2 Samuel

The book of 2 Samuel has much to teach Christians today about how they should act, especially about the importance of praying to God, helping others, and asking for and giving forgiveness. To start, in 2 Samuel 5:19 David asks God whether he should fight the Philistines or not. Because David asks God for guidance, God helps David and grants him victory in battle. This passage shows Christians today that it is important to ask God for his help.

In 2 Samuel 7:18-29, after God promises to establish an eternal dynasty for David, David prays a long prayer of thanksgiving to God. He celebrates all of the good things that God has done for Israel, and asks for God's further blessings upon David's house. After defeating the Philistines in chapter 22, David gives God a song of praise, thanking God for his help against the enemies of David's house. These two sections remind Christians that it is very important to thank God for his blessings.

Multiple passages in 2 Samuel teach the importance of helping others. In chapter 9, David gives Mephibosheth and his family a place at his table, despite the fact that Mephiboseth is a family member of David's enemy Saul. 2 Samuel 15 tells the story of Ittai the Gittite, who travels with David to help him in battle despite the fact that he and his men are Philistines. In 16:1-2, Ziba brings a large amount of food to David for he and his army to eat, as well as a couple of donkeys for David's family to ride. 2 Samuel 17:18-20 tells the story of a woman who hides Jonathan and Ahimaaz in her well so that Absalom's servants cannot find and kill them. In 17:27-29, several men give items such as food, vessels, and beds to David and his army for their use. The people within these passages help others in several different ways, showing Christians today the importance of giving food to the hungry, giving belongings to the needy, helping others obtain their goals, and rescuing those who are danger. Chapter nine, especially, reminds Christians that it is important to help everyone, even one's enemies.

Forgiveness is a recurring theme throughout 2 Samuel. In 2 Samuel 12:13, David admits that he needs God's forgiveness after Nathan forces him to realize that he has sinned by killing Uriah and taking Bathsheba as his wife. In 2 Samuel 14:33, David finally forgives Absalom for Amnon's murder and sees him again. In 19:20, Shimei comes to David to ask for his forgiveness for cursing him. This is astounding, considering that David could have easily decided to kill him in retribution. Instead David forgives Shimei, despite the fact that people around him believe that Shimei should die. After taking a census, David "was stricken to the heart" (24:10) because of what he has done. He asks God to forgive him and take away the guilt that he feels for committing the sin. These passages throughout 2 Samuel show Christians today that it is important to ask God for forgiveness, and it is just as imperative to forgive others.

There seem to be two themes throughout 2 Samuel: that prayer is important and that one should try to act towards others as God would act. Prayer is used throughout the book to ask God for guidance, praise God and thank him, and ask him for forgiveness. The people who do right in God's eyes throughout the book are the ones who help others and are those who forgive those who have done wrong. It is important for Christians today to remember these two themes and to apply them during every day of their lives.