BEFORE THE LORD

2ND SAMUEL One of the greatest values of studying history is learning from the successes and failures of those who have lived before us so we can do the right things they did and avoid some of the mistakes they made. Human history since “sin entered the world and death by sin” has been intermittent, with times of turmoil and peace. Most of us will have lived through several cycles of this in our lifetimes.

David's history began in 1 Samuel as a shepherd, singer, soldier, and speaker. The narrative includes some personal relationships, hard times, discouragement, and rejection. In 2 Samuel, his story continues, beginning with his lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. The whole book contains some of the major events during his reign as the king of Israel, including victories and personal defeats.

A training time is essential in the lives of God’s servants, during which they learn how to handle adulation and rejection, victory and defeat, joy and sorrow, strong leadership and sensitive guidance, unwavering faith, and absolute dependence on God. His own personal thoughts are contained in half of the Book of Psalms. David learned and taught, he wrote and listened, he waited and pressed forward, he won remarkable public admiration and suffered great personal defeats. All of God’s people will experience some of the same things during the course of our journey of faith in God.

Written precisely and dramatically, the significant events during David’s kingship describe the attitude, mindset, and will of some of those associated with David as well as David’s own response to fears and faith. Lessons to be learned from this book include how to handle flattery and fear, acceptance and rejection, and egocentric people and fearful people because these were real people living in historic times similar to ours. Extraordinary victories and terrible sins are recorded for our encouragement and warning. Patience in waiting on God to fulfill His promises is evident, and punishment for sin is not covered over. The consequences of sin and its long-lasting effects are given so we can learn ahead of time to deal with sin in the bud rather than wait for the awful, poisonous fruit of sin.

The book of 2nd Samuel is a historical account of David's life, including his maturing into a spiritual leader, effective leadership, and personal failures. The end of the life and reign of Saul and the result of Jonathan's choice introduce a whole new era in the nation of Israel. David succeeded in uniting a fractured kingdom of twelve tribes into a centralized nation. Worship of God had been taking place in various places, and under David's leadership, national worship was established in Jerusalem. David practiced the principles of God in his leadership, knowing that God alone supplied the wisdom and strength to carry out those principles. David's greatness was not an accident, nor was it incidental. When popularity and influence increase in a person's life through experiences and the passing of time, one needs to be aware that it is "God who works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure." The wise person gives credit where credit is due. "To God be all the glory." God's nature is the standard for justice and morals because men are imperfect at their best. There was a certain lack in the character of David in that discipline, both personal and in his family, was not what it should have been.

Besides growth and greatness, this book teaches us our need for grace when we sin. Sin is much more than a flaw or weakness. It is a fatal act with serious consequences that reach others when we seek to excuse it. A desire for prosperity leads to trouble. Temptation comes when we are at leisure and are aimless because of success. Lust and covetousness never quit in their quest to bring a child of God down. Sin creates a cycle of suffering that spreads like ripples in a pool. This book deals with many of the issues of life we face in our day.