Worship service 6/1.

Psalm 25 Devotional [12]:

12 What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. 15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

We saw previously the nature of true fear, that it is a universal regard for God’s law, a reverence for His word and a constant waiting on Him for all life and spiritual sustenance. And this is proved by the very next verse. For inasmuch as David says, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” he shows that he eagerly waits and anticipates the grace of God saying, “Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.” Wherein we see, 1. That the eyes of the faithful are ever toward the Lord. This cannot be carnal eyes, for, “no man hath seen God at any time.” but with the eyes of faith. That is that we believe and know assuredly that God is for us and that He will act according to His nature in the defense and support of His people who are born of Him. As it is written, “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.” So our eyes are towards the Lord and we know that He will deliver us. 2. Our feet are often caught in a net, either circumstantially as pertaining to this life, or spiritually, lapsing and falling into sin. All sins have consequences, and without repentance leave our feet in the net of misery. God either deprives us of comfort, or grace, or gives us up to other sins. Therefore, the reprobate has no hope but goes from net to net, and from sin to sin, unable to free himself from the devil’s snare. But the righteous are delivered by God Himself, and that is what we wait for and expect from Him. 3. He shall. These words of confidence may all the godly pray when their hearts are sincerely bent towards the LORD. We do not wonder or guess at God’s attitude towards us or His willingness or ability to save, but we pray, “He shall deliver” “He shall pluck” just as our Lord said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” This is a suitable passage also summarizing the whole. “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.” He shall pluck our feet out of the net, and the devil shall never be able to pluck us from His hand.

John Calvin,
David here speaks of his own faith, and of its perseverance, not in the way of boasting, but to encourage himself in the hope of obtaining his requests, so that he might give himself the more readily and cheerfully to prayer. As the promise is made to all who trust in God, that they shall not be disappointed of their hope, and that they shall never be put to shame, the saints often make this their shield of defense. Meanwhile, David shows to others, by his own example, the right manner of prayer, telling them that they should endeavor to keep their thoughts fixed upon God. As the sense of sight is very quick, and exercises an entire influence over the whole frame, it is no uncommon thing to find all the affections denoted by the term eyes. The reason which immediately follows shows still more plainly, that in the mind of David hope was associated with desire; as if he had said, That in resting his confidence in the help of God, he did so, not in doubt or uncertainty, but because he was persuaded that he would be his deliverer. The pronoun He, it ought to be observed, is also emphatic. It shows that David did not gaze around him in every direction, after the manner of those who, being in uncertainty, devise for themselves various methods of deliverance and salvation, but that he was contented with God alone.

David Dickson,

Having laid the ground of his reason in the former verses, which is in sum this: To every believer God will be gracious, as his need is. Now he assumeth: I am a believer; for mine eyes are ever toward the Lord. Therefore, to me God will be gracious in my need, and so pluck my feet out of the net, as my need now requireth.

Whence learn:
1. The believer can read his own name, and his own blessedness, in the promises made to believers, and can draw out the extract of God’s decree of absolution, direction, consolation, and salvation in his own favour. For where the general is written, there all the particulars are also written in effect: and so the believer may read his name written in the book of life, as here David doth read his own deliverance in the charter of believers: Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; therefore he will pluck my feet out of the net.

2. The believer is not a little helped to believe, and to draw sweet conclusions from inspired Scripture to strengthen himself, by avowing himself to be a believer, or to have the true property of a believer, as here David doth, saying: Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord. First he avoweth his faith, and then draweth this conclusion from it: He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

3. To depend on God for the supply of all necessities, and for deliverance out of all straits, is the property of true faith; for the prophet, to prove himself a believer, and to have an interest in the mercies formerly set down (verses 12, 13, 14), saith (verse 15): Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord.

4. Though the godly walk among snares and nets, set by their enemies—bodily and spiritual—to entrap them, yet God will either direct their way to eschew these snares and nets, or will pluck their feet out of them. For this is the prophet’s comfort: Thou shalt pluck my feet out of the net.

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Opening Prayer.

Lesson 34. [1.2.11.] The Contents of Holy Scripture. Pt. 11. The Histories: 2 Samuel.

Westminster Confession of Faith 1.2

Under the name of holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments,

All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.

Intro. 1 Sam. 15-16, 2 Sam. 5-7

I. Survey.

i. Overview

The Book of 2 Samuel is a continuation of the divine narrative begun in 1 Samuel. Whereas 1 Samuel ends with the fall of Saul, 2 Samuel opens with the ascent of David, God’s chosen king. The book chronicles the establishment of David’s reign, the consolidation of the kingdom, the beginning of the Davidic covenant, David’s personal failures, and the resulting decline within his own house. Though David is a man after God’s own heart, his sin—especially in the matter of Uriah—brings judgment, sorrow, and division. Yet the enduring mercy of God never departs from him. (Ps. 136) Through triumph and tragedy, the central truth endures: God’s covenant with David (Christ and His people) stands sure.

Thus, the book sets forth not merely the rule of a king, but the rule of grace, the manner in which God deals with His children—chastening, preserving, and preparing them for a greater Kingdom to come.

ii. Place in the Canon

2 Samuel stands as the tenth book of Holy Scripture, immediately following 1 Samuel and preceding 1 Kings.

Canonically, 2 Samuel occupies a central role in the transition from theocracy to monarchy—yet unlike Saul’s kingship, David’s throne is established by covenant. The book forms the foundation for all subsequent Messianic expectation in Scripture. The promises given here, especially in chapter 7, echo throughout the Psalms, Prophets, and New Testament.

Where 1 Samuel prepares for kingship, 2 Samuel establishes it, providing the covenantal foundation upon which the theology of Christ as King is built.

The Book of 2 Samuel is one of the most pivotal books in the development of redemptive history.

a. In Genesis, God promised Abraham that kings would come from his seed (Gen. 17:6).

b. In Deuteronomy, God anticipated a king chosen by Himself, governed by His law (Deut. 17:15–20).

c. In 1 Samuel, Saul is raised in judgment; David is anointed in mercy.

d. In 2 Samuel, David is enthroned—and the Lord makes an everlasting covenant with him.

This covenant is found in 2 Samuel 7, where God promises to raise up a son of David, whose kingdom shall be established forever. Though it has an initial fulfillment in Solomon, its final fulfillment is in Christ, the Son of David, whose throne is eternal.

“I will be his father, and he shall be my son.” (2 Sam. 7:14)

“Of the increase of His government… there shall be no end, upon the throne of David…” (Isa. 9:7)

iv. Authorship and Historical Setting

As with 1 Samuel, the final author is not named, though Jewish tradition assigns the work to Samuel, with additions by the prophets Nathan and Gad. Since Samuel dies in 1 Samuel 25, the events of 2 Samuel must have been recorded by his prophetic successors under inspiration (cf. 1 Chron. 29:29).

Historical Setting:

2 Samuel spans approximately 40 years—the entirety of David’s reign over Judah and Israel (c. 1010–970 BC). The events reflect both military expansion and internal trial. Under David, Jerusalem is taken and becomes the spiritual and political capital; the ark is brought into the city; enemies are subdued; and Israel becomes a united kingdom.

Yet David’s sin with Bathsheba marks a turning point: the latter half of the book is filled with division, rebellion, and domestic sorrow. Even so, the Lord’s promise toward His church and people, and towards David does not fail.

II. Relationship to the Confession

(Sanctification, Good Works, and Assurance)

WCF Chapters 13, 16, 18

The life of David in 2 Samuel presents a vivid and sobering picture of the truths taught in the Westminster Confession concerning the progress of sanctification, the nature of good works, and the struggles of assurance in the believer’s life. Nowhere in Scripture, save perhaps in Job, is the inner man of a saint more exposed than in the life and prayers of David.

i. Sanctification Is Imperfect in This Life (WCF 13.2)

“This sanctification is throughout in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.”

David was a man “after God’s own heart”, anointed by the Spirit, called to rule in righteousness. And yet 2 Samuel 11 records his grievous fall: adultery with Bathsheba, deceit, and the murder of Uriah.

Though regenerate and faithful, David sinned wilfully and with impunity. This teaches that:

Sanctification is personal and progressive, but not yet complete.

The remaining corruption of the flesh is still active and must be mortified daily.

No saint, however favoured, is free from the danger of falling, even into most grievous and heinous sins, unless upheld by grace.

ii. The Withholding of Comfort and Joy Due to Sin (WCF 13.3, 18.4)

David’s fall brought not only chastening in his house, but deep spiritual affliction. His Psalms record the loss of comfort, darkness of soul, and anguish of conscience that followed:

“Why do I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent?” (Ps. 22:2)

“My tears have been my meat day and night…” (Ps. 42:3)

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (Ps. 51:12)

These cries are not the laments of the unconverted, but of a saint under God’s fatherly displeasure, as WCF 18.4 teaches:

“4. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation; by God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.

a. Psa 31:22; 51:8, 12, 14; 77:1-10; 88”

This affliction is not damnation, but chastisement, designed to bring the believer to repentance and fuller dependence upon grace.

iii. Good Works Flow from Grace, Not Nature (WCF 16.3–5)

David, at his best, exemplifies godly zeal, justice, mercy, and trust in God. His kindness to Mephibosheth, his mourning for Saul and Jonathan, his worship before the ark—these are works pleasing to God. Yet David himself confesses:

“My goodness extendeth not to thee.” (Ps. 16:2)

The Christian understands that all his works are unprofitable in merit, yet precious in God’s sight when they spring from faith. WCF 16.5,6 says:

“We cannot, by our best works, merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come, and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins;a but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants; and because, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit;c and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of God’s judgment.

Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him,a not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God’s sight; but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.”

Even David’s deepest repentance—“a broken and contrite heart” (Ps. 51:17)—was not his own, but the work of the Spirit within him.

iv. The Echo of Christ’s Lament: Forsaken for Sin, Yet Not His Own

The psalm David wrote in his darkness (Ps. 22) becomes the cry of Christ Himself upon the cross:

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1)

David was forsaken in part, under the shadow of chastening. Christ was forsaken in full, not for His own sin, but bearing the sin of others. David’s tears came from within, Christ’s by imputation.

The sorrow of David anticipates the suffering of the greater David, who alone could bear God’s wrath and overcome it.

Thus, 2 Samuel confirms all that the Confession declares:

Sanctification is personal, progressive but not perfect—David rises and falls.

Good works are imperfect but accepted—David builds, governs, and repents.

Assurance is subject to ebb and flow—David rejoices and weeps.

Yet in all, the promise stands:

“The sure mercies of David” (Isa. 55:3) shall not fail. Ps. 136. Ps. 89:34.

Christ in 2 Samuel:

i. Christ in the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7)

The clearest revelation of Christ in 2 Samuel comes in chapter 7, where the Lord makes an everlasting covenant with David:

“I will set up thy seed after thee… and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” (2 Sam. 7:12–13)

“I will be his father, and he shall be my son.” (v. 14)

Though Solomon is the near fulfillment, the covenant looks far beyond him. The throne of David finds its eternal fulfillment in Christ:

“The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever.” (Luke 1:32–33)

This covenant is the theological root of Psalm 2, Psalm 89, and Isaiah 9. It is cited in the Gospels, preached in Acts, and fulfilled in Revelation.

Christ, the Son of David, is:

The King whose throne is everlasting (Heb. 1:8)

The Son whose reign is righteous (Isa. 11:4)

The Builder of God’s house—the church (Heb. 3:3–6)

Conclusion.

Closing Prayer.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/gRBwWOzBLTk