II Samuel
Introduction
This book gives the account of the career of David while king of Israel. He was the strongest king Israel ever had and was characterized as a fine executive, a skillful soldier and of a deeply spiritual nature. That is the aspect of his character that we will be most interested in and that is where the application of the lessons will draw from. He was not without faults, but in spite of them developed a great empire.
Taken as a whole, it is of profound, but also of tragic interest. David has a legacy of sin and sorrow. He has true and genuine faith but also sin and life-long punishment. The Lord's chastening of him was severe, yet in it he also found forgiveness, rest, peace and stength in the God of his salvation.
Lessons from II Samuel
- 2 Samuel 1-4 - David becomes king of Judah. Ishbosheth becomes king of Israel
- 2 Samuel 5 - David becomes king of Israel
- 2 Samuel 6 - David brings the Ark to Jerusalem and Uzzah dies
- 2 Samuel 7 - The Davidic Covenant
- 2 Samuel 8 - David Smites His Enemies
- 2 Samuel 9 - David shows kindness to Mephibosheth
- 2 Samuel 11 - David's sin with Bathsheba
- 2 Samuel 12 - The Lord uses Nathan to rebuke David of his sin
- 2 Samuel 13-14 - Absalom kills Amnon. Joab facilitates reconciliation with David
- 2 Samuel 15-17 - David flees Jerusalem
- 2 Samuel 18-19 - Absalom's death and David's return to kingship
- 2 Samuel 20-21 - Sheba's Rebellion. Gibeonite Judgment
- 2 Samuel 22 - David's Psalm of Thanksgiving
- 2 Samuel 23 - David's last words. His mighty men
- 2 Samuel 24 - David Takes a Census
- I Kings 1 - Adonijah's Rebellion and Solomon Anointed King
- I Kings 2 - David Counsels Solomon and David Goes To Be With The Lord
- I Chronicles 22 - David Prepares For The Temple Building
Old Testament Timeline:
The Great Flood: 2300 BC, Jacob’s family moves to Egypt: 1880 BC, The Exodus: 1450 BC, David Anointed King of Israel: 1050 BC, Prophecies of Isaiah: 750 BC.
David’s Spiritual Life
David knew the Lord and the Lord described his as “a man after my own heart”. He had the right attitude toward God. David never practiced idolotry as many other kings of Israel did and he kept the nation from it during his reign. He demonstrated great insight into God's sovereignty and providence working in his life.
Sin Has Consequences
David had a troubled life. King Saul had persecuted him during his early adulthood (Book of ! Samuel). He was on the run for about 10 years and often hid in the wilderness.
After he became king of Israel, David committed some terrible sins including adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. After that, constant trouble came to him from his own family.
The Lord forgave him for his sins. But the sins he committed had lifelong consequences. His life from that point on is very tragic and sorrowful.
The same is true for us. The Lord forgives our sins when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior. We have eternal life and we are going to be with the Lord in eternity. However our sins have consequences in this life and God does not necessarily make those consequences go away when we repent. We need to pray and ask him for forgiveness and the ability to deal with the consequences.
David knew the Lord when he committed these great sins. He was already a saved man. When we are saved, the Lord counts us righteous in his sight. The righteousness of Christ is applied to our account. However from that point until we are resurrected we have 2 natures: a divine nature and a human nature. And during this life, the sins that we commit, although forgiven, do have consequences. You can see in the life of David that he also had these 2 natures.
God Continued To Work In David’s Life
David is a good example of the proper attitude to take when we sin. First of all he repented once he recognized his sin. The Lord forgave David, but he received stern chastening. That’s how God deals with his children. He loves them and that love demands that he correct their behavior as any loving Father should correct his children. Yet David recognized that God continued to work in his life. He found rest, peace and strength in the God of his salvation. The Lord does not promise to make our troubles go away. Instead he promises to bring us through them. The lesson of David is finding peace in the midst of trouble.
David’s Final Years
David’s last years were full of trust in God. It shows a peaceful end to a troubled life.
Introduction | 2 Samuel 1-4 | 2 Samuel 5 | 2 Samuel 6 | 2 Samuel 7 | 2 Samuel 8 | 2 Samuel 9 | 2 Samuel 11 | 2 Samuel 12 | 2 Samuel 13-14 | 2 Samuel 15-17 | 2 Samuel 18-19 | 2 Samuel 20-21 | 2 Samuel 22 | 2 Samuel 23 | 2 Samuel 24