Day 136: Absalom is Defeated

Today's readings: 2 Samuel 18, 1 Chronicles 23, and Psalm 37.

I. 2 Samuel 18 recounts how Absalom's rebellion is crushed as David's forces defeat his army, and Absalom is killed. Yet, the victory is overshadowed by David's sorrow over the death of his son.

II. 1 Chronicles 23 marks a transition from David's reign to Solomon's as king. David is near the end of his life, and he prepares carefully for the Temple that Solomon will build. The focus is on worship and proper service to God rather than military achievements.

The BIY Companion, Vol II, notes:

David establishes what Temple worship is to look like. He changes some of the former rules. Since the Temple is larger than the Tent of Meeting and is a permanent structure, there is a necessary shift in the type and amount of work that needs to be done. So David restructures the service of the Levites, reducing the minimum age for serving from thirty to twenty. (p. 34)

III. Psalm 37 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes:

A wisdom psalm. The poet is an elderly wise man who speaks from a lifetime of experience. He counsels those who are vexed and angered that the wicked seem to prosper while the righteous struggle through life with very little. Reassurance is given that this is merely a temporary situation, for the ungodly are destined to reap the just punishments they deserve. In the meantime, the righteous are urged to trust in the Lord as their refuge and to wait upon his justice. Psalm 37 is an acrostic poem in which every other line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. (p. 860)

That's all for today!