Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

David’s idleness provides a playground for the devil’s temptations. Although the king should have come to his senses and turned from his sin at any number of times, over and over David chose evil. His laziness led to lust. His lust led to adultery. His adultery led to murder. David’s sin leads others into sin and brings great harm upon them. Uriah’s righteousness stands in ironic contrast to David...

When David sends a merciful diplomatic contingent to Ammon, his kindness is met with violence. David seeks to cover the shame of his men while also seeking justice against the Ammonites who have defied him. As Ammon strengthens its position through menacing mercenaries, David sends Joab, whose wisdom and trust in God leads to success. After the Ammonite threat against Israel ends, David ensures th...

Even after the death of Saul and Jonathan, David is faithful to the promises he made. He seeks out a member of Saul’s household to whom he might show mercy. Whereas a king ruling in the way of the world would seek to eliminate even the slightest threat to his throne, David seeks out Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan to destroy any shame he still has from his family name or from his physical disabil...

David’s kingdom experiences continued blessings from the LORD of hosts. At each of the four points of the compass, the LORD grants David victory over great and powerful enemies. Through such victories, the LORD shows Himself to be the true God over and against any idols of the nations. As some from the nations ally themselves with David, we see a picture of God gathering His Church from all nation...

David goes before the ark of the LORD to pray in awe and thanksgiving at the LORD’s promise. In humility, David recognizes the LORD’s greatness in continuing to teach His people concerning the coming Christ. The Lord GOD has done this because of His own heart, not only for David, but for all Israel, whom the Lord GOD has claimed as His own people. Therefore, David prays that the LORD would confirm...

God’s gift of family came to His creation before the fall into sin. Even though our lives in the family experience the hurt of sin, these vocations from God remain good. Husbands are given to love their wives with respect and gentleness, sacrificing themselves for their wives as Christ has done for His Church. Wives are to receive this love from their husbands with submissiveness and joy, as the C...

The Table of Duties is the third section of the Small Catechism that helps us to know our place in life as Christians. Pastors are to live their lives so that they do not become a scandal to the Word of God that they are given to teach to their hearers, and hearers are given to support their pastors financially and gladly hear the Word that their pastor preaches. The civil government must recogniz...

David’s desire to build a house for the LORD seems pious enough, as is Nathan’s initial response confirming David’s desire. The LORD interrupts, however, to let David know that His plans are much larger than what David has in mind. The LORD reminds David that the LORD has done everything for David individually and Israel collectively. The LORD has remained mobile along with His people, and that ha...

Now that David’s capital city is secure, he brings the ark of the LORD to Jerusalem with great joy. The initial happy procession halts quickly as the LORD strikes careless Uzzah dead. David’s anger turns to fear, and the ark stays outside of Jerusalem for a time. When David realizes that the LORD’s presence, rightly respected, does mean blessing, David finishes bringing the ark to Jerusalem in the...

At last all of Israel recognizes David as their king whom God has appointed to be their shepherd. Once more, David is anointed as king, and we learn that his combined reign in Hebron and Jerusalem was a complete forty years. Although the Jebusites mock David’s ability to take their city, the LORD grants David success and gives to him Jerusalem. There, Hiram the king of Tyre builds David a palace f...

David refuses to gloat over the death of Abner. In his mourning, David makes it plain that Joab killed Abner without David’s approval. In this, David shows wisdom to unite Israel under his reign. Meanwhile, Ish-bosheth realizes his precarious position now that Abner has died. Two treacherous men assassinate Ish-bosheth in his own bed. Though these men thought they would be doing David a favor, Dav...

The civil war in Israel between the houses of Saul and David continues bitterly for a while. David’s house grows stronger as he gains wives and sons, even as those same details cause trouble for David later on. In the house of Saul, an accusation against Abner leads the mighty general to switch to David’s side. Abner meets David’s demands and begins to bring all of Israel over to David. Joab refus...

David receives the LORD’s instruction to go back to the city of Hebron in Judah. There, Judah anoints David as their king, but the son of Saul, Ish-bosheth, is set up as king over the rest of Israel in Mahanaim. Abner, the general of the house of Saul, and Joab, the general over David’s men, agree to a competition between the young men of their armies, but this competition soon turns deadly. Durin...

As they were originally one long book, 2 Samuel begins where 1 Samuel ends. News of the death of Saul and Jonathan reaches David from an Amalekite who likely thinks he will be rewarded by David. After David confirms the death of the LORD’s anointed by hearing the testimony of the Amalekite a second time, David rightly executes his office by putting the Amalekite to death for being unafraid to lift...

The Philistines bring full-scale war to Israel, and the Philistines are victorious. Three sons of Saul are slain, and when Saul sees the defeat all around him, he despairingly asks his armor-bearer to kill him. When the armor-bearer refuses, Saul breaks the 5th Commandment by taking his own life. The death of the king of Israel only strikes more fear into the Israelites and emboldens the Philistin...

When David and his men return to Ziklag, they find that their city has been burned and their families have been taken away. David’s men are ready to kill him in their bitterness, but David relies on the LORD. The LORD commands David to pursue the raiding party and gives an Egyptian as a source of information. When David and his men overtake the guilty Amalekites, the enemy army’s revelry is quickl...

Achish continues to make preparations for David to accompany him into war against Saul alongside the Philistines from Gath. The other commanders of the Philistines, however, refuse to allow this to happen. They realize that it would be the perfect opportunity for David to get back into Saul’s good graces. Achish reluctantly agrees and sends David back to Ziklag in peace, hoping that David will con...

The Philistines prepare to go to war against Israel while David is among them. The gathering Philistine army strikes fear into Saul's heart, and he attempts to seek the LORD through faithful means. When these do not yield his desired results, he loses patience and seeks out unholy means. He goes to a medium in En-dor in an effort to speak to Samuel, who has died. The medium is surprised and fearfu...

David realizes that Saul is unlikely to keep his promise to cease his pursuit, and so David flees into the land of the Philistines. Along with six hundred men and his wives, David goes to live under Achish in Gath. David gains the trust of Achish, who gives the city of Ziklag to David as a new home base. From there, David conducts raids on the enemies of Israel, doing the LORD's work even as the P...

Perhaps because of the instigation of the Ziphites, Saul renews his pursuit of David to take David’s life. After careful espionage, David takes his nephew Abishai into the camp of Saul. While Saul and his entire camp are sleeping due to the work of the LORD, Abishai offers to do the dirty work for David and dispatch Saul then and there. David again refuses to put out his hand against the LORD’s an...

Samuel's death brings about great mourning from all Israel. As Saul's pursuit of David has paused, David now journeys in the wilderness of Paran. When Nabal refuses to help David's men, David's hot anger almost brings him to wrongful personal revenge. The godly wisdom of Nabal's wife Abigail stays David's hand, and the LORD vindicates David against Nabal. Afterward, Abigail seeks refuge with David...

As Saul pursues David in the wilderness of Engedi, Saul stops to relieve himself in a cave where David and his men are hiding. Though David's men urge him to take his enemy into his own hand, David refuses personal vengeance and even feels pangs of conscience at cutting off the corner of the robe of the LORD's anointed. David shows himself guiltless to Saul, questions Saul's continued pursuit, and...

Even as David continues to flee from Saul, he seeks to do the LORD's work in delivering the city of Keliah from the Philistines. Throughout his flight, David inquires of the LORD, who directs and protects David from Saul. Jonathan goes to David to strengthen his friend, even as Saul seeks information on David's whereabouts from the Ziphites. When Saul almost overtakes David, the LORD protects Davi...

As David hides from Saul, he pours out his lament before the LORD in confident faith. At the same time, many of those who are in need gather to David, who begins to fulfill the role of a faithful king. Meanwhile, King Saul continues in his unfaithfulness, selfishly feeling sorry for only himself and accusing everyone of conspiracy against him. Only Doeg the Edomite sides with Saul, who hears the a...

As David flees from Saul, he flees to the LORD's presence. When he arrives before Ahimelech the priest, David requests nourishment for his men and himself. Ensuring the holiness of the men, recognizing the true purpose of the Sabbath, and looking forward to the coming greater Son of David, Ahimelech feeds David and his men with the bread of the Presence. David also takes the sword of Goliath and g...