In 2 Samuel 22, we are going to read David’s song and final words. Recall that 1 and 2 Samuel were really one long book. 1 Samuel begins with Hannah’s song, and 2 Samuel ends with David’s song. The two songs are bookends to the story of Samuel, Saul, and David. Hannah’s song celebrates what God has done, how he reverses situations, and looks forward to what He will do in the future. David’s song celebrates what God has done and how he powerfully saved him, looking back on the past. The point is that the two songs creatively bookend the whole story, Hannah’s looks forward with a prophecy of an anointed king and David’s looks back on the fulfillment of this prophecy.
The author uses the songs in another creative way. There is another song in the beginning of 2 Samuel which place is right in the middle of the other 2 songs. It is David’s song of lament for the death of Saul and Jonathan. If we string all three songs together: Hannah’s Song begins as a series of reversals.
- God brings death and life.
- He humbles and exalts
- He guards the faithful and silences the wicked
Then Hannah ends with a prophecy:
2:10 “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
Hannah sings of a king to come, for there was no king at that time. Recall, the book of Judges ended with…
Judges 21:25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
Everyone sinned because there was no king. Hannah has caught a vision of a time when God will reverse the situation, an anointed king will overcome the evil. Then we read David’s song of lament for Saul 2 Samuel 1. David sang about how the mighty have fallen…meaning Saul. A king had come but he was not the king God had wanted. Saul was wicked and God humbled him and he and his descendants died. In the 3rd song, David sings of the reverse. David was faithful, and God exalted him, and his descendants will live and reign forever. The point is that what Hannah foresaw was fulfilled.
Subscribe to BBC on Apple, Spotify , or Amazon
The point for us is that: In this story, there were 2 kings; one did not love God and was humbled; the other loved God and was exalted. Today, we live in 2 kingdoms: the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of Christ. The world does not love God and will be humbled. The body of Christ loves God and will be exalted. Like the Israelites, we must follow a king. The right king, the king the Israelites looked forward to, from the line of David — our king, the messiah, Jesus Christ.
Epilogue Part 3: David’s Final Song
Epilogue Part 4: David’s Final Words
Verses Mentioned:
- 2 Samuel 2:10
- Judges 21:25
- Psalm 18
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-4
- John 1:1-5
- Genesis 1:16
- Genesis 3:18
- 1 Samuel 2:8-10
The author of this article is Hayley Mowatt, producer of Bible Book Club podcast.
