Sunday School Lesson on God's Promise

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Sunday School Lesson on God's Promise

A. Keeping Promises

The word promise is capable of many shadesof meaning. A coach might evaluate a youngplayer by saying, "He shows lots of promise."This implies that the player has potential, in theopinion of the coach. Yet sports fans are wellaware that many players who show promisenever deliver.

Another form of this word may be seen whena person takes out a loan and signs a promissorynote. This indicates an agreement to pay off theloan. If the person defaults on the loan, he or shewill still be held accountable and may be forced to pay the money back. This type of promisespeaks of obligation, and such obligation may beinvoluntarily enforced.

Many parents have encountered a third varia-tion on this word when they fail to meet the an-ticipation of a demanding child. The parent maybe confronted with the guilt-inducing complaint,"But you promised!" In this case the wordpromise takes on the idea of "expectation." Ahazard of parenting is the failure to live up to theexpectations of one's children!

Potential, obligation, and expectation are threecomponents in the range of meaning for theword promise. But none of these is adequate todescribe the biblical concept of promise whenapplied to God. God always keeps His promises.God's promises are more than potential; they areassurances. God's promises are not simply obli-gations; they are vows of commitment. God'spromises are far beyond expectations; they aredeclarations of intention. This week's lessonteaches no that God's promise to one man, David,not only blessed David and his descendants butall who find salvation in Jesus Christ. That in-cludes you and me.

B. Lesson Background

During the time of Samuel, a major shift oc-curred in the history of Israel. Since the death ofJoshua in about 1365 BC, judges had "run theshow" in Israel. These were God-ordained lead-ers who often acted as military leaders or coordi-nators in times of national crisis. But there wasno central government for the people of Israel.The nation of Israel was actually a confederationof the 12 tribes. Participation in national eventswas dependent upon the cooperation of triballeaders.

The people of Israel finally rejected this styleof government and asked Samuel to give them aking. This turning point was a sad day. for Godsaw this as a rebuff of Him and His rule over thenation (1 Samuel 8:7). Tragically, the people ofIsrael demanded this so that they could be "likeall the nations" (1 Samuel 8:5). The heartbreakwas that Israel became like the nations in morethan just its choice of rule by a king; Israel alsofollowed its neighbors in sin. Thus the history ofthe kingdom of Israel was an ongoing battleagainst idolatry and failure to be the holy peopleof God.

This was further compounded by the perfor-mance of Israel's first king, Saul. Although cho-sen by God and anointed by Samuel, Saul did notlive up to the heavy responsibilities of making Is-rael into a godly kingdom. God saw Saul's disobedience as a rejection of His Word, which resultedin God's rejection of Saul as king (1 Samuel15:26; 1 Chronicles 10:13, 14). Even while Saulwas still reigning, God directed Samuel to anointSaul's successor, a new king who was not Saul'sson (1 Samuel 16:1). The dynasty of Saul's houselasted only one generation, approximately 40years (see Acts 13:21).

David had no royal qualifications to be king.Yet he had personal qualities that added up tothe extraordinary credentials that God desired.His bravery was a hallmark (1 Samuel 17). David became a victorious military leader in the serviceof Saul, so successful that Saul became jealous(18:6-9). David was also a talented musician (see16:23), the author of many psalms.

Most importantly, though, was the fact thatGod saw in David "a man after his own heart"(1 Samuel 13:14). Paul explained this phrase tomean that God was confident that David would"fulfil all my will" (Acts 13:22). Although David,like King Saul, failed and committed sin, his re-sponse was unlike Saul's response. Saul re-sponded to sin with arrogance, stubbornness,and rationalizing. David, however, came to Godin humility and repentance.

After the hideous episode of adultery andmurder caused by David's lust for Bathsheba,David wrote, "Create in me a clean heart, 0 God;and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm51:10). David was spiritually submissive to God.In fact, David's career was characterized by thestrong presence of God's Holy Spirit in his life(1 Samuel 16:13). This week's lesson will help usunderstand why God's love for David has impli-cations for us today.

I. David Is Chosen(2 Samuel 7:8-11a)

A. God's Preparation of David (vv. 8, 9a)

8, 9a. Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: and I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight.
The message of David's covenant with God is being delivered by Nathan the prophet (2 Samuel 7:4). Nathan plays several important roles in the reign of David. He is the one who risks David's wrath by confronting the king and revealing David's sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 12). He also anoints Solomon as David's successor (1 Kings 1:34).

Nathan reminds David that God has been looking out for him since his days in the sheepcote. God raised David from the humblest of occupations, shepherd, to the pinnacle of success, king of God's chosen nation. In all situations the Lord protects David from danger and treachery. (See question #2, page 72.]

B. God's Plans for David (vv. 9b-11a)

9b. And have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
God promises that David will have a great name. This is a promise of legitimate fame and respect that will be widespread in Israel and in other nations.

This kind of fame is nothing like the modern "cult of celebrity," where men and women become famous for outrageous behavior or their ability to garner publicity. In the ancient world, fame and respect are built on accomplishment. David is a great man because he is powerful, talented, successful, and just. Yet he is also humble, for he always rules in the fear of the Lord (see 2 Samuel 23:3). iSee question #3. page 72.1
10, 11a. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, and as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies.

God ties the fortunes of David's house to the fate of the nation of Israel. The strength provided by the Davidic monarchy will allow Israel to achieve a much higher degree of stability in the promised land. This land will become a permanent home and a place of safety, for the nation will finally gain relief from its pagan enemies.

FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE Top

Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) is among the most famous of American philanthropists. His fa-ther lost his job when steam-powered loomschanged Scotland's textile industry. The familymoved to America in 1848, where Andrew gothis first job, working in a textile mill for $1.20per week.

From that point his life became the proverbial"rags to riches" story. His diligence and ability tosolve problems creatively soon put him on theroad to success. He took a job with the Pennsyl-vania Railroad, where his innovative style led tofurther advancement. By the time he was 24, hehad become the western superintendent of therailroad. His investments and involvement in theoil, steel, and telegraph industries soon madehim rich.

In 1889 Carnegie published his essay "Gospelof Wealth," which argued the moral obligationof the wealthy to serve as society's stewards (seewww.pbs.org). He lived up to his credo: by thetime of his death in 1919, he had given away 90percent of his fortune after having become thewealthiest nsan in the world.

David's humble beginning as a shepherdwould not have made anyone predict his rise tothe height of power. But godly character andwillingness to serve others were traits that servedhim well, both at the bottom and the top of thesocial hierarchy. Every society needs people whosee their gifts as a trust from God to be used forothers.

II. David's House Is Chosen(2 Samuel 7:11b-17)

A. Covenant Will Continue (vv. 1113, 12)11b. Also the Loup telleth thee that he willmake thee a house.
To be made a house does not indicate David isbecoming a three-bedroom ranch with attachedgarage! It indicates God's plan to establish a royaldynasty beginning with David.

12. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thoushalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thyseed after thee, which shall proceed out of thybowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

The kings of Israel reigning in Jerusalem willhave David's royal blood flowing in their veins.Future kings will be David's son, grandson, greatgrandson, and so on.

After the death of King Solomon, David's son,the nation unfortunately will split in two. Thenorthern kingdom (usually called Israel) ends upbeing ruled by Jeroboam. The southern kingdom (usually called Judah) comes to be ruled byDavid's grandson Rehoboam. The history ofJudah's kings shows bolls good and bad rulers,but all were heirs of David. This stands in contrast to the northern kingdom, where dynastieswere short-lived, and coups by military strong-men were common.

B. Temple Will Be Built (v. 13)

13. He shall build a house for my name, and Iwill stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.The Lord lays out a twofold promise: the privi-lege of building the temple in Jerusalem and thepermanence of the Davidic dynasty.

These promises are not made to David directly—as ifDavid would never die—but to his son. At thispoint in David's life, it is unclear which one ofhis many sons will be his heir. At one point itseemed that David's third son, Absalom, wouldsucceed David by overthrowing his father(2 Samuel 15). When David became old, hisfourth son, Adonijah, tried to become king(1 Kings 1:5). Despite his advanced age, Davidorchestrated the events to make Solomon thenext king (1 Kings 1:28-37).

David was prohibited from building the tem-ple because he was "a man of war" and hadblood on his hands (1 Chronicles 28:3). There isno haste in God's plans. He is infinitely patient,willing to wait until the right king is in place tobuild the temple.

TO THE GLORY OF GOD

St. Paul's Cathedral in London is one of thegreat church buildings of the world. Its architectwas Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723). Wrenwas trained in anatomy and astronomy and wasteaching at Oxford when his architectural careerbegan.

At age 31 he was requested to draw the plansfor a chapel in Cambridge. So impressive was hiswork that more soon followed. After the GreatLondon Fire of 1666, Wren proposed a visionarymaster plan for rebuilding the city. The plan in-cluded the dome of St. Paul's cathedral, whichended up being Wren's most famous work. Overthe next half-century he designed more than 50church buildings in London. He has come to beregarded as Great Britain's greatest architect.God promised David that his son (whom weknow to be Solomon) would build a house forGod. And what a house it was! It is said to havebeen the most magnificent building of ancienttimes. It reflected the glory of God and the great-ness of the kingdom over which Solomonreigned. But that now-gone structure of stone and wood does not compare with God's greatest building project: the church. What part are you playing in its construction? —C. R. B.

C. Relationship Will Stay Firm (vv. 14, 15)

14, 15. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

Here we see that the relationship between the king of Israel and God has a unique element: the king is considered to be a son. This type of situation has parallels and differences with other ancient cultures. The kings of Egypt (the pharaohs) are considered to be gods, direct descendants of the Egyptian deities. Yet there is no hint of that here. For David or Solomon to be God's son does not mean that these men are some type of demigods themselves.

These verses explain the relationship in some detail. God is the king's father in that God intends to take a special, personal interest in such men. As their father He will discipline them and show mercy to them, the qualities all fathers should show to their children.

The most sobering expression of this relationship will come with the reign of King Manasseh, one of David's descendants. That king will stray far from God's will into the evils of bloodshed and idolatry—so much so that he comes to be named as the cause for the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the deportation of the nation for exile in Babylon (2 Kings 24:2-4). God's discipline will be harsh indeed.
Love includes discipline. It is popular today to refer to this as "tough love." Good parents are sometimes hard on their children, not allowing them to fall into sinful patterns and sloth. But this hardness must be tempered with mercy. Discipline should never be a matter of revenge. This is the painful task of a parent who seeks to keep his or her child on the right path.

D. Throne Will Be Eternal (vv. 16, 17)

16, 17. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

This final section of the words of Nathan lays out the three primary elements of God's covenant with David. David is to have an eternal house, an eternal kingdom, and an eternal throne. The eternal house means that the line of David will never die out. There will always be a king with David's royal blood. The eternal kingdom indicates that this king will have subjects and a territory. The eternal throne means that the sons of David will inherit extraordinary authority to carry out the will of God.

All three concepts are reinforced in Psalm 89, the parallel text. There David is promised to have a "throne to all generations" (v. 4). There is a pledge to preserve the kingdom by crushing all "his foes" (v. 23). And the exceptional authority of the Davidic king is strengthened by the mighty "hand" and "arm" of God (v. 21).

The records show that none of David's descendants (except Christ) really lived up to the implications of these promises. God always kept His side of the covenant, but even wise Solomon fell into the sin of false worship due to foreign wives (see 1 Kings 11:4). The three-fold promise of an eternal house, kingdom, and throne is completely fulfilled only in David's descendant Jesus. He is the eternal one who conquered death to ascend to Heaven and take His throne at the right hand of God (see Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 1:3). [See question #4, page 721

Conclusion

A. Jesus and David

God's covenant with David is a major theme in the Old Testament. Not only did the Davidic line of kings continue to reign in Jerusalem without interruption for almost 400 years, but the prophets of Israel began to reveal that a future king would come from David's line to be the redeemer of Israel (compare Luke 24:21).

This future redeemer was referred to in severalways including "my servant David" (Ezekiel34:23, 24), and the "Branch" of David (Isaiah11:1; Jeremiah 23:5). This branch image repre-sents the idea of a reborn line of David—newgrowth from the stump of the tree.

The prophets wrote of future blessings on the"house of David" (Zechariah 12:10). But the mostsignificant of these predictions are the ones thatsee a coming Messiah (Psalm 132:17; Daniel9:25). This person has been specially chosen orappointed by God.

The New Testament shows many connectionsbetween Jesus and David. Jesus is called the"Son of David" (Matthew 1:1; Mark 10:47, 48),the "King of Israel" (John 1:49; 12:13; compareMatthew 27:42; Zechariah 9:9). The most com-mon link is the reference to Jesus as the Messiahor Christ. We have heard the two-word designa-tion Jesus Christ so often that we forget that thisincludes a title: "Jesus the Christ." To claim thatJesus is the Christ is to claim that He is the Da-vidic king, the promised heir to David's throne.A central conviction of the New Testament au-thors is that Jesus meets all the qualifications tobe the heir of David. Jesus' earthly father, Joseph,is from the house of David (Luke 2:4). Paul isoften found arguing with his fellow Jews thatJesus is the Messiah (see Acts 9:22; 28:23). Peterdecisively concludes his Pentecost sermon by de-claring that Jesus' resurrection confirms that Godhad made Him Christ (Acts 2:36).

The significance of this is enormous. Our sal-vation is not an accident of history. Jesus is morethan an ordinary man who accomplished extraor-dinary things. The church is much more than thework of creative geniuses like Paul. God'scovenant with David teaches us that God planned the church, that He sent His Son, Jesus, and thatour salvation was His intentional design. As be-lievers we should find assurance in God's lovingprovision for us.

B. The Eternal Kingdom

The old spiritual sang, "Ride on, king Jesus!"The New Testament frequently speaks of Jesus asa king. The first book tells of the wise mess whocame looking for the newborn "King of the Jews"(Matthew 2:2). The last book reveals Jesus as the"King of Kings" (Revelation 19:16).

What kind of king was Jesus, though? Jesustold Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world"(John 18:36). If not of this world, what kind ofkingdom does Jesus rule?

God promised David that He would establish"the throne of his kingdom for ever" (2 Samuel7:13). Yet Jesus had no interest in being the reign-ing king of Jerusalem. When His followers tried tomake Him king, He refused (see John 6:15). Hisdisciples continually failed to understand that Hewas not going to claim a throne in Jerusalem (seeActs 1:6). :See question #5, page 72.)

The author of Hebrews shows a strong appre-ciation for the eternal throne of Jesus (Hebrews1:8). Jesus reigns in righteousness and truth. Hiskingdom is far more than a time-bound, earthlykingdom. Jesus is king of the universe in a time-less, cosmic way. For us the eternal nature ofJesus' throne means that a man who walked theearth 2,000 years ago is still alive, still in power,still reigning from Heaven.

His reign is not fully realized on earth, wheresinful rebels still operate outside His will. ButChristians take comfort in the promise that a daywill come in which every creature will acknowl-edge and submit to King Jesus by bowing beforeHim (Philippians 2:9-11). On that day we willsee that "The kingdoms of this world are becomethe kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; andhe shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation11:15). This is the ultimate vision of the cove-nant with David (see Revelation 22:16).

C. Prayer

Great God, the Father of David and the Fatherof Jesus Christ, we bow before You and thankYou for not forgetting us despite the many sins ofhumanity. As You remembered David, You haveremembered each one of us as Your sons anddaughters. To You alone we look for salvation. InJesus' mighty name we pray, amen.

D. Thought to Remember

God's covenant with David is fulfilled in Jesus.

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