God – Old Testament Survey

1 Kings 10

Verses 1-13 parallels 2 Chronicles 9.1-12. The Queen of Sheba’s visit is presented. Many believe Sheba to be a country north or east of modern day Yemen, bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. However, it was also a dual kingdom, which crossed the Red Sea into Ethiopian territory. From whatever side she came, the Queen and her entourage traveled more than 1,400 miles to visit Solomon. Hers was a strong kingdom, gaining power and wealth from Arab traders.

The Queen of Sheba had opportunity to watch Solomon deal with his people and with his God. This was a great witness to her. As the end of verse five presents, she was speechless. Yet it comes after Solomon’s worship, and not his wealth. The Queen went back to give testimony of Solomon’s greatness. Nevertheless, it appears, she also testified of the greatness of Solomon’s God too. It is possible that many converts were made due to this encounter. We read of the Ethiopian eunuch in the book of Acts (Acts 8.25-40). After this encounter we also read of countless numbers of Ethiopians helping God’s people.

Are people going home to tell their family and friends about you or about your God?

Verses 14-29 presents Solomon’s wealth and parallels 2 Chronicles 9.13-28. He received more than twenty-five tons a year in gold as an income. When you read the passage it appears as though gold was running down the streets it was so common. It appears he also had a zoo.

Solomon disregarded God’s commands about horses and trading with Egypt (Deuteronomy 17.16). In one phrase he did both for he was a horse trader with Egypt. These verses, 26-29, lead into chapter 11 and Solomon’s downfall.

What will lead to your downfall? What one area in your life are you overlooking or disregarding from God’s Word that you know you should follow but you are walking away from (James 4.17)?

Media

Possible location of Sheba

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Ecclesiastes-An Overview

The conclusion of the matter that Solomon comes to after he concludes this book is the realization that life is meaningless without God. The book is to convince man of the worthlessness of any world view that takes into account man’s world alone, i.e., how life would be without God. Today we see this throughout Europe, and we see the beginnings in the United States.
We need to pray that our focus returns to God.

See Pastor David’s sermon on Ecclesiastes: NOTHING EVER CHANGES . . . UNLESS YOU LOVE THE LORD

1 Chronicles 22

David established an inheritance for Solomon, a legacy for his son to continue, and a charge to be great in God’s kingdom. What inheritance, legacy, and charge are you leaving you children (even if it is decades from now)?

1 Chronicles 22

This passage and the remainder of 1 Chronicles have no parallel accounts for us to consider.

Verses 1-5-David’s desire was to build the Temple. He had all the plans made up and most of the material gathered. However, God would not have him do so because of his past (8). Solomon would build the Temple.
Verses 6-16-God promised to give David a son who would build the Temple. That son would be a king who reigned in the peace David fought for and God granted. Solomon, whose name translated is peacefully, will be the one to rule in peace.
God, through David, gives Solomon his charge:

Verse 9-God’s peace will prevail during Solomon’s reign
Verse 10-God’s Temple will be built by Solomon
Verse 12-God’s wisdom and understanding were necessary for Solomon to rule
Verse 13-God’s blessing only comes to those who purpose to follow His Word.
Verse 13-God is with Solomon, so he need not fear

David, through God’s grace, provided Solomon with the needed material to build the Temple.

Verse 14-David provided over 40,000 tons of precious metal.
Verse 14-David provided the timber and stones, but not all of it
Verse 15-David commissioned the workers for these materials

Verses 17-19-David knew without wise counsel, Solomon would fail. We too will fail if we attempt to live the life God called us to live without guidance from godly men. Who do you surround yourself with? Your character will imitate their character. The major focus of each of these men was the Lord.

1 Chronicles 21

It is wise for us to listen carefully to the voices that clamor for our attention. We should be asking if the voice is from God, Satan, the world, or our own sinful desires. We then need to take every thought captive and make sure that it is from God, which is when we choose to reject or accept it (2 Corinthians 10.4-5).

1 Chronicles 21 (Cf. 2 Samuel 24 and our study)

The variations between 1 Chronicles 21 and 2 Samuel 24 are few, but the few are intriguing. The outline would be the same for both chapters. God is angered at the sin of Israel (1-6), David’s realization of sin (7-17), and the telling of God to David to build the Temple (18-30). However, each section contains at least one variant in its presentation.

Verses 1-6-Satan is credited with leading David to count the men of fighting age. Here it is Satan, in 2 Samuel it is God, in both passages David is held responsible. This helps us to understand a few things about God’s sovereign control and man’s responsibility. God was going to judge Israel for their sin. I believe it was the continual syncretism of the nation. God allowed Satan to tempt David to do something that was against God’s will. David chose to do it. Satan cannot do anything without God’s approval. The book of Job displays this clearly (Job 1-2). We can neither blame God for our sin nor blame Satan. We are responsible for the choices we make.
Verses 7-17-David sees the angel who was to destroy Jerusalem and the elders prayed that God would stay His hand from destroying Jerusalem.
Verses 18-30-The acceptance of the sacrifice by David signified that God had accepted this as the new place of worship for Israel. This selection of Mt. Moriah as the place of worship for Israel can also be seen in the sacrifice David offered for his sin, the forgiveness God offered, and the answered prayers of the people.

The purchase in 2 Samuel of 50 shekels was for the threshing floor and the purchase in 1 Chronicles of six hundred shekels was for the entire property.

It was at this site, Mt. Moriah, that Abraham offered up Isaac (Genesis 22). Here is where the Temple will be built. It was here that Jesus would die (on the Mount not in the Temple). This will become the new center of worship for all Israel.

Psalm 99

Do others see the holiness of God in your life? If that is His defining character, and He has made it our defining characteristic, others should see it shine through our lives.

Psalm 99

This is the last psalm of seven psalms proclaiming the kingship of Jehovah. Read our studies of each of them (93, 94 [study to come], 95, 96, 97, and 98).

This psalm distinguishes itself in containing the tri-fold refrain of “holiness.” It is this word that outlines this psalm. The outline is also the outline of the book of Revelation (Revelation 4.8). It is this holiness that sets God apart from the best of men. He is perfect and we are not.

Verses 1-3-Holy is He who is to come. God is great. So, serve Him.
Verses 4-5-Holy is He who is. He is the God of justice, who establishes equity in all creation. God is just. So, obey Him.
Verses 6-9-Holy is He who was. He is eternal. He has been involved in creation from the beginning because He is the author of creation (Colossians 1.16-18). But, He is also a personal God who desires to listen to His children and be part of their lives. Therefore, He forgives through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Verse eight paints a picture of God forgiving while yet dealing with sin. In Christ we are forgiven. In Christ justice was meted as well. God is forgiving. So, thank Him with your life, which is to worship Him.

Do others see the holiness of God in your life? If that is His defining character, and He has made it our defining characteristic, others should see it shine through our lives.

Media

Holy, Holy, Holy sung by Hillsong
Holy, Holy, Holy sung by Steven Curtis Chapman
Holy, Holy, Holy performed by Billy Ray Hearn and London Festival Orchestra (Traditional)

Psalm 97

Can you state you hate (or reject) evil? What about your gods, which are not gods at all? Do you accept them? They are evil. The way for you to full know you have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and have been placed into the kingdom of the Son He loves is how you live your life (Acts 26.18-19 and Colossians 1.13-14). Your works do not save you, but the display to yourself and others that you have been saved. And, part of this is to reject or hate evil.

Psalm 97

This psalm opens with the truth that the God of Promise, the covenant God, rules mightily. With this truth, all else is trivial. With this truth, there will be much joy. Because He reigns, not will reign but does reign, we have reason to rejoice. He is in control of all and He is good and just.

This psalm should remind the reader of the happenings at Mt. Sinai and the giving of the Law (Exodus 19). It is also a stark reminder of the days to come when God will indeed judge the earth in righteousness and truth.

Whereas Psalm 95 calls God’s people to sing and Psalm 96 calls all the earth to sing, Psalm 97 calls both the world and God’s people to rejoice. While the Septuagint ascribes this psalm to David, there is nothing else that supports or denies this. For the sake of our study, we will agree with the Septuagint.

Verses 1-6-This imagery is of God’s presence coming. With it comes blessing and judgement. Blessing for those who can rejoice in Him and judgement for all others.
Verses 7-12-We are called to hate evil if we love the Lord. We can read the verse this way: “The Lord loves those who reject evil and choose holiness.”

Media

Child of the King by Bezalel
The Lord Reigns by Maranatha! Singers

Psalm 95

What gods have you allowed to interfere with your worship of the great and mighty God who saved us? Does your schedule, your family, your job, your church, your health, your ___________, battle for the place God rightly deserves?

Psalm 95

Hebrews 4.7 attributes this psalm to David. Psalm 95 is used to introduce the Sabbath in Jewish Synagogues and as a daily prayer in Western churches. The psalm divides in two parts, which are verses 1-7 and 8-11. The first is a call to worship and the second is a call to obedience as is fitting for a true worshiper. This psalm reminds us that going to church is not enough, we must be obedient to the One we proclaim to worship. In other words, people can manipulate others to believe they worship in church but obedience cannot be faked over the long haul.

Verses 1-7-Corporate worship involves all we are and should include joyful voices and humility before others and before God. This corporate worship involves both celebration (1-5) and contemplation (6-7). Looking at these two aspects of corporate and personal worship, David is calling us to acknowledge that God is the Great Omnipotent One and then calls us to recognize that He is also a personal God with whom we must deal on a personal basis. In verses 3-5, David calls God by three distinct names. He uses El (Great Omnipotent God), Jehovah (YWHW-the covenant God of Israel), and Elohim (the Creator God). The God we worship is Great.

The three “comes” of verses 1-3 are different Hebrew words. Verse one “come” is an invitation. Verse two “come” states “let us approach God’s presence.” And the “come” in verse three is “enter.”

Verses 8-11-The opposite of proper corporate worship would be proud grumblers (Meribah [Exodus 17.1-7] is a reference to grumbling and stubbornness and literally means “rebellion”).

The writer of Hebrews describes this event and a robber of rest (Hebrews 3.7-15). When the biblical description of rest is studied, it is a sense of worship. Grumbling, complaining, stubbornness, and doubt are a few disruptions of rest. Corporate worship involves obedience to God’s Word. Obedience is to be done by individuals and by those He calls to salvation. This is what Paul meant when he told us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. It is plural. This involves the Body of Christ, not merely the individual (Philippians 2.12-13).

Media

Come Worship the Lord by John Michael Talbot

Psalm 42

God desires you to be in His presence with great joy more than you can imagine. How great is your desire to be in His presence? He gave His Son in order for you to go there? What have you forsaken for Him to be there?

Psalm 42

The inscription of this psalm leads us to believe it was written by the family of the Korahites unless it is read that it was written for the family of the Korahites to play during worship service. If the latter are valid, then David wrote this on his retreat from Jerusalem during the rebellion of Absalom (2 Samuel 15-19). If the former is valid, then it was written during the exile by a Korahite longing for Jerusalem. I prefer Davidic authorship due to the style and geographic locations mentioned in verse five. Whichever author is chosen, it reflects a genuine heart desire to be with God in the Temple/Tabernacle. If this were the heart attitude of Christians today, the world would be a much different place. The oddity for Christians is that we don’t have to go to the church to spend time with God, He indwells us. We are the temple of God. However, for true fellowship to occur we need to publicly worship Him as part of our growth toward Christlikeness (Hebrews 10.24-25).

This psalm and Psalm 43 (see our study) have a connection and many have placed them together as one psalm. The Septuagint combines them into one psalm. Each psalm has the same refrain and the same ending. However, if Psalm 43 was written during the Babylonian Captivity, it could have been inspired by Psalm 42. Psalm 43 and Psalm 71 are the only psalms in this section of the Psalms without an inscription (see studies on Psalm 9 and Psalm 10).

Verses 1-3-David realizes that his life is in God. Without the ability to enter into the presence of God in the Tabernacle, his life was devalued, depressing. What is your heart attitude about being in God’s presence? As mentioned above, the only place we need to go to be with God is nowhere for He indwells us. This is Jesus discussion with the woman at the well in John 4.15-26. We only need to be in right relationship with Him (His child) and in right fellowship with Him (confession of sins) in order to be in His presence. Do you long for God more than for the sins of this world? This is the essence of the book of 1 John.
Verses 4-8-David poetically presents his state without God’s presence in it (again, return to our discussion of Psalm 43 for thoughts on verse five). He misses the fellowship he had in Jerusalem with fellow followers of God and longs to see them and publically worship with them.
Verses 9-10-David laments over his current situation asking God to deliver him not only for the sake of David but for the sake of God. Do you see your relationship with God as a public demonstration of whom God is? When people see you, they see a representation of God. Your words and actions either tell His greatness or belie who He is. How do people see you when they ask “Where is your God?”
Verse 11-The ending of Psalm 43 is identical to this psalm. Our hope is not in others nor in things. It is solely in God.

Media

As the Deer (Psalm 42)
Deep Calls to Deep (Psalm 42)

Psalm 41

What is it that you believe? Do you live your life as if your beliefs were actually true? What would you change if you truly did believe? As you consider this psalm, look at your own life. What has gone done in and through you? Praise Him for it. What have you done to bless God as you have blessed others? What are people saying about you? Are they godly things? Are they mad due to your stand for God? Whatever the circumstances, look to God for His presence and help.

Psalm 41

This psalm appears to have been a response to those who stood against him in Psalm 38 (see our study).

Verses 1-3-Blessings for those who are blessed by the Lord by doing what He requires by taking care of those who are helpless, who are poor, is the theme of these verses.
Verse 4-A prayer to God in light of David’s sin.
Verses 5-9-Complaint against a close friend who has turned enemy. This refers to the betrayal of Ahithophel in 2 Samuel 17 (see our study). This psalm is a Messianic psalm. Jesus, too, was betrayed by one who ate bread with Him. Jesus quotes this verse and applies it to Judas in John 13.18 (each Gospel refers to Jesus quoting this verse: Matthew 26.23; Mark 14.20; Luke 22.21). Peter seems to refer to this psalm in Acts 1.16. Read the psalm in light of the last few hours of Christ’s life to determine if this psalm is Messianic in nature.
Verses 10-12-Hope based, again, on the character of God. The sense in the Hebrew of “repay them” is “to make good again.” That is David would repay the evil with good. This is the sense of 2 Samuel 19 see our study), which is the context of the psalm. It is also evident in 1 Samuel 24 (see our study) and 1 Samuel 26 (see our study) in David’s dealings with Saul.
Verse 13-Praise God from whom all blessings flow, who is eternal. The double “So be it” (Amen) along with “Praise the Lord” emphatically close each section of the psalter (Psalm 41, Psalm 72, Psalm 89, Psalm 106, and Psalm 150). The doubling of the “Amen” provides a strong affirmation to all that has gone on before. David is stating, “You better believe it, for it is true!”

Psalm 38

Have you examined your heart today? Do you suffer? Is it from sin? If not, what is God doing in and through you for His glory?

Psalm 38

Although this psalm has twenty-two verses, it is not an acrostic like Psalm 37 (see our study yet to come). The inscription tells us David wrote this psalm. Many argue with this because the biblical account does not contain a sickness of David like this. This thought implies that everything that happened to David was written in the Bible, which is absurd. The inscription also states that this psalm is for the memorial offering (NRSV), which implies it is used as part of the service. The NASB does not include the word “offering,” which would mean it is used to remember what has happened and to learn from it (Psalm 70 contains the same inscription). It is also the third in the penitential type psalms. These are written for our benefit that we may know how to pray in repentance and in hope due to our sin. This psalm is normally read in higher churches on Ash Wednesday in preparation for the time of Easter. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent.

This psalm is reminiscent of the book of Job wherein Job suffers, though not due to sin, and is mistreated by his friends, then turns to his only Hope, God. Verses 9, 15, and 21 gives us this hope too. In spite of our sin, we can still pursue God but only in repentance will He be found (see the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.11-31).

Verse 1-David opens in prayer asking God to remove His anger from him.
Verses 2-10-The usage of arrows throughout Scripture is of interest. This metaphor is used to show God’s discipline for His children and judgment on those who are not His children. If a study is desire, please post a request. These verses describe in detail what David was suffering physically. David’s body was filled with disease, there is no soundness in his flesh, his bones ache, his body agonized with a sense of burning, his heart palpitated, his strength and sight were failing.
Verses 11-20-These verses describe in detail what David was suffering mentally due to his sin and by those around him. Instead of doing what God has called them to do, restore one who is repentant (Galatians 6.1), this community was attacking David (16).
Verses 21-22-David ends this psalm with a plea to God not to deliver him from his suffering but to be with him through it all.

Have you examined your heart today? Do you suffer? Is it from sin? If not, what is God doing in and through you for His glory?

Suffering

David sees what is happening to him as judgment from God due to his sins (18). We see this association in Psalm 51 and 32 as-well (see our study of Psalm 51 and Psalm 32). This can be the case (cf. 1 Corinthians 11.30-32 and Hebrews 12.5-11). But it is not always the case as Jesus presents in John 9.3 and 11.4. In both these incidents, the man born blind and the death of Lazarus, Jesus proclaims the sole purpose was to glorify God. This implies that we cannot determine the reason a person is suffering, unless they inform us that they are trapped in sin and are suffering for it. We can only determine why we are suffering. If we are in sin, our suffering may be due to that; if we are not bound by sin, we need to examine our heart to see if that is a truth. Whether it is due to sin or due to other factors, we must always give God glory for it. So that, in all circumstances, He might receive the praise and glory.

If further discussion on the topic of suffering is desired, please post.