2 Samuel 1-10. David Anointed King

Choice 2: 2 Samuel 1-10. David Anointed King

1)    Search 2 Samuel 1-10 and make a list of King David’s accomplishments

·         He slays the Amalekite who claims to have killed Saul

·         David laments the passing of Saul and Jonathan with a song

·         David is anointed king over the house of Judah

·         David grows stronger

·         David slays two of Saul’s captains for killing a righteous man

·         All Israel anoints David king

·         He takes Jerusalem and is blessed of the Lord

·         He conquers the Philistines

·         David takes the ark to the city of David

·         David dances before the Lord, causing a breach between him and Michal

·         The Lord will establish David’s house and kingdom forever

·         David defeats and subjects many nations—The Lord is with him

·         He executes judgment and justice unto all his people.

·         David seeks to honor the house of Saul

·         He finds Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, to whom he restores all the land of Saul.

2)    Read 1 Chronicles 22:7-8 and the Institute Student Manual commentary for 2 Samuel 7:1-17, “Why Was David Not Allowed to Build the Temple?” (pgs. 289-90). Write your explanation of why the Lord did not want David to build a temple.

1 Chronicles 22:7-8

 7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God:

 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

Institute Manuel:

2 Samuel 7:1–17. Why Was David Not Allowed to Build the Temple?

David’s motivation for wanting to build a permanent house for the Lord (the tabernacle built by Moses in the wilderness was then about three hundred years old) was proper and good, but the Lord, through Nathan, denied him permission to do so. No specific reason was given here, only a blessing on David’s house. In the account in Chronicles, however, David told Solomon that it was  revealed to him that he had seen too much war and bloodshed to build the house of the Lord (see 1 Chronicles 22:8).

David had seen too much blood shed to build a holy house for the Lord. The Lord knew that he was not mentally prepared/ capable of building a Temple.

3)      Read 2 Samuel 7:12-17 and write one or two sentences describing how you would feel if you were in a situation similar to David’s. Write one or two sentences describing how 2 Samuel 7:16 is a Messianic prophecy. Then read 2 Samuel 7:18-29 and summarize David’s response to the Lord’s message to him.

2 Samuel 7:12-17

 12 ¶And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.

 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

If I was David, I would be grateful for the numerous amount of blessings that I have received from God. I would want to re-dedicate myself even further to the cause that my Heavenly Father desires of me.

2 Samuel 7:18-29

 18 ¶Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

 19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?

 20 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant.

 21 For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.

 22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

 23 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?

 24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee forever: and thou, Lord, art become their God.

 25 And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it forever, and do as thou hast said.

 26 And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.

 27 For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

 28 And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

 29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee: for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.

David was grateful. 

The Blessings of Obedience

Choice 7: 1 Samuel 11-15. “To Obey is Better than Sacrifice”

1.    Read 1 Samuel 12:1-15:9 and list each of Saul’s acts of disobedience. How does Doctrine and Covenants 121:39 apply to this experience with Saul? What counsel can you find in Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-36, 41-42 that will help you avoid the mistakes Saul made?

1 Samuel 12: 1-15

 1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

 2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and gray headed; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

 3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

 4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand.

 5 And he said unto them, The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

 6 ¶And Samuel said unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

 7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers.

 8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

 9 And when they forgat the Lord their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

 10 And they cried unto the Lord, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

 12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king.

 13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you.

 14 If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God:

 15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Samuel would not harken unto the voice of the Lord and Let pride get to his head.

D&C 121: 39

39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.

This shows how many cannot handle power or authority because they become prideful and will not listen to the Spirit which is to help them from being unrighteous.

D&C 121:34-36

 34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

 35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

 36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

WE need to realize that our blessings are only given and maintained when we are righteous

2.     What did Samuel mean in 1 Samuel 15:22 when he said, “To obey is better than sacrifice”? How does this apply to covenant Israel today?

 22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

There are many things in this world that are desirable. The trick is to determine what is worth the most and set your priorities straight. This focus should always be in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

3.     Write a short essay describing the lessons you learned from the life and kingship of Saul. How might these lessons serve to make you more successful and happy?

Ultimately our goal is to progress throughout eternity. The only way that we are going to do this is by being obedient to God's command. The lessons that I have learned from these readings is that If I am obedient, I will be blessed and obtain all the benefits that my Heavenly Father has in store for me. I also learned that I hold myself back when I disobey the commandments.