April
3 - 1 Samuel 30-31; 1 Chronicles 10; 2 Samuel 1
David and his men rescue the
prisoners and decimate the Amalekites. In a stroke of political genius, David
shares the plunder with those in Israel who have supported his efforts to
escape Saul, rewarding his base of supporters as he prepared to be elevated as
king. The nation of Israel was obviously aware of the riff between David and
Saul, and many still had great respect for David. Was it a natural assumption
that David would become king? As far as we know, only David and his family were
aware of the prophecy.
As Samuel had prophesied from beyond
the grave, Saul’s three sons were killed in battle on the same day and Saul
killed himself. As we move into the second half of these books, David finds out
that Saul has died. I presume the Amalekite who brought the news and claimed to
be Saul’s killer expected to be rewarded, not killed! I wonder what was going
on in his mind, since the Amalekites were the ones who raided Ziklag and
kidnapped the families of David’s men. Was he assuming that David would now be
taking over Israel and wanted to be sure to be on his good side?
For a couple of decades David has
been on the run from a crazed Saul, and yet, at Saul’s death, he still shows an
incredible amount of respect for the man. During this time did David question
the anointing he had received? We see him frequently turning to God for advice,
but there is no evidence that he doubted God’s providence or timing despite
battles, hunger, and homelessness. How can we follow his example?
2 SAMUEL
This book continues the reign of Saul and takes us
finally to the long awaited inauguration and reign of King David, a span of
about 40 years – remember this and 1 Samuel were originally one text. We don’t
know who the author is, although some have suggested Zabud, the son of Nathan
the prophet, compiled information from his father and court records and eye
witnesses.
2 Samuel is considered one of the most important books in
the Old Testament because it gives insights to the political, religious, and
social history of ancient Israel. It provides details of David’s reign, his
military activities, his relationships with his family, and the dealings he had
with other countries.
The book also highlights David’s devotion to God,
featuring key moments in his relationship such as his confession of sin and his
commitment to building the temple. A key verse is 2 Samuel 7:16, which says,
“And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your
throne shall be established forever.”
TOMORROW’S TEXT: 2 Samuel 2-4
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