David’s Song of Deliverance in 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18

In doing a study of David, one thing that I felt I failed to notice or forgot was how Psalm 18 and 2 Samuel 22 are both almost similar word for word. It seems David had decided to arrange all his Psalms topically at some point. Perhaps, the Jewish priests had decided to arrange Psalms in such a way it’d be easy to reference which is which. David is recalling much of his life from the time of Saul’s persecution to his final days. David was now an old man. David was most likely in his late 60s and was possibly no longer in good health. Either David wrote Psalm 18 at the end of his life or he simply repeated it with some minor variations for the new generation. Both versions are preserved in Scriptures, either way.

A Biblical Perspective Against the Move to Defund the Police

it’s been more than a year since George Floyd bit the dust last March 25, 2020. Okay, it’s a few days after that, but I needed to write this one. Radical leftists and communists are now calling to defund the police. I’m not saying police abuses should be ignored. There’s always the need for check and balance. However, calling to defund the police (or even abolish it) is absolutely foolish.

Salvation is Not Just “Fire Insurance”, It’s Also a Rescue from a Life of Sin

What is the Gospel truly about? I remembered how I used to read both Jesus-is-Savior and Chick Publications–two websites I now heavily discourage. Followers of the late Jack F. Hyls have taught this easy-believism, forked-tongued theology. You may notice that David J. Stewart can say one thing and then say another. It gets confusing but I kept reading those sites for conspiracy theories even after Stewart later stopped encouraging the late Jack T. Chick. I decided to investigate the teachings of John F. MacArthur and Grace to You. I decided to buy the book The Gospel According to Jesus to investigate Stewart’s claims against it. So far, nothing in that book teaches faith plus works or losing your salvation every time you sin. Instead, MacArthur’s book warns about the marks of fake converts.

The Sin of David’s Census

I wanted to do a blog entry on the song of David. Maybe, I’ll go back to it. But right now, I want to write on David’s census. Why was it a sin? What was the big deal with it? David had some sins in his life like his plural marriages, David asking for shelter from the Philistines, the time he took Bathsheba as his own, and now the census. We can see David in another moment of weakness. David, though a man after God’s own heart, wasn’t free from sin. Even the best of believers can be defeated when in pride.

Textual Criticism: 2 Samuel 21:19 in the Modern Translations

I remembered I got into the KJV Only movement because of these translations. One of them is 2 Samuel 21:19 which says Elhanan killed Goliath. Wait, didn’t David kill Goliath? It would be stated as follows in comparison:

 ¹⁹ And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath. (ESV)

¹⁹ And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew [the brother of] Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

David’s Avenging the Gibeonites

It’s time to go back to blogging about David’s life, isn’t it? David himself was now a man who had fallen apart more than once. He had multiple wives when kings weren’t allowed to do so (Deuteronomy 17:17). What happens next is David avenging the Gibeonites whom Saul persecuted. We could think why would God avenge the Gibeonites? Didn’t the Gibeonites, earlier on, centuries ago, deceive Joshua and his men (Joshua 9)? Well, God extends mercy to whom He will extend and the Gibeonites, like Rahab, are a picture of that sovereign grace.

Gaining More Wealth Will Not Satisfy One’s Selfish Desires

Photo by David McBee on Pexels.com

I decided to open my Tecarta Bible. Hopefully, I’ll have more personal freedom to go attend walk-in church services (and I’ve left the Fundamental Baptist movement for the Reformed Baptist movement) after my booster shot’s term is completed. The verse for the today is Ecclesiastes 5:10 which says:

10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. (ESV)

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. (KJV)