Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Political leaders have many titles: Chief of State, Supreme Ruler, Ayatollah, King, Emperor of Japan, Prime Minister, or President.

If one lives in the United Kingdom which claims to have a monarchy, yet is actually governed by Parliament and the Prime Minister, an opinion on the throne is rather ceremonial.

If one lives in Thailand, the King is loved and adored without question.

If one lives in the Arab states like Jordan, Saudi Arabia or Syria, then the King has much more authority and is generally feared.

In our government a President serves no longer than 8 years and his authority is held in check by the legislative and judicial branches.

Even this power is subject to impeachment if certain conditions are met.

In biblical times, however, there was no understanding of what we mean today by “constitutional monarch.”

If you are a king, you reign!

That is what kings do.

You have the authority.

The fact of the matter is that God is often presented in Scripture as the king.

Even the great king Nebuchadnezzar confessed:

This is another way of saying that his sovereignty covers absolutely every domain.[i]

God’s intent spelled out before any of the plagues or the Exodus from Egypt was that

During the time after Joshua led the conquest of the Land, God provided Judges from time to time to help the people figure out what it meant to be the people of God.

The downward spirals in the book of Judges are so appalling that in the last two or three chapters it is really difficult to read them in public because they are so grotesque and barbaric.

As the book progresses, you begin to hear a sad, repeated refrain: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25).

This is the way the book ends: bloody mayhem.[ii]

Transition: The condition at the end of Judges is not sustainable, something needs to change!

God’s desire is that the people would repent of their arrogance and submit to Him, but they cry...

Give Us a King!

The People’s Choice - Saul (1 Samuel)

1.

The people want to be like the neighboring countries.

2. God offers Saul and the people are pleased because of his appearance and stature.

3. Quickly he becomes corrupt, paranoid, fearful and brutal as evidenced by his contempt for the priesthood and wrath towards David.

One of the most known Bible stories is recorded in 1 Sam 17 about a battle with a man named Goliath.

Most people believe that this story is all about how to gain victory over obstacles in your life.

But the point of the David & Goliath story is given in the last paragraph of 1 Sam 16 which begins with:

Transition: Everything that happens in 1 Sam 17-31 is the story of a man who held the title, but had lost the power because He turned his back on God.

God’s Choice - David (2 Samuel)

· But God says, “Now let me show you, at least in principle, what a good king would be like.

Here is a man after my own heart.”

Initially David turns out to be a very good king and able administrator.

He secures the frontier; he unites the tribes; moves his capital from the little town of Hebron to Jerusalem; and brings a measure of order, peace, and prosperity that causes modern Israelis to still call David their greatest king.

(see 1 Samuel 16; 2 Samuel 1–5).

Palaces, Temples and Dynasties (2 Samuel 7)

· Verses 1-2 seem to be a reasonable conclusion for a blessed King who wants to honor the God who has given Him success.

· It is about 1000 B.C. and the Tabernacle that I described last week is about 400 years old.

You can imagine the condition of a tent that has been taken down, moved and set back up for 400 years—even under the most meticulous conditions.

· David compares his cedar paneled palace and the tabernacle covered in skins and concludes, “we can do better than this!”

2 Sam 7:3-29

A King Restrained (vv.1-11)

1. God alone determines the turning points of the Plot.

a. God chose Noah, He could have chosen anyone a generation earlier or later.

b.

God chose Abraham, when he could have chosen anyone.

c.

God chose Moses, but He could have chosen another.

d.

God would not bow to David’s initiative.

God would initiate with David’s son.

A Dynasty Established (vv.11-17)

1. God is more interested in people than buildings.

When David says “I will build you a house” God says I will establish your household.”

(v.11c)

a. God reminds David of who he was before God chose him—a shepherd boy.

2. David is aware that Saul started well but Saul’s son never saw the throne.

(v.14)

Every parent is aware that doing everything right is no guarantee that our children will follow hard after God.

a. David knows that he is responsible for his own heart (and there will be good and bad choices made by David).

b.

David will have good and bad sons, but God promises that at least 1 son will be preserved in each generation.

Until 1 special descendent will be the point of blessing for all of humanity in all places at all times.

c.

Every parent is aware that doing everything right is no guarantee that our children will follow hard after God.

d.

Father/Son (v.14) is more than DNA.

In the ancient world identity and trade were passed down via family, not college or trade school diplomas.

Most of us are familiar with the expression, “The nut doesn’t fall far from the family tree.”

We all know examples of a child who doesn’t replicate the family values.

The Bible even gives the parable of a loving Father with 2 sons who chose very different paths.

But generally, in ancient times, a son would learn lifeskills and a trade from His father; and a daughter would learn skills from her mother.

If your father was a fisherman, most likely your would also fish.

If your father was a priest, you would work in the temple.

If your father was a carpenter, you would work with wood and stone.

i. God is saying “I will be the example/mentor and he will be my apprentice.”

ii.

Jesus says that peacemakers are sons of God in Matt 5:9

iii.

Jesus says in John 8:23, “You are from below, I am from above.”

Jesus is not talking about genetics, He is talking about replication and behavior.

This is what God is referring to in 2 Sam 7:14 – I will be the example, and you will learn by imitating me.

3. Established forever (v.16)

a.

Such a promise could be fulfilled in only two ways.

One is for every generation to produce a new Davidic heir so that the throne is passed to the next heir and the next heir and the next heir and the next heir, world without end.

That’s one way this promise could be fulfilled.

The only other possible way is not even mentioned here.

In theory, however, if you could eventually have an heir in the Davidic line who himself lives forever, the promise could be fulfilled that way.[iii]

b.

This is what happens when Jesus is born on earth as a descendent of David.

c.

This prophecy is restated some 250 years later in Isaiah 9 in a passage that appears on Christmas Cards and is the basis for a great part of Handel’s Messiah.

A Monarch is Humbled (vv.18-27)

The chapter starts with a king with great initiative and ends with a king in great humility.

Transition: This chapter speaks of promises to one King that will be fulfilled by a future King.

From King David to King Jesus

Decline

1. 2 generations after David, his grandsons Rehoboam and Jeroboam) divided the kingdom into the Northern tribes of Israel and the Southern tribes of Judah.