Reading With the People of God #10 Kingdomنموونە

Focus of the month: (Kingdom)

As we engage in our daily readings this month, we’ll focus on reciting a portion of God’s Promise to David that he spoke through the Prophet Nathan, known as the Davidic Covenant. This pivotal covenant is a cornerstone of Scripture and essential for every follower of Jesus to understand.

May this daily review take root in your heart and shape how you live for King Jesus, the son of David.

7 Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, 8 and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build you a house. 11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, 14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’ ”.- 1 Chronicles 17:7-14

Introduction to II Samuel

In the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, I & II Samuel is one book. Samuel was separated into two books when the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, known as the Septuagint. Since Samuel’s death is recorded in I Samuel it is believed that two prophets, Nathan and Gad, finished what Samuel had begun so many decades before. The prophets finished writing Samuel sometime after 960 BC.

David was first anointed king as a shepherd boy when Samuel called him from the fields to proclaim him as Israel's second king. II Samuel follows the life of King David through his second anointing as king of Judah and his third anointing as king over Israel. This book will give us the historical context for the Davidic Covenant when God declares that David’s throne would be established forever. (II Samuel 7:16 and reiterated by the angel who appeared to Mary in Luke 1:32-33)

In II Samuel we read of David's meteoric rise as king of Israel and his many triumphs. Then we read of his encounter with Bathsheba which seems to be the dividing line in David’s life. David’s troubles then begin and we see them escalate and follow David to the end of his life.

In II Samuel we see Christ foreshadowed not only in the Messianic Covenant made with David but also in a beautiful song written by David at the end of his life. In II Samuel 22:2-55 David writes of his rock, fortress and deliverer, his refuge and savior. It was a prophetic writing of Jesus who is our Rock (ICorinthians 10:4; IPeter 2:7-9), the Deliverer of Israel (Romans 11:26-27), the fortress to whom we “have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18), and our only Savior (Luke 2:11; IITimothy 1:10). David may have had feet of clay but the Lord loved him and would not let him go.

* Primer contributed by Jinet Troost