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Bringing the King back – Pt 3

Rev. Ivan Foster reprised his series from 2000 on bringing King David back after the rebellion of Absalom, and how it shows us the required method of revival. This three part series was preached at special meetings in Mourne FPC.

THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE KING’S RESTORATION.

It is to be noted that it was the king who initiated contact with the people.  Like the Prodigal’s father, he was watching for signs of a return. Consider:



View a video of this sermon here:


 

I. THE WORDS OF THE KING.

“And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house. Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king? And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab,” 19:11-13.He will not force himself upon his people, Hosea 5:15.

  • His messengers. The priests, the teachers of the law. Task of preachers today!
  • Those spoken to. The elders. Here is divine order.
  • He reminds them of their close ties with him. Amasa was his nephew. I am sure these words would have resonated with more than just Amasa. We belong to the family of God, not this world.
  • He speaks of forgiveness and restoration. Despite Amasa’s siding with Absalom, David promised to advance him.

II. THE IMPACT OF THE KING’S WORDS

“And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants,” verse 14. (more…)

Anxious and alarmed academics!

The headline of an article in the ‘Daily Mail’ of 30th September attracted my attention.

It read:

Earth’s vital signs are flashing red: Seven of nine key systems have been breached – as scientists warn ‘we’re rapidly running out of time’

While I am not inclined to ‘swallow’ the announcements and assertions of modern scientists, the majority of which believe the anti-scriptural, ‘Theory of Evolution’ This in itself would give grounds to any true Christian to view with a healthy measure of scepticism what they say. Nevertheless, there are points made in the very long report that are worthy of note.

The group that issued the report, the Planetary Health Check 2026, states the following regarding it.

‘The Planetary Health Check is a yearly report on the state of our planet. It presents the most up-to-date assessments of the Planetary Boundaries, gives thorough introductions into cutting-edge science, and spotlights especially relevant aspects of our planet’s health. In this 2026 edition, we place a special focus on carbon sinks and novel entities.’

It goes on to claim:

‘Human activities have pushed Earth beyond its Safe Operating Space. The planet’s natural resilience is weakening: Global warming is accelerating, ecosystems are showing clear signs of degradation, and early warning signs of tipping points are emerging in key systems. We have entered the Anthropocene — an era where human activity dominates the Earth system.’

Accept

That I can most certainly accept. I have often thought of that symbol of modern man’s ‘littering’, situated in the Pacific Ocean and called, ‘The Great Pacific Garbage Patch’.

It is a  large mass of rubbish floating in the middle of the ocean and located in the central North Pacific between Hawaii and California.

It covers an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometres —roughly twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France!

Origins

All of us may see the origins of such a horrendous manifestation of the thoughtless, inconsiderate mind of our modern global society, scattered along the grass verges of our roads!

The loutish behaviour of those who mindlessly throw out of their car window that which they are too imbecile to bring home and dispose of properly, is the mindset that is the fountainhead  of the Earth’s pollution! (more…)

Psalm 24

David Baron (1855–1926)

Reprinting by permission from the magazine of the Soverign Grace Advent Testimony – ‘Watching & Waiting’  (October – December, 2026)

By David Baron

(Mr. Baron gave a full exposition of Psalm 24, but sadly, space forbids that we include the whole article here.  However, we are happy to give a little of his introduction to the Psalm- Editor, ‘Watching & Waiting’).

In their application to our Lord Jesus Christ, Psalms 22, 23, and 24 have sometimes been grouped together as ‘the Shepherd Psalms.’  In the 22nd, He is prophetically set forth as ‘The Good Shepherd’ (John 10), who lays down His life for the sheep.  In the 23rd, He is ‘The Great Shepherd’ (Hebrews 13:20), who having been raised from the dead, skilfully tends His flock in this moral wilderness, leading them into green pastures, and by the quiet waters.  And in Psalm 24, He is ‘The Chief Shepherd’ (1 Peter 5:4), not only crowned with honour and glory Himself, but who, at His appearing, shall bestow a crown of glory which fadeth not away on all His faithful under-shepherds.

According to Rabbinic writers, with which most Christian commentators are agreed, the historical occasion which originated the 24th Psalm was the bringing up of the Ark from Kirjath-jearim to the Tabernacle which David built for it on Mount Zion, as recorded in 2 Samuel 6.  Now the Ark was, so to say, the earthly throne of Jehovah, for with it was associated the Cloud of Glory, the visible symbol of God’s special presence in the midst of His people, and the pledge and prophecy of the time when ‘the King of Glory’ shall be manifested and set up His throne on His ‘holy hill’ of Zion, from there to extend His beneficent rule over the whole earth.

Indeed almost every great event in the past history of Israel foreshadows something still greater in the future, and that which is foreshadowed by the triumphal procession of the Ark to Mount Zion amid the great demonstrations of joy and gladness, shall be fulfilled when Jehovah in the person of the Messiah – the true ‘King of Glory’ – shall appear not only to claim, but to exercise sovereignty over the earth, and when a great voice out of heaven shall proclaim, ‘Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and be their God.’

It is interesting to note that in the Service of Song which accompanied the Divinely appointed ritual in the Temple, the 24th Psalm was the one sung on the first day of the week, which was later to be consecrated as the day of memorial of the resurrection of Christ, which was the first step in His glorification, inasmuch as He was thereby manifestly ‘declared to be the Son of God with power.’

The Psalm divides itself into three parts.  First we have a proclamation of the absolute and universal sovereignty of God over the earth (verses 1-2).  Then follows a description of those who can be declared worthy to enter into the presence of this Almighty God whose chief attribute is that of holiness.  In the last brief section there is the triumphant announcement of the advent of the Divine Hero – the conqueror of sin and death – who truly answers to the requirements set forth in the second section, and before whom therefore the ‘everlasting doors’ which as a consequence of the Fall shut out sinful men from the presence of God, must open wide.