Order of Worship
25th of August | 10:30 (Espoo)
Song 1 – As the Deer
Hear God call you to worship from Psalm 113:1–3:
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, you his servants;
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
Let us worship the Lord!
Song 2 – Your Name
Song 3 – Sovereign Over Us
Song 4 – Lord of Lords
Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.
For information about giving online, please visit ucclife.fi/give or follow the QR code on the screen. You can also speak to our pastors or leaders for more information about giving and generosity. You can also ask the welcome team or any of our staff team members for more info on giving online.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen
Confession of Sin
God of mercy,
you sent your son Jesus
to seek and save the lost and the broken.
We confess that we are often twisted by pride and selfishness,
and that, caught up in our false independence,
we have turned away from friendship with you.
We have failed in love,
forgotten to be just,
and have turned away from your truth.
Judge us with love,
and lift the burden of our sins.
Have mercy, O God,
and forgive our sin,
for the sake of Jesus your Son,
our Saviour and our Friend.
Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
Hear the promise of God’s forgiveness to us from 2nd John 2:12b:
“Your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.”
Let us pray.
A warm welcome to all, and especially to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!
If you have children, they are welcome to join our Sunday school classes!
Our Scripture reading today is 2 Samuel 2:1–12 (ESV). Hear the Word of God:
2:1 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. 6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
This is the Word of the Lord.
David’s Rise to Leadership
– 2 Samuel 2:1-12
I. God’s Guidance Sought
II. God’s Word Conformed
III. God’s Work Opposed
Song 5 – Rock of Ages
Song 6 – I Believe (The Creed)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
“‘The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
– Numbers 6:24-26
For all church announcements, please see our digital announcements page: ucclife.fi/announcements
Study Questions for Going Deeper into 2 Samuel 2:1-11
1. David consistently sought the Lord before making decisions. How can we incorporate this practice into our daily lives, especially when facing important choices? Try to give an example from the past seven days.
Into the Text
2. 2 Samuel 2:1–11 shows David’s humble start as king. Can you think of other biblical examples where God used small beginnings to fulfill His larger plans? See Matthew 13:31-32.
3. What contrasts are evident between David’s ascent to kingship and Ish-Bosheth’s? What do these contrasts reveal about divine vs. human orchestration in leadership?
4. Reflect on David’s actions towards the people of Jabesh Gilead in verses 4-7. Considering Saul’s history with this city (see 1 Samuel 11 and 31:11-13), what does this outreach tell us about David’s leadership and reconciliation efforts? Read Romans 12:18 as you reflect on this.
Application
5. David and Jesus both presented a challenging yet winsome witness. How can we emulate this balance in our own witness for Christ?
6. Abner knew God’s will yet chose to oppose it. Discuss the dangers of knowingly resisting God’s directives. Can you identify modern examples where this occurs within the Christian community?
7. When feeling overwhelmed by the seemingly insignificant impact of your work for the Lord, how can Scripture regarding Christ’s return and His kingdom’s triumph provide comfort and motivation?
8. Considering Abner’s example of resistance to David’s kingship, reflect on how resistance to or the desire for change can sometimes conflict with God’s plans. How can we ensure our responses align with God’s overarching purposes?
Order of Worship
25th of August | 16:00 (Helsinki)
Song 1 – As the Deer
Hear God call you to worship from Psalm 113:1–3:
Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, you his servants;
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
Let us worship the Lord!
Song 2 – Your Name
Song 3 – Sovereign Over Us
Confession of Sin
God of mercy,
you sent your son Jesus
to seek and save the lost and the broken.
We confess that we are often twisted by pride and selfishness,
and that, caught up in our false independence,
we have turned away from friendship with you.
We have failed in love,
forgotten to be just,
and have turned away from your truth.
Judge us with love,
and lift the burden of our sins.
Have mercy, O God,
and forgive our sin,
for the sake of Jesus your Son,
our Saviour and our Friend.
Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
Hear the promise of God’s forgiveness to us from 2nd John 2:12b:
“Your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.”
Let us pray.
Song 4 – Lord of Lords
Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.
For information about giving online, please visit ucclife.fi/give or follow the QR code on the screen. You can also speak to our pastors or leaders for more information about giving and generosity. You can also ask the welcome team or any of our staff team members for more info on giving online.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen
A warm welcome to all, and especially to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!
If you have children, they are welcome to join our Sunday school classes!
Our Scripture reading today is 2 Samuel 2 (ESV). Hear the Word of God:
2:1 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. 6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon. 17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.
18 And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 22 And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” 23 But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?” 27 And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.
29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim.30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men. 32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.
This is the Word of the Lord.
The Lord establishes the throne of David
–2 Samuel 2
1. The inauguration of the throne of David in Hebron (vv 1–7)
2. The awaited consummation of the throne of David over all Israel (vv 8–32)
3. The Church awaits the consummation of the kingdom of God.
Song 5 – Rock of Ages
Song 6 – I Believe (The Creed)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
“‘The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
– Numbers 6:24-26
For all church announcements, please see our digital announcements page: ucclife.fi/announcements
2 Samuel 2:1-32
1. What is the main focus book of Samuel up until 2 Samuel 2? (Look up 1 Sam 13:14, 1 Sam 25:28-31).
2. How would you reflect on David seeking the Lord’s guidance? How was he different from Saul? (Also look up 1 Chronicles 10:13-14)
3. What type of a message do the messengers of king David bring to the men of Jabesh-Gilead?
4. Why does the seven and half years of David’s kingship in Hebron reflect the “already not yet” tension in the Bible? What other narratives from Old and New Testament reflect the same?
5. How is the story of David’s kingdom is a type of God’s kingdom through Jesus? In other words, how is 2 Samuel 2 pointing to the second coming of Christ?
6. How does the Bible describe God’s kingdom when it is fully consummated? (Look at Rev 21:3)
7. If according to Col 1:13, we are already transferred to the kingdom of God, why do we still wrestle with sin & pain?
8. As God is faithful in fulfilling his promises, how does David life challenge you to trust God for the second coming of Jesus?