1 Kings 1-2

Introduction

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/kings/

1 Kings 1

David in His Old Age

Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King

Nathan and Bathsheba Before David

Solomon Anointed King

1 Kings 2

David's Instructions to Solomon

The Death of David

Solomon's Reign Established

1 Kings Introduction

 1 Kings Introduction

https://youtu.be/kqRrBbYTfaE

1 & 2 Kings form one book on Israel's history. But more importantly, they tell a story about death and life. In Kings, everything Israel hoped in as a nation fails them. The kings, the temple, the law, and the prophets are all unable to stop Israel's inevitable death. All the evil and failure of the kings point to the end of the story when Israel as a nation will die in exile. But the good news of Kings is that death is not the end. Throughout the story, God promises that the people of Israel will be raised back to life. This same hope extends to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Psalm 33

Psalm 33:16‐21 (NIV): “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.  A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.  But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.  We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.”  

    

One of the greatest vulnerabilities of Christians today is to approach career, struggles, and objectives out of their own strength – not relying on or trusting in God as the source of their success.  Trusting God does not relieve you of the responsibility of doing your best.  Trusting God and doing your best are two different issues.  2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  God calls you to do your best and be capable in what you are doing, but your underlying position is to be called, led, equipped, sustained, and empowered by God.  Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  

As a follower of Christ, you must always remember that it is not by your power, equipping, and tools that you succeed.  True success is found only through the Lord.  Your job is to keep your eyes on the Lord.  No matter how difficult or impossible the challenge, your hope is in God and not the circumstances.  Christ has secured your place for eternity; your place now is to be used by Him for His purposes.  1 Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  God wants to pour His life into you each day.  Do not be an obstacle for His in‐pouring by relying on yourself and not Him.  It is in your moments of greatest need that God is closest.  Draw into Him and allow Him to pour into you!

2 Corinthians 12:9: “But He [Jesus] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

Psalm 34

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Psalm 34:1 “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.”  NIV

     

Praise for God your Father should be the easiest thing that flows from your heart and mouth.  The pure recognition of you not only being God’s creation, but also being the recipient of His love and grace through your redemption in Christ Jesus should flood your heart with praise for Him.  

Romans 5:8 say, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Your praise should not be limited to when you receive something from God, but praise Him for the reality that God Almighty even considers you.  Your praise should not be limited to when you come out of hard times, but just for the normal things in your life.  Your praise should not be limited to when you get a raise or promotion, but for the very job you have.  Your praise should not be limited to when God heals you, but for the very breath of life itself.  Praise should not be limited to

Sunday morning, but to every waking moment.  Praise is the inexpressible recognition of Who God is in your life, His immeasurable love for you, His never exhausting patience with you, and His unfathomable capacity to cover you with His grace.  Your praise is not dependent on how good times are, but how GOOD YOUR GOD IS!  

Romans 5:6 says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”  The world’s affect on you is probably crowding God out of your life when your praise becomes limited to the events of life itself and not your life in communion with God.  It is out of your intimacy with God that you begin to see and experience God in every detail of your life.

Philippians 1:9‐11 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.”  NIV

Romans 11:33, 36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”  NIV

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Psalm 34:11 “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”   

The Church has done a good job of sharing about Jesus, but not as well on teaching about the fear of the Lord.  A recent Barna survey found that 86% of youth had a negative perception of Christians.  The top two reasons given in the survey are: (1) Christians are judgmental and (2) Christians are hypocritical.  These two areas were major teaching points of

Jesus yet are two of the biggest stumbling blocks for people coming to Jesus.  

In the Psalm above, the writer (David) is encouraging you to allow him to teach you the fear of the Lord.  Let’s think about how Jesus would teach you the fear of the Lord?  I believe Jesus would do it by spending time with you.  Jesus began His ministry with hundreds, if not thousands of followers, but whittled them down to 77, then 12, and finally 3 which reflected the increased intensity of teaching, fellowship, and relationship with His disciples.  

Jesus knew that a changed life comes from a healthy fear of God, and a healthy fear of God comes out of the intensity of His relationship with His disciples.  The same is true for followers of Christ today.  Fear of God is reverence, respect, and faith that God is God and He “Is”, “Was”, and “Will Always” be God!  Your fear of God will come out of the intensity of your relationship with Him on a daily basis.  If Jesus were to say to me, “Come, my child, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord,” I would envision myself sitting at His feet listening to His words and stories.  Reading His Word, talking to Him, receiving His Word into your life and allowing it to galvanize your life will cultivate intimacy with God.  

A life that is touched by God is a life that fears God.  A life that fears God is a life that is experiencing God’s love and grace while growing in appreciation of who He is.  As you read the following Scriptures, pray for God to open your heart to new levels of intimacy with Him.

Imitate Jesus - Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”   

Priority - Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.”  

Hunger for God - Psalm 42:1-2 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 

When can I go and meet with God?”  

Refreshed by God - Psalm 90:14 “Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”  

Instructed by God - Isaiah 50:4-5 “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.  He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.  The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.”   

Psalm 131, Psalm 138–139, Psalm 143–145

 

Psalm 131

Psalm 138

Psalm 139

Psalm 143

Psalm 144

Psalm 145

Psalm 62

 Psalm 62

True Happiness

This psalm expresses confidence in the king and offers prayer for him. The king rests in God despite his difficulties. Although his deceptive and powerful adversaries push hard against him, he remains undaunted. He encourages himself and his people to trust in God and to see their human adversaries from God’s perspective, where they appear frail, fleeting, and deceptive (62:9).

62:1 my soul waits in silence Rather than continually crying out to God (compare 22:2), the psalmist quietly waits for Him, confident that He will bring salvation.
62:2 Only he Asserts trust in God alone-He is the only one who can deliver the psalmist and provide him with safety and security.
is my rock The Hebrew word used here, tsur, describes a secure location and emphasizes Yahweh's protection.
my salvation The Hebrew word used here, yeshu'ah-which may be rendered "salvation" or "deliverance"-refers to the liberation God provides from hazards and problems.
my high stronghold The Hebrew word used here, misgav, describes a high wall or rocky fortress. It emphasizes the stable protection God provides for those in need.
I shall not be greatly shaken The Hebrew verb used here, mot, expresses a lack of security and safety.
62:3 How long will you attack a man? All of you The psalmist addresses his enemies. He describes them as relentlessly attacking him, trying to bring him down as if he were a leaning wall. The enemies desire to topple the king with lies and cunning.
62:4 they are pleased with deception Emphasizes the deceit and hypocrisy of the wicked. Not only are they deceitful, but they enjoy falsehood. They hypocritically pretend to bless people when they are actually cursing them. My high position refers to the royal throne.
62:5-6 The psalmist repeats his opening words (vv. 1-2), declaring his trust in God nearly verbatim. The psalmist encourages himself and others to place their hope in God.
62:7 my glory The Hebrew word here, kavod, can refer to honor or reputation. The psalmist stakes his reputation, as well as his salvation, on his trust in God.
62:8 Trust him at all times, O people The psalmist encourages people in general to trust God at all times. Since God is their refuge, they can be confident as they trust Him.
62:9–12 Unlike God, humans are transient beings. Even when they thrive, their prosperity is fleeting.
62:9 In Hebrew, this verse includes two phrases meaning "sons of man"-bene-adam and bene ish. Many translations understand these to mean two different types of men. However, both phrases could be understood as synonyms, referring to humankind in general. not what they appear to be: People often try to look stronger and better than they are.
Only a vapor are men of low degree Demonstrates the folly of trusting in people, who are all fleeting.
a deception are The Hebrew word used here, kazav, is also used in v. 4 to describe falsehood.
62:10 do not set your heart on it The psalmist warns against trusting in wealth-especially wealth gained illegally by extortion or robbery. The crime of extortion means using intimidation and threats to make others give up what is theirs, while stealing is taking what belongs to others.
62:11 Once God has spoken The psalmist uses a numerical saying-a literary device common in Wisdom Literature-as he looks to God's promises. Strength and unfailing love remain in balance only in God. He cares for his people by ridding the world of evildoers.
strength belongs to God This emphasizes God's power to protect or save.
62:12 you will render to each The psalmist upholds God's justice. He trusts that God will give to each person what they deserve, based on their deeds-and by extension, based on whether or not they repent and turn to God. This type of divine retribution is common in Wisdom Literature (see Prov 24:12; Job 34:11).

 Psalm 51

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

2 Samuel 11–12, 1 Chronicles 20

2 Samuel 11

David and Bathsheba

2 Samuel 12

Nathan Rebukes David

David's Child Dies

Solomon's Birth

Rabbah Is Captured

1 Chronicles 20

The Capture of Rabbah

Philistine Giants Killed

2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17

2 Samuel 7

God's Covenant with David

David's Prayer of Gratitude

1 Chronicles 17

The Lord's Covenant with David

David's Prayer