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Title: 2 Samuel
Book: The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, New International Version (NIV) with devotional insights to Guide You through God’s Word.
Commentary: F. LaGard Smith.
Genre: Religion
Challenges: 100+, Read & Review, Operation Actually Read the Bible
Rating: B+
Dates read: 4/5/09 - 5/12/09
No. of pages - 17

In this 10th book of the old testament Bible, we find David becoming King. Smith tells us that “David must surely have mixed emotions as he considers the future. He is obviously relieved to be free of Saul’s constant threats, but the mantle of responsibility is now his.

“The most significant move which David will make as king of Israel is the capture and occupation of Jerusalem, known even until this day as the City of David. To that city he will also return the sacred ark of God and make initial plans for the building of a permanent temple. For all his efforts, David is assured by God that he and his family will be blessed.

“The account of these initial years begins with David seeking God’s guidance -- one of the many traits which makes David such a special leader for God’s people.

“Although David’s position as king is secure in God’s sight, David will have to fight for his kingdom in order to make it secure in the eyes of men. … Yet in the midst of defending his kingdom and spreading its borders offensively, David falls victim to his own lust and becomes both an adulterer and a murderer. (Here again may be a warning that God’s people must be on guard against both external and internal enemies.) David’s subsequent repentance and upright attitude show why, despite such serious offenses, he will later be called a man after God’s own heart.

“ Perhaps nothing is sadder for a righteous father than to be burdened with a rebellious son -- a son who so envies his father’s power that he is willing to oppose him openly and to disgrace him in every possible way. David has been blessed abundantly, but not with the loyalty of his son Absalom. The account of Absalom’s rebellion provides an insight into the political intrigue of David’s time and a further insight into the heart of this extraordinary king.

“As the historical record of this period begins, there is the record of the birth of David’s son Solomon. Solomon will prove to be an altogether different character from that of his brother, and will one day succeed his father on the throne.

“Two major calamities strike Israel during David’s reign, though it is not clear exactly when either occurs. The first calamity -- a famine -- befalls Israel as a consequence of the late King Saul’s attempt to exterminate the Gibeonites -- a violation of the agreement of protection made years earlier by Joshua and the nation of Israel.

“The second calamity is a death-causing pestilence brought on by David’s decision (somehow incited by Satan) to number is army. The wrong in this act does not readily appear … (but) God forgives David …”

“… David now makes preparation for the building of a permanent temple. The site he chooses, a simple threshing floor, is not a surprising one in view of his most recent experience. It must grieve David to realize that he himself will not erect this magnificent edifice of worship. Yet he cannot help but play some part in its inception, and thus he beings to organize the project. He then gives his son Solomon the responsibility for completing the work and enlists the aid of his princes in the construction of this national symbol of commitment to God.”