Bishop Hall on David’s grief
“The king said to the Cushite, ‘Is it well with the young man Absalom?” (2 Samuel 18:32). One more from Bishop Hall who in his reflection upon the death of Absalom connects David’s response to the death of Christ. “As…
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Bishop Hall
In my previous post, CH Spurgeon referred to one ‘Bishop Hall’. I had not heard of Joseph Hall who lived from 1574 to 1656. He was the Bishop of Exeter in the 1630s. The church historian, Thomas Fuller, said he…
Spurgeon on Ahithophel – ‘the Nestor of debate’
Charles Spurgeon preached these words in a sermon on the death of the traitor, Ahithophel, based on 2 Samuel 17:23: “He…put his household in order, and hanged himself.” Spurgeon comments: “His case teaches us that the greatest worldly wisdom will…
A Widow’s Snippets
‘For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.’ (Ecclesiastes 1:18). Ann Dawson was a faithful parishioner at our church for many years. I took her funeral back in 2018. Every now and then she would…
Lilith – Jewish & Christian night-mare
“And wild animals shall meet with hyenas; the wild goat shall cry to his fellow; indeed, there the night bird settles and finds for herself a resting place.” (Isaiah 34:14). ESV has a footnote for the word translated ‘night bird’…
What is man?
‘A great admiration rises upon me; astonishment seizes me.’ Augustine. “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:10, ESV). The word…
The ark of God in 2 Samuel 15
The placement of the meeting of David with the priests carrying the ark of God in 2 Samuel 15 and the language ‘of sight’ are some of the most intriguing aspects of this chapter. Here are my conclusions from the…
King David in 2 Samuel 3 and 16:5-14
Studying a passage like 2 Samuel 16 raises many questions. Here are some questions and notes I’ve had as I reflected on 2 Samuel 16:5-14. When does the narrative refer to David by name and as ‘the king’? Or as…
Preaching 2 Samuel 15-16
“For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?” (2 Samuel 19:22). I have preached on 2 Samuel 14-16 over the past couple of months. In a series on a long narrative like 2 Samuel, I…
Bahurim – 2 Samuel 16:5
“When King David came to Bahurim…” (2 Samuel 16:5) The significance of the location of the cursing of David by Shimei is, by and large, overlooked by commentators. If a comment is made about the town, it is usually an…