2 Samuel

Author: Unknown
Date of Writing: 10th Century BC
Type of Book: Historical
Theme: The reign of David

First Samuel ended with the death of King Saul and his sons, and 2 Samuel begins with the reign of King David as he ascended to the throne of Israel. David was very different from Saul. Saul constantly disobeyed God and seemed to have no desire to submit to the Lord, whereas David had a heart for God. Even when he failed miserably, David repented and sought the Lord's favor. He became the greatest Jewish hero of all times, and Jesus would not only come from the line of David and sit on his throne, but in His last words in the Bible He identified Himself as "the root and the offspring of David" (Revelation 22:16).

Despite David's greatness and his heart for the Lord, he had many failures of the flesh, which are recorded in 2 Samuel. The first ten chapters tell of David's great victories as God established the nation of Israel under his leadership, while the rest of the book records the decline of David's kingdom as a result of his sin.

David's success was due to his obedience and his heart for God. His later failures came as a result of his pride for what God had done and then allowing the desires of his flesh to rule over his spirit. The lessons David learned are important lessons for all of us.

-from Pastor Chuck Smith: The Word for Today Bible