Isaiah 14: Satan's Origin Story?

In this post we'll continue to look at the fall of Babylon, and we'll also look at the passage that many site as the origin story for Satan.

Introduction

Isaiah 14 continues Isaiah's prophecy about the fall of Babylon that was started in Isaiah 13. It also contains the segment that leads majority of the Christian world to believe Satan's name is Lucifer. The chapter concludes with a brief prophecy about the fall of the Philistines.

The most involved part of this section is definitely the passage concerning Lucifer. There are actually quite a few perspectives concerning the passage: some believe Lucifer is a name, other believe it is a title; some believe it refers to the earthly king of Babylon, other believe it refers to Satan. You can find various articles discussing these points of view online, if you want more details than what I provide below.

The Return Home

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Dan Grinwis

Isaiah prophesies that when the Medes take over Babylon, Israel will be allowed to return home (and they were, by Cyrus' decree). When they returned home, non-Israelites would accompany them, just as it was when they left Egypt. Some of these people would be the same Babylonians who had previously been their captors; now Israel would be the master and Babylon the servant.

Before we move on, however, I want to make an important point about servants or slaves. We all know that the words translated to servant in the Bible could also be translated as slave. What most people don't know is how servitude and slavery in Biblical time was different (and the same) as modern slavery. As an American, specifically as a black person in the U.S., "slave" and "slavery" is defined, by default, as the transatlantic slave trade and the chattel slavery that occurred in the U.S. In this form of slavery, people were bought and sold as property; families were separated without thought and slaves really weren't looked at as human. A major difference in American slavery was that slave status wasn't based on being too poor to care for yourself (remember government assistance, soup kitchens, thrift stores, etc. did not exist until recently) or having lost a war, but solely on the color of a person's skin.

Is this the type of slavery God was dooming the Babylonians to? People often read passages like Isaiah 14:2 and bemoan the fact that God accepted and allowed slavery. The problem is, you have to set aside modern connotations and put each verse in context with all the other verses. When Isaiah penned this verse, it was on top of everything Moses had already written—Moses' writings were the law for Israel and had been created either by or with the assistance of God. There are two important things about Moses' (and many after Moses) writings that clue us in to how God viewed slavery: attention to the poor and the commandment to remember they (the Israelites) were slaves in Egypt. Too many passages to name are in favor of protecting the poor, the orphans, and the widowed. These are the people who would have become slaves. Exodus 22:21 tells the Israelites not to vex or mistreat strangers in their land and compels them to remember how they were treated in Egypt. These laws were to be remembered when Israel began taking Babylonians as servants or slaves. The type of horrific treatment of people we associate with slavery was not condoned by God. Does that mean the Israelites were better masters than the rest of the world? Probably not; they weren't known for actually following God's word. However, it does say something about how God intended for us to behave.

A Reprieve

God promised to give the Israelites rest; a reprieve from the sorrow that came with bondage. God's creation week is a reminder to us that rest will always come. He knew that we would tire and need time for resting, whether it is from work or a situation. Sometimes we are pushed to the limits, beyond what we'd like or what we think we can handle, but God knows that we need rest, and when we absolutely need this rest, He will always provide it.

Celebration

God gives Israel a proverb to chant in the wake of their victory. It appears to be a song expressing the magnificent defeat of such a powerful kingdom. The proverb contains a reminder that though the king was powerful and rich, when he died, he died like everyone else—possibly worse since worms (maggots, maybe?) would be on his dead body.

Also, the statement that the Earth was at rest and elements of it, such as the trees, rejoiced is a powerful reminder of how the Earth suffers when we engage in war.

Lucifer

Isaiah 14:12 begins the part of the chapter in which God is speaking to someone known as Lucifer. There are two main, but opposing, schools of thought on the passage. The common belief is that the person being spoken to is Satan. However, some people believe this passage is talking about the human king who was disgraced. In either case, people debate whether Lucifer is actually a name, title, or description.

Who is Lucifer?

Meaning of the Word

Lucifer actually means "light bearer" or "light bringer." It stems from the Latin root for light—luce or lux. The original Hebrew word is helel, which likely is derived from a Hebrew word meaning to shine or radiate. It is also possible that helel means "day star" or "morning star."[5][6] Despite the common perception that Lucifer is a proper name, both words are more like titles, and the context of the passage supports that usage. So, while we've turned it into a name, Lucifer probably isn't the devil's name. Given the belief that it is, and the association, it's obviously not a popular name.[2][3][4] As of 2016, 91 babies in the United States had been named Lucifer since 1980.[1]

Is Lucifer Satan?

Photocredit: Unspalsh.com/Pro Church Media

Let's talk about whether Lucifer is or isn't Satan. Most people agree that it is, but some believe God is talking to the king of Babylon, given the context of the passage. So, which is it?

First, I want to point out two other examples of God speaking to an earthly human, but really speaking to Satan. In Matthew 16:23, Mark 8:33, and Luke 4:8, Jesus is talking to Peter, but He addresses Satan, because it was Satan who placed such a thought in Peter's mind. In Ezekiel 28, a similar revelation about Satan's past is addressed when God is addressing the king of Tyre. We know God can't be talking to the literal king of Tyre after a certain point in the passage because He places the person in the garden of Eden and refers to them as an anointed cherub. In both of these cases, God is speaking past the physical human and to the entity (Satan) that is controlling the human like a puppet.

Second, let's address the issue of lucifer being a title rather than a name. Just because it isn't a name, doesn't mean it isn't in reference to Satan. Similarly, God is not God's name, it's a title. Because most of us in the U.S. are Christian, when we see God with a capital g, we assume the God of Abraham, but "god" is a generic title that people from various cultures and religions apply to any deity (real or not). God's name is actually YHWH, but we rarely use this; instead we refer to Him as God, Lord, and Father. To me it actually makes the most sense that in light of his behavior, Satan's name is never revealed, since that would only increase his fame.

Third, I think the address God makes applies to both Satan and the king of Babylon. The reason I say this is because the king has succumbed to Satan's madness. Babylon's king probably did think he could do all of things listed in the passage (we'll get to those in just a few), and probably denied God the way many leaders, entertainers, businessmen, and scholars of today do. However, the reason he believed this was because of Satan whispering in his ear. The king's situation is not so different from Eve's; Satan put the idea in the human's mind, but the human acted on the idea. Just as God addresses both Eve and Satan in Genesis 3, in Isaiah 14, God is addressing both Satan and the king.

Light & the Morning Star

This passage tightly couples "lucifer" and light, which causes much confusion considering Jesus is also highly associated with light (John 8:12). As mentioned earlier, the title, plus the reference to the son of the morning, essentially refers to this person or entity as the morning star. Yet, in Revelation 22:16, Jesus says He is the morning star. It's a bit confusing that so many of Jesus' attributes or titles have been applied to whomever is being spoken to, whether it is the literal king or Satan.

Do not forget that Satan specializes in confusion; he wants you to be unable to recognize him, so he's taken great pains to confuse your perception of him so that God's Word can be manipulated to confuse you more. People often think of him as being the opposite of God, since he is in opposition to God, but Satan's goal is to be like God. 2 Corinthians 11:14 tells us that even as a fallen angel, Satan can transform himself into an angel of light, proving that the verse in Isaiah 14 is justified in associating the devil with light. Furthermore, when we are in submission to God, we are supposed to emulate His light. As one of God's created beings, Satan would have done this all the time before his fall.

The Fall of an Angel

God doesn't rebuke people without cause, and so far every example I've seen in the Bible, He tells us why He's rebuking the person. Throwing people in jail without reason, punishing them without informing citizens why, and other similar behaviors are telltale signs of a corrupt system. God doesn't operate that way; instead He lays it all out on the table for us to see. This way, we know that God is a just God and we learn from others' mistakes.

Satan and the king's crimes are listed as being boastful and exalting himself to the throne of God. Truthfully, this is possibly the most important passage in the Bible to read concerning our enemy, because it tells us exactly what he is attempting. All of Satan's temptations lead back to this very concept. His goal is to undermine God's authority so that it is him we are bowing to instead of God. The very first record of Satan speaking to a human (Eve in Genesis 3), this is essentially the same thought process he puts in her head. By convincing her that she could be like God if she ate the fruit, Satan became her leader because it was his ideology she chose to follow. Satan does the same when he tempts Jesus; in fact, Satan explicitly asks Jesus to bow down to him (Matthew 4:11). Another example of this mentality is that of the people in Babel; they thought they could make themselves more powerful than God, as well (which was probably inspired by the devil).

Something to really take into account when reading the charges against Satan is the usage of I. Over the course of 2 verses, the word I is used 5 times. Satan is extremely self focused. When our speech begins to imitate this pattern and everything starts with I, we should stop to re-evaluate who we're serving.

Aftermath of the Fall

Satan may get most of the world on his side, and kings like the king of Babylon may wreak havoc on the world in their conquest for power and wealth, but in the end, these people will not prosper. In the New Testament, Jesus tells us that people who seek to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life will save it. It seems just as likely that those who seek power and riches on earth will lose them, while those who build their treasures in Heaven will reap their reward. Satan and the king will not be able to keep anything they achieve. God says the fall of the king will be so great that everyone will marvel at how someone so powerful could be brought so low.

The Coup of Babylon

Sometimes when there's a coup, the country survives, but in most cases there's either a collapse of the government or a serious loss of power. The same is true with the fall of Babylon. The collapse of Babylon, though described as a thorough punishment ridding the region of any and all who participated in their evildoings, was actually a fantastic event for the nations that had been taken captive. These nations were now free to rebuild their homelands. It was only after Cyrus conquered Babylon that the Israelites were permitted to return to Jerusalem and begin reconstructing the Temple, after all. The same will be true of spiritual Babylon. The pains of God's wrath that pour out on the earth during those final days will be tremendous, but after spiritual Babylon is defeated and Jesus is seated on the throne, we will finally be able to return to our perfect paradise.

Another thing that's typical of a coup is killing anyone that could pose a threat to the newly established throne. Since leadership was passed on by blood, descendants of the royal family could always stake their claim to the throne. Since this claim would be valid, it was always possible that they could rally men behind them, regroup, and become a threat to the newly established power. To avoid this, usually the entire lineage was killed. The Israelites fell victim to this when Athaliah takes the throne of Judah upon the death of her husband, she attempted to have everyone with a claim to the throne killed (2 Kings 11). A more recent example would be the murder of the entire Romanov royal family in Russia, when the Bolsheviks overthrew Tsar Nicholas II.[7] Isaiah 14:21 prophecies that this action would be taken upon the king of Babylon.

We can also find a second, spiritual meaning in Isaiah 14:21. Just as we are children of God, those who follow and worship Satan will be like children of Satan when the final judgement comes, in that they will share the fate of Satan. All of those who worshipped the beast and took his mark, as well as those who rejected Christ—basically anyone who would have claim to Satan's "throne"—will be eliminated to avoid another war in Heaven.

Rejected From the Grave

Isaiah 14:19-20 is quite interesting because it talks about the king of Babylon being cast out of the grave. Upon reading that, I was quite confused. It seemed unlikely that the grave would reject a human, and honestly sounded zombie/vampire-ish. After looking at a few commentaries and digging deeper into the passage, I realized this is more about honorable burials than literally being rejected from the grave.[8] To put this in perspective, think of ancient Egypt. The kings were given extravagant pyramids upon their deaths and while these tombs had religious significance for them, they were also lasting markers of their reign—they're still there to this day. The king of Babylon would not be celebrated when he died.

The same can be said of the antichrist and spiritual Babylon. When God renders judgement at the end of the world. All traces of sin and evil will be removed from the universe and the world will be restored to it's perfect state. Despite all the effort Satan will have put in to destroy things, his work will be completely erased.

God's Will Will Stand

If God speaks something, it is true. If God says something will happen, it will happen. In this particular passage, God is speaking a pronouncement on Babylon and Assyria (later in the chapter He mentions Palestine, as well). While this particular example is rife with bad news for God's enemies, we have to remember that all the great news He's proclaimed for His people is just as true and just as concrete. We will have enteral life, we will be blessed, and we will have a more abundant life.

Palestine

I don't know why the person who split the books into chapters decided to put the breaks where they did, but it seems to me the end of Isaiah 14 should have been verse 27 and Isaiah 14:28 would actually start the new chapter. Here, Isaiah begins a new vision that he was given in the same year that king Ahaz died. This new vision was for the people of Palestina.

Palestina would be the region we call Palestine today. The people God was referencing were likely the Philistines who lived there at the time. Surprisingly, the Palestinians of today probably aren't related to the Philistines; it's supposed that they simply inherited the name by living in the region. In fact, at one point, Jews were known as Palestinians.[9] This also explains why Isaiah is prophesying that they will be wiped out. In the end, God would set His judgement on them through famine and extinction of their culture.

Something interesting about this passage is that the serpent begets another serpent. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles make it clear that our words and actions are our fruit; these fruit identify whom we're serving. Evil can only produce more evil and the fruits of evil are evil.

Fulfillment of the prophecy may be seen in 2 Kings 18:8, when Ahaz's son Hezekiah defeats the Philistines.

References

1. "Lucifer". Names.org; visited July 2018
2. Mike Campbell. "Lucifer". Behind the Name; visited July 2018
3. "Lucifer meaning". Abarim Publications. September, 10, 2014
4. Douglas Harper. "Lucifer". Online Etymology Dictionary; visited July 2018
5. "“Lucifer” or “Day Star” in Isaiah 14:12?". KJV Today; visited July 2018
6. "Why are both Jesus and Satan referred to as the morning star?". GotQuestions.org; visited July 2018
7. "Execution of the Romanov family". Wikipedia; visited July 2018
8. "Isaiah 14:19 Commentary". Bible Hub; visited July 2018
9. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. "Israel: Origins of the Name “Palestine”". Jewish Virtual Library; visited July 2018

Isaiah 9: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

Many of us read chapter by chapter, but this is one of those times you want to rewind a bit before you jump into the chapter. Isaiah 9 is a continuation of Isaiah 8, followed by Messianic prophecy and words of condemnation for Israel.

Introduction

I'm not sure why whomever split the books into chapters and verses chose this place to break Isaiah 8 into Isaiah 9, because Isaiah 9:1 is a direct continuation of Isaiah 8:22. Isaiah goes on to explain and describe the dimness (or darkness) that comes upon Israel. Darkness always represents spiritual deprivation and turning away from God. God is light, so as long as we look toward Him we can never be in darkness.

The chapter goes on to give us a bit of prophecy, specifically Messianic prophecy, and some harsh words for Israel, that still apply to us today.

Darkness and Light

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Kristine Weilert

Isaiah 9 starts off talking about the darkness set to come over Israel, but promises that it won't be as bad as the one in the northern kingdom. Remember that God is light, so darkness must mean the absence of God. It is not a literal darkness. Knowing this makes me wonder about end times passages on the darkening of the Sun, moon, and stars—is this just a symbolic way of saying that God's presence will be missing from the world? We'll look into those verses when we get there, but I wanted to point out the importance of connecting scripture to scripture.

No Joy?

The next couple verses are not as straight forward. God says that even though they have increased in multitude and built the nation, they haven't increased in joy. Or have they? This is one of those passages that greatly differs between translations. Isaiah 9:3 KJV says the opposite of Isaiah 9:3 ESV.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.Isaiah 9:3 KJV

You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.Isaiah 9:3 ESV

Translations

I think I've talked about how the Bible was translated before—one day I'll add a post specifically on this topic—but let's revisit the topic for a moment. Translations are generated using one of two methods: word for word or thought for thought. Although word for word tends to read more harshly and is can be difficult to understand due to the nuances of language, thought for thought requires more of the translator interjecting their interpretation. The KJV and ESV are both considered word for word translations, while the NIV is considered a thought for thought translation. At the complete opposite end of the spectrum are translations like The Message, in which everything is basically paraphrased.[2] So why does the ESV still differ from the KJV in meaning here?

This particular difference is about how the translators decided to handle a note in the margins of the "original" manuscript, known as the Masoretic Text (I say "original" because the Bible was continually copied by the scribes to be preserved, so the Masoretic Text is really a copy of the original).[3] The KJV follows what is written directly in the text, while most other translations follow the note in the margins.

Meaning

What you get from this verse depends on which translation you trust. Both can actually make sense, which is probably why scholars can't figure out which is more accurate.

KJV

In the KJV, the understanding hinges on who the people in Isaiah 9:2 are and who the nation in Isaiah 9:3 is. When I first read the passage I assumed the people and the nation were the people of Israel. In that case, the translation doesn't actually make sense; why isn't there joy? However, if we go to Matthew 4:12-17 we see the fulfillment of this prophecy. Jesus is the light given to the people and the people are the Jews. At this time, Israel was occupied and oppressed by Rome. Scholars who favor the KJV translation argue that the nation that is increased is Rome, who is oppressing Israel, which is why they (the people) do not have joy.[3]

Other Translations

If you believe the nation mentioned in Isaiah 3 is still referring to Israel, you'd be more inclined to go with the other translations that proclaim increased joy. This fits the prophecy and timing of Matthew 4 if you consider that Jesus began a message to expand God's nation beyond the Jews to the Gentiles. Thus, His nation did increase. Due to the heavy persecution that followed, I'm not sure how we reconcile the idea that joy increased, unless this is meant for the time after the kingdom comes (Matthew 4:17).

Who is the Oppressor?

Isaiah 9:4-5 talks about about the defeat of an oppressor, which I found interesting. It could reference a literal nation, like Babylon or Rome. However, given the fulfillment of the prophecy in Matthew 4, I'm inclined to think it references the devil. Jesus released us from the yoke of slavery (burden) and defeated Satan (the oppressor). Further, He paid the price with blood just as the verse says. Ultimately that battle ends in fire, also as stated in the passage.

I think it's also important to point out that the battle Isaiah is pointing us back to is in Judges 6 and 7. Gideon defeats the powerful Midian army by the grace of God, because Israel was sorely outnumbered. Similarly, we can not win the battle against sin on our own; it is only through Jesus' sacrifice that we are able to overcome.

A Messianic Prophecy

As I said earlier, Isaiah provides us with quite of few Messianic prophecies—one reason why I'm taking my time with these chapters. Isaiah 9:6-7 provide us with a few pieces of information of the promised Messiah.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.Isaiah 9:6 KJV

The table below summarizes the prophecies given by Isaiah and show their fulfillment in Jesus. Disclaimer: some versions of the text place a comma between Wonderful and Counselor identifying them as distinct names, while other translations do not have a comma, implying one name. The original text would not have had commas at all, thus it is difficult to say which translation is correct. In the table, I separated them.

Prophecy	Fulfillment
Male child, born to the Israelites	Matthew 1; Luke 2
Government on His shoulders	Luke 1:31-33; Hebrews 7; Hebrews 8:1; Ephesians 1:20-23; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28
Called Wonderful	Matthew 21:15
Called Counselor	James 1:5; Hebrews 4:15–16 (Jesus knows all and understands our struggles, making Him a wonderful counselor)
Called Mighty God	Luke 9:43
Called Everlasting Father	John 14
Called Prince of Peace	John 14:27; Ephesians 2:13-14; 1 Timothy 6:14-16; Revelation 19 (There will be only peace after Jesus conquers Satan once and for all)
Descendant of David	Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 1:31-33; Luke 3:23-28

Random information: Fred Hammond placed these verses in the chorus of his song "His Name is Jesus." (I love songs that are basically just scripture set to music)

Related (External) Posts

• "What does it mean that Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)?"
• "What does it mean that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)?"
• "What is the meaning of “Everlasting Father” in Isaiah 9:6?"
• "Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" — Note: this person relates the passage to Christmas, which as I've covered on my blog, has more to do with secular worship that Jesus' birth. Nonetheless, I agree with their point that if you are going to celebrate Christmas as Jesus' birthday, you should consider this passage to remember Who He is and where He came from.
• "When and Where Does Christ Sit Upon the Throne of David?"

A Message for Israel

God prefaces the next passage as a message for all of Israel, both the northern (Samaria) and southern (Judah) kingdoms.

Why is God Angry?

Obviously, God is angry with Israel. Unlike some of us, God is a master at communicating His feelings. He doesn't act without cause or become enraged without explanation. Isaiah 9:13 and 16 tell us exactly why God is upset with Israel. The people have turned away from God and the leaders are corrupt, leading the people into sin. How can you have a righteous people with unrighteous leaders? I remind myself of this every time I see an unruly child in a store; the child doesn't know any better because their parents haven't taught them better.

This message is especially important to us today. When you see what happens within the church, you can't be surprised that people are turning their backs on God. From allegations of sexual abuse, to evangelicals supporting various politicians who endorse sexual assault, racism, and classism. We even have several denominations endorsing behaviors that are identified as sins. With all this confusion, how is the average person supposed to know who God is or what He stands for? If you've never been taught properly, it's easy to turn away from God without even knowing you're doing so.

Hypocrites

God doesn't just condemn the behavior, He calls them hypocrites. To be a hypocrite, they must have been judging others and holding others to standards they couldn't keep themselves. This sounds a lot like the Pharisees, and the Pharisees sound a lot like us today.

In the past month, there was a incident where a friend of mine said something that could be taken two different ways—one, the way she actually meant it and two, in a suggestive manner. A mutual friend continued the statement with something equally ambiguous but led the group of us to think on the second meaning. Because the conversation happened at a church event, there was a discussion about how it should have been handled. While some people were adamant that the mutual friend should be reprimanded, many of us realized that it would be hypocritical of us to condemn that person without taking blame as well. We all thought on the same page; we were no better or worse than the person who stirred the pot.

It takes a lot of maturity, both spiritually and in general, to see the wrong we've committed. It's easy to point fingers at other people; in fact, sometimes we point fingers to make ourselves feel better about our own sins. It's important to be aware of this flaw we all have. When I find myself praying for others because I think they're caught in sin, I take the time to pray for myself as well, because I'm probably in sin too. With each prayer, I ask God to show me my own faults and as I see my own faults, I become less critical of others.

Replenishing

Have you ever heard fire makes a field grow better? Well, I grew up on a farm and we often burned the field to yield better grass for the cattle.[7] When you read God's plans for Israel, it sounds very similar.

First God mentions that brick would be thrown down and hewn stone will replace it. Then, He states that sycamores will fall, but cedars will replace them. I think it's pretty evident God is saying whatever is built to replace destruction will be stronger, but I couldn't help feel that there was more to it. Probably because the Bible constantly talks about "the corner stone." From Job (Job 38:6) to Psalms (Psalm 118:22), even later in Isaiah (Isaiah 28:16), and all the way into the New Testament (Mark 12:10, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:6-7), we see references to the corner stone. That corner stone is Jesus.

Brick vs. Stone

This leads me to question the spiritual significance of the hewn stones versus the brick it replaces. I looked up references to brick in the Bible and they all seem connected to sin and oppression. In Genesis 11:3, the people are using brick to build the Tower of Babel. Exodus 1:14 and Exodus 5, talk about the Israelites being forced to make brick while enslaved in Egypt.

On the other hand in Genesis 28:11-22 Jacob uses stones for a pillow (comfort) and an altar (worship). There are other places in Genesis where stone is used for a monument or pillar marking something God has done. Further, in Exodus 4:25, Zipporah uses a stone to circumcise her and Moses' son to be in accordance with the covenant and pacify God's anger. In Exodus 20:25, God requests an altar of stone. There are, of course, countless references to stoning. It seems that stones are used in conjunction with righteousness and dispelling sin.

Sycamore vs. Cedar

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Grant Lemons
Even in winter, the cedar stays green

Next, God says the sycamores would fall but they would be replaced with cedars. Cedars were clearly more valuable to God because in Leviticus 14, we find the Israelites using cedars to construct the Temple. Let's think about the differences between the two trees for a moment. Sycamore trees are deciduous and have a typical "tree shape" (a trunk at the bottom with the leaves and branches up top). Cedars on the other hand are evergreens and the branches/leaves cover the entirety of the base (unless a human trims the bottom branches).

Spiritually, we want to be like the cedar. Think about the armor of God spoken of in the New Testament. Do you want it just protecting your torso up, or your whole body? Think about the fruits of the Spirit. So you want to bear them only during the Spring and Summer, or do you want to bring forth these fruits all the time? God's message in replacing the sycamore with the cedar was that He would eliminate the wishy-washy nation of believers and replace it with a nation of strong, unchanging believers.

Syria and Palestine

The coming destruction seems to be led by Syria and the Philistines. Remember that Syria and the Philistines were pagan nations. The only time pagan nations were able to defeat God's people is when they went into battle without God. This is a powerful message because it holds today. When we walk with God, we are protected, but the moment we turn our back on Him, the enemy's armies will swarm us from every direction and we will lose.

Head and Tail

¹⁴Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.
¹⁵The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
Isaiah 9:14-15 KJV

I often hear people quote Deuteronomy 28:13 to speak on prosperity and success—of course, they often leave out the latter portion of the verse about following the commandments. When you get to Isaiah 9:14-15, it becomes a little more obvious why the latter part of Deuteronomy 28:13 is important.

Throughout the Bible, there are references to "the head" and "the tail" (see Revelation 9:19; Revelation 12:4; Ephesians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 11:3). It's easy for us to make the connection that "head" refers to a position of power or elevated status, therefore "tail" must refer to a lower station. What we often miss is the spiritual significance of the phrase. Isaiah 9:15 makes it glaringly obvious that it isn't just about prosperity or success, but about who's side you're fighting on.

Tail

In Revelation 9, an army of horsemen is sent out to kill a third of mankind; Revelation 9:19 not only tells us that their power is in their tail, but the tail is likened to a serpent. Later, in Revelation 12:4, we see the dragon (Satan) use his tail to cast down one third of the stars (angels) to Earth.[1] Just as Isaiah 9:15 tells us that the tail is associated with a false prophet, Revelation links the tail with the devil and rebellious activity. It's important to make this connection, because while we know that rebellion against God will eventually be punished, that's not to say these people won't appear to be living prosperous lives. A quick glance at the history of the world will make it look like the devil is winning, too, but in truth, he's being backed into a corner to face his ultimate demise. The same is true of false prophets and those living in rebellion against God.

Head

If the tail represents the devil, you probably already guessed Christ to be the head. Ephesians 4:15 and 1 Corinthians 11:3 explicitly tell us that Christ is the head. The head represents allegiance to God, hence the clause in Deuteronomy 28:13 about obeying the commandments. Our decision to follow God probably won't look like being "the head" in the worldly sense—wealth, fame, power, etc. Instead, we should remember that many of our rewards come after judgement day.

Separating

Now that we know what the head and tail represent, let's talk about the significance of God cutting both off from Israel.

My initial thought was that eventually there has to be a divide. At some point in time, people will have to make an absolute choice between God and the world. As societal norms become increasingly more sinful, it becomes increasingly harder to live in our society. You can't just go along with the flow or participate in these behaviors! Naturally, the head and tail must be severed from each other for each to continue in it's own way.

However, in this verse the severing isn't between the two opposing sides—Israel seems to be cut off from both. If we continue the to the next verse and pull in verses like Revelation 12:3, we can understand more clearly. Isaiah 9:16 tells us that the leaders ("the head") of the people were corrupt and leading them astray. Revelation 12:3 shows us that the beast (antichrist) has multiple heads. This is relevant for two reasons. First, the devil is trying to replace the true head (Christ) with himself. Second, the reason there are so many heads and horns is because there are many powers acting as head. You see God is one; there is no disagreement between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Likewise, when we submit to His will, there is only one head. However, the devil is about confusion, and when we chose his ways instead of God's, we typically try to do our own thing. "Do what thou wilt" is in fact a satanic motto. We see the struggle between different powers in our world all the time. Whether the pastor is striving with deacons, or whether two countries are striving with each other, there cannot be multiple heads without conflict.

This is why God has to separate Israel from both the head and the tail. Their head wasn't Christ; it was toxic and not the head He established. Meanwhile the devil (the tail) was tempting them into sin. For Israel to find their way back to God and the true head, both influences needed to be removed.

Cannibalism?

What's worse than a cannibal? Someone who eats their own flesh! That seems to be what Isaiah 9:19 is suggesting the Israelites will become.

Although some cultures are said to have practiced cannibalism as though it were normal, the practice is mostly associated with witchcraft and desperation.[4] In fact, God foretells of Israel becoming so desperate in battle that they would resort to cannibalism in Jeremiah 19:9.

More recently, cannibalism was a problem on the Eastern Front of World War II. The battle of Leningrad and Japanese war crimes are two documented instances of cannibalism occurring.[5][6] Looking at these cases it becomes obvious that cannibalism can only occur when people are acting in rebellion to God

Much like the battle foretold in Jeremiah 19 (see also 2 Kings 6:28-29 and Deuteronomy 28:53), the battle of Leningrad forced citizens into starvation. Residents of the city had to decide if they would allow themselves to starve or if they would survive by any means necessary. Human nature doesn't lean toward suicide, so unless you're suffering from depression, you'll do all that you can to survive. That means eating whatever you can get your hands on to keep from starving. What makes this tragic isn't the desire to survive, but the fact that we place people in this predicament. Is it not a war crime to starve out a city of civilians? Can you imagine Jesus having a dispute with the Pharisees, cornering them, and cutting them off from their food supply for over 2 years? Of course not, because that type of behavior is not of God!

The Japanese, on the other hand, weren't always starving when they committed cannibalism. Instead, it was some sort of victory, team-building ritual among troops. I don't have to explain why that's evil and not of God, do I?

In Isaiah, I don't think God is speaking of literally eating one's on flesh, but evoking the nature and desperation of cannibalism, maybe turned up a notch. In this case I think the underlying issue is tied to greed (during war, the issue was power). Isaiah tells us that people are so busy taking from their left and right, they end up taking from themselves. Whether you are harming others or literally stealing from them, you eventually do harm to yourself, which is why Isaiah likens this to eating your own flesh. All these cases stem from coveting, which is condemned in the 10 commandments—coveting land, power, wealth, etc. Isaiah 9:20 is a warning to us not let ourselves fall victim to this behavior.

Ephraim and Manasseh

Isaiah 9:21 mentions Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, whom Jacob blessed. They are 2 of the 12 Tribes of Israel and became part of the northern kingdom. In Judges 11-12, Ephraim starts a civil war in the northern kingdom because they felt slighted being left out of a battle. Isaiah is telling us that they would rejoin the northern kingdoms, specifically Manasseh, against the southern kingdom of Judah.

We could dwell on the significance of those tribes, but I want to talk about the implications of passage instead. The beautiful thing about referring to nations and tribes by these names is that we can easily trace them back to their progenitor. In this case, we see two brothers (Ephraim and Manasseh) are coming together to fight or destroy their third brother (Judah). This has implications in our home life as well as our spiritual life.

Often, it is family that we strive with the most. Whether we are envious of siblings (this goes all the way back to Cain and Abel), or simply don't get along, there is usually tension between siblings and it can lead to dire consequences. Spiritually, everyone in the Body of Christ is our brother or sister. Have you ever noticed that many of the church's problems come from in house? Discord is sown between members and before you know it this family is allied with these families against another family. That's not what God wanted for His people. We have to be careful not to let the devil divide and conquer within the Body of Christ.

Anger and Compassion

Isaiah finishes the chapter with a word of hope. In all of this, God's hand is still stretched out. This means Israel always has the chance to repent and turn back to God. In the New Testament, Jesus tell us to forgive people 70 times 7 times—that's 490 times! That's a lot of forgiveness don't you think? Well, it may be hard for us to fathom, but God exemplifies all that He commands of us. Throughout His warning to Israel, there is a continual reminder that His hand is still outstretched. This means Israel is free to repent and turn back to Him at any time during their punishment. Just like your parents don't stop loving you because they have to punish you, God doesn't stop loving us either. He wants us to come back. So know, no matter what you've done in the past, God's hand is still stretched out, waiting for you to grab it and return to Him.

References

1. "Did one third of the angels fall with Lucifer?". GotQuestions.org; visited April 2018
2. "Bible Translation Guide". Mardel Christian Bookstores; visited May 2018
3. ""Not increased the joy" or "Increased the joy" in Isaiah 9:3?". KJV Today; visited May 2018
4. "Cannibalism". Encyclopædia Britannica. February 9, 2018
5. Terry McCarthy. "Japanese troops 'ate flesh of enemies and civilians'". Independent. August 11, 1992
6. Volker Wagener. "Leningrad: The city that refused to starve in WWII". Deutsche Welle. August 9, 2016
7. Jacobe Grace. "Why Do Farmers Burn Their Fields?". Harvest Public Media. April 21, 2015

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

1 Chronicles 18-21: David's Military

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

Introduction

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

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/JJ Jordan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 Chronicles 11&12, 14: David Becomes King

1 Chronicles' treatment of David after his anointing through his crowning as king of Israel.

Introduction

Chapters 11, 12, and 14 give a more in depth look at David's leadership.
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David is Anointed

The beginning of chapter 11 tells us about the anointing of David. This information is also given in 1 Samuel 16. David was anointed king well before he actually took the throne.
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Valiant Men

Several verses in 1 Chronicles 11 discuss David's "30 valiant men," but if you count the number of men listed, you will note that there are more than 30. Some of the names mentioned, such as Uriah who is killed by David to hide his sin with Bathsheba, definitely died before David. Likely, when these men died, another man was appointed to take each man's place. David probably kept the group at 30, which is why they're always referred to as the 30 valiant men.
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David Hides from Saul

Tribe	Men Sent
Asher	40,000
Benjamin	3,000
Dan	28,600
Ephraim	20,800
Issachar	200
Judah	6,800
Levi	4,600
Manasseh	18,000
Naphtali	38,000
Simeon	7,100
Zebulun	50,000

Chapter 12 covers David's time in hiding from Saul. If you remember from 1 Samuel 30, David hid in Ziklag. We are given a list of the men who followed him, which includes details on which tribes had men come to join him (Gad and Manasseh). 217,100 men join David! With such an army, the Philistines feared that having David among them was dangerous because he might turn back to Saul and come against them. This is the end of the loose treaty that bound David and the Philistines.
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David's Many Wives

David takes many wives, something that was likely not encouraged by God. While the Bible doesn't condemn multiple wives, it definitely forbade kings from taking "too many" wives (see Deuteronomy 17:15-17). From a modern view point we would likely think anything more than 1 is too many, and if we compare David to his son Solomon, David doesn't seem like he has many wives anymore. However, compared to other Godly men such as Moses, Abraham, and Jacob, he still has too many wives. Moses only had 1 wife—2 if you are part of the camp that believe Zipporah and the Ethiopian woman were two different women. Abraham had a total of 3, but his third wife was likely taken after Sarah, his first wife, died. Jacob topped these men with 4 wives, but we see he only intended to have 1 wife. So how did David get away with so many?

My History of the Old Testament professor once asked us why God was OK with some people breaking the rules and I think David is perfect example to talk about this question. God doesn't explicitly condemn David for marrying lots of women, neither do we see Him explicitly condemn Solomon for the same. However, it is the love of women that gets both men into trouble with God. David lusts after Bathsheba causing him to commit adultery, then murder to cover up his adultery. Solomon gets sucked into the paganism of his wives and disappoints God as well. I think God doesn't explicitly condemn their behavior because we see the ramifications of it and should be able to conclude that it isn't good. In every example of a multi-wife family, we see problems: jealousy, paganism, and warring of nations. With the exception of Jesus, no human in the Bible perfect.
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Back in Battle

The Philistines were smart not to trust David. Once he becomes king, it is inevitable that he Israel goes to battle with them. David follows through with God's original command about war and commands his army to burn the images of the Philistine gods on the battlefield. This is part of why David was said to be a man after God's heart; he didn't hesitate to follow God's instructions.
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References

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

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

Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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