Christian Story: Gods promises to Davi

Law 9

Last week we left of the establishment of the Sacrificial system or the Law

the law bound the people of Israel to their God

governed all areas of life

the law was a conditional covenant established by God through Moses that promised blessing for those who kept it.

You would think after all the lord had done for the people they would follow his commands and live in the blessings that God had promised and finally enter the promised land

Desert 10

One of the problems we have seen since genesis 2 is the problem of the heart. peoples hearts are rebels

due to their sinful hearts the people were not obedient to God and they were exiled into the desert for a forty year period with Moses as their leader

Moses died and a man named Joshua son of nun became the leaders of the Hebrew people

The book of Joshua highlights Israels challenges triumphs and victories in securing the promised land.

the Promised land is divided up for the 12 tribes of Israel. It is some where along this point where the people seemed to forget their identity… again

Judges 11

the book of judges showcases the disobedience of the people us Israel and the consequences of that

in their disobedience Israel decide to do what they thought was right. instead if doing that God had instructed them too in the law

Israel alway was supposed to be what some scholars have described as a “contrast nation”. this meant that they were called to live as a nation that stood out. they were be a nation of priests as discussed a few weeks back. what was supposed to define them as a people was 1. their love for God 2. Gods love for them- which we see

in this Israel was called to live in a manner that pointed people to God and his goodness.

In judges we see the opposite, we see Israel acting as if they were any other nation and if not worse

through out the text army’s and oppressors would rise against the people and when the people would cry out in repentance the lord would deliver them using a person called a judge. showing Gods care for them even though it was their own rebelion that got them into that mess

The book additionally highlights the need for Israel to have wise and faithful leaders because as Judges 21 states.

Judges 21:24–25 ESV

24 And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance. 25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Samuel 12

The lord had one Final judge for Israel named Samuel.

Samuel was a prophet that was dedicated to the lord at a young age by this mother Hannah

1 Samuel 3:19–20 ESV

19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord.

all the people recognized that the lord was with Samuel.

The people of Israel in their arrogance are in battle with the philistines and they display the arc of the covenant like a trophy.

God never commanded this action and because of their disobedience they loose the ark of the lord.

The philistines capture the ark and put it in their temple and the lord defeats them with out and army using plagues and the ark is returned to Israel

Kingship 13

This brings us to topic of Kingship. There was no king in Israel. In their true form they were governed by God and his Law and prophets. this would mean there would be no need for a king in the way that the world had one.

1 Samuel 8:7 ESV

7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

However the people longed for a king and the Law of Moses did allow for one

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Deuteronomy 17:14–17 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.

Israel's would only truly benefit from a king who was humble, and served God

the people wanted a king but their motives were not pure. however God allowed them to have the king

Israel desired to be like the other nations. they forgot their identity as the people of God and desired to be lead by an earthly leader rather then a Godly one

Israel chose a man named Saul

Saul 15

By earthly standards Saul is the perfect candidate.

wealthy

more handsome then anyone in the land

and he was very very tall

however Saul had numerous character flaws

he is dishonest

not humble

lacks integrity

disobedient to God

These points especially the last one leads to his down fall as detailed in 13, 15 he blatantly disobeys the Lord

1 Samuel 15:11 ESV

11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.

The people still did what was right in their own eyes. even though they had the law they chose what they liked and discarded the rest. leaving the authority of the Law and scripture behind they chose a king that the lord opposed.

David 16

while Saul was still king the lord was still faithful and began to bring forward israels second king.

this man was the youngest of his brothers and wasn't chosen by the people but by the lord.

David - insignificant shepherd who was a small young man, he was humble and described as a man after Gods own heart.

He was not chosen because of stature, wealth, or fame but rather his love and trust in the God of Israel

Saul initially loved David and they were close but as David rose Saul went mad actually tried to harm and kill David but Dave honoured God and wouldn't hurt or kill Saul although he had the chance.

Eventually Saul Dies a tragic death after loosing a battle

David is Crowned the King over all of Israel

Connecting Covenants

all the tribe want to unify Israel with David as their king. it is around this time where David Goes before the lord and purposes building the temple. The lord responds this way (as seen in the home work)

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2 Samuel 7:11–16 (ESV)

11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. 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 Offers to build a house for the lord and yet we see the lord responding with that he is going to establish the house of David forever.

we see God making a covenant with David stating that there will be kings in the linage of David for all of time.

This promise made from God to David is crucial point for the rest of the scripture

this future king is going to build Gods temple here on earth

additionally the kingdom that is established will be one that is eternal in nature

this promises is continually revisited through out the psalms and the prophets

Connection to Abraham 18

Genesis 12:1–3 (ESV)

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

In Gods new covenant of David we here familiar language.

To Abe we here of the promise of a great nation- in David we see a unified Israel under a faithful king

To Abe we see the promise that Abe will be a blessing.- This establishment of a king is on that is one that will bless the people as long as they are on the throne.

to Abe all families and nations will be blessed.- David we see that this kingdom

Both of these covenants are made by God to human kind with 0 conditions. God simply makes these promises and keeps them

No matter what the people do God will remain faithful

Davids Fall

The fact that the covenant would never be broken was good because shortly after this we see the fall of David

we see the pattern that has taken place all through out Israel’s history happen again.

in the midst of the blessing we see davids down fall: Bathsheba, uriah, davids sons, Absaloms rebellion

David became like Saul and pride got in the way and he lost it all

Despite this the Lord kept his covenant

Solomon

David would pass away and his son Solomon would take the crown and lead the people of Israel

Solomon please the lord as seen in Chapter 3 of first kings where he asked for wisdom to govern the people

We see the lords faithfulness in the covenant again becomes evident even with the disobedience of David and a new king on throne we read

1 Kings 4:20 ESV

20 Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy.

people are blessed and numerous continuing in both covenants set out by God

Solomon sets out to build the temple that David could not

1 Kings 6:1 ESV

1 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord.

All seems to be going well iIsrael has a wise king who has God given wisdom a temple has been built to house the presence of the Lord.

however the pattern of Israels sin continued. Solomon although he had the knowledge of God and evil had turned his back on God. God had commanded the people that the king must not intermarry. Solomon did that and then some eventually gathering over 700 wives and concubines. he adopts their gods and practices again breaking the rules set out in the law

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1 Kings 11:9–14 ESV

9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. 12 Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.” 14 And the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the royal house in Edom.

Exilic Period

the pattern set out in Solomons disobedience continues in his sons and other future leaders of Israel

This lead to the downfall of Israel as the once great nation. the kingdom had been divided into two opposing kingdoms northern kingdom with the capital Samaria and the southern kingdom with capital Jerusalem

The Northern Kingdom 21

through out the books of kings the written open by evaluating how the kings were. in the northern kingdom there is not one good king listed out of the 20 they had many prophets including Elisha and Elijah who were trying to call them back to God however unfortunately none were successful

2 Kings 17 highlights the Assyria a rival nation comes in a sacks the land and take it over leading the people into what is called the first exile or the Assyrian exile. where the people are kicked out of the land and spread out.

Southern Kingdom 22

This nation had 8 good kings out of 20 still not good but a lot better then the north, these kings include notable names Hezekiah and Josiah who attempt to lead the nation back however the kingdom was far to gone.

this nation was exiled by the nation of Babylon and the people again are scattered and carried away

Ezekiel 11:22–23 ESV

22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. 23 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city.

in the destruction and the exile the spirit of the lord had left its dwelling place in the temple.

Conclusion

Over all of Israel’s history God remained Faithful, in spite of the people disobedience

The covenants he made with Abraham have already been manifest with the settling in the land. despite Israel being unfaithful

additionally we see the covenant with Abraham become even more on display in the covenant made with David.

The problem is the same one that the people have faced since the garden. God gives an instructions yet the people chose their own way and forsake a God who is always faithful.

the question we now face is, will God remain faithful in the face of this new wave of disobedience ushered in by Solomons Apostasy?

and will the problem of the heart ever been solved?