17-2 Samuel 3 – 20

2 Samuel 3 – 20

Apr. 18, 2009

We will begin this week’s study in 2 Samuel 3. At the end of last week we talked about the civil war that was fought in Palestine after the death of King Saul. David had become king of Judah, and Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was installed as king over Israel. The commanders over both kings’ armies fought for control over the kingdom. This week in the beginning of Chapter 3 we learn that the house of David was winning the war, while the house of Saul was becoming weaker. The text also mentions that six sons were born to David in Hebron. Abner the commander of Ish-bosheth’s army had a disagreement with the king over a concubine of his father Saul. Ish-bosheth accused Abner of an improper relationship with the woman. Abner became very upset with Ish-bosheth and decided to switch his allegiance to King David. He had messengers sent to Hebron to tell David of his decision. David was pleased but required his first wife, Michal to be brought to him before Abner would be accepted. Abner did this and went to David. Abner had convinced the elders of Israel to side with him and David. David accepted Abner and sent him away in peace. Joab returned to Hebron with David’s army and much spoil and heard about Abner. He was very upset and believed Abner had come to spy on them and find out their weakness. Joab sent messengers to Abner to have him return to Hebron. When he arrived Joab met Abner privately and killed him to avenge his brother Asahel who Abner killed in the battle at Gibeon. When David heard that Abner was dead he mourned his loss. All of Israel then knew that David had nothing to do with the murder of Abner. In Chapter 4 when Ish-bosheth heard that Abner had been murdered he lost courage and the people of Israel became concerned. Ish-bosheth had two men who were commanders over two parts of his army named Baanah and Rechab. The text then for some reason inserts a verse that tells us that Saul‘s son Jonathan had a five year old son. When word came that Saul and Jonathan were dead, the boys nurse took him and fled. During their escape the boy fell and became lame. The boy’s name was Mephibosheth. The text goes back to the story in verse five. Baanah and Rechab came to the house of Ish-bosheth when he was taking his midday rest and killed him and removed his head. The men escaped with the severed head and traveled all night to reach David. I believe they wanted to gain favor with the inevitable king. When David was shown the head of Ish-bosheth he killed Baanah and Rechab and buried the head with Abner. David told the two men in Chapter 4:9-11 “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,when one told me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.“How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hand and destroy you from the earth?” After Ish-bosheth was dead the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron and swore their allegiance to him. The people remembered that it was David during the reign of Saul who delivered Israel from their enemies. They made a covenant with David before the Lord and anointed him King over all of Israel and Judah. David became king when he was thirty years old and reigned for forty years. He reigned over Judah in Hebron for six and one half years and over both Judah and Israel for thirty three years in Jerusalem. David and his men then went to Jerusalem to go against the Jebusites. The Lord was with David and even though the inhabitants of the city taunted him with their strength, David and his men took the city. He established his capital their and renamed his stronghold the City of David. David expanded the city and prospered. David then realized that the Lord had made him king over Israel and had increased his kingdom. David took for himself more wives and concubines in Jerusalem and had more sons and daughters. At the end of Chapter 5 it is recorded that the Philistines heard that David had become king over all of Israel and set out to go against them again. David again met the threat and defeated the Philistines. In Chapter 6 David gathered thirty thousand men to bring the Ark of the Covenant from Kiriath-jearim, where it had been for the past twenty years, to Jerusalem. God was so far out of the picture in Israel that His dwelling place with His people was left in an out of the way place. They placed the Ark on a new cart and all the people including David celebrated before the Lord with all kinds of musical instruments. When the cart carrying the Ark came to the threshing floor of Nacon, which was a hill, the oxen nearly upset the cart and caused the Ark to fall. Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark and was struck dead in anger by the Lord. The people did not treat the Ark with the proper respect. It was only to be hand carried on specified poles by Levites from the family of Kohath. The Ark was not to be carried on a cart by oxen, or touched by just anyone. David was angry with God because He had killed Uzzah. He did not know how to get the Ark to Jerusalem. David was afraid to move the Ark. Instead of looking in the law for the proper way to transport the Ark, he left it where it was with the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. The family of Obed-edom was blessed by the Lord for the three months they were in possession of the Ark. When David found out the Lord had blessed Obed-edom and all that was his he realized it was now alright to retrieve the Ark. The Ark was brought to Jerusalem with sacrifices and dancing for joy. David danced with all his might before the Lord as the Ark was brought through the gates of Jerusalem. His first wife Michal saw him dancing and leaping from her window and was embarrassed by his actions. David brought the Ark of the Covenant to a tent he had pitched for it in the city. He sacrificed burnt offerings and gave the people each three cakes to eat. One was bread, one was made with dates, and one was made with raisins. (Other translations of the Bible read that David gave the people a cake of bread, a good piece of beef, and a flagon of wine) I believe that either way David wanted this to be a great celebration. When David came to his own home to bless it, his wife Michal met him and told him of her embarrassment. David rebuked her and she spent the rest of her life childless for her actions. In Chapter 7 sometime after the Ark had been brought to Jerusalem David began to feel guilty that he had a large elaborate home to live in, but the Lord dwelled in a tent. David desired to build a house for the Lord. Nathan the prophet told David to do what he wanted, but God came to Nathan that night and told him different thing. God said these words to Nathan to relay to David in Chapter 7:5-16“Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? “For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle.“Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?” “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel.“I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.“I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly,even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you.“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, 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 a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men,but My loving-kindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.“Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” David understood who God is and prayed a prayer of worship and thanksgiving to Him. The Lord was with David and he prospered over his enemies. The spoils from the victories increased his personal wealth and the wealth of his kingdom. David’s kingdom was then fully established and he surrounded himself with faithful men for his administration. During a time of peace in Israel David remembered his promise to Saul and Jonathan. He had sworn an oath with each of them that he would take care of their descendants after he became king. The house of Saul was mostly destroyed during the civil war that occurred after his death. David asked if any of Saul’s family still lived for Jonathan’s sake. A former servant of Saul, Ziba, told David that Jonathan had a remaining son who was crippled in both feet named Mephibosheth. We first heard of him back in Chapter 4. David had Mephibosheth brought to him and he restored all the land that belonged to his grandfather to him. David treated Mephibosheth as one of his own sons. David was given word, it is recorded in Chapter 10, that the king of the Ammonites had died and his son had taken over the throne. David sent messengers to comfort the new king’s loss because his father had been an enemy of Saul. Maybe David wanted to make an alliance with Ammon. The new king was given bad advice about David and was told the messengers had come to spy on them. He humiliated David’s men by cutting off half of their beards and cutting their clothing so their backsides were exposed. These things were signs of great disrespect in those days. David was told what had been done to his men and went to Jericho to meet them. He told them to remain there until their beards had a chance to grow. The Ammonites realized what they had done and were afraid of David and Israel’s strength. They hired two bands of Arameans to protect them from David. David sent his commander Joab and his army to fight the Ammonites. The Ammonites and their Aramean mercenaries surrounded the army of Israel. Joab divided his forces and went against the enemy. Joab and the mighty men of Israel had another victory that day. We are now at Chapter 11 and the account of King David’s greatest sin. While his army was away fighting the Ammonites David stayed behind. One evening while David was walking on his roof he saw a woman bathing nearby. The woman was beautiful and David found her to be very desirable to him. He asked who she was and someone said that she was Bathsheba the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Uriah was a soldier in David’s army and was away fighting the Ammonites for him at the time. David sent for the wife of Uriah and committed adultery with her. She then returned to her home. Sometime later she came to David and told him she was pregnant with his child. David was afraid of what the people would think and tried to figure out a way to make the child seem to be Uriah’s. He had Uriah brought from the battle to bring him news. David wanted him to spend the night at home with his wife. Uriah was an honorable man and would not accept pleasure while his fellow soldiers were at the front. He stayed outside. David tried everything but Uriah would not dishonor God or his fellow soldiers. David then thought up a different plan. He sent Uriah back to the war with a note that would cause his death. Joab was told in the message to place Uriah the Hittite in the front line of battle where the fiercest fighting was and leave him there. Uriah was killed by the enemy. David had orchestrated the murder of Uriah to cover up his sin. When he was told of Uriah’s death he did not show remorse, but was glad his plan worked. After Uriah’s wife “mourned” the death of her husband, David sent for her and Bathsheba became his wife. David had hidden his sin from Israel, but not from the Lord. David’s sin with Bathsheba angered God and He sent Nathan the prophet to David to confront him. Nathan used a parable to help David realize what he had done. The story was recorded in Chapter 12:1-4 “There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him. “Now a traveler came to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” David heard the story and thought it was real. He was angry with the man who had killed the lamb and wanted to sentence him to death. He wanted the guilty man to pay restitution to the victim in accordance with the law. Nathan told David in Chapter 12:7-14 “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul.‘I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!‘Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.‘Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’“Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.‘Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.” David admitted his sin and told Nathan in verse 13 “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied to David in verse 14 “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.“However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.” Even though God spared David from his sin the child created from his sin would die. This should be an example to each of us today. Even though the Lord has forgiven our sins because of our belief in His Son, our sins do have consequences to us and those around us. To get an idea of how David reacted at this time is shown in Psalm 51 that he wrote about this event in his life. David’s child was born by Bathsheba, but became very sick. David fasted and prayed for seven days, and would not eat with his advisers. The child then died and David’s servants were afraid to tell him for fear of what he would do. David perceived the child was dead and he got up and purified himself and went into the house of the Lord to worship. His servants were confused by David’s behavior and asked him what he was doing. He told them in Chapter 12:22-23 “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me that the child may live.’“But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” After this he went to Bathsheba and comforted his wife. Bathsheba again conceived and produced for David a son. The boy was named Solomon. The text says the Lord loved Solomon and the prophet Nathan named him Jedidiah, or “beloved of the Lord” for the Lord’s sake. There was another war with the Ammonites and again Israel was victorious. After this time, in Chapter 13, the text tells us a story of a disgraceful thing that happened in the family of King David. David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Tamar’s half-brother Amnon lusted after her, and desired her so much he became sick. The law forbade sexual relationships between siblings. Jonadab, a friend of Amnon, and the son of one of David’s older brothers, found out what was troubling his friend and devised a scheme for him to get what he wanted. Jonadab told Amnon to fake sickness and ask for Tamar to bring him food in his bedchamber. Normally unmarried virgins were supervised and protected from other men. This thing was only possible because Tamar was Amnon’s sister. Tamar prepared the food and brought it to Amnon. She did not desire Amnon, and when Amnon reached for her she told him not to do this shameful thing to her. Amnon did not listen, and raped his half-sister. Amnon hated her for what he had done, and when Tamar left she put ashes on her head and tore her clothes in anguish. Her brother Absalom found out what happened and brought Tamar to his home to protect her. David also heard and became very angry. Absalom did not say anything, but hated Amnon for what he had done. Two years later Absalom had his revenge on Amnon by having him killed. Absalom’s servants fled to David and told him that Absalom had killed all his sons. The truth finally came out that only Amnon was dead in revenge for what happened to Tamar. Absalom fled away from his father and stayed away for three years. David mourned for his missing son Absalom. After the three years had passed, Joab wanted to bring Absalom back to David. David missed his son, but was afraid of what his people would do to him. Absalom was guilty of the murder of his brother Amnon. Joab sent to Tekoa for a wise woman to speak to David. Joab put the words to a story in the woman’s mouth to tell David. She told David a tale of her two sons who bore a striking resemblance to Absalom and Amnon. She asked the king to spare her son who committed the murder from the avenger of blood who was after him. David perceived that Joab had given her the story and she confessed to him. David was not angry with Joab, but sent him to get Absalom from Gesher. David should not have saved his son, but let him face the punishment the law required. Absalom had not repented, and at least David had him placed under house arrest when he came. Absalom was not satisfied in his pardon and asked Joab several times to be taken to his father. Joab refused and Absalom had his servants set fire to Joab’s field and burn up his barley crop. Joab went to Absalom and realized he would be forced to grant Absalom’s request. Joab brought Absalom to David after he was in Jerusalem for two years. When they met Absalom faked remorse and was accepted by his father. In Chapter 15 Absalom had been restored and plotted to steal the kingdom from his father. He would awaken early and go to the city gate and judge the people. By acting the part the text says that Absalom “stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” After a period of time, (the text reads forty years, but there is some question about the accuracy of that number. Other translations read four instead of forty, and some other manuscripts say that it was forty days instead of years) Absalom asked his father’s permission to go to Hebron to pay a vow to the Lord. David let him go in peace. When Absalom arrived in Hebron he had prearranged to have a large group of men shout “Absalom is king in Hebron” when a trumpet blast was heard. With this deception Absalom took over the kingdom of Israel from his father. David was afraid of the power his son had over the people and fled with the Ark of the Covenant from Jerusalem. David went up on the Mount of Olives and wept. David met Hushai and had him go to Absalom and fake allegiance to thwart his plans. David met Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, on his way from the summit. Ziba had food and drink for David. He lied and told the king that his master was going to restore the kingdom of his grandfather for himself that day. David was angry and gave Ziba all that belonged to Mephibosheth. Meanwhile Absalom entered Jerusalem and came to his father’s house. He followed the advice of Ahithophel and went in and slept with David’s concubines establishing his claim to the kingdom. Hushai, who had been sent to Absalom, warned David of his son’s plans allowing him to escape. In Chapter 18 David numbered his men and went up against Absalom. He asked his commanders to be careful with Absalom and not to let him be killed. David’s soldiers routed Israel that day and were victorious over Absalom’s soldiers. When Absalom fled from his father’s servants on his mule his head got caught in the fork of a tree. The mule continued to walk and left Absalom hanging in the branches. When David’s servants reached him they told Joab. He was angry that they were afraid to kill Absalom because of David’s request to his commanders. Joab took the matter into his own hands and struck Absalom through his heart with three spears. Absalom was still alive at that time. They took his body down and threw it into a pit and covered him with a great heap of stones. When David was told of the death of Absalom he was stricken with grief. He lamented that he should have died instead of him. In Chapter 19 Joab came to David and told him he was shaming the people that fought for him and loved him with his grief for his traitorous son. David listened and went to the city gate to have his enemies brought before him. David used wisdom and pardoned the men who led Absalom’s armies and gained the respect of the people. Mephibosheth also came to David to tell him he had been deceived by Ziba. He had wanted to come to David but could not because he was lame. David partly believed him and divided Saul’s old land between Mephibosheth and Ziba. We will end our study this week in Chapter 20. Through all the trouble David had lost some of the control he used to have over the kingdom. A man of Benjamin named Sheba started a revolt against David. The king decided to send his old enemies out to squash the revolt of Sheba. Amasa did not follow David’s orders correctly, so he sent Abishai instead. When David’s enforcer Joab came to Amasa he pretended to greet him. While doing this he actually killed him with his sword. Joab then pursued Sheba and killed him also putting down the revolt. This ends our study for this week. Next week we will finish up the Book of 1 Samuel and the life of David, and Begin the Book of 1 Kings, and the reign of David’s son Solomon.