Dave spoke this morning from 2 Samuel 5:1-5, a very significant passage in the history of David, for it was during this period that he was finally appointed king, first of all over Judah and then over Israel. David, one of the most popular Old Testament characters, may not have got everything right all the time, but he was a man after God’s own heart, and the heart matters to God. David was 30 when he first became king, but then had to wait another 7 1/2 years before he was crowned king of all Israel.
He had not had an easy life, and there was a long period between Samuel’s anointing of him and this moment. During those long years, he not only had to endure problems in his own family (with his brothers scorning him) but also opposition from Saul, who tried on more than one occasion to kill him. David refused to lift his hand against Saul, despite having the opportunity to kill him on at least two occasions. He was prepared to wait for God’s timing. This is a valuable lesson all of us need to learn. Moreover, we have to acknowledge that sometimes we do not always see the promises fulfilled (see Heb 11:39-40); there is a need to wait for the revelation to come to pass (Hab 2:3).
We have seen this in our own church’s history, from the early beginnings in the 1950s when a few people met in rented rooms before believing God and building on Beever Street. Frequently, God’s promises came that these premises were too small, leading to an extension being built and then ultimately to our move to Market Street in 2010. We have seen God do miracle after miracle of provision, but still there is so much more He has promised us. We believe there is much more to come, that this is a period of partial fulfilment of God’s many promises to us, but we long for that complete fulfilment which God has promised and which David saw. May we not grow weary of waiting, but continue in faith as we wait for the appointed time to come.
