2 Samuel 1,2

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 1

2 Samuel 1:2

He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning.

This man tore his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning. A few verses down, David also tore his clothes once he learned of Saul's and Jonathan's death.

The ancient practice of tearing clothes is a tangible expression of grief and anger in the face of death.

 Today it is still practiced by Jews at funerals.  This tradition is called Kriah.

"This rending is a striking expression of grief and anger at the loss of a loved one.

Kriah is an ancient tradition. When our patriarch Jacob believed his son Joseph was dead, he tore his garments (Genesis 37:34). Likewise, in II Samuel 1:11 we are told that King David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and rent them upon hearing of the death of Saul and Jonathan. Job, too, in grieving for his children, stood up and rent his clothes (Job 1:20).
Kriah is performed by the child, parent, spouse, and sibling of the deceased. It is usually done at the funeral home before the funeral service begins. If a black ribbon is used, it is provided by the funeral director. Kriah is always performed standing. The act of standing shows strength at a time of grief. A cut is made on the left side of the clothing for parents--over the heart--and on the right side for all other relatives. Sometimes people choose to express deep feelings of grief by cutting on the left side for relatives other than their parents.
As the tear or cut is made, the family recites the following blessing:
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam dayan ha'emet.
Blessed are You, Adonai Our God, Ruler of the Universe, the True Judge.
The torn garment or ribbon is worn during the seven days of shiva (but not on Shabbat and festival days). Some people continue the practice for the 30-day period of mourning [sheloshim].
 www.behrmanhouse.com.

2 Samuel 1:9,10

 In chapter 1 Samuel 31:4, Scripture states that Saul fell upon his sword and died. In doing some research on the effectiveness of actually and effectively killing oneself this way, it appears that one sword piercing is not means of an instant death, but more of a very painful slow death.  So perhaps in 2 Samuel where it states that the Amalekite told David that Saul was leaning on his sword and asked this man to kill him because he was in agony, perhaps this man was being gracious to Saul to assist in the inevitable death by quickening it. Another rendition could be that the Amalekite twisted the truth with the idea that he might impress David by saying he killed Saul. 

There is still a practice of 'honorably' killing oneself according to Japanese culture.

According to Brittanica Encyclopedia: seppuku, ( Japanese: “self-disembowelment”) also called hara-kiri,  (“belly-cutting”), the honourable method of taking one’s own life practiced by men of the samurai (military) class in feudal Japan. The word hara-kiri, though widely known to foreigners, is rarely used by Japanese, who prefer the term seppuku (consisting of the same two Chinese characters in reverse order). The proper method was to plunge a short sword into the left side of the abdomen, draw the blade across to the right, and then turn it upward. It was considered exemplary form to stab again below the chest and press downward across the first cut, and then to pierce one’s throat. Being an extremely painful and slow means of suicide, it was favoured as an effective way to demonstrate the courage, self-control, and strong resolve of the samurai and to prove sincerity of purpose.

2 Samuel 1:14

David's reaction to turn and kill this Amalekite shows that David did not find the 'mercy killing' story honorable, as Saul was anointed by the Lord despite Saul's malevolent actions that stemmed from fear, pride and foolishness.  

God's calling on us is His work, not our own. So regardless of how we view others, if the Lord has called them and anointed them, we are not to assume God is finished using them for His purposes. 

Romans 11:29 (NLT)

²⁹ For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.

 

2 Samuel 1:13

 

 

For more about who these Amakelites were, here is a link from the Jewish Encyclopedia.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1351-amalek-amalekites

2 Samuel 1:17

Book of Jasher??

 

Jasher was the son of Caleb and one of the Judges of Israel. This book is referenced in the Old Testament twice, once here in 2 Samuel and in Joshua chapter 10.  It is also called the Book of the Just Man or the Book of the Upright.

 It is an unknown book but there have been a few that have claimed to be the real one, yet it's not consistent with history, therefore, it's not given much credibility. 

The book was probably a collection of psalms and songs. This particular one is a lament.  David clearly included this Song of the Bow as he mourns the loss of Saul and Jonathan.

There is a pastor that gave a sermon on the Song of the Bow.  If you want lots of details about it's meaning, you can watch this 38 min video on youtube. 

http://youtu.be/3abFFakLYns

2 Samuel 1:26

Let's just get this out there.  Who, when they read about the love between David and Jonathan and how their hearts were knit together and how deep their love for each other was does not think for a minute, "Was there a homosexual relationship between them?"  Some will say they thought it and others will not. Regardless, that is depraved thinking. I was guilty myself. But then we must remember that these men both served and loved the Lord and knew His Word was clear about how He created men to be in intimate relationships only with women. Also, David married women, albeit too many, but nonetheless, he was clearly in heterosexual relationships as recorded. Nowhere does it indicate that it was anything other than a pure, godly, brotherly, virtuous friendship.

Inseparable sisters at Special Olympics state meet dance. 

I believe this simply is telling us that his love for Jonathan was greater than he had ever had for a woman.  Love isn't all about sex.  This was a godly love that you might imagine if you have ever know brothers or sisters who are so like-minded and care so deeply for each other that they'd die for one another, think alike and are inseparable. 

 

 

 

 

Time for a snack? Go grab some Triscuits, strawberries, fresh preserves and homemade goat cheese!

 

 

 

 2 Samuel 2

2 Samuel 2:1

Note on 2 Samuel 2:1

Here was the opportunity that David had waited years for. But David didn’t just act on his own. He sought the Lord’s direction.
Many people seek the Lord’s direction when there seems to be no way out. But very few depend on the Lord when everything is going their way. Yet, prosperity is more dangerous than need, simply because we are more apt to operate on our own.  ~Andrew Wommack

 

 

2 Samuel 2:4

David is crowned king only in Judah, which was his tribe.  The other 11 tribes did not consider him their king until about seven years later. Then David ruled over all the Israelites. David's reign was very long lasting, 40 years in all! 

Jesus is a descendant of David and is the King of kings !

This is not the period of time when Israel and Judah was divided as a nation officially though.  

~The United Kingdom of Israel lasted through the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon. After Solomon died between 926 and 922 BCE, the kingdom split into two, the ten tribes (Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) and Benjamin) of "Israel" with their capital up in Samaria, and the tribes of Benjamin and Judah forming the kingdom of "Judah" with their capital at Jerusalem. When Solomon died, , the ten northern tribes refused to submit to his son, Rehoboam, and revolted. These kingdoms remained separate states for over two hundred years.

2 Samuel 2:12

The remains of Gibeon were excavated in the late 1950s and early 1960s by a team of archeologists led by University of Pennsylvania archaeologist James B Pritchard.

The pool itself was unearthed in 1957. The Pool of Gibeon, "one of the ancient world's remarkable engineering achievements", was dug 88 feet into limestone until it met the water table. A spiral staircase along the walls allowed access to the water, according to the archeologists that excavated the site.

2 Samuel 2:13

Joab was David's nephew, the daughter of David's sister, Zeruiah. Joab was a staunch follower and supporter of David, but there was some bad blood between these two along the way as Joab murdered some folks that David did not approve of.  Although David never delivered 'justice' to Joab while he was living, he did tell his son, Solomon, not to let Joab die a natural death.  In 1 Kings 2:28-34 we can read that Solomon had Joab killed.

 

2 Samuel 2:16

Field of Swords is sometimes referred to as Field of Flints:
a place near the pool of Gibeon where Ishbosheth's men were killed by David's men under Joab.

 

 2 Samuel 2:18

 

 

 Since Zeruiah was David's sister, these three brothers were his nephews.

 

 

 

2 Samuel 2:26

In verse 14, we see Abner suggesting that they fight, yet now we see him pleading with Joab to end this battle because they were 'brothers'.  How ironic that he picked the fight and when he saw that he was losing, he started trying tactics like 'we are brothers' to not lose face, or men.