2 Samuel 6:16-23 - He blessed the people

6:16-19

Not everyone was rejoicing, his wife Michal watched him from her window and despised David. It seems that Michal had never really devoted herself to David, and maybe resented his defeating of the house of Saul. David had pitched a special tent for the ark and the ark was placed in it. There were, of course, more offerings made. David then blessed the people in the name of the Lord. David is, in some ways, acting like a priest. Jesus is both a priest, a prophet and a king. He also gave gifts of “bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins” to everyone.

6:20-23

David was about to get trouble at home from Michal, but Michal was to get even more trouble. Michal rebuked David, making sarcastic comments about his dancing, saying it demeaned him. David in turn said he was dancing before the Lord. Some people will always despise those who do things for the Lord. David knew that ultimately he would be held in honour. For her part, Michal had no children. A severe punishment for any woman, but especially so in those days.

Mark 1:1,2 - The beginning of the good news

1:1

“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God”. Mark sets out his purpose, and it is all about Jesus Christ. The Greek actually has “Jesus Christ”, Christ means the anointed one, or the Messiah. It is a title. The Messiah is the Son of God. God has worked out salvation by His own hand, by sending His Son. No earthly man was capable of winning salvation for us. “The beginning” could be seen as applying just to the beginning of Mark, or to the whole of Mark. In literary terms applying to just the beginning of the book could be said to make more sense, but the gospel did not stop with the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. God’s salvation has continued to work its way through all the world, and is still doing that.

1:2

While it says “as it is written in Isaiah”, we actually have two quotes here. The first part comes from Mal 3:1, and the second from Is 40:3. “I will send my messenger ahead of you” (NIV), or “before your face” (ESV, NKJV). This would seem to imply that “the beginning of the good news” is referring to the ministry of John the Baptist. John prepared the way by preaching repentance. Repentance is the key to receiving salvation, a recognition that our ways are wrong, that we are wrong and need to be rescued. Mal 3:1-4 talks of the messenger coming to the temple, and Jesus had key dealings with the temple. Moreover, the temple would be destroyed in AD 70. The passage in Malachi also speaks of God’s refining work.

2 Samuel 6:10-15 - David was dancing before the Lord

6:10,11

David was now fearful of the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem. “Instead he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite”. Given what had happened to the various places that the Philistines sent the ark to, one might wonder what Obed-Edom had done to deserve this. However, Obed-Edom may well have been a Levite (1 Chron 15:15), so David thought it would be safe to send it there. The ark remained with Obed-Edom for three months and blessed him and his entire household.

6:12-15

David learnt of how things were going with Obed-Edom, and were going very well. David then decided that he really should get the ark back to Jerusalem, expecting it to bring blessing to him and to the nation. This time it seems that he followed the instructions of the Law. This time the ark was carried, presumably by Levites, and every few steps a sacrifice was made. This was done with great rejoicing, and David danced before the Lord, wearing “a linen ephod”. It isn’t clear why he was wearing an ephod.

Mark - Introduction

Introduction

Mark is the shortest of the gospels. At one time it was thought that Mark was written after Matthew and Luke. Part of the reason for that was that there are fewer early manuscripts of Mark’s gospel than Matthew and Luke. However, the common view now is that Mark was the first gospel written, and that Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source. Almost all the events recorded in Mark are also recorded in Matthew and/or Luke. Mark often gives more details than Matthew or Luke, which is consistent with Matthew or Luke using Mark as a source, rather than the other way around. Moreover, if Mark was using Matthew or Luke as a source it is odd that there is no birth narrative. There is no certainty over the date of Mark. Somewhere between AD60 and AD64 are pretty good estimates, but that does not mean that was the first of the events being recorded, only that that is when Mark puts it all together. It is believed that Mark was Peter’s “interpreter”, i.e. the gospel was based largely on Peter’s recollections. “Mark” is “John Mark” of Acts, and tradition has it that the gospel was written in Rome.

The main textual issue with Mark is the ending. You will almost certainly find in your Bible various notes on Chapter 16. The oldest manuscripts end at 16:8, but after that there is the “longer ending”. There are no key theological issues, i.e. the longer ending does not raise any new points of doctrine.

Mark focuses on action rather than the teaching of Jesus (relatively few parables are recorded), though of course there is some of Jesus’ teaching included. Mark is keen to emphasise that Jesus is the “Son of God”. Chapters 1-9 focus on Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, while the rest of the gospel focuses on Jerusalem and the crucifixion and resurrection.

The gospel was probably written with Gentiles in mind, the grounds for believing this are that on a number of occasions Mark explains Jewish customs and translates Aramaic words.

While writing these notes I am working through the following commentary:

Mark: An Introduction and Commentary (TNTC), 2017, Eckhard J Schnabel

2 Samuel 6:6-9 - The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah

6:6,7

Then disaster struck. The oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark. He touched the ark and the Lord struck him dead. To us this seems unduly harsh, but it is a warning that certain things are holy, and there are things that we must not do. The root of the problem here was David making plans without observing the requirements of the Law. Num 4:15 explicitly forbad touching the ark.

6:8,9

David was angry. We are not told precisely why he was angry. Was he angry with God? Angry with himself? Whatever the case, he was afraid of the Lord. Maybe this was a good reminder to him, a humbling experience. However, he also reacted by thinking that there was now no way he could ever bring the ark back. When the Lord rebukes us we can go into despondency, acutely aware of our guilt. However, we should remember that the Lord disciplines us as a father, and He does so in order to produce a harvest of righteousness (Heb 12:11).

1 Corinthians 16:19-24 - The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you

16:19,20

We now come to the greetings. Aquila and Priscilla are mentioned frequently in the Bible, both in Acts and in a number of the letters. We get the infamous instruction to “greet one another with a holy kiss”. As an aside, this is an instruction which, at least in the anglo-saxon west, we have no intention of ever carrying out! It is clearly cultural and we have no qualms about ignoring the instruction.

16:21-24

Paul takes the “pen” from his amanuensis (scribe) and writes this last bit himself, demonstrating that the letter is from him. 16:22 may offend some of us, but it should not. Anyone who rejects the gospel, who rejects Christ, is already condemned. We should look forward to the return of Christ. The letter closes with Paul blessing them and declaring his love for them.

2 Samuel 6:1-5 - They set the ark of God on a new cart

6:1,2

During the reign of Saul the ark had been captured. David now attempted to bring the ark back. At first he fails, but then later succeeds. In the first attempt there is no record of David seeking guidance from the Lord, unlike in the case of his two battles against the Philistines recorded at the end of the previous chapter. So David set out with thirty thousand men. The text emphasises the association of the ark with the Name of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord.

6:3-5

The ark was put on a new cart. This was an attempt to treat the ark with due reverence. However, the Law had stated that the ark was to be carried, not carted (e.g. Deut 10:8; Ex 25:14, 37:5). David thought he was doing something for God, but what God requires is obedience. David and all Israel were celebrating “with all their might” before the Lord with all sorts of musical instruments. Everything looks good at this point. But remember in 1 Sam 4:5 when the ark was brought out to a great roar, victory seemed certain, but Israel had dealt with her sin. They were defeated and the ark was captured.

1 Corinthians 16:15-18 - They refreshed my spirit

16:15,16

Paul closes the letter, as he often does, with mentions of various people and final greetings. According to 1 Cor 1:16 Paul baptised Stephanas. Paul cites the household of Stephanus as examples to be followed and respected. The Corinthians were prone to following the wrong sort of people. In Charismatic churches in particular, we can be prone to the same sort of fault. It is those who work hard for the Lord that we should submit to.

16:17,18

Stephanas and two companions had arrived to see Paul and provided the direct contact between Paul and the Corinthian church that was otherwise precluded by distance. They refreshed Paul’s spirit. Personal contact is needed. Paul honours these three men.

2 Samuel 5:20-25 - There he defeated them

5:20,21

David knew that it was the Lord who had given him victory. He named the place “Baal Perazim”. We may be familiar with the “Baals” being idols in various other places in the Bible, particularly in later history. However, here it is just a noun that means “lord” and Baal Perazim means “the Lord breaks out”.  Earlier the Philistines had captured the ark of the covenant. In turn the Israelites carry off the idols of the Philistines. 1 Chron 14 tells us that David had them burned.

5:22-25

The Philistines had not given up hope, and so launched another attack. Again David enquired of the Lord. This time the Lord told him to circle around the back of the Philistines, rather than launching a head on attack. The Lord was directly involved in the attack, and the Philistines were once again routed.

1 Corinthians 16:12-14 - About our brother Apollos

16:12

Finally we have Apollos. Apollos was mentioned in 1 Cor 1:12 with regard to the “party-spirit” problem. It is evident from here and other comments in the letter, that the “problem” was entirely Corinthian based, it had nothing to do with Paul or Apollos, they saw themselves as fellow-workers. Indeed, Paul had urged him to go to Corinth. Apollos, however, declined, possibly fearing that his going there would make the “I follow” problem worse. Paul left the decision in Apollos’ hands, and was confident that he would visit Corinth in due course.

16:13,14

Here we get a general exhortation, including elements that are frequently found in his letters, and elsewhere. They are to be on their guard, to stand firm in the faith, and to be strong and courageous. So often in the West religion, or at least Christianity, is portrayed as quietism or piety. There is an element of truth in these caricatures, but they are far from being the full picture. The gospel is in opposition to the world (but it is for humanity). So we need to be aware of the risk of attacks, either from within or from without. Faith will be challenged, we need to stand firm in the faith. Sometimes the attacks will be physically and emotionally wearing. So we need to be strong and courageous. Then everything is to be done in love. Being battle hardened can lead to us being hard hearted, and we need to remember that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers (Eph 6:12). We need to do everything in love.

2 Samuel 5:13-19 - David took more concubines and wives

5:13-16

We then get something of a fly in the ointment. Deut 17:17 commanded that kings should not take many wives. David contravened this order. Many of the wives may have been taken for political reasons. However, later we will see that David had a major failing in this area, and his son Solomon really went overboard on this one! David’s major failings (Bathsheba and Uriah, and the census) are well known, but we see a number of lesser failings as well. David was a sinner just like us. Yet at the same time he did many heroic acts. We are all sinners, but by the grace of God, Christ can still achieve things through us. But when God does achieve things through us we should never forget that we are sinners, and we constantly need the blood of Christ.

5:17-19

The Philistines heard about what was happening and decided to take action.  David learnt of their plans and went down into the stronghold. It is not clear where the stronghold was, probably Jerusalem, but some of other suggestions. The enemy went in “full force” to find David. David took sensible action in going to the “stronghold”, he also sought the Lord about how to attack the Philistines. There is a lesson here for us as well. There are times when we need to seek refuge, but we should also remember that ultimately it is we who “win”. So at the same time as seeking refuge, we should also inquire of the Lord about how we are to go on the attack.

1 Corinthians 16:6-11 - Perhaps I will stay for a while

16:6-9

Paul contemplated spending a considerable amount of time with them, even spending the whole winter there, “so that you can help me on my journey”. There was a relationship of mutual help and assistance. Paul did not want to make only a brief visit. In the meantime he would “stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost”. Evidently “a great door for effective work had opened” up there for him. “And there are many who oppose me”. We read something of this in Acts. Note that here Paul sees the opposition as a reason for staying in Ephesus!

16:10,11

Timothy was a close companion of Paul, and a “spiritual son”. Timothy was very much Paul’s representative, even more than that. Paul urges them to welcome Timothy warmly. Some see this as an example of Timothy’s “timidity”, but it is actually more likely that it was forces within Corinth that Paul was concerned with. Timothy was not to be treated with contempt, but to be sent away from Corinth in peace.

2 Samuel 5:8-12 - He became more and more powerful

5:8-10

David was not impressed by the Jebusites’ bravado, hence his comments about the “blind and lame”. A water shaft in the area was discovered in 1867, though it is not certain whether this was the one talked about here. The city was conquered and David took up residence in the fortress. He renamed the place “the City of David”. He carried out further developments, extending the city.

5:11,12

The king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with materials and craftsmen for building a palace for David. In the prophets there are prophecies of the riches of the nations coming to Zion. Given that David is a “type” of the Messiah, Tyre’s recognition of David is a foretaste of what is to come. David took the king’s offering as a sign that the Lord had established him as king over Israel. There is a common pattern in prophecy that there is a partial or minor fulfilment in the life of Israel. The prophecy has a much greater fulfilment, but the partial fulfilment is a guarantee of God’s intentions. “And has exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel”. In the same way, Christ’s kingdom is exalted for the sake of His people, i.e. us.

1 Corinthians 16:3-5 - I will come to you

16:3,4

The gift could not be sent by bank transfer! So a party would travel to Jerusalem. The Corinthians were to choose whom they would send, so it would be people trusted by the Corinthian church. All this was to make sure that everything was above board. Money is an area where individuals and churches can fall, and also an area where accusations, justified or not, will be made. So it is essential that everything is done properly. Paul would provide letters of introduction for the chosen delegates, so that the church in Jerusalem knew that they could trust them. In the end Paul did travel to Jerusalem as well, but at the time of writing this decision had not been made.

16:5

Paul then outlines his travelling plans. Throughout this part there is emphasis on “perhaps” and “if the Lord permits”, i.e. Paul knows he cannot guarantee the plans will be perfectly fulfilled. In 2 Corinthians we learn that this caused some problems. He intended to visit them after going through Macedonia.

2 Samuel 5:4-7 - David captured the fortress of Zion

5:4,5

In total David reigned for forty years. Forty is often used as a symbolic number (i.e. not necessarily meaning an exact figure), but here it is the actual time that he refined, for we are given the breakdown of the forty years. He reigned over Judah for seven and a half years, before the whole of Israel was on board. Then he reigned over all Israel for a further thirty three years.

5:6,7

David then marched on Jerusalem to make it the capital of the nation. Jerusalem had a strategic location. It was fairly centrally located, and was well placed for defending. In the time of the judges the city had been conquered (Judges 1:8), but the Jebusites had not been driven out. Given the earlier failures to drive them out, the Jebusites see no reason why the Israelites should be more successful this time, and they taunt David saying even the blind and lame could repel them. These words were just that, empty words, for David did capture Zion, and it was known as “the city of David”. This is the first mention of the word “Zion”.

1 Corinthians 16:1,2 - Now about the collection

16:1

We now come to the final chapter, which begins with instructions for the collection for the Jerusalem churches. We are not told why such a collection was needed, but presumably the church there was experiencing severe hardship, either due to the famine (Acts 11:28) or persecution of the church. 2 Cor 8 and 9 return to this topic, giving much more detail. Churches in Galatia and Macedonia were also contributing, possibly others as well. The instructions that Paul gives here are the same as he gave to the Galatian churches. Note the implication that there was now more than one church in Galatia.

16:2

The money was to be collected in an orderly manner.  “On the first day of the week ...” A sum of money was to be set aside. So it was probably collected by the church on a weekly basis. People were to give in accordance with their income. This was so that when Paul arrived there would be no great fuss over the collection, everything would already be in place.

2 Samuel 5:1-3 - They anointed David king over Israel

5:1,2

David now formally becomes king over all of Israel. This is done with the will of the people, for we are told that “all the tribes of Israel” came to David, wanting him to be king. They declare that they “are your own flesh and blood”. They also remember that David led many successful military campaigns. In addition they knew the prophetic announcements concerning David.

5:3

The king made a covenant with the elders of Israel. This was done before the Lord. So David was something of a constitutional ruler, rather than an absolute ruler. I.e. he was beholden to the people, rather than the people just being told what was happening. This was also done “before the Lord”. In a church marriage service, the bride and groom make commitments to one another before the Lord. 

1 Corinthians 15:54-58 - Death has been swallowed up in victory

15:54,55

So death must be defeated, and death has been defeated. “Death has been swallowed up in victory” will come true. Now notice that as yet while we look forward to the victory, the victory has not been fully consummated. We have a foretaste, but there is much more to come. Death’s victory and sting will be gone forever. Death has a terrible effect on life now, but there is a time coming when that will not longer be the case. Death will be gone forever.

15:56,57

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law”. It is sin that brought death into the world. In this letter Paul has not said much about the law, whereas in letters like Galatians it is at the heart of the letter. Sin dominates through the Law, for under the Law we are all under judgement, we are all condemned. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”. It is only in Christ that we have the victory. False teachings ignore the reality and enormity of death and sin.

15:58

So the conclusion of all this is that we should stand firm in our faith, letting nothing move us. Be that circumstances or false teachings. Instead we are to fully devote ourselves to the work of the Lord. The resurrection is not “pie in the sky when we die”. It is an absolute reality, and it motivates and strengthens us for life today. Without the resurrection everything is ultimately futile. But the resurrection means that our “labour in the Lord is not in vain”.

2 Samuel 4:5-12 - Wicked men

4:5-8

Baanah and Rekab were more aware of the political situation and knew that Ish-bosheth was yesterday’s man, if he had ever been a man at all. Anyway, they knew that David’s kingship was the way things were going. So they decided to murder Ish-bosheth. They also cut off his head and took it with them to show David. While they knew the way the political wind was blowing, they did not understand David. They knew that Saul had tried to kill David, and so thought that bringing Ish-bosheth’s head to him would gain them favour in David’s sight.

4:9-12

They could not have been more wrong. A key point in David’s thinking was that it was the Lord who had delivered him. He tells Baanah and Rekab of the messenger who had brought him news of Saul’s death. This had not ended well for him. Now these two men had actually murdered an innocent man. So they would pay with their blood. David had them killed and their bodies were put on public display. Meanwhile, Ish-Bosheth was given a proper burial.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 - I tell you a mystery

15:51

Sometimes the early Christians worried about the difference between those who died in faith and those who would be alive at the time of Christ’s return. Now that two thousand years have passed this isn’t something we worry about. In fact it is probably safe to say that we do not take the return of Christ seriously enough. However, whether we have died or whether we are still here, “we will all be changed”. 

15:52

If we have died, then we will be raised “at the last trumpet”. If we are still here then we will be changed “in the twinkling of an eye”. All of us who believe are destined to be transformed.

15:53

“For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality”. If we are to be saved, this has to happen. If it doesn’t happen then our faith is in vain. The fundamentals are that sin has utterly corrupted us, both morally and physically. The fundamentals are also that God has a tremendous plan for His people. For that to happen our sin had to be atoned for, that has already happened on the cross. But we also need our bodies and our spirits or souls to be transformed. For at present they are not fit for heaven. Some of that transformation has already started, but this is only a foretaste.

2 Samuel 4:1-4 - All Israel became alarmed

4:1

The murders continue, and once again David had nothing to do with it, and makes a public display to demonstrate that this was so. This time it is Ish-bosheth who is killed. He was the son of Saul and was a very weak king. He learnt that Abner had died at Hebron. He doesn’t seem to be involved in the uniting of the two kingdoms, or at least carrying on unaware. 

4:2-4

Baanah and Rekab were Ish-bosheth’s leaders of raiding parties. They were Bejaminites, or at least considered to be. Jonathan had a son, Mephibosheth, of whom we will hear more later. He was lame because on hearing of the defeat at Jezreel his nurse (more a child-minder) fled, holding him, and had dropped him so he became lame. This meant that he could never be king, for he could not go out with the armies. He was five years old at the time.

1 Corinthians 15:48-50 - As was the earthly man

15:48,49

Adam was of the “dust of the earth”, and he sinned. We are all like Adam, we are of the “dust of the earth”, and we all sin. It is inherent in our nature. Likewise, our resurrected selves will be like Christ. We will be like Him.

We bear the “image of the earthly man”, i.e. we are like him. Likewise we will “bear the image of the heavenly man”, we will be like Christ. We need to appreciate that central to the gospel is that we are saved in order to be like Christ, it is not just a matter of being forgiven, or being saved from hell. We are saved from hell, we are forgiven, but we are also saved to something. And that is to be what we were always meant to be.

15:50

Perhaps the most fundamental error in denying the resurrection is that if it is not true then we are all done for, our faith is indeed futile. For “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable”.  Death is the final enemy. It is an undeniable fact that our bodies perish. We are neither physically nor morally equipped to inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Samuel 3:31-39 - All the people were pleased

3:31,32

David does not actually seem to be that angry with Joab. If he had been serious he would have sacked Joab, instead he made him walk in front of the bier (coffin stand) wearing sackcloth. This would be humiliating for Joab. David himself walked behind the bier. The point of the funeral was to show that David and all Israel deeply regretted the death of Abner.

3:33-36

David then sings a lament, and this led to more weeping from the people. David also fasted on the day of the funeral. He pulled out all the stops to show that he deeply regretted Abner’s death. It seems that this worked, for we are told that “all the people took note and were pleased”. It is then added that “everything the king did pleased them”. David’s popularity rating at this point is very high.

3:37-39

It has now been firmly established that David had no part in Abner’s death. However, David still seems to feel very insecure. First he tells his men that Abner was a great man, and then fears the sons of Zeruiah (Abner’s family). It is not clear who the oath “may the Lord repay the evildoer according to his deeds” is directed against, probably Joab.

1 Corinthians 15:45-47 - A life-giving spirit

15:45

Adam became a living being. This refers to Gen 2:7 where we learn that Adam was created from the dust of the ground and became a “living being” when God breathed life into him. We are both physical and spiritual beings. Adam had life, we all have life. However, the “last Adam” is a “life-giving spirit”. John 5:21,26 speaks of Jesus giving life. 

15:46

Paul then points out that the natural came first, then the spiritual. Some seemed to have a problem with the fact that the general resurrection (as opposed to Christ’s resurrection) was not already happening. Paul is saying that this is the consistent God-given order. 

15:47

It is also the God-given order that the “second man is of heaven”. We can look at this in two ways. John’s gospel emphasises that Jesus came from heaven, we are of the earth. We can also look at it as what our resurrected self will be like. As mentioned before, it is a resurrection not a mere resuscitation. We will be transformed when we are raised.

2 Samuel 3:24-30 - What have you done?

3:24-27

Joab is appalled at what David has done. He claims that Abner is trying to deceive David, and is preparing for an attack. Joab’s distorted view of things may be a result of his bitterness. Or he may just be making things up because of his hatred of Abner. Joab takes direct action. He sends messengers to have Abner brought back, and when Abner returns Joab killed him. In order to avenge his brother’s blood. Hebron was actually one of the cities of refuge (Josh 20:7). If we look back at the killing of Asahel, Abner tried to avoid killing him and only did so when Asahel refused to stop chasing him. Joab is the guilty party in all this.

3:28-30

David makes a pronouncement claiming that he and his kingdom had nothing to do with the murder of Abner, the guilt was entirely with Joab. David then curses Joab and his family. The purpose of this is to show that David was innocent and to avoid the killing of Abner jeopardising the new found unity in the whole of Israel. It is then noted that Joab killed Abner because he had killed Asahel. Here it is noted that Abishai, Joab’s other brother, was also involved.

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 - It is raised imperishable

15:42

We now come to the real reason Paul has been talking about all these things. We see in creation that God is a God of great variety, and that He transforms the seemingly dead into a living thing. So the body that is buried is perishable, indeed it has just perished! But it will be raised imperishable. The resurrection is not a mere resuscitation, but also a transformation.

15:43

The body is sown in dishonour and in weakness. A dead body is not a pretty thing. It will soon start to decompose, it no longer has any life in it. It is as weak as can be, being utterly useless. But the resurrected body will be glorious and powerful. We will get new bodies.

15:44

“It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body”. In saying this Paul is in no way denying the reality of the physical body. He is not saying that the resurrected body will in any way be merely ephemeral. The risen Christ had a physical body (Lk 24:39), He ate fish! (Lk 24:42,43). In Romans 8 Paul tells us to live by the Spirit, not by the flesh. We will be what we were always meant to be, we will be without sin.

2 Samuel 3:19-23 - David sent Abner away in peace

3:19-21

Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin, hence Abner gives them special attention. It seems that he had smoother things over with everyone. Abner then goes to David, and David prepares a feast for him. Abner then goes away in order to prepare an official event recognising David as king of all Israel.

3:22,23

Everything seems to be in place and in order. However, there is still trouble ahead. Joab has been harbouring resentment over Abner’s killing of his brother. Personal rivalries and resentments can have a destructive role in the life of the church and of secular organisations, just look at politics! So it is important that we get rid of any wrong personal ambitions that we have, or any bitterness within. Joab had been unaware of what was going on, and only now learns about the agreement with Abner.

1 Corinthians 15:39-41 - Not all flesh is the same

15:39

Paul then points out the great variety in the types of flesh. People, birds, animals and fish are all very different. So why is Paul saying this? It demonstrates the great variety of things that God has created. Saying “God cannot do ...” is a ridiculous thing to say.

15:40,41

Paul then points to the cosmos. There are many great things on earth, but there are also many great things in the heavens. The sun, the moon and the stars all have their own splendour. Sometimes people say that because we are just one planet out of billions why would God care about us. But all these sorts of thoughts demonstrate (when they are said in a sceptical way, rather than in an awe-struck way) is the paucity of our thinking. If God is God then saying a resurrection is impossible is a ridiculous thing to say. Of course, He is capable of raising the dead.

2 Samuel 3:12-18 - I will bring Israel over to you

3:12-14

Abner acts quickly and sends a message to David offering to help ”bring all Israel over to you”. The speed of his action lends credence to the view that Abner had planned the incident in the previous paragraph as a ploy to enable to change sides. David is amenable to Abner’s proposal, but he adds his own requirement. He had previously “won” Michal as his wife by getting one hundred Philistine foreskins (1 Sam 18:25-27). Saul had later given her to another man (1 Sam 25:44). Now David wants her back, considering her to be rightfully his. David sends a message to Ish-Bosheth demanding Michal back.

3:15-18

Ish-Bosheth offered no resistance and gave an order that Michal be taken away from her present “husband” Paltiel.  Paltiel was upset and went as far as Bahurim with Michal, then he was sent back home. Meanwhile Abner continues with his machinations. It seems that the elders of Israel had actually recognised the disaster that the House of Saul was for Israel, and actually wanted to be united with David. They were all aware of the promise that the Lord had made to David.

1 Corinthians 15:37,38 - God gives it a body

15:37

Moreover, the seed that is sown bears no resemblance to the plant that grows, though of course different seeds give rise to different plants. But the seed looks dead, it looks as if there is no life in it at all. Indeed if the seed is just left there nothing at all will happen, nothing will come from it. But if it is sown in the ground it will germinate and a plant will grow. Nature was all created by God and reflects something of the glory of God.

15:38

So from the seemingly dead seed a body comes. And the sort from which it comes is determined by God. Now consider this for a moment. This does not mean that God acts randomly, it does not mean that no one could guess what sort of plant would grow. Wheat seeds produce wheat, poppy seeds produce poppies. And so a believer who dies will be raised Christlike. Amazing transformations occur in nature.

2 Samuel 3:6-11 - Abner was very angry

3:6,7

In Israel Abner had been strengthening his position. Ish-Bosheth was the nominal king, but Abner was the power behind the throne. Ish-Bosheth was a rather weak king, but may have resented the power that Abner had and thought that he really should have more control himself, he was the king after all! So he confronts Abner, accusing him of sleeping with one of Saul’s concubines. The chapter does not explicitly make clear whether this was actually true or not.

3:8-11

Abner reacts very angrily. The term “dog’s head” is found nowhere else in Biblical or Near Eastern literature, but we can safely assume it is a derogatory term, possibly implying he is secretly working for the “enemy”. Abner then says how he has faithfully served the house of Saul, and had not handed the house of Saul over to David. In his fit of pique he declares that he will now work for David’s cause. He was evidently aware of the promises made about David. So he would now work to see the kingdom transferred to David. This reaction of Abner may be one based on pure resentment at the accusation. Alternatively, it may have been a politically inspired move. Abner may have seen the way the war was going, and looked for an opportunity to swap sides. 

1 Corinthians 15:35,36 - How are the dead raised?

15:35

Having “defended” the resurrection, i.e. given evidence for it having happened, and exposed the errors in the arguments against the resurrection, Paul now goes on the attack. It is worth noting that as someone who wholeheartedly believes in the resurrection I have no problem with the evidence. The evidence supports my belief. It is those who reject the resurrection who have problems with the evidence. It is they who have to posit explanations for which there is no supporting evidence. In the Graeco-Roman world the concept of resurrection was utterly rejected, even considered “dirty”. Paul demonstrates the vacuousness of their thought. 

15:36

“How foolish!”, or “fools”. Paul has no time for their ideas. We sometimes all too easily go on the defensive against the world’s attacks. It is worldly thought, not Biblical thought, that lacks coherence or rationality, And in the section 15:35-41 Paul argues the reasonableness of the resurrection from nature, from science if you like! He starts by saying “what you sow does not come to life unless it dies”. Perhaps Paul was aware of Jesus’ words in John 12:24.

2 Samuel 3:1,2 - David grew stronger

3:1

Even though we read of David assuming the kingdom of both Judah and Israel, this is really not a happy chapter. There is little mention of God, and lots of human intrigue. The chapter begins by telling us that “the war between the houses of Saul and David lasted a long time”, with the house of Saul growing progressively weaker. The writer refers to the “house of Saul” rather than Israel. The conflict is seen as one between Saul and David (even though Saul is now dead). Maybe we could see this as analogous to the war between the flesh and the spirit?

3:2-5

Next we get an update on the family of David. He now has six wives, and one child from each is named. It may be that some of the wives had more than one child, but only the firstborn is named. Whatever the case, David is acting in contravention to the Law, for Deut 17:14-20 specifically commanded that kings should not take many wives. Moreover, Maakah was not an Israelite. Some of these wives may have been taken for political wives.