When we are touring around Israel in recent trips, my friend and tour guide, Nir likes to say “It’s Good to be King” when he explains certain periods of history and how the monarch availed himself of certain privileges. It’s reference to Monty Python movies of old. Several decades ago, Tom Petty sang “It’s Good to be King.” I think you’ll find the 3rd verse amusing:
It's good to be king and have your own world
It helps to make friends, it's good to meet girls
A sweet little queen who can't run away
It's good to be king, whatever it pays
Evidently not everyone agrees with this because the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are doing everything possible to rid themselves of their royal duties. Harry and Meghan don’t like the attention that belongs to England’s Royal Family so they are escaping to Canada. Or, perhaps they like even more attention so they are creating this “dust-up” of a news story. You can make up your mind on the matter but it does look like they have the Queen’s support.
We are entering the period of Israel’s united monarchy and we are turn our attention to three early monarchs: King Saul, King David, and King Solomon. This is the time when Israel is ruled by a king and all the nation is together as one. Prior to the monarchy, Israel is a twelve-tribe confederacy ruled by various judges. By the end of Solomon’s reign, the nation is likely the strongest nation in that part of the globe, or at least that region.
There are four major characters to this time period in Israel’s history: the prophet and judge Samuel, King Saul, King David, and King Solomon. I’ll not devote a great deal of attention on Samuel this evening but you should know he’s really important. Many years after Samuel dies, the Lord tells Jeremiah even if Moses or Samuel pled for the Israel during this time, God would not be moved to pit (Jeremiah 15:1). Note that Samuel’s name is alongside Moses’ name and you catch how important this man is. Let’s look at the first three kings of Israel.
1. King Saul
Saul is the first king in Israel’s history and his story fills most of 1 Samuel 9-31. Born of a wealthy father, Saul’s strengths and weakness stand out as your read his life’s story in the pages of Scripture. Saul was tall and handsome – he would stand out in a crowd because his head was above everyone else’s (1 Samuel 10:23).
1.1 Saul’s Rise to Power
Saul’s rise to power comes in stages (1 Samuel 9-13). If you remember, he was chosen by God Himself (1 Samuel 9:15-17). The prophet and last judge of Israel, Samuel meets Saul while the young Saul is out tracking down some stay donkeys of his father’s livestock. Saul stops by to see Samuel to see if the priest can direct him to where the lost donkeys are and God reveals to Samuel that he’s looking at Israel’s future king. He is secretly anointed king by Samuel (1 Samuel 10:1). Later when they choose the king of Israel in a public ceremony by lots, the Bible says Saul hides himself among the baggage (1 Samuel 10:22b).
But not everyone is on board in the first few days of Saul’s reign: “But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?’ And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace” (1 Samuel 10:27).
1.2 Saul at Jabesh-gilead
Everyone is skeptical about the young king until he proves his worth against the Ammonites at Jabesh-gilead as recorded in 1 Samuel 11:1: “Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, ‘Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.’ 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, ‘On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.’ 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, ‘Give us seven days’ respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you’ (1 Samuel 11:1-3).
The king of the Ammonites was a man named, Nahash, who’s name meant “snake.” Like Adam before him, would the young king be able to crush the head of this snake? You also need to know that his first test came to an important town for his tribe. Saul is from the tribe of Benjamin and the town of Jabesh-gilead is crucial for this tribe. The Bible tells us that Saul came from the least of all the tribes of Israel. The reason they were the least significant tribe was because of what happened in Jabesh-gilead years before. You’ll find the story in the last chapter of the book of Judges and I will not go into detail here. Only to say, the tribe of Benjamin was nearly wiped out by the other 11 tribes of Israel except they left 400 young virgins were left to propagate the tribe’s future generations. It’s perhaps THE most gruesome stories of all the Bible (Judges 21:8-12). You can read it for yourself Again, all this happened at Jabesh-gilead and now Saul’s first real test as the young king is at the very same city. Now, when the snake-king of the Ammonites shows up to threaten one of his tribe’s home-towns, Saul rushed into action. The Spirit of the Lord descends on Saul (1 Samuel 11:6), and he takes an ox and cuts up an ox and sends out the pieces to the various parts of Israel. Getting an “ox part” in the mail was the bugle call of the day, evidently. Plus, Saul sent the animal parts with this threatening message: “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen” (1 Samuel 11:7b)! Saul assembles 333,000 men in his army who launch a surprise attack on the Ammonites. After the battle, Saul gives credit to God for the victory.
It’s interesting to note that Samuel the prophet seizes the opportunity to reconfirm Saul’s kingship: “Then Samuel said to the people, ‘Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.’ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly” (1 Samuel 11:14-15).
The brilliant and decisive defeat of the Ammonites convinced everyone that Saul indeed was the right choice for king. Samuel’s role as judge is gone and he will fade to background of the story. But keep an eye out for Samuel to appear again because every time he shows up in the story up, it’s because Saul is in trouble. Now, Saul’s reign wouldn’t have had the regal nature that David’s or Solomon’s reign would have after him. His throne and his regal home would have been more Cracker Barrel than Windsor Castle.
This reminds me of accounts from Lincoln’s days at the White House when there was an open door policy. There was no security to shield him during these days and it’s said that people climbed through windows to see the President. They camped outside his door and could be found on every stairway and corridor. In fact, the white house was so accessible during the summer of Gettysburg that Lincoln entertained Fredrick Douglass, the former slave. Douglass was about to introduce himself when Lincoln cut him off saying something to the effect, “Mr. Douglass, I know you. I have read about you,” he said. “Sit down. I am glad to see you.” Douglass later recalled how he was amazed at Lincoln’s candor and his speaking to a black man as an equal. The two men discussed the possibility of black soldiers during the Civil War. Now, that kind of access to the White House is unheard of today and I think Saul’s reign is seen in similar vein. He was introducing the nation to royalty that would reach its heights under David and Solomon.
1.3 Saul at Gilgal
You have understand a crucial aspect about Saul that happens at a little place called Gilgal. The reason we celebrate Christmas in the “City of David” and not the “City of Saul” is because of the battle here at Gilgal. Saul was probably between 30 and 40 years of ag at the time he was anointed king. Saul gathers his troops at Gilgal before the battle ensues and it’s there he waits seven days for Samuel to appear. Like waiting on a preacher to marry you when he’s late! Each day more of his troops were deserting until he was around just 600 mean (1 Samuel 14:2). Saul and his troops were very much at risk with the largest recorded Philistine army camped less than two miles away and all hope of assistance from the northern tribes being denied them. Plus, the Philistines had metal weapons when Israel’s weapons were made of wood and stone.
Tired of waiting, Saul officiates at the sacrifice which would have the priests’ sole responsibility. Just as Saul finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel appears. Remember when I said that every time Samuel shows up it means that Saul’s in trouble? Saul goes out to greet Samuel as though nothing were wrong. Saul says in effect, “I waited as long as I could but you weren’t here but the enemy was coming. I wanted to worship the Lord before the battle commenced.” Samuel says to him, “You’ve played the part of a fool today because you didn’t obey the Lord. Had you obeyed the Lord then ‘the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue’” (1 Samuel 13:13b-14a).
Most of us sympathize with Saul here and we might have done the very same thing. With everything confronting him, it’s easy to put the Lord’s command aside about priests conducting worship aside and focus on the enemy. Saul wins the battle because his son, Jonathan attacks and kills 20 Philistines which send the enemy into a panic (1 Samuel 14:13-15). Saul easily routs the enemy but something really significant has happened – God is on the hunt of the future and permeant king of Israel.
1.4 Saul and Sheep
Saul’s demise is sure when he refuses to devote everything that belonged to the Amalekites to destruction (1 Samuel 15). Instead of obeying God, Saul thought it best to save some of the sheep and cattle from destruction and use them as an offering to Yahweh. The prophet Samuel shows up asking ironically, “Why do I hear sheep?” Saul was commanded by God to complete destroy everyone known as the Amalekites: “Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” (1 Samuel 15:3). This was God’s prediction all the way back in Exodus 17:15 that this evil people would one day be wiped out. Years go by and the dreaded assignment falls on King Saul. This kind of warfare, called herem, was practiced only against peoples who had come under the Lord’s severest judgment. The soldiers were not to profit from their assignment through the acquisition of slaves or booty. Saul doesn’t do this but instead he keeps back portions of the winnings against God’s desire. God didn’t want Saul to profit in the least bit from the Amalekites’ injustice. You don’t keep the wealth of the German people after their slaughter of millions of people in the middle 1940s. You don’t profit from their gold. God’s command was an act of justice against a wicked people. God doesn’t want his people to use force to profit from others. Instead, Saul became the Amalekites. He even saved King Agag, the Amalekite. This is known as selective obedience.
Now, it’s right here that your Bible says God was grieved that He made Saul king (1 Samuel 15:10). The only other time we read that God is grieved by is when He sees the wicked actions of people just before the flood in Noah’s day (Genesis 6:7). At times, God’s will includes something He plan (decrees) but He does not desire. Now is one of those times with Saul. God can see the future from the beginning and He knew the “selective obedience” of Saul before Saul ever sat in the throne chair. Saul’s disobedience didn’t catch God by surprise and God doesn’t change His mind (contra the KJV). Instead, God commanded that Saul to be king even though eventually we understand that God’s command for Saul to be king was not His desire.
Have I confused everyone yet? Again, God commanded that Saul to be king even though eventually we understand that God’s command for Saul was not His desire, or His wishes. God has a greater purpose in mind and God felt it necessary to walk through the whole Saul episode.
1.5 Saul’s Self Deception
Back to our story…
Samuel seeks to find Saul to tell him he’s wrong but Samuel cannot find Saul because he’s away at Gilgal (of all places) setting up a monument to himself (1 Samuel 15:12)! An argument ensues between king and prophet where Saul says he has completely obeyed God. Samuel says, “I can’t hear you because of the sound of the sheep you were supposed to destroy.” It’s here that some of you may know of the famous words of Samuel: “…to obey is better than sacrifice…” (1 Samuel 15:22b). Saul was deceiving himself.
Notice in verse nineteen: Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” (1 Samuel 15:19)
Saul responds: “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.” (1 Samuel 15:20)
The human heart has almost unlimited capacity to hide the truth from itself if it is too painful. Self-deception is the ability to justify things you know are not right. It’s to know something and yet to smother your conscience. It’s the parents who take their children from school to school and everywhere they go, the teachers tell them, “Your child is a bully.” And at stop along the way, the father says to the principal, “My child is fine. It’s the other kids.” Yet at home, the father works to protect his other children from this child.
At the conclusion of WW II, General George Patton visited Ohrdruf, a concentration camp in Germany. There, blood and guys George Patton, was confronted with first hand experience of the Nazi’s atrocities. He vomited when seeing 2,000 bodies partially incinerated in the ovens. The next day, Patton had questioned the remaining prisoners, he made the town’s people come out to bury the bodies. Every night, Patton learned, that the prisoners would go into town and drink and brag. The town’s people must have known. Patton made the town’s people bury the bodies including the mayor and his wife. They spent the whole day digging individual graves That very night, the mayor and his wife both committed suicide. They hung themselves. And they left a note. This is what was on the note, “We didn’t know, but we knew.”
1.6 Conclusion on Saul
“As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, ‘The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret’” (1 Samuel 15:27-29).
Saul is finished. Late in his life, Saul transforms into a tragic person. Modern people read Saul’s story and wonder if he had a mental illness such as manic depression. The Bible simply says, the Spirit of God had left Saul and he had an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16:14). Because he took the role of priest and disobeyed Samuel’s instructions to destroy all Amalekites and their livestock, God rejected Saul as king. Saul’s old enemy, the Philistines actually kill both Saul and his son, Jonathan in battle (1 Samuel 31:8-9) For some of you who have been to Israel, we stop at the site called Beth-shan, which is the very place where Saul’s decapitated body was hung. The men of Jabesh, whom Saul had rescued from defeat and death many years earlier, came to Beth-shan, and at great personal risk removed the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall. Saul’s armor was placed here on the altar of the pagan god Ashtoreth and Saul’s head was placed in the Temple of Dagon.
Saul faced several challenges in his time as king. First, he surrounded on all four sides by enemies who wanted his land. Second, he had inadequate weapons (for Philistines controlled the supply of iron) and he had no large standing army. For much of his time, he did not have the wholehearted support of all the Israelites Josephus states that Saul reigned eighteen years before Samuel’s death, and twenty-two years afterward, a total of forty years. Saul may have been Israel’s first king but he was not Israel’s greatest king.
Question to Consider
1. Have you been guilty of selective obedience like Saul? Do you select certain parts of the law to obey while discarding other parts?
2. How long would you have waited on Samuel, the priest when the battle needed to be fought?
3. Do you struggle with God’s actions with Saul? Do you think God is unfair to Saul?
1. King Saul
2. King David
No study of the royal line of Israel is complete without looking at the template of all kings before and after him, King David. David lives approximately 1,000 years before Jesus or about 3,000 years ago. Now, there’s more information about David than any other figure in the Old Testament. Whenever you read the gospels, Jesus is seldom called the Son of Moses or the Son of Abraham. Instead, Jesus is called over and over again, the Son of David.
When David was at his best, we see a glimpse of the heart of Jesus, our true king. David finds unique favor in God’s eyes as He is the greatest king of Israel. David, Saul’s successor, committed major sins — adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11–12), but David was not rejected by God. It’s difficult to exaggerate the importance of David. For example, the whole book of Ruth was likely included because we find out at the end of the story, how David’s ancestors were saved through a famine. Again, it’s difficult to exaggerate the importance of David.
2.1 Humble Origins
We learn that David is a shepherd from Bethlehem before God selects him to be Israel’s second king. Let me just list some highlights in David’s early life: He tended to his father’s flocks near Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16:11). He was anointed by Samuel as Saul’s eventual replacement just as Saul was before him (1 Samuel 16:12–13). He served at Saul’s court playing the harp and caring for Saul’s military equipment (1 Samuel 16:17–23). He would win the respect from Jonathan and the nation, but suspicion and jealousy from Saul (1 Samuel 18:1–16). He would marry Saul’s daughter before marrying other women (1 Samuel 18:17). He fled, gathered a private army, and then he spared Saul (1 Samuel 19–27).
2.2 David and Saul
Now the jealousy of Saul was hotly enflamed whenever David’s name was mentioned. Saul’s jealous was stoked when he overheard the popular song in Israel of the day: “And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7). There are stories of David, who is known as “the sweet singer of Israel,” playing his harp to soothe King Saul’s fits of rage. Yet, Saul takes a spear and flings it at the young David. And sometime later, Saul chases David for years in an effort to kill him. To escape the vengeful Saul, David has to leave the nation of Israel and join with the enemies of Israel in order to save his life from Saul. So there’s a great deal of animosity built up in the relationship between David and Saul. He ruled Judah first, and then later, he would rule all Israel after Saul’s death (1 Samuel 31:2–5).
2.3 David and Mephibosheth
Mephibosheth is the son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul. It is important for you should also know that Mephibosheth is crippled: “Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth” (2 Samuel 4:4).
2.3.1 David and Jonathan
David will show Mephibosheth's incredible kindness but to understand his kindness, you need to trace the backstory of the back-story between Jonathan and David. A few chapters earlier to 1 Samuel 18 for the back-story: “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 5 And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants” (1 Samuel 18:1-5). Now, their friendship blossomed despite Jonathan’s father’s (Saul) extreme jealousy of David. The course of their friendship is really the same timeframe as Saul’s murderous threats against David’s life. So all through the relationship between the two men, Jonathan is caught on the horns of a dilemma. Should he side with his dad, Saul, who everyone could see was in the wrong? Or should he side with his friend, David?
Do you know when Jonathan stripped himself of his rob and sword, he was giving up his throne? Remember, Jonathan was supposed to be king. The friendship of Jonathan and David happened even though Jonathan would have been naturally next in line to be king.
2.3.2 David Meets Mephibosheth
Now that you know something about David and Jonathan, let’s return to our story of Mephibosheth. David learned about Mephibosheth’s existence and found him in the town called “Lo-debar.” The name “Lo-debar” is significant for it literally means “no pasture.” It’s a no-nothing place. So here was a man who was the grandson to the first king of Israel and he had lost everything. If Mephibosheth were to ask his nurse, why are we out here in “Lo-debar”? She would say, “Because of your enemy, King David. If David ever finds you, he's going to kill you.” Why am I crippled? “You’re crippled because of King David. You were fleeing from David when the accident happened.. And you’d better hope that David never catches you. You’d better hope that David never finds out where you are.” So here Mephibosheth is eating dust, drinking dust, and living in poverty when he gets a call from David.
Now capture the scene. Mephibosheth knows that his cover is blown because David has asked for him. He sees the king’s entourage arrive out in front of his hideaway. There are the king’s horses, the king’s guards. He says, “Oh no, they’ve found me, they’ve found me!” They throw open the door. “Mephibosheth?!” “Yes,” he replies. “Come, Mephibosheth, David wants you.” And they pick him up and drag him along. They put him in the carriage, they carry him there to the royal palace.
Mephibosheth comes there to the palace, before the very throne of David, where he falls on his face. Can you see him there? He’s quivering, trembling like a bird in a trap. And he’s saying in his heart, “David, go ahead, let the ax fall on me. Get it over with, David. Go ahead and do it. I’ve been told that you hate me, I've been told that you want to kill me.” But he’s not prepared for what David says next.
2.3.3 An Ancient Custom
In ancient times, when a new regime or dynasty came to power, the prevailing practice was to kill every one of the former king’s family (1 Kings 15, 16; 2 Kings 10). In order for the new king to solidify his position, he killed every living family member known of the previous king. Everybody knew it and everybody practiced it. In order for David to really secure his throne, it was necessary for him to hunt down every direct descendant of Saul and kill all of them.
Imagine listening to this story for the first time. You are just waiting for that ax to fall on Mephibosheth but then you realize, David was not seeking the descendants of Jonathan to secure his thrown or to extinguish Saul’s bloodline, but to show them kindness? Instead of killing Mephibosheth, he invites him into his family. David restores the servants to work that land and bring him the produce and profits: Mephibosheth moves from exiled and crippled to possessing numerous servants. But more importantly: David invites him to dine at his table like one of his children. Now the king’s table will cover his crippled feet.
2.3.4 God’s Character
I want you to see the relationship between David’s actions and God’s character. The whole story I just told you about Mephibosheth begins with David asking this question: “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake” (2 Samuel 9:1)? The word for “kindness” is the Hebrew word “chesed.” This is a challenging word to translate for it means much more than kindness. The word “chesed” is also the word that the Bible uses to remind us of God’s covenant love.
A few moments ago, I told you that Jesus is seldom called the Son of Moses or the Son of Abraham. Instead, Jesus is called over and over again, the Son of David. David’s kindness is here to tell us about God’s rich kindness in at least 2 ways.
2.3.4.1 David Searches/God Searches
Just as David searched for someone in Saul’s family to show incredible kindness, God searches for you to demonstrate His incredible kindness. And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him” (2 Samuel 9:3)? God searches for you just as David searched for Mephibosheth.
2.3.4.2 David Remembers/God Remembers
But God is like David in at least one other way. Just as David showed “chesed” because of his promise to Jonathan, God showed “chesed” because of His promise to King David.
2.4 David’s Lasting Significance
2 Samuel 7 is one of the most important chapters in your Bible. In fact, it is arguably the one chapter that plays the single most significant role of any Old Testament passage in shaping the early church’s understanding of Jesus. How did the first disciples know Jesus was the Son of God?
“Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption” (Acts 2:30–31).
Unless you understand David and his family, you will not understand Christmas.
“Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 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” (2 Samuel 7:8–16).
2.4.1 House
David had built himself a beautiful home to live after many years of military campaigns. It’s then he realizes that he lives in luxury in a palace while the Ark of the Covenant is sitting in a tent. How could David live in such luxury while God lives in a ratty tent? So, King David wants to build a house for God and he brings his idea to Nathan, the prophet. I love David’s heart here, don’t you?
At first, Nathan says, “Greenlight ahead. All systems go!” Nathan is like a lot of us ministers. If some wealthy person comes and says to the minister, “I want to make a huge donation to the ministry,” what do we say? “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.” But then Nathan goes to bed and it’s there God speaks to Nathan who in turn is to speak to the king. That very night, God came to Nathan & said, “No. I don’t want David to build me a house” (2 Samuel 7:4-5).
While, King David wants to build a house for God; God says in effect, “No, but I will build a house for you.” God’s alternative plan of building the house of David is the reason we celebrate Christmas. 2 Samuel 7 is a key chapter in the overall plotline of the Bible. The significance of this chapter lies in the promise God makes to David. God promises to build a house and this promise is called the Davidic Covenant, or David’s Covenant.
You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’” (Psalm 89:3-4).
A covenant is God’s self-written job description that says it is His responsibility to withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly.
2.4.2 Seven Steps of Promise
2 Samuel 7:9-16 offers us seven steps of promises that develop as God continues to make promises. These seven aspects of this magnificent Christmas promise/prediction will act as identity markers for THE coming King. Follow along in your Bibles.
1. “I will make for you a great name” (2 Samuel 7:9b).
2. “I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more” (2 Samuel 7:10a).
3. “violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 … And I will give you rest from all your enemies” (2 Samuel 7:10b, 11b).
4. I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom” (2 Samuel 7:12b).
5. “Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.” 13 “He shall build a house for my name” (2 Samuel 7:11b, 13a).
6. “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son” (2 Samuel 7:14).
7. “and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever’” (2 Samuel 7:13, 16b).
2.4.3 Two Ways to Fulfill the Promise
Now, this promise could be fulfilled in probably only two ways. One is for every generation to produce a new Davidic heir so that the throne is passed to the next heir & the next heir & the next heir & the next heir, world without end. A quick read of the kings who came after David, and in David’s lineage, shows they failed miserably. By 587 BC, the nation of Israel is no longer a nation. There is no king from David’s family on the throne just 400 years after God’s promise. That’s one way this promise could be fulfilled. But there’s another way to read this promise. You could eventually have an heir inside the Davidic line who lives forever. The kingdom could never be secure in the hands of a sinner.
There’s a moving spotlight in the Old Testament that is searching for the True King. You see a longing for a better ruler over the people of Israel until it ripens for the search for the Perfect Ruler. A succession of imperfect kings could never fulfill this promise. If God were true to His word, if He stuck by his job description in 2 Samuel 7, He would raise up a righteous, obedient son of David to take the throne. Now, the house God promises is not a house build with walls and a roof; instead, this house is a dynasty. Rather than David building a great house for God, God promises to build a house of David & for David.
2.4.4 David’s Prayer
Nathan has left David and it’s then that’s when David begins to pray: Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (2 Samuel 7:18–22).
Oh, I wish I had the time to fully develop all of this prayer. David’s prayer is one of the sweetest prayers you’ll see in all of Scripture. David is so overwhelmed by all he has heard – an avalanche of promises. He goes and sits before the very presence of the Lord. David gives a template of how to worship.
2.4.5 John Newton and 2 Samuel 7:17
In fact, John Newton writes the words to Amazing Grace when he discovers and reflects on David’s words: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” (2 Samuel 7:17b).
Do you know how hard a man has to be to capture a son away from his father or mother? This was the slave trader, John Newton.
Amazing Grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
But the grace of God changed him. Newton discovered the secret to a great Christmas. It is an all-powerful God & all-wise God is working for the best outcome for your life.
Question to Consider
1. How did the first disciples know Jesus was the Son of God?
2. How does knowing the Scripture behind the writing of Amazing Grace help you sing this song?
1. King Saul
2. King David
3. King Solomon
Solomon is the third king of Israel and the son of David and Bathsheba. He probably begins reigning around 960 BC.
3.1 Solomon’s Rise to Power
Solomon is introduced briefly in the list of David’s children in 2 Samuel 5:14 before his birth account is found in 2 Samuel 12:24–25. His accession to the throne is recounted in 1 Kings 1, with his reign occurring in 1 Kings 2–11. You will also find a parallel account is found in 2 Chronicles 1–9.
Solomon’s main rival for the throne was Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith (remember he has more than one wife). As Adonijah was David’s oldest surviving son, he was the natural successor. When Adonijah held a banquet to declare his kingship, he did not invite those who did not support him—including Nathan, David’s court prophet (1 Kings 1:9–10). Nathan asked Bathsheba to remind David that he had promised the throne to Solomon. Earlier in time and in a speech recorded in 1 Chronicles 28–29, David recounts his plans for Solomon to assume the throne to the “officials of Israel” (1 Chronicle 28:1). He claims that Solomon has been “chosen” by God (1 Chronicles 28:5; 29:1). Now, Nathan and Bathsheba convince David to give his blessing to Solomon’s kingship and remind the near-dead king of his earlier intentions (1 Kings 1:30). The story of Solomon’s accession ends with a “bloodbath,” during which Solomon has Adonijah executed.
3.2 Solomon’s Wisdom
Solomon is remembered most for his wisdom, his building program, and his wealth generated through trade and administrative reorganization. Most of us who know anything about Solomon remember how God tells Solomon to ask for whatever he desires and the Lord will give it to Solomon.
And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” 11 God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like” (2 Chronicles 1:8-12).
Solomon’s reputation for wisdom and fair judgment quickly spread throughout Israel. Solomon was remembered as having 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs in his repertoire (1 Kings 4:32). So, it is not surprising that Proverbs and Song of Songs are attributed to Solomon (Proverbs 1:1; Song of Songs 1:1). There’s one telling story that really highlights his wisdom:
Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18 Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house. 19 And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. 20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.” 22 But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king.
23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’ ” 24 And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” 27 Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice” (1 Kings 3:16-28).
During his reign, Israel experiences profound peace Israel and real economic progress (1 Kings 4:20, 25). Solomon divided the country into administrative districts that did not correspond to the old tribal boundaries (1 Kings 4:7–19) and had the districts provide provisions for the central government. This system, combined with control of vital north/south trade routes between the Red Sea and what was later known as Asia Minor, made it possible for Solomon to accumulate vast wealth. One of Solomon’s earliest building attempts was to construct the temple. David had it on his heart to build the temple, but this task was left to Solomon, the man of peace. Hiram, king of Tyre, provided cedar trees from Mt Lebanon for the temple (1 Kings 5:1–12), and in return, he was given an appropriate amount of food. In order to provide the necessary labor for these building projects, the Canaanites became slaves (1 Kings 9:20, 21). Israelis likewise were compelled to work in groups of 10,000 on every third month (1 Kings 5:13–18; 2 Chronicles 2:17, 18). The workers for the temple alone comprised 80,000 stone cutters, 70,000 common laborers, and 3600 foremen. It took seven years to finish the temple, which by modern comparison was a rather small building: 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Nevertheless, the gold covering for both walls and furniture made it quite expensive.
In the eleventh year of Solomon’s reign, the dedication of the temple was celebrated in a great convocation (1 Kings 6:38). The presence of the Lord filled the temple, and Solomon then offered his great dedicatory prayer (1 Kings 8:23–53), marking it as one of the great peaks of his devotion to the Lord.
Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. 55 And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56 “Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 57 The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, 58 that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. 59 Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. 61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day” (1 Kings 8:54-61).
Afterward, he offered up 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep, as well as other offerings (1 Kings 8:62–66), and the people were full of joy because David had so great a successor.
3.3 Solomon’s Marriages
Solomon’s reign began with his marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter and an alliance with Egypt (1 Kings 3:1). This act foreshadows the difficulties with foreign wives that will be a major problem for Solomon’s era.
“Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods” (1 Kings 11:1-8).
Question to Consider
1. How do you reconcile Solomon’s purported wisdom and his marrying so many women?
2. Why do you think Solomon failed to see where and how he got so off track?
