In today's readings, Fr. Mike points out how the loss of David's son overshadows everything else for a time. The readings are 2 Samuel 19, 1 Chronicles 24, and Psalm 38. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
Chapter 1: What readings are covered in today's episode?
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And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, you can by simply clicking subscribe and you'll be subscribed and we'll move on. Anyways, speaking of moving on, as I said, we are reading from 2 Samuel chapter 19, 1 Chronicles 24, and we are praying Psalm 38. 2 Samuel 19, David mourns for Absalom. It was told Joab, behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.
Chapter 2: How does David mourn for Absalom?
So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, the king is grieving for his son. And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle. The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son.
Then Joab came into the house of the king and said, You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you.
For today I perceive that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night. and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.
Then the king arose and took his seat in the gate. And the people were all told, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate. And all the people came before the king.
Now Israel had fled every man to his own home, and all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and saved us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now, therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?
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Chapter 3: What message does David send to the elders of Judah?
David is recalled. And King David sent this message to Zadok and Beathar the priests. Say to the elders of Judah, Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king? You are my kinsmen, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to bring back the king? And say to Amasa, Are you not my bone and my flesh?
God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of my army henceforth in the place of Joab. And he swayed the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, Return, both you and all your servants. So the king came back to the Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king, and to bring the king over the Jordan. Shimei meets David and is forgiven.
And Shimei, the son of Gerah, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, made haste to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David. And with him were a thousand men from Benjamin. And Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the Jordan before the king, and they crossed the ford to bring over the king's household and to do his pleasure.
And Shimei the son of Gerah fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan and said to the king, Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. Let not the king bear it in mind, for your servant knows that I have sinned.
Chapter 4: Who is Shimei and how does he interact with David?
Therefore, behold, I have come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph, to come down to meet my lord the king. Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed? But David said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zariah, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day?
For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel? And the king said to Shimei, You shall not die. And the king gave him his oath. David and Mephibosheth meet. And Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, came down to meet the king. He had neither dressed his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety.
And when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth? He answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said to him, Settle a donkey for me, that I may ride upon it and go with the king, for your servant is lame. He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God.
Do therefore what seems good to you. For all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king. But you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I then to cry to the king? And the king said to him, Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided, you and Ziba shall divide the land.
And Mephibosheth said to the king, O let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home. David blesses Barzillai. Now Barzillai, the Gileadite, had come down from Ogilim, and he went on with the king to the Jordan to escort him over the Jordan.
Barzillai was a very aged man, 80 years old, and he had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. And the king said to Barzillai, But Barzillai said to the king, How many years have I still to live that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am this day 80 years old. Can I discern what is pleasant and what is not?
Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king recompense me with such a reward?
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Chapter 5: What is the significance of Mephibosheth's meeting with David?
Please let your servant return that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king and do for him whatever seems good to you. And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me and I will do for him whatever seems good to you. and all that you desire of me I will do for you.
Then all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over, and the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home. The king went on to Gilgal, and Shemham went on with him. All the people of Judah, and also half the sons of Israel, brought the king on his way. Dissension between Israel and Judah.
Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, why have our brethren, the men of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan and all David's men with him? All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel because the king is near of kin to us. Why then are you angry over this matter?
Have we eaten at all at the king's expense, or has he given us any gift? And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?
But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. The first book of Chronicles, chapter 24.
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Chapter 6: How does Barzillai respond to David's invitation?
The divisions of the sons of Aaron. The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests.
With the help of Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service. Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, they organized them under the 16 heads of father's houses of the sons of Eleazar and eight of the sons of Ithamar.
They organized them by lot all alike, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both the sons of Eleazar and the sons of Ithamar.
And the scribe Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and of the Levites, one father's house being chosen for Eleazar and one chosen for Ithamar.
The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jediah, the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, the fifth to Malkijah, the sixth to Mishamin, the seventh to Hakoz, the eighth to Abijah, the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shekiniah, the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jechim, the thirteenth to Huppah,
the 14th to Jeshebiab, the 15th to Bilgah, the 16th to Emer, the 17th to Hazir, the 18th to Hebezez, the 19th to Pethahiah, the 20th to Jehezkel, the 21st to Jakin, the 22nd to Gamul, the 23rd to Deliah, the 24th to Maaziah.
These had, as their appointed duty in the service, to come into the house of the Lord according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded them.
other Levites, and of the rest of the sons of Levi, of the sons of Amram, Shubael, of the sons of Shubael, Jediah, of Rehobiah, of the sons of Rehobiah, Ishaiah, the chief, of the Izharites, Shalemoth, of the sons of Shalemoth, Jehath, Of the sons of Hebron, Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jehaziel the third, Jechamiam the fourth. The sons of Uziel, Micah. Of the sons of Micah, Shamir.
The brother of Micah, Ishaiah. Of the sons of Ishaiah, Zechariah. The sons of Merari, Mali and Mushi. The sons of Jaaziah, Bino. The sons of Merari, of Jaaziah, Bino, Shocham, Zakur, and Ibri. Of Mali, Eleazar, who had no sons. Of Kish, the sons of Kish. Jeramil. The sons of Mushi, Mali, Edar, and Jeramoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their father's houses.
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Chapter 7: What conflict arises between Israel and Judah?
We wanted to highlight the genealogy. The chronicler wanted to highlight the genealogy of not only the people of Israel, but specifically the people who are following in the line of David, right, of the tribe of Judah, because that's where the Messiah is going to come from. Now, we also are getting a bunch of names connected to the priesthood.
So we have the tribe of Levi, because remember, the chronicler wants to remind the people of Israel, okay, yes, we have fallen on hard times, but God promised that there would be a kingdom that lasts forever. And God promised there'd be worship. that would give him glory for all time, right?
So he's really following the line of Judah and the line of Levi, and that's gonna be a really important thing to keep in mind. Now, one thing, yesterday, I think it was yesterday, we read about all of the new roles of the families in the tribe of Levi, right?
So we have Aaron, who's the priest, but then we have the other three sons of the tribe of Levi that had duties in the temple that weren't duties of priests. I don't know if you noticed this before, but David is a couple number of times described as having an ephod. That he would put on an ephod and then go pray. He'd put on an ephod and go before the Lord.
Chapter 8: What are the divisions of the sons of Aaron?
And one of the things we can think is, wait, is David a priest? Now we know very, very clearly. that David is from the tribe of Judah. And we also know very, very clearly that you can only be a priest if you're from the tribe of Levi and actually of the family of Aaron.
And so when David puts on an ephod, he's wearing the clothes of a priest and he's even seems to participate in a certain way in the actions of the priest. But it is important to note that while David participates in worship, David participates by even writing a bunch of songs, aka the Psalms that are used in worship. While he participates in this,
And he is active when it comes to temple worship, even wearing an ephod. David is not a priest. If he is, he is what I've heard people describe as he is like a priest in the line of Melchizedek, which is a whole other thing, which is pretty phenomenal. Jesus, according to the letter to the Hebrews, is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek because Jesus also was not of the tribe of Levi.
And so there's a way in which David not only foreshadows Jesus is being a king, the royal nature of Christ's role on earth, but also foreshadows in some ways a priesthood of Melchizedek. And so if you're ever wondering about that, like, wait a second, it seems like David, he's always going before the Lord, dressed like a priest. Is he a priest too? He's not.
And we're actually going to see a number of times we saw Saul who offered a sacrifice. He shouldn't have offered a sacrifice. We're going to see in kings, other kings who offered sacrifices and were killed because of that. So it's not something someone takes upon themselves. It is given to them because they're of the family of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi.
Just FYI, in case you're interested at all in that, it's good to note. Now, going back to 2 Samuel chapter 19, this is a really big moment because there's a couple of things that happen that show, again, David's brokenness, David's weakness, and David's goodness. The first is, here is David who is mourning and grieving over his son Absalom.
Now he's doing this and yesterday we noted it and how powerful it was. And in some ways you can even say how tragically beautiful it is, this love of a father for his son, would that I had died instead of you. Okay. But what happened was because of this, David brought shame upon all the people who fought for him.
Remember there are 20,000 people had died that day in order to preserve David's kingdom, in order to preserve the fight against the civil war that was happening as everyone was going, as many people were going after Absalom. 20,000 men had died fighting for David's throne. And now here's David who's saying, would that I had died instead of Absalom.
And so what it describes, it says, they heard that the king is grieved for his son. So the people stole back into the city as people who are ashamed, who ran away from battle, steal back when they flee in battle. And so what does Joab do? Joab is, man, he has to speak truth to power here, right?
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