Welcome to BibleBum where we are exploring the entire Bible in one year to better learn how to follow God’s instructions and discover the purpose for our lives.  The BibleBum blog uses The One Year Chronological Bible, the New Living Translation version.  At the end of each day’s reading, Rob, a cultural history aficionado and seminary graduate, answers questions from Leigh An, the blogger host, about the daily scripture.  To start from the beginning, click on “Index” and select Day 1.

2 Samuel 8:15-18

1 Chronicles 18:14-17

1 Chronicles 6:16-30

1 Chronicles 6:50-53

1 Chronicles 6:31-48

2 Samuel 9-10

1 Chronicles 19:1-19

Questions & Observations

Q. (2 Samuel 9:1-13): I love this story.  It mimics how God took care of the descendants of the ones he loved: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

A. Me too.  This story is also one that is held up by Christians and Jews throughout the ages as symbolic of God’s mercy and grace.  As a crippled person, which would have disqualified Mephibosheth from being king, Mephibosheth would have had no place at the king’s table, but he is welcomed out of the kindness of the king’s heart.  In the same way, we as sinners, the spiritually crippled, would have no place at God’s table on our own accord, but are welcomed as God’s own children through the King’s mercy.

Q. (10:3): There seems to be a theme in the Bible of the sons of great leaders making huge mistakes and not learning from their fathers.

A. You have touched upon a major theme of scripture: the passing of wisdom — or the lack there of it — down from generation to generation.  We will see clearly how this task succeeds or fails as we move through rapid succession of kings in our next volume.