I have to start this post by saying that I didn't like the second book of Samuel as much as I liked the first. I think the first book was a lot better as far as contents goes, because it was much more interesting and was only one story, not just anything that happened to David in those days.
The first thing I want to talk about is David's age. I personally thought that with so many things that have happened already David would be older, but I was surprised to see he was only 30. Maybe they are just telling the whole story without skipping irrelevant parts, like we do now.
I want to say that before, I was convinced that God's predictions would always be right, so David should do what God says. Now, every time I read about David asking God what will happen, I find myself doubting if it is real or not. Ever since that time when God was wrong, I haven't been trusted him quite as much.
I don't get the real meaning of this phrase: "6:1 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand." What does "chosen men" mean? I don't understand if it just means everyone, or if it is men chosen in some sort of ritual or something. I wonder if they are David's chosen ones, or God's.
Something else that I don't understand is this: "6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death." Didn't David have kids with her, or am I confusing everything?
I think one of the main reasons I didn't like this book as much as the other one was because in this one, every chapter started with "and it came to pass..." Which means that they are telling the whole story of David without avoiding any extra parts. I wish the would focus on the important parts and leave the rest.
I like this line: "11:27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." I always thought it was unfair with the women that as soon as their husband was dead David was there to sleep with them. I'm glad God finally understood the wrongness in this and dissaproves of it. I hope he can make David notice that it isn't good.
It was a little strange when Ahithopel, the advisor, saw that they weren't following his advice, he killed himself. I think that is taking it too far. I understand he loved his job and liked being the advisor and all, but if they didn't follow it did he have to kill himself? I personally would have preferred to live.
There is, anyways, a part in which Nathan for the first time makes David realize that he is not the saint even he thought he was. I don't think he realized that even though he wasn't killing his enemy, he was being a bad person, because he killed men to be with their woman, and as said by Nathan, he "hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon." Nathan very clearly tells his that he has "despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight".
At the beginning, I thought David was a nice man. I think he sees himself as a righteous man also. What he and the others don't realize is that he only doesn't do the bad things that are in front of other people, like killing his enemy, but does more quiet things that aren't really important for the rest of the world.
He does things that I suppose are correct according to his morality, and to the time period we are talking about, like marrying with many people and taking as wives women who just had their husbands killed, sometimes even by David himself. I can't believe that this was culturally accepted in those times.
So David might be morally correct for himself, but for me personally he is using fallacies and rhetoric to convince people that he is the best. I hope David learns how to be modern, because I don't agree with his points of view.
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