The Greater Joy

2 Samuel 6 ESV

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn. As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house. And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 6:1–2 ESV

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim.

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But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’ Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.

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17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Notice first that wisdom is from above. Wisdom: The Greek concept of wisdom speaks of “knowledge,” “cleverness,” and “learnedness.” But in scripture, more specifically in the Old Testament, it is used to mean a practical, moral, and spiritual insight given by God. Example of wisdom in scripture. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. So wisdom is the knowledge and understanding that comes from God. It isn't just an understanding of good and evil but it is spiritual insight as to what God thinks about good and evil. Which demands obedience. list of wisdom from God.

Untitled Sermon

Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.

2 Samuel 7 ESV

Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’ Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

Wisdom is peaceable. Meaning that wisdom from God makes one avoid violent conflict. It makes one desire reconciliation and peace. Wisdom is gentle. Meaning that one is merciful and careful with others. Especially with those who have deviated from truth. Wisdom is open to reason. Meaning that one is persuadable when given sufficient reason or evidence. Meaning that they are teachable. Wisdom is full of mercy. Meaning a desire to show compassion. Wisdom produces good fruit. Evidence of godliness. Wisdom is impartial and sincere. It is fair minded and genuine. All these categories are what godly wisdom produce in a believer. Someone said that ”We must not confuse it with knowledge. Knowledge is information; wisdom is application. Knowledge is comprehending facts; wisdom is handling life. Knowledge is theoretical; wisdom is practical.” Wisdom is the application of the knowledge that comes from God. They can know what to do in a given situation because they can discern what is right. When dealing with trials we must keep this in mind! Trials are not meant to produce sin but steadfastness/endurance. Someone who does not have God will fall into sin, selfish ambition, bitterness and jealousy. Or a self dependency to do moral good. Wisdom from God seeks to produce in a believer a mature faith. There is a difference between the wisdom from above and earthly wisdom. The wisdom that comes from God will be given generously.The one who lacks wisdom should ask God because He gives it generously.

Juan Carlos Morales / General

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God gives generously to those who lack wisdom and ask for it. It is speaking of the one who lacks wisdom, not the one who doubts. Verse 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. This is important especially in times of various trials. Trials are meant to produce a steadfast faith in God not a wavering faith. When in trial we need the wisdom of God to discern what is right and what is wrong. We need God’s wisdom to discern evil intents and motives. We need God’s wisdom to know what is right when tempted to do what is wrong. Especially in trials. God is not about giving us answers as to why the trial. What He does give us is an understanding of what to do with the trial. That is why His Word is paramount when needing the details of what to do! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” You don't need answers as to why. You need God! You need His word. You need His wisdom which He gives generously to those who lack. But it all has to start with the fear of God. Reverence and genuine faith in God! The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. This wisdom that comes from God will be given to you.The one who lacks wisdom should ask God and it will be given to them.

The Justice of God.

Verse 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. This should give us confidence in our petition for wisdom! The scripture cannot be more clear. If you ask for the wisdom that comes from God, it will be given to you! Why is James being so clear and upfront about God giving this to His people? Answer: Because it is His will that we obey Him. Especially in trials. Remember that James in context is speaking to believers who have been scattered and persecuted. The means to discern good from evil as how God has defined to be will be given to the believer. It has been given to the believer! His word! So we are to ask God for wisdom on understanding His word and applying it biblically. If you lack wisdom on how to deal with various trials, ask God and He will give it to you! speaks of our sanctification being God’s will! And because that is so we will be given by God the wisdom needed to obey! So what we shouldn't do is doubt in our asking for it! Especially because it is His desire and will for His people!The one who lacks wisdom should ask God with faith and not with doubt.

2 Samuel 6:1–2 ESV

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Can a believer doubt? Doubt can mean to pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness. Uncertainty meaning refusing to know and believe that God is able. Unwillingness meaning not willing to do something. Can you remember times when you knew what God was requiring of you and yet you disobeyed? Can a believer find themselves uncertain about God in trials? Yes. How? When we sin we are proving that we have not placed certainty in what God has said about it. Can a believer be unwilling to do what God has said to do? In other words, can a believer disobey God? Yes. We have shown this at times haven't we? But can a believer live in doubt and remain in doubt? Can a believer remain in their disobedience? No. We cannot remain in the practice of sin. We cannot remain living in doubt. And we should not doubt God’s willingness to give wisdom to us when asking! It is His will that we obey Him and He will give understanding and discernment to do what is right. The question however is this: Do you want to do what is right? Trials are meant to produce endurance not disobedience. When we disobey we are showing our inability to trust God. We are showing our sin in doubting God’s will. We are called to endure. To repent of our doubts. And we should be asking God in faith for wisdom! The one who doubts and remains in doubt is not one who believes and trusts in Christ.The one who doubts (v.6-8). An unbeliever (extreme) and a believer who wavers in their faith.

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim.

The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea.

Introduction

Who is the one who doubts? It is someone who is unstable like waves.

2 Samuel 7 ESV

Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

Paul talks about someone who is tossed by the waves in Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:11–14 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Here it is used to mean someone who allows themselves to be tossed by every wind of doctrine. Doctrine that is full of human cunning (meaning being deceived into doing something). Doctrine that is crafty in deceitful schemes. Human, self centered doctrine will toss people around like waves. James here is telling believers that one who doubts God is like someone who is tossed by the wind. One who can easily be deceived. They are unstable and unable to receive anything from God because they doubt Him.

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III. The one who doubts must not suppose that he will receive anything from God.

Many have only attributed to a not receiving from God to the one who has no faith in God’s ability to give. Which is true when seeing this in our passage. One who doubts God who gives wisdom generously and will give it when asked is showing a severe form of doubt because God will grant it when asked for it. So here it is clear that doubt and asking God is self contradictory. But there is another form of asking God that will have the person not receive from God. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. One who is tossed by every wind of doctrine and has a view of God full of human cunning and a view of God that has been crafted from deceitful schemes, will also not receive from God. That is why doctrine matters. Knowing God intimately must come with knowing God truthfully, carefully and most importantly genuinely. When one has come to saving faith in God and they pray and they should do so with genuine humility. Example . 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ The prayer here that God heard was the one that kept in mind who God was and who they were without Him. J.C. Ryle Quote “A truly sanctified person may be so clothed with humility, that he can see in himself nothing but infirmity and defects.” We don't ask for wisdom because God owes it to us, we are asking be because of our desperate need for it so that we can obey God. There are many self righteous prayers being prayed today! A problem could be that one does not have doubt but misplaced faith. There is such a thing as making much of the Christian and not Christ. We are called to be single focused on Christ and not double minded. The one who doubts is a double minded man.

What does it mean to be double minded? Double minded: is characterized by a duality of selves (as in one’s desires or thinking) that are in opposition to one another; especially that results in a lack of decisiveness. When a believer is doubting they are struggling with believing who God is when petitioning Him. This can happen. Doubt can mean to pause or hold back in uncertainty or an unwillingness to believe. A believer can experience this at times. But what a believer cannot do is experience this their whole lives. According to how James used this term it is someone who needs their hearts purified. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James is using the extreme of what an unbeliever is to warn God’s people not to doubt. An unbeliever proves their condition by their life of unbelief and doubt. A believer cannot remain in unbelief and doubt. But they can at times doubt. Verses 6b-8 for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. “That person” in verse 7 is in reference to the one who doubts in verse 6. One who will not receive anything from God. James transitions here in using someone who is double minded to the extent of being unstable in all of their ways. The example he is using is an extreme of one who doubts to warn God’s people not to doubt God. That its as if we are unbelievers.The means to purify our hearts.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. Struggling to be single minded is what the believer wrestles with. A believer cannot live a life of double mindedness. That would make them unstable in all their ways. But we have been given regeneration and the imperishable abiding word of God to purify ourselves which is where our obedience comes from. It comes from God’s work in us! God doesn't work in a believer to be double minded. He works in a believer to be faithful and trusting of who He said He is.

The one who doubts is unstable in all their ways.

What does it mean to be unstable? Unstable: or restless means denoting a ceaseless motion that is lacking in stability or firmness. They are not grounded and firm. They have no foundation. This is a person who should not expect anything from God. This is a person who is double minded and tossed like the waves of the sea. This is someone who has no faith in God. The world teaches that you should follow your heart. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? This is the condition of an unbeliever. And James is using this extreme to warn believers of doubting.

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

This is what happens to those who do not come to saving faith in Christ!

The Greater Joy

The one who lacks wisdom (v.5-6). Believer.

Introduction

The one who lacks wisdom should ask God for it.

Outline 1

Introduction

What is wisdom?

The one who doubts is driven and tossed by the wind.