Archive for the ‘Samuel’ tag
September 6, 2009: David Becomes King
The text for this lesson is 1 Samuel 16:1–13; 2 Samuel 5:1–10.
Key Points
- Just as David reigned over Israel, so the God-man, Jesus, our David, reigns over the kingdom of grace, of which we are citizens.
- Law: My sinful foolishness blinds me to the wise ways of my heavenly Father.
- Gospel: God truly sees and knows what I need; He does what is good, right, and salutary for me through His Son.
Context
For the Israelites, the grass was always greener on the other side of the political fence. Not content with having God alone as their King, they wanted a man to wear the crown, like their peer nations had. (See 1 Samuel 8:19–20.) So God gave them Saul. But God also forewarned them: green grass is deceptive, as the Israelites soon discovered for themselves. Saul’s reign began well but then went downhill. Angered by Saul’s acts of insubordination, the Lord through Samuel told Saul that because he had rejected God’s Word, God had rejected him from being king over Israel (1 Samuel 15:26). The Lord would give the kingship to a neighbor of Saul’s, someone better than he (1 Samuel 15:28). As the ensuing story tells us, David was that neighbor.
November 16, 2008: Saul Becomes King
The text for this lesson is 1 Samuel 8:1—10:27; 11:12–15.
Key Points
- Though God lets us have our own way at times, His is the way of forgiving and saving, which He did for His people of old and for us today.
- Law: “Be careful what you wish for,” we’re often told. This is very good advice for sinners, since we wish—indeed, we crave—the very things that lead to our undoing. We “Israels” clamor for our own “Sauls,” no matter how much God warns us that we are like thirsty travelers begging for salty water.
- Gospel: The Lord knows what we need, both in terms of discipline and in terms of grace. As a loving Father, He upholds us, even when we bear the painful consequences of our own choices. He forgives us our faults and sustains our hopes. For in Christ, we are His children, beloved beyond words.
November 9, 2008: Samuel
The text for this lesson is 1 Samuel 1:1—3:21.
Key Points
- For the sake of Christ, God, who is ever eager to forgive us and grant us His grace, calls all to repentance through preachers such as Samuel.
- Law: The Lord’s holy people often appear to out-sin the most ungodly pack of sinners imaginable. There is more than a little of Eli and his sons in all of us. Time and again, selfishness suffocates sanctity.
- Gospel: The Lord’s people are holy because they are the Lord’s. Holiness is not an achievement but an endowment. He calls all to repentance through preachers such as Samuel, ever eager to forgive for the sake of Christ, who was born of a woman very much like singing Hannah of old.
