Week of 10/27/19 - Pages 168 - 176

David is known to be a man after God’s own heart. The life of David is one that so many of us can relate or learn from. God used the life of David to impact so many people. This week we read about David’s last words. His last expression can be seen or read as a poem or song. Part of his last words are this…

“Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me.” 

“His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail.” 

“He will ensure my safety and success.” 

David is reflecting on the goodness of God. He remembers God’s promises and is thankful for his attention to detail. God blessed David abundantly, and David struggled to stay pure and right in the sight of God. However, when it all comes to an end, David remembers his place before God. David remembers that God is loving, forgiving, and redeeming in his relationship with humanity. 

Week of 10/20/19 - Pages 150-168

I can not wait to meet King David. He is one of my most favorite people in the Bible, "a man after God's own heart."

Up to this point in 2 Samual we have seen the triumphs of David, but now we are going to see the troubles of David. The story starts with "In the spring of the year, when kings normally go to war," ok, let's stop right there. A season to go to war? Yep. If you are a list person, Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 is the list of lists laying out times for every season and thing. 

King David knew that it was time for war, but he sent out Jab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites, but he stayed behind in Jerusalem.

The first question that I have is why did he stay back?  He was a great warrior. This was not like David at all. Maybe it was because of his beautiful comfy new palace. Or perhaps the thought of living out in the caves during battle didn't sound so thrilling to him anymore, whatever it was the Bible does not say why, but he stayed.

So David was at a place and time where he shouldn't have been.

Before I move on, I've never really thought of this, but I always blamed David at this point in this story. Anyway, now we have Bathsheba. She decides to take a bath on the rooftop (keep in mind that her husband Uriah has gone off to war). My next question is, what was Bathsheba doing bathing on the roof? She had to have known that her rooftop could be seen from the palace, right?!

Bathsheba wasn't entirely innocent.

As the story progresses, (this is what I call the shovel part of the story because David keeps digging and digging deeper and deeper holes for himself) David's attempt to cover his sins gets worse and worse. The choices that he makes will affect his future and his family's future to come.

My takeaway from this portion of the reading is how sin always starts out small, seemingly meaningless, or even fun, but before we know it, we are in a place where we were never meant to be. Ultimately David could have looked away, to turn from his sin. Bathsheba could have used the indoor bathroom, but they didn't, and that began a legacy of pain and destruction for David and his family for years to come. 

Week of 10/13/19 - Pages 138 - 150

These are tragic chapters.  King Saul has lost hope. The grief of loosing his three warrior sons, including Jonathon, and many, many soldiers shows the cost of his waywardness from the God he once served.  Saul takes his own life with some help from his armor bearer. In the bigger arch of the unfolding story between God and Israel the nation stays divided. Israel, the northern kingdom follows Abner, a commander in Saul’s army and makes Ishbosheth their King. Joab, Abisha and other leaders/clans align themselves with David in Judah, the southern kingdom. They crown him as their King. The division continues. There is stalemate for bringing the Israel and Judah together as one Kingdom.  God’s intent. Through a series of smaller battles between the two kingdoms the power eventually shifts to King David.   King David stays focused on doing what is right in God’s eyes.  King David showed disdain for betrayers or those who didn’t consider the impact of their actions, for example King Saul’s armor bearer decision to assist King Saul ends in death. In this backdrop of violence though there is a huge counterpoint in this section of Samual. 

King David showed compassion with how he dealt with some of King Saul’s servants and relatives. I see this as a foreshadowing of Jesus atonement for all peoples when you look how King David treats Ziba and Mephibosheth and his small family.   Mephibosheth is treated like royalty and cared for even though he has crippled feet.  I think that is noteworthy when you look at the standards for Aaronic/Levitical priests. Clearly they could not have physical deformities or have any imperfections to serve in the sacrificial/temple system. To deal with Holy objects and rituals, King David shows kindness, acceptance, and generosity to an imperfect person. Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathon, the son of fallen King Saul, who used to serve God and then turned against God.  I feel we are getting a glimpse of God’s mercy, love, acceptance and compassion for the imperfect against a terrible backdrop. It may not be apparent but think about it.  Mephibosheth is at a banquet every day in the Holy City, Jerusalem! 

“And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king’s table.”