The Rise and Fall of the Monarchy: David and the Kings of Israel

Now, it can be tempting to read this chapter, see how God says the Israelites are rejecting Him as their king and think that they were never supposed to have a king, but that’s simply not the case.

In Genesis we see Abraham promised that kings will come from his line

We see a similar promise in Genesis 49 to Judah

We then also see in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 list of qualifications for the future king of Israel.

Deuteronomy 17:14–20 ESV

14 “When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. 18 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

Did you catch that? The king is supposed to write down the teachings of YHWH and read them every day and keep them near, so that he may learn to honor YHWH by keeping the people true to His teachings.

He’s also supposed to be humble, recognizing he is just as much under YHWH as any other man

And blessing is promised to those kings who would honor God above themselves

9-14: Saul: Israel’s Chosen King

15: The LORD rejects Saul

Saul Continuously disobeys the commands of YHWH and shows greed by looking to build his own wealth

Rebuked by the prophet Samuel

16-David: God’s Chosen King

He is a shepherd boy and musician, the youngest of Jesse’s son

1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Great feats that show YHWH is with David

David shows what a King is to be

One who trusts in YHWH

One who gets his strength from YHWH

One who gets his direction from YHWH

Doesn’t seek to steal the kingship

David is the priest-king that we have been looking for!

18: Saul is jealous and rejects David

David must flee with his faithful men to avoid being killed by Saul

First Book ends with Saul’s death and the hopeful expectation of David as King

2 Samuel: David’s Reign as King

For a long time Israel prospered under David as their king and he seems to mostly be fulfilling the duties of a king listed in deuteronomy 17

Psalm 119

in chapter 7 of 2 Samuel we are introduced to the next covenant

David wants to build a permanent dwelling for YHWH

That task is given to his son, Solomon

2 Samuel 7:11–16 (ESV)

11 ...Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”

David then sins against Uriah and Bathsheba (11)

Taking another man’s wife

Rebuked by the prophet Nathan

David then does what Saul never did

He recognizes his sin before YHWH and repents

Psalm 51.

David’s family is then beset by problem after problem

He has to quell different rebellions and a coup by his own sons

It only takes two more generations for the line of David to lose control of most of the kingdom

The Books of Kings

Starts with an attempt to steal the throne from Solomon and David’s Death (1-2)

Then focuses on Solomon for a few chapters (3-11)

The Kingdom is Split into Northern (Israel, or also known as Samaria) following a new king and Southern (Judah) following King David’s line (12)

Both Northern and Southern kings are mostly bad for hundreds of years (13- the end of 2 Kings)

Occasional bright spots, but not many

God regularly sent prophets to the kings (primarily Elijah in 1 Kings but there are others as well). He sent these prophets to call them to repentance and to warn them of the consequences of rejecting YHWH their God, but they rarely listened and they usually killed the prophets

(2 Kings 17) Eventually God took away his protection and Israel (also known as Samaria), the northern kingdom that was not following the line of David’s house, was taken into exile by the Assyrian empire and were essentially wiped out through assimilation into the culture (732 BC) (about 2-300 years after David)

Why would God take away His protection of Israel?

2 Kings 17:7–18 (ESV)

7 And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods 8 and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. 9 And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11 and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger, 12 and they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.”

13 Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” 14 But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. 16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. 17 And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.

Judah wasn’t off the hook either. About 150 years later, they were taken into exile by the Babylonians instead.

2 Kings 17:19–20 ESV

19 Judah also did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs that Israel had introduced. 20 And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple that Solomon built (2 Kings 25:9)

The book ends with the dark scene of Jerusalem being destroyed and the beginning of the exile

Abraham’s family had been completely removed from the Promised Land!

The Books of Chronicles

Interesting books that were likely written shortly after the return to Judah from their exile

They are especially focused on reminding Israel of their history starting with Adam, with some emphasis on David and his line, but they also seem to be desiring to remind Israel of how they can rely on God

Repeats many of the stories from Samuel and Kings

2 Chron has a special emphasis on how often the kings fell to sin

The book ends with by showing the faithfulness of God to return them to Judah, through the decree of a new conquering emperor, Cyrus the Great of Persia, that they may return home and rebuild their city and temple (about 100 years after they were taken)

2 Chronicles 36:23 ESV

23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’ ”

Ezra.

Ezra follows the second group of Israelites who were sent about 80 years after the first ones who were to go rebuild the temple

Ezra was sent to teach the people because he knew the Scriptures well

English Standard Version (Introduction)

Ezra preached God’s word and the people repented (10:9–17). Ezra succeeded because God’s hand was upon him (7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31). This book shows God’s power in covenant faithfulness, moving even pagan kings to accomplish his redemptive purposes.

Ezra 10:1–2 ESV

1 While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. 2 And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.

Nehemiah.

Nehemiah led the third wave of returning exiles, not long after Ezra

He was a skilled leader who helped move along the vital task of building a defensive wall around the city and reestablishing the Laws of Israel

As the people fell into sin, Ezra read more of the Law to them throughout the day and there was mourning and repentance

Nehemiah continues to lead reforms that are rooted in their Scriptures

Esther happens between the decree of Cyrus and the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah

Thus ends the historical books of the Old Testament

There are more books of the OT but they are separate collections that have (outside of a couple minor prophets) already been written by the end of Ezra

Wisdom Lit

Prophetic Lit

The Old Testament timeline has been completed

Without the promised son of Eve

Without the Removal of the curse of sin

Without the promised offspring of Abraham

Without a people who can follow the Law

Without the son of David who would have an eternal kingdom

Without the fulfillment of the New Covenant (which we will talk about next week)

But it’s not the end

If we were to skip to the next book detailing history we would find ourselves in Matthew chapter 1, about 450 years later.

And what do we find in Matthew 1? a genealogy!

Those unfulfilled promises are at the forefront of of people’s minds throughout the life of Jesus and they are so hopeful that he could be the one!

And the genealogy tracing from Abraham, to David, through the exile and return, to Jesus is meant to tell us that Jesus is the Promised son of Eve, Abraham, and David!

What can we learn from this?

God often gives us exactly what we ask for to show us our foolishness

God gave Israel the king like the nations

God gave me the freedom to live my life how I saw fit without the bother of my conscience

God may have given you the job, or spouse, or home, or car, or whatever you asked for

Sometimes God doesn’t give us what we’re asking for to protect us from our sin or to allow us to see the consequences of our sin

What is it that you are asking for?

More money or possessions? If I could just have this car or house or job or raise at work I would be happy

A different family? God, why couldn’t you have given me a family like the Joneses? Their kids are so respectful of them

More time or to go back in time? If I only had more time in the day, I would spend it with my family, If only I could go back in time and take back those words

A different President? God, I wish you would step in and put someone else in the White House, someone with my moral standards

The freedom to sin like the world? I know that God says righteous sexuality is only between a husband and wife, but I love him or her even though we’re not married. God surely won’t have a problem with that right? I know that Jesus said to turn the other cheek

We keep asking for all these other things when we could simply be asking for a better relationship with God!

We keep seeking for things that everyone else has, when we have been given the greatest treasure, God’s Word and God Himself in Christ!

We could be like King David in Psalm 119 declaring his gratitude and thirst for the Word of God and showing it by seeking to obey it! We could be like the returning Israelites weeping over the knowledge of our sin given to us by the Word of God and reforming our lives to become more like Christ! We could be asking God for more revelation of who he is! But so often we don’t!

Did you know that we have historically unprecedented access to the Word of God? We have more access to the Bible than anyone in history and we’re so indifferent to it!

I just started a new class in seminary and we’re studying the 1400s and 1500s. Do you realize that people were burned at the stake as heretics by the Roman papacy for translating the Scriptures into local languages? Wycliffe and Hus were both murdered by Roman Catholicism simply because they believed and acted upon their belief that Scripture alone is the final authority and that everyone should have access to it. And now we have unfettered access in large part because of their sacrifice and the ripple effects of their lives and deaths and we don’t even care! The theologian Erasmus said “I long for the ploughboy to sing the words of Scripture to himself as he follows the plow, the weaver to hum them to the tune of his shuttle, and the traveler to beguile with them the dullness of his journey.” Can we say we even read the words of Scripture let alone memorize them in song? Do we even believe that the Bible IS the Word of God? Do we even care about our brothers and sisters who gave their lives to give us this access?

The Words of God are the very Words of Life and we don’t read it in our homes, we don’t teach it to our children, we don’t proclaim it to our neighbors, and we complain when the Sunday church service has too much of it! Oh God forgive us for our apathy to Your Word! Please don’t give us what our sinful hearts desire! Help us to want more of Your Word!

This is my desire for you. This is my desire for my family. This is my desire for the church in America, that we would be so enamored with YHWH and his word that we would cry out “please, give me more”!

But instead of asking God for what we need, we ask Him to give us kings who look like what we want

Because we like how they look

We like kings who look like what we want in politics

We can get so caught up in the debates and 24/7 news cycle and who our next earthly king can be that we completely ignore our heavenly king.

Can we be honest with ourselves for a minute? We’ve started an election season with the debate this week, ask yourself, historically in previous elections, how does your time spent dwelling on the next election compare to dwelling on the things of God? Do you watch, listen, or read political news more than you watch listen or read the things of God? Then, when we have a politician in office we don’t like, do we complain and slander the person or do we pray for them like we are told to do in 1 Timothy 2?

When we spend more time and energy worrying about our politics than we do in concern of the things of God, when we make political identity more important than whether someone understands and believes the Gospel, when we fight with and ridicule others on the basis of politics, that is when we dishonor our true King Jesus!

Now, don’t hear me saying that our vote doesn’t matter or that we should completely withdraw from politics. I’m not saying that. In as much as we are able we should seek to honor God, even with our votes. But don’t let it overcome you so much that you ignore all the commands of your true King Jesus! His opinion, his law, his agenda matters so much more than any earthly leader.

As we enter a new election season, as you get barraged with ads and opinions and debates over this next year, keep that at the front of your mind. Jesus is my true King and I will honor him above all else.

We like kings who rule our lives in internally too (anxiety, greed, anger, lust)

Anxiety can become a king of our life, locking us into cycles of paralyzing fear. When you’re given chances to proclaim the good news of salvation brought through Jesus and you shut yourself down thinking “they don’t want to hear this, what if they don’t like me after it, what if they think I’m a weirdo” you’re allowing your anxiety to rule you. And to be honest, you probably like that you can comfort yourself by avoiding situations that cause anxiety. I get it, I really do. Too often that’s still my story, but King Jesus is worth facing down your anxiety to honor him.

Greed and selfishness can rule you

Anger can rule you

Lust can rule you

Ultimately, We like to make ourselves king or queen

We like to have control over our lives. We like to feel like we don’t have anything to worry about and what that ultimately communicates is that we don’t actually trust Jesus to control the situation.

When we lock onto politics or a politician as a cultural savior, when we allow our emotions to rule us, when we choose our self comfort over the clear instruction we were given, we make ourselves or someone else the king of our life.

Listen to me, politicians make terrible kings no matter how attractive they are to us. Our emotions make terrible kings no matter how much comfort they bring. You. Are. A. Terrible. King.

WE need a better king

We Have a Better King

We have a King:

who is the promised son of Eve

who removed the curse of sin

who is promised offspring of Abraham

Who perfectly followed the Law

Who is the son of David with a coming eternal kingdom

Who enacted the New Covenant with his perfect blood shed for us

If you are here this morning and you still cannot see a way to let go of the false king you are clinging to, CRY OUT TO THE TRUE KING FOR HELP

He is good and he cares about you! He wants to help you! He can save you! You have no promise of life tomorrow! Count the cost of killing your false kings and following the True King Alone!

He is the perfect one who takes away our sin by gifting to us his righteousness

He is the great priest-king who can represent us and intercede for us before the Father!

He is the true priest-king we have been searching for! Choose this day to serve him and him alone!

A song that would be wise to keep in mind to remind us who our king is, is called “The Only Side I take” by Ross King

Some of the lyrics read

If you want my allegiance You're gonna have to compete with The resurrected Jesus Who went against death and came out undefeated And we can try to replace Him With whatever we put our faith in But every other foundation Will cave in, that′s why I keep on sayin' [Chorus] The hand I hold is a hand with a hole In the shape of a nine inch spike And I bow at the feet that were bound to a tree By a love that redeemed my life Can′t pledge my loyalty to you It's already been promised The side that was pierced by a spear for my sake And that′s the only side I take

May we proudly and boldly agree, the side of King Jesus? that’s the only side we’ll take

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