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- [00:05]
A
Hey, you're listening to A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace. We're so glad you're joining us for another day. If you're counting, today is day number 95 of reading through Scripture. Whether you've made it every day one through 95 consistently, or maybe you're doing day 95 on day 125. That's okay. We're just so glad you're still reading with us. And today we're wrapping up the book of 2nd Samuel with chapters 22 through 24. CJ we made it Samuel, long books, lots going on, complicated text. But here we are at the end of these two books.
- [00:41]
B
Yeah, luckily, I think the ending is pretty simple for us, so I think we. We've made it through all the complex characters and plots and whatnot. So in 2 Samuel 22 and 23, David sings two songs, which is obviously pretty fitting for David being the song guy. So in second Samuel 22, he sings a song of God's deliverance that defines his rescue from evil. And then in 2 Samuel 23, it's David's final song, and it describes how God's favor has rest upon David and the Lord has been with him through all these trials and tribulations.
- [01:12]
A
All right, that's great. So what else is happening in these couple of chapters that would be important for us to take note of?
- [01:19]
B
Yeah, so in 2 Samuel 23, we briefly hear about David's mighty men, but then we're brought to 2 Samuel 24:30, the last chapter, which is a very fitting conclusion, and it's an awesome chapter. And I would suggest that this is David's sort of final test as the Lord's anointed, if you will. So I think it shows his growth as a follower of Yahweh and as a shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. And we'll see why here in a second. So at the very beginning of the chapter, we learn that the Lord is angry. It says the Lord is angry again, and his anger burned against Israel. So again, obviously implies that there was some time in the past and another time that the anger burns against the peoples in 2nd Samuel 6, where Uzzah reaches out and touches the ark and causes the Lord to strike him down because he didn't treat the Lord with proper respect. So whatever the situation is, the Lord is unhappy with what's going on in Israel at this moment, and we don't exactly know why. But regardless, the Lord urges David to make a census, and censuses are usually taken when preparing to fight a battle or collect taxes. Here it seems like David ends up sort of priding himself on how many men he has and how big his army is. And here I think we need to remind ourselves of a few things. In 2nd Samuel 12, Nathan said that violence would mark the house of David until David was no longer. Until he passes away.
- [02:47]
A
And.
- [02:48]
B
And I think we're going to see that here, but we're going to see David sort of rise to the occasion. Okay, so because he took the census, the Lord is upset at him, and because David seems to be prideful in doing it. And he gives David a choice. He says, what's your punishment? Seven years of famine, three months of military battle, or three days of pestilence? And David first responds in verse 14, he says, I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man. So he says, don't let me fall into the hand of man, implying that he might be worried about his own well being and also the well being of his sheep, his people. So the Lord chooses a plague. 70,000 people die. And then David calls out when he sees the destroying angel at the threshing floor, and he says, it is I who have sinned, it is I who have done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and my Father's house. So it began as a way to sort of save his skin and hedge. Protect me. Don't let me fall into the hands of men. All of a sudden he's saying, you need to stop harming my sheep. I am the person. It's my fault. Let the punishment fall on me. So here I think we see the growth of David and we end on kind of a high Note here in 2 Samuel 24.
- [04:13]
A
Yeah, and I want to lead into where we see Christ in these chapters, but I feel like I'm picking up, even in that description of what you just said, of exactly where we might see Christ.
- [04:24]
B
Right? So we've seen this a few other times in Scripture where Moses says, you know, blot me out of your book of life if you would destroy these people. He wants to give up his life for his people. David does the same thing here. He says, put the punishment on me and protect my sheep. And of course, I mean, this is an obvious bridge to Christ, is. That's exactly what Christ does, is he takes on our punishment and our guilt and our shame. He lays down his life as the good shepherd for his sheep, which is you and me.
- [04:53]
A
Yeah. So we do have this moment in the end where we do see David again as this, like, man after God's own heart, I think so. Just right here in the end of 2 Samuel. Okay, so wrapping up this book as a whole, I would say that my takeaway from 2 Samuel is that I have seen the very real effects of sin and the just consequences for sin. And I have seen the very real grace and mercy of God toward his people. And I have seen those, like, with each other, in harmony with one another. And I think that can be a reality that's hard to grasp at times. But maybe first and second Samuel, for all of its complexity and volatility and. And difficulty, gives us just a glimpse of that.
- [05:42]
B
Nice. It's great.
- [05:43]
A
All right, well, that wraps up two Samuel. We are done with these two books. We are moving on. Congrats on 95 Days of Reading through the scripture. We're so glad you're journeying with us, but we'll be back tomorrow to keep going through the Bible in a year.