The generations come, and they go …

"When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors ... " (2 Samuel 7:12). The generations come, and they go - but the Lord continues. He is the eternal God. He is the everlasting God.  

The end of Saul’s reign, the beginning of David’s reign

The end of Saul’s reign, the beginning of David’s reign For Saul, the end was tragic - “See how the mighty have fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19,25,27). David’s reign marked a new beginning. God is gracious. He gives a new beginning when we have made a mess of things. He is the God of hope. He leads us out of our failure and into His victory. David became the king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:1-7) and the king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-5). Behind the story of David, there is the story of God at work: “The Lord was with David”,    “The Lord had established him as king of Israel and made his kingdom famous for the sake of Israel, the Lord’s people” (2 Samuel 5:10-12).

How are the mighty fallen! … By grace, we shall stand! …

2 SAMUEL 1:1-27 - ‘How are the mighty fallen!’ (19,25,27). The tragedy of Saul was there for all to see. He had made a right mess of things! What are we to think when we read of this tragic figure? He started out so well. He ended so badly. There were high hopes - but …

God’s Way To Revival

2 Samuel 15:1-37There is a great difference between human popularity and divine approval. Here, we have human popularity - ‘The conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing’(12). In Acts 5:14, we have divine approval - ‘More than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women’. Conspiracy involves …

‘My Grace Is Sufficient For You, For My Power Is Made Perfect In Weakness.’

2 Samuel 1:1-27‘How are the mighty fallen!’(19,25,27). The tragedy of Saul was there for all to see. He had made a right mess of things! What are we to think when we read of this tragic figure? He started out so well. He ended so badly. There were high hopes - but it all came …

We start out well – and then something goes wrong …

Praying Through God’s Word: 2 Samuel 2 Samuel 1:1-27 So often, Lord, we start out well – and, then, something goes wrong. Our heads go down. We lose our way. We fall away from You. Where does this spirit of defeat, this spirit of giving up, come from? – It comes from Satan. He sweeps …

Beyond The ‘Pain’ Of ‘Discipline’, There Is ‘The Peaceful Fruit Of Righteousness.’

2 Samuel 7:1-29David was king. God was looking ahead to the next king, Solomon. Knowing the kind of man Solomon would become, God speaks of chastening: ‘When he does wrong, I will chasten him’. This chastening is an expression of God’s ‘steadfast love’: ‘Those whom I love, I rebuke and chasten’. How do we respond …

Who was David’s Shepherd? Who was David’s King?

2 Samuel Who was David’s Shepherd? Who was David’s King? The Lord is my Shepherd – Psalm 23. He’s the King of glory – Psalm 24. Before we can lead others, We must be led – by the Lord.

Some Simple Thoughts From The Scriptures

Genesis When I was writing these words, I was thinking of some of the stories in the book of Genesis (the book of beginnings). I was thinking about Adam, Abraham and Joseph - and I was thinking about Jesus!___________________________________________ It was the genesis of my life.Things were looking so good.Then, it all went badly wrong.What …

God is greater than His servants.

David’s work was intended by God to bring blessing to the people. He was “raised up” by God (2 Samuel 23:1). “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through him" (2 Samuel 23:2). David’s influence on the people was not always a good influence. He “sinned” against the Lord, bringing judgment upon the nation (2 Samuel 24:10,15). Sin and judgment are not, however, the last word concerning God’s dealings with His people. “So the Lord heard the prayers for the country, and the plague in Israel stopped” (2 Samuel 24:25). The Lord’s servants are not perfect. There is sin in us. This affects our usefulness in God’s service. God is greater than His servants. His grace reaches out to men and women through His very inadequate servants. “We have this treasure in earthen vessels.” Why? - “To show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Revival broke out when God’s people returned to “the ancient paths” – “the good way.”

2 Samuel 21:19-23:3  You never know what’s going to happen next! There was repair work going on at the House of God (2 Samuel 22:5-6). It seemed so mundane. What happened next was certainly not mundane. Revival broke out! A book was found. It was ‘the Book of the Law’ (2 Samuel 22:8). The rediscovery …

Setting God’s Servants On A Pedestal Is A Dangerous Thing.

2 Samuel 19:1-39‘My lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil’(27;14:17). Setting God’s servants on a pedestal is a dangerous thing. Don’t imagine that they will always get it right. They won’t. They have their faults and failings as well as everyone else. They need forgiveness just as much …

A song of praise, a song which exalts the Lord, a song which gives glory to the Lord.

David sings his song to the Lord (2 Samuel 22:1-51). It’s a song of praise. It’s a song which exalts theLord. It’s a song which gives glory to the Lord. At the heart of David’s song of praise, there’s aparticularly rich section, which is full of precious statements concerning the Lord.* God’s way is perfect (2 Samuel 22:31).* Who is God but the Lord? (2 Samuel 22:32).* God arms me with strength (2 Samuel 22:33).* He makes my feet like those of a deer (2 Samuel 22:34).* He trains my hands for battle (2 Samuel 22:35).* You have given me the shield of Your salvation (2 Samuel 22:36).* You make a wide path for me to walk on so my feet do not slip (2 Samuel 22:37).These great verses jump out from the particular historical circumstances out of which David speaks.They speak to us as words which jump across the centuries.These words begin as David’s confession of faith. They become our confession of faith.

When it seems like the foundations of our faith are being shaken …

"The Lord is my rock" (2 Samuel 22:2). When it seems like the foundations of our faith are being shaken, we need to remember this: "The Lord is my rock." What are we to say about these words, "The Lord is my rock." Sometimes, we hear people saying, "My faith is my rock. I don't …

The greatest inheritance …

2 Samuel 1:1-2:7; John 20:10-31; Proverbs 13:20-14:4 David was “anointed … king over the house of Judah” (2 Samuel 2:4). Jesus was given a higher honour: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22). The greatest inheritance we can leave to the rising generations …

The outworking of God’s purpose

In 2 Samuel 17,  we read of Absalom pursuing David,In chapter 18, we read of David defeating Absalom.In chapter 19, David is restored to the throne.In these very human events, we must see the outworking of God’s purpose.

Jesus reigns – forever and ever.

2 Samuel 3:22-5:5; Acts 1:1-22; Psalms 69:13-28 David ascended to the throne of Israel – “they anointed David king over Israel” (2 Samuel 5:3). “He reigned for forty years” (2 Samuel 5:4). Jesus ascended “into heaven” (Acts 1:11), to the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. There, He reigns forever and ever. As we …

I will praise God’s Name in song and glorify Him in thanksgiving.

2 Samuel 5:6-6:23; Acts 1:23-2:21; Psalms 69:29-36 The world cannot understand the working of the Holy Spirit – “when Michal, daughter of Saul, saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart” (2 Samuel 6:16). She didn’t understand what David was doing – “I will celebrate before the Lord” …

Raised, with Christ, to eternal life

2 Samuel 7:1-8:18; Acts 2:22-47; Proverbs 14:5-14 “The Lord gave David victory wherever he went” (2 Samuel 8:14). The victory, given to Jesus, was a greater victory than any victory given by God to David. Concerning David, Scripture says, “David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day” (Acts 2:29). Concerning …

The kindness of God

2 Samuel 9:1-10:19; Acts 3:1-26; Psalm 70:1-5 The kindness of God is shown in different ways. We read of “God’s kindness” being shown to Mephibosheth – “he always ate at the king’s house” (2 Samuel 9:3,7). Nevertheless, we are also told, at the end of the chapter, that “he was crippled in both feet” (2 Samuel …

The child died, but the love of God did not cease.

 2 Samuel 11:1-12:31; Acts 4:1-22; Psalm 71:1-8 “David pleaded with God for the child”, born of his adultery with Bathsheba, but “the child died” (2 Samuel 12:18). David prayed that “the Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live” (2 Samuel 12:22). The child died, but the love of God did not …

There are things happening which bring great distress to the Lord’s people …

2 Samuel 13:1-39; Acts 4:23-5:11; Psalm 71:9-18 There are things happening which bring great distress to the Lord’s people. “When King David heard all this, he was furious … Ammon … had disgraced his sister Tamar” (2 Samuel 13:21-22). “Why do the nations rage … against the Lord and against His Anointed One” (Acts 4:25-26). …

A New Beginning

2 Samuel 2:1-32It was a new beginning. There was a new king. Saul was gone. He had been replaced by David. One thing had not changed. The Lord is King. To know His blessing - His ‘steadfast love and faithfulness’- is more important than anything else. We look beyond the servants of the Lord. We …

There’s a difference between human popularity and divine approval.

2 Samuel 14:1-15:12; Acts 5:12-42; Proverbs 14:15-24 There’s a difference between human popularity – “Absalom’s following kept on increasing” (2 Samuel 15:12) – and divine approval – “more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number” (Acts 5:14). A man can gain popularity because the people are gullible …

‘By grace you have been saved…’

2 Samuel 23:1-39 By birth, David was ‘the son of Jesse’. By grace, he was ‘the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel’(1). What we are in ourselves is nothing compared with what we can become through the grace of God! Look at David. …

God’s love is greater than our sin!

“The Lord considered David’s actions evil” (2 Samuel 11:27) - This is a summary of the sinful and shameful events that are recorded in 2 Samuel 11. For most of 2 Samuel 12, we have a record of the consequences of David’s sin. At the end of the chapter, there's a ray of hope - the …

We walk by faith – not by sight.

In 2 Samuel 15 - 16, we have a very human story.It’s just like our life today. We read it, and we think about our own life. We ask, “Where is the Lord in all of this?”We need to maintain the Lord’s priorities.We need to keep “God’s ark” - His Word - among us, seek His favour and honour His servants   (2 Samuel 15:25; 2 Samuel 16:18).If we are to keep sight of the Lord, we must maintain His priorities.If we fail to maintain our focus on the Lord, we will be swept along by events that do not seem tobe filled with any real sense of the purpose of God being fulfilled in our lives. When God seems far away, we must remember this - we walk by faith, not by sight.

The Lord forgives our sin – and He calls us to walk with Him on the pathway of holiness.

In 2 Samuel 13 - 14, we read about sin - rape, murder and deception. This realistic account of humanbehaviour highlights the sin which separates us from God. This shows us very clearly our need ofsalvation. We need the Lord’s saving grace in our lives, if we are to be kept from going further alongthe road of sinful living. By His grace, He saves us. He forgives our sin. He calls us to walk with Him on the pathway of holiness.

God’s Kindness And God’s Strength

“God’s kindness” (2 Samuel 9:3)God has shown His kindness to us. We are to show His kindness to others.“Be strong!” (2 Samuel 10:12) - We are to be strong in the strength of the Lord.Strength and kindness - God will give us the strength to be less self-centred, and more other-centred and God-centred.

Worship, Trust And Obedience

“David worships the Lord” - “I will celebrate in the Lord’s presence”, “You are great, Lord God.There is no one like You, and there is no other god except you” (2 Samuel 6:21; 2 Samuel 7:22).David trusts God - “Almighty Lord, You are God, and Your words are trustworthy” (2 Samuel 7:28).David obeys God - “David ruled all Israel. He did what was fair and right for all his people”(2 Samuel 8:15).

God is good!

2 Samuel 18:19-19:43; Acts 7:44-8:3; Psalm 73:1-14 King David was held in extremely high regard in his day: “My lord the king is like an angel” (2 Samuel 19:27). We must remember that he was no more than  a man who was seeking to “provide a dwelling-place for the God of Jacob” (Acts 7:56). Think …

The Lord is my Rock …

2 Samuel 22:1-23:7; Acts 9:1-31; Psalm 73:15-28 2 Samuel 22 begins with a tremendous declaration of who God is and a marvellous expression of trust in Him – “The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and my Deliverer … my Rock … my Shield and the Horn of my Salvation … my Stronghold, my Refuge …

God’s great mercy …

2 Samuel 23:8-24:25; Acts 9:32-10:23a; Psalm 74:1-9 “His mercy is great” (2 Samuel 24:14). These words of David are powerfully demonstrated in the call to Peter to take the Gospel to Cornelius, the Gentile. God’s mercy is not only for the Jewish nation. It’s also for the Gentiles. Now, the Gentiles belong to the people …

The Lord is King. We “worship His Majesty.”

“May the Lord your God be praised.He has handed over the men who rebelled against your Majesty” (2 Samuel 18:28).The king is called “your Majesty”. We must never forget that there is an even greaterKing, an even greater Majesty. The Lord is King. We “worship His Majesty.”

“The Peace Of God, Which Passes All Understanding, Will Keep Your Hearts And Minds In Christ Jesus.”

2 Samuel 17:1-29Here, we have a tragic train of events. Ahithophel’s advice was ‘not good’. His advice ‘was not followed’. He ‘hanged’ himself (7,23). Without going into detail about this particular suicide, we may make some general comments about coping with life’s difficulties. Things don’t go according to plan. Our hopes are dashed. Nothing seems …

Out Of Our Failure – And Into The Lord’s Victory …

The end of Saul’s reign, the beginning of David’s reign. For Saul, the end was tragic - “See how the mighty have fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19,25,27). David’s reign marked a new beginning. God is gracious. He gives a new beginning when we have made a mess of things. He is the God of hope. He leads us out of our failure and into His victory. David became the king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:1-7) and the king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-5). Behind the story of David, there is the story of God …

Learning From 2 Samuel

2 Samuel 1:1-2:32 Here, we read about the end of Saul's reign and the beginning of David's reign. For Saul, the end was tragic: "See how the mighty have fallen!" (2 Samuel 1:19,25,27). David's reign marked a new beginning. God is gracious. He gives us a new beginning when we have made a mess of …

Fishers of men

2 Samuel 2:8-3:21; John 21:1-25; Psalm 69:1-12 God gave His own gracious promise concerning the reign of David: “For the Lord promised David, By My servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies” (2 Samuel 3:18). Jesus indicated to His disciples, …

Be Filled With The Spirit, Addressing One Another In Psalms, Hymns And Spiritual Songs, Singing And Making Melody To The Lord With All Your Heart…’

2 Samuel 4:1-5:25‘…They came into the house… and slew him…’(4:7). What are we to make of this kind of thing? - ‘What’s the world coming to?’. Where’s it all going to end?’. It is difficult to maintain real faith in the Lord when this kind of thing is going on. What are we to do? …

Many stories, one Story

2 Samuel 15:13-16:14; Acts 6:1-7:19; Psalm 71:19-24 The Bible contains many stories. The readings in 2 Samuel and Acts tell us about events that took place a long time ago. Stephen’s message, in Acts, stresses that all of the stories are part one Story – the Story of God in action. Take away God, and …

Are we trying to impress other people? or Are we seeking to please God?

"Appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have" (1 Samuel 8:5). Why did the people of Israel want to have a king? - They wanted to be like "all the other nations." Why do we do the things that we do? Are we trying to impress other people? or Are …

God answered the prayers for the land …

In 2 Samuel 20 - 21, there are so many names.As we read these chapters, we must not overlook the spiritual dimension.We must respect the Lord and His servants (2 Samuel 20:19).We must seek the Lord’s blessing. “God answered the prayers for the land” (2 Samuel 21:14).We must look to the Lord to do this in our generation.

What happens when God hears and answers prayer? …

2 Samuel 20:1-21:22; Acts 8:1-40; Proverbs 14:25-35 “God answered prayer on behalf of the land” (2 Samuel 21:14). At the heart of all the confusion of many events involving the nations, there is God – the God who hears and answers prayer. What happens when God hears and answers prayer? – People hear and believe …

Keep on believing that there will be a breakthrough – from the Lord.

2 Samuel 4:1-5:25 ‘…They came into the house… and slew him…’(4:7). What are we to make of this kind of thing? - ‘What’s the world coming to?’ Where’s it all going to end?’ It is difficult to maintain real faith in the Lord when this kind of thing is going on. What are we to …

Whatever happens, don’t forget the Word of the Lord.

2 Samuel 3:1-39‘There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David’(1) - What a sad situation! It was shameful. It was sinful- a scandalous situation, which brought no glory to the Lord. The conflict seemed to go on and on - it was ‘a long war’. Perhaps, there were …

In Christ – God’s Love And Forgiveness

2 Samuel 14:1-33David loved Absalom - ‘the king’s heart went out to Absalom’(1). David could not bring himself to forgive Absalom: ‘Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence’(24). God loves us. God forgives us. We dare not come to Him in pride - ‘I’m really not …

What Is More Important To You – Your Own Reputation Or The Glory Of God?

2 Samuel 16:1-23What is more important to you - your own reputation or the glory of God? ‘Curse David’- This was the last thing David wanted to hear. It may, however, have been what he needed to hear. Here, we see David’s true spiritual stature. This was not a ‘feel good’ message. David recognized that …

‘Christ Died For Sins, Once For All, The Righteous For The Unrighteous, To Bring You To God.’

2 Samuel 18:1-33Some die young. Others live to a ripe old age. None of us can predict what lies ahead of us. There are some things that are beyond our control. We look at what is happening and we say, ‘I wish things could be different’. Absalom had been killed. David wished he could have …

‘Paul Planted, Apollos Watered, But God Gave The Growth.’

2 Samuel 19:40-20:26‘The words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel’(43). At the heart of all this conflict was Sheba. He was a real trouble-maker. ‘A worthless fellow’, he was up to no good. A complainer, he wreaked havoc among God’s people. He was out to make …

Make me a channel of Your peace …

Kings and queens, prime ministers and presidents - what are we to say about them? Some say, "This one's good - and that one's not so good." Others say, "No! It's the other way round." No -one seems to be agree about what makes a good king, a good queen, a good prime minister, a …

God Is Always Greater Than Our Inadequate Worship.

2 Samuel 22:8-51David’s ‘song’ of praise is also found in Psalm 18. Some things are worth repeating! David is praising the Lord. He is giving glory to Him. We must never tire of praising God. We can never praise Him enough. He is always greater than our inadequate worship. He is ‘worthy to be praised’(4). …

This is what can happen if you forget about God!

2 Samuel 13:1-39Lust is very different from love. What appeared to be ‘love’ turned into ‘very great hatred’- ‘The heart is deceitful… and desperately wicked’(14-15; Jeremiah 17:9). Things went from bad to worse. The ‘one-off’ event became a consistent and continuing rejection (16). Things continued to get worse. ‘Absalom hated Amnon’. He refused to speak …

When you’re feeling down, let God’s love lift you up!

2 Samuel 12:1-31Here, we learn much about God’s dealings with sinners. In verse 7, there is conviction of sin - ‘You are the man’. In verse 13, we have confession of sin - ‘I have sinned against the Lord’- and forgiveness of sin - ‘The Lord has taken away your sin’. In verse 20, there …

Keep On Praying. Keep On Believing.

2 Samuel 21:1-22:7There’s no two ways about it. God’s people were getting it rough. There seemed to be so many problems. Were they to give up hope? - Not a bit of it! Read verse 14 - ‘After that God heeded supplications for the land’. What happened when God heard and answered the prayers of …

‘Every virtue we possess, every victory won, every thought of holiness, are His alone’

2 Samuel 8:1-9:13David was involved in many battles with his enemies. Their antagonism had been aroused by his strong stand for the Lord. David enjoyed many victories. Why? - ‘The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went’(8:6,14). Jesus said, ‘Apart from Me you can do nothing’(John 15:5). We are not left on our own. …

Be filled with the Spirit …

2 Samuel 6:1-23‘When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart’(16). Michal was a very angry young woman. Her husband had embarrassed her and she didn’t like it! What had David done to deserve this? - ‘I will celebrate before the Lord’(21). This is really quite pathetic. …

How the mighty have fallen! How true! – but it’s not the whole story!

“How the mighty have fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19,25,27). How true! – but it’s not the whole story! Life in this world is a combination of tragedy and triumph. In the life of Saul, the first king of Saul, there was a lot of tragedy, and not much triumph. In the life of his successor, King …

The Name of Jesus Christ is the Name of our salvation …

More notes can be found at my One Year Bible blog. 2 Samuel 11:1-12:31; Acts 4:1-22; Psalm 71:1-8 “David pleaded with God for the child”, born of his adultery with Bathsheba, but “the child died” (2 Samuel 12:18). David prayed that “the Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live” (2 Samuel 12:22). The …

How are we to die? … Dying in shame … dying in glory …

2 Samuel 16:15-18:18; Acts 7:20-43; Psalm 72:1-20 How are we to die? This is an important question. There’s a difference between dying in shame and dying in glory. The death of Absalom (2 Samuel 18) is a shameful death. The death of Stephen (Acts 7) is a glorious triumph. Stephen’s death is preceded by a …

From Pride To Praise

2 Samuel 24:1-25 Here, we see the spirit of pride. David wanted to ‘know the number of the people’ (2). Why? He wanted to feel important - ‘the big man’. He was not giving the glory to the Lord. He was taking it for himself. Did God give up on David - ‘a hopeless case, …