Interpretation of the text
The chapters, 2 Samuel 11-12, explain and show the nature of humans and the nature of God as well. David is used as an example in these chapters as someone who falls short of temptation while being highly favored by God. David was doing everything right and was rewarded for it. David was granted everything he could possibly want and it was well deserved from his good intentions and morals. When David all of a sudden sees a beautiful woman bathing, he feels like he can justify himself as someone who is deserving of her knowing that she is married to a friend and soldier. Uriah was in battle fighting and David impregnates his wife, Bathsheba. David immediately orders Uriah to come home so that he can cover up his
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God favors David greatly and it is obvious in the Old Testament especially in Acts 13:22 when He says that David is “a man after my own heart”. It is amazing to see God love, forgive and care for someone you has committed such harsh sins as David. After the parable, God continues to speak through Nathan by asking David how he could ‘despise’ him like that after all the things that God has done for him. God punishes David by condemning his house and wives, and then tells him his child he had with Bathsheba will die. David confesses, “I have sinned against the Lord”, and Nathan tells David, “now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die”. In Arnold's Commentary it says because of Yahweh’s nature, sin has a limited life span, but love lasts forever. This is translated as having consequences for sins, being forgiven for them and no matter what always being loved by God because God’s love is eternal. I think in that day and age one couldn’t just be forgiven for one's sins but also have to make amends for them. There are debates on whether there is a punishment for one’s sins and unfortunately this intention or idea doesn’t make a lot of sense to us today because of our law and commandments. Some scholars think that the overall sequence and series of struggle that David deals with later on is part of the divine punishment. This would make a lot of sense that the death of David and Bathsheba’s child was because of the adultery that David had committed. The punishment of David’s house would also make sense and have to do with David getting Uriah killed intentionally. These events were the outcome of David’s sins. When reading the scripture and commentaries, we should see this as the overall punishment of God. One wouldn’t second guess the judgment of the Lord but there are moments where actions can be called upon for
In 2 Samuel the narrative shifts to the reign of David as he rises above Saul’s son Ish-bosheth to become the king, first of Judah and then of all the tribes of Israel (5:1–4). The book records David’s wars of conquest including the capture of Jerusalem and the relocation of the ark of the covenant to the City of David (6:1–19). But the author also records David’s failures: his adultery with Bathsheba (11:1–26), Absalom’s rebellion (15:1–18:30), Sheba’s revolt (20:1–26), and the disastrous census (24:1–25). Like all the prophetic writers, the author presents a portrait of his historical figures from the perspective of their faithfulness to God’s covenant.
Because Saul was leading Israel to disaster, God asked Samuel to anoint a replacement who would become king after Saul. The Lord led Samuel to David, who was an “unimpressive shepherd boy;” he was the
Saul was the ideal king the Israelites desired. David was the king Israel needed. David was not tall or handsome but he was a man of God. When David defeated Goliath, not only did he fully trust God, David gave all the glory of his victory to God. David possessed the vital attribute that Saul never had, obedience to God. David trusted in God’s timing and plan. Despite David having the opportunity to kill Saul and reign over Israel , David continued to follow God's commands. In 1 Samuel 24:19-20 Saul said to David after spearing his life, “ When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands (NIV).” Unlike Saul David was obedient to God. God rewarded David for his obedience by anointing him King and later
Bonnie and sherry both good post. Solomon shows us that even if you’re the wisest person in the world if you are not abiding in the Lord then the vines of the world are going to choke you out. God allowed Solomon to make this choice to disobey as he does with us. “So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.’” (1 Kings 11:11 NASB). God displayed mercy to Solomon for David’s sake “Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.” (1 Kings 11:12 NASB). How faithful and patients God is with us is just amazing.
However, throughout David’s leadership, there were a few mishaps where he did not always do the right thing. He committed a sin by having an affair with Bathsheba, who was married to her husband Uriah. Also, here performed an unauthorized census, which was motivated by his own pride. In addition, he chose to follow his own heart a lot instead of being a man after God’s heart. Regardless of his flaws, David had a great sensibility of courage, loyalty, faith, being a successful leader, and warrior. For example, David could look someone else’s sins that they may have done, but he could not do the same for himself. Basically, David loved his enemies and respected them, which was not a normal character trait to have. He was always willing to forgive them of their sins even when they typically opposed him.
Here we see David in his first major fall from grace. King David accomplished a great evil, a two-fold sin. Not only did he commit adultery, but also he also sent Uriah into battle so that he would be killed. David, being blinded by his selfishness, did not notice that he had committed a great sin in the eyes of God.
The most notable example is his affair with Bathsheba, whom he saw bathing upon the rooftops one night. David knew that Bathsheba was marrie to Uriah, one of his military leaders. But he nevertheless sent for her and committed adultery with her, and from this sin a child was conceived. At first, David tried to cover his indiscretion and bade Uriah to go to his wife in the hopes that they would lie together and the baby might be passed off as Uriah's. However, when Uriah refused to go to his wife, David had him killed, and took Bathsheba to be his own wife. As a result of these sins, God was greatly displeased with David, and punished him with the death of his first son. Like his father before him, King Solomon also had troubles with women; namely that he married too many of them. Though God granted him with wisdom beyond all other men, Solomon fell to the sins of the flesh. According to 1 Kings 11:1, he loved "many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites." These were women from tribes whom God had expressly forbidden the Israelites from mixing with for the purposes that they were tribes who worshipped false gods and idols, and would surely turn the Israelites away from their faith in the One True God. Samuel had "seven hundred wives,
The relationship between David and God is one of both fear and love. David, who is chosen by God to rule the people of Israel, is loved by God. However, it is clear in points of the Bible that the wrath of God overcomes his love for David. To begin with the love that God has for David, it is easy to see when David places the Ark of God in Jerusalem, officially giving it a place to rest after several years of wandering. We see this in the dialogue when it is said “And David went and brought up the Ark of God from the house of Obededom to the City of David with rejoicing” (2 Sam. 6:12). With the Ark itself
David knew that no amount of good works he had done, could rectify his guilty state before God. His position of prophet and king did not obligate God to him. David’s longing to be reconciled to God was granted by God’s compassionate acquittal of David despite his guilt. Moo explains that, “David’s words from the psalm confirm Paul’s basic point…a person’s relationship with God comes not by works but by God’s gracious act.” A further examination of David’s proclaimed blessing reveals the state of “being fortunate, happy because of circumstances, favored, and privileged.” William Sanday represents this state of blessedness well by stating, “…David in Psalm 32 describes how God pronounces happy (in the highest sense) those to whom He attributes righteousness without any reference to work.” Paul’s focus on the blessed state of the forgiven sinner in verse 6 is qualified by his citing of David’s proclamation of blessing in psalm 32:
We have heard the story of David and Bathsheba many, many times before; but have you ever thought of King David (man after God’s own heart) as being a sinful and wicked
This action showed David’s flaws through him being selfish. David also was greedy when he demanded commanders to not kill his son. “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom” (208). David and his commanders were competing in a war against his son Absalom. David ordered them not to kill his son because he was acting selfish. David is a flawed leader who can be considered as human because of his
David joined forces with the Philistines because his faith was weak and he faked being mentally insane. Therefore, he was really not mental but struggled with believing in Gods covenant. Not to mention he had two wives he just was refusing to go out in battle and support his troop by being an effective leader. In modern day terms he punk-out sending his troops out to battle without him while he played the coward staying behind stirring up trouble.
He was from the tribe of Judah, fulfilling the Messianic line. Samuel anointed David secretly and the Spirit of God came powerfully upon David. “Samuel’s anointing of David, as well as the Spirit’s empowerment of him made clear that David represented God’s choice as king” (Hindson & Yates, 476). David completely placed his faith in God and displayed his faith when he went against Goliath. David did not take any weapons except a sling and stones to kill Goliath. David knew that God was on his side and God will fight this battle. “For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47). With God, he succeeded in killing Goliath and won the victory for the Israelites. Saul became angry and jealous towards David and ultimately banished David from Israel. King Saul and his men chased David and tried to kill him, however, God’s hand of provision was over David. Several times, David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but he spared him. This act of sparing contributes to David’s heart for God. David finally reigned in Israel and still had a heart for God. Even when his transgressions and trials came, David still loved God and asked for repentance of his sins. God made a covenant with David to bless him and his offspring. He promised to an establish eternal kingdom, which is ultimately given to Christ. “The promise of a permanent dynasty is fulfilled in Christ, the ‘son of David’, who will sit
King David wrestled with sin, such as adultery, family disorder, and rebellion on a national level, however he also experienced great accomplishments as well. One great achievement was the unification of Israel. "Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, "We are all members of your family. For a long time, even while Saul was our King, you were the one who really led Israel. And the Lord has told you, "You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be their leader" (2 Samuel 5:3). It is here that David makes a covenant with the leaders and becomes anointed as the
Verse three outlines the start of the forming of David's band of miscreants; "Also joining him was every person who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. He became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him" (NKJV). David is now the leader of an unstructured group of men discontented with the current political situation. They had been wronged and mistreated, were under a curse of debt that they could not pay. They were not trained loyal soldiers, but like David, are so distressed that they have no option left except to run and hide from their problems (Swindoll, 1997, p.74; Epp, 1965, p.56). Psalm 57 indicates that not only were they hiding, but they were angry and wanting vengeance on those they felt had wronged them�. Keller (1985, pp. 120,121) suggests that it was in living with these oppressed outcasts that David developed his compassion for those living under oppression.