In today’s psalms, we see David elevate the word of God:

• “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times, You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever” (Psalm 12:6-8). 
• “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:7-9).

Many say the number seven in the Bible represents completion and divine perfection. We first see the number seven in the beginning of the story, during the Creation Era, when the Lord created for six days and then rested on day seven. The seven day period of creation, including the day of rest, laid the foundation for our week. According to my research, the number seven appears over seven hundred times in the Bible and over eight hundred times if you factor in 7th and seven-fold. When the perfect Savior, Jesus Christ, arrives on the scene, He is going to declare Himself to be the seven-fold “I Am”: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), “I am the door” (John 10:9), “I am the true vine” (John 15:1), “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11), “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), and “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). 

When David says that the Lord’s words are pure and have been purified seven times, David is saying that the word of God is perfect, without error. Later in the story, Paul will tell us why it is so important for us to know the word of God – “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16). 

So how do we know the Bible is true? Well, lots of reasons, but I’m going to list three:

1) The Bible is the only book that predicts future events that actually happen. Plus, it is made up of sixty-six books written by over forty authors over a one thousand five hundred year period in three different languages, and it all goes together to tell One Story! 

2) There are numerous outside manuscripts and archeological findings that support events recorded in the Bible.

3) Many have been killed over the years trying to pass this story along. Once we get to Jesus’ resurrection, we will read about men who go from being scared and hiding to boldly proclaiming the Good News of Jesus. Most of these men will eventually be brutally murdered for their faith, but the story of Jesus will continue to spread. In 1536, William Tyndale, an English scholar, was strangled and burned at the stake for translating the Bible into English for us to read today. And there are many, many more testimonies of people laying down their lives to spread this story. Why would they do that? Because they encountered the living God and it forever changed their lives. Would all these people, over all these years, do that for a story that wasn’t true?!

As King David says today, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God” (Psalm 14:1-2).

The Lord is always assessing His creation as we saw during the Creation Era when God looked down and saw nothing but evil and wickedness in the hearts and minds of the people; so the Lord sent a flood to destroy the earth. However, there was salvation for the ones who believed in the Lord and believed that His word was true. Noah and his seven family members were saved by grace through faith, and that same salvation is available today for anyone who puts his trust in Jesus Christ. 

Let’s continue together in the pursuit of knowing the Lord as He has revealed Himself through His word, so keep reading. (Psalms 12-17, Psalms 19-21)

In David’s final words to his son Solomon, David elevates the Book of the Law, charging Solomon to stay in the Word and keep the Lord’s commandments – “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.”

Then David instructs Solomon to execute justice on behalf of three men:

1. Solomon is to judge Joab for murdering Abner, a commander of the army under Saul’s reign, and Amasa, the man David made his military commander over Joab. “Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.”
2. Solomon is to show kindness to Barzillai’s sons because of Barzillai’s loyalty to David when he was on the run from Absalom.
3. Solomon is to judge Shimei for taunting David while he was fleeing from Absalom. “Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.” 

After the death of King David, who reigned a total of forty years, we begin reading the psalms written by David and his lead song writers. In Psalm 9, David says –  “The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men.”

The nations who do not know the Lord or have forgotten Him and do not walk in the ways of the Lord turn to evil and wickedness. However, David knows that the Lord will use what He hates to bring judgment upon the people and to accomplish His good purposes. David is calling upon the Lord to judge the wicked nations so that the people may know the true living God and put their hope and trust in Him. 

David also knows that the needy shall not always be forgotten and the poor shall not perish forever. For those who trust in the Lord, although they may suffer for a while, their suffering has an expiration date. And the Lord uses affliction in the life of Christians to draw us nearer to Him and to mold us more into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. 

• “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4).
• “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9). 

Christians can still rejoice even through trials here on earth because our hope is in Christ, and our salvation is secure now and for eternity. 

We have thirteen days of reading psalms ahead of us, so keep reading! (1 Kings 2:1-9, 2 Samuel 23:1-7, 1 Kings 2:10-12, 1 Chronicles 29:26-30, Psalms 4-6, Psalms 8-9, 11)

Today King David is still addressing the assembly of Israel – “My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced; and the work is great, because the temple is not for man but for the Lord God.” Then David says that he has prepared for the house of God with all of his might. “Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver.” 

David sets an example before the people as being a humble, giving servant of the Lord before he asks the people, “Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?” So the leaders of the tribes of Israel step forward to give willingly. And David praises the Lord and says, “O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own. I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision.” 

Although the Lord has told King David that Solomon would be the next king, David’s oldest living son, Adonijah, makes a move to take the throne, believing that he should be the rightful heir – “Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, ‘I will be king’; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, ‘Why have you done so?’ He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.) Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.”

Once again we see a good looking son of David exalt himself in an attempt to take the kingdom, and once again we see David do nothing to rebuke his son. Also, once again, we see David betrayed by some of his own men. So Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and Nathan, David’s loyal servant, come to David in his last days and plead for him to take action. David says to Bathsheba, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.” 

Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint Solomon as king before the people of Israel. Then Solomon takes his seat on the throne and David says, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!” When Adonijah hears that Solomon is now on the throne, he fears for his life and takes refuge at the altar of the Lord. Then Solomon says, “‘If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.’ So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, ‘Go to your house.’”

Although Adonijah attempted to exalt himself as king, his attempt had no lasting impact. The Lord is the One who exalts, and He has already chosen Solomon as the next king of Israel. 

• “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). 
• “Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10).

Will Adonijah learn to humble himself and prove to be a worthy man? Keep reading to find out. (1 Chronicles 29:1-22, 1 Kings 1:1-53)

King David knows that you have to have order, good leadership, and clear roles and responsibilities to manage anything effectively. David is managing an entire kingdom, and he is laying out plans for the management of the temple. He organizes the gatekeepers the same way he organized the priests and musicians because all roles are important in serving the Lord – “And they cast lots for each gate, the small as well as the great, according to their father’s house.” Once again, we see David trusting the Lord with organizing His people. 

Then David establishes a financial team to oversee the treasuries of the house of the Lord, and he organizes the army. David divides the army into twelve units. “These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division having twenty-four thousand.” 

After David organizes the kingdom and temple work, he gathers the assembly of Israel to pass his leadership over to his son Solomon. In his speech, David reminds the people of five truths from the Lord: 

1) David desired to build a house for the Lord, but God said He was going to build David’s house instead by choosing David to be king over Israel forever through a lasting royal dynasty (2 Samuel 7).

2) God chose Judah, the tribe of King David, to rule, as prophesied by Jacob on his deathbed (Genesis 49:10).

3) The Lord chose Solomon, David’s son, to be the next king. 

4) The Lord chose Solomon to build His house. 

5) God will establish Solomon’s kingdom forever if he obeys the Lord. 

After addressing the assembly, David turns his attention to his son – “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.”

Today’s reading ends with David handing the temple plans, supplies, gold and silver, and the furnishings to Solomon for the building of the temple. Then David says Solomon, “the Lord made me understand the writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans”, down to even the temple furnishings. 

But tomorrow Adonijah, David’s oldest living son at this time, assumes he should be the next king. Keep reading to see more of David’s family drama unfold. (1 Chronicles 26:1-28:21)

“So when David was old and full of days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.” David is gathering the leaders to help Solomon build the temple for the Lord and govern the kingdom of Israel.

Then David numbers the Levites for their service to the Lord. The Levites are to look after the work of the house of the Lord, serve as officers and judges rendering justice per the Book of the Law, guard the gate of the temple, and play musical instruments “‘which I made,’ said David, ‘for giving praise.’” Did you notice the inconsistency in the age eligible for the work of the Levites? During the Exodus Era, in Numbers 4, the age assigned to the Levites eligible for work was thirty to fifty years old, specifically for the Kohath clan who had the stressful job of carrying the items within the tabernacle. This job required mature strong men, because if you even touched the holy items you would die. In Numbers 8:24-26, the age was twenty-five to fifty years old for all Levites to do the work within the tabernacle. Today when David numbers the Levites, he originally counts the men thirty and above, but then he lowers the age to twenty. David says, “They shall no longer carry the tabernacle, or any of the articles for its service.” So the new age is lower because they no longer have to transport the tabernacle, and this will also add more hands for the huge job of caring for the temple. 

David divides the Levites into the same three clans the Lord did in the Exodus Era: the Gershonites who cared for the tabernacle coverings, the Kohathites who cared for the holiest of holy items in the tabernacle, and the Merarites who cared for the structural support of the tabernacle (Numbers 3 and 4) – “and Aaron was set apart, he and his sons forever, that he should sanctify the most holy things, to burn incense before the Lord, to minister to Him, and to give the blessing in His name forever.”

David further divides the descendants of Aaron, the priests, into twenty four divisions to serve according to a schedule of their service – “This was the schedule of their service for coming into the house of the Lord according to their ordinance by the hand of Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.” Mentioned in Aaron’s genealogy are his sons Nadab and Abihu who died in the wilderness when they offered profane fire before the Lord (Leviticus 10).

We end the reading with David assigning duties for the musicians. Before now the only organized music for the tabernacle was the blowing of the trumpets described in Numbers 10. Since David, a musician and songwriter, loves music, he takes fellow song writers, Asaph, Jeduthun, and Herman and their sons, and arranges them in twenty four divisions, same as the priests, for handling the music for the temple. Did you notice how David arranged the worship team for their service? “And they cast lots for their duty, the small as well as the great, the teacher with the student.” David trusts the Lord to arrange those to serve, giving all an opportunity from the smallest to the greatest. We will later read how the Lord guided David in organizing the Levites when future king of Judah, Hezekiah, restores the worship of the Lord – “And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the Lord by His prophets” (2 Chronicles 29:25).

We will read psalms written by David’s lead song writers, as well as more psalms of David. But first, David must complete the prep work for the building of the temple, so keep reading. (1 Chronicles 23:1-25:31)

Today David takes a census of the people of Israel. In 2 Samuel 24 it says that the Lord moved David to take the census, but in 1 Chronicles 21 it says that Satan moved David to take the census:

• “Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah’” (2 Samuel 24:1).
• “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel” (2 Chronicles 21:1).  

Taking a census is not wrong, depending on the motive behind numbering the people. If you are taking a census at the direction of the Lord, then it is not a sin. God gave the Israelites instructions regarding a census during the Exodus Era when the Israelites were in the wilderness – “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” (Exodus 30:12). But if you take a census out of pride and for your own personal glory and not the glory of the Lord, then it is a sin because the people belong to the Lord.

As G. Campbell Morgan said, “When we are moved to number the people, we may rest assured that the impulse is Divine or Satanic, and we may determine which by the motive. If the motive is service, it is God. If the motive is pride, it is Satanic.” Satan uses our own pride and selfish motives to draw us into sin. Later in the story, Jesus’ brother will explain how Satan is the one who tempts us, not the Lord – “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:13-15).

The Bible does not say exactly why the Lord is angry at Israel at this time, but the Lord uses this census to bring judgment upon the rebellious Israelites. In the past we have seen the Lord use evil to accomplish His good purposes – remember the book of Job? So the Lord allows David to be tempted by Satan, and David caves into the temptation. When David orders his men to take the census, Joab and the captains of the army try to stop him, but David ignores their warnings. However, after the census, David is convicted of his sin – “And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.’”

The Lord sends the prophet Gad to David with three punishments to choose from: 1) seven years of famine, 2) three months of enemy attack, or 3) three days of plague. David responds, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” 

Therefore the Lord sends a plague that kills seventy thousand people. And when the angel of the Lord stretches out His hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord says “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” The Lord is merciful, and He is the One who will say enough of the plague. David knows of God’s great mercy, and that is why David chose to be left in the hands of the Lord instead of the hands of man. 

David repents and asks the Lord to spare the people – “Surely I have sinned, and I 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 isn’t perfect, but he does have a heart after the Lord. His heart reflects the heart of the perfect Man to come later in the story, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd (John 10). 

The plague stops at the threshing floor of Araunah on Mount Moriah, the place where Abraham was willing to offer up his son Isaac, believing that the Lord could raise him from the dead (Genesis 22, Hebrews 11:19). Then Gad instructs David to go there and build an altar to the Lord. When Araunah offers his threshing floor and oxen to David at no cost, David responds, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” This is the same response Abraham had when offered a burial spot for Sarah for free. Abraham insisted on paying the full price (Genesis 23).  Abraham and David know that truly following the Lord always costs us something. Jesus will later teach that in order to follow Him, you must deny yourself, pick up His cross, and forfeit the things of the world (Matthew 16:24). 

David will spend the remainder of his life gathering supplies for the house of the Lord, which his son Solomon will build on the threshing floor of Araunah on Mount Moriah, a thousand years after Abraham’s obedience on this same mountain. We end the reading with David giving godly advice to Solomon – “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you; and may you prosper, and build the house of the Lord your God, as He has said to you. Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

Soon in the story, the Lord will give Solomon the wisdom his dad is desiring for him. Keep reading to see how Solomon stewards the gifts he receives from the Lord. (2 Samuel 24:1-9, 1 Chronicles 21:1-6, 2 Samuel 24:10-17, 1 Chronicles 21:7-17, 2 Samuel 24:18-25, 1 Chronicles 21:18-22:19)

David sings a song of praise to the Lord for delivering him from all of his enemies – “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” 

But then David says – “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me; and as for His statutes, I did not depart from them. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His eyes.” 

So how can David claim to be righteous when we know that he is not a perfect, sinless man? It’s because David knows that his righteousness comes from the Lord. David is fully aware that he is a sinner, as he says in Psalm 51 – “Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me… Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow… Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

We are all born broken sinners, and the Lord doesn’t take our sins lightly. Actually, our sins are very costly, and God is making a way to cleanse us from our sins. However, it is going to cost Him the life of His only Son, Jesus Christ. Later in the story, Paul will explain how our righteousness is not earned by our acts but rather through faith in Jesus Christ – ”Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:20-26).

There is and will only be one man ever to live who is perfect and sinless, and that man is Jesus Christ. David can declare himself clean and righteous because of his faith in the Lord and his trust in the Lord’s promise to redeem us through the coming Savior. David struggles with sin throughout his entire life just as we do. But because David loves the Lord, he hates his sin and repents of it. David doesn’t put his hope in himself. David’s hope is in the Lord – “For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect… You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great.”

God holds David by His mighty right hand, and He is gently guiding him through his life journey, which is good news because David stumbles again tomorrow. Keep reading to see how once again, even through his failures, David still trusts the Lord and yearns for closeness to Him beyond anything else this world has to offer. (2 Samuel 22:1-51, Psalm 18)

Today David has three conflicts to settle:

1) Judah escorts David back to Jerusalem, which does not sit well with the other tribes who weren’t included in the escort. Conflict between the tribes begins and will continue throughout the story. Sheba starts a revolt against David, and David sends Amasa, the newly appointed head of army over Joab (2 Samuel 19:13), out to subdue Sheba. Joab, upset with his demotion, shoves his sword in Amasa’s stomach, killing him, while in pursuit of Sheba. Then the men follow Joab to the city of Abel where Sheba is “and they cast up a siege mound against the city.” 

A wise woman cries out to Joab from the city. She reasons with Joab and convinces him not to destroy the city in exchange for Sheba. So Sheba’s head is chopped off by the people of Abel and tossed over the wall, ending the revolt. Joab returns home as the commander of the army once again. However, David will not let Joab’s betrayal and murder go unpunished. As mentioned before, David will give his son Solomon orders regarding judgment on Joab.

2) During the Conquest Era, we discovered that the Gibeonites deceived Joshua into making a covenant with them (Joshua 9). Today we see how serious the Lord is about not breaking a covenant. After three years of a famine, David seeks the Lord. “And the Lord answered, ‘It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.’” This incident is not recorded in the Bible, but we know it happened because the Lord told David that it did. So David asks the Gibeonites how he can make things right with them. The Gibeonites request seven of Saul’s sons to be handed over to them. David gives them seven of Saul’s sons but spares Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, because of the oath he made with Jonathan. (The Mephibosheth that was handed over was another son of Saul’s with his concubine Rizpah.) 

The Gibeonites “hanged them on the hill before the Lord. So they fell, all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.” Rizpah, the mother of two sons who were hanged, sits with the bodies “from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.” When David hears of the acts of Rizpah, he buries the men with the bones of Saul and Jonathan. “And after that God heeded the prayer for the land.” 

3) The reading ends today with David and his men battling the Philistines. In David’s older age, he grows faint during the battle so his men come to his aid. “Then the men of David swore to him, saying, ‘You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.’” To David’s men, David is the light of Israel. And through David’s bloodline, we will meet the light of the world, Jesus Christ (John 8:12).  The reading ends with David’s men defeating the Philistine giants. 

Tomorrow David sings a song of praise to the Lord for the victories over his enemies. Keep reading. (2 Samuel 19:31-20:26, Psalm 7, 2 Samuel 21:1-22, 1 Chronicles 20:4-8)

Hushai sends word to David that they need to speedily cross over the Jordan. “So David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed over the Jordan.”

Today we see four consequences as a result of yesterday’s four adversities.

1) “Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father’s tomb.” As Charles Spurgeon said, “Thousands set their houses in order, but destroy their souls; they look well to their flocks and their herds, but not to their hearts’ best interests… They save their money, but squander their happiness; they are guardians of their estates, but suicides of their souls.”

2) Absalom pursues David, and David sends his men out against him with a clear command to everyone to deal gently with Absalom. “The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day.” When Absalom rides out on a mule, the mule goes under a terebinth tree and “his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth.” Joab disobeys David’s orders and drives three spears through Absalom’s heart. Then ten young men with Joab beat Absalom until he dies. 

The news of Absalom’s death devastates David. Although Abaslom was a vicious traitor, he was still David’s son, and the love of a father outweighs the sins of a child. David is so heartbroken that he says, “if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!” David’s heart reflects the heart of the Lord, who is sending His Son to die on behalf of rebellious mankind. Jesus, who is God Himself, is coming through David’s bloodline to be slaughtered so that we may have life. David can’t take the place of his son in death, but the Lord can take our place as we will see Him do later in the story.

However, David’s mourning puts a huge damper on David’s men’s victory. Joab rebukes David and says that instead of mourning the one who was trying to kill him, he should be honoring the ones who fought for him and Israel. David’s men, who should be celebrating, are now feeling ashamed over the victory. So David heeds the words of Joab and does what is right in spite of his feelings – he takes his public seat among the people. Then David is restored as king, and he makes Amasa commander of his army in place of Joab. 

3) On David’s return to Jerusalem, he runs into the insult slinging Shimei again. Now that David is restored as king, Shimei bows down before him and begs for forgiveness. David spares his life, but this isn’t the last we will hear of Shimei. 

4) When David returns, Saul’s son Mephibosheth comes to meet the king. “And he had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he returned in peace.” When David asks Mephibosheth why he didn’t go with him, Mephibosheth explains to David that he was deceived by Ziba. Therefore, David tells Mephibosheth to split the land that he took from Mephibosheth and gave to Ziba. “Then Mephibosheth said to the king, ‘Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house.’” Mephibosheth doesn’t care about the material things, he is just happy that the king is home! 

Tomorrow the Gibeonites show up again. Remember during the Conquest Era when they pretended to be from a far away country and Joshua made a treaty with them? (Joshua 9). Well, the Lord remembers, and tomorrow we discover that someone broke that promise, so keep reading. (2 Samuel 17:15-29, Psalm 3, Psalm 63, 2 Samuel 18:1-19:30)

Today we see King David face four major adversities:

1) David’s son Absalom positions himself as judge in Jerusalem, wins the favor of the people, and proclaims himself as king of Hebron. When David hears of this, he flees with his men and their households. These men have been faithful to David since the time David was living with the Philistines, before all of his success. So David once again becomes a fugitive, out of fear that Absalom will kill them and destroy Jerusalem. “But the king left 10 women, concubines, to keep the house.” And David sends Zadok, the priest, and Abiathar along with their sons back to Jerusalem with the ark of God. 

“So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up.” When Jesus arrives on the scene, He will make many visits to the Mount of Olives. As a matter of fact, Jesus too will weep on the Mount of Olives just as David is weeping. However, Jesus won’t be weeping over His own sins. He will be weeping over the sins of the people, over our sins. Jesus weeps for those who reject Him and the opportunity for salvation here on earth and for eternity in heaven. Jesus weeps because He is not willing that any should perish – “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). But the day will come when Jesus will return and stand on this very mount, the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4), where He was betrayed and rejected. This time however, Jesus will have His ultimate victory over all His enemies. Therefore today is the day to accept Jesus as your Savior because no one knows the day of His return.

When weeping David climbs up the Mount of Olives, he learns that his friend and counselor, Ahithophel, has also betrayed him by joining ranks with Absalom. So David prays to the Lord that Ahithophel’s counsel would be turned into foolishness. The Lord brings Hushai, a loyal friend, to David while David is worshiping, and David sends Hushai back to overthrow the counsel of Ahithophel. Although our own family members and friends may betray us, the Lord never will. Ultimately David’s fate is in the hand of God.

2) Ziba runs out to David with supplies and tells David that Mephibosheth abandoned David and stayed back to have the kingdom restored to him. This is a complete lie and oh, how that lie must have hurt David. However, David believes the lie and tells Ziba he can have all that was Mephibosheth’s. So Ziba gets what he was after, but the truth will soon be revealed. 

3) While on the run, Shimei, a relative of Saul, comes out cursing David and throwing rocks at him. Shimei is the type of person who is going to kick a man while he is down. David’s friend Abishai, who has had enough of Shimei, asks David if he can take off his head. But David doesn’t take matters into his own hands by killing Shimei, just like David didn’t take matters into his own hands by killing Saul when he had the chance. Instead David says, “Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him. It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing this day.”

4) Ahithophel, David’s former counselor and Bathsheba’s grandfather who could still be holding a grudge, advises Absalom to show his position over David by sleeping with his concubines. “So they pitched a tent for Absalom on top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all of Israel.” This is just as the Lord told David would happen after his affair with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 12:11-12). 

The reading ends with Hushai overthrowing Ahithophel’s advice to Absalom regarding attacking David and his men. “For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.” Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” We can take great comfort in knowing that our prayers are more powerful than any man’s plans. We see this here with David’s prayer prevailing over Ahithophel’s plan. 

Today we read of much deception, betrayal, and animosity toward the Lord’s appointed king. There is bound to be some major fallout as a result of today’s actions as we will discover tomorrow, so keep reading. (2 Samuel 15:1-17:14)