May 24

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2 Samuel 4:1-6:23
(1)(2011)David's trust was not in clandestine covert operations to preserve his power & authority; David trusted God:

“As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble, 10 when a man told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news! 11 How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!”

(2)(2011) Here's an executive summary of David's reign in office:

David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

(3)(2011) Sarcasm?

The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” * * * * * * * * 8 On that day, David said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft[a] to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.[b]” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

(4)(2011)The ark of God = the Name:

the ark of God, which is called by the Name,[g] the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark.

Henry elaborates on "the Name":

I. Here is honourable mention made of the ark. Because it had not been spoken of a great while, now that it is spoken of observe how it is described (v. 2): it is the ark of God whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubim, or at which the name, even the name of the Lord of hosts, was called upon, or upon which the name of the Lord of hosts was called, or because of which the name is proclaimed, the name of the Lord of hosts (that is, God was greatly magnified in the miracles done before the ark), or the ark of God, who is called the name (Lev. 24:11, 16), the name of the Lord of hosts, sitting on the cherubim upon it. Let us learn hence, 1. To think and speak highly of God. He is the name above every name, the Lord of hosts, that has all the creatures in heaven and earth at his command, and receives homage from them all, and yet is pleased to dwell between the cherubim, over the propitiatory or mercy-seat, graciously manifesting himself to his people, reconciled in a Mediator, and ready to do them good. 2. To think and speak honourably of holy ordinances, which are to us, as the ark was to Israel, the tokens of God's presence (Mt. 28:2), and the means of our communion with him, Ps. 27:4. It is the honour of the ark that it is the ark of God; he is jealous for it, is magnified in it, his name is called upon it. The divine institution puts a beauty and grandeur upon holy ordinances, which otherwise have no form nor comeliness. Christ is our ark. In and by him God manifests his favour and communicates his grace to us, and accepts our adoration and addresses.

(5)(2011) Uzzha & the Ark. Here's the famous account of Uzzah being struck dead for reaching out to secure the ark when it began to fall from the ox-cart. Only at this reading & by Henry's commentary am I made aware that the ark should have been carried by staves on the shoulders of Levites, priests, or Kohathites. In fact, many others should have been struck down with Uzzah. Henry writes:

3. David afterwards owned that Uzzah died for an error they were all guilty of, which was carrying the ark in a cart. Because it was not carried on the Levites' shoulders, the Lord made that breach upon us, 1 Chr. 15:13...Perhaps the ark was not covered, as it should have been, with the covering of badgers' skins (Num. 4:6), and that was a further provocation.

Furthermore, Henry makes this interesting comparison for us and our reverence for God's covenant with us:

. God would hereby strike an awe upon the thousands of Israel, would convince them that the ark was never the less venerable for its having been so long in mean circumstances, and thus he would teach them to rejoice with trembling, and always to treat holy things with reverence and holy fear. 5. God would hereby teach us that a good intention will not justify a bad action; it will not suffice to say of that which is ill done that it was well meant. He will let us know that he can and will secure his ark, and needs not any man's sin to help him to do it. 6. If it was so great a crime for one to lay hold on the ark of the covenant that had no right to do so, what is it for those to lay claim to the privileges of the covenant that come not up to the terms of it? To the wicked God says, What hast thou to do to take my covenant in thy mouth? Ps. 50:16. Friend, how camest thou in hither? If the ark was so sacred, and not to be touched irreverently, what is the blood of the covenant? Heb. 10:29.

And here's Henry's comments on Psalm 50, covenants as vows and the Eucharist:

3. We must make conscience of performing our covenants with him: Pay thy vows to the Most High, forsake thy sins, and do thy duty better, pursuant to the solemn promises thou has made him to that purport. When we give God thanks for any mercy we have received we must be sure to pay the vows we made to him when we were in the pursuit of the mercy, else our thanksgivings will not be accepted. Dr. Hammond applies this to the great gospel ordinance of the Eucharist, in which we are to give thanks to God for his great love in sending his Son to save us, and to pay our vows of love and duty to him, and to give alms. Instead of all the Old Testament types of a Christ to come, we have that blessed memorial of a Christ already come.

John 13:31-14:14

Psalm 119:17-32

Proverbs 15:31-32

Years Read
2011, 2013