1 Kings 9-10; 2 Chronicles 2:1-18; 8:1-9:28 Near the beginning of Solomon’s reign, the Lord promised to bless him with great wisdom, riches, and honor (1 Kings 3:2-15), and the fulfillment of this promise led to great fame for Solomon throughout the Near East. Humanly speaking, Solomon had been set up for immense success by […]
Category Archives: United Monarchy Period
David’s Mighty Men
2 Samuel 23; 1 Chronicles 11 Humanly speaking, David’s rise to power as king of Israel and his military victories over his enemies could not have happened without the help of his devoted and courageous warriors. Near the end of the accounts of David’s life and reign his most revered warriors are listed, along with […]
The Ark of the Covenant in the Promised Land
As the most tangible symbol of the Lord’s presence among the Israelites, the Ark of the Covenant played a central role in the worship and religious life of Israel until it was lost or destroyed during the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 25:1-21; 2 Chronicles 36:17-21; Jeremiah 39:1-10; 52:1-30). The very […]
David Defeats the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim
2 Samuel 5; 23:13-17 ; 1 Chronicles 11:15-19; 14:10-17 Soon after David became king over all Israel, the Philistines sent forces into the central hill country to find David. No doubt their intent was to keep the newly unified nation of Israel from becoming too powerful under David’s rule and to ensure their own power […]
The Battle at the Pool of Gibeon
2 Samuel 2 Sometime during David’s reign in Hebron, a group of soldiers led by Joab traveled north to the town of Gibeon, where some soldiers led by Abner, the commander over Ish-bosheth’s forces, had already gathered. The two sides agreed to a contest of young champions, but the contest ended with all the champions […]