June 1 (2 Samuel 20–21; Psalm 120; 2 Thessalonians 2–3)

Summary

Podcast Title: Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry
Host/Author: Crossway
Episode: June 1
Scripture Readings:

• Old Testament: 2 Samuel 20–21
• Psalms: Psalm 120
• New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 2–3
  Release Date: June 1, 2025

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Introduction

In the June 1 episode of "Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry," listeners embark on a profound journey through selected scriptures, providing daily readings that span the Old Testament, Psalms, and the New Testament. This episode delves into 2 Samuel chapters 20 and 21, Psalm 120, and 2 Thessalonians chapters 2 and 3. Each passage is meticulously read and presented by speakers A and B, offering a comprehensive exploration of biblical narratives, poetic reflections, and apostolic teachings.

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Old Testament Reading: 2 Samuel 20–21

Speaker A begins the episode with a detailed reading from 2 Samuel 20–21, capturing the tumultuous period in King David's reign marked by rebellion, political intrigue, and divine intervention.

Key Events and Themes:

1. The Rebellion of Sheba (2 Samuel 20):

   • A Benjaminite named Sheba incites a revolt against King David, leading many men of Israel to withdraw their allegiance. Only the men of Judah remain steadfast, following David to Jerusalem.
   • Quote [00:01-00:45]:
     "We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, O Israel." – Speaker A

2. Joab’s Assassination of Amasa:

   • David instructs Amasa to summon the men of Judah. However, Amasa delays, prompting David to distrust his loyalty, comparing Sheba's threat to that of Absalom.
   • Joab, David's military commander, encounters Amasa and deceitfully kills him, seizing command of the army.
   • Quote [00:45-00:49]:
     "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom." – Speaker A

3. Siege of Abel of Beth Maicah:

   • Sheba flees to Abel of Beth Maicah, where Joab’s forces besiege the city. A wise woman intervenes, negotiating peace by offering Sheba’s head, leading to the dispersal of Sheba’s followers.
   • Quote [02:15-02:30]:
     "Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord?" – Speaker A

4. Famine and Atonement (2 Samuel 21):

   • A three-year famine afflicts Israel. David seeks the Lord, who reveals that the blood guilt against Saul’s house must be addressed.
   • David fulfills previous oaths by handing over seven of Saul’s descendants to the Gibeonites, who execute them as atonement.
   • Quote [05:00-05:15]:
     "Let seven of his sons be given to us so that we may hang them before the Lord." – Speaker A

5. Battles Against the Philistines:

   • Following the atonement, hostilities with the Philistines resume. Key figures like Abishai and Jonathan play pivotal roles in defending Israel, defeating formidable adversaries descended from giants.
   • Quote [09:30-09:45]:
     "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." – Speaker A

Insights:

The readings highlight themes of loyalty, leadership, and divine justice. David's complex character is portrayed through his political maneuvers and dedication to upholding divine commandments, even when it involves personal loss and national strife.

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Psalms Reading: Psalm 120

Speaker A transitions to a poetic reflection with Psalm 120, a prayer expressing distress and pleading for deliverance from deceit and conflict.

Key Themes:

1. Cry for Help:

   • The Psalmist vividly describes personal anguish and a desperate call for God's intervention.
   • Quote [07:45-07:47]:
     "Lord, and he answered me, Deliver me." – Speaker B

2. Condemnation of Deceit:

   • A plea against deceitful tongues and harmful speech, emphasizing the desire for truth and righteousness.
   • Quote [07:50-07:51]:
     "What shall be given to you? And what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue?" – Speaker B

3. Desire for Peace:

   • The Psalmist expresses a longing to dwell in peaceful surroundings, away from those who wage war and foster hatred.
   • Quote [08:07-08:09]:
     "I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war." – Speaker B

Insights:

Psalm 120 serves as a heartfelt lament, capturing the universal human experience of seeking divine assistance amidst adversity and deceit. It underscores the importance of authentic communication and the quest for peace.

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New Testament Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2–3

Speaker B concludes the episode with an in-depth reading from 2 Thessalonians 2 and 3, where Apostle Paul addresses eschatological concerns and provides practical exhortations for Christian conduct.

Key Themes:

1. Clarification on the Day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2):

   • Paul warns against misconceptions regarding the imminent return of Christ, emphasizing that certain events, like the revelation of the lawless one, must precede it.
   • Quote [08:16-08:30]:
     "Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first." – Speaker B

2. The Man of Lawlessness:

   • Description of a future antagonist who opposes and exalts himself above all that is worshiped, ultimately to be destroyed by Christ.
   • Quote [08:40-08:55]:
     "The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders and with all wicked deception." – Speaker B

3. Encouragement and Perseverance (2 Thessalonians 3):

   • Paul commends the Thessalonians for their steadfastness and urges them to continue in good works, warning against idleness and encouraging self-sufficiency.
   • Quote [09:00-09:15]:
     "Do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person and have nothing to do with them, that he may be ashamed." – Speaker B

4. Community Conduct:

   • Instructions on maintaining unity, discipline, and exemplary behavior within the Christian community.
   • Quote [09:30-09:45]:
     "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." – Speaker B

Insights:

Paul's epistle addresses both theological misunderstandings and practical behaviors necessary for a thriving Christian community. The emphasis on discernment, steadfastness in faith, and mutual support reflects the challenges faced by early Christians and offers timeless guidance.

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Conclusion

The June 1 episode of "Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry" provides listeners with a rich tapestry of biblical narratives and teachings. From the political and spiritual struggles in 2 Samuel, the heartfelt pleas in Psalm 120, to the prophetic and practical exhortations in 2 Thessalonians, each reading offers profound insights into faith, leadership, and community. By weaving together these scriptures, the episode encourages believers to navigate their spiritual journeys with wisdom, resilience, and unwavering devotion to God's word.

Listeners who engage with this episode will find themselves immersed in the depth and diversity of the Bible, gaining a deeper understanding of its timeless messages and their application in contemporary life.

Transcript

[A]

The reading from the book of 2 Samuel. Now there happened to be there a worthless man whose name was Sheba the son of Bikri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said, we have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, O Israel. So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem. And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the King took the 10 concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard, and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood. Then the king said to Amasa, call.

[B]

The men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.

[A]

So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him. And David said to Abishai, now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your Lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us. And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men, they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bikri. When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier's garment, and and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh. And as he went forward, it fell out. And Joab said to Amasa, is it well with you, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand. So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow. And he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother, pursued Sheba the son of Bikri. And one of Joab's young men took his stand by Emesa and said, whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab. And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And anyone who came by seeing him stopped. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him when he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bikri. And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth Maicah. And all the Bichrites assembled and followed him in. And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him and Abel of Beth Maicah, they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart. And they were battering the wall to throw it down. Then a wise woman called from the city, listen, listen. Tell Joab, come here that I may speak to you. And he came near her. And the woman said, are you Joab? He answered, I am. Then she said to him, listen to the words of your servant. And he answered, I am listening. Then she said, they used to say in former times, let them but ask counsel at Abel. And so they settled a matter. I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord? Joab answered, far be it from me, far be it that I should swallow up or destroy. That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim called Sheba the son of Bikri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city. And the woman said to Joab, behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall. Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bikri, and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And Adaram was in charge of the forced labor. And Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, was the recorder, and Sheba was secretary. And Zadok and Abiathar were priests. And Ira the jairite, was also David's priest. Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, there is blood guilt on Saul and on his house because he put the Gibeonites to death. So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. And David said to the Gibeonites, what shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement that you may bless the heritage of the Lord? The Gibeonites said to him, it is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house. Neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel. And he said, what do you say that I shall do for you? They said to the king, the man who consumed us and planned to destroy us so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, let seven of his sons be given to us so that we may hang them before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord and the king said, I will give them. But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan, the son of Saul. The king took the two sons, Arisbah, the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul Armoni, and the five sons of Merab, the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Maholathite. And he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites. And they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord. And the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest. Then Rizbah, the daughter of Aiah, took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. When David was told what Rizma, the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Bethshan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. And they brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan, and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin and Zelah and the tomb of Kish, his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land. There was war again between the Philistines and Israel. And David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. And Ishbaibinob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed 300 shekels of bronze and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah, came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, you shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel. After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. And Elhanan the son of Jeor Origim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, 24 in number, and he also was descended from the giants. And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan, the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down. These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. A reading from the Book of Psalms. A song of ascents. In my distress I called to the.

[B]

Lord, and he answered me, Deliver me.

[A]

O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.

[B]

What shall be given to you?

[A]

And what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? A warrior. Sharp arrows with glowing coals of the broom tree. Woe to me that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar. Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace.

[B]

I am for peace, but when I.

[A]

Speak, they are for war. A reading from the Book of Second Thessalonians.

[B]

Now, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first. And the man of lawlessness is Revealed the Son of Destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so called God or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders and with all wicked deception. For those who are perishing because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our Gospel so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brother, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. Finally, brothers, pray for us that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith, but the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us. Because we were not idle when we were with you. Nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it. But with toil and labor we worked night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command. If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busy bodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person and have nothing to do with them, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. Now may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times, in every way. The Lord be with you all. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine. It is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.