MacArthur - 2 Samuel: Davids heart revealed

MacArthur Bible Studies

2 Samuel: Davids Heart Revealed

2016 by John MacArthur

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Some material from the Introduction, Keys to the Text and Exploring the Meaning sections taken from The MacArthur Bible Commentary, John MacArthur, Copyright 2005 Thomas Nelson Publishers.

ISBN 978-07180-3474-0

ISBN 978-07180-3488-7 (eBook)

First Printing January 2016

CONTENTS

In this ebook edition, please use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [Your Notes] or [Your Response]. Use your devices highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).

T he Israelites had cried out for a king so they could be like the pagan nations around them, and God had answered by raising up a man named Saul. Unfortunately, Saul was not faithful to the Lord, and thus was not faithful to the Lords people. When he refused to repent, God rejected him and chose a new ruler for Israel. This man was David, and while he would be Israels second king, he would be the first king to follow after Gods own heart. The Lord Himself said of him, I have found... a man after My own heart, who will do all My will (Acts 13:22).

Yet David was also a great sinner. It wasnt long after he ascended to the throne that he committed both adultery and murderand then tried to cover it up. This raises the obvious question: How can an adulterous murderer be called a man after Gods own heart? This is the great question of Davids life and, of course, every Christians life as well. How can an ungodly personas each of us arebe seen by God as faithful?

In these twelve studies, we will answer this question by examining the biblical events depicted in the book of 2 Samuel. We will meet a variety of memorable characters, including Joab, the leader of Israels army who was both a shrewd military general and a treacherous assassin; Mephibosheth, Sauls grandson, who was lame in both feet; Absalom, who staged a rebellion and attempted to usurp the throne of Israel; and, of course, we will get to know more about the life of King David. We will witness the terrible pain within Davids household when three of his sons die tragically, and we will also examine the nature of sin, the importance of repentance, and the value of obedience.

Through it all, we will learn some precious truths about the character of God, and we will see His great faithfulness in keeping His promises. Ultimately, as we witness these events in the life of King David, we will learn from his example what it truly means to be a person after Gods own heart.

TITLE

First and Second Samuel were considered one book in the earliest Hebrew manuscripts. They were later divided into two books by the translators of the Greek version, known as the Septuagint. This division was later followed by the Latin Vulgate, English translations, and modern Hebrew Bibles. The earliest Hebrew manuscripts titled the one book Samuel, after the man God used to establish the kingship in Israel.

AUTHOR AND DATE

Jewish tradition ascribed the writing of Samuel to the prophet himself or to Samuel, Nathan, and Gad (based on 1 Chronicles 29:29). However, Samuel cannot be the writer, because his death is recorded in 1 Samuel 25:1, before the events associated with Davids reign take place. Further, Nathan and Gad were prophets of the Lord during Davids lifetime and would not have been alive when the book was written. Thus, though the written records of these three prophets could have been used for information in the writing of 1 and 2 Samuel, the human author of these books is unknown. The work comes to the reader as an anonymous writing.

The books of Samuel contain no clear indication of the date of composition. However, it is clear the author wrote them after the division of the kingdom between Israel and Judah in 931 BC due to the many references to Israel and Judah as distinct entities. Also, the statement concerning Ziklags belonging to the kings of Judah to this day in 1 Samuel 27:6 gives clear evidence of a post-Solomonic date of writing. There is no such clarity concerning how late the date of writing could be, but most likely it was penned before the exile during the period of the divided kingdom (c. 931722 BC).

BACKGROUND AND SETTING

The majority of the action in 1 and 2 Samuel takes place in and around the central highlands of Israel. The nation was largely concentrated in an area that ran about ninety miles from the hill country of Ephraim in the north to the hill country of Judah in the south, and between fifteen to thirty-five miles east to west. The major cities of 1 and 2 Samuel were found in these central highlands: Shiloh, the residence of Eli and the tabernacle; Ramah, the hometown of Samuel; Gibeah, the headquarters of Saul; Bethlehem, the birthplace of David; Hebron, Davids capital when he ruled over Judah; and Jerusalem, the ultimate city of David.

The events in 1 and 2 Samuel occurred between the years c. 1105 BC (the birth of Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:128) and c. 971 BC (the last words of David in 2 Samuel 23:17). Thus, the books span about 135 years of history. During those years, Israel was transformed from a loosely knit group of tribes under judges to a united nation under the reign of a centralized monarchy. The books primarily examine the lives of Samuel (c. 11051030 BC); Saul, who reigned c. 10511011 BC; and David, who was king of the united monarchy (c. 1011971 BC).

HISTORICAL AND THEOLOGICAL THEMES

As 1 Samuel begins, Israel was at a low point spiritually. The priesthood was corrupt, the ark of the covenant was not at the tabernacle, idolatry was being practiced, and the judges were dishonest. Through the influence of Samuel and David, these conditions were reversed. By the end of 2 Samuel, the anger of the Lord had been withdrawn from Israel (see 2 Samuel 24:25).

During the years narrated in 1 and 2 Samuel, the great empires of the ancient world were in a state of weakness. Neither Egypt nor the Mesopotamian powers, Babylon and Assyria, were threats to Israel at this time. The two nations most hostile to the Israelites were the Ammonites to the east and the Philistines to the west. The Ammonites were descendants of Lot (see Genesis 19:38) who lived on the Transjordan plateau. The major contingent of the Philistines had migrated from the Aegean islands and Asia Minor in the twelfth century BC. After being denied access to Egypt, they settled among other Philistines along the Mediterranean coast of Palestine. They controlled the use of iron, which gave them a decided military and economic advantage over Israel.