II Samuel 5:17-6:23 For David’s bringing of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and why the first attempt was fatally flawed but not the second, I refer you to the parallel passage in I Chronicles 13,15 and my corresponding commentary from April 5, 2023. Today I’d like to briefly consider Michal and her relationship …
Category Archives: RTB 2025 – Search the Scriptures, Part 2
August 2 / II Samuel 4:1-5:16
II Samuel 4:1-5:16 Remember the Amalekite that delivered the news of Saul’s death to David in II Samuel 1, which we looked at two days ago? It should not take much insight to see the parallels between that Amalekite and the two sons of Rimmon who assassinate Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son. Like the Amalekite, these two …
August 1 / II Samuel 2-3
II Samuel 2-3 I don’t know about you, but I tend to think of Israel’s “United Monarchy” as passing from Saul to David and on to Solomon fairly smoothly, and that it is only with Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, that the kingdom divides. I tend to forget this relatively brief period after Saul’s death when David …
July 31 / II Samuel 1
II Samuel 1 Today we return to our march through Old Testament history, picking up where we left off before we diverted into Job. Recall the history up to this point: That is where we left off on June 25. So Saul is dead, along with his son, Jonathan, and David receives the news from …
August 2025 Readings
Date Readings Verses 01-Aug II Samuel 2-3 71 02-Aug II Samuel 4:1-5:16 28 03-Aug II Samuel 5:17-6:23 32 04-Aug II Samuel 7 29 05-Aug II Samuel 8-9 31 06-Aug II Samuel 10-11 46 07-Aug II Samuel 12:1-13:37 68 08-Aug II Samuel 13:38-14:33 35 09-Aug II Samuel 15:1-16:14 51 10-Aug II Samuel 16:15-17:29 38 11-Aug II …
July 30 / Psalm 51
Psalm 51 As the superscription for today’s psalm indicates, the backdrop for Psalm 51 is David’s adultery with Bathsheba, the murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite, and the subsequent confrontation of David by Nathan the prophet. You can find that story in II Samuel 11-12. You might also want to see our commentary on …
July 29 / Psalm 50
Psalm 50 Dear RTB’ers, God addressing the Israelis – first His people (vv. 7-15), then the wicked (vv. 16-22). To His people He talks of their sacrifices. Although not rejecting those sacrifices, He seems to be suggesting that their hearts may not be right, but that their devotion to Him would be more important to …
July 28 / Psalm 49
Psalms 49 Dear RTB’ers, Today’s Psalm 49 reads more like a Proverb than a Psalm: Let’s not fret over the wealthy, the powerful and what they can do to us; death awaits them, just like anyone else. Even the wise and the foolish die and leave their wealth to others. Be not afraid when a …
July 27 / Psalms 46-48
Psalms 46-48 Dear RTB’ers, No doubt, thousand of scholars (possibly hundreds of thousands) have studied the Psalms through the years. I am not one of them. The Psalms are difficult for me. Maybe it’s poetry, in general? Maybe it’s an unknown context for which a particular psalm was written? Maybe it’s a metaphorical tool used …
July 26 / Psalm 45
Psalm 45 Dear RTB’ers, Psalm 45 is … confusing. Not “strange”, but certainly confusing. Is this Psalm about a royal marriage or is it Messianic? Go online and type “Is Psalm 45 Messianic?” and see for yourself. Many scholars, both Christian and Jewish read this Psalm as Messianic. For me that was quickly an issue …