Introduction

Good day to all. Let us continue our study of 2 Samuel, Chapter 23. This chapter covers a great deal, and it may not be so easy to grasp its core message. However, I have noticed that everyone is becoming increasingly adept at identifying the key points. As you listen to the scripture recording, please share the themes you discern in our Jianghu group chat. After reading the themes you share, I cannot tell if you are copying me or I am copying you, but the main theme of this chapter is God Establishes an Everlasting Covenant with David.

Grasping the key points is a crucial ability to acquire. For example, when you are speaking to someone and suddenly forget what you wanted to say, you have gone astray. Therefore, in our studies, we must learn to grasp the essential points. Similarly, during examinations, you need to know which questions will cost you marks and which ones will not. However, some people, when answering questions, do not recognize the relevant knowledge point or the number of credit-bearing elements within the question. They expend much effort on a single question but only secure one credit-bearing element. Even if there are three credit-bearing points, each worth two marks, totaling six, they only manage to get two. If one were to live life in such a manner, it would be a disaster. Therefore, to identify the key points, you must carefully observe and know what you are doing, and what the priorities are. Now, let us unpack it piece by piece.

God Establishes Covenants with those of Mingding Destiny

Brothers and sisters, you must understand with whom God establishes covenants. If you are ignorant of the kind of person God favors, the kind God disapproves of, and the kind God detests, you are utterly ruined! Yesterday, I was conversing with my younger brother, and during our conversation, I remarked that my whole life has been about benefiting from advantages. Why? Because I know the type of person God favors, and I strive to be that kind of person. You may think I am at a disadvantage, but I believe I am gaining an advantage. You may think you are gaining an advantage when, in fact, you are doing something disadvantageous.

There are too many people in this world who engage in disadvantageous actions. Looking around, there are plenty who stir up trouble when they have nothing better to do, and they always feel miserable! Why? Because they fail to benefit from advantages when they should, and they seize advantages when they should not, hence their misery. If his surname is Li, I think he should not be named Li Changshou (Li Long Life), but rather Li Nanshou (Li Always Suffering); if given a Japanese name, it should be called Tsune ni Nanshou (Constantly Suffering). If a person is constantly miserable, how is he to live this life? The outcome is a wretched descent into the netherworld.

Why do people feel miserable? Because they are selfish and only think of themselves. Sometimes, I wonder when people will think of me? The moment I have such a thought, I am selfish, and things go bad. If, on the other hand, I think that I have not done enough for others, I feel comfortable, because I always feel indebted to this person or that. Therefore, people must have Mingding Destiny.

What exactly is Mingding Destiny? It is to become a blessing to many. Is it those who receive blessings who benefit, or those who give blessings who benefit? I would argue that it is those who bless who benefit, because those who bless have a greater position. Some may say that I am speaking nonsense. But I am not speaking nonsense, because if you bless others, God will bless you. Everyone can see that whatever I do prospers. I am not inclined to take advantage of others, yet I have gained no small advantage. For instance, in my job, I do my own work, and I also do work that is not mine; I do the work that nobody else wants to do. Some ask if I am not tired. I reply that, of course, I am tired, but everyone thinks it is great, because I have done their work for them, and that is blessing people!

Sometimes, people do not know what is advantageous and what is disadvantageous. If you want to bless someone, you must sincerely bless them. We should ask ourselves, whom have we blessed? People must know why they are alive! For example, my elder and younger cousins, these two are like enemies when they meet. Actually, there are many like them in our village. They grew up playing together, one a year younger than me and the other a year older. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed, yet they are still the same, clueless about what is advantageous and what is disadvantageous.

I want to ask you, do you know? If you do not know, I must tell you. If I tell you and you still do not know, then you are deliberately pretending. You must understand with whom God establishes covenants. If all you want is to eat good food and drink fine wine, why would God establish a covenant with you? To enable you to exploit the people and fleece them of their hard-earned money? If people are only concerned with eating, drinking, and enjoying life, they are ruined; that is not called Mingding Destiny, it can only be called Destiny. Therefore, God says this:

Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel: “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain.’ “Although my house is not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant; Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase? (2 Samuel 23:1-5)

That is to say, David, the son of Jesse, raised to a high position, was anointed by God, which is to give him a Mingding Destiny. Do not think that being anointed means going to Israel to buy a bottle of anointing oil and idly dabbing it on your forehead. It is not like that. Many pastors pull out a small bottle from their pockets and dab a little on your head. If you ask them what anointing oil is, they cannot explain it clearly, except to say it is frankincense, myrrh, and such. But I do not quite agree with this stuff, and I do not really like that stuff. The problem is that they do not know what it means to be anointed by God. Actually, anointing is a form of appointment. If God appoints you to be the king of Israel, that is an appointment.

The name Israel is extraordinary, it is the nickname God gave to Jacob, laden with Mingding Destiny. Although many are in Israel, they are not necessarily Israelites, just as not all of Abraham's descendants are Abraham's offspring. Therefore, those anointed by God carry Mingding Destiny; they know why they are alive. Do we know our own Mingding Destiny? Mingding Destiny is why one is alive. If your Mingding Destiny is rice, and you add the character 桶 (bucket), then it is 饭桶 (rice bucket, meaning useless). Therefore, after being anointed, one must govern the people with righteousness, fear God, and wield authority. This is not an easy task. All those who are kings, heads of large enterprises, or manage a country, especially China, find management difficult. Therefore, we must be good citizens and not cause trouble for them.

If you sit in a high position, you will know how difficult it is to find talent. You find one who is corrupt, and then you find another who is corrupt. Some are not corrupt because they lack ability, but once they gain ability, they become corrupt. It is too difficult to find someone who is capable and not corrupt; they must have Mingding Destiny, believing that people come into this world with the Mingding Destiny to serve the people. Fearing God and wielding authority is not easy! But God establishes covenants with such people.

I used to be a small-time manager, overseeing dozens of people. That job was vexing! Why? Because you have to get the work done through others. It is too difficult to find someone who is capable. Fortunately, I understand the technology. I said to those who were hired, Can we do it this way? They said, No! I asked, Why not? They said it could not be done, but if you find someone who can do it, it can be done. The lack is talent. After establishing a covenant with God, will there still be a lack of talent? There will be no lack, because God establishes covenants with those who have Mingding Destiny. If you have Mingding Destiny and want to govern the people of Israel, not to mention China's fourteen hundred million people, even managing Israel's seven or eight million people is not easy. You must be a talent! But God establishes covenants with those who have Mingding Destiny. This covenant includes providing you with the talent you need. This person becomes a talent in your hands, what reason can you use to explain it?

Do you want God to establish a covenant with you too? You say, I am not capable. If you believe you are not capable, but you really want to become someone with Mingding Destiny, then it can really happen! You think you are not capable, that is correct! Because once you think that, and then when you feel that you are not capable, that is when God establishes a covenant with you. If you think you want to have Mingding Destiny, but you still feel that you are quite capable, that is bad! Then you are relying on yourself. Try it for a while, and it really will not work! Some people say to me, Teacher, you are so clever! I feel like they are scolding me. What am I clever about? I am not capable! If there is anything I am good at, it is that God, who has established a covenant with me, is truly capable!

God Establishes Covenants with Those Who Deem Themselves Unworthy

God establishes covenants with those who have Mingding Destiny, but you cannot feel that you are quite capable. I often see people who are like half-full bottles, sloshing around. They make a little progress, and they hold their tails up high. I have to press them down to remind them their place. When people start thinking they are amazing, things go bad.

The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain.’ “Although my house is not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant; Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase? (2 Samuel 23:2-5)

David had many flaws. He took Uriah the Hittite's wife and had Uriah killed. He amassed a large number of concubines. David should never think he is worthy. Why did God choose him? Did he have three heads and six arms, ride on flaming wheels like Nezha, or wear a pigtail and run like a female flying person, thus thinking he is great? Therefore, we must cultivate a good habit. No matter how capable you are, you need God to establish a covenant with you, because there is not much you can manage! You cannot even control when you are born or when you die, let alone do great things for God and govern the people of Israel? Those who want to be the king of Israel are lined up in a long queue, but God is just such a God. If you think you are quite capable, God really cannot use you.

Why did David see it so clearly? David reigned for forty years, from the age of thirty to seventy. At the end of his life, he summed up an experience: once a person thinks he is capable, he is not; if you think you are not capable and feel that you need God, God will make a covenant with you. When David was fleeing, relying on himself really did not work. It was truly trusting in God, all God's protection. David felt he was not capable. He proved it countless times; whenever he felt he was quite capable, he was not, and that is a paradox. In reality, it really does not work.

No matter how much strength we have, you cannot move the Earth! You must know that the Earth is supporting you, not you supporting the Earth. If you look from space, you might really see that you are supporting the Earth, but in reality, you are just seeing yourself holding up a large cauldron, thinking that doing a handstand on your bed can support the Earth. Can that be called supporting the Earth? Taking a photo really makes it look like you are supporting the Earth. People must have self-awareness. What can we manage? One moment your heart feels unwell, the next your eyes feel unwell, then your nose feels unwell… Actually, those are fine. The worst is not being able to defecate or urinate, that is far more serious than not being able to eat, it is life-threatening! Do not think you are amazing, even those who thought they were amazing could not overcome the Covid; at the time, even a Ph.D. could not beat Covid. Therefore, David was amazing! David said:

Although my house is not so with God, Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant; Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase? (2 Samuel 23:5)

Remember this logic, everything is grace, even working is grace. Never think that I am working with you, making you so exhausted that you are crawling on the ground, as if I am not tired. Actually, I am more tired than you, but I feel it is a great grace. Although serving is tiring, it is all grace. It is for this that I was born, for this that I live, it is the purpose of my life. I know that I am not capable, but I know that God will establish an everlasting covenant with me.

Everything that I think of in my heart, that I desire; all my salvation, all my deliverance is God. God is my refuge, God is my firm rock, God is my salvation, God is the strength of my heart, God is my hope. How good it is to have God! How can one live without God? Never think you are capable. Maybe you can handle that little thing you do, but if you want to do something with Mingding Destiny, you are really not capable. Therefore, even until today, I tread on thin ice, fearing to offend God, fearing that I might think I am quite capable.

Those Who Covenant with God Will Prosper

I aspire to be a blessing to many, yet I feel inadequate. Some tell me, Pastor, you are truly intelligent. But I find such praise unsettling. What is intelligence? I believe I am insufficient because the tasks I undertake are always greater than my capabilities. However, for someone content to be a mere rice bucket, achieving that is certainly feasible – consuming two or three hundred pounds without fail. Eating is not challenging; even stray dogs can do it. But when one contemplates entering into a covenant with God, it becomes momentous. Know that those who covenant with God are destined to prosper. Do not mistake it for your own merit.

As we have journeyed to this day, do not assume it is due to my prowess. It is because God is the strength within me, the source of my wisdom. At times, I am puzzled as to why I think in a certain way. Upon reflection, it proves to be so. God is indeed miraculous! Prosperity is no small matter. You are blessed in all you do. How can you not prosper? God is with you in all your undertakings.

Later, I summarised what is called blessing? Blessing is having God with you in all that your hands do; what is called curse? Is having demons with you in all that you do, that is called curse. What should have succeeded fails in your hands. Others accomplish what seems impossible from the start. Do you not find it wondrous? Thus, the path I lead you on is exceedingly good! How so? It continually presents new challenges, from which we gain wisdom from God, constantly advancing and resolving difficulties.

The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel, the Rock of Israel, spoke to me: When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth. If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, a covenant arranged and secured in every detail. Surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire. (2 Samuel 23:2-5)

What is the sunrise morning? It is a sunrise industry, while the sunset evening glow is describing a person, he is about to kick the bucket. If you build an industry called sunrise industry, it will become more and more prosperous; if you do a sunset industry, the more you do it, the more you will be finished, and you will turn yellow. Those who are in the covenant with God are always like the sunrise industry, and God will lead you one step at a time to the sunrise industry, and then it will be like a cloudless morning, and a sunny morning after the rain, which is very cool!

Is it good to be a man of Mingding Destiny? Of course it is! God makes a covenant with a man of Mingding Destiny, and you feel that you cannot do it, and you need God to complete what you could not complete, can you not prosper if you can do what you can't do? If you rely on God and often hang out in the sunrise industry, can you not prosper? What people lack is this Mingding Destiny spirit! It is remarkable for a person to make an eternal covenant with God!

This Covenant Concerns My Salvation and All That I Desire

Know that if a person wants to obtain Mingding Destiny, he must have his own ideas, especially those who trust in God. Why did David seek this? Why was God pleased with David? Because David had an eternal hope in his heart, which is called salvation. This salvation is remarkable; it is a tool to solve all problems. Sickness, lack of prosperity in work, lack of ability, and a life without hope, salvation can solve all of them.

Salvation can solve all the problems of life and all the desires in people's hearts, which is remarkable. David wanted to drink the spring water in the Philistine camp, and when the three warriors around him found out, they went to the edge of the Philistine camp and brought the spring water back. Have you ever wondered why the Philistines didn't shoot arrows? If they did, they would all die, but the problem is that not only did they not die, they risked their lives to bring back a bottle of water. As a result, David blamed himself and said, What do I want this for? This is not water, this is the blood of three of them. David said it casually when he was chatting, and the three warriors went and brought the water back, which is called wishful thinking, if you make a covenant with God, you will also get what your heart desires.

Then three of the thirty leading warriors went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David longed for water and said, Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem! (2 Samuel 23:13-15)

So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. Far be it from me, LORD, he said, to do this! Is it not the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives? And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors. (2 Samuel 23:16-17)

To be honest, is this water important? It's not important, but God actually accomplished it for him, let alone other things. So everyone must know how precious this covenant is. In what we think, there is nothing that God does not give, but the problem is that you have to know the Mingding Destiny. Of course, it is called governing Israel here or being anointed by God, becoming a man of Mingding Destiny after being anointed, is this kind of person great? When I was a child, my mother told my fortune, and the fortune teller said that this child would not have any major problems when he was at home, and I actually became a treasure to ward off bad luck! I didn't think that God would accomplish it, let alone what I thought in my heart.

When I established the church back then, I wanted to establish a church full of God's glory, I wanted to understand the first chapter of Genesis, and I wanted to explain the gospel clearly. As a result, God revealed to me and gave me the wisdom to establish Chinese Mingding Destiny. This is remarkable, because God has accomplished for me what I thought in my heart. Of course, you may say that I have some bragging? Yes. But if from another point of view, it is not necessarily bragging, this should be called a declaration of faith. I declare by faith that everyone is a treasure in God's eyes and a man of Mingding Destiny!

This covenant concerns our salvation and what we think! Do you think you have found a treasure? Do you regard Jesus as a treasure or as a rag? Don't treat Jesus as a fig leaf, treat Jesus as a treasure. Put Jesus on your head as the helmet of salvation, wear the belt of truth around your waist, take up the sword of the Spirit, use righteousness as your breastplate, and put on the shoes of the gospel, how good it is to preach as you walk!

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests; with this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:14-18)

David Has a Team of Talented Manpower

In the latter part of this chapter, a small point is emphasized, but many names are listed. What are the names listed for? These are the names of David's warriors, all of whom have names and are full of talent, not made up. Speaking of David is also talking about myself, I think that our team is also full of talent, that is, there is no shortage of mighty warriors who drive out demons. If it works for your pastors to drive out demons, I don't need to come forward. In the future, the names of the warriors of Chinese Mingding Destiny will also be recorded.

As a result, in this pile of names, there are three warriors, and one person can kill eight hundred people. It's no joke to kill eight hundred people. I'll give you eight hundred chickens, you can kill them; I'll give you eight hundred dogs, you can kill them. Maybe you will kill them with red eyes, that thing is not easy to handle. These eight hundred people all have knives and guns in their hands, and none of these people are fuel-efficient lamps. One person can kill eight hundred people in one breath, even if he kills eight hundred dogs or eight hundred sheep, eight hundred rabbits, even eight hundred cockroaches are enough for you to suffer.

These are the names of David’s mighty warriors: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemanite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. (2 Samuel 23:8)

Therefore, the three warriors who fetched the water are remarkable in their ability. The most powerful of these three warriors became their leader. Later, there were three more warriors, similar to the previous three, who were better than the others, and David arranged for them to be the guards, just like the current Central Guard Corps, specializing in protecting David. Then there were thirty warriors, any one of whom was like Guan Yu, Lu Bu, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, or someone from Xiahou's family in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. They were all very powerful. David's team was full of warriors who could go to the battlefield to fight.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down an Egyptian who was five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. He was held in greater honour than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David appointed him over his personal bodyguard. (2 Samuel 23:20-23)

In fact, the most important thing in managing a country is war. Why? Because if you don't fight, people will come over and beat you. It seems like nothing is wrong now, but once the rockets come flying, people will be gone. Therefore, David attracted many capable people in that era, but not because of David's ability, but because David had an eternal covenant with God. So I have hope that we will have a group of mighty warriors with many talents.

Among the Thirty were Joab’s brother Asahel, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, Shammah the Hararite, Elika the Hararite, Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, Abiezer from Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the ravines of Gaash, (2 Samuel 23:24-30)

Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, some of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite, Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maakathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, Igal son of Nathan from Zobah, Bani the Gadite, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armour-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all. (2 Samuel 23:31-39)

I was thinking, what should the church do? The church should train people, from birth to death, all the work in between is ours. How much work is that? But we have a lot of talent and we are not afraid of a lot of work. We don't lack anything, we just lack work. Now we have a lot of work and a lot of people. Although the current situation is not so ideal, because there are too many things to do, and there seems to be a lack of talent. But it doesn't matter, God wants to make an eternal covenant with us, and there will be a lot of talent in the future.

Now everyone knows that it's good to have a Mingding Destiny, right? Why do I have to persuade you all day long if it's good for you? Don't let me persuade you, start training yourself actively and proactively! Become a mighty warrior in God's eyes, and also become a man of Mingding Destiny in God's eyes! Be anointed by God a few more times to be the king of Israel, the leader of God's people, shepherd God's flock, and then complete God's beautiful plan for us! Don't say, how can I live a life like mine? A life with God is very prosperous! God will open the windows of heaven and pour out His blessings on His people, pouring them into their laps, even to the point where there is no room for them! This is our God, and our God is a good God, Amen!

Has everyone been inspired? Don't think that you are great, if you think you are great, you don't need God; if you think you are not great, that's right, start making a covenant with God! In our generation, even if there are no warriors, we must train a large group of warriors out of the crowd. Do you know where David's warriors came from? They were all trained by David. They were not born warriors. They were originally a rabble. Later, they joined David. David used them, and then they were raised up one by one and became mighty warriors. Desire to be a person chosen by God and in covenant with God! Amen!

May God bless everyone!