Suggested reading: 2 Samuel 13-19

Today’s reading is interesting; I read Chapters 2 Samuel 13-19 – six chapters of f*ck-ups after f*ck-ups.

For the longest time now, since 1 Samuel and the early parts of 2 Samuel, all I’ve read about David were GREAT things. However, when David meets Bathsheba and commits adultery, everything goes downhill.

This is the series of events that followed after David commits adultery with Bathsheba and causes Uriah to die by ordering for him to be moved at the front line of the battle:

1. David’s son with Bathsheba dies
2. Amnon, son of David, rapes his sister, Tamar
3. Tamar grows a desolate woman
4. Absalom, Tamar’s brother, avenges her by killing Amnon (David loses a 2nd son)
5. Absalom flees to escape the wrath of his family (David still has many sons left). During this time, David could not see Absalom.
6. When Absalom finally returns to Jerusalem, he conspires to takeover Israel as King, contending with David, his father
7. David flees Jerusalem because of conspiracy
8. Absalom prepares to attack his father, David
9. Absalom dies in battle, even though David had clearly ordered his men not to kill his son
10. David mourns the death of a 3rd son

What a plot! I mean… can a movie be created about this series of events? Destruction followed destruction, sin after sin. Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, another destruction occurs.

If you’ve followed David’s story before he met Bathsheba, God gave him victory wherever he went. As I wrote in this blog post, the Bible literally said, “God gave David victory wherever he went.”

But since he committed the sin of adultery, destruction came.

The other observation I made across these six chapters is that there was less mention of God or people seeking God. It read as if people were living a life without God.

This is very relevant in today’s world. I caught up with ex-colleagues today. One had relationship issues and financial issues, and her partner’s business is facing bankruptcy. Another faced redundancy, is experiencing financial matters and his wife had a mental breakdown and quit her job. The third one had to find another job yet again, after just having found a job after a redundancy. It was meant to be a fun catch up because we hadn’t seen each other in half a year, it ended up with one of them crying.

While I have my own problems, none are as severe as the ones mentioned above. I feel lucky, but I know it is because God is with me. While I will never fully comprehend their situations and shouldn’t judge based on what I heard, I also know the three of them don’t believe in God, which is unfortunate.

My dear readers, let’s pray for our friends who don’t believe in God. May they discover Him and live a life with Him.

Let’s not forget to seek Him and live our lives with Him.