AMC, 30.06.2024
Text: 1 Chronicles 3:1-9
Theme: Family - siblings Feuds or Disputes
Greetings: The Lord is good; and his love endures forever!
Introduction:
Today, I would like to, share with you three important lessons from the family life of King David with a special reference to family feuds:
- David failed to train up his children
- David failed to resolve the disputes among his children
- David failed to do the settlement among his children
God ordained family as the most sacred institution in the life of the humanity. Institution of marriage began at garden of Eden. Family is the basic unit of a society even to the church. If a family walks right with the Lord then the whole church becomes right with the Lord.
I would like to define the family as: ‘A family could be a cage of social animals living together or could be a palace of godly family living together. A house could be a place of shelter of many individuals or could be a home of love, affection, fellowship with feelings.’No house can be neither a military academy nor a chaotic place where everyone does what he wants.’
David’s Family Life:
I would like to make it very clear that David had a very disturbed family life. David’s family was recorded as a synopsis in 2 Samuel 3:2-5, 5:13-16, and 1 Chronicles 3:1-9. His sons were recorded as 6+4+9=19, and he had many sons a daughter known as Tamar.
“A numerous offspring was always accounted a very great blessing; and it must be very pleasant to a parent to see his children round about his table, placed in their proper order according to their age, partaking of what it is furnished with” as we read in Psalm 128:3. (John Gill in open Bible commentary).
David had many good qualities such as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 18:12-13). He walked with the integrity of his heart (1 Samuel 18:14-15). He had served God’s purpose in his generation (1 Samuel 18:16). David was much talented musician and singer (Psalms 8,19,23…).
It’s very crystal clear that none had followed the footsteps of David’s piety. But, they quickly learned the immoral acts of David - adultery, killing, lies, hatred, and deception in spirituality.
Matthew Henry: “An unlimited power leads a person to an ungrateful life and egotistical lifestyles”. The extremity of man is an opportunity of God. He was not able to enjoy the meaningful family life.
1. David failed to train up the children
Let me tell you the greatness of David. David is a great name with fame. His name appears for the first time in Ruth 4:22. The name continues to the end of the book of Revelation (22:16). 1 Chronicle 29:26-28 says David died at good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth, and honor. He became king at 30 and reigned for 40 years. He lived for 70 years (2 Samuel 5:4).
According to the Talmud Yerushalmi David was born and died on the same day as Shavuot (feast of weeks). Islam gives him high honor as one of the Nabis, calls him Daoud. His name is mentioned 16 times in Holy Quran. Jesus was called the Son of David.
But David’s sons were a burden to him, they brought unrest to him and to his family. It’s a normal course of monarchs family life. David being a godly man, it’s is expected of him that he should have a good and godly family.
Proverbs 22:6- “train up the child the way he should go”. He didn’t train up the children the way they should go. Deuteronomy 6:7 says you speak, talk and teach your children while you sit, while you walk, while you lie down, while you rise up. The Israelites were taught to talk to their children and converse with them.
Abram was chosen because he would be a great and powerful nation, he would instruct his children to keep the way of the Lord and do the right and just things (Genesis 18:18-19). According to the Book of Jubilees, Abraham taught all of them ‘the unity of life, covenant of God and the future plan of God.’
Richard T. Ritenbaugh in Forerunner commentary says that Psalm 128:6 suggests that the godly fear practiced and taught in Christian families are the real sources of church well-being, prosperity and peace. They bring an environment of peace. Such homes produce productive individuals who build church, society without hostile, and peace to the whole nation.
David’s life was a mixture of good and evil, mixed with noble deeds, high aspirations, great accomplishments, and stained with terrible and grave sins of Adultery and Murder. However, he was known as a man of righteousness because he never became an unthankful man for what God has done to him.
2. David failed to resolve the disputes among the children
On one side of the coin of his life, David was a forgotten son (1 Samuel 16:11-12), He was a chased son-in-Law (1 Samuel 18:20), and He was counted as an orphan (1 Samuel 20:3). But on the other side of his life coin, David was anointed by God (1 Samuel 16;13), He had great zeal for God (1 Samuel 17:45), God was with him wherever he went and whatever he was doing (1 Samuel 18:14). He was a mighty valour (1 Samuel 17:34-36) and He was a champion (1 Samuel 17:40). David became a canon to measure the kings of Judah and Israel. (1 Kings 15:3, 15:11,14, 11:4-6, 12-13).
But none of his children held him in high position. So, David could not resolve the issues among his children: David would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him.(13:21-22).
The disputes between Amnon & Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1ff), issues between Amnon & Absalom (2 Samuel 13:23ff), Adonijah & Solomon (1 Kings 1:5ff).
Amnon was the firstborn. But hebdid a wicked thing among the Israelites (2 Samuel 13:3,12). He abused his sister Tamar who was a sibling of Absalom. Amnon had a best friend known as Jonadab who was worst in character.
Kileab or Daniel), second son, not known what happened to this Daniel.
Absolam was the third son of David. He was very handsome and excellent in stature. He killed his own brother Amnon and he fled into the land of grandmother and lived there for three years (2 Samuel 13:37-38). He built his own kingdom within David’s kingdom (2 Samuel 15:1-12). Absolam came to Jerusalem but lived away from his father for two years (2 Samuel 14:12-28), cunningly behaved, cheated, went against his father David. He covered the innocent people (2 Samuel 15:1,6). He lied to the people during the poll campaign (2 Samuel 15:7-8). He decided to kill his father (2 Samuel 16:11). Played harlotry with his stepmothers ( Leviticus 18:8). Due to war between David and Absolam many died (2 Samuel 18:8). He had sad end (2 Samuel 18:9, 10,14,15). He was killed by Joab (1 Chronicles 3:1-2) after he mounted a rebellion against his aging father David
Adonijah fourth son (2 Samuel 3:4, 1 Kings 1:11ff, 32-35, 50-53, 2 kings 2:13-25). Adonijah (1Kings 1:5) exalted himself to become a king against the wish of the father and the will of God. He was later killed by King Solomon.
The sons of Bathsheba: The infant who died without being named by Bathsheba then she gave birth to Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, (the ancestor of Jesus possible) father of Mary (Luke 3:31).
Nine other sons were: Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, and one further unnamed son, who would also have died in infancy.
David appointed Solomon as successor of his kingdom (1 Kings 1:11ff.). Of course, it’s the will of God. But, He failed to communicate this will of God to his other children. He could have called them together and taught them the importance of dynasty, divinely ordained system.
David didn’t take much effort to do justice in his own family matters. ( 2 Samuel 13:39, 14:24). He failed to utilise the resources of the men power.
3. David failed to do the settlement for his children
David didn’t take note of the examples of Abraham, Jonadab and Judge Jair. He just left them to their end.
Abraham settled his properties (Genesis 25:5-6).
Before his death Abraham. He divided his properties and land among them. Also, we understand that the descendants of Keturah whom Abraham sent to the east to settle down while he was alive, today those nations are found in the African continent. (Genesis 25:5-6).
Abraham in his last days called his Eight Sons: Ismael, Isaac, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah; and his 14 grandsons of which 12 are of the children of Ismael (Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar) and two of them( Easu and Jacob) are children of Isaac (Genesis 25:1, 12-16, 24-26).
Jair: Judges 10:3-5 Jair shared equal rights with his children. Jair had judged Israel for 22 years he conquered 30 cities and divided them among his 30 sons. He made all of them to be happy.
Recabites: Jeremiah 35: 14. The wonderful family of Recabite is scripted here. The children of Jonadab strictly observed the command. They never tasted wine for many generations .
Conclusion:
A family could be a cage of social animals living together or could be a palace of godly family living together. A house could be a place of shelter of many individuals or could be a home of love, affection, fellowship with feelings.
