9:1–20:26 · David’s Successes and Failures:Although for the most part David is a pious and effective ruler, his sin with Bathsheba is a terrible stain on his record. In the years that follow his adultery, David faces a rebellion led by his own son Absalom and another led by a Benjamite named Sheba. Jerusalem and all Israel are shaken by these events, and David struggles to maintain his throne. Because of the turmoil in his own family, the question of who will succeed him as king becomes an important one.

9:1–13 ·Early in his career David is known as a wise and fair leader (1 Sam. 30:24–25), and when he becomes king he continues to handle problems with great skill. His kindness to Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth demonstrate…