1. 2 Samuel 11. Why? After all the victories, the success, the acceptance. Why the story of 2 Samuel 11?

Everyone who has been a believer for even a little while knows the answer to this question. The human heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). It is also extremely and rapidly forgetful. How soon we block from our thinking the good things God has done and even is doing in our life. The enemy comes with enticements that are so strong that only the watchful are able to see what is going on. David is not alone in his predicament. He acts like the entire human race. We see ourselves in him, and this is why we weep as sons of God. We know we have disappointed our Best Friend, our family, our own highest aspirations. Without His forgiveness, what do we do?

2. 2 Samuel 12:23. “I shall go to him.” Is David teaching that all little children are saved, and therefore we see them after we die?

This is the teaching of John Macarthur and many others. Others would say that David is only talking about the fact that one day he will die, just as his child died, and that both go to the grave. Though it would not be much consolation to David to believe that death would unite their dead bodies, I still feel it unwise to jump to the conclusion here that all little children are innocent before God.

There is precious little in Scripture on this topic, and that which is there can be interpreted variously. The closest I have come to understanding the concept is to listen to Paul’s comments on holy and unholy offspring, their holiness being based on the spiritual state of their parents. I Corinthians 7:14 seems to say that the children of true believers are made holy, and therefore saved, by the fact that they are part of the body of a sanctified child of God.

Conversely, I think of entire nations, as the Canaanites, that were destroyed, children included, because of the ongoing uncleanness in their persons.

3. 2 Samuel 12:24. Why did the Lord love Solomon?

We can of course say that God loves “everyone”, though we read in the Book that our God loved Jacob and hated Esau. He does indeed have a special love for those whom He has chosen for His purposes, and Solomon was one of these to be sure.

Consider. His mother had been previously joined to his father by an illicit relationship that destroyed his mother’s first husband. Only the fact that she was married now to the King took her far from shame, though we can imagine that there was much jealousy and tension among the growing harem of David.

But God delights in showing favor to those who might otherwise have problems insurmountable in this life. It was the grace of God that gave to Solomon gifts like few others in Biblical history.

And God loved him because he was the son of David, with whom a covenant existed that would eventually bring Messiah to the Throne.

4. 2 Samuel 13:15. Why the immediate hatred of Tamar by the one who “loved” her only moments before?

Here’s another one we probably all know. It is not only in the area of sexual entrapment, but in all areas of our flesh. We crave, we desire, we want. We ask God and He says no. But we keep begging, and finally He relents. We receive. We are delighted. For a few fleeting moments. Then the dread realization comes upon us that our heart is still not happy. Our peace flees. We clamor for other things that we think we are missing, even if they involve evil.

Truly lust produces sin. And sin produces death, that awful eternal separation from God, Who could have been our joy and satisfaction.

5. 2 Samuel 13:20. What message was Absalom trying to convey to his sister?

“Do not take this thing to heart”, sounds very callous and insensitive at such a time. Almost like, “Hey get over it,” would sound to us.

Perhaps Gill gets at it a little better:

“He is thy brother, regard not this thing; it is thy brother that has done it, and not so disgraceful as a meaner person, done in the heat of lust, and a youthful one, and should be forgiven; besides, to divulge it would bring disgrace upon the whole family, and no recompense would be obtained by telling the king of it, since he was his son, his firstborn, and heir to the crown; this he said not out of love of Amnon, but as desirous of gratifying private revenge upon him for it when opportunity should serve.”

One commentator suggests he is simply saying, “Don’t blame, or torment, yourself, over the foolishness of your brother.”