1:16 — “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’s anointed.’”
Hoping for a reward (2 Sam. 4:10), the Amalekite lied about having killed Saul, even though he had just stripped the dead king of some personal effects. David repaid him with death, since no man had the right to kill the Lord’s anointed (1 Sam. 24:6; 26:9–11).
1:26 — “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was more wonderful than the love of women.”
David honored Saul in his lament, but he celebrated Jonathan, his dear friend. David became what he was at least in part because of Jonathan. Friends play an important role in supporting us spiritually and helping us grow in our love for the Lord.
2:1 — David inquired of the LORD . . . “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.”
David asked God for His leading in the matter of where he should live and was careful to obey the Lord’s direction in every aspect of his life. Hebron was where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were buried and was a symbolic center of Israel’s leadership—making it the perfect place for him to begin his rule (2 Sam. 2:4). Listening to God is essential to walking with Him. If we want God’s best for us and success in life, we must obey Him completely (Prov. 16:3).
2:10 — Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel.
Abner, not the Lord, made Saul’s son Ish-bosheth king over Israel. The nation was divided, with David over the tribe of Judah and Ish-bosheth over the other ten tribes. In the end, however, Abner’s plan brought the nation nothing but heartache and civil war. Whatever we acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes. No matter how hard they tried, neither Abner nor Ish-bosheth could hold on to what the Lord had irrevocably promised to David (2 Sam. 3:1; 5:1–5).
3:1 — David grew steadily stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker continually.
God had given the kingdom to David, but it took a long time for him to finally bring the nation together under his rule. Yet what God promises, He delivers—even if it takes longer than we expect.
3:9 — “May God do so to Abner, and more also, if as the LORD has sworn to David.”
Abner knew of the promise God had made to David, yet until this point he had acted against that promise. Whether it was because of his allegiance to Saul’s family or to gain himself a better position, Abner found himself fighting against the Lord. Whenever you go against God’s will, you will suffer. Obedience is always the wisest choice (Is. 55:11).
3:37 — All the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.
David not only declared his innocence in the death of Abner, he wisely backed his words with action. Because of the way he honored the general, he prevented further divisions between the people of Judah and Israel. Likewise, we must honor the Lord with both our conversation and conduct for us to be credible to others and good witnesses for Him.
4:8 — They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron.
David was not willing to take Israel from Saul or any of his descendants; rather he was committed to waiting until the Lord gave the kingdom in His timing (1 Sam. 24:6; 26:9–11). So when Baanah and Rechab came to tell him what they had done, he was not impressed by their spiritual words and considered their actions evil. As a man after God’s own heart, he could not delight in wickedness, even if it appeared to benefit him.
4:9 — “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress.”
The Lord loves to redeem our lives from distress. David realized that only God could truly free him from adversity—not the sons of Rimmon or the Amalekite who claimed to have killed Saul (2 Sam. 1:9, 10). When others step in to take vengeance for us, they are not helping us; rather, they are sinning against the Lord (Lev. 19:17, 18; Ps. 18:47, 48; Rom. 12:19; 1 Thess. 4:6).
5:3 — They anointed David king over Israel.
David was 37 when he was finally established as king over Israel. After more than two decades of training, God proved faithful to His pledge (1 Sam. 16:3, 12, 13). The Lord will keep His promises to you, so do not be discouraged about the delays you experience. Accept them as training for your blessing, and always remember that God works powerfully on behalf of those who wait for Him.
5:7 — David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David.
In the center of the Promised Land was the highly fortified city of Jerusalem, which was still inhabited by the Jebusites (1 Chr. 11:4–8). It was virtually inaccessible to invading armies because of Mounts Olivet and Scopus and the valleys of Hinnom, Tyropoeon, and Kidron. Yet, nothing is impossible with God. He gave David the victory and established it as the spiritual and cultural capital of the nation (Deut. 16:5, 6). It has remained an extremely important city throughout Israel’s history (Ezek. 5:5).
5:10 — David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him.
When we follow the Lord wholeheartedly as David did, we, too, will enjoy His wonderful presence. And just as He did with David, He can cause us to grow in godliness and even to become great for the sake of His kingdom (Matt. 18:1–5; 20:26–28; 23:11, 12).
5:19 — David inquired of the LORD.
As long as David asked for the Lord’s guidance, he enjoyed success. When he stopped listening for the Lord’s voice, he landed in trouble. The same is true for us.
5:23 — “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.”
The Lord gives His people different strategies for success at different times. We dare not push forward out of habit or rely on our own wisdom, because then we would surely miss His blessings for us. Rather, we wait for His instruction because listening to God is essential to walking with Him, and He always has the very best plan for whatever battle we face.
6:3 — They placed the ark of God on a new cart.
The ark of the covenant symbolized God’s relationship with His people (Ex. 25:22). It normally remained in the Holy of Holies, and His presence would appear above it—making it one of the most sacred articles of Israel’s worship. David failed to consult the Word of God before he moved the ark; if he had, he would have learned the specific way the Lord instructed His people to transport it (Ex. 25:12–14). God never blesses any violation of His will (Hab. 1:13). If we are going to approach or serve Him, we must do so in the manner He prescribes. Today, we can only do so through Jesus our Savior (Matt. 7:13, 14; Heb. 7:25).
6:13 — When the bearers of the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
David learned from his costly error and this time moved the ark in the prescribed way. Gladness resulted, for obedience always brings blessing.
6:22 — “I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes.”
David did not care if anyone thought him undignified because of the way he demonstrated his love for God. He only cared what the Lord thought. And it was because of his unreserved, wholehearted devotion to God that David accomplished all that he did.
7:8 — “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel.”
When we begin to enjoy some success, we would do well to remind ourselves of where we came from and how the Lord brought us to our place of blessing. It is all God’s doing—every good thing we have comes from His hand (James 1:17).
7:16 — “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”
David wanted to build a house of cedar for the Lord. But God replied that He would build a living house for David—creating a great kingdom from his descendants (1 Chr. 17:1–27). You can never outgive God. The Lord ultimately fulfilled this promise in the “Son of David,” Jesus Christ, who rules forever (Matt. 1:1; 21:9; Rev. 22:16).
Answers to Life’s Questions
What does it mean to sit before the Lord?
Perhaps the greatest key to spiritual growth is spending time alone with the Lord. This means taking the time to speak with God about whatever is on your heart—and, even more importantly, allowing Him to speak to you.
God called King David “a man after My heart” (Acts 13:22). To win that kind of reputation, David first needed to know the mind and heart of God so that he might be and do what the Lord desired of him. David sought to know God. He frequently “inquired” of the Lord. He spent time in the Lord’s presence, singing to the Lord from the depths of his heart. In 2 Samuel 7:18 we read, “Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, ‘Who am I, O Lord GOD , and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?’”
What did it mean for David to sit before the Lord? It means that he spent time alone in the presence of God, communicating with the Lord from the depths of his heart, asking Him questions, and listening quietly for the Lord’s answers.
Jesus frequently sought time apart with His heavenly Father. Time with the Father provided Him with a source of comfort and strength. Jesus also sought time alone with His disciples so that He might teach them and they might find spiritual refreshment (Luke 9:17–24).
We are wise if we choose to spend time alone with God, in a place without distractions or interruptions, for a period sufficient for us to relax completely and focus our attention fully upon the Lord and His Word. We must be willing to wait in the Lord’s presence until we receive God’s directives or His words of comfort.
Why don’t many of us desire to spend time alone with God? The foremost reason is that we don’t feel sure of our relationship with God and, therefore, we feel afraid of God.
But those who are born again spiritually have a Father-child relationship with the Lord. Our heavenly Father loves us unconditionally and deals with us tenderly and patiently. The more we learn what He’s really like—the more we see Him as He truly is—the more we will long to spend time alone with Him . . . and the more we will know the fullness of His grace.
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
What the Bible Says About
The Immense Value of Meditation
The mere mention of the word “meditation” tends to conjure up images foreign to the Western mind. Perhaps that’s why so many contemporary believers have removed the word from their vocabulary. But we do this at our great peril because scriptural meditation greatly helps us to listen accurately to God.
King David pursued this godly endeavor fervently and fruitfully. Many psalms resulted from his quiet waiting and reflecting upon God. As a “man after [God’s] heart” (Acts 13:22), David first had to know the mind and heart of God. To a large extent, David accomplished this through the persistent practice of godly meditation.
In our overscheduled lives, we often find it difficult to see a purpose in what we do. With so many things and people clamoring for our time, we must return to one of life’s most important activities—meditation.
Godly meditation means lifting your heart heavenward and listening to God. It is focusing your attention on Christ and shutting out everything else. Without practicing daily meditation on the Lord, it is impossible to experience:
• Holiness of heart: Meditation allows you to concentrate on who God is and to grow into oneness with Him.
• Contentment: With meditation on God comes great contentment of soul.
• Being a help to someone else: If we don’t draw our strength from God, we soon run out of strength.
In order to continue the habit of meditating on the Lord, we must guard against meditating simply out of habit. We must have a pure purpose for meditation: to get to know God more intimately. We must also have a plan for when we come to Him, including a portion of time when we meditate on His Word, and a prayer journal in which to offer up prayers and write what God tells us through the Holy Spirit and Scripture.
Meditate on the Lord—His majesty, glory, goodness, faithfulness, and promises. Meditate on who He is, and you will come to know His character and His presence in a deep, fresh way.
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
7:21 — “For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know.”
God blesses us in line with His own loving character, and He always keeps His Word. We do not deserve His blessings, but when we willingly obey the Lord, He showers us with His love and grace.
7:29 — “May it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You.”
David responded to God’s gracious promise by praising Him for fulfilling His pledge and giving Him all the glory. David understood that by praying according to the Lord’s promise, he aligned himself with His will. We can and should do the same.
8:6 — The LORD helped David wherever he went.
As the Lord preserved David wherever he went, so He can protect us wherever we go. If we make the Lord our delight and obey Him as David did, then He will bless us and give us success, just as He did for David.
9:7 — “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan.”
Mephibosheth had every reason to believe that King David wanted to kill him. As the grandson of Saul—who had persecuted David—it was the new king’s right to dispose of him. Yet when Mephibosheth finally met the kind king face–to-face, he found just the opposite to be true. David remembered the promise he had made to Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:14–17) and worked hard to honor it. He remembered with gratitude his friend’s help and responded with generosity toward Jonathan’s child.
10:12 — “Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
When we face some major challenge, we can do no better than to find courage in God and to ask Him to “do what is good in His sight.” The Lord loves to honor those who honor Him (1 Sam. 2:30).
11:2 — From the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.
David did not sin by catching a glimpse of a bathing beauty. He sinned when he failed to take his eyes off of her. Without his thoughts fixed on the Lord, his imagination took over—wondering what an experience with her would be like. That’s how sexual sin takes root in your life: it begins with a thought, moving quickly through your imagination, to identification, to uncontrollable desire, and finally to consent (James 1:15). It didn’t take long for David’s feet to take him where his mind had already gone.
Answers to Life’s Questions
How can we effectively guard against temptation?
All temptation begins with a single thought. We have the ability to choose to ignore it or to allow it to remain in our minds. If it remains, more than likely it will gain a foothold within us. Temptation in and of itself is not sinful. It entices us to sin and to disobey God. If not checked, it leads to disappointment, failure, rejection, isolation, and a host of other consequences. The apostle Paul instructed the Corinthians to bring “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to screen, select, admit, and cultivate what goes into our minds. By His power, we can prevent our minds from taking a wrong turn and wandering into evil, but we must choose to focus on what is godly and good (Phil. 4:8).
Through Christ, we also have the ability to choose how we will think about what we perceive with our senses. While we have no control over some things that come into our field of vision or within our range of hearing, we do control how we will think about what we perceive or sense and how we will act on that information.
For example, David saw Bathsheba. One night he was out walking on his balcony, and while surveying the city below, he saw a beautiful woman bathing. That could have been the end of the story. But it turned out quite differently for David. Without question, he could have turned and walked back into his palace and thought nothing more about what he had seen.
Instead, he began to think about Bathsheba. He allowed his heart to be tempted, and he dismissed the Lord’s command to avoid adultery. Instead, he rushed to sin and “inquired about the woman” (2 Sam. 11:3). More than likely, he imagined what it would be like to get closer to her and what it might be like to be with her physically. Eventually, he sent for her and sinned against God. David suffered serious consequences as a result of his decision. This one act of disobedience followed him the rest of his life. While he sought God’s forgiveness and received it, the shadow of his sin never vanished from his life or the lives of his family members who followed him.
When things come into our range of sensation or perception, we must immediately evaluate them through the “filter” of God’s Word. If we find ourselves dwelling on a thought, we must ask ourselves, “Why am I thinking this? What is at the root of my thought? What will happen if I continue to think this way? Is that really the direction I want my life to go?” Never act on ungodly impulses, desires, and lusts. You can choose to think godly thoughts, act according to His will, and “do all [things] to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
2. Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.
11:11 — “My lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife?. . . . will not do this thing.”
Uriah showed far more concern and respect for the Lord and His people than David did. Although David was a godly man who loved God, he stumbled badly—just as we can. We can never afford to forget Jesus’ words: “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation” (Matt. 26:41). Just when we think we can do no wrong, we can fall prey to Satan’s lies.
11:25 — “Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another.”
Unconfessed sin has a way of making us callous toward the value of human life. It deadens the spirit and distances us from God. Without confession and repentance, we descend ever further into the prison of sin.
Life Examples
The Value of Godly Counsel
God often uses other believers to strengthen, encourage, and enrich our lives. Despite countless negative influences around us, we can still find wisdom through the counsel of godly men and women.
A wonderful example of this is the prophet Nathan in his confrontation with King David (2 Sam. 12:1–14). God used Nathan to bring His servant to the point of repentance. Although the intense conviction greatly pained David, it was absolutely necessary in order for him to regain a right relationship with God.
The Book of Proverbs teaches us repeatedly to seek out godly counsel (12:15; 13:10; 15:31; 19:20). We must be careful that the person giving us counsel is in step with the Lord. While we are all fellow travelers on the path toward godly wisdom, we would be wise to lean on each other for support along the way.
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
28. No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
Life Examples
A Case Study in Repentance
What happens when we sin and delay our repentance? Are there consequences?
When David committed adultery with Bathsheba, he didn’t repent immediately. Only some time later did David admit to his sin. And even then, he didn’t do it on his own accord; God had to send a prophet to confront him (2 Sam. 12:1–14).
Only after Nathan’s visit did David confess his sin and then repent of it. God’s discipline followed in a severe form—perhaps so severe because of his failure to repent sooner.
If you and I deal with our sin genuinely, openly, and immediately, God can lessen the severity of our discipline. This makes sense in the light of the nature of discipline. Discipline is designed to get us to change, to obey. If God sees that we want to cooperate and that we have purposed in our hearts to obey the next time, then stern discipline is not as necessary.
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
15. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.
12:4 — “Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
Nathan used a story that reminded David of his youth to break through the king’s resistance and bring him to a place of repentance. We must correct others in love with the hope of restoring them; and a prayer-bathed, Spirit-led approach will accomplish far more than our self-righteous arguments ever can (Matt. 18:15; 2 Cor. 7:9, 10).
12:14 — “Because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”
God takes intense interest in how we behave as His children, because how others respond to Him is often affected by our conduct (Matt. 5:16; Col. 4:5, 6; 2 Tim. 2:22–26; Titus 2:1–8; 1 Pet. 3:15, 16).
12:22 — “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’”
The Lord expresses His grace to us when He gives us what we do not merit. In this case, David knew he had sinned and did not deserve for his baby to live, but he pleaded for God to reconsider taking his son. However, understanding that His grace is undeserved, David did not become bitter over the child’s death. Though it was difficult, he humbly accepted the Lord’s will.
12:24 — She gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him.
Why did the Lord love Solomon? Look no further than His grace. David did not deserve it, and the newborn Solomon certainly had not earned it. God’s love always originates in His own character, not in ours.
13:15 — Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her.
Lust relieved frequently gives way to hatred expressed. Lust often masquerades as love, but the two result in profoundly different outcomes.
13:22 — Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.
Anger must be resolved, or it festers and turns into violent hatred. For this reason the Bible tells us, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph. 4:26). Absalom’s rage infected his relationships and eventually ended in his own destruction.
13:28 — “‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death.”
Although what Amnon did was absolutely evil, Absalom’s unforgiveness increased the tragedy of the situation a hundred-fold. Absalom’s hatred for Amnon did not disappear with Amnon’s death; it festered and was later redirected at his father, King David, and nearly divided the entire nation (2 Sam. 15–18). Unforgiveness is a major issue, and we must take it seriously, because otherwise it leaves only devastation in its wake.
14:32 — “Let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death.”
Absalom never repented of his sin. In fact, his words and actions show he felt justified in murdering Amnon and setting fire to Joab’s field. He wanted the king’s acceptance, not forgiveness. But such unremorseful pride always causes more trouble in the end.
15:6 — Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.
It has always been possible to steal the hearts of the people through empty promises and a feigned concern for justice (2 Pet. 2:19). Mature Christians must always stay on the alert.
15:8 — “If the LORD shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.”
Absalom became a very good spiritual impostor, even deceiving his own father. So we will not be likewise misled, we must remember that even the devil can quote Scripture (Matt. 4:6).
15:10 — “Absalom is king in Hebron.”
Hebron was where David was first anointed king of Judah (2 Sam. 2:3, 4) and then of Israel (2 Sam. 5:3), and it was also where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were buried. A symbolic center of the nation’s leadership, it was the perfect place for Absalom to stage his coup.
15:12 — Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor.
By comparing 2 Samuel 11:3 with 2 Samuel 23:34, we learn that Ahithophel was most likely Bathsheba’s grandfather. Apparently he had nursed a grudge against David ever since the murder of his granddaughter’s husband. Again, unresolved bitterness and unforgiveness garnered a harvest of destruction, and the sword continued to devour David’s house as Nathan foretold (2 Sam. 12:10). God’s promises always come true, whether for blessing or for judgment.
15:21 — “Wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.”
Ittai the Gittite answered the king much as Ruth had answered her mother-in-law many years before (Ruth 1:17). By God’s grace, faith can find a home in the unlikeliest of hearts.
15:25 — “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the LORD, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation.”
David had learned to trust in the grace and mercy of the Lord, even though he did not know what lay ahead for him. God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him.
15:31 — “O LORD, I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.”
Can you imagine how devastating it was for King David to be betrayed by his son? In every way, this was a lose-lose situation. David couldn’t regain the kingdom without hurting his son and many of his countrymen. And he couldn’t restore his relationship with his son while the kingdom hung in the balance. No slingshot or sword would solve his problem, but God could. Like David, whenever you feel caught in a terribly difficult situation, fight your battle on your knees because when you do, you will certainly win every time.
Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time.
The term resistance movement describes situations in which oppressed people rise up against their oppressors. Resistance fighters take the stance, “I’m not going to stand idly by and allow this evil to continue. I choose to resist the wrongs. Whether I live or die in resisting my oppressor, I will no longer live as I have been.”
Resistance in prayer is the biblical approach to confronting and overcoming the devil. Peter wrote, “But resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Pet. 5:9). James echoed this teaching: “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7, 8). Both Peter and James make clear that we are to actively resist evil through our persevering prayers.
On the surface, resistance may appear to be passive. In practice, it is anything but passive. It is an active stance, both intentional and powerful.
What would you do if a weight began to press against you, attempting to push you off a position that is rightfully yours? How would you resist? You would lean into the weight and press back. The pressure you exert would equal or exceed the pressure exerted against you. That’s a posture of resistance.
Resistance is first and foremost a firm decision to join the struggle against evil in prayer, rather than turning away, backing off, or retreating. Such resistance takes strength and courage. It also takes patience and perseverance. That’s why Luke includes a parable designed to teach us “at all times [we] ought to pray and not to lose heart” (Luke 18:1).
Peter and James point to two key words at the heart of our ability to resist the devil through our prayers: submission to God and faith.
Submission to God is saying, “I can’t, but You can.” In our battlefield prayers we might say, “Lord, I can’t defeat the devil on my own. But with You, I can.” This is the position the apostle Paul took when he said, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).
James taught that submission occurs when we seek to develop a closer relationship to God. As we spend time with God, we get to know Him better and discover how He wants us to overcome evil and experience blessing.
We draw near to God through prayer and by spending time in His Word. We draw near to God when we set aside time solely to listen to God and to wait upon Him for direction and guidance. We draw near to God when we periodically shut ourselves away, closing off all other influences that might distract us from knowing Him better. The better we know Him, the more we see His awesome power, experience His vast love, learn from His wisdom, and grow in our faith. We come to an even greater realization: “Yes, God can defeat the devil on my behalf. Yes, God will win in any conflict with the devil. Yes, God does want me to be able to overcome my adversary and to live in victory in Christ Jesus.”
Faith is saying to God, “I believe You will.” In our battle to overcome the enemy, we might pray this way: “I believe You will defeat the enemy and cause him to flee from me as I resist him and put my trust in You.” Again and again, David made this declaration of faith to the Lord: “O my God, in You I trust” (Ps. 25:2; also 31:6; 55:23; 56:3; 143:8). Perfect faith views the battle as being done and God gaining the victory. When David said, “In You I trust,” he meant: “It is done. Lord, You are perfect in nature. You do all things well. And You have victory over all my enemies.” He had absolute faith in God’s ability. There was no hint of “I hope He will,” because David knew it was as good as done.
We grow in faith by exercising it, by trusting God in situation after situation, circumstance after circumstance, relationship after relationship. We develop a personal history in which we obey God and He remains faithful in His loving care of us.
It is impossible for you to resist the devil for very long if you do not believe that Christ Jesus through you can and will defeat the devil. Furthermore, you can remain firm in your faith only when you completely submit to God—in all areas of your life. When you refuse to submit a problem or area to the Lord, you are saying, “I can handle this. I don’t need Your help.” That’s precisely what Satan wants you to do: trust your ability and not in omnipotent God. It is also the place where he will level his greatest attack against you!
The good news is that God has given each of us a measure of faith to develop. He also gives us the ability to trust Him and surrender our lives to Him. We can stand firm and resist the enemy, but only by the power of God. He is the One who hears our prayers and rushes to our defense. When we pray, Satan flees.
See the Life Principles Index for further study.
16:3 — “He is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’”
Ziba lied about Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 19:24–30) and used bribery to gain the king’s favor—and so gained a financial boon. But he would find out that whatever you acquire outside of God’s will turns to ashes.
16:10 — “If he curses, and if the LORD has told him, ‘Curse David,’ then who shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’”
A lesser man would have given the order to silence Shimei’s tongue, but David left such judgments in God’s hands. Perhaps he remembered the Lord’s words: “Vengeance is Mine, and retribution” (Deut. 32:35).
16:21 — “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house.”
As David violated Bathsheba, the granddaughter of Ahithophel and the wife of Uriah, so Ahithophel advised Absalom to violate David’s concubines. This act signified that Absalom was making a claim to the throne and fulfilled Nathan’s prophecy that another would take David’s wives in full daylight (2 Sam. 12:11, 12). The evil we do often comes back to us in even greater measure.
18:18 — Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar which is in the King’s Valley.
Absalom left behind a stone monument in his name, but nothing else. Whatever we acquire outside of God’s will turns to ashes.
19:4 — “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Although David did everything he could to protect him, Absalom still lost his life. That is what always happens when a person harbors unforgiveness and revenge in his heart—he hurts the people around him unnecessarily and eventually destroys himself.
20:1 — Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite . . . said, “We have no portion in David.”
As a Benjamite, Sheba would have been a kinsman of Saul and undoubtedly resented David taking the throne from his tribe. He stirred up tribal jealousies as Absalom had done (2 Sam. 15:5, 6) to turn the people against the king. Here, we see how Saul and Absalom’s evil influences continued to resonate among the people and poison them against God’s appointed king, even long after Saul and Absalom died.
21:1 — “It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
Saul in his mistaken zeal had violated a covenant made in God’s name (Josh. 9:16–21), and Israel paid for it. We reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow.
22:18 — “He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.”
Our enemies are often too mighty for us, but they are never too strong for the Lord. As David affirmed, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped . . . He is a saving defense to His anointed” (Ps. 28:7, 8).
22:28 — “You save an afflicted people; but Your eyes are on the haughty whom You abase.”
Throughout Scripture, God tells us that He will save the humble but oppose the proud (Prov. 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). The proud try to assume God’s place, and that He will never allow.
23:5 — “He has made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all things, and secured; for all my salvation and all my desire, will He not indeed make it grow?”
As his life came to an end, David confidently looked forward to the fulfillment of God’s personal promises to him—specifically of sending the Messiah and establishing His throne forever. He was completely convinced of the Lord’s ability and desire to bless him. Do you trust that He will be likewise faithful to you?
24:14 — “I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great.”
David counted on God’s mercy—not to remove all the consequences for his sin of ordering the census, but to spare his life and people. Although 70,000 Israelites died that day, God stopped the destruction once the angel reached Jerusalem (2 Sam. 24:16). Actually, there is nothing within us that deserves God’s kindness. He acts graciously toward us because He is merciful in nature.
24:24 — “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.”
David felt that he could not honor God by offering a gift that cost him nothing. The Lord wants our best, not because He needs it, but because by giving we demonstrate our love and complete devotion to Him.