About this Series
Can God Use Flawed Human Beings? Yes he can. Just read 2 Samuel. King David is no knight in shining armour and Israel is no Garden of Eden. The pages of 2 Samuel are full of murder, intrigue, jealousy, death, revenge, war, insurrection, hubris and pain. David is only Israel's second king and he is bedeviled by enemies within, enemies beyond and his own very mixed motives. How can God's kingdom be established in such a dangerous situation when not only the people but even the king is so flawed? How can God use such unlikely people to achieve his purposes? Welcome to "David and Kingdom of God" our preaching series in 2 Samuel. This will be a great series to see not only how God's big plan of redemption unfolds with the choice of David and Jerusalem but also how he continues to work through flawed human beings even today.
2 Samuel Resources For anyone preparing Bible studies or interested in understanding 2 Samuel better I recommend either of the following two paperback commentaries:
- Dale Ralph Davis - 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity 287 pp; written by a great preacher and scholar; study guide at back ; good solid exposition of every chapter.
- Andrew Reid - 1 and 2 Samuel: Hope for the Helpless 267 pp; great exposition and theological reflections; good on structure; covers both 1 & 2 Sam and so of necessity has to be succinct. Andrew is a former lecturer at Ridley Melbourne and is the senior minister nearby of Holy Trinity, Doncaster.
David and Bathsheba
This incident may be thought of as the beginning of the end for David. The books of
Chronicles which want to show David in a better light omit this story altogether. So why is
it included here? What might we learn? One commentator says this: “This story, which
doesn’t gloss over anything, dramatizes David’s humanness in an unforgettable way. It
also reminds us that in accomplishing His purpose God always is forced to use fallible
people. It could warn against presumption upon position and status, that all people are
vulnerable, and that none is above God’s law.” (Kennth Chafin 1,2, Samuel)