Transformative Truth:

Self-Advancement 1 Kings 1:1-10

Sovereign Appointment 1 Kings 1:11-40

On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, and the LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. Zechariah 14:8, 9

Settled Arrangement 1 Kings 1:41-53

The Lord is God and has given us light. Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. Psalm 118:27

Rebel-sinners stand in need of mercy from the rightful King.

For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow- in heaven and on earth and under the earth- and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

The Sinful Act 2 Samuel 24:1-9

Transformative Truth: "The strength of God's kingdom rests in the Lord, not in us"

2. Great Human Devotion (vv. 13-17)

3. More Great Human Accomplishments (vv. 18-23)

4. The Problem with Human Heroes (vv. 24-39)

Transformative Truth: "The One worthy of all praise is Yahweh, the great deliverer."

1. The Deliverance of the Lord

2. The Righteousness of the Servant?

3. The Splendor of the Lord

4. The Victory of the King

5. The Reign of the Messiah

Transformative Truth: "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins." - Hebrews 9:22

2. The Brutality of Atonement (vv. 3-9)

3. The Blessing of Covenant (v. 7)

4. The Pathos of Love (vv. 10-14)

5. The Blissfulness of Security (vv. 15-22)

Human sin reduces instability, but God's kingdom never collapses.

The Rebellion of Sheba (vv. 1-2)

The Ruination of Victims (v. 3)

The Ruthlessness of Joab (vv. 4-13)

The Reaction of the People (vv. 14-22)

The Recovery of David’s Kingdom (vv. 23-26)

No king but Christ is perfectly victorious.

Transformative Truth: The preserving of God’s kingdom involves the perishing of its enemies.

For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom. 2 Samuel 17:14

Transformative Truth:

Transformative Truth:

God uses even our enemies to fulfill his good purposes for us.

ZIBA: The Ready Opportunist 2 Samuel 16:1-4

SHIMEI: The Relentless Critic 2 Samuel 16:5-14

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Galatians 3:13

AHITHOPHEL: The Ruthless Traitor 2 Samuel 16:15-23

"Thus says the Lord, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'" - The Lord God (2 Sam. 12:11-12)

God uses even our enemies to fulfill his good purposes for us.