Men's Bible Study: August 16, 2022

Introduction

Why study scripture? Particularly the hard parts and the distant history? NT Wright, Drama of Scripture

Act 1: God Establishes His Kingdom: Creation

Act 2: Rebellion in the Kingdom: Fall

Act 3: The King Chooses Israel: Redemption Initiated

Scene 1: A People for the King

Scene 2: A Land for His People

Act 4: The Coming of the King: Redemption Accomplished

Act 5: Spreading the News of the King: The Mission of the Church

Scene 1: From Jerusalem to Rome

Scene 2: And into All the World

Act 6: The Return of the King: Redemption Completed

Introduction

Read 2 Samuel 7

Background of Samuel

So Daniel assigned for me to preach on 20 percent of the bible this week.....

Let’s get caught up! Have you been reading? By know you have moved from the Garden all the way into the promised land. It is a part of this messy rescue of redemption.

Show picture.

Noah: 1 man

Abraham: 1 family

Moses: one nation

David: kingdom

The Church, through Christ: All people

Expanding restoration through covenants.

This is the story about the people of God becoming the people and the kingdom of Israel.

They wander in the desert learning what it means to trust Yahweh. Moses brings them to the cusp of the land that was promised to them. Joshua is the one who will lead them into the land driving out the enemies of God’s people.

Joshua is a book of conquest and then a book of accounting.

Judges is a train wreck. They are in the promised land but the people are a conglomerate of tribes. The only time they share anything in common is in worship of Yahweh at the Temple and when they need to defend themselves. They fight and bicker. the overtime move away from God’s covenant. forgetting their history, ceasing to listen, and not obeying. After a while they suffer, call out to God and then God rescues.

Picture of cycle.

12 judges. By the end, the last chapters zoom in for a close illustration of just how bad things can be.

Judges is making the case for a king.

Next you have Ruth, little off shoot story. An OT narrative of redemption.

Then the time of the Kings. 1 and 2nd Samuel tells the stories of Samuel the priest, Saul, David, and Solomon.

Saul: Bad

David: Best (but broken as well)

Solomon: Great until he wasnt

All of the rest of the kings with few exception and bad.

Summary:

Story of Kings: They want a King like the other nations…they think they need a king to lead and protect.

God was always supposed to be that.

God gives them a king of their choice, Saul.

Doesent work.

God choses..... David. He is the great King that is promised and God promises to bless the nation through his leadership and his dynasty/family line (See matthew Genealogy)

Now, Solomon gets to build the Temple and that he does. David wanted to, but in 2nd Samuel 7, God puts the smack down because David gets a little arrogant thinking he is the one that dictates the presence of God with the people.

The structure of Samuel is around 4 main characters and the changing of Kingship throughout 3 individuals. The prophet Samuel is a pivotal piece of the story as he takes on this role in the failures of Eli’s sons. The story at the beginning of Samuel picks up largely where the book of Judges leaves off. Everything is a mess even in the priestly line. Israel wants a king and they make it clear time and time again. Eventually they get their king, Yahweh honors their wishes and gives them Saul. He is with Saul and blesses this kingship until Saul turns away from God. God in turn abandons Saul, so to speak. So now Yahweh through the prophet Samuel turns to the new king. In the descent of Samuel, there is the ascent of David the anointed one. Until finally David’s kingship overtakes that of Saul’s. Even Saul’s children are in David’s corner. Parts of the Saul fall from grace is harsh at times and we dont have all the details, and then other parts Saul is a hot mess. Then we have David’s continue rise and eventually his rule under the curse from the Bathsheba episode. Even in his failures God sticks it out with David and promises to stick with his household. Then Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba. What is interesting is even in David’s curse Solomon is spared while the other sons go nuts. Solomon’s reign is a topic of 1 Kings...

If you were to give a summary of the historical books....what would be your short description?

Main theme: Election:

The book of Samuel works to legitimize several of Israel’s core institutions by asserting that God elected or chose them. For example, it recounts the priest Eli’s lack of perception (1 Samuel 1:12-14), the wickedness of his sons (2:12-17, 22-25), and the prediction of an anonymous prophet (2:27-36). These passages work together to legitimize Solomon’s later rejection of the family of Eli and his choice of the family of Zadok (1 Kings 2:27, 35) to serve as Jerusalem’s priests. The behavior of the ark indicates that God has chosen Jerusalem as the site of the chief sanctuary, not Shiloh (2 Samuel 6:1-15). Moreover, God chose David and his line as the true kings, not Saul and his descendants (6:21, 7:8). God’s hidden involvement in the succession to David’s throne indicates that God specially elected the royal line of Judah. The story of David’s successful altar on the threshing floor outside Jerusalem Temple (24:18-25). These divine acts of election attest that, although Israel may undergo radical changes and reversals, God’s selection of them as a people holds firm (1 Samuel 7:23-24; 2 Samuel 24:16).

(The Historical Books by Richard Nelson, p. 128. My book. )

This includes.....

election of priestly line

election of kingship

election of Jerusalem

establishment of the temple

If I say election again, some of you might accuse me of being a calvinists. The sovereignty of God is on full display here.

Background of immediate context:

Things are a mess and then the death of Saul and Jonathan take place....the loss of Jonathan is hard and the death of Saul should have brought about relief for our hero, David, but the followers of Saul are trying to kill David too. However, by the time we make it to 2 Samuel 7 David is at the height of his political and war campaign defeating any enemies that are attacking him.

Read 2 Samuel 7:1-17

What did you find?

What did you find?

1. Look for themes

2. Can you break it apart into thematic sections?

3. Repetition, comparison, other literary devices?

4. What questions do you have about the passage?

5. Journal a couple of paragraphs....anyone want to share?

Structure: Who Builds the House?

I chose this passage because of easier breaks in the narratives but very clear literary implications in these breaks....Do you see the breaks?

Let me build you a house, God (7:1-3)

God Rebukes David (7:4-17)

God: From the beginning... (7:4-11b)

God: …and Until the End of time (7:11c-17)

Humbled David (7:18-29)

Prayer of Honesty (7:18-27)

Benediction (7:28-29)

Draw chart on board.

Major Divisions:

I found that there is a major division in this segment following verse 3 and verse 17. The opening section acts as an introduction of sort as David shows some motive to want to build God a dwelling place. The next section presents God’s response to David and then the final major section is David’s humbled response. These divisions are fairly obvious breaks and the simplicity plays to the conversation that is happening between God and David. The next breaks within these divisions are not as clear cut but there does seem to be a flow to the argument from God and the response of David.

Literary Structures

A. Contrast

Contrast of what David wants to give/do and the reality of what God has done and will do. The implication is that David wants to do something for God and God spends the rest of the section explaining that He is the major mover.

David:

V. 2: “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

V. 7: “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” While this is God speaking and saying that he has never asked for this, it does imply again what David wants to do for God.

God:

V. 1: “Lord had given him rest from all of his enemies.”

V. 6: “I brought up the people….”

V. 8: “I took you from the pasture…”

V. 9: “I have been with you….”

V. 9: “and have cut off all your enemies from before you…”

V. 9: “and I will make for you a great name…”

V. 10: “and I will appoint a place for my people…”

V. 11: “from the time I appointed judges…”

V. 11: “and I will give you rest from all of your enemies.”

V. 12: “I will raise up your offspring…”

V. 12-13: “and I will establish his kingdom…and I will establish the throne…”

V. 14: “I will be his father…I will chasten him…”

(David responds in humility to all that God has done)

V. 20: “Thou knowest thy servant…”

V. 21: “thou hast wrought all this greatness…”

V. 22: “thou art great…none like thee…”

V. 23: “making himself a name, and doing for them great and terrible things, by driving out…”

V. 24: “didst establish for thyself thy people…and thou didst become their God.”

There is causative movement here that I will argue as we continue.

B. Contrast by recurrence:

There is a repetition of the house and dwelling in the text which leads to a contrast of the house that David is able to build and the house that God will build.

I am not pointing all the verses out here, but a recurrence of house and dwelling. A difference between the house that David will build and God will. What is intended by this comparison? Well think about it…at the heart of this is the temporary house that David will build, though it may be grand and something to see it is temporary....The house that God will build will be something else. and within this is this.....

C. Climax:

There is a movement and a heightening from David’s proposal to build a house for God to dwell in that leads to God responding and eventually a climax when God declares that He intends to build house that will last forever.

V. 2: “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

—>

V. 5: “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?”

—>

V. 11b (climactic statement): “Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.”

V. 13: “He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

Now let’s interpret:

What is the message God is delivering?

Is this a rebuke of David?

Interpretation:

My interpretation of the climactic statement in 11-12

What is the theological significance of this climactic response from God to build the house?

This segment is centered around a dialogue between two major players; God and David, with Nathan only mentioned briefly. Interestingly, the author chooses to insert a break in the action of the book to slow down and highlight an important conversation and a unprecedented rebuke of the hero, David. First, the segment opens with David living content in a luxurious house built of cedar and what appears to be some conviction of the tent that God is “living” in. I think it is up to the interpreter to consider the motive of this conviction from David to understand the significance of God’s forceful response. Then, if it is not clear that God responds aggressively then the reader will begin to understand the weight when looking at the sudden humility from David in his prayer to close the segment. God’s declaration to David causes a complete retraction for previous plans and David prays for God’s will moving forward.

I think it is important to see this segment in the greater context of the book of Samuel and the journey that David has already been on. Previous to this event there is quite a bit of chaos in the narrative. Just a few chapters earlier, David has learned of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. The death of Saul, however, does not stop the fighting as Saul’s followers are still intent on fighting David for some time. God continues to provide for David and deliver his enemies into his hands and then when there is finally a bit of peace in the land, the text shows David in a new home and wanting to build God one too. There are several possibilities, in my opinion, to David’s motive here. Perhaps, David innocently feels guilty for the dichotomy of the tent of God’s dwelling and his new cedar home. It is also interesting that the ark has just been brought to Jerusalem and David is in the height of his political/military campaign. It is almost as if he is trying to “secure” his kingdom by giving God a permanent dwelling place where he is. Consistently this is what you would find in the greater culture of the Ancient Near East—namely, that kings would build a shrine to point to their achievements and their authority moving forward. David’s building of a place for the ark could be just a shrine that points to himself. Furthermore, it could be that God was upset with the motive and not the act of building a place for the ark. So what could David’s motive be?

No matter the intention, it is clear that God feels the need to remind David who is in charge and who is the one that makes things happen. God begins his rebuke with a blunt historic reminder of all He has done up to this point before He ever gets to his own plan. Then, finally he says that it is not David who will build a house that will secure the kingdom, rather it is himself that will establish a kingdom forever. This clearly surpasses the power and weight of David’s small dream.

So, not only is God making it clear that He is the one who establishes the kingdom, but He is also making it clear that there will be a descendent that will build the house that God dwells in and it will not perish. This seems to be a prophetic word of the coming son of David, Jesus, that will come and build the house. This becomes even more clear as God says he will “be my son.” This prophecy is a huge theological marker for the modern audience, but to David and the original audience this is at least a continuation of covenantal promises between Yahweh and His people.

The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Samuel (6) The Lord Makes Eternal Promises to the House of David (7:4–17)

Brueggemann sees it as “the dramatic and theological center of the entire Samuel corpus” and in fact “the most crucial theological statement in the Old Testament.”

This is a theological marker that the NT authors would look immediately back to. Critical prophetic verses like Psalm 110, Daniel 7 and here become these texts that are fully realized in Jesus. This is why so many in NT grab onto Jesus being the son of David. Matthew 1:1 jumps right in there....

Matthew 1:1 NIV

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:

This is a profound statement that would grab the hearts immediately. Other places, of course, go there too: Acts 13:22-23, Rom 1:3, 2 Tim 2:8, Rev. 22:16 just to name a few. This interaction with God, I believe, is what has convinced David that there is another one coming that will do everything promised and inspires Psalm 110… (Yahweh says to adonai). And what is amazing about this prophetic stance is it becomes partially true in Solomon, but fully true in Jesus. Deeper meaning of the text is 1000 years from development. However in its development the words of God to David become less of prophetic vision and concrete.—established throne forever is not just “prayer language” Jesus makes it clear....he really meant an established throne forever. Finally as to this theological markers, these authors took their cue from Jesus himself as he said things like “I will tear down the temple and rebuild it” (Matt 26:61; 27:40; Mark 14:58, talking about an eternal throne, and an imperishable kingdom.

The promise comes in the midst of a chaotic time under the leadership of Saul and a frenzied experience following his death. Now as peace settles God strongly reminds the king who is truly in charge while teaching that the kingdom established now will far outlive David.

Application:

What do we do with this? What does this mean for you and me? How does this make your tomorrow different?

In this book, I want to argue a singular point: the Bible is a form of divine communication meant to lead us more fully into the life of God. Put in theological terms, we might say that through the Bible we receive divine revelation, the purpose of which is soteriological. In other words, the purpose of God’s Word is salvation for the world.

We remember that it is God who builds.