22/04/2015

PM April 23rd 2 Samuel 22

April 23rd 2 Samuel 22

David’s song
1: And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: 2: And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 3: The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. 4: I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 5: When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; 6: The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; 7: In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. 8: Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth. 9: There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 10: He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. 11: And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. 12: And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. 13: Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled. 14: The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. 15: And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. 16: And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. 17: He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters; 18: He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. 19: They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. 20: He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me. 21: The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 22: For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23: For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. 24: I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity. 25: Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight. 26: With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright. 27: With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury. 28: And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. 29: For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness. 30: For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. 31: As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. 32: For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? 33: God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. 34: He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places. 35: He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 36: Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. 37: Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip. 38: I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them. 39: And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet. 40: For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me. 41: Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. 42: They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. 43: Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad. 44: Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me. 45: Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me. 46: Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places. 47: The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. 48: It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me, 49: And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. 50: Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. 51: He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.
2 Samuel 23 David’s last words
1: Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2: The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. 3: The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. 4: And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. 5: Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. 6: But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: 7: But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.
David’s mighty men
8: These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. 9: And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10: He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. 11: And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12: But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. 13: And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. 14: And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15: And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! 16: And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. 17: And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men. 18: And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three. 19: Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three. 20: And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: 21: And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. 22: These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. 23: He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard. 24: Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25: Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26: Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27: Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28: Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29: Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30: Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31: Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32: Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33: Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34: Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35: Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36: Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37: Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38: Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, 39: Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.
2 Samuel 24 David counts the people
1: And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2: For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. 3: And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4: Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. 5: And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer: 6: Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon, 7: And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hibites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. 8: So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9: And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
David punished
10: And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 11: For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 12: Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 13: So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. 14: And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. 15: So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 16: And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. 17: And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house. 18: And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19: And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. 20: And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21: And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people. 22: And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. 23: All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. 24: And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25: And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
In the next three chapters we have both the highs and lows of David’s spiritual experience. First we read of David’s wonderful song to the Lord a worship song in which he tells the Lord how wonderful he is in saving him from all his enemies. And then we have David’s last words and a passage describing the mighty men of David. And then we have a sad passage David commits a great sin by numbering the people - as if they were his own. And then we read of the judgment of God on David for his sin. It’s a serious thing when a man of God sins and especially a man in a position like David because his sin affects seriously the very lives of so many honurable men. But first let’s lift up our hearts in joining David in his hymn of praise. It was a song of praise to the LORD who had delivered him from all his enemies.
The Song of David

A. Praise v2,3
B. Prayer made v4-7
C. The Overthrow of his enemies v8-16
B. Prayer answered v17-28
C. The Overthrow of enemies v29-49
A. Praise v50-51

A. Praise

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield,
and the horn of my salvation, my high tower,
and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

B. Prayer made

I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised:
so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

When the waves of death compassed me,
the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
The sorrows of hell compassed me about;
the snares of death prevented me;
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God:
and he did hear my voice out of his temple,
and my cry did enter into his ears.

C. The overthrow of his enemies

Then the earth shook and trembled;
the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils,
and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down;
and darkness was under his feet.

And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly:
and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

And he made darkness pavilions round about him,
dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
The LORD thundered from heaven,
and the most High uttered his voice.

And he sent out arrows, and scattered them;
lightning, and discomfited them.

And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered,
at the rebuking of the LORD,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

B. Prayer answered

He sent from above,
he took me;
he drew me out of many waters;
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

They prevented me in the day of my calamity:
but the LORD was my stay.

He brought me forth also into a large place:
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness:
according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all his judgments were before me:
and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.

I was also upright before him,
and have kept myself from mine iniquity.

Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness;
according to my cleanness in his eye sight.

With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful,
and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.

With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure;
and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.

And the afflicted people thou wilt save:
but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

C. The Overthrow of enemies

For thou art my lamp, O LORD:
and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

For by thee I have run through a troop:
by my God have I leaped over a wall.

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried:
he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

For who is God,
save the LORD?

and who is a rock,
save our God?

God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet:
and setteth me upon my high places.
He teacheth my hands to war;
so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation:
and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Thou hast enlarged my steps under me;
so that my feet did not slip.

I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them;
and turned not again until I had consumed them.

And I have consumed them, and wounded them,
that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.

For thou hast girded me with strength to battle:
them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.

Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies,
that I might destroy them that hate me.

They looked, but there was none to save;
even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth,
I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.

Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people,
thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.

Strangers shall submit themselves unto me:
as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.

Strangers shall fade away,
and they shall be afraid out of their close places.

The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock;
and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.

It is God that avengeth me,
and that bringeth down the people under me,
And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies:
thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me:
thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

A. Praise

Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen,
and I will sing praises unto thy name.

He is the tower of salvation for his king:
and sheweth mercy to his anointed,
unto David,
and to his seed for evermore.

This song is taken later and sightly edited to and placed in the book of Psalms 18. David begins and ends in praise but in between he speaks of his life as a prayer and answer to prayer. In this we learn a great lesson our life is a prayer and all this is ever achieved for God comes from God in answer to prayer. In his praise David says the LORD (Jehovah) is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. He is my shield, the horn of my salvation, my high tower, my refuge, my saviour. David expresses that in every circumstance of life the Lord is everything to him. In the heat of the day he is a shade of shelter. In the midst of battle he my fortress. In the moment of danger he is my deliverer. In a hale of arrows he is my shield. In moments of doubt he is the horn of my salvation. In a siege he is my high tower. In moments of danger from assassins he is my refuge. In my moments of deepest distress he is my saviour. You save me for violence. And so David makes this resolve he will continue to call upon the Lord who is worthy of all praise and because of this l will be saved from my enemies. Then David speaks about the innermost troubles of his mind possibly when he went out alone into the wilderness to scape from Saul. He says when waves of death (possibly depression) broke over me. When the hordes of the ungodly frightened me. When death seemed to surround me. And when snares seemed to be wherever l trod. In my distress l called upon the LORD and cried to my God and he heard me in his temple and my cries entered his ears. Then he describes the awakening of God I his wrath at David’s enemies. He says the earth quaked; even the foundations of heaven itself shook. And he goes on to describe in the most dramatic language the coming of God in wrath to save him. He describes a lightening storm of titanic proportions in which the LORD scattered his enemies. Even David would have been drowned in the floods that ensued yet the LORD drew him up and out of the flood waters. He says the LORD delivered me from my strong enemy because the enemy was too strong for me. He says simply the LORD was one who l could lean on. He was my stay. Why did the Lord deliver David? Now this next section is pure law. David says the LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness. Because my hands were clean. He says l have kept the ways of the LORD and not forsaken him. He says l kept his judgments and his statues. I was upright before him and kept myself from iniquity and therefore the LORD will reward me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his eyesight. Because l showed mercy he was merciful to me. With the upright man the Lord will treat him uprightly. To the pure the LORD will be pure but with the proud the LORD will wrestle. The Lord will save the afflicted and the LORD watches the proud to bring them down. David lived under the Mosaic Law and this is pure law. There is no grace here. Never perhaps do we have such a clear outline of OT Theology than we do here. (Except perhaps in the Beatitudes.) The David turns to praise God for the overthrow of his enemies. First he says the LORD is my lamp. He is the one who brings light into the darkness. Through God l have done amazing feats, but as for God his ways are perfect and he is a servant1 to all those that trust themselves to him. Twice David asks two rhetorical questions. Who is God but the LORD? Who is a rock but our God? There is so, so much in this Psalm so l must be brief. David says God is my strength and power. David had learnt the secret of drawing his actual spiritual and physical strength from the LORD. And David says he makes me makes me run like a deer. He teaches me how to fight. You have protected me and made me great. Perhaps we should refer to David as David the Great. You stop me from loosing my footing. And l have been able to chase my enemies until they are completely destroyed. In the battle you filled me with strength and you weaken my enemies. You enabled me to destroy my enemies who hated me and nobody came to save them. They even called on you and you didn’t save them. They were completely trampled into the dust. You also delivered me from the arguments of my people. Strangers of other nations will serve me. Then David reverts to praise at the end. The Lord liveth and it is God that brings vengeance to me. He says in the presence of the heathen l will sing your praises. Next we have the last words of David. Last words are always very interesting - let’s see what David says. David is described as - David the son of Jesse, the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel. Beautiful obituary. He said The Lord spoke to me and said he that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of the Lord. David exemplified this all his life. He is to be like a glorious sunrise on the people. He is to be like a clear blue sky and like tender grass after rain. My house has not been like this yet God has made an everlasting covenant with me. This is my salvation and everything l could ever want although he does not make it come to pass just now. The wicked are like thorns thrown away and the man who touches them must be cut off from bring influence on the people. They will be burned as weeds from a garden. Then we have an interesting passage which lists and describes David’s mighty men. First was Tachmonite who was chief over the captains. Adino was like him he took his spear and killed 800 all by himself. Then there was Eleazar who was one of the trio David’s mightest men. He fought against the Philistines until his hand was attached to his sword. He won a very great victory that day. Then there was Shammah he stood and defended a pot of lentils all alone against a whole troop of the Philistines. Three of the 30 mighty men went down to David when he was in the cave of Adullam. And David said if only l could have a drink of water from the well in the gate of Bethlehem. These three mighty men broke through the Philistine army and drew water and brought it back to David. But David could not drink it the men loved him so much but they had risked their lives for a drink of water. David offered it to the Lord. Abishai was the chief of David’s three mightest men. He went against 300 with just a spear and even among the three they recognised him as the greatest. Then there was Benaiah He killed two men who were like lions and he killed a lion in a pit in the winter and he killed an Egyptian he went and took his own spear from him and killed him with it. Then the thirty are listed, Asahel, Elhanan, Shammah, Elika, Helez, Ira, Abiezer, Mebunnai, Zalmon, Maharai, Heleb, Ittai, Benaiah, Hiddai, Abi-albon, Azmaveth, Eliahba, Jonathan, Shammah, Ahiam, Eliphelet, Eliam, Hezrai, Paarai, Igal, Bani, Zelek, Naharai, Ira, Gareb, Uriah the Hittite there were thirty and seven all together. Perhaps there has never been a fighting force ever before or since. David then made a grave mistake - he numbered the people. David told Joab to go and number the people and Joab questioned the godliness of this act. But David insisted so Joab went right through Israel at it took him 9 months and 20 days. The number of fighting men was 900,000 of Israel and 500.000 men of Judah. All men of courage in battle. As soon as this was completed David knew that it was a mistake. So he came immediately to the Lord asking for forgiveness. Then the Lord sent a Prophet to David giving him three choices of punishment. The choices were – 1. 7 years of famine. 2. 3 months of defeat in front of the enemy. Or 3. 3 days of pestilence (such as locusts) in the land. David replied l will cast my self on the Lord because his mercies are great but do not let us fall into the hands of our enemies. So the Lord sent a pestilence among the people and 70,000 died. And when the angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it the LORD changed his mind and told the angel to stop. The angel of the Lord was near the threshing floor and David saw the angel and said I have sinned but what have these people done? Then the Prophet Gad came again and told David to build an altar in the threshing floor. Then David went to buy the threshing floor from its owner Arauah. He said take it and take oxen for a burnt offering but David said no l will not offer to the LORD that which cost me nothing. Then David paid the sum and offered to the LORD and the LORD stopped the pestilence. What a fearful thing it was to fall into the hands of the LORD.

  • Read the Song of David through a number of times until it sinks deep into your soul. Read it out loud and let it be an act of worship. Then write your thoughts on it.
  • What are you thoughts on Davids mighty men and what sort of man led them?
  • Why did David sin in numbering the people and how did God punish him?

1 Buckler. A servant who ‘buckles you up’ or dresses you in places that you cannot reach youself. 

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