Now I’m going at snail’s pace. I’m officially 100 pages behind where I should be. What I find interesting at this point is that we are seeing how the Jewish society develops. It is inevitable that as a society becomes larger, more complex systems of government and politics have to develop. David’s reign doesn’t have much to do with God, but more with how the various factions are struggling for power and the natural consequences that develop. Character development is now much more multi-dimensional now that the storytelling is getting more modern. Joab is a stone cold killer and David goes back and forth between being admirable and being a nitwit, much like all of us. The most interesting part of this book is the last chapter with the Monty Hall style pick yer poison challenge that God gives David. Says a lot about David, says a lot about God. Also I’m beginning to wonder why some Biblical names make it in everyday life and why some have died. It’s cool seeing the etymology of David, Saul, Abigail, Benjamin, etc. But I wonder why names like Zadok didn’t make it. How cool is that name? It’s easy to pronounce, and it seems like an Martian prince.