2 Samuel 7-8

Greetings!
Also see Psalm 60 for David’s perspective on this section.
2 Samuel 7-8 (NIV)
God’s Promise to David
7     After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the [...]

2 Samuel 5-6

Greetings!
Finally, after all these years David officially became king. 
2 Samuel 5-6 (NIV)
David Becomes King Over Israel
5     All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military [...]

2 Samuel 3-4

Greetings!
The Bible has a clear and consistent message that God’s ideal for marriage is one man and one woman to unite as one flesh.  And Deuteronomy 17:14-17 specifically warns against their king taking multiple wives. 
David’s and Solomon’s wives, as well as those of other kings, caused serious problems. 
2 Samuel 3-4 (NIV)
3     The war between [...]

2 Samuel 1-2

Greetings!  Today we start 2 Samuel (1 Samuel and 2 Samuel were originally one book, so we are just picking up where we left off with 1 Samuel.)
It appears that the man below was lying to win David’s favor, as his account differs from that of 1 Samuel 31.  He assumed that since Saul had [...]

1 Samuel 31

Greetings!
Why did Saul commit suicide?  He might have recalled what happened to Samson when the Philistines captured him (torture and humiliation). 
Saul had everything most people would want: An imposing physical presence, strength, power and wealth.  But he was miserable without God, just like Solomon was a few decades later when he abandoned God for a [...]

Exploring Christianity - Part 7 - Prayer

See below to see the latest installment of my friend Nicholas’ interview with me about Christianity or click here for the whole thing.  
Nicholas wrote: In my experience, most prayers fall into one of two general categories - prayers of thanks and prayers of request. I understand the first quite well, and I understand that prayers of [...]

1 Samuel 29-30

Greetings!
1 Samuel 29-30 (NIV)
Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag
29     The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel. 2 As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish. 3 The commanders of the Philistines [...]

1 Samuel 27-28

Greetings,
Chapter 27 is an interesting transition period for David.  Even though he killed Goliath of Gath many years earlier, he now goes to live in Gath after making a deal with King Achish.  By then Achish must have known that David was Saul’s mortal enemy, so he didn’t fear David.

David Among the Philistines
27     But David [...]

1 Samuel 25-26

Greetings!
For more on how David felt about these events, see Psalm 54.
David, Nabal and Abigail

25     Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah.
Then David moved down into the Desert of Maon. 2 A certain man in Maon, who had property there at [...]

1 Samuel 23-24

Greetings!
For more on how David felt about these events, see Psalm 57 or Psalm 142.
1 Samuel 23-24 (NIV)
David Saves Keilah
23     When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” 2 he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”
The Lord answered him, “Go, [...]

1 Samuel 21-22

Greetings! 
For more on how David felt about these events, see Psalm 34 and Psalm 52.
David fled Saul’s attempts at murder and appears to have been on the run roughly from the time he was 20 until he was 30.   It is hard to imagine being a fugitive for that long.  Remember, we know how the story [...]

1 Samuel 19-20

Greetings!
For more on how David felt about these events, see Psalm 59.
1 Samuel 19-20 (NIV)
Saul Tries to Kill David
19     Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David 2 and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on [...]

1 Samuel 17-18

Greetings,
This is the classic story of David and Goliath.  As with many familiar stories, it is useful to read it slowly and carefully to see if what you think it says is what it really says, and to see if you have been missing anything.
These stories are often told to kids, but that doesn’t mean [...]

Memorizing Bible verses

I came across a site that helps you memorize Bible verses and thought I would link to it while re-running this post.  Check it out!
Psalm 119:9, 11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin [...]

1 Samuel 15-16

1 Samuel 15-16 (NIV)
The Lord Rejects Saul as King
15     Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to [...]

1 Samuel 13-14

Greetings!
1 Samuel 13-14 (NIV)
Samuel Rebukes Saul
13     Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty- two years.
2 Saulchose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The [...]

1 Samuel 11-12

Greetings!
1 Samuel 11-12 (NIV)
Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh
11     Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”
2 But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the [...]