Bible in 365 Days

2 Samuel 8-12

 

2 Samuel 8

Here we have the record of some of the victories of David, again not necessarily in chronological order. There is, however, a very close relation between this account of them and what had preceded.

The story of the king's successes contains more perhaps than is apparent on the surface. By them he strengthened his position and that of his people; but he also gathered treasure. The house of the Lord was still in his mind, and although he knew he would not be permitted to build, he was still gathering in preparation for the work of his son. The chapter ends with the account of the appointment of certain officers of state, by which the internal consolidation of the kingdom was ensured.

The functions of these officers are interesting. One was appointed to lead the army; another to be recorder, or national historian; two were priests, in all probability exercising their functions at two centers; a fifth was scribe or secretary of state; a sixth became the head of David's special bodyguard, which would seem to have been composed of foreigners. Finally, the sons of David were made priests, or "chief rulers," the reference undoubtedly being to positions of civic, rather than religious, authority.

 

2 Samuel 9

There is an exquisite tenderness about the story here recorded. David's love for Jonathan was still fresh. One can easily imagine how in the days of his growing prosperity the king would often think of the former strenuous times and of his friend's loyalty to him under circumstances so full of stress and peril.

For David the house of Saul, which had done him so much harm, was redeemed by his love for Jonathan; and he instituted an inquiry whether any were left of this house to whom he might show kindness for the sake of his friend.

The inquiry resulted in the finding of Mephibosheth, whose very lameness was tragic and pathetic, in that it had been caused by the flight of his nurse on the awful day of Jezreel, when his father and grandfather had fallen together.

To him the king restored the lands of Saul, and sat him as an honored guest at his own table. David's own account of his action was that he desired to "show kindness of God unto him." This declaration recalls the words of the covenant made between him and Jonathan long before, in which his friend had charged him to show him "the kindness of the Lord," and also that he should show this same kindness to his house forever.

In all this David appears as a man after God's own heart. The common attitude of human nature would not permit such action. It is ever the kindness of God which heaps favors on representatives of enemies.

 

2 Samuel 10

Here we have the record of victories over Ammon and Syria. So far as David is concerned it is interesting in revealing the same spirit of good will in David in his attempt to show kindness to Hanum, and the same elements of strength as a warrior as he led the hosts of Israel against the forces of Syria, and defeated them.

Joab appears once more in all the rugged and terrible strength of his nature. It is interesting to observe that in his arrangements he made no allowance for the possibility of ultimate defeat in his conflict with Arnmon. He divided his forces, and did so in order that if the Syrians on the one side should be too strong for him, the army of Abishai, his brother, should help him. Or if, on the other hand, the children of Ammon should be too strong for Abishai, he would help Abishai.

It does not seem to have occurred to him that the combination might have been too much for both of them. In all this the true quality of the soldier is revealed. It recognizes the possibility of defeat at a point, but never that of the poet's final triumph. We are not surprised that Joab was victorious.

This story constitutes the culmination of the account of David's rise to power, and prepares for the terrible story of his fall by showing the general circumstances under which the fall occurred.

 

2 Samuel 11

In the whole of the Old Testament literature there is no chapter more tragic or full of solemn and searching warning than this.

Carefully pondering it, we notice the downward steps logically following each other in rapid succession. First, "David tarried at Jerusalem." It was the time of war, and his place was with the army. Instead of being there, he had remained behind, in the sphere of temptation. This is not to say that the place of peace is more perilous than that of war, but rather that any place other than that of duty is one of extreme danger.

From this, events moved rapidly but surely onward. In briefest quotation we may indicate the movement: "He saw"; "he sent and inquired"; "he took."

The king had fallen from the high level of purity to sin in yielding to the inner weakness which had already become manifested. One sin led to another, and in all likelihood his sin against Uriah, one of the bravest of his soldiers, was more dastardly than his sin with Bathsheba.

From the merely human standpoint, the unutterable folly of the whole affair is evident as he puts himself in Joab's power by sharing with him the secret of his guilt. Even more fitting than in his own use of them, his words concerning the death of Saul and Jonathan are true, "How are the mighty fallen!"

 

2 Samuel 12

A year passed away. The child of Bathsheba was born. We can imagine what that year had been to David. Bathsheba, whom in all probability he truly loved, was with him as his wife; but it is inevitable that he had been haunted by the memory of Uriah and by the fear of Joab.

At last the prophet Nathan came and uttered a parable in which David's sin was portrayed. David uttered his opinion on the side of right. Then, like a flash, the prophet charged David with having committed the sin David had condemned. It was at that moment that the best in David was apparent, as he confessed, "I have sinned." His repentance was genuine and immediate.

That repentance was manifested in his attitude in the presence of the punishment which fell upon him. His child was stricken, and the king mourned, and besought that its life might be spared. This could not be. When the child was dead David worshiped.

Perhaps nothing more perfectly reveals the sincerity of his repentance than this ready acceptance of the stroke by which God refused to answer his prayer.

In the midst of his worship, he said of the child, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." This shows his consciousness of the spiritual world and of the life beyond.

The account of his dealing with the children of Ammon after his victory over them shows that he placed them in servitude rather than treating them with barbarous cruelty.