Foundations: The Book of 2 Samuel
17 Day Devotional
2 Samuel 7:17 (ESV) "And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure
forever before Me. Your throne shall be established forever. "
READ: 2 Samuel 1
In the book of 1 Samuel we saw
a shift happening as the rule in Israel moved from a position of judgeship to
kingship. In rebellion against God’s leadership, Israel demanded a king that
they might be like the other nations. The book took us through the plummeting
reign of Israel’s first king, Saul. Though he started out relatively well,
Saul’s sins of jealousy and anger overtook him causing him to commit horrible
sins against God and the nation. Meanwhile, God led the prophet Samuel to
anoint the next king whom He said would be a man after His own heart. God led
the prophet to David, a shepherd boy and the youngest of eight sons. The
remainder of the book illustrated Saul’s decline as he sought to kill this
godly young man who would be his successor. But David trusted in the mighty and
sovereign hand of His great God, Yahweh. The book ended with the death of Saul,
leaving the reader in eager expectation of David’s coronation as King!
At the end of 1 Samuel we
learned how Saul died: injured, he called to his armour-bearer commanding the
servant to kill him. But the man knew that to kill the Lord’s anointed was
wrong – Yahweh was a big God, and the armour-bearer would not stand in the way
of what God would or would not do on this day. And so Saul fell on his own
sword and died. We can believe this account as written by the author of 1
Samuel. Therefore, the story told by the Amalekite at the beginning of 2 Samuel
is false. The young man is claiming to have mercifully killed Saul in hopes of
gaining favour with the one who will now be king. But the response he receives
is anything but praise. As a sojourner in Israel, this man was held to Israel’s
laws; to kill the Lord’s anointed showed rebellion and irreverence – to the
king and ultimately to God. And so David demands the death of the Amalekite. He
is receiving just punishment for the murder of the Lord’s anointed.
The chapter ends with David’s
heartfelt lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. The depth of his integrity
and trust is so evident here. Where most in David’s position would rejoice at
the news of Saul’s death, David is truly sad over Israel’s lost. David has
learnt forgiveness on a powerful level. We see such a surrendered heart in this
lament; God has truly prepared David for kingship and has developed in him a
godly heart. Though Saul had wronged him much, David does not stand in
judgement; we do not hear him declare: “Aha! Saul has received his reward! He
has gotten what he deserved!” There is no underlying message of: “Finally Israel will have a good and
noble king – me!” David is humble and honours the king he served.
The loss of his best friend is
particularly painful to him. Jonathan was given to David in a time of need.
David needed an ally, a friend who would stand beside him and who could vouch
for his character, a friend who knew the truth about what was going on between
Saul and David. But the Lord gives and takes away. Jonathan filled a need for
David, but ultimately it is God who fills every need. And David knows this; it
is why, in his sorrow, he turns quickly to the Lord.
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. Ask
God to reveal a relationship where you are holding onto unforgiveness. If you
don’t clearly know where these feelings came from ask God to show you why you
feel this way.
a. Confess
your unforgiveness to the Lord.
b. If
you have been hurt by this individual, ask God to speak into your hurt. What
truth does He want to speak to you?
c. In
prayer, give your hurt to God. Tell Him you want to accept His truth. With His
strength, spend some time praying a blessing for this person.
d. When
you feel feelings of unforgiveness creeping in, continue to bring it before the
Lord and to pray for this person.
2. Think
about the friends God has brought into your life. Maybe there were some
relationships that were hard to let go of.
a. Thank
God for the friendships he has given you, especially for those who have spurred
you on in your faith.
b. If
you have experienced hurt because a friendship ended before you were ready, ask
God to show you how His timing was perfect in this.
3. David
lived a life of extreme integrity while he was on the run from Saul, so much so
that he truly mourned the king’s death. Ask God to grow this kind of integrity
within the church. Ask Him for hearts that are submissive to His leadership
even when they don’t agree with everything going on around them.
