2 Samuel 1-2
What I Noticed Today (2 Samuel 1-2)
There is a short introduction available for the book of 2 Samuel. You can read it here.
2 Samuel 1
2 Samuel 1 continues from 1 Samuel 31. David learns of the death of Saul and Jonathan, who had been killed in battle.
In verses 1-10, a man claiming to be an Amalekite brought the news of Saul’s death to David. He claimed to have killed Saul and offered Saul’s crown and armband as proof.
Note: The man’s false claim that he killed Saul differs from what is recorded in 1 Samuel 31:3-6.
In verses 11-16, David tore his clothes, and he mourned Saul and those who had died until evening. David had the man who claimed to have killed Saul brought to him and questioned him. The man said he was an Amalekite. David, referring to Saul as the “Lord’s anointed,” ordered the Amalekite executed for killing Saul.
In verses 19-27, as a demonstration of his deep respect for Saul and Jonathan, David composed a lament in their honor that was to be recorded in the book of Jashar (a book referred to in Joshua 10:13) and taught to all who lived in Judah. It was known as the “Song of the Bow.”
2 Samuel 2
In 2 Samuel 2, a conflict arises between David and Abner.
In verses 1-8, David inquired of the Lord whether he should go up to any cities in Judah, and God answered yes, go up to Hebron. So David took his family and his army to Hebron and settled there.
- David was anointed as the king over the house of Judah.
- David learned that it was the men of Jabesh-Gilead who had buried Saul and his sons.
- David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-Gilead, blessing them for burying Saul and his sons and announced they had nothing to fear from him being named king in Saul’s place.
In verses 8-11, at the same time Abner, Saul’s cousin (1 Samuel 14:50), moved Saul’s oldest surviving son, Ish-bosheth (who was 40 years old) to Mahanaim and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin (all of the territory of the Israelites except for Judah).
Note: This action set in play a division between the northern and southern tribes of Israel.
In verses 12-32, Abner and his soldiers marched out against Joab and David’s soldiers by the pool of Gibeon.
- Abner suggested a battle between 12 representatives of each group.
- When they killed each other, a broader civil war ensued in which only 19 men of David’s army were killed, while 360 of Abner’s men were killed.
Despite all the ill will between Saul and David, David maintained great respect for Saul as “the Lord’s anointed.” Despite Saul’s many faults, David only spoke well of Saul.
Abner, in direct contradiction to God’s will, established Ish-bosheth as king. Failure to submit to God’s will led to division among the tribes and the death of many soldiers.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- We would do well to hold those whom God’s places into leadership with high regard, as David did with Saul. The challenge, I think, is understanding in our time, “who really is God’s anointed?”
- We would also do well to consider the impact of creating division among God’s people. Abner went directly against God’s will, causing division. The same thing happens today when people create division in the church!
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.