Today we're studying the first three chapters of Second Samuel, and then we'll read Psalms 1 28 through one 30, and pray accordingly. First and second Samuel are one book in the Hebrew Bible, but we're divided because the scrolls didn't contain enough room to keep them together.

We'll talk about the blessing of friendship, and how David is still waiting for the complete fulfillment of God's promises to Him, and how messy the battle for the throne was.

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 1-3 + Psalm 128-130

Scripture Read or Referenced:

2 Samuel 1: 1, 6-14, 25-26

2 Samuel 2:1, 4, 6, 8, 18, 28

2 Samuel 3: 1, 6, 8-10, 36-37

Psalm 128-130 (all)

Welcome to the Dwelling Place

from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today we're

studying the first three chapters of

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Second Samuel, and then we'll read Psalms

1 28 through one 30, and pray accordingly.

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First and second Samuel are one book

in the Hebrew Bible, but we're divided

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because the scrolls didn't contain

enough room to keep them together.

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And it's evident why it

was divided, where it is.

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as Second Samuel begins

after the death of Saul

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in chapter one, David isn't aware of

what happened to Saul and his sons,

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ironically in Amalekite comes to him, the

Amalekites being the people group that

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Saul was commanded to completely wipe out.

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He recounts how Saul was lying on his

spear and wasn't quite dead yet, and

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asked this young man to finish the job.

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I don't necessarily see a contradiction

with one Samuel 31 because it says that

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Saul did lie on his sword and he died.

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It just doesn't refer to this

young man, so we can't tell if he's

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lying or if scripture left that

detail out in the last chapter.

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but to validate at least part

of his story, he brought Saul's

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crown and his umlet to David.

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He was clearly aware that David was

God's choice to be the next king.

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After being on the run from Saul

for over a decade of his life, we

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would expect relief and rejoicing,

but that's not David's response.

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He takes hold of his clothes and

tore them, and so did all of the men

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who were with him, and they mourned

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and they grieved for Saul and his sons.

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We continue to witness David's deep

character and his lack of ambition.

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He's obedient to the Lord's plans,

but at no point has he tried

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to take the throne for himself.

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He grieves for his nation and their

loss of a ruler and their loss in

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the battle, but also for his best

friend as he was unwilling to lay

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his hand upon the Lord's anointed,

he holds the amalekite accountable

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for claiming to end the life of Saul.

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David laments through song an epic.

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the conclusion says, Jonathan lies.

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Slain on your high places.

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I'm distressed for you.

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My brother Jonathan, very pleasant.

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Have you been to me?

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Your love to me was extraordinary,

surpassing the love of women.

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Many people find this for peculiar.

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How could a friendship be better

than a marriage relationship?

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As I've prayed about it, I've always

thought, well, David, if you only had

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one wife, like the Lord wanted you to,

then maybe you would've experienced

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marriage differently, but because

you were spreading out the love,

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Friendship did feel better to you.

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But five years ago, I hadn't

experienced, it helped me understand

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this verse in a whole new light.

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I was battling unforgiveness and

I knew the Lord was calling me to

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lay it down, but I felt it was so

beyond me to surrender this battle.

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I wanted to move forward in obedience,

but I decided I needed a physical

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challenge and a point to look back

in time and say that was the day

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I had two dear friends that I

asked to accomplish this with me.

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One had just had a baby, so as

much as she wanted to support me.

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Couldn't do it, but the other

walked every step of a 28 mile

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trek around a lake with me.

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As I was driving home,

this verse came to my mind.

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I couldn't have been more humbled

that this incredible friend would

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support me both physically and

spiritually in this way to do

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something I felt powerless to do.

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Friendship is very

different than marriage.

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But those who have experienced this

depth can understand how we can find

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such refuge in sharing our heart.

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It's a true gift from the Lord.

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After David Grieves thoroughly, he

prays and god tells him to go to Hebrew.

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This is where the patriarchs

are buried, and it's incredibly

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significant in Israel's history.

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The men of Judah come

and anoint him, king.

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But he's not the ruler

over all of Israel yet

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because we also find out that

Saul has a remaining son ish

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eth, meaning man of shame.

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It seems he did not go out to

battle and was therefore spared

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from dying with his family.

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Abner, who was the cousin of Saul

and the commander of his army,

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makes ish Bhe king over Israel.

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There's a large section to the north

that's still loyal to the line of Saul.

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In case we thought that David's battle

to inherit the promises of God was

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going to be over, we're mistaken.

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Even after Saul dies, David still has

to wait to rule the entire nation.

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And Abner who was the commander

of Saul's armies, I would assume

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takes the same role for Buhe.

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And Joe AB is the

commander of David's army.

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They decide, you know what?

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Let's not have a full out war.

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We'll just have a

representative battle here.

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We'll each take 12 warriors and

see who wins At the end, all

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24 men lie dead before them.

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And really all this does is incite more

conflict and lead to a greater battle.

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In two 18, we read that the

Sons of Zaia were Joab Abishai.

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and as a how.

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In processing this, I actually

said, Lord, that was kind of

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confusing ' cause I was having a

hard time tracking who was who here.

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And I'll just give you a ridiculous

insight into how my mind works in

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case it helps you keep it straight.

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To remember that Joab is on David's side.

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I picture him saying it to David.

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Joe Abs be looking good, David.

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I know it's ridiculous, but this is

significant because Zaia was David's

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sister and these are his nephews.

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Do you remember that?

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Abishai was the one who captured Saul

Spear with David a couple chapters ago.

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They're having this battle and Asa

hell is pursuing Abner, but Abner

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keeps warning him, Hey, turn back.

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I don't wanna have to kill you.

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Aza, hell will not relent.

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He ignores Abner's attempt

to show mercy, and eventually

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Abner strikes him with a spear.

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At the end of the battle, Abner says to

Joab, shall the sword devour forever?

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Do you not know that

the end will be bitter?

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How long will it be before you

tell your people to turn from

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the pursuit of their brothers?

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They decide not to fight anymore, which

sounds very hopeful, but chapter three

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tells us there was a long war between

the house of Saul and the house of David.

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And David grew stronger and

stronger while the house of

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Saul became weaker and weaker.

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And then we get to this very unfortunate

detail of David's wives and his sons

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that were born to him in Hebron.

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Being a parent is overwhelming and

a lot of work, as you well know,

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and when a man has many wives,

it's too many children to disciple.

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There will be bitter consequences with

David's children and the chapters to come.

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Even though the House of Saul is becoming

weaker and weaker, Abner was making

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himself strong in the house of Saul and

Eth confronts Abner saying, why have

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you gone into my father's concubine?

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This act was a claim to the throne.

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Scripture doesn't tell us if Abner

really did this or not, but he is

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so insulted by this accusation.

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He says, to this day, I keep showing

steadfast love to the house of Saul,

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your father, to his brothers and to his

friends, and I have not given you into

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the hand of David, and yet you charge me

today with a fault concerning a woman.

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God do so.

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To Abner and more.

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Also, if I do not accomplish for David

what the Lord has sworn to him to transfer

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the kingdom from the house of Saul and

set up the throne of David over Israel

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and over Judah from Dan to be Sheba Dan,

to be Sheba just means from the north to

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the south, and this is really revelatory.

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Apparently Abner was aware that

David was supposed to be king and

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that God had promised it, but he

still was faithful to Saul's line.

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Now he's so insulted.

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He says, fine, I'll give

all my loyalty to David.

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And he does.

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He sends messengers and David

replies, I'll meet with you,

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but bring my wife Michael

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remember, Saul had given her to

another man to Mary, and in this

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heartbreaking detail we read that her

current husband sobbed and followed

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her until he wasn't allowed to anymore.

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And we're warned how complicated

it is when we don't honor

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God's intent for marriage.

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David and Abner make a covenant, but Job

returns and says, why would you trust him?

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Of course, he's trying to trick you.

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Joab pretends he wants to speak with

Abner privately, but Abishai and

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Joab avenge their brother's death

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and kill Abner without David's knowledge.

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These are his nephews, so of course

it's gonna raise some alarm, but

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as the people see how genuinely

David laments and grieves for Abner.

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Scripture tells us that all the

people took notice of it and it

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pleased them as everything that the

king did, pleased all the people.

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So all the people in all Israel understood

that day that it had not been the

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king's will to put to death, Abner.

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And now we'll look at Psalms 1 28 through

one 30, which are songs of ascent.

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Just as I felt God calling me to combine

a spiritual act with a physical challenge,

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his people sang songs and recited psalms

as they were making their way up the

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elevation to Jerusalem for the feast that

God commanded them to celebrate there.

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As with any climb, there are moments

where you appreciate the view and moments

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where it's a little more difficult.

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Blessed is everyone who fears

the Lord who walks in his ways.

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You shall eat the fruit of

the labor of your hands.

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You shall be blessed and

it shall be well with you.

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Your wife will be like a

fruitful vine within your house.

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Your children will be like

olive shoots around your table.

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Behold, thus, shall the man

be blessed who fears the Lord?

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The Lord bless you from Zion.

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May you see the prosperity of

Jerusalem all the days of your life.

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May you see your children's children peace

be upon Israel and in 1 29, greatly

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have they afflicted me from my youth.

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Let Israel now say.

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Greatly have they afflicted

me from my youth, yet they

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have not prevailed against me.

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The flowers plowed upon my back.

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They made long their furrows.

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The Lord is righteous.

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He has cut the cords of the wicked.

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May all who hate Zion be put

to shame and turned backward.

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Let them be like the grass on the

housetops, which withers before it grows

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up with which the reaper does not fill his

hand, nor the binder of Sheaves his arms.

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Nor do those who pass by, say the

blessing of the Lord be upon you.

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We bless you in the name of the Lord,

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and in one 30 out of the depths, I cry

to you, oh Lord, oh Lord, hear my voice.

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Let your ears be attentive to

the voice of my please for mercy.

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If you oh Lord, should mark

iniquities oh Lord, who could stand?

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But with you, there is forgiveness

that you may be feared.

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I wait for the Lord.

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My soul waits and in his word.

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I hope my soul waits for the Lord

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more than Watchman for the morning.

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More than Watchman for the morning.

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O Israel.

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Hope in the Lord.

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For with the Lord, there is steadfast

love and with him is plentiful

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redemption, and he will redeem

Israel from all his iniquities.

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for the hope

that we have when following you and that

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with you there is plentiful redemption.

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We pray that we will get to

see that our children sprout up

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around us gaining strength to

value you on their own someday.

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Help us to be like fruitful vines being a

blessing to our husbands and our children.

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We look forward with hope to the day that

we could see our grandchildren as well,

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and we pray that they would

be rooted and grounded in you.

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Thank you that your ears are attentive

to us and that you're quick to forgive.

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Guide us to wait with holy expectation,

having our desire surrender to you.

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and fully believing that your

steadfast love and redemption is at

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work in our lives and in our families.

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For those moms that feel weary,

spiritually or physically, help them

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feel renewed when they call to you.

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Thank you, Jesus, that you are the true

king that will reign on the entire earth.

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It's in you, we hope and pray.

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Amen.