1 & 2 Kings (Program #2) – The Reign of Solomon (1)

After the death of the great king David in Israel, his son Solomon assumed the throne.  Solomon achieved much glory and splendor during his reign and there is no doubt this was a high peak in the history of Israel.  But Solomon’s ending, like that of his father was not so glorious.   To read the account of the events in the Old Testament book of Kings is interesting to be sure, but if God is merciful and grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation, we can realize much more from these accounts than just the great stories and historical events.   We can perceive that behind all, is a God that is on one hand full of mercy and forgiveness in grace.  But on the other hand He is righteous and holy in all His dealings with His people.  There is an encouragement in these stories but there was also a warning that should sober us to take great care in all of our doings.

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1 & 2 Kings (Program #1) – An Introductory Word

The books of the Old Testament can be viewed from differing perspectives.  On one hand we can think of the Old Testament as a compilations of interesting stories that convey certain moral and ethical teachings.  This is the common thought and it’s easy for the natural mind to grasp.  Another perspective takes a more intrinsic view.  And it is this view that compels us in this study called the life study of the Bible.

1 & 2 Kings contains many stories to be sure but they also convey the rich intrinsic significance of the entire Bible that which is centered on Christ, in His person and in His economy for the establishment of His kingdom.  Welcome to the life study of 1 & 2 Kings.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #29) – The Unique Work of the Processed Triune God

In 2 Samuel, the Lord through the Prophet Nathan prophesied to David the king, “Moreover Jehovah declares to you that Jehovah will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed after you, which will come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. It is he who will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” Properly understood, this passage constitutes one of the greatest prophecies in the entire Old Testament.

In Matthew in the New Testament, chapter 16, the Lord Jesus makes a similar prophecy to His disciples. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” This passage equally constitutes one of the greatest prophecies in the New Testament as well. God’s desire to build a dwelling for Himself and for us, from the beginning of the Bible through to the very end.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #28) – The History Concerning David (12)

Of all of the great figures in the Old Testament, none found more favor in the eyes of Jehovah than His beloved King David. David had a heart that matched God’s heart and therefore God was able to reveal the highest things to him. Yet in one critical area, David was weak and this weakness remains even today as a dark blemish on the light of one of God’s great servants.

Even in the divine record, the Holy Word, both in the New and Old Testament, God has reminded us of David’s fall. In 1 Kings 15:5, it says because David did what was upright in the side of Jehovah and did not turn aside from anything that He had commanded him all the days of his life except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #27) – God’s Intention to Build Himself in Christ into Us

In 2 Samuel, David, the king, opens his heart to the prophet Nathan. What he expressed was a deep and genuine desire to do something meaningful for God in response to all that God had done for him. The ark of the covenant for many years had been kept temporarily in private homes and families of the Israelites. David’s intention was to build a house for God, a permanent dwelling place for the ark and even for God Himself to dwell-in in Jerusalem.

But the Lord responded to David that it was not God who needed something to be built, rather it was David. Jehovah had already provided a magnificent palace for David to dwell in. But, what David lacked is what we lack. And, that is for the Lord to build His dwelling place within us.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #26) – A Prophecy Concerning the Seed of David Being Called the Son of God

2 Samuel 7 contains ones of the great prophecies in all of scripture. When God tells King David, “I will raise up your seed after you, which will come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. It is he who will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he will be My son.”

Well, we all realize now that this Word was prophesying concerning the first coming of Christ. Christ is the seed of David. The Lord Jesus Himself referred to this passage when speaking to the pharisees during an exchange where they were trying to trap Him. Listen to Matthew 22:41-45, “Now when the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them, saying, What do you think concerning the Christ? Whose son is He? They said to Him, David’s. He said to them, How then does David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies underneath Your feet’? If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?”

Well this question, “what do you think concerning the Christ?”, is the question in the universe and ultimately must be answered by every man.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #25) – God’s Building Himself in Christ into our Being Through the Metabolic Process of Transformation

Most believers and readers of the Bible recognize that prophecy is an important component of scripture. There are great books of the Bible that have long been recognized as being important from a prophetic perspective. Books like Revelation in the New Testament and Ezekiel and Daniel in the Old Testament. But normally, we don’t think of the history books in the Old Testament as being important for prophecy. And while this may be generally true, there are notable exceptions such as 2 Samuel 7. Listen to 3 verses from this chapter and see if you can find the prophecy that Witness Lee considered one of the highest in all of scripture.

“When your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed after you, which will come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. It is he who will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he will be My son.”

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #24) – Our Need for God to Build Christ into Us

Upon a casual reading, 2 Samuel 7 seems simple enough to understand, it begins with King David expressing his heart’s desire to build a dwelling place for Jehovah. The Lord’s response to David seems to be a very good illustration of His love and mercy toward David, telling him that instead of wanting David to build something for Him, the Lord needed to build something first for David. But if we look more carefully and through the lens of God’s economy, we will see that 2 Samuel 7 reveals one of the highest revelations in the entire Bible.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #23) – The History Concerning David (10)

In 2 Samuel, David becomes secure and well established as the one king over all the tribes of Israel. As king, he’s prosperous, respected, loved, and secure from his enemies, even admired by the surrounding nations. In this situation, David’s true heart is clearly manifest. What he desires to do is to do something for God, even to build God a dwelling place in Israel. But having such a one on this earth whose heart was fully one on its own, Jehovah responds to David’s expression of wanting to do something for Him in a most surprising way.

Listen to this passage from 2 Samuel 7:

“Thus says Jehovah, Is it you who will build Me a house for Me to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house, since the day I brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt to this day; but I went about in a tent and in a tabernacle. more…

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #22) – The History Concerning David (9)

After years of being persecuted at the hands of the evil king Saul, David has finally become king, fulfilling the promise that Jehovah had given to him as a young boy. Now, the entire nation of Israel was with him. And, even the surrounding nations lent their support to him as king. But most importantly, David had Jehovah’s presence with him as well. With all things fully in order under God’s sovereign arrangement, what would David turn his attention to now?

Many before him had sought greater riches and glory for themselves, but David has a different kind of heart. David had a heart that was fully one with the Lord. So and with his own house in order, David turned his full attention to God’s house. What a marvelous picture and pattern for us as believers today.

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