This chapter is the mop up of the previous four chapters. The author deals with the loose ends surrounding David. Joab forces David to return to his kingly duties (1-8). This is a picture of Proverbs 27.6 where the faithful wounds of a friend are helpful. This incident will prove to be a deciding moment for Joab who has been faithful, but will turn on David’s decisions in 1 Kings. David returns to Jerusalem as king (8-15). David deals mercifully with Shimei (16-23). Mephibosheth’s apparent treason as proclaimed by Ziba is corrected (24-30). For more on these three men see our discussion of 2 Samuel 16. Barzillai, an elderly man from Mahanaim (2 Samuel 17.27), the place David stayed during his absence from Jerusalem, was shown favor. The man proclaimed himself too old to move to Jerusalem to receive the king’s favor. He asked if David would show favor to another named Chimham, who apparently was his son. David agrees to do so (31-40). A point of interest is that Chimham moves to Jerusalem and David gives to him a plot of land in Bethlehem. Jeremiah 41.17 speaks of an inn that was established there. Could this be the same inn that would later be too full to house Mary and Joseph? There is then an odd discussion about who should have bestowed honor on David, Israel or Judah (41-43).
Tag: Jeremiah
Psalm 40
Have you offered your all to God? He is worthy of it. Many of us live a syncretic life without even realizing what we are doing. Instead of referring to the Bible for our guidance, we turn to friends, web sites, and other we celebrate. When we do this, how can we expect the God who expects our all to listen to what we say. In our waiting, we have not truly waited (see our study of Psalm 103).
Some consider this psalm to be two psalms connected. They state that Psalm 70 is merely a repeat of Psalm 40.13-17 and there once was a psalm that contained the first twelve verses. The reasoning behind this is the difference in the two sections. They appear to be reversed. The thanksgiving (1-8) is presented before the lament (11-17). This is mention for your information; I choose not to pursue the topic and count it as one psalm.
When this psalm is read, it is a reminder that patience is part of prayer. In fact the Hebrew is emphatic here. David actually writes that in his waiting, he is waiting. David cries out to God asking Him how long until He would answer David’s prayer. Notice it is not if He will answer but when He will answer. If there is a desire for a discussion on prayer, please respond and I will post one at a later date. Within this psalm David presents the great truth of many Old Testament prophets and of the words Paul gives us in Romans 12.1-2: God desires more than mere words or rote actions, He desires our heart, our mind, our strength, our all (1 Samuel 15.22; Psalm 51.16; Isaiah 1.11, 6.8; Jeremiah 6.20, 7.21-28; Amos 5.21-24; Micah 6.6-8; and to name a few). See our study on 1 Samuel 15 and Psalm 51 (as more are completed, links will be provided).
The psalm can be divided by the two types of psalms with the hinge verses of 9-10.
- Verses 1-8-This is a praise to God for what He has done. David proclaims God’s greatness and then proclaims God’s great claim on our life (see sacrifices above). He wants all of us not a portion of us. He wants us completely, not syncretically. Verses 6-8 are echoed of Christ in Hebrews 10.5-9 for Christ’s perfect, complete, and final sacrifice for our sins (cf. Leviticus 17.11).
- Verses 9-10-When God works, He expects us to proclaim that work among our friends.
- Verses 11-17-See our study of Psalm 70
Many have attempted to place each verse in the mouth of Christ. They see the first portion of the psalm as Christ’s resurrection, the middle verses as Christ’s public ministry, and the final verses reflect the cross.
Have you offered your all to God? He is worthy of it. Many of us live a syncretic life without even realizing what we are doing. Instead of referring to the Bible for our guidance, we turn to friends, web sites, and other we celebrate. When we do this, how can we expect the God who expects our all to listen to what we say. In our waiting, we have not truly waited (see our study of Psalm 103).
Media
Psalm 36
Jeremiah 17.9 reminds us of what this psalm states. By nature, we are wicked. To the core of our heart, we are wicked. Our names could be placed at the beginning of this psalm. It is only because of God who is mentioned in verses 5-9 that we can have a clean heart, a new heart; that is only found in Jesus. Are you standing against the wicked (4) or are you walking beside them (Psalm 1)? Is your life lived partly for God and partly for you in this world? Are you living a life of syncretism?
This psalm is clearly a psalm of contrasts much like Psalm 1. It contrasts the rebelliousness of the wicked man (1-4) with the righteousness of God (5-9) and concludes with a prayer of protection for the righteous (10-12). The superscription of “the servant of Jehovah” provides a similarity to Psalm 18. The subject matter reminds us of Psalm 14 and Psalm 53.
Verses 1-4-The style is rough in the Hebrew as David describes the life of the wicked man. The progression from disavowing God to practical atheism is brought on by the deceit of man and the teachings of deceitful mankind. These result in belief in self and blindness to moral issues where in the self becomes a god and there are no moral bounds. What is true for you may not be true for them; we call this moral relativism. When we examine the world, our world, the United States, we see this as having already occurred and Christians stand in its wake. This psalm is for us.
These verses show the attitude of those who deny God. They believe they will not be found out and if they are they will not be judged for it. Think of those the world celebrates, they commit crimes and believe they can walk off without being judged merely because of their name or position they hold. As an example, a recent President committed atrocities in the White House, was impeached, and then let go primarily because he was helping the economy.
The very first word in Hebrew (לַמְנַצֵּחַ) is not even translated in many versions. It means an oracle that is prophetic, coming from God, and it is associated with “the transgression” (נְאֻֽם־פֶּשַׁע). This would mean that God gave to David an insight into the very nature of the wicked, those in rebellion against God. And, that is the denial of the existence of the God who also reveals His very nature in verses 5-9. When describing those who base their righteousness on what they do, Paul quotes Psalm 36.1 in Romans 3.18. The person who walks away from God is described in Micah 2.1 as one who cannot sleep until he has devised a wrong and when he awakens he completes the thought with action. There will come a time when those who walk away from God will be incapable of doing anything of value in God’s sight (Jeremiah 4.22 and Romans 1.18-3.31). This is primarily because the wicked do not think that what they are doing is wrong. Abortion is an example of these verses being played out in the United States.
Verse four invites us to do the opposite of what the evil do. They do not reject evil. We need to actively reject the evil that the world, the devil, and we present to ourselves (1 John 2.15-17).
Verses 5-9-The style is lyrical when it comes to describe God (John 8.12 tells us this is speaking of Jesus). When it comes to knowing who God is, we need to rely on His revelation of Himself in His Word (Romans 11.33). Otherwise, we might mistake ourselves for Him. Part of the revealing God does becomes a revelation of our nature as well (as seen in the first four verses). The more aware we are of Him, who is light (John 1.4-5, 9), the greater we know our darkness (1 John 1.5-7). This is where repentance comes in (1 John 1.9). God blesses those who seek to know Him (9). He does not merely bless them with a place to go but with a life to live. Knowing Him goes far beyond what our imaginations can capture (Ephesians 3.20-21). It is not merely having a source of water for refreshment (Jeremiah 2.13), it is a fountain pouring forth. It is abundant life (John 10.10)
Verses 10-12-David’s prayer is for God to protect the righteous from the wicked. In God’s presence is protection (12). The wicked cannot stand before Him (see Psalm 18). David was given a revelation of the wicked, of God, and, here, a glimpse of the horror of judgment on the wicked (Proverbs 24.16). There will be a place, “there,” where the wicked will not stand (the Judgment Day).
Jeremiah 17.9 reminds us of what this psalm states. By nature, we are wicked. To the core of our heart, we are wicked. Our names could be placed at the beginning of this psalm. It is only because of God who is mentioned in verses 5-9 that we can have a clean heart, a new heart; that is only found in Jesus. Are you standing against the wicked (4) or are you walking beside them (Psalm 1)? Is your life lived partly for God and partly for you in this world? Are you living a life of syncretism?
2 Samuel 7
David is amazed at what God has promised, not based on whom David is or what David does, but on whom God is and what God will do. This is the essence of the unconditional New Covenant God makes to us through His Son Jesus. It is and has and will always be about Him, not us.
2 Samuel 7 (cf. 1 Chronicles 17)
God makes a promise to David that is unconditional [listen to this message on Romans 3.1-8 preached at Evangelical Formosan Church of Cerritos on October 17, 2010 by Pastor David]. David responds to God with a prayer of praise. This is how it is. God promises us great things in Christ, and we need to respond with gratitude. How much gratitude have you shown God today?
God gave David peace )rest( from his enemies. The evidence of this is seen in the promises God makes with David in this chapter. Verse two reminds us of Hiram who provided David with the cedars of Lebanon (2 Samuel 5.11). This is the chapter that introduces the prophet Nathan. He plays a key role throughout the rest of the story of David (2 Samuel 12.1, I Kings 1.10, 22, 34, 2 Chronicles 9.29).
This is also the chapter that is central to the doctrine of Christ’s coming (12-13, 21). Christ is the seed that will come from David upon whom God will establish the eternal kingdom. Peter made sure the people of Jerusalem understood this in his first sermon (Acts 2.25-36). Paul mentions this covenant in Romans 1.1-3. Jesus even refers to it in Revelation 22.16. Both passages mention that Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenantal promise. The prophet Jeremiah, as an Old Testament example, awaited the day when the Messiah would come as fulfillment of this covenant (Jeremiah 23.5). Gabriel was sent with the same message in Luke 1.32-33 stating that the One who was to be born of Mary would be the One to sit on the throne of David. It is this covenant that ties the Abrahamic Covenant to the New Covenant made by Jesus (John 13-17).
According to this passage (10-16), the Davidic covenant is:
- a house—a continued posterity of the royal line
- a kingdom—a realm of political power, a literal earthly kingdom that can be interrupted (Hosea 3.4-5). Psalm 89 informs us that although individual members of the house of David may fail the conditions of the covenant because of their disobedience, the covenant itself remains unconditional (3-4, 19–24, 27–37; see our study on Psalm 89).
- a throne—the rulership of that kingdom centered in David’s posterity, his offspring will have the only right to the throne in Israel
To conclude the matter of the covenant for the moment, ultimately God’s promise to Israel through the Davidic covenant will become evident in the Messiah, who is David’s seed (Jeremiah 33.19-26, Ezekiel 34.22-31, 36.16-38). Each of the covenants presented in Scripture, the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New covenants, will find their fulfillment (Ezekiel 37.21-28) in Christ, through whom the provisions of these three covenants come together (cf. Matthew 26.28-29, 31-33, 54-55, Luke 1.68-78, Acts 2.29-36, 3.25-26, 15.16-17, Galatians 3.13-16, 26-29, Hebrews 9.16-28, and Revelation 11.15).
The final thought in this chapter is David’s response to all this. He is amazed at what Nathan told him. He then enters the tent of worship, where the newly placed Ark is found, and he worships the Lord for a lengthy amount of time (7:18–29). During his prayer, he calls on the “Sovereign Lord” seven times. This title stresses God’s control over the nations and over this unconditional covenant God has made with David and the nation Israel. David is amazed at what God has promised, not based on whom David is or what David does, but on whom God is and what God will do. This is the essence of the unconditional New Covenant God makes to us through His Son Jesus. It is and has and will always be about Him, not us.
1 Chronicles 3
This chapter is the genealogy of David (1-9) through Solomon (10-24). It can also be looked at as a list of the kings from David’s family before the exile (1-16) and after the exile (17-24). This short list suggests that the Chronicles were written shortly after the exiles returned from Babylon.
1 Chronicles 3 (Matthew 1.6-12)
This chapter is the genealogy of David (1-9) through Solomon (10-24). It can also be looked at as a list of the kings from David’s family before the exile (1-16) and after the exile (17-24). This short list suggests that the Chronicles were written shortly after the exiles returned from Babylon.
As with 1 Chronicles 1 and 1 Chronicles 2, we find this to be a normal list of people who set the stage for the greater people in the list. We might not be the great people of history, but without us the great people of history would not be the great people of history. However God has placed you in this world (Acts 17.26), rejoice in it for it is to fulfill His purpose and is for His glory.
One of the oddities of this chapter is the last name, Anani. He was considered to be the coming Messiah according to the Targum. Another oddity, which displays God’s creativity, is Jeconiah. His line is cursed and Jeremiah 22.24-30 prophesies that no man from him will reign. Yet, Jesus is from the house of David. How does God work this out? Updates will come.
This needs more research and it will be done at a later time.
Psalm 44
This psalm could be another post-exilic psalm, written in hopes of returning to Jerusalem. Or, it could be written during the time of David after a defeat by the enemies. I prefer the former. It is written by a priest from the tribe of Levi, a Korahite. These were the gatekeepers and singers in the Temple according to 1 Chronicles 9.19; 12.6; 26.1. It is also a psalm of national lament.
This psalm could be another post-exilic psalm, written in hopes of returning to Jerusalem. Or, it could be written during the time of David after a defeat by the enemies. I prefer the former. It is written by a priest from the tribe of Levi, a Korahite. These were the gatekeepers and singers in the Temple according to 1 Chronicles 9.19; 12.6; 26.1. It is also a psalm of national lament.
This psalm can be divided into four parts:
Verses 1-8-The first eight verses describe life as it was when God’s power was manifest in the nation. This is describing the time of conquest of the land of Canaan. It was a glorious time in Israel’s past. The psalmist is calling the people to remember what God has done. But, he is also, calling God to remember His glory during that time as-well.
Selah-We are called to pause here. What is it that you can recall about God’s activity in your life? How did He save you? From what has He delivered you? To what has He called you? How committed to Him are you? Read verse eight. Have you boasted of Him to others lately? Have you thanked Him for who He is? Notice it is not for what He has done but for who He is.
Verses 9-16-These verses rehearse Ezekiel 20. God warned the people not to turn to the left nor to the right but to walk in the path that He set for them. They turned from Him. He disciplined them.
Verses 17-22-The psalmist knows that God sees into their hearts (Jeremiah 17.1-18). And, still, they do not understand why God has disciplined them. It is a mystery to them. Paul quotes verse 22 in Romans 8.36.
Verses 23-26-They call out to God based on His mercy and love not on what they have done.
In what area of your life are you turning away from God’s path? Have you considered the consequences of the actions you are taking or are pondering taking?
Psalm 130
This Psalm takes us from the depths of our sins to the forgiveness of our sins. The only hope for such forgiveness is looking to the only hope for forgiveness and that is Christ alone. Have you done this?
Another Song of Ascents.
Verses 1-2-This cry is found in all of us (Lamentations 3.55). We desire God to hear us in our pain. We even expect Him to hear us in our sin and desire Him to deliver us. And, we expect Him to answer.
Verses 3-4-He is asking God to forgive him of his sins (1 Kings 8.39-40; Daniel 9.9; and Jeremiah 33.8-9). We are to proclaim His holiness in our forgiveness.
Verses 5-6-Do you wait on the Lord (Psalm 103)? When we do, we are watchful for what He does. The Psalmist is sitting in the dark awaiting the morning. Sin does that to a person.
Verses 7-8-This is a call for all the nation to come to God in repentance.
This Psalm takes us from the depths of our sins to the forgiveness of our sins. The only hope for such forgiveness is looking to the only hope for forgiveness and that is Christ alone. Have you done this?
Psalm 121
Verses 1-2-This verse has been used in songs to describe God’s help (“I Lift My Eyes Up”). Yet it is describing God’s help as contrary to the help others have received from the mountains (Jeremiah 3, particularly verse 23). Our help does not come from the mountains, as some suppose. The mountains are a source of danger, corruption, and syncretism. Our help comes from the God of Heaven. We look to the Creator for our help and not as the pagans who look to the creation. This is mentioned a few psalms later (Psalm 124.8)
This is another Psalm of Ascents, or Pilgrim Psalms.
Verses 1-2-This verse has been used in songs to describe God’s help (“I Lift My Eyes Up“). Yet it is describing God’s help as contrary to the help others have received from the mountains (Jeremiah 3, particularly verse 23). Our help does not come from the mountains, as some suppose. The mountains are a source of danger, corruption, and syncretism. Our help comes from the God of Heaven. We look to the Creator for our help and not as the pagans who look to the creation. This is mentioned a few psalms later (Psalm 124.8)
Verses 3-4-The writer proclaims and praises who God is in these two verses.
Verses 5-6-Again, the writer praises God for who He is and for what He does.
Verses 7-8-Again, the writer is praising God.
This psalm is called a pilgrim psalm because it describes what God does for the pilgrim on his way to Jerusalem for the holy days. Reading through the psalm using a traveler as a walking metaphor, we can understand this better.
When we travel, we seek protection from robbers and the elements. Here the traveler seeks God’s protection from the scorching heat and the robbers by night. On the journey, they seek God’s firm foothold where their feet will walk. God provides protection from robbers because He needs no sleep, He provides protection from the elements because He is greater than they are, and He keeps them on the right path because He knows the beginning from the end.
On our journey through life, are we asking God to be our Guide and Protector? This is one of the benefits of having the Holy Spirit indwell us as believers. He is Protector and Guide in our journey through life (John 14.16-31 and 16.5-15). God protects us 24 hours a day. He keeps us all the time. The word “keep” is used six times in this chapter. He indeed cares for us. He keeps us to the very end (Jude 24).
Psalm 35
This Psalm, as was Psalm 17, is set in a courtroom. Deuteronomy 19.16-17 provides the instruction on how to bring this dispute to court. Job 23.2-7 shows how Job handled a similar situation.
This Psalm, as was Psalm 17, is set in a courtroom. Deuteronomy 19.16-17 provides the instruction on how to bring this dispute to court. Job 23.2-7 shows how Job handled a similar situation.
This Psalm is also the first of the imprecatory psalms (35; 52; 58; 59; 69; 79; 83; 109; 137; 140). These psalms are cries to God to bring destruction on those who stand against God and God’s people.
Verses 1-3-David once again calls for God to be his vindication, his salvation. He is calling for God to go to war for him on account of those who pursue him. As the psalm is read, it appears as though this prayer is concerning Saul more so than the others who pursued him. He mentions his mourning for their losses in verse 13-14 as if they were close.
Verses 4-6-David’s prayer is for God to drive his enemies away, even to the point of destruction. This is a common theme in Scripture (Job 21.18; Psalm 35.19-21; 40.14-15, 70.2-3; 83.13; 129.5; Isaiah 29.5; and Jeremiah 23.12). God will discipline His children and will judge those who refuse Him. In this case, He could be disciplining David and judging those who have judged David. In all this, God is righteous. He knows the hearts and intentions of those whom He judges. Could verse six be a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ?
Verses 7-8-David is asking God to judge them in the manner they attempted to judge him. They sentenced David to death and laid traps for them. David is asking that God do the same for them (Matthew 7.1-2). There are many prayers and judgments like this throughout the Scripture (Psalm 9.15; 55.23; Isaiah 47.11; and 1 Thessalonians 5.3). Remember that God knows the intentions of the heart and judges righteously.
Verses 4-9 present a sevenfold curse or malediction against those who afflict and oppose David that sounds vengeful. However, is more a cry for God to bring, to judge the evil doers by returning their own evil upon themselves. Since God is the only one who can do this justly, David cries out for God to do so.
Verses 9-10-David proclaims he will do what he should already be doing, he will praise God. Deliverance is reason for praise. As God helps you, do you praise Him? At what point should you praise Him? Should it be after He delivers or in anticipation for the help? Again, this is a common theme in Scripture (Exodus 15.11; Psalm 71.19; 86.8; and Micah 7.18) because God is worthy of praise for He is unlike all others.
Verses 11-14-David is accused of things of which he has no idea. He is speechless because he does not know about what they are accusing him. The principle he presents here is Scriptural (Job 30.25; Psalm 38.20; 109.5; Jeremiah 18.20; John 10.32; and Romans 12.14-21). Is this something we do? When people seek us harm, do we pray for them, help them, mourn with them? Or, do we behave as the world does (Psalm 35.15-16)?
Verses 15-16-The world would rather taunt those who are their enemies than help them. How do you behave when others treat you poorly (Matthew 5.38-48)?
Verses 17-18-David is asking God to do what God is going to do. He is requesting God to do it now. He proclaims that he will praise God for doing this now. Is it wrong to pray this way? Is it wrong to ask God to do something now instead of later? From this Scripture? No. There are other places where biblical writers asked the same thing and based it on Scripture (Psalm 13.1 and Habakkuk 1.13). When we base our prayers and request on Scripture, God answers.
Verses 19-21-Refer to verses 4-6 above for thoughts on these verses. David is describing his persecutors in these verses. They are worthless and wicked (Proverbs 6:12–14 and 10:10). These words are used in Mark 15:29–30 as a derision against Jesus. Are people unjustly accusing you of things you have not done because of the good you stand for or do they justly accuse you?
Verses 22-25-As in the beginning, David is calling God to defend him before his accusers. Whom do you ask to defend you?
Verse 26-David again calls for God to judge those around him with righteous judgment (see verses 17-18 above).
Verses 27-28-David needs someone to mourn with him and to rejoice with him (Romans 12.15). Are you that someone for others? Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, can you proclaim the greatness of God? Do you do this all day?
1 Samuel 18-19
A review of the regression of Saul seems appropriate here. He is chosen by God as a result of the disobedience of the people (1 Samuel 10, cf. Jeremiah 2 particularly verse 13 and Isaiah 50).
A review of the regression of Saul seems appropriate here. He is chosen by God as a result of the disobedience of the people (1 Samuel 10, cf. Jeremiah 2 particularly verse 13 and Isaiah 50). He receives the Holy Spirit temporarily. Remember that this is an Old Testament phenomenon. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit permanently indwells believers. After his willful rebellion against God, God replaces him with David (1 Samuel 16.13-14). The Spirit is removed from Saul and placed on David. This sets the stage for all that is to come through the rest of 1 Samuel. Our passage today begins in this milieu. David and Jonathan become great friends. Saul seems pleased with all that is occurring. The three of them battle the Philistines and are victorious. The people proclaim God’s work in and through both Saul and David. Saul becomes enraged, jealous, and seeks to kill David from that moment. He does not see God’s work but his. This returns us to the opening verses of 1 Samuel 17 where Saul is focused on himself, not God. When we focus on what we are doing and not on what God is doing, envy, jealousy, strife, anger, rage, etc. (Galatians 5.16-26) become our “fruit.” This is what happened with Saul.
God gives us over to our desires. Since Saul desired to disobey God and not walk in the Spirit, God gave him a spirit that was likened to his desires–an evil one. It is evidence here that Saul has gone crazy. The rest of his career is characterized by vengeance and violence against one who seeks Saul’s best. The remainder of Saul’s life is in pursuit of killing the one who refuses to kill him. What primary goal do you have in life? Is it pursuing your passions or God’s will? When we pursue our desires apart from God, we live insanely (reread Galatians 5.16ff). When we follow God’s will, we are blessed with the life we desire because we are in alignment with His will for us (Matthew 6.33 and 16.24-26).
We see Saul desiring to be part of David’s life in that he admired David’s accomplishments. But his desire to be number one consumed him and he demoted the one who was able to help him. Even in this demoted state, David grew in popularity, was successful, and even Saul stood in awe of him because David was walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.
This motif continues throughout this chapter and the rest of the book. Saul tries to defeat David with many snares, David is victorious, and Saul gets angrier. At times, although sad, it is comical. Think about someone you know that became angry and then began to act foolishly. This is Saul.
He thinks if he can trick David into wanting to marry any daughter of his that David will die by the hand of the Philistines. His logic, “I don’t want David as a son-in-law, but if I can get him to want to marry my daughter he will have to pay a dowry. He won’t be able to afford it. So, I will make it the death of one-hundred Philistines. He will die in the battle. My daughter won’t have to marry him because he will be dead.” Foolish. If God is for us, who can be against us? No one! His planned failed, of course. David defeated the Philistines, his daughter Michal loved David, David became more famous, and Saul’s anger grew.
To make matters worse, Saul’s son Jonathan became David’s best friend. Jonathan even knew that David would take the throne from him. Jonathan was joyful about his because he knew this was God’s will. He didn’t think that because he was a prince that he had a right to the throne, it was in God’s hand. This is in line with what Christ did for us in Philippians 2.5-11.
In chapter 19 Saul’s family intercedes for David and helps him escape from the evil Saul planned for David. David flees to Ramah (just north of Jerusalem) to spend time with Samuel. This is where David begins his career fleeing for his life from the hand of Saul. The end of chapter 19 is odd and gives evidence of the Spirit coming and going while not permanently indwelling in the Old Testament.
Are we willing to stand for God no matter the cost like David, Jonathan, and Michal? Or, like Saul, do we try to sway the situation in our favor where people will like us and applaud us? What is the measure of your success?