"And when He was removed, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also he gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will'. From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Saviour Jesus" (Acts 13: 22-23). This is just 'wow!' what an impressive testimony in the New Testament of a man after God's heart. How is the first time reader looking at 1 Samuel 11 forward make of that testimony by God concerning His servant David? The story of lust, adultery, covering up his sin and abusing his position of power to murder Uriah the Hittite, and take Bathsheba as his wife doesn't sound like a man after God's heart. But alas this is indeed the legacy of a man, King David. Perhaps let me begin by defining legacy. By definition legacy is what remains behind when a man dies. It could be his riches or wisdom. It could be his innovations or his philanthropic work. When the Tanzanian President Magufuli died, the question of legacy was raised. And now with the death of Prince Philip the husband of Queen Elizabeth the question of legacy is being dissected on every news outlet. Because we understand legacy as 'good' works that speaks for you when you are dead, we become overly offensive when the bad, the wrong, the evil or crimes committed by the departed is mentioned. We often see it as an insult on the memory of the deceased. However, I strongly believe that true legacy is a mixed bag of good and bad. And the Holy Scriptures doesn't shy away from that kind of legacy. Therefore the house of David is a mixture of good and bad. In this article 'THE HOUSE OF DAVID: Sex, Murder & Power I will endeavor by the grace of God to highlight the bad side of David's legacy from his sin of adultery to his sons Amnon and Absalom. By studying the characters in scripture we opt to learn from their failures. And using that to avoid to fall in the same traps that are vivid in scripture. Scripture doesn't present the Bible characters as flawless, but shows how grace works through sinful human vessels to accomplish great things for God. We seek not to find the flaws in these Biblical characters as an excuse for us to let our guard down, and deliberately live in sin because of what Abraham, David, Isaac and Jacob did, but to understand that when we fail, when we falter, when we fall God's grace carries us through. David, Amnon and Absalom men in the same household whose center of conflict is based on the use and abuse of women in their household to assert themselves. The women entangled in this web are all victims of power hungry men. DAVID & BATHSHEBA (2 Samuel 1-27) "......at the time when kings go out to battle, ....David remained at Jerusalem". The wording implies that it was traditional for kings to lead their armies to battle but this king takes a break and remains in his palace. The king enjoying the delicacies of the royal house including sex with his many wives, while his soldiers are in the battlefield is grossly irresponsible. The Greeks perceived sperm as a source of masculinity and strength that sports men needed in the field. Most soccer coaches discourage their players from having sex while still in the camp. In fact soccer camps came into being because soccer coaches didn't trust that their players would abstain from sex while preparing for a soccer match. So they separated them. Soccer competition is like war and you can't have your strength split between the bedroom and the soccer field. Ejaculation based on the Greeks meant the lose of strength. The energy of players should never be used on women, but in the field. Players keep your pants on! "Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman" The king is told that the woman's name is Bathsheba & that she is married to Uriel who is one of David's best soldiers. King David had Bathsheba brought to him and committed adultery with Uriah's wife. Many theologians prefer to refer to David's sexual relations with Bathsheba as adultery. In that sense Uriah's wife is deemed a willing participant in the act. I disagree! The influence that people in powerful positions have made it difficult & blurs the lines between consensual sex and rape. When the CEO of the company summons the receptionist to his office and solicits sexual favors. When the President sleeps with someone's wife. When a celebrity uses his fame to get sex it is not always consensual. After he slept with her she discovered she conceived she sent a message to the King saying, "I am with child" which means I am pregnant. The consequence of this adultery brought with it consequences. Even if the king was allowed to have many wives, adultery was forbidden for God's people Israel. The King in the ancient days was law. The crown cannot be separated from the law. King David effectively broke the seventh commandment, "you shall not commit adultery". DAVID EFFORTS IN COVERING HIS SIN "He who covers his sons will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13) The consequence of Bathsheba's act of adultery attracts death penalty by stoning her to death. David now must protect his reputation, and at the same time protect Bathsheba who is carrying his child. The plot was; Uriah must come back home from the battlefield under the pretense that he is summoned by the king to give a war report. Upon his arrive Uriah is treated the best food befitting royalty, and made him so drunk so that Uriah would go home and sleep with his wife. This plot failed as Uriah chose to sleep with the guards at the king's gate then go home to sleep with his wife. Some argue that it's possible Uriah heard the rumour that the King had a sexual affair with his wife. But the reason he give to the King is also plausible. As long as God's army is laying outside in the battlefield, I cannot go and be in a warm bed with my wife. At this point David is running out of time. Uriah will find out his wife is pregnant & he will seek vengeance on this man responsible. The next cover-up is to assassinate Uriah. The most painful piece of reading is David giving Uriah the letter of his own death. Making Uriah an accessory to his own death. This is the most barbaric act of David plotting the death of Uriah by putting his death letter in his own hands. The letter instructs the Joab the commander of the army to put Uriah in the battle front of the hottest battle. Uriah is killed in battle & King David can now legally take the widow of Uriah as his wife. David had Nathan the Prophet. Amnon had Jonadab as a trusted friend , and Absalom had Ahithophel as the advisor. These men had a role in the decision the king and the king's sons took in their critical times. NATHAN REBUKES KING DAVID "So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity. Then Nathan said to David, you are the man" (2 Samuel 12:5-6). This revealed the hypocrisy in which those of us entrusted with spiritual leadership reacts. We know what the scriptures say. Our private lives a littered with greedy, sexual immoral, hatred and even murdering those who we perceive are our enemies. We silence the victims of abuse by threats and spiritual manipulations. However, when the evil is done by another person we fume with holy anger and act to punish the offenders. Nathan said to the king, "you are that man". David had many wives. He also had the right to marry another woman if he was not satisfied by his wives. However, even as a King married women are a no go area. However, Nathan's message brought the King to a place of repentance. He saw the wrongs he was covering & confessed. But the sin of David has consequences; "Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will this thing before all Israel, before the sun" (2 Samuel 12:10-12) Consequently Ammon raped his step sister Tamar, and Absalom kills his step brother in a revenge attack for raping his sister. A glance through 2 Samuel 13 will reveal the following words; 1. Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister Tamar. 2. Amnon was distressed over his sister Tamar. 3. I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister. 4. Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food. 5. Now go to your brother Amnon's house 6. Come, lie with me my sister 7. No, you are my brother, do not force me. 8. Put this woman away 9. And Absalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad. The household of David is at war with each other. And the birthplace of this family conflict is women & power. THE FINAL NAIL IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF DAVID "And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong" (2 Samuel 16: 21-23) Ahithophel was known as a good advice. His words were like of a man who inquired from God. In war the King who conquers takes the spoils which includes women & children. Taking the defeated king's wives was common to despite the losing king. However this advice is given to a son against his own father. He slept publicly with his father's concubines. And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women, his concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in seclusion and supported them, but did not go to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood. The problem I struggle with in this passage is the ten concubines treated like prisoners as if they chose to be raped. They are resigned to a life of perpetual widowhood while their husband David is still alive. MY REFLECTION ON THIS CONVERSATION While God is merciful, some sins begin a rollercoaster of untold misery. David is repentant, but doesn't escape the consequences of what started as lust. Women are used and abused in the fight for power. And looking backwards, now & in future we learn from David's household covering up sins that it is impossible to hide from God. We are in the season of declining morals among God's servants. Killing their victims or paying them off to silence them is common. But your sins as scripture says will find you. The man after God's own heart is a sinful man. He is not perfect and has failed many times yet he repents and confesses his sins. When a servant of God is caught up in sin, they often go to Church to warn their enemies and threaten them. Instead of stepping aside for a season. And when you know you are caught confess your sins. Believe me you will bounce back child of God because it's your calling that defines you, not your failures.
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