THE L.I.F.E. PLAN KING DAVID BLOCK 2 THEME 7 - THE KINGS LESSON 3 (63 of 216)
BLOCK 2 THEME 7: THE KINGS LESSON 3 (63 OF 216): KING DAVID LESSON AIM: Present the reign of King David, Israel s second king. SCRIPTURE: (Acts 13:21-23) 21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. 23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: The Bible is filled with the biographies of many interesting people. Most of them are stalwarts of the faith. Some of them are infamous, diabolical scoundrels. Some of them are models to follow. Others are examples to avoid. Through either one, we learn of the kind of things we should and should not do in our lives. One of the greatest people of the Bible, and of the Old Testament in particular, is David, Israel s second king. Without question, he is Israel s greatest king and one of the most important figures in the history of Israel. He is the epitome of raw courage on the one hand and a tender heart toward God on the other. His story is one of the favorites among students of the Bible all over the world. In this lesson, we will consider the life of David in two areas. First, we will see David in his youth. It is an important note to Bible students that many of the stories we love and the people we read about in the Bible are people and stories of young people. Of course, there are many stories of people in their upper ages, but we often miss the fact that many of the things God did in the Bible were done in and through the lives of young men and women. God still uses young people today who will make themselves available for his use. As a young man, David worked as a shepherd among the flocks of his father, Jesse. He was the youngest of several children, having at least seven older brothers. He was working in the fields when God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint him as king of Israel. This is a good opportunity to point out that God calls busy people to do his work. Many young people today are sitting around doing nothing, expecting God to send a fiery chariot after them to take them to the Lord s work. David was called straight out of the fields where he had been working faithfully for his father. We see here that when we are faithful in the work God has given us, he will open doors of greater opportunity in the future. As a young man, David was also a talented musician and gifted writer. He played the harp and perhaps other instruments. He also wrote many songs or psalms expressing his love for and worship toward God. He composed a book of songs, Book 1 of the five books of the Psalms. Of the 150 psalms in Psalms, David wrote more
than 73 of them. His writings have been a comfort and a solace to many people across the years. Perhaps his most beloved psalm is the twenty-third which begins with these well-known words, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Unquestionably, the thing David is best known for in the days of his youth is his defeat of a giant of Gath named Goliath. The Philistines were at war with Israel and Goliath taunted them, seeking a man to fight him in individual combat, winner take all. David happened to be in the camp delivering supplies to his brothers who served in the army. When he heard Goliath curse his God, David answered the challenge to fight. He prevailed over Goliath with a sling and a stone, then cut off his head with his own sword. This made David a champion warrior as a young man. David had a heart after the heart of God. For this, God chose him to be king in Israel. Samuel anointed him as king in Bethlehem, although Saul still occupied the throne of Israel. David served in Saul s army, at one time being the armor bearer of Saul. Saul became insanely jealous of David and attempted to take his life on a number of occasions. David eventually had to flee for his life and spent a considerable amount of time on the run in the wilderness away from King Saul. Two times, God delivered Saul into his hand but David would not dare take the life of God s anointed king. Eventually, Saul abandoned his pursuit of David. After the death of King Saul, David began to reign in Israel. David reigned for forty years, seven from Hebron and thirty-three years from Jerusalem. Over the years, he expanded the kingdom of Israel by conquering all of his enemies. He was indeed a man of bloodshed and warfare. For this cause, God would not allow him to fulfill his wish to build a house for the Lord. Although David was a man after God s own heart, he was still a man. As a man, he committed many acts of sin which brought much suffering to his home and to the nation of Israel. The sins of David which are the most well-known are his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband in an attempt to cover up their affair. And later, David took a military census against the desire of the Lord to do so. While each one of these sins were horrendous, God brought something good out of each one. Through David and Bathsheba, God continued the lineage of the Messiah. And, after the plague brought on by the census, God brought David to the place on Moriah where the Temple would be built, which was on a prelude to the death of the Son of God at Calvary on the same mountain ridge. Of course, David s sins also brought much heartache to his home. There was much infighting in his family and more wars brought upon Israel by their enemies. God would not allow David to build a house for him. Instead, God built a house for David. He made a covenant with him that his descendant would sit on his throne forever. This, naturally, would be the Messiah. God also allowed David to make preparations for building the house of God which he turned over to his son, Solomon. David gathered the wealth, materials, and plans which he gave to Solomon. He also gave Solomon the throne in his place. David died about one thousand years before the Christ came into the world. God has another part for David to play in the kingdom when Christ reigns over the earth.
LESSON OUTLINE BLOCK 2 THEME 7: THE KINGS LESSON 3 (63 OF 216): KING DAVID I DAVID AS A YOUTH A. A shepherd B. A musician C. A writer D. A champion warrior II DAVID AS KING A. Anointed as king B. Served under Saul 1. Saul s jealousy 2. David s flight C. Ruled in Israel 1. Conquered his enemies 2. A man of bloodshed D. His sinful acts 1. Adultery 2. Murder 3. A military census E. Prepared to build the house of God F. Gave the kingdom to Solomon SCRIPTURES TO BROADEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING 1. David s history 1 Samuel 16-1 Kings 2:11 1 Chronicles 11-29 LINES OF THEOLOGICAL CONNECTION 1. THE DOCTRINE OF THE SCRIPTURES Inspiration Scripture writers The Davidic Covenant The Messianic Psalms 2. CHRISTOLOGY The Messiah
3. THE DOCTRINE OF SIN Sin has consequences Sin in the life of a believer Confession and repentance of sin 4. THE DOCTRINE OF GOD God s sovereignty God s providence QUESTIONS ANSWER KEY 1. What job did David have as a youth? Shepherd 2. What are some things David did as a young person? He was a musician and a writer 3. What are David s most well-known writings? The Psalms 4. How many Psalms did David write? More than 73 5. What three serious sins did David commit? Adultery, Murder, Took a military census against God s will 6. What promise did God make to David? That his descendent would sit on his throne forever 7. Who was the descendent of David who will fulfill God s promise to David? Jesus Christ 8. Which son of David followed him as king of Israel? Solomon
BLOCK 2 THEME 7: THE KINGS LESSON 3 (63 OF 216): KING DAVID QUESTIONS TO INSPIRE THOUGHT 1. What job did David have as a youth? 2. What are some things David did as a young person? 3. What are David s most well-known writings? 4. How many Psalms did David write? 5. What three serious sins did David commit? 6. What promise did God make to David? 7. Who was the descendent of David who will fulfill God s promise to David? 8. Which son of David followed him as king of Israel?