Solomon's title threatened. Adonijah attempted to take the throne from Solomon.
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Day 125 (May 5): David’s belongings help build temple, Solomon anointed king, his brother tries to claim throne, David quickly plans to king Solomon

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org.

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 1 Chronicles 29:1-22
— 1 Kings 1
(970 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (1 Chronicles 29:1-22): As we read this story, should we keep in mind that it is 1 Chronicles, where the author may have glorified the actual happenings to paint a prettier picture of King David’s rule?

A. That is always something to have in mind at this point.  We certainly get a “rosy” vision of David, but I would also say that there is not much going on here that is outside of the established character of David: He is willing to make great sacrifices on behalf of his God, and this is just one more instance of it.  It is quite clear why David is held up as an OT example for others to follow, even with his obvious shortcomings.

Q. (1 King 1:1-4): What?  I guess this is a “give the king his last dying wish?”  Whatever the reason is, I’m sure it’s not that important — as I have learned.  But, why include it here?  From the text, we never see David spending much time with his sons.  Maybe this is why they are so at odds.  The brothers didn’t have a strong family nucleus with their father or each other?

A. The historian Josephus mentions the “medical” practice of using a healthy person to keep the elderly warm, so it appears that this was an accepted practice in this day.  It appears to be part of the process of making David as comfortable as possible in his final days.  Verse 6 would seem to indicate that David was quite lax in his discipline of his boys, even where it was quite clear what he desired — for Solomon, not any of his other sons, to be king.  David excelled at many things, but it appears that being father of the year was not one of them — and just one more place where the king’s polygamy created unnecessary tension.

Q. (1:5-6): These people seem to be so fickle.  If there was such a huge celebration for Solomon to become king, then why is there an opposing side thinking that they can defeat the named king?

A. Both Solomon and his brother are powerful men, so it is most likely that many who joined Adonijah are hedging their bets as to who will be the “true” king.  They want to be in the good graces of such a powerful monarch, and one of the best ways was to be on his side and cheering for him, right up until the moment someone else prevails.  Fickle is right.

Q. (1:7): Joab sure is a hard one to figure out.  He has always stood beside King David, though he definitely wasn’t completely obedient.  But, if King David named Solomon the next king, then I would think Joab would support Solomon.  On a side note, Joab has to be getting very old too!

A. He is, and this decision to not follow Solomon will be a costly one for him.  Technically, Adonijah is probably, by society’s standards, the right choice for king. He was most likely the oldest surviving son, and the logical choice to be king.  So it is not surprising that Joab followed him.  But as with David, man’s choice for king was not God’s choice.

Q. (1:31): This is a sideline question.  People bow before the king.  Is this OK with God?  I am not sure how God views bowing to anyone except him.  Some people around the world greet one another with a bow, showing a sign of respect.  This came up once when President Obama bowed to a foreign leader.  I was taking a martial arts class with my daughter and we were supposed to bow when you entered the dojo and when we left, I believe, as a sign of respect to the master.  I did not like this one bit.  I have never met the master who is in another part of the world.  I bow my head to God when I pray, but rarely a full-body bow.  I definitely don’t feel like bowing to someone that I don’t know, or moreover, someone who isn’t God.

A. I think there is a fine line between bowing in respect for a leader or another person, and “bowing your heart” to an idol.  Bowing your heart to anything other than God is obviously not what God desires, but I don’t see a particular problem with showing respect for others, as long as it is not worship.

Q. (1:34): Solomon has already been anointed.

A. Anointing is a public ceremony, so I’m not surprised that Solomon is anointed many times.  There wouldn’t have been any CNN covering the ceremony, so the repeated anointing might have had something to do with different people being involved in the process.  Part of the reason for this particular ceremony is David’s desire to publicly make it crystal clear who the king is going to be.

Q. (1:50): Adonijah was afraid of Solomon because he had David and the Lord backing him?  I would think that Adonijah would die from grabbing the horns of the altar.  Maybe he has learned from observing the Lord’s power and will be obedient to Solomon?

A. The horns of the altar are not the same as the Ark, which is what was not to be touched.  The horns of the alter were the place where sacrifices were made, and would have been seen as a place of mercy and surrender.  This is most likely what Adonijah is attempting to convey: I have sinned against the true king, my brother, and need his forgiveness and mercy.

For further reading: David had a big family!  Here’s the list — of sons, anyway, https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/sons-of-david.html

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Tomorrow’s reading
— 1 Kings 2:1-9
— 2 Samuel 23:1-7
— 1 Kings 2:10-12
— 1 Chronicles 29:26-30
— Psalms 4-6, 8-9, 11

David instructs Solomon on plans for the temple and encourages to seek God
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Day 124 (May 4): Gatekeeper duties, treasurers, military commanders, military divisions, tribal leaders, officials, David instructs Solomon

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 1 Chronicles 26-28
(979-970 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (1 Chronicles 27:25-31): Why does the king have so many possessions?  I just thought kings were there to rule and have a fancy place to live with fancy things in it and nice clothes.  Why olive oil, sheep, goats, donkeys, etc.?

A. Well, it is clear from this text that he had a lot of people in his “employment,” so that is probably part of your answer.  From what I understand, being a king involved regular work as the ambassador of your nation to those around you.  We will see more of this type of activity under Solomon than we did with David.  In order to make an impact, I suspect part of what a king would do would be to share the goods that they had stockpiled in order to make a good impression.  It would be a great way to “grease the wheels” of diplomacy.  The other thing I could see is the king’s court could serve as a kind of storehouse for the nation, so that since the king controlled these things like food, he could distribute them to those who had need.  I have no idea if David actually did this or not, but it sounds like something God would desire out of a king.

For curiosity’s sake: Proof that King David existed, https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/the-tel-dan-inscription-the-first-historical-evidence-of-the-king-david-bible-story/

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Tomorrow’s reading
— 1 Chronicles 29:1-22
— 1 Kings 1

David names his son king over Israel.
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Day 123 (May 3): David names Solomon King of Israel, Levites cast lots to assign temple duties

Moody Publishers / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 1 Chronicles 23-25
(979 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (1 Chronicles 23:25): What does it mean when David said that The Lord will always live in Jerusalem?

A. When the temple that David has been planning for is built by his son Solomon, it will become the final location for the Ark and therefore God’s presence.

Q. (1 Chronicles 24:6): What does “casting lots” mean?

A. It’s the same thing we’ve been looking at before: the use of the Urim and Thummim to determine God’s will.  They were “cast” or thrown as a kind of “yes” or “no” answer.

Q. (1 Chronicles 23-25): Today’s reading is primarily for record-keeping?  One thought that comes to mind is why is there so much work in the temple?  Of course, I am judging this in today’s standards where you go to church with 30-10,000 people depending on the size of the building.  But, when you have hundreds of thousands of worshippers, the duties would be multiplied.  And, this is no basic church, it is where the Ark rests.

A. Yes, it is pointing out two important aspects of ministry for the various priests: care for the temple and ministries of worship on behalf of the king and royal family.  Those tasks would have required plenty of labor, so it is not really a surprise to me that there were a lot of priestly families involved.

For further reading: How did the tribe of Levi become the tribe of priests? https://www.christianlearning.com/how-the-tribe-of-levi-became-the-tribe-of-priests/

Shop: Today, it’s our duty to show God’s love, https://livinlight.org/product/deepest-love-t-shirt/ and by showing our love, and when we do that, we share the truth — https://livinlight.org/product/truth/ — with others and, in turn, find favor with the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading: 1 Chronicles 26-28

Unauthorized census David starts collecting building materials to for temple construction
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Day 122 (May 2): David’s census angers God, Plague is served as punishment, David builds altar the right way, David makes preparations for temple

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org.

We are now 1/3 of the way through the Bible. Congrats! And, look how much we have learned. There is a lot more to come!  If you are new to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives, Welcome! Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Samuel 24:1-9
— 1 Chronicles 21:1-6
— 2 Samuel 24:10-17
— 1 Chronicles 21:7-17
— 2 Samuel 24:18-25
— 1 Chronicles 21:18-22:19
(979-970 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Samuel 24:1,9: 1 Chronicles 21:1, 5): The 2 Samuel version says that David ordered the census.  1 Chronicles says it was Satan.  There is also a difference in the census numbers between the two books.  Why would God’s anger against Israel make David want to take a census?  And, why was God angry anyway?

A. It is interesting to me the way that this version of the reading so clearly identifies variations in the text.  You could say that both Satan and David were involved in the sin because Satan could have easily tempted David to do it, but David is ultimately responsible.  This is also, to me, just one more way the author of Chronicles portrays David in a more positive light: rather than the census being just “his” idea, Chronicles tells us that the devil put the idea in his head.  I do not know why the numbers are different in the two versions of the census.

Regarding God’s anger, we also don’t know what it is about Israel’s actions that prompted God’s wrath.  But what appears to have made God angry about the census itself is a bit easier to understand.  The census was a military one: David is measuring the size of his army.  This is a customary action of a king who is preparing to go to war.  So that’s one possibility about what angered God: that David was planning to march his armies in (presumed) defiance of God’s command to be at peace.  Another possibility is that this is a vanity/pride move for David: He wants to know how many troops he has so that he can brag about it.  A third possibility is that the census revealed that David was trusting a bit too much in his armies, and not in God.  That’s about all we’ve got here.

Q. (2 Samuel 24:10-17, 1 Chronicles 21:1-17): I like the 1 Chronicles version better.  It is more descriptive.  Three years is a long time.  I think I would have chosen Door #3 also, but if I would have realized that it would cost 70,000 lives, I may have chosen another option.  David probably didn’t realize the plague would cause so much death?

A. A famine could have killed many more: three years of poor crop growth can cripple a nation TODAY!  And who knows what they would have lost (perhaps Jerusalem itself) if he chose losing to his enemies.  I suspect David took what he knew to be the more immediately painful path, and just “have it done with.”

Q. (2 Samuel 24:24): It’s interesting that David respected God when building an altar to Him to stop the plague.  Usually, free is good.  Araunah obviously wanted to give it as a gift.

A. He did, but as we studied in the Law, God desired not what we get for free or cheap, but rather for us to sacrifice the best of what we have for Him.  This is a big part of the reason that lame or otherwise affected animals were not acceptable as sacrifices: it was the cheap and easy way out, and missed the point of what God desired.

Q. (1 Chronicles 22:14-16): I’m just trying to picture how they moved so much building materials around then, especially the cedar.  Also, it would be interesting to know how someone back then became skilled at something, like the goldsmiths, silversmiths, carpenters and stonemasons.

A. There are a variety of answers to movement of massive material in the ancient world.  We know that the Egyptians used flat sleds or logs — with lots of slave labor — to move things like massive stones around for building the base of the pyramids.  Materials could also be transported by caravan using burden animals like horses and donkeys, which could probably drag a considerable amount of weight behind it.

But there’s other ways too: the nations that supplied the cedar were north of Israel, so it is possible they could have used the waterways like the Jordan river or even the Mediterranean Sea to move massive trees around — wood like cedar almost always floats.  The Phoenicians and Greeks were building massive ships in this era (maybe a little later) called Triremes that were massive and could have clearly carried a lot of people or other things as well (read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trireme).  I think that gives you and idea of how it was done.  It was most likely a combination of many factors.

Like almost all professions in the ancient world, craftsmanship was handed down from generation to generation in family lines.  If your family fished for a living — as several of the apostles — you learned to fish.  If your family worked with bronze or, later, steel, or jewels or other crafting materials, you would have most likely learned from them.  In this era, there was no currency, so survival would have depended upon people’s ability to barter goods and services to meet their needs.  You can think of this as “pressure” to be good at your family craft: If someone else in your village was better at making jewelry than you were, you were in trouble.  But the family who was the best at it would have likely passed important trade skills down to the next generation.  Additionally, there were no formal schools in this part of the world at this time — though there was what we would call “Bible” education in Jesus’ era, we’ll talk about that in due time — so you very likely could not count on anyone but your community to provide you with a “trade.”

For further explanation: There is a lot of undertones to this census, https://www.tenth.org/resource-library/articles/why-was-davids-census-a-great-sin/

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Tomorrow’s reading: 1 Chronicles 23-25

David praises God. King Saul hunted for David, but came up empty-handed. David praised God for protecting him.
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Day 121 (May 1): David praises God’s power and his protection

Moody Publishers / FreeBibleimages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Samuel 22
— Psalm 18
(979-970 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Samuel 22:1-51, Psalm 18): This is a beautiful song.  I wondered why it isn’t solely in Psalms like the other songs.  Also, it seems that God is on David’s mind 24/7.  Is this how we are supposed to think and act, with God on our mind ALWAYS?  When I first thought about this a while back, it seemed daunting.  How could I think of God all the time?  I didn’t see why it was necessary or how I could actually do it.  I thought it was overkill.  But, I must say, that I do do it a lot more of the time, dare I say most of the time.  And, I’m normally a happier person.  Even when I’m frustrated or angry, I talk to God to try to get me out of it because I know it’s not doing me or Him any good when I’m in a bad mood.

A. One of Jesus’ more famous commands was for us to love God, among other things, with all of our mind (Mark 12:30, among other places).  To me, that means making God our daily focus, and doing our best to keep Him in mind, moment by moment.  Actually, one of the ways that this is best accomplished — drumroll — by reading our Bible every day!  (Pat yourself on the back!)  That is, if we are constantly immersing ourselves in the Word of God, then the Spirit can use these words to bring our mind into focus on God.  I’m glad to hear that you have seen your focus on God increase a bit, and I am certainly suspicious that part of the reason for this is the project that we are undertaking.

One of the hardest things to do in life is to focus on God, not just in moments of peace and silent reverence, but when life is frustrating or things don’t go our way.  Can we focus on God when we are stuck in traffic, or behind that pokey person in the grocery store line?  Can we trust in the truth of God’s word when someone is attacking us?  Do we truly believe that it is better to trade love for hate?  To put our trust in God and not our own finances or plans?  The answer to these questions, quite honestly, is “no” for a lot of Christians.  But the beauty of grace is that God is always at work on us, and over time, you just might find patience and peace in the midst of turmoil that you would have never thought possible in your past.  That, I suspect, will be the moment when you have truly made God, and not the things of this world, your moment-by-moment focus.

Q. (22:21-25): David is saying he is blameless before God.  This isn’t true though.  He slept with Bathsheba, he forgot God in his battle plans at least once.  So, why does he say he is blameless?

A. Beginning at chapter 21, my notes indicate that these chapters, including 22, are a collection or appendix of sorts to 2 Samuel, and they are not necessarily listed chronologically.  Note the date of the poem: the verses tell us that David is praising God for His deliverance from his enemies and Saul.  Now, Saul has been dead a long time at this point chronologically, so it is not a stretch to say that this section was composed at a much earlier, pre-Bathsheba, time in David’s life.  If you want an alternative explanation, you could also argue that David made his repentance and sin offerings for his sins, so he could have seen himself as innocent in God’s eyes because he had taken the legal steps to purify himself of the stain of sin.  I could see either one of these as good explanations.

Q. I always thought the entire Bible was dictated from God.  But, the Psalms are praising God, not from God.

A. Nope.  What you are describing is a caricature of the most commonly understood concept of Biblical inspiration.  What the Bible tells us, in 2 Timothy 3:16 among other places, is that the words of Scripture are God-breathed.  That is, God-inspired, but did not “dictate” if you will, the words that He desired to have been written down.  And in this regard, this makes sense.  If God “dictated” the words of the Bible — as He did in the Quran according to devout Muslims for example — then we would expect to hear only one “voice” in the text.  But the Bible claims to be something very different from a “cosmic typewriter:” it claims to be the recordings of many people, men and women, who encountered the Living God and wrote down their experiences.  Sometimes, they are writing down words for God directly (we will see this in the Prophets section coming up, and we already saw it in the Law section), but other times, we see it contains words that people like David and many others record describing their relationships with God.  Frankly, Psalms is a great example of the free expression we see in Scripture: many of the words that it contains are borderline blasphemous, but they are the real words that people use to talk to God in the midst of their trials and anger or disappointment with Him.  You will see no other book that captures this spirit of recording encounters with God better than the Psalms.  Don’t think of the Bible as something God handed down to us, think of it as an inspired recording of more than 1500 years of encounters with this incredible Being as He moved amongst His chosen people to save the entire world.

Q. (Psalm 18:35): David made reference to God’s right hand here.  Is that of any significance?

A. There’s a few meanings that would be relevant for us.  First, a warrior would, most likely, carry a weapon such as a spear or sword with his right hand, so the image is symbolic of a person fighting for David’s cause. (Note: the weapon on the right hand comes after the image of the shield, most often worn on the left hand).  Also, the image of God’s right hand will continue to evolve and become associated with the imagery of the Messiah.  This comes from the double meaning of “right hand”: the first, as we mentioned, was weapons-bearing; but it also meant, secondly, a close advisor in a king’s court — the person seated at the right hand would have been the most important person next to the king.  It would have been the person’s chosen advisor or warrior, which is exactly the image that we want in the concepts of Messiah, God’s chosen or anointed one.

For further reading: The right hand is mentioned over 160 times in the Bible, https://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2015/06/13/what-does-the-right-hand-symbolize-or-mean-in-the-bible/

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Tomorrow’s reading
— 2 Samuel 24:1-9
— 1 Chronicles 21:1-6
— 2 Samuel 24:10-17
— 1 Chronicles 21:7-17
— 2 Samuel 24:18-25
— 1 Chronicles 21:18-22:19

Good King David Psalm 7
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Day 120 (April 30): Barzillai honors David, argument over king, Sheba’s revolt, Sheba’s head, song against evil, Gibeonites satisfied, giant wars

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Samuel 19:31-20:26
— Psalm 7
— 2 Samuel 21
— 1 Chronicles 20:4-8
(972-970 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Samuel 20:10): So, Amasa was stabbed because he took more than 3 days to notify Judah?  What’s the big deal?  His slowness stalled their plans or they may think he was up to something besides notifying Judah?

A. No, David had no knowledge about Joab’s plans: Joab killed Amasa to ensure that he remained commander of David’s army.

Q. (20:16-22): What?  This woman’s actions do not follow protocol.  This is quite a little story.  She is quite wise and how did she get Sheba’s head?

A. It is quite a story.  She was apparently a town elder who had great influence.  Sheba and his men were likely under the protection of the city (they probably agreed to terms before Sheba’s men came into the city).  This woman apparently was able to convince the townspeople that they had gotten a bad deal — there was no way Sheba was going to stop Joab — and they turned on him.

Q. (21:1-14): I don’t see a correlation between Saul and his family murdering the Gibeonites and a famine.  I thought God had little concern for Saul and the Gibeonites are not Israelites.  So, why a focus on this conflict?  This story is confusing to me.  I thought a while back, David had asked if any of Saul’s descendants were still living.  I thought Mephibosheth was the only one.  And, he came to live with David … or eat at his table anyway.  So, where did all of these other children come from?  So, Saul had both a son and a grandson with the name Mephibosheth?

A. Let’s untangle this: we do not know about where these other sons of Saul came from — the Chronicler doesn’t mention any other descendants — so I don’t have a good answer for that.  They may have been more distant relatives of his or the children of slaves/concubines and therefore “lesser” children (I know that sounds horrible).  Regarding the famine, back in Joshua 9 (from Day 83), the Gibeonites were the clever tribe who tricked the Israelites into signing a treaty of protection, which the people swore in God’s name.  Saul’s efforts to eliminate them violated this vow, and God was apparently not pleased.

Q. (21:15-22): Why are the giants important?  Are the four that were killed here the last of them?  It’s interesting that the Israelites would battle with Goliath’s brother.

A. The significance of their story is really about their defeat by David’s men.  The writer is saying, like their king who killed Goliath, David’s men were so fearsome in battle that they could kill giants too.

For further reflection: God chose David because his heart was in the right place, https://realchristianity.com/the-faithfulness-of-king-david/

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Tomorrow’s reading
2 Samuel 22
Psalm 18

David received word that Absalom had been defeated. He began wailing over his son's death.
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Day 119 (April 29): Psalm of protection, Absalom’s defeat, David mourns son’s death, David returns to Jerusalem, spares Shimei, believes Mephibosheth

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org.

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Samuel 17:15-29
— Psalm 3
— Psalm 63
— 2 Samuel 18-19:30
(979-972 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Samuel 18:14-15): Joab should have learned his lesson the first time. The king said to take it easy on his son.  He probably wanted to talk to him.

A. He didn’t seem to learn his lesson, but he was right that it was a great insult to Joab’s men that David mourned Absalom’s death in the midst of their great victory.  It was surely a bitter sweet moment for David.

O. (18:33): King David has sinned, but here we can see how wonderful of a person he is.  His son was plotting to kill him, but he did not want his son killed and grieved immensely for him.

Q. (19:5-7): I take it that Joab is a key figure here and we’ll see some payback from David?  David does not know that Joab ordered Absalom to be killed, right?

A. He remains a key figure through the rest of David’s life.  You’ll see how it goes down.

Q. (19:10): I don’t remember any mention of Absalom being anointed.  Did this happen in Hebron when Absalom was supposedly sacrificing?

A. The word “anointed” just means “chosen” or “selected”.  We’re not talking about a formal ceremony with a priest here, though some form of oil may have been used.  The people are commenting about the leader they chose.

Q. (19:11-13): Is David trying to rally some loyalty here?

A. Yes, among his own tribe.

Q. (19:26-28): It’s hard to say who is telling the truth here.  I would say that it’s Mephibosheth?

A. I guess in the end it doesn’t matter: David believed Mephibosheth.

Q. Rob, this is a edge-of-your-seat story with a lot of details and deceit.  I guess the big message is that if we have the Lord on our side, anything is possible?  And, that jealousy, rage, greed, envy and lust can only lead to destruction?

A. I think the big lesson here is that sin always has consequences, even for the most godly of men.  David’s abuse of his throne has come back to haunt him, and cost him a dearly beloved son.  That doesn’t mean God loved him any less, but it is an important lesson for Christians to understand: even if God spares us the ETERNAL consequences of our sins — thank God for that! — we must still deal with the temporal consequences of our decisions.  No one, not even the great King David, is immune to the power of sin and the consequences that follow it.

For further reading: Though he showed his weakness toward Bathsheba, David is heralded as having the heart of God, https://onlinecoursesblog.hillsdale.edu/a-message-of-reconciliation-the-love-of-a-father-and-the-birth-of-christ/

Shop: Follow God’s Word, and you will receive His protection, https://livinlight.org/product/truth/

Tomorrow’s reading
— 2 Samuel 19:31-20:26
— Psalm 7
— 2 Samuel 21:1-22
— 1 Chronicles 20:4-8

Absalom rebels. Absalom meets with supporters to fight David
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Day 118 (April 28): Absalom rebels, David flees, Ziba deceives David, Shimei curses David, David’s adviser trades sides, Absalom gets new advice

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleImages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Samuel 15-17:14
(976-972 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Samuel 15:1-12): Before Absalom’s killed his brother, Amnon, in vengeance for sleeping with his sister (also Amnon’s sister, right?), Absalom and his father, King David, had a great relationship?  Then, Amnon fled to his grandfather, so then there was anger from David toward Absalom.  But, he also must have understood Absalom’s reasoning for killing Amnon.  So is the rift between Absalom and his father just a huge psychological mess?

A. We don’t know what type of relationship David and Absalom had, but there is no reason to assume it was troubled.  Absalom lived a privileged life that few in the ancient world would have ever known — not only was he the son of a wealthy king, but a recent reading told us that he was also handsome like his father.  Regarding Amnon and Absalom, what the passage is implying is that Absalom and Tamar shared a mother, so that they were full brother and sister.  Amnon was Tamar’s half brother.  Don’t forget that this is one of our places we see the polygamy he chose gets David in trouble or causes tragic results.

Q. (2 Samuel 15:7-12): There seems to be a strong deviousness characteristic than runs in the royalty back then.  Is that a psychological side-effect of having power?  Maybe they are always greedy for the power and then once they get it, they can live in fear of losing it.  Thus, there is deceit on all sides?  I don’t think God would appreciate Absalom using offering a sacrifice as a reason to conspire to overthrow King David.  There is also a story line here about free will.  You would think that children would obey and honor their parents who take care of them, yet, as we read here, Absalom turns and plots to challenge his father, King David, for the throne.  Is this another case of a person of notoriety — also seen in the sons of the priest Samuel —not raising his son in the right manner?

A. It’s a good question, but we don’t really have any way of knowing how David raised his many sons.  Regarding Absalom’s deceit: one thing the story makes clear is that David is doing his best to be obedient to God and honor Him (by, for example, NOT having Shimei killed for cursing him) while Absalom is not interested in honoring God, as seen in his sleeping with his father’s wives, and lying about making a sacrifice to the Lord.  As the text hints at the end, the Lord in this instance clearly favors David.

Q. (15:13-37): David runs without conferring with God.  You would think He would talk to him about battle plans.  I would think that this would anger the Lord.  I do see that he is asking God to help him throw off Absalom in verse 31.

A. The reference to the Ark in 15:24 would seem to imply that David did request some form of council of God or at least His blessings.

Q. (16:1-4): I didn’t see this coming.  So Mephibosheth is turning on David?  How would Absalom’s capture of Jerusalem help Mephibosheth get his grandfather Saul’s kingdom back?

A. Let’s hold off on this one and see what happens.

Q. (16:5-14): David seems to be so rational toward Shimei.  I wouldn’t think God would instruct Shimei to curse David, though.

A. Part of David’s humility in this story is his understanding that at some point, the Lord is going to be finished with him, and he will die, just as Saul did (though he will die much better than Saul).  An extension of that, in my opinion, is that he is seeing what Shimei is doing as a potential extension of God’s extinguishing of his rule.  The curse of Shimei might represent his own downfall.

Q. (16:21-22): These people had no privacy.  Absalom certainly does not seem to have the wisdom of a king.  Deceit yes, wisdom, uh uh.  I can’t imagine having respect for someone who has sex with another man’s wives … in public.  How could anyone look at a king when they have seen him in action in bed?  These times seem so barbaric compared to what we experience today.

A. I think you’re right.  We are much more private about our sex lives today, especially when it comes to our leaders.  Their private matters are hardly ever in the news.

O. (17:5-14): I want to read on!

For further reading: A quick bio on Abasalom, https://www.learnreligions.com/absalom-facts-4138309

Shop: Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading
— 2 Samuel 17:15-29
— Psalm 3
— Psalm 63
— 2 Samuel 18-19:30

Absalom's revenge on Amnon fror raping Tamar
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Day 117 (April 27): David seizes Rabbah, Amnon rapes Tamar, Absalom’s revenge on Amnon, Joab arranges Absalom’s return, David and Absalom reconcile

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleImages.org

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 2 Samuel 12:26-14
— 1 Chronicles 20:2-3
(990-980 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Samuel 12:27-28): This sounds like Joab is threatening David.  He is the army commander, but can we say here that he thinks David is not doing his job?  Also, back to Joab having leprosy.  I don’t see how he can stay in battle given he has such a debilitating disease.

A. You could see this as a threat, but also as a general, humbly asking his king to not deny himself credit for a victory.  I leave it to you.  As I mentioned, when we addressed “leprosy” in Leviticus, the word in Hebrew covers a variety of skin ailments, which may have been much less debilitating as the leprosy we know today.  Also, if I recall correctly, the curse applied to his family, not merely Joab himself.  He may never have suffered the skin disease personally.

Q. (12:30): How could anyone where a crown weighing 75 pounds?

A. A crown of that weight would mostly have been for display, and would only have been worn in “crowning” ceremonies like the one described in the story which most likely lasted only seconds.  The easiest way for the crown to be “worn:” having your servants hold it in place on your heat.

Q. (14:33): Joab must personally feel the rift between Absalom, Amnon, and David since Joab killed Abner in revenge for murdering his brother.  Absalom held this vengeance in his heart for two years, so it must have festered into a huge hatred of his brother Amnon.  And, David must feel some sin from all sides — having committed adultery, having his soldier and wife of Bathsheba killed, losing a great friend Jonathan who was like a brother, being on the run from Saul like Absalom is from him.  He practically had to have his son thrown in front of him to give in to his love for him.  I guess this just goes to show that even the most devout can fall from God.  But, he is there to take us back into the fold.  But, I think we are about to see a black sheep?

A. You bet we see a black sheep.  Don’t forget this was as predicted: David’s family has now begun to fall apart.  And one member of his family has already died “by the sword” as predicted.  It will get much worse.

For further reading: Does the punishment for one person’s sin really go to the next several generations? https://bibleproject.com/articles/the-sins-of-our-fathers/

Shop: Christian shirts get noticed.  Check out these conversation starters: https://livinlight.org/shop/

Tomorrow’s reading: 2 Samuel 15-17:14

David and Bathsheba. David sent messengers to get Bathsheba. When she arrived he seduced her and slept with her. Bathsheba then returned home.
Categories365 Daily Bible Readings by

Day 116 (April 26): Joab captures Rabbah, David’s lust for Bathsheba, orders husband killed, Nathan rebukes David, David confesses, son dies

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org.

Welcome to Livin’ Light’s Bible-In-A-Year challenge of discovering God’s love for us and His purpose for our lives. Here is the format for this great adventure: The daily reading assignment is posted at 5 a.m. After each day’s reading, Leigh An Coplin, the blog host, shares observations and poses questions about difficult passages to Rob Fields, who studied Christian Education at Asbury Seminary and currently teaches Biology in the Orlando area. To start from the beginning, click on 365 Bible Readings and scroll down to Day 1. The reading schedule is taken from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT. 

Today’s Reading
— 1 Chronicles 20:1
— 2 Samuel 11-12:14
— Psalm 51
— 2 Samuel 12:15-25
— 2 Samuel 5:14-16
— 1 Chronicles 14:3-7
— 1 Chronicles 3:5-9
(1003-990 BC) Click here for a timeline of the entire Bible.

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Samuel 11:1-27): So, it sounds like David took a break from war and a break from focusing on God.  He is away from the battle lines and maybe, thus, away from God’s goals?  He sees Bathsheba bathing and wants her.  He gets her and impregnates her.  (Does Bathsheba have a say in this or must she submit to the king?) Then, he tries to cover it up by calling her husband back from battle to take a break and enjoy his wife — sleeping with her.  He resists, saying that he does not deserve the break when his countrymen are out fighting.  So, David sends him back and puts him on the front lines to have him killed.  This is David’s first major mistake toward God.

A. It is his first major mistake as king and it will not be his last.  It is very likely that Bathsheba did not have a say in her submission to the king who could have had her killed if she did not submit to him.  The passage implies that David stayed behind out of laziness, and that this entire mess would not have occurred if he had simply gone to war as other kings do.  David’s sin(s) here are monumental: he gets a married woman pregnant — a wife of one of his soldiers — and then has the husband murdered when he would not, unintentionally, cover for David’s sins.  It was considered derelict of duty for a solider to have sexual relations with his wife while actively serving.  So Uriah’s unwillingness to sleep with his wife is literally out of desire to please his king and be a good soldier!  In other words, this is really awful by David.

Q. You play, you pay.  That’s what my high school friend’s aunt, whom she lived with, said after breaking curfew or some other rule despised by teenagers.  David got a big reality check here.  What does God mean when he tells David that his family will “live by the sword?”

A. Oh, I don’t want to spoil that, but it will become abundantly clear.  This story represents the beginnings of the “fall” for David.  His story, especially with his family, will become an increasing nightmare.

Q. (12:23): David is making a reference to seeing his deceased son in heaven?  God hasn’t really told us much about heaven yet, right?

A. Yes.  I don’t think even David knows what he means in this statement.  All he is clear about is that the child will never return to him, but some day, in some way, he believes that he will see the child again.

Q. (12:25): God said David should name his son (with wife Bathsheba) Jedidiah, but the son is normally referred to as Solomon, not Jedidiah.  Why?

A. It’s a good question, and I don’t have a good answer.  It may have also merely been a nickname, but that name is never used in the Bible again.  I’m sorry, that’s all I’ve got.

For further reading: How does one repent? https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth/what-is-repentance-and-how-do-i-do-it.html

Shop: Following God is the only secure way to seal your future: https://livinlight.org/product/god-is-good/

Tomorrow’s reading
— 2 Samuel 12:26-14:33
— 1 Chronicles 20:2-3