11 April
Bible in 365 Days 
2 Samuel 22-24
2 Samuel 22
The character of David is revealed in the two psalms recorded here. In the first of these, found in this chapter, we find the deepest things concerning him. It may be well to note its main divisions, with the definite teaching of each:
1. 2 Samuel 22: 2-4: Jehovah is declared to be the Source of all strength.
2. 2 Samuel 22: 5-16: All deliverances are wrought directly by Jehovah Himself.
3. 2 Samuel 22: 17-25: Deliverance is wrought by Jehovah on the condition of righteousness realized in the conduct of His people.
4. 2 Samuel 22: 26-28: In these words we have revealed the principles of relationship between God and man. God is to man what man is to God.
5. 2 Samuel 22: 29-46: The singer here bears experimental testimony to the truth of the things he has celebrated in song.
6. 2 Samuel 22: 47-51: The psalm ends with a fine doxology, setting forth the praise of Jehovah.
Such convictions - of the absolute sovereignty of Jehovah, of His omnipotent power to deliver, of the necessity for obedience to His law, and of assurance that in the case of such obedience He ever acts for His people - constituted the underlying strength of David's character. In all probability this Psalm was written before his sin, and if so, it will readily be understood how terrible was his sorrow when he recognized his failure.
2 Samuel 23
Here we have first, the second psalm, containing David's last recorded words in this connection. They breathe the consciousness of his own failure, and sing of the divine faithfulness. In verses one to four David set forth the true ideal of kingship in most exquisite language. In verse five he recognized that he had not realized the ideal, but declared that nevertheless God had been faithful to His Covenant. In the last movement, verses six and seven, in words that must have been to him full of searching power, he announced what the fate of the wicked inevitably must be.
The reign of David was pre-eminently the heroic age in Israel's history. This is demonstrated in the list of the mighty men and their exploits. It is interesting to remember that these were men who had gathered to him in Adullam, who had been described as men in debt, in danger, and discontented. They were possessed of natural powers, which had been spoiled but now were redeemed and realized.
These were the elements of David's reign. His deepest character, as we have seen, was the result of such convictions as he had given utterance to in the great psalm; and the result of such character on others had been the transformation of strong men who were useless into mighty men who were capable of deeds of heroism. More than all his victories against outside foes, the influence of his life and character on the men nearest to him testify to his essential greatness.
2 Samuel 24
The Book closes with one other picture, reminding us of the direct government of the people by God in that He visited the king and the nation with punishment for numbering the people.
It has been objected that there was nothing sinful in taking a census, seeing that it had been done before in the history of the people by the direct command of God. But in that very fact lay the contrast between previous numberings and this. They were carried out by the command of God. This was done from a very different motive. That the act was wrong is evident from David's consciousness that it was so; and in the presence of his confession it is not for us to criticize. Quite evidently the motive explains the sin. While that motive is not explicitly declared, we may certainly gain an understanding of it from the protest of Joab, "Now the Lord thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?" The spirit of vainglory in numbers had taken possession of the people and the king, and there was a tendency to trust in numbers and forget God.
David's choice of his punishment once more revealed his recognition both of the righteousness and tenderness of Jehovah. He willed that the stroke which was to fall, should come directly from the divine hand rather than through any intermediary.
The Book ends with the story of the erection of the altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite in which we finally see the man after God's own heart turning the occasion of his sin and its punishment into an occasion of worship.
