In today's story, David is anointed as king over his own tribe of Judah, while all the rest of Israel follows Saul's son, Ishbosheth. Ishbosheth is not a strong leader, but was put in place by Abner, the general. Joab is David's military commander. In the first battle, it is significant that Abner kills Joab's brother Asahel. David's troops decisively win their first battle in the civil war.
Today we read all of Psalm 107. The psalm encourages us to call out to God in any time of distress, even when it is caused by our own sins.
Yesterday at the end of Romans 11, we came to the end of the long parenthesis. God is seen as both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who refuse to believe. Belief is not something that just happens without out control. It is an act of the will to believe. That is why the stubborn disbelief of the Israelites is called 'disobedience'.
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