DAVID SPAKE OF CHRIST
2 Samuel 15:13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. 14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. 15 And the king’s servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint. 16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house. 17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off. 30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
Everything and everyone in the Scriptures speaks of Christ! He is the central theme of the entire Bible! John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
And we are specifically instructed by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost that King David spoke concerning him! Acts 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 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.
Both David and Christ traveled over the same location with a betrayer to deal with! King David was driven out of Jerusalem by his treacherous son Absalom. And the Lord Christ was in this same location due to the betrayer Judas!
2 Sam. 15:23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
John 18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. 2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
King David is said to have gone to a place that is far off! And the Lord Jesus told his disciples, Whither I go, ye cannot come. (John 13:33). The Wisdom writer speaks of this “far off” place as a place of mystery to the human understanding. Eccl. 7:23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
But we do know one thing concerning this “far off” place! It was a place of being forsaken of God! David felt forsaken! But Jesus actually was! Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Matt. 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
It was a place of sacrifice. Genesis 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
O! The wonders of the cross! None can truly know it’s pain but those who have experienced it. 2 Corinthians 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
And none know its benefits except those with whom Christ has shared himself as the Crucified One. Phil. 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
It is truly a place far off from the ‘normal’ human experiences! But it is the daily death-life of the believer! Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
But it is not a place so far off that the Great Shepherd does not seek his sheep there! Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: Jeremiah 23:23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
It is a place that distanced God by the law, but is made nigh by the grace of Christ. Exodus 33:7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
David wept as he went up. And our Lord was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities! Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Hebrews 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
And we know that in this time of our journey on earth there are sorrows, afflictions, and reverses. But we have hope of that eternal day when continued joy shall be ours in the presence of the Lord! Psalm 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
And David had his head covered. The covering of the head speaks of submission to higher authority. And David’s sin, although a male, and a king among the people, could not allow him to bring honor to the Lord, represented by an uncovered head. 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
But the Lord Jesus Christ IS the Head over all things, upon which alone belongs many crowns! (Rev 19:12). Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: For he stands in the direct and uninterrupted presence of the Father, nothing hindering their fellowship! John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
And David went barefoot: This is no insignificant item! For there are no fillers, or insignificant details in the Scriptures! But how does it reflect anything of Christ? Let us begin by reading this verse: Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Why would John mention such a thing as Christ’s shoe latchet? Let us see what we can find in the word.
Deuteronomy 25:7 And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother. 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; 9 Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house. 10 And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.
Due to the responsibility of fulfilling the lineage of the coming Messiah, under the law, a man was required to marry his deceased brother’s wife and raise up children by her to continue his brother’s name. The emphasis then was on the physical birth, whereas now, it has been changed to the spiritual birth. (John 3:3,5,8). And if there was no brother, the nearest kinsman had to redeem the deceased’s name. Not to do so was of great offense and must be dealt with according to the instruction in the above verses.
We find this as a real situation in the account of Ruth and Boaz. For Ruth’s husband had died while in the land of Moab. And now, being back in Israel with her mother in law, Naomi, a kinsman redeemer was sought. The problem was, there was a nearer kinsman than Boaz, so he had to be sought out first.
Here is the account of that exchange between him and Boaz: Ruth 4:5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. 6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. 7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. 8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
Therefore we see that David, under the system of the law, in which he lived, had to be barefoot, for there was no power in either David, nor in that system to redeem! In fact, we are told that Moses was instructed by the LORD to put his shoes off when he witnesses the glory of God in the burning bush! Acts 7:33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. Gal. 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Adam represents the dead husband, For as in Adam all die! (1Cor. 15:22). But Moses and the law represent the nearer kinsman. And Christ alone, represented by Boaz, could continue the spiritual lineage of the Messiah through redemption! Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Justification – being just before God – is never attained by religious works, but only by faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus!
Therefore Christ’s shoe latchet could not be loosed as he was fully capable and willing to redeem his people! Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; David’s grandmother was Ruth, the Moabitess! And that only happened because Boaz, a picture of Christ, qualified as kinsman redeemer!
Pastor Gene Breed
September 18, 2011