I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Samuel 20-22.

    In the aftermath of Absalom’s rebellion conflict arose between the tribe of Judah and the rest of the tribes of Israel. The warriors of Judah claimed preeminence over the warriors of the other tribes because David was of the tribe of Judah. As a result, Sheba, from the tribe of Benjamin (which was the tribe Saul was from), was able to lead a rebellion. David sent Amasa (NOTE: Amasa and Joab were sons of different sisters of David) to muster the full fighting force of the tribe of Judah, giving him three days to gather them. It took Amasa longer than three days to muster the army. David knew better than to allow his enemy time to get organized, gather forces, and find a reliably defensible stronghold. So, David told Abishai, Joab’s brother, to take what troops David already had and chase down Sheba. I find it interesting that David spoke with Abishai rather than Joab. When Amasa, and the troops he had gathered, met up with Joab and Abishai, Joab killed him. My wife compared the stories of 1 and 2 Samuel to “The Game of Thrones” and there is certainly something to that (although I think “The Game of Thrones” would be much better if George R.R. Martin had used them as a model for his plot). Even the way the story of Sheba’s rebellion ends has a Game of Thrones feel to it. I will let you read that for yourself.

    I love the psalm recorded in chapter 22. David starts out by comparing God to the places where he hid from Saul when Saul was seeking his life. It was not the rocks among which he hid which protected him, nor the fortress he holed up in. No, it was God who was the true rock, the fortress which protected him when his life was in danger. When his own son sought his life, it was God who saved David from both the physical danger he was in and the depression he felt over that betrayal. Then we have imagery which is more than worthy of a fantasy novel like “The Game of Thrones.” Daenerys may have had dragons, but David had the God of Heaven:

Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
Mounted on a mighty angelic being,[q] he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.

The imagery continues for a few more verses. There is a scene in “The Game of Thrones” where Daenerys is rescued by the dragons, but they just dealt destruction to the works of man. Here david describes how God can overcome barriers of nature to come to our rescue. However, perhaps the best part of this psalm is where David reminds us that the way God deals with us is a reflection of the way in which we approach Him. If we are faithful, God will show us His faithfulness. If we are pure, God will show Himself pure. However, if we are deceitful and corrupt, God will show us that He is more than cunning enough to counter our actions.