Study 4: Leader's Guide

God Promises a Special King

Intro question:

This question is a way for you to discuss the homework. If there are members who haven’t read the passages, this would be a good time to get the ones who have to recap for them the gist of the stories. There are some comments about the homework in the previous Leader’s Guide. It is important for you to discuss this question as it provides necessary background for this study.

Question 1

This is a simple question that your members should be able to answer easily. The “why” question however, requires a more complex answer. Do try to contain the answers to the text (vv 1–5). The next question will address how appropriate the Israelites request was, so try not to get too far ahead in this question.

Question 2

What’s so bad about asking for a king? Does God have an inferiority complex and thus can’t stand having someone human lead Israel? What is the big deal about a king? These are some questions that generally crop up about now, either out loud or quietly inside. These questions are important. We go back to the covenant that Israel made with God. The very covenant that essentially acknowledges that God will reign (is king) over Israel and that they will be his holy nation, set apart, to be blessed and be a blessing to the world. The very act of wanting to be like other nations is in violation of the covenant and a rejection of God as the true king of Israel. They basically do not want to be the nation that showed the world what it means to live in relationship with God. It may be helpful to refer to study 3 and the homework passages.

Question 3

It is quite good to go through the entire warning as it describes the opposite of what a king should be, and how he should treat his people, as given by God in Deuteronomy 17:14–20. This warning also describes exactly how the kings treated their people in the neighbouring nations at that time. Although God had been incredibly faithful and gracious to them, the Israelites turn their backs on God and continue to demand for a king like the other nations.

Question 4

Refer to verse 1.

ARK OF THE COVENANT. The ark was a rectangular box made of acacia wood, and measured 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 cubits (i.e. about 1.22 m x 76 cm x 76 cm). The whole was covered with gold and was carried on poles inserted in rings at the four lower corners. The lid, or ‘mercy-seat’, was a gold plate surrounded by two antithetically placed cherubs with outspread wings.

The ark served (i) as receptacle for the two tablets of the Decalogue (Ex. 25:16, 21; 40:20; Dt. 10:1–5) and also for the pot of manna and Aaron’s rod (Heb. 9:4–5); (ii) as the meeting-place in the inner sanctuary where the Lord revealed his will to his servants (Moses: Ex. 25:22; 30:36; Aaron: Lv. 16:2; Joshua: Jos. 7:6). Thus it served as the symbol of the divine presence guiding his people.

The ark was made at Sinai by Bezalel to the pattern given to Moses (Ex. 25:8ff.). It was used as a depository for the written law (Dt. 31:9; Jos. 24:26) and played a significant part at the crossing of Jordan (Jos. 3–4), the fall of Jericho (Jos. 6) and the ceremony of remembering the covenant at Mt Ebal (Jos. 8:30ff.). Gold-overlaid wooden receptacles or portable shrines are known from the ancient Near East in pre-Mosaic times. The ark is unique, however, as the repository of the covenant-tablets, i.e. documents bearing the ‘covenant-stipulations.^[1]

Question 5

The Ark had been moving around in a tent. These 2 questions are not about the fact that God needs a beautiful house to live in, but are about building a permanent showcase for God’s glory rather than a mobile tent.

Question 6

Essentially, God had been faithful to David and Israel. Even when the Israelites had been unfaithful and neglected their part of the covenant, God had been faithful and continued to care for Israel. David himself had experienced God’s protection and faithfulness and knew that he could trust that God would continue to be faithful.

Question 7

a)     This is a re-iteration of the earlier covenant we had looked at. Remember that this is renewed after the Israelites had been unfaithful over and over again, even demanding for a human king to replace God. Yet, God reminds them of this covenant and promises to continue to be faithful to it.

b)    This promise to David is not isolated to David, but is definitely intertwined with God’s covenant with Israel. David fulfils God’s provision for a king (from Deut 17). Note the terms used in these 2 verses and compare them to Solomon if you can. Looking towards the future, this passage in fact also talks about David’s descendant who fulfils the king provision, the law and the covenant. It might be helpful to keep in mind this passage and indicate that this passage points towards the person of Jesus who would enter the world many years later.

Question 8

The consistencies should be quite evident here. The main theme that runs through all this is God’s faithfulness and God’s plan for this kingdom. All these events point towards the in-breaking of the kingdom of God and the future completion of it. If your members are already grappling with the person of Jesus, it might be good to ask if this study has changed their views of Jesus. Hopefully, these passages have highlighted the fact that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus was not God’s Plan B or C at making things better (after earlier attempts didn’t work), but that Jesus was and is the climax of God’s activity in the world, the ultimate showcase of God’s love and who God really is.

Homework:

Although this seems like a lot to read, it is quite important that you encourage your members to read this. If possible, please remember to allocate some time to talk through these homework passages next week as they provide much needed context. They are about the exile and the hope of messiah for the Israelites of that time.

a)     2 Chronicles 5

This passage is basically telling of the Ark entering the temple, hence God filling the Temple. God’s presence in their land is significant as it sign that God was their God and they were God’s people

b)    2 Chronicles 7:11-22

This passage is God’s reminder to Solomon about the covenant that Israel had made with God and also God’s promise to Solomon and his descendants. God also warns Solomon of the consequences if Israel was unfaithful to God again.

c)     2 Chronicles 36:11-23

This is a great summary passage of basically Israel’s history during the kings. We see that Israel is unfaithful again and again, and eventually has to reap the consequences God reminded them of in the earlier passage. They are sent to exile by the Babylonians. They essentially lose their identity when they were sent into exile as their identity is very much rooted in the covenant, in God’s promises that they would be a holy nation in their promised land.

d)    Isaiah 9:6-7

This is a prophecy about Jesus. This was probably written just before the Israel went into exile. This section comes after prophecies of the coming oppression and the exile. God still promises that things will get better and that God has a plan for the world.

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^[1]D. R. W. Wood, D. R. W. Wood and I. Howard Marshall, New Bible Dictionary, Includes Index., electronic ed. of 3rd ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996, c1982, c1962), 80.