Sermon Tone Analysis

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