This is the fifth installment in the series I am teaching this fall on the “Rise and Fall of Israel’s Monarchs”, which is a study on the Kings of Israel and Judah. During David’s first 20 years as king he continued to fight many battles and was away from home often. This resulted in all sorts of domestic failures at home, both for the nation, as well as in his personal family. This neglect of things at home, along with not completely following the teachings of scripture (Deut. 17:14-17), are what drove David into a cycle of sin that he struggled to break free from. David’s decisions to be unaccountable made him vulnerable to the very thing that made him such a notable person. His pursuit of righteousness (a man after God’s own heart), and integrity was blindsided by pride and arrogance because he didn’t allow himself to keep it in check! The days following David’s adultery with Bathsheba were some of his most challenging as he faced a number of family issues; the greatest of them was a rebellious son (Absalom) who sought to steal the kingdom away from him. David grieves over the bad decisions that he made and does show signs of a repentant heart but his actions (like ours) still have consequences. Over time the kingdom is restored to David but at a very heavy cost (the death of his son Absalom). Toward the end of his reign, David restores his relationship to the Lord, makes repairs to the fragile kingdom, and prepares to deliver a United Kingdom over to his son Solomon before he dies.
Lesson 3 – King David (Student Copy)
Good News Bible Studies - Mike Southwick 