Chapter 12 - The Trials of a King

2 Samuel 11-12, 18-19

1 Chronicles 22, 29

This time let's hear your thoughts.  Part of good Bible Study is asking good questions.  Here are some good ones to consider.  Bring your responses to class on Sunday:

What is God telling me?

What questions come to mind as I read this section?  What would I like to know more about?

How did the characters in this lesson feel? What questions did they have?

How would I tell this story to my children in my own words?

Who is the author of this book of the Bible? What was his purpose?  Who was the audience?  When did he write? What were his main points?

What lesson was the author hoping his original audience would learn by recording these events?

How does this reading connect with the upper story - HIStory - the story of salvation?

What does this tell me about God?  What characteristics of God do I learn more about?

In this reading, how does God get the glory?

Is there any reference to this in the catechism?  Are there any doctrinal truths that I learn here?

What other portions of Scripture does this remind me of?

How am I confronted with my sin?  Of what fault am I convicted and condemned?

How am I humbled by this lesson?

Where does God show me his love? Where does he give his promise and show his forgiveness? HOw am I comforted and encouraged?

What does this reading lead me to give thanks for?

What does this reading direct me to do?

How does this apply to my family? Our congregation? Our soceity?

What does this portion of Scripture teach me to pray for?

Does this portion of Scripture remind me of any hymns or other songs?

Who do I know that really could benefit from hearing this?

Chapter 11 - From Shepherd to King

1 Samuel 16-18, 24, 31,

2 Samuel 6, 22

1 Chronicles 17

Psalm 59

Introduction to the Reading:

This week we watch as David grows up. Like Saul, we don't hear much about his family background. What matters is that the Lord chooses him. And so we first hear about how the Lord sends Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel. However, it will be a long time before he is actually king. That doesn't mean they weren't important times for David. In fact, many of the most memorable stories from David's life occur before he is king. Most importantly, in each of the lessons we see how the Lord was with him and working through him.

If you had to pick four or five stories from when you were growing up that were pivotal moments or summed up a period from your youth, what would they be? What stories would you want to tell your grand-kids if they came over for the weekend and you only had a few hours with them? Now in each of the stories, how would you explain the Lord's roll at that point in your life? Let's read and see how the Lord was integral in the maturing David's young life...

Time to Slow it Down - Pages 158 "But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."

Last week our reading ended with the Lord's words to Saul that the Lord had sought a "man after his own heart" to appoint as ruler of his people. While the people looked for a king that had all the looks of king, the Lord looked where? "At the heart" (p. 145). What do you look for in people? Do you like to follow sports figures with the best throwing percentage? Or celebrities with the best looks? Or politicians with the most popularity? Or, on the other hand, do you vote for those leaders that share Biblical values or follow social figures who use their fame to promote Christ?

While we can't see into David's heart, we can see the fruits of his faith - how he made his faith visible in his life. The first real actions of David that are recorded show how strong his faith is. While everyone else was terrified because they were looking at the physical state of things, David was confident because he was looking to the Lord. But not only did he trust the Lord, he also gave God the credit, "The battle is the Lord's!" (p. 149)

What would you say is worse: not trusting the Lord, or trusting him and not giving him the credit? I guess it's a bit of a silly question, because hopefully we don't fall into either trap. But how often don't we lose sight of who is really in charge? I'll admit, it's all too easy to lose focus. When there is some success with parenting at home or with ministry at Hope it’s easy to say, “Well, we did this and that…” as if that was what gained the success.  There I am forgetting to give credit where it is due.  Then, all of a sudden I realize that I’m neglecting something else big in my life. 

One minute too proud, the next too scared - but the problem was the same! On the other hand, what made David different? I'd summarize it with one word: humility. In the midst of battle, David knew who had what it took to win: the Lord. And when in victory, David knew who deserved the glory: the Lord. Remember how David was the celebrity - parades in his honor, people flocking to see him come back from battle, news about his conquests on everyone's tongues. Yet how did David act? Well not the way that his wife wanted him too! She knew how celebrities should act: they should wear the fancy clothes, work the crowds and the media, walk the red carpet and milk it for all it's worth. What was David doing? Well in her mind, he was acting like a fool. He wore simple clothes and humbled himself before the ark of the Lord. David didn't care, "I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes...I will celebrate before the Lord" (p. 158).

What was this valiant warrior afraid of? "How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?" (p. 157). David realized that in spite of his high position, he wasn't worthy of the Lord's presence. He was a sinful human. He knew that he wasn't even worthy to be in the presence of the ark of the Lord, the symbol of God's presence among his people. 

Yet did you see God's grace again and again through this chapter? In spite of the fact that David wasn't worthy to come to the Lord, the Lord came to him, chose him, used him, "I took you..." (p. 159) the Lord said through Nathan the prophet. Saul recognized that the Lord was with David, "Go, and the Lord be with you" (p. 149). What made David special wasn't David, it was the Spirit of the Lord that was in him.

What makes you fit to face the battles that you will encounter this week? What makes you special in the eyes of those around you? What gives you beauty or fame or respect? May we always admit like David, "You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely" (p. 152).

When You're Done Reading - Thoughts to Ponder:

When David came home from his work of fighting, he realized that what he really needed was a house. Not a house for himself, he already had that. In fact he had a very nice house - real hardwood floors made of cedar! No, what David wanted was a house for the Lord. While we often put more thought and money and energy into our own homes, once again we see David's faith shining through.

But the Lord wouldn't let David build the temple. The giving would go in the opposite direction: the Lord would give David a house. This wouldn't be a physical house of course. No, the Lord would give David a household of kings. David's family would rule on the throne of Israel for generations to come.

Yet, as you read those words, do you get the sense that the Lord is talking about something bigger than just a physical kingdom? I hope you do. Once again we see the connection between the lower story and the upper story. David was worried about a physical kingdom, the Lord was working on a spiritual kingdom. The Lord promises to David a king who would sit on the throne forever (And notice how many times he repeats that word "forever."). This son of David, the Lord says, would be, "My son." How could this eternal king be both David's son and God's son? I think by now you are putting the pieces together.

While David's thoughts are on earthly houses, the Lord is building a spiritual house. David wanted a place where people could come to worship the Lord. The Lord was promising to David that through his descendants the God-man Jesus would come who would conquer our greatest enemies of sin, death, and the Devil so that we could live in the kingdom of heaven forever. In that kingdom, Jesus will sit on his throne as King of the Universe forever, and we will have an eternal home.

Hymn of Praise:

David was a great warrior, but he also was known for his songs. At least 75 of the 150 Psalms were written by David. David loved music, and he loved giving God glory through music. We read one of David's psalms in our reading today. We too can give God glory through our songs. In fact, some of our hymns are based on the Psalms of David. One of Luther's most popular hymns is based on Psalm 46 and gives glory to God for being our fortress:

A mighty fortress is our God, a trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from every need that has us now overtaken.
The old evil foe now means deadly woe; deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in fight; on Earth is not his equal.

With might of ours can naught be done, soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the Valiant One, whom God Himself elected.
You ask, who is this? Jesus Christ it is.
Of Sabbath Lord, and there’s none other God;
He holds the field forever.

Though devils all the world should fill, all eager to devour us.
We tremble not, we fear no ill, they shall not overpower us.
This world’s prince may still scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none, he’s judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.

The Word they still shall let remain nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life, goods, fame, child and wife,
Let these all be gone, they yet have nothing won;
The Kingdom's ours forever!

For those who like more:

• How much did David know about his Redeemer-son? Read a Forward in Christ article about David's faith in the coming Messiah.
• Whose son is the Christ? A devotion on Matthew 22:41-46.

Chapter 10 - Standing Tall and Falling Hard

1 Samuel 1-4, 8-13, 15

Introduction to the Reading: 

When I was in college I was dog-sitting one weekend for one of our local pastors.  His dog, Winston, was the laziest dog I’ve ever seen.  I would throw the ball and he would sit in the recliner and watch the ball roll across the floor and wait for me to go get it and try again.  The only thing that got him to move was a bacon treat!  Have you ever felt that way in a conversation?

You are probably wondering where I'm going with this. You see, when I was in college my professor for interpersonal communications had us play catch. The deal was that we couldn't speak unless we had the ball, and we couldn't throw the ball to anyone unless we had summarized what they had said to us and asked them a question first or said something that gave them something to respond to. It really visualized for us how a good conversation works.

It's amazing how terrible we can be at communicating when we argue though. Have you gotten in an argument with a spouse, parent, or friend? Pay attention how that communication works. I find it fascinating how people argue on television - they do such a good job. For the most part, characters on television shows take turns speaking. If they didn't, we as the viewers would go crazy trying to listen to both sides of the argument. Yet when we argue in real life, we tend to speak over one another and don't really listen to what the other person has to say. If we were really concerned about resolving the issue we would listen first - and I mean listen to the point of being able to put in our own words what the other person had said - and then respond.

Which finally brings me to our reading today.... When you first read 1 & 2 Samuel (which are actually one book split in two by translators), it seems like the main point of the book is the history of the first two kings of Israel. But what's interesting is that we don't hear about Saul's parents or David's birth. Instead the book of Samuel introduces us first and foremost to Samuel. Samuel was born during the period when the judges ruled Israel. In fact, both Samuel and Eli are referred to as judges themselves. Most likely Eli was priest and judge during the reigns of Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. Remember that the period of the judges was the days in which, "Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit" (Judges 21:25).

The name Samuel means "heard of God." As we will read, we'll hear how God heard Hannah's prayer and gave her a son, which is why she called him Samuel. As we read today, beyond just paying attention to the history, let's pay attention to who is asking God for what, how God responded, and how the people reacted to God's response. In other words, beyond just the historical facts, let's pay attention to the communication between God and his people that's also recorded in the book of Samuel.

Time to Slow it Down 

• Bottom of p. 131 -What did Hannah ask for? How did the Lord respond? When the Lord answered Hannah's prayer, how did Hannah react? How would you rate the communication between Hannah and the Lord?
• First Paragraph of p. 133 - When the Lord spoke to Samuel, how did he respond? Would you say that Samuel was able to summarize the Lord's words truthfully or did he listen half-heartedly and only speak what he thought would make people happy? On the other hand, when the Lord's message reached Eli, how did he respond? Would you say that his response was genuine repentance or a half-hearted, "Well if that's the way it's gotta be, then that's the way it's gotta be?" Between Samuel and Eli, who was going beyond just listening and actually reacting appropriately to the Lord's words?
• Middle of p. 136 - What did the people of Israel ask for? How did the Lord respond? Although the Lord said he would give them what they asked for, how did the people react to the warning that was included?
• Middle of p. 142 - What did Saul want from the Lord? Instead of listening to the Lord's response through the prophet Samuel, Saul took things into his own hands - he thought that he had to earn the Lord's favor rather than trusting the Lord's word. What was the result?

When You're Done Reading - Thoughts to Ponder:

So was it wrong for the people to ask for a king? The Lord gave them a king, right? And you remember how terrible things were during the period of the judges, right? Having a king wasn't bad in and of itself. The problem really was what role the king would serve. Now you are saying, "What does he mean by that? A king is a king!" What I mean is this: who was going to be the ultimate ruler of Israel and who was the real leader of the people? Remember where the book of Samuel starts? With Samuel - the Lord's prophet! The Lord wasn't opposed to a king, as long as the king subjected himself to the will and word of the Lord. The Lord, through Samuel, chose who would be king. The king, then, was supposed to listen to the Lord's words and follow his commands. The king's sword was only as powerful as the sword of the Spirit. What upset the Lord is when the people rejected him as the ultimate ruler. They followed the king, but not necessarily the Lord who gave the king power. They listened to the king, but not necessarily the Lord's words through the prophet. The Lord was even with Saul, that is until Saul stopped listening to the commands of the Lord. 

Making it My Own:
How good is your communication with God? How often do you ask something from the Lord, but not necessarily pay attention to his response? For instance, say that you pray fervently to the Lord for a spouse and he blesses you with one.  Everyone’s response is “congratulations” and rightfully so – it’s a blessing from the Lord.  But then again, wasn’t a king a blessing from the Lord as well.  Then, once you are married, perhaps you start to see that just being married didn’t solve all the single-person problems that you thought it would.  Then, God leads you to see that whether you are married or not, you must first seek him.  Even more than seeking his blessings, we need to be seeking him.  When we ask for something from the Lord, we have to pay attention to his WHOLE answer. We are tempted to get distracted by the gifts and ignore the directions that come with those gifts.

Luther, as he explains the Lord's prayer in his Small Catechism, writes, "’Our Father who art in heaven.' Here God tenderly invites us to believe that he is our true Father, and that we are his true children, so that we can ask him confidently with all assurance, as dear children ask their dear father.'" Usually through the first line of the Lord's prayer I'm still pretty focused. But I'll admit that a good portion of the time I'm already off in my own little world by the time I get to the Third Petition "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Luther explains the petition this way, "The good and gracious will of God is certainly done without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it might be done among us also." God's will is certainly done! Who ruled Israel? Well Saul thought he did, but God ultimately decided who would be king, which battles would be won or lost, and who would get the glory. What the Lord asked was that the people followed his will for their lives. The Lord's will was to be done!

The Lord invites us to pray with the full confidence that he is listening, but he also expects us to listen to his response - to listen to his whole response. Once we've prayed to our heavenly Father, we should then follow his will for our lives. I don't know how many times I've asked my wife something, and then responded with, "What did you say?" right after she answered me. I'm terrible like that: I ask a question, but then only hear the part I really want to hear and not the whole answer. God wants us to communicate with him, which means not only throwing the ball in prayer, but also being ready to listen when he is the one speaking.

What do you want from the Lord? Is the request in keeping with the Lord's will? Then ask for it! What warnings may the Lord also give with that request? Also pray that the Lord may keep you focused on his will if he gives you what you asked for. What blessing would you like to ask for your family? For our congregation? For our society? Now what direction does the Lord give us in regard to those requests? Just because we are around God's word, we have to be careful to listen to his word. Hophni and Phinehas were priests in the Lord's house, and yet they failed to listen to God's commands for their lives.

The good news is that the Lord won't forsake his people. Even though we have failed to keep his commands and have done much evil, "For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own" (p. 141).  We follow the Lord's commands, once again, not out of fear. We follow the Lord's commands because he gives them to us to bless us. He wants us to use the things he gives and the prayers he answers - he wants us to use them according to his will so that they can be the blessings he intends. He gives us directions with his gifts because he loves us.

Prayer/Hymn:
Speak, O Savior I am list'ning,
As a servant to his lord.
Let me show respect and honor
To your holy, precious Word,
That each day, my whole life through,
I may serve and follow you.
Let your Word e'er be my pleasure
And my heart's most precious treasure.

As I pray, dear Jesus, hear me;
Let your words in me take root.
May your Spirit e'er be near me
That I bear abundant fruit.
May I daily sing your praise,
From my heart glad anthems raise.
Till my highest praise is given
In the endless joy of heaven.


For those who like more:


Read James 1:19-25

• What practical advice does James give on communication skills?
• What attitude does the Lord warn against?
• What advice have you heard from God's word this week that you want to hang on to, not just forget about?
• What portion of God's word would you like to look intently into? Read it and then write down how you will apply it in your life. Make a plan of action.