1 Kings 16-18 - Yahweh or Baal

Baasha Reigns over Israel

Elah Reigns over Israel

1Ki 16:12-13 LSB - [12] Thus Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha, according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke against Baasha by the hand of Jehu the prophet, [13] for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel sin, provoking Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their idols.

Zimri Reigns over Israel

Omri Reigns over Israel

1Ki 16:24 LSB - [24] And he bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and named the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

Ahab Reigns over Israel

1Ki 16:34 LSB - [34] In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations with the [loss of] Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the [loss of] his youngest son Segub, according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke by the hand of Joshua the son of Nun.

A Widow Sustains Elijah

1Ki 17:1-3 LSB - [1] Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." [2] Then the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, [3] "Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.

1Ki 17:14-15 LSB - [14] "For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the face of the earth.'" [15] So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for [many] days.

Yahweh Returns Life to the Widow’s Son

1Ki 17:21-22 LSB - [21] Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to Yahweh and said, "O Yahweh my God, I pray You, let this child's life return to him." [22] And Yahweh heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he became alive.

1Ki 17:24 LSB - [24] Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know this: that you are a man of God and that the word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth."

Obadiah Meets Elijah

1Ki 18:1 LSB - [1] Now it happened [after] many days that the word of Yahweh came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth."

1Ki 18:19 LSB - [19] "So now then send [and] gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, [together] with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."

Yahweh or Baal on Mount Carmel

1Ki 18:34-35 LSB - [34] And he said, "Fill four pitchers with water and pour [it] on the burnt offering and on the wood." And he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time. [35] And the water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

Yahweh Answers, He Is God

1Ki 18:36-37 LSB - [36] Now it happened at the time of the offering of the [evening] sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your slave and I have done all these things at Your word. [37] "Answer me, O Yahweh, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Yahweh, are God, and [that] You have turned their heart back again."

Yahweh Sends Rain

1Ki 18:42-43 LSB - [42] So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he stretched himself down toward the ground and put his face between his knees. [43] And he said to his young man, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked and said, "There is nothing." And he said, "Go back" seven times.

1 Kings 13-15 - The Prophet’s Disobedience

A Man of God Confronts Jeroboam

1Ki 13:8-9 LSB - [8] But the man of God said to the king, "If you were to give me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. [9] "For so it was commanded me by the word of Yahweh, saying, 'You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.'"

The Prophet’s Disobedience

1Ki 13:8-9, 17 LSB - [17] "For a word [came] to me by the word of Yahweh, 'You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.'"

1Ki 13:20-22 LSB - [20] Now it happened as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of Yahweh came to the prophet who had brought him back; [21] and he called out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, "Thus says Yahweh, 'Because you have rebelled against the word of Yahweh, and have not kept the commandment which Yahweh your God commanded you, [22] but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water"; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.'"

1Ki 13:33-34 LSB - [33] After this event Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but he returned and made priests of the high places from among all the people; any who delighted [to be so], he ordained. So they became priests of the high places. [34] And this event became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to blot [it] out and destroy [it] from off the face of the earth.

The House of Jeroboam Is Cut Off

1Ki 14:1 LSB - [1] At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick.

The Death of Jeroboam

Rehoboam Reigns over Judah

The Death of Rehoboam

Abijam Reigns over Judah

Asa Reigns over Judah

1Ki 15:11 LSB - [11] And Asa did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, like David his father.

1Ki 15:13 LSB - [13] He also removed Maacah his mother from [being] queen mother, because she had made a horrid image for Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned [it] at the brook Kidron.

Asa Wars Against Baasha

Nadab Reigns over Israel

1Ki 15:28-30 LSB - [28] So Baasha put him to death in the third year of Asa king of Judah and became king in his place. [29] Now it happened that as soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone [who drew] breath, until he had destroyed them, according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, [30] [and] because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger.

Baasha Reigns over Israel

1 Kings 10-12 - Solomon Turns from Yahweh

The Queen of Sheba

1Ki 10:1 LSB - [1] Now the queen of Sheba heard the report about Solomon concerning the name of Yahweh. So she came to test him with riddles.

Solomon’s Riches and Wisdom

1Ki 10:21 LSB - [21] Now all King Solomon's drinking vessels [were] of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon [were] of pure gold. None was of silver; it was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.

1Ki 10:23 LSB - [23] So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

1Ki 10:26 LSB - [26] And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. And he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen and stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

Deu 17:16 LSB - [16] "Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses. Yahweh has said to you, 'You shall never again return that way.'

Solomon Turns from Yahweh

1Ki 11:1-3 LSB - [1] Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, [2] from the nations concerning which Yahweh had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not go along with them, nor shall they go along with you, [for] they will surely turn your heart away after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. [3] And he had 700 wives--princesses--and 300 concubines, and his wives turned his heart away.

1Ki 11:4 LSB - [4] Now it happened at the time that Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father [had been].

Yahweh Raises Up Adversaries

Rehoboam Forsakes the Elders’ Counsel

Israel Rebels Against Judah

Jeroboam Makes Golden Calves

1 Kings 7-9 - The Ark Brought into the House of Yahweh

Solomon Builds His Own House

1Ki 7:1 LSB - [1] Now Solomon built his own house thirteen years, and he completed all his house.

Hiram’s Work in the House of Yahweh

1Ki 7:13-14 LSB - [13] Then King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. [14] He was a widow's son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and discernment and knowledge to do any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.

1Ki 7:51 LSB - [51] Thus all the work that King Solomon did [in] the house of Yahweh was finished. And Solomon brought in the things set apart as holy by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, [and] he put [them] in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh.

The Ark Brought into the House of Yahweh

1Ki 8:6 LSB - [6] Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim.

1Ki 8:9 LSB - [9] There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses laid there at Horeb, where Yahweh cut a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

Solomon Blesses the People

1Ki 8:14-15 LSB - [14] Then the king turned his face around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. [15] And he said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled [it] by His hand, saying,

Solomon’s Prayer for Israel

1Ki 8:41-43 LSB - [41] "Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, if he comes from a far country for Your name's sake [42] (for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand, and of Your outstretched arm); so if he comes and prays toward this house, [43] listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name to fear You, as [do] Your people Israel, and to know that Your name is called upon this house which I have built.

1Ki 8:46-49 LSB - [46] "When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and give them over to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; [47] and if they cause [these things] to return to their heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and return and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, 'We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly'; [48] and if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; [49] then listen in heaven Your dwelling place to their prayer and their supplication, and do justice for them,

Solomon Blesses Yahweh

1Ki 8:58 LSB - [58] that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers.

1Ki 8:61 LSB - [61] "Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to Yahweh our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day."

The Offering for the House of Yahweh

1Ki 8:66 LSB - [66] On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents with gladness and goodness of heart because of all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David His servant and to Israel His people.

Yahweh Appears to Solomon

1Ki 9:2 LSB - [2] that Yahweh appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.

“Brethren, we want renewed appearances, fresh manifestations, new visitations from on high; and I commend to those of you who are getting on in life, that while you thank God for the past, and look back with joy to his visits to you in your early days, you now seek and ask for a second visitation of the Most High.” (Spurgeon)

“We do not need to be converted again; yet we do want that again over our heads the windows of heaven should be opened, that again a Pentecost should be given, and that we should renew our youth like the eagles, to run without weariness, and walk without fainting. The Lord fulfill to everyone of his people tonight his blessing upon Solomon!” (Spurgeon)

1Ki 9:3 LSB - [3] And Yahweh said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have set apart as holy this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.

“Have you never known what it is to leave off prayer when you are in the middle of it, and say, “I am heard: I am heard”? Have you not felt that you needed not to cry any longer, for you had gained your suit, and must rather begin to praise than continue to pray? When a man goes to a bank with a cheque, and he gets the money, he does not stand loafing about the counter: he goes off about his business. And oftentimes before God, he that is prepared to be a long time in prayer if it should be necessary, feels that he must be brief in petition and long in thanksgiving.” (Spurgeon)

 

Solomon’s Other Acts

 

1 King 4-6 - Solomon Builds the Temple

Solomon’s Officials

1Ki 4:5 LSB - [5] and Azariah the son of Nathan [was] over the deputies; and Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest, [was] the king's friend;

Solomon’s Wealth and Wisdom

1Ki 4:20 LSB - [20] Judah and Israel [were] as numerous as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance; [they] were eating and drinking and being glad.

1Ki 4:28 ESV - [28] Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty.

“In Solomon’s court all his officers had a service to carry out, ‘every man according to his charge.’ It is exactly so in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we are truly his, he has called us to some work and office, and he wills us to discharge that office diligently. We are not to be gentlemen-at-ease, but men-at-arms; not loiterers, but laborers; not glittering spangles, but burning and shining lights.” (Spurgeon)

“Many a servant girl gives her fourpenny-piece to the offering, and if the same proportion were carried out among those who are wealthy, gold would not be so rare a metal in the LORD’s treasury. A tithe may be too much for some, but a half might not be enough for another. Let it be, ‘Every man according to his charge,’ as to measure as well as to matter.” (Spurgeon)

Spurgeon concluded the message on a high note: “Everything for Jesus, the glorious Solomon of our hearts, the Beloved of our souls! Life for Jesus! Death for Jesus! Time for Jesus! Eternity for Jesus! Hand and heart for Jesus! Brain and tongue for Jesus! Night and day for Jesus! Sickness or health for Jesus! Honor or dishonor for Jesus! Shame or glory for Jesus! Everything for Jesus, ‘Every man according to his charge.’ So may it be! Amen.”

1Ki 4:29 LSB - [29] And God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of [understanding] in [his] heart, like the sand that is on the seashore.

1Ki 4:32 LSB - [32] He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.

1Ki 4:34 LSB - [34] And men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

Covenant with Hiram King of Tyre

1Ki 5:15-17 LSB - [15] And Solomon had 70,000 who carried loads, and 80,000 hewers [of stone] in the mountains, [16] besides Solomon's 3,300 chief deputies who [were] over the project [and] who ruled over the people who were doing the work. [17] Then the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, precious stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones.

This speaks to the way we should work for God. We don’t work for appearance only, but also to excel in the deep and hidden things. “I want, dear friends, to urge that all our work for God should be done thoroughly, and especially that part of it which lies lowest, and is least observed of men” (Spurgeon).

This speaks to the way God works in us. He works in the deep and hidden things when others are concerned with mere appearances. “We have been the subjects of a great deal of secret, unseen, underground work. The LORD has spent upon us a world of care. My brother, you would not like to unveil those great searchings of heart of which you have been the subject. You have been honored in public; and, if so, you have had many a whipping behind the door lest you should glory in your flesh… All those chastenings, humblings, and searchings of heart have been a private laying of foundations for higher things” (Spurgeon).

This speaks to the way God builds the church. He wants to do a work of deep, strong foundations instead of a work a mile wide but an inch deep. “To maintain solid truth you need solid people. Vital godliness is therefore to be aimed at. Twenty thousand people, all merely professing faith, but having no energetic life, may not have grace enough among them to make twenty solid believers. Poor, sickly believers turn the church into an hospital, rather than a camp” (Spurgeon).

Solomon Builds the Temple

1Ki 6:7 LSB - [7] The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

1Ki 6:11-13 LSB - [11] And the word of Yahweh came to Solomon saying, [12] "[Concerning] this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and do My judgments and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will establish My word with you which I spoke to David your father. [13] "And I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel."

1 King 1-3 - A Listening Heart

David in Old Age

1Ki 1:5-6 LSB - [5] Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." So he prepared for himself a chariot and horsemen and fifty men as runners before him. [6] But his father had never grieved him at any time by asking, "Why have you done so?" And he was also a very handsome man in form, and he was born after Absalom.

Nathan Speaks to Bathsheba

Solomon Anointed King

David’s Command to Solomon

1Ki 2:2 LSB - [2] "I am going the way of all the earth. So you shall be strong, and be a man.

The Death of David

Solomon’s Reign Established

1Ki 2:27 LSB - [27] So Solomon drove Abiathar away from being priest to Yahweh, in order to fulfill the word of Yahweh, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

1Ki 3:5 LSB - [5] In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what I should give to you."

1Ki 3:9 LSB - [9] "So give Your slave a listening heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this glorious people of Yours?"

Pro 20:12 LSB - [12] The hearing ear and the seeing eye, Yahweh has made both of them.

Solomon Wisely Judges

1Ki 3:28 LSB - [28] Then all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

Psalm 31-33

Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

Psa 31:1 LSB - [1] For the choir director. A Psalm of David. 

In You, O Yahweh, I have taken refuge; 

Let me never be ashamed; 

In Your righteousness protect me.

Rom 1:17 LSB - 

[17] For in it [the] righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH."

Psa 31:5 LSB - [5] Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Yahweh, God of truth.

Psa 31:5 ESV - [5] Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.

Luk 23:46 LSB - [46] And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.

“These were the last words of Polycarp, of Bernard, of Huss, of Jerome of Prague, of Luther, of Melancthon, and many others.” (Perowne, cited in Spurgeon)

“Redemption is a solid basis for confidence. David had not known Calvary as we have done, but temporal redemption cheered him; and shall not eternal redemption yet more sweetly console us? Past deliverances are strong pleas for present assistance.” (Spurgeon)

Psa 31:19-20 LSB -
[19] How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have worked for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!
[20] You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

You Forgave the Iniquity of My Sin

 

 

 

 

Psalm 27-30 - You Have Turned My Mourning into Dancing

Yahweh Is My Light and My Salvation

Psa 27:1 LSB - [1] Of David. 

Yahweh is my light and my salvation; 

Whom shall I fear? 

Yahweh is the strong defense of my life; 

Whom shall I dread?

Psa 27:4 LSB - 

[4] One thing I have asked from Yahweh, that I shall seek: 

That I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, 

To behold the beauty of Yahweh And to inquire in His temple.

Luk 10:42 LSB - [42] but [only] one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Phl 3:13 LSB - [13] Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of [it] yet, but one thing [I do]: forgetting what [lies] behind and reaching forward to what [lies] ahead,

Psa 23:6 LSB - [6] Surely goodness and lovingkindness will pursue me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever.

Psa 84:10 LSB - [10] For better is a day in Your courts than a thousand [elsewhere]. I would choose to stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

 

Yahweh Is My Strength and My Shield

Psa 28:6-7 LSB - 

[6] Blessed be Yahweh, 

Because He has heard the voice of my supplications. 

[7] Yahweh is my strength and my shield; 

My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; 

Therefore my heart exults, 

And with my song I shall thank Him.

The Voice of Yahweh

Psa 29:1-2 LSB - [1] A Psalm of David. 

Ascribe to Yahweh, O sons of the mighty, 

Ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. 

[2] Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; 

Worship Yahweh in the splendor of holiness.

Psa 29:4 LSB - [4] The voice of Yahweh is powerful, The voice of Yahweh is [full of] splendor.

Psa 29:9 LSB - [9] The voice of Yahweh makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, "Glory!"

Job 39:1 LSB - [1] "Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you keep watch over the calving of the deer?

 

You Have Turned My Mourning into Dancing

Psa 30:1-3 LSB - [1] A Psalm. A Song at the Dedication of the House. Of David. 

I will exalt You, 

O Yahweh, for You have lifted me up, 

And have not let my enemies be glad over me. 

[2] O Yahweh my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. 

[3] O Yahweh, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; 

You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit.

Psa 30:5 LSB - 

[5] For His anger is but for a moment, 

His favor is for a lifetime; 

Weeping may last for the night, 

But a shout of joy [comes] in the morning.

Psa 30:11-12 LSB - 

[11] You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; 

You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, 

[12] That [my] glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. 

O Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to You forever. 

Psalm 23-26 - Yahweh Is My Shepherd

Yahweh Is My Shepherd

Psa 23:1-6 LSB - [1] A Psalm of David. 

Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want. 

Isa 40:11 LSB - [11] Like a shepherd He will shepherd His flock; 

In His arm He will gather the lambs 

And carry [them] in His bosom; 

He will gently lead the nursing [ewes].

[2] He makes me lie down in green pastures; 

He leads me beside quiet waters. 

Rev 7:17 LSB - [17] for the Lamb at the center of the throne will shepherd them and will guide them to springs of the water of life. And God WILL WIPE EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES."

[3] He restores my soul; 

He guides me in the paths of righteousness 

For His name's sake. 

[4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; 

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

“It has an inexpressibly delightful application to the dying; but it is for the living, too…. The words are not in the future tense, and therefore are not reserved for a distant moment.” (Spurgeon)

[5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; 

You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 

“When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all he snatches a hasty meal, and away he hastens to the fight. But observe: ‘Thou preparest a table,’ just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary peaceful occasion. Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace.” (Spurgeon)

[6] Surely goodness and lovingkindness will pursue me all the days of my life, 

And I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever.

“These twin guardian angels will always be with me at my back and my beck. Just as when great princes go abroad they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer.” (Spurgeon)

“While I am here I will be a child at home with my God; the whole world shall be his house to me; and when I ascend into the upper chamber I shall not change my company, nor even change the house; I shall only go to dwell in the upper story of the house of the Lord for ever.” (Spurgeon)

The King of Glory

Psa 24:1-2 LSB - [1] Of David. A Psalm. The earth is Yahweh's, as well as its fullness, The world, and those who dwell in it. [2] For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers.

Psa 24:3-5 LSB - [3] Who may ascend into the mountain of Yahweh? And who may rise in His holy place? [4] He who has innocent hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to worthlessness And has not sworn deceitfully. [5] He shall lift up a blessing from Yahweh And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Lead Me in Your Truth

Psa 25:4-5 LSB - [4] DALETH 

Make me know Your ways, O Yahweh; 

Teach me Your paths. 

[5] HE / VAV 

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, 

For You are the God of my salvation; 

In You I hope all the day.

Psa 25:7 LSB - [7] HETH 

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; 

According to Your lovingkindness remember me, 

For the sake of Your goodness, O Yahweh.

Psa 25:11 LSB - [11] LAMEDH 

For Your name's sake, O Yahweh, 

Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

Give Justice to Me, O Yahweh

Psa 26:1 LSB - [1] Of David. Give justice to me, O Yahweh, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in Yahweh; I will not waver.

Psa 26:2-3 LSB - [2] Test me, O Yahweh, and try me; Refine my mind and my heart. [3] For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.

Psa 26:8 LSB - [8] O Yahweh, I love the habitation of Your house And the place where Your glory dwells.

Psalm 19-22 - Why Have You Forsaken Me?

The Law of Yahweh Is Perfect

Psa 19:1-2 LSB - [1] For the choir director. A Psalm of David. 

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; 

And the expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 

[2] Day to day pours forth speech, 

And night to night reveals knowledge.

Psa 19:3 ESV - [3] There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.

Rom 1:20 ESV - [20] For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Psa 19:7-8 LSB - 

[7] The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul; 

The testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple. 

[8] The precepts of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart; 

The commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.

One reason the word is a greater revelation than creation is that it tells us much more about God. It reveals Him as the covenant God of love, as reflected in the structure of this psalm. In Psalm 19:1-6, God is referred to as El — the most generic word for God in the Hebrew language (even more generic than the commonly used Elohim). Yet here at Psalm 19:7-9, God is referred to as Yahweh (the LORD), the God of covenant love and faithfulness to His people.

“He is wisest who reads both the world-book and the Word-book as two volumes of the same work, and feels concerning them, ‘My Father wrote them both.’” (Spurgeon)

Psa 19:9-11 LSB - [9] The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether. [10] [They are] more desirable than gold, even more than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. [11] Moreover, by them Your slave is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.

Psa 19:12-13 LSB - [12] Who can discern [his] errors? Acquit me of hidden [faults]. [13] Also keep back Your slave from presumptuous [sins]; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

All along this continuum the Holy Spirit — and hopefully our conscience — say, “No — stop!” All along this continuum, we are given the way of escape by God (1 Corinthians 10:13), if we will only take it. Yet if we do not, and we end up in slavery to sin, it legitimately questions the state of our soul (1 John 3:6-9).

Because of this great danger, David prayed keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins. “Will you just note, that this prayer was the prayer of a saint, the prayer of a holy man of God? Did David need to pray thus? Did the ‘man after God’s own heart’ need to cry, ‘Keep back thy servant?’ Yes, he did.” (Spurgeon)

 

We Will Boast in the Name of Yahweh

Psa 20:4 ESV - [4] May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!

Psa 20:7 LSB - [7] Some [boast] in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of Yahweh, our God. 

The King Trusts in Yahweh

Psa 21:1-2 LSB - [1] For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O Yahweh, in Your strength the king will be glad, And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! [2] You have given him his heart's desire, And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

Psa 21:13 LSB - [13] Be exalted, O Yahweh, in Your strength; We will sing and praise Your might.

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Psa 22:1 LSB - [1] For the choir director. According to Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David. 

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? 

Far from my salvation are the words of my groaning.

Mat 27:46 LSB - [46] And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"

On the cross, a holy transaction took place. God the Father regarded God the Son as if He were a sinner. As the Apostle Paul would later write, God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Yet Jesus not only endured the withdrawal of the Father’s fellowship, but also the actual outpouring of the Father’s wrath upon Him as a substitute for sinful humanity. “This was the blackness and darkness of his horror; then it was that he penetrated the depths of the caverns of suffering.” (Spurgeon)

 “It was necessary that he should feel the loss of his Father’s smile, — for the condemned in hell must have tasted of that bitterness — and therefore the Father closed the eye of his love, put the hand of justice before the smile of his face, and left his Son to cry, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’” (Spurgeon)

Psa 22:18 LSB - [18] They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.

Jhn 19:23-24 LSB - [23] Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, a part to each soldier and [also] His tunic; now that tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. [24] So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, [to decide] whose it shall be;" [this was] in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled: "THEY DIVIDED MY GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS."

Psalm 16-18 - I love You, O Yahweh

You Will Not Forsake My Soul

Psa 16:8 LSB - [8] I have set Yahweh continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psa 16:9-10 LSB - 

[9] Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 

[10] For You will not forsake my soul to Sheol; You will not give Your Holy One over to see corruption.

Act 13:32-35 LSB - 

[32] "And we proclaim to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 

[33] that God has fulfilled this [promise] to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.' 

[34] "[But] that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to corruption, He has spoken in this way: 'I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY [and] FAITHFUL [lovingkindnesses] OF DAVID.' 

[35] "Therefore He also says in another [Psalm], 'YOU WILL NOT GIVE YOUR HOLY ONE OVER TO SEE CORRUPTION.'

In the Shadow of Your Wings

Psa 17:1 LSB - [1] A Prayer of David. 

Hear a righteous cause, O Yahweh, give heed to my cry of lamentation; 

Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips.

Psa 17:2-3 LSB - 

[2] May my judgment come from Your presence; 

May Your eyes behold what is upright. 

[3] You have tested my heart; 

You have visited [me] by night; 

You have tried me and You find nothing; 

I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

Psa 17:8 LSB - [8] Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.

Deu 32:10 LSB - [10] "He found him in a desert land, And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him; He cared for him; He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.

 

Yahweh Is My Rock and My Fortress

Psa 18:1-2 LSB - [1] For the choir director. Of the servant of Yahweh, of David, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 

He said, "I love You, O Yahweh, my strength." 

[2] Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, 

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; 

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psa 18:6 LSB - 

[6] In my distress I called upon Yahweh, 

And cried to my God for help; 

He heard my voice out of His temple, 

And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. 

Psalm 11-15 - There Is No One Who Does Good

Yahweh Is in His Holy Temple

Psa 11:7 ESV - [7] For Yahweh is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

Yahweh Will Set the Needy in Safety

Psa 12:5 LSB - [5] "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise," says Yahweh; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs."

How Long, O Yahweh?

Psa 13:2 LSB - [2] How long shall I take counsel in my soul, [Having] sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Psa 13:2 NLT - [2] How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

Psa 13:3 LSB - [3] Look [and] answer me, O Yahweh my God; Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep the [sleep of] death,

Psa 13:5-6 LSB -
[5] But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
[6] I will sing to Yahweh,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

There Is No One Who Does Good

Psa 14:1 LSB - [1] For the choir director. Of David. 

The wicked fool says in his heart, "There is no God." 

They act corruptly, they commit abominable deeds; 

There is no one who does good.

Psa 14:2-3 LSB - 

[2] Yahweh looks down from heaven upon the sons of men 

To see if there is anyone who has insight, Anyone who seeks after God. 

[3] They have all turned aside, altogether they have become worthless; 

There is no one who does good, not even one.

Who May Dwell on Your Holy Mountain?

Psa 15:1-2 LSB - [1] A Psalm of David.
O Yahweh, who may sojourn in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?
[2] He who walks blamelessly, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.

Psalm 6-10 - How Majestic Is Your Name

Yahweh, Rescue My Soul

Psa 6:4-5 LSB - [4] Return, O Yahweh, rescue my soul; Save me because of Your lovingkindness. [5] For there is no remembrance of You in death; In Sheol who will give You thanks?

Psa 6:6 LSB - [6] I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I flood my couch with my tears.

In You I Have Taken Refuge

Psa 7:1 LSB - 

[1] A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to Yahweh concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. 

O Yahweh my God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,

Psa 7:10 LSB - [10] My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart.

Psa 7:17 LSB - [17] I will give thanks to Yahweh according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of Yahweh Most High.

How Majestic Is Your Name

Psa 8:1-9 LSB - 

[1] For the choir director. According to the Gittith. A Psalm of David. 

O Yahweh, our Lord, 

How majestic is Your name in all the earth, 

Who displays Your splendor above the heavens! 

[2] From the mouth of infants and nursing babies 

You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, 

To make the enemy and the revengeful cease. 

[3] When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, 

The moon and the stars, which You have established; 

[4] What is man that You remember him, 

And the son of man that You care for him? 

[5] Yet You have made him a little lower than [the] angels, 

And You crown him with glory and majesty! 

[6] You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; 

You have put all things under his feet, 

[7] All sheep and oxen, 

And also the animals of the field, 

[8] The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, 

Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 

[9] O Yahweh, our Lord, 

How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Yahweh Will Judge the World in Righteousness

Psa 9:1-2 LSB - 

[1] For the choir director. Almuth-labben. A Psalm of David. 

ALEPH 

I will give thanks to Yahweh with all my heart; 

I will recount all Your wondrous deeds. 

[2] ALEPH 

I will be glad and exult in You; 

I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Do Not Forget the Afflicted

Psa 10:1 LSB - 

[1] LAMEDH 

Why do You stand afar off, O Yahweh? 

Why do You hide [Yourself] in times of distress?

Psa 10:17-18 LSB - [17] TAV 

O Yahweh, You have heard the desire of the humble; 

You will strengthen their heart, 

You will cause Your ear to give heed 

[18] To give justice to the orphan and the oppressed, 

So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.

Psalm 1-5 - in the morning

The Way of the Righteous and Wicked

Psa 1:1-2 LSB - [1] How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! [2] But his delight is in the law of Yahweh, And in His law he meditates day and night.

• Blessed is the man who:

• delights in the law of Yahweh
• meditates in His law day and night 

Psa 1:3 LSB - [3] And he will be like a tree [firmly] planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

The Reign of Yahweh’s Anointed

Psa 2:7 LSB - [7] "I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh: He said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.

Jhn 1:14 LSB - [14] And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jhn 3:16 LSB - [16] "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Jhn 1:14 LSB - [14] And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Yahweh, Save Me

Psa 3:3-4 LSB - [3] But You, O Yahweh, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. [4] I was calling to Yahweh with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah.

Yahweh Makes Me Abide in Safety

Psa 4:6-8 LSB -
[6] Many are saying, "Who will show us good?" Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O Yahweh!
[7] You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound.
[8] In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Yahweh, make me to abide in safety.

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

Psa 5:3 LSB - [3] O Yahweh, in the morning, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order [my] [prayer] to You and [eagerly] watch.

Mar 1:35 LSB - [35] And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus rose up, went out of [the house], and went away to a desolate place, and was praying there.

Psa 5:7 LSB - [7] But as for me, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will worship in fear of You.

 

Psa 2:12 LSB - [12] Kiss the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish [in] the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

1 Peter 1-5

Greeting

1Pe 1:1-2 LSB - [1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as exiles, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to the obedience of Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of His blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

• Reside as exiles
• Are chosen 
• according to the foreknowledge of God the Father
• by the sanctifying work of the Spirit
• to the obedience of Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of His blood

Born Again to a Living Hope

1Pe 1:3-5 LSB - [3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to [obtain] an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you, [5] who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

• the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
• according to His great mercy
• has caused us to be born again
• to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
• to [obtain] an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading
• having been kept in heaven for you
• you are protected 
• by the power of God 
• through faith for a salvation 
• ready to be revealed in the last time

1Pe 1:8-9 LSB - [8] And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, [9] receiving as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

• I have not seen Him
• I love Him
• I do not see Him now
• I believe in Him
• I rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory
• I am receiving the salvation of my soul
• as the outcome of my faith 

Called to Be Holy

1Pe 1:14-16 LSB - [14] As obedient children, not being conformed to the former lusts [which were yours] in your ignorance, [15] but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all [your] conduct; [16] because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

1Pe 1:17-19 LSB - [17] And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your sojourn, [18] knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your futile conduct inherited from your forefathers, [19] but .

• Conduct myself in fear 
• I was redeemed from my futile conduct inherited from my forefathers
• not with corruptible things like silver or gold 
• with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, [the blood] of Christ

1Pe 1:22-23 LSB - [22] Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a love of the brothers without hypocrisy, fervently love one another from the heart, [23] for you have been born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, [that is], through the living and enduring word of God.

As Living Stones, God’s Chosen Family

1Pe 2:2-3 LSB - [2] like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, [3] if you have TASTED THE KINDNESS OF THE LORD.

Psa 34:8 LSB - [8] TETH O taste and see that Yahweh is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

1Pe 2:9 LSB - [9] But you are A CHOSEN FAMILY, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Be Subject to Authority

1Pe 2:16 LSB - [16] [Act] as free people, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but [use it] as slaves of God.

Christ, Our Example

1Pe 2:24-25 ESV -
[24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
[25] For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Wives and Husbands

1Pe 3:1-2 LSB - [1] In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands so that even if any [of them] are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, [2] as they observe your pure conduct with fear.

1Pe 3:7 LSB - [7] You husbands in the same way, live with [your wives] in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

1Pe 3:12 ESV - [12] For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Suffering for Righteousness

1Pe 3:18-20 LSB - [18] For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, [the] righteous for [the] unrighteous, so that He might bring you to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; [19] in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits [now] in prison, [20] who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through [the] water.

2 Samuel 22-24 - David’s Song of Deliverance

David’s Song of Deliverance

2Sa 22:2-3 LSB - [2] He said, "Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; [3] My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.

2Sa 22:4 LSB - [4] "I call upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.

2Sa 22:7 LSB - [7] "In my distress I called upon Yahweh, And I called to my God; And out of His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help [came] into His ears.

2Sa 22:17-18 LSB - [17] "He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. [18] "He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

2Sa 22:29 LSB - [29] "For You are my lamp, O Yahweh; And Yahweh illumines my darkness.

2Sa 22:31 LSB - [31] "As for God, His way is blameless; The word of Yahweh is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

2Sa 22:31 NKJV - [31] [As for] God, His way [is] perfect; The word of the LORD [is] proven; He [is] a shield to all who trust in Him.

2Sa 22:31 ESV - [31] This God--his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

David’s Last Words

2Sa 23:2 LSB - [2] "The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.

David’s Mighty Men

2Sa 23:15-16 LSB - [15] Then David had a craving and said, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" [16] So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and carried [it] and brought [it] to David. Nevertheless, he was not willing to drink it, but poured it out to Yahweh;

David Sins in Taking a Census

2Sa 24:1 LSB - [1] And again the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."

1Ch 21:1 LSB - [1] Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number Israel.

Go, number Israel and Judah: This was dangerous because of a principle stated in Exodus 30:12: When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.

The principle of Exodus 30:12 speaks to God’s ownership of His people. In the thinking of these ancient cultures, a man only had the right to count or number what belonged to him. Israel didn’t belong to David; Israel belonged to God. It was up to the LORD to command a counting, and if David counted he should only do it at God’s command and receiving ransom money to “atone” for the counting.

2Sa 24:10 LSB - [10] Then David's heart struck him after he had counted the people. So David said to Yahweh, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Yahweh, please take away the iniquity of Your slave, for I have acted very foolishly."

2Sa 24:14 LSB - [14] Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of Yahweh, for His compassions are abundant. But do not let me fall into the hand of man."

2Sa 24:15 LSB - [15] So Yahweh sent a pestilence against Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and 70,000 men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

2Sa 24:17 LSB - [17] Then David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, "Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done unrighteousness; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and my father's house."

David Erects an Altar

2Sa 24:25 LSB - [25] Then David built there an altar to Yahweh and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus Yahweh was moved by the entreaty for the land, and the plague was checked from [being] upon Israel.

2 Samuel 19-21

Joab Rebukes David

2Sa 19:1-3 LSB - [1] Then it was told to Joab, "Behold, the king is weeping and mourns for Absalom." [2] And the salvation that day was turned to mourning for all the people, for the people heard [it] said that day, "The king is grieved for his son." [3] So the people stole away to enter into the city that day, as people who are dishonored steal away when they flee in battle.

David Returns to Jerusalem

David Pardons His Enemies

Sheba Goes Up Against David

David Gives Saul’s Sons to the Gibeonites

War with the Philistines

2 Samuel 16-18 - David Weeps Over Absalom

Ziba Meets David

2Sa 16:3 LSB - [3] Then the king said, "And where is your master's son?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will return the kingdom of my father to me.'"

Shimei Curses David

2Sa 16:10 LSB - [10] But the king said, "What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if Yahweh has told him, 'Curse David,' then who shall say, 'Why have you done so?'"

Absalom Enters Jerusalem

2Sa 16:23 LSB - [23] Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, [was] as if one asked of the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel [regarded] by both David and Absalom.

Hushai Saves David

2Sa 17:14 LSB - [14] Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For Yahweh had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that Yahweh might bring calamity on Absalom.

2Sa 17:23 LSB - [23] Now Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed. So he saddled [his] donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.

Joab Puts Absalom to Death

2Sa 18:5 LSB - [5] Then the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "[Deal] gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard when the king commanded all the commanders concerning Absalom.

2Sa 18:8 LSB - [8] And the battle there was scattered over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

David Weeps Over Absalom

2Sa 18:33 LSB - [33] Then the king trembled and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

2 Samuel 13-15 - David Flees Jerusalem

Amnon Violates Tamar

2Sa 13:12 LSB - [12] But she said to him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing!

Lev 18:9 LSB - [9] 'The nakedness of your sister, [either] your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether born at home or born outside, their nakedness you shall not uncover.

2Sa 13:16 LSB - [16] But she said to him, "No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!" But he was not willing to listen to her.

Exo 22:16 ESV - [16] "If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.

 2Sa 13:21 LSB - [21] Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry.

Absalom Strikes Down Amnon

2Sa 13:32 LSB - [32] But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, "Do not let my lord suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon alone has died; because by the intent of Absalom this has been set since the day that he violated his sister Tamar.

2Sa 13:3 LSB - [3] But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

2Sa 13:39 LSB - [39] [And the heart of] King David was consumed with going out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he had died.

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

2Sa 14:33 LSB - [33] So Joab came to the king and told him, and he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.

Absalom’s Conspiracy

2Sa 15:12 LSB - [12] And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

David Flees Jerusalem

2Sa 15:24-25 LSB - [24] Now behold, Zadok also [came], and all the Levites with him carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar came up until all the people had finished passing from the city. [25] Then the king said to Zadok, "Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of Yahweh, then He will cause me to return and show me both it and His habitation.

2Sa 15:37 LSB - [37] So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 10-12 - David and Bathsheba

David Defeats Ammon and Syria (Aram)

2Sa 10:12 LSB - [12] "Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in His sight."

David and Bathsheba

2Sa 11:11 LSB - [11] And Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing."

2Sa 11:27 LSB - [27] Then the [time of] mourning passed by, and David sent and gathered her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of Yahweh.

Nathan Rebukes David

2Sa 12:13-14 LSB - [13] Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against Yahweh." And Nathan said to David, "Yahweh also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. [14] "However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of Yahweh to blaspheme, the son also that is born to you shall surely die."

David’s Child Dies

2Sa 12:15-16 LSB - [15] And Nathan went to his house. Then Yahweh smote the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, so that he was [very] sick. [16] David therefore sought God about the boy; and David fasted and went and spent the night lying on the ground.

2Sa 12:22-23 LSB - [22] Then he said, "While the child was [still] alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, Yahweh may be gracious to me, that the child may live.' [23] "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

Solomon’s Birth

2Sa 12:24-25 LSB - [24] Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now Yahweh loved him [25] and sent [word] by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the sake of Yahweh.

Rabbah Is Captured

2 Samuel 7-9 - The Ark of God Inhabits a Tent

The Ark of God Inhabits a Tent

2Sa 7:5 LSB - [5] "Go and say to My servant David, 'Thus says Yahweh, "Are you the one who would build Me a house to inhabit?

2Sa 7:12-13 LSB - [12] "When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up [one of] your seed after you, who will come forth from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. [13] "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Jer 23:5-6 LSB -

[5] "Behold, [the] days are coming," declares Yahweh,

"When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;

And He will reign as king and prosper

And do justice and righteousness in the land.

[6] "In His days Judah will be saved,

And Israel will dwell securely;

And this is His name by which He will be called,

'Yahweh our righteousness.'

Isa 9:6-7 LSB -
[6] For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
[7] There will be no end to the increase of [His] government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.

David Magnifies Yahweh’s Name

2Sa 7:18 LSB - [18] Then David the king went in and sat before Yahweh, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord Yahweh, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

David Strikes Down Nations

David’s Lovingkindness to Mephibosheth

2Sa 9:13 LSB - [13] So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king's table continually. Now he was lame in both feet.

2 Samuel 4-6 - David Dances Before Yahweh

Ish-bosheth Murdered

2Sa 4:12 LSB - [12] Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

David Anointed King over All Israel

2Sa 5:1 LSB - [1] Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

2Sa 5:3 LSB - [3] So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David cut a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh; then they anointed David king over Israel.

David Defeats the Philistines

2Sa 5:19 LSB - [19] Then David asked of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?" And Yahweh said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand."

2Sa 5:23 LSB - [23] So David asked of Yahweh, and He said, "You shall not go [directly] up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem

2Sa 6:6-7 LSB - [6] Then they came to the threshing floor of Nacon. And Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly upset [it]. [7] And the anger of Yahweh burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.

Num 4:15 LSB - [15] "When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy [objects] and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry [them], so that they will not touch the holy [objects] and die. These are the things in the tent of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.

 

David Dances Before Yahweh

2Sa 6:16 LSB - [16] Then it happened [as] the ark of Yahweh came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.

“No doubt, there are particularly nice and dainty people who will censure God’s chosen if they live wholly to his praise, and they will call them eccentric, old-fashioned, obstinate, absurd, and I don’t know what besides. From the window of their superiority they look down upon us.” (Spurgeon)

2Sa 6:21-22 LSB - [21] So David said to Michal, "[It was] before Yahweh, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Yahweh, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before Yahweh. [22] "And I will be esteemed even more lightly than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be glorified."

“David would more and more abase himself before the Lord. He felt that whatever Michal’s opinion of him might be, it could not be more humbling than his own view of himself. Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him; for you are worse than he thinks you to be.” (Spurgeon)

2 Samuel 1-3 - David Anointed King of Judah

Saul and Jonathan Are Dead

2Sa 1:14 LSB - [14] Then David said to him, "How is it you were not afraid to send forth your hand to destroy the anointed of Yahweh?"

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan

2Sa 1:26 LSB - [26] "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was more wonderful Than the love of women.

David Anointed King of Judah

2Sa 2:1 LSB - [1] Now it happened afterwards that David asked of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?" And Yahweh said to him, "Go up." So David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron."

Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel

Abner Defeated Before David

Abner Joins David

Joab Strikes Abner

2Sa 3:30 LSB - [30] So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

David’s Lament for Abner

2Sa 3:39 LSB - [39] "Thus I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May Yahweh repay the evildoer according to his evil."

1 Samuel 28-31- David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God.

Saul and the Medium of En-dor

1Sa 28:5-6 LSB - [5] Saul saw the camp of the Philistines and was afraid and his heart trembled greatly. [6] So Saul asked of Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.

1Sa 28:7 LSB - [7] So Saul said to his servants, "Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor."

1Ch 10:13-14 LSB - [13] Thus Saul died for his unfaithfulness, which he committed against Yahweh, because of the word of Yahweh which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry [of it], [14] and did not inquire of Yahweh. Therefore He put him to death and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.

 

The Philistines Reject David

1Sa 29:11 LSB - [11] So David arose early, he and his men, to go in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David’s Wives Are Captured

1Sa 30:6 LSB - [6] Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people said to stone him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God.

1Sa 30:8 LSB - [8] And David asked of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?" And He said to him, "Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and you will surely deliver [all]."

David Defeats the Amalekites

1Sa 30:23 LSB - [23] Then David said, "You must not do so, my brothers, with what Yahweh has given us, who has kept us and given into our hand the band that came against us.

The Death of Saul and His Sons

1Sa 31:12-13 LSB - [12] so all the valiant men arose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. [13] And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

1 Samuel 25-27 - David and Abigail

David and Abigail

1Sa 25:28-31 LSB -
[28] "Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for Yahweh will certainly make for my lord an enduring house because my lord is fighting the battles of Yahweh, and evil will not be found in you all your days.
[29] "And should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with Yahweh your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
[30] "And it will be that when Yahweh does for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel,
[31] then this will not cause stumbling or a troubled heart to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord having saved himself. When Yahweh deals well with my lord, then remember your maidservant."

1Sa 25:41 LSB - [41] And she arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your maidservant is a servant-woman to wash the feet of my lord's servants."

David Takes Saul’s Spear

1Sa 26:9-11 LSB - [9] But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can send forth his hand against the anointed of Yahweh and be without guilt?" [10] David also said, "As Yahweh lives, surely Yahweh will smite him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and be swept away. [11] "Yahweh forbid that I should send forth my hand against the anointed of Yahweh; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go."

1Sa 26:12 LSB - [12] So David took the spear and the jug of water from [beside] Saul's head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew [it], nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a sound sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them.

David Escapes to the Philistines

1Sa 27:6 LSB - [6] So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.

1 Samuel 22-24 - David Spares Saul’s Life

David at the Cave of Adullam

Saul Kills the Priests at Nob

David Saves Keilah

1Sa 23:6 LSB - [6] Now it happened when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, [that] he came down [with] an ephod in his hand.

1Sa 23:14 LSB - [14] And David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

Saul Pursues David

1Sa 23:16 LSB - [16] So Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh and strengthened his hand in God.

1Sa 23:28 LSB - [28] So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.

David Spares Saul’s Life

1Sa 24:6 LSB - [6] So he said to his men, "Far be it from me because of Yahweh that I should do this thing to my lord, the anointed of Yahweh, to send forth my hand against him, since he is the anointed of Yahweh."

The Death of Samuel

1 Samuel 19-21 - In God I trust

Saul Tries to Kill David

1Sa 19:6 LSB - [6] And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, "As Yahweh lives, he shall not be put to death."

1Sa 19:9-10 LSB - [9] Now there was an evil spirit from Yahweh on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing [the harp] with [his] hand. [10] And Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

1Sa 19:23-24 LSB - [23] So he went there, to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah. [24] He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

David and Jonathan’s Covenant

1Sa 20:14-15 ESV - [14] If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the LORD, that I may not die; [15] and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth."

Saul Is Angry with Jonathan

1Sa 20:41 LSB - [41] When the young man was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David [wept] more.

David Takes Consecrated Bread

1Sa 21:6 LSB - [6] So the priest gave him consecrated [bread]; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence which was removed from before Yahweh, in order to put hot bread [in its place] when it was taken away.

Mat 12:3-4 LSB - [3] But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, [4] how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?

 

David Flees to Gath

Psa 56:1-13 LSB - 

[1] For the choir director. According to Jonath Elem Rehokim. A Mikhtam of David. When the Philistines seized him in Gath. 

Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; All day long, an attacker oppresses me. 

[2] My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For many attack me proudly. 

[3] When I am afraid, I will trust in You. 

[4] In God, whose word I praise, In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can [mere] man do to me? 

[5] All day long they distort my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil. 

[6] They attack, they lurk, They watch my heels, As they have hoped [to take] my life. 

[7] On account of [their] wickedness, will they have an escape? In anger, bring down the peoples, O God! 

[8] You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are [they] not in Your book? 

[9] Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me. 

[10] In God, [whose] word I praise, In Yahweh, [whose] word I praise, 

[11] In God I trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? 

[12] Your vows are [binding] upon me, O God; I will fulfill thank offerings to You. 

[13] For You have delivered my soul from death, Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God In the light of the living.

1 Samuel 16-18 - Yahweh Looks at the Heart

David Anointed King

1Sa 16:7 LSB - [7] But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God [sees] not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart."

1Sa 16:13 LSB - [13] Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

David Becomes Saul’s Armor Bearer

1Sa 16:14 LSB - [14] Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh terrorized him.

1Sa 16:18 LSB - [18] Then one of the young men answered and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one who is understanding in speech, and a man of fine form; and Yahweh is with him."

1Sa 16:21 LSB - [21] Then David came to Saul and stood before him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.

1Sa 16:23 LSB - [23] Thus it happened that whenever the [evil] spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play [it] with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.

Goliath Challenges Israel

1Sa 17:26 LSB - [26] Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should reproach the battle lines of the living God?"

David Puts Goliath to Death

1Sa 17:40 LSB - [40] Then he took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in [his] pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

1Sa 17:45 LSB - [45] Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of hosts, the God of the battle lines of Israel, whom you have reproached.

1Sa 17:46-47 LSB - [46] "This day Yahweh will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the camp of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, [47] and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh does not save by sword or by spear; for the battle is Yahweh's, and He will give you into our hands."

1Sa 17:48-49 LSB - [48] Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. [49] And David sent his hand down into his bag and took from it a stone and slung [it] and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

Jonathan Cuts a Covenant with David

1Sa 18:3 LSB - [3] Then Jonathan cut a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul.

Saul Looks at David with Suspicion

1Sa 18:12-13 LSB - [12] And Saul was afraid of David, for Yahweh was with him but had turned away from Saul. [13] Therefore Saul turned him away from his presence and appointed him as his commander of one thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

Saul’s Daughter Given to David

1Sa 18:23 LSB - [23] So Saul's servants spoke these words in David's hearing. But David said, "Is it trivial in your eyes to become the king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?"

1Sa 18:25 LSB - [25] Saul then said, "Thus you shall say to David, 'The king does not desire any dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on the king's enemies.'" Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

1Sa 18:26 LSB - [26] Then his servants told David these words, and it was right in the eyes of David to become the king's son-in-law. So before the days had expired,