2 Samuel 22

1 And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: 2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 3 The God of my rock; I will trust in him: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, my refuge, and my savior; you save me from violence. 4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies.

• He saves us from violence.
• God is worthy to be praised because He made all things. He sustains all things.
• He made us in His image. He gives us life.
• He sent His only Son to die for our sins. Our enemies are often unseen.

• Ephesians 6:12 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

God’s wrath is stirred up by the mistreatment of His children

5 When the waves of death surrounded me, the torrents of wickedness made me afraid; 6 The cords of hell surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me; 7 In my distress I called on the LORD, and cried to my God: and he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry entered into his ears. 8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was furious. 9 Smoke went up out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. 11 And he rode on a cherub, and flew: and he was seen on the wings of the wind. 12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. 13 Through the brightness before him coals of fire were kindled.

• Ezekiel 1:26 And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, like a sapphire stone: and on the throne was the likeness of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the color of amber, like the appearance of fire around inside it; from his loins upward and from his loins downward I saw the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain was the appearance of the brightness around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

• Revelation 1:16…and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength.

14 The LORD thundered from heaven; the most High uttered his voice. 15 He sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and defeated them. 16 The channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were uncovered, at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. 17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of great waters; 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. 19 They attacked me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my support.

He delights in us

20 He brought me out into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me. 21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: He has rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands. 22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. 24 I was upright before him, and have kept myself from my iniquity. 25 Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eyesight.

• Just like the highway department puts up signs and roadblocks where it is not safe to drive, so God’s word gives warnings to keep us on the pathway to eternal blessing.
• David did not depart from them.
• He wasn’t sinless, but when he erred he followed the procedure that showed the solution, an animal sacrifice brought to the temple portraying the ‘lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).’
• He refused to let the flesh, or evil dominate him as the LORD instructed Cain in Genesis 4:7. Today we confess our sins to the Father rather than bringing animal sacrifices (1 John 1:9).

26 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful, and with the upright man upright. 27 With the pure you will show yourself pure; but you will wrestle with the twisted. 28 You will save the afflicted people: but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. 29 For you are my lamp, O LORD: the LORD will lighten my darkness.

• John 8:12 Then spoke Jesus again to them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

30 For by you I have broken through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. 31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a shield to all those that trust in him. 32 For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? 33 God is my strength and power: and he makes my way perfect. 34 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet: and sets me on my high places. 35 He teaches my hands to war; so that my arms break a bow of steel. 36 You have also given me the shield of your salvation: your gentleness has made me great.

• Isaiah 53:4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we esteemed him stricken, struck by God, and afflicted.

• Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

37 You enlarged my steps under me; so that my ankles did not slip. 38 I have pursued my enemies, destroyed them; and did not return until I had consumed them. 39 I have consumed them, and wounded them, so that they could not get up: yes, they have fallen under my feet. 40 For you have girded me with strength to battle: those that rose up against me you have caused to bow under me. 41 You have also given me the necks of my enemies, that I might destroy those that hate me. 42 They looked, but there was none to save; even to the LORD, but he did not answer them. 43 Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I stamped them as the mire of the street, and spread them abroad.

• Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 28 Then will they call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, but they will not find me:

He delivers us from the strivings of the people

44 You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people, you have kept me to be head of the heathen: a people that I did not know will serve me. 45 Foreigners will submit/yield feigned obedience to me: as soon as they hear, they will be obedient to me. 46 Foreigners will fade away, and they are afraid out of their strongholds. 47 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. 48 It is God that avenges me, and that brings down the people under me, 49 And that brings me out from my enemies: you also have lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: you have delivered me from the violent man. 50 Therefore I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises to your name. 51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and shows love to His anointed, to David, and to his seed forever.

• Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits. 3 Who forgives all your iniquities; who heal all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;

                                           2 Samuel 23

God is our rock, our unshakable stability

1 Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, 2 The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and his word was in my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. 4 And he will be as the light of the morning when the sun rises on a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. 5 Although my house is not so with God; yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and certain: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, will he not make it increase?

• A just ruler is like the dawn of a beautiful day.
• David was a little shepherd boy who God took from following after the sheep, walking in their droppings, bringing up the rear, to be king over His people.
• God’s covenant with David was that someone from David’s family would rule forever.
• David was the first of a dynasty of kings that led to Jesus Christ, the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
• The humanity of Jesus will rule forever.
• He is the great, great….etc grandson of king David.
• The Bible codes prove divine authorship of the Bible. The Bible codes also prove the minute accuracy still retained in the scriptures.
• If the original texts were distorted by even a single letter it would ruin the whole system.
• God has made a covenant with us also.

• John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him not perish, but have everlasting life.

• Revelation 3:21 To him that overcomes I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

6 But all the sons of Belial will be as thorns to be thrown away, because they cannot be taken with hands: 7 But the man that touches them must be protected with iron and the staff of a spear; and they will be totally burned with fire in the same place.

• He utterly destroys those who refuse His leadership.

• Psalm 9:17 The wicked will be turned into hell, all the nations that forget God.

• Luke 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

8 These are the names of the mighty men that David had: Jashobeam the Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, killed at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle and the men of Israel had retreated:

God gives great victory

10 He arose, and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword: and the LORD worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.

• The army had left (verse 9).
• This man, with God fighting through him, won a great victory.
• God wins great victory over evil through His people.
• Each time we choose not to follow sin, that is a victory.
• Each time we choose to love God above the things of this life, that is a victory.

• Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you, and you will hold your peace.

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together for foraging, where there was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, defended it, and killed the Philistines: and the LORD worked a great victory.

• God just needs one person who will trust Him to gain the victory.

• Ephesians 6:12 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Therefore take to you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

13 And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines camped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was in a stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem then. 15 And David longed saying, Oh that someone would give me drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! 16 And the three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, took it, and brought it to David: but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD. 17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men things did these things.

• David had water. He just longed for water from the well of Bethlehem.
• When his men surprised him with his wish, David realized that his wish had put the lives of his three best warriors in jeopardy for a drink of water.
• He also realized that only God is worthy of such devotion.

• Romans 5:8 God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed them, and won a name among the three. 19 Was he not most honored of three? Therefore he was their captain: however he was not a great as the first three. 20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many/great acts, he killed two lion-like men of Moab: he went down also and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: 21 And he killed an Egyptian, an imposing man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, did these things, and had the reputation among three mighty men. 23 He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not become as great as the first three. And David set him over his guard.

• David’s heroes are listed in God’s eternal book.
• Each believer in Christ is in the battle between good and evil (Ephesians 6:12).
• Every time you believe God instead of the world, the flesh, or the devil, you have won a victory!

• 1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:

• Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

24 Asahel, the brother of Joab, was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

• The way these men are recorded is important. God’s word lists them by name and lineage or place of residence. That pinpoints one person in history.

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

• Romans 8:37 in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

                                           2 Samuel 24

The LORD’S anger burned against Israel

1 Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 2 And the king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and register the people, that I may know the number of the people.

• This was a military census or registry.
• All the men of Israel of the right age except the priests and Levites served in Israel’s military service.
• Idolatry is the biggest thing we do that kindles God’s anger against us.
• God had promised to make Israel more numerous than the stars and the sand.
• For David to count the number of them was unbelief or checking up on God to see if He’s keeping his promise.

• Genesis 22:17 in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand that is on the sea shore; and your seed will possess the gate of hisenemies;

3 And Joab said to the king, May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are before the eyes of my lord the king: but why does my lord the king delight in this thing? 4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. And Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. 5 They crossed over Jordan and camped in Aroer on the right side of the city that lies in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer: 6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon, 7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave the count of the number of the people to the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. 10 David’s heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, I have sinned greatly in what I have done: and now, I beg you, O LORD, take away the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.

• Forgiveness keeps us in loving contact with God.
• It does not mean that there is no discipline.
• God will correct wrong actions when we continually refuse His grace and set gad examples that lead others into sin also.

• 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

11 And David arose early in the morning and the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 Go, say to David, The LORD says this, I offer you three things; choose one of them, that I may do it to you. 13 So Gad came to David, and told him, saying to him, Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee before your enemies three months, while they pursue you? Or three days’ pestilence in your land? Now advise, and see what answer I will return to him that sent me.

• God let David choose the discipline.

God’s mercies are great

14 And David said to Gad, I am in great distress: let us now fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: do not let me fall into the hand of man. 15 So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and seventy thousand men of the people died from Dan to Beer-sheba.

• Ezekiel chapter 9 describes the divine side of a plague sent by God.
• God does not destroy the righteous (those who believe God) with the wicked.

• Psalm 57:10 For your mercy is great to the heavens, and your truth to the clouds.

• Genesis 18:23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked?25Far be that from you to do this, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from you: Does not the Judge of all the earth do right?

• Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways judgment: a God of truth and without evil, just and right is he.

16 And when the angel stretched out his hand on Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD sighed at the calamity, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, Enough: stop your hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 And David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel that struck the people, and said, Look, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? I beg you, let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.

• Remember the first verse of this chapter?
• It was Israel that began God’s anger.
• Then God moved David to number the people.
• We do not see what God sees. God looks at man’s heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, Go, set up an altar to the LORD in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David went up as the LORD commanded, according to the saying of Gad, 20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming toward him: Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21 And Araunah said, Why has my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be stopped from the people. 22 And Araunah said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him: behold, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. 23 Araunah gives all these, O king, to the king. And Araunah said to the king, The LORD your God accept you.

• The altar and the sacrifice that God told David to build showed the only way that He accepts us, His promise of His great love to be poured out for us through His Son.

• John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him not perish, but have everlasting life.

24 And the king said to Araunah, No; I must buy it from you at a price: I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built an altar there to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stopped from Israel.

• Solomon’s temple was built at this exact spot.
• Now the Dome of the Rock sits there.
• It is the hottest property on the face of the earth.
• Three of the world’s major religions claim this place as their most sacred spot.
• They are all wrong.
• It is just a spot of ground.
• They are looking at the wrong thing.
• The ground was only holy because God was there.
• To worship the ground the temple sat on instead of the LORD is idolatry.

• Exodus 3:5 And he said, Do not draw near here: take your shoes off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

• Ephesians 3:17T hat Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

SUMMARY: 2 Samuel 22-24

• The LORD'S wrath is stirred up by mistreatment of His children
• He delights in us
• He delivers us from the strivings of the people
• He is our Rock, our immovable stability
• He gives great victory
• His anger is kindled when we worship idols, false things that can't help
• He wants us to acknowledge our wrongs and lean on Him only
• His mercies are great