Lesson 7 - the United Kingdom
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Lesson 7 - The United Kingdom Introduction to this Period: I. This period (purple - for royalty) follows the period of Conquest and Judges. This is the period of transition from a nation to a kingdom. II. This period includes the final judge Samuel, and Kings Saul, David and Solomon. After the death of Solomon the kingdom split up into the “Divided Kingdom.” III. 1 and 2 Chronicles parallels these narratives books of 1 - 2 Samuel and 1 -2 Kings. Part 1: Samuel and Saul I. Hannah’s prayer: (Hannah means Grace) A. She and her husband are righteous, but she is barren like Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel. But, God will open the womb of those who are faithful to the covenant (Dt 7:12-14). She asks God to “remember” (be faithful to) his covenant (1 Sam 1:11; see Gen 8:1; Ex 2:24). B. Eli, a priest and judge, sees her praying and rashly judges her. God hears her prayer and she returns to dedicate Samuel to the Lord. Her hymn is similar to Mary’s. 1. My hearts exalts in the Lord; Raising up the humble, exalting the poor, etc. II. Eli and his sons (chapter 2): A. The sons are corrupt and greedy and the father doesn’t discipline them. (Remember the theme of fatherly discipline in the beginning of Judges.) B. God tells Eli that he and his sons will be cut off: a prophet (2:30); Samuel (3:11-14). C. They died in battle and Eli fell from his chair, dying from the fall. D. (Chapter 4 - 5) The ark is captured and passed from one Philistine town to another. Samuel takes over and offers sacrifice when it is recovered (1 Sam 7). III. Samuel, the righteous judge (Samuel means His Name Is God) A. Samuel is a judge (1 Sam 7:15-17), priest (1 Sam 2:11, 18; 3:1) and prophet (1 Sam 3:20). He is holy, but his sons are not. The people don’t like it and ask for a king to be “like all the nations.” (1 Sam 8:5-9, 20). B. They have trouble staying united. Multiple civil wars are tearing them apart from within as well as attacks from without. Unity, peace, and prosperity are lacking. But instead of turning to God, who is their divine king, enthroned on the Cherubim in the Tabernacle, to “overwhelm them with blessings,” they turn to an earthly king. They are refusing to be God’s “a royal-priestly people” set apart from the nations (Ex 19:5-6). C. After multiple warnings in chapter 8, they still want a king. God gives it to them, knowing the problems a king will bring them. D. God will use the kingdom for his own purposes, make the king his own son, and make the kingdom his own kingdom for the purposes of reuniting all nations to himself! The earthly kingdom would be brought into the heavenly kingdom. IV. Saul becomes King (Saul means The One Asked For) A. Saul is anointed by Samuel with oil (10:1). He was the first Messiah. Samuel calls him a ruler (ragid) not a king (melek), perhaps to emphasis again that God is their king. B. Saul’s rights and duties are within the context of the law (1 Sam 10:25-Deut 17:14-17). C. First successful battle points that God is still with them (11:15) 1 of 6 Lesson 7 - The United Kingdom D. In his Samuel keeps insisting that they have rejected God (12:12). E. Saul makes two big mistakes: 1. He offered sacrifice without Samuel (1 Sam 13). First, he wasn’t a Levite. Then, he offered the sacrifice, not with a heart of prayer, but to get something from God. His Punishment: his son will not succeed him, but another (13:13-14). 2. He ignores the herem ban against the Amalekites (1 Sam 15). He destroyed what was worthless and kept what was good and let king Agag live. He lies about it and is chastised by Samuel (1 Sam 15:22). He admits sin, but still blames others and even tries to make light of it. “Obeying is better than sacrifice.” He obeyed (shema) the voice of the people (1 Sam 15:24). The kingdom will be torn away like his robe. V. Saul’s decline and David’s rise: A. (Chapter 16) Samuel goes out to anoint David as the new king. Saul was a man after the people’s heart, but David is a man after God’s own heart (Chap 13:14). A shepherd was chosen to shepherd the people Israel. God leaves Saul and turns to David, the new anointed (16:13). Ironically, David comforts Saul with his music. B. (Chapter 17) David places his trust in God against Goliath (1 Sam 17:36-37). Do the five stones represent the law? Notice his words against Goliath: “that all may know the Lord!” (17:45-47). He has become the deliver of Israel. C. Events after Goliath: 1. Saul is envious, but his son Jonathan is faithful to the prophecy of Samuel and becomes David’s best friend and most loyal supporter. 2. Saul’s fury brings him to hunt David down. David is very patient to wait on the Lord’s timing 3. He refuses to raise a hand against the Lord’s anointed twice (chap 24, 26). 4. He always listens to the words of priests and prophets who council him. He always respected the office, even if Saul was a scumbag. D. Saul dies in shame along with his sons at Mount Gilboa in 1 Sam 31. David mourns for Saul and his sons. He doesn’t rush to take power. There is a long, seven year civil war between the house of Saul and David. E. However, he is eventually installed as king at Hebron, then over all of Israel. He is their “bone and flesh” which is covenantal marriage language (2 Sam 5:1; Gen 2:23; Jud 9:2). VI. (2 Sam 5) David captures Jerusalem and moves the Ark there from Shiloh. A. Why put the capital of the Kingdom in Jerusalem? 1. A neutral location, independent of a specific tribe. 2. This is where the Garden of Eden was believed to be! 3. This is where Melchizedek the king of Salem ruled. 4. This is where Abraham offered Isaac on Moriah. 5. Moses spoke of this place before his death. 2 of 6 Lesson 7 - The United Kingdom B. David brought the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6): 1. When he first brought it on a cart, it nearly fell and Uzzah reached out to steady it and died. David felt unworthy and scared (6:9) and left it in Obed-edom for 3 months (6:11). 2. The second time he was wearing a priestly vestment (ephod), dancing before the Ark, making sacrifices and giving offerings of “bread and wine”, blessing the people “in the name of the Lord” (reserved only for priests in Nm 6:22-26). He was acting like a priest and a king .... like Melchizedek. Why is this important? C. David is the son and successor of Melchizedek: 1. Melchizedek was important for these reasons (see Gen 15): a) He was believed to be Shem, the firstborn son of Noah, who partook of the original model of a first-born priesthood and royalty in Adam. b) His throne was in the city of Salem, in the land of Canaan, meaning peace. c) When he bless Abraham, he offered bread and wine as a thank offering to God. 2. David fulfills the significance of these events: a) Because David was the son of Shem, the son of Abraham, the son of Judah, he became the heir to Shem’s royal-priesthood, which is far superior to the Levitical priesthood. (David passes this role to his Solomon in Psalm 110:4.) b) When David took possession of Melchizedek’s city, he became his successor. (1) Salem is where Abraham was willing sacrifice Isaac. Abraham’s words, “God will provide” is jira. Together, Jira-salem (God will provide peace) is fulfilled in David (2 Sam 7:1), then ultimately in Jesus. (2) Remember, Noah’s curse was that Canaan would be Shem’s slave (Gen 9:27). David also fulfilled this after his wars (2 Sam 7:1) c) David, like Melchizedek offers bread and wine as a thank offering. Ultimately, Jesus, the true priest-king will offer himself up as bread and wine in the Eucharist - which means thanksgiving! D. Mary, the new ark of the covenant: 1. Notice the key events when David brought up the ark: a) How can the ark of the Lord come to me? b) The ark remained for three months. c) David dancing and leaping before the ark. d) The Holy Spirit overshadowed the ark (Ex 40:34) e) The contents of the ark are: manna, tablets, Aaron’s rod 2. Now read the visitation (Luke 1:39 - 45) a) “How can the mother of my Lord come to me?” b) Mary remained with Elizabeth for 3 months. c) John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb. d) The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary. e) The contents of the new ark are: new manna, new law, new priesthood 3 of 6 Lesson 7 - The United Kingdom Part 2: The Davidic Covenant I. The Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7): A. David, a truly humble and spiritual man after God’s own heart, wanted to build God a permanent temple.