The reign of King David – A great king, but not a great family man.

A big part of this book is a surprisingly open stories about David’s domestic problems. They are not restricted to his adultery with Bathsheba, but include the rape of his daughter by one of his sons, and another son’s attempted revolution.

The writer tells it like it is. He doesn’t try to hide any of David’s flaws, even though David is the most revered King of Israel. David is a Godly man, who is never power hungry, and the prestige that he has, never stops him from repenting of his sins.

2 Samuel 1 verse 1 to 16:

The second part of Samuel opens with David morning the death of Saul.

2 Samuel 5 verse 1 to 12 verse 31:

The first seven years of David’s reign  are spent in civil war, with David battling against Saul’s son, Ishbosheth. When the conflict is concluded and Ishbosheth is killed, David becomes King of all Israel. David goes on to conquer the enemies of Israel and develop the nation into a sort of small empire.

2 Samuel 6 verse 1 to 23:

Since the time of Eli the Priest before Samuel, when the Philistines captured The Ark Of The Covenant, the ark has been out of the spotlight. The Philistines returned the ark because it caused them all kinds of problems, but the ark sat in neglect at a private place of worship. David know how significant it is, and the most sacred object in all Israel, it is a symbol of God’s presence among His people.

David brings the ark back to Jerusalem, in a move that will unite in one location the king’s throne with the symbolic Throne of God. While the Ark is returning in a joyful procession, King David dances as he also accompanies the Arks return. His enthusiasm is so unrestrained that his wife, a daughter of King Saul, criticizes David for acting undignified and dancing around half naked. That does not worry David, because he was celebrating in honor of the Lord. David place the ark in a tent used as the temple. The real Temple was to be built by David’s son Solomon years later.

2 Samuel 11 verse 1 to 26:

David watches Bathsheba take a bath on her roof. David was having trouble sleeping and goes for a walk on the roof of his palace.When he sees Bathsheba,who is a beautiful woman taking a bath. David invites her to the palace, he commits adultery with her. Bathsheba later discovers she is pregnant and is carrying David’s child. David calls Bathsheba husband home from war, so he will sleep with his wife, so her husband will think it is his child.The solider sleep alone, because his comrades are still in battle. David arranges for him to go back to battle in the front line, the solider dies in battle. David marries Bathsheba.

Nathan the prophet, confronts David about his sin. {Nothing is hidden from God}. Though David repents, Bathsheba’s son dies, but she will have another son to David, called Solomon.

2 Samuel 18 verses 1 to 33:

Davis son Absalom rebels against His father, because David fails to punish another of his sons, for raping Absalom’s sister. Absalom is killed in a battle  against his father David. Absalom long hair gets court in tree branches and he dies in the battle.

2 Samuel 24 verses 18 to 25:

David makes Israel a powerful nation, and expands his Kingdom. In the process David commits sins against God, that God feels obliged to punish. God gives David three options of punishment, the one David choose a plague kills thousands of his people. When the plague ends David build an alter on God’s instruction. Later Solomon will build the first temple on that site of the alter.

A question to ask ourselves, do we desire to be a man or woman after God’s own Heart? Realize that God isn’t looking for perfection, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” {Romans 3 verse 23} We as God’s men and women, are not unblemished, but we are progressing. Hopefully we love God with all our heart and soul, and even thought we stumble and fall at times, we should be quick to ask Our Lord and Our Friend for forgiveness.

We can all learn from Davis story in 2 Samuel, sin is never committed in a vacuum. Others are always affected by our sin. Be willing to ask Our Lord and Our Friend, for His strength to help us resist sin so that it doesn’t affect our relationships with Him and bear consequences for others.

The important message to take from 2 Samuel is: Sin has consequences, but God will always forgive us if we ask.

God Bless.

O F J.