God keeps all his promises. And though it appears that Absalom and David are the central characters in the story, it is actually our promise keeping God who takes center stage. There is little exemplary human behavior in this account, but God’s character shines. As he keeps his promises to David, we see his faithfulness, his justice, and his mercy.

What is Jesus’ heart for the vulnerable- people with disabilities, widows, orphans, and the elderly? How do we follow His example in welcoming these precious “image bearers” into our hearts and lives?

2 Samuel 11-14

In the last 10 chapters, David has resisted harming or killing Saul, and David inquired of the Lord and obeyed him. In 2 Samuel 11-14, the story takes a marked pivot. David violated and killed, and the consequences were great and generational.

In these chapters, David “utterly scorned” the LORD, and didn’t lead his family. In the previous chapters of 1-2 Samuel, we had a vision for a godly generational reign; in these chapters, David’s sons are repeating--and outdoing--the sins of their father. It would be tempting to despair: will another king lose his anointing? Are our sins more powerful than God’s plan? Can we trust any king? Let’s look and see!

As the King Fares, So Do His People: 2 Samuel 2-10

David knew he had been anointed king of Israel for the sake of God’s people. But now we see that God had much more in mind than one king over one little nation for one little page of history. In these incredible promises to David, we hear the fulfillment of his long ago promises to Abraham, and we realize that God has chosen David to be the first in a long line of Israelite kings to not just bless the people of Israel, but to bless all nations of the earth. In these promises, God recycles the language of his promise to Abraham.

This week’s chapters, 1 Samuel 27- 2 Samuel 1, highlight Saul’s undoing and David’s deliverance. The narrator contrasts the character of David and Saul throughout these chapters as they face hardship. Where do they seek their help? How is God at work? Saul continues to pursue self-sufficiency. But, we see by God’s grace, “David strengthened himself in the Lord” (1 Sam 30:6b). In our distress we are to turn and be strengthened in the Lord. David was strengthened by remembering God’s promises, reminding himself of God’s unchanging character and seeking God’s presence.

This week, we learned that David grew as a man after God’s own heart and in his role as king by learning and remembering that “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers them out of them all.” (Ps 34.19) David experienced persecution, betrayal, false accusations, and many other afflictions. In Psalm 56, he lamented “man tramples me all day . . all day long an attacker oppresses me, they have waited for my life,” yet he continually called out to the LORD “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Ps 56).

1 Samuel 21-26

Beholding and Becoming in Friendship and Community: Doubled Joy and Halved Sorrow

Our God is a relational God, and he created us to be in relationship with Him and others. How does God use the friendships and communities in our life to make us more like Jesus?  We’ll consider unique challenges at each stage of life, and share how life in community has helped us persevere in faith.

The Battle is the Lord’s

1 Samuel 17 highlights the story of David and Goliath, where we see God at work to defend the honor of His name through David’s weakness.

"Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Consider what great things he has done for you." –1 Samuel 12:24

Our lesson this week in 1 Samuel 8-15 highlights Israel’s transition to a monarchy, Saul's rise to power, and his eventual rejection by God due to disobedience. We saw God sovereignly work through Israel’s demand for an earthly king “like the nations” to reveal their weak faith, hard-heartedness, and their true need for a heavenly King. We were challenged to examine our own hearts, humbly repenting of sin and seeking God’s forgiveness.

Amelia will help us see how the gospel brings hope and stability when life seems out of control.