The book of 2 Samuel charts the remarkable trajectory of David's reign as king. Blessed through God's anointing, his leadership binds together a broken nation and gives them victory. But when David becomes unwary, he is overcome by sin: the adultery and murder he commits serve as a timeless warning regarding the perils of temptation. The sword of God's judgment falls on David and his house, but even as David is humbled, he returns penitently to the Lord. Richard Phillips' expository commentary carries us with David up to the heights and down to the depths, noting the lessons for our faith today‚"‚€‚"forgiveness doesn't cancel consequences; leadership doesn't exclude accountability; even flawed characters can end well‚"‚€‚"and exalting Jesus Christ, David's greater Son, as the true King our salvation requires.
Richard D. Phillips (MDiv, Westminster Theological Seminary) is the senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church of Greenville, South Carolina. He is a council member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, chairman of the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology, and coeditor of the Reformed Expository Commentary series.
The book of Second Samuel is an exciting and intriguing narrative. It tells a unified story about earthly kings that shows us the good, the bad, and the ugly of humanity. This book makes us long for the righteous King. It points forward to a time when God’s people will live under God’s presence and rule in Jesus Christ.
In this commentary, Rick Phillips carefully guides his readers to understand the message and the application of this book. The author does this not with academic dryness or in disinterested posture. Instead, one can see the excitement that the author has for the word of God. Phillips’ exegesis is clear, understandable, concise, Christologically robust, theologically devotional and devotionally edifying.
This expository commentary is for anyone who is interested in enriching their understanding of God’s Word. Pastors can find much wisdom in this commentary. It would serve as an excellent aid for sermon preparation. Lay people can use this commentary to better lead Bible studies and to more fully appreciate this part of the Bible.
I will certainly use this commentary for my sermon preparation.
I thank P & R Publishing for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
For what it's worth and without knowing the rest of the series in general or the commentary on 1 Samuel in particular, I believe the author does a good job in the exposition of the 2 Samuel. Good devotional value for sure
This book covers 2nd Samuel in detail. He digs deeply into the meanings of the chapters and verse from the Bible. Then he goes the extra step to tie the meanings to today. One phrase he notes is when King David is killed that God wanted this to occur and quoted “The wages of sin is death.” This is a common phrase in today’s time and most do not know where it came from. It gives the reader the desire to read further and understand what was truly meant by the words written in the Bible.
I loved this book and found it to be a great explanation of the chapter 2 Samuel in the Bible. It can be read before or after reading the chapter in the Bible. Either way it will strengthen your understanding the events and words of King Samuel.
Thank you to the author for giving me a book that makes it easier for me to understand this chapter in the Bible in a way that does not fluster or baffle me but allows me to feel joy with understanding.
I received an ARC from P&R Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. This in no way affects my opinion or rating or this book.