2nd Samuel depicts the establishment of the Davidic dynasty as God made the covenant with David that his house would endure forever. However, David had soon fallen into sin by committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering Uriah, incurring punishments among the nation. The books of Samuel show us that our ultimate trust is not in rulers who can conquer nations, but the foreshadowed Messiah who can conquer sins.
ICA
Day 1
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 1, 2 Samuel 2, 2 Samuel 3
Choose Better, Not Bitter
David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
2 Samuel 1:14 (ESV)
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son.
2 Samuel 1:17 (ESV)
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles.
Proverbs 24:7
One of my most impressionable trips abroad was a breathtaking boat ride down a river with crystal clear reflective waters in New Zealand. In the Scriptures, the Lord reminds us repeatedly of the importance of the condition of our hearts. In 1 Samuel, we read of David being greatly wronged, suffering under the evil intentions of King Saul. Yet, in 2 Samuel 1, upon receiving news of King Saul and Jonathan’s death, David’s immediate response was contrary to what the Amalekites had expected. David did not rejoice in Saul’s fate but mourned the loss of ‘the Lord’s anointed’. In Proverbs, God’s Word defines that ‘as a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.’ David was a man after God’s heart. He deliberately chose the better response, not bitter. His heart was contrite before God through persecution, recognizing that in all things, God is sovereign.
Prayer:
Loving Father, we come to You and seek Your forgiveness for the times we had chosen otherwise, allowing bitterness to fester in our hearts. As we surrender our thoughts, words, and deeds to Christ, may we be like a crystal river reflecting Your glory in the midst of adversity, being governed in love above all else. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Day 2
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 4, 2 Samuel 5, 2 Samuel 6, 2 Samuel 7
God’s Love to Us was Established Forever
But my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. (16) And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.
2 Samuel 7:15-16 (ESV)
When Saul was disobedient, Yahweh took His love away from him and gave Israel to David. But God promised not to take that kind of action against David and his sons. God also promised to love David’s house and his kingdom forever. This promise appeared to be unfulfilled when his kingdom split into the Northern and Southern kingdoms following Solomon’s death, which were later conquered by Assyria and Babylonia. This promise made by God to David was ultimately fulfilled by Jesus, the Son of David – the Messiah! The early church will see this story and the promise made to David as foundational for the church, the new people of God – the New Israel! God’s love for all Christians will never go away.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your everlasting love. Guide us to be an obedient Christian and let us be immersed in Your everlasting blessings forever and ever. We pray these in Your Mighty name, Amen!
Day 3
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 8, 2 Samuel 9, 2 Samuel 10, 2 Samuel 11
Stay True and Close to God
And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.
2 Samuel 8:14 (ESV)
It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
2 Samuel 11:2 (ESV)
So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.
2 Samuel 11:4 (ESV)
David was a valiant and mighty warrior and he led Israel to destroy their enemies. He was successful wherever he went because God was with him. David was a man on a mission, fulfilling God’s purpose in his country. However, he failed to guard himself against moral sin. It was recorded that he chose to stay in his palace instead of leading his men to war. He gave in to his sexual desires and coveted another man’s wife, despite having many wives himself. This resulted in adultery and murder and eventually a split in his family and kingdom.
Prayer:
Dear God, help us to stay close to you. We don’t want to just know Your commandments, but we want to stay true to your word and live out Your will in our daily lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Day 4
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 12, 2 Samuel 13
A Shocking Blow on Sins
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”
2 Samuel 12:5-7 (ESV)
Though David sinned and was not aware of it, God’s mercy is great enough to send Nathan to him, to show him his evilness through the telling of the parable of the two men. While we could easily point fingers and tell right from wrong in others, may we be sensitive and listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit, lest we commit wrongs like how David and Amnon did, forgetting the consequence of sins.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and mercy, in helping us and guiding us through our sins. Lord, we pray for our sensitivity toward sins, that we are able to identify our weakness in flesh, to rely on You and not on our own strengths to overcome it but repent and look upon your assistance, God. We pray all these in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
Day 5
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 14, 2 Samuel 15, 2 Samuel 16
Whether For Death or For Life
But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.”
2 Samuel 15:21 (ESV)
At the treachery of his son Absalom, David became a fugitive again, as a consequence of his actions of adultery and murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 12:11), and his inaction in the scandal of his eldest son Amnon’s raping his sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13). In the face of all these, many people whom David formerly trusted had turned against him, but Ittai, the commander of David’s mercenary group, pledged his loyalty to David. Though David was proven guilty of his sins, God provided him with faithful companions just like Ittai who would rather die than abandon him. Ittai’s vow to David gives us a glimpse of Christ, who came to serve us (Mark 10:45) and die for us despite our sins (Romans 5:8). In the low points of life, people might choose to abandon God, but God will never choose to abandon us, whether in death or life.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ to die for me and being there for me in every high and low of my life. The enemy is saying to my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” But you, O Lord, are my shield, my glory, and the lifter of my head! Salvation belongs to you, and your blessing be on your people through Jesus Christ! In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!
Day 6
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 17, 2 Samuel 18, 2 Samuel 19
Blessed to Bless
The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”
2 Samuel 18:33 (ESV)
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
Genesis 12:2(ESV)
Looking back at King David’s life, he had multiple marriages, unresolved family disputes, committed adultery with Bathsheba. He must have gone through quite a regretful, miserable emotional roller coaster. Yet, after King David knew of his son’s death as a rebel, we can still tell his grief was overwhelming (2 Samuel 18:33) and incomparable with his other sorrowful life events.
Since 2020, it hasn’t been easy for a lot of us. Some have been separated from their beloved ones while others have lost them. The pandemic has made many ponder over the meaning of life and what’s more after death. Death is inevitable for everyone. Nonetheless, what we can do is to bring comfort and the hope of Jesus Christ when it happens to those around us. We’re blessed to be a blessing to others. We who have trusted Jesus and have received the benefits of salvation have been saved to “save”.
If you have someone in mind, don’t wait until it’s too late. Let God do His work through you.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for giving us the perfect gift of grace and eternal life. We want everyone around us to be able to receive this amazing gift so that our pain will be lessened when our loved ones leave this world. Help us in spreading Your good news, in your perfect way and timing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Day 7
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 20, 2 Samuel 21, 2 Samuel 22
My Rock, My Fortress, and My Deliverer
He said, “The Lord 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 and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence.
2 Samuel 22:2-3 (ESV)
In this magnificent hymn, which also appears in Psalm 18, David praises God for delivering him from his enemies. He had faced many battles, yet the Lord always rescued him.
David proclaims in 2 Samuel 22:2-3 that ‘the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer’. These symbols describe God’s care which we can apply to our life struggles:
“My rock” represents the safety and security of God’s steadfast strength
“My fortress” represents a place of refuge that the enemy cannot penetrate
“My deliverer” represents God’s ability to rescue and free people from trouble
“My shield” represents how God steps between us and harm;
“Horn of my salvation” represents God’s strength and power to save us and “my stronghold” represents God being our place of shelter in times of trouble. If we hold firmly to God and remain in a right relationship with Him, He will provide security and lift us above life’s dangers.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You for rescuing us so that we can sing as David sang and praise You for being our rock, fortress, and deliverer. May we seek Your face and keep Your ways always. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Day 8
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 23, 2 Samuel 24
Offering That Costs Me Nothing
Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
2 Samuel 24:24 (ESV)
But King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David paid Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site.
1 Chronicles 21:24-25 (ESV)
David’s words express a great spiritual truth. The real value of our gifts and service to God is reflected by the personal sacrifice and cost involved. First Chronicles recorded that David paid 180 times fifty shekels of silver.
David needed the land to build an altar, hoping that God would stop the plague because he committed a great sin in counting the number of the people, boasting about the kingdom that doesn’t belong to him.
The reconciliation between the people of Israel and God was restored by David’s confession, a prayer of repentance, and sacrifice. David set an example for reconciliation between man and God, but today the sacrifice is no longer cattle or sheep, but Christ who offered an eternal sacrifice for sin for all of us.
Prayer:
Abba Father, we are grateful that it cost Jesus everything to offer Himself to lift the curse and give us everlasting life. Our gift to you is worth nothing if it did not cost us something. Let us by the mercies of God, present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to You Lord. We shall give cheerfully and joyfully out of a thanksgiving heart to worship You. In Jesus’ most precious name, Amen.