Literary Analysis Paper

David grew to be a self-centered and corrupt king. The longer David was in power the more selfish he became. He was no longer the hero he used to

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 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

2. How does the Documentary Hypothesis help explain the complicated geography and accounts of rebellions in Numbers? To what extent does the book of Numbers preserve traditions earlier than J,E,P?

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:

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

When David arrived at the battle field, he was surprised to see the men fearfully hiding in the shadows to escape the giant. Rightfully confused at the sight, David interrogated the Israelite soldiers and was disappointed when he concluded that the Israelites were cowards. David was a fearless man who continually and significantly depended on God as his protector and provider. He quickly confronted King Saul concerning the matter and came to a solution in which he would fight Goliath. His inaptitude was apparent but his innate sense of courage was inscrutable. Reluctantly, King Saul complied and after much debate, agreed that David would face the giant with nothing but a sling shot and five stones. David approached the battlefield and with one motion, flung the sling around quickly. The stone then slipped from the cloth and flew through the air at an incredible speed. With astonishing precision, the stone hit the monster’s forehead with great impact, causing the skull to shatter and cave in on itself killing the beast immediately. Then, standing upon the giant’s dead corps, David sliced the beast head off using the philistine’s sword. Upon seeing this, the philistines fled in a stampede from the battle field, leaving God’s chosen people as

Right away we are reminded of the setting here in the first chapter of II Samuel. David has just received word that Saul, the

However, Saul, Israel’s anointed king (1 Samuel 10:24, 1 Samuel 12:13), failed to lead Israel to victory – like his people, he was too afraid to step into battle on Israel’s behalf. But where Saul fails, David triumphs and brings Israel to victory as he defeats Goliath, the Philistine

The theme of this chapter is mercy. We can experience mercy from God everyday in our lives. God said that he will forgive the evil things that we did if we ask for forgiveness. David asked God to show mercy and do not let him be with the evil. It is not only David who can ask for mercy. We can also ask God for mercy and help us not fall into evil.

The ultimate goal here is to challenge the writer find a definitive reason for the downfall of King David who is said to be a man after God’s own heart.

David, on the other hand, is depicted as a character that is lacking brute strength and weaponry. We are told through the voice of Goliath that he is “only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance” (1 Samuel 17: 42). It is evident that David is meant to appear as an average kid with no exceedingly superior or spectacular qualities. This simple portrayal of David is significant because it sets in motion the development of realistic empathy from the implied reader towards David. It is important for the implied reader to feel empathetic towards David because even though David kills Goliath in the end, we are meant to view him as a hero, not a murder. Building a connection between the implied reader and David makes this possible.

Shepherding his father’s flocks (1 Sam. 16:19), playing music for King Saul (1 Sam. 16:23), and striking down Goliath (1 Sam. 17:50), were steps in the journey David undertook before his eventual rise to the throne. After many years of struggle between him and Saul, David finally took hold of the crown and became king of Israel (2 Sam. 3:9-10). Through all of David’s strife, we do not see a time where David falls out of God’s will, until we reach the grisly narrative of David and Bathsheba. At the beginning of the tragic account, David is regarded as absent from battle, where kings were to be at this time of year (2 Samuel 11:1), reminding us that from the start that David was not where he should have been. Instead, David was caught lounging on his couch until he decided to walk on to the roof.

David is not without his share of mess up’s. However, the stark difference between David and Saul is that David never lost his love for God, even after he became king. He also understood, that he was in no way entitled to be king. He became king purely by the grace of God. Consequently, whenever he disobeyed God, he was always repentant; and he and all of Israel were blessed.

David didn’t want to kill her husband, but honorable Uriah left him no choice when he refused David’s offers to return home for a respite from battle. Since Uriah spent no time with her, everyone, including Uriah, would know the child she carries is not her husband’s; thus an ill-conceived action plan, with Uriah on the front line, assured his death, along with collateral damage of 17 men. Such devastation and loss caused by one night of sin.