King David Man Of Blood

"Is it possible for God to do wrong? To be wrong...? And if God is wrong, what then? Beauty, comedy, horror and tragedy collide in this gripping and powerful new play. Award-winning writer Fraser Grace re-spins the classical biblical tale of King David to devastating moral effect.

Of all the characters bequeathed to us by the Hebrew Bible, none is more compelling or complex than David. Divinely blessed, musically gifted, brave, and eloquent, David's famous slaying of Goliath also confirms that he is a redoubtable man of war. Yet, when his son Absalom rebels, David is dogged by the accusation than he will lose his kingdom because he is not merely a man of war, but a man of 'bloods' - guilty of shedding innocent blood. In this book, for the first time, this language of 'innocent blood' and 'bloodguilt' is traced throughout David's story in the books of Samuel and 1 Kings. The theme emerges initially in Saul's pursuit of David and resurfaces regularly as David rises and men like Nabal, Saul, Ishbosheth, and Abner fall. Innocent blood and bloodguilt also turn out to be central to David's reign. This is seen in a surprising way in David's killing of Uriah, but also in the subsequent deaths of his sons, Amnon and Absalom, his general, Amasa, and even in David's encounters with Shimei. The problem rears its head again when the innocent blood of the Gibeonites shed by Saul comes back to haunt David's kingdom. Finally, the problem reappears when Solomon succeeds David and orchestrates the executions of Joab and Shimei, and the exile of Abiathar. Attending carefully to the text and drawing extensively on previous biblical scholarship, David J. Shepherd suggests that innocent blood is not only a pre-eminent concern of David, and his story in Samuel and 1 Kings, but also shapes the entirety of David's history.

"Is it possible for God to do wrong? To be wrong...? And if God is wrong, what then? Beauty, comedy, horror and tragedy collide in this gripping and powerful new play. Award-winning writer Fraser Grace re-spins the classical biblical tale of King David to devastating moral effect.

Of all the characters bequeathed to us by the Hebrew Bible, none is more compelling or complex than David. Divinely blessed, musically gifted, brave, and eloquent, David's famous slaying of Goliath also confirms that he is a redoubtable man of war. Yet, when his son Absalom rebels, David is dogged by the accusation than he will lose his kingdom because he is not merely a man of war, but a man of 'bloods' - guilty of shedding innocent blood. In this book, for the first time, this language of 'innocent blood' and 'bloodguilt' is traced throughout David's story in the books of Samuel and 1 Kings. The theme emerges initially in Saul's pursuit of David and resurfaces regularly as David rises and men like Nabal, Saul, Ishbosheth, and Abner fall. Innocent blood and bloodguilt also turn out to be central to David's reign. This is seen in a surprising way in David's killing of Uriah, but also in the subsequent deaths of his sons, Amnon and Absalom, his general, Amasa, and even in David's encounters with Shimei. The problem rears its head again when the innocent blood of the Gibeonites shed by Saul comes back to haunt David's kingdom. Finally, the problem reappears when Solomon succeeds David and orchestrates the executions of Joab and Shimei, and the exile of Abiathar. Attending carefully to the text and drawing extensively on previous biblical scholarship, David J. Shepherd suggests that innocent blood is not only a pre-eminent concern of David, and his story in Samuel and 1 Kings, but also shapes the entirety of David's history.

The words in the title, You Are the Man, convicted a deeply guilty King David of the heinous crimes he had committed against Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba's husband. Yet, in many remarkable ways, David was God's man, chosen and blessed for greatness. This book tells a story of David's life from the Bible read as literally true. The flowing, easy-to-read narrative observes him progress from shepherd to king to his death. Walking with David through tragedy and triumph makes it easier to see the actual person behind this larger-than-life Bible character. "A fresh approach to the life of David." Pastor Tim Murdoch While David's sins and difficulties are not ignored, King David: You Are the Man highlights several positive events, including some lesser-known ones found only I Chronicles. King David was the man - whom God chose to be ancient Israel's second king, - who established daily praise and worship of God in Israel, - to whom God revealed eternal purposes for His Son and His kingdom, - who led Israel to an exalted place among the nations, - to whom God revealed the details of the temple Solomon would build, and - who organized the priests and Levites in their ministries of worship at that temple. "I feel as if I am getting to know David, and more than that, his faith. As a woman of faith, it sings to my heart .... I feel as if I am getting to know God better too " Halin I Soaring Included in this narration of David's life are - a history of the Ark of the Covenant, - a possible timeline of David's life, - a probe into the disastrous census that David ordered to be taken, (When considering the difficult questions posed by II Samuel 24:1 and I Chronicles 21:1, Pastor Mike Green expressed this credible idea: "I think God was angry with Israel because the tabernacle was in Gibeon.") - a history of the Levites and their development as God's special servants, and - several specific life disciplines that made David a man after God's own heart.

Know God as David Knew Him David--impetuous, sensitive, bold, poetic, compassionate, utterly human. What can we learn from this young warrior-king of long ago? And how could God call David a "man after his own heart" even though he was a "man of blood" and an adulterer? Though David sinned greatly, he also loved greatly. By observing and learning from David's character and action, we too can become God's kindred spirits, men and women "after God's own heart." 12 SESSIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS Fisherman Bible Studyguides include: Penetrating questions that generate discussion Flexible format for group or individual needs Helpful leader's notes Emphasis on daily application of Bible truth

David, King of the Jews, possessed every flaw and failing a mortal is capable of, yet men and women adored him and God showered him with many more blessings than he did Abraham or Moses. His sexual appetite and prowess were matched only by his violence, both on the battlefield and in the bedroom. A charismatic leader, exalted as "a man after God's own heart," he was also capable of deep cunning, deceit, and betrayal. Now, in King David: The Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel, bestselling author Jonathan Kirsch reveals this commanding individual in all his glory and fallibility. In a taut, dramatic narrative, Kirsch brings new depth and psychological complexity to the familiar events of David's life--his slaying of the giant Goliath and his swift challenge to the weak rule of Saul, the first Jewish king; his tragic relationship with Saul's son Jonathan, David's cherished friend (and possibly lover); his celebrated reign in Jerusalem, where his dynasty would hold sway for generations. Yet for all his greatness, David was also a man in thrall to his passions--a voracious lover who secured the favors of his beautiful mistress Bathsheba by secretly arranging the death of her innocent husband; a merciless warrior who triumphed through cruelty; a troubled father who failed to protect his daughter from rape and whose beloved son Absalom rose against him in armed insurrection. Weaving together biblical texts with centuries of interpretation and commentary, Jonathan Kirsch brings King David to life in these pages with extraordinary freshness, intimacy, and vividness of detail. At the center of this inspiring narrative stands a hero of flesh and blood--not the cartoon giant-slayer of sermons and Sunday school stories or the immaculate ruler of legend and art but a magnetic, disturbingly familiar man--a man as vibrant and compelling today as he has been for millennia.