This autumn, we’ll follow the epic story of King David in 2 Samuel.
As you probably know, David is a Beloved King. Actually, his name literally means “beloved.” God’s people love him. More importantly, God loves him.
But what about his relationship with Bathsheba? What about all of the violence? What about all of the chaos that surrounds his life, even after becoming king? Why all the grief? Why is he repenting again and again? Is this the kingdom of God? There’s a lot of brokenness in this story. A lot.
Broken and beloved: these themes are in the fabric of every great redemption story. These themes are essential to the gospel that we cherish and proclaim. Do we have the courage to honestly admit how broken it all is? How broken we are? Do we have the faith to believe that we are deeply loved in the midst of it all?
- God is the hero we need. David isn’t really the hero of this book. As David himself testifies, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer” (2 Sam. 22:2). The Lord’s steadfast love, and the Lord’s faithfulness to his covenant promises are the true strength of the kingdom.
- The seriousness of sin & repentance. We see the good, the bad, and the very ugly in this book. It was written to be a “wake up” call for every generation of believers. Over and over again, David’s heart is struck by the seriousness of his sin and his need for grace. And yet the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
- Connections of the whole Bible (OT & NT). David is a shadow king, leading a shadow kingdom. And this is all a part of God’s plan to draw people to King Jesus and His Everlasting Kingdom. As we follow this story, we learn more of what it means to pray (as Jesus taught us), “Your kingdom come.”
- Real-world pain and raw emotional issues that too often go ignored in church contexts. War and death. Personal revenge. Mercy for a man with disabilities. A man in authority mistreating a woman. Damage control. The loss of a baby. Abuse in the family. The grief of power struggles with a rebellious son. Life expectations that go sideways, or backwards, or seemingly nowhere. Grumbling about leadership. Forgiveness that seems crazy to others. Bearing consequences for sins that others committed. Misguided ambition. Brokenhearted repentance. Promises from God that aren’t yet fulfilled. Sounds like an honest depiction of the broken world we live in, right?
Here’s a quick overview of the series plan as it stands now:
- How the Mighty Have Fallen (poem of ch. 1) – Sept. 1
- The Lord Had Established Him (ch. 5 [synopsis of 2-4]) – Sept. 8
- The Return of the Ark (ch. 6) – Sept. 15
- A Dream Deferred & A Forever Kingdom (ch. 7) – Sept. 22
- Lame & Undeserving, Now Seated at the Table (ch. 9) – Sept. 29
- Risky Courage for the Kingdom (ch. 10) – Oct. 6
- It Displeased the Lord (ch. 11) – Oct. 13
- Rebuke, Repentance, and Results (ch. 12) – Oct. 20
- Abuse in the Family (ch. 13) – Oct. 27
- What Began with a Little Grumbling (ch. 15+) – Nov. 3
- Would that I Had Died Instead of You (ch. 18) – Nov. 10
- The Guilt of Years Past (ch. 21) – Nov. 17
- David’s Song of Deliverance (poem of ch. 22) – Nov. 24
- The Last Words of David (poem of ch. 23) – Dec. 1
- A Heart of Repentance & the God of Grace (ch. 24) – Dec. 8
As with our sermon series through 1 Samuel last year, we will cover the whole scope of the book, and almost the whole book on Sunday mornings, with a few extra materials available if you want to study the portions we’ll miss on Sundays as we try to get to the end of 2 Samuel before Christmas.