King David s Reign

With Saul gone, David became King of Israel. He knew very well that he needed God s guidance more than ever. He asked God, Where shall I go? (2 Sm 2:1) God told him to go to Hebron, which was in the center of Judah. There, the men of Judah anointed David as their new king. They publicly recognized him as God s choice.

David s Accomplishments
David achieved much for Israel military and political victories, religious stability, cultural advances, peace, and prosperity. David s first problem was how to win back the northern tribes, who were still loyal to Saul. But after some months, David was able to unite all tribes of Israel into one nation. 1. David gains military and political victories - The Israelites won successive victories over the Philistines and finally drove them out of Canaan. - David also entered into a treaty with the Pheonician king. This expanded the borders of Israel as far as Assyria in the north and Egypt in the south. - Never before had Israel experienced such political power. David brought a period of internal and external peace to his nation. 2. David establishes Jerusalem at the seat of power. - David transferred the seat of power to Jerusalem. This gave his people a fresh start. - David also gave due importance to the Ark of the Covenant which had been neglected during the time of Saul. He transferred the ark to Jerusalem so that all the tribes of Israel could worship Yahweh there. - Jerusalem was transformed into a religious capital. This legacy of David began a tradition that would last a thousand years. 3. David encourages the writing of the OT books. - David s reign was characterized by peace, order, and justice and with such an atmosphere, scholars were encouraged to produce many of the great books of the OT such as the Pentateuch and the Book of Psalms. 4. David receives God s promises. - God promised greatness and immortality to David s kingdom Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever (2 Sm 7:16) I will make your dynasty stand firm forever (Ps 89:5) - God promised David that his family line would go on forever. The greatest gift God offered David was only seen generations later when Jesus Christ was the Messiah was born from David s line. -

King David s Sin and Repentance

David was a great leader, but he was not perfect. Like Saul, he, too, succumbed to temptation and sin.

David s Sins of Lust, Murder, and Adultery (2 Sm 11)

One day, David saw a beautiful woman named Bathsheba bathing, and asked his servant to bring her to him. She was the wife of Uriah, one of David s trusted officers. Although David had many wives already, he still desired to have Bathsheba as well. It was legal at that time to have more than one wife, but marrying someone else s wife was illegal, for doing so was to commit adultery and was not allowed by Jewish law. So David sent Uriah to the frontlines of battle where he would surely be killed. With Uriah dead, David could then take Bathsheba as his wife. It was a clear case of lust, murder, and adultery.

David s Repentance (2 Sm 12)

God was displeased with David s sins so He sent the prophet Nathan to denounce his sinfulness. Nathan came into David s palace and told him a story about a rich man who had many cattle, and a poor man who only had one lamb. The rich man received a visitor, but he would not take from his own flocks, so he just got the poor man s lamb instead. David got very angry with that man, but Nathan said David was that man. (2 Sm 12:1-7)

Nathan used a powerful story to point out David s hidden sins and make him realize the great injustice he had committed. 1. David acknowledges his sins. - David acknowledged the truth humbly: I have sinned against the Lord (2 Sm 12:13) - He realized the seriousness of the evil he had done and remembered how good God had been to him. He wept in sorrow and awaited God s punishment. 2. David faces his punishment. - David saw chaos in his family and in his nation. His first son with Bathsheba died (2 Sm 12: 15-18), his other sons murdered each other (2 Sm 13), and his son Absalom plotted a rebellion against him (2 Sm 15). - All these events brought him great sorrow so he begged for God s forgiveness. - God forgave David but David had to face the consequences of his sins. 3. David receives God s saving grace. - It s important to remember that even though David sinned, he repented. In the end, the brave and courageous David became a model of repentance Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense. Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.. A clean heart create for me God; renew in me a steadfast spirit.. Restore my joy in Your salvation; sustain in me a willing spirit. (Ps 51: 3-4, 12, 14) After his genuine repentance, David lived in God s grace once again. He received tremendous blessings of prosperity from God. That is why the Scriptures refer to him as, a man made after God s own heart. His kingdom grew more admirable in the eyes of people. His reign brought great peace and prosperity to Israel.