DAVID GAT NO HEAT
1 Kings 1:1 ¶ Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. 2 Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. 3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:16 This portion of scripture has been locked away far too long from this poor Writer! He has been called to study and to preach for over fifty years, but has just now had it opened unto him for its profit. And the instruction to him reads thus: “Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.” Ezekiel 40:4 He shall therefore attempt to share with you all that the Spirit has revealed to him.
King David’s demise is a picture of the closing out of the Old Testament church. Close attention should be given to that portion of Peter’s Pentecostal message which concerns David. We are instructed that King David was also a prophet. And as such he prophesied that he clearly understood it was Christ who would be the “fruit of his loins” to sit upon God’s eternal throne. Carefully read these verses:
Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Next it is essential that we realize that the church in the old economy was appointed to be “taken away,” in order that the church in the New Covenant should be eternally “established.” For God never had any pleasure in those Old Testament animal sacrifices! Therefore they never, ever, took away one single sin!
Hebrews 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Consider the Apostle Peter’s writings concerning the further stating of this matter. 1 Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Then we must realize that the matter of birth is essential to both the Old and New Testaments. But there is a vast difference in the type of birth between the two. In the former it was a matter of physical birth. And this was so in order to bring in the lineage of Messiah. This is seen in the law of a man being required to take his dead brother’s wife, in order to continue the line of his brother’s name. One man who “spilled his seed” upon the ground rather than bring up a child for his deceased brother was killed by God! Genesis 38:9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
But in the New Testament it was a matter of spiritual birth. The very first words spoken by the God-man to a highly educated and religiously honored Pharisee were, “Ye must be born again!” That is, “Ye must be born from above.” And yet this scriptural lawyer could only relate to his ‘mother’s womb.’ But due to his ignorance we have some of the most enlightening words from our Lord’s own mouth concerning the true birth provided by the Holy Spirit. John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Verse six tells us that in this present age both the natural and the spiritual birth can co-exist. The natural birth brings forth the human being, who then can be born of the Holy Spirit by regenerating grace. Yet the spiritual birth does not change that born of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
We clearly see in our text that the “fair damsel” could only bring David heat, and not an offspring. For we read in verse four, “but the king knew her not.” For it was not until the Lamb of God cried out on the cross, “It is finished,” that the sins of the past were deal with before God. For they were saved on the credit, awaiting the full payment by God’s Lamb! Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Hebrews 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
And regarding this “fair damsel” being a virgin, let us consider the Apostle Paul’s statement to the Corinthians, in order to see her as a type of the New Testament believer. For her physical purity is to speak of the present day believer’s spiritual purity. 2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. For adultery for the modern day believer includes friendship with the world. James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
We must not fail to present to our Readers the kind of mercy that is theirs from the Lord. We know that, “his mercy endureth forever.” But it is most interesting as to what kind of mercy it is. Acts 13:32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
Mercy can only be displayed upon a guilty object. For mercy makes no sense apart from guilt. And we have all sinned and come short of God’s glory! Therefore we can well enter into David’s Psalm, as if it were our own confession. Psalm 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Lastly we are told that her name was “Abishag” which means “to enrapture, or intoxicate.” And we read of the King’s words as he speaks to the Bride, listed in the Song of Solomon 4:9, “Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.”
And we read of the Eternal Son’s words as he dwelt with the Father before any creation, Proverbs 8:30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. For even as the Father and Son were rejoicing with each other, the Son’s delights were with the sons of men.
Listen to Him as he prays to the Father just prior to His crucifixion: John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Brother Gene
