King David, the man after God’s own heart, continues to live up to this description in our passage this morning.[1] As we saw last week, one of the first things David did after building a palace for himself in Jerusalem, Zion, the City of David, was to move the ark …
As we continue to look at highlights in David’s life, it’s heartening to see how well he began. After he conquered Jerusalem, which as we noted last week was also known as Zion and the City of David, verse 11 of 2 Samuel 5 mentions his having a palace built: …
As we’ve been highlighting portions of the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, last week we saw the close of an important chapter in the life of God’s chosen people as King Saul, Israel’s first king, and his son, Jonathan, were eulogized by Israel’s second and most important king, David. …
Last week we had our first glimpse into the heart of David, a man who was chosen by the LORD to be king because of his heart. As we’ve noted, when Samuel thought that Eliab, Jesse’s eldest son, would surely be king, God said to him, “The Lord does not …
Last week we noted a sharp contrast between Israel’s first king, Saul, and its second and newly anointed king, David. Whereas Saul could have reigned successfully—by which I mean in accordance with God’s will—he chose instead to disobey the LORD at certain key points in his life. And it was …
As we’ve been highlighting portions of the book of Samuel, we began with Samuel’s call and last week saw how the elders of Israel ended up rejecting that call. Despite Israel having experienced a time of peace and protection from their Philistine enemies over the course of Samuel’s life, near …
Last week we considered how the LORD called Samuel at a very young age to follow and serve him; this week we’re going to consider how the people of Israel ended up rejecting a now old Samuel as one who had been called by the LORD. In the intervening years …
As schools from the elementary through the graduate level are wrapping up their academic year, I thought I would begin this morning with a “true or false” quiz. So here goes: True or false? Those who believe in and follow God are guaranteed to have financially prosperous lives and to …
As a society this Memorial Day weekend we remember those who have given their lives in active military fighting for the freedoms of our nation; as a church, we additionally celebrate this Trinity Sunday the freedom the Triune God has offered us to be free from sin that we might …
Well, I thought I could let John go but I just couldn’t so I’ve spent another week learning from him who learned from and has passed along to us what he received from Jesus. Appropriately enough this Pentecost Sunday what John is specifically passing along in this morning’s passage is …
