Daily Bible Reading
Day 108
Today's reading: 2 Samuel 7-9
Look for the promises in God’s word. As you read and find them, write them in your journal along with the scripture reference.
2 Samuel 7
The Lord Establishes a Covenant with David
1. The king settled into his palace, for the Lord gave him relief from all his enemies on all sides.
2. The king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.”
3. Nathan replied to the king, “You should go and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”
4. That night the Lord told Nathan,
5. “Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in?
6. I have not lived in a house from the time I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. Instead, I was traveling with them and living in a tent.
7. Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’
8. “So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd to make you leader of my people Israel.
9. I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.
10. I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed any more. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning
11. and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you.
12. When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom.
13. He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent.
14. I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings.
15. But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
16. Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.’”
17. Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.
David Offers a Prayer to God
18. King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this point?
19. And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family. Is this your usual way of dealing with men, O Lord God?
20. What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition, O Lord God!
21. For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant.
22. Therefore you are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you! There is no God besides you! What we have heard is true!
23. Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation on the earth? Their God went to claim a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land, before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods.
24. You made Israel your very own people for all time. You, O Lord, became their God.
25. So now, O Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality. Do as you promised,
26. so you may gain lasting fame, as people say, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel!’ The dynasty of your servant David will be established before you,
27. for you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have told your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’ That is why your servant has had the courage to pray this prayer to you.
28. Now, O sovereign Lord, you are the true God! May your words prove to be true! You have made this good promise to your servant!
29. Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O sovereign Lord, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant’s dynasty be blessed on into the future!”
2 Samuel 8
David Subjugates Nearby Nations
1. Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ammah from the Philistines.
2. He defeated the Moabites. He made them lie on the ground and then used a rope to measure them off. He put two-thirds of them to death and spared the other third. The Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.
3. David defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish his authority over the Euphrates River.
4. David seized from him 1,700 charioteers and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
5. The Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, but David killed 22,000 of the Arameans.
6. David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord protected David wherever he campaigned.
7. David took the golden shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to Jerusalem.
8. From Tebah and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities, King David took a great deal of bronze.
9. When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
10. he sent his son Joram to King David to extend his best wishes and to pronounce a blessing on him for his victory over Hadadezer, for Toi had been at war with Hadadezer. He brought with him various items made of silver, gold, and bronze.
11. King David dedicated these things to the Lord, along with the dedicated silver and gold that he had taken from all the nations that he had subdued,
12. including Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amelek. This also included some of the plunder taken from King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah.
13. David became famous when he returned from defeating the Arameans in the Valley of Salt, he defeated 18,000 in all.
14. He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. The Lord protected David wherever he campaigned.
15. David reigned over all Israel; he guaranteed justice for all his people.
David’s Cabinet
16. Joab son of Zeruiah was general in command of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary;
17. Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was scribe;
18. Benaiah son of Jehoida supervised the Kerithites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.
2 Samuel 9
David Finds Mephibosheth
1. Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”
2. Now there was a servant from Saul’s house named Ziba, so he was summoned to David. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He replied, “At your service.”
3. The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family, that I may extend God’s kindness to him?” Ziba said to the king, “One of Jonathan’s sons is left; both of his feet are crippled.”
4. The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.
5. So King David had him brought from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.
6. When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed low with his face toward the ground. David said, “Mephibosheth?” He replied, “Yes, at your service.”
7. David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, because I will certainly extend kindness to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. You will be a regular guest at my table.”
8. Then Mephibosheth bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?”
9. Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s attendant, and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire house I hereby give to your master’s grandson.
10. You will cultivate the land for him – you and your sons and your servants. You will bring its produce and it will be food for your master’s grandson to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will be a regular guest at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11. Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do everything that my lord the king has instructed his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth was a regular guest at David’s table, just as though he were one of the king’s sons.
12. Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants.
13. Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem, for he was a regular guest at the king’s table. But both his feet were crippled.