2 Samuel
I. Introduction
A. 2 Samuel
B. Saul is dead, the Philistines victorious-- what now?
C. 2 Samuel chronicles the reign of David
1. Great hope and success in Israel
2. Tainted by David's personal failures and their consequences
D. Let us consider 2 Samuel
II. 2 Samuel: The Details
A. Authorship
1. Author entirely unknown-- not Samuel
2. No doubt of its inspiration
3. Material cited in Hebrews 11:32
4. Author seems responsible for 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings,
2 Kings
5. In Greek Septuagint, book called 2 Reigns
B. Dating
1. Events involve 40 years of David's reign (ca. 990-950 BCE)
2. Book likely based on records, information nearly
contemporaneous with events
3. Actual final composition likely around the exile (ca. 586 BCE)
C. Audience
1. The audience of the book is Israel in exile and beyond
2. We can also gain much from it
D. Purpose
1. To describe David's reign, its positives and negatives
2. To demonstrate the need of faithfulness to the commands
of God
III. 2 Samuel: The Story
A. Main Sections
1. David consolidates power (2 Samuel 1-5)
2. David’s greatness (2 Samuel 6-11)
B. Saul's Aftermath (2 Samuel 1)
1. David informed of Saul and Jonathan's deaths
(2 Samuel 1:1-10)
2. Amalekite killed for claim of killing Saul
(2 Samuel 1:11-16)
3. David's lamentation for Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:17-27)
C. David the King (2 Samuel 2-4)
1. David made king of Judah at Hebron; informed of valor of
men of Jabesh-gilead (2 Samuel 2:1-7)
2. Abner takes Eshbaal (Ish-bosheth), son of Saul, makes him
king over Israel (2 Samuel 2:8-11)
3. Battle of Gibeon; David's forces defeat Eshbaal's
(2 Samuel 2:12-17)
4. Abner kills Asahel, brother of Joab and Abishai
(2 Samuel 2:18-23)
5. Joab and Abishai pursue; give up the pursuit; all return
to their own places (2 Samuel 2:24-32)
6. War between Eshbaal, David; David gains upper hand; children
born to David (2 Samuel 3:1-5)
7. Eshbaal slanders Abner; Abner conspires to go over to David;
David requests Michal his ex-wife; Abner puts conspiracy
into action (2 Samuel 3:6-21)
8. Joab distrusts Abner; Joab conspires against Abner, murders
him; blood of Abner upon house of Joab (2 Samuel 3:22-30)
9. David, Israel mourns for Abner; distances self from Joab
and Abishai (2 Samuel 3:31-39)
10. Baanah, Rechab, and Eshbaal; Mephibaal (Mepibosheth) and
his condition; Baanah and Rechab murder Eshbaal, bring his
head to David; David has them executed for their crime
(2 Samuel 4)
D. David, King of Israel (2 Samuel 5)
1. David made king over all Israel; rules total of 40 years
(2 Samuel 5:1-5)
2. Joab leads way, conquers Jerusalem; Jerusalem the new capital
(2 Samuel 5:6-10)
3. David's house built by Tyrians from Hiram (2 Samuel 5:11-12)
4. More wives, concubines, and children for David
(2 Samuel 5:13-16)
5. David against the Philistines; defeats them, takes their
idols; defeats them again (2 Samuel 5:17-25)
E. God and David (2 Samuel 6-7)
1. David goes to fetch Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:1-4)
2. Merriment before Ark; Uzzah attempts to stabilize Ark,
smitten; David not willing to take Ark into Jerusalem on
account of it (2 Samuel 6:5-11)
3. Ark brought into Jerusalem; David dances before the Ark
(2 Samuel 6:12-15)
4. Michal sees him, despises him for it; offerings offered to
God; Michal chastises David, Michal cursed with barrenness
(2 Samuel 6:16-23)
5. David intends to build temple for God; Nathan approves
(2 Samuel 7:1-3)
6. Word of the LORD to Nathan: David will not build temple,
his son will; God establishes covenant with David, his house
and kingdom before God forever (2 Samuel 7:4-17)
7. David prays to God, establishes his gratitude, greatness of
God (2 Samuel 7:18-29)
F. Acts of David (2 Samuel 8-10)
1. David defeats Philistia, Moab, Zobah, Aram, Hamath, Edom
(2 Samuel 8:1-14)
2. David’s officers (2 Samuel 8:15-18)
3. David does good for Mephibaal, remant of Saul and Jonathan's
house; Ziba, Saul's servant, made Mephibaal's servant;
Mephibaal eats at David's table (2 Samuel 9)
4. Hanun king of Ammon disgraces David's servants; Ammon hires
Aramean mercenaries; David's army successful; Arameans
consolidate lines again, fight, are defeated; Aram and Ammon
subject themselves to David (2 Samuel 10)
G. David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11)
1. David sees Bathsheba, wife of Uriah his servant, bathing;
commits adultery; she becomes pregnant (2 Samuel 11:1-5)
2. David tries to get Uriah to spend time with his wife to
cover himself; he continually refuses to stop serving David
(2 Samuel 11:6-13)
3. David orders Joab to set Uriah up to be killed in battle;
such is done; cover-up established and maintained
(2 Samuel 11:14-25)
4. Bathsheba mourns, becomes David's wife (2 Samuel 11:26-27)
H. Consequences (2 Samuel 12)
1. Nathan sent to confront David; parable of rich and poor man
(2 Samuel 12:1-4)
2. Nathan catches David by the parable; David will suffer
shameful consequences (2 Samuel 12:5-12)
3. David confesses his sin; he will not die; child will die
(2 Samuel 12:13-14)
4. Child afflicted; David mourns; child dies; David ceases
mourning (2 Samuel 12:15-23)
5. David "comforts" Bathsheba; she bears Solomon
(2 Samuel 12:24-25)
6. Rabbah of Ammon captured (2 Samuel 12:26-31)
I. Amnon and Tamar (2 Samuel 13)
1. Amnon lusts for half-sister Tamar; Jonadab his friend
develops ruse for him (2 Samuel 13:1-6)
2. Tamar comes to Amnon, prepares him food; he rapes her;
detests her afterward, sends her out; she is shamed
(2 Samuel 13:7-22)
3. Absalom, full brother of Tamar, hates Amnon for what he did
(2 Samuel 13:20-22)
4. During sheep shearing two years later, Absalom has Amnon
killed; Absalom flees to Geshur (2 Samuel 13:23-39)
J. David and Absalom (2 Samuel 14)
1. Joab knows that David misses Absalom; develops ruse with
old woman, catching David in a story as Nathan did
previously (2 Samuel 14:1-20)
2. David agrees for Absalom to return; nature of Absalom
(2 Samuel 14:21-27)
3. Absalom in Jerusalem 2 years, not in king’s presence; Joab
does not come when called, thus, Absalom has his field
burned; Joab gets Absalom in before David (2 Samuel 14:28-33)
K. Absalom's Insurrection (2 Samuel 15-18)
1. Absalom wins hearts of Israel by standing in gate with
populist message (2 Samuel 15:1-6)
2. Absalom goes to Hebron, declared king there in a conspiracy
(2 Samuel 15:7-12)
3. David flees from Jerusalem; many go with him; he desires the
Ark to remain in Jerusalem; leaves Hushai the Archite in
Jerusalem as an informant (2 Samuel 15:13-37)
4. Ziba slanders Mephibaal, brings provisions to David
(2 Samuel 16:1-4)
5. Shimei curses David; David does nothing (2 Samuel 16:5-14)
6. Absalom enters Jerusalem; on Ahithophel's advice, violates
his father's concubines in front of all Israel
(2 Samuel 16:15-23)
7. Ahithophel's advice: take 12000 men, pursue David immediately
(2 Samuel 17:1-8)
8. Hushai's advice: gather all Israel before you attack
(2 Samuel 17:9-13)
9. Hushai's advice accepted; Ahithophel's advice ignored
(2 Samuel 17:14)
10. Hushai sends word to David through certain men regarding
Ahithophel's advice, Hushai's advice; David crosses the
Jordan (2 Samuel 17:15-22)
11. Ahithophel goes and kills himself because his advice not
heeded (2 Samuel 17:23)
12. Absalom crosses Jordan, has Amasa as head of army; David
given provisions by Barzillai, some Ammonites
(2 Samuel 17:24-29)
13. David's army meets Absalom's army; Absalom defeated;
Absalom's hair caught in a tree; Joab informed of it,
has armor-bearers kill him (2 Samuel 18:1-15)
14. Joab calls army back; Israel returns to tents; Ahimaaz and
Cushite to tell David of news; Ahimaaz cannot bring self to
tell news; David informed of Absalom's death only by Cushite,
mourns greatly (2 Samuel 18:19-33)
L. Aftermath (2 Samuel 19)
1. Joab rebukes David for his mourning; David speaks to those
who saved him (2 Samuel 19:1-8)
2. Judah brings David back over the Jordan; David replaces Joab
with Amasa (2 Samuel 19:8-15)
3. Shimei repents; for the time being is preserved
(2 Samuel 19:16-23)
4. Mephibaal presents self to David, informs him of Ziba's
treachery; Mepibaal just glad that David is well
(2 Samuel 19:24-30)
5. David honors Barzillai by having his son Chimham be with
David (2 Samuel 19:31-40)
6. Verbal conflict of Israel with Judah over David
(2 Samuel 19:41-43)
M. Sheba's Revolt (2 Samuel 20)
1. Sheba, a Benjaminite, revolts from David with Israel
(2 Samuel 20:1-2)
2. David makes arrangements for his violated concubines
(2 Samuel 20:3)
3. Amasa called to take army against Sheba; Joab kills Amasa
(2 Samuel 20:4-10)
4. Joab and Abishai against Sheba; siege at Abel of Beth-maacah;
wise woman of city does not want to see city destroyed;
speaks with Joab; she persuades people, has Sheba executed,
head thrown over wall; army back to Jerusalem
(2 Samuel 20:11-22)
5. David's officers (2 Samuel 20:23-25)
N. Appendix 1: More Acts of David (2 Samuel 21)
1. Famine in days of David three years; on account of Saul
killing Gibeonites; Saul killed them despite covenant with
Israel (2 Samuel 21:1-2)
2. Atonement involved death of seven of Saul's sons; Mephibaal
son of Jonathan spared; seven others given over, killed
(2 Samuel 21:3-9)
3. Rizpah, Saul's concubine, mourns; David takes all the bones
of Saul's sons with bones of Saul and Jonathan, buried them
in tomb of Kish; famine ended (2 Samuel 21:10-14)
4. Wars between Israel and Philistia; end of David's active
military career; death of the giants from Gath
(2 Samuel 21:15-22)
O. Appendix 2: Psalms and Mighty Men (2 Samuel 22-23)
1. David's psalm of deliverance from Saul; magnifies greatness
of God (2 Samuel 22; cf. Psalm 18)
2. Last words of David in poetic form; God as mighty
(2 Samuel 23:1-7)
3. David's mighty men: the three (2 Samuel 23:8-12)
4. The three get water for David in midst of war
(2 Samuel 23:13-17)
5. David's mighty men: the thirty, really 37
(2 Samuel 23:12-39)
P. Appendix 3: The Census (2 Samuel 24)
1. David incited to number Israel; Joab hesitant but does so;
count of Israel 800,000; Judah 500,000 (2 Samuel 24:1-9)
2. David recognizes his sin; God gives him three choices,
famine, enemies, pestilence; David seeks to fall into God's
hands (2 Samuel 24:10-14)
3. Angel of the LORD brings pestilence; 70,000 die; angel's hand
stayed at the threshing floor of Araunah; David pleads for
mercy (2 Samuel 24:15-17)
4. David goes to Araunah's threshing floor, seeks to buy it;
Araunah would give it to him; David refuses to offer
sacrifices that cost him nothing; David buys it, builds
offer, offers sacrifice; plague averted (2 Samuel 24:18-25)
IV. 2 Samuel: Important Passages
A. Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:6-7)
1. A potent demonstration of God's holiness and desire to be
taken seriously!
2. Uzzah has good intentions yet clearly acts in sacrilegious
ways, killed for it
3. A good warning!
B. God and David (2 Samuel 7:1-17)
1. Indication of rashness of presumption
2. Yet good intentions respected
3. Furthermore, promise made to David as fulfilled in Christ
(cf. Luke 1:32-33)
C. David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12)
1. David’s great sin
2. Pretext of Psalm 51
3. Demonstration of how God knows even if man does not!
4. Great consequences of sin
D. David's sacrifice (2 Samuel 24:24)
1. David understands nature of sacrifice
2. It must cost him something!
3. Good lesson for us!
V. Conclusion
A. Thus we see David's reign
1. Moments of greatness, humiliation
2. Some of Israel's strongest days
B. Let us learn from David's strengths and weaknesses and
serve God!
C. Invitation/songbook