2 Samuel (Bible Briefs) (original) (raw)
Related papers
Devotional and Academic Notes on 2 Samuel 1 Devotional and Academic Notes on 2 Samuel Koot van Wyk
louishester, 2019
Modern pastors frequently adapt the same sermon to different audiences, omitting and adding as the case may demand. Focusing on the audience and their level of context understanding, or on God and what He intended to say, or on the text and the data as it is, the pastor end up delivering the same sermon in three different ways. If he then writes two of them by himself and a scribe writes his sermon while he speaks, there will be sometimes acoustic misperceptions or spelling differences. There is no need to invent three pastors. The Word of God speaks for itself and answers it own way. The believer who stand still for a moment and contemplate the way modern people speak and communicate, can easily begin to understand why there are differences in recastings of the same material in the Old Testament. 2 Samuel is commented on from chapters 7-24. It is both devotional and academic. Doublets and errors in them is an Ancient Near Eastern phenomenon and these are explored by examples from Emar, within 2 Samuel, Behistun inscription of Darius. The work of the Holy Spirit in guiding the completion of the record with slips, in the capacity of Final Editor, adds to our understanding of the difficult human history that was made difficult not by the Spirit's oversight, but is a sample or illustration of the results of human sin on the copying practices in the past. Doublets are carefully considered and reasons supplied for the slips.
It may be said that the entire theological framework of 1 and 2 Samuel is indelibly contained and poetically predicted in the songs which begin and end it. Said differently, the songs of Hannah and David, which form a kind of collaborative prologue and epilogue, contain the primary theological motifs of 1 and 2 Samuel in hymnic form. This phenomenon is made clear not only in the narrative of Hannah’s own experience in the early chapters of 1 Samuel, but also in the many subsequent chapters of the one story, in which are worked out the key themes of kingship, the Davidic covenant, and the reversal of fortunes in the humiliation of the prideful and the exaltation of the humble. The significance of these songs should not be understated, as they provide a coherent structure, as well as a prophetic foreshadowing and interpretation of the events of the book. Indeed, V. Philips Long affirms: “the story [and song] of Hannah provides essential orientation to the dynamics of the book of Samuel as a whole.” Likewise, William J. Dumbrell, in “The Content and Significance of Books of Samuel” agrees, stating: “the song [of Hannah] in substance presents the program to which the books of Samuel will be devoted.” While scholars have historically debated whether the Song of Hannah is her own composition, or a psalm later compiled in the post-exilic period and inserted into the text anachronistically, the content of the song clearly and undoubtedly functions in an organic way to serve the whole by establishing a narratival and theological lens through which the rise and fall of Israel’s monarchy, and the significant characters involved, may be understood. Therefore, it follows: if we desire to better understand the plot, theme, and theology 1 and 2 Samuel, we would do well to understand the content and significance of Hannah and David’s songs. The significance of songs that are full of theological import and reflect on the events of Biblical history should come as no surprise to the careful reader of Scripture. The people of the LORD have always been a people of song. In key moments of redemptive-historical significance, God’s people have verbally and poetically recounted the wondrous works of YHWH, solidifying in their memory the particular events associated with them. The power of song and of poetry is particularly the capability to compress significant theological and narratival data into relatively brief stanzas. And this is precisely how Hannah and David’s songs function; capturing the broader theological landscape of 1 and 2 Samuel in a combined total of 60 verses. Thus, it is the scope and purpose of this paper to provide an exegetical examination of the hymnic theology of Hannah’s Song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 in comparison with David’s Song in 2 Samuel 22:2-51, to demonstrate that these psalms provide the theological framework or grid through which the whole of 1 and 2 Samuel may be understood, and therefore provide the key to understanding not only how the monarchy of Israel comes to be established, but also how and why it will ultimately fail and fall. This examination will inevitably lead us to consider the redemptive-historical significance of Israel’s search for a true king who can fulfill the perfect, personal, and perpetual requirements of obedience to the covenant of God and lead the people of God into the promised land of perfect peace and rest. Thus, our study will ultimately conclude with a brief examination of one final song—that of another divinely favored woman, Mary, in Luke 1:46-55; which song forms the biblical-theological bridge to the content and theology of 1 and 2 Samuel, demonstrating convincingly that it is God’s prerogative to take what is lowly, abased, and weak in the eyes of the world, and by it shame the strong, self-righteous, and prideful (1 Cor. 1:26-31), for truly God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet. 5:5-6; James 4:6-7). Finally, through our examination of Mary’s Magnificat, we will seek to show the fulfillment of these theological motifs in the person and work of Jesus Christ, whose advent, life, ministry, and death, is the penultimate model of humiliation unto exaltation.
'Yahweh will Strengthen His Anointed': An Exegesis of 2 Samuel 3-4
Following the death of Saul and also preceding the establishing of David as king over all Israel, 2 Samuel 3-4 stands as a narrative bridge for the transition from the Saulide to the Davidic kingship. Against this backdrop of monarchical shift, these chapters bear witness to the reliable truth that Yahweh will surely establish His true anointed king, and conversely cautions against a kingship built on man's wickedness and evil schemes. By considering the structure of 2 Samuel 3-4, its context, its function within the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, its meaning for its original audience, key details and themes, this essay aims to highlight the main theme of the passage, namely that Yahweh Himself will give strength to His king and exalt Him in justice. The purpose of the passage is for readers to behold and follow Yahweh's true anointed king who trusts in His might rather than man's wicked schemes. The essay also concludes with a brief outline of a talk aiming to communicate 2 Samuel 3-4 faithfully to a local church congregation.
Teleioteti, 2019
Though many studies have probed the significance of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7:1-17) within the biblical canon, few have endeavoured to explore its significance within the narrative of Samuel. This thesis argues that by weaving references to God's promises made to David (collectively known as the Davidic Covenant) throughout his narrative, that author of Samuel reveals God's will to strip away all human pretension by bringing His promises to fulfillment through the lowly David, whose acension to kingship and endurance therein is owing all to God. In this way, the author fulfills his purpose to demonstrate God's sovereign working in history to establish His kingdom on earth through His chosen priest-king, a descendant of David, in fulfillment of the promises He made beforehand. Engaging in a literary close-reading of the text of Samuel, the author shows how the narrative of Samuel is shaped towards this end. In the present environment of high interest in the Book of Samuel, this contribution by James Rutherford is most welcome. Rutherford is well versed in current scholarship on Samuel, but his work moves well beyond this scholarship to contribute fresh insights, not least in respect of the priestly character of King David. And concerning its structure, Rutherford argues that the Book of Samuel as a whole is arranged and narrated so as to draw attention to the centrality of the Davidic Covenant of 2 Samuel 7. Having myself studied 1 and 2 Samuel for decades now, I was nevertheless benefitted at numerous points from Rutherford’s creative interpretive suggestions. His is a work well conceived, well written, and worthy of a serious read." V. Philips Long, Professor of Old Testament, Regent College This thesis argues that by weaving references to God’s promises made to King David throughout his narrative, the author of Samuel reveals God’s will to strip away all human pretension by bringing his promises to fulfillment through a lowly man whose ascension to kingship and endurance therein is entirely owing to God. In this way, the Samuel author fulfils his purpose of demonstrating God’s sovereign working in history to establish his kingdom on earth through his chosen priest-king, a descendant of David. The thesis represents an excellent piece of work that does a great job of bringing together into one coherent argument, focused on the Davidic covenant, much of the best recent narrative-critical research on 1-2 Samuel, and from this point of view represents a distinctive contribution to the field of Samuel studies." Iain Provan, Marshall Sheppard Professor of Biblical Studies, Regent College
Hannah's song in thankfulness to the God. 12 The sin of Eli's sons. 18 Samuel's ministry. 20 Eli blesses Elkanah and his wife, who beareth more children. 22 Eli reproveth his sons.