2 Samuel (Quality: Good)

[0:00] Jesus, the Lord, my Savior, my shepherd and my God, my life, my strength, my glory, my grace, and my eternal strength.

[0:30] O天, every Muscle, my 팔, my strength, myесть, Thus hear the truth and the righteousness And his cross with free within him Is may Jesus Christ?

[1:17] A reasonable race Do myavest terra coagogy As we could, I will love thousand times to do It must entiles go Bang And when I safe three times I am While still I'm always there And the other child', he was strong For he will be all safe and make me all that ever we go and join and save your name.

[2:27] The word of the Lord that I seek to bring before you this evening is found also in the chapter that we read in the second book of Samuel, chapter 24 and verse 14.

[3:02] The second book of Samuel, chapter 24, verse 14. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait.

[3:16] Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great. And let me not fall into the hand of man.

[3:33] David here was speaking out of blessed experience. The way that the Lord had led him and been with him.

[3:47] He could see, he knew, he had the evidence of it in his pathway, that the Lord is ever merciful and gracious and to those that fear his name and seek to walk in his ways.

[4:07] David, he knew his sin. David did not seek to set himself up as an example to any.

[4:21] The king over Israel and Judah, whom the Lord God had placed upon the throne, anointed of God.

[4:35] And yet he could see, he had the witness of this, that he could not keep himself from sin. As each one, I do trust each one of you here, do have this witness within your soul that you cannot keep yourself.

[5:00] How you do need the Lord's hand to be upon you, to keep you. Now let us consider this account here.

[5:14] The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And he sought to bring down upon them this punishment.

[5:30] And in this point, I want to bring before you that the punishment for our sin has fallen upon the Son of God.

[5:50] The wrath of God, the full force of the law, the law itself fulfilled completely in the supreme sacrifice and death of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross.

[6:17] a wondrous truth that through the death and sacrifice of one, many should have eternal life.

[6:37] Are we to be found there amongst the many of his kingdom and of his righteousness, of his salvation, the covenant of grace through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and there only is our hope.

[7:06] the punishment there, our punishment, the punishment for our sins fell upon Christ Jesus.

[7:21] Oh, is this a humbling thought. Does this make you tremble over sin? Does this make you fear the sin that is found within you?

[7:37] Does this make you fear that you will fall? But the Lord Jesus Christ in the love that he had toward his people freely, lovingly, willingly, gave his life, that through his death they might be found with him?

[8:06] It's the only way. It's the only path. Through the blood of the Lamb, through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is our only hope.

[8:23] whom our sins have pierced.

[8:41] The law of God, what does it state? sin against God is deserving of death.

[8:59] And without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin. not through our righteousness, not through our works, nothing that we can do, but through the blood of the Lamb, through the Lord Jesus Christ, there is our hope, our sure and only hope for glory.

[9:39] And he bore the punishment for the love that he has to sinners. but it is needful for chastening.

[10:04] It is needful for correction, whether it is individually or amongst the people of God.

[10:16] the Lord does and will chasten. Why? Because he has a love unto them.

[10:28] It is in love and not in anger that he chastens. Now then, can you say with King David, let us now fall.

[10:44] Have you known what it is for the chastening hand of the Lord to be laid upon you? Whatever way it is, in circumstances, in affliction, in trials, in dispensations, in providence, or do you sometimes feel that you are afflicted in your soul?

[11:07] Do you feel to be as Jeremiah, I cry and shout and he shutteth out my prayer? Do you feel that the Lord has hedged up your way? Do you know not which way to turn or what to do?

[11:20] Do you feel that you have no liberty at the throne of grace? Do you know not which way to turn? Do you feel that the Lord's hand has gone out against you?

[11:33] Do you feel perhaps to be as Naomi when she said, call me not Naomi, but call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

[11:47] And as helped, it is the Lord's will, we will seek to speak of her case and those that were bound up in there with her in it and how it worked out for good to the sovereign purposes of God, but for those that were involved in it, there was blessing, blessing that came out of it.

[12:21] And oh, if only we are enabled to see that there is blessing that comes out of our trial. The Lord's hand has truly been upon us in love.

[12:41] The hand of the Lord then, David said unto God, I am in a great strait. Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great, and let me not fall into the hand of man.

[12:59] to cast ourselves upon his lovingkindness and upon his mercy.

[13:20] You know in what it is, the hand of the Lord to be upon you throughout your life.

[13:32] What do we have in the word of God? A time to be born, a time to die. Each in its season and in its time, the appointed time for all things in our lives and in death.

[13:57] A time to build, a time to destroy, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted. So there is a time and a season for all things, and especially in the experience of the Lord's people.

[14:20] Now can you trace out how the Lord has brought you to this place and through your life? How wondrous indeed it is when we see how the Lord has kept us, watched over our path.

[14:40] What does it be? It's been in the hand of the Lord at all times, preserved from outward danger, preserved from turning aside, from going astray.

[14:57] I believe that there are those here that can say that if it was not for the hand of the Lord that had been upon you, you would not be here. If your life had been preserved, you would certainly be found in the course of the world.

[15:18] But how the Lord, his hand being upon you, he has led you in the path that you are now found in.

[15:30] And the path that you are now found in, what do you also have to prove that the Lord's hand upholds and sustains you in it, supplies your needs, strengthens you, helps you through, guides you.

[15:57] Day by day in our path we see that the hand of the Lord is upon us. And if we see it in the good things, need we fear it when the Lord is pleased to chasten, to correct?

[16:23] For if we know that it is for our good and for our profit that his hand, his chastening hand is laid upon us, why should we fear?

[16:35] Why should we fear indeed? We have seen what it is for him to grant unto us many blessings and favours, his hand should be upon us to take them away.

[16:51] We know we can believe that it is for our good. God is for us to us to do things. You may have one or two strange circumstances in your pathway.

[17:12] You may have considered that the Lord has opened up a particular door, a particular path, and then his hand has been placed upon it to bring it to nothing.

[17:27] And you might consider how strange, how peculiar, that this, that you have had a persuasion, is that the Lord should be brought to nothing. nothing. But you can see, as by the help of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to look back and to remember these things and to see how there has been a working together for good, that there has been a divine purpose in it.

[18:03] And you can say, Lord, never leave me to myself or to my own spirit, but keep me, keep me in those ways and in those paths, that thou would have me to walk in.

[18:26] David, then you, I was going to say, out of bitter experience, may have been bitter to the flesh, but I believe we can say it was sweet to his soul.

[18:46] What did he know? And what does every child of God know? Let us consider this point. You have sinned in a grievous way.

[19:02] the Lord's hand has been placed upon you in correction. It means you're not cut off.

[19:23] It means that you're not cut off. Oh, consider this blessed point. Do you often feel that you have sinned in such a way?

[19:42] How can there be mercy? How can there be forgiveness for you? And yet, you can see how the Lord has placed his hand upon you?

[19:59] He has brought you to repentance. He has brought you to plead that the Lord would have mercy upon you because his loving, chastening, correcting hand has been upon you, brought you up short, brought you to a halt, brought you to his feet.

[20:30] There, his people will be found with his hand upon them. If we know not what it is for the hand of the Lord to be upon us, where is our hope?

[20:52] where is our trust? David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait.

[21:07] Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great. I've known them, David is saying, I've seen them.

[21:18] his lengthen out, his goodness and his mercy unto me. I am a witness to it, what the Lord has done in my soul.

[21:38] And then he can look in faith that what the Lord brought upon him was for good.

[21:54] Let us then turn, as the Lord may help me, to the case of Naomi, Ruth, and all that concern them.

[22:08] Truly, we can say that the hand of the Lord was laid upon them. O may the Lord keep us from murmuring and from complaining when the Lord's hand is placed upon us.

[22:29] What do we often hear? Those railing against God. What is granted? And all this is so needful and it is given by the Holy Spirit unto souls.

[22:49] What is given unto them? It is submission. It is the Lord. Let him do what seemeth him good. Now, you will not be enabled to say this in your flesh.

[23:03] It is impossible in our natural state to come to this point to say let him do what seemeth him good.

[23:16] We rebel against it. We turn aside from it. But as the Lord giveth grace to be enabled to say thy will be done.

[23:32] The will of the Lord be done. His hand upon me for my eternal good. Now, what happened in the case of Ruth, Naomi, Elimelech, Marlon, Jillian, many that were connected in this?

[24:01] And what did he come out of? Fleeing. from those dispensations that God had brought upon Israel, upon Judah, who sought to flee from the Lord?

[24:25] have you cried unto the Lord that you might have deliverance from this or that?

[24:45] This is natural enough. What was found in the land a famine? So there was a certain man called Elimelech, his wife Naomi, two sons, Marlon and Chilean.

[25:03] They went to Moab. The Lord granted them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. Solemn thought indeed this is.

[25:18] What do we enjoy? many things, many comforts, many blessings in our lives. What do we have in our soul?

[25:33] Much leanness. Where is the zeal, where is the fervency of our forefathers? us? Where is the need?

[25:49] Only the Lord, with his hand laid upon us, whatever way it is, can bring us into a time of need that he and he alone will supply.

[26:08] brought into a time of soul need. What do we have amongst the churches? Well, let us look at our own denomination, but others also.

[26:23] There's a falling away. Where is the exercise?

[26:35] Where is the concern? Where is the life amongst those that fear the Lord?

[26:47] Where is there the life and the ministry? You see, I'm not pointing fingers. It's only at myself. I must look there. Those then stood upon the walls of Zion.

[27:12] They had great exercise for souls. They had travel for souls. They wept over souls.

[27:30] Where are we found in this day? Where am I found? well, I know what it is for the hand of the Lord to be upon me, to bring me into an exercise for souls.

[27:48] I'm not saying this in a boasting way. I'm not saying this in seeking to hold myself up in any way. a little exercise, so that there might be more.

[28:05] Prayer for those people. I thank God, yes, there are those moments, there are those times through the year when I thought of you here, and I had an exercise for you.

[28:24] the Lord has brought those things into my remembrance, but I feel that it is nothing. And where also is the meditation and the prayer over his word, the searching out of the scriptures?

[28:43] oh, that the Lord's hand might be upon this one, to lead me into all truth. And what is my object and what is my desire?

[29:01] That there might be meat in his house, that I might be a faithful servant. I believe I can say this, I will admit that there is the flesh that is within.

[29:20] But there is one thing that I do seek after. Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

[29:36] Oh, may the hand of the Lord then be upon me. May it be upon you here to seek for true prosperity.

[29:49] And if the hand of the Lord is upon you in this, he will lead you, guide you into those right paths. Now how we need this, especially in the things of God, let me turn to myself once again.

[30:04] I may go to a certain course of truth. I may know something about their circumstances. There may be those things that I might feel within, well, here is my opportunity to say something.

[30:24] And do you know what I have to pray for? Lord, may thy hand be strong upon me. As in the case of Ezekiel, he was given a charge and a commission.

[30:37] There are those things that he must speak. You can read of it in the third chapter of Ezekiel. Those things that he must speak of those that were the captivity. And how did he go?

[30:49] He went in the heat and bitterness of his own spirit. and the hand of the Lord was strong upon him. And he was silent.

[31:02] Do you know what I've had to pray? It's a solemn prayer. Lord, if I am found in my own spirit, shut my mouth.

[31:14] faith. We need then the hand of the Lord to be upon us in all things.

[31:28] To lead us, guide us, correct us, keep us, guard us in everything. The hand of the Lord to be upon us. For it will be, as David could testify out of his experience, it will be for good, because his hand is a hand of mercy.

[31:50] For his mercies are great. He is just, he is righteous, he is holy.

[32:03] Now let us consider the case of Naomi, and how Ruth was bound up with her in this. there was a famine in the land, they sought to flee from it.

[32:16] I ask myself this question, did they seek for guidance from the Lord in it? They may have done, but did they seek for it in all honesty?

[32:31] or did they bring up those reasons, those excuses, those needs?

[32:48] Let me put it into context here with our own lives. There's something that you're brought into. you seek for guidance in it.

[33:04] You desire the Lord's blessing, his favour, his smile upon what you want to do. You'll find those things in the word of God that will suit it.

[33:19] Has there been the real exercise? Has the hand of the Lord been in it? or has it been your own hand? Do you know this?

[33:31] We can find many, many reasons, good, sound reasons for what we want to do. So easy.

[33:48] We can find a particular word. Do you find, have you noticed with some? I don't stand in judgment here. upon any. They seem to have a word for everything.

[34:00] So easily, so quickly. The word comes just like that. And it's so suitable. So how was it then?

[34:13] With Naomi, with Elimelech? Did they find those reasons, those excuses? Well, they were natural enough. There was a famine in the land. There was plenty in Moab.

[34:25] They went to sojourn there. And then they could say, surely this must have been right. We have plenty.

[34:36] Our two sons. Naomi's husband died, true. But her two sons, they married.

[34:48] There they settled down. there everything seemed to be going well. All those things that we can bring up and say, yes, surely this has been right in the sight of God.

[35:11] Then what happened? Oh, how the Lord brought them back. brought Naomi back and brought Ruth back.

[35:24] For the hand of the Lord went out against Naomi. What did she have to say when they went home, when they returned to Bethlehem?

[35:41] They said, is this Naomi? Is this the one that went out from Bethlehem, Judah, went to sojourn in the land?

[35:56] Is this the one that went out with her husband and her two sons? Now she has returned empty. True, she had returned empty.

[36:10] for the hand of the Lord had been laid upon her and in her life. But it was in mercy, let us never lose sight of this.

[36:26] It was in mercy that the Lord's hand had gone out against her. And she had to say this, call me not Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

[36:39] I went out for and the Lord hath the Lord noticed this. It's not I have returned.

[36:51] She went out, the Lord hath brought me back, emptied of those things of self that I have trusted in.

[37:06] Oh, may it be so in our path. that where we have trusted in our own strength, in our own might, in our own reasoning, whatever it might be, that the Lord might bring us back, emptied of all these things, with only one trust, and that is in the Lord.

[37:32] The Lord hath brought me home again empty, seeing the Lord hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me.

[37:43] This was the language of her soul. This is how she felt. But oh, she was a witness to this, that the Lord had not destroyed her.

[37:53] And how did she return? she returned with a child that the Lord had given her.

[38:06] She had left too, buried in Moab, as well as her husband. But not only did she embrace Ruth, but oh, there came the time when there was a double blessing.

[38:23] Do you see how the Lord's hand does work for good in all things? There's no half measures. There's a true abundance that flows forth from his dealings with his people.

[38:47] You may not see it clearly at the moment. You may not be unable to understand these things. But oh, you can see in times past what the Lord has done and you can believe that it is for good.

[39:05] The hand of the Lord then in mercy, stretched out in mercy, unto your soul.

[39:18] Now before we leave the case of Naomi here, there was two, the two daughters-in-law that began the journey with her.

[39:32] And I bring this in faithfulness to your souls. Her two daughters-in-law both had married husbands who were the sons of Naomi.

[39:51] Both had lost their husbands in death. Both they journeyed to go with Naomi. both had a natural love and for a time clave to Naomi.

[40:19] For Naomi said, turn again my daughters, why will you go with me? For they kissed her and they lifted up their voice and wept over all these things.

[40:33] Natural love they clung to her but when the time of testing came when the moment of truth she returned to her people and to her gods.

[40:53] But what was the language of Ruth and what is the language of a child of God? There is only one thing that they will desire. They can leave everything else for they have lost everything else.

[41:06] How was it with Ruth? She had lost her husband. She left behind her parents, her loved ones, her home, her family, her country. She was going to dwell in a strange country.

[41:21] There was everything that she must leave behind. But there was one precious thing that she took with her. And that was the love of God within her that bound her to Naomi.

[41:38] Now what did Naomi say to Ruth? Behold, thy sister-in-law has gone back unto her people and to her gods. Return now after thy sister-in-law. Now what is the language of Ruth?

[41:51] And what is the language of those souls? Oh, you may feel that the Lord's hand has gone out upon you to destroy you. You may feel tempted in some way that you must give all these things up, you must turn aside.

[42:07] You may feel that well is there any good thing that dwells within you? And yet this is your language. Entreat me not to leave thee. Oh, the Lord has drawn you with his love.

[42:21] The Lord has bound you unto him and he will not let you go. Entreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee for whither thou goest.

[42:41] Oh, those souls, as they desire to be found walking in his ways, they are made willing in the day of his power.

[42:54] When the hand of the Lord is placed upon them, I think of those who are brought to put on Christ by an open profession. This is their language.

[43:06] This is their desire. Whether thou goest, I will go. Where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God.

[43:20] Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if all but death part thee in me. When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her, so they too went.

[43:42] How did Elimelech and Naomi go out? into Moab. They went with those natural bonds.

[43:58] How did Naomi and Ruth return? They returned empty to this world. They had nothing with them. It was obvious that they brought nothing with them. For Ruth had to guide and glean to support them, to maintain them.

[44:15] but they returned with the hand of the Lord in mercy and in loving kindness upon them.

[44:28] And they returned in blessed union together in the things of God. their lives now were bound up together.

[44:40] what came out of it? We see further that the hand of the Lord was in it all.

[44:55] It was working for good. Ruth and we all must very quickly go through this again. Ruth was led we believe by God to the field of Boaz.

[45:07] Oh what a mercy this is. Oh what a great mercy it will be for any soul here this evening to know and to realize that the Lord has led your steps to glean those ears of corn in the field of Boaz.

[45:32] From the Lord's own hand let some handful of purpose fall that those souls may glean them.

[45:43] Do you know what it is to glean in Boaz field the heavenly Boaz? Oh I could go on in this blessed a kind.

[45:59] One further thing I must speak of before it goes out of my mind it is in this the heavenly Boaz he paid a price to redeem his people now with Boaz here in this account he had this love to his Ruth and it was in his ability to purchase to redeem as it was in the custom of these days his Ruth but there was one that had a claim there was a nearer kinsman who had a claim upon Ruth there is a nearer kinsman who has a claim upon each one of us here and that is the law of

[47:00] God but there is one Christ Jesus the heavenly Boaz who is able willing and has the love toward his people that he has redeemed them and he is able that this nearer kinsman could not redeem Ruth oh may the Lord show this unto you we cannot fulfill the law we cannot find entrance into the kingdom of God through the law of God there although there is that nearer kinsman the law cannot redeem us but there is one that has fulfilled the law there is one that has paid the price for the love that he had to and has to his people and what was brought forth out of it a child that

[48:23] Naomi embraced oh what a blessed thing it is amongst the Lord's people when there are those mothers in Israel and they travel for souls and they watch over souls and they feel at times not to have the strength to bring to birth they have known what it is the Lord's hand to be upon them how was it in the case of Hannah for this child I prayed oh may you be brought to say this those souls here then you travel travel in Zion for those then you see around you now how you watch how you watch for those signs those evidences those tokens that the Lord has begun a work of grace in that soul and you will be enabled to say with

[49:27] Hannah for this child I prayed now we see the evidence here of the Lord's work how do we see this evidence the Lord gave you that exercise for that soul there was no indication there was nothing of man in it you said not a word to anybody it was between your Lord and your soul you see the Lord's hand working in it you see how the Lord's servants are brought in a particular way how there is blessing that flows forth from it it is truly all of the Lord how was it with Hannah she could not speak out loud she could not speak of these things before Eli she could only bring it before the

[50:32] Lord and Eli was brought to understand this he understood her not at the time but he could see oh how he could see that yes her soul was troubled and the Lord grant thee that which thou hast requested she could come and in the appointed time say for this child I pray oh what a blessed thing then it is for the hand of the Lord to be seen working amongst the churches but oh have we been those that have gone to Moab and I feel that I must speak just for a few moments here amongst the churches in our denomination is the hand of the Lord upon us in mercy can we say with King David I am in a great strain let us fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great where do we stand where are we to be found there are those that would say it is a day of small things are you content with this are you content with this the

[51:58] Lord he will be inquired of by his people he will be inquired of by them in all things but as the hand of the Lord gone out upon us that we are almost brought to nothing I do not seek to show forth any reason for these things we need the hand of the Lord to guide us to lead us to open our eyes to show us we need the Lord to appear in this oh how needful it is that the Lord might lay his hand upon us as a people that we may have this great concern that there might be a blessed returning unto him a true revival it is just a thought then that has the hand of the

[53:23] Lord gone out to bring us to know or will his hand return let us now fall into the hand of the Lord we are in a great strait there is nothing there is certainly nothing that we can do but let us now fall into the hand of the Lord that he will yet have mercy upon us for only he can restore only he can raise up only he can strengthen only he can lead we must bring our thoughts to a conclusion then those souls that know what it is for the Lord's hand to rest upon them will know what it is if they are his that it is in mercy unto them it is in loving kindness it is not to destroy but it is to heal oh let us now fall into his hands and put our trust solely upon him amen our final hymn is one in praise of

[54:51] God's mercy hymn number 11 in Gatsby's selection which we sing to the tunes in Luke 834 by mercy my God is the theme of my song the joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue by free grace alone from the first to the last has won my affections and bound my soul fast hymn number 11 of m幸 quand theremos My God is the hero of my soul.

[55:47] I dwell my God and love us to my soul. My grace I have no purpose to the last.

[56:04] As what my white flag Gradhu render, I dwell my soul in my soul.

[56:16] My God's relics, look earthed, Ave, maratholing, faded, For it's out sick and it's one desert tale.

[56:35] On Jesus, my breath, let me know the tree. The earth and the land of all our people be.

[56:57] Will our battle once be blessed? Ha, Lord, not imagine. Sin Red고 dangers me to our heaven's hell.

[57:17] Under my freeidades, my spirit's real life. And he that first made me still keeps me alive I will see it's more than a man to my heart With one that's the realest of heartless me heart Here so by my goodness I go to the ground And we enter the grace of the sea I found The door of my mercy stands over the day

[58:29] The heart and the beauty of my glory The sailor shall ever be empty, sent by The love seeking mercy for Jesus' name Praise Father, all the saints, my own bless my heart And the heart and love of my crucified Son O praise to the Spirit whose wisdom he lies Seals mercy and pardon and righteous bless my heart

[59:38] O Lord, we pray that thou would be with each one now as they leave thy house Take each to their homes in peace and in safety And O Lord, may we know what it is for thy hand to go before us To watch over us, to keep us in providence To keep us from danger, from harm And O Lord, also to keep our steps in the way The straight and narrow way that leads unto eternal life That our steps may not slip And O Lord, may we know what it is for thy blessing To rest upon thine own word May it not return unto thee, Lord Be with each precious soul here, Lord O do thou watch over them And one, this poor man that is found before the people Lord, may thy hand never leave me

[60:41] We ask for thy forgiveness upon all that thy pure eyes have seen in us And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ The love of God the Father And the fellowship, the sweet communion of the Holy Ghost Rest and abide with us each, now and forever Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Thank you.

[62:09] Thank you.