PENTECOST - WHAT IS IT?

 Pentecost is the day Christian churches celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on believers. You can read about this even in Acts 2.

However, the original Pentecost was a day celebrate by the Israelites. It was the first Sabbath of the Feast of Weeks. (Leviticus 23; Numbers 29; Deuteronomy 16:10)

It was called Pentecost because it occurred 50 days after the Passover celebration. In Greek, the word "pentekoste" means fiftieth. 

The followers of Jesus met together that day in a house. A sound came from heaven that was like a might rushing wind filling the whole house. Tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages.

Lots of Jewish people from different countries were in Jerusalem at the time to celebrate Pentecost. When they heard the noise of the wind, they went to the house. They heard the believers speaking in different languages, extolling the might works of God.  Those who had come from different countries could understand them in their own language. 

Some people thought this was drunken babbling. But Peter stood up and told them this was a fulfillment of the words of the Old Testament Prophet Joel about God pouring out his sprit on men and women. (Joel 2:18-22)

Peter went on to preach the gospel to the crowd. Many believed (3,000) and were baptized. 

ABNER & DAVID: 2 SAMUEL 3

 

David Gaining Strength 

3:1

Since the initial battle at Gibeon, Judah (house of David) and Israel (house of Saul) were at war for a long time. David’s army continued to grow and get stronger. In contrast, Israel lost men and became weaker. If the war continued, David and Judah would eventually win and Israel under Ish-bosheth would lose, paving the way for David to be king over all the tribes. 

However, the losses to Israel might embitter some of the other tribes against David.  

David’s Family

3:2-5

The author breaks into the story at this point with an insert about David’s growing family. David accumulated several more wives along the way, in addition to Ahinoam and Abigail. The wives at that time were: Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacah (the daughter of the king of Geshur), Haggith, Abital, and Eglah, six in all. 

While in Hebron, these wives bear sons: Amnon, Chilean, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, and Ithream. 

All this is despite the command of God in Deuteronomy 17:17 that a king was not to acquire many wives for himself because it could turn his heart  away from the worship of God. 

 

Abner Turns Against Ish-bosheth

3:6-11

Abner became very powerful in the House of Saul, partly due to the weakness of Ish-bosheth. The two men got into a conflict over a woman named Rizpah, who had been one of Saul’s concubines. 

The status of a concubine in the Old Testament is not totally clear, but it appears that a concubine was a wife of secondary status. She was lower than the primary wife or wives, but higher than a slave. She was not a mistress. She would be expected to produce additional children, especially sons, for the husband. 

Upon death of the husband, his son and heir apparently could take possession of the father’s concubines (at least among kings). That appears to be the case in this story, Ish-bosheth accuses Abner of having sex with Saul’s concubine, implying that only Ish-bosheth had the right to.

Abner got very angry, citing his loyalty to the house of Saul and his protecting Ish-bosheth from David. Abner did not directly deny the accusation, but was offended by it.

As a result, Abner pledged to support David in his quest for the throne. He cited the LORD”s word to take the kingdom from Saul and his house and give it to David. Ish-bosheth was too afraid of Abner to contest. 

Abner Makes A Deal With David

3:12-16  

Abner made good on this pledge, sending messengers to David seeking a covenant with David. For his part, Abner pledged his support to make David king over all of Israel. 

David agreed to accept Abner, but added a condition: his first wife, Michal, must be returned to him. Saul had taken her from David and given her in marriage to another man. David may have loved her, but he may have also been making a political move. Restoration of his status as Saul’s son-in-law might make the Benjamites and others in Israel more favorable to David becoming king. 

But, when David demanded the return of his wife, he made the demand directly to Ish-bosheth. Abner becomes only the middle man in the transaction. 

Ish-bosheth accomplished this, oddly enough. Sadly Michal’s husband was grieved by this. But Abner sent him home. You get the sense that the man did not want to mess with Abner. 

Abner Keeps His Word To David

3:17-25

Abner kept his end of the bargain, encouraging the elders of the 10 tribes to accept David as their king. He reminded them of the LORD’s promise to defeat the Philistines through David. 

Abner also went to the tribe of Benjamin separately. Since Saul and his family were Benjamanites, it was wise to give them special attention. They agreed to accept David also. So, Abner went to Hebron to tell David that all of Israel was ready to accept him and reject Ish-bosheth. 

David held a feast for Abner and his men at Hebron. Then Abner left to bring the tribes to David to make a covenant to submit to him as king 

This tells us a couple of things. First, Abner was very well respected in Israel. The elders were willing to listen to him and follow his advice. Second, Ish-bosheth was a weak king. The tribes did not trust him to protect them and lead them. 

Joab, in turn, did not trust Abner. When he found out that David had entertained Abner and let him go, he was angry. He confronted David and accused Abner of being duplicitous, coming only to spy on David. 

Joab, like Abner, was a powerful man. He was a warrior and leader. He had the respect of the army. He had additional status as David’s nephew. He was not afraid to confront David, even after David became king. He also wanted revenge for Abner killing his brother Asahel, even though Asahel provoked the confrontation. 

Joab Kills Abner

3:26-27, 30

Ironically, after accusing Abner of duplicity, Joab engaged in it. He sent messengers to get Abner and bring him back. He pulled Abner aside for a private conference, but then killed him to avenge his brother. (30) He even used the same method, striking Abner in the stomach.  

The murder of Abner was not done at David’s command. He did not order it or know about it in advance. When he learned of it, he declared his innocence. 

He also called a curse upon Joab and his family, that there should always be someone in the family who is either sick, effeminate (using a spindle was women’s work), killed, or starving. 

David Mourns Abner

3:30-39

David mourned Abner and instructed his people, including Joab, to do so as well. He gave Abner a funeral and buried him at Hebron, which was an honor. David fasted until sundown.

The people of Israel observed David’s action and they were pleased with him. They also believed David, that he did not order the death of Abner. 

Anything less would have damaged David’s chances of becoming king over Israel. 

David continued to blame his nephews. He also asked the LORD to repay them for their wicked deeds. But he did not execute them or punish them. 

Takeaways

God used an evil act for good, causing the people of Israel to have favor toward David.

God gave wisdom to deal with a tragedy.

The road to the throne is a bumpy one: David is not the only one who wants to exert power and influence in Israel. 

KING OF JUDAH: 2 SAMUEL 2

David Inquires of the Lord

2:1-3

Since Saul had died, David would believe it was his time to become king. Before he acted, however, he asked God what to do. David was of the tribe of Judah, so he asked God if he should go into Judah and, if so, where. God told him to go to Hebron.

Hebron was a city located about 20 miles south of Jerusalem. It had a long history of connection to the Hebrews. Abraham moved close to it after separating from Lot. (Genesis 13:18) It was a sizable city for the time. It was fortified with walls. Abraham settled at the Oaks of Mamre nearby.

Abraham’s wife died there. Abraham bought a field and buried Sarah in a cave there. Abraham was buried there later (Genesis 25:10), as were Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob (Genesis 47:29–30), and Leah (Genesis 49:30–32).

Joshua allotted the area to the tribe of Judah and allotted Hebron to Caleb for his service to Israel. So, there was much symbolic importance to the city and was a good choice for David as the future king.

So David moved there with his wife’s and possessions. His men also moved to the area with their families and possessions. So David and his army basically took over the area. 

David Made King of Judah

2:4

After David moved to Hebron, the men of Judah came and made him king. This and subsequent events show that Israel was not really united under Saul. The text does not tell us whether the people of Judah all knew David was anointed by God to be king, but it was not far from Bethlehem, so it is possible. Plus, David had sent gifts to people in the area from the spoils of his defeat of the Amalekite raiders and he already had an army. 

God’s word to David is beginning to come true. David is king, but only of one of the 12 tribes. He starts small. It reminds us of the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32. 

David Honors The Men of Jabesh-gilead

2:4-8

When the Philistines found Saul’s body after the battle, they cut of his head, stripped him of his armor, and fastened his body to the wall around the city of Beth-Shan. They also fasted the bodies of Saul’s sons to the walls. The Philistines occupied this city at the time. 

This act was a desecration of Saul’s body and a humiliation to Israel. When they heard about this, some men in Jabesh-gilead went there at night and took the bodies away to their town and buried them. They may have done this at least partly because Saul had previously rescued the town from the Ammonites. (1 Samuel 11) 

When David heard what the men of Jabesh-gilead had done for Saul, David sent them a message blessing them for their loyalty and their brave actions. He promised to doo good for them and let them know he had become king of Judah. 

A New King In Israel

2:8-11

The other tribes of Israel did not join Judah in recognizing David as king. Abner, who was the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth, and had him crowned as king over Israel. Abner probably saw David as a threat and enemy after David taunted him at the cave. and told him he deserved to die for not protecting Saul. (1 Samuel 26:13-16)

So we see two kingdoms established. One was established under divine guidance. The other, an opposition kingdom, was established by human ambition. 

Ish-bosheth stayed in Mahanaim, east of the Jordan. Israel was divided into three parts: the area ruled by Ish-bosheth, the area ruled by David, and the area occupied by the Philistines. There were also cities, such as Jerusalem, still occupied by other Canaanite tribes. 

The First Battle Between Judah And Israel

2:12-17

The armies of Israel and Judah confronted each other at Gibeon. The commander of the army of Ish-bosheth (Abner) and the commander of the army of David (Joab) arranged a combat of champions. Each side put forth 12 fighters. There is no indication that either commander consulted his king before doing this.

Joab’s fighters defeated Abner’s fighters. 

The Death of Asahel

2:18-23

After his fighters were killed, Abner fled. Asahel pursued him. Asahel was one of three brothers. Joab, Abishai, and Asahel were all the sons of David’s sister, Zeruiah. So, they were David’s nephews. 

Asahel was a fast runner and caught up with Abner. Abner tried to get Asahel to turn back, confident that he could kill him. But Asahel would not turn back. In the confrontation, Abner struck Asahel a great blow with his spear and killed him. This will turn out to start a great enmity between Joab and Abner. 

The End Of The Pursuit

2:24-28

Asahel’s brothers, Joab and Abishai, went after Abner to avenge the killing of Asahel. They caught up to him at sundown at the hill of Ammah. However, Abner’s army (people of Benjamin) had regrouped and they joined Abner on top of the hill. That gave them the advantage of higher ground.

Abner again tried to stop the fight, telling Joab he was pursuing this fellow Hebrews (brothers) and also it would not turn out well. He got through to Joab, who then called off the pursuit. 

Everyone Goes Home

2:29-32

Abner did not waste any time getting back to his home base. His men marched all night and the next morning to return to Mahanaim where his king resided. He had suffered suffered heavy losses in the battles, 360 men.

Joab also took his men to Bethlehem. They brought the body of Asahel with them. They buried him in his father’s tomb. Then they marched all night to get back home to Hebron.

Takeaways 

God is always working to accomplish his purposes.

Sometimes the results seem small, especially at the beginning. But God is at work nonetheless.

Often, our job is faithful waiting. Psalm 27:14 says “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! 

 

THE END OF AN ERA: DAVID MOURNS SAUL AND JONATHAN - 2 SAMUEL 1

 

While David was dealing with the Amalekites, he was not aware of what was happening in the battle between the invading Philistines and the Israelites. In fact, the Israelites suffered a defeat with great losses. The losses included the death of the king, Saul, and his sons. 

David Learns Of The Deaths of Saul and Jonathan

2 Samuel 1:1-10

After defeating the Amalekite raiders and recovering their families and belongings, David returned to Ziklag. A man came to him there. He had been in the battle with the Philistines. The fact that he was alive means he was one who fled the battle at some point. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head. He was either mourning or wanting to look like he was.

David asked about the outcome of the battle, probably thinking Saul and the Israelites had prevailed. Instead he was told that the Israelites were defeated, many were killed, and many fled. Among the dead were Saul and Jonathan.

You can read about the battle in 1 Samuel 31:1-7.

David was incredulous. He demanded to know how the man knew Saul and Jonathan were dead. (5) The man told him he “happened” to be on Mount Gilboa, where Saul was. He claimed that Saul was still alive, but injured, and the Philistines were closing in. 

The man further claimed that Saul called him and asked him to kill him. So, the man killed him. Then he took Saul’s crown and armlet and brought them to David. (10) These items are signs of kingship. 

The man was lying about killing Saul. Saul committed suicide to avoid abuse at the hands of the Philistines. (1 Samuel 31:4-6) He likely made the claim to gain favor with David. He must have know David was to be king after Saul. So he also brought the royal items to David. But David did not react as the man expected. 

David Mourns Saul And Jonathan

1:11-16

Instead of rejoicing, David tore his clothes in grief. He and his men mourned, wept, and fasted until evening. The grief was for Saul and Jonathan, but also for the great losses in battle. 

But David also called the messenger to account for killing Saul. He asked the man where he was from. The man said he was (the son of) an Amalekite sojourner. (13) A sojourner was a foreigner who was living in Israel. A sojourner was required to obey the covenant law. (Leviticus 24:22)

So, the Amalekite should have known he was not to strike the Lord’s anointed. Saul’s armor bearer refused to strike him even though Saul instructed him to. (1 Samuel 31:4) David had also refused to strike Saul on this basis. 

The penalty for taking a life was execution. (Leviticus 23:17) So, David had the man executed. 

David had previously said that the Lord would take care of Saul as he pleased, without David’s participation. (1 Samuel 26:10) And that has come to pass. David will come to the throne without killing Saul. 

David’s Lament

1:17-27

David then wrote a poem of lament, or a lamentation, for Saul and Jonathan. A lament expresses sorrow and mourning. It was to be taught to the people. It was recorded in the Book of Jashar, or Book of the Upright, an extra biblical book. There are several books that bear this name, but do not seem to be the one mentioned here. This book has been lost. 

There is no criticism of Saul in the lament, only praise for the men and sorrow that they have been killed. David is certainly generous to the memory of Saul.

But we do notice David’s personal grief over Jonathan. He called on the women of Israel to weep for Saul. But he expresses his personal grief over Jonathan in verses 25-26. He was distressed. He appreciated the love Jonathan had for him and said it was extraordinary. 

And it was extraordinary, because Jonathan loved and supported David at his own expense. He who would have been king supported the man who should have (in human terms) been his rival. Matthew Henry put it this way:

He had reason to say that Jonathan’s love to him was wonderful; surely never was the like, for a man to love one who he knew was to take the crown over his head, and to be so faithful to his rival: this far surpassed the highest degree of conjugal affect and constancy.

But, I would add even more. Jonathan had an extraordinary love for God. He knew it was God’s will for David to be king instead of his father or him. Without grieving any personal loss, he was all in to support God’s man and love him. 

Jonathan is such a great example for us in love that leads to self denial and sacrifice. It is how Jesus Followers should live. 1 Corinthians 13 (the “love chapter”) says that love does not insist on its own way. Philippians 2:3 says “…in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”. 

Believers and churches witness best to their communities when they show love, humility, and self sacrifice. 

And it is pleasing to God!