Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Samuel 8:2 (New Living Translation)

2 David also conquered the land of Moab. He made the people lie down on the ground in a row, and he measured them off in groups with a length of rope. He measured off two groups to be executed for every one group to be spared. The Moabites who were spared became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money.

This section of 2 Samuel describes the military triumphs of King David. Here David executes two-thirds of the people of Moab. Pause here: David executes two-thirds of the people of Moab. Why? Why is David so brutal? The following verses continue to describe the death and destruction that flowed from David. At one point he cripples the horses that pull 900 chariots. That is thousands and thousands of horses crippled by David. Why does he torture animals?

Yet a few sentences later we read that David did what was just and right for all his people.

These two things cannot both be true, but they are. King David was righteous and also brutal. That characterized the times in which he lived, huh? None of this makes sense to me sitting here in a nice coffee shop with nice people on a nice day in a nice community. I don’t know if the times of David were odd or my time and place is odd. I just can’t answer the questions that I can ask.

Thank you God for my life in my time and place. Help me in my unbelief.