We’ve been saying “good-bye” to King David for several days, but today’s reading offers some new details about the final days of his reign.
I find it kind of sad that even as an old man who had made his wishes known about who he wanted as king, David is still being pursued by ungodly men. It seems that throughout his entire reign there was always someone who wanted to depose him, attack his country, or work against him in some way. As I read about it, I begin to understand why so many of the Psalms are put together the way they are. They were written by a man who loved God with his whole heart, who was either being attacked, or returning victorious. Most of David’s life seems like a roller-coaster ride, grinding slowly up the hill of betrayal and attack, and then screaming in joy as God brings victory…only to almost immediately begin the cycle again.
Another thing that catches my eye today is the comment about how David didn’t discipline his son Adonijah (1:5) at any tiime. The boy must have grown up spoiled, which led him to think that he could have anything he wanted, even if his father said “no”. It was this very presumption that eventually led to his death. It’s sad, because with proper training it may well have been avoided. Joab once again appears on the scene, this time backing yet another of David’s sons who are trying to take the throne by force. I wonder why Joab wasn’t content to allow David to make his own call on this? Is it possible that David told Bathsheba about his plans to anoint Solomon and no one else? I find that hard to believe, given what we have already read about the collections that were taken to fund the work, and the instructions David gave to Solomon. I think all of that took place before this event. Joab and company must have known what they were doing was wrong…they thought they could get away with it. That would explain the comments in the Psalms of today’s readings.
Did David, as old as he was, write Psalms about this? I almost laughed aloud when I read in Psalm 71:15 “although I am not skilled with words”. What!? I wonder if David didn’t consider himself to be skilled as a writer? I wonder if he would be amazed at how his musings on parchment, carried along by the Holy Spirit, have become part of the Canon? I also wonder about how we might be influencing others without knowing it, or realizing the far reaching impact of our words and actions.
To that point, I read an article online this morning at a blogsite called “sunandshield”. The author was talking about Abishag, and how she was a great example of servanthood. It probably wasn’t her dream job to sleep with shriveled up old man…(I wonder if David smelled like an old man)? and forego any chance of having children of her own. Did she hope to have sexual relations with David? Would she have been honored or saddened at the prospect of caring for him? I rather think that Abishag had the spiritual gift of caring for the elderly, and probably was a great comfort to David in his old age. His wives would also be older at this time, and likely unable to care for him in the way that he needed. I wonder just how much care David actually needed? Did she help dress him? Bathe him? I wonder how far this went?
The reason Adonijah is killed is because he is making a veiled attempt for the throne by asking for her hand in marriage. I wonder, did she ever get the chance to marry? Or, did her service to the king cancel any other future opportunities she might have had? And, did she understand this at the time she agreed to sleep with David? Or, did she even have a choice in the matter?
All good questions for when we arrive in heaven. I hope she is one of the faces we see there.
I won’t comment on the Psalms we read today, because much of the content is very similar to what we have already read and commented on. However, that doesn’t make them less important and valuable….it just means I’m feeling lazy.
Faithfully,
PR