Week 22 Day 2 Long Live the King

2 Samuel 5-6


I actually read this a week ago.

And I have re-read it.

And re-read it.

But I have had trouble posting about it.

This was a hard passage for me to read.

It starts off good.

After all of these years of running and hiding and defending himself, David is finally declared king.

God's favor is obviously with him as he continues to defeat his enemies and his power and his kingdom grew stronger and more powerful.

But even in all of this, David was very human.

And that begins to show through his leadership.

It started with the moving of the Ark. 

David wanted to move the Ark to Jerusalem. 

So he gathered men (like 30,000 of them) and they had a huge procession to move it.

Except that one of the oxen pulling the cart stumbled.

And a man named Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark.

He was struck dead. On the spot.

I just researched that a little bit to find out why.

I can see how that would be instinct. Something is tipping, I reach out to steady it.

I don't claim to be a scholar but from what I read the Ark was being moved improperly (via cart rather than carried).  Only descendants of the Levites should have been moving it.  And there were specific instructions from God to not touch it with hands.

All that leads to one dead man and one very angry David.

Isn't it funny how we get angry when we are the ones who are sinning?  David should have known better.  And maybe deep down he did.  I imagine this was all a shock to a man who was watching his kingdom blossom due to his favor with God.  Even when we have favor, we still can fall.  And we will.  And there will be consequences.

The last part of the passage is the part I had a hard time with.

Michal.

Now remember Michal has been removed from her life and returned to this life, the wife (one of many) of David.

She is at home watching the celebration as the Ark is finally brought to Jerusalem.

And she doesn't care for the way David is celebrating.

She feels he is acting improperly.

From these verses, it is hard to know what her thoughts were.  Or her motives. 

But she reprimands David.

And he rebukes her.

And she died childless.

So in a way God rebuked her too.

And that is where I am...trying to understand all of that.  Trying to digest the whys and hows...

Any thoughts out there?

Tomorrow's reading:  2 Samuel 7.

Reba

Week 22 Day 1 West Side Story...The Early Years

2 Samuel 3:6-4:12

As I read this passage, all I could think about was The West Side Story.  As in the musical.  But without the music and songs.

David and Saul's armies are at odds with one another.

On one side, you have Abner who is the leader of Saul's army.

On the other side, you have Joab, the leader of David's army.

In yesterday's passage, Abner had killed one of Joab's brothers.

In today's passage, Joab is out for revenge.

See how it reminds me of The West Side Story?

When does it all stop?

Anyway, at the beginning of this passage, Abner is accused by Saul's son of having an illicit affair with one of Saul's slave women. 

That doesn't go over well with Abner.

I assume he is innocent by his response OR he is just really guilty and won't admit to it.  It is sometimes hard to tell the difference.

Abner lets Saul's son know that he doesn't appreciate the accusation.  And that he is done.  He is now on David's side.

Again, I am guessing that he is genuine in his response and truly has switched sides.  It appears he had.  Unfortunately, we will never know.

Because Joab slipped in and killed Abner in retaliation for the death of his brother.

David was not a happy camper.

Then to top everything off, a couple of men slipped in and killed Saul's son as he slept in his royal bed.

Again, David was not a happy camper.

And the men who committed that crime?  They were killed too...

And the war rages on...

Tomorrow's reading:  2 Samuel 5-6

Week 21 Day 6 and 7 A Nation Divided

2 Samuel 1-3:5

Saul is now dead.

David mourns then prays, asking the Lord where to go from here.

God clearly tells him to go to Hebron.

So David does.

And he is made the king of Hebron.

Meanwhile, Saul's family has selected their own king.  His son Ish-Bosheth was selected king of Israel.

And though Saul is now dead, the rivalry between the two men is not.

For the next several months, Saul's family and David's followers are in a constant state of chasing one another.  Joab, one of David's commanders, and Abner, one of Saul's commanders, lead the war.

And the battle wages.

Will the nation ever unite?

Next reading:
2 Samuel 3:6-4:12