I Chronicles 14:2 And David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel.
What You Sow is What You Grow
It may not be encouraging to hear, but do not expect your good to go unchallenged. That was certainly the case for David as he became the new king over a unified kingdom. He was God’s man leading God’s people, and I Chronicles 14:2 tells us, “And David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel.” As soon as David was confirmed king, both his allies and enemies became evident. Verse 1 tells us about Hiram, king of Tyre, who was an ally to David. Then, verse 8 tells us that when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king, they went to fight against David.
David had allies and enemies, yet at the end of David’s kingdom did the Philistines bring David down? No, they did not. David was consistently victorious over the Philistines. There was another enemy that caused David much more trouble but was easy to miss. Verse 3 tells us, “And David took more wives at Jerusalem.” This was in direct contradiction to Deuteronomy 17:17 that said the king was not to “multiply wives to himself.”
Now we love David. I’m not trying to beat David up, but we can learn from great men and bad things that great men did. Even if we think that God somehow winked at this, which I don’t believe He did, no one can contend that David was made stronger in the long run by having numerous wives and the complicated family that came from it. Whatever grace God gave to David, this was not God’s plan.
David established this pattern with taking Abigail after already having Michal, then the Bible tells us about other wives he took. Which did David more harm in the long run, the wives or the Philistines? We build long what we practice early. Both David’s warring and his wives go back to the very genesis of his leadership and life.
What you sow is what you grow. The seeds of our legacy are planted early, but they are not inevitable; they are cultivated and they are cultivated consistently. Think of the enemies that David had, both foreign and domestic. It is the latter variety that brings big men down.
The bottom line is that both allies and enemies emerged, but it was the enemy from within, David’s carelessness with God’s commands that brought David grief. It was not conflict with the Philistines. Be aware of the enemies that are obvious, but take heed to building your foundation in your own personal life.