This past weekend at Eastbrook Church we began a new series, “The Kingdom of God.” This first weekend I explored the theme of the kingdom of God through the Old Testament, touching on the creation in Genesis, Abraham’s calling, the Exodus with Moses and Joshua, the entrance of the kings, exile, and two prophets, Isaiah and Daniel. It was a lot in a short time, but was my attempt to help us gain clarity on the big themes of God’s kingdom in the Hebrew Scriptures. Next week we will take a similar journey through the New Testament.

You can view the message video and outline for the message is below. You can follow along with the entire series here and the devotional that accompanies the series here. You could always join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

---

“Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty.” (Psalm 24:8)

God is King over all (Genesis 1-2)

• He has made and rules over everything
• Humanity is made in God’s image and serves as God’s representative upon earth

God is King and His people play a part (Genesis, Exodus, Joshua)

• God promises Abraham to raise up a new people (Genesis 12:1-3)
• God delivers Israel at the Exodus and brings them to the Promised Land (Exodus 6:1-8)
• God’s kingdom is different; He’s on His own “side” (Joshua 5:13-15)

God is King but Israel wanted another king  (1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings)

• Samuel and Israel’s rejection of God (1 Samuel 8)
• Saul the first and faulty king (1 Samuel 9)
• David the new, but imperfect, king (1 Samuel 16; 2 Samuel 5)
• Solomon and the decline of the kingship toward exile (1 Kings 11)

God is King and His kingdom is coming (Isaiah)

• A day will come when the nations will stream to Jerusalem (Isaiah 2)
• A messianic king will reign on David’s throne and bring God’s kingdom (Isaiah 9 & 11)
• He will restore Zion’s glory, rebuild the exiled ruins, and bless the nations (Isaiah 60 & 61)

God is King and no other kingdom will endure (Daniel)

• God’s kingdom will overwhelm and supplant the kingdoms of earth (Daniel 2:29-45)
• God’s kingdom will break through the beastly kingdoms of earth when the Son of Man appears (Daniel 7:1-28)

Key themes of the kingdom of God in the Old Testament

• God is King
• God’s kingdom is different than and superior to all other kingdoms
• God’s kingdom will come when the Messiah arrives
• God’s people play a part in His kingdom
• God’s kingdom brings blessing to the nations