Learning to live off of God’s Word for a lifetime.
2013-2014
Devotional Series
Week 21
(January 29-February 4, 2014)
Wednesday Devotional
Charting the Territory: Chronological Bible Reading
Read 2 Samuel 5.
• Finally, all of the tribes were able to unite under David’s reign.
How long did he have to wait for this while he reigned only
over Judah (2 Samuel 5:5)?
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Read 1 Chronicles 12:23-40.
• What does the writer say about all of Israel in verse 38?
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Read 1 Chronicles 11:1-9
• We often think of the city of Jerusalem as always belonging
to the people of Israel, but this was not the case. Who
occupied it before it was Israel’s city ?
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• Who actually accepted David’s challenge and conquered the
the city?
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• What do you think that God was seeking to teach David in
the two victories over the Philistines in 2 Samuel 5?
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Read 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13:1-14:17.
• Why did God kill Uzzah?
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Our tendency is to the think of God as harsh for killing Uzzah
for “merely” touching the ark. However, David and the people
were guilty of repeated carelessness in handling the Ark of
the Covenant. They were supposed to carry it on poles,
which they did not. The sons of Levi were to carry the ark,
which they were not. The ark was was supposed to be
covered, which it was not. God was longsuffering in His
action, not harsh.
Wednesday Prayer Journal
Things about God that caused me to worship Him today:
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Sins that I confessed to God today:
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Needs that I brought to God today:
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Other leadings of God that I noticed today:
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Thursday Devotional
Charting the Territory: Chronological Bible Reading
Read 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18. These chapters quote the
same psalm that David wrote after he was delivered from his
enemies
• What does Psalm 18 add at the beginning that is not found
in 2 Samuel 22?
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• How many titles (names) does David give to God in 2 Samuel
22:2-3 alone?
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• What was God’s response when David’s cry entered His ears
in 2 Samuel 22:7? Specifically, what emotion did God portray
on David’s behalf?
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• What is a troop (2 Samuel 22:30)? What is David saying in
this verse?
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Sharpening the Saw: Bible Study Techniques
Read Philippians 1 again.
• What are the main thoughts of chapter 1? Summarize them
in several sentences below.
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Thursday Prayer Journal
Things about God that caused me to worship Him today:
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Sins that I confessed to God today:
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Needs that I brought to God today:
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Other leadings of God that I noticed today:
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Friday Devotional
Charting the Territory: Chronological Bible Reading
Read 1 Chronicles 15-16 and 2 Samuel 16:12-23.
• Who was to blame for the ark not being transported properly
the first time (1 Chronicles 15:11-13)?
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• What was Michal’s reaction when she saw David whirling
about, rejoicing before the Lord?
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What does despise mean?
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• What does it mean to glory in God’s holy name? Spend
some time meditating on this thought. The word glory means
to make one’s boast in something.
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Read Psalm 96.
• What similarities do you see between this psalm and David’s
psalm for the moving of the Ark?
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Friday Prayer Journal
Things about God that caused me to worship Him today:
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Sins that I confessed to God today:
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Needs that I brought to God today:
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Other leadings of God that I noticed today:
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Saturday Devotional
Sharpening the Saw: Bible Study Techniques
Read Philippians 2-4 again.
• What are the main thoughts of chapter 2? Summarize them
in several sentences below.
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• What are the main thoughts of chapter 3? Summarize them
in several sentences below.
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• What are the main thoughts of chapter 4? Summarize them
in several sentences below.
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Saturday Prayer Journal
Things about God that caused me to worship Him today:
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Sins that I confessed to God today:
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Needs that I brought to God today:
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Other leadings of God that I noticed today:
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Sunday Devotional
Charting the Territory: Chronological Bible Reading
Read 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17.
• What did David want to do for the Lord at the beginning of
this chapter?
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• God’s reply to David may be a little hard to understand. He
was basically telling David that this was neither the proper
time to build a temple, nor was David the proper person to
build a temple for God, because David had shed a lot of
blood in warfare. What did God mean when He told David
that He would build him a house (2 Samuel 7:11b-16)?
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• What is the significance of God promising to chasten David’s
sons if they commit iniquity? How was this a positive thing?
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• What does David indicate about God’s relationship with the
nation of Israel (2 Samuel 7:24b)?
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How had the spiritual relationship between God and His
people changed since the time of the judges?
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Read Psalm 132.
• What is repeated in this psalm that we just read about (vs.
11-12)?
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Sunday Prayer Journal
Things about God that caused me to worship Him today:
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Sins that I confessed to God today:
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Needs that I brought to God today:
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Other leadings of God that I noticed today:
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Monday Devotional
Charting the Territory: Chronological Bible Reading
Read 2 Samuel 8-10 and 1 Chronicles 18-19. Note that these
are similar passages. Make sure to read one passage for
detail, and then note the similarities or differences in the other
as you read it quickly.
• What does the writer point out about God’s care for David in
2 Samuel 8:14?
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• When David wanted to show kindness to the house of Saul
for Jonathan’s sake in 2 Samuel 9, what particular way did
he describe this kindness (verse 3)?
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• Mephibosheth was paralyzed in his feet. How did this
happen? Look at 2 Samuel 4:4.
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• Mephibosheth is a beautiful picture of humility. How did he
describe himself when he knelt before King David (2 Samuel
9:8)?
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Read Psalm 60.
During the battles that are mentioned in 2 Samuel 8 and 1
Chronicles 18, David apparently suffered a setback, which
cause him to wonder if God had cast off His people. Confused
and needing direction, he penned this psalm. Note the
statements of faith that David makes in verses 6-8. He speaks
of each geographic location as belonging to him and serving
him as their king. Take, for instance, the phrase, “Over Edom I
will cast my shoe.” David was speaking of Edom (Israel’s
enemies at times) as a servant, to whom he could cast his
shoes to be cared for.
• Note the strong statement in the last verses of the psalm.
What does David think of the help of men?
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• What further statement does David make about the looming
outcome of the conflicts ahead (verse 12)?
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What does it mean to do valiantly?
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Can we make the same confident statements that David
made about God’s protection, even in the face of apparent
setback and defeat?
Monday Prayer Journal
Things about God that caused me to worship Him today:
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Sins that I confessed to God today:
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Needs that I brought to God today:
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Other leadings of God that I noticed today:
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Tuesday Devotional
Charting the Territory: Chronological Bible Reading
Read 2 Samuel 11-12 and 1 Chronicles 20:1-3.
• It was not a sin for king David to walk on his own roof. Where
did the sin begin?
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R. Kent Hughes puts it well:
A lustful fixation came over [David] that would not be denied. Dietrich
Bonhoeffer made the observation that when lust takes control, “At this
moment God . . . loses all reality. . . . Satan does not fill us with hatred of
God, but with forgetfulness of God.” What a world of wisdom there is in
this statement! When we are in the grip of lust, the reality of God fades.
The longer King David leered, the less real God became to him. Not only
was his awareness of God diminished, but David lost awareness of who
he himself was — his holy call, his frailty, and the certain consequences
of sin. This is what lust does! It has done it millions of times. God
disappears to lust-glazed eyes.1
• Why did Nathan tell David a story about a man who stole a
lamb from his poor neighbor? How was this confronting
David about his sin?
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How would it benefit you to think this way about sin?
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Read Psalm 51.
• What does David mean when he says, “Against You, You
only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight–”? Hasn’t
he sinned against others as well?
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William MacDonald gives a fitting paraphrase of this verse:
I now see clearly that it was against You, and You alone that I sinned. Oh,
I realize that I also sinned against Bathsheba and against her faithful
1
Hughes, R. Kent (2011-10-26). Disciplines of a Godly Man (Kindle Locations 331-337). Good
News Publishers/Crossway Books. Kindle Edition.
husband, Uriah—God forgive me for my treachery to this valiant general.
But I realize that all sin is first and foremost against You. Your law has
been broken. Your will has been flouted. Your name has been
dishonored. So I take sides with You against myself. You are absolutely
justified in any sentence You hand down, and no one can find fault with
Your decisions.2
Tuesday Prayer Journal
Things about God that caused me to worship Him today:
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Sins that I confessed to God today:
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Needs that I brought to God today:
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Other leadings of God that I noticed today:
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2
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A.
Farstad, Ed.) (p. 630). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.