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PHall | November 14, 2013
David had enemies who should have been friends. One was Saul. Today’s Praying through the Bible is a reflective, prayerful song of thanksgiving for being rescued from Saul. It is too long to include it all. Below are some of the highlights. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my […]
PHall | November 14, 2013
During the reign of Saul, he hid, afraid of the giant. There were no giant killers in his army. Then young David slew the giant. During the reign of David, Abishai, Bibecai, Elhanan, and Jonhathan all killed giants (2 Sam.21:15-22). One giant killer succeeded creating other giant killers. Are we fearful like Saul, producing followers […]
PHall | November 12, 2013
“I hope he fails.” Rush Limbaugh famously, or infamously, said that about then President-elect Obama’s policies. Excoriated by the political left, and shunned by some on the right, the brash statement became an oft repeated political mantra sparking another debate. How could one patriotically hope an elected official would fail? How could anyone morally hope […]
PHall | November 7, 2013
Governmental protectionism, religious zeal, national identity, political affiliation, church affiliation, family and personal pride; all these can lead to unintentional consequences caused by good intentions or even those bad. Somehow we have gotten to the diseased conclusion that what we do is no one’s business; that hurting others can only be felt directly; that zeal, […]
PHall | November 5, 2013
“I’ll pray for you,” so easy to say. Could it be an excuse to do nothing? “I’ll pray for you,” too many say. But is it a cold, empty statement hiding our hurt? “I’ll pray for you” but I won’t talk to you. “I’ll pray for you,” but don’t ask me to forgive you. “I’ll […]
PHall | November 1, 2013
Seeing David and Bathsheba as simply a story of adultery misses the lex taliones reprisals. Notice “I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them publicly” (2Sam.12.16) and the fulfillment, “Sleep with your father’s concubines he left to take care of the palace. When […]
PHall | November 1, 2013
Compare the two halves of the narrative:• David sends for Bathsheba and abuses his power over her.• David sends for Uriah and abuses his power over him.To have Bathsheba provoking David and willingly committing adultery destroys the symmetry and has David as the victim in the first half.
PHall | November 1, 2013
In studying David’s narrative with Bathsheba and Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom, I wonder if another sin of David is that he refused to give full forgiveness to Absalom like Yahweh had given to him. “He may return to his house, but he may not see my face” (2 Sm.14.24). This of course encourages Absalom’s rebellion. […]
PHall | October 31, 2013
Three Possibilities Presented: 1) Bathsheba was a brazen woman, a temptress and an adulteress; 2) Bathsheba was a weak woman, an adulteress only by David’s instigation; 3) Bathsheba was a victim. The first is almost exclusively has the text is preached when the text is about David and not Bathsheba.
PHall | October 31, 2013
Compare David and Amnon Both David and Amnon want what is not theirs to have. Both Bathsheba and Tamar are beautiful. Both David and Amnon use “advisors.” Both stories involve a bed: David rises from his bed and Amnon lies on his bed. Both women are sent for. Both stories have David angry Both stories […]