Good morning! In the four chapters for today (2 Samuel 6-9) we see the successive steps that David takes in securing and expanding the kingdom of Israel under his control. The order of action in these chapters—recovery of the ark, devotion to God, military victory, mercy to Mephibosheth—demonstrate David’s priorities. First he seeks to do well in things religious, then military, then personal.
Author: Oby Ballinger
2 Samuel 3-5
Good morning! Today’s readings have a lot of violence—men-to-men in raw contests of power, vengeance and betrayal. 2 Samuel 3-5 describes the end of Saul’s lineage, the means by which David ascends to the throne of all Israel, and his first actions as leader of the united kingdom.
2 Samuel 1-2
Good morning! Though it’s a different book, 2 Samuel 1-2 picks up today where we left off yesterday at the end of 1 Samuel. David is in Ziklag after defeating the marauding Amalekites, while Saul and his three sons have just been killed by the Philistines.
1 Samuel 27-31
Good morning! Today’s passage concludes the book of First Samuel with chapters 27-31. Here we see David finding shelter once more with the wary Philistines, then the battle with the Philistines that leads to the deaths of Saul and his sons. Saul’s erratic journey concludes, but not before the narrator humanizes him further and gives him an honorable end.
1 Samuel 24-26
Good morning! The stories in today’s Daily Bible passage (1 Samuel 24-26) emphasize David’s righteousness as he seeks to follow his calling to leadership in Israel, and yet not overthrow God’s previously anointed king, Saul. These stories about David’s sound, faithful heart both reflect and further establish his reputation as the greatest leader Israel ever had, even in light of his many later flaws.
1 Samuel 21-23
Good morning! Thank you for your reflections and feedback each day, particularly yesterday. It’s great to see how this group continues to inspire and encourage each other in our reading together. Today’s passage (1 Samuel 21-23) shows how the rivalry between Saul and David escalates into a near civil war, with deadly implications for other Israelites caught up in the conflict.
1 Samuel 18-20
Good morning! We are one-quarter through the whole Bible today—no foolin’! 😉 Today also happens to be one of my favorite sections of the Bible ever, because I see myself and my “tribe” in this biblical story. Our passage (1 Samuel 18-20) focuses on David and Jonathan’s love for one another, and how Jonathan risks his father’s murderous rage to save David’s life. I read this as a gay man, and the whole narrative of their relationship (as well as how Jonathan’s father treats him) suggests that their love was known yet shameful and forbidden nonetheless. Countless others have not seen a gay relationship in these texts so I won’t insist that my interpretation is the only one, but leading biblical scholars are seeing this now as the best and simplest way to understand the story here. I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts!
1 Samuel 15-17
Good morning! Saul really hits the skids with God in today’s passage (1 Samuel 15-17), after which Samuel anoints God’s chosen replacement, and we see David’s epic battle with Goliath. The nature of David’s conduct and character reveal what God finds attractive and righteous, at least according to these narratives.
1 Samuel 12-14
Good morning! Today’s passage (1 Samuel 12-14) suggests the eclipse of Samuel as judge and prophet, as Saul and his son Jonathan take center stage instead. We also start to see some of the limitations of Saul as a king, particularly his penchant for impulsive actions whose consequences are not well thought through.
1 Samuel 8-11
Good morning! Today in 1 Samuel 8-11 we finally see the transition of “political” authority from Samuel the judge to Saul, Israel’s first king. “Political” is in quotation marks because there was no sacred-secular split in the manner of formal American structures today. Both Saul and Samuel are understood as leaders with divine authority who follow God, but after this time Saul and other kings will take over public leadership of Israel, while still relying on prophets like Samuel to convey God’s will to them and the people. This relationship will work well sometimes, but also cause mighty problems when prophets and kings disagree about the right course of action for the country. Royal leaders could use coercive military force to get their way, but prophets always had the “trump card” (so to speak) of divine authority on their side (if the people and/or king believed they truly knew God’s wishes).
Pastor Oby Ballinger 