2 SAMUEL LESSON 24
We will begin this lesson in II Samuel 23:1 "Now these [be] the
last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man [who
was] raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the
sweet psalmist of Israel, said,"
In the last lesson, we saw the sweet song of David in his youth,
before he sinned against God. In this song, we see David at a much
later date. David penned many of the Psalms to be used in public
worship, so it is correct for him to be called "sweet psalmist", here.
II Samuel 23:2 'The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word
[was] in my tongue."
David is saying, here, that he spoke as an oracle of God. His
tongue was submitted to the LORD. The Spirit of the LORD would come
upon David, and he would speak as the Spirit moved him.
II Samuel 23:3 "The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake
to me, He that ruleth over men [must be] just, ruling in the fear of
God."
Ruling the people is a great honor bestowed upon man by God, but
it carries with it a great responsibility. God had revealed to David,
that in the end, the LORD is judge of all. The Lord judges the kings
of this earth. They should remember, when they are judging, that
someday they will stand before the LORD to be judged themselves. They
will be judged in the same manner they judged others.
II Samuel 23:4 "And [he shall be] as the light of the morning,
[when] the sun riseth, [even] a morning without clouds; [as] the
tender grass [springing] out of the earth by clear shining after
rain."
When a king judges justly, it is like the light of the morning,
that drives away the darkness of the night before. Physical, or
spiritual, darkness cannot remain, when the Light of the LORD is
shined forth. Light does away with darkness. Light causes things to
grow, not darkness. This is true of the growth of a believer, as well.
The more Light that is applied in the life of a believer, the more
he grows.
II Samuel 23:5 "Although my house [be] not so with God; yet he
hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all [things],
and sure: for [this is] all my salvation, and all [my] desire,
although he make [it] not to grow."
David is feeling the pain, that his sin had brought to his own
personal household here. In spite of the sins of David, God had
forgiven him, and made an everlasting covenant with him. This covenant
would be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.
II Samuel 23:6 "But [the sons] of Belial [shall be] all of them
as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:"
"Belial" means worthlessness. David is saying, that just as you
would gather up thorny bushes and burn them to keep them from ruining
the crop, the worthless people should be dealt with harshly. He cannot
judge them kindly, they have to be destroyed.
II Samuel 23:7 "But the man [that] shall touch them must be
fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly
burned with fire in the [same] place."
It is such a shame, but the worthless mixing with God's people
affect them negatively. They become worthless, too. This is saying,
again, not to mingle with this sort of person.
II Samuel 23:8 "These [be] the names of the mighty men whom
David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the
captains; the same [was] Adino the Eznite: [he lift up his spear]
against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time."
There were thirty mighties chosen of the men who followed David.
They had stood beside David, and helped him in his struggle to become
king of all Israel. He was, possibly, at Hebron serving as the head of
Judah, when this particular list of mighties was given. Some scholars
believe the person intended in the Scripture above, is Jashobeam the
Hachmonite. We do know that whoever he was, this is speaking of a very
brave man who lift up his spear against 800 of David's enemies.
II Samuel 23:9 "And after him [was] Eleazar the son of Dodo the
Ahohite, [one] of the three mighty men with David, when they defied
the Philistines [that] were there gathered together to battle, and the
men of Israel were gone away:"
Dodo, or Dodai, as he is called in other Scriptures, was the
commander of the second division of the royal troops of David. The
fact that he was an Ahohite, shows that he was of the tribe of
Benjamin. They were known for their strong warriors. This was when
just Judah came against the Philistines. Eleazar fought, until his
hand would not come off the sword. Sometimes, they had to pour hot
water on the soldier's hand, before the muscles would relax, and let
him drop the sword.
II Samuel 23:10 "He arose, and smote the Philistines until his
hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD
wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him
only to spoil."
It appears that, he actually led the battle, and in fact, did
much of the destroying of the enemy himself. The LORD was with him in
battle, and he won a great victory. His men came in, and picked up the
spoil that was left.
II Samuel 23:11 "And after him [was] Shammah the son of Agee the
Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop,
where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from
the Philistines." II Samuel 23:12 "But he stood in the midst of the
ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD
wrought a great victory."
This is a detail of one of the battles that Shammah fought with
the Philistines. "Lintles" was similar to a field of barley. The
people got away, but Shammah defeated the Philistines here. The Lord
was with him, and brought this great victory by him.
II Samuel 23:13 "And three of the thirty chief went down, and
came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the
troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim." II Samuel
23:14 "And David [was] then in an hold, and the garrison of the
Philistines [was] then [in] Beth-lehem."
This is speaking of a time, when David had left out of Bethlehem,
and was hiding in Adullam. This was a place that David had a fortress
in the frontier. He had gone there several times for safety from
oncoming enemy forces. These are three more men, other than the ones
we have just read about above. Two of them are Abishai and Benaiah.
The Philistines lay betweeen them and Bethlehem, in the valley of
Rephaim. It is thought to be a valley 3 miles in length lying
southwest of Jerusalem.
II Samuel 23:15 "And David longed, and said, Oh that one would
give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which [is] by
the gate!" II Samuel 23:16 "And the three mighty men brake through the
host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem,
that [was] by the gate, and took [it], and brought [it] to David:
nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the
LORD." II Samuel 23:17 "And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I
should do this: [is not this] the blood of the men that went in
jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things
did these three mighty men."
David longs for the water of Bethlehem. He is truly longing to be
restored to live in Bethlehem. This is saying, that these three mighty
men wanted to please their king, so at risk of their lives, they
sneaked through the Philistines, and brought water to their king.
Instead of David drinking the water, he poured it out as a drink
offering before the LORD. This established these three men as part of
the thirty mighty men. David refused to drink of this water, because
it represented their blood they had offered. Their bravery, in
acquiring this water for David, could have cost them their lives.
II Samuel 23:18 "And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of
Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against
three hundred, [and] slew [them], and had the name among three."
II Samuel 23:19 "Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was
their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the [first] three."
We see that ofthe three that went to Bethlehem for water for
David, Abishai was the bravest, and became their captain. He killed
300 men, but that was less than what we had read about that the first
three of the thirty had done.
II Samuel 23:20 "And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a
valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike
men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit
in time of snow:" II Samuel 23:21 "And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly
man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him
with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and
slew him with his own spear." II Samuel 23:22 "These [things] did
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men."
II Samuel 23:23 "He was more honourable than the thirty, but he
attained not to the [first] three. And David set him over his guard."
Benaniah was very powerful throughout the reign of David. He was
made captain of the guard. In the army of 24,000, that went out by
three groups, David put him over the third group. Jehoiada was a
priest. The 2 lionlike men, that he killed, were sons of Ariel. Lions
were enemies of men then, and this was quite a feat. It appears, that
he fought the Egyptian without a weapon. He just took the Egyptian's
weapon, and killed him with his own weapon. Again he was not the most
prominent, but he was above most of the mighty 30.
II Samuel 23:24 "Asahel the brother of Joab [was] one of the
thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,"
These thirty were over groups of David's men. There were three
above this thirty, and one over all of them. Asahel was David's
nephew. Elhanan was best known for killing the brother of Goliath.
The following is a list of the men who made up the mighties of
David. II Samuel 23:25 "Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,"
II Samuel 23:26 "Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the
Tekoite," II Samuel 23:27 "Abi-ezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the
Hushathite," II Samuel 23:28 "Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the
Netophathite," II Samuel 23:29 "Heleb the son of Baanah, a
Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of
Benjamin," II Samuel 23:30 "Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the
brooks of Gaash," II Samuel 23:31 "Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth
the Barhumite," II Samuel 23:32 "Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons
of Jashen, Jonathan," II Samuel 23:33 "Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the
son of Sharar the Hararite," II Samuel 23:34 "Eliphelet the son of
Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the
Gilonite," II Samuel 23:35 "Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,"
II Samuel 23:36 "Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,"
II Samuel 23:37 "Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite,
armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah," II Samuel 23:38 "Ira an
Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite," II Samuel 23:39 "Uriah the Hittite:
thirty and seven in all."
The thirty valiant men were, sometimes, a few over, as we see
here. There were additions made from time to time, as someone
performed an extraordinary feat. These were all leaders of a certain
group of men in David's army.
2 Samuel 24 Questions
1. David was the son of ________.
2. _________ was the psalmist.
3. For what purpose were many of the psalms penned?
4. David is saying, that he spoke as an ___________ of God.
5. Who is God called in verse 3?
6. He that ruleth over men must be ________.
7. In the end, the _________ is Judge of all.
8. Quote 2 Samuel chapter 23 verse 4.
9. Light does away with _____________.
10. What causes a believer to grow?
11. What had brought pain to David's household?
12. What does "Belial" mean?
13. What is verse 7 saying, we should not do?
14. Who were the mighty men of David?
15. Which of the mighty killed 800?
16. Who was Eleazar?
17. Who was Dodo?
18. What did they have to do sometime, before they could release their
swords after a long battle?
19. Who was the third leader of the mighties?
20. Where was his battle fought?
21. When is verse 13 and 14 speaking of?
22. Who are two of the three men mentioned in verse 13?
23. Where were the Philistines?
24. Where is the valley of Rephaim?
25. What did David long for?
26. Who goes for water for David?
27. What does David do with the water, when he gets it?
28. Abishai is the brother of ________.
29. How many Philistines did he kill?
30. Who was the bravest of the three, who went to Bethlehem for water
for David?
31. Benaniah was made captain of the _________.
32. Jehoiada was a __________.
33. All of the men, listed in the verses 25 through 39, were whom?
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