Introduction

Good day to all! We will be examining 2 Samuel, chapter 1. We recently concluded our study of 1 Samuel, and now we proceed with 2 Samuel. 1 Samuel recounts how God is searching for a faithful priest for Himself. This notion of faithfulness has consistently been a crucial component of God's heart. I encourage everyone to take faithfulness seriously, as a lack of faithfulness can lead to trouble. A lack of faithfulness results in licentiousness, and spiritual licentiousness is particularly destructive. To worship both God and Mammon, to love both money and God, or even to love God with the expectation of financial gain – such is utter confusion.

2 Samuel documents the life of David, a king after God's own heart. Throughout history, a significant sentiment has been echoed: that so-and-so emulated their master, acting in accordance with what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as David did. David has become a role model for us to follow. Why can David serve as our example? Because of his faithfulness. This faithfulness is of paramount importance! For in this generation, God remains seated on His throne, looking down to see if there are any faithful individuals. In God's eyes, a lack of faithfulness is considered licentiousness.

We Chinese, throughout our history, have particularly loathed traitors. Even now, there are two statues placed in a certain location. Who are these two statues? They depict Qin Hui and his wife kneeling there. People go there and exclaim: This is Qin Hui! His disgrace has persisted for hundreds of years. Chinese history is certainly not lacking in traitors, even in recent times. Wang Jingwei, his wife, and several of his key subordinates were all traitors. A Chinese person lacking faithfulness is a traitor; a servant of God lacking faithfulness is a God-traitor; a Russian lacking faithfulness is a Rus-traitor. The word traitor is unpleasant, deeply offensive.

Therefore, we must never become individuals lacking faithfulness; that is the path of the wicked, leading to a life of sorrow! Although Saul committed many acts displeasing to God, he did not become a complete traitor. Whether for the sake of Israel or himself, he remained steadfast in his post until his death on the battlefield – a point worthy of our respect. What defines a hero? It is one who dies on the battlefield, in the thick of the fight. Saul was a figure of some stature, and though flawed, he cannot be considered a cowardly traitor. Thus, faithfulness is of great significance. The theme of this chapter is David, the Faithful, which sounds promising. The entirety of 2 Samuel recounts David's life, and faithfulness is a vital characteristic of his.

Faithfulness Pleases God

Speaking for myself, even if threatened with death, I would never become a traitor. I am determined to be a faithful person, and faithfulness to God is the most important quality one can possess. If you were to ask me, Are you a faithful servant of God? I would reply, Absolutely! If you then asked, How do you know? I would tell you, How could I not know, given what I do?

Faithfulness is a quality that pleases God, and it is what I value most. If one day I can stand before God, I most hope to hear Him say, You are my good and faithful servant. How wonderful those words would be! At times, I pray, God, grant me strength, lest I have the desire but lack the ability. Even in death, I want to be seen as faithful in God's eyes. One must not only be faithful to God, but also to others in this world, for faithfulness is a virtue.

You will find some people quite interesting! In the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there is a passage about Lü Bu riding his Red Hare horse, holding his halberd. Zhang Fei gave him a rather amusing name: a slave of three surnames. Where did this epithet come from? Lü Bu's first master, Ding Yuan, was killed by him, and his second master, Dong Zhuo, was also killed by him. Lü Bu was inherently inclined toward rebellion, so history labeled him a slave of three surnames. Initially, Lü Bu recognized Ding Yuan as his adoptive father, then Dong Zhuo. After that, it's unclear whom he acknowledged. In any case, he was an unfaithful person. I greatly admire those who are faithful. You can be a bit slow or unskilled, but you must be a faithful person. Being a faithful person is a virtue; never sacrifice faithfulness for the sake of your core interests, for faithfulness is pleasing to God.

Chinese history is rife with prejudice against those who were slaves of three surnames. There is also the Discourse on Two Ministers, written by the Qianlong Emperor. Qianlong, a Manchu, used the term Two Ministers to refer to Han Chinese officials who had surrendered to the Manchus. If someone is described as second-rate, is that a compliment? No, it is not. I suspect it originated from the Discourse on Two Ministers, signifying a lack of fidelity. In this generation, a lack of faithfulness seems to be a common ailment, leading to a thriving business: paternity testing. Determining the true parentage of a child, confirming whether it is one's own. The very notion is unsettling!

I must reiterate time and again that in this life, I not only desire to be a faithful and good servant before God, but I also long to receive a reward from Him: to be known as a good and faithful servant. This is why, when reading the Bible, I spare no effort to understand God's will, so that everyone can walk in accordance with it.

If we were to elect a traitor as the king of the Chinese nation, it would feel deeply inappropriate. David, a man of great faithfulness, later became the king of Israel. If the resume of the King of Israel included a period of traitorous behavior, it would be quite unsuitable. Therefore, one's life story must be carefully crafted. For one day, you will present your performance record and resume before God, saying, God, here I am. We must be faithful people, a matter of utmost importance, not to be taken lightly.

My previous teaching emphasized David's respect for authority, but that is not the most crucial aspect. What truly matters is a faithful character, for God values this highly. How can one be a faithful person? By never becoming a slave of three surnames or slave of two surnames, but rather striving to be a faithful individual. Do not abandon your church at the slightest disappointment. How many churches have you left? This is a matter of life and death! Remain in your current church and be faithful to God. That is precisely why I consistently encourage brothers and sisters who consider joining our church to remain in their original congregations.

I hope you are a faithful person. If you discover that your original church is not genuinely a church, then coming to our church for the sake of God's Word is understandable. However, do not come to our church because of my unremarkable appearance or unrefined language, nor because of anyone else. Never believe that by joining us, you are helping me build the church. I encourage you to be faithful to God, for faithfulness is a quality that pleases Him. How was David a faithful man? It was demonstrated in how he acted when facing his core interests.

Faithfulness is Demonstrated in Matters of Self-Interest

This David is quite intriguing, as recounted in 2 Samuel, chapter 1. The Philistine king was preparing to wage war against Israel, and while David outwardly insisted on accompanying the Philistine king to attack Israel, he did not genuinely want to go. He felt compelled, and it was an awkward situation. He cried out to God in his heart, and God helped him. The Philistine leaders forbade him from going, greatly aiding David. The Philistine king went to attack Israel, and the opposing forces were Saul and Jonathan. Before going into battle, Saul had consulted a medium, summoning Samuel from the earth to speak with him, because he was distressed and uncertain about the war's outcome. The spirit prophesied that he would be killed in battle.

Was Saul's death an act of God? It was. After Saul's death, according to human logic, David should have rejoiced. One might expect David to say, Saul is dead! Let us celebrate! But he did not. Instead, he wept profusely, and those who were with him wept as well. It was as if they had lost a father, and in a sense, he was his father-in-law. David's reaction was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people! Most people could not understand it.

An Amalekite youth, witnessing Saul fall on his spear on the battlefield, delivered the final blow, knowing that David and Saul were enemies. This young man assumed that with Saul's death, David would surely become king of Israel, and he sought to take the credit, bringing Saul's helmet and armlet to David, claiming he had killed Saul. He anticipated praise for his achievement, but David was a faithful man, and the youth was killed instead.

This youth had no idea who Saul was; he did not know that Saul was the Lord's anointed, that David regarded Saul as his father-in-law, as his own king! If David had celebrated Saul's death, it would have been a disaster, for it would have been contrary to God's will. Was it God who orchestrated Saul's death? Yes, it was God's arrangement. Even if God had orchestrated it, if David had celebrated with champagne, rejoicing that he could finally become king of Israel, it would have been his downfall, and he would likely have become another Saul II.

David understood God's heart and will perfectly. Therefore, never rejoice when someone is killed. David could have become king immediately, but he was not happy. Why? Because David understood that God was seeking a faithful person. If faithfulness contradicts your core interests, will you still choose faithfulness? That is why faithful people are so rare! But I can tell you clearly that there are faithful people among us! If one falters and loses faithfulness, they become a slave of three surnames, their head becomes detached, and they lose sight of their own identity.

The critical test is whether, when confronted with a conflict of core interests, you will still choose to be a faithful person. If you were Lü Bu, would you choose to be faithful? If your core interests are challenged, and you cease to be a faithful person, that is terrifying. Whether you are a faithful person depends on your core interests. If those interests, or even lesser concerns, are challenged, and you change your demeanor and become angry, that is frightening. You would not be another Job but rather another Cain, a fatal error.

Loyalty is most evident when it conflicts with your core interests. Why do some people become turncoats? Because their interests are offended. As for me, even if my interests are offended, I will be a loyal person; that is what I believe. David did a splendid job, worthy of being passed down through the ages; it was remarkable. If we have this heart, to be a loyal person, God will remember you. The path of loyalty is filled with trials! God tests you, and I test you to see how you fare. David's greatness lies in overcoming every trial.

David Honoring the Lord's Anointed

Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and likewise all the men who were with him. And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. (2 Samuel 1:11-12)

Whether one is loyal in their heart is important. Did David need to respect the Amalekite youth? No. He was not the Lord's anointed. He himself claimed to have personally killed the Lord's anointed and came here to claim credit, so David directly killed him. Why? Because he wanted to honor the Lord's anointed. Although God was not pleased with Saul, David had two opportunities to kill him but did not. Once, David cut off a corner of Saul's robe, and he felt guilty about it. He thought that if Saul resisted and he accidentally stabbed Saul, it would be troublesome, like narrowly avoiding a car accident. So David regretted it, feeling he had not done a good job; the consequences would not have been good if an accident had occurred. He absolutely honored the Lord's anointed.

Since Saul was the Lord's anointed, the king of Israel, and I am an Israelite, a subject, and he is my father-in-law, and I am a subject in his court, I absolutely cannot be a turncoat. Even if I have the opportunity, I cannot kill him or harm him. David had a second opportunity to kill Saul but did not. So even when Saul died in battle, David did not celebrate with champagne but mourned. David was so loyal that he even swore that if he had been by Saul's side, he would have protected him well, and it would not have come to this day, but Saul did not accept him.

The third time, Saul died in battle himself, and someone gave him a final blow. David absolutely honored Saul, even if others killed Saul, that was not acceptable. David's thinking is admirable! If I were to do it, I would find it a bit difficult! But that is what the Bible teaches us. As a result, David also wrote a song for Saul, included in the Book of Jashar, called the Song of the Bow, which has been passed down to this day. Our thoughts must align with the thoughts of those whom God pleases. If they are not aligned, we must adjust our thoughts.

David wrote this song praising Saul and Jonathan. Was this in accordance with God's will? Were Saul and Jonathan not displeasing to God and killed by Him? Why did David still praise Saul and Jonathan? Actually, David was not praising anything else but the Lord's anointed because God had once chosen Saul to teach people how to treat their king, their leader. As a result, this poem has been passed down. David's actions are very similar to the records passed down by the Chinese nation for thousands of years. The Chinese nation still has a bit of loyalty in its bones.

Despite the many traitors who have emerged throughout history, the Chinese nation's literature and history still uphold pure views. Why did Zhuge Liang assist Liu Bei? Because he was the imperial uncle, maintaining an orthodoxy; other forces were rebelling. Whether you say he was standing on the high ground of morality or any other position, it was actually loyalty. How was his loyalty manifested? It revealed the Chinese nation's praise for loyalty. Like the oath of brotherhood in the Peach Garden, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were all loyal people.

David was teaching people how to treat their king. David was not stupid; he was also the Lord's anointed. He was giving the people a demonstration of how to treat the Lord's anointed. He wrote a poem praising Saul and Jonathan. Why did Saul and Jonathan go to the battlefield? Was it not to defend the territory and people of Israel? Most importantly, David's mourning was to commemorate the loyalty of God's people, which was his duty. He was anointed as the king of Israel. How could he not mourn and weep when the people of Israel were killed? He was the king of Israel; it was a characteristic of a king.

David Caring for God's People

And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. (2 Samuel 1:12)

Pastors must care for God's people, taking on the responsibilities you should have. Until now, many pastors are merely hired hands, not called loyal in God's eyes. To let God's little sheep starve, can that be called loyalty? Not distributing food on time, constantly coming here to get some food to take back and feed his people. If a person truly cares for God's people, he will definitely pay the price for it.

If you cannot care for God's people in your own church, how can you care for God's kingdom? If you do not properly shepherd the sheep God has given you, can that be called loyalty? A loyal person acts according to God's will. David set a good example for us, that is, he cared for God's people, which is itself the character of a king.

The Bible tells an interesting story: So the last will be first, and the first will be last. (See Matthew 20:16). You may not have thought about it or understood it very well. I want to tell you that the first will be last. Why? If you want to be a leader of the people, you must be a servant of the people, shepherding God's flock, and you must pay the price. Can you not be last? If there are wolves behind, and you run fast, leaving the sheep behind, can that be done? A shepherd does not run in front of the sheep but follows behind the sheep when there are wolves coming from behind. Therefore, the first will be last.

In our church, whether it is in spiritual food, or in training you in the ability to make a living, do things, conduct yourself, and learn to speak, there is a very rich supply. We just want to train you to be a God-fearing, loyal people, which is what our church wants to do. You may think I am relaxed, but it is really tiring. But being tired is okay because that is my job! Brothers and sisters, grow healthily and constantly cultivate your loyal character. When the kingdom of God comes, you will surely have a share in God's glory, which is called the character of a king.

If you do not shepherd well, what do you want to do? Do not learn from some people who know how to love God when they are poor, but forget God when their days are better because they finally have the qualifications to love the world, eat, drink, and be merry. Anyway, I look down on this kind of person. People should take the kingdom of God as our core interest, pursuing the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The church is definitely not a place for you to relax; it is definitely not a place where you are full, satisfied, eating well, drinking well, and living without much meaning, so you come here to loaf around.

The church is not such a place; the church is a place to find a group of people who love God and are loyal to God. Some people do not lack money, lack nothing, and have nothing to do, so they come to the church to exert some influence, show off their presence, but in their bones, they are just here to relax because it is not their core interest, it is their pastime. When you ask them to pay the price, it will definitely not work; their legs will be weak.

Shepherding God's flock is our job. Being God's loyal people is our Mingding Destiny; we were born for this, we came into this world for this. Perhaps we do not understand some of the things David is doing. If we look at David from the perspective of loyalty, we can understand him. His core interest is definitely not the throne. The throne was given to him by God; God gave him the throne to manage the people of Israel well.

I do not want to establish my own name, nor do I want to become a famous pastor, nor do I want to hoard money. I just want to gain God's praise, to be a faithful and good servant. Since God has chosen me among all nations, I have the opportunity to serve God, to distribute food on time, to supply spiritual food, which is wonderful! What do I want my own name for? God will make our name great. Our church is very powerful; people often ask who the pastor of this church is. I think, what is the point of asking this? What can you do after asking? If you really want to know, his name is ABC, or maybe 123, it is useless. You still have to follow the way of God and be a faithful and good servant of God; that is the key.

Conclusion: The Opposite of Loyalty is Called Adultery

Adultery is abominable, and it sounds like a very unpleasant thing. So everyone should be a loyal person before God and not be an adulterous person anymore. To love the world and love God at the same time is called adultery. If you love God, you cannot love the world; if you love the world, you cannot love God. You can be a loyal person to the world, but I wish you good luck. I want to make a conclusion: The loyal David is worthy of our imitation.

May God bless everyone!
```