Articles, Bible Questions and Discipleship Guides

Have you ever noticed that godly virtues are expressed more easily in some roles than in others? I know many people who have godly values and disciplines in their work but are ungodly parents and spouses. And for other people, the opposite is true. 

The truth is: each one of us has specific areas in which honoring God seems easy, and we each have at least one particular role that pushes us to the limits of our patience and sanctification. 

That’s why the account of King David’s reign in 2 Samuel 5-6 serves as both an encouragement and a challenge: an encouragement because we see a godly man struggling with the same things we do; a challenge because we are reminded that faithfulness in one area of our lives does not guarantee faithfulness in every other area. 

As we pick the narrative back up, David is anointed as king of the united nation of Israel in 2 Samuel 5. He is 30 years old when he is anointed. You may notice this is the same age Jesus was when He entered full time into public ministry. 

To my younger readers, take encouragement from this! You’re not too young or inexperienced to tackle a significant spiritual role of leadership. Paul wrote to Timothy, a young pastor, to not let anyone discredit him because of his youthfulness (1 Timothy 4:12). God can accomplish His will through you—so long as you follow Paul’s advice to Timothy to be an example in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. 

As king, David ruled admirably. He took the land of Zion, which had been controlled by the Jebusites, and began constructing what will soon become the capital city of Israel—Jerusalem. The text says that “David became great and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him” (2 Samuel 5:10). 

Unfortunately, David did not apply God’s ideal in the area of his marital life. The text reveals that “David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 5:13). This was the practice of pagan kings and was never recommended or encouraged by God. There are times when God records something in His Word which is not recommended, nor to be imitated. David’s adoption of polygamy will bring serious consequences to his life and legacy. 

You can be an amazing leader and fail to fulfill your role as a godly example. Resist the temptation to become complacent in some areas of your life because you are experiencing success in others. Spiritual disciplines apply equally to every aspect of our lives. 

As king, God graciously allows David to bring unity and stability to the nation Israel. He embarks on a mission to recapture the Ark of the Covenant that had been taken by the Philistines. The Ark was the residence for God’s presence as He led them to the Promised Land. 

Now, even though this was a godly step of faith for King David and his 30,000 soldiers, for some unknown reason, David did not revisit the Mosaic law. Moses had clearly laid out the guidelines for transporting the Ark of the Covenant. 

Perhaps David assumed that since he was doing the right thing, God would excuse some logistical lapses. Perhaps pride crept in, and David believed he could fulfill the mission his own way. 

Tragically, this failure led to a fatality. The Ark was carried by an ox-drawn cart, and when the oxen stumbled, a man named Uzzah put out his hand—I’m sure with good intentions—to steady the ark and keep it from falling. Because he had touched the ark, God immediately struck Uzzah dead.

This is a good reminder that we can sometimes do the wrong thing with good intentions. The lesson to learn here is that the details of our walk with Christ matter in addition to our intentions. Let’s make sure that we are closely following and obeying the Word of God. 

David became angry with God for striking Uzzah dead and actually became so afraid of the Ark that he delayed its entrance into Jerusalem for three months. 

There’s one more scene to observe in David’s roller coaster of faith and failure. When David brought the Ark into Jerusalem, the text records that they had a procession. “And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod” (2 Samuel 6:14). Even though this was a euphoric moment for David and the people of Israel, it would have been an odd way for a king to worship. Kings were normally stoic, regal, and reserved, but David was dancing for joy in Jerusalem. 

Not everyone was happy with David’s exuberant worship. His wife, Michal, the daughter of Saul, was horrified. She thought he behaved shamefully instead of regally. David rebuked her, telling her “It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD—and I will celebrate before the LORD” (2 Samuel 6:21). 

Because Michal did not respect David, or the God before whom David danced for joy, the text tells us that she “had no child to the day of her death” (2 Samuel 6:23). 

The overview of David’s life, seen in these two chapters, gives us glimpses of tremendous joy and prosperity, along with some tragic lapses in judgment and moments of failure. Ultimately, we see a portrait of our God who can weave it all together—faithfulness and failure— to bring about His will, for His own glory.