Lies, Incest and Murder

King David has been a beloved figure among Christians for centuries who enjoy reading from the Psalms even though he was a liar, cold-blooded murderer, and a womanizer. Most of his failures and family troubles stemmed from his seemingly insatiable libido.

He not only added wife after wife to his harem and also packed it with concubines. His sons were like wild stallions in this large dysfunctional family. Amnon lusted after his half-sister, raped Tamar and then was murdered by Absalom for his actions. David did not discipline his sons or comfort his daughter.

Absalom later started an uprising and convinced the ten northern tribes to side with him. The short-lived civil war cost Absalom his life. As David aged, he was curious to know the number of fighting men in Israel. This brought the wrath of God and 70,000 men died as a result of David’s transgression.

Eventually David was confined to his bed and Adonijah saw this an opportunity to jump to the front of the line and declare himself king. Nathan the prophet intervened and Solomon was crowned the next king. Just before he died, David asked Solomon to kill Joab and Shimei once he was gone.

As the second king of Israel, David was a mixed bag of good and evil. The Godhead protected David’s kingship because he responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and never worshiped idols.