Week 5 - RESCUE (David)
CONNECT
What are you thankful for?
What challenge are you facing?
Have there been any answers to prayer?
Pray for each other.
Did anything stand out to you from last week’s follow-up Bible readings and connection prompts?
How did your “I will …” statement from last week go?
How did your sharing goal from last week go?
How’s your memory work coming along?
Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)
13 For [God the Father] has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
DISCOVER
Let’s start with a review.
CREATION
God created everything and as humans, we have been made in God’s image to rule the world on His behalf.
REBELLION
Through Satan’s temptation, humans rebelled against God, but God promised One who would destroy Satan.
RESCUE (Abraham)
God called Abraham from out of the world and promised Abraham that his family would be a Blessing to the whole world.
RESCUE (Moses)
God used Moses to rescue His people from their slavery to the Egyptians and through Moses God gave His people His law and the sacrificial system.
As we read in last week’s follow-up Bible readings, God used Joshua to settle the Israelites into the Promised Land. Then God used Samuel to anoint their first king, King Saul.
King Saul, however, repeatedly disobeyed God’s directives and was eventually rejected as king. So God called Samuel to anoint another king. This king will play a crucial role in fulfilling God’s promises to Abraham. We turn to King David’s story today.
RESCUE (David)
Ask God to speak to you as you read His Word.
1 Samuel 16:1-13 (NLT)
1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”
2 But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”
“Take a heifer with you,” the LORD replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.”
4 So Samuel did as the LORD instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?”
5 “Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too.
6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!”
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
8 Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the LORD has chosen.” 9 Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the LORD has chosen.” 10 In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”
“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”
12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.
And the LORD said, “This is the one; anoint him.”
13 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
After years of fleeing for his life from King Saul, David finally becomes king. We pick up his story …
2 Samuel 7:1-19 (NLT)
1 When King David was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, 2 the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”
3 Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you.”
4 But that same night the LORD said to Nathan,
5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? 6 I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. 7 Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’
8 “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! 10 And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, 11 starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! 12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. 15 But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. 16 Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”
17 So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the LORD had said in this vision.
18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed,
“Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And now, Sovereign LORD, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign LORD?”
Have someone retell these passages in their own words. Just the highlights will do.
What stands out to you in these passages?
What do these passages say about God (The Father, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit)?
What do these passages say about people, including ourselves?
What do these passages say about the life God invites us to live?
Digging Deeper
The Anointed One
Based on God’s promise to David, the Jews began to long for a King who would come to Rescue them. In Hebrew (the language of the Old Testament) this longed-for Rescuer King was known as The Messiah. In Greek (the language of the New Testament), He was known as the Christ. And in English, both Messiah and Christ mean The Anointed One.
1 Samuel 16:13 (NLT)
So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on.
What happened to David when he was anointed with oil?
Why would the Rescuer King need to be anointed by the Spirit of the LORD?
The Promised Son
The LORD promised to David that he would always have son (descendant) on the throne and that God would be his Father and he would be His son.
2 Samuel 7:14 (NLT)
I will be his father, and he will be my son.
The Prophet Isaiah gave this amazing prophecy about the promised son.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT)
6 For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
From Isaiah’s prophecy, how do you get the sense that this descendant of King David is more than just a mere human being?
How could a child be born to us and a son given to us at the same time?
Looking Ahead
Once again, the Bible is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. Listen to how God fulfills His promise to David in the New Testament.
The Promised Son
2 Timothy 2:8 (NLT)
Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach.
John 3:16 (NIV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Whose son is Jesus?
Jesus is the Child born to us and the Son given to us.
The Anointed One
Luke 3:21-22 (NIV)
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Luke 4:16-21 (NIV)
16 [Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
How is Jesus the Anointed One?
According to Isaiah’s prophecy, which Jesus read in the synagogue, what is our Rescuer King’s Kingdom or Government like?
We’ll turn to Jesus’ story next week.
LIVE
What truth have you discovered from today’s Bible passage(s) and conversation?
What would stop you from believing and obeying this truth?
How will you live out this truth this coming week? Finish this statement: “I will ….”
Who else needs to hear this truth? How could you share it with them?
When will we meet again?
Who will facilitate that meeting?
Pray for God’s help as you seek to follow Jesus this coming week.
FOLLOW-UP BIBLE READINGS
In this week’s follow-up Bible readings, you’ll read a story from David’s youth and 2 of David’s Psalms (prayers set to music).
BUDDY SYSTEM
Connect with your buddy this week and ask each other these questions:
How are your readings going?
How’s your “I will …” statement coming along?
How’s your sharing goal coming along?
How can I pray for you?