Beginning to End Readings Practical Bible Commentary links

Check out the Link Page for the One Year Bible Readings. Three Years Bible Readings and the Back to the Bible Devotional Blogs

Try the Three Years in the Bible: Year 1 Law and History; Year 2 Poetry and Prophecy and Year 3 New Testament. You can start with any of the three years and finsh the Bible at a slower pace in three years

You can also check out all these Reading Plans Blogs to go through the Bible in a year from Back to the Bible Reading Lists:the Chronological Reading Plan blog; OT and NT Together blog; Historical Readings blog; Blended Readings blog and Beginning to End blog In addition, there is the Theophilus1 blog in the One Year Bible format and The Daily Bible in Chronological Order

The Back to the Bible Beginning to End Reading Plan

Index of Beginning to End Readings

The Reign of David
Today's reading 2Samuel 22-24
King James Version with Web Encyclopedia Links: 2Samuel 23; 2Samuel 23; 2Samuel 24

2Samuel 22 David sung a song of praise to God. This is idebtical to Psalm 18.1-50 From this song we have an awesome God, who is my rock, fortress and deliverer. There are many wonderful things about our God her. When we get discouraged we should go to this passage as well as Psalm a8 for encouragement.

2Samuel 23 details the last words of David. This should be understood, according to the NIV Study Bilble as David's last poetic testimony (in the manner of psalms). perhaps composed at the time of his final instructions and warnings to his son Solomon (see 1king 2.1-10). In a lot of ways this passage sounds like a Psalm that David composed.
David's mighty men were also desribed (2Samuel 23.8-39; 1Chronicles 11.10-41)

2Samuel 24.1-17; 1Chronicles 21.1-17. David did a census of how many fighting men were available in Israel. Even Joab, David's commander, told David that he should not do it. This was repugnant in the eyes of God becuase there was not a military crisis at hand. Rather it seems that David wanted to know by the pride of how big his empire was or by reliance upon the strength of his army, The taking of a census was hardly sinful as we have seen in the two censsuses done in Numbers 1 and 26. Note that David realized that he sinned (v. 10). Gad the prophet told David that he gave three option how He was going to punish Israel, that is, three years of famine, or three months of fleeing from Israel's enemies or three days of palgaue. That was a hard decision for the repentant David to make. David chose the three days of plague and seventy thousand people died. That is a hard lesson for Daivd to learn. We should also learn not to put our confidence and security in our own strength but put it in God.