2 Samuel 3-4



Thus far we have seen many of David's wonderful qualities: humility, bravery, faithfulness, etc. But in the beginning of chapter 3 we see the elements of his major failures. Deuteronomy 17:17 gives a very specific directive to any king who should rule over Israel:

He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.

In chapter three, six of David's wives are listed and we know the list doesn't end there when all is said and done. We see the seedlings of his notorious sin that even most people who are unfamiliar with the bible can relay. He disobeys God's command in Deut. 17:17, his heart is led astray (for which he later repents), and there are consequences for his actions. Two of the sons listed end up betraying David, one ends up killing another, the others end up dead at an early age. But the saddest part of the story, for me anyways, is that his son Solomon, who ends up succeeding him, follows in his fathers footsteps in the worst way. See 1 Kings 11:1-6

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter... He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods...So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

David sins, but he repents and follows the Lord completely. He is here lifted up as someone who was completely committed to God. Solomon followed David down the path of folly, but he never repented and in fact turned his heart to other gods. I walked away from this reading praying that God would help me to be aware of my sin and give me the humility of David to repent and trust in my Savior to forgive and save.