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Series Code: ILL
Program Code: ILL230003S
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00:14 Praise the Lord everyone. Welcome to
00:17 Imperative Life Lessons. 00:19 I'm Pastor Ryan Johnson. 00:22 My notes told me he was 20 years younger than I, 00:26 but as I sat across from him looking into his eyes 00:30 he seemed much, much older. 00:33 Life had been hard, circumstances had been dire, 00:38 choices had been poor, rough and tumble my grandmother 00:42 would have said. As I gripped my Bible and leaned forward 00:46 noting the needle marks on his arms, I thought about Jesus' 00:52 declaration in Luke chapter four verse 18. 01:15 I know it won't be easy I told him. 01:18 At times, it will feel like torture as you recover 01:22 yet with Christ, you can be free. 01:27 But the young man nodded to me and he said my momma, my daddy 01:33 my grandparents, they were all addicts pastor. 01:37 I appreciate your words, but sir, I'm pretty sure I'm cursed. 01:43 How can I be saved when I am cursed? 01:47 Cursed. What does Jesus teach us about that? 01:53 You know what, let's look and find out. 01:57 Father in heaven, we are all cursed, but you are 02:01 the great emancipator, be with us as we study. 02:04 In thy name we pray. Amen and amen. 02:08 It was the time when kings go into battle according to 02:12 II Samuel chapter 11 and verse one. 02:15 The winter weather in the region was cold and rainy, and thus 02:20 unsuitable for chariot wheels and unsuitable for 02:23 hungry soldiers so they would mostly wait, and as 02:26 spring approached the military campaigns would commence 02:30 and kings would go to war. 02:32 And when the previous chapter, chapter 10, we see King David 02:37 going to battle with his soldiers, but as we settle into 02:42 the fighting season of II Samuel chapter 11, right there 02:47 at verse one, look at what the Bible says. It says... 03:07 I've heard it stated that the trouble beginning in the 03:10 next verse stems from the fact that King David of Israel 03:15 stayed home rather than going to fight for his Lord. 03:20 Verse two... 04:11 David is walking on the roof of his home when in the distance 04:15 he encounters a woman bathing. 04:16 Now there are two words used in this verse that indicate 04:20 what happens with David's eyes. 04:22 The first one is that he saw, he sees a woman 04:27 but then the verse continues to say the woman is beautiful 04:31 to look upon. 04:33 Hey, you can't always help what you see, 04:36 but what you look at can certainly be controlled. 04:40 David went from seeing to looking and then to inquiring 04:45 after the woman and verse three states... 04:47 The woman is... 04:52 Now, textual evidence suggests that David may have been friends 04:57 with this woman's father. 04:59 But it's super clear in the text that he's friends with 05:03 her husband, Uriah the Hittite. 05:05 Don't believe me? Keep your finger in II Samuel 11 and turn 05:10 over to II Samuel 23... 05:13 In this chapter, David is close to death and as part of 05:18 the formal process of a dying king, they list his brothers 05:22 in arms, all of his fighting companions 05:26 Let's read verse eight... It says... 06:21 and 36 other men are listed as David's mighty men. 06:25 but look at the very last verse of chapter 23, look at this. 06:30 Where a 37th man is listed... 06:35 Verse 39... 06:43 Uriah was a loyal friend, yet there on the rooftop 06:48 David sees his wife and coveting her, he takes her. 06:54 The 10th Commandment states "Thou shalt not covet." 06:59 is the one commandment that tells us what to think 07:03 for God knows what evil thoughts can lead to and coveting 07:08 lead David to betray his friends and his family. 07:12 And was the woman Bathsheba a willing participant? 07:17 We may never know, but one has to imagine that 07:20 when the king himself called for her, it may have seemed 07:25 unwise or even unsafe to decline, I don't know. 07:28 But let's return to II Samuel chapter 11 and verse five. 07:38 Uh oh. 07:46 Ohh, now there is real trouble. For by the mosaic law 07:50 adultery is punishable by death. 07:54 And here are two adulterers but believe it or not 07:57 there may even be a bigger issue here, and to appreciate it 08:02 you gotta think like an ancient Middle Eastern person. 08:06 See, their value system was very different than ours is 08:09 in our modern hierarchy of values we place 08:13 self-preservation and success above everything else 08:16 our own person comes first and then we may have our 08:21 country, then community, but in ancient Palestine, the top values 08:25 were honor, hospitality, the community, family, self... 08:31 I like to joke that a game show such as Who Wants to be 08:36 a Millionaire might have been very unpopular back then 08:40 because they would rather have honor among the brethren. 08:43 Greed and selfishness were frowned upon. 08:46 When the woman Bathsheba became pregnant 08:50 Davis's honor as king was at risk for surely all would know 08:55 that the reclining king had betrayed a friend, 08:59 a national hero, and when we realize this, we then see 09:04 that everything that follows in this story is David's 09:08 attempt to restore his own honor. 09:12 II Samuel chapter 11 states that David called Uriah 09:18 from the battlefield under vague pretenses and tried to 09:23 get Uriah to go home to his wife so that the baby 09:26 might appear to be Uriah's and David's own honor 09:30 might be restored, but Uriah refuses. 09:33 Look at verse 10... 09:48 verse 11... 10:13 You know, even today, some soldiers do not wish to leave 10:18 the field of battle or to be given special accommodations 10:21 while their brothers and sisters are still out there fighting 10:24 for their lives and country. 10:26 Sometimes war survivors don't enjoy the little pleasurers 10:31 of life because it feels dishonorable toward their 10:34 brothers and sisters who were not fortunate enough 10:37 to survive. And Uriah is such a soldier and one imagines 10:43 that Uriah's honorable nature is a slap in the face 10:47 of the dishonorable king. 10:52 Verse 12... Verse 13... 11:49 Even after getting Uriah drunk and full, David could not get him 11:53 to go and lie with his wife and this may have infuriated 11:58 the king, who then felt justified in doing whatever he 12:02 needed to do so that as kingly honor might be restored. 12:06 So verse 14 tells us that David sends Uriah back to the 12:11 battlefield with a letter for Joab his commanding officer 12:15 and this letter instructs the commanding officer to put Uriah 12:19 on the front lines close to the siege-wall so Uriah could be 12:24 killed. Let's take a moment to appreciate how messed up 12:29 it is that Uriah is forced to carry his own death warrant. 12:34 The awful irony almost forces a question to the forefront. 12:41 Though the Bible gives no specific indication, 12:45 one has to wonder, did he know? Did Uriah choose valor 12:52 as his vindication? The amazing thing is that both Uriah 12:57 and David are going to be in heaven. 12:59 The victor and the perpetrator and we can ask them 13:03 for ourselves, I plan to. But David has Uriah killed to 13:09 protect his dingy honor. 13:11 And then read verse 26, it says... 13:22 Verse 27... 13:37 This is the situation created by the cowardly covetous king 13:43 and God, being displeased, sends His prophet, whose name is Nathan 13:50 to David. II Samuel chapter 12 verse one, look at this. 15:02 The story of a wealthy man who robbed a poor man of the 15:08 only thing he loved made David angry. 15:12 Whoever did this dishonorable thing is worthy of death 15:15 he proclaims, but in verse seven... 15:23 The story's about you, David and everyone knows of 15:27 your dishonor. Verse nine. 15:48 As the anointed king of Israel David has misrepresented God 15:54 and now, it's leaning to the word friends, notice this 16:00 next part, because here like Adam and Eve experienced 16:04 in the garden, David will hear the pronouncement, 16:08 the stated result of his sin. Look at this. 16:13 Verse 10. 16:32 There are a number of places in the text where David endures 16:36 curses and pronouncements of doom. But this one which 16:41 continues through verse 11 is special because it's so crisp 16:45 so easy to understand and it's brought on by 16:50 David's own actions, David cursed himself. 16:55 You know what, let's look at it, let's look at it. 16:58 The sword, the prophet Christ shall never leave your house 17:03 What's a sword, a sword is a weapon, it is a cutting blade 17:08 designed to impale people, it indicates fighting, 17:12 it indicates war and blood. David says in II Samuel 17:16 chapter 11, and verse 25... 17:22 But the sword is also a mentality isn't it? 17:24 Yes, it is. David has introduced the mentality of the sword 17:29 of violence to achieve one's desires into His house. 17:33 And the prophet says that it will never depart. 17:38 That's a sword, okay, what's a house? 17:41 Well, in Job chapter one, a servant tells Job in verse 19, 17:47 He says... 18:00 Is that what is meant by a house? 18:04 A building, the sword shall never leave this building. 18:09 ahh, it doesn't feel right does it? 18:11 Let's see another example shall we? 18:15 This time from Exodus, chapter 40, where it describes how 18:20 Jehovah led his people, look at verse 38, it says... 18:38 House of Israel, Israel was a man, formerly Jacob 18:46 and house of the Hebrew route bet refers to his children. 18:53 His offspring, the offspring of Jacob, Israel, are the house 19:00 or children of Israel. 19:02 Nathan says, the sword shall never leave your house, David. 19:08 Violence and the mindset of violence and that did happen, 19:13 oh yes, it happened. The curse upon the offspring 19:17 The House of David. 19:19 But turn with me to Isaiah chapter 11, I'm going to read 19:28 verses one and two, and listen as Isaiah prophecies about 19:33 the Messiah. 20:19 Amen! I like it, but a branch, a root, yes, 20:26 see Isaiah is using the analogy of a family tree to state 20:32 that the Messiah would be a descendant of Jesse. 20:36 Okay, who is Jesse? Yishai in the Hebrew 20:42 well, let's look, let's look at the book of Ruth 20:47 chapter four, and verse 16, who's Jesse, look at this. 20:50 Where Ruth just had a baby it says... 21:17 Jesse was David's father, so, if the Messiah is of the line or 21:23 offspring of Jesse, then the Messiah is a descendant of David. 21:28 The children of David, the house of David. 21:33 You're still not convinced? Okay, let's look at what Jesus 21:37 himself says in Revelation chapter 22, 21:41 let's look at verse 16. 21:58 Jesus is of the house of David but if the curse was upon 22:04 David's house, was Christ born under a curse? 22:09 Did He come to earth and in addition to everything, He 22:14 endured, the curse of humanities sins, was He also specially 22:19 effected by belingering results of David's sin? 22:24 Because He was right in the family line, 22:26 the shadow of the sword, the mentality of the sword, 22:31 did violence chase Jesus? was the mindset of violence around 22:36 Jesus? Just read the gospel's and they will confirm it. 22:41 How could He save us when He was born under a curse? 22:45 How could we be saved if He was cursed? 22:49 Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsamane great sferials 22:54 of blood had poured from his brow, the disciples are 22:58 sleeping, Christ has lived the life, Christ has walked the walk 23:02 and now the cross is before Him just over the horizon 23:06 approaching with the dawn, but Christ is at peace 23:08 for Christ, for He has prayed to His father and said 23:11 not my will but thine, so when Matthew chapter 26 23:15 the mark comes for Jesus led by one of His own 23:19 Judas. Look at Matthew 26 and verse 50. 23:31 The disciples are in fight mode where Jesus has placed His will 23:37 on the Father's hands, He's Determined, He is ready 23:41 He is willing, and then the sword shows up 23:44 the curse, nipping at His heels threatening to derail 23:50 His accord with the Father, look verse 51... 24:02 it broke the solemnity, it brought forth human nature 24:05 the instinct to fight, salvation by our own power. 24:10 You know Jesus could have said yes Peter 24:12 cut him down, fight him, I am of the line of David 24:16 this is how we roll. Let's throw down Peter 24:19 and verse 52... 24:30 Think of the significance of that statement 24:33 in light of the curse of the house and the sword. 24:37 Jesus said no, no friend hey, are you feeling cursed? 24:44 Destined to be lost, Jesus said no and then 24:49 He gives to our question, how can we be saved 24:53 when we feel cursed? With a momentum of sin 24:57 behind us, the weight of inequity weighing us down. 25:01 Verse 53... Jesus said... 25:12 Deliverance will not come via our power 25:15 not via our might but from The might and power of God. 25:20 Don't you know that He who commands legions of angels 25:24 can deliver you? How do you fight a curse? 25:27 You put away your weapon and you let God fight, 25:33 you use God's sword, and you will be saved. 25:37 No curse is a match for God. 25:41 So the young man is looking at me, I hear what you are 25:47 saying preacher, I feel your words, and I appreciate your 25:51 intention, but my momma was a drug addict, 25:54 my daddy was a drug addict, my grandparents were 25:57 drug addicts, how can I be saved when I'm cursed? 26:02 And I thought about the broken curses and chains in my life 26:09 and the struggle that I've been through, 26:12 how the Lord delivered me, and I leaned forward, and I said 26:18 listen, young man, this is how you beat a curse. 26:23 You don't beat a curse, Jesus beats a curse. 26:31 You feel destined for hell but Jesus said No! No! 26:40 You're destined for glory, don't you know He can call 26:45 legions of angels, if that is required to save you 26:49 and He would to beat a curse by letting God fight. 26:57 You will be victorious. You will be victorious by God's grace. 27:08 Father in Heaven, the inertia of our condition 27:12 and the devil seek to convince us that we cannot be saved 27:18 But you have demonstrated even there in the garden 27:23 that you are a breaker of curses. 27:25 And despite what we've been through, by your grace 27:30 we can be saved anyhow. So Lord, save us, bless us, 27:37 save us. In thy name we pray, Amen. 27:41 You know, God has plans for you, you just walk with your hand 27:45 in His hand, and He will lead you to His destination. 27:48 May He bless you. And as always friends, be encouraged. |
Revised 2025-05-08