2 Samuel – What We Learn

Perhaps as I’ve been so distracted and the going through 2 Samuel has been off and on that I’ve struggled with summarizing the gleanings.  Then in the middle of the night it was made obvious.  David already did it.

“…the Lord…has redeemed my life from every difficulty” (1 Kings 1:29).

This is the message of 2 Samuel.  It’s easy to get caught up in awe of the amazing character of David and his extraordinary trust in the Lord.  But the real hero, and David understood this, is the Lord.  It was the Lord who redeemed his life from every difficult.  And he had many.

• Civil war with Ish-Bosheth (2 Sam 2)
• Problems with the Philistines (2 Sam 5-8)
• War with the Ammonites (2 Sam 10)
• War within failing in the lust department (2 Sam 11-12)
• His own son, Absalom, executing a coup and sending David on the run (2 Sam 13-18)
• Revolt of Sheba and the kingdom split (2 Sam 20)
• Famine from Saul’s violation of the covenant (2 Sam 21)
• David’s sinfulness in trusting in his military and subsequent punishment (2 Sam 24)

David’s life was marked with war, strife, deceit, treachery from his own sons and his close friends, and more.  His life was relentless hardships and difficulties.  But he didn’t go to the place of self-pity.  He put his trust in the Lord, even when he thought his life had come to an end.  Even when everything was impossible.

It’s interesting as the Lord has shown me over the  years that we need to not be survivors but overcomers.  More specifically, we need to “Overcome the Day.”

Instead of dreading the difficulties or bracing ourselves for the hard, we need to be on our knees before the Lord for strategy to overcome.  Not to be under the difficulties and trials and trying to survive, but rather overcoming.

That is the word we see in Revelation.  “He who overcomes…” (Rev 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21;15:2; 21:7).  We are not just to be survivors, to bear up under heavy loads and have made it.  Rather we are to overcome.

It ‘s like a computer game I played as a kid called Pitfall.  Barrels would roll your way.  You would need to jump over them to get the victory.  It’s not enough to have them roll over you and you live through it.  Rather we need to overcome.  And that overcoming is made possible by the Lord.

“…the Lord…has redeemed my life from every difficulty” (1 Kings 1:29-HCSB)

“… the Lord….who has delivered me out of every trouble (1 Kings 1:29-NIV)