1–2 Samuel

The Rise and Fall of David

Back in the late 1960s, when the United States was having an identity crisis and searching for heroes to latch on to, Paul Simon wrote a song that cried out, “Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you” (from “Mrs. Robinson”). We certainly like our heroes. David, the central character in 1–2 Samuel, is definitely a hero. While the man Samuel, as prophet and judge, is a good and likeable guy, it is David who captures our hearts as the hero. After the many flawed leaders in Judges and the total collapse of Israel because of their poor leadership, followed by the inept and timid rule of King Saul, we are more than ready for David, who comes crashing into the story as a fearless young man marching out to slay the obnoxious but fearsome warrior Goliath. All Israel loves him and so do we. After all, David is a man of integrity, a man after God’s own heart. He is a musician, but he also fights bad guys and sweeps the girls right off their feet. What a guy!

But this is not a simple comic book story, and David is not a simple character. Like us, he is complex. And like us, he is both strong and weak. First and Second Samuel are about the rise to power of King David, Israel’s great deliverer, perhaps as great a man as Moses. Yet our hero is only human. He has feet of clay, and much to our dismay, he gives in to temptation and crumbles. He is not the ultimate Messiah. For that we have to look beyond David—and wait for the son of David to arrive in the New Testament.

It was common practice in the ancient Near East to capture the idols of a defeated city and carry them home as trophies of war. In the Assyrian wall relief here, the top panel depicts the Assyrians capturing a city, and the lower panel depicts them carrying away the city’s idols.

fig0164

What Is the Setting for 1–2 Samuel?

Although scholars continue to be divided over the date of the Exodus (and thus the dates for the conquest of Canaan and the chronology of the Judges), the chronology of 1–2 Samuel is a little more certain. Working backward from firm historical dates in 1–2 Kings, we can determine that David reigned from 1011 BC until his death in 971 BC. Saul then would have reigned the forty years prior to David, so Saul’s reign was from 1051 BC to 1011 BC. For the sake of memory it is perhaps good to associate David with the year 1000 BC.

As far as the story setting goes, 1 Samuel opens during the latter years of the Judges. Samuel himself can be considered the last judge and the first major prophet since Moses. Samuel is the bridge from the era of the Judges to the era of the monarchy.

Remember that at the end of the book of Judges the situation is extremely bad in Israel, both morally and theologically.

The Book of Samuel?

First and Second Samuel were probably originally written as one book. All early Hebrew manuscripts (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls) present this material as one book (Samuel). Not until the fifteenth century AD did Hebrew Bibles split this story up into two books. It was the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) that in about 150 BC first divided Samuel into two books. This was because the Greek text of the Septuagint took up more space than the Hebrew text, and the Septuagint translators could not fit the entire book of Samuel (now in Greek) on one scroll (scrolls had a limited length).

What Is at the Heart of 1–2 Samuel?

First and Second Samuel are primarily about David, the hero and the one who delivers Israel from the mess at the end of Judges. Samuel is an important character, but his role is transitional; he institutes the monarchy and anoints the first two kings. Likewise King Saul, the first king, is but a foil for David, the main character and second king. Saul is a stumbling, fumbling bumpkin whose role in the story is to provide a contrast to David and to remind everyone what happens if people choose their leaders by looking at externals rather than at internal character. It is not Saul but David who gets the story back on track. David is a man after God’s own heart. David is courageous and trusting in God. After he becomes king he completes the conquest, on hold since the death of Joshua. David establishes Jerusalem as the capital, he brings the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, and he re-establishes the national worship of the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God even makes a special covenant with David himself.

fig0166

It was common practice in the ancient Near East to capture the idols of a defeated city and carry them home as trophies of war. In the Assyrian wall relief here, the top panel depicts the Assyrians capturing a city, and the lower panel depicts them carrying away the city’s idols.

Unfortunately, the story does not end on a high note. We discover that David is not a sinless Messiah; he is but a mere man. His affair with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 11–12) are shocking and scandalous! After this serious sin, God forgives him personally, but no longer sustains his kingdom, which starts to fall apart rather quickly. Before the Bathsheba event, everything in David’s life goes well, but after that event, everything goes bad, and his life in general unravels. We are left to look to the future for the real Messiah.

The story in 1–2 Samuel is fascinating, fun, and complex. The story can be placed into an overview outline as follows:

fig0168

A church has been built over the site of ancient Mizpah. Samuel ruled over Israel primarily from the city of Mizpah (1 Sam. 7:5–6, 16).

What Makes 1–2 Samuel Interesting and Unique?

fig0169-map

What Is the Message of 1–2 Samuel?

From Corrupt Priests to Corrupt King: The Transition from Judges to Monarchy ( 1 Sam. 1:1–15:35)

Hannah and her son, Samuel, contrasted with Eli and his wicked sons (1:1–3:21)

The opening story presents a contrast between a peasant woman, Hannah, and the high priest, Eli. She is barren but will have a son who will be righteous and serve God faithfully. Eli has two rotten sons who care nothing about serving God and instead live selfish, sinful lives. As we saw in the book of Judges, the worship of the Lord in Israel had been corrupted. In this opening episode, the righteous boy Samuel will become the new priest and mediator between God and the people, replacing the corrupt priesthood and worship system of Eli and his scandalous sons. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, sums up the theological movement of this story in her song of 2:1–10:

He [the Lord] humbles and he exalts.

He raises the poor from the dust

and lifts the needy from the ash heap. . . .

It is not by strength that one prevails;

those who oppose the Lord will be shattered. (2:7–10)

It is in this context that the familiar story of God’s calling the boy Samuel in the middle of the night occurs (3:1–18). The point is not just that God is calling this boy, but that God is speaking to this boy instead of to the high priest, Eli. Indeed, God informs Samuel (like a prophet) that judgment is coming on Eli’s corrupt household.

The ark narrative: God defeats Philistia by himself (4:1–7:1)

As this episode begins, the Israelites are at war with the Philistines, and losing badly. Since the ark of the covenant played such a prominent role in Israel’s great victories back in the glory days of Joshua, the Israelites decide to bring the ark into the battle with them. They do not inquire of God, offer repentance, or make sacrifices. They assume they can manipulate the ark and that it is like a fetish they can employ to their benefit. Accompanying the ark as priests are Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas (4:1–4).

Yet the Israelites lose anyway. Hophni and Phinehas are killed (as God had prophesied to the boy Samuel in 3:11–14), and the ark is captured by the Philistines. When Eli hears about it, he falls off of his chair, breaks his neck, and dies (4:12–22).

Losing the ark is highly significant, for it represents the Presence of God and is foundational to the covenant between God and Israel. In keeping with the terrible downward slide described in Judges, Israel now hits the climactic bottom as its immoral “priests” fritter away the ark of the covenant, the very Presence of God. Without the Presence of God there is no point to living in the land, and the Israelites certainly won’t have any power to remain there!

In the ancient world, often the connection was made between a nation’s victory and the power of its gods. Thus when Philistia defeats Israel in 4:10–11, some might suspect that Dagon, the god of the Philistines, had also defeated the Lord, the God of Israel. Obviously, this is an incorrect assumption, as God will dramatically demonstrate in the story that follows.

fig0171

A Byzantine church in modern Kiriath Jearim. After returning from Philistia, the ark remains in Kiriath Jearim for twenty years.

The Philistines take the captured ark to the city of Ashdod and place it as a captured trophy before the statue of their god Dagon. When they return the next morning, however, Dagon has fallen on his face (i.e., bowing down to the ark). The Philistines pick up the fallen idol and prop him back up (someone probably got fired over this). Yet when they return the next day, Dagon has not only fallen down before the ark, but his head and hands have been cut off (5:1–5). In the ancient world, the victorious king would often cut off the hands and/or the head of the defeated king. So the Lord is making a strong statement about who won the battle. No doubt finding their god Dagon lying beheaded on the temple floor before the ark rattled the Philistines in Ashdod.

God then strikes the city of Ashdod with a terrible plague. The people in Ashdod wisely decide to send the ark somewhere else, and they promptly donate it to their sister city of Gath. However, when the plague follows the ark to Gath and strikes the inhabitants there, the Philistines in Gath decide to send the ark to Ekron, another nearby Philistine city. The Philistines in Ekron, however, are not dummies. They strenuously object to housing the ark in their city. They request that this dangerous god be sent back to his home in Israel (5:6–12). The Philistine priests and diviners recommend a guilt offering be made to this god, so the Philistines make five golden models of rats and five golden models of “tumors” (we are not sure what these were), both of which were associated with the plague (perhaps like the bubonic plague, which was spread by rats). They place this gold in a cart with the ark and hook it to two cows who had never pulled a cart before. Without any human drivers involved, this cart with the ark of the covenant on it, along with quite a bit of gold, makes its way by itself back to Israel (6:7–7:1).

Ironically, this story reads like a military campaign. God first goes to Ashdod, slays their god Dagon, and smites them with a plague. The people of Ashdod surrender, and God moves on to besiege the next city, Gath, which also quickly surrenders. Next the city of Ekron capitulates. The Philistines then pay expensive tribute (the golden rats and tumors), and God returns home alone, loaded with gold, just like a conquering king. The point is that while Israel may have been defeated by the Philistines, God most certainly was not defeated by Dagon. Quite to the contrary, the God of Israel defeats Dagon and the Philistines by himself, without any Israelite involvement, further demonstrating his supreme power.

fig0172

Jonathan’s rout of the Philistines takes place in this vicinity, at the cliffs of Michmash (1 Sam. 14:1–14).

Samuel anoints and establishes Saul as king (7:2–12:25)

As Samuel rises to power, he is able to convince Israel to turn away from their idols and worship the Lord God alone (7:2–4). When they do this, God enables them to defeat the Philistines and make peace with the Amorites. Thus Israel has peace, with Samuel serving as their judge (7:5–17).

Samuel, however, grows old. His sons, like Eli’s sons, are corrupt and unjust. The people do not want his sons as their judges. So they appeal to Samuel to give them a king, like the other nations have. They want someone strong and bold, who can lead them into battle. Samuel tries to talk them out of this, pointing out that the establishment of a monarchy will bring centralized government and lots of taxes, as well as forced service in the army and at court. The people refuse to listen to Samuel. They want their king. God tells Samuel to go ahead and give them a king (8:1–22).

So Samuel anoints Saul as king of Israel. In Saul’s introductory episode he appears to be a bit of a clod, searching somewhat aimlessly for his dad’s lost donkeys (9:3–20). Furthermore, even after he is anointed, Saul is rather timid and shy, hiding out among the animals and the baggage (10:20–24). However, Saul has several things working in his favor to help him be a successful king. First of all, he is a foot taller than anyone else in Israel (9:2; 10:23), a true asset when the primary requirement of the people is that the king be a good fighter who can lead them in battle. More important, God gives Saul the Spirit to help him (10:6–10), as well as Samuel to advise him. Then to ensure he gets off to a good start, God’s Spirit empowers Saul to begin his reign with a great military victory over the Ammonites (11:1–15).

So Saul’s reign begins well, and Samuel transitions from being the main leader to being an adviser in semiretirement. In 1 Samuel 12:1–24 Samuel gives a long farewell speech, calling on Israel and her new king to remain faithful to God (very similar to the final speeches of Moses and Joshua in Deuteronomy 32 and Joshua 24). Samuel’s final words are ominous and perhaps predictive: “Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away” (12:25).

Saul disqualifies himself by three boneheaded mistakes (13:1–15:35)

Even though God enables Saul to start off well, the new king just does not have the character required to be a good, righteous king. Soon Saul commits three boneheaded mistakes. First, in 1 Samuel 13 he disobeys Samuel’s instructions, failing to wait for Samuel and instead offering the sacrifice himself. Second, in the midst of a battle in which Saul had done little to win, he makes a very foolish vow (like Jephthah in Judges 11). This vow does nothing to help with the battle, but it does indict with a death penalty Saul’s own son Jonathan, who was the actual hero of the battle (1 Sam. 14:1–48). Unlike in the time of Jephthah, however, the army intervenes and stops Saul from carrying out his vow and executing his son Jonathan (14:41–45). In Saul’s third and most critical mistake (1 Samuel 15), he flagrantly disobeys a direct command from God. The Lord gave Saul a great victory over the Amalekites, but in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 25:17–19 God had instructed Saul to totally destroy all the Amalekites and all their livestock. When Samuel comes to greet Saul after the battle, Saul declares, “I have carried out the Lord’s instructions!” (15:13). Samuel points out the indicting evidence to the contrary: “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” (15:14). Saul tries to blame others (15:20–21, 24), but Samuel tells him that this violation is conclusive—God is now rejecting him as king. Furthermore, even though Saul begs and pleads, Samuel notes that God is not going to change his mind on this; it is over for Saul as far as God is concerned (15:24–35).

fig0174

This is perhaps the most detailed depiction of a harp from the time of David. In this painting from Egypt a harpist plays to the falcon-headed sun-god.

Who Will Be King? The Contrast between Saul and David (1 Sam. 16:1–31:13)

David is anointed by Samuel and empowered by the Spirit of the Lord (16:1–23)

So God moves on and leads Samuel to anoint the young man David as the next king. In contrast to Saul, David is not big (16:6–7). He is still a young man out tending his father’s sheep. Samuel is a bit surprised, and God reminds him, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him [David’s big brother Eliab]. The Lord does not look at the things a man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (16:7). Samuel then anoints David, and the Spirit of God comes upon David (16:12–13). Even though Saul is still king, it is David who has the empowering Spirit of God. The next episode (1 Sam. 16:14–23) illustrates how the power of the Spirit works in David’s life in contrast to Saul, who is troubled by a spirit that torments him.

David slays Goliath, acting like a king empowered by the Spirit (17:1–58)

The victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 17) is a defining moment for David. Israel is at war with the Philistines again, and the Philistine champion, Goliath, is taunting the Israelite army, challenging them to send out their champion to fight him in one-on-one combat (17:1–10). Who would Israel’s champion be?

fig0175

Egyptian relief of captured “sea people” warriors, probably Philistines.

Recall the whole reason the Israelites wanted a king in the first place was so that he would lead them in battles (1 Sam. 8:19–20). Also recall that Saul is the tallest Israelite in the land, a head taller than anyone else (9:2; 10:23). We also find out that, unlike everyone else in the Israelite army, Saul has a suit of armor (13:19–22; 17:38–39). In addition, based on our best ancient manuscripts, Saul may be almost as big as Goliath (see the discussion on page 173). So Goliath’s challenge is probably directed at Saul, and King Saul is the obvious and only plausible candidate to fight Goliath. Saul, however, along with the rest of the army, is frightened by Goliath (17:11).

David now comes on the scene. He is a shepherd boy bringing supplies to his older brothers in the army. David is not even part of the army. This is not his fight! Yet David is incensed at the insults from Goliath, and he volunteers to fight the loud-mouthed Philistine (especially when he hears that the one who kills Goliath will marry the king’s daughter) (17:12–32). Saul doubts David will have much of a chance, but David confidently tells him he has often killed both bears and lions when they threatened his father’s sheep (17:33–37). For the first time in the story we find out that David is no novice to dangerous mortal combat. If he has faced lions and bears all alone in the field and emerged victorious, then maybe he can handle Goliath.

David refuses to use Saul’s armor (Saul will not be able to finagle any credit out of David’s victory), and instead confronts Goliath solely with his staff and his sling, the weapons of a shepherd (17:38–40). After some trash talk from Goliath and David (and David wins the battle of words too), the battle begins, and David kills the Philistine champion and beheads him, leading to a total rout of the Philistine army (17:41–58).

So David, even though he is a young man, has acted like a king, empowered by the Spirit of God to deliver Israel from the Philistines. At this point he is indeed the true king of Israel, chosen by God, anointed by Samuel, and confirmed through a great victory. Unfortunately, Saul and the Israelites don’t recognize it yet, or at least they don’t admit it. In reality, humanly speaking, David could probably have taken the throne by force at this point. The army would probably have followed him. David, however, is a man of character and virtue; he will wait for God to remove Saul from the throne.

How Tall Was Goliath?

In the Hebrew text that most of our English Bibles are based on, the height of Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:4 is “six cubits and a span.” In the ancient world, a cubit was about eighteen inches, and a span was about nine inches. Thus Goliath would have been about nine feet, nine inches tall. This is the way he has usually been portrayed in Christian tradition.

Surprisingly, in a scroll of Samuel found with the Dead Sea Scrolls, the height of Goliath is given as “four cubits and a span,” or only about six feet, nine inches. Likewise, the Septuagint, the early translation of the Old Testament into Greek and the Bible of the early church, also lists the height of Goliath as “four cubits and a span.”

The oldest Hebrew manuscript that has “six cubits and a span” dates to AD 935. No Hebrew manuscripts earlier than this list Goliath’s height at “six cubits and a span.” The Samuel scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls, however (reading“four cubits and a span”), dates to about 50 BC, nearly one thousand years earlier. Likewise, we have Greek manuscripts of the Septuagint reading “four cubits and a span” that date to the fourth and fifth centuries AD.

Scholars are not quite sure what to make of this. In recent years, more and more scholars are acknowledging that the earlier manuscripts might contain a reading that is more likely to be original; thus perhaps Goliath was only six feet,nine inches.

Nothing else in the text requires Goliath to be nine feet, nine inches. He is never actually called a giant in the Bible. His armor (described in 17:5–7) is not something that a big, strong, six-foot-nine man could not carry, and besides,being taller does not imply being stronger.

This discussion is not a challenge to the accuracy or inerrancy of the Bible. It is just an attempt to get at what the original reading was.

fig0177

An Egyptian cubit measuring rod made of wood.

How would the shorter height of Goliath affect our understanding of the story? It is important to note that in the ancient world, people in general were quite a bit shorter than they are now. At this time in Palestine (about 1000 BC) the average height of men was only about five feet, two inches. So Goliath at six feet, nine inches was still an unusually large man. But remember that King Saul was a head taller than anyone in Israel (9:2). So Saul is probably six-foot-five torso, not much shorter than Goliath. Saul also has armor. So Saul is the likely candidate who should go forward and fight against Goliath. Note when Saul counsels David in 17:33, Saul does not seem concerned with Goliath’s size, but rather with Goliath’s years of training and experience.

Of course this is just a possibility. Scholars remain divided over what to do with the two heights of Goliath in the ancient manuscripts. Most English Bible translations still follow the traditional reading and list Goliath as nine feet, nine inches or as “six cubits and a span,” but this might change in the future.

The decline of Saul (and his madness) versus the rise of David (and his greatness) (18:1–31:13)

The story in the rest of 1 Samuel revolves around the contrast between Saul and David. God has chosen David to replace Saul as king, but Saul refuses to give in. Throughout this unit David exemplifies good leadership just as Saul continues to demonstrate his incompetence. David will grow stronger and stronger throughout this unit, just as Saul grows weaker and more pathetic as he becomes paranoid about killing David.

In 1 Samuel 18–20 we see David in three relationships: (1) with Saul’s son Jonathan and Saul’s daughter Michal, who both love David; (2) with the people, who also love David; and (3) with Saul, who repeatedly tries to kill David. Indeed, in this section Saul makes numerous unsuccessful attempts to kill David (18:11, 17, 25; 19:1, 10, 11). In 1 Samuel 18 Saul is subtle in his attempt to kill David, but in 1 Samuel 19 he openly tries to kill him. First Samuel 20 stresses the close, but ironic, friendship between David and Saul’s own son Jonathan, who clearly recognizes and supports David as king.

fig0176

The valley of Elah, where David fought Goliath (1 Sam. 17:1–3).

As the story moves along, Saul again demonstrates his unrighteous character by massacring the entire Israelite town of Nob, along with eighty-five priests, just for helping David. In contrast, David protects and provides for the one priest who survives (1 Samuel 21–23). Unlike Saul, David is able to inquire of God and receive answers (23:2). Furthermore, in the meantime David is fighting the Philistines, trying to deliver Israel. Saul, however, is exerting all his effort on finding and killing David, needlessly massacring a whole city of Israelites.

First Samuel 24–26 contains three related stories. In 1 Samuel 24 David has an opportunity to kill Saul, but spares him. Likewise, a similar event takes place in 1 Samuel 26, as David is provided another excellent opportunity to kill Saul, but instead spares him. Sandwiched in between these two events is the intriguing story of David and the beautiful woman Abigail. Nabal, Abigail’s surly husband (Nabal means “fool”), foolishly insults David. As David travels to massacre Nabal and his family, Abigail meets David, offering him her apologies as well as gifts and a strong argument against destroying her family. As a result of Abigail’s persuasion, David spares Nabal, just as he spares Saul in the surrounding stories. God strikes Nabal dead ten days later, and David marries the beautiful and wise Abigail, illustrating to David that he should always wait on God’s timing.

In the meantime, Saul is still after him (in spite of his oaths to the contrary), and David leaves Israel to live among the Philistines, of all peoples (1 Sam. 27:1–7)! Saul has certainly forced David into a topsy-turvy world! From there David tries to continue fighting against the other enemies of Israel, tricking the Philistines into thinking he is fighting Saul and the Israelites (27:8–12).

In 28:3, Samuel dies. Pathetic Saul once again has to worry about the Philistines, but he no longer has Samuel to guide him. He wants a word from God about how to fight the Philistines, but God refuses to answer Saul in any way. So in one of the more bizarre stories in the Bible, Saul seeks out a medium, a woman who can summon the dead. Saul asks her to call up Samuel from the dead (28:11), and apparently she does (but she seems shocked at seeing him; 28:12). Saul wants Samuel to tell him what to do in regard to the Philistines. Samuel, clearly annoyed at this disturbance, tells Saul that the Philistines will defeat Israel tomorrow, and that Saul, along with his sons, will be there in death with Samuel (28:15–19). Samuel’s prediction comes true, and while David is fighting the Amalekites (Remember them? They were the beginning of Saul’s troubles back in 1 Samuel 15), the Philistines defeat Israel and kill Saul along with Jonathan (1 Sam. 31:1–13).

fig0178

The tel at Beth Shan. After killing Saul and his sons, the Philistines hang their corpses on the wall of Beth Shan (1 Sam. 31:8–13).

The Rise of David and the Restoration of Israel (2 Sam. 1:1–10:19)

David becomes king and reunites the kingdom politically (1:1–5:25)

David hears of Saul’s death and honors both Saul and Jonathan with a lament (1:17–27). A civil war breaks out between those loyal to the house of Saul and those loyal to David. In contrast to how David had spared Saul, David’s general, Joab, murders Saul’s general, Abner, breaking the resistance. David now has complete control of Israel. All the tribes pledge loyalty to David (5:1–5), and after capturing Jerusalem he establishes that city as the capital (5:6–16). Then he crushes the Philistines (5:17–25).

Through David, Israel is restored to covenant relationship with God (6:1–7:29)

Now that his capital is established in Jerusalem, David wants to bring the ark of the covenant there. At first he attempts to move the ark incorrectly, as if it were a military trophy, and God strikes one of David’s men dead. Even David cannot ignore the procedures given in the law for handling the ark, the Presence of God (Exod. 25:10–16; Num. 4:15; 7:9). David tries again, successfully this time because he follows the correct procedures (see 1 Chron. 15:11–15). David then expresses his desire to build God a permanent temple (literally, “house”). But God speaks to David through Nathan the prophet, making a covenant with David and promising to build David a “house” (i.e., a dynasty). In this covenant, God promises to raise up a special descendant of David whose kingdom will endure forever (7:1–17). David then humbly gives thanks to God in prayer (7:18–29).

David completes the conquest and restores Israel to military prominence (8:1–10:19)

The completion of the conquest (driving out the inhabitants of the Promised Land) had been on hold since the death of Joshua. David, now recommitted to obeying God and keeping the covenant, completes the conquest.

Humpty Dumpty’s Great Fall: The Bathsheba Affair (2 Sam. 11:1–12:31)

Just as David reaches the height of his accomplishments, he crumbles and falls. From his rooftop, he sees the beautiful (and married) Bathsheba taking a bath, and he determines to have her. He brings her to his palace and sleeps with her (her feelings about all of this are not told) (11:1–5). She becomes pregnant and notifies David. The king brings her husband, Uriah, back from the war and attempts to get him to go home to sleep with his wife in order to make him think that he is the father, but Uriah refuses. After several unsuccessful attempts at this, David then sends him back to the war with instructions for Joab, David’s general (and “hatchet man”), to make sure that Uriah gets killed in action. In essence, David has Uriah murdered. David then marries Bathsheba.

Not surprisingly, God is quite upset about this (11:27), and he sends the prophet Nathan to rebuke David, who immediately repents (12:1–14). Nonetheless, the baby born to Bathsheba dies (12:15–19). Later, after Bathsheba marries David, she will give birth to Solomon (12:24–25).

God forgives David, even for such a horrendous sin as this, but the consequences of his sin continue to plague him for the rest of his life. Humpty Dumpty has indeed fallen off the wall, and no one is able to put him back together again.

fig0180-map

The capital cities of David and Saul. David establishes a new capital at Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5–6).

The Consequences of Sin: The Unraveling of David’s Kingdom (2 Sam. 13:1–20:26)

Just as the opening chapters of 2 Samuel describe how David strengthened and unified Israel, now, after the Bathsheba incident, everything goes in reverse as the strong, unified kingdom unravels. David has troubles both from within his own household and from the outside. Amnon, David’s oldest son, rapes his half sister, Tamar. Since David does nothing about it, another son, Absalom (Tamar’s full brother), kills Amnon and then flees from David (13:1–38). Eventually Absalom returns to Jerusalem, only to plot a conspiracy to overthrow his father, David (14:1–15:12). David, the former hero and champion, now flees from Jerusalem, inept and unable to oppose the rebellious Absalom (15:13–37). Later in a battle, David’s general, Joab (the hatchet man), kills Absalom, and David returns to Jerusalem (18:1–19:43). But things never return to the way they were. Second Samuel 20 describes a major rebellion of the ten northern tribes, foreshadowing the civil war that will split Israel apart after Solomon’s death.

Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba, is a soldier in David’s army. Shown above is a Hittite soldier on a wall relief (tenth century BC).

fig0181

Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba, is a soldier in David’s army. Shown above is a Hittite soldier on a wall relief (tenth century BC).

The Good and the Bad: A Summary of David and His Kingdom (2 Sam. 21:1–24:25)

The final four chapters seem to be somewhat unrelated, but they are connected structurally in a parallel pattern (called a chiasm) that Hebrew authors love to use. The structure is as follows:

A1. Narrative #1 (21:1–14): Saul’s sin brings a famine; David’s actions halt the famine.

B1. List of military exploits #1 (21:15–22)

C1. David’s song of praise #1 (22:1–51)

C2. David’s song of praise #2 (23:1–7)

B2. List of military exploits #2 (23:8–39)

A2. Narrative #2 (24:1–25): David’s sin brings a plague; David’s actions halt the plague.

Ironically, this final unit summarizes the life and times of King David. He corrects Saul’s mistakes, praises the Lord magnificently, and worships him sincerely, but his own troubles continue due to his own mistakes, and, in the end, only by his sacrifice and God’s grace does he avert judgment.

So What? Applying 1–2 Samuel to Our Lives Today

We can learn and apply much from the faithful examples of Hannah and Samuel, who trusted in God. Likewise, we can learn from Eli, who let his immoral sons run free without correcting their sinful behavior. He becomes a negative example for us and a reminder that we are responsible to correct our children’s behavior.

David has many, many virtues for us to try to inculcate into our own lives. He is a man after God’s own heart, one who seeks to do what God wants more than fulfilling his own desires. David encourages us to be brave, to remember how God has empowered us in the past to do incredible things, and to act on that memory to undertake great (and often frightening) tasks. David is not concerned with what others think, but only with what God thinks. Developing this attitude in our lives will help us tremendously in our Christian walk.

Of course, we also have to come to grips with David’s great sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. This should warn us that sexual affairs are always a great temptation, and even strong, committed people like David are vulnerable. So you and I should be quick to run from sexual temptation. When we encounter a “Bathsheba” temptation, we need to recall the rest of 2 Samuel and remember how David’s life and kingdom crumbled. If we find someone tempting us toward an adulterous affair, we need to look into their eyes and see our entire life in ruins.

Finally, the great tragedy of David’s life reminds us not to put our ultimate trust in people, but rather in the Lord, who will not fail us. David was one of the greatest individuals in the Bible, but ultimately he failed. He was not the Messiah. The Bible teaches us to put our hope and trust in Jesus, who is the Messiah and who did not fail and did not succumb to sin. People will always stumble and fall, but Jesus will not. He will deliver us.

The city of Rabbah (2 Sam. 11:1) was the capital of Ammon. The ruins of this city have been excavated in the center of the modern city of Amman, the capital of Jordan.

Our Favorite Verse in 1–2 Samuel

You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (1 Sam. 17:45)

fig0183

The city of Rabbah (2 Sam. 11:1) was the capital of Ammon. The ruins of this city have been excavated in the center of the modern city of Amman, the capital of Jordan.