Bible in One Year Day 141 (2 Samuel 23, 1 Chronicles 28, Psalm 42)

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Day 141: The Life of David 

Agape Bible Study 
2 Samuel 23

Chapter 23: David's Last Testament and the List of his Champions

2 Samuel 23:1-7 ~ David's Last Testament
David's last words are expressed in poetic form and can be divided into four parts:

• Part I: The introduction identifies David as the speaker who is God's anointed (verse 1).
• Part II: David states that what is said is a prophetic word spoken under the power of God's Spirit (verse 2) through which God has spoken (verse 3a).
• Part III: God gives David the definition of just rule, and His gift of the perpetual Davidic covenant (verses 3-5a).
• Part IV: The poem concludes by threatening those who might be disloyal to David and his "house" with Divine judgment (verses 5b-7).

Last words are attributed to David as to Jacob (Gen 49), Moses (Dt 33), and Joshua (Josh 23).
Question: In what three ways does David want to be remembered in verse 1?
Answer:

1. As a man raised to eminence/prominence
2. As the anointed of God
3. As the singer of the songs of Israel

Notice that David again refers to God as "Rock" in verse 3. This time he uses the word not as a metaphor as he did in the earlier hymn (22:3, 32 and 47) but as a title. Moses called God by the title "Rock" five times in his hymn in Deuteronomy 32:1-43 (Dt 32:4, 16, 18, 30, 31).
Question: Who did St. Paul identify as "the Rock" in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4?
Answer: Jesus. The "rock" that provided water to the Israelites on the forty year wilderness journey was the preexistent Christ who was already active in salvation history.

Question: With whom did Jesus share His title "Rock," changing the name of this man to the Aramaic word Kepha (Rock)? St. Paul called this man Cephas, the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic Kepha. How do we refer to this man? See Mt 16:16-18.
Answer: Jesus gave this title to the Apostle Simon who was from that time forward acknowledged as the leader of the Apostles as the Vicar of Jesus' Kingdom on earth and was called "Kepha" in Aramaic or "Petros"/Peter in Greek of the New Testament.

Question: What is the definition of a prophet of God?
Answer: A biblical prophet is one who spoke, acted, or wrote under the extraordinary influence of the Spirit of God to make known the divine counsels and will.

In verse 2 David states that what he writes is God's Spirit speaking through him. This defines David as a prophet of God, and it is what St. Peter calls David in Acts 2:29-30. 

Question: What does David speak of as the greatest work of God in his life?

Answer: He lists the greatest work of God in his life as the promise of an eternal covenant with the Davidic dynasty ("house") that is extended to David's descendants.

David's Mighty Warriors

The lists of the names of David's elite warriors and the narratives of some of their exploits are found in 2 Samuel 23:8-39. The lists of David's warriors fall into three parts:

1. Verses 8b-12, 17b: the illustrious "Three" are identified and their exploits are summarized.
2. Verses 18-23: Abishai (David's nephew) and Benaiah are honored above the Thirty but are not equal to the Three (verses 19, 23).
3. Verses 24-39a: A list of David's elite "Thirty" warriors.

2 Samuel 23:8-12 ~ David's Three Peerless Warriors

David recalls the exploits of his three greatest warriors:
Ishbaal the Hachmonite: the leader of the "Three."
Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite: his brother Elhanan is one of the Thirty (2 Sam 23:24).
Shamma son of Elah (Agee) the Hararite

2 Samuel 23:13-17 ~ An Exploit of the Three

This incident took place early in David's career as an outlaw when he was encamped at the stronghold in the southern desert of Judah (1 Sam 22:1). David learned what every leader of men needs to guard against: the wrong interpretation of language and the law of unintended consequences. A wrongly worded command or a thoughtless spoken comment can mean the loss of life. This event occurred early in David's career, and he undoubtedly learned from his mistake. The incident also demonstrates how much David's men loved him.

2 Samuel 23:18-23 ~ The Exploits of Two of David's Champions

The inspired writer differentiates between the Three and the Thirty. The Three refers to David's greatest champions who are named in 23:8-12. The exploits of two men are recounted in this passage. Abishai is the leader of the elite unit of warriors. He is David's nephew, the second of the three sons of Zeruiah and the brother of Joab, the commander of the army of Israel. Their youngest brother, Asahel was killed by Abner (2 Sam 2:17-23; 23:24). Benaiah is one of the Thirty who becomes the commander of David's bodyguard. 1 Chronicles 11:23 records that the Egyptian warrior he killed was seven and a half feet tall. In the reign of King Solomon he will become commander of the army of Israel (1 Kng 2:35). The men are great warriors among the group of David's elite fighters but they are "not equal to the Three."

2 Samuel 23:24-39 ~ A List of David's Champions
Some names we recognize:

• Asahel was the nephew of David and the brother of Joab and Abishai; if his name is included in the list it numbers 31. Perhaps his name is included because he was one of the Thirty until his death.
• Eliam was the name of Bathsheba's father (2 Sam 11:3) who is the son of Ahithophel, the chief counselor who betrayed David and supported Absalom in the civil war (2 Sam 15:12, 31; 16:20-23; 17:1-4, 23).
• Sibbecai of Hushah killed the giant Philistine Saph son of Rapha (2 Sam 21:18).
• Uriah the Hittite was the husband of Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:3).

The men come from all parts of Israel on both sides of the Jordan River. The first eleven warriors on the list are all men who come from the tribe of Judah; Asahel and Elhanan are from Bethlehem and most of the other men are from towns within a radius of Bethlehem. Other men come from central, northern and southern Judah. Of the names in verses 36-39, some men are from the Transjordan. Also notice that Igal of Zobah (Aramaean kingdom; see 2 Sam 10:6), Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, and Uriah the Hittite are all Gentiles. 

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A Daily Defense 
DAY 141 “All Have Sinned”

CHALLENGE: “How can Catholics say Mary was sinless when Scripture teaches clearly that ‘all have sinned’ (Rom. 3:23)?”

DEFENSE:The passage doesn’t prove that Mary sinned.

Romans 3:23 occurs in a section where Paul is arguing that both Jews and Gentiles need salvation through Jesus Christ and that this is not achieved through the Law of Moses. This is the major thrust of Romans 1–4.

Thus he writes: “For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. . .Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith” (Rom. 3:22–24, 29–30). 

When Paul says that “there is no distinction,” he means that there is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. When he explains this statement by saying “for all have sinned,” he means sin characterizes both Jews and Gentiles. 

However, his use of the term “all” is hyperbole, for Paul does not believe that this is an exceptionless norm. Thus later in Romans, where Paul appeals to the case of Jacob and Esau and speaks of the time when “they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad” (Rom. 9:11). Paul therefore recognizes that unborn children have not yet committed personal sin, making them an exception to the “all have sinned” n orm he spoke of earlier.

Further, Paul would certainly have acknowledged the sinlessness in adult life of at least one man —Jesus! Paul elsewhere says that Jesus “knew no sin” (2 Cor. 5:21), and belief in Jesus’ sinlessness is attested in multiple passages in the New Testament (Heb. 4:15, 7:26, 9:14; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5).

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If Jesus, as the “Second Adam” (cf. Rom. 5:12–19, 1 Cor. 15:21–22, 45–49), is an exception to what Paul says in Romans 3:23, there may also be an exception for Mary as the “Second Eve” (CCC 411).

Romans 3:23 thus does not disprove that Mary remained sinless through a special application of God’s grace.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist