BIBLE STUDY: May 26th

The meeting opened with prayer

In the Scriptures, by the Spirit,
   May we see the Saviour's face,
Hear His word and heed His calling -
   Know His will and grow in grace.
Amen
 

 
1 Samuel 16:1-14

1

The LORD said to Samuel: "How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons."

2

But Samuel replied: "How can I go? Saul will hear of it and kill me." To this the LORD answered: "Take a heifer along and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'

3

Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do; you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you."

4

Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him. When he entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired, "Is your visit peaceful, O seer?"

5

He replied: "Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet." He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves and invited them to the sacrifice.

6

As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is here before him."

7

But the LORD said to Samuel: "Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart."

8

Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel, who said, "The Lord has not chosen him."

9

Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either."

10

In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any one of these."

11

Then Samuel asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse replied, "There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here."

12

Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, "There-anoint him, for this is he!"

13

Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David. When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah.

14

The spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and he was tormented by an evil spirit sent by the LORD.

After settling in the Promised Land, the Israelites had been content to acknowledge God as their king and to be governed by judges. But at last they begged the judge, Samuel, to give them a king: "Appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us" (1 Sam. 8:5). So Samuel had anointed Saul as king. But the Israelites found that Saul was a king like the other nations had! Saul will not found a dynasty. A new king will one day replace him.

When Samuel arrives in Bethlehem, the elders are somewhat worried since Bethlehem was a small, out of the way place. They fear that the visit of a judge as eminent as Samuel must because something is wrong.

The main message here is: "Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart." The youngest and least obvious of Jesse's sons is anointed. We noticed the importance placed on anointing and recalled that this practice of anointing monarchs has continued till the present day. One the reasons there was hesitation about the execution of Charles I was that although some did not like him and thought some punishment was due they were unwilling to put to death someone who had been anointed to the service of God. Anointing sets the person apart. We recalled also that Messiah (משיח) means "anointed [one]", as does Christós (Χριστός) which is always used in the Septuagint for the Hebrew word משיח. This, of course, is the origin of our word Christ, the anointed one, of the line of David.

 
1 Samuel 16:15-23

15

So the servants of Saul said to him: "Please! An evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

16

If your lordship will order it, we, your servants here in attendance on you, will look for a man skilled in playing the harp. When the evil spirit from God comes over you, he will play and you will feel better."

17

Saul then told his servants, "Find me a skillful harpist and bring him to me."

18

A servant spoke up to say: "I have observed that one of the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem is a skillful harpist. He is also a stalwart soldier, besides being an able speaker, and handsome. Moreover, the LORD is with him."

19

Accordingly, Saul dispatched messengers to ask Jesse to send him his son David, who was with the flock.

20

Then Jesse took five loaves of bread, a skin of wine, and a kid, and sent them to Saul by his son David.

21

Thus David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul became very fond of him, made him his armor-bearer,

22

and sent Jesse the message, "Allow David to remain in my service, for he meets with my approval."

23

Whenever the spirit from God seized Saul, David would take the harp and play, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, for the evil spirit would leave him.

Saul is afflicted with some sort of mental or psychological disorder which puts him in an evil mood. Possibly he is bipolar. It is found, however, that music will relieve his bouts of depression.

We discover that David is not a simple shepherd boy. He is an able speaker and has some skill as a warrior as well as being a skilled harpist. Thus he comes into Saul's service as armour-bearer and harpist and won approval from Saul. He also won the approval of Saul's son, Jonathan. Indeed, David and Jonathan became firm friends, so much so that when Jonathan realized David was to become king, he willingly gave way to him. But Saul reacted otherwise; he determined to kill David. Jonathan swore a covenant of friendship with David and protected him. The difference between Saul and David is seen in the story told in 1 Samuel 24. David was in a position to kill Saul, but he did not because he would not lay a hand on the LORD's anointed.

In the end, Saul and his army were defeated by the Philistines. Saul's three sons were killed in the battle; Saul escaped but committed suicide. Was David pleased? Not a bit of it; in 2 Samuel 2 we read:

"Alas! the glory of Israel,    slain upon your heights;    how are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath,    herald it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the Philistine maidens rejoice,    lest the daughters of the strangers exult! Mountains of Gilboa,    may there be neither dew nor rain upon you,    nor upsurgings of the deeps! Upon you lie begrimed the warriors' shields,    the shield of Saul, no longer anointed with oil.		From the blood of the slain,    from the bodies of the valiant, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,     or the sword of Saul return unstained. Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished,     separated neither in life nor in death; they were swifter than eagles,    they were stronger than lions! Women of Israel, weep over Saul,    who clothed you in scarlet and in finery,    who decked your attire with ornaments of gold. How are the mighty fallen    - in the thick of the battle, slain upon your heights!
(2 Samuel 1:19-25)

 
2 Samuel, 7:1-17

1

When King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,

2

he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!"

3

Nathan answered the king, "Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you."

4

But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:

5

"Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell in?

6

I have not dwelt in a house from the day on which I led the Israelites out of Egypt to the present, but I have been going about in a tent under cloth.

7

In all my wanderings everywhere among the Israelites, did I ever utter a word to any one of the judges whom I charged to tend my people Israel, to ask: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'

8

"Now then, speak thus to my servant David, 'The LORD of hosts has this to say: It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel.

9

I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.

10

I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,

11

since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you.

12

And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm.

13

It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever.

14

I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he does wrong, I will correct him with the rod of men and with human chastisements;

15

but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence.

16

Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.'"

17

Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.

A civil war followed the death of Saul, but eventually David became king of the twelve tribes of Israel and established Jerusalem as his capital. The enemies of Israel were defeated and neighbouring nations brought under David's control. Peace had been established and David wanted to build a permanent temple to God. The prophet Nathan at first agreed; but God had other ideas!

Nathan is told that it is not for David to build a temple in Jerusalem; this will be the task of the son (Solomon) who will succeed him. But to make up for David's disappointment, God says that David will will be made "famous like the great ones of the earth" and a house will be established for him. David, as we see, has a house of cedar; but by house, God means a royal house, a dynasty.

David's son will not be abandoned, even if he does wrong (as indeed he did), but he will be corrected as a father corrects his son. Indeed, God confirms that David's house will "endure forever" and that his "throne shall stand firm forever." The Davidic line was lost centuries ago; but God's promise will find its fulfilment in Christ, descended from David, the Universal King whose kingdom is eternal and whose throne stands firm for ever.

 
2 Samuel, 7:18-29

18

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, Lord GOD, and who are the members of my house, that you have brought me to this point?

19

Yet even this you see as too little, Lord GOD; you have also spoken of the house of your servant for a long time to come: this too you have shown to man, Lord GOD!

20

What more can David say to you? You know your servant, Lord GOD!

21

For your servant's sake and as you have had at heart, you have brought about this entire magnificent disclosure to your servant.

22

And so - "Great are you, Lord GOD! There is none like you and there is no God but you, just as we have heard it told.

23

What other nation on earth is there like your people Israel, which God has led, redeeming it as his people; so that you have made yourself renowned by doing this magnificent deed, and by doing awe-inspiring things as you cleared nations and their gods out of the way of your people, which you redeemed for yourself from Egypt?

24

You have established for yourself your people Israel as yours forever, and you, LORD, have become their God.

25

And now, LORD God, confirm for all time the prophecy you have made concerning your servant and his house, and do as you have promised.

26

Your name will be forever great, when men say, 'The LORD of hosts is God of Israel,' and the house of your servant David stands firm before you.

27

It is you, LORD of hosts, God of Israel, who said in a revelation to your servant, 'I will build a house for you.' Therefore your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer to you.

28

And now, Lord GOD, you are God and your words are truth; you have made this generous promise to your servant.

29

Do, then, bless the house of your servant that it may be before you forever; for you, Lord GOD, have promised, and by your blessing the house of your servant shall be blessed forever."

We noticed here how David, far from being upset by not being allowed to build a temple, expressed humble and genuine thanks to God. David thought of himself as nothing but a servant before God and thus God chose David as the ancestor of the Messiah, the Christ, the everlasting Royal High Priest.

Sin, however, always spoils things. David, not content with the wives he had, lusted after Bathsheba, the young wife of Uriah the Hittite. The story told in 2 Samuel, chapter 11 is well known. David got Bathsheba pregnant and, in the end, David has Uriah put in the front line of battle where he is killed; David takes Bathsheba as wife.

God was so displeased that Nathan was sent to tell David a parable about a rich man who, rather than slaughter one out of his own flocks and herds to prepare a meal for a wayfarer, took the one ewe that his poor neighbour had. David was angry and said the rich man deserved to die; he must restore the ewe fourfold. To which Nathan replied: "You are the man!" The child Bathsheba bore David died. David at last showed true and genuine repentance in the words of Psalm 51 (50), the Miserere.

Bathsheba bore David a second son, Solomon, who succeeded David as king of Israel. But he was the last king of a united Israel. Although he had many good qualities, he did amass a large number of wives and allowed them to worship their own gods in the royal palace. Not merely did he allow this idolatrous worship, he, who had had a temple built to God in Jerusalem, even constructed altars to Canaanite deities Asherah and Baal. His downfall was rapid and the Israelites were slit into two kingdoms. Eventually each kingdom was captured and the Davidic line of kings came to an end. God, however, kept his promise to David and one of his ancestors, Jesus son of Mary, became mankind's eternal High Priest and King.

We have made two references to David's poems: his lament over the fall of Saul and Jonathan, and the deep contrition shown in the Miserere. He is perhaps most well-known for his many psalms. We finish by looking at two of the so-called 'royal psalms': Psalm 2 and Psalm 110 (in the Masorete numbering - 109 in the Septuagint numbering normally used in the liturgy).

 
Psalm 2

1

Why do the nations protest and the peoples grumble in vain?

2

Kings on earth rise up and princes plot together against the LORD and his anointed:

3

"Let us break their shackles and cast off their chains!"

4

The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord derides them,

5

Then speaks to them in anger, terrifies them in wrath:

6

"I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain."

7

I will proclaim the decree of the LORD, who said to me, "You are my son; today I am your father.

8

Only ask it of me, and I will make your inheritance the nations, your possession the ends of the earth.

9

With an iron rod you shall shepherd them, like a clay pot you will shatter them."

10

And now, kings, give heed; take warning, rulers on earth.

11

Serve the LORD with fear; with trembling bow down in homage, Lest God be angry and you perish from the way in a sudden blaze of anger. Happy are all who take refuge in God!

Zion (or Sion, as it is sometimes spelt) is the mount on which Jerusalem is built. In this psalm, David reflects on the nations that conspire against the LORD and his anointed (Messiah). David sees the covenant God has made with him as having world-wide implications; his inheritance is to be the nations and his possessions the ends of the earth. We see this fulfilled in Christ, the Messiah, God's anointed before whom all will "bow down in homage" when he comes again.

 
Psalm 110 (109)

1

A psalm of David. The LORD says to you, my lord: "Take your throne at my righthand, while I make your enemies your footstool."

2

The scepter of your sovereign might the LORD will extend from Zion. The LORD says: "Rule over your enemies!

3

Yours is princely power from the day of your birth. In holy splendor before the daystar, like the dew I begot you."

4

The LORD has sworn and will not waver: "Like Melchizedek you are a priest forever."

5

At your right hand is the Lord, who crushes kings on the day of wrath,

6

Who, robed in splendor, judges nations, crushes heads across the wide earth,

7

Who drinks from the brook by the wayside and thus holds high the head.

This psalm is quoted more than once in the New Testament. Following the ancient tradition that David is the author of the psalm, Jesus asks: "If David calls him Lord, how is he his son?" (Matt. 22:45). Indeed, in verses 41 to 45 of Matthew, chapter 22, it is evident that this psalm was regarded as a prophecy of the Messiah, Son of David.

In the 5th chapter of Hebrews the author quotes from Psalm 2, "You are my son; today I am your father," and a verse or so later, from this psalm: "Like Melchizedek you are a priest forever." Melchizedek is a strange character who appears in Genesis, chapter 14. He was king of Salem and "priest of God Most High" (Gen. 14:18), who offered Abram bread and wine. No antecedants are given for him and no mention is made of his death. He was seen, therefore, as a 'type' of Christ, the eternal King and High Priest, and the offering of bread and wine as a 'type' of the Eucharist.

We noted also that verse 4 says: "The LORD has sworn and will not waver"; that is, God has bound himself by a covenanted oath. A descendant of David is to be a priest like Melchizedek for ever. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Hebrews reveals how God will bring blessings to Israel and to all peoples through Jesus Christ, Son of David, our eternal Royal High Priest.

 
The meeting closed with prayer.

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Most of the scripture texts on this page are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms © 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.