2 Samuel

2 Samuel

Saul killed. David killed the messenger who had admitted that he killed Saul at Saul’s request. Messenger an Amalekite.

David enquired of the Lord who told him to go to Hebron and there proclaimed king.

Abner, Captain of Saul’s army took Saul’s son Ishbosheth and declared him king over Gilead, Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.

But Judah followed David

Intrigue and diabolical plotting within the realms…

Abner who had set Ishbosheth to rule now went into Saul’s widowed concubine. When Ishbosheth called him on it, Abner defected to David. When David accepted him, it incensed Joab, one of David’s faithful men.

Joab took Abner aside and gained retribution against him for the killing of Joab’s brother Asahel. BUT…  Joab did it in Hebron which was one of the “cities of refuge” set up by Joshua so many years before. David issued a curse against Joab and his progeny which brought David anguish because Joab was the son of his half- sister (a nephew of David)

Back in Israel, Ishbosheth was weak and fearful. Two assassins from the tribe of Benjamin, (captains in Ishbosheth’s own army), Baanah and Recab snuck in at midday one day and, finding Ishbosheth in his bed (most likely asleep); stabbed Ishbosheth in the abdomen (the same way that Joab had murdered Abner.) They then carried Ishbosheth’s head to King David.

Introduced to Mephibosheth, the younger brother of Jonathon, son of Saul. Remember how Jonathon was a close friend and ally of David’s. When news came that Jonathon and Saul were dead, Mephibosheth’s nanny fled with him (he was 5) and on the way she dropped him, causing him to be disabled from that time one (lame in his feet). This intro of him is to help us understand later the ‘rest of the story when David takes him in.)

Back to the two assassins… when they had delivered the head to David, he had the two of them killed, their hands and feet cut off and then their bodies were hung in the square (as a warning).

CHAP 5 – In Hebron David is made King over a reunified Israel. He is 30 years old and reigns 40 years.

 

 

David’s reign 1010 to 970 BC

2 Samuel written at about 925 BC                             Exile of Israel 722 BC

Chap 5:6 to 9:13 – David’s kingship – its accomplishments and glory

Chap 10-20          – David’s kingship – its weaknesses and failures

Chap 21-24          – Final reflections on David’s reign

Mt. Zion – The City of David and the Jebusite city Mt. Ophel

David had promised a Command in Chief spot to whomever could find a way to assault and enter the Jebusite City, which Joab did through the sinnor (watershaft) 2 Sam 5:8 which led from the water outside the city to the reservoirs inside the city.

Quick discussion about Hezekiah’s tunnel 720 BC impending siege by Assyrians, Hezekiah had two teams bone beginning at the Gihon springs outside the city and the other by the pool of Siloam inside the city (the pool where the angel stirred up the water to heal the first one in, during Jesus’ day)

This is almost three hundred years AFTER David’s men find a tunnel that runs from the spring outside to inside… how could that be…?? In 1899 a different tunnel was located (Hezekiah’s tunnel was found by archeologist Edward Robinson in 1838). Hezekiah’s two teams met in the middle exactly as planned after digging a tunnel that is 533 meters long (580 yards). If that isn’t miraculous, imagine that it is a curving tunnel once inside and there is only a 0.6% grade (there is only a difference of 30 cm difference (just less than 12 inches) in height from each top and bottom.  Inside was an inscription that dated it to Hezekiah and other evidence existed as well.

This second one found in 1899 is called the Middle Bronze Age tunnel and is much smaller but a man could still stand in it. It also ran from Gihon to Siloam being dug in about 1800 BC and covered with large stone and slabs. The 1800 date is over 800 years BEFORE David and his men show up and this could be the shaft that Joab found.

He consolidated the two cities.

He returned the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

Michal, David’s first wife rebuked him for his celebrating. David defended his actions and separated from Michal so she never had children, no heir to the throne

2 Samuel        

 

David wanted to build the Temple but God denied him. His son Solomon would do that. David spent much time, effort and resources into making certain there would be supplies and money enough to build the Temple when Solomon was king.

Book recounts many military battles, Moabites and Arameans.

Chap 9 – David’s kindness to Mephibosheth, once he hears of his presence. He was to always dine at the King’s table and certain of David’s men were to plow and plant Mephibosheth’s fields then harvest them.

Chap 10 – Ammonite ruler shames messengers from David. Ammonites and Arameans brought under control of David eventually

Chap 11 David’s sin with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, eventually David told Joab to put Uriah in the line of fire at a continuing battle with the Ammonites.

God took the life of the child.

However, Solomon was born of Bathsheba and became king.

David’s children and the curse God gave concerning the sword not leaving his family.

Amnon’s rape of his half-sister, Tamar. Absalom’s murder of Amnon to revenge his sister’s rape.

David is compelled to show mercy on Absalom and exile him rather than kill him for the murder and eventually it would bite him back as Absalom tried to take his throne.

Eventually a fierce battle between Absalom’s forces and David’s led by Joab was carried on in the Forest of Ephraim which was bleak and dangerous. As many or more were killed from the elements as in the battle. Absalom trying to escape by mule got himself hung up in the branches of a tree. A soldier of David’s found him and followed the King’s command not to harm him. Joab however struck him with three javelins and then surrounding officers beat him to a pulp to make sure he had died.

Ahimaaz wants to tell the King of the victory. Joab says no and sends and Ethiopian instead either because he knew more direct information or Joab saw him as ‘expendable’ because the bearers of news such as Absalom’s death could be fatal.  Eventually though Ahimaaz went too and outran the Ethiopian. (There’s a race you do NOT want to win!) Ahimaaz

 

2 Samuel

 

did. Ahimaaz told everything except about Absalom. Joab was deeply hurt that David was more concerned about Absalom’s death than in Joab’s loyalty and victory.

David is restored to King but he demotes Joab from commander because of his constant questioning his authority. He gives the job to Amasa. Joab and Amasa are cousins, both nephews of David. Enraged, Joab while with the army on the road five miles north of Jerusalem, Joab hugs Amasa to greet and congratulate him and at the same time kills him with his dagger, drags his body to the side of the road and leaves it there for the army to have to march past. After finding and getting a revolutionary (Sheba) killed, Joab then returned with Sheba’s head to Jerusalem where David accepted him, even having killed Amasa.

2 Sam 24:18-25 – David’s repentance for numbering the people that led to a famine. To go to the threshing floor of Araunah, there he bought the floor, sacrificed the oxen bought from Araunah along with the floor and it was on that spot that he built an altar. That is the same place where in ancient days, Abraham offered up his son Isaac, saved by the ram in the bushes. It is on that same spot where Solomon built the temple.