Dynasty of Kings Established the Dynasty of the Kings of Israel Prefigured the Eternal Kingship 3 of Jesus Christ

UNIT 1: Story of the Old Testament

Lesson Dynasty of Kings Established The dynasty of the kings of Israel prefigured the eternal kingship 3 of Jesus Christ. THE LESSON OVERVIEW e will focus on the establishment of the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon. WBy what God establishes through them, Israel becomes a leading nation among nations. We also move from the Mosaic Covenant to the Davidic Covenant, which eventually includes the reign of the Messiah. Therefore, we can study the first kings of Israel and honor Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. We focus on Saul’s meekness; although the term is not used, it is apparent as he takes the throne. David’s backstory as a shepherd in Bethlehem has a bearing on his understanding of the priestly office. Solomon’s devotion to the Name of the Lord God is the bedrock upon which Israel is built.

GOLDEN TEXT: Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

1. SAUL, THE FIRST KING (1 SAM. 8:4-9, 19-22; 9:17; 10:1, 17-25) 1 Samuel 8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 9:17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people. 10:24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.

1 Samuel 8 records a gathering of the elders of Israel before Samuel (8:4). Samuel was now old, and his sons, whom he had appointed to lead Israel, had chosen a sinful lifestyle, unlike their father. Instead of the appointment of another judge, the elders demanded a king. Samuel felt betrayed. However, Israel had ultimately rejected not Samuel but the Lord (v. 7). Rather than balk at their request, the Lord granted their desire, something He had foreseen long ago (v. 21; cf. Deut. 17:14-20). Samuel first saw Saul while Saul was looking for his father’s stray donkeys (1 Sam. 9:17). God revealed to Samuel that Saul was the man the Lord had chosen to be king. Samuel anointed Saul with oil as the first king (10:1). Samuel had already revealed the plan the night before, but Saul could not believe it because his tribe was the least (9:20, 21). Saul was not showing false humility. Saul’s modesty was also

Adult Student Guide / September 20, 2020 Copyright 2020 – Illegal to photocopy 11 Lesson 3: Dynasty of Kings Established seen at his coronation. When he was called forward, he was found hiding among the supplies. The Israelites almost forcibly brought him forward to be recognized as king (10:21-23). The tension of the transition between the judges and the kings seemed to be resolved in this moment (v. 24). A new era began. A king arose with a meekness that pointed toward Christ, despite the tragic changes Saul would later go through.

2. DAVID, THE SHEPHERD KING (1 SAM. 16:1-13; 1 CHR. 17:1-15) 1 Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 1 Chronicles 17:7 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel.

By this point in the narrative, the Lord has rejected Saul for disobedience. In response, God sent Samuel to Jesse to anoint the next king over Israel. When Samuel saw Eliab, he was certain this man would be the one the Lord chose as the next king of Israel (1 Sam. 16:6). However, the Lord rejected him as king. What matters most to the Lord is not how someone looks on the outside, but the person’s heart toward Him (v. 7). Only when he saw David arrive from tending sheep did the Lord affirm to Samuel that David was to be His chosen servant. As David was anointed with oil, the Holy Spirit came upon and remained with him (v. 13). Unlike Saul, from whom the Lord removed His Spirit, the Lord would remain with David all his days. 1 Chronicles 17 begins with David “settled in his palace” (1 Chr. 17:1, NIV). He lamented to the prophet Nathan that, while he dwelled in a comfortable house, the ark of the Lord remained in a tent (v. 1). Nathan replied to King David that he should do whatever seemed right to him, for God was with him (v. 2). Apparently, David wanted to repay the Lord for all that He had done for him. But the Lord would have none of this. He had at no time requested that a house be built for Him (v. 6). He is not like the so-called gods of the other nations, who must be attended to in order to ensure they act favorably. Instead, the Lord had promised David to do things for and through him at the present time and in the future. For the present, the Lord promised to make David’s name great, to provide a peaceful place for Israel to live as a nation, and to give David rest from his enemies (17:8-10). For the future, the Lord promised that David’s descendants would be kings over God’s people, David’s son would be the one to build the Temple, and the Davidic dynasty would be an everlasting dynasty (vv. 11-14).

3. SOLOMON, THE BUILDER KING (1 CHR. 1:1-6; 6:1-11; 9:1-8) 2 Chronicles 1:1 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly. 6:1 Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 2 But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever. 10 The Lord therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 9:5 And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: 6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

David’s son Solomon became king and prepared to build the Temple. By this first act as king of Israel, Solomon set the agenda for his rule. One thousand burnt offerings were offered to the Lord (1 Chr. 1:6). In doing so, Solomon not only prepared the Temple to receive God’s presence (5:14) but also prepared the hearts of the people. Later, on the day the Temple was dedicated, Solomon led the people in a time of praise to the God of Israel. But first, he reminded the people of the word of the Lord to his father, David. God had been faithful to His promise that one of David’s sons would build a permanent structure for the Lord’s presence to dwell among His people (6:1-6). God established the house of David. Solomon built the house of God. The Davidic Covenant was the basis for the next era, propelling Israel forward. God established not only His name, but also the name and fame of David. Solomon’s name and fame reached the whole known world. In chapter 9, Solomon welcomed the Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia). She told him about the “report … of [his] acts” (v. 5). When she first heard this report, she did not believe the nations’ tales about Solomon (v. 6). Among kings of the ancient world, none exceeded his renown, except for perhaps Alexander the Great.

CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP All three kings had character flaws to face. Saul started well, but he ended in a grievous state. David was a man of blood who was confronted by Nathan the prophet as a murderer and adulterer. Solomon started well, but later indulged in idolatry and possibly returned to the Lord late in life. The point is that all three kings had their own struggles submitting to the Lord, the true King of Israel. And so it is with us who are eager to call Jesus Savior, but ever so slow to call Him Lord. All people must submit to the kingship of Jesus Christ for salvation.

FOR FURTHER STUDY Monday: The King Comes Through Judah. Genesis 49:1, 8-12 Tuesday: The Eternal Kingdom Promised. Daniel 7:9-14 Wednesday: Jesus’ Triumphal Entry Foretold. Zechariah 9:9-10 Thursday: Zechariah’s Prophecy Fulfilled. Mark 11:1-10 Friday: Three Languages Declare Jesus’ Kingship. John 19:17-22 Saturday: The Return of the King. Revelation 1:4-8