench of death hangs heavy wherever the wrath of God has been quenched that's what giving up teachers that's what we ought to associate with Calvary wasn't this idyllic scene it wasn't this haloed seen our Savior wasn't up there in a glowing robe a Spurgeon says our artists cover him but he was stripped naked for guilty sinners we got to ponder these things and if Gibeah helps us to that end to consider as davis says that its own mint is dripping bloody smelly business then we can appreciate a new what our Savior went through on our behalf for you see we belong on the cross we belong under the wrath of God we belong under the fury and the judgment of God we saw a rightly deserved that wrath and curse but our surety our Savior our David stood up to the task our Blessed Christ went to that place and he gave himself on our behalf if you have grown accustomed to thinking in terms of an abstraction as Davis says let Gibby a shocking back into the reality that atonement is drippy bloody Mellie business the stench of God hangs heavily wherever the wrath of God has been quenched if you don't know this Christ you ought to see him as the Bible presents him he's great isn't he who of us as believers can't appreciate in the new right now ha what did our Savior do what are our Christ do he the jocks for the unja I'm the unjust in that equation and he took my punishment he took my hell he took my wrath he took my suffering he took my place praise God from whom all blessings flow isn't that what our heart at least to some degree should be saying maybe it's not many ways it was over twenty twelve thirty now we got to get going just pause for a moment ponder how glorious your Jesus is that Jesus is offered in the gospel to sinners the Bible says those who believe will have everlasting life the Bible says those who look will live and if you are dead in your trespasses and sins if you are not forgiven of your sins if you have not a saving interest in Christ may I say to you believe on Him who alone can save the one who did what we see done in second samuel 21 but in a manner far more glorious well let us pray God we thank you for your word and we thank you for scenes like these that hopefully shock us into a new appreciation or a fresh appreciation of what we have in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ I pray that you would go with us I pray that you would watch over us I pray that we would praise you for your son for that one who gave himself as a sacrifice for the sins of his people I pray as well that wherever this gospel is preached today you'd open the eyes and the hearts and the ears of sinners and cause them to receive the truth and by grace to believe the truth in to pass from death into everlasting life we ask these things through Christ Jesus our Lord amen I'm close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed you