Thoughts and Reflection
In today’s reading, we learn that David is a flawed hero. Not only is he a king and leader, but he is a sinner and broken man. David’s sin in the dark needs to be brought into the light for God to save him. God has the ability to save. God needs to uncover our sins bringing us into the light for what was done in the dark. God does this because he loves us and wants us to turn back to him. Nathan, the prophet, tells David that the Lord forgives him but there are consequences to his actions.
David establishes the Ark in a tent. God wants his kingdom to be established throughout the world which will occur with the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.
About This Project
For the year 2022, I decided that my New Year’s Resolution was to read the whole Bible following the Bible in the Year plan presented by Fr. Mike Schmitz. It is a big and bold undertaking. You can follow along by subscribing. Feel free to look at previous day’s post and comment. It’s something we can all learn from together!
Daily Readings
2 Samuel 12
1 Yahweh sent the prophet Nathan to David. He came to him and said: In the same town were two men, one rich, the other poor.
2 The rich man had flocks and herds in great abundance;
3 the poor man had nothing but a ewe lamb, only a single little one which he had bought. He fostered it and it grew up with him and his children, eating his bread, drinking from his cup, sleeping in his arms; it was like a daughter to him.
4 When a traveller came to stay, the rich man would not take anything from his own flock or herd to provide for the wayfarer who had come to him. Instead, he stole the poor man’s lamb and prepared that for his guest.
5 David flew into a great rage with the man. ‘As Yahweh lives,’ he said to Nathan ‘the man who did this deserves to die.
6 For doing such a thing and for having shown no pity, he shall make fourfold restitution for the lamb.’
7 Nathan then said to David, ‘You are the man! Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, “I anointed you king of Israel, I saved you from Saul’s clutches,
8 I gave you your master’s household and your master’s wives into your arms, I gave you the House of Israel and the House of Judah; and, if this is still too little, I shall give you other things as well.
9 Why did you show contempt for Yahweh, by doing what displeases him? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword, you took his wife to be your wife, causing his death by the sword of the Ammonites.
10 For this, your household will never be free of the sword, since you showed contempt for me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite, to make her your wife.”
11 ‘Yahweh says this, “Out of your own household I shall raise misfortune for you. Before your very eyes I shall take your wives and give them to your neighbour, who will lie with your wives in broad daylight.
12 You have worked in secret, but I shall work this for all Israel to see, in broad daylight.” ‘
13 David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against Yahweh.’ Nathan then said to David, ‘Yahweh, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die.
14 But, since you have outraged Yahweh by doing this, the child born to you will die.’
15 And Nathan went home. Yahweh struck the child which Uriah’s wife had borne to David and it fell gravely ill.
16 David pleaded with Yahweh for the child; he kept a strict fast and went home and spent the night lying on the ground, covered with sacking.
17 The officials of his household stood round him, intending to get him off the ground, but he refused, nor would he take food with them.
18 On the seventh day the child died. David’s retinue were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. ‘Even when the child was alive’, they thought, ‘we reasoned with him and he would not listen to us. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do something desperate.’
19 David, however, noticed that his retinue were whispering among themselves, and realised that the child was dead. ‘Is the child dead?’ he asked the officers. They replied, ‘He is dead.’
20 David got off the ground, bathed and anointed himself and put on fresh clothes. Then he went into Yahweh’s sanctuary and prostrated himself. On returning to his house, he asked to be served with food and ate it.
21 His retinue said, ‘Why are you acting like this? When the child was alive, you fasted and wept; now that the child is dead, you get up and take food!’
22 ‘When the child was alive’, he replied, ‘I fasted and wept because I kept thinking, “Who knows? Perhaps Yahweh will take pity on me and the child will live.”
23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him but he cannot come back to me.’
24 David consoled his wife Bathsheba. He went to her and slept with her. She conceived and gave birth to a son, whom she called Solomon. Yahweh loved him
25 and made this known by means of the prophet Nathan, who named him Jedidiah, as Yahweh had instructed.
26 Joab assaulted Rabbah-of-the-Ammonites and captured the royal town.
27 He then sent messengers to tell David, ‘I have assaulted Rabbah and captured the water supply.
28 So now muster the rest of the army, lay siege to the town and take it, or I will take it and the town will be called after me!’
29 So David mustered the whole army and marched on Rabbah; he assaulted the town and captured it.
30 He took the crown off Milcom’s head; it weighed one talent of gold, and in it was set a precious stone which went on David’s head instead. He carried off great quantities of booty from the town.’
31 And he expelled its inhabitants, setting them to work with saws, iron picks and iron axes, employing them at brickmaking. He treated all the Ammonite towns in the same way. David and the whole army returned to Jerusalem.
1 Chronicles 16
1 They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent which David had erected for it, and brought burnt offerings and made communion sacrifices in God’s presence.
2 And when David had finished making burnt offerings and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh.
3 To all the Israelites, both men and women, to each, he then distributed a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a raisin cake.
4 He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of Yahweh, to extol, glorify and praise Yahweh, God of Israel;
5 first Asaph, second Zechariah, then Uzziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel, who played the lyre and harp, while Asaph played the cymbals.
6 The priests Benaiah and Jahaziel continually blew the trumpet before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 On that day, David was the first to assign to Asaph and his kinsmen the giving of thanks to Yahweh:
8 Give thanks to Yahweh, call his name aloud, proclaim his deeds to the peoples.
9 Chant to him, play to him, sing about all his wonders!
10 Take pride in his holy name, let your heart rejoice, you seekers of Yahweh!
11 Seek out Yahweh, seek his strength, continually seek out his presence!
12 Remember what wonders he has done, what miracles, what rulings he has given,
13 you offspring of Israel his servant, you children of Jacob his chosen one!
14 For he is Yahweh our God, his authority extends throughout the world.
15 For ever remember his covenant, the pact imposed for a thousand generations,
16 which he concluded with Abraham, which was sworn by him to Isaac,
17 since he confirmed it as a law for Jacob, as an eternal covenant for Israel,
18 saying, ‘I will give you the country; Canaan is the measure of your inheritance,
19 ‘though you are few in number, only a few strangers there!’
20 As they wandered from nation to nation, from this kingdom to that people,
21 he would not let anyone oppress them and on their account he admonished kings,
22 ‘You are not to touch my anointed ones, my prophets are not to be harmed!’
23 Sing to Yahweh, all the earth, day after day proclaim his salvation!
24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvels to every people!
25 Great is Yahweh, worthy of all praise, more awesome than any of the gods.
26 Nothingness, all the gods of the nations. Yahweh it was who made the heavens,
27 in his presence are splendour and majesty, in his sanctuary strength and joy.
28 Give Yahweh his due, families of peoples, give Yahweh his due of glory and power,
29 give Yahweh the glory due to his name! Bring an offering and enter his courts, bow down to Yahweh in his sacred court,
30 tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firm, it cannot be moved,
31 let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad! Say among the nations, ‘Yahweh is king!’
32 Let the sea thunder and all it holds, the countryside exult and everything that is in it,
33 and all the trees of the forest cry out for joy at Yahweh’s approach, for he is coming to judge the earth.
34 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his faithful love lasts for ever!
35 Say, ‘Save us, God of our salvation, gather us together and free us from the nations, so that we may give thanks to your holy name — to be extolled whenever you are praised!’
36 Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! To which all the people said, ‘Amen, Alleluia!’
37 There before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh David left Asaph and his kinsmen to maintain a permanent ministry before the ark as each day’s ritual required,
38 and also Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight kinsmen. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were gatekeepers.
39 Zadok the priest and the priests, his kinsmen, he left before the dwelling of Yahweh on the high place at Gibeon
40 to bring burnt offerings to Yahweh unfailingly, morning and evening, on the altar of burnt offering, and to carry out all that is written in the Law of Yahweh laid down for Israel.
41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those who were chosen and assigned by name to give thanks to Yahweh, ‘for his faithful love lasts for ever’.
42 With them were Heman and Jeduthun to play trumpets and cymbals, as well as instruments for accompanying sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were in charge of the gates.
43 Then all the people went back to their homes, and David went back to bless his household.
Psalm 51
1 [For the choirmaster Of David When the prophet Nathan had come to him because he had gone to Bathsheba] Have mercy on me, O God, in your faithful love, in your great tenderness wipe away my offences;
2 wash me clean from my guilt, purify me from my sin.
3 For I am well aware of my offences, my sin is constantly in mind.
4 Against you, you alone, I have sinned, I have done what you see to be wrong, that you may show your saving justice when you pass sentence, and your victory may appear when you give judgement,
5 remember, I was born guilty, a sinner from the moment of conception.
6 But you delight in sincerity of heart, and in secret you teach me wisdom.
7 Purify me with hyssop till I am clean, wash me till I am whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear the sound of joy and gladness, and the bones you have crushed will dance.
9 Turn away your face from my sins, and wipe away all my guilt.
10 God, create in me a clean heart, renew within me a resolute spirit,
11 do not thrust me away from your presence, do not take away from me your spirit of holiness.
12 Give me back the joy of your salvation, sustain in me a generous spirit.
13 I shall teach the wicked your paths, and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will acclaim your saving justice.
15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will speak out your praise.
16 Sacrifice gives you no pleasure, burnt offering you do not desire.
17 Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken, contrite heart you never scorn.
18 In your graciousness do good to Zion, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in upright sacrifices,-burnt offerings and whole oblations — and young bulls will be offered on your altar.
