Sovereign Grace Community Church

The Lord brought His sword against David's house, and after dividing and devastating his household, it cleaved David's kingdom into two parts. Only the southern kingdom of Judah remained under Davidic rule, with Israel in the north forming its own distinct kingdom. But both kingdoms followed the same trajectory of idolatry and apostasy culminating with destruction and exile. Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C., while Yahweh gave Judah and David's royal house a reprieve. But not for long; Judah, too, would fall a century and a half later when the Babylonian forces burned Jerusalem and its temple to the ground and dragged the survivors into exile. Thus the Lord's sword had made a complete end of David's house, throne and kingdom, and yet His promise stood fast - one day, He would raise up a faithful son of David in whom He would build David's house and establish his throne and kingdom forever. Abraham's children were to hold onto this promise in faith, even in the face of seeming impossibility and crushing

The sword that Yahweh brought against David's house moved from his immediate household to the kingdom he ruled. The Lord revealed to Solomon His intent to cleave the kingdom, but this division occurred during the reign of Solomon's son Rehoboam. This message examines that episode and the history of the northern kingdom of Israel culminating with its destruction at the hand of the Assyrians.

Solomon was the Lord's chosen successor to David, and he was the king who brought the Israelite kingdom to the pinnacle of its glory. And the focal point of that glory was the Jerusalem temple that Solomon built according to Yahweh's covenant with David. But the Lord had also pledged to David to build a house for him, and yet David's failure provoked Yahweh to bring a sword upon his house, which sword escalated its decimating work because of Solomon's own failures as king. Solomon, too, would fall short of the kingship idealized in the covenant with David, but the Lord would yet fulfill what He had pledged. One day, He would raise up a son of David who would build an everlasting house for Him, a son in whom David's own house, throne and kingdom would be established forever.

The writer of Samuel chose to conclude his account of David's reign with the strange story of David's census that brought a devastating plague on Israel and led to the purchase of the site where the temple would be built by his son Solomon. This sermon considers that episode in the light of the Mosaic census law, which gives to it a profound significance and helps explain why the Samuel writer viewed it as the fitting way to end his account.

The Bathsheba episode is a well-known story from the Old Testament, but it's typically treated in isolation as a lesson in moral failure and the consequences that result from it. But this episode must be interpreted in terms of David's unique kingship and God's covenant with him, and the text itself emphasizes the massive covenantal significance of David's failure more than its moral importance. David was guilty of abuse of power, adultery, deception, conspiracy and murder, but all of that served his greatest offense, which was despising his covenant obligation to testify of Yahweh to the surrounding nations by faithfully exercising his kingship as the Lord's regal image-son. Thus David's failure with Bathsheba was the turning point in his reign and Israel's covenant life; it marked the beginning of the end of the Israelite kingdom, and so brought into jeopardy God's covenant with Abraham.

The covenant with David pertained to his regal house and kingdom and didn't directly implicate the priesthood. But Yahweh's approval of David's priestly actions in installing His ark in Jerusalem hinted at some sort of relation between the regal and priestly functions in connection with David. Later, Psalm 110, penned by David, showed that he understood that Yahweh was going to formally conjoin the kingship and the priesthood in the son promised to him in the covenant. This son was to be a priest-king, but of a different and enduring priestly order, indicating a new, everlasting covenant relationship between Yahweh and His people.

This message examines the context and particulars of the Davidic Covenant and its significance in Israel's history. Most especially, it considers the central place of the Davidic Covenant in the progress of the salvation history that reached its climax in the Son of David promised in the covenant.

This message examines David's ascent to the throne - first as king over Judah, and then over the whole house of Israel - and the early features of his reign. The most notable of those were his conquest of Jerusalem and subsequent act of bringing Yahweh's ark to Jerusalem to enthrone Him there in the new capital city.

This message considers the account of David's preparation for the kingship as recorded in the second half of 1 Samuel. Though identified by Yahweh as His chosen king and anointed with His Spirit, David spent many years suffering under the threat of death at Saul's hand as Saul fought to hold onto the throne of Israel, though fully aware that Yahweh had rejected him. Thus the Lord prepared David for the kingship by nurturing his submission and dependent faithfulness in the face of unjust suffering.

This message considers the transition in Israel's history from the period of the Judges to the monarchy. The emergence of the Israelite monarchy was the fitting climax to an era defined by the summary truth that "in those days there was no king in Israel," but every man was his own king. And so Israel's call for a human king put the exclamation point on the fact that the nation had long since rejected Yahweh as their rightful King. They sought a man, not to exercise Yahweh's rule over His covenant kingdom, but in denial of that kingdom and their own uniqueness as His people. Israel sought a king to make them like the other nations.

This message examines the concluding period during the era of Israel's Judges. In particular, it considers Samuel's birth and early life in the sanctuary at Shiloh through which the Lord exposed and addressed the corruption of Israel's priesthood. That period also saw Yahweh exiled from His sanctuary, which exile continued until David was enthroned as king in Israel.

After the Lord renewed the covenant, Israel spent nearly a year at Mount Sinai preparing to depart for Canaan. The climax of that preparation was Yahweh's glory filling His newly-constructed sanctuary, and thus He led Israel away from the mountain toward Canaan. Though His glory went before them, the people immediately began grumbling and rebelling against Him, and this intractable pattern resulted in 40 years of wandering in the desert and great calamity after inheriting the promised land. This message presents a summary of that era of Israel's history from the nation's departure from Sinai until it arrived at the threshold of its new monarchy.

This message examines the aftermath of the gold calf episode, which saw God's judgment of Israel in slaughter and alienation, climaxing with His renewal of the covenant through Moses' mediation.

This message examines the episode of the gold calf and its significance for Israel's relationship with God, but in terms of the nation's role in God's purposes for the world bound up in Abraham and the covenant with him.

Following the ratification of the covenant and the fellowship meal of Father and son, Yahweh called Moses to return alone to the mountain to receive another record of the covenant that He Himself would write. He would give Moses the two tablets of the covenant, but also instruction for His dwelling place among His covenant people and His provision of a mediating priesthood. This message examines the relationship of the sanctuary and priestly system to the covenant and their role in its administration.

This message examines the circumstances surrounding the formal institution of God's covenant with Israel, including the recording of the covenant charter, the people's stated commitment to it, the covenant's ritual ratification in blood, and Israel's fellowship meal with Yahweh on His holy mountain.

This message examines the making of the covenant at Sinai and its various features and components. But it does so particularly in terms of the covenant's function in Israel's life as the Abrahamic people, chosen by God to be His instrument for achieving His restorative purpose for the world.

This message examines God's preparation of Israel for entering into covenant relationship with Him after the redeemed nation arrived at Mount Sinai.

This message considers the series of tests - by which God tested Israel and Israel tested God - that transpired during the three months between Israel's deliverance at the Red Sea and their arrival at Mount Sinai.

This message examines Israel's Exodus from Egypt, both in terms of its historical significance and its importance in the unfolding salvation history as a prototype that portrayed and anticipated a future counterpart. In that second and final Exodus event, God would liberate the entire creation from its bondage and regather it to Himself in His Son, thereby fulfilling His own destiny to become "all in all."