2 Samuel 23
Notes
Transcript
1-4 5-7 8-17 18-24 25-39
1-4 5-7 8-17 18-24 25-39
1-4
1-4
The last words of David mean not that these were his last words spoke before his death as he did say many things after this like his advice to Solomon and maybe the instructions given to him on building the temple but this is his last written or literary work of prophecy that was from him through the holy spirit.
He calls himself an oracle saying that these words were indeed guided by the holy spirit.
3. He calls back to his humble simple beginning on to his high position of King of Israel chosen by God. This also remind us of Jesus being born of a carpenter and rising to our Lord and savior.
4. David is credited with penning about half if not more of the 150 Psalms.
5. David again give the credit for what follows to the Spirit of the Lord coming through him in the verses that follow.
6. Here is the Godly pattern for those who are in power and rule over men, that they must first fear God and be submissive to his divine sovereignty. Such a king would be a blessing to his people like the sun shining on them in the morning and providing for them like the rain to the grass.
5-7
5-7
The King James version translates this verse as “Although my house be not so with God” and the ESV “For does not my house stand so with God?” the ESV phrasing it like a question. This is saying that his house has NOT always ruled over God’s people with the fear of God and righteousness spoken about in verses 3 and 4.
In spite of this and because David was always repenting of his sins God made an everlasting covenant with David. Even though David and his line had and will fail, God would not and would be faithful to his promise to bring the savior of the world through David.
All the worthless and wicked enemies of God, like thorns on a rose, will be thrown down, but to do so will require weapons from iron and spears.
In the end they will be utterly destroyed and cast into the lake of fire, just like we read this morning from Revelation 19:20-21.
Revelation 19:20-21 “And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.”
8-17
8-17
The list of David’s mighty men, 37 in all, are separated into three groups. The first group are three men and these were the most highest esteemed and honored of them.
Josheb-basshebeth who is credited with killing 800 men in one battle, in 1 Chron. 11:11 he is credited with only 300, this could be that he was engaged with 800 and slew 300 himself and the others fled and were killed, thus credit here for the full 800 were attributed to him.
Eleazar, is the second of the first three and battled and killed the Philistines even after the other men of Israel had fled. His hand clung to his sword could mean that he never gave up and continued to fight or that he had killed so many and all of the blood from his enemies dried and congealed and made his hand physically stick to his sword. Also all of the men of Israel that fled only returned when there were only bodies left to be stripped of their goods.
The last of the first three was Shammah, who defended a plot of land from the Philistines after the men had fled. In these descriptions of the deeds that were done glory to God is given for their victories.
The retelling of the story of David longing for the water out of the well in Bethlehem is placed here and may mean that these three men were the ones to retrieve the water for David.
18-24
18-24
The next group is also three men, still very highly esteemed and honored but not as highly as the first three.
Abishai, the brother of Joab, this three’s commander.
Benaiah, who became the captain of David’s bodyguards.
And Asahel another brother of Joab, who was the captain of the following group of 30 mighty men.
25-39
25-39
Uriah the Hittite the first wife of Bathsheba, whom David had killed to cover up his sin with Bathsheba was one of David’s named mighty men.
Three in the first, three in the second, and 30 in the third group. Along with Joab who was commander of all of the army, including these men were the 37.