Study Desk

Sheba son of Bicri passed through all the tribes of Israel on his way to Abel Beth Maacah. All the Berites joined together and followed Sheba.

When Joab and his men came to Abel Beth Maacah, they surrounded the town. They piled dirt up against the city wall and began breaking stones out of the wall to make it fall down.

But there is a man in your city from the hill country of Ephraim. He is named Sheba son of Bicri. He rebelled against King David. Bring him to me, and I will leave the city alone." The woman said to Joab, "All right. His head will be thrown over the wall to you."

While David was king, there was a famine that continued for three years. So David prayed to the Lord . And the Lord answered, "Saul and his family of murderers are the reason for the famine, because he killed the Gibeonites."

(The Gibeonites were not Israelites. They were a group of Amorites. The Israelites had promised not to hurt them, but Saul tried to kill the Gibeonites. He did this because of his strong feelings for the people of Israel and Judah.) King David called the Gibeonites together and talked to them.

Give us seven of Saul's sons. Saul was the Lord 's chosen king, so we will hang his sons in front of the Lord on Mount Gibeah of Saul." King David said, "All right, I will give them to you."

David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from Jabesh Gilead and buried them with the bodies of the seven men who were hanged.

They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the area of Benjamin, in one of the tunnels in the grave of Saul's father Kish, as the king commanded. After that God again listened to the prayers of the people in that land.

The Philistines started another war with Israel. David and his men went out to fight the Philistines, but David became very tired and weak.

Ishbi-Benob was one of the giants. His spear weighed over 7 pounds. He put on new armor and thought he would be able to kill David.

Later, there was another battle at Gob against the Philistines. Elhanan the son of Jaare Oregim from Bethlehem killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath from Gath. His spear was as big as a post.

All four of these men were giants from Gath. They were killed by David and his men.

David sang this song to the Lord when the Lord saved him from Saul and all his other enemies.

He is my God, the Rock I run to for protection. He is my shield; by his power I am saved. He is my hiding place, my place of safety, high in the hills. He is my savior, the one who rescues me from the cruel enemy.

In my trouble I called to the Lord . Yes, I cried out to my God for help. There in his temple he heard my voice. He heard my cry for help.

Smoke came from his nose. Burning flames came from his mouth. Red-hot coals fell from him.

The Lord thundered from the sky. God Most High let his voice be heard.

He scattered the enemy with his arrows— the lightning bolts that threw them into confusion.

The Lord shouted his command, and a powerful wind began to blow. Then the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the earth's foundations were uncovered.

I always remembered his laws. I never stopped following his rules.