There is no other city—not London or Rome, Beijing or Delhi—where God put His name. We now come to a pivot point in the story, introduced with an overview of David’s whole rule, though he was only at the seven-and-a-half-year point of his reign. “David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and […]
Prophets (1 Ki 19:16), priests (Ex 28:41), and kings (1 Sam 9:16) were anointed to serve. “Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron…And they anointed David king over Israel” (2 Sam 5:1, 3). This was David’s third anointing. He was anointed by Samuel at the Lord’s instructions (1 Sam 16:13); then […]
Mercy without justice can lead to lawlessness; justice without mercy results in inhumanity. Ishbosheth has been unceremoniously dispatched in his bed during his noontime siesta. Two brothers, “Rechab and Baanah” (2 Sam 4:5), not only killed the man, but beheaded him as well. “And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and […]
Read More… from December 19, 2023 — Justice Or Mercy To One’s Enemies?
“The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them” (Prov 11:3). In 2 Samuel 4, we see the drama of the final collapse of Saul’s house. It is written in three parts. First, “When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and […]
Read More… from December 18, 2023 — What’s Left Of Saul’s House?
The distance between our sin and God’s holiness is infinite, but between a sinner and Jesus is just one step. When David received news of the murder of Abner, he sent out the command: “Tear your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner” (2 Sam 3:31). How quickly the tide of history can […]
David was no weakling, but he confessed “the sons of Zeruiah are too harsh for me” (2 Sam 3:39). Abner quickly moved to realign the northern tribes under David’s rule: “In time past you were seeking for David to be king over you. Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, […]
It’s one thing to just choose the winning side; it’s quite another to bring both sides together. “Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker” (2 Sam 3:1). This was inevitable for […]
A boy asked his folks how WWII started. They were soon arguing. “OK. I see how wars start,” he said. In the battle at Gibeon’s pool, it’s hard to know who struck the first blow. The text simply reads, “each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side” […]
Read More… from December 12, 2023 — Competition Leads To Decimation