INTRODUCTION
TO 2 Samuel
Why
Read 2 Samuel: Well, if you
have just read 1 Samuel you will have followed David the godly
guerrilla fighter to the point where king Saul has been killed.
In 2 Samuel we follow David who is acclaimed king over Judea and
then within a few years, king over all Israel. 2 Samuel is somewhat
of a roller coaster ride:
Part
1:
•
David the guerrilla fighter becoming king
(ch.1-5), a fulfilment of the Lord's intent declared back in 1
Sam 16,
•
David the triumphant fighter-king (ch.6-10)
making Israel supreme over all their neighbours and bringing security
to Israel.
Part
2:
•
David's downfall in committing adultery and
plotting a murder (ch.11)
•
David receiving a sentence from the Lord
in very clear terms (ch.12)
•
a family upset that David fails to deal with
properly but which paves the way for his son, Absalom, to rise
up against him (ch.13-15)
•
David having to leave Jerusalem while Absalom
takes over as king (ch.16,17)
•
having to send his troops against Absalom
and Absalom being killed (ch.18)
•
David thus returning to Jerusalem to continue
being king. (ch.19)
Note:
chapters 15 & 16 are
specific fulfilments of the Lord's word of sentence over David
for his sin with Bathsheba, with chapters 13 & 14 providing
the means for that fulfilment. Chapters 17 to 19 show that that
sentence was not terminal.
Part
3:
•
Having been restored to kingship, David has
to deal with a rebellion (ch.20), then put right a past wrong
(ch.21).
•
Chapter 22 is simply one of David's psalms
of praise,
•
Chapter 23 reveals the valiant men behind
the throne,
•
Chapter 24 brings a strange incident to the
fore, a judgment that was probably more to do with Israel's failure
to be completely obedient to the Lord, but which cuts David to
the heart as it reveals his pride.
•
The book rather leaves David's story hanging,
and his old age, his part played in bringing Solomon to be the
next king, and his eventual death are left to the next book.
The
Contradictory Nature of David:
1 & 2 Samuel seen together show us a man of humble origins,
very godly and frequently seeking the Lord for guidance, utterly
reliant on the Lord, determining to honour the Lord and never
act against His anointed, Saul.
He
is revealed, despite being a warrior, as sensitive and mindful
of those close to him who he seeks to honour and he anguishes
every time someone close to him is killed, even when they had
been against him. He is described as a man after God's own heart
(1 Sam 13:14, Acts 13:22) and yet he is shown as far from perfect.
He
almost goes overboard in his grief over the deaths of his enemies
and has to be rebuked for it by one of his generals, he was unknowing
about his own family which leads to family strife and him almost
losing the throne, he commits adultery with Bathsheba, plans the
murder of her husband, and later on, in a peak of pride, counts
his fighting men, incurring the judgment of God.
Despite
his failures, the divine record reveals five significant things
about David:
1.
He had
not failed to keep any of the Lord's commands all the days of
his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. ” (1
Kings 15:5).
2.
What is even more remarkable is the record in following books
where David is shown as the benchmark for subsequent kings (e.g.
1 Kings 3:12-14) where we regularly find such wording as “as David
your father did” or “like David did.” The throne in the south,
in Judah is often referred to as his throne (see Jer 13:13, 17:25,
22:2)
3.
Even more, he becomes the Old Testament marker for the family
of the Messiah as witnessed in many prophecies (e.g. Isa 11:1,
9:6,7, 16:5, 55:3) and thus Jesus became known as the Son of David
(see Jn 7:40-43, Mt 1:1, 1:20, 9:27,
12:22,23, 15:22).
4.
Although he becomes Israel's most famous warrior king whose successes
bring Israel into a new place of security from their enemies,
there is a gentle and godly side of David that, given the opportunity,
seeks to avoid death and conflict. At the end his pastoral heart
is revealed as he refers to his people as his sheep [24:17]. When
he is confronted with the deaths of Saul, Jonathan, Abner, Amnon
and Absalom, his depth of anguish and loss is remarkable, together
with an awareness of what could have been but which has now been
lost, and how the sovereignty of God is trampled on when some
of his hard-hearted warriors take lives (notably Joab.)
5.
something we could easily miss but which is exemplary about David,
is the speed with which he owns up to his sins when confronted.
He never makes excuses!
Before
we finish with David, we must remember his instructions to Solomon
in 1 Kings, as to how he must establish his kingdom and particularly
deal with those who had been troublesome to David and might become
troublesome to the new kingdom. Justice may have been delayed
under David for the sake of expediency, but it will be necessary
before Solomon can be established. Thus, when we conclude 2 Samuel,
we need to then quickly move on to see the continuing history
of David in the beginning of the next book.
CONTENTS:
To
go directly to any chapter, please click on the chapter number
link below:
Part
1: David Established
Ch.1
- News of Saul's Death & David's lament
Ch.2 - David as King of Judah & conflict with
Saul's house
Ch.3
- Upsets & Murder
Ch.4
- Ish-Bosheth Murdered
Ch.5
- David Becomes King Over Israel
Ch.6
- The Ark Brought to Jerusalem
Ch.7 - The Lord to Build a House
Ch.8
- David's Triumphs & Organisation
Ch.9
- David & Mephiboshet
Ch.10
- Victory over the Ammonites & Arameans
Part
2: David's Fall & Disciplining
Ch.11
- David & Bathsheba
Ch.12 - David's Sentence
Ch.13
- Amnon& Tamar
Ch.14
- Absalom returns to Jerusalem
Ch.15
- Absalom's Coup ousts David from
Jerusalem
Ch.16 - David leaves, Absalom established in Jerusalem
Ch.17
- Contradictory Advice enables David to Escape
Ch.18 - Absalom Killed
Ch.19
- David returns to Jerusalem
Part
3: David Re-established
Ch.20
- A Rebellion dealt with
Ch.21
- The Gibeonites Avenged
Ch.22
- David's Song of Praise
Ch.23
- Mostly about David's Mighty Men
Ch.24
- David's Census & Judgment