Join us as we embark on an insightful journey through the book of 2 Samuel, where the reign of David is unveiled in profound narratives. We explore David’s transformation from anointed shepherd boy to the revered king, facing the realities of leadership and the humanity of being subject to sin. This episode also introduces Vicki Bustos, the Ezra Project chaplain, who brings to life the chronicles of David with her reading of 2 Samuel chapter 1.
00:00:10 Introduction to Add Bible and The Ezra Project
00:00:25 Overview of 2 Samuel and Introduction of Vicki Bustos
00:02:45 David Learns of Saul and Jonathan’s Death
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
SPEAKER 01 :
Today we begin our journey through 2 Samuel, all 24 chapters. 2 Samuel is a continuation of 1 Samuel. In fact, in the original Hebrew manuscripts, 1 and 2 Samuel were one book. We left 1 Samuel when Saul and Jonathan were both killed in battle. David is going to hear that news in chapter 1 of 2 Samuel. In 1 Samuel, we also saw the anointing, the training, and the rise of David as the next king of Israel. 2 Samuel focuses on David’s reign as king. 2 Samuel is rich with parallels between David’s kingdom and the coming Messiah’s kingdom. There’s a major turning point in this book, right about in the middle, and we’re going to come across that as we watch the development of David as king, and then his public and personal spiral downward because of sin and consequences of sin in his own life. We have a guest reader for 2 Samuel, and that is our Ezra Project chaplain, Vicki Bustos. Now, I met Vicki at the state capitol of Colorado back in the late 1970s. That’s amazing, isn’t it? I worked for the Colorado State Legislature at the time, and she worked in the lieutenant governor’s office. And we ended up in a Bible study for staff people in the capitol in those days. Well, we lost touch with each other after we both left the capitol. And years later, right around the time when I was starting the Ezra Project, we got back together. Vicki is one of the most spiritual women I have ever known. She has been the Ezra Project chaplain since the very beginning in 2002. She is married, a mother, a grandmother, and completely dedicated to all those roles in her life. She also started a ministry not so long ago called Open Book Ministries, a women’s ministry dedicated to mentoring young Christian women in the Word of God. Let’s listen in as Vicki Bustos, chaplain of the Ezra Project, reads 2 Samuel 1, all 27 verses.
SPEAKER 02 :
2 Samuel chapter 1. After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. David said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I have escaped from the camp of Israel. And David said to him, How did it go? Tell me. And he answered, The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead. And Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead. Then David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead? And the young man who told him said, By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. And when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, Here I am. And he said to me, Who are you? I answered him, I am an Amalekite. And he said to me, Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers. So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head, and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord. Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. And David said to the young man who told him, Where do you come from? And he answered, I am the son of a sojourner and Amalekite. David said to him, How is it you were not afraid to put your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed? Then David called one of the young men and said, Go, execute him. And he struck him down so that he died. And David said to him, Your blood be on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, I have killed the Lord’s anointed. And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah. Behold, it is written in the book of Jasher, he said, Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places. How the mighty have fallen! Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you. nor fields of offerings, for there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely, In life and in death they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions. You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle. Jonathan lies slain on your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. Very pleasant have you been to me. Your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. How the mighty have fallen and the weapons of war perished.
SPEAKER 01 :
In our journey through 2 Samuel, I will be referring to three of my Bible reading journals. One, the first one back in 1983, the first journal I ever wrote, some 34 years ago. And then the journal in 1997, 20 years ago. And then the journal in 2007, 10 years ago. Those of you who were with us in 1 Samuel might remember that as we referred back to that very first journal I ever wrote, oftentimes it was just one-liners that I wrote back then. And so, as I look back to 1983, I see basically one of those one-liners again on 2 Samuel 1. David mourns for Saul and Jonathan. Fourteen years later, when I read this passage in 1997, I didn’t write much more. I wrote, Saul is dead, David is informed. I hope that you can see that if you’ve never been a Bible reading journaler, that you can start with easily following my lead, and that’s just creating one-line summaries of the chapters that you do read in the Scriptures. By the way, I do promote Bible reading journaling, as I have done for over 30-some years now, because I believe it will change the way you read the Bible. If you read the Bible and not just listen to these podcasts, and you get a journal, hopefully from the Ezra Project, then if you know you’re going to write something down after you read or listen to these podcasts, it will change the way you interact with Scripture. If you’re going to journal, you’re going to listen more, you’re going to pay more attention, you’re going to say, what am I hearing from the Lord? Because you’re going to write something down after you’ve spent some time in God’s Word. So I have journaled, and that’s why I refer back to these journals in these podcasts. In 2007, I get a little bit deeper in my journal entry. When I wrote, the messenger lies to gain favor from David, but he misreads David’s character, as many have. No one knows what’s in a man’s heart. No one knows what governs our thoughts and eventually our actions. David was not governed by circumstances. He was governed by God and His sovereignty. He probably never considered Saul his enemy, and he loved Jonathan. Circumstances are not our enemy, nor our people, when God is in control. Now that’s probably worth thinking about today, isn’t it? Circumstances. People are not our enemy. And though your life may be filled with uncomfortable circumstances or undesirable people at the moment, where is your focus? Is it on those things, your circumstances, or people around you? Or are you like David? Is your focus on God and His sovereignty? Again, if you were on this journey through 1 Samuel, you could see it was never all that comfortable for David either. Though at a very young age he was anointed by God to become the king of Israel, it hadn’t happened yet. Even in this chapter it hasn’t happened yet. And so often we saw David on the run, trying to save his own life, oftentimes alone and wondering where God was. But David always had a sense that behind the scenes God was working in his life. So again, as we close out 2 Samuel chapter 1, where’s your focus? Is it on your circumstances or is it on difficult people around you right now? I hope you change your focus from those things to God and His sovereignty as we’re going to see God was always at work in David’s life. He’s also working in yours. Father, we give you thanks that though we get bad news sometimes or we see circumstances that unfold that are not comfortable to us, you are sovereign and you are in control. Help us take our eyes off our circumstances and off some maybe difficult people around us. Get our eyes back on you and watch your sovereignty unfold in our own lives. Then we’ll give you the praise. In Jesus’ name, amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. We started on radio on October 1st, 2024. I hope you noticed some differences in AdBible from other programs. For example, we are fully committed to the Word of God. That’s why we play full chapters on the air, not sound bites. It takes a lot of our program time, but it’s my belief it’s more important for you to hear the Word of God than me. You may also have figured out by now I’m not a pastor, just a layman like most of you. So these recordings are not based on sermons. They’re based on my personal walk through the Bible over several decades of my life. Therefore, AdBible is a unique perspective of how the Bible impacts life, not a teaching series you get at your church. I share personal Bible reading journal entries from my life, from my journals, I’ve never thought would ever be shared with anybody. What I share are raw, authentic notes from Bible intersections of my own life. My life is no different from yours, so I hope the stories and applications I share are relevant to your life as well. I hope you are enjoying this unique radio program and therefore will help us stay on the air. We have so much more to share. Visit EzraProject.net and donate today. Or send a check to the Ezra Project 1399 South Havana Street, Suite 201E, Aurora, Colorado, 80012. That’s Ezra Project 1399 South Havana Street, Suite 201E, Aurora, Colorado, 80012. When you do, I will send you your first copy of A Day by Day Through the Bible book. There are 11 books in the series, so I will surprise you with one of my choosing. Or, after you donate at EzraProject.net, look at our resource page, pick a book you want, and let me know your choice at the contact section on our website. We are happy to send you the book of your choice. I know you’re going to enjoy it.
