1 & 2 Samuel (Program #13) – The History Concerning David (1)

When the children of Israel asked God for a king, He responded by giving them Saul, a tall, handsome, capable man who also was victorious over the Israel’s enemies. God’s intention was that Saul would use the kingship to build up God’s kingdom, but it soon became clear that Saul’s intent was different. Yes, He desired to build a kingdom, but not God’s kingdom. What Saul sought was to build a kingdom for himself under the guise of God’s kingdom. Of course the Lord knew Saul’s heart, and he moved secretly and quietly behind the scenes to prepare a king for Israel that was of His choice, and who would build up God’s kingdom, and even pave the way for Christ, the King, to eventually be brought forth. Who was this one chosen by God? Well, let’s turn to the book of Ruth chapter 4, “And Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.”

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #11) – The History Concerning Saul (3)

The children of Israel were in a low condition.  Their enemies were closing in.  They had strayed far from the Lord  both in their hearts and in their deeds.  And they feared that He would no longer look after them and protect them. Their reaction was understandable; they asked the prophet Samuel to give them a king just as all the other nations had to protect them. Reluctantly Samuel sought Jehovah in the matter and the Lord granted the people their request and instructed Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king over Israel. In the beginning it appeared that the Lord was with king Saul. And he was victorious in defeating the Ammonites, Israel’s enemy. But as time went on it became more and more evident that what was filling Saul’s heart was not so much to establish God’s kingdom but rather to build up a monarchy or a kingdom of his own within God’s kingdom.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #9) – Samuel—A Man According to God

Through out the history of Israel only two men had ever been identified been raised up by God in three critical aspects, as priest, as prophet and as judge over Israel.  These two are Moses and Samuel. Samuel like Moses before him was unique and having such a position before Jehovah.  In many ways he was God’s representative on the earth and there were none that were higher than he.  Yet it is interesting that when the Lord instructed him in I Samuel chapter 9, to anoint a king over Israel with his status already intact as priest, prophet and judge we can see it would been easy for him to say at least in his heart “how can God ask me to anoint anyone to be above me?”  Yet in Samuel God had found a man who care nothing for his own position but who only care for what was on God’s heart.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #7) – The History Concerning Samuel (4)

Through Moses and his brother Aaron, God established the priesthood in Israel.  These priests all in the linage of Aaron continued for nearly 500 years.  The final priest of the Aaronic priesthood was Eli. But by his time the priesthood had become stale and had waned.  God desire to  move in a new and fresh way among His people. But to accomplished His move He needed to turn the age and initiated a new priesthood and raised up prophets in Israel and even established the kingship which would paved the way for Christ to be brought forth. The one that God chose at that time for this major turn in His move was the young boy Samuel.  Samuel become the first among a new priesthood and he also become the first prophet of Israel and he ushered in the kingship by establishing David both to be the king and to be the ancestor of the coming Christ.

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Judges (Program #2) – The Miserable History of Israel’s Forsaking God (1)

In the history of the children of Israel God had manifested Himself to Israel in many aspects.  He fought for them as a warrior against Pharaoh and his armies, becoming their protector when they were still in Egypt. Then He supplied them with water and food in the wilderness as the source of all their living for more than 40 years. In addition He cared for them not just as a father but more so as their king.  Eventually He unveiled to them His deepest longing and that was to be a husband to them and for them to be a bride, a pure and chaste wife to Him.  But again and again Israel turned away from Him as their husband and as their king. At least 4 times, in the book of Judges we see the same words, “In those days, there were no kings in Israel, every man did what was right in his own eyes.”  How much these words must had offended Jehovah, Who had revealed Himself so faithfully to Israel again and again. But His love is greater than the weaknesses of His people, so He appeared to them again, not as a king not even as their husband but as a servant, a slave to minister to them in their poor condition and lowest state.

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Galatians (Program #2) – The Apostle’s Gospel

The New Testament reveals the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact the first 4 books of the New Testament are called the Gospels. Each one is unique in its focus and what it unveils regarding our wonderful Lord Jesus. But the New Testament also reveals the Gospel through the writings of the Apostle Paul. And, it’s this 5th Gospel that we come to today particularly in the book of Galatians.

We need 4 different versions of the Gospel because Christ is such a wonderful person. And, the 4 Gospels are just unveiling this most wonderful person from the angle of His being a king, the angle of His being a servant or a slave, from the angle of His being the most precious man ever revealed in the universe, and also being the Son of God who gives us Himself as the eternal life.

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Luke (Program #42) – The Man-Savior’s Presentation of Himself to Death for Redemption (1)

Try to imagine in ancient times when a king or a prince would come and visit a certain place, the nature of that procession no doubt the king would come in either riding in a royal carriage or at least riding on a great white steed.  Now we come to the climates of the Lord Jesus long journey to Jerusalem and His triumphal entry as the King of the Universe into the city of God. One that His disciples would certain would accommodate in taking His proper place on the throne of David in the temple and establishing His earthly kingdom and in splendor and majesty. It is against in this backdrop that we read Luke 19 in His actual entry into Jerusalem not on a great white horse or in a royal palanquin but instead riding on a most humble of all creatures, a young donkey.

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Luke (Program #1) – Introduction, Subject and Contents of the Gospel (1)

The New Testament begins with four different accounts of the life of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Matthew is profound presenting us with Christ as the king in His kingdom; John is mysterious, showing us Christ as the very God; but Luke though not as profound or as mysterious is altogether sweet and pleasant because Luke unveils Jesus Christ as a man. A man who is both sweet and pleasant because His living displays and expresses the very nature and essence of God lived out in His perfect humanity. This is not just a man but the Man-Saviour.

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Isaiah (Program #34) – The King Reigning in the Tent of David, the Eternal Rock, a Savior

“Then will a throne be established in loving kindness and upon it One will sit in truth in the tent of David, judging and pursuing justice and hastening righteousness.”  Surely there was a king ruling from the throne in the tent of David in Old Testament time.  Interestingly, the tent of David with its kingly throne reappears in the coming kingdom age.  But does the tent of David have to do with us today?

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Matthew (Program #12) – The Beginning of the King’s Ministry

In the Old Testament, Isaiah give us a wonderful prophesy concerning the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ that would take place hundreds of years later.  The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali…the way to the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles.  The people sitting in the darkness have seen a great light; and to those sitting in the region and shadow of death, to them Light has risen.  So it was Christ began His earthly ministry not in the religious capital Jerusalem, but in the despised region of Galilee.

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