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Q2. Righteous Government


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Priest of divine, speaking also as a prophet. Son of Jesse.  A humble shepherd, qualified to be a king. Pleasant, sweet,lovely.
God of Jacob is our stronghold = means He is God of his people

God used David as a prophet to flesh out many of his promised in the writings of the Psalms

there would be more honesty, love and concern for the people, they would be seeking direction from God.
 

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Q2. (2 Samuel 23:1-7)

How does David describe himself in verse 1?

In what sense was David a prophet?

What is the main message of verses 3-7?

How can this psalm guide government officials and elected leaders in our day?

He describes himself as the son of Jesse, exalted by God Most High and anointed by the God of Jacob. He does not forget that even in his exalted station in life, he is "Israel's singer of songs".

An oracle is used if and when it is a divine utterance.  So David would utter prophecies he heard from God .

David praises God for having chosen him as king and has graciously chosen to make a Covenant with him, that ultimately will mean that the Messiah, the Son of David will rule forever.

Reign righteously.  Fear God. 

Thorns, which cannot be touched with the bare hands, meaning a government that cannot be approached, that shows no mercy.   It ought not to be like that.

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The voice of the son of Jesse,
    the voice of the man God took to the top,
Whom the God of Jacob made king,
    and Israel’s most popular singer!

This is verse 1 in the Message version. Here, David is described in terms of the sounds he made -- he is not described in visual terms; not with regard to his character, skill or even ideology. Just David's voice ... 

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I no longer understand the role of prophet. Obviously, anyone who fore-tells is prophetic, but the role of the prophet is often political and not future-oriented. And the possibility for fake prophets is very real. We know that demons scream the truth now and then. Why does God have prophets? Are they to speak uncomfortable truths, to warn and condemn? It can't be to communicate as God talks with many people in the bible, not all political.

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vv 3-7 compare a good to a bad leader. David says he was a good ruler. God had made a covenant with him that was kept by God. Evil rulers are the "devil's henchmen." Implicit in this idea is that evil rulers have made a pact or covenant with Satan. 

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There are better verses for rulers to know. This one clearly sets out two paths, one of righteousness and the other of evil. There doesn't seem to be space for the lukewarm christian leader, or even for the mediocre leader. I'm writing this in 2024 as the Ukraine war is winding down. I've noticed that Putin promotes -- either genuinely or strategically -- moral uprightness and virtuous policy making. He talks about virtue often and promotes uprightness among Russian citizens with legislation such as the "Year of the Family," etc. Cleverly, he's turning Western immorality against the West by letting us openly display our perversion, obscene materialism, favoritism, and governmental corruption. (For example, a couple days ago the Olympics opened with a disgusting, anti-Christian display of drag queens, exposure of genitals and unhealthy bodies. Russia responded by reminding the world that it's Sochi opening a decade ago was classical ballet ...) 

As the degeneration of the West is exposed, it's "losing" accelerates. Not just in war, but in the respect once given to the so-called "Christian" West by the rest of the world. Any Western ruler who understands Christian righteousness will be immediately snowballed by degenerate leaders even though many ordinary Western people are slowly turning away from liberal degeneracy in greater and greater number. This psalm makes the choice between degeneracy and Christianity very clear. Any leader would understand this, though they'll probably mock and not heed these words

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Q2. (2 Samuel 23:1-7)

How does David describe himself in verse 1?

The oracle of David son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High,
the man anointed by the God of Jacob,
Israel's singer of songs.

In what sense was David a prophet?

The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel spoke,
the Rock of Israel said to me....

What is the main message of verses 3-7?

GOD's righteously and fears.

How can this psalm guide government officials and elected leaders in our day?

To rule under GOD's righteously and fears.

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