Life as a House (2 Samuel 7)

2 Samuel 7.1-14: 

s Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord t had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to u Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell v in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwellsw in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, x “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” 4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: y Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house z since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about a in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where b I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with c any of the judges [1] of Israel, whom I commandedd to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, e I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 f And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel g and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place h and be disturbed no more.i And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 j from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And k I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that l the Lord will make you a house. 12 m When your days are fulfilled and n you lie down with your fathers, o I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 p He shall build a house for my name, and q I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 r I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.

This is one of the most important chapters in the Bible.

            // Bill Arnold, OT Scholar

Mark 3.31-35

31 q And his mother and his r brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers [2] are outside, seeking you.”33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Ands looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 t For whoever u does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

As the prophets had foretold many would come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God. Once Jesus had symbolically redefined Israel in terms simply of loyalty to himself this move was in principle open.

            // N.T. Wright, Theologian

If someone asked my to summarize the effect the gospel in three words: adoption through propitiation.

            // J.I. Packer, Theologian

Mark 9.1-6 (NIV)

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not l taste death m until they see the kingdom of God after it has come n with power.” 2 o And after six days Jesus took with him p Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was q transfigured before them, 3 and r his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one [1] on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, s “Rabbi, [2] it is good that we are here. Let us make three t tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For u he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 

Psalm 72.17

May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
s May people be blessed in him,
t all nations call him blessed!

 Matthew 28.16-20

16 Now the eleven disciples f went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they g worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, h “All authority i in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 j Go therefore and k make disciples of l all nations, j baptizing them m in [1] n the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them o to observe all that p I have commanded you. And behold, q I am with you always, to r the end of the age.”

 

2 Samuel 5.1-10: The City of God

Church Leadership

 1 Timothy 4.12-14

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

“Jonathan Edwards was the greatest evangelical mind in American history.”

       // Mark A. Noll, Historian

Colossians 1.18

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

1 Peter 5.4

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Philippians 1.1

Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

1 Timothy 3.1-5

^{It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?).}

Titus 1.5-9

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Jerusalem: Past, Present and Future

Matthew 21.7-14

And brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. ⁹The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" ¹⁰When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" ¹¹And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." ¹²And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. ¹³And He said to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN." ¹⁴And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

Matthew 23.37-38

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!

Revelation 21.1-5; 8-11

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.²And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, ⁴and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." ⁵And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new " And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." ⁸"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." ⁹Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." ¹⁰And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, ¹¹having the glory of God Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.

The Bible is about Jesus

Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.

Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God.

Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, "Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me," now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, "Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us."

Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.

Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God's justice, now gives us water in the desert.

Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.

Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people's victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn't just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn't just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He's the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.

The Bible's really not about you – it's about him.

Small Group Questions:

 

 

·      Why do we not like spiritual leadership?

 

·      Talk about why church leadership is important?

 

·      How important is it to recognize Jesus as the Messiah? Include John 20.30-31 in your discussion.

 

·      What does believing in Jesus as the suffering/rising Messiah mean? Include Isaiah 53 in your discussion.

 

·      Discuss Revelation 21.1-2; 9-10: The holy city, Jerusalem, is also the bride—the church. Talk about what it means to prepare ourselves for the great wedding to Jesus? Morally, theologically, and missionally?

 

·      Discuss Revelation 21.8: this is a description of those who are not part of the Bride who will marry Jesus. The key to this list of sins is “unbelieving” – What do you think about the point of “continuing sin in our lives comes back to a gospel issue (i.e. ‘believing the gospel’)?

 

·      Talk about Martin Luther’s idea that if we were to never break the first of the ten Commandments we would never break any of them – Read the Ten Commandments in your discussion (Exodus 20)

 

·      Talk about the ‘functional saviors’ in your life – the things you put above Jesus which cause the hurt, pain, sin in your lives.

 

 

2 Samuel 2.1-4: The Usual Suspects

Does the Bible encourage Polygamy?

Genesis 2.24

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh

 

Genesis 4.19

Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah.

 

“The attempt to improve on God’s marriage ordinance (Genesis 2.24) sets a disastrous precedent, on which the rest of Genesis is comment enough; and the immediate conversion of metal-working to weapon-making is equally ominous.”

       // Derek Kidner, Theologian

 

Exodus 20.14

You shall not commit adultery.

 

Deuteronomy 17.17

He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.

 

1 Timothy 3.2, 12

An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.

 

Titus 1.6

Namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.

“It is possible that David’s marriages to Ahinoam and Abigail were politically motivated. These were both prominent women from the surrounding countryside. Their presence helps David make the transition from ally in a foreign land to candidate for the throne. It is possible even that Ahinoam was the first wife of Saul, so that David’s marriage to her was tantamount to a claim to the throne.”

       // Bill Arnold, Theologian

 

Messy Spirituality

There is nothing wrong with the spirituality of monks but what about the rest of us? Who live in the city, have a wife or husband, three children and broken washing machine? Those of us who are working, single, have friends who make more money than we do? If there a spirituality for the rest of us who are not in a monastery? The answer is Yes! What landed Jesus on the cross was the preposterous idea that common, ordinary, broken, screwed-up people could be godly!

       // Michael Yaconelli, Messy Spirituality

 

Mark 2.17

And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

 

“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”

       // C.S. Lewis, Philosopher

 

Doers of the Word, Not just Hearers

David inquires of the Lord and having heard him and understanding his will he obeys.

       // Bill Arnold, Theologian

 

James 1:22-25

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;  for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.  But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

 

Matthew 28.18-20

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."