UNCOMMON SENSE

MOVING IN TO THE BIG HOUSE Solomon has opportunity to learn about the job and the benefits of being king.  I am not sure when Solomon found time with the Shulamite woman of his song, but he wasted no time finding wives.  He quickly added a top of the line model from Egypt. And Solomon

PAYMENTS AND COLLECTIONS

PAYMENT DUE Solomon is the king associated with the peak of Israel’s glory years.  He takes the throne in his youth, and has to assert control over the same dangers that made life so hard for his father.  David gives him good counsel to guide his steps. Now the days of David drew nigh that

HERITAGE OF FAITH AND FOLLY

CHANGING OF THE GUARD Living in Arizona has exposed me to life among the senior citizen population.  My dad is 94, and I am seeing where I will be going in the next thirty years.  David had a few more issues in his senior years.  Would you think that retirement would offer you some peace? 

THE HONOR ROLL

REFLECTIONS David offers some last words for us:  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,  The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his

RELATION CELEBRATION

THE SOUND OF MUSIC Like Moses, David offered a song of praise for his lifetime of relationship and mercy. And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:  2

THE RIGHTS OF THE WRONGED

RIGHTING A WRONG One Canaanite nation was promised safety in Israel, and Saul had violated that trust.  Now the bill was due for payment.  Remember, Gibeon had faked being distant neighbors to escape the destruction of the other Canaanites.  God may have favored them to have allowed this, but Israel had to honor their pledge

EXPIDITED ENDINGS

ONE LAST DEVIL So David is victorious and returning to Jerusalem.  The old rivalry between Israel and Judah is rattling a bit though.  A deeper rivalry between heaven and hell underlies the actions of a worshipper of Belial though.  Indeed Belial (Satan) is busy as usual. And there happened to be there a man of

HOMECOMING GAMES

MISPLACED GRIEF Joab hears that David is not fully focused.  And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.  And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son.  And the people gat

BITTER SWEET VICTORY

BATTLE JOINED David is an organizer and knows how to set an army in order.  His people have a different idea about how he should run this war though. And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds over them.  And David sent forth a third

ESCAPE TO A SAFE CAMP

RETREAT Leaving Jerusalem is chaotic and full of surprises.  We are beginning to discover who is taking sides as the exodus continues. And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of