2 Samuel 22:1-51
Psalm 18
David’s song is a wonderful
acknowledgment of God’s deliverances and His attributes. Psalm 18 opens with a simple “I love You,
Lord.” This, more than anything else,
describes the motivation for writing. David
is inspired by the Holy Spirit, while he is overwhelmed by the realization that
God is responsible.
At one point he breaks into
the reason God has saved him, and it seems to be all self-focus all of a
sudden. But it seems to me all of this
must be a reference to imputed righteousness – the righteousness of God – his
Redeemer, Savior, and Lord – Jesus. His
references are more like a description of Jesus than of David. Perhaps at the point of his writing he had
kept himself from sin for some given period, but we know he succumbed to
temptation and that is why I have to believe this is yet one more reference by
David to his Lord. Because the next
verse following this group refers to faith (vs. 26).
2 Samuel 24:1-9
1 Chronicles 21:1-6
2 Samuel 24:10-17
1 Chronicles 21:7-17
2 Samuel 24:18-25
1 Chronicles
This is a challenging section
of Scripture for several reasons. One is
that the differences between the same account in 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles are
more pronounced than anything before.
And another reason is one of those differences involves the question of
who caused David to sin. 2 Samuel states
that God caused it; 1 Chronicles states that Satan caused it; but both indicate
that David performed the sin and is held responsible. I wonder about the translators’ choice of the
word “caused.” But regardless of its
accuracy there can only be one logical reconciliation that is compatible with
the context of the Bible as a whole.
God is sovereign and
everything that happens, happens either by His explicit decree or His
allowance. Nothing escapes His attention
despite some of the anthropomorphisms that might cause us to think
otherwise. So God causes that which is
done by Satan only in the sense that He will withdraw His restraint on Satan to
allow Satan to tempt, but David most certainly made the choice to succumb to
that temptation.
1 Chronicles 23:1-25:31
The work of God should not be
approached haphazardly. Sometimes we
read of David and other colorful Bible characters with colorful stories and we
miss the day-to-day disciplines. We
begin to think in a cartoon world – a world of theatrics. This section helps us to see the great but
detailed administration required to properly fulfill God’s mandates for
service. The tasks were large, broad,
and at times complex. And the number of
Levites was large and specific by clans, families, leaders, etc.
The priesthood is clearly
defined as well with Zadok and Ahimilech responsible for the division of
ministry assignments. There is not a
hint of conflict as some liberals would have us believe.
And of course David insured
that the music ministry would be just as carefully administrated and
Bible-centered.
1 Chronicles 26:1-28:21
There is a brief but strong focus
on Obed-edom and his descendants for 3 generations. We were previously told that he was blessed
because the Ark was diverted to his house by David for a few months. Now, we are shown at least some of the
details and scope of that blessing. They
were strong, able, and valiant.
Obed-edom, along with others
and their descendants were designated as gatekeepers. This appears to involve a number of duties,
including guarding and administrating the
David had forces designated
to rotate by month in groups of 24,000 to perform in accordance with David’s
direction. David called all the leaders,
dignitaries, and mighty men together and made clear to them that Solomon would
build a
1 Chronicles 29:1-22
1 Kings 1:1-53
We have a whirlwind of
activity in this section but it seems to cover a longer period of time than
first thought. David’s commitment of
resources is amazing and then the commitment of people is uplifting. I am surprised that even though David
announces to this massive assembly that Solomon is chosen by God as the next
king, later when David is very old, Adonijah makes a play for the throne. I guess he was counting on poor
memories. Even more shocking are the
people who followed Adonijah, like Joab.
When the king says, “God has chosen...” it should be heeded - especially
when God’s prophet heeds.
The theology in David’s
prayer of praise is rich and revealing.
David acknowledges everything as coming from God, placing all the
wonderful actions of the people in proper perspective. David mentions only one thing that God
rejoices over when He “finds” it – integrity.
Of course, we know that ultimately we owe all to God, including
integrity.
1 Kings 2:1-9
2 Samuel 23:1-7
1 Kings
1 Chronicles 29:26-30
Psalms 4-6
Psalms 8-9, 11
This section gives us several
undated Psalms that reveal the most intimate feelings of David toward God and
his passion against evil and those who love doing evil.
But before we get started
with them, we have David’s final instructions to Solomon. These instructions included a review of the
Davidic Covenant. This covenant was initiated
by God to David, and was partially conditional.
The conditions most strongly refer to Solomon’s descendants. A study of the genealogy of Luke subtly
reveals the results of the breach of this covenant. We discover that the blood relationship that
Jesus has to David is through David’s son Nathan; not through Solomon.
David’s final instructions
also include how to deal with those who had done evil and thought they had
escaped, namely Joab and Shimei. Solomon
will have to deal with this and other “housekeeping” items before he gets into
full swing in his work as king.
Psalms 12-17
Psalms 19-21
The reading today includes
Psalms of praise, Psalms of thanksgiving, of petition, of desperation, and of
faith. They are not dated so we can only
guess at the time of their writing.
Psalm 12 is a prayer for the
oppressed and includes a response from God.
It is an expression of great confidence in the compassion and justice of
God. Psalm 13 is a cry of desperation
and a reaffirmation of faith in God’s love.
Psalm 14 is quoted by Paul and I think others. It challenges theology by stating that no one
does good in the whole human race but then differentiating between those who do
good and those who do evil. It seems the
only reconciliation is the fact that all are born in sin and choose sinfulness,
and yet many turn to God and become God’s people. Psalm 15 reinforces this. Psalm 16 is an expression of commitment,
delight, and confidence in the Lord and includes a Messianic prophecy. Psalm 17 is a prayer of utter dependence on
God and a petition for His intervention.
Psalm 19 reminds us that all are without excuse because the heavens
declare God’s glory to the entire world, and His Law is written in our hearts. Psalm 20 is a beautiful benediction. Psalm 21 is thanksgiving for the king. What a wondrous reading from God’s Word!
Psalms 22-26
I wonder about the chronology
of these Psalms, because of the various ways David refers to personal sin and
personal righteousness. I am just
thinking of which ones were written before his sins regarding Bathsheba and her
husband were found out. I also think of
his sin regarding the census.
This section is very rich
with Messianic prophecy in the form of Psalms and begins by bursting forth with
the words our Lord cried on the cross in the time of deepest agony. Psalm 22 gives us several of the events of
the cross. Psalm 23 is a glorious song
of testimony regarding all the resplendent mercies of the Lord. His love is limitless and relentless. Psalm 24 tells us who may enter God’s
presence and without our knowledge of Christ, it would surely leave us feeling
hopeless. But instead David bursts with
praise, and continues through Psalms 25 and 26 with praise, prayer, testimony,
and adoration. It finishes perfectly
with, “I have taken a stand, and I will publicly praise the Lord.”
Psalms 27-32
Psalm 27 begins with
testimony that expresses confidence in the salvation and protection of the
Lord. The writer even recites some
things that he asks of the Lord such as dwelling in His house forever. And then as if this has inspired or turned
his attention more directly to God, he begins to pray personally. [O’ God, only You can keep me from
falling. Only You can sustain me and
protect me from those who would harm me.]
This is followed by exhortation of others to patience for the Lord. Psalm 28 is prayer, praise, and
thanksgiving. Psalm 29 is great
exhortation to praise, encouraging the readers to tremble and then be confident
because of the voice of the Lord.
I think David’s prayers
nearly always refer to his physical enemies, but they are perfectly applicable
to his spiritual enemies and are especially useful (in that regard) to us. Psalms 30, 31, and 32 are cries of praise,
testimony, and petition. Psalm 32:5
blesses me greatly, i.e. “confess my rebellion,” “You forgave,” and “guilt is
gone.” May it be so, Lord!
Psalms 35-38
Psalm 35 is what is called an
imprecatory prayer. David prays that God
will destroy his enemies. He imagines a variety
of ways to overcome his enemies, as well as a variety of ways to protect
him. And David promises praise and
testimony in return.
David considers his enemies
in Psalm 36, but especially (and beautifully), he considers the Lord. He magnifies God’s love and grace to all
mankind. Psalm 36 is a prayer (no
adjectives needed).
Psalm 37 is a sermon, using
first person for testimonials, second person for emphatic exhortations, and
third person for his references to the Lord as well as what can be expected
from the Lord. There are many familiar
quotes in this section but often they are misapplied to support
“health-wealth-and-prosperity” theology.
This is a shame, because many that God loves will not enjoy these things
until after this life.
David prays in great anguish
in Psalm 38, confessing his sins and pleading for God’s mercy.
Psalms 39-41
Psalms 53, 55, 58
There are so many striking
statements or pleas in Psalm 39, I don’t know how to capture them here. David had a clear perspective of the brevity
of earthly life. And yet, he seems to
misunderstand the eternality of human existence. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit inspired him to
pen his perception for our benefit. I
think we are given a lens here revealing how far man’s understanding of God’s
purpose has come. When David cries out
to God, “Rescue me from my rebellion…” it goes straight to my heart, because I
think the greatest evil to pray against is not demons or people, but the
inclinations of my flesh. My most
destructive enemy (my flesh) belongs on a cross. My most redeeming Friend did not. But He went to the cross anyway. Lord help me to take up my cross daily and follow
You. Psalm 40 continues the prayer along
with testimony of confidence in God.
David says, “the Lord is thinking about me right now.” I love that.
Psalm 41 includes a powerful stanza about the wisdom of giving. Psalm 53 is a powerful testimony of the
depravity of man, and the foolishness and futility of atheism. Psalm 55 includes continued prayer for help
and rises and falls in varying crescendos of testimony, exhortation, and
imprecation. That leads in to Psalm 58
effectively because Psalm 58 is almost all praying of imprecatory feelings.
Psalms 61-62
Psalms 64-67
We have several Psalms of
amazing intimacy and two that do not appear to be written by David. David consistently acknowledges God’s
dependability, faithfulness, and unfailing love. At one point he asks God to “not withdraw His
unfailing love.” I think we learn here
that “unfailing” does not mean “unwithdrawable.” That should sober us and we should pray
likewise. His statement touched me,
“don’t make wealth the center of your life.”
David prays much about his
enemies and while I suppose he speaks primarily about physical enemies, I find
myself relating it to my spiritual enemies.
There are many indicators that David’s biggest concern was his spiritual
enemies as well.
David is not afraid to
“blame” certain things on God, because of his confidence in God’s
sovereignty. But David understood the
importance of confessing sins. Psalm 67
is a marvelous prayer of benediction.
Psalms 68-70
Psalm 86
Psalm 101
This section is dominated by
David’s powerful (but pitiful) pleas and by his majestic praise. I especially enjoy the beginning and end,
with Psalm 68 and Psalm 101. The first
is a mighty cry to God to arise against those who intend harm to Jerusalem and
to God’s people. Such enemies still
exist today in the spiritual realm and we are not a match without God’s
intervention. Psalm 101 is a sobering
commitment to God, and it has a striking currency about it. It could have been written today without
adjustment. People and sin are the same
in every age.
Between these two Psalms are
three Psalms that are very important prayers for help. David calls to God. While there is a little bit of praise and
personal commitment, especially in Psalm 69, David primarily relates his pathetic
position, his great need, and of course this in itself reflects powerfully on
God’s marvelous abilities and great mercy.
“Pull me out of the mud; don’t let me sink any deeper!” Kind of says it all, doesn’t it?
Psalm 103
Psalms 108-110
Psalms 122, 124
We begin with praise –
wonderful praise – general praise – and specific praise (heals diseases,
merciful, gracious, etc.). And we end
with a testimonial and benediction to the Lord.
Psalm 103 is perhaps the most thorough and perfectly orchestrated praise
in the Bible. It gives one of the rare
Old Testament presentations of God as a Father.
And it ties in seamlessly with Psalm 108, which is a little more
diverse, including an exhortation and prayer for deliverance.
Psalm 109 seems to follow
smoothly, at least until it arrives at verse 6 where David begins with 20 plus
verses of imprecation on his enemies – about as detailed as anywhere I have
seen. From about verse 16 to 18, he
gives the reason for wanting this enemy dealt with in such a manner and it
becomes a little more understandable.
Like so many other imprecatory prayers, it speaks most powerfully to us
when we realize we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Psalm 110 seems to indicate that David has
been intimate with Jesus and knows Him as Lord and understands the Trinity. Psalm 122 prays for the peace of Jerusalem.
Psalms 131, 133
Psalms 138-141, 143
What do we have - a simple
man or a complex man loving his God? We
only have a man loving his God. David
openly demonstrates on his ascent to Jerusalem that which he knows God is near
to – brokenness. May our souls be as
small children. This leads well to the
valuation of harmony. Psalm 133 could be
a companion chapter to the Epistles of John where brotherly love is so strongly
recognized. Psalm 138 is simply a prayer
of confidence in the Lord. David
expresses the Lord’s sovereignty, the eternal durability of His love, and then
asks the Lord not to abandon him. Psalm
139 is possibly the most powerful illustration of God’s sovereignty. But no where can we be convinced that God’s
foreknowledge has not included contingencies.
What we can be convinced of is that all the contingencies in my life
have all been sovereignly answered and orchestrated for my good and the good of
others who love God. The reason that
prayer is for my good is because God says it should be so and because He
commands us to pray. David prays for
protection from enemies in the last 3 Psalms in the reading today.
Psalms 144-145
Psalms 88-89
At this writing I am
submerged in stressful situations. God
shows such matters in perspective through the Psalms. David prays against his enemies and for his
sons. He prays for health, wealth, and
prosperity, but mostly he praises God; knowing God makes one happy over all
else.
Psalm 145 is especially
uplifting because it is saturated with the acknowledgment of God and His
attributes. It speaks especially well
for me this day because “He is gracious in all He does” and because “the Lord
helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.” He is righteous and filled with
kindness. My load has been heavy but it
is lighter this morning.
In Psalm 88 Heman is very
needy but he seems determined to hang on no matter what in his confidence in
the Lord. But Ethan is a joyous singer
in Psalm 89. I love his statement,
“Happy are those who hear the call to worship.”
This leads well into his prayer for his king. “Blessed be the Lord forever!”
Psalm 50
Psalms 73-74
Psalm 50 opens with 6 verses
of introduction. Asaph introduces God
Who is about to speak. His introduction
is beautiful and powerful. God
emphasizes the importance of the heart.
It is not really the sacrifice of animals that He desires, but it is
trust, and thanksgiving that God may be glorified. God calls for repentance from those who have been
wicked and hypocritical. What
grace! He wants to reveal His salvation
and He will.
Psalm 73 is an interesting
exploration of the paradox of the wicked prospering. Asaph considers why the godly suffer while
the wicked live a life of ease. After a lengthy
examination, he turns the corner by saying, “Then one day I went into Your
sanctuary, o God…” This puts everything
in proper perspective. He realizes the
rich are on a slippery slope, in a dream that ends when they awake. Asaph recommits himself to God and to
evangelism. Psalm 74 is a sad tour of
the ruins of a conquered
Psalms 75-78
Asaph begins appropriately
with thanks to God before he writes of God’s greatness relative to the
foolishness of the proud. He quotes God
between his exhortations in what seems to be prophesying. Psalm 76 is a wonderful acknowledgment of
God’s greatness and glory. It begins
with 3 verses and ends with 2 verses – all exhorting and testifying of God’s
greatness. The middle verses are in 2nd
person and directed to God as a prayer of praise. In Psalm 77 Asaph prays in great personal
distress, but he turns the corner in verse 13 and gives to us one of the most
eloquent praise prayers in the Bible. I
love his reference to “a pathway no one knew was there.”
Psalm 78 is a more lengthy
account of the amazing “parenthood” of God as He cares for the fickled children
of
Psalm 79-82
All 4 of these Psalms are by
Asaph and all appear to be post-Exilic because
Psalm 83
1 Chronicles 29:23-25
2 Chronicles 1:1
1 Kings
2 Chronicles 1:2-6
1 Kings 3:5-15
2 Chronicles 1:7-13
Psalm 83 seems to fit oddly
here in this chronology. It is a prayer
against
Adonijah made a serious
miscalculation as he continued foolishly to put together a coup. Once Adonijah was killed, Joab knew the party
was over. He had pushed his boundaries
beyond the limits and payment was now due.
He had taken advantage of David’s staunch principles and kindness, but
he would not take advantage of Solomon.
Finally, Shimei discovered that Solomon’s grace had limits. He agreed to death as his punishment if he
disobeyed and then believed that time would make Solomon forget his agreement.
Solomon’s prayer for wisdom
should be a lesson to us all. May we
crave wisdom and knowledge more than wealth or fame.
1 Kings
1 Kings 5:1-18
2 Chronicles 2:1-18
1 Kings 6:1-13
2 Chronicles 3:1-14
1 Kings
We are given the illustration
of Solomon’s wisdom through the story of the 2 mothers, one with a dead baby
claiming that the live baby is hers.
Solomon craftily reveals the true mother of the living baby and it is
widely publicized.
The account of Hiram, king of
There is a brief account of
God’s covenant with Solomon and
1 Kings 7:1-51
2 Chronicles 3:15-4:22
1 Kings 6:38 of yesterday’s
reading tells us it took 7 years to build the Lord’s Temple and as far as I can
tell, Solomon followed the Lord’s instructions to the letter. But the very next verse, the first in today’s
reading tells us that Solomon took thirteen years to build a palace for
himself. The comparison appears to be
deliberate and perhaps revealing of an increasing pridefulness in Solomon. The comparison continues as the dimension of
just one building in his palace dwarfs the Lord’s
1 Kings 8:1-11
2 Chronicles 5:1-14
1 Kings
2 Chronicles 6:1-11
1 Kings
2 Chronicles 6:12-42
And so we come to the
dedication of the
This leads into the main body
of this section, which is Solomon’s prayer of dedication. It is unavoidable for me to read Solomon’s
blessing of the people and his blessing to God without recalling Solomon’s
future. I have read what comes after
this, and while there may be some reading here who have not, I nevertheless
have to mention: I do not understand how Solomon could pray the things he
prayed, believe the things he believed, and witness the things he witnessed;
and still allow his heart to be drawn after other gods. Perhaps I should be more tolerant in view of
my many failures, but to witness firsthand the presence of the Lord represented
by the cloud over the
In fact, his prayer of
dedication is so conditional in nature and so prophetic, that it actually
presents a curse on the future actions of
1 Kings
2 Chronicles 7:1-10
1 Kings 9:1-9
2 Chronicles 7:11-22
1 Kings
The prayer recorded here
sounds a little more like a benediction, but it still seems more a blessing to
God than to the people. Solomon’s
reference to the people seems more of a charge than a benediction.
The Lord honored the
activities with His presence. And when
the glorious presence of the Lord filled the
I just do not believe that
even God’s children will conduct themselves flippantly before His
presence. We should worship in reverence
and love. Indeed, in worship, one
without the other is bogus. When the
Lord speaks to Solomon, His words begin as a warning and seem to change to a
prophecy. Finally, I would love to know
more of the story of the 20 “worthless” towns.
2 Chronicles 8:1-18
1 Kings
2 Chronicles 9:1-12
1 Kings
2 Chronicles 9:13-28
2 Chronicles 1:14-17
This section represents what
some would call the brighter side of Ecclesiastes – having it all and doing it
all. Solomon not only had wisdom and
knowledge – he used it. And he did not
just use it in judging, advising, and writing; he used it to direct a building
campaign that drew the awe of world history.
The daughter of Pharaoh was swept into it by marriage; the Queen of
Sheba breathlessly admitted she had not believed what she was told and what she
was told was not half of the reality.
The amassing of wealth by
Solomon has had no parallel in history and even though God had promised wealth
along with wisdom, I wonder if God completed His promise well before Solomon
went beyond what God had in other places warned about. Could it be that Solomon amassed wealth that
would eventually bring grief to the Israelites?
I was also caught by Solomon’s dedication to the holy nature of the
palace as he moved his Egyptian wife out of town. This is a sharp contrast to his later
compromises.
1 Kings 4:1-34
Psalm 72
Psalm 127
The reference to Abiathar
seems misplaced because in chapter 2 he was deposed and replaced by Zadok, but
here in 1 Kings 4:4 he is listed along with Zadok as a priest. Verse 4 seems to be referring to the previous
scenario when Zadok and Abiathar did serve together.
It appears that the support
of the government of
Proverbs 1:1-4:27
The Proverbs are so unique in
that the book tells us its purpose from the very beginning. There is no subtlety or clever
interpretations necessary. It is just
straight-shooting guidance and it blasts out of the gate with what may be the
most important life verse for anybody, especially young people. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and
discipline.” Even today I read that and
am inspired afresh to rededicate myself to absorbing and teaching God’s
precepts.
Solomon then begins by
teaching young people the value of respect for parenting. It is the perfect lead-in to warnings about
sin and the deceitfulness of sinners.
One of Solomon’s most effective methods is his personification of
wisdom. He makes wisdom into a beautiful
woman who is very wise and desirable.
But I find that wisdom in these cases seems more nicely interchangeable
with Jesus than anything else. As it
turns out, this is actually a perfect picture of how the Church should view
Christ.
Proverbs 5:1-7:27
Solomon also seems to make
the symbol of an immoral woman the antithesis of wisdom. He is very clear about the deceit used by
such a woman. Solomon beautifully
advocates sex within a monogamous marriage.
Too bad he did not follow his own advice.
Solomon gives excellent
financial advice to young people regarding co-signing loans and laziness. And his warning is powerful and
sobering. We are given 7 things the Lord
hates and I am saddened because I have been found in that list. I am also happy because God’s grace rescued
me.
Solomon goes back to the
incalculable value of respecting parenting and leads into warnings about
thievery, then with extra emphasis, adultery.
This made me think back to his father David. Solomon is so vivid in his warnings about
seductive, murderous women, he seems to write from experience.
Proverbs 8:1-10:32
We continue with the female
personification of wisdom and this time another gal is introduced, Folly. When Wisdom speaks, I continue to think of
Christ but it may be more than what is being said. Certainly it is an attribute of God and in
fact all true wisdom is the architect at God’s side when He marked off the
foundation of the earth.
The deceptive ways of Folly
are highlighted, offering only pleasures to all who pass, but in the end
delivering only death. Chapter 10 gets
much more specific in its comparison of Wisdom and Folly by comparing good
people (and their situations) with bad people (and their situations).
I especially like the verse
(24), “The fear of the wicked will all come true; so will the hopes of the
godly.” This is worthy of being a “life
verse” and should offer much comfort in trials.
Proverbs 11:1-13:25
This section catches it all –
the actions and results of the godly, wise, generous, and good versus the
wicked, foolish, stingy, and evil. One
very simplistic and succinct statement that may very well be the heart of this
section and maybe even the whole Bible is 11:19 – Godly people find life; evil
people find death.
There are radical concepts
presented here that tend to fly in the face of our humanistic American culture,
such as 11:24 – It is possible to live freely and become more wealthy, but
those who are stingy will lose everything.
Of course, when one is thinking spiritually, this is a no-brainer, but I
think it works in the physical realm as well.
One big thrust of this
section is the virtue of hard work and integrity versus laziness. It teaches that shortcuts lead only to
heartache and hunger. One verse that is
a delight to me is 13:12 – Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams
come true, there is life and joy.
Proverbs 14:1-16:33
I shared many verses with my
wife this morning. There are so many
verses that offer blessing to mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, kings,
citizens, etc. There is much contrast
between foolishness and pride, wickedness and goodness, short-tempered and
relaxed, etc. The references to the fear
of the Lord and to godliness and to the godly are many and varied. Of course, wisdom versus folly is the real
cornerstone of all the Proverbs.
Only 4 verses into chapter 14
I read one of my favorite – “An empty stable stays clean, but no income comes
from an empty stable.” That verse speaks
to so many situations, both physical and spiritual. Then there are the poetic verses like – “Fear
of the Lord is a life-giving fountain…”
And the intensely practical verses like – “A relaxed attitude lengthens
life; jealousy rots it away.” There are
even verses that depart from the personal and offer a very public wisdom –
“Godliness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” And many other words of life.
Ó 2004 C. E. Briggs