The Ark of the Covenant returns to Jerusalem, just in case you were wondering. David then decides to build a temple for God. “I have a fabulous house, but God has to live in a tent. This does not seem fair.” But God said, “Your hands are too bloody to build me a house. You have a son who will do it for me, your son who will be king after you.” But which son? From which wife? We are getting to parts of the Bible that would be rated R if a movie was made of it.
Before we get to the bad stuff, God makes an important covenant with David. He promises an everlasting throne (which will eventually lead to Christ). David has many sons and the tracing of Jesus’ lineage through one son and not another is very important. We will get to that later. The important thing to remember is that God loved David in spite of all his sin and stupidity (just like He loves us in spite of the idiotic stunts we pull on a regular basis). David was a man after God’s own heart, despite his sins.
Oh look! More war with the Philistines! What a surprise...
David also keeps a promise he had made in an earlier covenant. David had promised Jonathan that he would look after his descendants. So when David hears that Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth was still alive, David takes him in and includes him as part of his own family.
Next we have the famous story of David and Bathsheba. Boy sees girl bathing. Boy takes girl. Girl gets pregnant. Boy has girl’s husband killed in battle. It’s an every-day story, yes? No, it’s not, and the prophet Nathan takes David to task for it. Four of David’s sons were to die as a result of this sin, three of them in battle and Bathsheba’s son shortly after he was born. During this time David writes Psalm 51, in which he shows his remorse for his sin and desires that God would give him a clean heart. Seeing David’s brokenness over his sin is painful, but it helps to round out the character of the man after God’s own heart. David then marries the widow Bathsheba and she has another son, Solomon. Remember that name--it will be really important later.
Things begin to get really complicated with the story of incest among David’s children. This could also be an argument against polygamy. Yes, they did it in the Bible, but that doesn’t mean God approved. Amnon loved his half sister, and “lay with her forcefully” (I’m using nice words--my 10-year old reads this). But after the act, “the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love which which he loved her.” This is the worst part of the story--Amnon despised the person whom he had ruined with his own lust. When Absalom seeks revenge for his sister’s shame and kills his half-brother things begin to go downhill for David.
Absalom flees to another part of the country. While he was gone, instead of seeking reconciliation, David and Absalom become angrier at each other and at the situation. Finally David sends word that Absalom can come home, but it is too late for reunion. Absalom has been gathering followers while he has been in exile, and they are ready to take Jerusalem; Absalom wants to take the throne from his father. David, who has been king for nearly 40 years now, flees the country and sends a spy into Absalom’s camp. There is a battle but David insists that Absalom be spared. These orders are not followed, and Absalom is killed. David is grief-stricken, but his general Joab talks sense into him. Yes, Absalom was David’s son, but he had become the enemy, and David needed to be grateful that his army had defeated the enemy. David is back on the throne of Israel and Judah, and all is well.
For a while, anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment