David has been declared King over Judah (the South) but not over Israel (the North). We start with the death of Abner, who was the commander of Ishbaal's (and before him Saul's) army. Ishbaal loses an important ally and counselor in his death. David is given a strong alibi.
Ishbaal is the next to fall, and again David is removed from any involvement. He even takes out the guys who do the assassination.
5: David establishes himself as King over both Judah and Israel and defeats the Philistines in war. He also defeats the Jebusites and makes Jerusalem his new capital city. This is the first time Jerusalem has been in possession by the Israelites, but it will become the capital city.
6: David brings the ark to Jerusalem. This action cements this city as the political and religious center of all Israel. From now on Jerusalem becomes the primary sacred site and the place where Solomon will build his temple. The sacrificial system, once available in a couple of different places by mobile tabernacle, is now in one place to which all must travel. Michal is embarrassed by David and things between them never get better.
7: This is one of the most important stories about David because of it's future implications. David wants to build a house for God, a permanent dwelling instead of the tabernacle which was an elaborate tent. God responds that David's son will do it. However, because of David's loyal love, God makes a promise - that the throne will not depart from his house. From this point on a descendant of David will be the proper ruler of all Israel. This becomes important later when Jesus is presented as the inheritor of this promise to David and why the Messiah is supposed to arise from the tribe of David (Judah). It also points all the way back to the songs of Jacob and Joseph.
8-10 : David's wars. He establishes and settles his borders and expands them to create an empire with client kings. Take a look at a map - these tribes represent people to the North, South, East and West of Israel. In the midst of these stories is the story of Mephibosheth, the last son of Jonathan. David fulfills the promise made to Jonathan all those years ago.
11: David and Bathsheba. David is not out fighting; as king he should be with the army during the fighting season (spring into summer). David first tries to get Urriah to go home and sleep with his wife. When it doesn't work, he gets Joab to collude in his murder. David at first is angry with Joab for his tactical error, but is reminded of why it was done.
12: David's conviction, repentance and punishment through the prophet Nathan. We might ask here, what about the sick boy? David is also punished by trouble within his house.
13-14: The ugly story of Amnon, his rape of Tamar, and his murder by Absalom. David is shown to be weak in his dealing with his family. Had he been firmer, he might have avoided this problem. He later allows Absalom back into the court, but things are far from over.
15 -17: Absalom revolts. David is forced to leave Jerusalem but leaves spies and agents behind. Hushai, agent of David, gets rid of Absalom's best counselor, Ahithophel. Absalom pitches a tent on the roof of the palace and sleeps with David's concubines. He is taking everything that was David's and shaming him publicly.
18: David musters his army and goes to war with Absalom. Joab defeats him and Absalom is killed while hanging by his hair. David mourns over his lost son.
19: David is in a funk and Joab calls him on it. Joab tells him he needs to start acting like a king and a leader. David returns to Jerusalem and must settle several disputes, including one regarding Mephibosheth (called here Meribbaal). We also see the rivalry between the South and North, Judah and Israel.
20: Sheba's revolt. A significant contingent of Israel turns against David. The revolt is put down and Joab shows himself to be as ruthless as ever.
21-24: This is a kind of appendix to the main story, a collection of other stories that do not follow chronologically with the rest. The first shows David's ruthlessness is dealing with his rivals from Saul's clan. This kind of thing was typical of the culture and time. Then there are more stories of Philistine wars. Notice who kills Goliath here?!
David's psalm in chapter 22 is essentially the same as Psalm 18.
David's last words and a list of some of David's "mighty men," the great warriors of David.
24 ends with a slightly bitter note. The story itself appears to be heavily edited, which makes the motivations and purpose of the census and the plague unclear. Kings were forbidden to take a census of the people, which was used for only two reasons: taxes and mustering an army (there was only a very small standing army in ancient times; most fighters were farmers and merchants who fought during the fighting season). David makes a sacrifice to God and the plague ends, the people are restored. The priestly role of the king is something that crops up throughout the monarchies of Israel.
So...quite an epic story. David and Moses are the center pieces of the Jewish narrative and the two people who figure most prominently in Israel's self-understanding. Looking back, there is much that we might find strange, and even barbaric....however we can also say that Yahweh always has an unconventional relationship with his people. I'll be interested to hear your evaluation of David at our next meeting.
Psalms
I won't analyze each of the psalms. I want to say something in general about them. There are a few categories you should be aware of:
- Wisdom Psalms: These usually refer to the Law and its importance for righteousness, justice, and living well.
- Deliverance Psalms: Yahweh as the deliverer and vindicator of the psalmist, who is usually besieged.
- Temple Psalms: Psalms which extol the beauty and greatness of the Temple.
- Yahweh is King Psalms: Yahweh is shown to be the greatest of all the gods, sometimes the only god. Yahweh is ruler over Israel and its deliverer and protector.
- Praise Psalms: Pretty much what you think. One of the most popular kind of Psalm
- Lament Psalms: A call on Yahweh to remember his people and promise, to forgive, and to restore. Often begins with a cry or troubled heart. Usually has a "hope" section in which the psalmist shows trust that Yahweh will deliver (but look at Psalm 88).
Many of the psalms are deeply personal and show a transparency that is unmatched in the ancient literature. This kind of openness and honesty of emotion is unique in ancient literature. We have to wait until Augustine's Confessions to find anything like it. The Psalms echo how we actually feel, not how we are supposed to feel or how we should feel. There are places you will cringe. This is good; and I hope you appreciate the honesty of the sentiment being expressed. We run the whole gambit from praise and love of God, to anger and despair of God. No wonder they were made the center piece of spiritual practice and devotion.
John
John is not like the other gospels. The other three gospels are referred to as the synoptic gospels (meaning "same eye"). John tells a different kind of story. He is not so much concerned about an orderly presentation of the life of Jesus. The action around Jesus' death happens in a different way. John's style is even different. He is much less of a linear, concrete thinker and more of an abstract poetic writer. The opening of his gospel echos the opening of the Hebrew Scriptures and emphasizes the eternal, intimate, dynamic relationship of the Second Person of the Trinity, who is the self-expression of who God is. There is a depth to John's writing (some people call it theological), that the other writers (with the occasional exception of Luke) do not demonstrate.
1: The intimate nature of the Word, who is face-to-face with God and finds expression in humanity - in "flesh" - fulfilling God's ancient promise to "dwell with" (lived among us) God's people. This bridges into the story of John and his testimony about Jesus. John is seen as the first person to understand who Jesus was and what his arrival meant. Jesus also begins to gather his disciples and make wild promises about the future of his and their ministry. Compare this to the beginning of other gospels. We do have a kind of "origin" story, such as we get in Luke and Matthew, but with a very different twist.
2: The wedding at Cana - Jesus' first miracle and a demonstration of his power as well as his involvement and approval of human society and joy. v. 11 points out that this is the first of Jesus' "signs," a technical word in John. The Sign, or Wonder, are held up as evidence of his claims about who Jesus is.
Notice also here that Jesus cleanses the Temple at the beginning of his ministry, not at the end. John is filled with these changes, done to make a point about what kind of Messiah Jesus was. Most of the discourses, events, and miracles in John have no reference with those in the synoptics, or they take on a different meaning.
3: Nicodemus: Jesus is often misunderstood and talking to cross purposes with those he encounters. The whole issue of "born again," or "born from above," completely confounds him. Jesus is introducing new concepts through new language.
4: This is one big story - the Samaritans, the Samaritan Woman, the disciples, food and water, faith and doubt. Who gets it and who doesn't, who belongs and who is on the outside, what is it that really quenches our thirst. This chapter keeps these things constantly in the air, like a juggler, not letting our presuppositions or assumptions relax or make us comfortable. In the end Jesus and what he offers is everything, and entitlement is nothing.
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