Theological term
Covenant Nation
2 sermons · All terms
2 Samuel 2:1-11
David's ascent to the throne in Hebron, narrated in 2 Samuel 2:1–11, unfolds as a tale of two kingdoms: one established under divine guidance and one inaugurated by human ambition. The passage exposes the sharp contrast between David's humble dependence on God's direction and Abner's self-serving rebellion against the declared will of Yahweh, a rebellion that constitutes open defiance of God himself, not merely of David. David as a type of Christ illuminates the characteristic marks of the kingdom of God — its apparently insignificant beginnings, its ethic of kindness, and the relentless opposition it faces in every age. Kingdom citizens today are called to constant dependence on Scripture, confident expectation in the kingdom's ultimate victory, and a conscious rejection of the self-ambition that characterises those who oppose God's rule.
Judges 9
Judges 9 narrates the brutal rise and fall of Abimelech, the illegitimate self-appointed king of Israel who murders 69 of his half-brothers and terrorizes the city of Shechem before meeting his end beneath a millstone dropped by a woman in Thebes. The chapter is examined under four headings: the state of Israel at Gideon's death, Abimelech's treachery, Jotham's fable and curse, and the divine judgment that fulfills that curse in precise detail. Central to the exposition is Jotham's parable of the trees and the bramble, which indicts not merely Abimelech's usurpation but the folly of those who appoint unqualified men to lead. The sermon closes with application to church governance: qualified leadership according to Scripture is not optional, and God's people bear responsibility when they place brambles in positions of authority.