Justifying Actions by the World's Standards: 2 Samuel 3:1-5
Devotional:
Sin knocks at the door when we think we can do better than the Lord can do for us. Sin wants what is not good for us to have. Sin corrupts us because it pulls us away from God and His provision.
With the threat from Abner resolved, David returns to Hebron and starts building his network of power. He had the support of Judah, but Israel was still at odds with him. If Judah was to survive, it would need to make alliances.
In the ancient near east, alliances were typically formed between kings by sharing daughters. A king would send his daughter to live in the harem of a neighboring king. This was meant to be a declaration of peace, because both kings knew an attack from either one would likely result in the immediate death of the daughter.
This practice also opened the opportunity for familial alliances in the future. If one king sends a daughter to another king and an heir is born, there is the possibility the heir could one day rule. Should the heir come to power, the new king would likely be positively disposed to the territory from which his mother came. This would make trade easier and the threat of war less likely.
This practice wasn’t limited to political avenues. Trade partners would exchange daughters for similar reasons. In a world where conflict cost lives and trade happened through bartering, people sought every advantage to ensure life progressed along the easiest route possible. Creating a family tie with powerful people helped life go more smoothly.
As such, David begins collecting wives. He went to Hebron with three wives, although Michal was not acting as his wife because Saul gave her to another man. By the time his rule in Hebron is finished, he has no less than seven wives. When he goes to Jerusalem, his harem will grow even more.
While this practice is perfectly normal for kings of the near east, this practice was forbidden by God. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 specifically prohibits this behavior. Yet, David flaunts his sinfulness before God and takes a harem anyways.
David has a specific weakness when it comes to women. David has another weakness when it comes to security. For all David’s heart follows God’s heart, he has an issue remembering true security lies in the Lord. While David is great at understanding his sin and repenting of it, David likes to arrange his own life instead of trusting the Lord.
By creating a harem, David is arranging peace and security on human terms instead of relying upon God for his protection. David relies upon his own power rather than seeking the will of the Lord. David’s harem is evidence of him choosing to trust in the ways of the world instead of God’s provision. Fundamentally, this is the root of all sin. Sin knocks at the door when we think we can do better than the Lord can do for us.
