When word of Saul’s defeat was brought II Samuel 1
To David he was overwrought
And taught his men this sad lament
A threnody, a testament
In which he grieved for Israel’s pride
And mourned for Jonathan who died
Now learn this lesson, woe betide!
The messenger who amplified
Then David up from Ziklag strode II Samuel 2
Made Hebron town his roy’l abode
The men of Judah crowned him king
But in the north the vain quisling
Prince Ishbosheth the son of Saul
Controlled by Abner was installed
And laid his claim to royal throne
Two years he governed all alone
Now David’s nephew Joab rose II Samuel 2:12
To prominence and all his foes
Including Abner came to know
This ruthless warlord would not show
An ounce of mercy nor of grace
By David’s side he took his place
The court fell silent, stood in awe
When Joab darkened David’s door
In seven years of civil strife
And violent, needless loss of life
This Joab settled every score
While David’s strength grew more and more II Samuel 3:1
All Israel came to David’s side II Samuel 5:1
Of Joab they were petrified
Then Joab took the citadel
Of Jebus, now the capital
As David’s realm now settled down II Samuel 5:17
His reputation and renown
Was told in Gath and in great wrath
The Philistines were on the path
To war again, so David prayed
The Lord his majesty displayed
And made the Philistines turn tail
And David over them prevailed.
Now after vict’ry it seemed right II Samuel 6
To bring the ark up to the site
Where royalty had made its home
There God could prop up David’s throne
The golden ark began to tip
As on the rutted road it slipped
And Uzzah thought to make it stand
But God don’t need no helping hand
A lot of anger on that day
Broke out and David had to pay
Attention to the way he brought
The ark up to the royal fort
At Obed-Edom’s house he parked
The holy presence of the ark
Until he figured out the way
To bear the ark without delay
The Levites bore the ark’s advance
With sacrifice and livid dance
The king displayed humility
With such abandoned dignity
While Michal watched from window frame II Samuel 6:16
Her sarcasm like acid rain
Corroded their remaining bond
Dissolving every feeling fond
David as he contemplated II Samuel 7:1
Might God be domesticated?
In his mind he fabricated
A temple he elaborated
The Lord had other things in mind
And sent his prophet to remind
The Lord God knows what he had planned
But God don’t need no helping hand
I took from you the shepherd’s yoke II Samuel 7:8
And made you keeper of my folk
Your enemies shall all fall down
Before your name of great renown
Not you for me a house will build
My plans for you will be fulfilled
Your throne will last eternally
Your kingdom ever stand for me
And David sat in awe, amazed II Samuel 7:18
Poured out his heart in psalms of praise
On every side his kingdom stood
In conquest o’er the neighbourhood
And to his table brought a man II Samuel 9
A crippled son of Jonathan
And showed him covenantal grace
Restored him to his rightful place
But when these songs of gratitude
Were done he changed his attitude
And from the glories of those days
He slid and fell into the ways
Of pagan kings who send and take
Just what they want their lust to slake
So here begins a tale of woe
A tragedy with overflow
It was an afternoon in spring II Samuel 11
When David did an evil thing
Bathsheba was Uriah’s bride
Whom David stole with sovereign pride
She by ruthless power beguiled
By royal seed conceived a child
Uriah was his loyal serf
Out fighting wars on foreign turf
To cover up his sinful sport
He called her husband to report
So Joab sent him back to base
For David hoped he would erase
The trail of sin and guilt and shame
And take from David’s hands the blame
The Hittite was a nobler man
And did not fall for David’s plan
So David signed the fateful note
Uriah was by pagans smote
And David took his widowed bride
A lion roaring in his pride
But what he stole the Lord decried
His judgment would not be denied
And Nathan wove a parable II Samuel 12
“Thou art the man corruptible!”
Then David wept, the Lord forgave
But consequences would be grave
In David’s house the sword ran wild
And David’s wives would be defiled
Then Amnon followed David’s course
And took his sister by brute force II Samuel 13
The crime of Amnon was repaid
By Absalom who had him slayed
Rape and incest, fratricide
Let that be justice satisfied!
But no, there’s more unpleasant news
For bitter civil war ensues
And Absalom by Joab slain II Samuel 18:14
Gives rise to David’s grievous pain
Where are God’s promises to bless?
Why is my house in such distress?
When David to his house returned
In sadness as if all were burned
The latter years of David stank
Of bitterness and failure rank
For giants rose up in the west II Samuel 21:16
Put David to a martial test
And David numbered Israel’s men
Provoked the Lord to judge again
And in the end the young boy bold
Became a fragile old man cold I Kings 1:1
Uriah’s wife now called the shots
And scuttled Adonijah’s plots
And Solomon sat on the throne
Beside his mother quite at home
Then David breathed his last bequest
Till Joab’s dead there’ll be no rest. I Kings 2:6
The ruddy boy of Bethlehem
Unleashed the forces of mayhem
And like the dogs of Gibeah
Abused a witless sojourner
The fragments of the butchered bride
An image of the fratricide
That overcame Jehovah’s bride Isaiah 54:5
In exile scattered far and wide
And so the mighty turn to dust Psalm 146
The Lord alone deserves our trust
In princes there is no true worth
Hope in the Lord who made the earth
In him alone the blind find sight
In him alone the widow’s right
In him alone the poor delight
In him alone the orphan’s might
On David’s throne now sits the King Luke 1:32
Eternal Lord of everything Rev 22:16
His head once bent with crown of thorn John 19:2-5
He from the grave its power has torn Hebrews 2:14
He is the One whose piercèd heart Zechariah 12:10
Bled with compassion which imparts Isaiah 11:1-9, Romans 15:12
Salvation to the whole world wide Romans 1:3
Redemption by the crucified II Timothy 2:8
© Neil Rogers 2020
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