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.

    At the end of yesterday’s passage we saw the beginning of the divide between the Northern Tribes and the Tribe of Judah which led to the splitting of Israel into two kingdoms under Rehoboam. Today’s passage begins with the outbreak of open revolt against David. The discontent found a focus in Sheba, who led his own clan in revolt, while the rest of the northern tribes seem to have taken a more neutral stance, withdrawing their troops from David’s army but unwilling to commit them to Sheba. David responds by sending his nephew and new army commander, Amasa, out to gather the warriors of Judah. David’s instructions include doing so quickly. Unfortunately, Amasa was unable to meet David’s deadline, so David ordered Abishai, Joab’s brother and another of David’s nephews, to take the warriors already gathered and pursue Sheba. Despite David giving the orders to Abishai, it is clear that Joab commanded this force (if you have been following along you realize that David had dismissed Joab and given his position as Army Commander to Amasa). When Amasa returned shortly after David issued this order, Joab greeted him and killed him in a similar manner to what he had done to Abner. Now, it may seem that Joab killed Amasa because David had made Amasa Army Commander in Joab’s place. That probably played a role in it. However, it is worth noting that Amasa had also accepted the position of Army Commander from Absalom and had just led troops in an attempt to overthrow David. It seems likely that Joab believed that his killing of Amasa was in David’s best interest.

    As a reader of fantasy novels and a player of fantasy roleplaying games, I love the imagery David used in his song of praise recorded here. I am not the word smith that David was. I am not even the equal of those who translated this song into English. Nevertheless, I am going to try to describe the imagery which this song evokes for me.

• David starts be describing God as a rock and a fortress. These are really two descriptions meant to complement each other to form the image. To me this evokes the image of a fortress on a mountain or cliff, where the defenders can pick off their enemies while the enemy attacks bounce uselessly off of the rocks of the fortress walls.

However, David tells us that God is not a passive fortress where we, by our own initiative go to defend ourselves. No, when our enemies attack us, we call out to God and He takes us to this fortress of safety.

• David describes the situation in which he, and most of us (perhaps even all of us), had found himself. He had been caught in a trap and bound up in ropes which are dragging us into the rising tide, or surging floodwaters. I don’t know why, but I always picture being bound up in a net made of rope, something like a deep sea fishing net, being dragged toward a wave of muddy water, which would overwhelm me even if I could keep from being dragged into it. Something which evokes a sense of complete helplessness in my mind.

From that place of complete despair, David cried out to God for help and God heard his cry, as He heard mine and will hear yours.

• God did not just hear David’s cry. God rose to come to David’s rescue. His anger at the evil being done caused the earth to tremble and quake. This is the moment in a good fantasy novel where the reader realizes that the bad guys have gone too far and called up against themselves a force more powerful than they can comprehend. It is the moment when fires burst forth and those who have been inspiring terror in others feel fear themselves.

• Now that God has entered the fray, everyone can see His mighty power coming. The bad guys see Him coming and realize they are doomed. God arrives on the scene smashing the enemy forces and scattering those who remain.

• Then in the midst of this devastation and destruction, God reaches out a gentle hand and lifts David up and carries him to a place of safety. From sure death God rescues us and calms our fears.

    This is getting loner than I like, but there is one more part of this song I want to look at. David tells us that if we are faithful, not just to God, but in everything we do, God will treat us faithfully. If we live our lives with integrity, we will experience God’s integrity. But, if we think we are clever and can find loopholes in God’s laws, we will discover that God is shrewd and the “loophole” is not what we thought it was.