kingship in the old testament

Much of 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, and 1-2 Chronicles describes matters pertaining to the lives and reigns of these kings. Answer: There are three main “offices” spoken of in the Old Testament—prophet, priest, and king. is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. He is to spread God’s own dominion outside the boundaries of the ordered garden of Eden so that it branches out to the farthest reaches of creation. The tension in these chapters is evident. It is not warranted to assert, as some have, that the title of king was not ascribed to Yahweh prior to the time of the Israelite monarchy. Sacred kingship, religious and political concept by which a ruler is seen as an incarnation, manifestation, mediator, or agent of the sacred or holy (the transcendent or supernatural realm). The Old Testament spells this out in two main ways. This is seen most clearly in the commission that God gives to Adam in Genesis 1:26-30 (and repeated in Gen 2:15-17): Kingship is at the heart of the commission that God gives to Adam: he is granted dominion over all animal life on the earth (1:26); he is told to have many children in order to subdue the earth and take dominion over it (1:28). As Samuel says in 1 Sam 12:12-13: “The Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. David was an imperfect but true representative of the ideal of the covenantal king. Saul, David, and Solomon were kings who ruled over a united Israelite kingdom. Even among the kings of Judah, only Hezekiah and Josiah receive unqualified approval ( 2 Kings 18:3-7 ; 22:2 ). in the south. David is revered as the most powerful and important king of Israel during biblical times. The Greek word translated "Christ" in our English versions of the Bible is a translation of the Hebrew term for Messiah (the anointed one). 2 Timothy 2:12. Kingship was subordinated to covenant.Israel's king was to be a covenantal king. This description was a supplement to the "law of the king" given by Moses ( Deut 17:14-20 ).Samuel then inaugurated the reign of Saul, Israel's first king, in the context of a renewal of the covenant with Yahweh ( 1 Sam11:14-12:25 ). Second, the Old Testament portrays God as king over Israel in a special way. To do this also denies the close relationship that exists between the establishment of the Sinai covenant and the acknowledgment of Yahweh's kingship over Israel. Although this book is a loose sequel to her previous book, Theological Themes of the Old Testament, it can be read as a standalone book (p. x), as it is in this review. In 1 Samuel 12 the prophet Samuel rebukes Israel for desiring a king that would be just like the greedy, self-serving kings of the nations surrounding Israel. David’s Successors: Kingship in the Old Testamentargues for a new reading of kingship in the Old Testament. This duality of sovereigns was the source of one of the major theological problems in the Old Testament period. The use of "king" and "kingship" however, is not limited to the occupants of the thrones in Samaria and Jerusalem. But more important, there is a strong and conspicuous emphasis on the kingship of God, the "Great King" who rules over his people ( Exod 15:18 ; Deut 33:5 ; 1 Sam 8:7 ; 12:12 ; 1 Chron 17:14 ; 28:5 ; Psalm 114:2 ). Two respected Old Testament scholars offer a fresh, comprehensive treatment of the messiah theme throughout the entire Old Testament and examine its relevance for New Testament interpretation. All of the kings of the north are said to have"done evil in the eyes of the Lord" because they continued the worship of the golden calves in Bethel and Dan that had been begun by the northern kingdom's first king, Jeroboam 1 ( 1Kings 12:26-33 ). For the most part the history of the kings of Israel and Judah is a history of failure to live up to the covenantal ideal. In this sense, God reigns over His creation in and through Adam. Because of this the Lord rejected him from being king ( 1 Sam 15:23 ), and sent Samuel to annoint David in his place (1 Sam. Donate Now. King, Kingship The terms "king" and "kingship" are common biblical words, occurring over 2, 500 times in the Old Testament and 275 times in the New Testament. Josiah was the last king before the exile.He destroyed all pagan idols and altars and insisted his people worship the one God. He was always obligated to submit to the law of Israel's (and his) Great King, Yahweh ( Deut 17:18-20 ; 1 Sam 12:14 ) as well as to the word of the prophet ( 1 Sam 12:23 ; 13:13 ; 1 Samuel 15:11 1 Samuel 15:23 ; 2 Sam 12:7-13 ). Remember: Jesus simply announces that the kingdom is “at hand” (Matt 3:2), assuming that His hearers had some grasp of what He meant, even if He knew that they did not fully understand Him. He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the Lord. Josiah was 8 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 37 years. All of this suggests, very clearly, that Israel recognized Yahweh as her Great King long before kingship was established in Jerusalem. This juxtaposition of divine and human kingship in the Old Testament period presented ancient Israel with a duality of sovereigns. It also offers a nuanced understanding of how New Testament authors make use of Old Testament messianic texts in explaining who Jesus is and what he came to do. Sacral Kingship―The Old Testament Background* Arthur E. Cundall [p.31] The subject of Divine or Sacral Kingship has been a dominant one in Old Testament studies during the past four decades. The Messiah’s Sonship with God is thus related to His Messiahship. The Ligonier Ministries site requires Javascript, but you’ve got Javascript disabled. Bibliography F. F. Bruce, New Testament Development of Old Testament Themes;G. Van Groningen, Messianic Revelation in the Old Testament; D. M. Howard, Jr., TrinityJ9NS (1988): 19-35; idem, WTJ 52 (1990):101-15; G. E. Mendenhall, Int 29/2(1975):155-70; J. J. M. Roberts, Ancient Israelite Religion: Essays in Honor of Frank Moor Cross, pp. His rise to power was ordained by God, and his life showed lots of promise during the early years of his rule as king. Understanding kingship is essential when reading the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. concept of kingship and kingdom throughout the OT. Copyright © 2020, Bible Study Tools. God’s people failed to rest in the fact that God was their king, and that He would protect His covenant people. King Saul was Israel’s first king and monarch. This is a list of every battle in the OT. The Southern Kingdom consisted of 2 tribes (Judah and Benjamin). It is important to understand the way in which the Old Testament presents the relationship between divine and human kingship. What, then, does the Old Testament have to say about the kingdom of God? This table is adapted from Edwin R. Thiele’s work in The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings with some modifications. HCSB, ISV, NET, LEB from Ben Dunson In Jesus the duality of sovereigns present in the Old Testament period is eliminated. Jesus is the one who fulfilled the royal messianic promises of the Old Testament. Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin ruled the shortest with 3 months both. The prophets (before, during, and after the exile), however, make it clear that even with the exile God would not, and did not, abandon His intention to … After Solomon's death the kingdom divided into northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) segments. Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The kingdom extended in the north as far as Bethel, while in the south it … We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. Jacob said that royalty would arise from the tribe of Judah ( Gen 49:10 ). In short, I argue that the Old Testament history shows that war was part of God’s gift of the land to Israel. 1–24) Reference is also found to numerous foreign kings whose activities affected Israel in some way. in all its fullness to as many people as possible. This request betrayed their rejection of the kingship of Yahweh ( 1 Sam 8:7 ; 10:19 ; 12:12 ) and denial of the covenant. After warning them about what it would be like to have a king like the nations ( 1 Sam 8:11-18 )Samuel defined how kingship was to function in Israel ( 1 Sam 10:25 ). Jesus fulfills all three of these roles. It is part of my biblical-theological analysis of the theology of War in the Bible.You can find my initial summary of the OT theology of war here.. On the one hand, God blessed the monarchy, and he even chose a kingly line from which to ap- pear in human form. Instead, he rebels against his own sovereign, the Lord God almighty. Solomon was born in Jerusalem, the second born child of David and his wife Bathsheba, widow of Uriah the Hittite. The Kings of Judah 1 Kings 12:17 - But [as for] the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. In the next post we will look at how God’s kingdom develops in the Old Testament, beginning with Abraham, moving on to kingship in Israel, and ending with the exile of the northern and southern kingdoms. 1–24) Resources » Asbury Bible Commentary » Part II: The Old Testament » 1 AND 2 SAMUEL » Commentary » II. David grievously sinned in the matter of Bathsheba (2 Sam. In theOld Testament the most numerous references to "king" and "kingship"occur in the narratives dealing with the periods of the united and divided kingdoms of ancient Israel. Despite this fact, the concept of God’s kingship is present throughout the Old Testament and is vital if we are going to make sense of Jesus’ preaching about the kingdom of God. At issue was the kind of kingship Israel desired, and her reasons for wanting a king. He is given control over all plant life (1:29) and again over every animal on the earth (1:30). What was the role of the human king in ancient Israel, and to what extent was this role realized? As Psalm 10:16 says: “The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land.” Or as King Jehoshaphat confesses in 2 Chronicles 20:6: “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? He will not only be a descendant of David, but is also identified with deity ( Isa 7:14 ; 9:6-7 ; Jer 23:5-6 ; Ezek 36:24-28 ).During his reign wars will cease and peace and justice will be established in the earth ( Isa 2:1-5 ; 11:1-10 ; Amos 9:11-15 ).This future king came to be known as the "Messiah" (in Hebrew, "the anointed one") and longing for his appearance came to be known as messianic expectation. Kingship in Israel was not unanticipated. He was not autonomous. The Lord, however, told Samuel to give them a different sort of king. First, God is king over all of creation. How was Israel to understand the relationship between their obligation to Yahweh, the divine King, on the one hand, and their obligation to the human king on the other? In general, the words melek [J,l,m] (Heb. For these scholars the establishment of the monarchy represented a return to the social model of the old Bronze Age paganism of the Canaanites, and a rejection of religious foundations derived from the Mosaic formulations of the Sinai covenant. In the New Testament the kingship theme is carried forward and its ambiguities resolved. Samuel proclaimed to the people the rights of kingship. He reigned for 40 years (970 – 931 BCE) after King Saul and King David (1 kings11:42). In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.” Or consider King Hezekiah’s exultation in Isaiah 37:16: “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.” See also Psalms 93:1-2; 95:3-6; 96:10; 104; 136:1-9. Category: Articles. HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITE KINGDOMS On the one hand Samuel said that Israel had sinned in asking for a king ( 1 Sam 12:17-20 ).On the other hand the Lord told Samuel to give the people a king ( 1 Samuel 8:7 1 Samuel 8:2 1 Samuel 8:22 ).Later, after Saul was chosen by lot, Samuel said, "Do you see the man the Lord has chosen?" The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries is to proclaim the holiness of God The concept originated in prehistoric times, but it continues to exert a recognizable influence in the modern world. "If we patiently endure pain, we shall also share His Kingship; "If we disown Him, He … That just a few of the evil kings of Israel. He is the God who has come with might to reign for the Lord and satisfy the deepest needs and longings of his people (see Isa. Kingship in Israel and other ancient Near Eastern societies is a major focus of modern scholarship and has produced fascinating results. The elders of Israel asked Samuel to give them a "king like the nations"around them ( 1 Sam8:20a ). David is thus termed a "man after God's own heart" ( 1 Sam 13:14 ; Acts 13:22 ), and the writer of Kings makes his reign the standard by which to assess the reigns of subsequent kings. The Kingship of David (2 Sam. Proud member king) designate the person who holds supreme authority over a nation or city. So it is clear that in God's purpose it was right and proper for Israel to have a king. So I landed in the middle of the Kings of the Divided Kingdom and got the title: “5 Good Kings and 33 Bad kings in 208 years.” Several on the campaign asked that I post my notes - so here you go: I doubt any (many) of you know these names: Elah, Zimri, Tibni, Ahizah, Athaliah, Shallum. Addressing a topic of perennial interest and foundational significance, this book explores what the Old Testament actually says about the Messiah, divine kingship, and the kingdom of God. Arthur E. Cundall, “Sacral Kingship―The Old Testament Background,” Vox Evangelica 6 (1969): 31-41. Jesus replied, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the rights hand of the Mighty One and coming with the clouds of heaven" ( Mark 14:62 ). 16). Abraham was told that "kings" would arise among his descendants ( Gen17:6 ). It says he "entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves." The Kingship of David (2 Sam. This recognition has caused other contemporary scholars (Mendenhall, McKenzie) to suggest that the establishment of human kingship in Israel was a rebellion against divine rule and represented an alien paganizing development in the social structure of ancient Israel. Nonetheless, God does not abandon His intention to rule over the earth through a human king. Unfortunately Saul fell far short of living up to the requirements of his office. And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king.” Israel’s desire for a powerful earthly king was driven by fear and earthly-mindedness (see 1 Sam 8:4-9). https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-historical-books/first-kings God had even provided for it in antecedent revelation. The book is aimed at laypeople (church groups, college classrooms, seminary courses; p. He is said to have begun his career playing the lute in the court of King Saul but … In 1 Samuel 12 the prophet Samuel rebukes Israel for desiring a king that would be just like the greedy, self-serving kings of the nations surrounding Israel. In the words of the angel who spoke to Mary: "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Mos tHigh. For usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement. The longest reigning king of the Kingdom of Israel was Jeroboam II, who ruled for 41 years.The shortest was Zimri, who ruled only 7 days.In the Kingdom of Judah, King Manasseh ruled the longest with 55 years. Yet in the course of time Israel also had her own human kings, the rulers in Jerusalem or Samaria who exercised their royal power to govern the nation. This had enormous significance. What conditions gave rise to the idea of the coming of a future messianic king who would someday establish peace and justice in all the earth? Chronology of the Old Testament Kings The following table provides a harmony of the chronologies of the kings of Israel and Judah following the kingdom dividing after Solomon’s death. The vast majority of uses involve human kings and kingdoms. You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. 1-2 Chronicles describes matters pertaining to the people of Israel when he obeyed the Lord that his. 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