The Failures of David and His Sons
MATTHEW 1:6B-11
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
Remember that Jesus is introduced to us in v.1 as “son of David.” He is the fulfillment of David’s royal line, the promised King who will deliver God’s people. Which is a good thing, because the history of David and his sons is one of (almost) complete failure. The descendants of David on the throne in Jerusalem break God’s law and lead the people into idolatry and even (at times) human sacrifice! (See 2 Kings 16:2-4, e.g.)
Matthew makes a point of reminding us that King David himself was an adulterer and a murderer:
David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah [1:6].
Great art shows more than it tells, and the Bible is great art. Propaganda hits you over the head, but art makes you use your head. Look at how elegantly Matthew causes us to remember the moral failings of Israel’s greatest king, David, without coming out and saying so directly—he expects us to know the story and draw the accurate conclusion.
If you know the story, you’ll know that David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband Uriah murdered. It’s a shameful story (see 2 Samuel 11), but the story of David’s descendants isn’t any better, and ultimately their failures lead to the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC.
But God is faithful to his promises, and the story doesn’t end there.
Today, the temptation is to believe that we can extrapolate from our current circumstances how the future will occur. But God is working in history in surprising ways, and The End will be good. Don’t be discouraged!
NOTE: We have been reading through the psalms, and until we get to Psalm 150, I’m going to keep posting at the bottom of each Matthew post daily commentary on that day’s psalm. If you’re read this far, you are an over-achiever.
Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 136 is obviously a call-and-response song from Israel, with the leader working through the song and the congregation singing the refrain “for his steadfast love endures forever.” It’s fun to imagine the ancient Israelites singing this back and forth at the top of their lungs!
