Why Did King David Fail

The success and greatness of David, as opposed to the failure of Saul, can be understood by considering the different situations by which each was made King. Saul was a man sought after by the people, and only grudgingly made king by God, whereas David was the chosen king of God who enjoyed his “eternal” support . God recognized in David not just a reverence for the holy, but also the willingness to do the political dirty work when it was necessary for his political success. Saul, as the choice of the people was inferior to David, the divine choice of God, and thus doomed to fail. The following essay will show the reason for King David’s success by demonstrating how he continually sought to give God (what is highest) his dues while never forgetting

David had become a mercenary for the Philistines while still maintaining loyalty to the Israelites. He used his place among the Philistine to destroy the enemies of Israel, all the while pretending to be destroying Israelite settlements. David never left a single “man or woman alive” so that there would be no witnesses that could return to the Phlistines and reveal David’s true motives . David here is utterly cold and unforgiving, refusing to leave even a child alive if it meant the possibility of the Philistines learning about David’s intentions. While he left no human survivors, David did take all the booty from destroyed cities, to reward his men and feed his army of bandits, a very shrewd political move. This instance is perhaps the most revealing in that it showed how David was willing to kill and do just about anything if it meant his safety and the furthering of his aims. David again shows this political shrewdness in his dealing with the impregnation of Uriah’s wife Bathsheba. David understands that it will reflect poorly on him if people hear that he has taken one of his most loyal men’s wife and has impregnated her and moves to deceive Uriah. Upon learning of her pregnancy, David recalls Uriah from battle to have him sleep with his wife so it would seem to be Uriah’s child. When Uriah refuses, David has his general Joab place Uriah at the frontlines where the fighting is most dangerous. David’s plan succeeds and Uriah is killed in the battle . David’s wise political move pays off, by keeping public opinion on his side and ensuring that he still maintains the love of the