Today we begin 2nd Samuel Chapter One.
For the Complete Jewish Bible, click HERE.
For the King James version, click HERE.
“Sha’ul had died, and David had been two days in Ziklag after returning from the slaughter of the ‘Amaleki.”-2 Samuel 1:1
Verse 1 starts with, “After the death of Saul.”
Scripture often marks the end of one era and the start of another by referencing the death of important leaders.
For example, the book of Joshua begins with, “After the death of Moses,” and the book of Judges begins with, “After the death of Joshua.”
So we can see why splitting the long Samuel Scroll at this point would make sense.
These few words announcing the leader’s death, signal major changes ahead.
Saul’s time is over…
And David’s time is about to begin.
With Saul’s death, David can now end his 2-year alliance with King Achish of the Philistines.
He is free to reconnect with his own tribe of Judah, and then later Saul’s kingdom.
There is an important takeaway here.
Death represents new beginnings.
It represents a fresh start and a release from the old.
For example, Paul talks about marriage and remarriage after the death of a spouse in several passages.
In Romans 7:2-3, Paul explains…
“For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she has married another man.”
Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 7:39, Paul says…
“A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.”
And the ultimate takeaway is that our death on this side of heaven is NOT the end.
It’s just the beginning.
We spend too much time fretting over our lives here on planet Earth when from the perspective of eternity, it’s just a one-second blip on a computer screen.
The Apostle Paul also spoke about this.
Check the NT reference below.
See ya all next time.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin;
and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Messiah Yeshua.”
-1 Corinthians 15:55-57
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