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2 Samuel (For Bible Study Groups)

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2 Samuel (For Bible Study Groups) Jannali Anglican Church 12 Studies from 2 Samuel (For Bible Study Groups) Note: These studies are largely copied (with permission) from studies written by Brett Middleton for St Luke’s Miranda in 2017. They have however been significantly edited, and studies 8-11 have been added to align with our Jannali 2018 preaching series. BIBLE STUDY PROGRAM - TERM 3 2018 Week Concluding Passages 29th July 1. The King’s King 2 Samuel 1:1-2:11 5th August 2. A Snake in the Garden 2 Samuel 3-4 12th August 3. The Kings City 2 Samuel 5 19th August 4. The Ark Returns 2 Samuel 6 26st August 5. The Promised King 2 Samuel 7 2nd September 6. A Snake in the Heart 2 Samuel 11-12 9th September 7. The Darkest Day 2 Samuel 15 & 18 16th September 8. The People who met David 2 Samuel 15:19-16:14 9. The Problem in David’s 23rd September 2 Samuel 21:1-14 & 24 Kingdom 10. The Strength of David’s 2 Samuel 21:15-22 & 23:8- 30th September Kingdom 39 7th October 11. The Hope of David’s Kingdom 2 Samuel 22:1-23:7 Bonus (Single study to 12. A House for my Name 2 Samuel 24 replace studies 9-11) INTRODUCTION TO 2 SAMUEL The Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Samuel follow the rise and fall of Saul and David, the first two kings crowned over God’s people. As we focus on the book of 2 Samuel, our focus will be on King David, a key figure in the rest of the Bible. 2 Samuel, like many of the narrative sections of the Bible, can be difficult to understand. This is not to say it is difficult to read: There is enough blood-shed, conspiracy and scandal to keep us interested. However, you can come away from the various stories feeling you may have missed the key message. The narrator maintains their poker-face throughout, rarely telling you explicitly who is good and who is bad or why a particular action is counted as righteous or unrighteous. God leaves some acts of evil unpunished and can seem to act with extreme prejudice against minor misdemeanours. Yet, huge vistas of meaning and depth open up as we learn to read 2 Samuel accumulatively and Christologically. Reading Accumulatively We read and hear 2 Samuel with the first 9 books of the Bible ringing in our ears. Specifically, with some key ‘king’ moments from these books ringing in our ears. A Failed King The first key moment is the Garden of Eden. It was here we see the rise and fall of God’s first King. Adam had no crown or throne, but he was told to ‘rule and have dominion’. However, a serpent would find a home in the Garden Adam was called to protect. Adam, called to rule as an image of the true King, becomes a law unto himself. At a number of points throughout David’s story we will see him fail to deal properly with the ‘snakes’ in Jerusalem. An Ideal King The second key moment is Moses’ articulation of a ‘good king’ in Deuteronomy 17. Here Moses lays out the character of a King worthy of ruling God’s people. This character list will become key as we assess the actions and decisions of David and those who are vying for his throne. A King like the Nations The third key moment to have in mind as you read about the rise and fall of David is Samuel’s warning about the dark side of crowning a king. In 1 Samuel 8, Samuel fills out the implications of Israel’s desire for a ‘king like the nations’. Again, this will be a key way to assess David’s actions and decisions throughout 2 Samuel. There are other moments from the Old Testament story that we will need to accumulate to understand 2 Samuel, and we will pick them up as we go. However, these 3 will provide the key to understanding much of the narrative tensions. Read Christologically We also want to be reading Christologically. David is a frustrating man. He is called a ‘king after God’s own heart’, and is capable of heroic and selfless acts for God’s glory. Sometimes we will see glimpses of Jesus in his words, prayers and actions. However, he is also a weak father, an adulterer, a murderer and a man of violence. In the end, he is not enough and we are left longing for a better king. This better king is promised in the words of 2 Samuel 7, and he arrives 1000 years later: Jesus our king. The story of 2 Samuel can lead us to a deeper thankfulness and appreciation of our perfect king: the one who banished the serpent from his presence, who dies for us and rose to reign on high. Study 1 – The King’s King 1 Samuel 31:1-2 Samuel 2:11 1) What makes a good ruler or king? What personal qualities would you like to see in a nation’s leader? 2) Read 1 Samuel 31:1 – 2 Samuel 2:11 (Note that in the Hebrew Bible there is no distinction between 1 and 2 Samuel. It is treated as a single story.) What initial thoughts and questions does the passage raise? 3) In 1 Samuel 31 we see the sad end to the life of Saul, Israel’s first King. Saul was appointed after Israel requested ‘a king like the nations’. How does 31:7 provide a fitting conclusion to the ‘King like the nations’ project? 4) In 2 Samuel 1:1-16 David hears of Saul’s death from a man from Saul’s camp. He is an Amalekite but describes himself as ‘the son of an alien’, that is, an Amalekite who had gone over to Israel. Why do you think this man lies to David about the death of Saul, and claims that it was by his hand? 5) This man holds out Saul’s crown for David to take. How does this remind you of the temptations of God’s ruler in the Garden of Eden (ie. Adam) and of Jesus? What do you make of David’s response, and of his lament in verses 17-27? 6) David has been a king-in-waiting since his anointing in 1 Samuel 16. In what we have seen already, and also from 2 Samuel 2:1-11, what signs of promise are in these chapters for David’s reign? What troubling details can you see that might place David’s reign on shaky ground? 7) Matthew 1:1 “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David”. In what ways do you see David’s strengths as a king revealed also in Jesus? In what ways has Jesus shown himself to be greater still? 8) It what areas of life might you be considered a ‘ruler’ or ‘leader’ (work, church, family, community groups, friendship groups). How aware are you that you rule and lead as a servant of a greater king? Down the Rabbit Hole Why would the men of Jabesh-Gilead undertake such a risky mission in 2 Samuel 31:11-13? See 1 Samuel 11 for some back story. Why might God have singled out Hebron as the first step in David’s ascension? What might this communicate? See Genesis 13:18, 23:17-20, 25:9-10 & 50:12-14. Study 2 – A Snake in the Garden 2 Samuel 3:1-39 1) Has there ever been a ‘bad influence’ in your life, or the life of someone you know? Can you think of someone liked and trusted who is also a negative influence? 2) Read 2 Samuel 3:1-39 (or if you have time get the full story by reading 2:12-4:12). What initial thoughts and questions does the passage raise? 3) What do you make of 2 Samuel 3:1-5? Are there any troubling signs here? 4) Consider 2 Samuel 3:6-21. One of the practices in the ancient world, was that conquering kings inherited the wives and concubines of the conquered king. How does this practice explain some of the accusations and agreements made within this passage? 5) Was David’s action right or wrong? How do you feel about his demand that Michal be returned to him? 6) Looking at 3:21-23, what word is repeated in each verse? Considering the ‘good king’ of Deuteronomy 17:14-20 and the ‘bad king’ of 1 Samuel 8:10-18, how is this a promising sign for David’s reign? 7) How is David portrayed in verses 24-28? How is this portrayal repeated in 3:39? 8) In what ways is David’s response to Joab’s actions similar to Adam failure in the Garden of Eden? 9) Matthew 9:27 “As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”. In what ways do you see David’s strengths as a king revealed also in Jesus, the son of David? In what ways has he shown himself to be greater still? 10) Are there any ‘snakes in the garden’ that you are tolerating? Tempting people or places that you are allowing to remain and failing to have dominion over? Down the Rabbit Hole Who is Zeruiah, mentioned in 3:39 (cf 1 Chronicles: 2:13-17)? What relation, therefore, is Joab to David? Could this be why he never restrains Joab? Study 3 – The King’s City 2 Samuel 5:1-25 1) In 2 Samuel 5 David establishes his throne in Jerusalem.
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