Category Archives: Bible Study

2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles Joined

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In my Bible study for 2012 (see Bible Study) I said I was going to join 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles.  Well here is part of that work.  The letters and numbers in italics are from Chronicles. In my document they are in blue and italics. I am not really finished, as I want to place the psalms that David wrote in this document (well where I think they go).  I used the New International Version, the reference is at the end of the page.  This entire document is about 70 pages long, I have also done Kings and Chronicles but in another translation.  In that one I included some work from the prophets.

The best explanation I have for the books being so similar is that they were both taken from another document, like the book of Jasher.  Some scholars credit these books as having been written by Ezra and Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe.

 2 Samuel 24 1 Chronicles 21

David Enrolls the Fighting Men David Counts the Fighting Men

1 Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, 1 Satan rose up and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”

2 2 So David the king said to Joab and the army commanders of the troops with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”

3  3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over are they not all my lord’s subjects, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they (Joab) left  the presence of the king and went throughout Israel to enroll the fighting men of Israel and then came back to Jerusalem.

5 4After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. 7 Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.

8 After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9 5Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David the king: In all Israel there were eight hundred thousand(one million one hundred thousand) able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand(including four hundred and seventy thousand).

 6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. 7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.

10 8David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

11 9Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:12 10 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’

13 11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Take your choice: 12Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from (being swept away) before your enemies while they pursue you with their swords overtaking you? Or three days of plague (the sword of the LORD) in your land with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

14 13David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us(me) fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

15 14So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand men of the people of Israel fell dead from Dan to Beersheba died.

16 15 And When the angel God sent stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, but as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting (destroying) the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 16When David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD who was standing between heaven and earth, striking down the people with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown, 17said to the LORD God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? LORD my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.”

If you would like a copy you will have to ask because it is about a 70 pages word document, it will have to be emailed.

New International Version (NIV)  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Storms Revisited

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Weather and storms are an important part of how Father God deals with His world and its people.  Part of knowing God is knowing that He uses His natural world to interact with us and to make His power and glory known to us.  I like Nahum 1:3 where it says, “His ways are in the whirlwind and the storm and clouds are the dust of His feet (NIV).

Weather, storms, in particular, are where hot and cold air mix creating winds and clouds.  Hot air rises and cooler moves in to take its place.  Air flows from high-pressure areas (mountains of air) to low-pressure areas (valleys of air).  Solar energy drives all of this by heating the earth.

God uses storms to meet with His people like in Job 38.  Thunder, hail, and whirlwinds have been used to create confusion and to defeat the enemies of His people. Examples of these uses are in Proverbs 10:25, Zechariah 7:14 and 1 Samuel 7:10.  But also in Proverbs 10:25 is a promise that the righteous will be standing when the storm has gone by. (see Storms part 2)

The storms in the New Testament are just as powerful and have the same potential for destruction as their Old Testament counterparts, however, they seem to have a different function in God’s plan for man.  The disciples were beaten and battered about by the winds and the waves but Jesus used them as training tools.  The storms in the Gospel of Mark and the one that Paul finds himself in Acts 27 (see Attacks part 3) come in advance of a time of miracles.  Another element that shows its self is that Jesus is present with the people in the storm.

These are thoughts that I have collected through the years about storms.

1. Are the storms of life for God to learn about us or for us to learn about us?

2. It is hard to recognize Jesus in a storm. (T.D. Jakes)

3. A thought on Peter(see Rock or Chip) – A wet water-walker is better than a dry boat-talker.(Pastor Perez)

4. You may see Jesus in the daytime but it is hard to see Him at night in the rain.                (Joel Osteen)

Muses and preachers will always find inspiration in storms both spiritual and physical. But knowing that Jesus will be with us in and through the storm and that we will come out of them better than when we went in I hope eases the discomfort of going through them.

Final thought – Did it happen to me or did it happen for me!  All things work for good, not all things are good. (see Fight)

Jesus as the Master Teacher

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As the master teacher, Jesus used a variety of methods and presentation styles but His course content was consistent; whether by parable, teaching, or preaching His message was the Kingdom of God.

Jesus knew who He was speaking to and used examples that were at His audience’s level. With the crowds, He spoke parables using examples that they saw every day. Yeast in flour, marriage feasts, and sowing crops are examples of things He used in parables to illustrate the Kingdom of God. His parables could be taken on multiple levels of understanding but I think the meanings were always hidden because Jesus wanted people to ask questions. Isaiah had talked about this fact when he said that they would be “ever hearing but never understanding”; just because you enjoy a story does not mean that you understand the symbolism and metaphors that are written into it by the author.  With the leaders, His meanings were still veiled but they knew when he was talking about them; the example here is the Good Shepherd vs. the hired help.

He used current events as part of His teaching like when he talked about the tower that fell or when Pilate mixed pigs’ blood into the sacrifice.

Jesus used various strategies for where He was and whom He wanted to reach. He talked to massive crowds, small groups, and even one-on-one when the people or persons needed that in order for His message of the Kingdom to be gotten out and understood.  He would launch a discussion question like, “Who do the people say I am” or He would ask a question and patiently wait for an answer like when the woman was about to be stoned for adultery. (Of course, that could be Him as a Master Judge also.)

He had chosen the disciples they got special treatment. He would explain parables to them but He knew that He would have to send the Holy Spirit (re-teach) because they were not progressing fast enough. They got quantity and quality time with Jesus and I think He even gave them tests. If I may, the teaching that God can provide was the feeding of the five thousand and their test was the feeding of the four thousand. (see Test Revisited)

The picture was taken at Houston Baptist University.

Test Revisited

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Spiritual test like tests in school are tools that are used by the Master Teacher for our good.  Now, most students are fearful of tests.  So here are some thoughts about testing that may help rearrange our thinking.

1. A test show what we know.

2. A test show what we don’t know.

3. A test show what we need to learn. (It really is different than #2)

I think we associate grades or our worth with a number instead of viewing test, especially spiritual test, as a learning experience and not a symbol of failure and stress.  Jesus being the Master Teacher knows that if you cannot pass the test we should not move on but when we do pass He starts us on a whole new course of study.  So retesting is part of spiritual training. Ex. – John 21 when Jesus asked Peter three times about his love. (see Rock or Chip) So remember passing test are needed to move you to the next grade/level. (see Test, Attacks, and Storms part 1)

Depending on the translation of the Bible you read the word for a test is rendered in several ways: try, prove, examine, tempt, assay, investigate, know, challenge, etc.  I think there are four major groupings of the ideas prove/test or search /know.

1. Malachi/Meribah

2. Testing of Metal

3. Search and Know (the heart/mind)

4. Miscellaneous

Malachi/Meribah may seem like a strange pairing of verses but the same word for test/challenge is what ties them together.  The famous verse about testing God and open windows are in Malachi 3:10 but most of miss 3:15 where it talks about people who test God because they believe it is futile to serve Him.  But the intensity of that testing is reflected in Psalm 81:7, 95:9 and refers to Exodus 17 and Numbers 20 where the people wanted water and Moses was to speak or strike the rocks.

The comparison of us being tested as metals is used in a number of passages.  This was done with great heat and air.  The picture is that something pure is going to come from this type of testing. (see What Type of Metals Are You Part 1)

Psalm 11:4, 139:23 and 17:3 are verses that refer to God searching, knowing and testing us. (see Fight)

Other examples of testing are when Joseph tested his brothers in Genesis 42: 15,16 and God testing Levi in Deuteronomy 33:8.  (see Timeline)

I guess if there is a thought I want you to take away from this it would be; God tests us for our good so that He can promote us to better things and that tests are not attacks, storms or trials. (see Test, Attacks, and Storms part 2, part 3)

Test, Attacks and Storms – O My! Part 3

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Attacks, test, and storms.  In this part, I am looking at spiritual attacks and trials.

A trial is like a test only it is not for your good. (See Part 1)  To me, a trial is something that just always seems to hang around causing problems.  It exposes a weak area and always seems to work on your nerves.

An attack, on the other hand, is just that an attack.  They come at you without warning they seem to serve no useful purpose and are frequently very costly.  The verse that sums up attacks is John 10:10 – the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy.

Let us use Paul the Apostle as an example.  His tests are in Acts 20:22+23, 21:10-14.  He knew God’s ways and voice so these test of people telling him that he was about to be jailed was something he needed to pass.  He could have run but he embraced (and passed) the test and went on to the next mission in his life.

The attack is seen in Acts21: 26-36 where the crowd tries to kill him and he was arrested.

The trial(s) (literally) started in Acts 23:23 and continues through Acts 26.  The jail, dishonest officials and continued lies were meant to wear him down but he overcame them to testify to rulers and kings.

His storm started in Acts 27:13.  He knew it was coming and Jesus showed him how it would end.  And as with most storms in the New Testament, it was followed by miracles (on Malta) to validate the victory he had in Jesus.  And it opened bigger doors of ministry to him. (see Fight)