by Dr. Bob Gray Sr.
II Samuel 23:5, “Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not grow.”
My I pen these words to all of the imperfect people? My I write these words to those of you to whom everything has not turned out as you had wished or hoped? My I intrude into the world of those of you who have not lived up to your own expectations? May I dedicate this chapter to those of you for whom things have not turned out as you dreamed and planned?
I am writing this for those of you who have unplanned and surprised divorces! I am penning these words to those of you who have had a period of backsliding in your life! I am penning these words to those of you over age fifty because I know if you have lived a half century I know there are things in your life that have not turned out as you had thought and believed would happen!
Maybe a marriage that did not turn out as you thought it would? Maybe a child did not turn out as you thought he or she would? Maybe you have not turned out as you thought you would?
David comes to the last hours of his life and speaks his last words and most of us can place ourselves in his shoes! David is saying in spite of my failures, in spite of my own home’s failures, “Although my house be not so with God…” yet “He hath made with me an everlasting covenant.” (II Samuel 23:5) Please note in this same verse he states…
- “Ordered in all things”
- “And sure”
- “This is all my salvation”
- “And all my desire”
- “Although he make it not to grow”
This is amazing to me! These are David’s last words! He is saying, “I’m old and I’m dying.” Now for all you imperfect people reading this chapter for whom life has not turned out as you thought it was supposed to listen to what David is saying! He said, “Things are not with me and mine as I had wished and hoped.” Wait a minute! These are David’s last words! David is saying to us, “All of my dreams have not been fulfilled.” He said, “My dreams for my family have not all been fulfilled.”
He is no doubt thinking of Absalom, his son, who rebelled against him and was killed dying a horrible death as all rebels do. He is no doubt thinking about Solomon, who became such a wicked king after such a great start and ended up leading the people into all kind of false idolatry. He is no doubt thinking of Amnon who raped his own sister. He is no doubt thinking of Tamar’s wrecked life because of the rape buy her own brother. He is not doubt thinking about the dead baby as a result of his sin with Bathsheba.
He is not doubt thinking about his family and he said, “My house be not so with God and everything has not worked as I had planned it for my family with all of my dreams being shattered for my family. Then he said, “All my friends have not stayed with me. Shimei my friend left me! Ahithophel left me! Saul the king forsook me! Absalom my son betrayed me!”
David is saying, “All of my dreams have not been fulfilled, dreams for myself, dreams for my family, and dreams for my friends!” So, these are David’s last words.
- All of my friends have not stayed with me
- Some of my friends have turned on me
- Hopes have been dashed
- My family has not turned out as I expected
Some of you reading this chapter can say with David, “My family hopes have been shattered. My personal hopes have been shattered. Some of my friends have forsaken me.” Some of you can say with David, “All of my dreams have not been fulfilled for my family and for my friends!” You can also say with David, “Some of my plans have gone array. Some of my hopes have been shattered.” The truth is if you are over fifty you know what I am saying!
It may be that you did not finish college when you should have! Maybe it is too late to be a preacher! The plans and dreams have evaporated before your very eyes! Maybe you would like to relive a few days in your life? David sighs as he says, “It just hasn’t turned our like I thought it should and would!” David sighs again as he speaks his last words in verse 5 in spite of this current seeming hopelessness.
GOD HATH MADE WITH ME AN EVERLASTING COVENANT
WOW! What a statement! My present situation may be dim with my family, my present situation with my own personal hopes may be dead, and my present situation with some of my friends may be devastating yet, “He hath made with me an everlasting covenant.”
He is saying my present looks bad but my future looks great! Wait a minute! These are David’s last words! He doesn’t have a future! He’ll not rise up off of his deathbed! He’ll not have a youthful body again! He’ll not rise up early and work till midnight and get back up again to go to work! Those days are over! He is dying! These are his last words. How can he have any hope? How can he have any tomorrow? How can he have a future?
Ladies and gentlemen if things have not worked out for you and yours, if you will refuse to throw in the towel even up until your dying breath-trusting God there is something to this promise from God to His children of an everlasting covenant.
In the first place if you are redeemed, born again, regenerated by the precious shed blood of our Saviour then your eternity in Heaven is secure! AMEN! You cannot lose your salvation nor can anyone else take it away!
In the second place my influence may be small but I still have influence. Thus, we can influence the next generation!
In the third place there are generations to come that are far removed from David who will be inspired, comforted, and challenged by a man that only history and God know of!
ORDERED IN ALL THINGS
Boy this is good! God acts on our reactions! Every stupid move we have made God makes a wise move. He acts on our reactions! God is constantly making adjustments for our stupidity!
David go to work! Don’t stay home! Once again as I holler at him while reading of this tragic event David ends up committing adultery. What does God do? He acts on David’s reaction. He sends Nathan the man of God to David to rebuke him! God punishes sin! Soon David gets back on track and writes some of the most beautiful and powerful Psalms that literally have salvaged millions and millions of Christians throughout history!
Thus, God uses the disorder of David to teach for centuries great truths about living for God to provide proper order! Do not become bitter! Allow God to bring order out of your disorder!
AND SURE
Notice in verse 5 the Scripture says “and sure.” This is a sure thing that God is doing in our lives as we live for Him and as we sometimes do not live for Him! Amazing! This is a sure foundation that we have as God’s children and it is unshakeable!
Heaven is a sure place, salvation from Hell is a sure thing, living for God is a sure thing, living away from God causing God to act is a sure thing, and God has promised it all to be a sure thing!
FOR THIS IS ALL MY SALVATION
Salvation through Jesus Christ is the reason it’s not over until it’s over. Family may have been a disappointment. Marriage may have been a disappointment. Children may have been a disappointment. Friends may have been a disappointment, but salvation from Hell is a sure thing and a blessed thing. Sin may scar us but it will not destroy our salvation, our family members salvation, or our friend’s salvation, or eternity in Heaven with Christ!
ALTHOUGH HE MAKE IT NOT TO GROW
Please understand this Bible principle; all success comes from failure and all success exists because of failure otherwise success would be the norm and we would have to find another word to describe what’s happening!
Do not focus on results focus on responsibility! Missionary Adoniram Judson went seven long years without a convert but millions have been saved as a result of his seeming failure. Dr. Jack Hyles went one entire year of his first pastorate without one convert down the aisle and his own daddy died and went to Hell! Yet, no one in the history of the New Testament church has had as many people saved and baptized as Dr. Jack Hyles had during his lifetime!