Lawrence Boadt provides this summary of the end
of 2 Samuel….
“The Court History of David” or “The Succession
Narrative”… extends from 2 Samuel 9 through 1 Kings 2, with several appendices
inserted at 2 Samuel 21-24. The anonymous author dramatically shows how David
was able to conquer all external foes and heal the national wounds with the
family of Saul, but could not keep peace in his own family….
The Court History is a skillful piece of narrative,
filled with dramatic tension as it unfolds the flaws and weaknesses in David
while still showing God’s constant protection for him and the dynasty which he
had founded. David was not perfect, but God’s fidelity and promise never
wavered. It is one of the best pieces of ancient literature, probably being
composed during the reign of Solomon between 960-930 B.C. It is the fruit of
the new culture that David brought to Israel as he established schools in the
prosperity of empire….
How did David receive such high praise in the Old
Testament tradition when he had so many dubious qualities about him? Key to the
biblical portrait is David’s blessing from Yahweh and his complete loyalty to
Yahweh in return. He sinned, often seriously, but he never forsook this primary
loyalty. As a great warrior, he brought the rule of Yahweh to many surrounding
nations. As a king he received a promise of divine protection that actually lasted
four hundred years down to the final end of Judah and Jerusalem at the hands of
the Babylonians in 586 B.C. He established Jerusalem and the central sanctuary
of worship for Yahweh and became famous as a composer of psalms and prayers.
Israel’s memory of David is most influenced by these elements of divine help
through which the nation was established soundly. The memory tends to forget or
to downplay his weaknesses in “The Succession Narrative,” but it does remember
that the primary meaning of both his successes and failures was not that David
deserved the praise but God who used the weak king to accomplish his divine
purpose. There are signs of this even in the way the Yahwist author tells the
patriarchal stories in Genesis. The emphasis always falls on how Isaac was
chosen over an older brother Ishmael, and Jacob over Esau, and Joseph over ten
older brothers. It also stresses that the promises made to Noah and Abraham and
Jacob will never be fulfilled until the land is an empire and its people as numerous
as the stars—a reality that only fits the descriptions of the empire of David
and his son Solomon.[1]
I believe the key to David’s success and the
blessing upon his life was that he kept coming back to the Lord. This truth is
emphasized again in the closing chapters of 2 Samuel. “David inquired of the
Lord.” (2 Samuel 21:1) “David spoke to the Lord the words of this song…” (2
Samuel 22:1) David writes, “The spirit of the Lord speaks through me, his word
is upon my tongue.” (2 Samuel 23:2)
Yes, David fails to trust the Lord to provide for
his kingdom and this failure of trust leads him to conduct a census (2 Samuel
24). However, David soon realizes his error, confesses his sin to the Lord.
There are consequences for David’s sin; God sends a plague upon Israel, but in
the end, the Lord answers David’s supplication for the land, and the full
onslaught of the plague is averted (2 Samuel 24:25).
David was a passionate man in many ways, some
good and some bad. However, the key to his endurance is his passion for Yahweh.
This raises the question: do we have a similar passion for the Lord?
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