Week 19, May 4–10: 2 Samuel 7–25; Acts 1–2; Psalms 50–56

• Sun      May 4              2 Sam. 7–9     Ps. 50
• Mon     May 5              2 Sam. 10–12 Ps. 51
• Tue      May 6              2 Sam. 13–15 Ps. 52
• Wed     May 7              2 Sam. 16–18 Ps. 53
• Thu      May 8              2 Sam. 19–21 Ps. 54
• Fri        May 9              2 Sam. 22–24 Ps. 55
• Sat       May 10            Acts 1–2          Ps. 56

This week we continue our reading in 2 Samuel and Book two of the Psalms. As we read through 1–2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings (with Acts in between Samuel and Kings) notice the activity and ministry of the prophets in these books. The kings often get the attention, but prophets like Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, and Elishah also play key roles in the story. In many cases, they offer a contrasting perspective and a theological critique of the kings and the Israelite people. These prophets are sometimes called the speaking prophets, while the prophets who have biblical books named after them—like, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea—are referred to as the writing prophets. Later in the read thru, when we get to the books of the writing prophets, we will spend a bit more time considering the role of the prophet in OT Scriptures.

The time of David’s kingship is a high point in all the history of Israel; the nation experiences rest from the enemy nations all around (7:1). During this time of peace, David has the notion to build a more permanent house for the Lord. The tabernacle has been God’s dwelling place since the Israelites were at Mt. Sinai, but David feels a tent is not adequate to house the God of all creation. Chapter 7 of 2 Samuel recounts David’s interaction with the Lord, through the prophet Nathan, about the idea of building a temple. This is one of the most important chapters in all the OT. It is here where we read of the Lord making a covenant promise with David and with the descendants who will come after him.

David is unsettled by the fact that he lives in a cedar house but the ark of the Lord still resides in a tent. At first, Nathan affirms David’s plan to build a temple for God, but the Lord has bigger plans in mind. Nathan hears from the Lord in the night and returns to David with a word from the Lord that will reverberate through the rest of Scripture and through history.

Instead of David building a house, a physical dwelling place for the omnipresent God of the cosmos, the Lord will establish a different kind of house, a dynasty of kings in David’s line. This royal lineage will culminate in one King who will reign forever.

Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:11b–13).

This promise to David echoes the earlier promises to Abraham. God had told Abraham that his seed, or offspring, one from his own body, would be the heir of the promise (Gen. 15:4). The similarity in the language of these passages is unmistakable, and it appears we are meant to see that this promise to David is a continuation and narrowing of those earlier promises to Abraham. All nations of the earth will be blessed through Abraham’s offspring (Gen. 12:1–3), and now we know this promise will be fulfilled through David’s descendent. And really, this thread of promise goes back even earlier than Abraham. David’s son will be the promised seed to crust the serpent’s head and reverse the curse of sin (Gen. 3:15).

As we keep reading in the story of David, we are quickly faced again with the problem of sin. David himself sins egregiously just a few short chapters after receiving this promise from the Lord. He steals another man’s wife for his own and murders the man in an effort to cover up his adultery (2 Samuel 11). There is no way to sanitize this story, and we should not try. David exemplifies the kind of wicked behavior that deserves God’s just punishment.

As we continue reading in 2 Samuel, then into 1–2 Kings, we will see the consequences of David’s sin and the hereditary nature of sin that infects the whole line of kings following after David, starting with Solomon. All of this points ahead to a descendant of David to come who, instead of continuing the pattern of sin, would live a life without sin, would die in the place of sinners as the perfect sacrifice, would rise again in victorious defeat of sin and the serpent Satan who introduced sin and death into the story of humanity.

Jesus is the king, from David’s line, who will sit on the eternal throne of God’s kingdom and reign over all in peace.

After finishing 2 Samuel, and before picking up in the sequence with 1 Kings, we turn to the NT and begin reading Acts this week. Next week’s write up will have a bit more to say about the book of Acts, but read the first two chapters carefully. There are some important introductory comments that help guide the reading for the rest of the book, and Acts 1–2 recounts the key moments and foundational theological principles that help us understand the church and our place in God’s kingdom plans.