Lessons From II Samuel
2 Samuel 1:10-15 (5/11/17)
May 11, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* Saul had killed himself. * This presented an opportunity for this young Amalekite to get in good with the king. * He saw an opportunity. * He took credit for something he didn’t do. * Because of this he lost his life. * The temptation to take credit comes from a man-pleasing spirit. * We want others to accept us and approve of us. * We need to always give God credit for what He does. * Otherwise it will become our place of death.
2 Samuel 1:11-12 (8/2/23)
August 2, 2023 • Benham Brothers • 2 Samuel 1:11–12
John Maxwell said that “everything rises and falls on leadership.” That’s one of the truest statements ever made. We see this taking place amongst David’s mighty men. Their response to Saul’s death shows us the great leader David was. Backstory - Saul, the enemy of David and the current king sitting on the throne that was rightfully David’s, died in battle. How would David’s men respond? You would think that they’d be happy, excited that their leader was now going to be their king. Earlier, when Saul went into the cave where David was hiding, one of the men said, “This is a great day! God has delivered your enemy into your hand!” (1 Samuel 26) So we know David’s men wanted Saul dead. When news came of Saul’s death… Vs 11-12 - “Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.” David was broken over Saul’s death because, even though Saul was his enemy, he was still God’s appointed man as king. It’s why David refused to kill him himself. David’s heart broke. Because of that, David’s men’s hearts broke as well. Everything rises and falls on leadership. This is so good for parents. Whatever we model for our kids they will magnetize it. EX: If you sow the seeds of bitterness, your kids will swing from the branches. EX: If you sow a little gossip, your kids will reap a lot! Proverbs 22:6 - leadership is the ability to create an appetite in others. What appetites are you creating in those who follow you?
2 Samuel 3:1 (5/9/19)
May 9, 2019 • Benham Brothers
* When you do God’s work you’ll experience warfare. * Strength comes through strain. * So if you’re straining but not getting stronger you need to see if you’re doing God’s work or your own. * David’s and Saul’s house were in a war against each other. * David’s house grew stronger, but Saul’s grew weaker. * This is because David was doing God’s work. * When you work for the Lord you have energy for the task. * You’ll still need rest, but you won’t get burned out. * It’s like exercise - the more energy you exert the more you get in return.
2 Samuel 5:3 (5/29/14)
May 29, 2014 • Benham Brothers
David modeled a life that was led by God and not by ambition. After being anointed king he went back to tending sheep. Twice he refused to kill Saul because it would break a principle. When Saul was dead he refused to go and "take the kingdom." David was always waiting on God to bring about His plan in His time. Ambition will drive us to TAKE that which God wants us to WAIT for.
2 Samuel 6:3-6 (5/29/14)
May 29, 2014 • Benham Brothers
David put the ark on a new cart, just like the Philistines did, but this was a bad move. It worked for the Philistines but not for David - he should have been thinking "obedience," not "pragmatic." God held the Israelites to a higher standard than the Philistines. Just because it works for the world doesn't mean a follower of Christ can do it. We see David, a godly man, mimicking the tactics of an ungodly people because they "worked." The ark tipped because they hit a pot-hole, but if it were on poles, as it should have been, it would have never tipped. Uzzah grabbed it - good intention, bad move - nobody was to touch the ark - and he died. Uzzah was a Levite, not a priest, and he knew the rules for transporting the ark but he stood idly by. David got mad, but not repentant, just like Cain. Our reactions to God's discipline reveals the intentions of our hearts. The ultimate result? The ark never made it to Jerusalem - they weren't blessed with God's presence.
2 Samuel 6 & 7 (5/8/13)
May 8, 2013 • Benham Brothers
Cover the story of David Faithful tending sheep When annointed he went right back to his place He was filled with the spirit and grew in it so that people recognized God's favor He was faithful in the little and God made him faithful in much (he killed lions and bears so he killed Goliath) He didn't try to kill Saul - he let God bring about the victory 2 Samuel 6:3-6 - A Good Thing in a Bad Way David was now king, first act of biz was to bring the ark into the city thus proving God was truly king He put the ark on a cart - bad move - it was only supposed to go on poles Uzzah dies - only priests are to touch the ark If you don't do God's thing God's way you won't have God's result 2 Samuel 7:1-16 - My House, Your House David had it in his heart to build God a house, a Temple God had never commanded this like he did for the Tabernacle He wasn't just "obeying," he was "honoring" - this was how he was a man after God's heart THEREFORE, because he wanted to build God's House God built His House!
2 Samuel 7 (5/29/14)
May 29, 2014 • Benham Brothers
David was living in a palace while God's ark was dwelling in a tabernacle - this was a mobile tent. David didn't like that - He wanted to hook God up with an amazing Temple. God had never commanded David to do this - it was in his heart to do it. Obedience is obeying a command - Honor is doing something without having to be told. Honor only comes when your focus is on the other person. How did God respond? God blessed David with an enduring house because he was more concerned about God's house than his own! This is how David was a man after God's heart - he didn't need to be commanded to do something, he came up with it on his own because he simply wanted to love on God!
2 Samuel 7:1-2 (5/12/16)
May 12, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• One of the ways you can tell the character of a person is by what they do with their free time. • David was very wealthy - residual income exceeded his living expenses. • What would he do with is time? • His mind drifted toward God - spending time with Him and thinking about what He could do for Him. • He wasn't perfect - Bathsheba (he should have been at the battle). • Two types of free time: • 1) Free time as a reward for hard work - business owner, retired army ranger, author of a completed manuscript, parents who's kid just left home for college, etc. • This type of free time is a REWARD for hard work. • 2) Free time as a result of laziness - employee who calls in sick who's not sick, student procrastinating on a paper, dad watching TV instead of being with kids, etc. • This type of free time is a ROUTINE as a part of being lazy. • Hard comes before Easy, Work comes before Play - live by these and you'll be like the David who built God a house and not the David who stole another man's wife.
2 Samuel 7:3-5 (5/12/16)
May 12, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• How do you know when you should do something? • Psalms 37:4 - When we delight ourselves in the Lord His desires become our desires. • So we can trust that what we're wanting to do we can do. • David's idea of building a house was born out of his delight of God. • David’s heart was to HONOR God - he was never commanded to build a temple. • HOWEVER, on the path of doing the thing we must be listening for God's voice. • He may check us and pivot us another direction. • This is what it means to die to your dream (2 Samuel 15:25-26 - David says to leave the ark in Jerusalem and if God wants to bring him back then He would).
2 Samuel 7:5-7 (8/1/18)
August 1, 2018 • Benham Brothers
#1 Worker - they see what needs to be done and they do it. They become owners and wealthy. #2 Worker - they ask what needs to be done and do it. They become managers and rich. #3 Worker - they have to be asked before they’ll do it. They become employees and make enough to live on. #4 Worker - they don’t want to be asked to do anything. They become poor and ask others to pay their bills. #1 worker is empowered / #4 worker is entitled. #1 worker is a producer / #4 worker is a consumer. #1 workers think in terms of value, not success Albert Einstein - “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” Values involve character, which is why Theodore Roosevelt said, “The chief factor in any man’s success or failure must be his own character.“ Honor vs Obedience - King David - 2 Samuel 7:5-7
2 Samuel 11:1 (5/14/13)
May 14, 2013 • Benham Brothers
Men weren't made to be idle When a man is out of the way of his duty he will be in the way of his lusts When he lost work he found sleep He should've been coming in from a hard days' work, but he wasn't so now he was "restless" - Rest evaded him He should've been resting in the dark, but now he was awake in the dark Lust says I "Want Now" / Love says I "Need Later" Lust wants what's not it's own / Love is satisfied with it's own God revealed to David what was in his heart all along 2 Sam 12:22-23 - I want it so bad David shows the proper attitude when begging God for something He didn't hold onto it in his heart When God didn't answer as David wished, he simply accepted it and moved on
2 Samuel 11:1-6 (5/12/16)
May 12, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• Contrast David and Uriah in how they dealt with temptation. • For David - (vs 1-5) Three steps in falling into sin: • 1) Idleness - not just the absence of activity, but also activity with no purpose (video games). • 2) Imagination - the second look did him in. • 3) Information - the indulging of curiosity leads many into sin (YouTube click party). • For Uriah (vs 6-11) How to overcome temptation: • 1) Recognize you're in a battle - cultivate a battle-ready mindset. • 2) Know your role in the battle. • 3) Stay engaged in the battle even at times of peace. • David fell because in his time of peace his mind didn't stay engaged. • (vs 14-15) - Uriah was so honorable that David knew he could entrust him with his own letter of death. • Look how God honored Uriah - 2 Samuel 12:15 & Matthew 1:6. • God didn't allow us to forget him.
2 Samuel 12:5 (5/9/19)
May 9, 2019 • Benham Brothers
* David’s reaction was to punish the man far greater than the law required. * This knee-jerk overreaction was the result of unconfessed sin in his life. * This is one of God’s ways of showing us something in our lives. * When we respond in anger to other’s sin. * If we overreact it should surprise us and make us ask God why. * He may point something out.