I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.
Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Samuel 8-11.
I never noticed before that when David brings Mephibosheth into his court, he initiates this by looking for any of Saul’s family who might still be alive. It is in response to this that Ziba, who was a servant of King Saul tells him about Mephibosheth, who is Jonathan’s son and crippled. We know from later passages that Mephibosheth was not the only remaining descendant of King Saul, but David’s search ends with him. King David gives Mephibosheth all of Saul’s personal lands and property and orders Ziba to manage it for him. We later have reason to think this may not have been the wisest decision on King David’s part.
When King David started his war with the Ammonites he sent the army out under Joab’s command and did not lead them himself. As I read this passage, the writer did not approve of King David failing to lead the army. All of what went wrong followed from this one, seemingly minor, mistake. If David had led the army himself, he would not have committed adultery with Bathsheba, and thus would not have arranged the death of her innocent husband (who we later learn had been one of David’s most loyal servants). This provides us with an example of an important life lesson: “small” sins can lead us to commit bigger ones, which can lead to even bigger ones. If you would have suggested to King David the day after he sent the army out that in a few weeks he would be ordering Joab to arrange Uriah’s death, he would have insisted that he would never do such a thing to an adversary, let alone to a man who had served him loyally for so long. Yet, King David found himself doing something which would have horrified him just a short time before.
As an aside I want to make note of the role Joab played in King David arranging the death of Uriah. This is just another element in the complicated relationship between King David and Joab. Perhaps it also played a role in King David’s difficulty with removing Joab from being the commander of the army.