David’s Rebellious Sons | The Institute for Creation Research

David’s Rebellious Sons

“Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess” (II Samuel 3:1,2).

Although David was called “the sweet singer of Israel” and “a man after God’s own heart,” he made many sinful mistakes. One of his most grievous errors was that of polygamy. Jesus emphasized the importance of God’s primeval intent that lifelong monogamy was the only divinely approved arrangement for human marriage, with all children sharing the same parents and family life (see Matthew 19:4,5).

But David’s first six sons were by six different wives (II Samuel 3:2–6). Furthermore, these were all born during the seven-and-a-half years (II Samuel 5:5) of bitter Patricidal war mentioned in our text. Under such circumstances, any kind of wholesome family life was impossible.

The firstborn of these six sons was Amnon, and we see David’s grief at the news that Amnon had first raped and then disdained his half-sister, Tamar (II Samuel 13:14,15). This grief was multiplied when Absalom, another of these sons, murdered Amnon in revenge and then instigated a national rebellion, finally being slain in battle himself (II Samuel 13:32; 18:14). Another later led a second rebellion against David and Solomon, ending in his own execution (I Kings 1:5; 2:24). David’s greatest sin, of course, was in the matter of Uriah and Bathsheba, still another wife, followed by the death of yet another son (II Samuel 12:18).

God forgives even such sins as polygamy, adultery, and murder, however, when they are followed by genuine repentance, confession, and faith—and he forgave David. Nevertheless—as with David—the human repercussions, even of sins forgiven, can be tragic. HMM

The Latest
NEWS
May 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans...

NEWS
Acoustic Communication in Animals
We are all familiar with vocalizations in the animal world. For example, dogs bark, birds sing, frogs croak, and whales send forth their own distinct...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Crystals!
by Michael Stamp and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

APOLOGETICS
Playing Chess with Little Furry Critters
God’s multifarious and marvelous designs for basic creature needs are so innovatively clever and providentially purposeful that Christ’s...

ACTS & FACTS
Credit Only Our Creator
History was my favorite subject as a young kid. But it always puzzled me when my teachers said, “We study history so that we don’t repeat...

ACTS & FACTS
Genomic Tandem Repeats: Where Repetition Is Purposely Adaptive
Tandem repeats (TRs) are short sequences of DNA repeated over and over again like the DNA letter sequence TACTACTAC, which is a repetition of TAC three...

ACTS & FACTS
Dinosaur National Monument: Fossil Graveyard of the Flood
Straddling the border of Utah and Colorado, Dinosaur National Monument (DNM) is one of the richest exposures of dinosaur fossils in the world.1...

ACTS & FACTS
The Transforming Influence of Genesis: Worker Dignity and Safety
When Pharisees questioned the Lord Jesus about marriage, He answered by quoting Genesis 1:27: “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made...

NEWS
Giant ''Meg'' Shark: Longer and Leaner?
Fossil remains of the giant shark Otodus megalodon have been found in Miocene1 and Pliocene2 rock layers, which ICR scientists...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Searching for Truth Across the Globe | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How can we bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of creation to others outside our small spheres of influence?   Host...