2 Chronicles 27: Jotham

Not much is said about Jotham, but he is also discussed in 2 Kings 15.

Introduction

Jotham is the son of Uzziah and Jerushah. His maternal grandfather was Zadok the priest. There was quite a bit of marriage between the Levite priests and David's descendants. This is not surprising given that our final king, Jesus, is both priest and king.
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Jotham

Jotham becomes king of Judah at the age of 25 and reigns for 16 years. Jotham follows the word of God, but he does not go to the Temple. This means he did not lead the people to worship as was the responsibility of the king. Thus, the people drift away from God and choose to behave wickedly. He builds a high gate for the Temple, as well as, cities in the mountains of Judah. Jotham's reign is also discussed in 2 Kings 15.
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Battles

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Emma Van Sant

Jotham wars with the Ammonites and forces them to pay tribute. The tribute of the Ammonites consists of silver, barley, and wheat. This sum was paid to Jotham for 3 years!
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References

2 Chronicles 26: Uzziah

Uzziah, son of Amaziah, becomes king at the age of 16 and rules for 52 years.

Introduction

Uzziah, son of Amaziah, becomes king at the age of 16 and rules for 52 years.
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Battles

The major accomplishment listed for Uzziah is the restoration of a city called Eloth to the kingdom of Judah. This city is also known as Elath, Ailath, and Alion. Eloth was a seaport that belonged to Edom. It had been captured by David and lost during Jehoram's reign.^[1]

God strengthened Uzziah due to his obedience and helped him in battle against the Philistines and Arabians. He commanded an army of 307,500 men. Uzziah becomes so powerful that the Ammonites give gifts to him and word spread about him all the way to Egypt. He made great weapons of war, which included engines. These engines were not like the engines we think of today. The word here is referring to some sort of device made by skilled people to antagonize the enemy. It may refer to a tower used to hurl stones at the enemy.^[2]
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Character

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Tatyana Khramtsova

Uzziah loved farming (husbandry) so he built up vineyards and herds of cattle. While obedient, he is very prosperous.

Like so many of Judah's kings, Uzziah starts out as a good king. He follows the ways of God and experiences victory in battle. However, once Uzziah is at full strength, he turns against God. It is easy to forget that we did not become great on our own. It is also easy to believe that because we have power and wealth, we can do whatever we choose. This is the ultimate downfall of many kings of Judah, as well as, many of us today.

Uzziah rebels again God by burning incense on the altar, which which was a task only to be performed by the priests. In light of Uzziah's rebellion, 80 priests fought against him to uphold the honor of God. Uzziah does not repent, as we should when we make a mistake (and we all make mistakes eventually). Instead, he becomes defiant and is struck with leprosy by God. As a leper he is cast out and his son Jotham is given the throne.
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References

1. "Eloth." Bible Hub; visited March 2017
2. "2 Chronicles 26:15 Commentary". Bible Hub; visited March 2017

2 Chronicles 17-20: Jehoshaphat

The rule of Jehoshaphat over Judah is discussed. These chapters are paralleled in 1 Kings 22.

Introduction

Asa's son Jehoshaphat not only follows God, but seeks out peace with the northern kingdom. He is a devout king that brings much good to Judah during his 25 year reign. Jehoshaphat takes the throne at 35 years old. The passages in 2 Chronicles 17-20 are paralleled in 1 Kings 22.
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Reform

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Tom Low

When Jehoshaphat takes over the throne, he is determined to keep Israel on the path of righteousness. He even sends princes and Levites to teach the law of God in different cities. Due to his faithfulness, the kingdom experiences peace during his reign. No one dared attack, and the Philistines and Arabians even send gifts in his honor. Faithfulness does not prevent Jehoshaphat from building an army, however. We are given an outline of the mighty captains who led the army, which was largest army Judah had seen thus far.

Jehoshaphat had removed "groves" or idols from Judah, though he does not remove the "high places" or altars. God did not want idolatry among His people and was likely very proud of Jehoshaphat for destroying such things.

Jehoshaphat sets judges over the cities. He warns them, even then, about judging a person; that is God's job alone. We can discern the right actions and tell someone when they are in the wrong, but we cannot judge the soul of the person. Amariah was the chief priest at the time. Top

Healing the Rift

Jehoshaphat recognized that the Israelites of the north were the same people as those of the south and tried to repair the bonds between the two kingdoms. While meeting with the king of the north, Ahab, he agrees to go to war with Syria, despite a prophet of the LORD proclaiming their defeat.

The entire exchange about the battle is quite weird. Following the exchange, it is obvious that God wanted Ahab to go into the battle to meet his demise. Jehoshaphat understood that God wants Ahab to go into this battle and therefore complies. During the battle Ahab disguises himself which almost gets Jehoshaphat killed. However, when Jehoshaphat calls on God, God protects him. There is a lot to think about here. On one hand, this could be an indication that Jehoshaphat was not in the wrong when he went to battle, because God spared him. On the other hand, this could be a lesson in choosing our acquaintances wisely. Ahab essentially set Jehoshaphat up for death. Had Jehoshaphat not called on God, he would have died in the battle. God knows that we will make mistakes, so we are fortunate that when we call to Him for help that He will answer. However, we should remember that when we associate with ungodly people we are more likely to end up in ungodly situations.

Jehoshaphat survives the battle, but Ahab does not. While we will see continued attempts to heal the rift between Israel and Judah, I can't imagine this situation helping the relation. Imagine, the reaction of Israel that their "enemy" Judah had agreed to go to battle with them, but Israel's king dies in battle and Judah's king walks away free. I'm sure conspiracy theorists of the time had a field day with that.
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Jehoshaphat Condemned

In 1 Kings we never see a reaction from God or Judah about Jehoshaphat's attempt to make peace with Israel. Since God told Rehoboam not to fight his brothers, it seems reasonable to assume God would be pleased with Jehoshaphat's actions. However, a prophet of God condemns Jehoshaphat for associating with those that hate the Lord (Ahab). In the same chapter Jehoshaphat is praised for his actions in following God. This adds to the confusion of which lesson we are to take from this scenario.

Today we often make the mistake of believing God wants peace at all cost, including compromise of His word. This is not true. Now that the northern kingdom had fallen so deeply into idolatry, they were just as dangerous as the pagan nations to Judah's relationship with God. God may not have wanted them fighting each other, because there was always hope for Israel's return, but He didn't want His holy nation joining with a disobedient and pagan nation, either.
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Interesting

In 2 Chronicles 19 we read about Zebadiah, the son of Ishmael was over Judah. I find this interesting considering the rift that existed and still exists between the children of Isaac, verses the children of Ishmael. Clearly there was an intermarriage that placed Zebadiah in this position. God forbade the Israelites from intermarrying with the Canaanites (which they did anyway), or the other pagan nations, but we see plenty of examples where people from these nations committed to follow God and were accepted into the nation. This reiterates the fact that we all have an equal opportunity to be accepted into God's nation.
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Moab and Ammon Attack

When the Moabites and the Ammonites come against Judah, Jehoshaphat's reaction is to seek God. He even proclaims a fast throughout the kingdom. This is what God expected of his people and is in stark contrast to the kings who sold the treasures of God to buy allies from pagan nations during times of distress (even Jehoshaphat's father Asa fell prey to this mentality). God fights the war for Israel, causing the allied armies to turn against themselves and kill one another.
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Downfall

Overall Jehoshaphat is described as a great, God-fearing king. However, near the end of his reign, he joins himself with Ahab's son Ahaziah who does evil. God does not allow the works of their collaboration to prosper. It is important to choose our friends and collaborators carefully.
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References

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

2 Samuel 5-10: David's Military Success

These chapters mostly discuss the success of David. These successes include capturing of the ever-controversial city, Jerusalem, moving the ark, and upholding his promise to Jonathan. Also discussed is the rift that suddenly emerges between David and his first wife, Michal. Finally, we see a semi-messianic prophecy from the prophet Nathan.

Introduction

2 Samuel 5-10 discusses the military success David has when he takes over as king, as well as, a few personal matters in David's life.

From the book of Exodus through this point, the Israelites have been complaining and neglecting God's order to drive out the Canaanite nations. These chapters bring us to a point in history where Israel was actually obeying God. These chapters mostly discuss the success of David. These successes include capturing of the ever-controversial city, Jerusalem, moving the ark, and upholding his promise to Jonathan. Also discussed is the rift that suddenly emerges between David and his first wife, Michal. Finally, we see a semi-messianic prophecy from the prophet Nathan.
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The City of Jerusalem

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/tek_cat

Jerusalem is probably the most famous city in Israel, though Bethlehem comes to mind as well. Jerusalem is also the holiest city in the world (arguably), with holy sites from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Although the Jews of today probably still consider Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, most of the world currently recognizes Tel Aviv as Israel's capital. Like in the days of the Bible, specifically during David's time, both the Israelites/Israelis and the Philistines/Palestinians wanted to claim the city for themselves.

Currently, Jerusalem is divided into West and East Jerusalem, kind of like Berlin after WWII. Israel captured the eastern part of the city, then seen as "international territory" by the UN, during the Six-Day War in 1967; this was considered a breach of International law. Because of the U.N.'s condemnation of Israel's occupation, countries (specifically those in the U.N.) place their embassies in Tel Aviv instead.^[1]

When David took the throne, Jerusalem was occupied by the Jebusites, who were descended from Canaan.^[2] Joshua had defeated the Jebusites and seemingly took the city when the Israelites entered the promised land, but the Jebusites were able to reclaim the city and no one else had been able to defeat them. Now that David was in charge, he made sure the Israelites reclaimed the territory. Perhaps the fact that the land was meant to belong to Judah, the tribe from which David descended, motivated him to recapture the city.
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The Ark of the Covenant

One thing that marks Jerusalem as holy is the Temple Mount, where the Temple was built and the Ark of the Covenant was kept. Part of the conflict today is the issue that the Temple Mount is holy ground for Jews (and subsequently Christians), as well as, Muslims. When David conquered Jerusalem, none of God's holy relics were in the city. David sought to change that by moving the Ark to Jerusalem and his son completed this buy building The Temple. Neither the ark, nor the tabernacle had ever been placed in Jerusalem at this point in history.^[3]
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The Ark is Taken to Jerusalem

David commands the Israelites to take the Ark to Jerusalem. It's not explicitly stated that God commanded David to move the ark to Jerusalem, so we are left to wonder whether he was following God's will or simply making a show of himself. David had finally captured Jerusalem and called it the city of David, putting the Ark in the city as well would have been a sign of his divine appointment.

David takes 30,000 men to retrieve the cart, which makes me wonder if it had been captured or was in hostile territory. Instead of moving it in the tradition manner with the Levites carrying it, they transport it using a cart. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drive the cart. Interestingly, there are two Abinadab mentioned in the book of Samuel: one is the son of Saul and the other is David's brother. Therefore, these two men were likely David's nephews (either by blood or by law, since David was Saul's son-in-law).

The Israelites have a grand celebration as they move the Ark—another implication that Ark may have been in hostile territory. At some point during the festivities, Uzzah reaches out and touches the ark; he is subsequently killed by God. It is thought, based upon the original Hebrew of the text, that the Ark was falling and Uzzah reached out to catch or steady it. Most would consider that a good deed; furthermore, it's only natural to reach for things when they fall near you. This would explain why David is upset and considers God's execution of Uzzah a "breach" (2 Samuel 6:8).

This is an example of people placing themselves in poor situations. Had the Levites been carrying the Ark using the rods made especially for that purpose, it would not have been in danger of tipping over in the first place. The Israelites knew this was not the proper way to transport the Ark, but chose to do so anyway. Uzzah and the others had rebelled against God's law, which meant Uzzah was fresh with unclean sinfulness. In this unholy state because he had not offered a sacrifice to cleanse himself, Uzzah touched the holiest relic of the Israelites. This probably amplified God's anger.^[3]
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A Sign of Prosperity

David receives one of the ultimate signs of prosperity (at least, during Biblical times) after he reclaimed Jerusalem: a son.
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David's Failed Marriage

Most of discussion in these chapters focuses on David's victories, but we are briefly told of his failure with Michal. I find this to be quite the interesting subplot. Initially, Michal loves David, so much so, that she betrays her father to help David escape. Yet in 2 Samuel 6:16, suddenly Michal despises him. Yet, we aren't given any details on why Michal's heart changed. Anything we claim has to be inferred, because her point of view is completely omitted.
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Unrequited Love

There's a thin line between love and hate; it's really hard for me to hate something or someone I don't love. On the off chance I don't secretly love the person or thing, usually I love (or am passionate about) someone or something that is in direct opposition of the hated person or thing. Since we already know Michal loved David in the beginning, we are left to wonder what could trigger emotions of hate. After jealousy, unrequited love comes to mind.

Michal risked her own life to save David, but we aren't told of any efforts he made to get her back while Saul was living. On top of that, he marries a ton of other women! Well, ok, in the context of David's time the number of wives he took may not have been considered "a ton," but in comparison to other men of the Bible and our current society, he married a ton of women. That had to have been hard for Michal.
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Jealousy

Another theory is that Michal was jealous of David's other wives. There are plenty of examples of polygamy in the Bible and in modern times, but we've probably all been bitten by the jealousy bug. Some people argue polygamy (and even polgany) is natural based on the Biblical examples, but a deeper look reveals the troubles that stem from this type of lifestyle. From wives being jealous of each other to men losing their minds trying to impress women, it's kind of obvious why the New Testaments mandates church leaders to have only one wife. Whether the practice is generally OK in God's eyesight or not, we can all understand any feelings of jealousy Michal may have had.

I find this to be the most likely case because in 2 Samuel 6:20, Michal brings up David being "uncovered" before handmaids. The commentaries I've read do not insinuate that this is a sexual reference, though it seems that it could be.^[3] Overall it seems Michal is condemning David for his joyfulness.
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Young Love

The final thought that comes to mind for me, is the age at which Michal first fell in love with David. Perhaps she outgrew her love for him. Many teen girls think they're dating their soulmate only to find out that really aren't compatible. The difference is that in our culture teens don't usually get married.
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The End Result

After Michal chastises David, he reminds her that God chose him as king. In 2 Samuel 6:22-23, it seems, to me atleast, David refused to sleep with Michal after this point, though some assert God punished Michal by causing her to be barren.^[3]
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Nathan, the Prophet

2 Samuel 7 introduces us to the prophet Nathan. God gives Nathan a message for David, which includes the prompt to build a house for the Lord. It is in these verses that God promises David his kingdom would last forever. David responds humbly, praising God and trusting in His power.

I have seen people list this as a contradiction or evidence that God lied, since David's line did not remain king of Israel forever. What they forget is the fact that Jesus is from the line of David. God was not just talking about the kingdom of Israel, He was talking about the only kingdom that matters: the kingdom of Heaven! This message was given to a prophet because it is a prophecy, a messianic prophecy.
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Jonathan's Family

In 1 Samuel 20, David made a promise not to let enmity come between his family and Jonathan's; this was not an idle promise. One of the reasons God warns us about oaths, vows, and pledges, is because He expects us to keep them once we've made them. When Jonathan and David promised to be good to each others' families even after death, both parties trusted the other to uphold their end of the covenant and both believed David would emerge the victor in the skirmish between Saul and David. However, once Jonathan was dead and David had been crowned king, there was no one to verify that David honored his word—aside from God, that is.

David had 3 choices: he could have gone against his vow and pursued Jonathan's family, as is common for new kings; he could have let Jonathan's family fade into obscurity, neither fostering a positive or negative relationship with Jonathan's kin; or he could have welcomed them into his home and heart. The first option would be a direct break of the covenant David had made with Jonathan, while the second would probably have been considered a sin of omission. David wouldn't have done anything wrong, per sé, but he wouldn't have done anything good either. A true man of God, David chose the final option, in which he welcomes Jonathan's son into his home as though he were blood kin.
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Ziba

Determined to uphold his promise to the fullest, David seeks out surviving relatives of Saul in the hopes that he can show them kindness. In 2 Samuel 9, we see that David finds a man named Ziba, who used to be a servant of Saul and can provide the information David desires. Ziba leads him to Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan.

In addition to restoring Saul's land to Mephibosheth, David also restores Ziba as servant to the family. David instructs Ziba to work the land so that Mephibosheth "may have food to eat," adding that Mephibosheth will also eat at David's table. This command is also given to Ziba's 15 sons and his 20 servants. That's right, 20 servants.

There's a line in the Disney movie Aladdin in which Aladdin (pretending to be rich and sophisticated Prince Ali) quips that he's so rich his servants have servants; apparently, this was a real thing for King Saul. To make the matter more interesting, Aladdin is set in the fiction town of Agrabah, which is supposed to be located somewhere near the Jordan River. Disney was likely trying to be humorous, but it's possible that this was normal at one point in history.

The introduction and description of Ziba challenges the interpretation of servitude and slavery people have come to believe. First, the fact that Ziba had servants proves servitude was much different in those days. American slaves did not have servants of their own. That's a huge clue that the way we think of slavery today was not how slavery was in Biblical times. The second point to be made stems from the simple fact we know his name. Slave owners in the U.S. didn't even record births, they definitely wouldn't include a slave— by name, at that— in a text they were keeping, especially a text of Biblical importance. The author of Samuel could have easily told this narrative without specifying Ziba by name, however he chose to record this servant's name for all to learn.
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Mephibosheth

Although David extends his search and promise to any of Saul's descendants, Jonathan's son is the one that reaps the benefits. God works in mysterious ways, but sometimes He operates exactly the way we think He should. God rewarded Jonathan for his faithfulness by preserving his line.

Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, was born lame. In Israel this would have made him both "useless" and a blemish on the family's name.^[5] Possibly cast out from society, Mephibosheth was staying with the house of Machir, at the time David sends a messenger to get him. Upon meeting David, Mephibosheth bows down reverently. His presumption was likely that he had been summoned for death since he was a descendant of Saul. We don't know if Jonathan ever told his son about the promise between him and David, but given the knowledge that Mephibosheth was only 5 with Jonathan died, it's doubtful.^[6]

David comforts Mephibosheth, promising him the land of Saul, as well as, extending an indefinite invitation to dinner, specifically inviting Mephibosheth to eat bread at the king's table. Biblically, bread is associated with covenants and friendship: the priests eat shewbread before God in the tabernacle and Jesus tells the disciples to eat bread in remembrance of Him. David inviting Mephibosheth to eat bread at his table signaled to the kingdom (and to Mephibosheth) that there was peace between them. This concept is the origin of our modern phrase "breaking bread."

David even proclaims that Mephibosheth will be like one of his own sons. We see this happen today. Close friends will often step in and raise their friend's child in the absence of the friend. We might even think of David as Mephibosheth's godfather today. Like his real father, Mephibosheth remains humble before David.

Despite being lame, Mephibosheth eventually has a son named Micha. Whether it was because of status, wealth, or something else altogether, this means Mephibosheth was still able to acquire a wife (or at the very least, convince a woman to have sex with him). This is a great example of the difference between stating something is unclean vs. treating a person as though they are worthless. Mephibosheth may have been considered unclean because of his handicap, but David showed him great love and presumably, so did his wife.
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Hanun, King of Ammon

2 Samuel 10 leads with the death of the Ammonite king, who is succeeded by his son, Hanun. During David's time, the now-deceased, Ammonite king, Nahash, had not caused problems for Israel and had even shown kindness to David. David sought to repay this kindness by sending comfort to Hanun during his time of grief.

When David's messengers arrived in the city, the princes of Ammon preferred to believe the messengers were sent as spies than to comfort the new leader. From a military standpoint, I guess it makes sense, but from a human standpoint, it begs the question: why do we always believe the worst?
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Ungratefulness

Hanun listens to the princes' counsel and does the unthinkable: he shaves off half of their beard and cuts off their garments. This was meant to bring shame upon the men and subsequently on David. Can you imagine taking the time to travel all the way to another country (remember they didn't have cars or planes back then!) only to be shamed for your act of kindness?

David's reaction speaks volumes on why God chose him as the leader of Israel. When he hears the news, he rushes out to meet the men who have been shamed for his sake. David also allows them to stay in seclusion until their beards grow back so that they are not subject to humiliation in the city. David takes ownership of the situation and comforts these men the way a true leader should. How often do we do that? When we stand for Jesus, people will try to shame us, but like David, Jesus will come to our aid and provide shelter for us.
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War

Whether the Ammonites truly thought David's act was a declaration of war, or they assumed their king's act would prompt David to retaliate with war, they began preparing for war. They form an alliance with the Syrians from Bethrehob and Zoba, garnering them an army of 20,000 footmen. They go on to ally themselves with a king named Maacah to add another 1,000 men and a city called Ishtob to gain another 12,000. This sounds like quite an army!

Learning of this, David sends his trusted captain, Joab, with a host of his mightiest men to answer the call to battle. When Joab and his men get to Ammon, they realize they've been lured into a trap where they will have to fight on two fronts. This is the same technique that won the war for the allies in World War II. Joab doesn't panic at these tidings—why should he? God was with Israel!—instead he divides the men into two companies. The choice men of Israel are sent to fight the Syrians under Joab's command, and the rest are put under the command of Joab's brother Abishai to fight the Ammonites. The two brothers agree that if either has trouble defeating their enemy, the other will come to help.
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Fighting on Two Fronts

We often think of life as having two sides: good and evil. If we are on God's side, that of good, then the only front we have to fight on is that of evil. However, this isn't true. Just as the Ammonites and Syrians tag teamed to place Israel in a two-front battle, the devil can come at us from multiple direction at the same time. Lucky for us God is will fight on all fronts for us.
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Fleeing the Battle

When the Syrians see Joab and his army, they flee. We are not told if Israel had more men than the Syrians or if this was simply God putting fear in the enemies heart. Whatever the case, when the Ammonites discovered that the Syrians had fled, they knew the war was lost, so they fled too. At these tidings, Joab returns to Jerusalem.
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Syria

Despite fleeing of their own will, these events anger the Syrians. They rally behind Hadarezer in the hopes of creating a better army that can defeat the Israelites. Naturally, David wins this battle, as well. David kills the men controlling Syria's 700 chariots along with 40,000 men who rode into battle on horses. David also defeats the Syrian captain, Shobach. This defeat was so crushing that the Syrians entered into a treaty with Israel and were afraid to make an alliance with the Ammonites again.
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References

1. Kate Samuelson. "Why Jerusalem Isn’t Recognized as Israel’s Capital". Time. December 16, 2016
2. Genesis 10:15-16
3. Matthew Henry. "2 Samuel 6 Commentary". Bible Study Tools. 2017
4. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 535. 2014
5. Leviticus 21:18
6. 2 Samuel 4:4

1 Samuel 11: Saul Defeats the Ammonites

Saul is crowned king of Israel after defeating the Ammonites.

Introduction

The first taste of Saul's anointing comes at the defeat he delivers to the Ammonites in 1 Samuel 11.

The Conflict

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Ariel Camilo

This particular conflict begins when the Ammonites approach the city of Jabesh, and the inhabitants of Jabesh try to make a covenant with the Ammonites. The covenant would have made the men of Jabesh servants of the Ammonites. Before the modern era this was a common practice.^[1] Not only would this have given the Ammonites a source of free (or almost free) labor, the men of Jabesh would have likely paid a tribute to the Ammonites. From the Ammonites' point of view, this should have been a satisfactory deal. However, Nahash, leader of the Ammonites, would only grant the request if he could "thrust out [their] right eye!"

The men of Jabesh ask for 7 days respite; during these days, they send messengers to the other Israelites. When Saul hears the news, the Spirit of God comes over him and he is angry about the situation. He is led to create an army, and tells the people if they don't follow him (and Samuel), he will hew them into pieces. (I'm going to come back to this in a minute). Saul is able to create an army of 330,000 men, which he divides into 3 companies to defeat the Ammonites.
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Saul's Role

Follow the leader, or be hewn into pieces! That sounds like something we would expect from an evil dictator, not one of God's chosen men, right? Saul isn't really the perfect example of righteousness, after all God becomes disappointed with him relatively quickly and chooses a replacement. Thus, we already know he isn't a perfect role model; Jesus is the only one who fit that bill. If were to start listing "men of God" off the top of my head, Saul probably wouldn't come to mind until way into the list. Regardless, for some, the context of 1 Samuel 11 may cause them to stop and ask whether God told Saul to say such a thing. I think particularly for babes in Christ, it is important to be able to discuss Saul's method.

In our society today, we often talk about doing the wrong things for the right reason (or the right thing for the wring reason). I don't think Saul's declaration is any different. Seasoned believers know that sometimes the Spirit moves your heart into a particular direction, but it is you that has to physically move in that direction. For some it may be to abandon a bad habit (e.g., smoking or drinking), and for others it may be to take your life into a new direction (e.g., career choices). Either way, it is up to you how you go about carrying out God's instructions—do you also abandon your friends, do you become grumpy? When the Spirit came upon Saul, it likely instructed him to form an army and retaliate. However, the Holy Spirit didn't come upon all able bodied men in Israel; these men only had the call to war from Saul and remember, many of them doubted Saul was worthy to be king. It was up to Saul to inspire these men to follow him. Convincing a crowd to follow you, especially in to war is a very difficult task. Saul chose a fear tactic to prompt the men of Israel in to action. Whether or not Saul actually intended to break people in pieces if they refused to join him is left to our imagination.

Since the Bible doesn't tell us how many people are living in Israel, we can't verify if the 330,000 men are all the able bodied men. In the wilderness, during the Exodus, the second census lists the population at 601,730. One would expect that after so many years, Israel's population would have increased. Roughly 400 years separate the two events, so it seems unlikely that 330,000 represents all the men in the nation. In judges, we see leaders actually punishing cities for not joining them in battle. Yet in 1 Samuel, we don't get any confirmation that Saul followed through on his threat. I believe this threat was simply Saul's desperation to get them to move into action; once he had proven himself worthy to be followed as king through victory, he would not need such drastic measures.

Notice, also, that when Saul sends out his warning, he includes the pieces of an ox he has hewn in pieces. This is the same method used by the Levite when his concubine is raped and killed in Judges 19. Perhaps Saul chose this method, because he knew it would inspire action from history.

We see later that Saul is actually compassionate towards his naysayers; he forbids the Israelites to kill the men. Now that Saul had defeated the Ammonites and proven himself to the masses, they were ready to put those who had doubted to death. While this probably seems odd to those of us raised in the US where we are free to disapprove of our president, most countries do not afford their citizens these rights; it is a fairly modern notion. In a theocracy like Israel, their doubt was even worse. Remember, when Saul's naysayers expressed doubt in his ability to reign, they were expressing doubt in God's ability to chose a leader for them. This, of course, was punishable by death. Yet, Saul said no one was to die.

Saul suggests they renew the kingdom, so the Israelites gather at Gilgal where they officially make Saul their king.

330,000

Interestingly, 1 Samuel 11:8 breaks the number of men to join Saul into men from Israel versus men from Judah. Eventually, these divisions would become two separate kingdoms. This verse shows that there was already some distinction between them; just as before the civil war (and after) there were distinctions of regions within the US.
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References

1. J. A. Thompson. "The Ancient Near Eastern Treaties and the Old Testament". The Tyndale Lecture in Biblical Archaeology. December 1964

Judges 10-12: Jephthah

Jephthah's reckless vow dooms him to the decision of breaking a vow to God or killing his only child.

Introduction

During the reign of the previous "major" judge (Abimelech), Isreal was still wrought with idolatry and sinfulness (at his own hand to say the least). When you combine this with the history of the Israelites, it's no surprise that Israel falls back into turmoil after Tola and Jair. This time, God allows the Philistines and Ammonites to oppress the Israelites in the area stretching from the Tribe of Judah through the Tribe of Benjamin and across the Jordan into the Ammonites' territory. The oppression lasts for 18 years.

Eventually, Israel repents of their sins, asking God to help them. At first, God denies them, suggesting they ask their idols for help. This is like today when we forget about God until suddenly we need Him. Realizing their error, the Israelites do not turn back to idolatry, but instead purge their land of images, focusing on repentance. They persist at worshipping the One True God. When God sees this, He becomes sorrowful and decides to deliver them once again. We too much persist in our relationship with God.
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The Next Judge

Jephthah was the next person God rose up to judge Israel. Like Abimelech, he was also a Gileadite. Once again, God chooses a man unlikely to be selected for leadership based on pedigree. Jephthah was the son of a harlot; society would have chosen one of his brothers from a more "acceptable" parentage. Cast out by his brothers, Jephthah ends up in the land of Tob. There, he teams up with a group of "vain men." While the meaning of vain men isn't explicitly given, it's pretty obvious that this isn't an indication of Godliness.

When the Ammonites gather against Israel, the elders of Gilead suddenly seek out Jephthah for leadership. The original offer is for the position of a military leader, but when Jephthah is not moved by the offer, they offer him the position of head over the city, instead. For the first time, God is mentioned in the exchange when Jephthah agrees that if God delivers the Ammonites to him, the elders should make him leader. Unlike the judges mentioned earlier in the book, both Abimelech and Jephthah seem to have appointed themselves as judges with God blessing them for Israel's sake.
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The Conversation

Jephthah sends messengers to Ammon to request the reason they have gathered against Israel. The Ammonites state that they are taking back the land Israel took from them. The scenario sounds much like something that could happen today, especially after all of the boundary changes colonization brought about.

Jephthah reminds the Ammonites that the only reason Israel has that land is that the Ammonites refused to let Israel pass during Moses' day. They had won the land in war and had been living there for 300 years. Jephthah inquires as to why it is only now that the Ammonites are trying to get their land back. The Ammonites, however, do not continue the discussion and disregard Jephthah's messengers.

Using the dates from 1 Kings 6:1, we can date the Exodus to 1446. This is disputed by some, but I agree with the literal dating that renders the exodus in 1446bc, as opposed to the symbolic dating proposed by those who disagree. Perhaps I'll do a post on that topic in the future. In the meantime, this means the Israelites started conquering land in 1406bc and gives us a date of about 1106bc for the time of Jephthah (likely when Jephthah said they had been living there for 300 years, he was using a round number estimate as opposed to a precise calculation.
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The Vow

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Zeeshan Qureshi

When preparing for battle, Jephthah vows to God that whomever greets him at the door when he returns will be a burnt offering for God. It is unclear whether Jephthah had spent too much time around pagans and was promising God a human sacrifice—which God never sanctions—or if Jephthah expected an animal to greet him.

The Israelites lived in 4 room homes in which the first room housed the animals, therefore it is quite plausible that Jephthah expected a cow or goat to be the first to approach him at the door.^[1] A lesson in making rash promises about things we cannot control is given in the outcome of Jephthah's vow, because it is not an animal that greets him but his only child, his daughter.

She is adamant that he fulfills his vow, strangely. Instead of fleeing like most of us would, she merely asks for 2 months to lament her virginity. Not only does her virginity tell us that she was likely very young, but also a that there would be an inability to pass on her and her father's lineage. Despite being an unnamed woman, she was mourned yearly by the daughters of Israel after her sacrifice.

Unlike with Abraham and Isaac, God doesn't send a goat to replace Jephthah's daughter, which may cause some to wonder about the message. Many may ask if the lack of intervention is a sign that God wanted him to sacrifice his daughter. I think one of the key points in comparing Abraham's situation with Jephath's is in the origin stories.

Abraham and his wife had been failing at having a child for a very long. Once God finally blessed Sarah's womb to grant Abraham a miracle child, He was asking Abraham to sacrifice the child! This was a test of Abraham's faith in God. Would Abraham give up the one thing he wanted most to please God? Did Abraham trust that if God told him to kill his son, He would provide another? In this scenario, God initiates this test.

Contrastingly, it is Jephthah who coins this vow all on his own. Killing people vs. not killing people wasn't meant to display Jephthah's faith; this was simply a problem Jephthah created for himself. Likely, God simply let Jephthah reap what he had sewn.
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Ephraim vs. Jephthah

Once again, Ephraim becomes angry at not being invited to war. Jephthah claims he did invite the tribe of Ephraim, but this claim can't be substantiated in the text. Offended by the men of Ephraim, Jephthah raises his army against them. As they try to escape, the army asks them to pronounce a particular word in which the pronunciation revealed the origin of the person. This is similar to the accents found across the U.S. today. Upon "mispronouncing" the word, the army would kill the man.

Jephthah may not have slaughtered his own brothers like Abimelech, but he was quick to anger and unjustly violent like Abimelech (and Gideon). In fact, Jephthah kills 42,000 men in this temper tantrum of his. This is what must have been meant about power being corruptive. We should note that God's blessing is not given in this passage. Based upon countless scriptures in the Bible about loving your neighbor and being slow to anger or take offense, we can easily conclude that God was not pleased with this behavior.
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Minor Judges

Jephthah only rules for 6 years; further proof that God did not approve of his actions. Afterward, there is a series of minor judges that take over leadership. Ibzan of Bethlehem, who has 30 sons and 30 daughters, judges for 7 years. Elon, from the tribe of Zebulun, judges for 10 years. Abdon, the son of Hillel with 40 sons and 30 nephews, judges for 8 years. Note that this Hillel is not likely the famous Hillel that many Jewish institutions today are named after.^[2] Also note that the word "nephews" in the King James Version may actually refer to grandsons^[1]
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References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 433-436. 2014
2. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. "Hillel and Shammai". Jewish Virtual Library. 2016

Lot

Lot is one of the Biblical figures with quite the questionable character. There are 3 main topics that come to mind when thinking of Lot: him being spared from the destruction, him offering his daughters to the mob, and his daughters raping him. The sons of Lot and his daughters establish the nations of Moab and Ammon.

Introduction

Disclaimer: Liberty taken with the depiction of Lot.
Please remember the Bible does not
specify a description for most individuals.

Lot is the focal character when we learn about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He is the nephew of Abraham and the father of the Moabite and Ammonite nations. During the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot loses his wife, who turns into a pillar of salt because she disobeyed the angels and looked back.
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Memorable Moments for Lot

There are 3 main topics that come to mind when thinking of Lot: him being spared from the destruction, him offering his daughters to the mob, and his daughters raping him.
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God Spares Lot

We know that generations earlier, Noah was spared due to his righteousness, but Lot isn't exactly described as righteous during the passage. So why did God spare him?

In the context of the passage, we know that Abraham pleaded for the salvation of city. This prompted God to promise not to destroy the city if 10 righteous people could be found in the city. Some may argue that God's conversation with Abraham prompted Him to spare Lot, because Lot was the only righteous person in the city and He had promised not to destroy the righteous. Of course this isn't explicitly said. It doesn't seem like Lot was so righteous God felt compelled to save him.

Another possibility is that Lot earned his salvation by protecting the angels. The angels did not go to Sodom seeking Lot, which hints that it wasn't in the original plan to spare him. They were content to stay outside in the city as homeless people do, but Lot forcefully persuaded them to stay with him. Lot knew that they would not be safe if they stayed outside. Not only does Lot provide them with shelter and food, when the mob of men come for the angels, Lot stands in their way. Regardless of Lot's method to protect the men, he shows both bravery and a strong faith to stand against so many men. Perhaps this is what convinced God to spare him. After all, it isn't until after this ordeal that he is told to leave the city.

A final possibility is God's favoritism at work. God favored Abraham, and Lot was Abraham's nephew. It is possible that during the intercession, Abraham asked God to save his nephew. Today, when we hear bad news about a certain location, our first instinct is always to pray for family and friends we know in that area. Abraham was in such a position with God that God may have granted his request. This seems likely when we look at Genesis 19:29.
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Lot Offers Up His Daughters

One of the craziest things to wrap your head around when reading the Bible, is Lot offering his daughters up for what reads to be gang rape. Many non-believers (and ex-believers) site this as one of the "more gruesome" passages in the Bible. As I try to explain to people when discussing the Bible, you can't take one passage and make a conclusion. The Bible is intricately layered and a continuous story. People often treat it like a series of stand alone short stories, but that's not really how the text is meant to be read. There are several passages after the story of Sodom and Gomorrah that condemn rape, as well as, premarital sex. Note, while Lot is spared it is strongly implied that he is spared because of Abraham, not himself. The text never claims Lot to be perfect in his actions.

This is an important layer of this passage; people often get distracted by the theme of homosexuality in the destruction of the city. This leaves people at a loss when the topic of the Lot's daughters comes up. In most cases, believers have no explanation or come back for this problem. Some try to excuse Lot's behavior, or use it to further condemn homosexuality by suggesting Lot's alternative is "better" than homosexuality. Others lose faith because they agree that Lot's treatment of his daughters is horrible. Then there are those who simply ignore the issue all together! Yet, there is a clear explanation in the Bible.

In Deuteronomy 22, God explains the punishments for sexual encounters between a betrothed woman and a man who is not her betrothed. From rape to consensual sex, God makes it clear that none of these are to occur (rape is blamed on the man and consensual sex carried the death penalty for both parties). Genesis 19 mentions Lot's son-in-laws, which mean his daughters were either betrothed or already married at the time. If they were already married Lot lied (he says they are virgins), and offered them up for adultery. If they were simply betrothed, he still offered them up for adultery based upon Deuteronomy 22:23-26. Either way, the God condemns Lot's behavior, His condemnation just isn't found right there in Genesis 19.

Lot's "alternative" is not a good versus bad; it is still defined as bad. Many try to turn this into the lesser of two evils, but evil is evil in God's eyesight. Both homosexuality and adultery were punishable by death in God's law, so Lot's actions don't reflect God's wishes at all. What we see is Lot trying to protect his guests. Perhaps Lot was aware of their angelic status and chose to protect them over his daughters, or perhaps it was out of custom (letting harm come to a guest in your home was not proper). For all we knew, Lot expected the angels to protect his daughters and never intended to give up his daughters. Regardless of motive, we know that Lot's choice is not one that God would agree with.
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Lot's Daughters Commit Incest

Lot became a man of questionable character when he offered up his daughters to be gang raped, which makes it seem like poetic justice that in the end his daughters end up raping him. Each daughter gets their father sufficiently drunk enough to seduce him in the hopes that they will become pregnant to carry on their father's line.

When Noah escaped the flood, he and his children were the only people left alive, but when Lot and his daughters left Sodom, there were still people in various locations outside the city. Genesis 19:27-28 confirms that Abraham was close enough to see the fire reigning down on the city. Abraham was also close enough to Ur to send his servant there in search of a wife for Isaac. Why were Lot's daughters convinced there were no men to marry them and produce heirs? This whole scenario sounds like something we would watch unfold on daytime TV or something.

In his drunkenness, Lot fathers sons for both of his daughters: Moab and Benammi. Moab's descendants became the Moabites, while Benammi's descendants became the Ammonites. Neither group was particularly liked by God, though there are a few famous Moabites throughout the Bible.
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Character of Lot

The above already establishes the questionable nature of Lot's character, but we also see that Lot doesn't want to leave behind the sin-filled city-life. When told to escape to the mountains, Lot bargains his way to escape to Zoar, a suburb of Sodom,^[1] instead of to the mountains as instructed (eventually he leaves Zoar for the mountains). Lot is described as just in 2 Peter 2:7. From the English version it is possible that just is used to mean only, as in "And delivered [only] Lot;" however, the original greek uses the word δίκαιον which means "righteous."^[2][3]

The description of Lot as righteous can be hard for a believer to accept. We ask why is this man who did just a thing considered righteous? Throughout the Bible God gives us plenty of examples of righteous men who are just as much guilty of sin as the next person. The only man not to commit a sin was Jesus. Noah gets drunk, Abraham lies, Moses doubts, Jacob steals... What made these men righteous is not that they were perfect and everything they did was correct, but their enduring faith in God.

Like the others mentioned, Lot had the option to do a lot worse than what he actually did. He could have left the angels in the street overnight. He could have handed them over to the mob instead of offering up his daughters (that was basically a lose-lose situation). When the angels told Lot to leave, he wasn't sold on his ability to get to the mountains which reflects doubt in God's ability to make it possible, but he left nonetheless. He convinced the Lord to allow him a smaller journey, just as Moses convinced Him to let Aaron be the mouthpiece. In the end, however, Lot got up the next morning and left. He didn't stick around doubting that judgement would come.

These are all traits that make Lot righteous. I think Lot is a great example of a person who meant to do right, but his actions came out a bit muddled. Lot was raised in a city of confusion and sin, so it makes sense that some of his ideas would be warped as well. This is important for us today; we live in a secular society that teaches us many things that God declares evil are actually good. In our earnest to do good, we are also likely to do or say something that is not in agreement with God. The good news is, like Lot, God will meet us where we are. If our heart is right, He will show us our misguidance and set us on the right path. When it tough situations we must call upon God and think through the whole situation before offering up our daughters, so to speak.
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Other Posts About Lot

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References

1. MacDonald, William. Farstad, A. ed. Believer's Bible Commentary. 1995
2. "2 Peter 2:7". Bible Hub. 2016
3. "1342. dikaios". Bible Hub. 2016