II Samuel 15 – Absalom Rebels (how to respond to a trial)

One of the great things about studying the life of David is seeing his extreme humanness.  He’s a man after God’s own heart but he’s also a man who sometimes forgets that as he follows his own.  Depending on the chapter, the reader of II Samuel sees David at his best and worst.  In our […]

II Samuel 13 – The Rape of Tamar

My wife reads through the Bible annually.  She selects a reading plan every January 1 and goes through the whole Bible – has done it for years.  It’s something she’s committed to and feels very strongly about (and something she convinced me to start too – I’m on my third year).  When I say she […]

II Samuel 12:1-25

David’s life can be split neatly into two parts: his life as told in I Samuel as the up and coming warrior, outlaw and leader of men, and his life as told in II Samuel as King of Israel.  His life as King can then be split into another two parts: his life before Bathsheba […]

II Samuel 11

Nothing prepares us for the story in II Samuel 11.  In the chapters leading up to it, there is no mention of David starting to wane in his devotion to the Lord or of him becoming enamored with the power and prestige of being a successful and beloved king.  Most everything in David’s story, as […]

II Samuel 6

It is easy to dismiss the events of II Samuel 6 as Old Testament stories of a capricious God that have little meaning for today.  We can take the approach that they tell of a different era and a different God so we can just ignore them.  The ruthless God of vengeance and wrath seen […]