Day 98, 2 Samuel 8-11

Today started out with David’s victories. It went through all the people he was defeating and striking down. “The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.”

Then it went on to explain how David reigned over all of Israel, and administered justice and equity to all his people. It listed out all of David’s officials.

• Joab: over the army
• Jehoshaphat: recorder
• Zadok and Ahimelech: priests
• Seraiah: secretary
• Benaiah: over the Cherethites and Pelethites
• David’s sons: priests

David asked if there was anyone left in the house of Saul he could show kindness to on behalf of Jonathan. There was a servant in the house of Saul named Ziba, and they brought him to David.

Ziba explained that there was Jonathan’s son left in the house of Saul, and his feet were crippled. This was explained previously in chapter 4, saying how when he was five he had fallen when they were fleeing from Jezreel after the death of Saul and Jonathan. His name was Mephibosheth.

When Mephibosheth arrived, king David told him that he would restore to him all the land of Saul, and he should eat at his table always. So he ate at the king’s table like one of his sons.

Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. He lived in Jerusalem and always ate at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.

After the king of the Ammonites died, his son reigned in his place. David sent messengers to him to offer his condolences because the king who died was always loyal to David.

When David’s servants got into the land of the Ammonites, the princes told their lord that David was not there honoring his father, but rather spying on them.

So they took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each man, and cut their garments at the hips. When David heard of this he told the men to stay in Jericho until their beards grew back because they were ashamed.

When the Ammonites realized they had probably messed up because now David was rightfully pissed off, they started assembling to go to battle. When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of mighty men out ready to battle.

Joab said, “Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.” Ultimately, there was another battle and Israel defeated their enemies.

One day in the spring that year, David was walking on the roof of his house and looked out and saw a woman bathing. He thought she was very beautiful, so he inquired about her.

Her name was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived and told David that she was pregnant.

David ended up sending her husband Uriah to battle and made sure he was put on the front lines in hopes of being killed. Uriah did get killed in battle, and David was told the news of it, pretending that he had nothing to do with it or had underlying motives.

Bathsheba also heard the news of her husbands death and lamented over him. When the mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to his house and she became his wife. She bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.