Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil distressing spirit from the LORD tormented him.

Transcription

1 Samuel thru Solomon The History of First Samuel Lesson 9-1 Samuel 16:14-17:57 In Lesson 8 we saw the account of King Saul's disobedience regarding the destruction of the Amalekites and their King. This occurred about the 26 th year of Saul's forty year reign. Not long after that the LORD sent Samuel to Bethlehem where the LORD privately and in secrecy anointed the eighth of Jesse's sons, the young man David. 1 Samuel 16:13 "So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah." 1 Samuel 16:14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil distressing spirit from the LORD tormented him. The Hebrew word translated in the NIV here as "evil" is [r" {rah} which is often translated "evil; but is also often translated as "adverse, disagreeable, or distressing." I believe here "distressing or stressful" is the appropriate translation. The lesson is clear. If we continually walk in disobedience to the LORD as Saul had, He may allow depression and paranoia as a result. It is possible that this "spirit" was allowed by God, but not of God, just as it was the case of Job. 1 Samuel 16:15-16 Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil distressing spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil 1 / 54

2 distressing spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better." The solution offered by Saul's attendants was not for Saul to get right with the LORD (a suggestion that probably would have cost them their jobs), but to find someone who could play soothing music. 1 Samuel 16:17-18 So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring him to me." One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. [a] He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him." Bethlehem was about 6 to 7 miles SSW of Gibeah, where Saul had his capital. However, even considering the relative closeness of David, he was still only one of tens of thousands that lived that close to Saul. However, even that short after David's anointing by Samuel, when he was left out of the original invitation to meet Samuel, the LORD's Spirit was beginning to have profound impact on the reputation of David. However, in spite of this glowing report, it will become clear that all Saul heard was that they had found someone they could recommend. 2 / 54

3 1 Samuel 16:19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep." Saul followed up by having David sent for. Outside of the approval of the choice of his attendants, all Saul seems to have done was to sign the letter. 1 Samuel 16:20-21 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. This assignment would have allowed him to be near King Saul at all times, ready to play for his relief. However, even more important, David would begin his education in what were the duties of a leader and a King. He would have been in a position to observe objectively the flatteries and conspiracies that were perpetrated to get the favor of the King. Sometimes, Saul could be a model on what to do. Sometimes Saul was a model of what not to do. This was an intensive education for David that the LORD provided, and that he would need. 1 Samuel 16:22-23 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him." Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. 3 / 54

4 Saul was pleased with David's playing and his service at Saul's court was extended. 1 Samuel 17:1-2 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh [ b] in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, [c] between Socoh and Azekah. [d] Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah [e] and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines, which were a constant threat to Israel, gathered their forces just into the hill country of Judah. The Israelites gathered their forces to meet them. 1 Samuel 17:3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. 4 / 54

5 Both armies took a strong defensive position in high ground with a valley between them. Now the obvious tactic by the Philistines was to get the Israelite army to abandon their strong position and engage in battle with the stronger Philistine army on the valley floor. 1 Samuel 17:4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. The Philistines thought they could provoke Israel to attack by sending out Goliath by himself to mock them. In the original Hebrew it says Goliath was "six cubits and a span." A cubit is about a foot and a half, and a span is half a cubit. This would have made Goliath between 9 and 10 feet tall. Since six is the number of man, there might be a symbolism here that Goliath represented the utmost of man's power. It appears that this race of tall men had descended from the giant Anakites who had inhabited the land in Joshua's time. Joshua had destroyed most of them, but the survivors had moved to the coastal cities of Gaza, Ashdod and Gath where they became part of the Philistine army. See Deuteronomy 1:28 and Joshua 11: Samuel 17:5-7 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. 5 / 54

6 According to the Easton Bible Encyclopedia a shekel is equivalent to half an ounce. At 32 shekels a pound, this armor would have weighed about 156 pounds. The spear point weighed about 19 pounds. In other word, Goliath was not only immensely strong, he was so well armored that he was practically invulnerable. 1 Samuel 17:8-9 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." Of course the Philistines had no intention of honoring this bargain if Goliath lost, as events would show. However, they had hopes that the Israelites would leave their strong positions and attack Goliath in force. At that time the Philistines expected to come down and defeat the Israelites on the valley floor. They also might have had the opportunity to use their chariots to advantage there. 1 Samuel 17:10-11 Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other." 6 / 54

7 It occurs to me that the Philistines might have realized Goliath's challenge would tend to discredit Saul. If anyone of the Israelites could be expected to meet Goliath's challenge, it would be Saul. He was the largest man in Israel, being nearly a foot taller than anyone else (1 Samuel 10:23). 1 Samuel 17:11 On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. Another effect of Goliath's boasting was that it sapped the Israelites' confidence that they could beat the Philistines, who they had been fighting for many years and had beaten before. However, this tactic of the Philistines would come back to bite the Philistines when Goliath was beaten and the Israelites' confidence would soar, and theirs would plummet. 1 Samuel 17:12 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite [f] named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was old and well advanced in years. As I mentioned in the last lesson, Jesse was probably over a hundred years old at this time. David was the youngest of eight sons of Jesse. The three oldest of Jesse's son' were probably at least twenty or thirty years older. They may have been in their forties and fifties while David was a teenager. 7 / 54

8 1 Samuel 17:13-14a Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: [g] The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. David was the youngest. Evidently, once the war started, David was left off the roll of active service because he was too young. During the Exodus, those who were under twenty were not counted as being of military age (Numbers 1:3) and David was probably about 17 years old. Also scripture indicates that those who hadn't yet started a family were probably not good candidates for service (Deuteronomy 20:5-9). 1 Samuel 17:14b-15 The three oldest followed Saul, but and [h] David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem. Although David wasn't in the army, Saul still needed him to play music for his depression. This wording would indicate that David had been back and forth at least twice while Saul was in the field with the army. Bethlehem was about 12 miles from the Valley of Elah where the armies were drawn up. It is worth noting that in spite of his anointing by Samuel, his position in the family hadn't changed. He was still sent out with the sheep. 8 / 54

9 1 Samuel 17:16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. For forty days, the Philistines played this cat and mouse game with Israel trying to lure Israel out into the open field. 1 Samuel 17:17-18 Now Jesse said to his son David, "Take this ephah [i] of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines." After forty days, Jesse became aware that his sons and their comrades might be running short of supplies. Although David had been back and forth to Saul's headquarters, he didn't seem to have been aware that his brothers were attached to the main army nearby. On this trip back to Saul, Jesse wanted David to visit his brothers and bring food supplies for them. 9 / 54

10 1 Samuel 17:20-21 Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. Instead of going to Saul's tent, which would have been prudently behind the lines, David went to the front lines where his brothers were. 1 Samuel 17:21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. For the first time, David was at the front where he saw Goliath and he was in the company of men who were not Kings and Generals. 1 Samuel 17:23-24 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. 10 / 54

11 From this account it would seem that the men in the foremost positions (probably down the hill), were only armed with sword and spear. None of those weapons could be expected to have any impact on the heavily armored Goliath. This seems to present a picture of Goliath chasing those men around like chickens. It does not present a picture of the whole army fleeing. 1 Samuel 17:25 Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel." At this point David heard that anyone who was willing could get permission to fight Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:26-27 David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him." David felt he could talk freely in this company. He expressed his outrage. 11 / 54

12 1 Samuel 17:28 When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." I think that we can conclude that Eliab had been jealous of David ever since Samuel had anointed David and not Eliab. I am sure that the fact that David, his still wet-behind-the-ears teenage brother, was one of the Saul's armor bearers, must have grated on him. He made an effort to convey to his comrades that David was of little consequence, in charge of "those few sheep." Eliab knew that David's had come to bring supplies, yet implies that David came down to "watch the battle," while the rest were fighting. 1 Samuel 17:29-30 "Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?" He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. There were all kinds of answers that David could have made to put Eliab in his place, but he showed great maturity and didn't take the bait. He turned away. If he hadn't the LORD couldn't have used him that day. 12 / 54

13 j] 1 Samuel 17:31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. [ Someone in authority who could speak with Saul directly mentioned what David said to Saul. 1 Samuel 17:32-33 David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy young man, [k] and he has been a fighting man from his youth." Being taken to Saul's presence and confronted with what he had said to others, David spoke freely. Saul was obviously intrigued with the idea. The courageous fight of one brave young Israelite would probably boost morale, although I doubt Saul thought David any chance of surviving. He was honest enough to point out the inexperienced David's disadvantage against a seasoned warrior, although he didn't point out the obvious fact that Goliath was probably five times the weight of David not to mention about four feet taller. 13 / 54

14 1 Samuel 17:34-35 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear [l] came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. The story of David's fight with the lion and the bear must have been known to a few. That was why David had been reputed "a warrior" when he was first recommend to Saul (1 Samuel 16:18). 1 Samuel 17:36-37 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you." David recognized that his former victories had only been possible because of the LORD. He expressed his faith that the LORD would also be with him in this fight. 1 Samuel 17:38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and 14 / 54

15 a bronze helmet on his head. We have to ask why Saul took this tack. He must have known that his equipment would have been too big for David. We know that Saul was much taller than anyone else in Israel. If I was cynical, I might think Saul might have thought that in the unlikely event that David won, Saul might get the credit. 1 Samuel 17:39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. Of course David found that Saul's equipment was unsuitable. 1 Samuel 17:40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 15 / 54

16 Instead David took the uniform and equipment he had used against the lion and the bear, his shepherd's staff as a club, and his sling. With that he stepped out from the lines and walked into the middle of the valley where the stream flowed, and picked out five stones. Some have speculated that he picked five because he knew that Goliath had four brothers with the Philistine army who were also giants. [m] 1 Samuel 17:41-42 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy young man, [n] ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. Goliath did not take David seriously. 1 Samuel 17:43 He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" [o] And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The only weapon Goliath noted was David shepherd's staff. That turned out to be fatal. 16 / 54

17 1 Samuel 17:44 "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" It is better not to boast on your own behalf, especially before the fact. 1 Samuel 17:45-46 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. David on the other hand boasts in the name of the LORD. 1 Samuel 17:47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our 17 / 54

18 hands." It seems clear that this exchange was heard at least by the Israelites. This is one of the great verses in the Bible, and a principal on which all believers can stand if they have made sure they are fighting on the LORD's side. 1 Samuel 17:48-49 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. On that battlefield, the Jews were to the east of the Philistines, with both armies encamped on parallel ridges. Goliath was in the valley between the two positions. Goliath made his taunts early in the morning and in the evening. If this was morning, David would have been approaching from the direction of the sun rising. It is possible that as David approached Goliath was blinded by the sun, and never saw David's throw, or the stone. Now slings were bonfide weapons in battle for thousands of years. Later armies would manufacture missiles of lead to be thrown with even greater effect. Slings could propel missiles such as rocks to well over 100 miles an hour and they break bones or heads. However, for someone wearing the kind of armor Goliath was wearing, going against one slinger, it would take the combination of an extraordinary shot, and the carelessness of the target. Normally, it would have been a simple matter for Goliath to duck his head or raise his shield and the stone would have bounced harmlessly off his armor, helmet or shield. Of course the LORD had predetermined the outcome beforehand. This whole encounter is a clear type and picture of the battle won at the cross. The stone from the hand of David (Jesus Christ) crushed the head of the adversary (Satan). As Satan never saw it coming when he arranged the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, so Goliath never saw the stone coming. Of course the sun is another element in this story that has symbolical 18 / 54

19 significance and speaks of Christ. 1 Samuel 17:50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. The flight of the stone found the one tiny fatal gap in Goliath's armor and killed him. 1 Samuel 17:51a David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. Remembering that the sword is another shadow of the cross, we can see what a perfect shadow this is of what Christ did to Satan at the cross. Satan sought to destroy Christ by the cross, but in fact Christ destroyed Satan by that very cross. 1 Samuel 17:51b When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. 19 / 54

20 The LORD threw the Philistines into a panic. They abandoned their strong position on the opposite ridge and fled. The disordered mob became easy picking for the Israelites who attacked in ranks. 1 Samuel 17:52 Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. [p] Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. The Israelites chased them all the way back to their walled cities on the coast. 1 Samuel 17:53 When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. The Philistines had fled in such a panic that they had abandoned their camp and left it as plunder for the Israelites. 20 / 54

21 1 Samuel 17:54 David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent. [q] Remember, that at this time the Jebusites controlled Jerusalem and would for another twenty years. The significance of that fact is that means that David buried the head outside Jerusalem. This burial place later became known as "the place of the skull," or Golgotha. How fitting that the skull crushed by the stone from David should buried where Jesus Christ on the cross would crush the skull of Satan fulfilling the prophecy of the LORD in Genesis: Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed [r] and hers; he will crush your head, [s] and you will strike his heel." 1 Samuel 17:55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is that young man?" Abner replied, "As surely as you live, O king, I don't know." 21 / 54

22 This demonstrates that Saul had not noted or remembered what he had been told when he approved sending to Jesse for his son to play the harp. 1 Samuel 17:56-58 The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is." As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head. "Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him. David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem." [t] This information may have struck Saul with his initial misgivings about David. He knew that the Kingship had already been taken away from his line. He also knew that the King according to Jacob's prophecy (Genesis 49:9-12) was supposed to come out of Judah, Jesse's tribe. He also might have known the unusual miracles of birth that had accompanied the line of Jesse for the past seven generations which covered more that seven hundred years all the way back to when Israel entered Egypt. Saul might even have started to reassess reports of Samuel's visit to Jesse and his family to offer a sacrifice. At that point, he might have begun to suspect that the LORD had picked David to be his successor. Chronology of the Life of David Age Event 22 / 54

23 Reference 1 Birth - 10 th year of Sa His father Jesse was over 100. Saul reigned 40 years, David became King at Samuel 17:12, Genealogy in Matthew Youth 23 / 54

24 No reference 15 Encounter with lion and bear while sheepherding. 1 Samuel 17: Anointed by Samuel - became Saul's musician and one of his armor bearers. 1 Samuel 16: Samuel 16:21 17 Killed Goliath - gains fame and rank 1 Samuel 17: / 54

25 18 Promised Merab, Saul's oldest daughter, in marriage 1 Samuel 18: Married Michal, Saul's youngest daughter. 1 Samuel 18: / 54

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27 Flees Saul Intercession of Jonathan Flees to Nob, borrows sword from the priests Goes to Achish, King of Gath, feigns madness Goes to Adullam, gathers family, 400 men Takes parents to Moab for protection, comes back David moves to forest of Hereth 1 Samuel 19 1 Samuel 20 1 Samuel 21:1-9 1 Samuel 21: / 54

28 1 Samuel 22:1-2 1 Samuel 22:3-4 1 Samuel 22:5 24 Saul declares David is his enemy and a fugitive Saul slaughters the priests at Nob Abiathar the priest flees to David 28 / 54

29 David attacks Philistines at Keilah (harvest time May to June) Moves to Desert of Ziph and Moan (rainy season - winter) Jonathan visits Saul pursues 1 Samuel 22:6-8 1 Samuel 22: Samuel 22: Samuel 23: Samuel 23: Samuel 23: / 54

30 Saul breaks of pursuit to fight the Philistines (new spring) David moves to the Dead Sea springs of En Gedi (dry season) After Philistines, Saul pursues David, who cuts corner of robe Saul leaves David, David back to Desert of Ziph (fall) Saul marries Michal to another man 1 Samuel 23: Samuel 23:29 1 Samuel 24: Samuel 24:22 1 Samuel 25: / 54

31 Samuel dies David in desert of Moan - shearing time (spring), Nabal Marries Abigail, Nabal's widow This was after marrying Ahinoam of Jezreel 1 Samuel 25:1 1 Samuel 25: Samuel 25: Samuel 25: / 54

32 Saul pursues David to Desert of Ziph - again David is next to Saul and forgoes killing him. Saul goes hom David makes alliance with Achish - Moves to Gath 1 Samuel 26: Samuel 27: David given Ziklag by Achish operates from there 1 Samuel 27: / 54

33 David gathers with Philistine army about to attack Saul Sent home to Ziklag Finds Ziklag looted by Amalekites Pursuit and destruction of raiding party Learn of death of Saul 1 Samuel 28:1-2 1 Samuel 29 1 Samuel 30:1-6 1 Samuel 30: Samuel 1: / 54

34 King of tribe of Judah, capital Hebron In next 7 ½ Years Marries: Maacah daughter of King of Geshur Marries Haggith Marries Abital Marries Eglah In next 7 ½ Years Sons born: Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel Kileab the son of Abigail 34 / 54

35 Absalom the son of Maacah Adonijah the son of Haggith Shephatiah the son of Abital Ithream the son of Eglah. 2 Samuel 5:4, 2 Samuel 2:11 2 Samuel 3: / 54

36 31 Divided nation 32 Abner and Joab fight at the pool of Gibeon. 2 Samuel 2: Continued discord with northern tribes / 54

37 Continued discord with northern tribes 35 Continued discord with northern tribes 36 Abner and Ish-Bosheth have a falling out Abner and Ish-Bosheth begin negotiations Michal compelled to return 37 / 54

38 2 Samuel 3:13: Samuel 3:12 2 Samuel 3:13: Ish-Bosheth assassinated David made King of United Israel 2 Samuel 4: Samuel 5:1-5, 1 Chronicles 11: / 54

39 Jerusalem taken -made capital David takes more wives and concubines - has 9 more sons 2 Samuel 5:6-9, 1 Chronicles 11:4-8 2 Samuel 5: Jerusalem defended from Philistines at the Valley of Rephaim David brings Ark up to Jerusalem Michal speaks harshly to David and is put away forever 2 Samuel 5:17-25, 1 Chronicles 14: Samuel 6:1-23, 1 Chron. 13, 1 Chron / 54

40 2 Samuel 6:16,20-23, 1 Chron. 15:29 40 David in his palace, the LORD gives the Davidic Covenant 2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles David subjugates nations on his borders: the Philistines, the Moabites, the Edomites. He rules those terr Writing of Psalm 72 and Song of Songs 2 Samuel 8:1-22, 1 Chron. 18: / 54

41 2 Samuel 8: David attacks and defeats King of Zobah well beyond his borders. He subjugates Arameans of Damascu 2 Samuel 8: Chronicles 18: Joab & Abishai attack and defeat Ammon and their ally - King of Zobah - they don't take Rabbah 2 Samuel 10:1-14, 1 Chronicles 19: / 54

42 50 King of Zobah gathers new army, David attacks at Helam across the Jordan (in southern Syria) and defe 2 Samuel 10: Chronicles 19: Second campaign against Ammonites - David stays home David and Bathsheba incident 2 Samuel 11:1, 2 Chronicles 21:1a 2 Samuel 11: / 54

43 52 Bathsheba's first son is born Nathan's rebuke, David's repentance, the LORD's judgment The death of the Bathsheba's child. 2 Samuel 11:27 2 Samuel 12: Samuel 12: / 54

44 Birth of Solomon Joab extends the siege of Rabbah, David finishes it, subjugates Ammonites. 2 Samuel 12: Samuel 12:26-31, 2 Chronicles 21:1b-3 54 Amnon rapes his sister Tamar Another war with the Philistines 2 Samuel 13: Samuel 21:15-22, 1 Chronicles 20:4-8, 44 / 54

45 55 56 Absalom takes revenge, kills Amnon, flees to Geshur 2 Samuel 13: Absalom in Geshur 2 Samuel 13: Absalom in Geshur 45 / 54

46 2 Samuel 13: Absalom returns from Geshur by Joab's intercession 2 Samuel 14: Lives in Jerusalem - does not see David's face. 2 Samuel 14: Absalom gets Joab's intercession with David, reconciliation 46 / 54

47 About this time, David reveals Solomon will be his heir. Famine in the land 2 Samuel 14: Samuel 21:1 62 Absalom gathers allies against David and for his succession Famine in the land 2 Samuel 15:1-6 2 Samuel 21:1 47 / 54

48 63 Absalom gathers allies against David and for his succession Famine in the land 2 Samuel 15:1-6 2 Samuel 21:1 64 Absalom gathers allies against David and for his succession David executes 7 sons and grandsons of Saul for Gibeonites 2 Samuel 15:1-6 2 Samuel 21: / 54

49 65 Absalom gathers allies against David and for his succession Absalom declares himself King David flees Jerusalem David's forces under Joab defeat Absalom, Absalom killed 2 Samuel 15:1-6 2 Samuel 15: Samuel 16 and 17 2 Samuel / 54

50 66 67 David takes the census, plague falls on Israel 2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles David assembles materials for Temple on Mt. Moriah. David confirms Solomon as his successor 50 / 54

51 David gives Solomon plans for the Temple 1 Chronicles 22:1-6 1 Chronicles 23:1 1 Chronicles 28: Adonijah declares himself King Solomon becomes co-regent 1 Kings 1: Kings 1:11-53, 1 Chron. 28:1-10, 1 Chron / 54

52 David's death - 40 yr. reign, 1 st 7 in Hebro 1 Kings 2:11 The timing of the events in bold type is precisely described by the Biblical text. The sequence of all the events is also set by the Biblical text. The dates of the events not in bold type are reasonably estimated based on reasonable conjectures like "How old was Solomon when he became King?" I feel certain that none of them are more than two or three years off. [a] Remember, these were the kinds of men Saul was collecting about him (1 Samuel 14:52). [b] Socoh means brushy. Some have said it meant thorny. [c] Ephes Dammim means "edge of blood." Perhaps "border of blood" is the sense here, since this was near the border between Israel and the Philistines. [d] Azekah means "dug over." Looking on the aerial photos of the area, I can't help noticing the number of modern quarries in the area and I can't help thinking the name "dug over" meant a quarry. [e] Elah means "tree." Some have thought it to be an oak, some have thought it to be an evergreen of some sort. Whatever it was, it was a substantial tree. The valley itself would have been a tempting target for the Philistines as it is clearly one of the most fertile and productive in the hill country of Judah (about 7 to 10 square miles of land). [f] Ephrathah was the name of the district around Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19). It is possible the district was named after Ephrath, the mother of Hur, and an ancestor of Salma/Salmon who founded Bethlehem. 52 / 54

53 [g] This still left four other sons besides David at home. [h] The Hebrew here is exactly the same as the beginning of the previous verse which is translated "And David." It is Ö Ö Ö both places. It should be translated the same. [i] An ephah is equivalent to five gallons by volume. [j] He was after all well known to Saul. [k] The word translated "boy" here is the Hebrew {nah' ar} which is used for young men all the way from under ten years to well over twenty years of age (the age of eligibility for service in the army according to the Law per Numbers 1:3). This word is also used of David in verses 42, 55, and 58. I believe David was about 18 at this time. [l] The Septuagint and many English translations have this as "a lion and a bear." [m] 2 Samuel 21: [n] See footnote 1 Samuel 17:33 [o] All Goliath could see was David's staff. [p] About 8 to 9 miles from the battlefield. 53 / 54

54 [q] 1 Samuel 17:53-18:5 and contain events that are obviously not listed in chronological order, but which are all logically connected to the main event. [r] Literally "seed" from the Hebrew word 39' {zeh'-rah} which can connote descendants, but is more understandable when used in the broader sense. The NIV New Testament when referring to this word in the Old Testament call it "seed." [s] Psalms 68:21 [t] 54 / 54