Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20060108.htm

RELISHING THE ESSENCE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Part III: The Nature Of God
B. Treasuring The Infinite Sovereignty Of God
(1 Samuel 2:6-10; 1 Chronicles 29:10-12 and Luke 1:26-33)
  1. Introduction
    1. Closely associated with the infinite freedom of God's nature in relation to the universe is the infinite sovereignty of God over that universe. God is infinitely sovereign over everything He has made.
    2. This truth suggests we are completely vulnerable to huge blessings or judgments based on how we choose to relate to such a God, a fact that, in turn, motivates us to respect and heed Him with our fullest devotion:
  2. Treasuring The Infinite Sovereignty Of God, 1 Sam. 2:6-10; 1 Chr. 29:10-12 and Lk. 1:26-33.
    1. When Hannah praised God in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, she rejoiced in being exalted as a lowly righteous woman:
      1. Hannah was mistreated before Samuel's birth by her husband's other wife, Peninnah, for Hannah had been childless, a state aggravated by her husband's favoritism of Hannah over Peninnah, 1 Sam. 1:1-6.
      2. In utter frustration and hope of deliverance from her afflicted state, Hannah had gone to God in prayer, asking for a male child that she would in turn give back to the Lord to serve Him at His temple, 1:9-18.
      3. God had answered Hannah's prayer by providing Samuel; she had thus brought him to the temple and presented her son to the High Priest, Eli in joyful thanksgiving for God's answer to her prayer, 1:19-28.
    2. Hannah's praise song included not only her own observation of God's judging the wicked and exalting the upright afflicted such as herself, but of the coming exaltation of an "anointed" One, Israel's King, 2:7-10.
    3. Tracing the hand of God through history from Hannah toward the fulfillment of her prophecy reveals the great SOVEREIGNTY of God to raise up the lowly upright and bring down the wicked (as follows):
      1. Hannah's son, Samuel, became a prophet of God before the whole nation of Israel (1 Samuel 3:19-20).
      2. He was the one who was used of God to anoint Saul as Israel's first king, 1 Samuel 9.
      3. However, when Saul disobeyed God's directive in his oversight, God led Samuel to anoint a lowly shepherd boy in Bethlehem of Judah who was named David to supplant Saul, 1 Sam. 15:17ff; 16:1, 13.
      4. God's Spirit then departed from Saul and rested on David, a move that began a long, painful shift for Saul and David that led to Saul's tragic death and David's survival to be king, 1 Sam. 16:14-31:13.
      5. A long civil conflict ensued between the followers of Saul and of David until all Israel finally anointed the previous lowly shepherd boy, David, as their king, 2 Sam. 1:1-5:6.
      6. God decided to promise David a permanent lineage and kingdom, 2 Samuel 7:4-17.
      7. After that, God expanded his reign until, in the presence of son, Solomon whom he could offer huge stores of wealth to build the temple, David exalted the Lord for raising him up, 1 Chron. 29:1-9, 10-12.
      8. However, sin afflicted David's line as seen in David's own sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11) and the apostasy of his son, Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-8), so the Davidic kingdom was split, 1 Kings 11:9-13.
      9. The books of 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles along with the prophets detail the ensuing apostasies and resulting falls into judgment via captivity for both of David's divided kingdoms, Israel and Judah.
      10. Judah's prophet, Jeremiah, predicted the royal line of David after evil king Jeconiah would not even have a son of his to prosper on the Davidic throne after him, cf. Jeremiah 22:28-30.
      11. Though such a prediction makes all hope seemed humanly lost regarding God's promise to give David a lasting, blessed kingdom, Jer. 23:5-6 predicts a Branch will spring out just below the cut off stump of David's line, and that this Branch will rule Judah and Israel in glory as "The Lord Our Righteousness."
      12. This was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ: (a) born of the virgin birth to Mary who was of the line of David, but from the non-ruling, non-cursed line of Nathan, (b) Jesus gained the right to rule on David's throne as Joseph, Mary's husband, was of the cursed Coniah line, and (c) Jesus by law of adoption via Joseph in marital union to Jesus' mother, Mary, could so rule. (Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord, 1974, p. 103-104). (d) Jesus will rule forever in glory on David's throne, Luke 1:26-33.
Lesson: Starting with Hannah and ending with Jesus, the ultimate Anointed One, the theme of God's sovereignly bringing down the lofty sinner but exalting the righteous lowly is repeatedly evident.

Application: (1) God is thus infinitely sovereign, so (2) we MUST revere and heed Him to (a) escape His great judgment that brings one down and (b) gain His great blessing of being lifted up in Him!