In today’s section, we read about:
God’s judgment on David and the death of his first child by Bathsheba
Amnon rapes Tamar and is killed by Absolom
Absolom rebels against David, who flees across the Jordan
Absolom killed and David returns to Jerusalem
Another revolt, this time by Sheba
David avenges the Gibeonites
David’s song of praise
Some thoughts that struck me today:
The division between the daily passages often seem arbitrary (including today’s), yet here there is a certain symmetry. We open with God’s judgment passed on David for his sin with Bathsheba, we go through the working out of that judgment with the sword never leaving his family, and we end with David praising God, in a spirit of adoration and closeness to God that seems to have been missing for most of the passage.
12:20-23 – David dares to hope that God might change his mind, but when the child dies, the first thing he does is go to praise God.
12:24 – It is amazing that David’s marriage to Bathsheba, which began in the most horrific sin should be blessed with a son who has a special name, “beloved of God” and this is made clear to David by God sending a special message through Nathan (the channel for the rebuke earlier in ch 12) to make sure the message gets through.
13:15 – “suddenly Amnon’s love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her”. This reminded me of the Magician’s Nephew in the Narnia books, where the Witch eats the apple of life to which she is not entitled and from then on it is completely abhorrent to her.
14:14 – what a fabulous verse – “God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.” Amen for that.
I like the description of David in 14:17 and 20 “you are as wise as an angel of God”. All that time in walking closely with God has left its impression.
15:6 – Absolom “stole the hearts” of all the people of Israel
15:21 – cf the promise of Ruth to Naomi (Ru 1:16)
By ch 15, David seems a shadow of his former self, unsure, almost fatalistic about what to do. As Nicki wrote, we can choose our actions but not the consequences. David has been forgiven, so he is free of the punishment of his sin, but the effects of it will haunt him for the rest of his life
17:23 – God was determined to thwart the advice of Ahithophel, who realising this went and hanged himself. If God is against us, what hope can we have?
I heard Don Cole (a former missionary in Angola) say that 2 Sam 17:27-28, this feast set out before David while they are being chased by Absolom and his armies is remembered by David in Ps 23:5
18:18 – Absolom built a monument to himself (cf Gen 11:4, 1 Sam 15:12)
19:5-7 – Joab thinks David has lost the plot, putting his personal grief ahead of the needs of the people as a whole. Was David guilty of being self-absorbed, which accounts for the apparent fatalism of the previous chapters? Was he being merciful or weak in forgiving Shimei (19:23)?
21:1 – At last! David asks the Lord again.
21:1-2 – Saul broke the treaty that Joshua made in Josh 9:15. Vows were incredibly serious undertakings.
21:14 – God ended the curse after blood had been shed. These descendants of Saul were not themselves directly responsible for the curse. How much less is Jesus responsible for our separation from God the Father, yet he willingly poured out his own life so that that curse could be lifted from us – “for all God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “yes!”” (2 Cor 1:20)
Ch 22 – David’s song seems like a wonderful song of reconciliation and reunion. The power described is amazing “Then at the command of the Lord / at the blast of his breath, / the bottom of the sea could be seen, / and the foundations of the earth were laid bare” (22:16). I love v17 “He reached down from heaven and rescued me; / he drew me out of deep waters”. You can really imagine David thinking of himself as a drowning man, pulled out of his troubles by the hand of God.
5 comments:
Adam,
When you say the descendants of Saul weren't responsible and got executed anyway and then compare this to Jesus I'm afraid it just got me thinking about the whole sins of the fathers thing again. I'd love to hear someone else's views on this.
There is a wonderful motet we used to sing in chapel at university by Weelkes and Tomkins - a setting of "When David heard that Absalom was slain" made up mostly of the cry "O Absalom, my son, my son" - this is one of many heart cries from David which make him, for me, one of the most endearing O T characters I've met so far.
Oh - and to get back to the issue of women and what sort of deal they are getting - the poor old ten concubines who got left behind and violated publicly in a tent on top of the palace are then rewarded for their pains by being placed in solitary confinement to live as widows for the rest of their days - Miriam, any commment?
Thanks Jane!! I may well be wrong, but surely somehow the God/male/female issue must stem from Gen 3:16. The more I think about it the more I feel that this is God fulfilling his promise - we might not like it, but if we like the fact God is reliable, true to his word, especially where it comes to keeping the promises we like, we have to accept the promises that occur when we are disobedient, and dearest Eve did something she really shouldn't have done (not that I would have anything different!). As you've also picked up on, these consequences/promises tend to extend throughout generations.
Specifically, I like the way David took his wives when he left, in my mind, the women he cared for most. He left the others behind, I can only assume once again, whether he realised it or not, so as to fulfil God's promise made to him in 1Sam12:11. Upon his return to Jerusalem, he didn't kill them but took care of them, albeit as widows.
Also, you must have a different version to mine, because my Bible doesn't use the word 'solitary'!
Oops, my husband quite correctly informs me it was 2Sam12:11.
Oops, my husband quite correctly informs me it was 2Sam12:11.
So we should be thankful that he didn't kill them then - whoopee, what a coup for women's rights!! My bible says "in seclusion" but what's a bit of hyperbole between friends!
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