Quick Summary:

The saga of David’s ascension to the throne continues in this week’s reading from 2nd Samuel, and on the face of it, his anointing as king here looks inevitable, a fate accompli. He seems to rise to kingship effortlessly, on the wings of God almighty. There are no moral quandaries, no dubious choices; God’s favor and David’s choices simply power his candidacy to victory. But when you dig into the whole narrative, when you dip into the backstory, it’s quite a different picture.

In the portrayal of David and in the gospel reading, we the untidy backstory keeps rearing its head!