We get quick glimpses into four battles with the Philistines. It each of these battles, giants fall at the feet of David and his mighty men. The Philistines seem to have an unending supply of ‘giants’ in their territory. I’m sure they ran out eventually, but not while David was on the throne. David’s first […]
There is a famine in the land during David’s reign. Something is wrong, so David consults the Lord. Retribution must be paid for Saul’s sin against the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites were the people who tricked Joshua into making an alliance with them when Israel was new to the Promised Land. The words that Joshua and […]
Absalom is defeated but David still waits across the Jordan. He waits to be brought back and made king again. But it’s not a smooth process. Absalom’s defeat threw the people of Israel into confusion. They argued among themselves about their next course of action. For the first time ever, David put himself forward as […]
Absalom is chasing David, hoping to end David’s life. Instead Absalom’s end is the result of this pursuit. And it crushes David for a time. Absalom has taken Jerusalem. But David hadn’t fought to retain it. This isn’t the totality of Absalom’s thirst for power. He wants David dead. What good is being king when […]
Absalom has taken David’s palace. He asks David’s advisors for help. Ahithophel’s advice is sound. Part of it is ignored, and that is God’s grace to David. Ahithophel was David’s wisest advisor. His advice was as good as hearing from the Lord himself. As David was leaving, he heard that Ahithophel had joined Absalom. He […]