The Heart of God: David and Solomon (1)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on 2 Samuel 1-5.

David’s patience finally bore fruit, as the influence of Saul waned, then ended, and the elders of the nation finally recognized David’s proper place as king. God brought His people through trial and loss to a period of new beginning with Him. Great is His faithfulness!

For reflection
1.  Was this period of civil war inevitable? What seem to have been the causes of this seven years of strife? Are those causes still present among the people of God in our day? Explain.

2.  What evidence do you see in David to set him apart as different from Saul? How are his attitudes and outlook different from Saul’s? How can you see that he is a man after God’s own heart?

3.  And yet, even under David’s rule, wickedness is present. How can you see that? What counsel or warning does this pose for us in God’s Kingdom and covenant today?

4.  In 2 Samuel 5.10-12, the Lord showed His approval of David. What do you imagine it looked like as “David went on and became great, and the LORDGod of hosts was with him”? How can you see that David’s heart was truly focused on the Lord?

5.  Briefly summarize the process, beginning in 1 Samuel, whereby David became king over Israel. How can you see the unifying threads of Scripture – God’s glory, God’s people, His work of redemption – weaving through and supporting this whole process? How can you see that God was sovereignly at work, according to His covenant and promises?

Summary
God does not cease to bring His covenant with His people to new stages of development and fruitfulness. Sometimes we must go through times of trial and suffering, often because of our own foolishness, in order to emerge from our confusion and separation to a season of revival and renewal. David’s rise to the throne of Israel teaches us to wait patiently on the Lord and to hope always in His Word. What does this imply for your own walk with and work for the Lord?

Closing Prayer
LORD, remember David
And all his afflictions;
How he swore to the LORD,
And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
“Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house,
Or go up to the comfort of my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
Until I find a place for the LORD,
A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
We found it in the fields of the woods.
Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.

Psalm 132.1-7

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understood the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your Goddevelops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

We are happy to be able to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in this series by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.