2021.09.17 Hopewell @Home ▫ 2 Samuel 22:21–28

Read 2 Samuel 22:21–28

Questions from the Scripture text: According to what has Yahweh rewarded David (2 Samuel 22:21a)? According to what has He recompensed him (verse 21b–c, 2 Samuel 22:25)? What has David done (2 Samuel 22:22a, 2 Samuel 22:24a)? What hasn’t David done (2 Samuel 22:22b, 2 Samuel 22:23b, 2 Samuel 22:24b)? How has he done this (2 Samuel 22:23a)? With whom does God show Himself merciful (2 Samuel 22:26a)? Blameless (verse 26b)? Pure (2 Samuel 22:27a)? Shrewd (verse 27b)? Whom does He save (2 Samuel 22:28a)? Whom does He bring down (verse 28b)? 

Believers can be sure of God’s response to our prayers because He is rewarding us according to our righteousness (2 Samuel 22:21). How can that be true? In three ways. 

First, we can say this in union with Christ, for His obedient actions become our obedient actions. His hands are perfectly clean (2 Samuel 22:21b–c, 2 Samuel 22:25b); He has perfectly kept Yahweh’s ways (2 Samuel 22:22); He always kept God’s judgments before Him (2 Samuel 22:23). By the one Man’s obedience the many are made righteous.

Second, Christ Himself as a Person is our righteousness. The gospel reveals the righteousness of God from faith to faith (cf. Romans 1:17), and in Jesus we become the righteousness of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21). With God Himself as our righteousness, we may rejoice that He rewards us according to our righteousness.

Finally, as the Spirit conforms us to Christ’s image, we become more and more like unto Him. The reality of our union is seen in increasingly godly behavior, and the justness of God is displayed as He matches our lives and our reward to Christ, Who is our righteousness. 

Now, it is the justness of God that guarantees our deliverance, rather than our condemnation. The point of 2 Samuel 22:26-28 is that God’s justness is exact. So what does that mean if He has given you Christ to be your righteousness? It means that all things must be yours together with Him, for He is the rightful heir to it all (cf. Romans 8:32). 

If God deals with you according to your righteousness, what would happen to you? What righteousness do you have? How does your actual living reflect your standing before God?

Sample prayer:  Lord, how perfect is Your righteousness and justness! And this would be a horror to us, but Your love is perfect too, and You have given Christ to be our righteousness. Stir up our hope in Him, and make us to be more and more like He is, so that we may glorify You for blessing us according to the righteousness that You have given us in Christ, through Whom we ask it, AMEN! 

Suggested songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH457 “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness”