The Partial Kingdom: Notes on the Bible's Kingdom Promises

Four, the partial kingdom

  • The lecturer previews the journey through the Bible, noting we’ve only covered a quarter of Genesis in the first three chapters and that there are many more books to come (sixty five and three quarter).
  • The aim is to understand the Bible by its sweep and big picture, not by getting lost in detail; many books later will be only lightly mentioned.
  • The chapter on the history of Israel (Abraham to Solomon) spans over a thousand years and has four main elements to the promise of the kingdom:
    • the promise of a people (a great nation),
    • the promise of land,
    • the promise of blessing,
    • the promise of a king (added later).
  • The goal of this chapter is to show how God’s promise of the kingdom is partially fulfilled in Israel’s history.
  • Division of the material by promise fulfillment (rough mapping):
    • God’s people: Genesis 12 to Exodus 18
    • God’s rule and blessing: Exodus 19 to Leviticus
    • God’s place, the land: Numbers to Joshua
    • God’s king: Judges to 2 Chronicles
  • The diagrammatic summary (Figure 15) emphasizes the fourfold structure: the people, the rule and blessing, the land, and the king.
  • Core verses introduced:
    • Genesis 12:2 (
      extGenesis12:2ext{Genesis 12:2}
      ) – “I will make you into a great nation.”
    • The promise that God will be their God and they will be his people (paraphrased from Genesis 12).
  • The historical arc begins with the patriarchs (Figure 16) and moves toward the formation of Israel as God’s people, but with obstacles and detours that teach dependence on God’s promise.

God's people. Genesis 12 to Exodus 18

  • The call and promise to Abraham: descendants will become a great nation; Abraham will be God’s people; God will be their God.
  • Key early obstacles:
    • Sarah’s barrenness threatens the promise.
    • Abraham’s attempt to fulfill the promise through Ishmael (Genesis 16) via Hagar; God clarifies that the people will arise from Isaac, not Ishmael.
  • The principle of grace over merit: salvation and election come by God’s choice, not by human works (Romans 9:11-13 alluding to election despite birth order or merit).
  • The teaching moment on grace in the early chapters of Genesis—trust in God’s promise rather than human effort:
    • Abraham’s faith is tested in the command to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). Hebrews 11:17-19 explains Abraham’s faith as trusting in God to preserve the promise, possibly through resurrection if needed.
    • Isaac’s birth is a miracle due to Sarah’s old age; Isaac’s name literally means “he laughs.” This underscores that the gospel promise requires divine intervention.
  • The path of the promise continues from Isaac to Jacob and Esau:
    • Jacob, the younger twin, receives the blessing, not because of merit but by God’s sovereign choice (Genesis 27).
    • Rebekah’s twins: God’s word to her that “the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25; Romans 9:11-13).
  • The Jacob narrative continues with Joseph:
    • Jacob’s twelve sons become the embryonic nation (Genesis 37–50).
    • Joseph is sold into slavery, falsely accused, and rises to power in Egypt; his interpretation of dreams saves many lives during famine (Genesis 41–50).
    • Jacob and his family relocate to Egypt where they multiply; Joseph reassures his brothers: what they intended for harm, God intended for good, to bring about the salvation of many (Genesis 50:20).
  • The overarching message: God’s control and plan to preserve the line of promise despite human sin and evil; the gospel promises are protected even when things look bleak (e.g., famine, betrayal, imprisonment).
  • Transition to Exodus: by the time of Exodus, the Israelites have become a large enslaved people in Egypt; God remembers his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and acts to deliver them (Exodus 2:23-25).

Exodus and God's deliverance: God's rule and blessing

  • God’s self-revelation: God reveals the personal name Yahweh (often rendered “The LORD”) when speaking to Moses at the burning bush; the name is tied to God’s unfolding actions in history: “I AM WHO I AM” / “I will be what I will be” (Exodus 3:14).
  • The question to Moses: “Who are you?” is answered by God’s faithfulness in history.
  • The message of God’s sovereignty: God is not just saving his people, but establishing a people who reflect his character and authority.
  • Salvation by substitution (foreshadowing Christ): the Passover lamb, whose blood marks the doorposts, saves the Israelite firstborns from death; Exodus 12:23 emphasizes that the destroyer will pass over the door with blood on it.
    • Connects to the New Testament: Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
    • Passover foreshadows Christ’s atoning work (1 Corinthians 5:7; John 19:31; 1 John 2:2).
  • The crossing of the Red Sea: God defeats Pharaoh by parting the sea and then drowning the pursuing army; this act foreshadows Christ’s defeat of spiritual powers at the cross (Colossians 2:15).
  • The people’s response: God has delivered them and they are now his; at Sinai they receive the law and are formed as a holy nation under God’s rule (Exodus 19:4; Exodus 20–22).
  • The law as God’s instruction for life within the covenant community: the people are redeemed by grace, then commanded to live in obedience as a response to God’s saving acts (Exodus 20; Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:24-25).
  • The purpose of the law: reveals sin and points to Christ; it does not justify but convicts and guides toward the Savior. Key references: Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:24-25; Matthew 5:17-20.
  • The two great commandments summarized: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).
  • The tabernacle and God’s presence: God dwells among his people inside the tabernacle (the tent) as the visible symbol of his rule and presence (Figure 19).
    • The tabernacle consists of the courtyard and the tent with two sections: the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (the Holy of Holies).
    • Inside the Holy Place: the Table of the Bread of the Presence (12 loaves), the Golden Lampstand (symbolizing God’s watch over them), and the Altar of Incense (nearness to God).
    • The Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place: contains the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments; above the ark is the mercy seat covered by the cherubim; God promises to meet with Moses there (Exodus 25:22).
    • God’s glory fills the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38).
  • Sacrifices and atonement: daily sacrifices for sins; the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) involves two goats: one for a sin offering, the other—the scapegoat—bearing the sins of the people away. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once a year. Key verses:
    • Leviticus 17:11 – “the life of the flesh is in the blood” and its atonement effect.
    • Leviticus 16 – Day of Atonement ritual.
  • The purpose of sacrifice: to enable relationship with God while the people live under the provisional system; sacrifices point forward to the perfect sacrifice in Jesus that makes permanent atonement possible (Hebrews 10:19-20; Hebrews 9–10).
  • The curtain in the temple (veil) is torn at the death of Jesus, opening access to God through his blood (Mark 15:38; Hebrews 10:19-20).
  • The summary of the sacrificial pattern: a substitute dies for a sinner, a theme seen in Abraham/Isaac, Passover, Day of Atonement, and ultimately fulfilled in Jesus (Figure 20: Sacrifice in the Bible).
  • Reflection questions (as in the Bible study prompts): What does this teach about God? How should we relate to him? What promises has God already fulfilled for Israel? How do these points connect to Christ? What responsibilities do we have in living under God’s law? How can we better obey?

God's place: the land and the journey toward it

  • After the exodus and the giving of the law, the narrative moves toward the land promise: “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7).
  • The next phase: Numbers, disobedience, and delay. The people set out from Sinai under a pillar of cloud, but they wander for forty years due to fear and lack of faith (Numbers 10–12).
  • The scouts’ report about Canaan prompts fear; Joshua and Caleb urge trust in God (Numbers 13–14). The generation faithless before entering the land dies in the wilderness; Caleb and Joshua are exceptions who will enter (1 Corinthians 10:6 references the example as a warning for readers).
  • Deuteronomy: Moses delivers a final exhortation to the generation about obedience as they prepare to enter the land; the book outlines blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 7:6-13; 28:1-68; 28:63-64).
  • The major question at the edge of the land: will Israel keep the covenant and remain in the land under God’s rule, or will they rebel and be expelled (Deuteronomy 28:63-64).

God's king: the monarchy and the promise of a king

  • The seeds of a king are hinted in Genesis (the seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15) and in Jacob’s blessing of Judah (Genesis 49:10). The scepter will not depart from Judah until the rightful king comes.
  • The expectation of Israel’s king is clarified in Deuteronomy 17:14-20: the king will be chosen by the Lord, must be subjected to the law, and should write a copy of the law to study it daily to fear the Lord.
  • The monarchy begins to take shape in the books of Samuel and Kings, where the people demand a king “like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5). Although God grants their request, it is criticized because they are rejecting God’s kingship over them, preferring a human monarchy over theocracy.
  • Saul’s kingship: anointed as king but disobedient to God; the Lord rejects him as king (1 Samuel 15:23). The focus then shifts to David, who is chosen and anointed although he faces opposition (Saul’s jealousy).
  • David’s rise: his victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 17) signals God’s empowering presence; David eventually becomes king in Judah and then all Israel; he establishes Jerusalem as the capital; brings the Ark into the city; and rules with God’s guidance. David is described as a “man after God’s heart” though not perfect (e.g., the Bathsheba incident and murder of Uriah).
  • The Davidic covenant: 2 Samuel 7:12–16 – God promises to raise up an offspring from David’s line who will rule forever and whose throne will be established forever. The precise wording includes: “I will be his Father, and he shall be my son” and God’s steadfast love will not be withdrawn.
    • This promise has a two-stage fulfillment: partial fulfillment in Solomon’s temple-building and reign; ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, the Messiah, the greater Son of David (Luke 1:32-33; 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 alluding to this unity of expectation).
  • Solomon and the Golden Age: 1 Kings 1–11; the temple is built; a time of peace and national prosperity; the kingdom expands from Dan to Beersheba; the queen of Sheba visits and praises Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-13). The dedication prayer of Solomon in 1 Kings 8:56 celebrates God’s faithfulness: “Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.”
  • The decline and division: Solomon’s many foreign wives lead him into idolatry (1 Kings 11). After Solomon, the kingdom splits into two: the Northern Kingdom (Israel) with its capital initially in Shechem, then Samaria, and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) with Jerusalem as its capital (1 Kings 12; 2 Kings 17:7).
  • The Northern Kingdom: Israel, under Jeroboam, introduces two golden calves at Bethel and Dan—an attempt to curb pilgrimage to Jerusalem; this idolatry marks the persistent pattern of rebellion and judgment (1 Kings 12:28; cf. Exodus 32:4).
  • The Southern Kingdom: Judah retains the temple but also vacillates in faithfulness; reform under Josiah is notable but not sufficient to avert judgment (2 Kings 23–24).
  • The fate of both kingdoms: Assyria destroys Israel in 722 BCE (2 Kings 17:7); Judah eventually falls to Babylon, the temple is destroyed, and many are exiled (2 Kings 25). The Chronicles retell some of these events with a different emphasis on religious reform and temple worship.
  • The wisdom tradition emerges: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job are introduced as noteworthy “wisdom books,” often attributed to Solomon, but applicable across ages. They address how to live wisely in God’s kingdom and the difficulty of life under God’s rule.
    • Proverbs emphasizes the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).
    • Job grapples with suffering and the limits of human wisdom; Ecclesiastes questions meaning under the sun and explores meaning apart from God.
  • The integration of wisdom with Christ: Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of wisdom, surpassing Solomon (1 Kings 3; Matthew 12:42; 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30). The wise person is the one who hears and obeys Jesus’ words (Matthew 7:24).
  • The tone of exile and longing: Psalms like Psalm 137 recall the rivers of Babylon and the longing for Zion (Psalm 137:1).
  • The partial kingdom is not the final story: it is a model or shadow of the true, perfect kingdom that God will establish fully in Jesus (the Messiah, Christ). The earlier structures—rescue from Egypt, the tabernacle, the temple, and the Davidic line—point forward to the person and work of Christ (John 1:14; Romans 16:25-26; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 9–10).
  • The prophets’ role: They explain that decline and exile do not mean God’s promises have failed; rather, God is at work through disruption to bring about the ultimate fulfillment in the new covenant and the present reality of Jesus as king.
  • Summary connection: The partial kingdom (people in the land under the law with the temple and a Davidic king) is a shadow that foreshadows the perfect kingdom that comes through Jesus, the true fulfillment of God’s promises (Figure 21: The Partial Kingdom; Figure 22: The monarchy’s arc; Figure 23: The wisdom books and life in the kingdom).

The partial kingdom: a shadow of the perfect kingdom

  • The partial kingdom culminates in a grand but temporary form: God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule and blessing (Solomon’s era), but its decline shows that the model cannot fully bear the weight of sin.
  • The exile and dismantling of the kingdom serve as a sign that God’s ultimate solution lies beyond the old pattern: a renewed people, a renewed land, a better law written on hearts, and a king who reigns forever in righteousness.
  • The final arc: The prophets will explain that though this model is dismantled, God’s promises are not forgotten; a greater fulfillment—eventually in Jesus—will restore God’s people to God’s place under God’s rule with God’s blessing (John 1:14; Luke 1:32-33; Hebrews 9–10).
  • Closing note: The “partial kingdom” is intended to lead readers toward the anticipation of the true kingdom and the perfect king, Jesus Christ, who fulfills all four promises—people, land, blessing, and king—once and for all.
  • Figure references recap:
    • Figure 16: The patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob).
    • Figure 17: The book of Exodus (salvation and law).
    • Figure 18: God’s law in the Bible (the law and its role).
    • Figure 19: The tabernacle (its structure and symbolism).
    • Figure 20: Sacrifice in the Bible (progression of substitutions).
    • Figure 21: The Partial Kingdom (overview map of the kingdom’s phases).
    • Figure 22: The story so far, the monarchy (timeline from Saul to exile).
    • Figure 23: The wisdom books, life in the kingdom (wisdom literature’s place).

Key scriptural and thematic references (selected)

  • Genesis 12:2: extGenesis12:2ext{Genesis 12:2} – the promise to Abraham of a great nation.
  • Genesis 3:15: extGenesis3:15ext{Genesis 3:15} – the serpent’s defeat hinted in the seed of the woman.
  • Genesis 49:10: extGenesis49:10ext{Genesis 49:10} – the scepter will not depart from Judah.
  • Genesis 12:7: extGenesis12:7ext{Genesis 12:7} – land promised to Abraham’s offspring.
  • Exodus 3:14: extExodus3:14ext{Exodus 3:14} – “I Am Who I Am” / Yahweh revealed.
  • Exodus 12:23: extExodus12:23ext{Exodus 12:23} – Passover protection against the destroyer.
  • Exodus 19:4: extExodus19:4ext{Exodus 19:4} – you have seen what I did to Egypt; now you are my people.
  • Exodus 20–22: the giving of the Law.
  • Leviticus 16:11–16, 17:11: extLeviticus16ext{Leviticus 16}, extLeviticus17:11ext{Leviticus 17:11} – Day of Atonement; life in the blood.
  • Hebrews 10:19–20: extHebrews10:19−20ext{Hebrews 10:19-20} – access to the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.
  • John 1:29: extJohn1:29ext{John 1:29} – “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
  • Colossians 2:15: extColossians2:15ext{Colossians 2:15} – Christ’s triumph over powers at the cross.
  • 1 Corinthians 5:7: ext1Corinthians5:7ext{1 Corinthians 5:7} – Christ, our Passover, sacrificed for us.
  • 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30: ext1Corinthians1:24,ext30ext{1 Corinthians 1:24}, ext{30} – Jesus as the wisdom of God and the wisdom of God’s plan.
  • Matthew 5:17–20: extMatthew5:17−20ext{Matthew 5:17-20} – Jesus’ fulfillment and expansion of the Law.
  • Matthew 7:24: extMatthew7:24ext{Matthew 7:24} – the wise man who builds on the rock (obedience to Jesus).
  • Matthew 22:37–39: extMatthew22:37−39ext{Matthew 22:37-39} – the Great Commandment: love God and neighbor.
  • Luke 11:31: extLuke11:31ext{Luke 11:31} – the prophetic sign pointing to Jesus.
  • Luke 1:32–33: extLuke1:32−33ext{Luke 1:32-33} – the promised Son of David who will reign forever.
  • 1 Kings 8:56; 1 Kings 4:20–21: ext1Kings8:56,ext1Kings4:20−21ext{1 Kings 8:56}, ext{1 Kings 4:20-21} – Solomon’s reign and peace; fulfillment imagery.
  • 1 Kings 12:28: ext1Kings12:28ext{1 Kings 12:28} – Jeroboam’s calves; the pattern of idolatry in the north.
  • 2 Kings 17:7; 2 Kings 25: – exile and destruction of the Northern and Southern kingdoms.
  • Deuteronomy 7:6–13; 7:6, 10, 12, 13; Deuteronomy 17:14–20; Deuteronomy 28:63–64: extDeuteronomy7:6−13,ext7:6,10,12,13,ext17:14−20,ext28:63−64ext{Deuteronomy 7:6-13}, ext{7:6, 10, 12, 13}, ext{17:14-20}, ext{28:63-64} – election, kingship, blessings and curses.
  • Joshua 21:43–45; 23:12–13: extJoshua21:43−45,extJoshua23:12−13ext{Joshua 21:43-45}, ext{Joshua 23:12-13} – the land taken, rest promised; the warning not to apostatize.
  • 2 Samuel 7:12–16: ext2Samuel7:12−16ext{2 Samuel 7:12-16} – the Davidic covenant; the future king from David’s line.
  • 2 Samuel 7:11–12: ext2Samuel7:11−12ext{2 Samuel 7:11-12} – emphasis on the covenant’s continuity.
  • 2 Chronicles and the broader prophetic message: the prophets will interpret the decline as discipline and redefine hope toward the coming king.
  • Psalm 137: extPsalm137:1ext{Psalm 137:1} – lament in exile.
  • John 1:14: extJohn1:14ext{John 1:14} – the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.
  • Mark 12:35–37; Luke 11:31: extMark12:35−37,extLuke11:31ext{Mark 12:35-37}, ext{Luke 11:31} – Jesus’ teaching and the reign of wisdom.
  • 1 Kings 3; Matthew 12:42: ext1Kings3,extMatthew12:42ext{1 Kings 3}, ext{Matthew 12:42} – wisdom in the context of Jesus vs. Solomon.
  • 2 Chronicles and Jeremiah–exilic/prophetic themes: a direction toward the ultimate fulfillment in Christ.

Connections to earlier and later material

  • Foundational principles: God’s promises are central to the biblical storyline; the fourfold promise (people, land, blessing, king) structures salvation history from Abraham to Jesus.
  • The pattern of salvation through substitution in the Old Testament (Passover, Day of Atonement) foreshadows the New Covenant in Jesus’ sacrifice (the “lamb of God”).
  • The tabernacle and temple as shadows of God’s presence point forward to Jesus as the true tabernacle (John 1:14; Hebrews 9–10).
  • The Davidic covenant foreshadows a king whose reign is eternal, culminating in Christ, the greater Son of David (Luke 1:32–33; Hebrews 1:8–12).
  • The wisdom literature points toward Christ as the ultimate wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30; Colossians 2:3).
  • The exile and return motif signals that national success is not the ultimate goal; the true fulfillment lies in the renewal of God’s people, land, and presence through a new covenant in Christ.

Practical and theological implications

  • The Bible’s unity centers on God’s redemptive plan culminating in Jesus; all Old Testament events and institutions anticipate him.
  • God’s faithfulness persists despite human failure; faith and trust in God’s promises, not merely human effort, are decisive in the storyline (e.g., Abraham’s faith, Moses’ leadership, David’s covenant).
  • The law’s purpose is to reveal sin and point to the Savior, not to earn salvation; life with God is renewal by grace, lived out in obedience.
  • The presence of God among his people is a core theme, fulfilled definitively in Jesus who makes access to God possible for all who trust in him.
  • The partial kingdom’s glory foreshadows the enduring, perfect kingdom—God’s final rule under the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Quick study prompts (from the lecture prompts)

  • What does the Passover teach about substitutionary salvation and how does it anticipate Christ?
  • How does the Abraham-to-Jacob narrative illustrate the principle that God’s promises are fulfilled by grace, not merit?
  • How does the Davidic covenant set up expectations for a future king, and where is this fulfilled in the person of Jesus?
  • In what ways do the law and the tabernacle point forward to Jesus’ death and resurrection?
  • Why is the exile not the end of God’s plans, and how do the prophets help interpret history in light of the coming Messiah?

Endnote about the structure

  • The journey presented in this lecture moves from the promises and their partial realization in the patriarchs and exodus, through the giving of the law and the establishment of the tabernacle, toward the conquest and the monarchy, and finally to the dawning realization that these are shadows guiding toward the full realization in Christ, the true king and the true fulfillment of God’s kingdom.
  • The material is framed with figures (Figures 16–23) that aid in visualizing the patriarchs, Exodus, the law, the tabernacle, the sacrifices, the partial kingdom, the monarchy, and wisdom.