Seeking to Please Him

For some strange reason, I cannot keep the format from Google Docs to Blogger.


Theme: A heart for God

Scripture: 2 Samuel 6:1-15 and 2 Samuel 7:1-29

Objectives: (From the D6 Fusion Sunday School Lesson book)

Know: David expressed his heart for God by seeking to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem and seeking to build God a permanent dwelling place among His people.

Think: Live with the mindset that honoring God is the most important thing I can do.

Do: Pursue God with all my heart.

Notes and questions

B1 The Ark brought to Jerusalem

C1 The Ark

D1 Image of one version



D2 Exodus 25:10-22 HCSB They are to make an ark of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it. Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them. The poles are to remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed from it. Put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark. Make a mercy seat of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At its two ends, make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat. The cherubim are to have wings spread out above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and are to face one another. The faces of the cherubim should be toward the mercy seat. Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the testimony that I will give you into the ark. I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.

C2 Travels of the Ark of the Covenant in Israel: Shiloh, then Ebenezer, Ashdod, Gath, Ekron, Beth Shemesh, Kiriath, and finally to Jerusalem.

B2 Jerusalem

C1 Is in the area given to Benjamin for their inheritance: Joshua 18:28 NKJV Zelah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

C2 The Jebusites could not be driven out completely: Joshua 15:63 NKJV As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

D1 Descended from Ham

E1 Genesis 10:6 NKJV The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

E2 Genesis 10:15-18 NKJV Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth; 16 the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; 17 the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; 18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed.

E3 Joshua 10:5 NKJV Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.

D2 The site of the Temple of the Mount in Jerusalem was owned by a Jebusite, Araunah. King David bought this property from him. 2 Samuel 24:16-25 GNB When the LORD's angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD changed his mind about punishing the people and said to the angel who was killing them, "Stop! That's enough!" The angel was by the threshing place of Araunah, a Jebusite. 17 David saw the angel who was killing the people, and said to the LORD, "I am the guilty one. I am the one who did wrong. What have these poor people done? You should punish me and my family." 18 That same day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up to Araunah's threshing place and build an altar to the LORD." 19 David obeyed the LORD's command and went as Gad had told him to. 20 Araunah looked down and saw the king and his officials coming up to him. He threw himself on the ground in front of David 21 and asked, "Your Majesty, why are you here?" David answered, "To buy your threshing place and build an altar for the LORD, in order to stop the epidemic." 22 "Take it, Your Majesty," Araunah said, "and offer to the LORD whatever you wish. Here are these oxen to burn as an offering on the altar; here are their yokes and the threshing boards to use as fuel." 23 Araunah gave it all to the king and said to him, "May the LORD your God accept your offering." 24 But the king answered, "No, I will pay you for it. I will not offer to the LORD my God sacrifices that have cost me nothing." And he bought the threshing place and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver. 25 Then he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. The LORD answered his prayer, and the epidemic in Israel was stopped.

B3 2 Samuel 6:1-4,

C1 Why was there 30,000 Israel’s best soldiers to bring the Ark to Jerusalem?

C2 Did the Ark need special protection by soldiers? Is God too weak to protect it? See 1 Samuel 5:1-4 NKJV Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. 3 And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. 4 And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon's torso was left of it.

C3 Why was the Ark placed on a cart? Numbers 4:5-8 NKJV When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his sons shall come, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. 6 Then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue; and they shall insert its poles. 7 "On the table of showbread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the pitchers for pouring; and the showbread shall be on it. 8 They shall spread over them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles.

C4 It was wrong to put the Ark on the cart. What are some applications of this to our Christian life?

C5 How can this be applied to our Christian service?

C6 Are there hindrances to our service? Compare: Ezra 4:1-2 NKJV Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the LORD God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers' houses, and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.

C7 How do we always keep the Lord as our Master? Matthew 6:24 NKJV No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

C8 What blessings are there for those who serve the Master? John 12:26 HCSB If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant also will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

C9 What kind of service is this? Romans 12:1-2 NKJV I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

B4 2 Samuel 6:5-15,

C1 Uzzah died. Why was David angry?

C2 How can the death and why he died be applied to following God’s directions? Is there favoritism with God?

B5 2 Samuel 7:1-17,

C1 Why did David want to erect a building for God’s house? Was this honorable?

C2 Why did God refuse David’s desire to build this house?

C3 What promises did God give David?

C4 Is there ever something we want to do for God but cannot? How do we respond? How we supposed to respond?

B6 2 Samuel 7:18-29,

C1 David went into the Tabernacle to pray in God’s presence. Is there any special place to pray today? Where is God’s presence for the Christian? 1 Corinthians 6:19 GNB92 Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God.

C2 How is this verse being fulfilled today? 2 Samuel 7:27 GNB LORD Almighty, God of Israel! I have the courage to pray this prayer to you, because you have revealed all this to me, your servant, and have told me that you will make my descendants kings.

C3 2 Samuel 7:28 HCSB Lord GOD, You are God; Your words are true, and You have promised this grace to Your servant.

D1 Your words are true. Why do many not think God’s words are true?

D2 You have promised. Are you familiar with God’s promises?

C4 Disappointment

D1 David did not accomplish what He wanted to do.

D2 How do we handle disappointment?

D3 David was sure that building the Temple was God’s will, but God shut the doors. How can we apply this today?

D4 How are pastors and other leaders to handle disappointment, ideas and plans being frustrated and not happening?

D5 Did you ever have a plan to honor God in some way, but it didn’t happen? Was there some other way God was glorified.

C5 Does David still show the same character as he did in overcoming Goliath?

C6 David is honoring God. How will we honor God this week?

B7 Next Week

C1 Stay on Guard

C2 Theme: Repentance and Restoration

C3 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25