2 Samuel
Answers
Board and names
Bro. Lee Gonzalez will be teaching next Sunday.
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Dan song
Lesson
1 Samuel
There are twelve books of history in the Bible, beginning with 1 Samuel and ending with Esther.
The name of Samuel was probably given to these first two books of history because his story occurs first, and he figures prominently as the one who poured the anointing oil on both Saul and David. Samuel is considered the writer of 1 Samuel up to the twenty-fifth chapter, which records his death. Apparently, Nathan and Gad completed the writing of these books. We learn this from 1 Samuel 10:25 and 1 Chronicles 29:29.
1. According to 1 Samuel 9:9, what was a seer?
2. Samuel is a type of Christ in that he is a prophet, priest, and judge. The name, Samuel can be translated as: “The name of God,” “His name is God,” “Heard of God,” and “Asked of God.” According to 1 Samuel 1:20 which title would you pick?
3. What was Saul’s occupation before he became king?
4. What was David’s occupation before he became king?
5. What kind of life lessons can we get from the characters in 1 Samuel such as: Hannah, Samuel, Eli, Saul, David and Goliath, and David and Jonathan?
2 Samuel
AUTHOR: Probably Nathan and Gad wrote II Samuel, Samuel wrote most of I Samuel, but he died toward the latter part of the book, so the authorship of 2nd Samuel is disputed, though ancient opinion favors the thought that Nathan and Gad wrote it.
THEME: “The Life of David.” Just as I Samuel is built around the life of Samuel, the book of II Samuel is built around the life of David. In fact, the entire book is a book about David, his weaknesses, strengths, virtues and faults
THE WORD “DAVID” MEANS “BELOVED.” He was called “a man after God’s own heart.”
With the death of Saul, David’s fortune changed. He was no longer a fugitive, and was quickly acknowledged as king by the southern tribe of Judah, his own tribe. In the north Ish-Bosheth, a surviving son of Saul, was propped up as king by the military leader, Abner.
. Then Ish-Bosheth was assassinated (and the assassins executed by an outraged David). It was seven and a half years after David had become king of Judah that he was recognized as king by all of Israel.
SAINT
è David’s accomplishments as Israel’s ruler are unmatched. He is a type of Jesus, who will rule as God’s coming King. His personal qualities and faith provide examples for believers of every age.
David’s rule was strong and aggressive and his accomplishments were unparalleled. Other men of history have demonstrated military and administrative capacity but David overshadows them all by the breadth and depth of his ability. David is one of the great men of faith and to cap it all, he was called “a man after God’s own heart.”
SINNER
David’s greatness cannot hide the fact that he was very human. DAVID WAS A SINNER. During the Ammonite war, David committed his great sin in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. For this sin God rebuked him through Nathan, the prophet, and imposed the penalty that the sword should never depart from the house, as we read in II Samuel 11:1 - 12:23. The interesting thing about this is that David sincerely repented. The outstanding fact in David’s sin is that there is a forgiving God when one comes confessing his sin.
SIN
1. “Why does God hold up as examples men and women who have such obvious flaws?” Give your opinion.
2. How did Saul’s attitude differ from David’s when they were confronted about their sins?
1 Samuel 15:16-31 and 2 Sam. 12:1-14
3. Did God forgive David of his sin with Bathsheba? 2 Sam. 12:13.
4. According to 2 Sam. 12:10 and 14, did God take away the results of David’s sin? What were the results and how long will they last?
5. Jas 1:13-15 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth he any man:But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his
own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it
is finished, bringeth forth death.”
In 2 Samuel Chapter 11, what was David’s biggest mistake?
6. Make a list of David’s sins according to 2 Samuel 12:9.
7. What are your thoughts about Bathsheba? Would this be a good lesson on how a women’s clothing can influence a man’s thanking and actions?
Answers to Question on 2 Sam. 2 Samuel
AUTHOR: Probably Nathan and Gad wrote II Samuel, Samuel wrote most of I Samuel, but he died toward the latter part of the book, so the authorship of 2nd Samuel is disputed, though ancient opinion favors the thought that Nathan and Gad wrote it.
THEME: “The Life of David.” Just as I Samuel is built around the life of Samuel, the book of II Samuel is built around the life of David. In fact, the entire book is a book about David, his weaknesses, strengths, virtues and faults
THE WORD “DAVID” MEANS “BELOVED.” He was called “a man after God’s own heart.”
With the death of Saul, David’s fortune changed. He was no longer a fugitive, and was quickly acknowledged as king by the southern tribe of Judah, his own tribe. In the north Ish-Bosheth, a surviving son of Saul, was propped up as king by the military leader, Abner.
. Then Ish-Bosheth was assassinated (and the assassins executed by an outraged David). It was seven and a half years after David had become king of Judah that he was recognized as king by all of Israel.
SAINT
è David’s accomplishments as Israel’s ruler are unmatched. He is a type of Jesus, who will rule as God’s coming King. His personal qualities and faith provide examples for believers of every age.
David’s rule was strong and aggressive and his accomplishments were unparalleled. Other men of history have demonstrated military and administrative capacity but David overshadows them all by the breadth and depth of his ability. David is one of the great men of faith and to cap it all, he was called “a man after God’s own heart.”
SINNER
David’s greatness cannot hide the fact that he was very human. DAVID WAS A SINNER. During the Ammonite war, David committed his great sin in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. For this sin God rebuked him through Nathan, the prophet, and imposed the penalty that the sword should never depart from the house, as we read in II Samuel 11:1 - 12:23. The interesting thing about this is that David sincerely repented. The outstanding fact in David’s sin is that there is a forgiving God when one comes confessing his sin.
SIN
Ø 1. “Why does God hold up as examples men and women who have such obvious flaws?” Give your opinion.
Answer: For one thing, through David we are reminded that God is a realist. His Book contains no “let’s-pretend” whitewash of believers. Noting this, we may be helped to appreciate the fact that we can come to God in spite of our own weaknesses. God won’t overlook them. But He won’t be crushed by our failures either. God knows that “we are dust” (Ps. 103:14).
For another thing, a revelation of saints’ failures as well as successes helps us to identify with them. If a David or an Abraham were represented as spiritually perfect, you and I would hardly feel close or similar to him. The truths that God is teaching us through their lives might be seen but might not be thought of as relevant. After all, we might think, “That’s all right for a spiritual giant like David! But what about poor, struggling me?” Then we discover that David struggled too. And sometimes he lost out to his weaknesses. David did know sin’s pull, just as we do. His experiences are relevant to us!
“No temptation has taken us except what is common to man” (1 Cor. 10:13). We are all bound up together in the shared ties of humanity. David knew the feelings and temptations that we know—and we know his! When the Bible accurately reports the failures and follies of God’s saints, it demonstrates this common bond and encourages us to identify our own inner struggles with theirs.
Most importantly, when Old Testament saints are shown to be sinners, Scripture is expressing something basic about the Gospel. The good news of God’s love for man is not, “Trust Me, and be freed of your humanity.” The good news of God’s love is that the Lord has committed Himself to deal with sin and to make us progressively more and more like Him. For progressive growth we always stand in need of God’s grace and aid. God deals with sin by the means of forgiveness. The greatness of David is not in his perfection but in his willingness to face his sin and to return wholeheartedly to God.
Ø 2. How did Saul’s attitude differ from David’s when they were confronted about their sins?
1 Samuel 5:16-31 and 2 Sam. 12:1-14
How different from Saul! When Saul sinned, he begged Samuel to stay with him, that the people might not discover God’s anger. When the Prophet Nathan confronted David concerning his sin with Bathsheba, David not only confessed immediately, but he even wrote a psalm used later in public worship, openly admitting his fault and sharing the inner anguish that accompanied loss of fellowship with God!
Ø 3. Did God forgive David of his sin with Bathsheba? 2 Sam. 12:13.
Ø 4. According to 2 Sam. 12:10 and 14, did God take away the results of David’s sin? What were the results and how long will they last?
Ø 5. Jas 1:13-15 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth
forth death.” In 2 Samuel chapter 11, what was David’s biggest mistake?
Ø 6. Make a list of David’s sins according to 2 Samuel 12:9.
Ø 7. What are your thoughts about Bathsheba? Would this be a good lesson on how a women’s clothing can influence a man’s thanking and actions?
3. Did God forgive David of his sin with Bathsheba? 2 Sam. 12:13. We cannot, and God did not, condone David’s sins and failings. But we can praise God for moving David to share honestly with us. Through David we learn fresh lessons about the grace of God, and we are reminded that you and I are invited to come boldly to the Lord too that He may meet us—and our needs.
4. According to 2 Sam. 12:10 and 14, did God take away the results of David’s sin? What were the results and how long will they last?
5. Jas 1:13-15 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” In 2 Samuel chapter 11, what was David’s biggest mistake?
6. Make a list of David’s sins according to 2 Samuel 12:9.
2 Samuel
Overview
Now the Old Testament record focuses on David.
With the death of Saul, David’s fortune changed. He was no longer a fugitive, and was quickly acknowledged as king by the southern tribe of Judah, his own tribe. In the north Ish-Bosheth, a surviving son of Saul, was propped up as king by the military leader, Abner.
. Then Ish-Bosheth was assassinated (and the assassins executed by an outraged David). It was seven and a half years after David had become king of Judah that he was recognized as king by all of Israel.
è David. David’s accomplishments as Israel’s ruler are unmatched. He is a type of Jesus, who will rule as God’s coming King. His personal qualities and faith provide examples for believers of every age.
Commentary
David’s rule was strong and aggressive and his accomplishments were unparalleled. Other men of history have demonstrated military and administrative capacity, but David overshadows them all by the breadth and depth of his ability. To cap it all, David is one of the great men of faith.
SAINT AND SINNER
David’s greatness cannot hide the fact that he was very human. The two major stories told in these chapters of 2 Samuel reveal his weaknesses as well as the reality of his trust in and love for God.
è Sin.
1. “Why does God hold up as examples men and women who have such obvious flaws?” Give your own opinion.
2. How did Saul’s attitude differ from David’s when they were confronted about their sins? 1 Samuel 15:16-31 and 2 Sam. 12:1-14
3. Did God forgive David of his sin with Bathsheba? 2 Sam. 12:13.
4. According to 2 Sam. 12:10 and 14, did God take away the results of David’s sin? What were the results and how long will they last?
5. Jas 1:13-15 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” In 2 Samuel chapter 11, what was David’s biggest mistake?
6. Make a list of David’s sins according to 2 Samuel 12:9.
DAVID’S TRIUMPHS
Overview
Now the Old Testament record focuses on David.
With the death of Saul, David’s fortune changed. He was no longer a fugitive, and was quickly acknowledged as king by the southern tribe of Judah, his own tribe. In the north Ish-Bosheth, a surviving son of Saul, was propped up as king by the military leader, Abner.
. Then Ish-Bosheth was assassinated (and the assassins executed by an outraged David). It was seven and a half years after David had become king of Judah that he was recognized as king by all of Israel.
è David. David’s accomplishments as Israel’s ruler are unmatched. He is a type of Jesus, who will rule as God’s coming King. His personal qualities and faith provide examples for believers of every age.
Commentary
David’s rule was strong and aggressive and his accomplishments were unparalleled. Other men of history have demonstrated military and administrative capacity, but David overshadows them all by the breadth and depth of his ability. To cap it all, David is one of the great men of faith.
SAINT AND SINNER
David’s greatness cannot hide the fact that he was very human. The two major stories told in these chapters of 2 Samuel reveal his weaknesses as well as the reality of his trust in and love for God.
Sin. David should have died for this crime. God spared David’s life and put away his sin, but David’s baby died. God is not going to let David get by with his sin.
Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die [2 Sam. 12:14].
And friends, the enemies of the Lord still blaspheme God because of what David did. When I was a pastor in downtown Los Angeles, there were many times when some unbeliever or skeptic came to me and said, “How could God choose a man like David?” They would actually leer at me while waiting for my reply. The enemy is still blaspheming. God is going to take David to the woodshed.
And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them [2 Sam. 12:15–17].
David went before God and pleaded for Him to spare the little fellow’s life. Finally they brought word to David that the child was dead.
But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat [2 Sam. 12:19–20].
David’s servants are astounded. When the child was alive, David was in sackcloth and ashes. When the child died, he should have been beside himself with grief. Instead, he got up, took a shower, and changed his clothes, then went to the house of God to worship. His servants ask for an explanation.
And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me [2 Sam. 12:22–23].
David knew that the little baby was saved. He said, “I will go to him someday.” David knew that when death came to him, he would be reunited with his son.
A child dying in infancy goes to be with the Lord. Matthew 18:10 says, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” The word angels in this verse should be translated “spirits.” When a little baby dies today, that baby goes immediately to be with the Lord. That is the teaching of the Word of God. I don’t know about you, but this means a great deal to me because I have a little one up there, and I am looking forward to one day being with her.
David could rejoice when his infant son died because he knew that one day he would see him again. That was not the case when his son Absalom died many years later. Absalom was a heartbreak to David. When he died, David wept and mourned. Why? David was not sure Absalom was saved.
[1]
è
è There are three major Hebrew word groups that communicate the concept of sin in the Old Testament. Each of them is illustrated in these chapters. In fact each of them is used in David’s prayer of confession, Psalm 51.
The principle Hebrew word for sin, hata˒, means to miss the mark. It assumes the existence of a divine standard which, for some reason, a person does not live up to.
The other major terms also assume the existence of a divine standard and describe human actions in relation to it. Pesa˒ in the vocabulary of sin indicates a conscious revolt against the divine standard. And ˒awon is a deviation from or twisting of the standard.
In our niv and nasb English versions, hata˒is usually translated by “sin.” Pesa˒ is rendered “rebellion” or “transgression.” And ˒awon is “iniquity” or “guilt.”
Strikingly, in Scripture the language of sin is also the language of redemption. The word hatta’t means both “sin” and “sin offering.” Thus it speaks both of human failure, and the wonderful provision by God of forgiveness through an offering that removes our guilt.
How beautifully both these realities are illustrated in David’s life.
Commentary
Often it’s crushing for us to discover that a person we admire has faults. An idealized parent disappoints. A friend we respect falls short. A political leader we support suffers his own particular Watergate. Discouraged and hurt, we feel a bitterness that is hard to overcome.
When we look in the biblical record at David, certainly one of history’s exceptional men and one whose faith is mentioned in both Testaments, we discover that he too had feet of clay. The saint is revealed as a sinner. And we wonder, “Why does God hold up as examples men and women who have such obvious flaws?”
[2]
CHAPTER 12
Theme: Nathan faces David with his sins; David repents
NATHAN FACES DAVID WITH HIS SINS
The critics who say that God allowed David to get by with his great sin apparently haven’t read the whole story. Friend, we need to keep on reading. When Nathan confronts David with his sin, David repents. In spite of that, Nathan pronounces God’s judgment upon David. David must learn that a man reaps what he sows.
God’s man may get in sin, but he will not stay in sin. That is what distinguishes God’s man from the man of the world. A sheep may fall in the mud, but he will struggle out of it as soon as he can. A pig will stay in the mud and enjoy it.
God has said that men, like pieces of pottery, can be marred. One flaw can ruin a valuable piece of pottery. A valuable article is put on sale because the merchant sees a flaw in it. I am a great one for sales as I go about the country. When I see that a sale is on, I rush down to the store. Usually I find that first-grade merchandise has become second-grade merchandise because of a flaw. It is marked down because of a little defect. Now David will have to be marked down because of his sin. In chapter 11 we saw David’s sin in all of its blackness and ugliness. The Word of God does not soft-pedal it. The Word of God does not whitewash David’s actions. His sin is as black as ink, and as dark as night, and as low as the underside of Satan and the bottomless pit, and as deep as hell. David sinned.
What David did displeased the Lord, and God is going to do something about it. You see, God did something about man’s sin. He gave Jesus Christ to die on the cross and pay the penalty—sin is that heinous. It is God who says that sin is so black that it required the death of His Son. If you turn your back on God, you are lost. However, if you are God’s man and you drop into sin, God is going to deal with you.
In chapter 11 we left David sitting on his throne in smug complacency. He thought he had gotten away with his sin, but he was wrong. David is going to live to regret that he ever committed that awful sin.
The first verse introduces us to Nathan who is one of the bravest men in Scripture. David could have merely lifted his scepter and without a word could have condemned Nathan to execution for his audacity. This, however, did not stop Nathan.
[3]
I. David and Bathsheba (11:1–4)
It was not a passionate youth who deliberately walked into this sin, but a man of God who had now reached middle age. It is easy to see how David got into this sin: (1) he was self-confident, after enjoying victories and prosperity; (2) he was disobedient, staying home when he should have been on the battlefield; (3) he was idle, lying in bed in the evening; (4) he was self-indulgent, giving freedom to his desires when he should have been disciplining himself; and (5) he was careless, allowing his eyes to wander and yielding to the “lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes” (1 John 2:16). The Christian soldier must never lay aside the armor (Eph. 6:10ff).
James 1:13–15 perfectly describes David’s case: (1) his desires were activated by the sight, and he failed to curb them; (2) desire conceived the sin in his imagination; (3) his will surrendered and this led to sin; (4) his actions led to death. He did not “watch and pray” as Matt. 26:41 commands; nor did he deal decisively with his “wandering eye” (Matt. 5:29 and 18:9).
David could have defeated this temptation (for it is not a sin to be tempted) by recalling God’s Word (Ex. 20:14), or by considering that Bathsheba was a man’s daughter and a man’s wife (v. 3). In fact, she was married to one of the bravest soldiers in David’s army (23:39), and she was also the granddaughter of Ahithophel, who later rebelled against David and sided with Absalom (23:34 and chaps. 16–17). David had many wives already, and God would have given him more (12:8). It is too bad that the record of this godly man was marred forever by “the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:5). Of course, we must admit that the woman shared in the guilt, but David, being the king, surely is more to blame.
[4]
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[1]%0 Book
%A McGee, J. Vernon
%D 1997
%T Thru the Bible commentary
%C Nashville
%I Thomas Nelson
%P 2:215
%7 electronic ed.
[2]%0 Book
%A Richards, Larry
%D 1987
%T The teacher's commentary
%C Wheaton, Ill.
%I Victor Books
%P 234
[3]%0 Book
%A McGee, J. Vernon
%D 1997
%T Thru the Bible commentary
%C Nashville
%I Thomas Nelson
%P 2:213
%7 electronic ed.
[4]%0 Book
%A Wiersbe, Warren W.
%D 1993
%T Wiersbe's expository outlines on the Old Testament
%C Wheaton, IL
%I Victor Books
%P 2 Sa 11:1
%K Bible. O.T
%K ; Bible. O.T
\\