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  • Bible reading notes
    • Genesis
      • Gen 12-25 (Abraham)
      • Gen 25-36 (Isaac & Jacob)
      • Gen 37-50 (Joseph)
    • Exodus
      • Exodus 1-4 (Moses’ life and call)
      • Exodus 5-15 (Plagues and exodus)
      • Exodus 15-19 (Wilderness and Sinai)
      • Exodus 20 (Ten Commandments)
      • Exodus 20-24 (Book of the Covenant)
    • Judges
      • Gideon
      • Abimelech
      • Jephthah
      • Samson
    • 1 Samuel
      • 1 Samuel 1-8 (Road to monarchy)
      • 1 Samuel 9-15 (Saul)
      • 1 Sam 16-31 (David)
    • 2 Samuel
      • 2 Samuel 1-8
      • 2 Samuel 9-20
      • 2 Samuel 21-24
    • Ezra-Nehemiah
      • Ezra 1-6 (temple building)
      • Ezra 7-10 (Ezra in Jerusalem)
      • Neh 1-7 (wall building)
      • Neh 8-13 (covenant renewal)
    • Psalms
    • Isaiah
    • Jeremiah
      • Jeremiah 1-25
      • Jeremiah 26-45
    • Amos
    • Obadiah
    • Jonah
    • Micah
    • Nahum
    • Habakkuk
    • Haggai
    • Zechariah
      • Zechariah 1-8
      • Zechariah 9-14
    • Matthew
    • Luke
    • John
  • Introductory notes
    • Gen 12-50 intro
    • Exodus 1-24 intro
    • Judges intro
    • 1 Samuel intro
    • 2 Samuel intro
    • Ezra-Nehemiah intro
    • Intro to the Prophets
    • Jeremiah intro
    • Amos intro
    • Jonah intro
    • Micah intro
    • Habakkuk intro
    • Haggai intro
    • Zechariah intro
  • Seasonal
    • Advent 2019
    • Advent 2020
    • Advent 2022
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • New Year
  • Topical
    • An eye for an eye (lex talionis)
    • Can a righteous person save a city?
    • Child sacrifice and a loving God
    • Discerning true prophecy from false
    • Destruction of the Amalekites
    • Disasters and God’s judgment
    • Does God change His mind?
    • God’s justice in this world
    • Gospels
    • Evaluating biblical characters
    • Hardening of Pharaoh’s heart
    • How did David meet Saul?
    • Intergenerational punishment
    • Jephthah’s vow
    • Jonah and historicity
    • Jesus the Nazarene? (Matt 2:23)
    • Justice and forgiveness
    • Light and God’s salvation plan in Isaiah
    • Melchizedek’s significance
    • Messianic prophecies
    • Natural or supernatural event?
    • Numbers leaving Egypt
    • Passover lamb’s bones
    • Prophecy and multiple fulfilments
    • Prosperity gospel
    • Racial purity in Ezra 9?
    • Reading OT Law
    • Reckoning Abraham righteousness (Gen 15:6)
    • Significance of genealogies
    • The art of telling a story
    • Un-chosen: Is God unfair?
    • Were the exiles racist?
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Home
  • Bible reading notes
    • Genesis
      • Gen 12-25 (Abraham)
      • Gen 25-36 (Isaac & Jacob)
      • Gen 37-50 (Joseph)
    • Exodus
      • Exodus 1-4 (Moses’ life and call)
      • Exodus 5-15 (Plagues and exodus)
      • Exodus 15-19 (Wilderness and Sinai)
      • Exodus 20 (Ten Commandments)
      • Exodus 20-24 (Book of the Covenant)
    • Judges
      • Gideon
      • Abimelech
      • Jephthah
      • Samson
    • 1 Samuel
      • 1 Samuel 1-8 (Road to monarchy)
      • 1 Samuel 9-15 (Saul)
      • 1 Sam 16-31 (David)
    • 2 Samuel
      • 2 Samuel 1-8
      • 2 Samuel 9-20
      • 2 Samuel 21-24
    • Ezra-Nehemiah
      • Ezra 1-6 (temple building)
      • Ezra 7-10 (Ezra in Jerusalem)
      • Neh 1-7 (wall building)
      • Neh 8-13 (covenant renewal)
    • Psalms
    • Isaiah
    • Jeremiah
      • Jeremiah 1-25
      • Jeremiah 26-45
    • Amos
    • Obadiah
    • Jonah
    • Micah
    • Nahum
    • Habakkuk
    • Haggai
    • Zechariah
      • Zechariah 1-8
      • Zechariah 9-14
    • Matthew
    • Luke
    • John
  • Introductory notes
    • Gen 12-50 intro
    • Exodus 1-24 intro
    • Judges intro
    • 1 Samuel intro
    • 2 Samuel intro
    • Ezra-Nehemiah intro
    • Intro to the Prophets
    • Jeremiah intro
    • Amos intro
    • Jonah intro
    • Micah intro
    • Habakkuk intro
    • Haggai intro
    • Zechariah intro
  • Seasonal
    • Advent 2019
    • Advent 2020
    • Advent 2022
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • New Year
  • Topical
    • An eye for an eye (lex talionis)
    • Can a righteous person save a city?
    • Child sacrifice and a loving God
    • Discerning true prophecy from false
    • Destruction of the Amalekites
    • Disasters and God’s judgment
    • Does God change His mind?
    • God’s justice in this world
    • Gospels
    • Evaluating biblical characters
    • Hardening of Pharaoh’s heart
    • How did David meet Saul?
    • Intergenerational punishment
    • Jephthah’s vow
    • Jonah and historicity
    • Jesus the Nazarene? (Matt 2:23)
    • Justice and forgiveness
    • Light and God’s salvation plan in Isaiah
    • Melchizedek’s significance
    • Messianic prophecies
    • Natural or supernatural event?
    • Numbers leaving Egypt
    • Passover lamb’s bones
    • Prophecy and multiple fulfilments
    • Prosperity gospel
    • Racial purity in Ezra 9?
    • Reading OT Law
    • Reckoning Abraham righteousness (Gen 15:6)
    • Significance of genealogies
    • The art of telling a story
    • Un-chosen: Is God unfair?
    • Were the exiles racist?
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Bible reading notes,  Psalms

    Tell everyone the amazing things He does

    Ps 96:1-13 My former church recently produced a book of testimonies of God’s grace touching lives. One such describes a young woman at a lonely bus stop in Fiji with a threatening gang of young men approaching. Then a van…

    By Csilla Saysell March 21, 2025
  • 2 Samuel,  2 Samuel 21-24,  Bible reading notes

    A portrait of David and the heart of God

    2 Sam 24:18-25 During my time as a Bible college student, a classmate wrote down each of our names on a separate sheet of paper and suggested that we all anonymously wrote a sentence for each person about what we…

    By Csilla Saysell March 18, 2025
  • 2 Samuel,  2 Samuel 21-24,  Bible reading notes

    The census and what it reveals of David’s heart

    2 Sam 24:1-17 The concluding chapters of Samuel have taken us through some central truths relating to David’s kingship that are also applicable to our Christian lives. The heart of the message in the two songs (chs. 22-23) focused on…

    By Csilla Saysell March 14, 2025
  • 2 Samuel,  2 Samuel 21-24,  Bible reading notes

    David’s census: Did God tempt him to sin?

    2 Sam 24:1-10 Along with the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, this passage is among the most confusing in the Old Testament. We read that the Lord was angry with Israel and incited David to number the people (2 Sam 24:1)…

    By Csilla Saysell March 11, 2025
  • 2 Samuel,  2 Samuel 21-24,  Bible reading notes

    David’s mighty men: The challenge of the years of plenty

    2 Sam 23:8-39 A Hungarian pastor I know, who (like many) was blacklisted during the Communist years and was banned from preaching in Budapest, pastored a small church in the countryside. He was a charismatic leader and preacher and responded…

    By Csilla Saysell March 7, 2025
  • 2 Samuel,  2 Samuel 21-24,  Bible reading notes

    David’s last words: The triumph of God’s grace

    2 Sam 23:1-7 People sometimes say, ‘I’ll forgive him (or her), but I’ll never forget’. Even if we are not as obvious with our grudge against others, true forgiveness and treating someone as if they had never done anything wrong…

    By Csilla Saysell March 4, 2025
  • 2 Samuel,  2 Samuel 21-24,  Bible reading notes

    David’s reflections: The hidden source of strength

    2 Sam 22:29-51 Recently, my husband and I went on a hike to a waterfall, then further on to the ridge line of some hills and, following a loop track, descended back into the valley. We did this route first…

    By Csilla Saysell February 28, 2025
  • 2 Samuel,  2 Samuel 21-24,  Bible reading notes

    With the faithful You show yourself faithful: Undeserved grace or merit?

    2 Sam 22:21-28 Before I came to faith, studying at school felt easy for me. I did not have to think about it but just got on with the tasks at hand. However, when I became a Christian in my…

    By Csilla Saysell February 25, 2025
  • 2 Samuel,  2 Samuel 21-24,  Bible reading notes

    David reflects on his life: The path to trusting God

    2 Sam 22:1-20 Reflections at funerals can be uplifting as we gain a deeper insight into the inner life and character of the person who died, what motivated them and what they cared most deeply about. A recent funeral I…

    By Csilla Saysell February 21, 2025
  • 2 Samuel,  2 Samuel 21-24,  Bible reading notes

    A weary king: The secret to true effectiveness in God’s service

    2 Sam 21:15-22 Tim Keller was a well-known American pastor and preacher who started Redeemer Presbyterian Church, an inner-city congregation in New York that experienced exponential growth leading to several other ministries. Keller was a gifted teacher, who understood and…

    By Csilla Saysell February 18, 2025
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About Me

Hi, I’m Csilla!

Labradorite is a gemstone that, like Scripture to some, looks grey and lifeless until the light is diffracted from its internal layers to show a beautiful iridescence. As an Old Testament scholar, I write to help draw out Scripture’s colours by sharing practical insights and a deeper knowledge of God’s Word.

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