The Darker Side Of Samuel Saul And David

Now the sequel! Here we watch David become king over Israel. But the table is set for a rather unappetizing meal where brutality, intrigue and questionable morality and ethics are served. We see the turning point and the decline of David's power and possibly his virtue. Like so many in biblical narrative, he does not end well. Leaders take warning: integrity matters. How we respond to God's rules of engagement and how we treat others - especially the disenfranchised - will determine the difference between greatness and mediocrity and how our lives will be evaluated. As with the previous volume, this book can be utilized as a commentary and an aid to the student of Second Samuel, or each section can be read and reflected upon in isolation. I will continue my efforts to be personable but professional, playful but pointed, impassioned at times but always thought provoking. Dr. Vreeland received his Ph.D. from Trinity International University in Theological Studies (Old Testament) in 1994. He served for four academic years at the Nairobi International School of Theology. He then joined the faculty of Northwest Baptist Seminary (Tacoma, Washington) and has concluded eight years there (July '08) as Associate Professor of Semitic Languages and Biblical Literature. He teaches Hebrew, Aramaic and English Bible and related topics. So far as the Church is concerned, his love is serious biblical study as related to integrity and leadership - hence this work on Second Samuel and its prequel on First Samuel. Dr. Vreeland has been married for 27 years to the love of his life, Donna - who is still the finest English Bible scholar on the planet and to whom this volume is gratefully dedicated. They have three grown children.

The stories of Samuel, Saul, and David are among the most memorable in the Old Testament. Yet the lives of these individuals are bound up in the larger story of God's purpose for his people. In this Tyndale Old Testament Commentary, V. Philips Long explores the meaning of the biblical history of Israel's vital transition from a confederation of tribes to nationhood under a king. He shows how attending to the books of Samuel repays its readers richly in terms of literary appreciation, historical knowledge, and theological grounding. The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. Additional Notes provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties. In the new Old Testament volumes, the commentary on each section of the text is structured under three headings: Context, Comment, and Meaning. The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain.

This Bible study guide brings some of today's tough issues out of the closet for an honest, sensitive look from a biblical perspective. The lessons address what Christians can do when sin rears its ugly head and threatens to break relationship with God.