The Scribbling Spot

Answer: A Tishbite who is described as, “a hairy man, with at leather belt around his waist.”

Question: Who is Elijah?

I never realized how much the same images are used in the Old Testament when the role of leadership is being past to a new leader.  In 2 Kings 2, Elijah is about to be taken up by God and Elisha will be stepping in to his place to fill his role.  Elisha is following Elijah as Elijah strikes the Jordan with his mantel and parts the water to walk across on dry ground.  This image we have seen two other times in the history of Israel and its leaders, first with Moses and then again with Joshua.  After Elijah is taken up and Elisha watches as his “father” is taken away, Elisha is granted his request for a double share of Elijah’s spirit.  Elisha then picks up Elijah’s mantel and parts the Jordan to cross on dry ground signifying that he has taken Elijah’s place.

Solomon had many unique circumstances surrounding his anointment as king.  Once again we see the theme of the younger son being chosen by God over the older son.  Adonijah was David’s older son, who had already appointed himself king when he saw his father had become to ill to rule his kingdom.  David knowing God had chosen Solomon to be king had Solomon anointed king even though David himself was still alive.  I particularly found the political instruction David gives to Solomon interesting.  David is pretty much asking Solomon to do his dirty work by killing the people, Joab and Shimei, that for whatever reason David could not execute himself.  In Shimei’s case the reason was that David swore to God that he would not put Simei to death with the sword.  David recognizes that Solomon has not made this same promise and therefore can take these men down out of power.

Describe the unusual circumstances in Solomon coming to power.

He was David’s first born son who raped his sister Tamar.- Who is Amnon?

David’s son who killed Amnon in revenge for what he had done to his sister. – Who is Absolom?

He was the husband of Bathsheba who David had killed at war. – Who is Uriah the Hittite?

This woman despised David and had no children to the day of her death. – Who is Michal?

The prophet who came to David and called him out for his sin. – Who is Nathan?

The number of days David pleaded and fasted with the Lord for his son born to Bathsheba. – What is seven days?

The second son born to Bathsheba and David. – Who is Solomon?

In 2 Samuel 1, I was quite surprised to David’s reaction to Saul’s death when he mourned, wept, and fasted and then even killed the man who he thought ended Saul’s life.  At first, I wondered if his reaction might have been due to the the fact that Saul was his friend’s father or maybe he was upset by Johnathan’s death also, but then I began to see a pattern.  David had similar responses to the deaths of other men who could be considered his enemies.  In 2 Samuel 3, David led his people to mourn and weep over Abner’s death and then David curses Joab for killing Abner.  Again in 2 Samuel 4, David commanded the death of Rechab and Baanah after they killed Ishbaal, son of Saul.  Saul, Abner, and Ishbaal were all men who essentially were standing in David’s way of taking the throne.  Since David had already been anointed to take the the throne by God, one would think that David would have expected events such as these to take place and that he might even welcome them in order to see God’s promise take place.  However, this was not the case.  Did David react in these ways because this was the proper way to act in his culture?  Was he truly mournful? Or was he only trying to cover his own tale and make it clear that he was not involved in their deaths?

He was Samuel’s father.

Answer: Who is Elkanah?

She received a double portion to sacrifice from her husband even though she was barren.

Quesiton: Who is Hannah?

I am not sure that the Israelites were any better off at end of Gideon’s time as judge than they were in the beginning.  Technically Gideon did deliver them from the Midianites, but at the end Gideon appears to set them back up for failure.  Gideon begins by questioning and testing God multiple times.  Gideon had some obvious trust issues and then had a lot of guts (or stupidity) to test God.  We see Gideon hesitantly carry out his first command from God by tearing down the altar of Baal at night and then things seem to get be better as Gideon follows God’s commands to defeat the Midianites.  After the Israelites have been delivered Gideon asks everyone to give the earrings they had collected from their enemy and Gideon once again shows his “wisdom” by creating an ephod, aka an idol.  Is worshiping and prostituting themselves for this ephod of Gideon any different from the indiscretion with the Baals?  I’m not sure why the story says that the Israelites relapsed after Gideon’s death and not before.  Possibly the difference is made in that the Israelites did not completely forget about the Lord their God until that point.

Question? Who is Gideon?

Answer: He was also known as Jerubbaal.