Year 7, Day 321: 2 Samuel 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we get another vision of David's pursuit of righteousness.  Jonathan's lame son in killed.  The avengers come to David to show him that they killed one of his rivals.  They expect to be rewarded and welcomed.

We should not be surprised when we get to David's reaction.  David scolds the men.  He's not interested in other human beings protecting him from enemies.  David knows that God can do such a thing far more righteously than any human being can.  After all, who can judge a person's heart any better than God?

Furthermore, this child of Jonathan's was of no danger to David!  The people would not have seriously supported his claim to the throne.  Nevermind that this was the child of one of David's closest friends!  Naturally David is not interested in rewarding these killers.

I think this is a really enjoyable perspective to hear.  We can easily focus on many of David's faults, especially when we think about his wives, concubines, and his lust.  But we should also realize just how strongly he pursued righteousness when acting as a leader of God's people.  David was interested in making the right thing happen for the right reasons.  As a king, David paused frequently and trusted in God.  That is a quality that is to be respected.

<><