MacArthur - The restoration of a sinner: Davids heart revealed

T HE R ESTORATION
OF A S INNER

Davids Heart Revealed

J OHN M AC A RTHUR

2009 by John MacArthur

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked niv are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

ISBN 978-1-4185-3405-9

Printed in the United States of America

09 10 11 12 13 RRD 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

SECTION 1:
HISTORY

SECTION 2:
CHARACTERS

SECTION 3:
THEMES

SECTION 4:
SUMMARY

(FOR MORE DETAIL, SEE THE MAP ON PAGE 34.)

Saul was Israels first king, but he was not faithful to the Lord, and thus was not faithful to the Lords people. When he refused to repent, God rejected him and chose a new king for Israel. This new king provided hope for his people, because he was unlike Saul. The Lord Himself said, I have found... a man after My own heart, who will do all My will (Acts 13:22). That man was David, and while he would be Israels second king, he would be the first king to follow after Gods own heart.

Yet David was also a great sinner; it wasnt long after he became king that he committed both adultery and murder. This raises the obvious question: how can an adulterous murderer be called a man after Gods own heart? This is the great question of Davids life and, of course, of every Christians life as well. How can an ungodly person (as we all are) be seen by God as faithful? This study sets out to answer that very question.

As you work through this study guide, you will meet a variety of memorable characters. You will encounter Joab, the leader of Israels army, who was both a shrewd military general and a treacherous assassin. You will get to know Mephibosheth, Sauls grandson, who was lame in both feetand Ziba, his shady steward. You will witness the terrible pain within Davids household, as three of his sons die tragically. And, of course, you will get to know King David.

In these twelve studies, we will jump back and forth in history, looking at one historical period and then skipping forward or backward in time as needed. We will examine the nature of sin and the importance of repentance, and we will learn the value of obedience. But through it all, we will also learn precious truths about the character of God, and we will see His great faithfulness in keeping His promises. As we view Gods faithfulness toward His servants in this studyand expect the same from Him today, in our own liveswe will ultimately learn what it means to be a person after Gods own heart.

WHAT WELL BE STUDYING

This study guide is divided into four distinct sections in which we will examine selected Bible passages:

SECTION 1:History. In this first section, we will focus on the historical setting of our Bible text. These five lessons will give a broad overview of the people, places, and events that are important to this study. They will also provide the background for the next two sections. This is our most purely historical segment, focusing simply on what happened and why.

SECTION 2:Characters. The four lessons in this section will give us an opportunity to zoom in on the characters from our Scripture passages. Some of these people were introduced in section 1, but in this part of the study guide we will take a much closer look at these personalities. Why did God see fit to include them in His Book in the first place? What made them unique? What can we learn from their lives? In this practical section, we will answer all of these questions and more, as we learn how to live wisely by emulating the wisdom of those who came before us.

SECTION 3:Themes. Section 3 consists of two lessons in which we will consider some of the broader themes and doctrines touched on in our selected Scripture passages. This is the guides most abstract portion, wherein we will ponder specific doctrinal and theological questions that are important to the church today. As we ask what these truths mean to us as Christians, we will also look for practical ways to base our lives upon Gods truth.

SECTION 4:Summary and Review. In our final section, we will look back at the principles we have discovered in the scriptures throughout this study guide. These will be our takeaway principles, those which permeate the Bible passages that we have studied. As always, we will be looking for ways to make these truths a part of our everyday lives.

ABOUT THE LESSONS

Each study begins with an introduction that provides the background for the selected Scripture passages.

To assist you in your reading, a section of notesa miniature Bible commentary of sortsoffers both cultural information and additional insights.

A series of questions is provided to help you dig a bit deeper into the Bible text.

Overriding principles brought to light by the Bible text will be studied in each lesson. These principles summarize a variety of doctrines and practical truths found throughout the Bible.

Finally, additional questions will help you mine the deep riches of Gods Word and, most importantly, to apply those truths to your own life.

S ECTION 1:
H ISTORY

I N T HIS S ECTION: