Day 105 - 2 Samuel 5-7


 So much in these three chapters is rich with potential for application for me and my family. First is the joyful dancing David exhibits while bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. I’ve read this passage many times, and understand that the Uzzah passage is a common sticking point. It was for David! David was angry about Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:8) "And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?" (2 Samuel 6:9 KJV) So the way it’s rendered, it says “David was afraid.” Are there two ways to read this text? You could also read the (proper) fear of the LORD into this passage. Either one works, to be honest. Where did the “new cart” (2 Samuel 6:3) come from? Not from the Law; that’s the Philistine way to transport the Ark. (1 Samuel 6:7) David and the people were being careless of how they transported the Ark of the Covenant. But then asked how he could get the Ark to him. (2 Samuel 6:9) It doesn’t formally say that the priests told him to go look up Numbers 4:5-6 and read about the covering and the poles, but (2 Samuel 6:13 makes it sound like that’s exactly what they did. ) No, I think the proper fear of the LORD might actually set up the next scene and the next chapter. The word “fear” is the same word translated “fear” in this passage: "Thou shalt… fear thy God: I [am] the LORD." (Leviticus 19:32 KJV) If David realized it was their carelessness that resulted in Uzzah’s death when he offended the LORD, repentance and a restored joy fit the 1 John 1:9 pattern exactly. Sin, and the shame of it, should be understood to be cleansed entirely and the relationship with God restored when we confess and repent. The next chapter shows David’s tender heart for God - God never asked him or anyone else for a house—but it clearly was in His plan. So God honors David with his own covenant of blessing, which identifies him as an ancestor of the Messiah. Reading Galatians 3:16 has primed us English speakers to be sensitive to the singular word “seed” (instead of “seeds”) in 2 Samuel 7:12 as well as the singular pronouns. They refer to Jesus personally. So what about verse 14? 'I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: ‘ (2 Samuel 7:14) Adam Clarke’s commentary may offer the answer. The passive voice of the verb for committing iniquity signifies suffering for iniquity and not personally committing it, putting it in harmony with Isaiah 53.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We have all contracted the virus....

Last week and this weekend, I spent precious development time trying to rid myself of unwanted software on my coumputer called " Virtumonde ." Believe it or not, I'm pretty new to viruses and that kind of thing, coming from a background of developing on the Macintosh platform and using the Windows platforms to deliver product on. Well, this was a nasty wake up call to what Windows users have to deal with all the time. Virtumonde is called "Adware" and it's something that has sneaked on to your computer either by being installed along with some kind of trial software, or getting past your computer's defenses on the network. Its job is to watch what you do at all times with your computer, then occasionally pop up advertisements. In my case, most of the time, these advertisements were for anti-virus software. But they kept popping up an installation window for the software and beginning the installation even when I clicked, "no" for "do you w...
Read more

2023—Week21: Ezra01-Nehemiah11; John19-Acts04

Ezra-Nehemiah 11 : In the Jewish Canon, Ezra and Nehemiah are one book, and, although the division in ours makes sense, it’s clear that they cover the same basic period. They form one answer to the question at the end of 2 Chronicles’ hanging question, “Therefore, who among the LORD's people trusts in his God? Whoever among this group wishes to do so may travel to Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 36:23, ISV) Yet despite their trust, the people are greatly weakened until the ministries of Ezra and Nehemiah (and Haggai and Zechariah, Ezra 5:1) encourage them. Ezra’s trust is clearly represented in 8:22, where he is ashamed to request a protective guard for the fortune in treasures he carries, instead trusting in the hand of God for protection. Ezra’s prayer in Ezra 9, Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah 1:5-11, and the people’s covenant prayer in 9:5-37 are the outcome. Faith precedes confession, because we don’t fully understand how badly we fall short until it’s revealed to us. Even then, we ne...
Read more

120613 - Luke 12 - The Devoted Servant

Image
Wednesday SOAP: A faithful servant isn't just (as Dr. J. Vernon McGee used to say) someone who would "vote for" Jesus, but someone who knows His master's will and is attentive - and entirely devoted - to His interests. A well-trained servant knows His master so well that he may be guided without a word - only a simple look, (Psalm 32:8), in contrast to willful animals who must be controlled by leashes, bits and bridles. (Ps. 32:9) S: Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. (Luke 12:37) O: Here's a promise that really sounds like too much. Jesus sounds like He is describing John 13:3-5 - but He is describing a future celebration for those followers who have been "awake." Christ was free to make any promise He wanted - or make no promise at all - so rather than adopting Peter's false humility that wo...
Read more