Obadiah

Introduction

The book of Obadiah only has one chapter! It's one of the shortest books in the Bible. With such a succint book, you can expect that not much is known about it's author, the prophet Obadiah—he keeps it straight to the point and doesn't spend much time on himself. Some scholars believe he was a contemporary of Jeremiah, while others believe he operated around the reign of Jehoram, and yet others place him as a contemporary of Elisha. The latter camps argue that because Obadiah doesn't mention the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, it was probably written before that destruction took place. The earliest date (Obadiah as a contemporary of Elisha) was proposed because Obadiah seems to reference the act that occurs in 2 Chronicles 28:17. No matter which of these dates is the true period in which Obadiah wrote, we can see that his prophecies were written before they were fulfilled.

Woe to Edom

Unlike most prophetic books of the Old Testament, Obadiah only talks about judgment on one nation: Edom. Edom was the bitter enemy of Israel, dating back to the rivalry between Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel). Despite the two brothers seeming to come to an agreement and make peace with each other, these two nations never got along. Edom joined Israel's ememies in attacking the city (2 Chronicles 28:17) and was not helpful when they were fleeing Egypt during the Exodus (Numbers 20:18). For this reason, God issued a judgment on Israel. Obadiah also lists the fact that Edom gloated over the failures of Israel as part of the judgment.

The judgment was that Edom would cease to exist. Obadiah describes the extent of dismantling Edom by contrasting it to robbery by thieves and plunders behave, noting that even they would leave something behind. Edom would become completely desolate and they would be betrayed by their so called allies. Today, there is no nation claiming to be descended from Edom. The last archelogical record explicitly referencing Edom as a kingdom/nation dates to 667bc.[2]

For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. Obadiah 1:15 KJV

Characteristics of Edom

I thought it was interesting that there are a few descriptions of the Edomites that give us a glimpse of their culture. They were said to live in the clefts of the rocks, meaning they lived in the caves. I find this interesting because the other mention of caves in the Bible that come to mind are also negative. It is in a cave that Lot's daughter rape him to produce sons (Genesis 19:30-38) and in Revelation, it is there that the lost go to hide from God's wrath (Revelation 6:15). To this day there is still negativity associated with living in caves via the term "caveman."

Another thing I found interesting was that the Edomites were compared to an eagle. Countries have always had mascots, likely why in visions God uses beasts to represent countries (see Daniel 7, Acts 10, and Revelation 13). The eagle was also associated with the Roman empire. Today, the eagle is associated with many countries accross the globe, including the United Staes.[3]

What Can We Learn From This

For passages like this, I often ask myself what it is saying about my world today. Yes, the primary purpose was to give hope to the Israelites that the Edomites would pay for their behavior, and one could argue that a secondary purpose was for God to prove His ability to reveal the future to His servants. However, there's a reason God preserved this text for us today, long after the name Edom has become a thing of the past.

One of the main condemnations of Edom is that they relished in their brother's pain. We should not mock anyone else's suffering! We should also be willing to help our brothers and sisters when they are in need. We can learn from Edom's mistakes to ensure that we don't behave the same way.

References

1. William MacDonald. Believer's Bible Commentary, pg. 1121. 1995
2. "Edom". Wikipedia; visited January 2021
3. "Eagle (heraldry)". Wikipedia; visited January 2021

Speak Life feat. Sam

This episode is about the importance of how we talk about people (and ourselves. When I was in graduate school, I was appalled to see caregivers constantly tell small children how "bad" they were—especially when the kids were not doing anything outside of normal child behavior. In the Bible, patriarchs of families took the time to speak prophecies of greatness (or disaster) over their children and each of these prophecies came true. These parents understood the power of the tongue and wielded it to lift up the children they saw potential in and tear down those they saw on a path of destruction. I see a lot of the latter in our society today, but not as much as the first. Sam and I discussed the general apathy people have for what they're saying and have come to the conclusion that we should be much more precise in how we speak about others.

No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 CSB

Examples of Patriarchs speaking blessings and curses over their children:

• Noah curses Canaan, blesses Shem (Genesis 9:24-27)
• Isaac blesses Jacob, lowkey curses Esau (Genesis 27)
• Jacob blesses/curses his sons (Genesis 49)

People often express their disdain for a person's decisions by condemning the child and set low expectations/standards from the onset due to their experience with the parent.

²⁰From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is filled with the product of his lips.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:20-21 CSB

Have you ever seen parents speak blessings on their children the way the patriarchs did?

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Ephesians 4:29 NKJV

The Power of the Tongue

• Ephesians 4:29
• James 1:19-26-8
• James 3:5-12
• Matthew 12:24
• Matthew 15:11
• 1 Peter 3:10
• Proverbs 10:19
• Proverbs 15:4
• Proverbs 15:8
• Proverbs 17:9
• Proverbs 17:27-28
• Proverbs 12:6-7
• Proverbs 12:13-14
• Proverbs 12:18-19
• Proverbs 15:1-2
• Proverbs 18:6
• Proverbs 18:20-21
• Proverbs 21:23
• Psalm 34:13
• Psalm 52:2-9
• Titus 3:1-2

I used to say I felt bad and then I actually felt bad. There is actually evidence that you can make yourself sick that![1]

The verses Sam mentions about "speaking life" and "dry bones" are in Ezekiel 37

Nehemiah & Clearing Debt

In the episode we veered off topic a bit to talk about unity and the tendency for opposition to come from the inside. I mentioned the podcast I did on Nehemiah and how he dealt with a situation where the rich Israelites were taking advantage of and abusing the poor Israelites. That episode is linked below;[3] the verse I mentioned in reference to debt being cleared after 7 years is found in Deuteronomy 15:1.

The Law of Attraction is Not Christian

It's really hard to wrap our around this concept with veering to "the Law of Attraction" and saying things like "speak it into existence" and "name it and claim it." The danger of most New Age teachings is that they get somethings, maybe even most things right—but a little leaven leavens the whole lump (Galatians 5:9)! The missing piece is God. There is power in The Word, not my word. I can only speak something into existence if I have surrendered my voice to God and it is actually the Holy Spirit speaking. We must keep this in perspective.[2]

¹³By rebellious speech an evil person is trapped,
but a righteous person escapes from trouble.

¹⁴A person will be satisfied with good
by the fruit of his mouth,
and the work of a person’s hands will reward him.
Proverbs 12:13-14 CSB

Pineapple Fried Rice -- Not Burned!

Update on the Rice Situation

I started cooking rice right before I started recording the podcast with Sam and totally forgot! For those who are curious, once I went back and cooked rice while I wasn't distracted, this is how it turned out.

References

1. Melissa Malamut. "Can You Think Yourself Sick?". Boston Magazine. April 4, 2013
2. Philia Ministries -T he King is Coming. Christians & The Law of Attraction Deception". YouTube. February 20, 2017
3. Ree Hughes. Most Likely To Be a Revolutionary". PSALMS to God. February 18, 2019
4. Malala. Malala Fund; visited March 3, 2020

Isaiah 21: Edom & Arabia

Introduction

The last part of Isaiah 21 prophesies about Edom and Arabia. While reading this passage, I had to go back and look at some of the genealogies from Genesis—yes, the ones I'm sure we all love to skip over.

Edom

Dumah

Isaiah starts off addressing Dumah. Where and who is Dumah you ask? So did I. Dumah was a son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13-15), but it was also a city in the land given to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15). However, if you have a modern translation, it probably tells you that the prophesy given here is for Edom. Despite the two non-Edomite uses of the word Dumah, this prophecy is linked to Edom because of the reference to Mount Seir. Seir is where the Edomites lived (Genesis 32:3; 36:8-9). Since the Bible tells us that Seir is where the Edomites lived, we know the prophecy must have something to do with them.[5]

Judgment

So, we've solidified the fact that Dumah is a reference to Edom, but what exactly is the judgment, or prophecy, against Edom? Not much is actually said, in the verses that follow. A watchman is asked about the night and responses with the obvious that morning and night come. Three things stand out to me from Isaiah's account:

Watchman

The Bible talks about watchmen quite often. The purpose of a watchman is to watch for a particular event and then alert their group of the occurrence. Usually, watchmen are used in times of war to ensure that the enemy isn't able to capture the nation by surprise. In a similar fashion, we are urged to watch for the return of Jesus Christ so that we are not taken by surprise. The watchman mentioned in Isaiah 21 could actually be a literal watchman or a spiritual watchmen. He could be instructed to watch for the army that would bring about the judgment God is proclaiming, but he could also be sent to watch for the spiritual decline of the people. After reading the passages several times, I realized it was possible that this watchman was actually an Israelite watching Edom, not an Edomite watching his own people.

Morning

Morning, which is mentioned by the watchman as something to come, is something we often take for granted. Unless we are sick or on a battlefield, we assume that we will wake up the next morning. We assume that the Earth will keep spinning on it's axis and the Sun will rise in the morning. When times are hard, many of us are told things will be better in the morning. Whether we're morning people our not, morning is the time we look forward to symbolically. We typically think "the sun'll come out tomorrow."

Therefore, the watchman is telling there are good times ahead. However, the watchman mentions the morning before the night, which implies that the morning is not something to hope for after the night, but something that will precede the night.

Night

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Ann Savchenko

You can probably guess that if the morning represents good times, the night represents hard times. For much of human history, there's been a stigma about the night. Older people in my family used to say "nothing good happens after dark." If you've even suffered from sinus trouble, you might also notice that it's typically worse at night. The watchman is warning them that as surely as day comes, night will come to. They may enjoy times of prosperity, despite the refusal to recognize God's sovereignty or His people, but eventually there will be consequences to these actions.

Who are the Dedanim

Isaiah tells us that the Dedanim are a traveling company sleeping in the wilderness and somehow involved in the judgment on Arabia. It's pretty obvious that the Dedanim are a group of people, and just as easy to assume the father of those people was someone named Dedan. However, when I read the passage, I wasn't sure who Dedan was. The name isn't familiar to me like Edom or Moab, so I had to research it. I expected him to be a son of Ishmael, since he is considered the father of the Arabs.

Dedan #1

To my surprise, Dedan was actually the grandson of Cush, the son of Ham (Genesis 10:7).[3]

Cush is generally thought of as settling sub-Saharan Africa, but it seems reasonable to me that some of his descendants remained in the Northern part of Africa. I'm not sure of the exact history of Northern Africa, but today it is considered part of the Arab world. I always assumed this was due to the Ottoman Empire taking control of those lands, but perhaps there is a connection between Dedan and Ishmael.

There us also the possibility that the Dedanim are actually the opposing army that is defeating Arabia. Historically, sub-Saharan Africa has never been considered part of the Arab world. Perhaps this is why.

Dedan #2

Of course, it couldn't be that easy. There is another Dedan mentioned in Genesis 25:3. This Dedan is a descendant of Abraham through his wife Keturah. Could this be the group living in Arabia that is being discussed? Most commentaries assume the Dedanim are those descended from Cush, but there is no concrete evidence supporting either group.[4]

Cities of Arabia

Tema

The first city mentioned in the judgment against Arabia is Tema. If you're like me, that doesn't ring a bell when you first read it. However, God is telling us specific names for a reason. Is it possible the city of Tema is named after a person who bore the name? Genesis 25:13-15 tells us that Ishmael had a son named Tema. Not only does he have a son named Tema, but he also has a son named Kedar, which is the name of the second city mentioned in this passage. Ishmael, the half-brother of Isaac, is already known to be the father of Arabia, so it makes sense that the namesakes of these cities are his sons. It's also a reminder that the people in these cities are distant cousins of the Israelites. This may be slightly off topic, but have you ever thought about how dysfunctional some of these Biblical families must have been?

According to sources, there is a small town near Syria called Teyma, and it is thought that this may be the same as the Tema spoken of in the Bible.[1] I couldn't find it on Google maps. Many things are possible: it could be too small to be considered a city on it's own and incorporated with a larger city; it could have been renamed; considering all that has happened in Syria recently, it could have been destroyed. Regardless of whether or not we can still locate the city of Tema today, it did exist during Isaiah's time.

Although Isaiah 21:13-17 pronounces judgment on Arabia, Tema doesn't actually sound that bad. It seems that they're giving water to those who are thirsty, which sound like a good thing. In the New Testament, we are commanded to provide for our fellow man when they are in need (CITE VERSE). They people of Tema even provide bread to those who are in need. It seems that this is the place the refugees of the war will end up. While it may be good that the people of Tema are so accommodating, the people they are accommodating are not civilians displaced by the battle, but the soldiers themselves who have fled the battle. The fact that they are fleeing the battle tells us all we need to know about who is winning.

Kedar

The outcome of the battle against Arabia is confirmed in the discussion on Kedar in the final verses of the chapter. Here we learn that within a year, Kedar will be defeated. Their army would be diminished and their glory would be taken.

As mentioned above, Kedar was a son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13-15). Kedar is mentioned many times in scripture, and the people of Kedar are often used to depict the whole of Arabia. Whether they made up the majority of the Arabians at the time or whether they were just the loudest or most recognizable tribe is speculation.[2]

Defeating an Army

God knew that Kedar, a city in Arabia, needed to be struck down, and His way of maintaining that was to drastically reduce their army. God is a master general and many of the strategies we employ today can be found biblically. For example, one of the major factors in WWII was Germany rebelling against sanctions put on it after WWI. One of those sanctions was a reduction of arms and military. The US had placed similar sanctions of countries it deems unstable or hostile, such as Iraq and North Korea. Ostensibly, the goal of these sanctions is to curtail the military effort and prevent those nations from gaining credibility through show of force, as well as, keep them from attacking weaker nations.

References

1. "Tema". Bible Hub; visited November 2018
2. "Kedar". Bible Hub; visited November 2018
3. "Strong's H1720". Blue Letter Bible; visited November 2018
4. "Commentary on Isaiah 21:13". Bible Hub; visited November 2018
5. "Commentary on Isaiah 21:11". Bible Hub; visited November 2018

2 Chronicles 28: Ahaz

Ahaz takes over the throne from Jotham at the age of 20 and reigns for 16 years.

Introduction

Ahaz takes over the throne from Jotham at the age of 20 and reigns for 16 years. Ahaz is also discusses in 2 Kings 16, the post on this can be found here.
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Ahaz's Reign

Ahaz doesn't follow God's law; instead he follows the ways of the kings of Israel. Not only does Ahaz sacrifice to false gods, he practices the horrible pagan tradition of sacrificing children. This is referred to as passing children through the fire or burning them through the fire. Because of this, God's anger is kindled and Ahaz is punished. When Ahaz dies, he isn't buried with the previous kings.
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Battles

Both Syria and Israel attack Ahaz's kingdom, and because Ahaz has turned his back on God, God allows Judah's enemies to prevail. The kingdom of Judah loses 120,000 men in one day during the battle. The northern Israelites take another 200,000 men, women and children captive.

Obed, a prophet from God stops the northern tribes from enslaving their brethren. The tribes in the north were also sinful, perhaps more sinful than those of Judah, but God still wanted them to abide by the laws set during the Exodus. Fortunately for the men and women of Judah, the people of the northern kingdom heeded the prophet's advice.

With the Edomites and Philistines also warring with Judah, Ahaz sends to Assyria for help—note he doesn't turn to God. Ahaz gives the king of Judah treasures from the Temple, but the king of Assyria doesn't come to their aid. If that wasn't enough, Ahaz then turns further from God and promotes idolatry to the gods of Syria. Naturally, this provokes God's anger.

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 21: Jehoram

The reign of Jehoram of Judah is discussed.

Introduction

Jehoram, also spelled Joram, is one of the kings of Judah that shares his name with a king of Israel. Not only does he share his name with a king of Israel, the two reigned at the same time! Some have speculated that they are actually the same person and that Judah was under the reign of Israel at the time. This theory will be discussed below, in addition to details of Jehoram's reign.
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Who Was Jehoram?

Jehoram takes over the throne of Judah at the age of 32 when his father, Jehoshaphat, dies. Jehoram had several younger brothers, who were given great gifts from Jehoshaphat. The names of his brothers are given as: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. Strangely, Azariah is listed twice, which made me wonder if Jehoshaphat had two sons named Azariah. Although it sounds weird, it's strangely common according to Google searches.^[1] In the original Hebrew text, the name is not quite identical. One "Azariah" contains an extra character; this could change the name or be an indicator between siblings with the same name. Whatever the case, none of Jehoram's brothers were able to enjoy the gifts they inherited from Jehoshaphat. didn't get to enjoy these gifts because Jehoram kills them as soon as he became king.

It goes without saying that Jehoram was not a good king and did not follow God's law. He marries the daughter of Ahab, which scholars believe may have been suggested by his father in attempt to bring the two kingdoms back together.^[2] Instead, the kingdoms remain at odds and Jehoram ends up following the ways of Ahab and turns Judah into idolatry just as Israel had been.

Although God's anger is kindled against Jehoram (and a few other descendants of David) God does not destroy the lineage however, because of his covenant with David. God already knew that He would fulfill His promise to David, Abraham, and even Eve, through Jesus. In Israel God allows dynasties to die, the way Ahab and his descendants did, but God ensures that there is always a descendent of David because it is through this succession that Jesus was to come. Nonetheless, God cuts Jehoram's reign short, allowing up to control Judah for only 8 years.

The Two Jehorams

When Did He Reign?

The timeline surrounding the two Jehoram's is quite confusing. 2 Kings 1:17, 2 Kings 3:1, and 2 Kings 8:16 seem to conflict on when exactly these successions took place.

1 Kings 22:41 tells us that Jehoshaphat (Jehoram of Judah's father) began his reign during the 4th year of Ahab (Jehoram of Israel's father). Ahab reigns for 22 years (1 Kings 16:29), before his son Ahaziah takes the throne. Jehoram of Judah takes the throne after Ahaziah, who reigns for 2 years. Jehoram of Israel takes the throne after Ahaziah. Based on this timeline, it seems that Jehoram of Israel should start his reign roughly during the 20th year of Jehoshaphat. However, we are told that Ahaziah began his reign during Jehoshaphat's 17th year (1 Kings 22:51) and Jehoram during Jehoshaphat's 18th year. This makes sense if you consider that these numbers are probably rounded up; the final year of each king was probably not a complete year. On top of that, we must consider that when defining "the xth year of" a particular king, we may be starting from the beginning of the year or the point of coronation. Taking this into consideration, 2 Kings 3:1 makes sense.^[3]

However, 2 Kings 1:17 tells us that Jehoram of Israel took the throne during Jehoram of Judah's 2nd year. Many people initially believe this to be a contradiction, before considering co-regency. Co-regency often occurred as kings planned to pass the kingdom on to a particular son. If we consider a co-regency, then this verse goes from being a contradiction to a basket of new information. If a co-regency existed between Jehoshaphat and Jehoram of Judah, it would make sense that Jehoshaphat's 18th year was the same as Jehoram's 2nd year.^[3]

What about 2 Kings 8:16, though? This verse tells us that Jehoram of Israel had already been reigning for 5 years when Jehoram of Judah began his reign. How is that possible if Jehoram of Israel started his reign during Jehoram of Judah's 2nd year? Perhaps what is meant is that Jehoram of Judah began his independent reign 5 years in to Jehoram of Israel's reign. Depending on the time of year each event occurred, this would mean Jehoram of Judah took over for Jehoshaphat after Jehoshaphat had ruled 23 to 24 years. This doesn't quite line up with the 25 years Jehoshaphat reigned, though does it? Actually, it does. 2 Kings 8:16 tells us that Jehoshaphat was still king. During his last year as king, he likely handed over the reigns to his son and gave him the primary role as king.^[3]
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Where There 2 Jehorams?

With all the confusion surrounding the timeline of the Jehorams, it's not surprising that people began making up conspiracy theories. There are some who believe there was only one Jehoram and that Judah was briefly conquered by Israel. There isn't anything to back up this claim. It is not unusal for people to have the same name, in fact many people in the Bible have the same name. Further, the marriage between Ahab's line and David's could have played a role in this if they were named after someone.^[4]

Battles & Wars

Although God didn't wipe out Jehoram and his entire family, He did punish Jehoram for his sinfulness. God allows the Edomites to rebel. Prior to these events, the Edomites had been under the dominion of Judah, but now they had appointed their own king. Essentially Edom was declaring itself independent. Following Edom's lead, a place called Libnah also revolted. Jehoram sends armies to bring these nations back under his control, however, neither nation caves to Jehoram's demands. With God out of the picture—due to Jehoram's poor relationship with God—Judah was like a sitting duck and unable to take on a real army.
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Idolatry & More Warring

Jehoram also makes altars outside of the Temple; whether these were pagan or for God, were forbidden. This caused the Israelites of Judah to drift further from God. The prophet Elijah sends him a letter explaining God's disappointment for these actions as well as outlining the punishment God would give Jehoram. This possibly the only king of Judah that was contacted by Elijah, the great prophet of Israel.

God enacts vengeance through a great plague, which was a sickness of the bowels. God also stirred up the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians near Ethiopia to battle with Judah. These nations raided the house of the king, stealing not only valuables but Jehoram's wives and children. The only person left is Jehoahaz, Jehoram's youngest son, who would go on to continue the lineage.
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Death and Illness

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Jon Butterworth

Following such failure and lost, God strikes Jehoram with the incurable disease of the bowels prophesied by Elijah. After 2 years of suffering, Jehoram dies. Because of his shame, the people buried him with David's descendants but not with the other kings.
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References

1. "Google Search: Sibling with the Same Name"; visited March 2017
2. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 761-763. 2014
3. "2 Chronicles 21 Commentary". Bible Hub; visited March 2017
4. Dick Harfield. "Who began his reign first: Jehoram of Israel, or Jehoram of Judah?". Stack Exchange. October 2013

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