Fish the Right

Day 106 · Part 7: The Kingdom

David’s Last Song (1 of 2)

2 Sam 21–23 · 112 verses

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In the Story

In context

These chapters gather stories from across David’s reign. A three-year famine is tied to Saul’s killing of the Gibeonites, a people Israel had sworn to let live (2 Samuel 21:1–2; Joshua 9:15). It is a hard reading: David hands seven of Saul’s sons and grandsons to the Gibeonites, who hang them. One of the seven is also named Mephibosheth, but Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth is spared because of the Lord’s oath between David and Jonathan (21:6–9). Afterward, “God answered prayer for the land” (21:14).

Then come four battles with descendants of “the giant” in Gath, one of them Goliath’s brother (21:15–22), and David’s song of rescue, nearly the same song as Psalm 18 (22:1–51). His “last words” picture a just ruler who is “as the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds” (23:1–4). The list of his mighty men tells of three who broke through the Philistines to bring him water from the well by Bethlehem’s gate, which David poured out to the Lord, and it ends with “Uriah the Hittite” (23:13–17, 39).

A word of hope
For you are my lamp, Yahweh. Yahweh will light up my darkness. For by you, I run against a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect. Yahweh’s word is tested. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.

2 Samuel 22:29–31 · David’s men had called him “the lamp of Israel”; in his song David calls the Lord “my lamp,” who “will light up my darkness.”

For families

Rizpah, the mother of two of the seven, spread sackcloth on the rock and stayed beside the bodies from the start of the barley harvest until the rain came, keeping birds away by day and animals by night (2 Samuel 21:8–10). When David heard, he had the bones of Saul and Jonathan buried in the tomb of Saul’s father, Kish, and the bones of the seven were gathered too (21:11–14).

Rizpah stayed beside her sons from the harvest until the rain came. Who has stayed beside you when you needed someone?

In the Bible

World English Bible, as published by eBible.org (public domain).

2 Samuel 21

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2 Samuel 22

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2 Samuel 23

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A hymn for today

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God · words by Martin Luther

Organ and orchestra: an introduction, then each of the 4 verses. Tap a verse’s number to start there.
  1. A mighty fortress is our God,A bulwark never failing;Our helper He, amid the floodOf mortal ills prevailing:For still our ancient foeDoth seek to work us woe;His craft and pow'r are great,And, armed with cruel hate,On earth is not his equal.
  2. Did we in our own strength confide,Our striving would be losing;Were not the right Man on our side,The Man of God's own choosing:Dost ask who that may be?Christ Jesus, it is He;Lord Sabaoth His name,From age to age the same,And He must win the battle.
  3. And though this world, with devils filled,Should threaten to undo us,We will not fear, for God hath willedHis truth to triumph through us:The prince of darkness grim,We tremble not for him;His rage we can endure,For lo, his doom is sure;One little word shall fell him.
  4. That word above all earthly pow'rs,No thanks to them, abideth;The Spirit and the gifts are oursThrough Him who with us sideth:Let goods and kindred go,This mortal life also;The body they may kill:God's truth abideth still;His kingdom is forever.