‘The King’s promise to the king’s proposal’ (2 Samuel 7:1-29)

All chapters of Scripture are important, but some are more important than others! 2 Samuel 7:1-29 is one of those chapters. After David had settled the ark of the covenant in a tent in Jerusalem, he expressed a desire to God that he would like build something more permanent. Was he concerned about the fact that he lived in a palace while the ark remained in a tent? We really don’t know, but what we do know is that God said ‘no’ to David while also promising David his own ‘house’ – his very own royal line. How did David respond to such a promise? And what does this promise have to do with the fulfillment of God’s plans for His people through David’s greater Son, Jesus?

Revitalizing the Presbyterian Church in Adelaide

One of the great things about belonging to a Presbyterian Church is that all our churches are inter-dependent (not independent) towards each other. As a result of this the Presbyterian General Assembly of Australia’s (GAA) church planting taskforce has set its sights upon Adelaide and is asking congregations around the country for support. Why Adelaide? Adelaide is Australia’s fifth largest city, yet for many years the combined ministry of the Presbyterian churches has been smaller than many country town or rural ministries. The Presbyterian Church in Adelaide has never been really strong, and when Union came in 1977 it left the church in a sorry state. The situation has been slow going since then, so the GAA took a bold move and placed the Presbyterian Church of South Australia under the care of the much stronger and growing Presbyterian Church of Queensland, and in particular the Creek Road (Carina) congregation who have set their church planting team to work. The first steps of this have been to link the remaining 6 congregations in Adelaide (Elizabeth, Para Hills, North Adelaide, Norwood, Seacliff, and Mt. Barker) into the one Charge with a team of church planters and pastors being assembled to revitalize gospel ministry in that city. How to help?
Pray
• Give thanks for the ministry of John Langbridge, John Gilmour, Damien Carson and the rest of the team currently on the ground in Adelaide
• Pray for the formation of the staff team
• Pray for the people of Adelaide to have heart soft for the gospel
• Pray for each of the 6 congregations in the new Adelaide Charge
Give
If you would like to give to the work in Adelaide, the bank account details to give to are: Account Name: Presbyterian Church of Qld BSB: 034 010 Account Number: 13 1237 Reference: Adelaide Donor
Tell
Do you have relatives of friends in Adelaide who might consider joining the PCSA? Let them know about the proposed developments!

‘The King’s dance (as the original ‘parader’ of the Ark)!’ (2 Samuel 6:1-23)

When King David set out to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jeusalem, he had no way of knowing what would eventuate and what fallout there would be from such a move. 2 Samuel 6:1-23 tells us that the first attempt at moving the Ark ended in disaster when Uzzah stretched out his hand to stop the Ark from falling. As a result, David grew angry. Three months later, after David had done some careful research, the second attempt ended in criticism as his wife, Michal, gave him a very frosty reception when he came home. In the midst of all these events there are lessons to learn from Uzzah, Michal and David as well as a timely reminder that there were still even greater things in store for God’s people.

‘The King who gives His people victory’ (2 Samuel 5:17-25)

Soon after David’s coronation as king and the conquest and establishment of Jerusalem as his capital, the old enemy, the Philistines, returned. David’s life up to this point had been one of continual conflict with this enemy and this return match would show what kind of king David would be. The text of 2 Samuel 5:17-25 tells us that David sought the Lord for His help and guidance and that God answered his requests, providing a decisive victory over the enemy. God’s people often find themselves in the heat of a battle, but our enemy is not ‘flesh and blood’. David’s experiences form a good basis for our response to the spiritual battle that we as God’s people know on a daily basis.

‘The King who came to his city’ (2 Samuel 6:6-16)

After David became King over all Israel and Judah, he needed to settle down into his own place and palace. Where else to go but the ancient city of Jebus the home of the Jebusites?  2 Samuel 6:6-16 tells how David came to the city and conquered it, defeating the enemy in the process. When Jesus came to Jerusalem, He also came to conquer, but His targets were sin and death. Unlike David, He did not do this by force but by sacrifice. And while David had a palace built for him within his new royal city, Jesus went in to heaven to prepare a place (John 14), in fact a new city (Revelation 21) for His people.

‘The King ascends to His throne! Long live the King!’ (2 Samuel 4;1-5:5)

22 years is a long time. It’s a long time to wait. For 22 years, David was been waiting for King Saul and his descendants to be cleared from being in the way of his accession to the throne. Saul was dead by suicide. Abner was dead by murder. But Ish-bosheth, son of Saul remained as King over the 11 tribes of Israel. Would God’s promises to David in 1 Samuel 16 ever reach their fulfilment? And if so, how would David become King? And, given the bloodthirsty nature of some of his followers, how could he establish a kingdom that was not won by force or coercion? And if David points us to Jesus, in what ways is this seen in his rise to the throne as recorded in 2 Samuel 4:1-5:5?

‘Hand-me-down lessons for the King (from the King)’ (2 Samuel 3:1-39)

With the scene set for full scale civil war between the houses of David and Saul, things took a brighter turn when Saul’s army general, Abner, turned from supporting Ish-bosheth to lend his support for David. With this, peace in Israel was in sight. Negotiations began and were running smoothly…that was until Joab took the matter in his own hands and murdered Abner. What would Jesus have learned as he read all this from 2 Samuel 3:1-39? And what do we learn as followers of Him who seek to bring in His Kingdom?