v.11-13 - A map shows the amount of planning this took. It is always worth reminding ourselves of the distances involved:

So we see family rivalry in the way that Abner took Ishbosheth to be king. This family rivalry is seen throughout the life of David, even after he is king in Jerusalem.

2:1  With hindsight we might have concluded that David should have known that Jerusalem was the place where the kingdom would have it’s throne. However that was some time away. Saul appeared to have his palace at Gibeah in Benjamin. David knew that God was going to choose a place – Deut 12:11 – There were a number of locations with historical significance available to David. God chose Hebron, the place of the burial of Abraham Gen 49:30-31

V.4 David was anointed with oil as he became king.  David's first anointing was administered by Samuel (1Sam 16:13); his second anointing took place at this time; and his third anointing occurred later (2Sam 5:3).  By contrast, Jesus, the greater David, was anointed once with the Holy Spirit and with power (Acts 10:38).

2:4  It may well be that the men of Jabesh Gilead rescued Saul’s body because of the kindness that Saul had done to them – 1Sam 11

Vs.14-16 Abner proposed a fighting contest between young men of both sides.  The king of the side that won, would, presumably, be proclaimed the legitimate reigning monarch.  As it turned out, the contest ended in a dead heat (literally).  This result inflamed both sides to enter into civil war.

V.8 Abner, was Saul’s first cousin and head of his army.  He despised David’s power and determined to set up a rival kingship to continue Saul’s line.  Ish-bosheth is alternatively called Esh-Baal (1Chron 8:33). Mahanaim was east of the Jordan.

V.10 David was in Hebron for seven-and-a-half years (v.11).  Ish-bosheth reigned for all that time.  Perhaps the two years mentioned here refers to the time that Judah, alone, followed David, i.e. before the other tribes followed him.

V.14 Family loyalties were at stake here:  Abner, cousin of Saul, head of Saul’s army versus Joab, nephew of David, head of David’s army.

V.23 The term under the fifth rib (KJV) means in the stomach.

V.26 Abner was saying, in effect: Joab, if you continue this civil war, then it is going to have a painful conclusion (for both sides).

V.27 Joab’s reply to Abner (v.26) was: Hey, if you had not provoked that earlier confrontation (v.14), then nothing else would have happened!

V.28 Joab prevented any escalation of hostility, but he was not about to let the death of Asahel go unpunished as we will see.

Vs.30,31 The casualty score: Team Abner 360; Team Joab 20.

2:25-31 One imagines that if this truce had not been called Benjamin would have been devastated by Judah and those that followed David, though allowing Abner to live brought its own problems later in David’s reign. 2Sam 3:12

David as a type of Christ (part 2 of 2 - for part 1 see 1Sam.17):

7. David first saved his own tribe of Judah (2Sam 2:1-4). So will Christ (Zech 12:7).

8. David united all Israel under one head (2Sam 5:1). Christ will do likewise (Eze 37:21-22).

9. David freed Jerusalem from the enemy (2Sam 5:6-7). Christ will challenge and destroy Israel's foes (Joel 3:16;Psa 110:1,5,6,7).

10. David extended his kingdom into an empire by bringing the surrounding nations into subjection to his rule (2Sam 8,10). The Lord will also demand dominion over the nations (Psa 72:11;Isa 60:12).

11. David established the true worship in Jerusalem (2Sam 6). Christ will banish error and legislate for truth (Isa 2:2-4).

12. David's victories paved the way for the peaceful reign of Solomon, and the Temple that he built. The Lord will do likewise (Hag 2:6-9).

The above is from The Story of the Bible by H.P. Mansfield, V.3, p.31-32.

V.3 talks of those in Jerusalem preferring death rather than submission to a foreign power.  The reaction to the inhabitants of Jerusalem by the invading Babylonians has been compared to those under siege in Constantinople by Islamic forces.  Constantinople was under siege by the Saracens twice (668-675 AD and 715-718 AD) who were unable to take the city.  

Those in Constantinople who would prefer death rather than being forced to become Muslims, had the Saracens been successful, is described in Rev 9:6.  The city, after tribulation during the Crusades, was finally taken by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 AD.

V.22 Gilead was a territory east of the River Jordan which encompassed the northern portion of the tribe of Gad and the southern portion of the tribe of Manasseh (east).  It was famous for its balm - an aromatic, medicinal preparation obtained from balsam tree resin (balm is a contraction of the word balsam). 

The balm's healing property is referred to, ironically, by Yahweh.  He is saying that once His judgement has been enacted, there is no preventative.  Jeremiah uses this figure on three occasions: the fall of Jerusalem in this chapter; the pronouncement against Pharaoh Necho (Jer 46:11); the fall of Babylon (Jer 51:8).

V.4 It is man's natural instinct, that if he falls, he will get up. If he turns away (that is if he wanders off the path) he will at least attempt to return to the point from which he wandered, so the prophet asks the question; Why will they not return? Jer 4:1 

Jer 8:6 says that God listened to what Israel were saying, and He didn’t like what He heard. Our dear Lord God listens to us, too.  I hope He is more pleased with us than He was with His chosen people.

8:1-2  There will come a time when, so to speak, the bones will come out of the grave – at the resurrection. However Jeremiah is presenting an altogether bleaker picture for his hearers to contemplate. Rather than a resurrection to glory he is predicting a time of even greater persecution than they were already suffering.

8:14 The ‘gall’ that Israel were to be given to drink is not a literal description but rather a reminder of Deut 29:18 and is a feature that Jeremiah returns to in 9:15, 23:15

8:12 The fact that the people were not ashamed is echoed in the contemporary prophet – Zeph 3:3

Vs.1,2 In the Near East it was a common practice for conquering armies to unearth from graves, or extract from tombs, the skeletons of the kings, priests, and prophets of the conquered nations.  Their bones would be spread out on the ground as a public display.  This contemptuous act was meant to add insult to injury to the defeated nations.

8:17 The people who are like serpent and ‘adders’ – RV – show the characteristics that David says are true of the wicked – Psa 58:4

V.7 The animals are programmed to react to their built-in instincts.  People have reasoning power and a free will.  They can choose either good or evil.  For God’s people to remain His people, they must choose His ways.

V.10 The price for not obeying Yahweh is always punishment of some sort.

V.11 People do not want to hear bad news.  They will delude themselves, even in the face of evidence to the contrary, that everything will be o.k.  The leaders in Jerusalem were saying that there will be peace, while Jeremiah, Yahweh’s prophet, was saying there will be destruction.

The same sentiments were in play in Jerusalem of the first century. Then, suddenly, in 70 AD the army of Titus wrought devastation on the city, and over 1,000,000 people we annihilated. And, the same thing will happen in end times when Israel will appear to be at peace.  This will be an illusion as destruction will surely arrive (1Thess 5:3).

We were on a trip to En-Gedi, the place where David and his men had hidden from Saul. Looking up we saw a flock of storks migrating. It was an amazing sight, as you can imagine, since these are very large birds. The leader of our group called to mind this verse "even the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times... but My people do not know the judgement of the LORD." (v7)

The stork has the most magnificent wingspan of all birds (Job 39:13) and have their homes in the highest trees (Psa 104:16-17) yet they need to leave theor home when their time comes. So also Judah would have to leave their land to go into captivity for a time in Babylon because of their sin. Those who thought deeply about this prophecy would realise that it would only be a temporary situation. And so as we go through the rest of Jeremiah we will notice the phrase "the time" occuring again and again, speaking of their time of punishment. And likewise the time of restoration. Those who were wise would think about the stork and go willingly (27:11-13).

8:12 Here Jeremiah echoes his words of 6:15. Judah’s recurring problem was not that they sinned, but that they were not ashamed of their sins when they were highlighted.

Jesus gives us a big clue in this chapter. We realise that he wasn’t actually saying that it's difficult to inherit the kingdom of God, but impossible! It is IMPOSSIBLE for a camel to go through the eye of a needle! (v26). This is an extremely important distinction, because it makes us wonder, as the disciples did, “who then can be saved?” (v25). The answer is “with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible”.

It was impossible for that rich man to enter the kingdom of God. His question to Jesus had been “what must I do to INHERIT the kingdom of God?”. He believed that one might inherit it, or earn it, through ones good works. This man’s works were admittedly very good, and Jesus loved him for it (Mark 10v21), but his trust in his own works was misguided (James 2v10). He needed, just like us, to benefit from the miraculous but un-earnable salvation that Jesus was about to bring into being through his sacrifice. This is what Jesus referred to when he said “with God all things are possible”.

Vs.13,14 Some people claim that these verses allow for children who have died to be saved.  This is a sweet sentiment but it is not supported by scripture.  Scripture says, clearly, that belief and baptism are necessary for salvation (Mark 16:16).  This is predicated upon a free-will choice from an understanding mind.  Children are hardly able to make that choice. 

The Lord is not advocating salvation for children but rather pointing out an acceptable attitude for believers.  Unless one is prepared to adopt a child-like faith (unquestioning trust and humility), then one will not obtain salvation (Matt 18:3,4).

V.30 actually begins Matthew Ch.20.

V.12 From a spiritual point of view it is better to remain single.  But not many can follow that path. The apostle Paul did, but he realized that for others (probably most): it is better to marry than to burn (1Cor 7:9).  Nevertheless he concluded that: ...if you do marry, you have not sinned...but those who marry will face many troubles in this life...(1Cor 7:28). 

Marriage is a God-given institution and should be respected (Heb 13:4).  However, things can and do go radically wrong sometimes.  The Lord wants married couples to remain together, but if adultery occurs, the marriage bond is essentially broken.  True, the offended party can agree to forgive the offending party and choose to remain in the relationship.  However, if the offended party cannot reconcile, he or she can dissolve the marriage. 

But, can he or she re-marry?  Does the offended party have to remain celibate and burn?  The Lord seems to suggest that, under these circumstances, it is permissible to re-marry (Matt 19:9).  This so-called exceptive clause tilts towards mercy.  The offended party can decide to remarry or to remain single - that is his or her choice.  Of course, the least complicated state would be to remain single. Whatever the decision, others should check their mercy meter and not stand in judgement.

V.21 Here was the true test for the young man. The difference between the observance of the commandments of God, and the putting of them into real life. Christ here shows him the difference. In spite of just obedience to the laws of God, the young man knew something was missing, or he would have never come to Christ with the question. The young man had to make a decision that involved life everlasting.

V.3 Two prominent rabbis had established schools just prior to the time of Christ.  One was Shammai, and the other was Hillel.  Shammai had a strict interpretation of the Law, while Hillel was much more liberal.  Both rabbis had their own following. 

Thus, we see the Pharisees coming to Jesus, testing him the question of divorce. Would he endorse Shammai who said that divorce was only valid if sexual immorailty had occurred; or would he side with Hillel who allowed many reasons for divorce, some frivolous? 

Jesus, the greatest rabbi of all-time, endorsed neither but went straight to the scriptures.  His first words of reply were: Have ye not read.  The Lord's foundation was always the Word of God - which should be ours, also. 

By the way, it was Hillel who won the historical battle in that his liberal ideas largely formed the direction which Judaism has taken until today.
 

19:13 Children are brought to Jesus but it was Jesus who had sought for a child – Matt 18:2. Jesus was not simply patting children’s heads. He was acknowledging that those who came to God must be like a child. The coming of the children was, we might say, an enacted parable.

Matt 19:10 Whilst the record here reads as if the disciples’ question was  asked immediately we learn from Mark 10:10 that the disciples waited until they were alone with Jesus in the house. We often see this with the disciples, especially in Mark. The disciples, seeking clarification, return to a topic to earn more of Jesus. Are we as diligent to learn of him?

19:8 Whilst the religious leaders seemed to see a conflict between Genesis 1 and Moses’ comment in Deut 24:1 Jesus highlights the reason for their problem. It was not Scripture but their own way of thinking. I say ‘their’ because the provision made in Deuteronomy 24 was because of the hardness of heart of all those who are unwilling to accept the Divine principle

Vs.23,24 The picture of a camel going through an actual eye of a needle does not seem to make sense.  However, if the eye of a needle is referring to a narrow aperture through a rock, then perhaps it does.  Imagine a camel loaded with goods in transit through a rocky region (not uncommon in the time and place of Jesus). Somewhere along the way, the path encounters a narrow passage through the rock face.  It is not possible for the camel to go through fully loaded. First, one must unload the camel and squeeze it through the opening and then reload it on the other side.

The Lord is telling his disciples (and us) that in order for a rich man to enter the kingdom he must first divest himself of his wealth.  In fact this figure follows from Jesus' advice to the young man (v.21).

Does that mean we should give everything we have away?
That's a choice, of course, but the not the Lord's categorical demand.  He does not say that a rich man will not enter the kingdom - he says hardly.  Riches can be dangerous if they are misused or become a focus of our confidence (idolatry) (Matt 6:24; 1Tim 6:17,18).  But shared, selflessly, for the greater good, they can honor the Lord (2Cor 9:7; Acts 2:44,45).

19:10-12 The disciples saw the force of Jesus’ comment and saw a difficulty – they might marry a woman and find that they could not live with her. Jesus highlights that the principle is clear but men differ among themselves.