Then the king said to Zadok, "Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again. Then the king said to ZadokThis phrase introduces us to King David, a central figure in the narrative, and Zadok, a priest. The historical context here is crucial; David is fleeing Jerusalem due to Absalom's rebellion. Zadok, a faithful priest, is carrying the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing God's presence. The Hebrew root for "king" (מֶלֶךְ, melek) emphasizes David's authority and responsibility, even in crisis. His dialogue with Zadok reflects his leadership and spiritual discernment. Return the ark of God to the city
David's instruction to return the Ark to Jerusalem is significant. The "ark of God" (אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים, aron ha'elohim) is a sacred object, representing God's covenant and presence with Israel. By sending it back, David demonstrates his trust in God's sovereignty rather than using the Ark as a talisman for personal protection. This act of faith is rooted in the understanding that God's presence is not confined to a physical object or location. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD
Here, David expresses a conditional hope, relying on God's grace. The phrase "find favor" (מָצָא חֵן, matsa chen) is a common biblical expression denoting grace or acceptance. David's humility is evident as he submits to God's will, acknowledging that his future is in God's hands. This reflects a deep trust in God's character and a recognition of his own dependence on divine mercy. He will bring me back
David's confidence in God's ability to restore him is clear. The verb "bring back" (שׁוּב, shuv) is often used in the context of repentance and restoration. David's faith is not in his own strength or strategy but in God's power to redeem and restore. This highlights a key biblical theme: God's ability to bring His people back from exile or adversity. and let me see both it and His dwelling place
David longs to return to Jerusalem and see the Ark and the "dwelling place" (מִשְׁכָּן, mishkan) of God, which signifies the temple or tabernacle. This desire underscores the importance of worship and communion with God. David's heart is set on being in God's presence, reflecting the psalmist's yearning for the courts of the Lord (Psalm 84:2). It is a reminder of the believer's ultimate hope and joy in being with God. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidThe King of Israel, who is fleeing Jerusalem due to Absalom's rebellion. He demonstrates trust in God's sovereignty. 2. ZadokA priest loyal to David, who is instructed to return the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. 3. The Ark of GodRepresents God's presence and favor. David chooses to send it back to Jerusalem, showing his reliance on God's will rather than symbols. 4. JerusalemThe city of David, from which he is temporarily exiled due to the uprising led by his son Absalom. 5. AbsalomDavid's son, who has initiated a rebellion against his father, causing David to flee. Teaching Points Trust in God's SovereigntyDavid's decision to send the Ark back to Jerusalem shows his trust in God's plan over human symbols of power. We are called to trust God's sovereignty in our lives, even when circumstances are uncertain. Faith Over FearDespite the threat from Absalom, David's faith in God's favor and justice is evident. We should cultivate a faith that overcomes fear, trusting that God will guide us through trials. Submission to God's WillDavid's words reflect a heart submitted to God's will, whether it leads to restoration or continued exile. We should seek to align our desires with God's will, accepting His plans for our lives. The Role of Spiritual LeadersZadok's obedience to David's command highlights the importance of spiritual leaders who support and uphold God's direction. We should value and support godly leadership in our communities. Bible Study Questions 1. How does David's response to the crisis with Absalom demonstrate his trust in God, and how can we apply this trust in our own lives? 2. In what ways does the Ark of the Covenant symbolize God's presence, and how can we seek to experience God's presence today? 3. How does David's decision to send the Ark back to Jerusalem reflect his understanding of God's sovereignty, and what does this teach us about handling symbols of faith? 4. How can we support and encourage spiritual leaders in our communities, as Zadok supported David? 5. Reflect on a time when you had to submit to God's will in a difficult situation. How did this experience shape your faith and understanding of God's plan? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Samuel 4-6The Ark of the Covenant's journey and its significance in Israel's history, emphasizing God's presence and power. Psalm 3A psalm attributed to David during his flight from Absalom, expressing trust in God's deliverance. Proverbs 3:5-6Encourages trust in the Lord with all one's heart, aligning with David's reliance on God's will. Hebrews 11:6Speaks of faith and pleasing God, reflecting David's hope to find favor in God's eyes. | A Struggle for a Crown | Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | 2 Samuel 15:1-37 | | Absalom: a Study | S. Cox, D. D. | 2 Samuel 15:1-37 | | Absalom; Or, the Fast Young Man | A. H. Charlton. | 2 Samuel 15:1-37 | | Absalom's Rebellion | Monday, Club Sermons. | 2 Samuel 15:1-37 | | Absalom's Rebellion | J. Hall, D. D. | 2 Samuel 15:1-37 | | Ambition | | 2 Samuel 15:1-37 | | An Ungrateful Son | J. R. Campbell. | 2 Samuel 15:1-37 | | David and Absalom | G. J. Coster. | 2 Samuel 15:1-37 | | The Rebellion of Absalom | C. S. Robinson, D. D. | 2 Samuel 15:1-37 | | The Ark Restored to its Place | B. Dale | 2 Samuel 15:23-29 | | Acquiescence in the Will of God | W. Jay. | 2 Samuel 15:25-26 | | David and the Ark | S. Bridge, M. A. | 2 Samuel 15:25-26 | | David's Dependence | David Howell, D. D. | 2 Samuel 15:25-26 | | David's Resignation to the Will of God | G. Woo | 2 Samuel 15:25, 26 | | Faith in Troublous Times | A. Maclaren, D. D. | 2 Samuel 15:25-26 | | Meek Submission to Divine Chastisement | Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | 2 Samuel 15:25-26 | | The Trial-Bearing Force of Spiritual Religion | Homilist | 2 Samuel 15:25-26 | | When God's Will is Ours | A. Maclaren, D. D. | 2 Samuel 15:25-26 |
People Abiathar, Absalom, Ahimaaz, Ahithophel, Aram, Arkite, Cherethites, David, Gittites, Hushai, Israelites, Ittai, Jonathan, Kerethites, Levites, Pelethites, ZadokPlaces Aram, Gath, Geshur, Giloh, Hebron, Jerusalem, Kidron, Mount of OlivesTopics Ark, Bring, Carry, Dwelling, Favor, Favour, Grace, Habitation, Lord's, Return, Shew, Shewn, Sight, Town, ZadokDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Samuel 15:24-25 7306 ark of the covenant 2 Samuel 15:25-29 5088 David, character Library A Loyal Vow
'And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.'--2 SAMUEL xv. 15. We stand here at the darkest hour of King David's life. Bowed down by the consciousness of his past sin, and recognising in the rebellion of his favourite son the divine chastisement, his early courage and buoyant daring seem to have ebbed from him wholly. He is forsaken by the mass of his subjects, he is preparing to abandon Jerusalem, and to flee as an …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureIttai of Gath
'And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.'--2 SAMUEL xv. 21. It was the darkest hour in David's life. No more pathetic page is found in the Old Testament than that which tells the story of his flight before Absalom. He is crushed by the consciousness that his punishment is deserved--the bitter fruit of the sin that filled all his later life …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Pardoned Sin Punished
'And It came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2. And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. 3. And Absalom said unto him. See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Loyal to the Core
On the other hand, look at Ittai, perfectly free to go, but in order to end the controversy once for all, and to make David know that he does not mean to leave him, he takes a solemn oath before Jehovah his God, and he doubles it by swearing by the life of David that he will never leave him; in life, in death, he will be with him. He has cast in his lot with him for better and for worse, and he means to be faithful to the end. Old Master Trapp says, "All faithful friends went on a pilgrimage years …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 26: 1880 Following Christ
"And Ittai answered the king, and said, as the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be."--2 Samuel 15:21. SOME men have a very remarkable power of creating and sustaining friendship in others. David was a man brimming over with affection--a man, notwithstanding all his rough soldier-life, of an exceedingly tender heart--a man, I was about to say--the word was on my tongue--a man of vast …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 62: 1916 The Will of God
"Here am I, let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him."--2 Sam. xv. 26. G. Ter Steegen. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899 Thou sweet beloved Will of God, My anchor ground, my fortress hill, The Spirit's silent fair abode, In Thee I hide me and am still. O Will, that willest good alone, Lead Thou the way, Thou guidest best; A silent child, I follow on, And trusting, lean upon Thy Breast. God's Will doth make the bitter sweet, And all is well when it is done; Unless His Will doth hallow it, The glory …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others (Second Series) A Light to Lighten the Gentiles
P. G. 2 Sam. xv. 19-22; John xii. 26 "Wherefore goest thou with me?" Said the king disowned-- Said the king despised, rejected, Disenthroned. "Go, return unto thy place, To thy king of yore-- Here a pilgrim and a stranger, Nothing more. "Not for thee the cities fair, Hills of corn and wine-- All was portioned ere thou camest, Nought is thine. "Wandering forth where'er I may, Exiled from mine own, Shame, rejection I can grant thee; That alone. "Turn and take thy brethren back, With thy people …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others The Daily Walk with Others (iii. ).
Thrice happy they who at Thy side, Thou Child of Nazareth, Have learnt to give their struggling pride Into Thy hands to death: If thus indeed we lay us low, Thou wilt exalt us o'er the foe; And let the exaltation be That we are lost in Thee. Let me say a little on a subject which, like the last, is one of some delicacy and difficulty, though its problems are of a very different kind. It is, the relation between the Curate and his Incumbent; or more particularly, the Curate's position and conduct …
Handley C. G. Moule—To My Younger Brethren And V the Kingdom Undivided and the Kingdom Divided
THE HISTORICAL BOOKS: I and II Samuel. I and II Kings. I and II Chronicles. NOTE.--As these three pairs of books are so closely related in their historical contents, it is deemed best to study them together, though they overlap the two divisions of IV and V. I. CHARTS Chart A. General Contents +--+ " I AND II SAMUEL " +-------------+-----+------+ "Samuel "Saul "David " +-------------+-----+------+----------+ " " " " I AND II KINGS "NOTE.--Biblical …
Frank Nelson Palmer—A Bird's-Eye View of the Bible That Whereas the City of Jerusalem had Been Five Times Taken Formerly, this was the Second Time of Its Desolation. A Brief Account of Its History.
1. And thus was Jerusalem taken, in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, on the eighth day of the month Gorpeius [Elul]. It had been taken five [34] times before, though this was the second time of its desolation; for Shishak, the king of Egypt, and after him Antiochus, and after him Pompey, and after them Sosius and Herod, took the city, but still preserved it; but before all these, the king of Babylon conquered it, and made it desolate, one thousand four hundred and sixty-eight years and …
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem King of Kings and Lord of Lords
And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, K ING OF K INGS AND L ORD OF L ORDS T he description of the administration and glory of the Redeemer's Kingdom, in defiance of all opposition, concludes the second part of Messiah Oratorio. Three different passages from the book of Revelation are selected to form a grand chorus, of which Handel's title in this verse is the close --a title which has been sometimes vainly usurped by proud worms of this earth. Eastern monarchs, in particular, …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 2 Samuel 15:25 NIV2 Samuel 15:25 NLT2 Samuel 15:25 ESV2 Samuel 15:25 NASB2 Samuel 15:25 KJV
2 Samuel 15:25 Commentaries
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