Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 11 July, 2021
“O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness:
fear before him, all the earth” (Ps. 96:9)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
John’s Witness of Christ’s Resurrection (5)
The Risen Christ’s Third Manifestation to His Disciples [youtube]
Scripture Reading: John 20:19-21:14
Text: John 21:1-14
I. When?
II. Where?
III. How?
IV. To Whom?
Psalms: 66:1-7; 137:1-9; 78:20-27; 90:13-17
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Scripture Reading: Psalm 4
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1
I. Wholly Owned by Jesus Christ
II. Graciously Delivered From Evil
III. Powerfully Indwelt by the Spirit
Psalms: 46:1-7; 138:1-4; 94:14-19; 116:9-19
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quotes to Consider
D. A. Carson on John 21:3: “Although there is evidence that the night time was considered best for fishing on Galilee, one wonders if the Evangelist is not still employing one of his favourite symbols (cf. … 3:2, 19-21; 13:30; 20:1). They are coming to grips with the resurrection, but they still have not learned the profound truth that apart from Christ they can do nothing (15:5), and so that night they caught nothing (cf. Lk. 5:5).”
John Calvin on John 21:7: “The Evangelist shows, by his example, that it is our duty to raise our hearts to God, whenever we succeed in any thing beyond our expectation; because we ought instantly to remember that this act of kindness has flowed from the favour of Him who is the Author of every blessing. That holy recognition of the grace of God, which dwelt in the heart of John, led him also to the knowledge of Christ; for he does not perceive Christ with his eyes, but, being convinced that the great multitude of fishes has been brought to him by the hand of God, he concludes that it was Christ who had guided his hands. But, as John goes before Peter in faith, so Peter afterwards excels him in zeal, when, disregarding personal danger, he throws himself into the lake. The rest follow in the ship. True, all come to Christ at length, but Peter is actuated by a peculiar zeal in comparison of the others. Whether he crossed over to the shore by walking or by swimming, is uncertain; but let us rest satisfied with knowing that the act of leaving the ship and going on shore was not the result of folly and rashness, but that he advanced beyond the others in proportion to his zeal.”
Herman Ridderbos on John 21:13: “Repeated here is what forces itself on them in all the resurrection appearances: the miracle of the ‘wholly-otherness’ of his presence and of their ‘knowing’ him, as compared to their experience of him before his death and resurrection, so that now they are kept from speaking to him. Knowing it was he, they shrink from entering into the mystery of his presence.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
We welcome Justyn Perry who has moved from Lancashire to join us.
With sadness, the council sent Janet Napier’s membership papers to her home at her request.
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet upstairs to discuss the Bible’s main picture of good works and its practical lessons for us.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Haak is entitled, “Come Let Us Build” (Neh. 2:11-20).
Offerings: General Fund: £1,824. Donations: £150, £200 (England), £250 (Scotland), £12 (Wales).
Translation Additions: 1 Kirundi, 1 Russian, 2 Spanish and 3 Polish.
David’s Return to Jerusalem
Brian D. Dykstra
II Samuel 19
God had given David victory over the host of Absalom. David should rejoice in God’s faithfulness but David is too overcome with grief over the death of his impenitent son. David should appear in the city gate to thank his valiant soldiers for saving him, his wives and children from Absalom, but he mourns to such an extent that his men sneak back as though they had been cowards. Joab reproves David and he does so severely.
David’s mourning for Absalom was not sinful in itself. However, his mourning was excessive in that it prevented David from thanking the men who had risked their lives and whom God had used as instruments to defend the man after His own heart, Israel’s true king.
Some fault Joab for his strong words against David. The claim is that Joab violates the fifth commandment. There are times, though, when those in authority need reproof but the reproof must be given respectfully. David responds by sitting in the city gate and the people come before him.
The people are at strife. The official status of Israel is that she has no king. Israel had anointed Absalom to replace David but their chosen king was dead. The throne is vacant. Israel must approach David and ask him to return. David could have returned to the throne by force. It was his by right of conquest. He could arrest all the leaders of the rebellion and have his vengeance. David shows he is a true shepherd king. He is forgiving, even of those who are least deserving of it. David knows how much he has been forgiven by God.
David sends a message to Amasa, the captain of Absalom’s host. David wants to be rid of Joab, who was guilty of the deaths of Abner and Absalom. Joab believed he had good reason to put Absalom to death. Once spared by David, Absalom might well have continued to scheme to obtain the throne. Treason certainly deserves the death penalty. However, it was not Joab’s place to determine what to do with Absalom. Joab’s character is such that he assumes an authority which he does not have. Joab deserves punishment. Perhaps David believes appointing Amasa to such a high position will mend the rift between those faithful to him and those who supported Absalom.
As David makes his way back to Jerusalem, Shimei appears. The last time we saw Shimei, he was throwing rocks and dust to make the lives of David and his men as miserable as possible. He cursed David and falsely accused him of shedding Saul’s blood to usurp the throne. Shimei never expected David to return as king. He will try to make amends for the evil he has done by doing good. He appears with his servants and 1,000 men of Benjamin whose purpose might be to help move David’s household, and the households of his men, to Jerusalem.
Shimei tells David not to take his previous cursing “to his heart.” How else was David to take such vile cursing? Is David to think Shimei wasn’t serious? At least Shimei says, “For thy servant doth know that I have sinned.” Much of what Shimei is doing here is what we foolishly try to do with our sins. We try to minimize our sins. We ask God not to take our sins so seriously. We think we can “make up” for our sins by doing something “good.” We try to balance our account with God to attain a zero sum, so neither party is in debt to the other. What we really need to do is to admit to our sins, realize how offensive they are to the holy God and take Him at His word to blot out all our sins in Christ’s blood, simply because He has graciously promised to be merciful to His elect.
Mephibosheth approaches David next. Mephibosheth’s servant Ziba reported to David that Jonathan’s lame son thought the kingdom would return to him as heir of Saul’s throne, once David and Absalom had cancelled each other out. Mephibosheth wants to show David he had no desire to rule and that Ziba’s report was slander. He was not a traitor. As proof that he mourned over David’s flight from Absalom, he had not “dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.” Considering that Absalom’s rebellion did not last for a mere week or two, Mephibosheth must have been quite a sight. His appearance should be proof of his innocence.
David is not completely convinced. To punish Mephibosheth’s perceived ingratitude for all David had done for him as Jonathan’s son, David had given all of Mephibosheth’s possessions to Ziba. David now returns only half. Rather than examining David’s judgment and finding some degree of fault in it, the lesson here lies with Mephibosheth’s reaction. He is happy his king has returned, even stating that Ziba could “take all.” Mephibosheth knows how much he owes David and has no right “to cry any more unto the king.” We ought to reflect on our place in God’s Kingdom. Rather than thinking we deserve some high rank in His church on earth or later in heaven, we should be grateful to be even a lowly gatekeeper in God’s house. What does God owe us? We were dead in sin before Him. We rejected Christ as our King. Yet we will sit at Father’s table and partake with all of God’s children at His great feast.
Scripture next tells us of faithful Barzillai, who goes with David as far as the Jordan River. Barzillai, a man of great wealth, had provided for David’s household during this difficult time. David wants him to join the court and eat at the royal table as a reward for his faithfulness. Barzillai refuses. Did he view his service to David as merely doing that which was his duty to do? Did he only do what any subject of means should do for his rightful king? Does he know he really hadn’t merited anything from David?
If that stretches the pictures of the Old Testament too far, Barzillai is a lesson for us about how we should view the goods which earth has to offer. He was wealthy and could live in luxury. He knew the finer things of life. However, since God had given him a long life, he was no longer able to enjoy these things. He could not tell that his food was better than the ordinary working man’s. He couldn’t hear well enough to know whether or not the choir performed excellently. If he had been used to the better things in life, David now offered him the opportunity to enjoy things literally fit for a king. The fine things of this world fade and whither, as well as our ability to enjoy them as the body’s senses weaken with the flesh. Barzillai passes on David’s offer and, instead, decides to prepare himself for the end of life and be buried by his parents’ grave. The way of wisdom is to count our days.
The chapter ends in strife. The men of Israel believed Judah had too much to do with David’s return to Jerusalem and felt slighted. Judah claims the right of near kinship to David as reason for their more dominant role. Israel claimed “ten parts” in David according to the number of their tribes. Judah’s words of response were fierce.
We witness the beginning of the rift between Judah and the rest of Israel. We know what the future holds for Israel’s tribes as far as their being united as one people is concerned. It is unfortunate that Judah’s words were fierce for they had the example of Gideon. God gave Gideon a great victory but Ephraim felt offended by not having a greater part in the battle. Gideon gave a wise response, not giving way to bitterness. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Judah would have served themselves well to have remembered Gideon.
