We come to 1 Kings 2, a chapter I never read without thinking of the scene near the end of the movie Godfather 1. June and I saw it when it came out in 1972. I think I read the book when I was on a remote tour in Turkey early in my Air Force career, September 1970 – September 1971. “The Baptism Scene” juxtaposes Michael, heir of the Corleone crime family, and his wife Kay in a huge cathedral at the baptism of their baby with Michael’s lieutenants taking out enemies of Michael and the family. The result of the carnage is that Michael is firmly in control. It’s a powerful scene, not for the faint of heart.

Even though Solomon is King of Israel, God’s chosen people, not the head of a crime family, securing power is no mean feat.

The chapter opens with David giving final instructions to Solomon, starting with a call for obedience:

When David’s time to die approached, he charged his son Solomon, saying, “I’m about to go the way of all the earth, but you—be strong; show what you’re made of! Do what GOD tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you’ll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. Then GOD will confirm what he promised me when he said, ‘If your sons watch their step, staying true to me heart and soul, you’ll always have a successor on Israel’s throne.'” (1 Kings 2.1 – 4, MSG)

Then David gives explicit instruction (see 1 Kings 2.5 – 9):

• Take out Joab for the murders of two commanders of Israel’s army
• Show generosity to Barzillai in return for his hospitality
• Deal with Shimei who cursed David when he was fleeing Absalom

Then David dies, and before Solomon can tend to Joab and Shimei, Adonijah pops up, asking Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, if he can marry Abishag, David’s concubine. We know from our readings the significance of sleeping with the king’s concubines. Ish-bosheth loses the civil war to David over a flap with his general, Abner, over one of Saul’s concubines. Absalom demonstrates his contempt for his father, King David, by sleeping with David’s concubines. And now Adonijah is making a power play involving Abishag. He tells Bathsheba:

You know that I had the kingdom right in my hands and everyone expected me to be king, and then the whole thing backfired and the kingdom landed in my brother’s lap—GOD’s doing. (1 Kings 2.15, 16, MSG)

He then asks Bathsheba to ask Solomon for Abishag, which she does. Solomon sees through the ruse and tells his mother:

What kind of favor is this, asking that Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah? Why don’t you just ask me to hand over the whole kingdom to him on a platter since he is my older brother and has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side!…May God do his worst to me if Adonijah doesn’t pay for this with his life! As surely as GOD lives, the God who has set me firmly on the throne of my father David and has put me in charge of the kingdom just as he promised, Adonijah will die for this—today! (1 Kings 2.22 – 24, MSG)

And who does it? Benaiah – the lion in a pit on a snowy day guy!

King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he struck Adonijah and he died. (1 Kings 2.25, MSG)

Then Benaiah takes out Joab per David’s instructions (see 1 Kings 2.26 – 35).

Solomon warns Shimei to stay in Jerusalem. But three years later he left to look for his escaped slaves. No more Shimei:

Solomon then called for Shimei and said, “Didn’t I make you promise me under GOD, and give you a good warning besides, that you would not leave this area? That if you left you would have decreed your own death sentence? And didn’t you say, ‘Oh, thank you—I’ll do exactly as you say’? So why didn’t you keep your sacred promise and do what I ordered?” Then the king told Shimei, “Deep in your heart you know all the evil that you did to my father David; GOD will now avenge that evil on you. But King Solomon will be blessed and the rule of David will be a sure thing under GOD forever.” The king then gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he went out and struck Shimei dead. (1 Kings 2.42 – 46, MSG)

And the chapter ends with:

The kingdom was now securely in Solomon’s grasp. (last part of verse 46)

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3.8, ESV)

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. (1 Corinthians 15.23 – 25, ESV)

We continue the story of Israel’s kings as we move from 2 Samuel into 1 Kings. God promised David a permanent dynasty, but not all the sons got the word on who the next king would be.

1 Kings 1 starts with his unusual story:

King David grew old. The years had caught up with him. Even though they piled blankets on him, he couldn’t keep warm. So his servants said to him, “We’re going to get a young virgin for our master the king to be at his side and look after him; she’ll get in bed with you and arouse our master the king.” So they searched the country of Israel for the most ravishing girl they could find; they found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king. The girl was stunningly beautiful; she stayed at his side and looked after the king, but the king did not have sex with her. (1 Kings 1.1 – 4, MSG)

Remember Abishag, David’s last concubine.

For now, the scene shifts to Absalom’s brother Adonijah who wants to be king:

At this time Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, puffed himself up saying, “I’m the next king!” He made quite a splash, with chariots and riders and fifty men to run ahead of him. His father had spoiled him rotten as a child, never once reprimanding him. Besides that, he was very good-looking and the next in line after Absalom. (1 Kings 1.5, 6, MSG)

“Puffed himself up.” Another consequence of poor fathering by David. Adonijah, supported by David’s general Joab and Abiathar the priest, throws himself a coronation party. (See 1 Kings 1.5 – 10) But Nathan, the prophet who confronted David after the Bathsheba affair goes into action:

Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Did you know that Adonijah, Haggith’s son, has taken over as king, and our master David doesn’t know a thing about it? Quickly now, let me tell you how you can save both your own life and Solomon’s. Go immediately to King David. Speak up: ‘Didn’t you, my master the king, promise me, “Your son Solomon will be king after me and sit on my throne”? So why is Adonijah now king?’ While you’re there talking with the king, I’ll come in and corroborate your story.” (1 Kings 1.11 – 14, MSG)

They do, and David is decisive:

As GOD lives, the God who delivered me from every kind of trouble, I’ll do exactly what I promised in GOD’s name, the God of Israel: Your son Solomon will be king after me and take my place on the throne. And I’ll make sure it happens this very day….Gather my servants, then mount my son Solomon on my royal mule and lead him in procession down to Gihon. When you get there, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the ram’s horn trumpet and shout, “Long live King Solomon!”  You will then accompany him as he enters and takes his place on my throne, succeeding me as king. I have named him ruler over Israel and Judah.” (1 Kings 1.29 – 30, 33 – 35, MSG)

We don’t have a record of this conversation with Bathsheba, but it’s clear that Solomon was to be the next king. Here it is in 1 Chronicles:

And then from all my sons—and GOD gave me many!—he chose my son Solomon to sit on the throne of GOD’s rule over Israel. (1 Chronicles 28.5, MSG)

Now Adonijah’s guests find themselves at the wrong coronation party!

Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, showed up. Adonijah said, “Welcome! A brave and good man like you must have good news.” But Jonathan answered, “Hardly! Our master King David has just made Solomon king! And the king has surrounded him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada…and they’ve mounted Solomon on the royal mule. Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon and the parade is headed up this way singing—a great fanfare! The city is rocking! That’s what you’re hearing. Here’s the crowning touch—Solomon is seated on the throne of the kingdom! … Panicked, Adonijah’s guests got out of there, scattering every which way. (1 Kings 1.42 – 49, MSG)

The chapter ends with King Solomon sparing his brother:

Solomon then said, “If he proves to be a man of honor, not a hair of his head will be hurt; but if there is evil in him, he’ll die.” Solomon summoned him and they brought him from the Altar. Adonijah came and bowed down, honoring the king. Solomon dismissed him, “Go home.” (1 Kings 1.52, 53, MSG)

Adonijah’s reprieve doesn’t last long. Stay tuned.

No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. (Psalm 75.6, 7, NIV)

As we continue the 1 and 2 Samuel narrative into 1 and 2 Kings, we need to remind ourselves of something from Eugene Peterson’s introduction as it appears in The Message. He’s talking about the sovereignty of God, which is sometimes hard to see in what quickly devolves into a messy narrative of multiple kings ruling over two different kingdoms. Here’s a quick overview:

Human beings, no matter how well-intentioned or gifted, don’t seem to be able to represent God’s rule anywhere close to satisfactorily. The books of Kings, in that light, are a relentless exposition of failure—a centuries-long documentation proving that the Hebrew demand of God to give them a king was about the worst thing they could have asked for…[But] God continues to work his purposes and uses them in the work. They are part of his sovereign rule, whether they want to be or not, whether they know it or not… – From Introduction to 1 and 2 Kings, The Message

And that’s not a bad word for us in the midst of the chaos of an election year: God continues to work his purposes and our leaders are part of his sovereign rule, whether they want to be or not, whether they know it or not.

The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Proverbs 21.1, NKJV)

Before we dive into 1 Kings, I need to pass on a story too good not to share. It supports one of our themes: Holy Moments. Sahil Bloom shared this story by a woman named Pam Kearney on his Wednesday newsletter, May 22, 2022.

I visited Matthew, the owner of Lucy’s Flour Shop a little while back. As I nibbled on an enormous chocolate chip cookie I began to tell him a story.

​A few years back on a bitterly cold December evening, there was a visitation at the funeral home across the street from his bakery. The people, bundled up in coats, scarves, and blankets were lined up around the building waiting to hug the family of the deceased.

​Seemingly out of nowhere, a man showed up and began giving away hot coffee to the people outside. People who entered the funeral home with coffee in their hands whispered of a mysterious man handing out free coffee, and how much they appreciated it.

​I looked at Matthew and said, “I have a suspicion that you were that man. Is that right?”

​Matthew very humbly replied, “Yes, I felt so bad for them and wanted to do something, but all I could do was make coffee, so I made coffee.”

​I responded that he blessed so many people that night by helping them warm up and by showing there’s good in the world. He added a positive note to a devastating situation. I paused, then added, “That visitation was for my sixteen-year-old son. Thank you for being so kind.”

​Sahil muses on Pam’s story:​

“All I could do was make coffee, so I made coffee.”

Matthew was faced with a situation where he felt helpless—even paralyzed—but instead of giving in to the weight of the moment, he took action. All he could do was make coffee, so he made coffee.

Sahil then quoted Teddy Roosevelt:

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

Teddy Roosevelt is encouraging us to do Holy Moments. Or has Sahil Bloom says, “Just make the coffee.”

Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. (Titus 3.14, NASB)

It’s Memorial Day, and I can’t do better than what my friend and former pastor John Ed Mathison wrote in his blog a couple of years ago:

We can casually sit back and enjoy backyard barbecues, boat rides, and beach bashes, but the meaning of Memorial Day is that almost 1.5 million men and women have died so that you and I might enjoy our freedoms. We look to Thanksgiving as a day when we pause to give thanks for the things that we have. Memorial Day is a day when we pause to give thanks to the people who fought and died for the things we have. – Dr. John Ed Mathison, May 25, 2022

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15.13, ESV)

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5.6 – 8, ESV)

PS Peggy Noonan wrote a really nice piece, Teach Your Children to Love America, published March 25 in the Wall Street Journal. I recommend the article in its entirety. Here’s a brief snippet:

You have to start kids out with love. Irony and detachment will come soon enough, but start with love, if only to give them a memory of how that felt.

I’ve spent the past few days reading an old book, one that couldn’t possibly be published today because it’s so full of respect for America. “Manual of Patriotism: For Use in the Public Schools of the State of New York,” runs 461 pages of text and was published in 1900. The flag that illustrates this column is from its frontispiece.

The manual was written after the Legislature passed an 1898 law requiring public schools to display the American flag and “encourage patriotic exercises.” Organized veterans of the Civil War and of the Women’s Relief Corps, who were nurses on the battlefield, pushed for it to “awaken in the minds and hearts of the young” an “appreciation” for “the great deeds” of their nation.

Memorial Day meant a lot to those old veterans, but more was needed. Their generation was passing; they’d given everything to hold the nation together; they wanted the young to understand why.

Unsaid but between the lines: America at the turn of the 20th century was being engulfed by waves of immigrants; they too needed to understand what America is and means to be, so they would love it too.

…

The manual includes a lot of opinions on historical events. One I liked was the assertion that the Civil War ended the day Ulysses S. Grant was buried in 1885. Why? Because America saw who his pallbearers were: “Johnston and Buckner on one side of his bier, and Sherman and Sheridan upon the other.” The first two were generals of the Confederate army, the last two of the Union Army. Henry Ward Beecher wrote that their marching Grant to his tomb was “a silent symbol that liberty had conquered slavery, and peace war.”

You come away from that vignette thinking not only “what men,” but “what a country” that could tear itself in two, murder itself, forgive itself, go on.

Parents, help your children love this country. It will be good for them, and more to the point this country deserves it.

Also when you don’t love something you lose it. We don’t want that to happen. – Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2024

One week ago today, Sunday, May 19, 2024, Ed Dwight of Denver, Colorado, went to the edge of space, powered by Blue Origin’s New Shephard rocket booster. Ed is 90 years old, and, by my calculations, 40 days older than William Shatner of Star Trek fame was when he took the same flight in 2021.

But it’s the back story that’s interesting. Captain Ed Dwight was selected as the first black astronaut candidate by President Kennedy in 1961.

Ed was not selected as an astronaut, most likely because he was black, even though he did complete test pilot school and astronaut training. This snippet from the Denver Post summarizes that period in Ed’s life:

Dwight was among the 26 potential astronauts recommended to NASA by the Air Force. But in 1963, he wasn’t among the 14 selected. Dwight’s astronaut future took a more drastic turn when Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963.

Kennedy was killed on a Friday. By Monday, Dwight says, he had papers in his mailbox shipping him out to Germany. He quickly met with Bobby Kennedy in Washington, who had the Pentagon cancel those orders.

Ultimately, Dwight was stationed at Wright-Patterson in Ohio in January of 1964. He graduated the program and totaled some 9,000 hours of air time, but never became an astronaut. He left the Air Force in 1966.

Asked if he was bitter about his experience, Dwight exclaims, “God no!”

“Here you get a little 5-foot-four guy who flies airplanes and the next thing you know this guy is in the White House meeting all these senators and congressmen, standing in front of all these captains of industry and have them pat me on the back and shake my hand,” Dwight says. “Are you kidding me? What would I be bitter about? That opened the world to me.”

Ed moved to Denver, ran a successful construction business for 10 years, and then became an artist – a sculptor specializing in Black history. His work includes memorials and monuments across the country. Several of his sculptures have flown into space.

In another article, originally by the NY Times but published by the Denver Post, Ed was asked how he felt about going into space. He responded:

It’s a culmination of a long life of events. I’ve thought this would be a nice end of a fascinating story about all I’ve gone through and my reaction to adverse conditions.

Everything I’ve done has been an uphill battle: getting into the military and being an Air Force pilot, getting chosen by the president of the United States to be the first Black astronaut, and facing all kinds of obstacles in the years that I was in that program. But I was performing well, and that’s why they would say, ‘Oh my God, this guy’s getting things done,’ and my Blackness and my shortness didn’t mean a damn thing.

Then, after I left the Air Force, I came to Colorado and became a big-time businessman — and then started an art career at the age of 45.

Before the flight, he was asked if he was angry at how things turned out:

I’m not angry and I’m not lucky; neither of those things is in my mind. When you get angry, your brain stops working. I couldn’t even think about getting angry or disappointed about anything…

After the flight, the NY Times reported his reaction:

After landing, at the end of a flight that lasted 9 minutes and 53 seconds, Mr. Dwight stood on the steps outside the door of the crew capsule, raised his arms in the air and said, “Long time coming.”

Minutes later, standing outside the capsule, he said that the flight had been “life-changing.” He admitted that he had been saying, earlier in the day, that he didn’t need the flight in his life. “But I lied,” he said.

He feels that…

…finally making it to space was not justice, but something that should have happened at some point. “My whole life has been about getting things done,” Mr. Dwight said. “This is the culmination.”

Well done and well deserved, Captain Dwight!

A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul… (Proverbs 13.19, ESV)

PS You can watch a 2-hour presentation of the entire mission at the Blue Origin website. They talk about Ed Dwight from just before 1:15 to just before 1:18, including a tour of his art studio. The flight starts just after 1:20 and lasts about 10 minutes. You can see the ascent through MECO (main engine cutoff). You can also see the soft landing of the rocket booster two miles from where it was launched and then the capsule’s landing. They spend a lot of time with Ed (90 years old, remember) and his wife after. Worth some of your time! Here’s a picture I made from the computer: Ed and his wife after the flight:

2 Samuel ends on another hard to understand story. I’d skip it (it’s my blog, I can skip a chapter if I want to!), but there is at least one accessible lesson along with a foundation for the future.

It starts this way:

Once again GOD’s anger blazed out against Israel. He tested David by telling him, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” So David gave orders to Joab and the army officers under him, “Canvass all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and get a count of the population. I want to know the number.” (2 Samuel 24.1, 2, MSG)

It’s not, “The devil made me do it!” but “God told me to do it.” Weird. And why is it wrong to take a census? The book of Numbers starts with one. But taking a census now for the reasons David did it is wrong, and Joab knew it:

But Joab resisted the king: “May your GOD multiply people by the hundreds right before the eyes of my master the king, but why on earth would you do a thing like this?” (2 Samuel 24.3, MSG)

The Message translator suggests what was wrong with this census:

But when it was all done, David was overwhelmed with guilt because he had counted the people, replacing trust with statistics. (2 Samuel 24.10, MSG, emphasis mine)

“…replacing trust with statistics.” That’s one lesson. Is my trust in God or in the size of my bank account, for example? If I am a “Christian influencer” or want to be, am I in it to advance Jesus or myself?

Here’s a small snippet from a provocative article: How to Be a Christian Influencer Worthy of the Name by Justin Giboney

In John 7, Jesus’ brothers essentially tell him that he’s not maximizing his potential as a pre-digital influencer. He needed to be more outward-facing, they argued, and show off his miraculous works more frequently because “no one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret” (v. 4).

That advice exposed their failure to understand Jesus’ true mission. Even though he’d become a popular public figure, his purpose was much more significant than a few “viral moments.” Jesus wasn’t pursuing influence for its own sake; his message and timing had to align with the Father’s plan of salvation. “My teaching is not my own,” he told his amazed audience. “It comes from the one who sent me” (v. 16).

That text should guide Christians who have a social media ministry and influence the lives of thousands or millions of people. We must never be more concerned with growing our platforms than with stewarding our influence faithfully. God has not placed us in this position to flex and revel in the admiration. Christian influence comes with a cross. Its purpose is far more about self-sacrifice than self-indulgence.

Back to King David who wanted to measure the size of his kingdom. David has to choose a punishment, and he opts for three days of epidemic in which 70,000 people die the first day.

So GOD let loose an epidemic from morning until suppertime. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand people died. But when the angel reached out over Jerusalem to destroy it, GOD felt the pain of the terror and told the angel who was spreading death among the people, “Enough’s enough! Pull back!” The angel of GOD had just reached the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David looked up and saw the angel hovering between earth and sky, sword drawn and about to strike Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 24.15, 16, MSG)

The location of the angel is significant, and David buys the threshing floor of Araunah:

Araunah looked up and saw David and his men coming his way; he met them, bowing deeply, honoring the king and saying, “Why has my master the king come to see me?” “To buy your threshing floor,” said David, “so I can build an altar to GOD here and put an end to this disaster.” “Oh,” said Araunah, “let my master the king take and sacrifice whatever he wants. Look, here’s an ox for the burnt offering and threshing paddles and ox-yokes for fuel—Araunah gives it all to the king! And may GOD, your God, act in your favor.” But the king said to Araunah, “No. I’ve got to buy it from you for a good price; I’m not going to offer GOD, my God, sacrifices that are no sacrifice.” So David bought the threshing floor and the ox, paying out fifty shekels of silver. He built an altar to GOD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. GOD was moved by the prayers and that was the end of the disaster. (2 Samuel 24.20 – 25, MSG)

And there’s the second lesson, as it says in the literal translations: “I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. (2 Corinthians 8.1 – 5, NIV)

Finally, look where Solomon builds the temple (we’ll be there soon in our readings):

Then Solomon began to build the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David. (2 Chronicles 3.1, NIV)

Where have we seen Mount Moriah before? Of course! The place where Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac. And where was Jesus crucified? “Golgotha” – just a few hundred yards from the temple.

Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22.8, NASB – some believe that this Genesis verse could read, “God will provide Himself – the lamb.”)

I was teaching an adult Bible class once and someone took exception to a military metaphor I had used. I responded, “My brother, I don’t make this stuff up, the Bible is filled with references to the military, and God has great respect for military men.” You don’t think so? The first recorded Gentile convert was a Roman centurion (Acts 10). Bible heroes Joshua and King David were military generals. And most of 2 Samuel 23 is a list and description of some of the exploits of “David’s Mighty Men.” It starts with “The Three:”

This is the listing of David’s top men.

• Josheb-Basshebeth, the Tahkemonite. He was chief of the Three. He once put his spear to work against eight hundred—killed them all in a day.
• Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite was the next of the elite Three. He was with David when the Philistines poked fun at them at Pas Dammim. When the Philistines drew up for battle, Israel retreated. But Eleazar stood his ground and killed Philistines right and left until he was exhausted—but he never let go of his sword! A big win for GOD that day. The army then rejoined Eleazar, but all there was left to do was the clean-up.
• Shammah son of Agee the Hararite was the third of the Three. The Philistines had mustered for battle at Lehi, where there was a field full of lentils. Israel fled before the Philistines, but Shammah took his stand at the center of the field, successfully defended it, and routed the Philistines. Another great victory for GOD! (2 Samuel 23.8 – 12, MSG, emphasis mine, bulleted for clarity)

Those were some tough guys!

Wait! There’s more. It’s not just “The Three,” there’s “The Thirty:”

Abishai brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah was the head of the Thirty. He once got credit for killing three hundred with his spear, but he was never named in the same breath as the Three. He was the most respected of the Thirty and was their captain, but never got included among the Three. (2 Samuel 23.18 – 19, MSG)

He killed only 300 in one day, not 800 like Josheb-Basshebeth, above.

And here’s my favorite:

Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. (2 Samuel 23.20 – 21, NIV)

“In a pit with a lion on a snowy day” is a book by Mark Batterson. I recommend it. The subtitle is, “How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars.” The book encourages us not just to admire these men but to emulate them:

Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn’t chase. You will look back longingly on risks not taken, opportunities not seized, and dreams not pursued. Stop running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is inspired by one of the most obscure yet courageous acts recorded in Scripture, a blessed and audacious act that left no regrets: “Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it” (2 Samuel 23:20 -21). Unleash the lion chaser within!

What if the life you really want, and the future God wants for you, is hiding right now in your biggest problem, your worst failure…your greatest fear? – From the Amazon description of Mark Batterson’s book, emphasis his

The text goes on with a list of “The Thirty,” which contains more than 30 names, ending with Uriah the Hittite. (2 Samuel 23.8 – 31)

Dear friends, I’ve dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. (Jude 1.3, MSG)

We’re coming to the end of King David’s life. 2 Samuel 22, which we’ll look at shortly, is a song of praise for God’s faithfulness. Chapter 23 lists his mighty men – definitely worth a look. There’s one more “oops” in chapter 24. The story continues into 1 Kings without a break.

Today: 2 Samuel 22, which is nearly identical to Psalm 18. Many psalms contain an introduction, which appears as an unnumbered verse in most of our Bibles. The introduction in Psalm 18 is verse 1 in 2 Samuel 22, and Psalm 18 starts with the short phrase, “I love you O Lord, my strength.” Otherwise, the two are the same except for the verse numbers. The two screen shots compare Psalm 18.0 – 3 with 2 Samuel 22.1 – 4.

Back to 2 Samuel 22: it’s long, 51 verses, filled with a combination of “things were really bad” but “God stepped in and saved me.” I encourage you to take time to read it for yourself. 2 Samuel 22 I’ve linked you to The Message, which I have been reading this year, but you can easily change translations if you want.

Here are a few snippets that jumped out at me:

⁵  The waves of death crashed over me, devil waters rushed over me.
⁶  Hell’s ropes cinched me tight; death traps barred every exit.
⁷  A hostile world! I called to GOD, to my God I cried out. From his palace he heard me call; my cry brought me right into his presence— a private audience!

¹⁵  God shot his arrows—pandemonium! He hurled his lightnings—a rout!
¹⁶  The secret sources of ocean were exposed, the hidden depths of earth lay uncovered The moment GOD roared in protest, let loose his hurricane anger.
¹⁷  But me he caught—reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out
¹⁸  Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning.

²¹  GOD made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him.
²³  Every day I review the ways he works, I try not to miss a trick.
²⁴  I feel put back together, and I’m watching my step.
²⁵  GOD rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

³²  Is there any god like GOD? Are we not at bedrock?
³³  Is not this the God who armed me well, then aimed me in the right direction?
³⁴  Now I run like a deer; I’m king of the mountain.
³⁵  He shows me how to fight; I can bend a bronze bow!
³⁶  You protect me with salvation-armor; you touch me and I feel ten feet tall.

⁴⁸  This God set things right for me and shut up the people who talked back.
⁴⁹  He rescued me from enemy anger. You pulled me from the grip of upstarts, You saved me from the bullies.
⁵⁰  That’s why I’m thanking you, GOD, all over the world. That’s why I’m singing songs that rhyme your name.

“Every day I review the way he works…” Not a bad reason for our daily discipline!

PS June was just talking with one of the women she’s in spiritual direction with. The woman works with special needs kids in a school and one of her co-workers is constantly harassing her. Verse 7: “A hostile world!” applies. Verse 49 has the promise: “He rescued me from enemy anger…you saved me from the bullies.”

2 Samuel 21 starts weirdly, but it has a fascinating ending.

War broke out again between the Philistines and Israel. David and his men went down to fight. David became exhausted. Ishbi-Benob, a warrior descended from Rapha, with a spear weighing nearly eight pounds and outfitted in brand-new armor, announced that he’d kill David. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to the rescue, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “No more fighting on the front-lines for you! Don’t snuff out the lamp of Israel!” Later there was another skirmish with the Philistines at Gob. That time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, another of the warriors descended from Rapha. At yet another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaar, the weaver of Bethlehem, killed Goliath the Gittite whose spear was as big as a flagpole. Still another fight broke out in Gath. There was a giant there with six fingers on his hands and six toes on his feet—twenty-four fingers and toes! He was another of those descended from Rapha. He insulted Israel, and Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him. (2 Samuel 21.15 – 21, MSG)

More war, and David is too old to fight. There were four giants:

• Abishai killed one in verse 17
• Sibbecai killed another in verse 18
• Elhanan killed a third in verse 19
• Jonathan son of Shimeah killed a fourth in verses 20, 21

My Navigator hero Skip Gray used to say: “Why did David take five smooth stones? Because Goliath had four brothers.”

These four were descended from Rapha in Gath. And they all were killed by David and his soldiers. (2 Samuel 21.22, MSG)

My son David (who shared his observations on 2 Samuel 10 last week) pointed out to me that in 1 Samuel 17 the whole army was terrified by the giant Goliath, and an entire chapter is devoted to David’s taking him on. Now there are four giants, and four different men take them out as a matter of routine. David, the warrior, set the example and trained his replacements.

I have fought the good fight. (Paul to Timothy, 2 Timothy 4.7, ESV)

God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. (Ephesians 6.10 – 18, MSG)