I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Samuel 4-7.

    When word reached Ishbosheth’s camp about Abner’s death, two brothers, who were minor commanders in his army, slipped into Ishbosheth’s house while he napped and killed him. They took Ishbosheth’s head to David, apparently expecting him to reward them for killing Ishbosheth. Rather than reward them, David ordered them executed. Throughout his career David consistently rejected the idea of punishing people solely because they were his enemies. When the people of Israel learned that Ishbosheth, the last of Saul’s sons, had died, they made David their king. I do not know if anyone else has ever noticed, but sometimes when I write this blog I write whatever comes to my mind hoping that God (or perhaps just my mental processes) will inspire me with a spiritual message from the passage. Some days that inspiration never comes. However, today is not one of those days…

    When David moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem he loaded it on a cart. This was contrary to the instructions which God had given the Israelites concerning how to move the Ark. As a result, when one of the men accompanying the Ark reached out to steady it, God struck him down. This may seem unfair, since a mere two generations earlier the Philistines had returned the Ark to the Israelites by sending it on a cart. However, the lesson here for us is that God holds those who know better to a higher standard. Or, perhaps a better way to say this is, God holds those who instruct others on right and wrong to a higher standard. We see time and again stories about people who tell others about how God wants us to live our lives getting caught up in a scandal, or otherwise having their life fall apart because they did that which they told others was wrong. If you feel called by God to tell others to live righteously make sure that you yourself are living up to your standard of righteousness, or, at least, be open about your failure to live up to what you believe is right.