The Sure Mercies of David
(week 4, 2002)
Olubi Johnson
In this year 2002 we are going to be seeing the dawning of this third day or the day of Lord.
One of the things that will happen is that the Lord will come suddenly as a fire to His temple, the church.
Malachi 3:1-5 (KJV) Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
To the spiritual Christian, typified by gold and silver, He will be a refining fire, but to the carnal Christian, typified by wood, hay and stubble, He will be a consuming fire.
1 Corinthians 3:11-17 (NIV) For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
In fact the scripture asks the rhetorical questions “Who shall endure the day of His coming? Who shall stand when He appeareth? ” The answer is, those who will have the sure mercies of David. For it is by the mercies of God we will not be consumed and it is by the mercies of God we will present our bodies as living sacrifices and be found faithful:
Lamentations 3:22 (KJV) It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Romans 12:1 (KJV) 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.
1 Corinthians 7:25 (KJV) Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
What are the sure mercies of David?
The sure mercies of David are a guarantee that we will obtain the mercies of God to enable us to be ultimately victorious no matter what happens or how perilous the difficulties that are allowed to come our way.
Isaiah 55:3 (KJV) Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Psalm 89:28-34 (KJV) My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
To really appreciate this we need to contrast the mercy of God in the life of David and Saul. While the mercy of God was taken from Saul when he sinned, the mercy of God was still given to David when he sinned.
1 Chronicles 17:13 (KJV) I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:
Why was this so? Is God partial or a respecter of persons? Of course not.
The reason for this was the difference between David’s heart and Saul’s heart. God does not judge us only by our outward deeds but by type of heart we have developed over time. While David’s sin of adultery and murder seem to be more grievous on the surface than Saul’s sin of incomplete sacrifice, it was David’s broken and contrite heart of genuine repentance in contrast with Saul’s heart of rebellion and stubbornness, which caused God to show David more mercy than he did Saul.
1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV) But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
1 Samuel 15:22-23 (KJV) And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
Acts 13:22 (KJV) And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
Psalm 51:17 (KJV) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
How to get the sure mercies of David
You can get the sure mercies of David by exercising your heart with righteous practices so that your heart will become fixed or established in righteousness and so it will be impossible for you to continue in any sin.
Psalm 112:7-9 (KJV) He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
Romans 6:14-15 (KJV) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
This does not mean you never sin, but it does mean you do not continue in sin. In other words you are quick to repent of and forsake sin and have a habit of doing righteousness.
Proverbs 28:13 (KJV) He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
You achieve this by exercising yourself daily in honesty of heart: speaking the truth to yourself in your heart, prayer and obedience even when you have to suffer to do so.
Psalm 15:1-2 (KJV) LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
Hebrews 5:7-8 (KJV) 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; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
This will be in stark contrast with those who have exercised their hearts with covetous practices and cannot cease from sin.
2 Peter 2:14 (KJV) Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
A Word for the year 2002
At our watch night service into the year 2002, after I brought forth this prophetic teaching on the sure mercies of David for the New Year, my wife brought forth a complementary word from Psalm 126:
Psalm 126:1-6 (NIV) When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
Psalm 126:4 (AMP) Turn to freedom our captivity and restore our fortunes, O Lord, as the streams in the South [are restored by the torrents].
So as we exercise our hearts in righteous practices and so develop a “David” heart that will do all of God’s will, we will have the sure mercies of David that will turn our captivities into freedom and restore our fortunes.
