Some wonder if parables are an example of God’s cruelty or trickery, purposefully blocking people from repenting, turning their lifestyle around and heading back to God by having the Messiah obscure God. Yet Yeshua’s goal seemed to be toward clarity about God rather than obfuscation.
Seven shows up repeatedly in Scripture. It appears first with the seventh day of creation, threads through God’s cycles of appointments with mankind, and foreshadows the timing of Messiah Yeshua’s arrival as the Word become flesh and culminates with many of the symbols of the Day of the Lord.
God’s severe instruction for dealing with someone who has dreams or receives messages that come true and who performs miracles is sobering. It was not a problem for a prophet or dreamer outside the Levitical community to perform miracles or have visions. This passage also covers God’s actual instructions for what is commonly called the “third tithe.”
The names and biographies of David’s 37 “mighty men” are recounted here. These men are not listed in chronological order of their service to King David. They are listed in a particular order to relay a very profound message about the life’s mission of the Messiah. The Messiah’s story is hiding in plain sight.
Last week, we read Moses told the people over and over that they were to destroy all the places where the people of the land worshipped their gods. He told the people that after they destroy all the places the people of the land worship their gods, they were to be thoughtful about what place they use to make their offerings and kill their food animals. In the rest of chapter 12, Moses told Israel there will come a time when there will be only one place where the people will be allowed to present sacrificial animals to the Lord.
God was giving Israel the Land to posses it, but He wouldn’t go in until they clean it up of the wicked pagan influences, starting with the false-worship places.
This passage is very similar to Psalm 18. Psalm 18 is probably an edited version used as a praise song to encourage those who have overcome some difficulty in life. While 2nd Samuel 22 is more autobiographical and unique to David’s heart. In 2nd Samuel 1–21 David, the warrior king, the “bloody man” is shown as a precursor to Messiah’s first coming. We see the suffering king who ultimately dies. After 2nd Samuel 22, David’s life is no longer a parallel to the Messiah’s. From this point on, Solomon is the Messianic figure, full of wisdom and peace, ruling over his subjects and even bringing foreigners under his kingship without war.