2 Samuel 22-23: David’s Final Song and Final Words

08/05/24 • 29 min

In 2 Samuel 22, we are going to read David’s song and final words. Recall that 1 and 2 Samuel were really one long book. 1 Samuel begins with Hannah’s song, and 2 Samuel ends with David’s song. The two songs are bookends to the story of Samuel, Saul, and David. Hannah’s song celebrates what God has done, how he reverses situations, and looks forward to what He will do in the future. David’s song celebrates what God has done and how he powerfully saved him, looking back on the past. The point is that the two songs creatively bookend the whole story, Hannah’s looks forward with a prophecy of an anointed king and David’s looks back on the fulfillment of this prophecy.

The author uses the songs in another creative way. There is another song in the beginning of 2 Samuel which place is right in the middle of the other 2 songs. It is David’s song of lament for the death of Saul and Jonathan. If we string all three songs together: Hannah’s Song begins as a series of reversals.

God brings death and life.
He humbles and exalts
He guards the faithful and silences the wicked

Then Hannah ends with a prophecy:

2:10 “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Hannah sings of a king to come, for there was no king at that time. Recall, the book of Judges ended with...

Judges 21:25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

Everyone sinned because there was no king. Hannah has caught a vision of a time when God will reverse the situation, an anointed king will overcome the evil. Then we read David’s song of lament for Saul 2 Samuel 1. David sang about how the mighty have fallen...meaning Saul. A king had come but he was not the king God had wanted. Saul was wicked and God humbled him and he and his descendants died. In the 3rd song, David sings of the reverse. David was faithful, and God exalted him, and his descendants will live and reign forever. The point is that what Hannah foresaw was fulfilled.

Thank you for being a part of the club.Show Notes

We love feedback, but can't reply without your email address. Message us your thoughts and contact info!

Contact Bible Book Club
Donate or pick up merch here

Like, comment, or message us through Bible Book Club's Instagram
Like or comment on Susan's Facebook or Instagram
Leave us an Apple review
Contact us through our website form
Thanks for listening and happy podcasting!

God brings death and life.
He humbles and exalts
He guards the faithful and silences the wicked

Then Hannah ends with a prophecy:

2:10 “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Hannah sings of a king to come, for there was no king at that time. Recall, the book of Judges ended with...

Judges 21:25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

Thank you for being a part of the club.Show Notes

We love feedback, but can't reply without your email address. Message us your thoughts and contact info!

Contact Bible Book Club
Donate or pick up merch here

Previous Episode

2 Samuel 20-21: Joab Kills for a Job, A Woman Kills for Peace and Gibeon kills to Avenge

In 2 Samuel 20, we pick up in the middle of the new rebellion led by Sheba, the Benjaminite. David has a new commander, Amasa, who is the former commander of Absalom and tried to kill David. When David appointed Amasa as his commander, back in Chapter 19, we were never given any insight into how Joab felt about being replaced. Was Joab totally fired or just demoted and ordered to report to Amasa? How did Joab react, did he walk off in his usual temper and quit? And was David confident in this decision or had he decided rashly?

Yes, Joab had disobeyed David and killed Abner and Absalom. Abner, out of jealousy. Definitely wrong. But should David have trusted Abner? Regarding Absalom, perhaps Joab had good reasons for killing him. First, according to the law, Absalom should have been killed for rebellion. Second, he had betrayed Joab, who was the one who talked David into acknowledging him. So Joab had a personal vengeance. And third, Joab knew that had Absalom lived, David would have gone soft on him and Absalom probably would have planned another rebellion.

Back to David’s decision to replace Joab. Despite the wrong that Joab had done by killing these two men, he had done a lot well. As leader of the army, he had an outstanding record. And his loyalty to David and Israel was admirable. We don’t know how Joab felt about this demotion, and we can’t say whether it was fair of David without more detail. Whatever the case, Joab is not the kind of leader who sits quietly in the background. His commitment to David and Israel is too strong. And in this episode, Joab will find a way to take center stage.

Thank you for being a part of the club.Show Notes

We love feedback, but can't reply without your email address. Message us your thoughts and contact info!

Contact Bible Book Club
Donate or pick up merch here

Next Episode

2 Samuel 23-24: David’s Mighty Men and the Sacred Mount Moriah

If only the books of Samuel ended there, after David’s final words. It’s a great place to end, but he didn’t. There is more in 2 Samuel 23 and 24, and it is anti-climatic for the books of Samuel. However, it is an intriguing link to the future of Christ and our redemption. Recall that the author is writing the final chapters in a chiasm which is a literary structure where themes mirror each other in an inverted pattern. The focus is on the center of the chiasm. We have discussed the first 4 steps of the chiasm: Saul causes a famine, David’s Mighty Warriors, David’s final song, and David’s final words.

In 2 Samuel 23, we will discuss the remaining:David’s Mighty Warriors, and David causes a plague. These two mirror the first two. There will be more detail on the Mighty Warriors. Then we will end with David causing a plague which is a comparison to Saul causing a famine.

Thank you for being a part of the club.Show Notes

We love feedback, but can't reply without your email address. Message us your thoughts and contact info!

Contact Bible Book Club
Donate or pick up merch here