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What makes a really good leader? Think of a great captain, principal or prime minister. Maybe they're fair, brave, honest, they care about people and they don't give up. Now, has there ever been a leader who was perfect at all of these?
In this lesson we watch God's people, Israel, get a whole line of kings. Some were great, most were terrible, and none of them were perfect. But God promised that one day a perfect King would come. This is the second half of part 3 of the Bible's big story: Israel (its symbol is a star, and now we can add a crown).
What you'll learn
- The ups and downs of Israel's story, from entering the land to exile in Babylon
- What God promised King David
- What a prophet is, and what the prophet Isaiah said about the coming King
Israel's rollercoaster
After God rescued Israel from Egypt, their story was like a rollercoaster: up in the good times, down in the bad. Here it is in fast-forward.
| Event | Where to find it | Up or down? |
|---|---|---|
| Joshua leads Israel into the promised land | Joshua | Up: God keeps his promise |
| The judges: Israel turns from God, gets into trouble, cries out, and God sends a rescuer, again and again | Judges | Up and down |
| Israel asks for a king like other nations. Saul is first, but he disobeys God | 1 Samuel | Down |
| David, the shepherd boy, becomes king. He loves God, but also sins badly | 1 and 2 Samuel | Up (mostly) |
| Solomon builds the temple. Later he turns to other gods | 1 Kings | Up, then down |
| The kingdom splits in two: Israel (north) and Judah (south) | 1 Kings 12 | Down |
| God sends prophets to warn them to turn back. Most kings don't listen | Kings, Prophets | Down |
| The north is taken by Assyria. Later the south is taken to Babylon and Jerusalem is destroyed (586 BC). This is the exile | 2 Kings 17; 25 | Lowest point |
| Decades later, the king of Persia lets some people return to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple | Ezra, Nehemiah | Up a little |
Notice something about the lowest point. The exile is like the Fall happening all over again. Adam and Eve were sent out of the garden; Israel is sent out of the land. The Bible is very honest about how badly God's people messed up. Its heroes aren't perfect, and that's part of why the story needs someone better.
Bible tip: some books have a number in front, like 2 Samuel. You say it "Second Samuel". It's the second part of one long book.
God's promise to David
King David wanted to build a house for God: a temple. God said no, but then he made David an even bigger promise. Instead, God would build David a "house": a family line of kings.
"Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever." (2 Samuel 7:16)
God promised a King from David's family whose kingdom would last for ever. But here's the puzzle. David's son Solomon became king, and then he died. So did every king after him. So who could possibly reign for ever?
From then on, God's people waited for "the son of David": the Messiah. That's a Hebrew word; in Greek it's Christ. Both mean "anointed one": God's chosen King.
Hope in the dark: the prophets
A prophet is God's messenger. The prophets had two main jobs:
- To warn people to turn back to God.
- To give hope about what God was going to do.
About 700 years before Jesus, in a dark time for God's people, the prophet Isaiah wrote about a child who would be born:
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
Look at those four names. "Wonderful Counselor" could perhaps describe a wise human king. But "Mighty God" and "Everlasting Father"? No ordinary king could be called that. And the next verse says he will reign "on the throne of David" for ever (Isaiah 9:7). This is the King God promised David.
Imagine reading those words while you were living in exile, far from home. They would have been like a light in the dark.
The Old Testament ends with God's people back in their land, but still waiting. There is no king on David's throne and no perfect leader. Then for about 400 years, no new prophets spoke. God's people waited.
Key words
- Judges: leaders God sent to rescue Israel before they had kings.
- Messiah / Christ: "anointed one"; God's chosen King.
- Prophet: God's messenger, who warned people and gave them hope.
- Temple: the house for God that Solomon built in Jerusalem.
- Exile: when God's people were taken away from their land to Babylon.
How this points to Jesus
Christians believe Jesus is the King God promised to David. In the New Testament, Jesus is called "the son of David" because he comes from David's family line. He is the only King who fits Isaiah's names, because he is both a real human child and God himself. And he is the only King who lives for ever, so his kingdom never ends.
Think about it
Why do you think Israel kept going round in the same circles, even after God rescued them so many times?Show answer
Because the problem from the Fall was still in their hearts. They kept wanting to run life their own way. Rescue from enemies didn't change their hearts.
God promised David a King who would reign for ever, but every king after David died. What were God's people still waiting for?Show answer
They were waiting for the Messiah, the promised son of David who would be the perfect King and whose kingdom would never end.
Which of the four names in Isaiah 9:6 could describe an ordinary human king, and which couldn't?Show answer
Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace could perhaps describe a good human king, but Mighty God and Everlasting Father point to someone who is more than human.
Take it further
Think back to the qualities of a good leader at the top of this page. Which of those qualities would you most like to grow in this week, and why? Your worksheet helps you draw Israel's rollercoaster and explore the promise to David.
If you'd like to, you could pray: God, thank you that even when your people kept failing, you didn't give up on them. Thank you for promising a perfect King. Help me to trust him. Amen.