사무엘하
Summary Second Samuel lays the foundation of the history of salvation through the covenant God made with David, yet it starkly exposes the sin and limits of a human king. It shows that even David is not the true King and leads us to hope for the true King who would come as David’s descendant, Jesus Christ.
- Date written
- Edited c. 10th century BC (estimated)
- Historical period
- The era of David’s kingdom
Background
Second Samuel is set in the period after Saul’s death, when David was established as king over all Israel and the kingdom was consolidated. If First Samuel asks, “Who is king?” Second Samuel raises the question, “Who is the true King?” Israel dreamed of stability and prosperity through a powerful human king, but Scripture records both David’s victories and his painful failures, starkly exposing the finiteness of the human kingdom. Second Samuel is not a book that celebrates the achievements of the monarchy; it is a book that testifies to the faithful history of salvation of God, who Himself fulfills His covenant in spite of human weakness. At the center of this book is the Davidic covenant, a promise of salvation that looks beyond David himself to the one King who was to come, Jesus Christ.
Content
Second Samuel begins with the process by which David becomes king over all Israel. David makes Jerusalem his capital, brings up the ark of the covenant, and builds a kingdom centered on God. In this process David’s victories are portrayed not as the result of his strategy or strength but as the result of God being with him. At the center of this book is ‘the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7).’ David wanted to build a visible temple (house) for God, but God instead promises to establish an everlasting dynasty (house) for David. This contains the promise of salvation that God’s temple (house) is not built by human strength and effort, but will be completed as the ‘true temple’ through Jesus Christ, who would come as David’s descendant. Yet Second Samuel also reveals, without softening anything, David’s fatal failure and the tragedies that resulted from it. David’s sin and the bloodshed that followed in the royal household expose that even the greatest king chosen by God is an utter sinner who cannot solve the problem of sin on his own. David repented with tears and was forgiven, but he could not undo the terrible consequences of his sin. This shows why the atonement of Christ, the sinless King who would fully bear and deal with the consequences of sin, is absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, God does not abandon David and does not break His covenant. For the hope of salvation is not based on David’s morality or ability to rule but stands on the faithful promise of God, which flows on through human unfaithfulness. In the end, Second Samuel is a book that reveals the limits and sinfulness of a human king, and at the same time, upon those ashes, makes us wait all the more earnestly for the Son of David, Jesus Christ, who will overcome sin and death and bring eternal peace.