Read: 2 Samuel 7:1-17 It had been thousands of years since that fateful day in the garden. During that time mankind had been judged for its rebellion but God had also been working powerfully to bring about His plan for redemption. God had established for himself a people through Abraham. After 400 years He had rescued this people out of slavery in Egypt, bringing them into their own land. He established for them a nation, giving them laws and systems of government. He fought for them and ruled them as their king.
But God's people weren't happy with that arrangement. They weren't happy to have God himself, the rightful ruler of the universe, as they king. Instead, they wanted a human king just like every other nation. In a demonstration of His grace God gave them the king that they asked for. The result? A terrible king and the continuation of a terrible moral decline amongst God's people.
It is at this point that God chooses King David as the new king. He is a man after God's own heart, a man who seeks after righteousness and seeks to live according to God's ways and a man of zeal when it comes to honouring God. It seems that the day has finally come. The good king the people had hoped for is here.
It is not to be. Ultimately King David, another sinful man, chooses to rebel against God's authority as well. Although David repents and turns back to God he shows that he is not the good king that the people are expecting.
However God does not leave His people without hope. God makes an incredible promise to King David, that He would establish David's throne and dynasty forever and that David would always have a descendant on the throne of Israel. The people are left wondering again, who will be the great king who will save us?
That great king is Jesus Christ who was born in Bethlehem at Christmas time. He is the good king who came to humbly serve His people. He is the king who will sit on the throne to reign forever. Jesus Christ is that good king who gives us hope and an answer to the problem of sin and death forever if we will only put our faith in Him.
Prayer: Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
- Praise God for His faithfulness in keeping His promises. Praise Him that through Jesus Christ we have an answer to the problems of sin and death. Pray that He would reveal to you areas of rebellion in your life and that you would seek to submit those areas to Christ.
- Pray for the elders of your church. Pray that God would encourage them as they seek to faithfully follow Him. Pray that God would fill them with great wisdom, with a heart for the congregation and a love for the lost so that they might lead the church well. Pray that God would give them energy and strength to accomplish the task that He has prepared for them.
My Additional Prayer Points
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