Or is he hinting at someone greater to come????
2 Samuel starts with a chapter of David mourning the loss of Saul and Jonathan. Now if anyone knows how to have a good cry it’s our man David. The reader will have to wade through his tears in this book but there is something to be gained from his loss…
David is then anointed for a second time, this time by his tribe [Judah] who use this act to show their support for the new king. It’s not an easy road to the throne for David though. Saul’s son Ishbosheth is next in line for the throne of Israel and he’s not going to give it up easily. His main man Abner and David’s right hand man Joab battle it out for a couple of chapters until Abner is defeated and Ishbosheth is murdered (ch4). Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth is spared however.
David is then crowned king over all Israel in chapter 5. The Lord tells David in verse 2 that his job used to be shepherding sheep but now he will shepherd God’s people. Flash forwards to the disciples anyone?? David kicks the Jebusites out of Jerusalem and sets up his temple there and fills It with a few more wives and concubines (remember the warnings in Deuteronomy?), defeats the Philistines and brings the ark to Jerusalem. Unfortunately Uzzah touches the ark and dies and David’s wife Michal despises exuberant praise before the Lord that the ark has returned to Israel and is cast out of David’s harem (6:23).
David, for all his kingliness getting a little out of control (gathering for himself wives and soldiers , building a palace etc) is a man who loves the Lord. He is sad that the ark of the covenant is in a humble tent while he enjoys the prestige of royalty and he desires to give God more glory by building a temple. God is not worried about having a temple, He has always been among His people in the tent and that’s the point so God sends Nathan to disappoint David—his hands are stained with the blood of his enemies so he is not clean enough to build a holy temple. But his son will be a king of peace and will build the temple (ch 7). God tells David that his kingdom will last forever, prophesying of the coming King who will set up an eternal kingdom. A kingdom not of this world! David praises the Lord
David is just as great a military commander as Saul, and greater because he dedicates the spoil to the Lord (which will then furnish and decorate the temple). Ch 8 vs 3 indicates that David finished conquering the land; the land promised to Abraham and the job given to Joshua and the people. The promise made to Abraham is finally fulfilled!! In this chapter we also learn the priesthood has been given to Zadok and his family (not from Eli’s line but from the line of Eleazar, another son of Aaron).
Back to Mephibosheth. David learns he has survived so he brings him into his palace to live and treats him as family. David keeps his promise to his friend. Then he defeats the Ammonites. What can’t this guy do? He’s the best!! The greatest king of all time!!
Except (ch 11-12)… one day when he was supposed to be at the battlefront he sees a beautiful woman… long story short; he *cough* “exercises his rights as king” with her then has her husband murdered to cover up the fact he got her pregnant. Oh David… Well, you can’t hide your dirty deeds from the Lord and he sends Nathan to remind David of that. David realises his guilt before the Lord and repents. The Lord covers his sin (GRACE!!!) but David is left to suffer the consequences of his sin; his son will die and his other sons will cause him grief. Bathsheba becomes David’s wife (it’s the least he can do) and has another son; Solomon. David writes a couple of great Psalms about this tragic time in his life; Psalm 51 and Psalm 32. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” Psalm 51: 17
Chapters 13-18 are the sorry tales of those consequences falling onto David and his family. His older son Amnon rapes his step-sister Tamar and Tamar’s full brother Absalom takes his revenge on Amnon (kills him) then flees, fearing for his own life. While Absalom is away from Jerusalem he gathers support for a rebellion against his father. He succeeds in taking over the palace and Jerusalem and it is David’s turn to flee once again.
By chapter 18 David has pulled himself together and goes out to fight against Absalom’s army and get his kingdom back under control. He instructs his army to not kill Absalom but Joab is so mad about the whole deal that when he finds Absalom caught in a tree he has him killed. David grieves long and hard for his son (18:33-19:4) and Joab tells him off so David pulls himself together and returns to Jerusalem and his throne. But the seeds of rebellion had been sown and David/Joab has to quickly quell another rebellion almost immediately (ch 20).
In chapter 21 the land is in famine so David seeks the Lord to try to find the reason (remember blessings and curses in Deuteronomy) and finds out it is because Saul killed the Gibeonites (which Joshua had sworn to protect). They demand the deaths of Saul’s sons so David delivers the sons to the Gibeonites who kill all seven of them thus fulfilling God’s promise [curse] to Saul that his line would be cut off and avenging the Gibeonites.
David continues to be successful in battle and his army is legendary (ch 22-23). A song/Psalm of David (18) is included here to remind us of his trust in the Lord. But then he goes and counts his army! And even Joab can see this is a dumb idea; just trust the Lord man! Oh David… The people suffer as a consequence and David is moved to repentance and sacrifice. The Lord is gracious and stops his judgement and the place where he offers a sacrifice to the Lord becomes the site of the temple (1 Chron 22:1).
Takeaway: David’s life and reign are not as clean and tidy as you would like for a man who is held up by the writers of the OT as the Greatest King of All Time! But remember that we judge rulers differently than how the Lord does. He looks at the heart. And in this way David is judged rightly as the greatest king because his heart is one that looks to the Lord in faith. He trusts that God will have mercy on him even in times of great sin.
But dear reader, David is NOT the greatest king of all time. For we know a king greater than the writer of Samuel ever could. Where David failed, he succeeded. David grieved over the sin and loss of others but could do nothing about it; Jesus grieved, then raised them from the dead [Lazarus, us]. David took another man’s wife and lied about it; Jesus told the woman at the well she was forgiven and to go and sin no more. David cared for his best friends crippled son and treated him as family; Jesus welcomes us into his family-we who were outside because of our lameness and sin have been brought in. David raised up an army of fighting men; Jesus raises up an army of disciples to bring good news of peace. David’s throne was easily taken by others; Jesus’ throne will be his forever for it is at the right hand side of God (Rev. 5). May the life of David cause us to ponder how well our king Jesus rules over us.
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