The Bible’s track of history is unique in that it doesn’t just show when the people written about did good, it also shows when they did bad. David was good, until he got into that affair with Bathsheba, and indirectly got her husband killed in battle. He was called out on that part by a prophet speaking in behalf of God, and the only reason he lived was that he repented, but he still lost their first child because of it.
Solomon was the king with a thousand wives. He asked God for smarts when presented with an option to ask for anything and be granted it, and he was granted that and more for thinking spiritually and not materially, but then he started getting into the whole wives and concubines thing. Another example of “started out good, but then got sucked into doing bad”, as he was given advance prophecy that Israel would be broken into pieces over this. Which happened when his son took over and made things worse.
And one could look at both of them as following in the traditions of the judges in that way. They were people who needed power to protect their people, obtained it, used it for good, abused it, then suffered.
I was always taught it was meant to indicate that God and it’s followers would always have this push and pull relationship, but I think it’s just that power makes you suck
The Bible’s track of history is unique in that it doesn’t just show when the people written about did good, it also shows when they did bad. David was good, until he got into that affair with Bathsheba, and indirectly got her husband killed in battle. He was called out on that part by a prophet speaking in behalf of God, and the only reason he lived was that he repented, but he still lost their first child because of it.
Solomon was the king with a thousand wives. He asked God for smarts when presented with an option to ask for anything and be granted it, and he was granted that and more for thinking spiritually and not materially, but then he started getting into the whole wives and concubines thing. Another example of “started out good, but then got sucked into doing bad”, as he was given advance prophecy that Israel would be broken into pieces over this. Which happened when his son took over and made things worse.
And one could look at both of them as following in the traditions of the judges in that way. They were people who needed power to protect their people, obtained it, used it for good, abused it, then suffered.
I was always taught it was meant to indicate that God and it’s followers would always have this push and pull relationship, but I think it’s just that power makes you suck