Most Likely to Be Forgotten

A book, and even a mini-series has been made about this Biblical person, but most people won’t recognize her name. Her story is brief, but powerful. It deserves all our attention, but like so many women, her story is rarely brought to the forefront. Today we're talking about 3 Biblical women who would stand for #MeToo and #TimesUp. Do you know who they are?

Season 1 Episode 2

1 Chronicles 18-21: David's Military

David was a powerful leader and led his military to great success. Perhaps pride in his army is what leads to him carrying out the illegal census.

Introduction

David defeats many great armies during his time, including the Philistines, the Moabites, Ammonites, and Syrians. A major shift in Israel's relationship with God can be seen by viewing the outcome of David's battles with these nations versus the outcomes just before the exile. During David's reign the Syrians became servants of Israel, but just before the exile, Israel is forced to serve Syria. Their military strength is directly correlated to their faith in God. Similarly, our success (note, what we consider success may not necessarily the same as what God does) is directly correlated to our relation with God.
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Preparation

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/JJ Jordan

When David wins battles, he also acquires spoils of war. The spoils, particularly the brass, that he acquires are stored and put aside for the Temple. David may not have been able to build the Temple but he was still in a position to make sure the necessary preparations were made.
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Ammonite/Syrian War

The information given on the war between Israel and Ammon, which later includes Syria, is given in both 1 Chronicles 19 and 2 Samuel 10.

When the Ammonites' king dies, his son Hanun takes over. David had been friends with the previous king, so he sent men to comfort the newly crowned king Hanun. However, the people of Ammon were suspicious of David and treated the men he sent disgracefully instead. They convinced Hanun that these men were actually spies. Naturally when these men returned, David was angry with the Ammonites. Knowing that this would cause war, the Ammonites hired 32,000 chariots from Syria.

David's captain, Joab, is forced to fight a two front battle. Joab takes men with him to fight the Syrians and sends men with his brother, Abishai, to fight the Ammonites. Israel defeats the Syrians so thoroughly that the Syrians become servants of Israel and refuse to help Ammon anymore. Ammon does not give up so easily, however; they take a year to regroup and reinitiate the war. David does not attend the battle, but Joab defeats them and destroys the city of Rabbah. The crown of the Ammonite king, which was very valuable, is taken by David.
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Philistine War

The Israelites also battle with the giants of the Philistines. The Philistines were known for their giants, like Goliath. The summary of the Israelites' victory over these giants is given in 2 Samuel 21 and 1 Chronicles 20. This time we learn that the brother of Goliath, killed by Elhanan, was named Lahmi. David's brother, Jonathan, kills a giant who has 6 fingers and 6 toes on each hand and foot. A third giant named Sippai was killed by Sibbechai.
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Controversial Census

1 Chronicles 21 brings us back to the issue discussed in the post on 2 Samuel 24; the bulk of the discussion on the "contradictions" found in this chapter, but I'll touch on it here briefly. There are 2 major conflicts in the retelling of David's illegal census: who prompted him to number the people of Israel and how many men were found.
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Who Authorized the Census?

Was it God or was it Satan that orchestrated the census? 2 Samuel 24:1 says God told him to do it, but 1 Chronicles 21:1 says Satan was behind the census. This is largely considered a contradiction by non-believers, but it actually makes sense

Satan can only do what God allows—remember he had to ask permission to torture Job. In 2 Samuel 24:1 we see that God was angry with Israel and set against them. Thus, in anger, God allowed Satan to tempt David into carrying out an improper census.

Moreover, God had already outlined how censuses were to be carried out during Moses' time and 2 examples are given to us in Numbers. There were clearly times when God called on his people to number all those eligible for war and there were clear protocols for carrying out such a census. David didn't follow these protocols though, and Satan would have been the one to convince him to do it his way instead of God's. Thus, even if God had required David to number the people, Satan would have been the one to convince David to do so contrarily to God's decree.
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How Many Israelites?

According to 1 Chronicles 21, David determines that there were 1,100,000 people in Israel and 470,000 men in Judah. Benjamin and Levi are not included in these numbers. 2 Samuel records a different set of numbers: 800,000 men from Israel and 500,000 men from Judah. A major difference in the text is the wording. 2 Samuel 24 specifies that the men from Israel were "valiant men" there were likely men in the army that were not considered valiant. These men would have been included in the general total given in 1 Chronicles 21, hence the 300,000 extra men. The men of Judah are described as swordsmen in 1 Chronicles, but this distinction is not made in 2 Samuel. Thus, it is possible that the extra 30,000 were military personnel who did not use swords. A full description of this is found in the post on 2 Samuel 24.
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David's Reaction

David quickly realizes that he has sinned and rushes to repent. When he repents, God gives him a choice of 3 punishments. David states that he does not want his shame to come on him by the hands of a man and opts for direct punishment from God instead. God sends pestilence upon Israel which kills 70,000 men.

David begs for mercy from God when he sees an angel with his sword drawn against Jerusalem. The angel appears at Ornan's threshing floor, the future home of the Temple. David asks God to transfer the punishment to himself since it is he who ordered the census. This is the sign of a true leader; he is willing to take the fall for his mistakes rather than have the nation be punished unjustly.

Ornan also sees the angel; perhaps this is why he was so willing to sell the land to David. David didn't want a free handout, though; he insisted that Ornan be compensated. Giving to the Lord something that has been given to you is not like re-gifting in our world today. Giving something to God that you didn't work for is meaningless.
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References

1 Chronicles 13, 15&16: The Ark Comes Back to Jerusalem

A discussion on transporting the ark back to Jerusalem. This parallels 2 Samuel 6.

Introduction

In 1 Samuel 6-7, Saul leads the Israelites in taking the Ark back from the Philistines. Once recovered, it is entrusted to Abinadab in Kirjathjearim. David references this in 1 Chronicles 13:3 when he points out that in Saul's day the Israelites had left the Ark in Kirjathjeraim without thought. David knew that God's Ark was to be in the place God had appointed (Jerusalem) and he intended to get it there! 1 Chronicles 13, 15, and 16 parallels the information given in 2 Samuel 6, and tells us of the Ark's journey from Kirjathjeraim to Jerusalem.
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Death of Uzza

David takes quite the procession with him to retrieve the Ark. This honor was given because the Ark was the holiest object God had instructed the Israelites to create. In this procession of people was a man named Uzzah (or Uzza). Uzzah tries to steady the Ark but is struck dead by God for touching the Ark. Seeing this, the other men become afraid and decide to leave the ark with Obededom, who's family is blessed by the Lord for keeping the Ark.
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Relating to Today

Uzzah's death is one of those things that makes you stop and think. Even David thought God had "made a breach upon Uzzah" (1 Chronicles 13:11, 2 Samuel 6:8). Uzza is seemingly doing the right thing, but is subsequently punished... Why?

The first thing we should note is that the Ark was being transported by a cart, which isn't how the ark was supposed to be transported in the first place. The Ark was to be carried by the Levites using the staffs created specifically for it. I'm not sure how much the Ark weighed, but I'd wager it was heavy enough to put some strain on the shoulders of men who weren't used to carrying it. Placing it in a cart and letting oxen pull it was easier and more convenient.

We often fall into the trap of compromising God's Word to do the convenient thing. Wether we try to create our own Sabbath day so as not to disrupt or inconvenience our managers or we take part in worldly customs so as not to seem odd, we place ourselves—and perhaps those around us—in the same danger Uzzah was in.

If the Israelites had followed God's instructions concerning the Ark, it would have been held steady by the Levites appointed to carry it. Of course, if the Israelites had followed God's Word, the Ark would never have taken from them in the first place. Nonetheless, if the Levites were carrying the Ark as instructed, one man faltering would not have placed the Ark in danger of falling to the ground. Furthermore, someone jumping in to save the day would have grabbed the staff to steady the Ark.

Uzzah may have been right in his fear of the Ark falling, but he was just as wrong as everyone else in letting them transporting it in such a manner. In the chapters surrounding the verses (in both 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles) we never see Uzzah step up to tell anyone that they shouldn't be carrying the Ark in that manner. He knew the Ark was holy enough that it couldn't touch the ground, so why did he think he could touch it?

Uzzah was in the position where his options probably looked bleak. He could touch the Ark to steady it, and die. Or he could have left it alone and possibly witness it falling. Had the ark fell, however, there was a pretty good chance God would have punished everyone right then and there. Uzzah made the decision he thought was best; despite angering God in the process, he may have saved the lives of his fellow men.
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The Final Move

After the event with Uzzah, David makes sure that the ark is being taken care of precisely the way Moses described. He realizes that they were punished for not following God's protocol, so he demands the Levites sanctify themselves and take up their duty. David also assigns them to positions to praise God with music. As they carried the Ark, those in charge of the trumpet, cymbals, etc., likely played to rejoice and praise God.

Now that everything was in order, they could bring the Ark back to Jerusalem safely. Once the Ark was in Jerusalem, they sacrificed 7 rams and 7 bullocks unto God. This was a great time of celebration. We are retold that David danced before God and his first wife, Michal, despised him for this (2 Samuel 6:16 and 1 Chronicles 15:29).
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Keepers of the Ark

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/darkip

An man named Asaph and his brothers were left to minister before the ark. Obededom and his 68 brothers were to be porters. Zadok was the high priest. Heman and Jeduthun were placed in charge of music.

Music was clearly apart of worship from the beginning, however today there is much confusion over what is acceptable music versus unacceptable music. Many argue that since we are to be set apart from the world, our music should be too. having been to a church where I couldn't tell if I was in the club or the church, I understand this point of view. However, God never specified a proper genre, and even our hymns today match popular music from a different era. I thin kGod can come through any genre. I think the main concern is what your spirit takes in when you hear a particular song. There are certain songs where the music is all you hear; it invokes a fleshly desire to dance—these are the song where God gets lost in the worldiness of the music. However there are also contemporary gospel songs in which you can feel the Spirit moving.
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David's Psalm

Some of the psalms found in the Book of Psalms were penned by king David, and in 1 Chronicles 16 that we find that before anything was done, David's delivered a psalm of praise to God. The structure of the psalm is as follows: giving thanks, worship/praise, recounting His blessings, history of the covenant, worship/praise, thanks.
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References

1 Chronicles 10: Saul's Death

1 Chronicles version of 1 Samuel 31 & 2 Samuel 1, discussing how Saul died.

Introduction

We're only given a single chapter on Saul by the chronicler, who spends most of his time talking about David. It is interesting to me because this is a typical pattern found in most cultures. Leaders who disappoint us are not spoken of as often as those who carry significant impact or are loved. By the time the chronicler was born, Saul would have been just a tiny speck in history. Although he was the first king of Israel, he hadn't been very remarkable and it was David's line that inherited the throne. Although the chronicler does not go into great detail about Saul, we are given two important confirmations in this chapter.
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How Did Saul Die?

Many people complain that the account of Saul's death is a contradiction. In 1 Samuel 31 we are told that Saul killed himself, but in 2 Samuel 1, an Amalekite tells David he killed Saul. People often forget that 1 and 2 Samuel are actually the same book, and the two passages were likely written by the same author. Which means the person likely knew and meant to give two different accounts. The important distinction is that in the first account we are being told what happened, but in the second, a man is telling his version of the story. This man isn't the first man to lie. Since David and Saul were are odds, the man probably thought if David believed he had killed Saul, he would gain favor. 1 Chronicles 10 confirms that Saul killed himself, further supporting the theory that the Amalekite man was lying to David.
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Condemnation

The Chronicler only gives enough information on Saul to explain why Saul was condemned as king. We see him condemned for consulting a familiar spirit and for not abiding in God's law. Despite these transgressions, the Israelites still rescued his body to give him a proper burial. This should remind us that no matter how a person choses to live their life, we have a duty to treat humans with dignity in both life and death.
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References

2 Samuel: Tying Up Loose Ends

A few tidbits and a summary of what I thought after completing 2 Samuel.

Introduction

2 Samuel takes us through the rest of Samuel's life and the end of David's reign. When we casually read the Bible, we have a tendency to false-glorify people. In our minds, Biblical heroes like David become great examples and we forget that they were just men. God says that David was a man after His own heart, but David messes up, too. If you haven't read about David in a while, as you read 2 Samuel thoroughly, you will definitely think to yourself "this isn't how I think of David!" We often assume that because David was a man after God's heart, he must have been a great person, which is sort of true, but David wasn't perfect. David was favored by God because of His faith, not his works. Even back then, God it was faith over works. God does not change (Malachi 3:6), and people did not change so drastically between David's time and Jesus' time that God had to change how we come to Him. We are incapable of perfection, and so was David. The lesson we should carry from David is that strong faith and the desire to follow God will take us far, but when we fall, we should be quick to repent and get back up.
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Name Origins: Saul & Samuel

Some claim a contradict with Saul and Samuel based upon the meaning of their names.^[1] Saul means "asked for or prayed for," while Samuel means "name of God" or "God has heard."^[2][3] The complaint is that when Hannah names Samuel in 1 Samuel 20, she does so because "Because I have asked him of the Lord." This reasoning fits the meaning of the name Saul moreso than that of Samuel. Those who make this claim, argue that the narrative of Samuel's birth is actually Saul's but was changed to give credence to David and Samuel and downplay Saul's credibility.^[1]

What doesn't make sense, however, is why not change Hannah's words too? It would be so easy to change the narrative to suggest Hannah said she named Samuel because "God has heard" her request. If they were editing the text, why not just change the whole thing? I'd wager Hannah's exact words were less memorable than who she gave birth to, and thus an even easier forgery opportunity than swapping characters all together. I think it is more reasonable to assume that the narrative always referred to Samuel, but we have misinterpreted Hannah's reason for naming her son.

In the case of Saul, the people asked and prayed for a king. God wasn't really fond of the idea, but He let it happen anyway. In the case of Samuel, however, when Hannah asked for a son, God heard her plea and chose to grant her request out of love. Hannah is naming her son because "God heard" that which she asked. She is declaring the "name of God" because with God, she would not have given birth. Samuel's name is given as praise to God. Most commentators do not give credence to this complaint because the names are so similar in meaning.^[4][5]
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Eglah vs. Michal

Another issue that comes up when discussing the book of Samuel, is that of Michal. Michal was Saul's daughter and the first wife of Samuel. She doesn't have any children (2 Samuel 6:23), but she raised her sisters children (2 Samuel 21:8). Some believe that Eglah and Michal are actually the same person. This tradition came about to excuse David's excessive number of wives, but there is nothing in the Bible that suggests they were in fact the same person. People who believe they are have also concocted a story to explain Eglah's child, since Michal was said to have never given birth. It is an interesting thought, but it has no merit in the Bible text.
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References

1. "Saul". Wikipedia; visited January 2017
2. Mike Campbell. "Saul". Behind the Name; visited January 2017
3. Mike Campbell. "Samuel". Behind the Name; visited January 2017
4. Matthew Henry. "1 Samuel 1 Commentary", via BibleStudyTools.com; visited January 2017
5. "1 Samuel 1:20 Commentary", via Bible Hub; visited January 2017
6. Tamar Kadari. "Michal, Daughter of Saul: Midrash". Jewish Women's Archive. March 20, 2009

2 Samuel 21-24: Contradictions on David's Final Days?

The final bit of information revealed, concerning a census carried out by David, contains 5 points of contention. All 5 supposed "contradictions" are discussed below.

Introduction

The final chapters of 2 Samuel cover David's final days, but also some information that may be from his very earliest days as king. Many people assert than these final 4 chapters serve as an appendix for the Book of Samuel. The final bit of information concerning a census carried out by David contains 5 points of contention. All 5 supposed "contradictions" are discussed below.
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A Famine in the Land

3 Birds waiting to be fed
Photocredit: FreeImages.com/kbralgpe

2 Samuel 21 seems to take us back in time to David's earliest days as king. A time-jump is not specified, nor are there explicit events or identifiers given to predict he year. However, when the events of the chapter take place, God says the events are punishment for an act Saul committed. It seems unlikely—though not impossible—that God would have waited so long to act. Chronologically, we have already seen David sin and be punished so it seems logical that the punishment for Saul's act came shortly after Saul's death. Scholars agree that the last few chapters of 2 Samuel (covered in this post) are actually an appendix, highlight prominent events.^[1]

Saul's crime, which invokes God's wrath, is the slaughter of the Gibeonites. God actually blames the crime on Saul's entire family, attributing the breach of contract to the "bloodthirsty house of Saul."^[2] It is not specified when Saul launched this attack on Gibeon, but long before Saul's war, in Joshua 9:3-17, the Israelites had sworn an oath of peace with the Gibeonites. God does not take kindly to those who break their oaths. Can you imagine if He suddenly decided Jesus wasn't enough to get into Heaven? A promise is worthless if the promiser doesn't uphold his end of the bargain. Thus, God punishes the people with a 3 year famine, which occurs during David's reign.
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Just Following Orders?

At first glance, it may seem rash to punish the whole nation for Saul's crime, but it brings us to the question of where our responsibility to God and our own actions truly lies. Saul did not slaughter the Gibeonites by himself; surely an army carried out the act under his command. Is the army guiltless because they were "just following orders?"

The book of Daniel tells us that after king Nebucheduzzer issued a decree to bow to a pagan idol, 3 of God's people refused to bow and God protected those people from the king's wrath. Similarly, the Pharisees and Saudeces and all the elite in Israel wanted Jesus to go somewhere and sit down, but Jesus followed God's command above the government. In the end times, the world government will require the mark of the beast to participate in society, but to take it is to sentence yourself to the real and final second death.

While it is true that Saul may have been angry if a soldier were to speak up, had all the elders and all the soldier spoke up on the matter, Saul would have been forced to comply or fight the entire army. The fact that the battle played out according to Saul's plan shows that the army carried out the order despite knowing the oath of peace Israel had made. This places at least a portion of the blame on the soldiers.

Today, we face the same types of questions. 2 years ago, the courts attempted to convict Oskar Gröning for his role at a Nazi Death camp.^[3] It wasn't Gröning's idea to start a death camp, but he was not only silent about the issue, he aided in the pipeline that ultimately brought people to their death. Similarly, the German people elected Hitler, just as the American people have elected Trump, despite the hate-filled rhetoric that he ignited during his campaign, and just as the Israelites begged for a king. While the citizens may have not borne all the blame, they shared a portion of it.
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Trials and Tribulations

Most people think life as one of God's chosen people is akin to life in the garden of Eden. We assume that because we have faith and because God loves us, nothing bad will ever happen, but there are numerous Biblical examples to dispel this myth. The famine inflicted upon the kingdom during David's reign is one of them.

We aren't told if the famine occurred before or after David's incident with Bathsheba, but we are told that it isn't punishment for that act, and aside from that act, David's heart followed God. Although God promises evil will befall David due to the murder and adultery he committed over Bathsheba, these are all fulfilled through Absalom, so the famine occurred for seemingly no reason at all. David repented of his sin with Bathsheba and was anointed (i.e., favored) by God for the entirety of his reign. Unlike Saul, David's role was never revoked by God.

This goes to show that even though David was appointed, favored, and faithful, he still faced adversity. We should expect the same in our lives.
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Making it Right

David approaches the Gibeonites to right the wrong Israel committed in breaching the treaty. The Gibeonites inform David that they don't want wealth (i.e., silver or gold) or the death of the Israelites; instead the ask for revenge on Saul's house. Specifically they wanted to exact revenge by killing 7 of Saul's sons. If Saul's sons were leaders in the massacre, as insinuated in 2 Samuel 21:1, it makes sense that the Gibeonites wanted direct revenge on them.

David obliges, but spares Mephibosheth (the son of Jonathan that David has taken in as his own). The 7 sons David sends are from just 2 of Saul's wives. Rizpah, a concubine of Saul's, had 2 sons that were taken. The other 5 were the sons of Adriel and Mreab, the grandsons of Saul.

We are also informed that Michal had raised these 5 men for her sister (Merab). Since Michal never had children of her own (2 Samuel 6:23), it must have been hard to have all 5 of her surrogate children ripped from her arms. This is also interesting in the sense that Michal's position as first wife of the king should have placed the these sons in a position of safety. We aren't told how many of Saul's children had sons, nor how many of Saul's sons survived. Thus, it is possible that only these 7 were available (aside from Mephibosheth). It is also possible that these are 7 that participated in the battle.

The Gibeonites waste no time hanging the men. Presumably, since the Gibeonites were not God's people and were incharge of the hanging, God's law to remove the bodies by evening was not obeyed. Of course, as strangers in the land they were supposed to follow the law as well, but we've seen how poorly Israel was at keeping the law; I doubt they were in the position to enforce the law on external nations. Thus, after the hanging, Rizpah stays to protect the bodies of the men from desecration. She goes through great lengths to keep birds and such from lighting on their bodies. When Daivd learns of Rizpah's act, he ensures the sons of Saul are properly buried. David also collects the remnants of Saul and Jonathan, so that the family might be buried together. Once this is complete, God lifts the famine from the land.
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The Philistines and Their Giants

The Philistines apparently had an entourage of giant men at their disposal for war. At some point in time, they send a second giant to fight the Israelites. This time it is a man named Ishbibenob. Ishbibenob is killed by Abishai, the brother of Joab and a captain in David's army. Unlike David who volunteers to kill Goliath in a one-on-one battle, Abishai kills Ishbibenob to save David's life, which means it probably wasn't a scheduled one-on-one fight.

Another clue that these events occur early in David's leadership manifests in the reaction of the soldiers. They are adament that David no longer fight with them. Throughout the other battles in 2 Samuel, we have seen David sitting out of the action. If the battle in question was one of David's earlier battles as king, it would explain why he doesn't fight in most of the battles discussed in the book.

In addition to learning about Abashai's victory, we are given a list of Israelites who slew the giants of the Philistines. The list includes Sibbechai, Elhanan, and Jonathan (David's nephew). This information is probably meant to inform us that there were brave and mighty men in addition to David in the the army. Unfortunately, there is controversy over 2 Samuel 21:19. Most English translates read that Elhanan slew the brother of Goliath, but some believe the original translation reads that Elhanan slew Goliath.

If 2 Samuel 21:19 asserted that Elhanan killed Goliath, it would conflict with 1 Samuel 17 and 1 Chronicles 20:5. Part of the reason for this confusion is the text in 2 Samuel, which is actually broken. However, scholars agree that is remarkably similar to that of 1 Chronicles 20:5. It is easier to commit a scribe error and end up with the text we have today that to end up with the text that says Elhanan killed Goliath.

I think it's important to note that the Book of Samuel is not actually 2 books with separate authors, but one book (see the introduction to the book from further information). If someone was to go back and change the text to make David look good, they would have had access to both parts of the book. If they desired to alter history,it seems unlikely they would miss the text in 2 Samuel 21. It would seem more likely if someone altered Samuel, but the contradiction occurred in Kings or Chronicles, books they may not have had access to. The most sensible conclusion is that Elhanan killed Goliath's brother.
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The Psalm

David is the author of many psalms and one is present in 2 Samuel 22. The gist of the psalm is praise to God. David describes God as the rock of salvation. Isaiah 28:16 prophesies Jesus to be our rock and it is confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, and Luke 20:17. David also discusses the righteousness of God's way. He is reiterating the fact that God's law is good and just.
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David's Census and Choice

The final narrative of 2 Samuel details a choice God gives David in the punishment of Israel. The punishment is both for Israel's behavior and a census David carries out improperly. It is a difficult passage to cover without studying because the retelling in 1 Chronicles 21 appears to contradict the narrative of 2 Samuel 24.
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The First "Contradiction"

2 Samuel 24:1 tells us that God was angry with Israel and moved David to number the armies of Israel and the armies of Judah. 1 Chronicles 21:1 tells us it was actually Satan that told David to carry out this task. Many would consider this a contradiction, but when you stop to think about it both statements could be true.

Satan has limited power; he can only do what God allows. Remember in Job, even though it is Satan causing trouble for Job, God gives Satan permission to do so and sets the boundaries of what Satan can and cannot do. Based on 2 Samuel 24:1 and 1 Chronicles 21:1, the way this event played out is that Satan thought to tempt David, and God, who was already angry with Israel, allowed Satan to do so. Thus both had a hand in creating the feeling that David should carry out this task.

Apologetic Christian ministries agree that Satan merely carried out a task God allowed. Why did God allow it? We are told in 2 Samuel 24:1 that God was angry with Israel. Israel has cast aside David easily to follow Absalom, and even after returning him to the throne, they had let a rift come between the northern and southern kingdoms which led to Sheba declaring himself king. In the midst of all this fighting, there was likely some idolatry going on as well. I say this because (i) if everyone had been following God, they should have been on the same page about David being king, and (ii) Israel has a long history of Idolatry. God was probably planning to punish Israel anyway. Since David was being righteous, at the time, God may have been sparing Israel for the sake of David. The devil's temptation plot would bring about God's Will to punish Israel, even though Satan thought it would be a victory for himself. The author of 1 Samuel 24 gives us the narrative from the position that God is control of all things; they want us to remember despite the devil meddling in the plot, God has the ultimate authority and the course of action worked toward God's Will. Alternately, the author of 1 Chronicles 21 gives us the detailed picture; this author reminds us that despite God being in control, the devil can deceive us into thinking we are doing something of God that is actually sinful or taint Godly acts with sin.^[5]

The act of carrying out a census isn't actually a sin. God commands Israel to carry out 2 censuses while they are in the wilderness; these are recorded in Numbers. In fact, God instructs the Israelites on how a census should be carried out in Exodus 30. Based on God's law, each man who was counted was to pay a sum to God. David doesn't do this, however. This is where sin enters. God may have put the idea of numbering the Israelites in David's heart, but it was Satan who told David he didn't have to collect the sum and offer it to God.
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The Second "Contradiction"

Joab, who is placed in charge of carrying out the task, seems to understand that David's method is wrong. He pushes back on the command, but eventually carries out the order because he is loyal to David. He finds that there are 800,000 men in Israel's army and 500,000 in Judah's. This bring us to another "contradiction." 1 Chronicles 21:5 says that there were 1,100000 men in Israel's army and 470,000 in Judah's.

It would appear that only one of these figures could be right, however, we look at how the men were numbered we see that the discrepancies comes from which units were considered part of the army. It is important to note that the number given in 2 Samuel 24:9 is in reference to the valiant men, while the numbers given in 1 Chronicles 21:5 is the total number of swordsmen. Also note that in 2 Samuel 24:9 only the men of Israel are described as swordsmen, leaving the possibility that the men numbered by Judah could be both swordsmen and other army personnel.

Chronicles actually gives us a possible method to determine where these extra men came from. 2 Chronicles 1:14 informs us that there was a 12,000 man army over the chariots in Jerusalem (commanded by Solomon). Perhaps the author of Samuel considered these men to be dedicated to Jerusalem, as opposed to Judah or Israel, and did not include them in the count. In addition, 1 Chronicles 27:1-15 tells us there was an Israelite army, meant to represent the entire nation, which consisted of 24,000 men from each of the 12 tribes. This army included people of Judah, but was considered for Israel. It has been suggested that these men were not included by the author of 2 Samuel (perhaps they were not valiant). 12 units with 24,0000 men give us an army of 288,000 men plus the 12,000 charioteers in Jerusalem is 300,000 men, the exact difference been 1 Chronicles' 1,100,000 men and 2 Samuel's 800,000 men fighting for Israel.^[6] Note that it is only a possibility; these armies may have developed after Joab numbered the armies, and the discrepancy may simply hang on which units were considered valiant.

Of course, there's still the issue of Judah's men. 1 Chronicles says Judah had 30,000 less men than 2 Samuel does. It makes sense that there would be more men in the total army than the number of valiant men counted as was the case of Israel, but how are there more valiant men than the total number of men in the army? 2 Samuel 6:1 may give us that answer. When David moved the ark, he gathered together 30,000 men to take the ark to Jerusalem. These men aren't described as swordsmen (remember I pointed out that 2 Samuel 24:9 doesn't call Judah's 500,000 swordsmen), but they would be considered valiant as they were entrusted with moving the holiest object the Israelites possessed. The author of 2 Samuel likely included these men where the Chronicles author did not.^[6]

In a census, people usually keep precise numbers for demographic purposes. Today, census results can be broken down based on race, age, gender, and many more factors. Similarly, Joab probably collected numbers per unit and per tribe to bring back to David. The scribes would have tallied these numbers to present a "total." Each author included the total number for the people they were worried about, in the author of Chronicles' case, swordsmen, and in the author of Samuel's case, valiant men. Thus the totals do not conflict, they are merely totals for different demographics.
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The Aftermath

After David hear's Joab's report, his heart turns against him. As a man, David was imperfect and prone to sin, like all of us, but as a righteous man, David was quickly made aware of his own sins. David is quick to repent of his actions, because he is eager to please God.

God sends a message to David through the prophet Gad. In this message, God gives David the option of three different punishments for the kingdom. David could chose from 7 years of famine, 3 months fleeing his enemies, or 3 days of pestilence.

The 7 years of famine seems the worst as it is the longest and Israel had not had time to prepare. They would likely have to borrow food from their neighbors who were also their sworn enemies. 3 months of fleeing, however, provided David with an option that would likely not endanger civilians. Only he and his army would be displaced by the punishment. Of course, that doesn't account for the treatment of the people by the invading force. Pestilence for 3 days would have the shortest impact, but effect the whole nation. Also, 3 days of pestilence might actually kill more than 7 years of famine depending on how God carried out the pestilence. It must have been a hard decision for David to make.

In the end, David chooses pestilence (probably because of it's short-term infliction). 70,000 people die during the 3 days of pestilence. The angel sent to carry out the judgement is stopped by God from destroying Jerusalem (another example highlighting God's supreme authority and power). Meanwhile, David begs for mercy on the people, reminding God that it is he who sinned and the people were but sheep following his command. This is the sin of a true leader, willing to take the blame for his own mistakes. Some leaders will blame their followers for a failure, but a true leader will admit he lead the people in the wrong direction (or didn't lead at all) and take ownership of the failure. David, thinking the punishment is solely for the poorly carried out census, is telling God that it is his fault and his alone that the action occurred. Now that's some brave, honest, and righteous intercession!

God sends the message of how to end the pestilence through Gad. God desires an altar to be built on the threshing-flood of Araunah, a Jebusite. The location of this threshing floor is what we know today as the Temple Mount. This is also the place where Isaac was almost sacrificed.^[1] David was to offer upon the altar once it was finished, as well. Since the pestilence was supposed to end after 3 days, I assume these actions was carried out on the third day. After David offers the sacrifices, God shows mercy on the people.
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The Third "Contradiction"

1 Chronicles 21 disagrees with 2 Samuel on the length of the famine. In 2 Samuel Gad offers David a 7 year famine, but in 1 Chronicles 21:11-12, Gad offers Samuel a 3 year famine. Some assert that this a copyist error, but others have harmonized the passages. 2 Samuel 24 follows verses discussing a 3 year famine that occurred for unrelated reasons. The soldiers took a little less than a year to complete the census, which may have occurred just after the initial 3 year famine. Had God exacted another 3 year famine (as suggested in 1 Chronicles 21:12), Israel would have suffered approximately 7 years total in famine (as suggested in 2 Samuel 24). Gad could have offered Samuel 3 additional years of famine or 7 total years of famine, and it would technically be the same thing.^[12] The wording different supports this idea as well. In 2 Samuel, Gad asks if 7 years of famine will come upon the land< which can be construed as "will you take on an additional 3 years of famine?" or "will this famine continue another 3 years" if they were in the middle of the famine. This matches the text of 1 Chronicles 21, in which Gad offers 3 years of famine.
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The Fourth "Contradiction"

The fourth "contradiction" of this passage is in reference to how much is spent to purchase the threshing floor. Surprisingly, Araunah is willing to give the threshing-floor to David freely, but David insists that it must be paid for. 2 Samuel 24:24 says David bought the threshing floor and the oxen to sacrifice for 50 shekels of silver; this would be roughly $307 today (not accounting for inflation).^[7][8]

1 Chronicles 21:25 gives a different price: 600 shekels of gold. On first glance many people see the different numbers and assume this is a contradiction. However, it makes perfect sense. Note that 2 Samuel lists the price for the threshing floor and the oxen while 1 Chronicles lists the price for the place. David bought the threshing floor and oxen separate from the whole property. Realizing God had plans for the space, David went ahead and bought the whole property. He only spent the 50 shekels to buy the threshing floor and oxen, which would have been worth less than the whole property. However, after he purchased the whole property, he had spent 600 shekels (which probably includes the 50 shekels paid for the piece of the property known as the threshing floor).^[1][10]
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The Fifth "Contradiction"

2 Samuel lists the man whom David purchases from as Araunah, but 1 Chronicles identifies him as Ornan. People may quibble over these name changes, but we have to remember that name variations are quite frequent. In the Bible we have actual name changes such as Abram/Abraham, Jacob/Israel, Saul/Paul, etc., but in life we see variant spellings of names as well. Take for instance the name common name John. John and Shawn are actually rooted in the same name, with variants such as Jean and Sean (French), Ivan, Juan, Yannick, Johannes, Han, Jonas, Evan, and Shane (just to name a few) appearing in other languages.^[9] Similarly, Ornan may be a variant of Araunah. Possibly pronounced the same way, the authors simply spelled the name differently (i.e., Geoffery vs. Jeffery).^[10] Strong's Lexicon identifies Ornan as an orthographical variation of the name Araunah.^[11]
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David's Final Words

2 Samuel 23 recounts David's final words and includes a list of the great men that served under David.

Interestingly Joab is not listed. This proves that God and the scribe who penned Samuel probably felt Joab's act of murdering Amasa was wrong and lowered his importance. Since Joab is not the focal point of the story, we aren't given much information on his reaction to his own actions. Thus, we cannot say for certain if he repented of his crimes later in life or if he continued unrepentant.

One of the great men listed is Ittai, however this Ittai is not the same Ittai mentioned earlier in 2 Samuel. The Ittai mention in this chapter is an Israelite, specifically from the Tribe of Benjamin.^[4]

Nonetheless, the men listed as great in this passage are being praised for their victories in war, including the act of killing men from the enemy's army. Yet, in each of their cases, they were fighting to protect their land and for God. Of course, the opposing army would have claimed they were fighting for god, or the gods, as well, but the Lord is the only God there is and He was on Israel's side. We see the same issue today; many people take up cause to fight for "god" but how do we know they are fighting for the Lord? I believe motive for the war is a major indicator of who the army is serving, but the only sure-fire method of differentiating, is prayer.

The great men of David's army answered the call of God into war—on faith. All of the people of God said to be great took a leap of faith to get where they are. This is something to remember!

Another thing to remember, is that while these men were praised for their victories, I can't help but think they were remorseful when they returned. Having spoken to veterans, I know that the toll of battle is hard. God did not create us with the intent of us killing each other, let alone in mass numbers; our brains and hearts are not meant to handle such sights. I imagine these men were quite humbled by their experience.
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References

1. William MacDonald. Believer's Bible Commentary, pg. 345-349. 1995
2. 2 Samuel 21:1
3. Associated Press. "Oskar Gröning: German court backs Auschwitz guard's conviction". The Guardian. November 28 2016
4. "Ittai". BibleStudyTools.com. 2017
5. Troy Lacey. "Contradiction: Who Incited David to Count the Fighting Men of Israel—God or Satan?". Answers in Genesis. March 31, 2015
6. "Is there a contradiction between 2 Samuel 24:9 and 1 Chronicles 21:5, when the number of soldiers Joab counts comes up different?". Bible.org. January 1, 2001
7. "Convert Shekel (Biblical Hebrew) to Gram". UnitCoverters.net; visited January 2017
8. "Price of Silver". APMEX.com; visited January 12, 2017
9. Mike Campbell. "John". Behind the Name; visited January 14, 2017
10. Kyle Runge. "Balancing the Budget". Answers in Genesis. August 23, 2011
11. James Strong. "H728. Aruanah". Strong's Concordance, via BlueLetterBible.org; visited January 2017
12. Michael Belknap. "A Famine of Three or Seven Years?". Answers in Genesis. August 14, 2012

2 Samuel 19-20: Israel and Judah

But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.2 Samuel 20:10 KJV

The rift between Israel and Judah begins.

Introduction

Eventually, God's people split into two nations: The Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah. We see the beginning of this rift in 2 Samuel 19. The men from the tribes of the north (Israel) begin to fight with the men of Judah. They felt underrepresented in the restoration of David as king and blamed Judah for "stealing" him. Judah, on the other hand, felt they had claim over the king simply because he was their kin.
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The Rift Continues

To make matters worse, a Benjamite named Sheba declares that David is not their king and all the men of Israel begin to follow Sheba. Judah, however, clings to David. David prepares for battle (once again), giving orders to the new general, Amasa. Amasa was given Joab's position as general over the army by Absalom. When David approached Judah about reclaiming the throne, he assured Amasa he could keep the position, which causes a rift of it's own. Amasa was supposed return in 3 days, but he fails to do so—this may be why David didn't choose him as the captain in the first place. David sends the more reliable Abishai instead; we aren't told why Joab was not consulted for the job.
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Kiss of Death

Amasa finally shows up to the battle, and when he does, Joab seeks revenge. Joab greets Amasa, asking if he is alright and feigning that he would greet him a kiss. In many cultures, even today, it is not uncommon for close friends to greet each other with a kiss (on the cheek). Although it seems a little weird in American culture, we must read this in the context of the time period. then proceeds to greet him with a kiss.

But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.2 Samuel 20:10 KJV

Joab had plotted out this action beforehand. He purposefully dropped his sword so that it was not odd that he had picked it up. Assuming Joab is going to re-sheath his sword, Amasa does not pay any attention to it. Instead of putting the sword away, however, Joab uses it to kill Amasa. Most likely, Joab did not appreciate Amasa taking over his role as general. Once a soldier removes Amasa from the highway and covers him with cloth, Abishai and Joab continued in pursuit of Sheba, but they leave him to bleed to death.

A point to be made is that Joab's murderous ways have been left unchecked. When Joab killed Abner, David did nothing to punish him. David probably felt Joab was justified since Abner had killed Joab's bother. However, there was no justification in killing Amasa. Since Joab knew of David's hand in the death of Uriah (Bathsheba's husband), he probably felt David wouldn't do anything to him for murdering Amasa. (He was right).
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Sheba's Death

Sheba was camped out in a city named after Abel. However, when David's men show up in Abel, a woman begs them not to destroy the city. She pledges the city's allegiance to David, explaining that they are peaceable. After speaking to the woman, Joab agrees that he will not harm the city if they hand the traitor (Sheba) over. So, the people of the city behead Sheba and return him to Joab.

It is interesting to note how quickly the people turned on Sheba. At the beginning of the chapter it seems that everyone is in agreement with him, but suddenly, they're willing to hand him over. One might ask if the people of Abel know what Sheba was up to? It is unlikely he went to the city alone, considering he knew that David would send an army to capture (or kill) him. For the city to behead him, it seems reasonable to assume his men had to turn against him too, otherwise this chapter would discuss a battle that took place between Sheba and the residents of Abel.
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Concubines

God had already prophesied that David's wives would be taken from him, and Absalom fulfilled that. Now that Absalom was dead, who did the concubines belong to? David had never formally divorced them, but Absalom had "defiled" them. We aren't told if the women sleep with Absalom willingly or are raped, but technically, without an act of adultery (rape probably didn't count), they were still married to David. As such, he continues to provide for the them as wives, however, he does not sleep with them anymore. It is suggested that this is to refrain from confusing the royal line.^[1]I don't particularly understand, because after a year or two it should be glaringly obvious that Absalom was not the father of any of their children. It seems to me more like pride.
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References

1. Homlan Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg 548-551. 2014
2. Matthew Henry. "Commentary of 2 Samuel 20". BibleStudyTools.com. 2017

2 Samuel 13-19: Absalom's Coup

Trigger warning: these chapters discuss sexual assault/rape. From a protective brother to a vain rebel, Absalom his one of the more interesting people in the Bible and the narrative springboards a wide range of topics.

Introduction

2 Samuel 13-18 starts off focusing on 3 of David's children: Absalom, Amnon, and Tamar. As the narrative goes on, the focus shifts to Absalom. Absalom starts off as a protective and caring brother, but by the end of the his life, he has become a vain rebel. This narrative allows us to expore a few different topics. Trigger warning one of those topics is sexual assualt/rape. Other topics include vanity and racial beauty in the bible

2 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;2 Samuel 3:2-3

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Tamar: The Price of Beauty

There are at least 3 Tamar's in the Tribe of Judah. The first is introduced in Genesis 38 and was the widow of Judah's eldest (and subsequently, his middle) son. She continues the lineage by tricking Judah into sleeping with her. Essentially, she is the mother of the Tribe of Judah. The second and third Tamars, are both introduced in 2 Samuel. The latter is likely named after the former, and perhaps the former is named for the first. Although this post will really only discuss the latter two, I'm going to refer to them as Tamar I, Tamar II, and Tamar III. Tamar I is the Tamar of Genesis. Tamar II is the daughter of David through Maacah, and the sister of Absalom. Tamar III is the daughter of Absalom.
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Tamar II

Tamar II is said to be very beautiful. So beautiful that her half brother, Amnon, becomes infatuated with her. Amnon's infatuation is so distressing that he begins to lose weight, which draws the attention of his friend and cousin Jonadab. When Amnon confesses that he is "in love" with his sister, Joandab devises a plan to lure Tamar to Amnon, despite the fact that incest was against God's law.

Amnon pretends to be sick, per Jonadab's advice, and requests care from Tamar II. David obliges, giving Amnon the opportunity to be alone with his sister. While alone, he asks her to have sex with him, but she refuses. Tamar is not concerned with the shame of incest, it seems she is concerned with the shame of premarital sex, because she tells Amnon to speak to David about the matter, suggesting that David would break the law and allow them to marry.^[2] It is unclear if Tamar actually intended to marry Amnon, or if this was a ploy to get her off the hook. It's possible she thought he would actually take the matter to David and get himself in trouble.

Amnon could have been patient and followed Tamar II's advice, after all if anyone in the kingdom could have lifted a law, it would have been David. Instead, Absalom rapes her. If the rape didn't prove he never loved her, but was merely infatuatedAfter raping her, his actions after do. Suddenly, he claims to hate her and kicks her out of his home. Tamar says that it is more evil for him to put her out than for the rape he committed.

By law, Amnon was now required to marry Tamar, and pay David a sum of money. By kicking her out and refusing to marry her, Amnon put Tamar in the a very low position. In Tamar's time, virginity signified worth. Without it, Tamar's marriage prospects would plummet, as no respectable Israelite would want to marry her, princess or not. Tamar is so distraught that she rips the special robe she wore. The robe was made specifically for virgin daughters of the king.
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Absalom's Reaction

Although we are not given the details of when or how Absalom discovers the awfulness that has happened to Tamar. Absalom acts as the loving brother and supports Tamar through her distress. He tells her not to worry about what has happened and allows her to stay with him. Even today rape victims are often blamed for their own circumstance, in addition to having to cope with what has happened to them, often leaving them alienated and alone. Without marriage prospects, Tamar would not have a benefactor and with brother set to inherit her father's property, she wouldn't have an inheritance wither. Thakfully, Absalom was providing her with shelter. This may seem small and insignificant to us today, but in ancient times, the stigma of rape was even worse than it is today. Having a person who was committed to loving her regardless and providing her with food and shelter would have been a great comfort to Tamar.

Absalom hates Amnon for what he has done to Tamar and seeks to get revenge in Tamar's honor. After two years, Absalom sets out to avenge his sister's honor. Perhaps it took two years for him to lay out his plan, or perhaps Absalom was waiting on their father to handle the matter. Whatever the case, Absalom invites David and all his brothers to visit his sheepshearers in a town near Ephraim. David declines the invitation and Absalom accepts this, but he pleads for David to allow Amnon to come. David agrees that all of his sons, including Amnon can go to the celebration. Meanwhile, Absalom gives the order for his servants to kill Amnon when he is drunk from wine.

When the other sons of David realize Amnon has been killed, they flee the city. As is the case with the news media today, broken pieces of the story reach David: someone tells David that all his sons are dead at the hand of Absalom. While the king is mourning the loss of all his sons, Jonadab explains that Absalom was seeking revenge for Tamar and only Amnon is dead.

Likely fearing David's reaction or a banding together of his brothers against him, Absalom flees to Geshur. Here, Absalom goes to Talmai, king of Geshur, who was also Absalom's grandfather. He remains in Geshur for 3 years. Although David misses Absalom, he does not immediately send for him to return (this seems to be a trend with David).
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David's Reaction

David learns of the matter early on, as well. We are not told how David learns about the situation either. Perhaps Absalom discusses the matter with David hoping he will punish Amnon. Despite being told that David is angry about the situation, we are not told of any actions David takes against Amnon. I find this very strange. Most men would be ready to kill any man who touched their daughter, though Bibically we see that it is more typical of a woman's brothers to taken on the burden of punishing the rapist (Genesis 34). As king, David could have enacted any punishment he wanted on Amnon, but for some reason, he does nothing.

Scholars suggest that David's non-reaction was due to his own sins.¹ Amnon was the eldest son of David and was born some times before David's sinful encounter with Bathsheba. We aren't given a timeline such that we could determine Amnon's age at the time of the encounter, but it is likely he knew something about the incident. David may have felt powerless to do or say any thing to his son about the rape of Tamar because he was embarrassed about his own sexual sins. While David didn't rape Bathsheba, he had committed a sin nonetheless. Condemning and punishing Amnon for his sin would have been the pot calling the kettle black.
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Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Fons Reijsbergen

Absalom's Exile and Return

When Joab sees that David is conflicted about how to handle the situation with Absalom, he seeks to bring resolve to the king so that Absalom can be welcomed back. Joab finds a "wise woman" to asks her to pretend to be a mourner in front of the king.

The woman pretends to be in a dilemma that is quite similar to David's. She claims her two sons fought and one killed the other. Now, the family expected her and her husband to deliver up and kill the surviving son for the murder. However, by killing this son, her family's name would not go on and their property would have no heir; thus, she did not want to kill the living son. David promises the woman that everything will be ok and that he will issue a decree that no one might kill her son. This wasn't David condoning the murder, but he essentially agreed to pardon the man for committing the murder, simply for this family's sake. If he was will to to do that, why wasn't he eager to bring back his own son?

After receiving David's promise, the wise woman was expected to leave, but she requests another word with David and he accepts her request. This time, the woman points out how similar her situation is to David's. She also reminds David that while God is serious about sin, he is capable of delivering us from our sins, an important message we should all remember.

While the woman's words probably hit home for David, I'd like to point out that the situations have two major differences. The first is motive. The woman's fictional sons simply fought, which could have been similar to Cain and Abel or Jacob and Esau, whereas Absalom was avenging the rape of his sister. When Jesus discusses the law concerning murder, he says that anyone who is angry with his brother without reason is guilty of murder, but Absalom had a reason to be mad at Amnon and honored God's law to make right Amnon's sins. It is possible that God saw Absalom as justified in killing Amnon. The second difference is the issue of why the murdering son should live. Unlike in the woman's fictional scenario, David had plenty of sons to both inherit and carry on his legacy.

Nonetheless, when David hears the woman's words, he knows that Joab has put her up to the task. The woman admits that Joab has instructed her to do this, however, David is not angry with Joab. In fact, he agrees to bring Absalom back. Joab, realizing what was at stake if the king had been angry about the deception, bows himself to David and expresses his gratitude.
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Who (and What) is a Wise Woman?

After reading this passage in 2 Samuel 14, I was curious about the phrase "wise woman." As I read it, I assumed it meant sorcerer or witch, but all of the commentaries I've read interpret the phrase "wise woman" literally. A wise woman appears again in 2 Samuel 20, while a clear use of the literal wise woman is found in proverbs 14. In the context of the passage, I agree with scholars since the woman does not conjure or attempt to predict anything. It seems reasonable that this is simply a woman full of wisdom.
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The Return

It is Joab that goes to Geshur to tell Absalom he is welcome home, not David—though I imagine having a high ranking army member deliver news to you is better than a peon messenger. When Absalom returns, however, he is not allowed in the presence of the king. Can you imagine what that invitation sounded like? "You are cordially welcomed back in Jerusalem with your family, except you are forbidden from seeing your father."

We aren't told if Absalom was able to see Tamar, or any of his other siblings. From a storyteller's perspective, I think it would be interesting to hear Tamar's perspective. Was she happy Abaslom killed Amnon? What happened to her while Absalom was in exile. Did she care for him when he returned? However, I understand from a Biblical stand point that the focus was on Absalom's relationship with David, rendering the remainder of his relationship with Tamar excessive.
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Beauty and Race

And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.1 Samuel 17:42 KJV

After reading this passage, we have a description of 4 Israelites across 3 generations! Most people in the Bible are not given a physical description, so this is quite a rare occurrence! First, we are told that David had was "fair" with a ruddy complexion. We are told that Tamar II, Absalom's sister is very "fair," as well. Then, we are told that Absalom, David's son, was praised for his beauty, that he was without blemish and his hair weighed 200 shekels (which is roughly 5 pounds).^[1] Finally, we are told that Tamar III, David's granddaughter, is also "fair." These descriptions of beauty are quite interesting as the provide a clue on race and beauty as viewed today versus in the Bible.
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Fair

The word "fair" is often used to mean beautiful, but it is also synonymous with having a "white" complexion. As seen below, fair means both pleasing to the eye and "not dark." When used to describe skin complexion, people equate "not dark" with whiteness, despite "not dark" applying to the various skin tones between dark and white. Furthermore, the fact that fair is defined both as "not dark" and "pleasing to the eye" link the two ideas. For much of human history, dark skin and dark features have been seen as displeasing or unattractive. Ironically, fair also means to be marked with impartiality, which is in direct opposition to considering one shade more attractive than the other.

Definition of "fair" according to Merriam-Webster

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.2 Samuel 13:1 KJV

And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.2 Samuel 14:27 KJV

Generally, the description of David (1 Samuel 17:42), Tamar II (2 Samuel 13:1), and Tamar III (2 Samuel 14:27) as being fair is taken to mean they were both white and beautiful. However, the original Hebrew word used to describe them is yapheh, and it only means beautiful.^[3][4] Unlike the modern usage of the word fair, yapheh doesn't imply anything about skin color. In fact, the same word is used in Isaiah 54:11 to refer to a black powder used to paint ones eyelids.^[4]
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Ruddy

David is described as "ruddy," which basically means red. The current definition, from Merriam-Webster, shown below, says that to be ruddy is to have a healthy reddish color. That begs the question of what do they mean by "healthy." There are several conditions that cause red skin, most of which aren't really signs of "healthy" skin. Perhaps a natural blush would be considered healthy, but then, when have you seen a person blush all over?

Definition of "ruddy" according to Merriam-Webster

Using the modern definition of ruddy and the modern definition of fair, the description of David doesn't seem to make sense. How can someone be "fair" meaning pale or white while also having a healthy reddish color. Most people with a fair complexion as we define it today are only red if the have a condition (not healthy), are sunburned (not healthy), or have a cold (not healthy). While it's not impossible, it's certainly hard to picture. Even if you convince yourself that the verse simply mean he had rosy cheeks, "red" just isn't a term usually associated with white skin.

Yet, when the Europeans colonized the Americas, they described the natives as having red skin; hence the origin of the pejorative term for Native Americans still in use by Washington's NFL team. In the black community, red or "red-bone" is used to describe a light-skinned black person; the complexion referenced is a reddish-brown, similar to Native Americans. The skin complexions are described as "red" due to the red undertones visible in the skin. These undertones appear naturally and are not caused by sickness or overexposure to the sun.

It seems more likely that the author of The Book of Samuel used ruddy to describe a person with a reddish brown complexion. It is also worth noting that original Hebrew word translated to ruddy is "admoni" which is also linked to the word Adam.^[5] David, Tamar II, and Tamar III, likely had complexions that where midrange, much like mixed-race blacks, Native Americans, Hispanics, Indians, and Arabs today. Depending on the complexion of his wives and the combination of genes passed on to his children, all 4 people in question may have been brown skinned.
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Thick Hair

Which brings us to the description of Absalom. Absalom's hair is so thick hair it weighs about 5 pounds. Yet, thick hair is not something we often attribute to whites either; it's much more common in people of African descent. In fact, the woman who holds the record for longest dreadlocks has hair that weighs 25 pounds when wet (and she is black)^[6] Knowing that Absalom cut his hair yearly and assuming he weighed it while dry, it's very reasonable to picture him with a head full of healthy dreadlocks. People of virtually any race can grow dreadlocks, though I would wager the weight of them is dependent upon hair type. Given what we have discovered about the complexion of Absalom's father and the reference to the thickness of his hair, however, I find it unlikely that he was Caucasian in appearance as often depicted. Absalom (and his relatives) probably resembled modern Arabs, but it's probable that their hair texture (possibly even their skin color) favored that of Africans.
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Reunification of Father and Son

After 2 years without any contact to David, Absalom sends for Joab, hoping to get a message to his father. Joab ignores Absalom's request twice, which prompts Absalom to grow angry. In anger, Absalom instructs his servants to set Joab's field of barley on fire.

What is odd, is that Joab is the one who wanted Absalom returned, but suddenly refused to speak with him. Perhaps Joab was instructed to refrain from contact with Absalom by David. It is also possible that Joab knew David would deny any requests from Absalom and didn't have the heart or courage to face Absalom with these tidings. Whatever Joab's reasons for ignoring Absalom, he puts them aside once his field is set afire.

Finally able to pass along his message, Absalom complains that being in Jerusalem unable to speak to David is no better than being "exiled" in Geshur. Absalom tells Joab he wants to either see the king or be put to death. When Joab delivers the message, David invites Absalom to his home. Absalom bows before David and David kisses his son. It had been a total of 5 years since Absalom had seen David and 7 since the incident that had spurred all of this. That is a long time for people to be at odds with one another; it would take a concerted effort on both sides to heal this rift.
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Absalom's Coup

After speaking with his father, Absalom gathers an entourage with chariots and horses, numbering 50 men. This would have elevated his position in the eyes of the Israelites, similar to the "he drives a nice car" trick. When people came to the gates to resolve their issues, Absalom acted as a sympathetic ear, lamented the fact that no one spoke with them, and placed the idea of making him a judge in their ear. To make himself even more likable, he refused people bowing to him and greeted them as though they were equals. Basically, Absalom created a base to position himself for a coup--all coups start this way.
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Conspiracy

What's a coup without a conspiracy? Absalom goes to David and requests to pay a vow in Hebron, when actually, he is staging his coup. David grants him permission, and Absalom sends spies throughout the nation. Absalom takes 200 men, who no nothing of his plan, with him when he leaves. He further sends for David's counselor. Even though many of these people weren't in on the coup, they were not in place to defend Jerusalem or David!
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David Flees

Surprisingly, David doesn't take a stand against his son when he hears this. In the past David was quick to take on God's enemies, but suddenly David isn't sure. Now that David's enemy is his own son, David doesn't know if he is in the position Saul was just before he claimed the throne, or if Absalom is an enemy of God. David evacuates his people—600 of whom were Philistines—into the wilderness to ensure their safety. David leaves behind 10 of his concubines to maintain the house. It is unclear whether David assumed they would be safe and could act as a place holder in his home, or if he simply didn't care what happened to them. Abiathar and Zadok, both priests, follow David with the Ark, but David sends it back. He has faith that if God wants him as king, he will make it back to Jerusalem to see the Ark again. David's prayer at this time isn't one of his own preference, but that the Will of God takes place. Although David doesn't fight, he does take matters into his own hand. David sends Hushai to be a spy for him. Hushai was to report to Abiathar and Zadok, whose son's would bring word to David.
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Betraying David

The first person to deceive or betray David was his own son, followed by his counselor, Ahithophel who apparently joined Absalom after being summoned. Now, Ziba, the servant who had helped David locate Mephibosheth, was deceiving him as well.

Ziba brings David parting gifts—donkeys, food, and wine—for his trip. When David asks where Mephibosheth is, Ziba tells David that Mephibosheth is trying to take advantage of the situation to restore Saul's throne. This scenario seems very likely in the context of how rulers (and want-to-be rulers) behave, however it isn't verified by Mephibosheth and is later disputed. Possibly in a rush to get out of the city, or out of blind faith in a loyal servant, David believes him. Ziba's loyalty is rewarded with David giving him Mephibosheth's estate.

Shimei, another descendant of Saul's, curses David as he passes on toward the wilderness. To the men's surprise, David doesn't stop him. Neither does he take it to heart. David realizes that Shiemi could be right in his assessment of David, and confirms that as God's servant, he doesn't have the right to ask Shimei to stop if God has told Shemei to do so. This is something we should be mindful of today. We get full of ourselves and don't want to hear criticism, even when it's valid. David knew that he wasn't perfect, so he was willing to accept the criticism of others.

Ahithophel not only turned against David, but desired to pursue after him with 12,000 men. This is interesting considering the fact that David peacefully gave up the throne. What need was there to pursue him? To me this indicates that both Ahithophel and Absalom knew in their hearts that David was the rightful ruler. The only logical reason anyone would pursue someone like that would be to keep them from reclaiming the throne. Ahithophel proves this when he reveals that his plan would allow David's followers to flee and only David was to die. Since the Israelites had been cunningly swayed to Absalom's side, the elders were in agreement of this plan.
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Fulfilling Prophecy

Absalom is quick to fulfill the prophecy given to David by Nathan in 2 Samuel 12:11; he takes David's concubines and sleeps with them "in the sight of all Israel." I don't think this means he publicly had sex with them, so much as the fact that he made a show of himself coming and going from sleeping with these women. Perhaps he even lavished them when trinkets and jewelry.
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Hushai

Absalom then asks for Hushai's counsel. Hushai, David's spy, says that it's a bad plan because David is a warrior and his men are mighty men. Absalom would need a great and vast army to win this battle, but he would also need to win it completely; simply killing David would not do. Absalom appreciates Hushai's counsel more than Athithophe. This confirms that God has revoked the wise counsel of Athithophel, at David's request, so harm comes to Absalom.

A true friend and loyal servant, Hushai sticks with the plan and informs the priests of what is happening. They are instructed to tell David so that he might get to safety. Their sons were safely lodged outside of the city and a young girl was sent to pass the message. While this meant there were many people involved in the chain, something usually not recommended, it kept the main players from looking suspicious. Unfortunately it wasn't sneaky enough. A young boy sees what happens and notifies Absalom. The trio is able to outwit Absalom's men, and are able to get the message to David.
Toptortured and maimed.

Ego: The Downfall of Ahithophel

Egotism has been an issue for humans since the being of time. People say money is the root of all evil, but pride and vanity surely lead to most of the problems we have today. This was true in David's day as well. Vanity distorts the focus of a our life.

When Ahithophel learns that his counsel wasn't followed, he hangs himself. How dramatic, right? Ahithophel's identity was apparently wrapped up in his ability to give good counsel, and now that he could not, he saw no point in life. This proves he was doing it for the wrong reasons. He didn't pray to God about his sudden loss of wisdom or favor. Nor did he stick around to see if Absalom would be successful. All he cared about was being right—that's a dangerous place to be.
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Absalom Continues to Pursue David

Absalom makes some military changes, demoting Joab and appointing Amasa to be captain. Amasa was also family, like Joab, and was married to Joab's aunt (David's sister). As Absalom pursues David, the people of Ammon provide him with shelter, food, and drink. It is not uncommon that in times of need, it is external people that provide more assistance than our own. Sometimes, we are simply too close to the situation to realize our own folly. The Israelites didn't realize they were working against their own self interest just as poor people in the U.S. didn't realize that Trump will not help them. In both cases, the masses were tricked and one over by rhetoric, whereas the Ammonites were seeing the situation with unclouded eyes.
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David Fights Back

Despite Absalom's rise to power, David acquires quite the army himself. He divides it into three companies placing his trusted generals Joab and Abishai over two companies, and Ittai, a foreign servant who has taken shelter with him, over the third. David has every intention of going to battle with his men, but the people don't want him to. They know that Absalom's men will kill as many of them as possible to get to David, but without David present, the enemy would let them flee. David instructs his commanders to "deal gently" with Abaslom. Upon first reading I was certain this a command either to kill him quickly or to leave him alive; David's reaction to his son's death confirms that he meant the latter. David loved his son despite his son's behavior.
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Absalom's Death

The big battle takes place in the woods of Ephraim, and 20,000 people die in the altercation. As Absalom approached David's men, he had to pass beneath a great oak tree. When he did, his thick and strong hair became tangled in the branch, hoisting him above the earth. One of David's men sees this and informs Joab of the opportunity. Joab asks why the man didn't kill Absalom, and the man voices his concern relating to David's command. Joab wastes no time on the issue and thrusts 3 darts into Absalom's heart. Joab's men then surround Absalom and kill him while he hung from the tree.

Absalom had spent so much time causing chaos, he never even produced an heir (other than his daughter). He leaves behind only a pillar named after him (and this narrative that showcases what happens when you hold a grudge). Absalom started off as a great person, a loving brother out to protect his sister. However, in his attempt to "do right" he became convinced that "right" was overthrowing his father. How did he get there? The component in Absalom's narrative that is missing is God. David's reaction to most situations is to pray and to wait for God's answer, but Absalom never seeks God's help. If Absalom had asked, God may have struck Amnon down without Absalom having to commit murder. The lack of direction from God allows Absalom's view to be corrupted. We often have good intentions, but becasue we can;t see the whole picture, our actions may not be in anyone's best interest.
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David Receives the News of Absalom's Death

Ahimaaz was eager to tell his father (Zadok, the priest) that David had won, but Joab cautions him that the news of the Absalom's death was somber. It was not a time to rejoice, for the king's son had died. Instead, David should be notified first. Joab sends Cushi to tell David what has transpired.

When the watchman sees a single man running toward the gates, he weeps. It seems that Cushi was not the appointed messanger and likely, the watchman thought this meant everyone else was dead. Still eager to be of service, Ahimaaz follows Cushi, and when the watchman recognizes Ahimaaz, David commands the watchman to let them in, assuming they have brought good tidings.

Once they have established that David has won, they come to David's concern for Absalom. David, like any parent, wants to know that his son is ok. Ahimaaz deflects, claiming he does not know. It is Cushi that must deliver the tragic news. When Cushi tells David the news, David despairs and begins to weep.
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An Unruly Child

David Mourns

Daivd is deeply hurt by the death of Absalom. He grieves openly, crying out to God, and even wishing that he had died instead. Joab requests to speak to David privately and confronts him about the mourning. Expressing the sentiment that the army feels as though David would have been happier if they had all died and Absalom lived, Joab warns David that if he doesn't pull it together those that had stuck by him would desert him.

It wasn't that Joab and the army didn't understand that David had lost a son, it was the idea that someone who was determined to kill you was more important to you than people who would risk their life to save you. Not only do we keep toxic people in our lives and push away those who love us (re: Kelly Rowland in "Dirty Laundry"), but we do the same thing to Jesus. Jesus came to the Earth and died for us, but when told to give up our worldly ties (like the rich man in Mark 10), we weep for something that cares nothing about us.
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A Parable for God's Love

There's a passage in the Books of Law that commands parents of disobedient children to put them to death, but no loving parent wants to see their child die. David, like most us, knew that something had to be done about Absalom, but he didn't want that something to involve Absalom's death. In some cases, a child may simply be rebellious, and not present a threat to anyone, but in Absalom's case anyone who supported David was in danger. This made it all the more important that Absalom be stopped.

God made us in His image, and we are constantly told that He is our Father for a reason. Just as a loving parent would send word not to kill their child and weep at their death even though said child was ready to kill the parent, God doesn't want us to die permanently either. He sent Jesus such that if we surrender to Him, no matter how far off the rails we've gone, our lives are spared. However, when we continue to rebel, we get lost in the battle and find death.
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The Return of King David

Now that Absalom was dead, the rebellion is over but technically Israel was without king, since Absalom had been anointed in David's place. The Israelites reflect upon the fact that David was a good king and soon desire him back. However, the Tribe of Judah does not ask him to come back. David sends word through the priests, to ask his brethren why they, of all people, have not welcomed him back. David approaches them humbly, and this moves their hearts so that the ask him to return.

Shimei, someone who had previously rose against David, was the first from the tribe of Joseph, specifically Benjamin, to greet David. He conveys his apologies and requests that David not kill him. Abishai says that they should, but David doesn't want anymore bloodshed.

It is at this time that David learns of Ziba's deceit. Mephibosheth, who has been mourning the loss of David has king, greets David as well. He had not dressed his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes—all signs of mourning—since David had fled. For his neighbors' sake, I hope David was not gone too very long. David asks why Mephibosheth didn't come with him, to which Mephibosheth reveals Ziba's treachery. It seems Ziba tricked Mephibosheth into staying home and ran off with the donkeys. Being handicapped, it is likely that Mephibosheth couldn't get to David without aid. Unable to determine which story was correct, David settles the matter by telling Ziba and Mephibosheth to divide the land in half.

We are also introduced to Barzillai, a servant of David's that cared for him while they were in the wilderness. David tells Barzillai that it is now time for David to care for him and invites Barzillai to the palace. Barzillai, who is 80 years old, says that he would only be a burden. As such, he requests to be left to die in his hometown; he suggests another loyal man (Chimham), to go with David into Jerusalem.
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References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg 547-549. 2014
2. Deuteronomy 22:28-29
3. "3303. yapheh". Strong's Concordance; via BibleHub.com in 2017
4. James Orr, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'FAIR'". International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. 1915
5. "132. admoni". Strong's Concordance; via BibleHub.com; visited 2017
6. Grace Murano. "World's Most Amazing Real Life Rapunzels". Oddee. September 2013