The Heart of God: David and Solomon (3)

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 22-24 and 1 Chronicles 21-27.
At the end of his glorious reign, David is still David – still a sinner. But he is also still faithful in seeking to secure the promises of God for his generation and the generations to come. David’s legacy to Israel was one of vision and provision, all with a view to knowing the presence of the Lord and His promises.

For reflection
1.  Meditate on 2 Samuel 22. In what ways can you see that this psalm (cf. Psalm 18) reflects a testimony of David’s experience with the Lord? Why is this song set forth first among David’s preparations for the next king?

2.  In these chapters, how do you see that David understood well the need for leaders to be in place in all aspects of life among the people of Israel? How does having good leaders relate to realizing the promises of God’s covenant?

3.  What was the nature of David’s sin in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21? How can we see in his response to the Lord that he remains a man after God’s own heart, even in spite of the trouble he brought on God’s people?

4.  How does it appear that David led the entire nation of Israel into preparing for the temple and the next stage of God’s covenant? What advice is there in this for leaders in God’s covenant communities today?

5.  What echoes of previous periods of God’s covenant can you discern in David’s charge to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 22? What does he specifically charge Solomon to do in preparing to take up his role as leader of God’s covenant people?

Summary
Unlike the judges and King Saul before him, David finished well. Not without sin, but well. He made preparation for the next generation of God’s covenant people and charged his son, Solomon, to seek the Lord and wait on Him for wisdom and a heart to rule well. What can we learn from David about preparing a legacy for the generations of God’s covenant people who will succeed us?

Closing Prayer
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling place:
“This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
There I will make the horn of David grow;
I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”

Psalm 132.13-18

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.

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