A SURVEY OF THE BIBLE
(“The Book of Second Samuel”) (I)
II Samuel 1:1; 2:1-4, 8-11;
3:1; 5:1-12; 6:2-11, 17 (NASU)
12“And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.” (II Samuel 5:12)
(A) A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
(1) We noted in an earlier message1 that prior to 200 B.C. First and Second Samuel were one book in the Hebrew Old Testament.2 This is easy to believe when we compare the last chapter of the one, with the first chapter of the other. First Samuel closes by telling us Saul was mortally wounded in a battle with the Philistines – and that, instead of taking a chance the enemy might come upon him while he was still alive and “make sport of him”, he chose to end his life by falling on his sword (c.f. I Samuel 31:1-6). Second Samuel then opens by saying: “Now it came about after the death of Saul … that David remained two days in Ziklag” (c.f. II Samuel 1:1). Indeed, the entire first chapter of Second Samuel describes David’s reaction to the deaths of Saul and his son Jonathan – including a lament he wrote for them (c.f. II Samuel 1:17-27), whose refrain is: “How the mighty have fallen!” (vs. 19, 25, 27, NKJV).
(2) We don’t know who the author of Second Samuel may have been – but we do know it couldn’t have been Samuel the prophet, because all the events recorded in this book took place after he died3 (c.f. I Samuel 25:1).
(3) Time-wise, the Book of Second Samuel covers the reign of David – beginning with his being made king over Judah shortly after Saul’s death (c.f. II Samuel 2:1-4) – and later over all Israel (c.f. II Samuel 5:3-5) – and ending about forty years later with his building an altar to the Lord, on which he “offered burnt offerings and peace offerings” on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, to stay a plague the Lord had brought upon Israel (c.f. II Samuel 24:18-25). Indeed, David is an “old man” by the time the Book of First Kings opens (c.f. I Kings 1:1) – and dies about half way through chapter two (c.f. I Kings 2:10).
(4) One of the unique features of Second Samuel is the number of prayers we find recorded in its pages – of which there are about half a dozen. The longest is found in chapter seven, where David praises the Lord and gives Him thanks for promising to establish the throne of his kingdom forever (c.f. II Samuel 7:18-29) – saying at one point: 18“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have … 19… spoken … of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future” (vs. 18-19). Other shorter prayers are also scattered throughout the book – like the one found in chapter twenty-four, where David repents, saying: “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly” (c.f. II Samuel 24:10) (incidentally, this prayer has nothing to do with his sins of adultery and murder, which happened much earlier in the book).
Another unique feature is the number of psalms (or songs) we encounter in the Book of Second Samuel – of which there are at least four or five. Perhaps the most noticeable one is found in chapter twenty-two – in part, because it takes up the entire chapter. In this psalm, David praises the Lord for delivering him from the hand of all his enemies – including the hand of Saul (c.f. II Samuel 22:1) – and says (in part) (starting in verse two):
2“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
3My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold
and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
4I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.”
(c.f. II Samuel 22:2-4)
And then, in a stanza whose themes foreshadow those found in Jonah’s prayer from the stomach of the great fish, many years later (c.f. Jonah 2:1-9), David writes:
5“For the waves of death encompassed me;
The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me;
6The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
7In my distress I called upon the Lord,
Yes, I cried to my God;
And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.”
(c.f. II Samuel 22:5-7)
This psalm is repeated in the Psalter, with only minor variations (in Psalm Eighteen) (c.f. Psalm 18:1-50).
(B) A BRIEF OUTLINE
(1) The Book of Second Samuel is not especially easy to outline. Hence, the one I’m going to give you is one of many that can be found among various commentaries and study bibles. First of all, then, we have what we’re going to call David’s Triumphs, in chapters one through ten4 (c.f. II Samuel 1-10).
(a) In this section, David – who was anointed king back in First Samuel chapter sixteen (c.f. I Samuel 16:12-13) – finally becomes king, albeit (initially) only over his “home tribe” of Judah (c.f. II Samuel 2:1-4). One of Saul’s surviving sons, named Ish-bosheth, is made king “over Ephraim, and … Benjamin, even over all Israel” (c.f. II Samuel 2:8-10). Hence, a kind of civil war existed between the two factions for several years – during which time we’re told that the house of “David grew steadily stronger, (while) the house of Saul grew weaker continually” (c.f. II Samuel 3:1).
Ish-bosheth is eventually murdered by two of his own men – who think David will be pleased when they bring him the news (along with Ish-bosheth’s head). But he’s not – and orders them to be executed for having murdered the man who was supposed to be their king (c.f. II Samuel 4:1-12) – saying in part: “(when) wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his (own) bed, shall I not … require his blood from your hand and destroy you from the earth?” (v. 12). Since David is king at this point, his actions are best understood as an act of capital punishment, by the civil government of the times (in keeping with God’s Law, that required “life for life”) (c.f. Deuteronomy 19:21) – rather than an act of personal vengeance or murder.
(b) Ish-bosheth’s death does, however, open the way for David to become king over ALL Israel. And so we read, in chapter five starting at verse one, that 1“all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, ‘Behold, we are your bone and … flesh. 2Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the Lord said to you, “You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel.”’ 3So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and … they anointed David king over Israel. 4David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. 5At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over ALL Israel and Judah” (c.f. II Samuel 5:1-5).
(c) Much of the rest of this first section recounts some of David’s victories over Israel’s various enemies – including the Philistines, the Moabites, the Arameans, and the Ammonites (c.f. II Samuel 5:17-25; 8:1-14; 10:1-19) – with a recurring theme being that “the Lord helped David wherever he went” (c.f. II Samuel 8:6, 14).
(d) We’re also told about how David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem – albeit, not without the death of man named Uzzah, who reached out to steady the ark when it appeared as though it was about to fall off the cart carrying it, and died for what Scripture calls “his irreverence” (c.f. II Samuel 6:1-19).
Actually, Uzzah wasn’t the only one at fault here – because the ark was being transported by a cart pulled by oxen (v. 6) – when it should have been carried by Levites using specially made poles, as prescribed by God back in Exodus chapter twenty-five (c.f. Exodus 25:10-15; 37:4-5).
One might even say this incident is an argument for what’s called “the Regulative Principle of Worship” – which the Westminster Confession of Faith defines (in part) saying that: “the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is INSTITUED BY HIMSELF, and so LIMITED BY HIS OWN REVEALED WILL, that He may not be worshipped … (in) any … way not prescribed in … Holy Scripture.”5
Obviously God had laid out certain laws regarding how the Ark of the Covenant was to be transported – laws He took very seriously – even to the point of taking the life of a man who violated them (v. 7), even though Uzzah probably thought touching the ark to steady it seemed like a good idea at the time.
(e) The other major event in this first section of Second Samuel involves the covenant God made with David in chapter seven – in which the Lord promised to establish the throne of David’s kingdom forever (c.f. II Samuel 7:8-17) – saying, in part, 12“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you (singular), who will come forth from you, and I will establish … 13… the throne of his kingdom forever” (vs. 12-13).
This is such an important moment in David’s life – as well as in the unfolding of God’s covenant with His people – that I want to come back to it in our next message, and look at it in more detail.
(2) The second major section of Second Samuel is found in chapters eleven through twenty (c.f. II Samuel 11-20)6 – which we’re going to call, David’s Transgressions4.
(a) Here (in chapter eleven) we encounter a major turning point in David’s life, which drastically affects his reign as king – as he gets involved in an adulterous relationship with another man’s wife – and then eventually tries to cover up the pregnancy that resulted from it by having the woman’s husband killed in battle (c.f. II Samuel 11:1-27). The chapter closes on this sober note: “But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord” (v. 27).
The next chapter (chapter twelve) (c.f. II Samuel 12:1-23) records how the prophet Nathan confronted David regarding his sin – along with David’s heartfelt confession of guilt (c.f. Psalm 32:1-5), and God’s promise that his sin had been taken away, so that he would not die (v. 13) – EVEN THOUGH God’s Law required the death penalty for adultery (c.f. Leviticus 20:10; John 8:4-5). Herein, then, is an example of God’s grace to repentant sinners who deserve to die for their sins!
At the same time, however, because David has given the enemies of the Lord a reason to blaspheme His name, there are going to be some serious consequences – including the death of the child that was conceived (v. 14) – as well as the fact that from now on, “the sword will never depart from David’s house (v. 10). In other words, because he used the sword of war to kill Uriah,7 David will never be able to live in peace – war and violence will plague him for the rest of his life. It should come as no surprise, then, to discover that this is what much of the remaining material in the Book of Second Samuel is about.
Again, however, this is something I want to come back to in our next message, and address in more detail.
(b) In this second section we also find that David’s family was in shambles. One son commits incest with one of his half-sisters (c.f. II Samuel 13:1-19) – while another son (in fulfillment of what God said would happen to David on account of his sins of adultery and murder) (c.f. II Samuel 12:11-12) (one son, Absalom) conspires to steal his father’s throne, and actually forces David to flee Jerusalem and live as a fugitive for a time. During this rebellion, at least one faithful advisor sides with the usurper – and enemies, who have been holding in their hatred, come out of the woodwork to literally throw dirt at David, and curse him (c.f. II Samuel 15-17).
After Absalom is killed in battle, David is able to return to Jerusalem (and to his throne). But even then, he grieves so heavily over Absalom’s death that his general finally has to rebuke him, saying (in part) (in chapter nineteen): 5“Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who … saved your life … 6by loving those who hate you, and … hating those who love you. For you have shown today that (your) princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know … that if Absalom were (still) alive and all of us were dead … you would be pleased. 7Now therefore arise … and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not … (then) not a man will pass the night with you, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now” (c.f. II Samuel 19:5-7) – whereupon, David wisely follows his general’s stern counsel.
(c) In keeping with the consequences of David’s sins, the last chapter in this section (chapter twenty) tells us about another revolt, led by a man named Sheba – who, in the aftermath of Absalom’s aborted attempt to usurp his father’s throne, took advantage of the chaotic situation to foster a rebellion of his own. However, that rebellion was short-lived – just like its instigator (c.f. II Samuel 20:1-22).
(3) The final section of the book is found in chapters twenty-one through twenty-four6 (c.f. II Samuel 21-24) – which we’re going to call, David’s Troubles.4
(a) This section opens by telling us that, “there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the Lord. And the Lord said, ‘It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death’” (c.f. II Samuel 21:1). You may recall that the Gibeonites were the people Joshua made a covenant with back in Joshua chapter nine, allowing them to live in the land (c.f. Joshua 9:3-15). The incident to which the Lord refers, however, is not recorded elsewhere in Scripture – but it is certainly consistent with what we know about the way Saul behaved during his years as king8 (c.f. II Samuel 21:2).
It also illustrates a couple of important points – i.e. that famines often come from the Lord – that He often uses them as a form of judgment9 – and that when that happens, we need to search out the reason why (that is, what sin has caused Him to bring this form of judgment upon us?), so we can deal with it in an appropriate manner.
The way King David dealt with this situation will not please the politically correct – for once he knew why the famine persisted in the land, he asked the Gibeonites how he could make atonement for what had happened to them, and they said (in part): 5“The man who consumed us and … planned to exterminate us … 6let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will hang them before the Lord in Gibeah …” (c.f. II Samuel 21:5-6). And we’re told that’s what David did (c.f. II Samuel 21:6-9) – after which, God brought the famine to an end. One of the things we learn here is that sin must be dealt with, and restitution must be made, if we are to enjoy God’s blessings – and that this is true nationally, as well as personally.
(b) The rest of chapter twenty-one tells us about four separate battles David had with the Philistines – one of which nearly cost him his life (c.f. II Samuel 21:15-22). These wars are best understood as part of the consequences David had to face as a result of his sins of adultery and murder back in chapters eleven and twelve – when God said (at one point): “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” (c.f. II Samuel 12:10).
(c) The psalm of David found in chapter twenty-two (see also Psalm 18:1-50) is said to have been written out of gratitude to the Lord for “deliver(ing) him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (c.f. II Samuel 22:1). However, whether it was written before or after God said “the sword would never depart from his house” (c.f. II Samuel 12:10) is uncertain – since its placement here in Second Samuel is not necessarily chronological.
Given some of the phrases in this psalm, I tend to lean toward the idea that it was written before the events described back in chapter eleven (see II Samuel 22:21-25). However, it’s also true that even though “the sword never departed from David’s house”, the Lord continued to preserve his life, thereby continuing to deliver him from the hand of his enemies – so that either way, David would have been able to say that the Lord: “is a tower of deliverance to His king, and shows lovingkindness to His anointed” (c.f. II Samuel 22:51).
(d) The final chapter (i.e. chapter twenty-four) is a bittersweet end to the book – for it starts out with “the anger of the Lord burn(ing) against Israel” (in verse one) for some unspecified reason, and in some unspecified manner (c.f. II Samuel 24:1) – to which David responds by ordering that “the people of Israel and Judah be numbered” (c.f. II Samuel 24:1-2) – that is, he orders a census to determine how many valiant warriors he has under his command (c.f. II Samuel 24:9).
However, there was definitely something sinful about David’s actions – because verse ten says: “David’s heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. So (he) said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly’” (c.f. II Samuel 24:10).
Some have suggested David’s motives for taking this census showed a lack of faith and trust in God.10 But Exodus chapter thirty offers us another possibility, saying: “When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, SO THAT THERE WILL BE NO PLAGUE AMONG THEM when you number them” (c.f. Exodus 30:12) – the point being that perhaps no “ransom” had been offered.
Whatever the reason, David has sinned – and God is angry with him because of it. And even though David has confessed his sin and repented, there are going to be consequences once again! Hence, the prophet Gad comes to David and says: 12“Thus the Lord says, ‘I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.’ 13 … ‘Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ (of) pestilence in your land’” (c.f. II Samuel 24:12-13) – and we’re told that, “in great distress”, David chooses the third option (c.f. II Samuel 24:14).
So, verse fifteen says: 15“the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel … and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died” – but then the passage goes on to say: 16“When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, ‘It is enough! Now relax your hand!’ And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17Then David (said) to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking down the people … ‘Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house’” (c.f. II Samuel 24:15-17).
At this point, the prophet Gad tells David to “erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite” (v. 18). And although Araunah offers to give the king everything he needs for the altar and sacrifice – David replies (in what is one of the more familiar verses found in the Book of Second Samuel): “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I WILL NOT OFFER BURNT OFFERINGS TO THE LORD MY GOD WHICH COST ME NOTHING” (c.f. II Samuel 24:24).
And so David buys Araunah’s threshing floor, and the oxen needed for sacrifice – builds an altar, and offers burnt offerings and peace offerings – whereupon the very last phrase of the book says: “Thus the Lord was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel” (c.f. II Samuel 24:25). And that’s how the Book of Second Samuel ends.
(e) There’s good reason to believe that the location of Araunah’s threshing floor is the same place where Abraham was prepared to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering to the Lord (back in Genesis chapter twenty-two) (c.f. Genesis 22:1-2) – and also the same place where King Solomon will later build Israel’s first (and greatest) Temple (c.f. II Chronicles 3:1).11
The important thing for us, however, is this – that the Book of Second Samuel closes by showing us that David was a sinful man, just like you and me – however, he was also a sinful man who was always ready to repent and throw himself on God’s mercy.11 What’s more, no matter how great his sins were (and some of them were very great, costing other people their lives!) (still), HE ALWAYS FOUND MERCY – as will you and I, when we follow his example! Hence, David would later write (in Psalm Eighty-Six):
3“Be gracious to me, O Lord …
5For You … are good, and ready to forgive …
15You … are a God (who is) merciful and gracious …”
(c.f. Psalm 86:3, 5, 15).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1http://www.wpcpca.org/Archive/03-14-10-pm.html
2MacArthur: The MacArthur Bible Commentary; p. 299.
3The New Geneva Study Bible: The Second Book of
Samuel; p. 424.
4Boa: Talk Thru the Old Testament; p. 59.
5The Westminster Confession of Faith: Chapter XXI; Of
Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day; paragraph 1.
6The New Geneva Study Bible: Outline of 2 Samuel; p. 425.
7MacArthur: Ibid; p. 368.
8The English Standard Version Study Bible: Footnote on
II Samuel 21:1-2; p. 576.
9The New Geneva Study Bible: Footnote on II Samuel 21:1;
p. 458.
10IBID: Footnote on II Samuel 24:1; p. 464.
11IBID: Footnote on II Samuel 24:1-25; p. 464.