Today David has three conflicts to settle:

1) Judah escorts David back to Jerusalem which does not go over 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 must have not liked the demotion because while in pursuit of Sheba, Joab shoves his sword in Amasa’s stomach, killing him. 😳 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 talks Joab out of destroying the city in exchange for Sheba. So Sheba’s head is chopped off by the people of Abel and tossed over the wall which ends the revolt. Joab returns home as the commander of the army once again but David will not let Joab’s betrayal and murder go unpunished. As mentioned before, David will give Solomon orders regarding judgement on Joab.

2) During the Conquest Era, we discovered that the Gibeonites deceived Joshua and he made 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)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

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 him 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 stuff, 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….keep reading.

(2 Samuel 17:15-29, Psalm 3, Psalm 63, 2 Samuel 18:1-19:30)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

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. 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).

So weeping, David climbs up the Mount of Olives and learns that his friend and counselor, Ahithophel, has also betrayed him by joining ranks with Absalom. Then 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 worshipping 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 total 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. Well David’s friend Abishai has had enough of Shimei so he 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. 

Well that’s a lot of deception, betrayal, and animosity toward the Lord’s appointed king. There is bound to be some major fallout. Keep reading to see what happens.

(2 Samuel 15:1-17:14)

#bibleliteracymovement#chronologicalbibleteaching

Today Joab sends messengers to King David to call him out of his palace to the battlefield. After conquering Rabbah, David and all the people return to Jerusalem where the chaos in King David’s house begins to unfold as Nathan prophesied. David’s son Amnon lusts after his half sister Tamar. So Amnon’s crafty cousin, Jonadab, comes up with an idea for Amnon. He tells Amnon to pretend he is sick and ask his dad, King David, to send Tamar to bring him some food. When Tamar is in his room, Amnon forces himself on her. Tamar says, “No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing should be done in Israel…And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel.” Out of desperation, Tamar begs Amnon to ask their father to take her in marriage but Amnon does not control his lust and he rapes her.

“Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, ‘Arise, be gone!’” This is clearly not love but lust. Amnon is a man without restraint who acts on his selfish desires without regard for others. So Tamar, who came to care for Amnon, leaves abused and crying in shame and she goes to live with her brother Absalom.

When King David hears about it, he is angry but does nothing. “So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.” You know, David could have done something. He could have told Tamar where to take her shame. David himself knew where. He even wrote in Psalm 25:1-3, “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you. Don’t let me be put to shame. Don’t let my enemies win the battle over me. Those who put their hope in you will never be put to shame.” We all have shame and we all have a place we can take our shame for healing and that is to the Lord.

Well, Tamar’s brother Absalom allows his anger toward Amnon to fester for two years and then he has Amnon killed. Absalom flees to Geshur and after three years, Joab “perceived that the king’s heart was concerned about Absalom.” So Joab uses the method of storytelling to bring David around to welcoming his son back into the kingdom. This is the same method the Lord used to expose David’s sin when he committed adultery and murder. Just as the Lord had Nathan go and tell David a story, Joab asks a wise woman from Tekoa to go to David pretending to be a widow with two sons who fought resulting in one son killing the other. She was to request that the life of her remaining son be spared from a blood avenger. David hears the story and agrees not to allow justice to be served against her son.

Then the woman boldly asks David why he has not reconciled with his own son. She says, “Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.” This is so true! The Lord is making a way to reconcile lost sinners to Him by sending His Son Jesus Christ to live a life we can’t live and die a death that we deserve so that we may be reconciled to the Lord. Anyone who puts their hope and trust in the saving work of Jesus will be saved. David can’t provide ultimate salvation for the widow’s son in the wise woman’s story. We need a better king than King David. We need King Jesus, the Savior and He is coming later in this Story through David’s bloodline.

So Joab’s plan works and David brings Absalom home but he refuses to see him for two years. However, the people of Israel love Absalom for “there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.” 😍Wow! Once again we see the Israelites enamored by the external. So while Absalom’s bitterness toward his father grows, the people’s love for Absalom is also growing.

Sadly the words of the Lord to David after David’s affair with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, “the sword shall never depart from your house,” (2 Samuel 12:10) are coming true. As of now David’s first son with Bathsheba is dead, David’s son Amnon is dead, David’s daughter Tamar is desolate, and David’s son Absalom was deserted. We end the reading with David reuniting with Absalom; however, Absalom is about to make a move against his dad. Keep reading.

(2 Samuel 12:26-31, 1 Chronicles 20:2-3, 2 Samuel 13:1-14:33)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

During a time when kings go out to battle with their men, David, now comfortable in his mighty position as king, stays back relaxing on his rooftop while Joab leads the men in war. David’s eye catches the sight of beautiful bathing Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah, two of David’s mighty men. David has Bathsheba brought to him, sleeps with her, and she becomes pregnant. Now David is making plans to cover up his adultery which ultimately ends in David having Bathsheba’s husband, the faithful warrior Uriah, killed in battle. Then David sends a message to Joab basically telling him not to be sad over the death of Uriah, whom David setup to be killed in battle, because you know…these things happen. 😠

Well the Lord isn’t going to let King David get away with this. He sends Nathan to David with a story about a rich man taking a poor man’s only lamb. Since David doesn’t think this story is about him, David gets angry, says kill the rich man, and now is interested in following the book of the law by saying the lamb should be restored fourfold (Exodus 22:1). Nathan points out that the rich man is David and says as a punishment there will never be peace in David’s household which we will see.

Nathan also says the Lord will “raise up adversity against you from your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.” This is exactly what will happen and that neighbor will be a son of David’s. 😳

“So David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.’”  

Under the weight of his sin, David repents and cries out to the Lord – “Against You, You only, have I sinned…Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow…create in me a new heart…Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous spirit…Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation…You do not delight in burnt offering…The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise.” And this is what makes David a man after the Lord’s heart. His repentance is out of true love for the Lord and a desire to be in right relationship with Him.

The Lord hears David’s repentant heart and He restores him. After the death of their first son, David and Bathsheba give birth to another son, Solomon, who will grow up and become the wisest man to ever live. However, even the wisest man can make poor decisions when it comes to women as we will see with Solomon. 😬 But before we get to the story of Solomon, tomorrow we will read another tragic story when David’s oldest son, Amnon, allows his lust for a woman to overcome him. Keep reading.

(1 Chronicles 20:1, 2 Samuel 11:1-12:14, Psalm 51, 2 Samuel 12:15-25, 2 Samuel 5:14-16, 1 Chronicles 14:3-7, 1 Chronicles 3:5-9)

#bibleliteracymovement#chronologicalbibleteaching

After David requested to build a temple for the Lord, he begins thinking of ways he can show kindness to others…or as David puts it, “to whom I may show the kindness of God.” Today we see two different responses to acts of kindness:

1) David remembers the promise he made to Jonathan regarding their descendants (1 Samuel 20). David asks if anyone is alive from the house of Saul “that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Ziba, a servant of the house of Saul, tells David about Mephibosheth who is lame in his feet and hiding out in Lo Debar. Remember that Mephibosheth became lame in his feet when his nurse dropped him while fleeing at the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan. The nurse hid Mephibosheth because it was customary in those days for the new king to kill any heirs of the previous king to ensure that his throne would not be challenged. But David loved Saul’s son Jonathan and wanted to honor the covenant that he made with him, so Mephibosheth is brought to David. However, Mephibosheth does not know David’s intentions so he “fell on his face and prostrated himself” before David. David tells Mephibosheth, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” Mephibosheth responds, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” 

The grace shown to Mephibosheth is a beautiful picture of the grace found in Christ. Jesus will later say, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:12-15). Jesus will also say, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). David understands this to be true as he shows Mephibosheth the kindness of the Lord. And Mephibosheth receives this grace and will go on to be one of most loyal and faithful men in the kingdom.

2) After showing kindness to Jonathan’s son, David attempts to show kindness to Nahash’s son for the kindness Nahash showed David. When Nashash died his son Hanum became the new king. “So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon.” However, Hanum is suspicious of David’s kindness and humiliates his men by shaving off half their beards, cutting their garments at their buttocks, and sending them away which was a direct insult to King David. Hanum’s false assumptions of David’s act of kindness leads to war and the Lord provides Israel victory over their enemies.

So Mephibosheth was blessed by David’s act of kindness and Hanum was wrongly suspicious of David. This just proves that you have no control over how someone will respond to your kindness. Be kind anyway. 

Paul will later say to the Christians, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15).

So today we read about David’s acts of kindness and generosity but tomorrow David makes a fleshy decision based on lust of the eye which leads him into more sin than he probably ever thought he was capable of committing. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that you are never going to sin but it is how you respond after a fall that sets you apart. Keep reading to see how a man after God’s own heart recovers after major moral failures.

(2 Samuel 8:15-18, 1 Chronicles 18:14-17, 1 Chronicles 6:16-30, 50-53, 31-48, 2 Samuel 9:1-10:19, 1 Chronicles 19:1-19)

#bibleliteracymovement#chronologicalbibleteaching

“Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, ‘See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.’” David desires to build a house for the Lord, however, the Lord says that David isn’t going to build a house for Him but that He is going to build David’s house – “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” 

In response, David humbly says “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?” David praises the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness to His people and David ends his prayer saying, “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.” David is a man who knows that God’s Word is true and that He never breaks a promise. We will see partial fulfillment of this promise through David’s son Solomon and total fulfillment through the coming Savior Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David.

When we get to 1 Chronicles 22:8-9 we will learn that the Lord didn’t choose David to build His house because He was a man of war – “But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.”

We read about many of David’s battle successes today. After the victories, King David dedicates to the Lord the silver, gold, and bronze “from all the nations which he had subdued— from Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah…And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.” 

Then David writes Psalm 60 with the intent of it to be used to teach others how to rely upon the Lord during times of conflict – …”Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.”

Tomorrow David meets Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, so keep reading!

(2 Samuel 7:1-17, 1 Chronicles 17:1-15, 2 Samuel 7:18-29, 1 Chronicles 17:16-27, 2 Samuel 8:1-14, 1 Chronicles 18:1-13, Psalm 60)

#bibleliteracymovement#chronologicalbibleteaching

When David heard that Obed-Edom, a Levite, and his house was blessed because of the ark of God, David decided to try once again to bring the ark to Jerusalem. This time David handles the ark per the Lord’s instruction in the Book of the Law. He says “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.” So David gathers the head of the Levites and says, “‘sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.’ So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.”

The Levites bring the ark to Jerusalem and all of Israel celebrates with shouting and music and David danced before the Lord with all his might. “So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.”

“On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord: Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! …Talk of all his wondrous works…Remember His marvelous works which He has done…Remember His covenant forever…Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day…For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place…Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever”…

“So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work required; and Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers; and Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the Law of the Lord which He commanded Israel.”  So at this time in the Story, before the temple is built in Jerusalem, worship is occurring both in Jerusalem, where the ark is in the tent David built, and in Gibeon, where sacrifices are made at the altar at the Mosaic tabernacle.

After the corporate celebration, David returns home to bless his household and there he encounters an angry wife. Michal, Saul’s daughter, rebukes David for dancing unashamedly in the streets in front of the maids of his servants. See, Michal is so focused on status and prestige that she misses out on worshipping the Lord. David tells her that his worship was for the Lord alone who appointed him as king over her father – “Therefore I will play music before the Lord. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.” 

“Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.” David’s son Solomon will later write in Proverbs 21:9 – “It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.” Maybe Solomon learned this from his dad or maybe he learns it from the one thousand women he will go on to acquire. 😱 We will get to Solomon soon but first, in tomorrow’s reading, David will ask to build a house for the Lord. Keep reading to see God’s response to his request.

(2 Samuel 6:12a, 1 Chronicles 15:1-28, 2 Samuel 6:12b-16, 1 Chronicles 15:29, 2 Samuel 6:17-19a, 1 Chronicles 16:1-43, 2 Samuel 6:19b-23)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

“Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, ‘Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ ” So David is anointed as king over all of Israel. “All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king.” Samuel first anointed David as king when he was a youth but David doesn’t actually take the throne as king over all of Israel until he is thirty years old. The Lord has used these hard years to prepare David for the important mission ahead of him. David will reign over the Lord’s people for a total of forty years, seven years in Hebron and thirty three years as king over all of Israel. 

Now when the Philistines hear of David’s new position as king they set out to attack him. We see David’s faith as he inquires of the Lord regarding fighting against his enemies. David waits on the Lord to respond and direct his battle plans. Notice that the Lord gives David different instructions in the two battles against the same enemy showing that just because one way worked once doesn’t mean that it will work again. That is why we can’t assume we know how to fight our own battles; we must have faith in the Lord and wait on him to direct our steps. 

Then David goes on to conquer the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites. Jerusalem will become the capital of Israel’s Kingdom and the location where the Lord’s temple will be built. So after all the pain and heartache that David had to go through while being chased by Saul, “David went on and became great, and the Lord of hosts was with him.” David takes more wives and concubines and has more children in Jerusalem. Some of David’s greatest future struggles will be a result of his multiple wives and children. Soon success is going to get the best of David and he is going to take another man’s wife showing that sometimes it is easier to follow the Lord during times of trials than times of success. 

But currently David is so successful that Hiriam, king of Tyre, befriends him and sends him resources to build his palace in Jerusalem. “So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.” 

David’s next move as king is to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem from the house of Abinadab in Kirjath Jearim. So David and all of the house of Israel celebrate the arrival of the ark but they are not careful in handling the ark as the Lord instructed in the wilderness. The Levite priests are to cover the holy items and place them on carrying beams. “And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die” (Numbers 4:15). Unfortunately, David doesn’t follow the Lord’s instructions and places the ark on a new cart without using the Levites during the transportation. 

“And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.” Therefore, God followed through with the promise He made in Numbers 4:15 and killed Uzzah.

“So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all his household.” 

Now David is questioning, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” The answer to his question can be found in his Bible; the one he should be reading daily per the Lord’s instructions for a king (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). Will David attempt to move the ark again? Keep reading to find out. 

(2 Samuel 5:1-3, 1 Chronicles 11:1-3, 1 Chronicles 12:23-40, 2 Samuel 5:17-25, 1 Chronicles 14:8-17, 2 Samuel 5:6-10, 1 Chronicles 11:4-9, 2 Samuel 5:13, 4-5, 11-12, 1 Chronicles 14:1-2, 1 Chronicles 13:1-5, 2 Samuel 6:1-11, 1 Chronicles 13:6-14)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

Today Ishbosheth, the new king of Israel, accuses Abner, Saul’s cousin and army commander, of sleeping with Saul’s concubine. Well this infuriates Abner so Abner tells Ishbosheth that his loyalty to him is over. Abner says, “May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as the Lord has sworn to him— to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”

David agrees to make a covenant with Abner on one condition… “But one thing I require of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” Remember that Michal was David’s first wife that he betrothed for a hundred Philistine foreskins but she was later given to another man. So Abner strips Michal from her new husband and brings her to David. “Then Abner said to David, ‘I will arise and go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.’ So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.”

Well Joab doesn’t trust Abner, who in self defense killed his brother Asahel. So Joab and his other brother Abishai ruthlessly murder Abner “for the blood of Asahel his brother.” When David hears about the murder of Abner, he curses Joab’s household but does nothing more to punish him. Then David mourns greatly the death of Abner. “Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them…For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s intent to kill Abner the son of Ner.” David says regarding Joab and Abishai, “these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.” Later in the Story, before David dies, David will instruct his son Solomon to execute judgement against Joab. 

We end the reading with two men killing Ishbosheth, king of Israel, while he is napping and bringing his head to David. I guess these men didn’t hear what David did to the other guy who claimed to kill the king of Israel? 🤷‍♀️ So David explains to them how he killed the man who claimed to kill Saul, “the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and remove you from the earth?” So David has these men executed for the shameful way they killed the king of Israel.

Tomorrow David becomes the new king over all of Israel. 🎉 Keep reading!

(2 Samuel 3:6-4:12)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching