Archive for May 2024

2 Samuel 23-24,  Psalm 118,  Mark 16,  Galatians 6 2 Samuel 23-24: David’s last words are characteristic of him. They begin, editorially, to describe who he was: raised up by God, anointed, the sweet psalmist of Israel (23:1). Clearly, this last description meant much to David for he begins by telling of the words he…

2 Samuel 22,  Psalm 117,  Mark 15:42-47,  Galatians 5:13-26 2 Samuel 22: This chapter is one long song, written by David, to praise God for his deliverance. David realizes now that he is finally established: all his enemies are defeated, and he has been rescued from Saul and the nefarious effects of Saul’s reign. David’s…

2 Samuel 20-21,  Psalm 116,  Mark 15:33-41,  Galatians 5:1-12  2 Samuel 20-21: All seems as if it is now in good order, but it is not. The fight continues. O Christian, while alive there is still the fight of faith! Do not give up, but each day put on the armor of God! Sheba, “a…

2 Samuel 18-19,  Psalm 115,  Mark 15:16-32,  Galatians 3:15-21  2 Samuel 18-19: David is a warrior, and he knows how to organize a battle. Having set his army in order, he intends to go out with them but is prevailed against to stay away from the battle (18:1-4). If he were killed, the civil war…

2 Samuel 16-17,  Psalm 114,  Mark 15:1-15,  Galatians 4:1-20  2 Samuel 16-17: When you are betrayed, others sometimes rush to add to the betrayal. So it was with Mephibosheth who, despite the kindness done to him by David (2 Sam. 9), takes David’s betrayal as his opportunity to regain the kingdom that his father had…

2 Samuel 14-15,  Psalm 113,  Mark 14:66-72,  Galatians 3:15-29 2 Samuel 14-15: The story continues to unfold as Absalom, the man angry at how his sister was treated (2 Samuel 13), is apparently restored, but uses his restoration to now plot against his father, David the king. First of all, Joab prepares a canny way…

2 Samuel 13,  Psalm 112,  Mark 14:53-65,  Galatians 3:1-14 2 Samuel 13: One foul deed leads to another. One of David’s sons, Amnon, falls in love with the sister of another of David’s sons, Absalom (13:1-2). The sister, Tamar, is beautiful, and through the crooked advice of a friend, Amnon schemes a way to get…

2 Samuel 11-12,  Psalm 111,  Mark 14:43-52,  Galatians 2  2 Samuel 11-12: These two chapters are some of the most famous in the Bible, and for good reason. They are masterfully told, and they describe a calamitous situation. The story is set by the little detail that it is spring when kings go to war,…

2 Samuel 8-10,  Psalm 110,  Mark 14:32-42,  Galatians 1  2 Samuel 8-10: David’s victories continue (8:1-14). He defeats and subdues the Philistines (8:1). He defeats Moab, and does so with such vigor that they are subdued and bring him tribute (8:2). On and on the victories go, until he “made a name for himself” (8:13).…