HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 664
2 S A MU EL 2 3
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He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a
bronze bow.
You have given me your shield of victory;
your help* has made me great.
You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.
“I chased my enemies and destroyed them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.
I consumed them;
I struck them down so they did not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.
You have armed me with strength for the
battle;
you have subdued my enemies under
my feet.
You placed my foot on their necks.
I have destroyed all who hated me.
They looked for help, but no one came
to their rescue.
They even cried to the Lord, but he
refused to answer.
I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I trampled them* in the gutter like dirt.
“You gave me victory over my accusers.
You preserved me as the ruler over nations;
people I don’t even know now serve me.
Foreign nations cringe before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they submit.
They all lose their courage
and come trembling* from their
strongholds.
• Self-Esteem
page 294
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David’s Last Words
These are the last words of David:
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“David, the son of Jesse, speaks—
David, the man who was raised up
so high,
David, the man anointed by the God
of Jacob,
David, the sweet psalmist of Israel.*
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2 SAMU E L 2 3 :1
Who am I? Where do I find my core
identity? David’s “last words” were not
the final syllables he uttered before dying;
rather, they were a summary of his life
message. He begins by identifying himself
in four ways: (1) Jesse’s son, (2) the
recipient of God’s gift of success; (3) the
one chosen by God for kingship, and
(4) a leader in praise. Today many people
find their identity in their jobs, looks, or
achievements. But this identity is shallow
and shifting. At the core, you are a loved
one of God, called by God to a vocation
of serving him and his people, blessed
by God with whatever success you have
experienced, supported and shaped by
family and other God-given relationships,
and consequently grateful to God for all
he has done for you. You can build a life—
and an eternity—around this identity.
“The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May God, the Rock of my salvation,
be exalted!
He is the God who pays back those who
harm me;
he brings down the nations under me
and delivers me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of
my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.
For this, O Lord, I will praise you among
the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.
You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.”
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“The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me;
his words are upon my tongue.
The God of Israel spoke.
The Rock of Israel said to me:
‘The one who rules righteously,
who rules in the fear of God,
is like the light of morning at sunrise,
like a morning without clouds,
like the gleaming of the sun
on new grass after rain.’
“Is it not my family God has chosen?
Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant
with me.
His agreement is arranged and guaranteed
in every detail.
He will ensure my safety and success.
But the godless are like thorns to be
thrown away,
for they tear the hand that touches them.
One must use iron tools to chop them
down;
they will be totally consumed by fire.”
David’s Mightiest Warriors
8 These are the names of David’s mightiest
warriors. The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite,* who was leader of the Three*—the
three mightiest warriors among David’s men.
22:36 As in Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text reads your
answering. 22:43 As in Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Ps 18:42);
Masoretic Text reads I crushed and trampled them. 22:46 As in
parallel text at Ps 18:45; Hebrew reads come girding themselves.
23:1 Or the favorite subject of the songs of Israel; or the favorite
of the Strong One of Israel. 23:8a As in parallel text at 1 Chr 11:11;
Hebrew reads Josheb-basshebeth the Tahkemonite. 23:8b As in
Greek and Latin versions (see also 1 Chr 11:11); the meaning of
the Hebrew is uncertain.