This is the Bible Book Club. I'm Susan and I'm Heather. And we're in the book of Second Samuel.

Welcome to the club.

When last we left off in Second Samuel chapters 20 and 21, first there was a rebellion.

Sheba started a rebellion and David ordered Amasa to put an end to it.

But Amasa dodled and David had to call up Abashai, Joab's brother.

Amasa caught up to Abashai and Joab appeared out of nowhere and stabbed him.

Then Joab took over and negotiated the beheading of Sheba. Joab got his job as commander

back, whether David liked it or not. Then there was a famine. The famine was on account of Saul.

He had sinned by killing the Ghibionites. To avenge the wrong, David gave them seven of Saul's

descendants to kill publicly. Last of all, there was a review of the death of four descendants of Rafa.

Rafa was a Philistine with giants in his family, and they were related to Goliath.

Remember Goliath, the first large giant that David killed?

Each giant was killed in battle by one of David's mighty warriors.

In this episode, we're going to read David's

final song and final words. Now, recall that first and second Samuel were really one long book.

First Samuel begins with Hannah Song, and second Samuel ends with David's song. So the two songs

are bookends to the story of Samuel, Saul, and David,

because that's what these two books, first and second Samuel are. Hannah's song celebrates what

God has done, how he reverses situations, and looks forward to what God will do in the future.

David's song celebrates what God has done

and how he powerfully saved them looking back on the past. So Hannah's looks forward,

David's looks past. The point is that the two songs creatively bookend the whole story.

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