Summary

Despite the warnings, Israel still wanted to be like the surrounding nations. So God gave them what they wanted: an earthly king.

The first king was Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. He did not fully carryout the command to "blot out the memory of Amalek" from Deuteronomy 25:17-19, so God rejected his kingship and had David anointed in his place.

The transfer of power was not a smooth. Young David became more popular than Saul after he killed Goliath, and an evil spirit tormented Saul after God rejected him. As a result, Saul tried on numerous times over several years to kill David even though David was best friends with his on Jonathan and even gave up a perfect opportunity to kill Saul and end the chase. David even had to hide in the desert and the mountains from Saul. Nevertheless, God used this time to build the framework for David's kingdom.

God described David as a "man after my own heart" (1 Samuel 13) and made a covenant with him to "establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (2 Samuel 7). In other words, God promised David, among other things, he would always have an heir on the throne of Israel. After Saul's death, David became the greatest and most loved king of Israel.

His regin was not without trouble though. David had an affair and arranged the murder of his lover's husband. His sons from his different wives did not get along. One raped his half-sister. Another brother killed him when David did not punish him then tried to take over the kingdom. Nevertheless, David always remained faithful to God. David wanted to build a temple for God, but God said his son Solomon would build it.

After Solomon became king, God asked him what one this he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom to rule the kingdom, so God made him the wisest man to ever live. Solomon built a great temple for God, but only after he finished building an even larger, grander "government complex" and a house for wife from Egypt - the kings of Israel were not to marry foreign women because they could be swayed by their wife's false religion. In fact, Solomon has hundreds of wives and concubines and eventually did not remain faithful to God as his father had done. His sin was the reason God divided Israel - 1 Kings 11:9-13.

As a result, God took over half the kingdom from Solomon's son Rehoboam. When Rehoboam took the advice of his friends over the advise of the wise men and decided to rule Israel with a stronger hand than is father, all the tribes except Judah rebelled and followed Jeroboam as their king instead.

Jeroboam set up two golden calves in Dan and Bethel so the people could "worship God" in the Northern Kingdom and not return to Jerusalem to worhsip for fear they would reunite under Rehoboam and kill him. He made high places to worship and appointed priest who were not Levites. Therefore, the people began to turn away from truly worshiping God and slowly began to worship other gods.

Nevertheless, God continued to uphold His side of the Covenant....for now....

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The Facts

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1 Samuel 8-31 - ESV - KJV - NIV
2 Samuel - ESV - KJV - NIV
1 Kings - ESV - KJV - NIV
1 Chronicles - ESV - KJV - NIV
2 Chronicles 1-12 - ESV - KJV - NIV
Psalms - ESV - KJV - NIV
Proverbs - ESV - KJV - NIV
Ecclesiastes - ESV - KJV - NIV
Song of Solomon - ESV - KJV - NIV

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Important People

Samuel, King Saul, King David, King Solomon, Jeroboam

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Major Events/Accounts

Saul appointed as Israels' first king and then rejected by God, the life King David, Solomon's reign, the kingdom divided, Elijah and the prophets of Baal, Elisha replaces Elijah

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Key Words/Repeated Phrases

____ did evil in the site of the Lord
sin of Jeroboam
____ followed the Lord
____ was/was not buried in the tomb of the kings
The people cried out to God

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Hide the Word in Your Heart

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Verses from the Account

Proverbs 8:33

Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.

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Proverbs 22:1

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

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Verses to Share the Truths Taught through the Account

Revelation 19:16

And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

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Jesus in the Account

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Jesus is the ultimate king promised to David in 2 Samuel 7.

Jesus is the Eternal King, and He is in the lineage of David - Matthew 1, Luke 1.

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Jesus is the ONLY perfect King and the long awaited Messiah.

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Did You Know?

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The Amalekite's were the people who first attached Israel when they left Egypt - "when you were faint and weary" (Exodus 17).

God rejected Saul - 1 Samuel 15 - because he did not follow God's instructions concerning the Amalekite's - Deuteronomy 25:17-19.

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You can visit the valley where David defeated Goliath.

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Dan and Bethel were located in the northern and southern points of the kingdom.

This made them closer than the temple to everyone, so they did not have to return to the temple to worship and therefor return to God.

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Discuss It

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1. What is the most interesting thing or something new you learned from reading and studying this account?
2. Summarize the account and its message in your own words.
3. What did you learn about God from reading and studying this account?
4. How does this account point to God's plan to redeem this world through the sacrifice and obedience of Jesus?
5. How can you apply the truth of what you learned from reading and studying this account in your own life?

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Teach It

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Coming in 2021!

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Share It

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Coming in 2021!

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Celebrate It

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Coming in 2021!

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