In our Sunday School Hour, we began with our memory verse of the week: First Kings 1:35. An elderly and dying David tells his royal officials to make a public proclamation concerning his son Solomon. Earlier that day, one of David’s other sons, Adonijah, took the initiative to install himself as king with the backing of some less-than-loyal officials in an attempted coup while David lie in a weakened state on his deathbed. David wanted it made known publicly that Solomon was THE ONLY SON BEGOTTEN FROM DAVID to inherit the throne as ruler over Israel and Judah contrary to the actions of David’s other son Adonijah.

This historical passage in First Kings sheds some light on the phrase found later in the gospels as it refers to Christ Jesus our Lord: THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. The Father sent the Eternal Son of God to be our Incarnate Savior-King on His timetable and according to His will. The angel Gabriel took God’s message of Christ’s miraculous and divine conception separately to Mary and then to Joseph. God’s holy angels proclaimed God’s message of Christ’s birth to shepherds watching their flocks in the Bethlehem’s fields. At Jesus’ baptism, God the Father publicly testified to the uniqueness of Christ Jesus when He spoke from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

Thus, Christ Jesus came with the Father’s full backing and support. He was the Only One appointed by the Father to be Savior of the world. This is that same Jesus of whom it is said: “For God so loved the world that He gave HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

After our time of prayer requests and public prayer, we briefly looked at the chapter outlines in Second Samuel, beginning with chapter 7 through chapter 13.

Major points to remember from our outline

• ch7: God’s Covenant with David
• ch8: Expansion of David’s Kingdom
• ch9: David Repays Jonathan’s Friendship
• ch10: David defeats the Ammonites & Syrians
• ch11: David’s sin with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba
• ch12: David’s repentance before God through Nathan the prophet
• ch13: David’s son Amnon rapes his half-sister Tamar

In our Bible Lesson during Morning Worship, we worked through Hebrews 11:4-40.

Major points to remember from the message

• “The faith that saves is a faith that perseveres–in every circumstance and against all ungodly opposition, with no expectation of immediate gratification or reward.”
• “Saving faith perseveres in hope–in God and in His promises.”
• Saving faith is A FAITH THAT OBEYS
  • It heeds divine warnings of judgment
  • It adjusts life to God’s commands
• Saving faith is A FAITH THAT GROWS
  • Initial steps of faith, in the beginning, may appear small
  • Final steps of faith, as death approaches, indicate maturing
• Saving faith is A FAITH THAT OVERCOMES
  • It condemns the world for its unbelief & godlessness
  • It is triumphant in death & in the life to come
• “All of the biblical examples noted in this chapter demonstrated an obedient faith, a growing faith, and a victorious faith.”
• The conclusion of the author of the Letter to the Hebrews is clear: “Old Testament believers (looking for the promised Christ to come) and New Testament believers (looking back to the promised Christ who came) are HEIRS TOGETHER of the righteousness that is by faith in Christ” (note esp. 11:7).
• “There is ONE FLOCK UNDER ONE GREAT SHEPHERD, not two flocks; ONE BRIDE FOR THE BRIDEGROOM CHRIST JESUS, not two brides. All of God’s elect, from the dawn of time to its conclusion at the end of the ages, have been bought and paid for by the precious blood of the Lamb” (Rev 5:9). Glory to God in the highest!

Our 4pm Afternoon Study is coming to a close in the Sketches in Church History book. We read through chapters 47 & 48 regarding “The Faith in the 19th Century Church: the British Isles” parts one and two. Our final two chapters will be upcoming this Sunday, February 24, with chapters 49 & 50: “The 19th Century Church on the Continent of Europe” parts one and two.

We will then embark on a five-DVD session on “The Reformation” before starting our new series from Banner: “Behold Your God: Rethinking God Biblically.”