Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Moraly Enough - Samuel III - XVIII

All along, David has shown that he is one sincere and faithful server of God. He has obeyed God and sustained his opinion over everyone and everything. He consults God before acting and follows the directions that he is encouraged to take. His morals were outstanding and exemplary, for he was extremely devoted to God and valued him a lot. But after all, he is human and humans make mistakes.

God gives David the mission to save the people of Israel out of the land of the Philistines and far away from their enemies. His calm and morals stay the same, he knows how to manage the situation and doesn't become ambitious like you would think he would. He still is the person that you were introduced with.

David was a hero at first, but time changed him a lot. He was starting to fall into the influence of power, which was something you wouldn't expect to happen. Well, he was someone correct that was devoted to God more than to anything. He identified what was right and wrong and was always willing to give the best to his people. However, on the other hand, how could he not change? I mean, he was the king of Israel and the most powerful after God, he was brave and caring, and had power to take complete control over his kingdom.

"And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house." (Samuel II 5: 8) Yes, you read right. David had turned the lame and the blind into his personal enemies. Why would one do such thing? Isn't a king supposed to be merciful towards those handicapped and weak? He was starting to feel much more superior than others and tried to segregate those who for him were inferior. But he then started relatively right. He was interested in knowing about Saul's living relatives and was willing to show kindness in God's name. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?" (Samuel II 9: 3) Later on, David treats a lame boy from Saul's family as any other (as it really should be) by allowing him to sit at the king's table to eat. Definitely, David was having so many mood swings which seemed as if he was one humble king one day but a selfish and ambitious king on the other. He was no longer a man, he was now acting like a women. PMS. Premenstrual syndrome, that's the explanation of what was happening to him!

"And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him." (Samuel II 5: 10) All along, the Lord God was with David. I don't know if its me, but I realized that God was okay with David becoming so ambitious. He never let him down, nor gave him some kind of punishment or curse. After all, what he was doing was wrong but God didn't find it so immoral anyways. Also, I realized that even though David respected God like any other, it never seemed as if he was scared of Him. He knew he was powerful and everything, but I don't think David ever thought that God would dare to punish him. But one day, after God punishes someone else, David became afraid of the Lord. "And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?" (Samuel 6: 9) He became so fearful of failing God's expectations that he decided to take control over everything that he didn't.

After this, David became completely ambitious and greedy. He decided to rapidly expand his territory. The king began by conquering cities which during the process, he killed thousands of humble people. He conquered city after city with no limitations."David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts." (Samuel II 8: 1-2) No one could stop him. Actually, the only one that could was God, but he never did. Maybe it was because conquering was part of the living and was needed in the forming of a stable nation during those times. Or just maybe because he was God's pet. But I don't think so, so lets just stick with the first one!

David then layed with Uriah's wife, which really messed everything up. This time he did indeed pass the limits. Bathsheba got pregnant and instead of facing his mistake, the only alternative that occurred to David was to kill Uriah. He succeeds with the murder, and furthermore, makes Bathsheba his wife. "And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." (Samuel 11: 27) It was no joke, the Lord was now seriously mad. Way to go David, way to go!

God was so displeased with David that he punished him by killing one of his sons. But the battling isn't over. David then fights against his own son for the throne, and later finds himself grieving for his son's death. "And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" (Samuel 18: 33)

I believe that humans are not perfect and are allowed to make mistakes. David made a mistake, but he is human.

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