Bible

The Bible room today presents the completion of 2 Samuel with Part 3 of the summary, Chapters 17 through 24. 

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2 Samuel – Part 3

Chapter 17. Advisors

Absalom has two competing advisors at Jerusalem:

• David’s former counselor has been recruited by Absalom;
• And now Hushai, David’s good friend, has come as a spy;
• Absalom seeks his counselors’ advice, asks Hushai’s opinion;
• Hushai has a better suggestion, spells it out, Absalom agrees;
• David gets the message of what to expect, so he escapes;
• Distraught over losing out, the other counselor hangs himself;
• David and his army cross the Jordan toward Gilead;
• Absalom and his army also move east across the Jordan.

Chapter 18. Devastated

A wayward son perishes in battle; a father is devastated:

• Two armies, of David and of Absalom, clash in the forest;
• David asks his men to protect his son, not kill him;
• The battle rages, thousands are fighting on each side;
• Joab finds Absalom in the forest, hanging in a tree;
• His long, thick hair has been caught in the lower branches;
• Absalom is captured by his most famous asset;
• Joab and his men kill the helpless Absalom with spears;
• They throw his body into a pit, cover it with stones;
• Joab calls off the army, the soldiers head back home;
• After an argument, two runners take the news to David;
• First one to arrive says the news is good, we have won;
• Second runner says the news is not good, Absalom is dead;
• Devastated, David starts weeping, crying out:
• “O my son, Absalom–my son, my son, Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom, my son, my son!” (v.33, NKJV)

Chapter 19. Strife

The great victory of Judah over Israel leads to squabbling:

• David goes into mourning for the loss of his son, Absalom;
• This war has ended but David is staying at a home in Gilead;
• Men of Israel say their former leader, Absalom, is dead;
• David should get back to Jerusalem and be king over all;
• David’s house, Judah, is slow to call for David’s return;
• David declares he is replacing his army commander, Joab;
• Amasa, a relative of David is the new commander;
• Near the river David meets Shimei who had cursed him earlier;
• David says ‘forget it,’ the man will not die for what he did;
• Next, David meets Mephibosheth on the road to Jerusalem; 
• David wants to know why he turned traitor during the war;
• Disputing, Mephibosheth claims Ziba has betrayed him;
• He says Ziba has slandered him, lying to David about him;
• David tells him to divide everything in half with Ziba;
• Mephibosheth says David is too good, just give it all to Ziba;
• Quarrelling, men of Israel accuse Judah of stealing David.

Chapter 20. Rebellion

Israel still has fight in them, do not want to give up, yet:

• Saul’s legacy lingers on in a new rebellion against David;
• Israel will not accept David as king at Jerusalem;
• A man named Sheba loudly voices Israel’s intentions;
• David summons his new commander, Amasa;
• Amasa arrives later than David had ordered;
• The men go out after Sheba under command of Joab;
• At Gibeon, Joab meets Amasa, pulls a knife, kills him;
• The chase is on for Sheba: all over Israel it goes;
• Finally, at Abel, Sheba is cornered, he holes up in hiding;
• Joab threatens to destroy the city if they don’t turn him over;
• Sheba’s head is thrown over the wall, Abel is spared;
• Joab is restored as commander over all Israel’s army.

Chapter 21. Bloodshed

David’s reign is one of near constant bloodshed:

• Years earlier, Saul had needlessly killed many Gibeonites;
• David asks the Gibeonites how to recompense their loss;
• They want the lives of seven of Saul’s descendants;
• David rounds them up, hands them over to the Gibeonites;
• All seven are killed and hung up for public viewing;
• Summary: Four major fights with the Philistines end in victories;
• At one of these battles, a young David takes Goliath’s head;
• One warrior is a man with twelve fingers, twelve toes;
• All of these encounters feature unusually large men of war;
• These four conflicts are decided by extreme bloodshed.

Chapter 22. Wordsmith

An accomplished song writer, wordsmith, David sings praises:

• He praises the Lord for delivering him from his enemies;
• He praises the Lord for delivering him from his own people;
• He credits the Lord for all his victories;
• He describes the many ways the Lord showed his help;
• The Lord has shown kindness to David and his descendants.

Chapter 23.  Names

David lists the names of many of those who helped him:

• Mighty men and their exploits are recounted.

Chapter 24.  Numbers

Defying the Lord, David orders a census taken of all Israel;

• His army is dispersed all over the nation;
• The numbers are broken down as follows:
• 800,000 warriors in Israel;
• 500,000 warriors in Judah;
• Remorseful, David realizes he has sinned by doing this;
• The Lord gives him three options for punishment:
• Three years of famine in the land;
• Three months of being on the run from enemies;
• Three days of plague in the land;
• David chooses the latter—seventy thousand souls perish;
• He offers burnt offering sacrifices; the plague is lifted.

END OF 2 SAMUEL – PART 3