David: David’s Second Giant
2nd Samuel 5:13
“And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron...”
When we meet David in this chapter, he is at the top of his career. He is a successful king, a powerful ruler, an undefeated general, a wealthy businessman, surrounded on every side by God's blessings.
There is a sort of sequel to David's first giant story, in which he killed Goliath. Less than thirty years after his Lord led victory over the Philistine giant, David himself fell to a far more personal giant, the giant of lust.
This giant came creeping into David's inner chambers and into his innermost heart. In his midlife (he was now likely in his early 40's), he heard the siren call of the flesh and he gave into this call, stepping from temptation to yielding.
David the giant killer was overtaken by this second giant because he willingly ignored the word of God, placing his own desires above obedience, that which he had not done before.
How did David allow this to occur?
He ignored his own conscience by incomplete obedience. (1st Sam 5:13)
He relaxed his grip on personal purity. (2 Sam 11:1) He sent his troops onward from Jerusalem, and allowed his idleness to lead him to sin.
He fixed his heart on physical desires. (2 Sam 11:2) He saw a beautiful woman and determined to have her as his own.
He knew the decision was wrong and knew she was the wife of another man (2 Sam 11:3) He deluded himself that he could have her because of his pride in his position. He was king.
He plunged his life into lustful sin (2 SAM 11:4) He sent messengers to take her and then he took her to himself.
Death, deceit, murder, immorality, spiritual indifference, & poverty of the soul all resulted from this moment of pleasure.
David's sin here in the taking of the wives & concubines as well as his later sinful taking of Bathsheba were ALL in direct disobedience of the word of God.
Six hundred years after Abraham, God told Moses to write down His law on these matters and His commands could not have been more clear.
We see these commands in Duet 17.
17:15 “Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose...”
God chose David, and had Samuel anoint him.
We are not to follow anyone God has not chosen.
17:16 “But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt...”
Once we are delivered from our bondage, we are not to return.
17:17 “Neither shall he multiply wives to himself...”
God's plan was one man & one woman joined together. More than one wife has the potential to lead the heart to turn away from the Lord. David chose to dwell in a common custom rather than dwell in the Lord's command.
17:18 “And it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne, he shall write him a copy of this law in a book...” & in verse 19 “...keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them.”
We should remember that the Lord told Samuel to tell Saul that partial obedience was disobedience.
The Lord has taught us through His word that temptation is forever here, as James 1:14 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
As Jesus showed in the wilderness, victory over temptation is only found by obedience to the word of God, & defeat is found in yielding to our own lusts.