This morning, we continue to dive into the depths of who God is.
We live in an ever changing world. Our culture is one that seems to be changing faster and faster as time goes on. Technology and the accessibility of information has created awesome opportunities, but also unique challenges. Parents are now dealing with a dynamic range of issues that simply didn’t exist a mere 15 years ago. Not only affecting parenting, our high level of connectivity impacts nearly every aspect of our lives from national warfare to education to everyday shopping.
In this fast-paced and ever changing world which we live in, however, it is comforting and assuring to know that there is One who does not change and yet is still always relevant, completely understanding, and always connected.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
This morning, we’re reminded that God is our faithful rock!
Not only is this life ever changing and full of challenges, but it is also filled with trials, tribulations, and troubles. In fact, deciding to follow Christ doesn’t mean that you will be spared from these, it means that more are likely to come. In John 16, Jesus warned those who were following Him of this fact. He said that a day will come when people will even kill us and think that they are serving God by doing it. He promised, however, in the midst of these many trials that we may face because of our faith that He would turn our grief into joy. He said:
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul warned that if we marry someone, we have not sinned, but that we would face many troubles in this life. Two different people with two different perspectives coming together to cooperate as one for a lifetime can create many obvious troubles as any married couple can testify to!
God’s word never sugar coats the truth and the truth is that in this life, we will have stormy seasons of trial, tribulation, and trouble. Through Jesus, however, in the midst of these troubles that we face in this world, we can still have peace. The same storms of life rage against God’s faithful as well as those who reject Him altogether. The difference isn’t whether storms of life come our way, the difference is how we navigate them and what state we are in after the storms pass. James 1 reminds us that God allows us to experience these trials of life in order to mature and complete us so that we lack nothing. He also reminds us that great reward, the crown of life, awaits those who persevere through these trials.
Jesus gave us this parable to help us to see and understand how we should approach these storms of life:
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
This morning, we are reminded that God is our faithful rock. He does not change, cannot be shaken, and is the One that remains constant and true in our lives. There are literally hundreds of scriptures that proclaim and testify to just how faithful God is and how He is our rock. Jesus anchors us throughout the storms of life so that we need not fear, need not waver in doubt, and need not worry. We can stand firm on Him and on His promises found in His word!
Hebrews 6:17-20
17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
This morning, we’re going to kick it old school and take a look at a man who truly embodied the ability to stand firm on God, our Rock, throughout long seasons of trail, tribulation, and trouble. He proved, through real life experience, that being faithful to God does not mean a life of ease. He proved, through real life experience, that those who remain true and faithful to God through it all, do ultimately gain the victory and triumph greatly! He proved, through real life experience, that we can trust in God and that He is our faithful rock. This morning, we go back to the Old Testament to take a look at the life of David.
David is an awesome example of what it means to serve the Lord faithfully and to live by faith and not by sight trusting that God is our faithful Rock!
David was born in Bethlehem during some troubling times. Israel had rejected God as their king and wanted to be just like all of the other kingdoms with a man as their king. King Saul became the first king of Israel, but was failing. In fact, he disobeyed God so frequently that God had rejected Saul as Israel’s King. Then enters David.
It is estimated that at the age of 10-13, Samuel shows up at Jesse’s house (David’s father and an elder in Bethlehem), found in 1 Samuel 16. God had sent Samuel there to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the next king over Israel. Jesse had brought seven of his sons and Samuel passed over them all because they were not the ones whom God had chosen. God reminded Samuel:
1 Samuel 16:7
“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Samuel then asked that David, Jesse’s youngest son who had been left behind to tend the sheep be brought to him. Although David was young, scripture reveals that “he was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.” God chose David as the next king over Israel and the Holy Spirit came powerfully upon David as he was anointed by Samuel.
Around this same time, the Holy Spirit had departed from King Saul and an evil spirit would come and torment him. One of the very first things that God tasked David to do was to serve King Saul while still tending sheep for his father. He became one of King Saul’s armor bearers. Whenever the evil spirit would torment Saul, David would play the lyre and the evil spirit would leave Saul.
Even before this, however, God had been preparing and training David for the destiny that still lay ahead of him in life. When convincing Saul to allow him to fight Goliath David said:
1 Samuel 17:34-37
34 “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
34 “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
We all know that of course, David defeated Golliath at an estimated 15-17 years of age. Following this battle, the women met King Saul singing and dancing to the lyrics, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul became very jealous of David and kept a close eye on him fearful that David might take the kingdom of Israel from him (1 Samuel 18). Although jealous, he was also very afraid of David because he knew that the Lord was with David, but had departed from himself. Twice, Saul tried to kill David with a spear while David was playing his lyre.
Revealing the humility and heart attitude of David, when Saul tried to get David to marry his daughters, David replied:
1 Samuel 18:23
David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”
David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”
For the price of one hundred Philistine foreskins, David took Saul’s daughter, Michal, as his bride. Saul’s hopes that David would be killed during his pursuit to obtain these foreskins were ruined and Saul became even more afraid of David. From that day forward, Saul decided to become the enemy of David.
Saul made every attempt to kill David. Michal even had to go as far as to make an idol with goat’s hair to lay in bed with her that looked like David so that her father could not kill him. Every time that Saul would send his men to kill David at Ramah, the Spirit of God would come on them and they would begin to prophesy. Even the demonically tormented Saul, who decided to go and kill David himself, had the Spirit of God fall on him and he, too, began to prophecy stripping naked and laying on the floor (1 Samuel 19)! From that time on, Saul chased David from city to city as the deadly game of cat and mouse was on. David, the anointed one of God, lived like an outlaw constantly on the run from Saul.
Finally, the chase seems to come to an end. David and his men were hiding far back in a cave. Saul entered that same cave to relieve himself. While he was doing his business, David cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. David was conscience-stricken for doing so and said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” When Saul left the cave, David also went out and bowed down to the ground before Saul and pleaded with him showing the evidence of how he spared Saul’s life and has no intent of wrong doing toward Saul (1 Samuel 24:1-13). Saul wept and apologized, then went back home.
Although David knew who he was and what God’s will for his life was, he trusted God, his faithful rock, and refused to take justice into his own hands. He served the very one determined to kill him, literally trusting his life in God’s hands.
The chase was far from over, however. Saul had lied and continued to pursue and attempt to kill David. This same scene where David could have killed Saul occurs in 1 Samuel 26. While Saul was sleeping, David took Saul’s spear and water jug that were lying near his head. The next morning, David cried out from a distance and told Saul that he spared his life yet again and proved it by showing him the water jug and spear.
Eventually, Saul did commit suicide (1 Samuel 31). He stands as an unfortunate reminder of how important it is to obey God and not to submit to selfish desires or jealousy or anger. When David learned of his death, he and his men tour their clothes, mourned, and fasted.
David was then finally promoted to be king over Israel. However, even then, the storms of his life were far from over. He still had to establish Israel as a kingdom by defeating its many, many enemies. His own wife, Michal, despised David in her heart because of his zeal for the Lord (2 Samuel 6). He fell into sin, himself, through an adulterous affair with Bathsheba who became pregnant and having her husband, Uraiah, killed in battle. His son, Amnon, raped his daughter, Tamar (2 Samuel 13). Another of his sons, Absalom, secretly turned Israel against David and, in a familiar scene, David and his men began to flee on the run once again. This left the kingdom of Israel once again divided as ten tribes of Israel followed Absalom as their king and Judah and Benjamin followed David as their king.
During David’s travels fleeing, Saul’s family decides to assault David yet again. Shimei cursed David and his men and threw stones and dirt at them as they walked by. David’s men wanted to cut off his head, but David entrusted his life to the Lord and continued on (2 Samuel 16:5-14).
Absalom was found riding on a mule and his hair got caught in an oak tree, so that he was left hanging by his hair while his mule continued running. Absolom died at the hands of Joab while hanging in that oak tree. After Absalom, Sheba lead the ten tribes of Israel against David. Sheba was beheaded by the people of the city of Abel Beth Maakah. David could finally then return as king over all Israel and Judah once again (2 Samuel 17-21).
David was a real man with real problems and many of the Psalms record his heart’s cry as he struggled to understand why it seemed that those faithful to God suffered and the sinful and arrogant prospered. David was a fiercely skilled and mighty warrior who literally killed hundreds of thousands of people over the course of his life. Yet, he displayed great wisdom and trust in God, his faithful rock, as he refused to speak against nor fight unless the Lord clearly told him to. He is an incredible example of one who entrusted their entire lives to the Lord.
Recorded in both Psalm 18 as well as 2 Samuel 22, David sang a song following his many trials and tribulations. This song reveals much about how God is our faithful rock. David proved this fact over and over throughout the course of his lifetime. Listen to what God testifies regarding David:
Acts 13:21-23
21 The people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ 23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.
21 The people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ 23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.
And listen to what David testified regarding our God:
Psalm 18
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
44 foreigners cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
47 He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
48 who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
44 foreigners cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
47 He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
48 who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.
This morning, God wants to also reveal to us that He is our faithful Rock. David proved this truth over and over. No, David did not live a comfortable life free from problems. David’s life was filled with trials and tribulations, but God saved him and prospered him through them all!
Just as Jesus challenged us and David proved to us, we need to put our trust in God by obeying His word. Yes, the storms of life will still rage against us. However, when we live according to His word, we can be assured that when the storms of life end for a season, we will stand firm and be matured and completed after it passes. The storms will not destroy us, they will mature us so long as we put our trust in God alone, keeping our eyes fixed on Him, for He is our faithful Rock!