2 Samuel | DWELLING in the Word

3192.) 2 Samuel 24

July 13, 2021

2 Samuel 24 (NRSV)

David’s Census of Israel and Judah

Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.”

1 Chronicles 21:1 tells us, Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. Perhaps Satan moved David and is the “he” of 2 Samuel 24:1. Yet the Lord expressly allowed it as a chastisement against David.

²So the king said to Joab and the commanders of the army, who were with him, “Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and take a census of the people, so that I may know how many there are.”

This was dangerous because of a principle stated in Exodus 30:12: When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.

The principle of Exodus 30:12 speaks to God’s ownership of His people. In the thinking of these ancient cultures, a man only had the right to count or number what belonged to him. Israel didn’t belong to David; Israel belonged to God. It was up to the Lord to command a counting, and if David counted he should only do it at God’s command and receiving ransom money to “atone” for the counting.

–David Guzik

³But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God increase the number of the people a hundredfold, while the eyes of my lord the king can still see it! But why does my lord the king want to do this?”

⁴But the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army.

Joab and the commanders of the army objected to the taking of the census. Why didn’t David listen?

So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to take a census of the people of Israel.

⁵They crossed the Jordan, and began from Aroer and from the city that is in the middle of the valley, toward Gad and on to Jazer. ⁶Then they came to Gilead, and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites; and they came to Dan, and from Dan they went around to Sidon, ⁷and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out to the Negeb of Judah at Beer-sheba.

⁸So when they had gone through all the land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

⁹Joab reported to the king the number of those who had been recorded: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand soldiers able to draw the sword, and those of Judah were five hundred thousand.

The results showed that there were 1,300,000 fighting men among the twelve tribes, reflecting an estimated (?) total population of about 6 million in Israel.

Judgment on David’s Sin

¹⁰But afterward, David was stricken to the heart because he had numbered the people. David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, I pray you, take away the guilt of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.”

What prompted David to recognize his pride and realize his sin now?

¹¹When David rose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, ¹²“Go and say to David: Thus says the Lord: Three things I offer you; choose one of them, and I will do it to you.”

¹³So Gad came to David and told him; he asked him, “Shall three years of famine come to you on your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to the one who sent me.”

¹⁴Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into human hands.”

Here is one perspective on the choice David made: Behind Door # 1, Famine would affect mostly the poor people of the land; the wealthier could pay high prices for food and ride it out. The people of Israel would be at the mercy of their neighbors. Behind Door # 2, War would affect mostly the soldiers. Enemies would attack the land. Behind Door # 3, Pestilence would affect a broad section of the people, rich and poor alike, including, perhaps, David and his own family. Since it would come from God and not from humans, David chose to rely on the mercy of God.

¹⁵So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from that morning until the appointed time; and seventy thousand of the people died, from Dan to Beer-sheba. ¹⁶But when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented concerning the evil, and said to the angel who was bringing destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁷When David saw the angel who was destroying the people, he said to the Lord, “I alone have sinned, and I alone have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.”

David’s Altar on the Threshing-Floor

threshing floor near Nazareth

¹⁸That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” ¹⁹Following Gad’s instructions, David went up, as the Lord had commanded. ²⁰When Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming toward him; and Araunah went out and prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground.

²¹Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so that the plague may be averted from the people.”

A close-up of tilework on the Dome of the Rock, the mosque which is now atop Mt. Moriah where Solomon’s Temple once stood.

The threshing floor of Araunah had both rich history and a rich future. 2 Chronicles 3:1 tells us that the threshing floor of Araunah was on Mount Moriah; the same hill where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2), and where Solomon would build the temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). Many believe it is close to the same set of hills where Jesus died on the cross (Genesis 22:14).

²²Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him; here are the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. ²³All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God respond favorably to you.”

²⁴But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy them from you for a price; I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.”

“He who has a religion that costs him nothing, has a religion that is worth nothing.“

–Adam Clarke (1762-1832), British Methodist theologian and Biblical scholar

So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. ²⁵David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being. So the Lord answered his supplication for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.

THE END of 2 Samuel.

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What are YOU taking away from 2 Samuel and the reign of David? Please share your ideas with us! Make a comment/reply below!

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Music:

A song of worship for those of us who, like David, find our life, with all its ups and downs, in God alone! HERE is “God Reigns” by Todd Vaters.

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The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Images courtesy of:

God reigns. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eInAYO-ELzM/maxresdefault.jpg

census hand. http://www.thornton60476.com/vertical/Sites/%7B7433732F-5ACD-4203-AA8E-A8FB0769CB67%7D/uploads/%7B07818416-CD85-436C-9B2D-95B76052A574%7D.JPG

3 doors. http://dynamic.pixton.com/comic/j/7/q/p/j7qpb7n4aycg3vmt.jpg

threshing floor. https://jasonbybee.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/nazareth_village_threshing_floor_tb102704363.jpg

Dome of the Rock tile work. http://www.linearconcepts.com/photos/2007-Israel/DSC_4262_tilework.JPG

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Posted by Rebecca

3191.) 2 Samuel 23

July 12, 2021

Icon of King David, by Matthew D. Garrett

2 Samuel 23 (NRSV)

The Last Words of David

Now these are the last words of David:

Poems containing last words are also attributed to Jacob (Genesis 49) and Moses (Deuteronomy 33).

The oracle of David, son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man whom God exalted,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:

What a life his was – we have a capsule of David’s life in these titles and descriptions:

– The son of Jesse: Jesse was a humble farmer and this title reminds us of David’s humble beginning

– The man raised up on high: David allowed God to raise him up, so he could confidently rest in this title

– The anointed of the God of Jacob: David was anointed by God, not by himself or merely by man. He had a unique empowering and enabling from God

– The sweet psalmist of Israel: David had a beautiful gift of eloquence and expression before God. This title reminds of David’s deep inner life with God

–David Guzik

This remarkable relationship with God is the reason why David was Israel’s greatest king, and the most prominent ancestor of Jesus Christ. The New Testament begins with these words: The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David (Matthew 1:1).

²The spirit of the Lord speaks through me,
his word is upon my tongue. ³The God of Israel has spoken,
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
One who rules over people justly,
ruling in the fear of God,
⁴is like the light of morning,
like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.

⁵Is not my house like this with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?

We can say that because of his sin and its consequences, David’s light dimmed towards the end of his life, but it was by no means extinguished. He shined until the end. “In the Divine dealing with us, there is no mistake, no lapse. Nothing has been permitted which has not been made to serve the highest purpose. This is so even of our failures, if, like David, in true penitence we have forsaken them and confessed them. It is certainly so of all our sorrows and trials.”

–G. Campbell Morgan

⁶But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away;
for they cannot be picked up with the hand;

⁷to touch them one uses an iron bar or the shaft of a spear.
And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.

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Music:

HERE is “What a Mighty God We Serve!”

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David’s Mighty Men

The day for mighty men and women — heroic men and women for God — has not ended. “The triumph of the church as a whole depends upon the personal victory of every Christian. In other words, your victory, your life, your personal testimony, are important to the cause of God today. What happens out in New Guinea, down in the Amazon jungle, over in disturbed Congo, is not unrelated to what happens in your own personal relationship with God and your personal battle against the forces of darkness. Victory for the church on the whole world-front depends upon victory in your life and in mine; ‘home’ and ‘foreign’ situations cannot be detached.”

–Alan Redpath (1907-1989)

⁸These are the names of the warriors whom David had:

These remarkable men were the foundation of the greatness of David’s reign. They did not come to David as great men but God used his leadership to transform them from men who were in distress, in debt and discontented, who met David back at Adullam Cave (1 Samuel 22:1-2).

“More than all his victories against outside foes, the influence of his life and character on the men nearest to him testify to his essential greatness.”

–G. Campbell Morgan

Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the Three; he wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

⁹Next to him among the three warriors was Eleazar son of Dodo son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle. The Israelites withdrew, ¹⁰but he stood his ground. He struck down the Philistines until his arm grew weary, though his hand clung to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. Then the people came back to him—but only to strip the dead.

¹¹Next to him was Shammah son of Agee, the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the army fled from the Philistines. ¹²But he took his stand in the middle of the plot, defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory.

¹³Towards the beginning of harvest three of the thirty chiefs went down to join David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. ¹⁵David said longingly, “O that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” ¹⁶Then the three warriors broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the Lord, ¹⁷for he said, “The Lord forbid that I should do this. Can I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it.

These three warriors responded not to a command, or even to a suggestion, but to the longing of their king. When David saw the water, knowing the danger they faced to get it, he considered it too valuable for him, and poured it out on the ground as a sacrifice to the Lord.

The three warriors did these things.

¹⁸Now Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Thirty. With his spear he fought against three hundred men and killed them, and won a name beside the Three. ¹⁹He was the most renowned of the Thirty, and became their commander; but he did not attain to the Three.

²⁰Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant warrior from Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds; he struck down two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen.

from Whispers of His Power,
by Amy Carmichael

A lion fell into a pit. A man plunged in after him and slew him. And it was in the time of snow. I have always felt sorry for that lion. Lions detest snow, and that lion did not have a sporting chance. But his troubles are over now, and the man has something to teach us.

Benaiah must have been one who had trained himself by many and private disciplines to be ready for anything, even a lion in a pit of snow. The snow, of course, made it harder for him, too, but he did not hesitate. He went down and slew the lion.

Quite suddenly in the midst of our ordinary occupations any of us may be face to face with a lion in a pit. It may be in time of snow—in circumstances which make it harder than usual to withstand. But we can. The moment we are conscious of the lion (Peter speaks of the devil as a roaring lion in 1 Peter 5:8), the Spirit of God will put a sword into our hands. Some strong word of Scripture will be flashed across our minds. If we grasp that word, and thrust with all our might, there can be only one end to the fight. More than conquerors through Him that loved us will tell the end of that lion fight—even in time of snow.

²¹And he killed an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but Benaiah went against him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. ²²Such were the things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and won a name beside the three warriors. ²³He was renowned among the Thirty, but he did not attain to the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

²⁴Among the Thirty were:
Asahel brother of Joab;
Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem; ²⁵Shammah of Harod;
Elika of Harod; ²⁶Helez the Paltite;
Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa; ²⁷Abiezer of Anathoth;
Mebunnai the Hushathite;
²⁸Zalmon the Ahohite;
Maharai of Netophah;
²⁹Heleb son of Baanah of Netophah;
Ittai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjaminites; ³⁰Benaiah of Pirathon;
Hiddai of the torrents of Gaash;
³¹Abi-albon the Arbathite;
Azmaveth of Bahurim;
³²Eliahba of Shaalbon;
the sons of Jashen:
Jonathan ³³son of Shammah the Hararite;
Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite; ³⁴Eliphelet son of Ahasbai of Maacah;
Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;
³⁵Hezro of Carmel;
Paarai the Arbite; ³⁶Igal son of Nathan of Zobah;
Bani the Gadite; ³⁷Zelek the Ammonite;
Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; ³⁸Ira the Ithrite;
Gareb the Ithrite; ³⁹Uriah the Hittite—

thirty-seven in all.

“Names” — a poem by Dr. Calvin Miller

My mother, it is clear to see, was very fond of Bible names.
My brother’s Mordecaiah Nicodemus Zachariah James.
My mother named my little sis—
and this will surely hurt your head—
Ruth Bilpah Zippora Mary Sarah Jocabed.
I’m the first of triplets three,
and here’s the handle she gave me:
Jeremiah Isaachar Reuben bar Hilkiah.
The other two are: Jonadab Amos Ben Milchaiah
and Hananeel Megiddo Joel Azariah.

My mother loved those Bible names, it’s really very true,
but I have always wondered why. Her name is Cindy Sue.

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Images courtesy of:

King David icon. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/david.jpg

“Sunrise” stained glass. http://www.holyfool.co.uk/glass/sunrise.jpg

thorns. http://rowdyrodi.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/thorn1.jpg

Tissot. https://letgodbefoundtrue.net/2018/03/02/davids-mighty-men/

cup of water. http://www.ucantalk2me.com/cooltalk/wp-content/media/cup-of-water.jpg

lion watching the snow fall at the Smithsonian National Zoo. http://wannasmile.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/lion-snowing.jpg

name tag. http://www.psdgraphics.com/file/hello-my-name-is-template.jpg

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Posted by Rebecca

3190.) 2 Samuel 22

July 9, 2021

2 Samuel 22 (NRSV)

David’s Song of Thanksgiving

David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

With minor variations, this song is the same as Psalm 18. Perhaps David wrote it originally as a young man and came back to it in later years. But haven’t we all found that the same words can have vastly different meanings at various points in our lives? (That’s why I read Jane Eyre every year!)

I remember hearing this sermon illustration when I was only a child:

A little girl was asked this question in her Sunday School classroom: “What do you know about God?” She answered, “Jesus loves me, this I know.”

An elderly pastor was asked the same question on his deathbed: “What do you know about God?” And he gave the same answer. “Jesus loves me, this I know.”

²He said: The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,

David experienced the Lord’s deliverance:

God delivered David from Goliath

God delivered David from Saul

God delivered David from backsliding

God delivered David from Israel’s enemies

God delivered David from Absalom

God delivered David from David’s own sinful passions

–David Guzik

³my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge, my savior;
you save me from violence.
⁴I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

God is so big and so wonderful, it takes many words and titles to describe him! Let that be a lesson to me in my own prayers!

⁵For the waves of death encompassed me,
the torrents of perdition assailed me;
⁶the cords of Sheol entangled me,
the snares of death confronted me.
⁷In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came to his ears.

⁸Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked,
because he was angry.

No matter the catastrophe, God is near to his children, be it an earthquake (here in Sumatra) . . .

⁹Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.

. . . or volcanic eruption (all this smoke! — from an eruption in Chile) . . .

¹⁰He bowed the heavens, and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet. ¹¹He rode on a cherub, and flew;
he was seen upon the wings of the wind. ¹²He made darkness around him a canopy,
thick clouds, a gathering of water. ¹³Out of the brightness before him
coals of fire flamed forth. ¹⁴The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High uttered his voice. ¹⁵He sent out arrows, and scattered them—
lightning, and routed them.

. . . or thunderstorm . . .

¹⁶Then the channels of the sea were seen,
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

¹⁷He reached from on high, he took me,
he drew me out of mighty waters.
¹⁸He delivered me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me. ¹⁹They came upon me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my stay. ²⁰He brought me out into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

²¹The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me. ²²For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²³For all his ordinances were before me,
and from his statutes I did not turn aside.
²⁴I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from guilt. ²⁵Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness in his sight.

For years verses like these bothered me, for I knew that my hands were not clean before him, nor could the Lord count me blameless in his sight. I can’t keep myself from sin and guilt! It was while I was listening to a teaching from Joyce Meyer that I came to understand that I was reading these verses and relying on my feelings, rather than on God’s fact. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 tells us the truth that God wants all of his children to know:

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Now I can read and sing these verses with joy, for Christ’s death on the cross makes me clean! Thank you, Lord Jesus!

Watchman Nee, 20th century Chinese pastor and martyr, explains this further:

Outside of Christ, I am only a sinner, but in Christ, I am saved. Outside of Christ, I am empty; in Christ, I am full. Outside of Christ, I am weak; in Christ, I am strong. Outside of Christ, I cannot; in Christ, I am more than able. Outside of Christ, I have been defeated; in Christ, I am already victorious. How meaningful are the words, “in Christ.”

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Music:

“His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood avails for me.”

HERE is “O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” a great hymn by Charles Wesley. The tune, Lyngham, is new to me, and quite joyful!

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²⁶With the loyal you show yourself loyal;
with the blameless you show yourself blameless; ²⁷with the pure you show yourself pure,
and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.
²⁸You deliver a humble people,
but your eyes are upon the haughty to bring them down.
²⁹Indeed, you are my lamp, O Lord,
the Lord lightens my darkness. ³⁰By you I can crush a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.

2Sam22 Ephesians

³¹This God—his way is perfect;
the promise of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

from Edges of his Ways, by Amy Carmichael:

Psalm 18:30 — As for God, His way is perfect.

God is love, so we may change the word and say, As for Love, His way is perfect. This has been helping me.

One of the ways of Love is to prepare us beforehand for any hard thing that He knows is near. Perhaps this word will be His loving preparation to some heart for a disappointment, or for some trial of faith, something known to others, or some secret sorrow between the Father and His child. As for Love, His way is perfect.

³²For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
³³The God who has girded me with strength
has opened wide my path. ³⁴He made my feet like the feet of deer,
and set me secure on the heights.
³⁵He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁶You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your help has made me great.
³⁷You have made me stride freely,
and my feet do not slip.

³⁸I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
and did not turn back until they were consumed. ³⁹I consumed them; I struck them down, so that they did not rise;
they fell under my feet.
⁴⁰For you girded me with strength for the battle;
you made my assailants sink under me. ⁴¹You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
those who hated me, and I destroyed them. ⁴²They looked, but there was no one to save them;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. ⁴³I beat them fine like the dust of the earth,
I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

⁴⁴You delivered me from strife with the peoples;
you kept me as the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁵Foreigners came cringing to me;
as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me. ⁴⁶Foreigners lost heart,
and came trembling out of their strongholds.

⁴⁷The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock,
and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,
⁴⁸the God who gave me vengeance
and brought down peoples under me, ⁴⁹who brought me out from my enemies;
you exalted me above my adversaries,
you delivered me from the violent. ⁵⁰For this I will extol you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing praises to your name.

Paul quotes verse 50.

⁵¹He is a tower of salvation for his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.

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Images courtesy of:

hands lifted in praise. https://christianitymalaysia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/a2.jpg

Jesus loves me, this I know. https://suetornai.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/jesus-loves-me1.jpg

earthquake. http://www.nomad4ever.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/destroyed-houses-in-sumatra-after-powerful-earthquake.jpg

volcano. http://thegeogblog.edublogs.org/files/2008/05/volcanic-eruption.JPG

thunderstorm. http://mypages.iit.edu/~ahutches/images/thunderstorm.jpg

washing hands. http://www.topnews.in/health/files/washinghands.jpg

Ephesians. https://www.facebook.com/EbibiliaEnchenu/photos/a.290223287985179/536306670043505/?type=3&theater

God is love. http://clipart-library.com/clipart/n1555328.htm

The Lord lives (inkwell greetings). http://www.prestoimages.net/graphics03/5592_pd73358full.jpg

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Posted by Rebecca

3189.) 2 Samuel 21

July 8, 2021

David’s life surely shows that God sends the power of his spirit to those who follow him.

2 Samuel 21 (NRSV)

David Avenges the Gibeonites

Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. The Lord said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”

This act of Saul is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible.

²So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had tried to wipe them out in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.)

The account of Israel promising not to harm the Gibeonites is found in Joshua 9. The nation was bound by that oath. As for Saul, good intentions do not excuse bad actions.

³David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?”

⁴The Gibeonites said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put anyone to death in Israel.”

He said, “What do you say that I should do for you?”

⁵They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel— ⁶let seven of his sons (that is, male descendants) be handed over to us, and we will impale them before the Lord at Gibeon on the mountain of the Lord.”

The king said, “I will hand them over.”

David knew this was the right thing to do. Perhaps David knew that Saul’s descendants helped in or benefited directly from that massacre.

⁷But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul.

But David protected Mephibosheth because of his own promise to him. David would not fulfill one oath at the expense of another.

⁸The king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite; ⁹he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they impaled them on the mountain before the Lord. The seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.

The bodies of these men were deliberately left unburied. This was to emphasize the fact that these men were executed as an act of judgment.

¹⁰Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it on a rock for herself, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell on them from the heavens (that is, all summer long); she did not allow the birds of the air to come on the bodies by day, or the wild animals by night.

¹¹When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, ¹²David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the people of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them up, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. ¹³He brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who had been impaled.

Rizpah, mother of two of the slain, holds a loving vigil over her sons. Her noble deed inspires David to his own act of charity.

¹⁴They buried the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of his father Kish; they did all that the king commanded. After that, God heeded supplications for the land.

David gave these seven a public burial, together with the remains of Saul and Jonathan, and God put an end to the famine.

Exploits of David’s Men

¹⁵The Philistines went to war again with Israel, and David went down together with his servants. They fought against the Philistines, and David grew weary.

David is getting old; he cannot fight the same way he once did.

¹⁶Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was fitted out with new weapons, said he would kill David. ¹⁷But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and attacked the Philistine and killed him.

When David’s strength failed, God protected him through the strength of others.

–David Guzik

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up . . . Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall not go out with us to battle any longer, so that you do not quench the lamp of Israel.”

¹⁸After this a battle took place with the Philistines, at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants.

¹⁹Then there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

²⁰There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great size, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; he too was descended from the giants.

Polydactyly — having extra fingers or toes — occurs about once in every 500 live births. Pictured is the hand of Devender Harne of Nagpur, India.

²¹When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of David’s brother Shimei, killed him.

²²These four were descended from the giants in Gath; they fell by the hands of David and his servants.

Part of the idea is that David conquers enemies in the present, so it will be better for Solomon in the future. Our present victory is not only good for us now, but it also passes something important on to the next generation.

–David Guzik

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Music:

I love the thought that we are God’s “mighty men” through the Lord Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit! HERE is The Maranatha! Singers and “I Am Persuaded (We Are More Than Conquerors)” by David J. Hadden.

Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Images courtesy of:

more than conquerors. http://image.slidesharecdn.com/16-140215142114-phpapp02/95/jesus-the-son-of-god-16-638.jpg?cb=1392474279

Rizpah. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/rizpah1.png

Two are better than one. http://www.doorposts.org/images/Old%20Test/Eccl%204.9-10.gif

Devender Harne. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/devender-harne.jpg?w=450

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Posted by Rebecca

3188.) 2 Samuel 20

July 7, 2021

More battles, more rebellion, more conflict, more death . . .

2 Samuel 20 (NRSV)

The Rebellion of Sheba

Now a scoundrel named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjaminite, (that is, from the same tribe as King Saul) happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and cried out, “We have no portion in David, no share in the son of Jesse! Everyone to your tents, O Israel!”

²So all the people of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba son of Bichri; but the people of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

Conflict continues — Israel breaks away from David and only Judah (David’s tribe) remains loyal.

³David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to look after the house, and put them in a house under guard, and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.

Absalom had raped these ten concubines to show all the land that he was in rebellion against his father. Once David returned, he could not divorce the women, or marry them to someone else, or punish them, for they were innocent victims of Absalom’s (and David’s) sins. But neither could he be intimate with them again, since they were effectively defiled. Yet again we see the innocent suffering on account of the guilty.

⁴Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.” ⁵So Amasa went to summon Judah; but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.

⁶David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities for himself, and escape from us.”

David knows there is no time to waste. Amasa did not do what was needed in a timely manner, so David appointed Abashai to pick it up. Perhaps David did not choose Joab because of the fact that Joab had killed Absalom. And there is another fly in this ointment: Joab and Abashai were brothers.

⁷Joab’s men went out after him, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

⁸When they were at the large stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier’s garment and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; as he went forward it fell out.

⁹Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰But Amasa did not notice the sword in Joab’s hand; Joab struck him in the belly so that his entrails poured out on the ground, and he died. He did not strike a second blow. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

Joab killed Amasa in the same way he killed Abner in chapter 3 — a dagger in the belly. He may have defended his own treacherous behavior by calling it loyalty to David in ridding the king of a rival. But David never forgave Joab for these murders (see 1 Kings 2:5).

¹¹And one of Joab’s men took his stand by Amasa, and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” ¹²Amasa lay wallowing in his blood on the highway, and the man saw that all the people were stopping. Since he saw that all who came by him were stopping, he carried Amasa from the highway into a field, and threw a garment over him. ¹³Once he was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

¹⁴Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah; and all the Bichrites assembled, and followed him inside. ¹⁵Joab’s forces came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah; they threw up a siege-ramp against the city, and it stood against the rampart. Joab’s forces were battering the wall to break it down. ¹⁶Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, I want to speak to you.’”

When Sheba took refuge in the city of Abel, Joab set a siege against the city. Siege warfare was a terrible ordeal for the citizens of the besieged city, and this wise woman was smart enough to seek a speedy end to the struggle.

¹⁷He came near her; and the woman said, “Are you Joab?”

He answered, “I am.”

Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.”

He answered, “I am listening.”

¹⁸Then she said, “They used to say in the old days, ‘Let them inquire at Abel’; and so they would settle a matter. ¹⁹I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel; you seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel; why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord?”

²⁰Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy! ²¹That is not the case! But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David; give him up alone, and I will withdraw from the city.”

Joab was a practical man. He had nothing against the city of Abel, only against Sheba. If the people of Abel helped him get Sheba, it was all the better.

The woman said to Joab, “His head shall be thrown over the wall to you.”

2Sam20 Sheba head

²²Then the woman went to all the people with her wise plan. And they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, and all went to their homes, while Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

So ended the rebellion of Sheba. Yet the division between Judah and the other eleven tribes of Israel remained. After the death of Solomon there was a civil war that permanently divided the twelve tribes into two nations: the southern Kingdom of Judah and the northern Kingdom of Israel.

²³Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; ²⁴Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder; ²⁵Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; ²⁶and Ira the Jairite was also David’s priest.

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Music:

Even now, as David is approaching the end of his reign of around 40 years, he is dealing with an almost constant stream of discord and conflict and murder. How his soul must have longed for peace! HERE is the “Prayer of St Francis of Assisi” — composed by Russell Robinson, complete with SATB score!

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Images courtesy of:

wars and battles. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/battle.jpg

Deja vu. https://theworldofflashfiction.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/deja-vu.jpg

Shaw. https://ifiwalkedwithjesus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Rebelion.jpg

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Posted by Rebecca

3187.) 2 Samuel 19

July 6, 2021

How ought a king behave? In this chapter we see some good actions from King David, corroborated by verses from Proverbs.

2 Samuel 19 (NRSV)

It was told Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” ²So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the troops; for the troops heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.” ³The troops stole into the city that day as soldiers steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle. ⁴The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

David’s excessive sorrow cast a cloud over the victory. There is such a thing as excessive mourning — mourning that is basically rooted in unbelief and ungodly fear. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Paul warned Christians: I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. Some Christians sorrow at times in death or tragedy like those who have no hope in God; this does not honor God or help others.

⁵Then Joab came into the house to the king, and said, “Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your officers who have saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and your daughters, and the lives of your wives and your concubines, ⁶for love of those who hate you and for hatred of those who love you. You have made it clear today that commanders and officers are nothing to you; for I perceive that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. ⁷So go out at once and speak kindly to your servants; for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night; and this will be worse for you than any disaster that has come upon you from your youth until now.”

Someone had to tell David that he was acting as a slave to his feelings, that he was behaving as if under the circumstances. But God was, and always is, still in control. No matter the tragedy, we can find comfort and encouragement in the wonderful truth that “Christ is still risen!”

⁸Then the king got up and took his seat in the gate. The troops were all told, “See, the king is sitting in the gate”; and all the troops came before the king.

As my mother would have said, “Do the next thing.”

Proverbs 16:10 (NIV)

The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
and his mouth does not betray justice.

David Recalled to Jerusalem

Meanwhile, all the Israelites had fled to their homes.⁹All the people were disputing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies, and saved us from the hand of the Philistines; and now he has fled out of the land because of Absalom. ¹⁰But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”

¹¹King David sent this message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house? The talk of all Israel has come to the king. ¹²You are my kin, you are my bone and my flesh; why then should you be the last to bring back the king?’ ¹³And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? So may God do to me, and more, if you are not the commander of my army from now on, in place of Joab.’”

¹⁴Amasa swayed the hearts of all the people of Judah as one, and they sent word to the king, “Return, both you and all your servants.” ¹⁵So the king came back to the Jordan; and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring him over the Jordan.

2Sam19 Jordan

¹⁶Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the people of Judah to meet King David; ¹⁷with him were a thousand people from Benjamin. And Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan ahead of the king, ¹⁸while the crossing was taking place, to bring over the king’s household, and to do his pleasure.

David left Israel as a desperate fugitive, rejected by the nation and hunted by his son Absalom. He came back escorted by thousands of enthusiastic supporters.

Proverbs 14:28 (NIV)

A large population is a king’s glory,
but without subjects a prince is ruined.

David’s Mercy to Shimei

Shimei son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan, ¹⁹and said to the king, “May my lord not hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem; may the king not bear it in mind. ²⁰For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore, see, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”

²¹Abishai son of Zeruiah answered, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?”

²²But David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should today become an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?” ²³The king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king gave him his oath.

Shimei had cursed him; David forgave him. Shimei deserved punishment; David showed him mercy. Shimei said — I was wrong; David said — That’s OK, I’ll let it go.

Proverbs 16:13 (NIV)

Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value the one who speaks what is right.

David and Mephibosheth Meet

²⁴Mephibosheth grandson of Saul came down to meet the king; he had not taken care of his feet, or trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes, from the day the king left until the day he came back in safety. ²⁵When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?”

²⁶He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said to him, ‘Saddle a donkey for me, so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. ²⁷He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. ²⁸For all my father’s house were doomed to death before my lord the king; but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to appeal to the king?”

²⁹The king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.”

According to the Talmud, David’s unjust decision will have repercussions in the future: “When David said to Mephibosheth, you and Ziba shall divide the field, a heavenly voice was heard, saying, Rehoboam and Jeroboam will divide the kingdom.”

–Shimon Bar-Efrat

³⁰Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take it all, since my lord the king has arrived home safely.”

Proverbs 22:11 (NIV)

One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend.

from Peculiar Treasures,
by Frederick Buechner

MEPHIBOSHETH

Mephibosheth was five years old when news came through that his father, Jonathan, and his grandfather, King Saul, had both been killed in battle. Terrified of what might happen next, his nurse snatched him up in her arms and started to run off with him when she tripped and fell in her panic, and the boy was so badly crippled that he never walked right again.

The new king, David, might very well have decided to get rid of him. It was standard procedure then to wipe out your predecessor’s entire family when you came to the throne just in case any of them happened to have political ambitions; but maybe because Mephibosheth was a cripple and thus not like to give him much trouble, or maybe because his father had been David’s best friend, or maybe just because he felt sorry for him or some combination of all these, David decided to be generous. It was the kind of crazy, magnificent gesture he like to make every once in a while, like the time some soldiers risked their necks breaking through the enemy lines to bring him a cup of cool water from Bethlehem, his home-town, and David won the hearts of everybody by saying, “Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” (2 Samuel 23:15-17), and poured it out on the ground.

In any case, he had Mephibosheth brought to him, and the poor child fell on his face in terror at what for all he knew was going to be the axe, but David told him not to be afraid. He tole him that he was to have all the property that rightfully belonged to him and a man named Ziba to look after him, and he also promised him that from then on he was to take all his meals at the king’s table as if he was his own son.

Ziba was a sly one, as it turned out, and years later when there was a revolt against David, led by his own son, Absalom, Ziba told the king that Mephibosheth had defected to the other side. What motivated this lie was the hope that David would grant him not only his favor but also all of Mephibosheth’s real estate, and David did.

After the revolt was successfully put down, however, Mephibosheth showed up and convinced David that Ziba had been lying and he had been on the right side all along, and David seemed to believe him. But poor David—he was so shattered by everything that had happened, especially by the death of his beloved if treacherous Absalom, that he couldn’t give the matter his full attention and more or less brushed Mephibosheth off by telling him that he and Ziba could divide the real estate between them for all he cared and to stop pestering him.

It would be sad if the relationship ended on such an unsatisfactory note–the old king too broken-hearted to care much about anything anymore, and Mephibosheth limping home to work things out somehow with Ziba. But that isn’t where it ended.

Before David had a chance to leave, Mephibosheth said that he was so overjoyed that David had driven the rascals out and come through the battle safe and sound that just to celebrate he was prepared to let Ziba take the whole damn place. Whether or not he made good on the offer, or even intended to, hardly matters. It was a crazy and magnificent gesture to make, and maybe David was not too lost in his own grief to realize, however dimly, at whose feet he had learned to make it.

David’s Kindness to Barzillai

³¹Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim; he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan. ³²Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. ³³The king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you in Jerusalem at my side.”

Proverbs 14:35 (NIV)

A king delights in a wise servant,
but a shameful servant arouses his fury.

³⁴But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? ³⁵Today I am eighty years old; can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? ³⁶Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king recompense me with such a reward? ³⁷Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own town, near the graves of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do for him whatever seems good to you.”

It is generally understood that this “servant” was Barzillai’s son. In 1 Kings 2:7 we read that when David was dying, he said, “Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai.” So David remembered his promise.

³⁸The king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you; and all that you desire of me I will do for you.”

³⁹Then all the people crossed over the Jordan, and the king crossed over; the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home.

⁴⁰The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; all the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way.

⁴¹Then all the people of Israel came to the king, and said to him, “Why have our kindred the people of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?”

⁴²All the people of Judah answered the people of Israel, “Because the king is near of kin to us. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?”

⁴³But the people of Israel answered the people of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?”

But the words of the people of Judah were fiercer than the words of the people of Israel.

The heart of the problem between the groups is this: who has been the most loyal to David, and therefore deserves to honor him? The break up of the tribes even here foreshadows the division that will come later.

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Music:

How ought a king behave? This song reminds us of how Jesus behaved, in kindness and love towards us — oh, my, beyond words.

“You Are My King (Amazing Love)” sung HERE by Phillips, Craig & Dean, three pastors who put themselves together as a musical group in 1991 to much success.

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Images courtesy of:

king. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/king.jpg

at the Jordan. https://jesusway4you.com/tag/2-samuel-1932/

David and Mephibosheth. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/king_david27s_kindness_to_a_lame_man.jpg

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Posted by Rebecca

3186.) 2 Samuel 18

July 5, 2021

“David and Absalom” by Marc Chagall, 1956. Note that the artist presents both the reconciliation of father and son, and Absalom’s death.

2 Samuel 18 (NRSV)

The Defeat and Death of Absalom

Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ²And David divided the army into three groups: one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the men, “I myself will also go out with you.”

David is a good military commander. He immediately organizes the soldiers into groups, and (unlike when he stayed home with Bathsheba) he declares he will fight with the army.

³But the men said, “You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore it is better that you send us help from the city.”

The men, however, ask him to stay out of the battle. He is too valuable to the nation, and (although it is not stated) might they have realized it would be hard for David to fight against his own son?

⁴The king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.”

So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵The king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom.

David wants his son brought back to him alive.

⁶So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. ⁸The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword.

The men of Israel, disloyal to David, were defeated by David. Casualties in fighting were high, and there were even more deaths in the forest, perhaps by wild beasts.

⁹Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.

His beautiful hair! — his pride is his undoing.

¹⁰A man saw it, and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”

¹¹Joab said to the man who told him, “What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”

¹²But the man said to Joab, “Even if I felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying: For my sake protect the young man Absalom! ¹³On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.”

¹⁴Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” He took three spears in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive in the oak.

absalom

¹⁵And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him, and killed him.

¹⁶Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the troops. ¹⁷They took Absalom, threw him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Meanwhile all the Israelites fled to their homes.

¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar that is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance”; he called the pillar by his own name.

In 2 Samuel 14:27, Absalom has three sons listed; Jewish tradition says that all three predeceased their father.

It is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

Absalom’s Tomb, also known as Absalom’s Pillar, is a rock-cut tomb with a cone-shaped roof located in the Kidron Valley of Jerusalem. For centuries it was thought to be the actual tomb of King David’s rebellious son, and people who passed by would throw stones at it as a sign of disrespect. Modern scholars date the tomb to Roman times.

David Hears of Absalom’s Death

¹⁹Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run, and carry tidings to the king that the Lord has delivered him from the power of his enemies.”

²⁰Joab said to him, “You are not to carry tidings today; you may carry tidings another day, but today you shall not do so, because the king’s son is dead.”

²¹Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed before Joab, and ran.

²²Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said again to Joab, “Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite.”

And Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, seeing that you have no reward for the tidings?”

²³“Come what may,” he said, “I will run.”

So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.

²⁴Now David was sitting between the two gates. The sentinel went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he looked up, he saw a man running alone. ²⁵The sentinel shouted and told the king.

The king said, “If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth.” He kept coming, and drew near.

²⁶Then the sentinel saw another man running; and the sentinel called to the gatekeeper and said, “See, another man running alone!”

The king said, “He also is bringing tidings.”

²⁷The sentinel said, “I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”

The king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good tidings.”

²⁸Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “All is well!” He prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground, and said, “Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.”

²⁹The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?”

Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.”

³⁰The king said, “Turn aside, and stand here.” So he turned aside, and stood still.

³¹Then the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, “Good tidings for my lord the king! For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you.”

³²The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?”

The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to do you harm, be like that young man.”

David Mourns for Absalom

³³The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

“Our children may plunge into the worst of sins, but they are our children still. They may scoff at our God; they may tear our heart to pieces with their wickedness; we cannot take complacency in them, but at the same time we cannot unchild them, nor erase their image from our hearts.”

–Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Indeed Absalom was David’s son — David’s own sins, weaknesses, and rebellion were prominently displayed in his son.

Need a good book? William Faulkner’s novel, Absalom, Absalom! allegorizes Southern history; the title itself is an allusion to the Biblical story of King David and Absalom, a wayward son fighting the empire his father built.

_________________________

Music:

This is one of the most moving musical pieces I have had the privilege of bringing to you, my readers. “When David Heard that Absalom Was Slain” is a motet written by Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656); it is performed HERE by the The Gesualdo Six at Ely Cathedral, England, the Lady Chapel. I dedicate this to all those, around the world, who have lost a loved one in a war or conflict — so much grief in our world! And Romans 12:15 instructs us to “weep with those who weep.”

The text is straight from Scripture:

“When David heard that Absalom was slain, he went up to his chamber and wept. And thus he said: Oh, my son! Absalom my son. Would God I had died for you.”

_________________________

Images courtesy of:

Chagall. http://www.wikiart.org/en/marc-chagall/david-and-absalom-1956?utm_source=returned&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=referral

eyes of a fox. http://www.permuted.org.uk/photography/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/fox_cub_eyes_0108072215_crop.jpg

Absalom slain. https://dominicanes.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/absalom.gif

Absalom’s Tomb. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Avtomb.JPG

broken heart. http://www.healingdeliverance.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/broken-heart.png

David weeping. https://davemcdowell.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/www-st-takla-org-20-david-weeping-over-the-death-of-absalom.jpg

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Posted by Rebecca

3183.) 2 Samuel 17

June 30, 2021

2 Samuel 17 (NRSV)

The Counsel of Ahithophel

Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue David tonight. 2 I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged, and throw him into a panic; and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, 3 and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace.” 4 The advice pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

A smart plan. A quick attack against David only, Ahithophel says, would be a bold move and prevent a protracted war between David’s men and Absalom’s men.

The Counsel of Hushai

5 Then Absalom said, “Call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear too what he has to say.” 6 When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “This is what Ahithophel has said; shall we do as he advises? If not, you tell us.”

7 Then Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good.” 8 Hushai continued, “You know that your father and his men are warriors, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the troops. 9 Even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits, or in some other place. And when some of our troops fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, “There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’ 10 Then even the valiant warrior, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear; for all Israel knows that your father is a warrior, and that those who are with him are valiant warriors.

11 “But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beer-sheba, like the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. 12 So we shall come upon him in whatever place he may be found, and we shall light on him as the dew falls on the ground; and he will not survive, nor will any of those with him. 13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley, until not even a pebble is to be found there.”

Remember, Hushai is a spy for David. He wants to counter Ahithophel’s good advice and buy time for David to rest and organize his defense. He appeals to Absalom’s vanity by encouraging him to lead the army out to battle.

14 Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring ruin on Absalom.

David had earlier prayed that the advice of Ahithophel might be turned to foolishness, and here that prayer was answered — or at least, the ones who choose which advice to take are foolish!

“This is one of the great principles of life which every page of the Bible emphasizes and illustrates. Men cannot escape God. They go their own way, but that way never sets them free from the authority and the invincible power of God.”

–George Campbell Morgan

Hushai Warns David to Escape

15 Then Hushai said to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and so I have counseled. 16 Therefore send quickly and tell David, “Do not lodge tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over; otherwise the king and all the people who are with him will be swallowed up.’ ”

David’s intelligence chain at work!

17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel; a servant-girl used to go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David; for they could not risk being seen entering the city. 18 But a boy saw them, and told Absalom; so both of them went away quickly, and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard; and they went down into it. 19 The man’s wife took a covering, stretched it over the well’s mouth, and spread out grain on it; and nothing was known of it.

Let’s play hide and seek!

20 When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

The woman said to them, “They have crossed over the brook of water.” And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

21 After they had gone, the men came up out of the well, and went and told King David. They said to David, “Go and cross the water quickly; for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you.” 22 So David and all the people who were with him set out and crossed the Jordan; by daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order, and hanged himself; he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.

Ahithophel committed suicide not because his feelings were hurt when his advice was discarded. Rather, he knew that now Absalom was doomed, and he (Ahithophel) would be regarded as a traitor to David and killed.

He is not unlike Judas, betraying a close friend.

Psalm 41:9 (NIV)

Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned against me.

24 Then David came to Mahanaim, while Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25 Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army in the place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigal daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. 26 The Israelites and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, 28 brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans and lentils, 29 honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat; for they said, “The troops are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”

These helpers of David were not dramatic warriors, but they helped David in this crisis as much as the bravest soldier. They were specially sent by God to comfort David in his affliction.

_________________________

Music:

If ever you wondered how David was able to write such heartfelt and heart-rending psalms — don’t these chapters give you a pretty clear idea?! “Find Rest” is a song based on Psalm 62, performed HERE by Jeffrey Peterson and James Jurado.

Find rest, oh my soul, in God alone
My hope it comes from him
He above all is loving and strong
A warrior as well as a friend
A rock for my feet, a roof for my head
A bulwark in life’s desperate hours
My salvation and my honor depend on God
Then why is my soul so downcast and anxious

I trust you at all times, pour out my heart
Baring my soul here before you
Cause you aren’t like the ones I’ve trusted before
When I open up
You’re there all the more

Low born men are but a breath
The high born are but a lie
If placed on a scale before my God
They’d amount to a breath or a sigh
We worry ’bout our position in life
So others will think we’ve arrived
But you love the peasant as much as the prince
Despised of men as much as the honored

I trust you at all times, pour out my heart
Baring my soul here before you
Cause you aren’t like the ones I’ve trusted before
When I open up
You’re there all the more

_________________________

Images courtesy of:

alphabet soup advice cartoon. http://www.toonpool.com/user/997/files/bowl_alphabet_soup_advice_350575.jpg

great idea. https://molnarg.github.io/cve-2014-0521/img/good-idea.jpeg

hide and seek. http://sospensioneassoluta.blogspot.com/2010/04/giocare-nascondino_21.html

the end. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/theend.jpg

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Posted by Rebecca

3182.) 2 Samuel 16

June 29, 2021

“David, fleeing from Jerusalem, is cursed by Shimei” by William Brassey Hole (1846-1917)

2 Samuel 16 (NRSV)

In 2 Samuel 15, the consequences of David’s sin with Bathsheba came back in full force as his son Absalom seeks to take the kingship from him. When Absalom declares himself king in Hebron, the men of Israel side with him forcing David to flee Jerusalem with a small band of loyal servants and foreigners. He is encouraged in his journey by the loyalty of Ittai and Hushai. He allows Ittai to come with him into exile. But he sends Hushai back to the Jerusalem along with the priests, their sons, and the ark of the Covenant.

David had made a covenant with Jonathan that David would show steadfast love to Jonathan’s household when David became king (1 Samuel 20). David kept that vow by bringing the only remaining son of Jonathan’s household, Mephibosheth, to Jerusalem, restoring Saul’s property to him and granting him a place of honor at David’s table. David placed Ziba who had been a servant in Saul’s household in charge of the estate (2 Samuel 9).

David’s Adversaries

When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, carrying two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bunches of raisins, one hundred of summer fruits, and one skin of wine. ²The king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?”

Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who faint in the wilderness.”

Beware of Ziba bearing gifts . . .

³The king said, “And where is your master’s son?”

Ziba said to the king, “He remains in Jerusalem; for he said, ‘Today the house ⁴ of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.’”

Evil man! Ziba had seen David’s generous heart in how the king had treated Ziba’s master, Mephibosheth (Jonathan’s son and King Saul’s grandson). Now Ziba lies to David, telling him that Mephibosheth has deserted him, in order to get some kind of reward for himself. David, wounded by the thought that his kindness to Mephibosheth had been ill requited, erred in accepting Ziba’s claim without investigating it.

Shimei Curses David

Shimei curses King David, woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1860.

⁵When King David came to Bahurim, a man of the family of the house of Saul came out whose name was Shimei son of Gera; he came out cursing. ⁶He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; now all the people and all the warriors were on his right and on his left. ⁷Shimei shouted while he cursed, “Out! Out! Murderer! Scoundrel! ⁸The Lord has avenged on all of you the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, disaster has overtaken you; for you are a man of blood.”

Shimei was wrong because David actually treated Saul and his family with great love and graciousness.

Shimei was wrong because David was not a bloodthirsty man. It is true that he was a man of war, but not a bloodthirsty man.

Shimei was wrong because David did not bring Saul and his family to ruin — Saul himself brought the family to ruin.

Shimei was right that the Lord had brought this upon David, but not for any of the reasons Shimei thought.

–David Guzik

⁹Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.”

Gotta love Old Testament trash talk!

¹⁰But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’”

¹¹David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has bidden him. ¹²It may be that the Lord will look on my distress, and the Lord will repay me with good for this cursing of me today.”

Hebrews 10:30-31 (ESV)

For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

_________________________

Music:

Some days friends seem hard to come by. But one Friend is always there for us.

HERE is “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” — by jazz guitar by Walter Rodrigues, Jr. Not your usual Sunday morning arrangement!

_________________________

¹³So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, throwing stones and flinging dust at him. ¹⁴The king and all the people who were with him arrived weary at the Jordan; and there he refreshed himself.

The Counsel of Ahithophel

¹⁵Now Absalom and all the Israelites came to Jerusalem; Ahithophel was with him.

Ahithophel was one of David’s most valuable friends (he was the grandfather of Bathsheba), but at the time of Absalom’s revolt, he deserted David and joined the conspiracy against David.

¹⁶When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?”

¹⁸Hushai said to Absalom, “No; but the one whom the Lord and this people and all the Israelites have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. ¹⁹Moreover, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? Just as I have served your father, so I will serve you.”

²⁰Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your counsel; what shall we do?”

The young Absalom listens to wicked advice from Ahithophel

²¹Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, the ones he has left to look after the house; and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.” ²²So they pitched a tent for Absalom upon the roof; and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

Disgraceful. Nathan had told David that this would happen (2 Samuel 12:11-12). This is an act of violence against the women, treason against the true king, and immorality against the Lord.

But Ahitophel is Bathsheba’s grandfather. He must have felt a certain justice in seeing David’s concubines violated just as David had violated his granddaughter.

²³Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the oracle of God; so all the counsel of Ahithophel was esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.

_________________________

Images courtesy of:

Hole. https://www.christianonlineservices.org/2020/11/wanawake-wengi-wa-daudi-katika-biblia.html

Carolsfeld. http://www.preciousheart.net/SS/Psalm-141.pdf

Absalom and Ahithophel. https://enduringword.com/power-of-bitterness/

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Posted by Rebecca

3180.) 2 Samuel 15

June 25, 2021

The throne of Tsarina Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, 1742 (Kremlin Armoury, Moscow)

2 Samuel 15 (NRSV)

Absalom Usurps the Throne

After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run ahead of him. ²Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the road into the gate; and when anyone brought a suit before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out and say, “From what city are you?” When the person said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” ³Absalom would say, “See, your claims are good and right; but there is no one deputed by the king to hear you.” ⁴Absalom said moreover, “If only I were judge in the land! Then all who had a suit or cause might come to me, and I would give them justice.”

⁵Whenever people came near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of them, and kiss them. ⁶Thus Absalom did to every Israelite who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

He “stole their hearts,” Scripture says. Absalom knew exactly how to do this.

He carefully cultivated an exciting, enticing image (chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him)

He worked hard (Absalom would rise early)

He knew where to position himself (beside the way to the gate)

He looked for troubled people (anyone who had a lawsuit)

He reached out to troubled people (Absalom would call to him)

He took a personal interest in the troubled person (What city are you from?)

He sympathized with the person (your case is good and right)

He never attacked David directly (no deputy of the king to hear you)

He left the troubled person more troubled (no deputy of the king to hear you)

Without directly attacking David, Absalom promised to do better (Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice)

–David Guzik

⁷At the end of four years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron and pay the vow that I have made to the Lord. ⁸For your servant made a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram: If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will worship the Lord in Hebron.”

⁹The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he got up, and went to Hebron.

David’s last words to Absalom are — how ironic! — “Go in peace.” Then Absalom went out to overthrow his father.

¹⁰But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: Absalom has become king at Hebron!”

the rebellious prince

¹¹Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom; they were invited guests, and they went in their innocence, knowing nothing of the matter. ¹²While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. The conspiracy grew in strength, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.

To make it look more like succession and less like treason, Absalom connived to have 200 men who were loyal to David there, as well as Ahithophel, Bathsheba’s grandfather. Their presence with Absalom appeared to endorse him.

David Flees from Jerusalem

¹³A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the Israelites have gone after Absalom.”

¹⁴Then David said to all his officials who were with him at Jerusalem, “Get up! Let us flee, or there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Hurry, or he will soon overtake us, and bring disaster down upon us, and attack the city with the edge of the sword.”

¹⁵The king’s officials said to the king, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king decides.”

from Whispers of his Power,
by Amy Carmichael

Any-thing
Any-where
Any-how
Any-when.

Are we truly ready to serve our King like this today?

¹⁶So the king left, followed by all his household, except ten concubines whom he left behind to look after the house. ¹⁷The king left, followed by all the people; and they stopped at the last house. ¹⁸All his officials passed by him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.

The foreigners are supporting David —

¹⁹Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also coming with us? Go back, and stay with the king; for you are a foreigner, and also an exile from your home. ²⁰You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kinsfolk with you; and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.”

²¹But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.”

²²David said to Ittai, “Go then, march on.” So Ittai the Gittite marched on, with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

²³The whole country wept aloud as all the people passed by; the king crossed the Wadi Kidron, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness.

²⁴Abiathar came up, and Zadok also, with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, until the people had all passed out of the city.

The priests are loyal to David —

²⁵Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and the place where it stays. ²⁶But if he says, ‘I take no pleasure in you,’ here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.”

²⁷The king also said to the priest Zadok, “Look, go back to the city in peace, you and Abiathar, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar. ²⁸See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” ²⁹So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

³⁰But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot; and all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.

Psalm 61:5-8 (NIV)

For you have heard my vows, O God;
you have given me the heritage
of those who fear your name.

Increase the days of the king’s life,
his years for many generations.

May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

Then will I ever sing praise to your name
and fulfill my vows day after day.

_________________________

Music:

HERE Selah sings “Before the Throne of God Above.” He reigns forever and ever, the rightful and perfect king!

_________________________

³¹David was told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, “O Lord, I pray you, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

Hushai Becomes David’s Spy

There is a spy among us!

³²When David came to the summit, where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth on his head. ³³David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. ³⁴But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. ³⁵The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you there. So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. ³⁶Their two sons are with them there, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan; and by them you shall report to me everything you hear.”

³⁷So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

Absalom came into Jerusalem as a cunning, wicked rebel.

David came into Jerusalem as a brave, noble conqueror
(2 Samuel 5:6-7).

Jesus came into Jerusalem as a servant-king
(Matthew 21:4-10).

–David Guzik

_________________________

Images courtesy of:

throne. http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5700/1870/1600/991783/Throne%20Chair%202.jpg

I’m a thief . . . http://rlv.zcache.com/pickup_lines_im_a_thief_im_here_to_steal_you_bumper_sticker-p128690426814561970trl0_400.jpg

the rebellious prince. http://www.helltruth.com/Portals/2/RebelliousPrince/rp-1.jpg

Serve the Lord with gladness. http://ih0.redbubble.net/image.14073074.5434/flat,550×550,075,f.u2.jpg

spy. https://fishki.net/3425414-kot-kotoryj-prekrasno-uzhivaetsja-s-sobakami.html/gallery-8147008/

Jesus prepares to enter Jerusalem. http://oneyearbibleimages.com/jesus_donkey.jpg

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2 Samuel 24 (NRSV)

David’s Census of Israel and Judah

Judgment on David’s Sin

David’s Altar on the Threshing-Floor

“He who has a religion that costs him nothing, has a religion that is worth nothing.“

Music:

Images courtesy of:

God reigns. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eInAYO-ELzM/maxresdefault.jpg

census hand. http://www.thornton60476.com/vertical/Sites/%7B7433732F-5ACD-4203-AA8E-A8FB0769CB67%7D/uploads/%7B07818416-CD85-436C-9B2D-95B76052A574%7D.JPG

3 doors. http://dynamic.pixton.com/comic/j/7/q/p/j7qpb7n4aycg3vmt.jpg

threshing floor. https://jasonbybee.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/nazareth_village_threshing_floor_tb102704363.jpg

Dome of the Rock tile work. http://www.linearconcepts.com/photos/2007-Israel/DSC_4262_tilework.JPG

2 Samuel 23 (NRSV)

The Last Words of David

Music:

David’s Mighty Men

from Whispers of His Power, by Amy Carmichael

“Names” — a poem by Dr. Calvin Miller

Images courtesy of:

King David icon. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/david.jpg

“Sunrise” stained glass. http://www.holyfool.co.uk/glass/sunrise.jpg

thorns. http://rowdyrodi.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/thorn1.jpg

Tissot. https://letgodbefoundtrue.net/2018/03/02/davids-mighty-men/

cup of water. http://www.ucantalk2me.com/cooltalk/wp-content/media/cup-of-water.jpg

lion watching the snow fall at the Smithsonian National Zoo. http://wannasmile.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/lion-snowing.jpg

name tag. http://www.psdgraphics.com/file/hello-my-name-is-template.jpg

2 Samuel 22 (NRSV)

David’s Song of Thanksgiving

Music:

from Edges of his Ways, by Amy Carmichael:

Images courtesy of:

hands lifted in praise. https://christianitymalaysia.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/a2.jpg

Jesus loves me, this I know. https://suetornai.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/jesus-loves-me1.jpg

earthquake. http://www.nomad4ever.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/destroyed-houses-in-sumatra-after-powerful-earthquake.jpg

volcano. http://thegeogblog.edublogs.org/files/2008/05/volcanic-eruption.JPG

thunderstorm. http://mypages.iit.edu/~ahutches/images/thunderstorm.jpg

washing hands. http://www.topnews.in/health/files/washinghands.jpg

Ephesians. https://www.facebook.com/EbibiliaEnchenu/photos/a.290223287985179/536306670043505/?type=3&theater

God is love. http://clipart-library.com/clipart/n1555328.htm

The Lord lives (inkwell greetings). http://www.prestoimages.net/graphics03/5592_pd73358full.jpg

2 Samuel 21 (NRSV)

David Avenges the Gibeonites

Exploits of David’s Men

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Music:

Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)

Images courtesy of:

more than conquerors. http://image.slidesharecdn.com/16-140215142114-phpapp02/95/jesus-the-son-of-god-16-638.jpg?cb=1392474279

Rizpah. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/rizpah1.png

Two are better than one. http://www.doorposts.org/images/Old%20Test/Eccl%204.9-10.gif

Devender Harne. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/devender-harne.jpg?w=450

2 Samuel 20 (NRSV)

The Rebellion of Sheba

Music:

Images courtesy of:

wars and battles. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/battle.jpg

Deja vu. https://theworldofflashfiction.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/deja-vu.jpg

Shaw. https://ifiwalkedwithjesus.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Rebelion.jpg

2 Samuel 19 (NRSV)

Proverbs 16:10 (NIV)

David Recalled to Jerusalem

Proverbs 14:28 (NIV)

David’s Mercy to Shimei

Proverbs 16:13 (NIV)

David and Mephibosheth Meet

Proverbs 22:11 (NIV)

from Peculiar Treasures, by Frederick Buechner

David’s Kindness to Barzillai

Proverbs 14:35 (NIV)

Music:

Images courtesy of:

king. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/king.jpg

at the Jordan. https://jesusway4you.com/tag/2-samuel-1932/

David and Mephibosheth. https://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/king_david27s_kindness_to_a_lame_man.jpg

2 Samuel 18 (NRSV)

The Defeat and Death of Absalom

David Hears of Absalom’s Death

David Mourns for Absalom

Music:

Images courtesy of:

**“He who has a religion that costs him nothing, has a religion that is worth nothing.“**

from Whispers of His Power,
by Amy Carmichael

from Peculiar Treasures,
by Frederick Buechner

from Whispers of his Power,
by Amy Carmichael