Sauls successor, David, also had several wives. But he deeply repented of this sin. Few seem to truly understand the biblical record on Davids action. The account is found in
II Samuel 12.
Here is what is recorded, and God is doing the speaking: Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house; because you have
despised Me [what David did despised God, not just His law] and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife (
vs. 9-12). Previously, David had conspired against and murdered Uriah, and had taken his wife Bathsheba for himself. Gods punishment was most severe. War (the sword) would pursue David for the rest of his life and would never depart from his houseand this even after he deeply repented.
Verse 11 describes what would happen: Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them unto your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
This is an astonishing account, and it shows how severely God will deal with this sina sin He considers
against Him. God plainly stated that Davids wives would be raped publicly that very dayunder
this sun. The use of this term meant God would deal swiftly with what David did.
But there was another
immediate eventand it was the result of Gods sentence: David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord (
vs. 13).
Psalm 51 details much more of how David was broken up, deeply convicted and extremely sorrowful for what he had done. The result of Davids repentance (now back in
II Samuel 12:13), was Nathan declaring, The Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die.
Yes, David had practiced polygamy, but he turned from it in real, deep, sincere repentanceit could be said, as deep as was the punishment for disobedience. David continued in marriage to Bathsheba, with his only legitimate wife, Michal, almost certainly now dead (
II Sam. 6:23). Upon returning to Jerusalem shortly after this time, David ended the relationship with his harem of ten concubines. Lets read: And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood (
II Sam. 20:3). David did feel an obligation to provide for these women, but he no longer cohabited with them.
Lets further understand. Davids wives, through public rape, and his concubines, because of polygamist marriage, had
all been defiled. They were required to live in widowhood. Also understand that, as a virile young man who had been a great warrior, and who had pursued many women in his early years, David was able to change, and to come to spiritual maturity. The scriptures record that he went
fully after the Lord (
I Kgs. 11:6). (Anyone who finds himself in such a situation should follow Davids example.)
Repentance involves changeaction!and David followed through on his change of heart by ending all practice of polygamy in his life.
Davids son Solomon became the very reverse of his fathers pattern. He began as a righteous king who had tremendous faith in God, and was given wisdom like none other before or since. But Solomon also changedand not for the good. Scripture records that when Solomon was old he accumulated 1,000 women in his life700 wives and 300 concubines. This represents an incredible departure into the pursuit of pleasure and selfish accumulationand it was plain sin. Solomon, like Saul, copied the kings of the surrounding nations. In this, the Bible records, Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord (
I Kgs. 11:6).
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