King David's family is more dysfunctional than most—David's not exactly Ward Cleaver. We see his family being created through rather unusual means: reclaiming a wife (Michal) who had been remarried to someone else, adultery, and murder. Then there's the absolute horror story of Amnon's rape of his sister Tamar, and the mini-saga of Absalom's rebellion (couldn't Absalom have just gotten really into Phish or something, instead of launching a civil war?).
So, in 2 Samuel, families are messy. Like the Russian writer Tolstoy said, "All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." We get to see the unique unhappiness of David's family—though it's also a special family, destined to rule.
Questions About Family
- Why exactly is Michal ashamed of David's dance before God? How do you think she thinks someone should approach the deity?
- What does God see in David's family? What makes him want to elevate it?
- Why does Absalom rebel? How might earlier family conflicts have motivated him?