The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David.

Introduction:

The promise of a royal dynasty.

Like God’s promise to Abraham, his covenant with David is unconditional: It does not depend on human obedience or faithfulness but only on God’s unchanging love.

God promised David, that His “favor will not be taken from him”.

A story with dual meanings.

- - Some elements of this story would be fulfilled in the immediate future, while some elements of this story would be realized in the more distant future.

2 Samuel 7:1-17 NLT
The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David
¹ When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, ²the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”
³Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”
⁴But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,
⁵“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? ⁶I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. ⁷Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’
⁸“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. ⁹I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! ¹⁰And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, ¹¹starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! ¹²For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. ¹⁴I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. ¹⁵But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”
¹⁷So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

Examine the Scriptures

2 Samuel 7:1-17 NLT
The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David

¹ When King David was settled in his palace

This would have taken place in the last decade of King David’s reign.

2 Samuel 5:11 NLT
¹¹Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace.

Hiram became King of Tyre around 980 B.C.

Approximate years of King David’s rule were 1010 BC to 970 BC.

and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies,

With God’s help, David had conquered the nations surrounding Israel.

David was settled in his palace in Jerusalem and was enjoying a period of peace.

Note: Some commentators believe that 2 Samuel 8 takes place before 2 Samuel 7.

They believe that the arrangement of material is topical.

Chapter 6 was about bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. Chapter 7 is about building a temple for the Ark.

²the king summoned Nathan the prophet.

Nathan is mentioned here for the first time.

“Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”

Building a temple was something David really wanted to do.

This is mentioned in Psalm 132 which may have been written by David.

Psalm 132
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
¹Lord, remember David
and all that he suffered.
²He made a solemn promise to the Lord.
He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel,
³“I will not go home;
I will not let myself rest.
⁴I will not let my eyes sleep
nor close my eyelids in slumber
⁵until I find a place to build a house for the Lord,
a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.”

David consulted Nathan the prophet about building a more permanent structure in which the Lord could reside. The tent was no longer suitable, in David’s mind, especially in comparison to his own elaborate palace.

David consulted Nathan the prophet about building a more permanent structure in which the Lord could reside.

³Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”

Initially Nathan the prophet encouraged David to pursue this noble project.

Initially Nathan the prophet encouraged David to pursue this noble project. Nathan told David that he had the Lord’s blessing, but at this point in time neither David nor Nathan had consulted the Lord.

At this point in time neither David nor Nathan had consulted the Lord.

⁴But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,

God reveals His will to Nathan. (Verses 5-16)

⁵“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in?

Other scriptures:

1 Kings 8:18-19 NLT
¹⁸But the Lord told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, ¹⁹but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’

1 Chronicles 17:4 LT
⁴“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in.

1 Chronicles 22:8 NLT
⁸“But the Lord said to me, ‘You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name.

David was not chosen by God to build the temple.

⁶I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. ⁷Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

It was not God’s idea for David to build Him a Temple.

God had never asked the Israelites to build Him a house and did not want David to build a house for Him.

⁸“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.

God had a role for David.

God had called David to be a leader (shepherd) of His people.

⁹I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! ¹⁰And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, ¹¹starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

1 Kings 5:3 NLT
³“You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies.

David’s desire to build a temple was commendable, but his gift and mission were to fight the Lord’s battles until Israel was securely at rest in the Promised Land.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings!

David wanted to build a temple for God. Instead, God would build a house, or in reality, a dynasty for David.

God has been building Israel ever since the days of Abraham. Now God commits Himself to build David’s royal house so that the promise to Israel may be fulfilled – rest in the Promised Land.

God’s covenant with David finds its ultimate fulfillment in the kingship of Christ who was born of the tribe of Judah and the house of David.

¹²For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.

Solomon would build a temple.

1 Chronicles 22:6-10 NLT
⁶Then David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁷“My son, I wanted to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God,” David told him. ⁸“But the Lord said to me, ‘You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name. ⁹But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. ¹⁰He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

¹⁴I will be his father, and he will be my son.

Kings in David’s line would enjoy a special covenant relationship with God.

To the believers in Corinth:

2 Corinthians 6:18 NLT
¹⁸And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”

If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do.

Wrongdoing requires a just response from God.

¹⁵But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight.

God will always keep his promise to preserve David’s dynasty. (see the comment following vs. 16)

¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

This refers to the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Although the dynasty disappeared for hundreds of years, David’s house and kingdom were renewed in Jesus Christ, the sinless descendant of David who reigns forever.

The complete and final fulfillment of God’s covenant with David is found in the Messiah’ Jesus Christ, the “son of David”.

It was the coming Messiah who would establish David’s kingdom forever.

Christ is a descendant of David. (This is stated in numerous passages of scripture.)

Matthew 1:1 NLT
¹ This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:

Luke 1:32-33 NLT
³²He (Jesus) will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT
⁶For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!

¹⁷So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

Note: Verses 5-16 were a vision from God to Nathan.

Do not be Led Astray by False Teachers

Leave a reply

Introduction:

Do not be Led Astray by False Teachers

Do not be deceived when people try to trick you with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

A lesson about Heaven and Hell.

For or against:

Matthew 12:30 NLT
³⁰“Anyone who isn’t with me (Jesus) opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

Philippians 3:17-21 NLT
¹⁷Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. ¹⁸For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. ²⁰But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ²¹He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

Examine the Scriptures:

Pressing Toward the Goal (continued)

Philippians 3:17-21 NLT
¹⁷Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine,

1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT
¹And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

We know that Paul desired to live a Christlike life.

Pattern your lives after believers who are less imperfect than you and know how to deal with imperfection and who can model the process of pursuing the goal of Christlikeness.

Pursue Christlikeness.

Christlikeness refers to the process by which believers are conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. It involves obedience to and trust in God, and through the Holy Spirit, God refashions believers in the image of his Son.

and learn from those who follow our example.

Imitate other mature Christians.

Hebrews 13:7 NLT
⁷Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

This would certainly include Timothy and Epaphroditus.

Philippians 2:19-20 NLT
¹⁹If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. ²⁰I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare.

Philippians 2:25 NLT
²⁵Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need.

Pattern your lives after believers who model the process of pursuing the goal of Christlikeness.

Is your life a good model for your students? Many will be imitating you.

¹⁸For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.

Many of the people around us are enemies of the cross.

Here these could be Jews or Gentiles. They might be in the church or outside the church.

Acts 20:28-30 NLT (Paul speaking to the Ephesian Elders.)
²⁸“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders. ²⁹I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.

Ephesians 4:14 NLT
¹⁴Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

Be careful who you imitate.

Do not be deceived when people try to trick you with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

Acts 17:11 NLT
¹¹And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

¹⁹They are headed for destruction.

Eternal destruction (Hell) is the ultimate judgment of God for those who reject Christ and live self-centered lives.

John 3:18 NLT
¹⁸“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 NLT
⁷And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, ⁸in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. ⁹They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.

Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.

Enemies of the cross of Christ described:

Their god is their appetite, (serving their own personal interests)

they brag about shameful things, (living immoral lives)

and they think only about this life here on earth.

Romans 16:18 NLT
¹⁸Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.

2 Peter 2 (selected verses)
¹²These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. ¹³Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. ¹⁴They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. ¹⁵They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. ¹⁶…
¹⁷These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. ¹⁸They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. ¹⁹They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.

Jude (selected verses)
⁸In the same way, these people—…—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. ⁹… ¹⁰… these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. ¹¹What sorrow awaits them! …
¹²When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. ¹³They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.

Remember who you are.

²⁰But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.

Philippi prided itself on being a Roman colony.

Roman citizenship was considered a significant honor and privilege in ancient Rome.

Colossians 1:13 NLT
¹³For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

1 Peter 1:1-5 NLT
1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I am writing to God’s chosen people …
³All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

John 14:1-3 NLT
¹ “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ²There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.

And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

We are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

Romans 8:23 NLT
²³… We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

1 Corinthians 1:7 NLT
⁷Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²¹He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

1 John 3:2 NLT
²Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

2 Corinthians 5:8 NLT
⁸Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:53 NLT
⁵³For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:43-44 NLT
⁴³Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. ⁴⁴They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

The best is yet to come.

Opposing Worldviews

Leave a reply

Introduction:

Opposing Worldviews

Define worldview:

Your worldview is the lens through which you see and interpret the world around you.

A worldview is the way a person sees and understands the world. It includes their beliefs, values, and experiences that shape how they think and act.

Who was missing during Saul’s reign?

The most important commandment. (Given to the people of Israel long before this time.)

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NLT
⁴“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. ⁵And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

As Saul’s reign progressed, his relationship with God deteriorated significantly. One pivotal moment occurred when Saul disobeyed God’s explicit command regarding the Amalekites. (iAsk)

1 Samuel 15:10-28 NLT (When Saul did not completely destroy the Amalekite nation.)

The Lord Rejects Saul
¹⁰Then the Lord said to Samuel, ¹¹“I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” ^…Saul Pleads for Forgiveness
²⁴Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. ²⁵But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”
²⁶But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”
²⁷As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. ²⁸And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you.

Contrast:

Acts 13:22 NLT
²²But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’

2 Samuel 6:12-23 NLT

Michal’s Contempt for David

¹²Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. ¹³After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. ¹⁴And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. ¹⁵So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.
¹⁶But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.
¹⁷They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. ¹⁸When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ¹⁹Then he gave to every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people returned to their homes.
²⁰When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”
²¹David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. ²²Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!” ²³So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.

Examine the Scriptures

2 Samuel 6:12-23 NLT (See 1 Chronicles 15:25-16:3)

Michal’s Contempt for David

¹²Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.”

God’s blessing on the household of Obed-Edom showed David that the Lord’s anger had been appeased.

So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration.

From the previous lesson:

The Ark represented the presence of God.

Exodus 25 NLT (selected verses)
¹⁰“Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. … ¹⁶When the Ark is finished, place inside it the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you.
… ²¹Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. ²²I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.

The Ark could be seen as the earthly throne of Israel’s God.

¹³After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps,

Note: men were carrying the Ark.

The men were transporting the Ark properly.

Go to 1 Chronicles:
1 Chronicles 15:26 NLT
²⁶And because God was clearly helping the Levites as they carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

David sensed that things were going well. (No one was struck dead.)

David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.

God’s blessing was on the Levites. (1 Samuel 15:26 shown above.)

David responded by offering sacrifices to the Lord.

David sacrificed here and in verse 17.

David was worshipping the Lord.

David worshipped God by sacrificing a bull and a fattened calf.

¹⁴And David danced before the Lord with all his might,

Psalm 149:3 NLT
³Praise his name with dancing,
accompanied by tambourine and harp.

Psalm 150 NLT (the last Psalm)
¹Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heaven!
²Praise him for his mighty works;
praise his unequaled greatness!
³Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
praise him with the lyre and harp!
⁴Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
praise him with strings and flutes!
⁵Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
⁶Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Exodus 15:20-21 NLT
²⁰Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. ²¹And Miriam sang this song:

“Sing to the Lord,
for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider
into the sea.”

Praising the Lord with dancing is Biblical.

wearing a priestly garment.

David was dressed as a priest, not a king. (David was not a descendant of Aaron.)

A garment usually reserved for priests and those ministering before the Lord.

¹⁵So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.

David and all the people of Israel were celebrating as they transported the Ark of the Lord to Jerusalem.

¹⁶But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window.

Michal is identified as the daughter of Saul, not David’s wife, in verses 16, 20, and 23.

Was Michal more David’s wife or Saul’s daughter?

Some background:

Michal was originally married to David.

Following David’s escape from Saul, Saul gave Michal in marriage to Palti (or Paltiel), son of Laish (1 Samuel 25:44).

After Saul died and Ish-bosheth (Saul’s son) became king, David demanded that Michal be returned to him as part of a political alliance (2 Samuel 3:13-16).

Who helped Michal shape her worldview?

When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.

When Michal saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.

David was not acting like she thought a king was expected to act. In her eyes his behavior was undignified.

It appears that Michal had no appreciation for the significance of the event.

Michal may have wanted David to remain a warrior, rather than a man of God.

¹⁷They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it.

Go to iAsk or Chat GPT.
David placed the Ark of the Covenant in a tent, often referred to as the “Tent of David,” on Mount Zion. This was separate from the tabernacle that Moses had constructed, which was located at Gibeon at the time. David wanted to bring the Ark to Jerusalem and set it up in a special place for worship. Later, his son Solomon built the Temple, where the Ark was ultimately placed. (Chat GPT)

And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.

Burnt Offering: Represents complete surrender and devotion to God.

Peace Offering: Expresses fellowship and communion with God.

David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.

More worship.

¹⁸When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

¹⁹Then he gave to every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people returned to their homes.

David ended this time of celebration by giving every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins.

²⁰When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him.

She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”

A linen ephod vs. a royal robe.

Michal completely missed the significance of bringing the Ark of the Lord to Jerusalem.

²¹David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord.

David’s action were for the delight of the Lord, not for the servant girls.

²²Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!

But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!”

David and the servant girls had a worldview that was very different than Michal’s worldview.

²³So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.

A punishment for her pride.

Michal’s childlessness prevented her from providing a successor to David’s throne from the family of Saul.

Pressing toward the Goal

Leave a reply

Introduction:

Pressing toward the Goal

Exhortation to Know Christ

Paul uses himself as an example (vs. the Judaizers).

Note: In this passage Paul is speaking about himself.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul says:
¹And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

In this lesson we will only scratch the surface of the rich content of this passage.

Philippians 3:10-16 NLT
Pressing toward the Goal
¹⁰I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, ¹¹so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
¹²I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. ¹³No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
¹⁵Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. ¹⁶But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

Examine the Scriptures:

Exhortation to Know Christ
Philippians 3:10-16 NLT
Pressing toward the Goal

Note: This is Paul speaking about himself.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul says:
¹And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

¹⁰I want to know Christ

Paul wants to know Christ (and become one with Him).

Refer back to verse 8.

Philippians 3:8-9 NLT
⁸Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ⁹and become one with him.

Discuss:

What does it mean to really know Christ?

Knowing Christ goes beyond mere intellectual acknowledgment or familiarity with His life and teachings; it involves a deep, personal relationship with Him. (iAsk)

To know by experience.

This is a prayer of Jesus.

John 17:1-3 NLT
^17:1 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. ²For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. ³And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

Paul has a burning desire to know Christ more intimately as his Lord.

and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.

Paul wants to understand and experience the power that raised Christ from the dead.

Romans 8:10-11 NLT
¹⁰And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. ¹¹The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT
¹⁹I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power ²⁰that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us.

Paul wants us to understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for those who believe in him.

Philippians 4:13 NLT
¹³For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,

Paul wants to suffer with Christ, sharing in His death.

Paul knows that when he shares in the death of Jesus a good thing happens.

2 Corinthians 4:10-12 NLT (Paul’s testimony)
¹⁰Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
¹¹Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. ¹²So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

Suffering for being a Christian is not a bad thing.

1 Peter 4:13-16 NLT
¹²Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
¹⁴If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. ¹⁵If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. ¹⁶But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!

James 1:2-4 NLT
²Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Paul wanted to become more like Christ.

¹¹so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Paul is looking forward to experiencing the resurrection from the dead!

1 Corinthians 15:23 NLT
²³But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

¹²I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection.

Paul knows that he is far from being perfect.

1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT
¹²Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Sanctification is a lifelong process.

But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

Galatians 6:9 NLT
⁹So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

¹³No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Paul pursued Christlikeness with the enthusiasm and persistence of a runner in the Greek games.

Paul is pressing on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling him.

Press on. Forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead.

We can look forward to the heavenly prize of eternal life.

Colossians 3:1-2 NLT
^3:1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ² Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

¹⁵Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things.

If you are really perfect/mature, you will realize that you are not yet perfect/mature.

Eternal things are most important in life.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT
¹⁶That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. ¹⁷For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.

¹⁶But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

Press on.

Pursue Christlikeness.

Focus on the Biblical principles you understand.

Do the things you know you should be doing.

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Moving the Ark to Jerusalem

Leave a reply

Introduction:

Proverbs 9:10 NLT
¹⁰Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NLT
¹²“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. ¹³And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.

Deuteronomy 6:2 NLT
²and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.

Discuss:

What does “Fear of the Lord” mean?

(reverence, respect, and obedience to God)

The concept of fearing God is a recurring theme throughout the Bible.

Luke 12:4-5 NLT
⁴“Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. ⁵But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.

2 Samuel 6:1-11 NLT
Moving the Ark to Jerusalem (see 1 Chronicles 13:1-14)
^6:1 Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. ²He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. ³They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart ⁴that carried the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark. ⁵David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.
⁶But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. ⁷Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.
⁸David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today.
⁹David was now afraid of the Lord, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of the Lord back into my care?” ¹⁰So David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. ¹¹The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

Examine the Scriptures

2 Samuel 6:1-11 NLT
Moving the Ark to Jerusalem (see 1 Chronicles 13:1-14)

^6:1 Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. ²He led them to Baalah of Judah (This is another name for Kiriath-jearim which is located about 10 miles west of Jerusalem.) to bring back the Ark of God,

David is planning to move the Ark from Kiriath-jearim to Jerusalem, the new capital of Israel.

Background scripture:

1 Samuel 7:1-2 NLT (This is before Saul became king.)
^7:1 So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the Lord. (Returned by the Philistines.) They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. ²The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the Lord had abandoned them.

1 Chronicles 13:3 NLT (Here David is speaking.)
³It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul.”

There is almost no mention of the Ark during Saul’s 40 year reign.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 NLT
¹³So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium ¹⁴instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

The Ark represented the presence of God.

The Ark could be seen as the earthly throne of Israel’s God.

which bears the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim.

Psalm 99:1 NLT
¹The Lord is king!
Let the nations tremble!
He sits on his throne between the cherubim.
Let the whole earth quake!

Isaiah 6:1-3 NLT
^6:1 It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. ²Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. ³They were calling out to each other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

Revelation 4:6-11 NLT
⁶In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.
In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. ⁷The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. ⁸Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—
the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”
⁹Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), ¹⁰the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,
¹¹“You are worthy, O Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things,
and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

Isaiah 5:16 NLT
¹⁶But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be exalted by his justice.
The holiness of God will be displayed by his righteousness.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

We must always fear the Lord our God.

³They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill.

Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart ⁴that carried the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark.

At this point in time, David and his troops were not fearing God. (Is this a true statement?)

Why or why not?

The Ark of God was to be carried by Levites who would bear it on their shoulders, it was not to be transported on a cart.

Even the Priests could not touch the Ark.

Numbers 4:15 NLT
¹⁵The camp will be ready to move when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the sacred articles. The Kohathites will come and carry these things to the next destination. But they must not touch the sacred objects, or they will die. So these are the things from the Tabernacle that the Kohathites must carry.

Exodus 25:14 NLT
¹⁴Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it.

Numbers 7:9 NLT
⁹But he (Moses) gave none of the wagons or oxen to the Kohathite division, since they were required to carry the sacred objects of the Tabernacle on their shoulders.

⁵David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

All of Israel was celebrating the fact that the Ark was being moved to Jerusalem.

⁶But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God.

While pulling the cart that was being used to transport the Ark, the oxen stumbled.

Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God.

⁷Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this.

The Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead.

So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.

Touching the Ark was a direct violation of God’s law.

David should have known this.

1 Samuel 6:19-20 NLT
The Ark Moved to Kiriath-Jearim
¹⁹But the Lord killed seventy men from Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the Lord. And the people mourned greatly because of what the Lord had done. ²⁰“Who is able to stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?” they cried out. “Where can we send the Ark from here?”

⁸David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah.

David was angry.

Discuss this.

He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today.

⁹David was now afraid of the Lord,

David was now afraid of the Lord.

Is this the “Fear of the Lord” we were discussing?

and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of the Lord back into my care?” ¹⁰So David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David.

David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David.

The story of the Ark being moved to Jerusalem takes place in the next lesson.

Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.

Obed-edom was a Levite.

1 Chronicles 16:38 NLT
³⁸This group included Obed-edom (son of Jeduthun), Hosah, and sixty-eight other Levites as gatekeepers.

¹¹The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

Leave a reply

The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

Introduction:

Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
⁸God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

A warning against confidence in the flesh.

Philippians 3:1-9 NLT
The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ
^3:1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
²Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. ³For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, ⁴though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
⁵I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. ⁶I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
⁷I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. ⁸Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ⁹and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

Examine the Scriptures:

Philippians 3:1-9 NLT
The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

^3:1 Whatever happens,

Paul’s circumstances.

^2:23I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here.

Paul was uncertain of his future. (As we all are.)

my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.

Philippians 4: NLT
⁴Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
¹⁶Always be joyful. ¹⁷Never stop praying. ¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

James 1:2-4 NLT
²Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Always be joyful.

I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

Repetition of Biblical truths is a good thing.

We need reminders.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NLT
⁶And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷Repeat them again and again to your children.

²Watch out for those dogs,

Here Paul is describing Judaizers, not Gentiles.

those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.

Warning.

Judaizers.

In the early church, those who taught a combination of God’s grace and human effort were called “Judaizers.” The word Judaizer comes from a Greek verb meaning “to live according to Jewish customs.”
A Judaizer taught that, in order for a Christian to truly be right with God, he must conform to the Mosaic Law. Circumcision, especially, was promoted as necessary for salvation. Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes first, and then they could come to Christ. The doctrine of the Judaizers was a mixture of grace (through Christ) and works (through the keeping of the Law). (Got Questions)

Think about:

- - Judaizers were teaching what they had been taught when they were growing up.

2 Peter 2:1 NLT
^2:1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them.

2 Timothy 4:3 NLT
³For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

Beware of false teachers.

³For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised.

True circumcision is an inner transformation, a cutting away of sin and selfishness from our hearts, allowing us to fully love and obey God.

Colossians 2:11 NLT<¹¹When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.

Not performed by human hands, but by the Holy Spirit.

not “outward and physical.”

Deuteronomy 10:15-16 NLT
¹⁵Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today. ¹⁶Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn.

Truly circumcised – a changed heart.

We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,

Those who put their trust in Jesus Christ are the ones who are truly circumcised.

Romans 2:28-29 NLT
²⁸For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. ²⁹No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

Warning against confidence in the flesh.

Do not put your confidence in human effort.

⁴though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

Paul had a strong Jewish background.

⁵I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. ⁶I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

Paul had practiced the strictest obedience to the Jewish law and was extremely zealous for the Jewish religion.

Galatians 1:14 NLT
¹⁴I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

⁷I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.

Salvation does not come through power, position, or performance.

⁸Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

When it comes to salvation, power, position, and performance are worthless.

⁹and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

John 6:28-29 NLT
²⁸They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
²⁹Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9 NLT
⁹If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Jesus tells us to abide in Him.

John 15:4-5 NLT⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
⁵“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

1 John 5:11-13 NLT
¹¹And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹²Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.
¹³I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

1 John 5:20 NLT
²⁰And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

Apart from Christ you can do nothing.

Note:

After we are made right with God, we do have work to do.

1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT
⁵⁸So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Galatians 6:9 NLT
⁹So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

The Lord Blesses David

Leave a reply

The Lord Blesses David

David Conquers the Philistines

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

2 Samuel 5:11-25 NLT
The Lord Blesses David in Jerusalem (see 1 Chronicles 14:1-7)
¹¹Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace. ¹²And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
¹³After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters. ¹⁴These are the names of David’s sons who were born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
David Conquers the Philistines
¹⁷When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold. ¹⁸The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹So David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”
The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”
²⁰So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “The Lord did it!” David exclaimed. “He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”). ²¹The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them.
²²But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim. ²³And again David asked the Lord what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” the Lord replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. ²⁴When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.” ²⁵So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

Examine the Scriptures

2 Samuel 5:11-25 NLT
The Lord Blesses David in Jerusalem (see 1 Chronicles 14:1-7)

¹¹Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David,

Tyre: An important Phoenician seaport on the Mediterranean coast.

(Tyre is part of Lebanon today)

King Hiram formed an alliance with Israel for trading purposes.

Israel dominated the inland trade routes.

Tyre was dependent on Israelite agriculture for much of its food.

1 Kings 5:1 NLT
^5:1 King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David.

King Hiram and King David had a good working relationship.

along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace.

A palace symbolized kingship.

King Hiram provided:

Cedar timber
Carpenters
Stonemasons

Tyre was dependent on Israelite agriculture for much of its food.

The King of Tyre helped David build his palace.

¹²And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel

The same story in 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:1 NLT
^14:1 Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber, and stonemasons and carpenters to build him a palace. ²And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had greatly blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

Review a previous occurrence:

2 Samuel 5:1
^5:1 Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. ²In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”

Over 300,000 men of war.

David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel.

A reminder for us.

Philippians 1:6 NLT
⁶And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Romans 8:28 NLT
²⁸And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Psalm 46:8-11 NLT (A song of the descendants of Korah)
⁸Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
⁹He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
¹¹The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.

and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

God blessed David’s kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

David understood that God had a plan for His chosen people and he, David, was a part of that plan.

A reminder for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT (A message to the exiles in Babylon.)
¹¹For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT
¹⁰For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

¹³After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters. ¹⁴These are the names of David’s sons who were born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ¹⁵Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

Perhaps this was seen as a reflection of David’s growing success and power as Israel’s king.

1 Chronicles 3:5 NLT
⁵The sons born to David in Jerusalem included Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. Their mother was Bathsheba, the daughter of Ammiel.

As time passed David’ dynasty became stronger and stronger.

One way David’s dynasty became stronger was by David marrying more wives and having more sons.

Marrying into neighboring royal families to create political alliances was a common practice in the ancient Near East.

Deuteronomy 17:17 NLT
¹⁷The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.

Review 2 Samuel 3:1-5

David’s Sons Born in Hebron

¹ As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul’s dynasty became weaker and weaker.
²These are the sons who were born to David in Hebron:
The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel.
³The second was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel.
The third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur.
⁴The fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith.
The fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.
⁵The sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, David’s wife.
These sons were all born to David in Hebron.

David Conquers the Philistines

¹⁷When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him.

These events most likely took place between verses 3 and 6.

Note: During King Ishbosheth the Philistines controlled large sections of Israel.

The Philistines knew that David would be a bigger threat to them if he became the established king of both Israel and Judah.

But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold.

David stayed in strongholds during the time he was being pursued by Saul.

1 Samuel 22:4 NLT
⁴So David’s parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold.

1 Samuel 23:14 NLT
¹⁴David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him.

¹⁸The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. (Northwest of Jerusalem)

¹⁹So David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

David did the right thing.

- - Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
    ⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
    ⁶Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”

²⁰So David went to Baal-perazim (location unknown) and defeated the Philistines there.

“The Lord did it!” David exclaimed. “He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!”

So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”).

David credits God for his victory over the Philistines.

Ephesians 3:20-21 LT
²⁰Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

²¹The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them.

The Philistines carried images of their deities into battle in hope that this would secure victory.

Israel had done the same thing in the past.

1 Samuel 4:1-3 NLT
¹…At that time Israel was at war with the Philistines. The Israelite army was camped near Ebenezer, and the Philistines were at Aphek. ²The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel, killing 4,000 men.³After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.”

The Israelites’ decision to take the Ark into battle was similar to what other pagan nations did with their gods, carting them into battle to hope for better fortune in the outcome.

1 Chronicles 14:12 NLT
¹²The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, so David gave orders to burn them.

Deuteronomy 7:25-26 NLT
²⁵“You must burn their idols in fire, and you must not covet the silver or gold that covers them. You must not take it or it will become a trap to you, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. ²⁶Do not bring any detestable objects into your home, for then you will be destroyed, just like them. You must utterly detest such things, for they are set apart for destruction.

²²But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim.

²³And again David asked the Lord what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” the Lord replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. ²⁴When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.”

Again David inquired of the Lord. God responded with very specific instructions.

A reminder for us.

1 John 5:14 NLT
¹⁴And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

Matthew 7:7 NLT
⁷“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

²⁵So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer (18 miles NW of Jerusalem).

Psalm 115:1 NLT (Arthur unknown)
¹Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name goes all the glory
for your unfailing love and faithfulness.

Paul “Practiced What He Preached”

Leave a reply

Paul “Practiced What He Preached”

Paul’s plans for Timothy and Epaphroditus. Two men who were very important to Paul.

Introduction:

Paul “practiced what he preached”.

Do the things that you advise other people to do.

Paul taught:

Philippians 2:3 NLT
³Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Romans 12:10 NLT
¹⁰Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.

Ephesians 5:21 NLT
²¹And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

1 Peter 5:5 NLT
⁵… . And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Philippians 2:4 NLT
⁴Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Paul had a genuine concern for the Philippians.

Note how Paul treats these two men in this passage.

Paul was not certain of his own future.

How did Paul die?

The Bible does not say how the apostle Paul died.

It is universally accepted that he died a martyr. Based on historical events, the Romans beheaded him. (Christian.net)

The accuracy of this tradition is impossible to gauge. Again, the Bible does not record how Paul died, so there is no way to be certain regarding the circumstances of his death. (gotquestions.org)

Paul knew that his release or death could come at any time.

Notice how Paul put others before himself.

Philippians 2:19-30 NLT
Paul Commends Timothy
¹⁹If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. ²⁰I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. ²¹All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. ²²But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. ²³I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. ²⁴And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.
Paul Commends Epaphroditus
²⁵Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. ²⁶I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. ²⁷And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
²⁸So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. ²⁹Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. ³⁰For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.

Examine the Scriptures:

Plans for Timothy and Epaphroditus

Philippians 2:19-30 NLT

Paul Commends Timothy

¹⁹If the Lord Jesus is willing,

If the Lord Jesus is willing.

Paul was not certain of his own future.

Paul knew that his release or death could come at any time.

James 4:13-17 NLT
¹³Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” ¹⁴How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ¹⁵What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.

I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit.

Paul is planning to send Timothy to Philippi so that he can encourage the believers at Philippi and report back to Paul how the Philippian Church is doing.

If Paul ever needed Timothy it was while he was there in Rome under house arrest. Yet he was willing to sacrifice Timothy’s companionship so others could be helped.

Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along.

Paul’s letter and Timothy’s visit would encourage the believers at Philippi.

Good news about the Philippians would be an encouragement to Paul.

²⁰I have no one else like Timothy,

Several translations use the word “likeminded”.

Timothy was one in thought, feeling, and spirit with Paul in love for the church.

who genuinely cares about your welfare.

Timothy has a genuine concern for the welfare of the Philippians.

Philippians 2:4 NLT
⁴Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

²¹All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.

Living for self vs. living for Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
³¹So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Did Paul mean to include everyone he had ever known, or did he mean those who were with him in Rome? Most likely the latter.

²²But you know how Timothy has proved himself.

The Philippians knew Timothy.

Timothy’s qualities were unexcelled.

Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News.

Timothy “served” with me …

Most translations use the word “served”.

Some translations use

toiled

labors

slaved

worked

Paul and Timothy had a father son relationship.

Timothy was Paul’s beloved son in the faith.

1 Timothy 1:2 NLT
²I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith.

Philippians 1:1 NLT
Greetings from Paul
^1:1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.

Timothy had a servant attitude.

²³I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here.

This may be referring to the outcome of Paul’s trial.

²⁴And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.

Paul most likely wrote this letter to the Philippians during his first Roman imprisonment (A.D. 60-62). It is believed that Paul also wrote Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, the other Prison Epistles during this same time period.

It is possible that Paul never saw the Philippian Christians again (but see 1 Timothy 1:3, about AD 63.) (also see Acts 28:30)

Paul Commends Epaphroditus

This is a story of selfless affection.

²⁵Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you.

Little is known about Epaphroditus.

Epaphroditus was from Philippi.

Epaphroditus was the messenger who had delivered gifts to Paul from the Philippian church.

Philippians 4:18 NLT
¹⁸At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.

Epaphroditus was most likely delivering Paul’s epistle (Paul’s Letter to the Philippians) to Philippi.

He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier.

Paul described Epaphroditus as a brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier.

Fellow soldier suggests the difficulties, opposition, and dangers encountered in Christ’s work.

Epaphroditus is an example of genuine Christian love.

Paul loved and needed Epaphroditus.

And he was your messenger to help me in my need.

The messenger sent by the Philippian Church with gifts to the imprisoned Paul.

²⁶I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. ²⁷And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died.

While in Rome, Epaphroditus had become seriously ill and almost died.

Epaphroditus was distressed about the Philippians hearing that he was ill.

Epaphroditus longed to return to Philippi.

He was very distressed that you heard he was ill.

But God had mercy on him—and also on me,

God’s healing was a result of God’s mercy on both Epaphroditus and Paul.

so that I would not have one sorrow after another.

²⁸So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you.

Paul did not want the Philippians to be worried about Epaphroditus.

Paul had the best interests of the Philippian believers and Epaphroditus at heart.

²⁹Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve.

People like Epaphroditus deserve honor.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 NLT
Paul’s Final Advice
¹²Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. ¹³Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

³⁰For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.

Epaphroditus could do things for Paul that the Philippian believers living in Philippi could not do.

Paul was indeed selfless.

Galatians 5:22 NLT
²²But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love …

Let Your Light Shine

Leave a reply

Introduction:

Let Your Light Shine

This lesson is a repeat of the last lesson we had last school year with some revisions.

Scripture is full of passages telling us how we should live our lives.

Lessons for us as well as lessons for our students.

As we begin another school year remember that your faithful service is an offering to God.

2 Corinthians 13:11
Paul’s Final Greetings
¹¹Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

Philippians 2:14-17 NLT
Let Your Light Shine
¹³For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
¹⁴Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. ¹⁶Hold firmly to the word of life; … ¹⁷… your faithful service is an offering to God. …

Examine the Scriptures:

Lessons for us as well as lessons for our students.

As we are beginning another school year a good component to our prayers could/should be to ask God to help us to:

Be joyful.

Grow to maturity.

Encourage each other.

Live in harmony and peace.

Be joyful.
Grow to maturity.
Encourage each other.
Live in harmony and peace.

Expect the God of love and peace to be with you.

Philippians 2:13-18 NLT
Let Your Light Shine
¹³For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

God empowers and energizes believer’s lives.

2 Peter 1:3 NLT
³By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

John 15:5 NLT
⁵“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

1 Corinthians 12:6 NLT
⁶God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

Among other things, God uses scripture and the Holy Spirit to work in us.

Hebrews 4:12 NLT
For the word of God is alive and powerful.

John 16:13 NLT
¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.

¹⁴Do everything without complaining and arguing,

More specific instructions for Christians.

Here Paul is speaking to the church at Philippi, but the same principles would apply to us.

Do everything

Without complaining.

No complaining.

No muttering or grumbling.

Complaining about our circumstances could be seen as a contradiction to recognizing God as sovereign and all powerful.

Without arguing

No arguing.

No disputing.

No questioning.

No criticisms.

Do everything without complaining and arguing.

2 Timothy 2:23 NLT
²³Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.

Titus 3:9 NLT
⁹Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.

Replace complaining and arguing with:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
¹⁶Always be joyful. ¹⁷Never stop praying. ¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:8 NLT (Later in Paul’s letter)
⁸And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

¹⁵so that no one can criticize you.

It’s hard to have an effective testimony for Christ when you are always arguing with the people around you.

Philippians 2:2 NLT
²Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

Christians need to show themselves as united and as one in Christ.

Live clean, innocent lives as children of God,

Become blameless and pure … without fault. (NIV)

Not perfection, but wholehearted devotion to doing God’s will.

Above reproach – undiluted, not weakened.

(Don’t be like wine that has been diluted or metal that has been weakened)

Romans 14:13 NLT
¹³…. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

Relate to others in such a way that you do not cause them to stumble.

Go back to Paul’s prayer (1:9-11)

Philippians 1:9-10 NLT
⁹I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.

Progress in your spiritual maturity.

Keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.

Matthew 10:16 NLT
¹⁶“Look, I (Jesus) am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.

shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Matthew 5:14-16 NLT
¹⁴“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Ephesians 5:8 NLT
⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.

We too are living in a world full of crooked, unscrupulous, and perverse people.

For the most part, our nation has turned it back on God and on Biblical principles.

We should shine as lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

¹⁶Hold firmly to the word of life;

Believing God’s Word and following it.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Share God’s Word with the lost and the dying.

Believe God’s Word and follow it.
Share God’s Word with the lost and the dying.

¹⁷… your faithful service is an offering to God.

Our faithful service is an offering to God.

David Becomes King of All Israel

Leave a reply

Brief review of 1 Samuel 1 through Samuel 2:4

Hannah’s prayer for a son.

Samuel’s birth and dedication.

Israel’s desire for a king.

1 Samuel 8:4-5
⁴Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. ⁵“Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”

God gives Israel a king.

The story of Saul and Ishbosheth.

The nation of Israel is falling apart. Its leadership is gone, and the nation is on the verge of an escalating civil war.

2 Samuel 3:1 NLT
^3:1 That was the beginning of a long war between those who were loyal to Saul and those loyal to David. As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul’s dynasty became weaker and weaker.

Saul is dead.

Abner and Ishbosheth have been murdered.

We are about to see how God uses David to restore Israel and Judah back into one nation.

2 Samuel 5:1-10 NLT
David Becomes King of All Israel
^5:1 Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. ²In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”
³So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.
⁴David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. ⁵He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.
David Captures Jerusalem
⁶David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” For the Jebusites thought they were safe. ⁷But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.
⁸On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, “I hate those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites. Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel.” That is the origin of the saying, “The blind and the lame may not enter the house.”
⁹So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces and working inward. ¹⁰And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

Examine the Scriptures

2 Samuel 5:1-10 NLT

David Becomes King of All Israel

This story is also found in 1 Chronicles 11:1-9

^5:1 Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood.

Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was dead and the northern kingdom (Israel) no longer had a king.

The Northern kingdom is asking David to become their king.

All the tribes of Israel.

In 1 Chronicles 12:23-40 the tribes are listed along with the number of warriors from each of the tribes.

1 Chronicles 12:38 NLT
³⁸All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king.

They recognize the fact that Judah and Israel come from the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Northern kingdom asked David to become their king.

²In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”

David was an Israelite. (Deuteronomy 17:15)*

David was Israel’s best warrior and commander.

The Northern kingdom knew that it was God’s will for David to be their king.

David was God’s choice to be Israel’s king.

God is sovereign and had a plan for David long before this story began.

David anointed king by Samuel

1 Samuel 16:1 & 13 NLT
Samuel Anoints David as King
Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”

¹³So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

This anointing in 1 Samuel 16 was a private ceremony.

David was anointed king by the people of Judah. (His second oil anointing.)

2 Samuel 2:1-7 NLT
David Anointed King of Judah
^2:1 After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?”
“Yes,” the Lord replied.
Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?”
“To Hebron,” the Lord answered.
²David’s two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wives ³and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron. ⁴Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah.
When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul, ⁵he sent them this message: “May the Lord bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving him a decent burial. ⁶May the Lord be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done. ⁷Now that Saul is dead, I ask you to be my strong and loyal subjects like the people of Judah, who have anointed me as their new king.”

Another reminder of God’s sovereignty.

2 Samuel 3:10 NLT
¹⁰I’m (God is speaking here) going to take Saul’s kingdom and give it to David. I will establish the throne of David over Israel as well as Judah, all the way from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.”

³So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel.

David as well as all of the Elders of Israel took this appointment very seriously.

King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 NLT

Guidelines for a King
¹⁴“You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’ * ¹⁵If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.
¹⁶“The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ ¹⁷The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.
¹⁸“When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. ²⁰This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

And they anointed him king of Israel.

David anointed king here in 2 Samuel 5

In a public ceremony. (A third oil anointing.)

David is anointed King of Israel in a public ceremony. (A third oil anointing.)

The 12 tribes were once again unified.

Application for today: (Apply to our current events.)

Romans 13:1 NLT
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

Daniel 2:21 & 21 NLT
²⁰“Praise the name of God forever and ever,
for he has all wisdom and power.
²¹He controls the course of world events;
he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the scholars.

Proverbs 21:1 NLT
^21:1 The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord;
he guides it wherever he pleases.

God controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.

⁴David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. ⁵He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

David Captures Jerusalem

This story is also found in 1 Chronicles 11:4-9

David reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

David decides to relocate the capitol.

Jerusalem was excellently fortified because of its elevation and the surrounding deep valleys.

Jerusalem had a good water supply, the Gihon Spring.

Jerusalem was close to trade routes.

⁶David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there.

The Jebusites were Canaanites still living in the Promised Land.

Joshua 15:63 NLT
⁶³But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day.

The city of Jerusalem had remained under Jebusite control from the time Joshua entered the Promised Land.

The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” For the Jebusites thought they were safe.

The Jebusites were overly confident of their security. They felt that their fortress was so secure that even the blind and lame could keep out David and his men.

⁷But David captured the fortress of Zion,

David captured the fortress of Zion.

which is now called the City of David.

The city had not been completely conquered previously.

⁸On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, “I hate those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites.
Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel.”

It appears that David knew of a secret tunnel.

A tunnel that channeled the city’s water supply from the Gihon Spring outside the city walls.

1 Chronicles 11: 6 NLTDavid had said to his troops, “Whoever is first to attack the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies!” And Joab, the son of David’s sister Zeruiah, was first to attack, so he became the commander of David’s armies.

That is the origin of the saying, “The blind and the lame may not enter the house.”

David may have begun calling his enemies the blind and the lame. ? ? ?

⁹So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David.

Read:

1 Chronicles 11:4-9
David Captures Jerusalem
⁴Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called), where the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were living. ⁵The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.
⁶David had said to his troops, “Whoever is first to attack the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies!” And Joab, the son of David’s sister Zeruiah, was first to attack, so he became the commander of David’s armies.
⁷David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the City of David. ⁸He extended the city from the supporting terraces to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem. ⁹And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

Mount Zion and Mount Ophel were consolidated into one entity.

On the border between Judah and the northern territories.

He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces and working inward.

David extended the city.

¹⁰And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

God was with David.

Seeking His Kingdom Ministries blog

WordPress

The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David.

Do not be Led Astray by False Teachers

Opposing Worldviews

Pressing toward the Goal

Moving the Ark to Jerusalem

The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

The Lord Blesses David

Paul “Practiced What He Preached”

Let Your Light Shine

David Becomes King of All Israel