December 2024

READ: 2 Sam. 19:40–20:22: … Why do you despise us – were we not the first to advise bringing back our king? … So every man of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri … After Absalom’s death, confusion arises among the ten tribes of Israel. They decide to support David once […]

READ: 2 Sam. 18:19-33: … ‘If only I had died in your place’ … Two messengers bring news to David, who is on watch. The first is Ahimaaz, the son of the priest Zadok. He announces the victory, praising the Lord, but avoids answering David’s question about Absalom. Then the second messenger, a Cushite, also

READ: 2 Sam. 18:1-18: … For in our hearing the king has commanded you, Abishai, and Ittai, saying: ‘Beware lest anyone touch the young man Absalom!’ … Upon reaching Mahanaim, on the other side of the Jordan, David cannot avoid confronting his son and his followers in battle. He prepares his people for war and

READ: 2 Sam. 16:15-17:14: … For the LORD had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring disaster on Absalom. This passage gives a closer look at events surrounding Absalom. He has now arrived in Jerusalem with his followers, including Ahithophel. As Bathsheba’s grandfather, Ahithophel likely harbored

READ: 2 Sam. 15:31-37; 16:5-14: ‘O LORD, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahitophel into foolishness … David’s life has its moments of gratitude but also deep sorrow. This moment is one of the lowest. His own son, Absalom, has betrayed him. Behind this betrayal lies God’s judgment for David’s sins with Bathsheba and Uriah—the

READ: 2 Sam. 15:13-30: …’If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD’… Against God’s will, Absalom has gained a position in David’s palace. His arrogant actions toward Joab were already a bad omen, and now he seizes power. First, he builds popularity among the people to prepare for a coup. The methods he

READ: 2 Sam. 14:18–33: … Then the king kissed Absalom. The house of David is plagued by a chain of sinful actions. The events surrounding Tamar, Amnon, and Absalom bring David even more sorrow than the death of his sick child. Absalom has been in exile for three years, and Joab observes that David is

READ: 2 Sam. 13:1–22: … For Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar … David experiences even more suffering. His own sins are mirrored in the actions of his children: adultery and murder. The children of God’s people are just as sinful by nature as the children of the world. David’s household,