“Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.”—2 Samuel 5:11–16 (NIV) 

At the ripe age of 30, David finally takes the promised throne! What an incredible journey it’s been for us to walk through together. David experienced so much in the season of waiting, but this would not be the end to his very eventful life. David would continue to reign over Israel and Judah for 40 years! This was only the beginning.

These verses show us some of the first things that happen under David’s reign. He conquers and returns to Jerusalem naming it the “City of David,” and he also receives a generous gift from a neighboring king who he clearly had a good alliance with. King Hiram of Tyre gifted David with a new palace in Jerusalem! 

Have you ever been blessed by God in a way that leaves you with nothing else to say but “Thank you” and “To God be the glory!”? There are moments in life where we get to receive beautiful gifts from the Lord as an expression of His love and care for us. He’ll operate through other people and means, including people who may not believe in Jesus, because our God is that good and that sovereign! 

Through this blessing, David’s able to see God’s favor and faithfulness, which means we should view every blessing as evidence of the same thing! David knew the Lord was the one who established him, and he also knew the kingdom ultimately belonged to the Lord. It was all about exalting Yahweh and protecting Yahweh’s people. The blessings given are never just for ourselves. God always has more purpose in His gifts than we can see at first, which is why we must hold them with open hands and ask God to show us what He wants us to do with them.

Although it’s certainly a beautiful thing to step into the calling of God with whole-hearted obedience and humble surrender, it’s also something that must continually be fought for. You see, David still was a flawed and imperfect man. He still fell prey to cultural and societal behaviors that were deemed “normal” (2 Samuel 5:13). God clearly commands that kings “must not take many wives” (Deuteronomy 17:17), yet David does just that much like the kings around him, before him, and after him. 

Despite the blessing that children are, most of the trouble that comes into David’s life and story moving forward comes from these relationships with multiple women and problems with his children. It’s clear here and all throughout Scripture that God can always redeem what’s evil and use what’s done in disobedience and ignorance to still bring about His plans, but it’s so much better when we actively seek to live in complete, sold-out devotion to God! If there are any areas of your life where you might be hiding a sin or becoming numb to it because everyone around you does it too, the truth is that God doesn’t want you to stay there. Ask Him to help you see it and remove it because He will answer that prayer!

We serve a God who is generous and kind, yet holy and righteous. Living in that tension is a privilege offered to us through Jesus. So, let’s not forget to thank God for being our gracious and perfect Father who loves us too much to let us stay the same. 

Pause: How have you seen God’s generosity in your life? How have you seen His holiness?

Practice: Confess to God a sin that has a hold on you, and pray that He would help rid you of habitually committing that behavior without remorse. Invite a trusted person into your journey for accountability and prayer.

Pray: Father God, thank You for Your gifts and blessings in my life! I truly don’t deserve them, but I also know You give me them out of Your perfect and holy love for me. You also give me them to use for others. Show me how to do that today, and rid me of my sinful thoughts and actions that can often get in the way. I’m not striving for perfection; I’m seeking transformation. Shape me, humble me, teach me, grow me, challenge me, and use me, O Lord. Amen.