He Must Reign, Lesson 1.4

‘He Must Reign’: The Kingdom of God in Scripture

Lesson One: A Throne Established Forever

Lesson Objectives

  1. To begin to appreciate the significance of God’s covenant with David for understanding the content and meaning of the New Testament.
  2. To understand the biblical idea of the monarchy and the Old Testament background for the Davidic covenant.
  3. To understand the basic outlines of the promises made to David and the shape of the Davidic kingdom under both David and Solomon.

IV. Discussion Questions

1. How could it be argued that David and his kingdom are more important for understanding the Old Testament than Moses and the Sinai covenant?

2. In what ways might the Old Testament’s attitude toward monarchy be characterized as ambivalent, prior to the Davidic kingdom?

3. Explain the significance of the Ark of the Covenant for the kingdom of David.

4. What were the promises made to David in Nathan’s oracles.

5. Name and explain the elements of the Davidic monarchy.

Begin Lesson 2

Lesson Outline

  1. David’s Covenant in Context
    1. David and Moses
    2. For the Sake of Abraham
  2. The Rise of David
    1. Israel in the Era Before Kings
    2. Restoring the Ark
    3. The Oracle of Nathan
  3. The Shape of the Davidic Monarchy
    1. Eight Elements of the Kingdom
    2. Unconditional Promises, Divided Kingdom
  4. Study Questions

Other Lessons

  • Lesson Two: Looking for the ‘New David’
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To understand the basic outline of Israel’s history in the centuries between the collapse of the Davidic kingdom and the beginning of the New Testament era.
    2. To appreciate how the collapse and disappearance of the Davidic Kingdom shaped Israel’s hopes and beliefs in the five centuries before Christ.
    3. To understand how God’s covenant promises were interpreted by Israel’s prophets and how those prophecies were understood in the last centuries before Christ.

    Begin Lesson Two

  • Lesson Three: The Son of David in Matthew’s Gospel
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To understand the symbolism Matthew uses to convey the truth that Jesus Christ is the perfect Son of David.
    2. To see how the baptism of Jesus corresponds to the anointing of the Davidic kings.
    3. To understand how Matthew sees Jesus’ kingdom as the fulfillment of the promises in the prophets.

    Begin Lesson Three

  • Lesson Four: The Throne of David, His Father
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To see how Luke emphasizes Jesus’ lineage as Son of David in the infancy narrative.
    2. To see how Jesus appears in public as the Son of David throughout Luke’s Gospel.
    3. To understand how, at the climax of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus takes his place as heir to the kingdom of David.

    Begin Lesson Four

  • Lesson Five: The Spread of the Kingdom in Acts
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To understand how Jesus’ parting words to His disciples form a map of the ideal Davidic kingdom.
    2. To see how the structure of the Acts of the Apostles follows that map.
    3. To see how Luke paints the nascent Church as the Davidic kingdom perfectly restored.

    Begin Lesson Five

  • Lesson Six: ‘The Key of David’: Church and Kingdom in the New Testament
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To understand the characteristics and identity of the kingdom of God as it is portrayed in the New Testament epistles and the Book of Revelation.
    2. To see how the Church is identified with the kingdom in the New Testament.
    3. To understand how the Church, as it is portrayed in the New Testament, bears the characteristics of the Davidic kingdom.

    Begin Lesson Six