Year Zero

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate God’s punishment of David for his sins (II Samuel 13): * How Amnon, David’s son, defiled David’s daughter, Tamara; * How Absalom, David’s son, slew Amnon his brother because of this; * How David wept bitterly. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate God’s punishment of David for his adultery and murder (II Samuel 12): * How God, speaking through the prophet Nathan, told David that because he took another’s wife, his own wives would be taken by other men; * That his son would die; * That the sword would not depart from his house—all of which came to pass. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with ot...

John and I continue our reading and commentary of Ordinary Men This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

CONTEMPLATION Contemplate the lawlessness of David (II Samuel 11): * How David committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, while Uriah was away at war; * How David arranged the death of Uriah; * How God became angered with David. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the David’s rejoicing in the Lord (2 Samuel 6 [also known as 2 Kings 6]): * How David transferred the Ark of the Covenant from Baal of Judah to Jerusalem, and how he danced with joy before the Ark; * How Michal, his wife, despised David for dancing shamelessly before the Ark in the sight of women; * How God punished Michal with barrenness for her capricious judgment, s...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the victories of David over the Philistines (2 Samuel 5 [also known as 2 Kings 5]): * How the Philistines invaded David’s land, and David prayed to God, and defeated the Philistines; * How the Philistines invaded again, and David prayed to God, and defeated the Philistines again. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acce...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the righteousness of David (2 Samuel 3 [also known as 2 Kings 3]): * How Abner the commander, one of David’s opponents, gave himself over to David, trusting him; * How Joab, David’s commander, slew Abner; * How David cursed the house of Joab, and wept copiously for Abner. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bo...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the nobility of David (2 Samuel 1 - [also known as 2 Kings 1]): * How a messenger arrived and told David of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, thinking to receive a reward; * How David bitterly mourned and lamented for Saul, who had wished nothing but death for David. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus ep...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate Saul’s total apostasy from the one God (1 Samuel 28-31 [also known as 1 Kings 28-31]): * How, when frightened by the Philistines, he [Saul] turned to a pagan sorceress [the witch of Endor] to prophecy for him; * How the sorceress, through her sorcery, evoked a spirit who called himself Samuel and who prophesied Saul’s death; * How Saul and his sons perished at the hand...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the greatness of David’s soul (1 Samuel 26 - [also known as 1 Kings 26]): * How David entered the camp of Saul at night and, while Saul was sleeping, took his spear and cup [cruse of water]; * How David’s commander [Abishai] wanted to spear Saul, but David forbade it; * How David left vengeance to God. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the extraordinary selflessness of David (1 Samuel 24 [also known as 1 Kings 24]): * How Saul, pursuing David, unknowingly entered into the cave where David was hiding with the young men; * How the young men pressed David to kill Saul, but David refused; * How David cried out to Saul: The Lord judge between me and you (1 Samuel 24:12 - 1 Kings 24:12). This is a public e...

John Weeks interviewed me This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the providence of God that protected David from falling into the hands of Saul (1 Samuel 23 [also known as 1 Kings 23]): * How Saul came to besiege the city of Keliah [Celia], where David was; but God revealed this to David, and he fled beforehand; * How Saul almost captured David in Maon, but word came to Saul that the Philistines had attacked the land; * How the Lord...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the rapid advance of evil in the soul of Saul from the moment he turned away from God (1 Samuel 22 [also known as 1 Kings 22]): * How he hurled a spear at David; * How he hurled a spear at his son Jonathan; * How he slew eighty-five priests in one day, suspecting that they were aligned with David; * How, in every age, and with every single unrepented sin against God, m...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the wondrous help David received from God (1 Samuel 19 [also known as 1 Kings 19]): * How David played the harp before Saul; * How an evil spirit possessed Saul, and Saul hurled a spear at David, intending to kill him; * How Saul, even though he was very close to his target, did not hit David. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribe...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate David and Saul—one who had the Spirit of God, and one who had lost the Spirit of God (1 Samuel 18 [also known as 1 Kings 18]): * How Saul feared David because of his virtues, yet how David was obedient to Saul in everything; * How Saul hypocritically rewarded David, and sent him among the Philistines so that he would be killed; * How an apostate from God always fears a...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the wondrous providence of God in the life of David (1 Samuel 16 [also known as 1 Kings 16]): * How the Spirit of God withdrew from Saul because of Saul’s sin; * How an evil spirit assaulted Saul, so that he sought a harpist in order to comfort him; * How the servants of the king found David, and brought him to the king, to calm him with the harp. This is a public epis...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate God’s wondrous choosing of David as king (1 Samuel 16 [also known as 1 King 16]): * How the Lord instructed Samuel to go to the home of Jesse and anoint one of his sons as king; * How the Lord instructed Samuel to anoint David, a herder of sheep, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse; * How Samuel anointed David, and how the Spirit of God descended upon David. This is a...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate God’s punishment of Saul because of his disobedience (1 Samuel 15 [also known as 1 Kings 15]): * How God commanded Saul not to spare the Amalekites nor to take any of their livestock; * How Saul spared Agag, the Amalekite King, and allowed the best of the livestock to be taken; * How Samuel informed Saul that God had rejected him because of his disobedience, and becaus...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate God’s wondrous help to Jonathan, the son of Saul (1 Samuel 13-14 [also known as 1 Kings 13-14]): * How the Philistines rose up against the Jews, and the army of the Philistines was as the sand which is on the sea shore (1 Samuel 13:5 - 1 Kings 13:5); * How Jonathan, with his young armor-bearer [the man who bore his armor], attacked the Philistines, trusting in God—and...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the wondrous sign by which Samuel confirmed his words before the people (1 Samuel 12 - [also known as 1 Kings 12]): * How Samuel told the people it was evil in the sight of the Lord that they sought a king for themselves other than the Lord, the true King; * How for the confirmation of his words, he called upon God for thunder and rain; * How the thunder and rain desce...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate God’s wondrous assistance of Saul, in battle with the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11 [also known as 1 Kings 11]): * How the powerful Nahash [Naas], the leader of the Ammonites, threatened to pluck out the right eyes of all the Israelites; * How the people of Israel wept before the Lord; * How God helped Saul and Samuel destroy the Ammonites, for the Spirit of God was upon them...

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the wondrous might of prophesying (1 Samuel 10 [also known as 1 Kings 10]): * How Samuel prophesied to Saul all that would happen to him one day; * How the Spirit of God came upon Saul, and he also prophesied. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe

CONTEMPLATION To contemplate the wondrous providence of God, in the choice of Saul as king (1 Samuel 9 [also known as 1 Kings 9]): * How Saul went out to seek the lost asses; * How Samuel, to whom God revealed that Saul should be accepted as the King of Israel, met him; * How the providence of God directs men, and sometimes gives them that which they do not envision. This is a public episode. If y...

J and I discuss the Iran war, the collapsing economy, economic hardship, true grievance, and some UFC. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tommysalmons.substack.com/subscribe