David built an altar to the Lord

David built an altar to the Lord

2 Sam 23-24

Key Verse 24:25

1. What is the last word of David? How did he describe himself [1]? Read 2-4. What was the word of God given to David [3b-4]? In this prophetic words, what two things did God estimate as the most important thing as a ruler [3b]? What would such rule bring to people? What might ‘the light’ and ‘the brightness’ be?

2. Read 5. Why did David express his conviction in forms of question? Discuss this in view of his sin and God’s forgiveness, and those who would discredit David as the godly king. What was his belief on God’s promise? Through these questions, what two choices of understanding does one can deduce over David’s life?

3. Read v 6-7. Who are the evil men referred to? Answer this in respect to 3-4 and in respect to the two choices of understanding on David’s house. What is the fate of the evil men? This is a prophetic word from God. What would David’s rule as king play as the barometer of rulership of the kings of the world? Discuss the importance of how David was justified after sinning and restored to king again. Also discuss the importance of one’s view on Davidic king [1 king 11:6;2 King 22:2; 2 Chron 17:3; 28:1].

4. Read 8-17. Who were the three men of David? What did they do [8-12]? How did loyal commanders serve David [15-16]? How did David value the lives of his men [17]? Who and what was Abishai [18-19]? What did he do? Who and what was Benaiah? What might be the contribution of the thirty recorded here for the kingship of David? [1 Sam 21:2;23:3-5, 13; 24:3; 25:9,13,20-21;26:6-9; 27:2-4,8; 30 : 1-2, 9-10, 23,24; 2 Sam 2:17-18] ? Why was it necessary to record their names here?

5. Read 24:1. Why did God incite David against Israel and to do what? What does it mean [cf. 1 Chron 21:1-3]? What was the immediate purpose of this census[2,4,9]? What was the ground of objection by Joab [3]? How strong was David’s will and conviction in this matter [4]?

6. How long did it take and how extensive was it [5-8]? What did they find out [1 Chron 21:5-6]? In what respect, do you think that it was a ‘great’ sin against God [23:3-4, 5]? Discuss this in view of God’s covenant with Israel and David and David’s and Israel’s responsibility [2 Sam 7:8-11; 12:7-9a; 5:12]. What might be the nature of God’s anger against Israel? How did God see this [1 Chron 21:6-7]?

7. After seeing the result, what happened to David [10]? When a king and his people come to know the size of the army of the kingdom, what comes to his mind or to the mind of the people? Discuss this in terms of forming a prospect of the kingdom in her size, her future and her durability. What do you think that knowing the result [800k+500k men who could handle the sword] caused him conscience stricken? What might be the danger of counting ‘fighting men’ in building God’s kingdom? How does it mean to us [Acts 1:6-7]?

8. What did David do when he came to know his sin in this [10]? How was David’s attitude toward his sin at this time different from his sin with Bathsheba [2 Sam 11]? What three choices of punishment did God offer to David and Israel [13]? How does each of these punishments differ? What was David’s choice? Why [14]?

9. As God sent a plague, how many died [15]? What was the further threat [1 Chron 21:15-17]? How did David take this [17, 1 Chron 21: 14-17]? What was God’s answer to David’s question/request [18]? What did David do to follow the word of the angel [18-25]? When did God stop the plague? Discuss on what God was displeased about in view of v1, 10, 17 and the role of David in this.