WHAT BECAME OF KING DAVID’S TEN CONCUBINES?

MORE FROM THE TEN CONCUBINES

The ten concubines mentioned in 2 Samuel 16 bring to us another hard lesson revealed through the life of King David. Remember how ten of David’s concubines are left behind in Jerusalem to “keep the house”? They are not found among the others walking with King David as he flees the city. As promised in a previous lesson, we will speak of these concubines again today.

A RELATIVE PARABLE

These concubines remind me of the servants in the parable of the vineyard which Jesus told in Matthew 21:33-46. In that parable a vineyard owner went away leaving his vineyard in the hands of those he considered to be faithful servants. While the landowner is away, these servants are mistreated and killed by the tenants who are living and working for the Owner on the Owner’s land. 

These disloyal tenants betray the Owner of the vineyard. They take the harvest of his crops for themselves while he is away. The wicked tenants who had already used the Owner’s land to their advantage, wreck the vineyard. These unfaithful stewards leave the Owner’s house and lands in ruin and decay.  He comes home to find his house in shambles.

The tenants who betrayed the Owner remind me of Absalom and Ahithophel. We have already mentioned they are types of the antichrist and the false prophet. Of course we know the antichrist and the false prophet are predicted to come and leave the world in chaos. The Lord will find their destruction and ruin everywhere at the second-coming.   

As today’s story is revealed, you will see even more examples of why I’m reminded of this future parable. It is a parable which speaks of accountability, judgement and betrayal.

ABSALOM AND AHITHOPHEL ARRIVE IN JERUSALEM

Getting back to 2 Samuel 16 and the story of David, we note how David and his people finally arrived at their destination. This arrival to David’s temporary outpost happened about the same time that Absalom and Ahithophel arrived in Jerusalem. 

Hushai was standing by in Jerusalem.He was pretending to serve Absalom but spying for David.  Hushai greeted Absalom at the gates, publicly proclaiming his new found loyalty to him over David. 

Absalom feels confident his plans are falling nicely into place. To be sure he is on track, he turns to Ahithophel and asks him for advice. “What should we do?”

AHITHOPHEL’S ADVICE TO ABSALOM

Ahithophel gave a shocking answer. He told Absalom, “sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.”

Taking another King’s concubines was considered an official act of treason. I suppose Absalom was right on track. His rebellion against his father continued with total and public immorality. This truly does make him a perfect type for the antichrist. 

So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof of the palace. It is interesting that this is the same place where the sins of David first began. Then Absalom slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

CONFIRMATION OF NATHAN’S WORDS TO DAVID

How very sad to see that Absalom thought he could confirm his authority by committing immorality in a public and disgraceful way. This is so much the same choice which God’s adversary would make. 

The very words of Nathan the prophet came true that day. He proclaimed this would happen after David sinned with Bathsheba. 

This advice to Absalom was a very shrewd move by Ahithophel. It served to confirm Ahithophel’s authority as a man who knows all of the answers. The results and outcome of this advice probably went a long way in convincing the people that David’s day of kingship was now over. 

CONSEQUENCES FOR THE TEN CONCUBINES

After Absalom violated David’s wives against their will, they fell under a legal state of the culture of those days. This state was called “wayyittenem bet mishmeret” and these words meant “to be put in a house of custody/watch.” 

The new state of these concubines would not imply punishment. It only becomes legally and socially necessary because these women are sexually accessed by another man (though they are innocent.) If David resumed marital relations with them after this vile act of Absalom, he would be following the same path as Reuben’s violation of Bilhah (Genesis 25:22; 49:4.)  This fact serves as positive proof that all of Absalom’s motives were politically charged. For the innocent concubines, this unexpected event became a tragic and irreversible alteration to their lifestyle.

No one living in Jerusalem at that time offered to protect these concubines from Absalom. Those standing by did not speak up for King David or try to persuade Absalom that he was committing harm to The Lord’s anointed. Again, physical adultery spilled over into spiritual adultery.

PROTECTING OURSELVES FROM SPIRITUAL ADULTERY

All through the bible we see scriptures describing how paganism and false religion separate us from a full relationship with God.  Things that are false cannot be made into things that are true. These concubines did not belong to Absalom. Pretending that it is so does not work. Absalom was not The Lord’s anointed, no matter how hard he tried to be so.  Appearances are often deceiving, especially when it comes to important spiritual matters.  

Often such falsehoods are described in the scriptures as “spiritual adultery.” In cultures saturated with pagan practices and spiritual violations, there are children who grow up not ever knowing the difference. They believe the lies of their parents and their culture.  Thus, a whole generation of deceived people becomes unable to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, etc. 

The root cause is the sin of the parents, not the sins of the children. However, such sins do separate generations from the love of God. This is a common and crafty tool used by Satan whenever he has the opportunity. The children are innocent, yet they become unholy due to the acts of those who yield power and authority over them. 

CALLING EVIL THINGS SACRED

I see this happening in the modern world. For example, the children of today’s cultures have been raised to believe Halloween is a sacred day. It is an annual time which is celebrated in our churches and welcomed with great annual anticipation into our homes.  Children of today’s cultures are innocent. Their parents have taught them these wrong things. Thus, homes are not focused on God’s appointed days and times. Most of today’s homes are centered around and focused upon man-made holidays and lies. God’s  appointed times remain a mystery because they are never taught. 

How could these innocent children be expected to know and understand anything different from what they have never been taught by their parents, their schools, their churches or the culture surrounding them? 

They are as innocent as these concubines which David left behind. The children of today’s cultures are also violated by false leaders.  They suffer innocently because of the sins of others. These children live in a state of unholiness due to neglectful and rebellious parents who refuse to exchange the ways of the world for God’s ways. 

One day the truth will be presented to these children by God. At that time they will be given a chance to repent and change. We have the hope that one day in the future, all truth will be known and all hearts will become holy unto the Lord. The culture of our modern world will need to change drastically for this to happen.

LIVING WIDOWHOOD

We will see later how David continued to fulfil the marital bonds of a husband by keeping the laws of that day for women who had been violated. He resumed his previous position of protecting these concubines. David continued providing for them, yet he never had relations with these woman again. In those days this way of life was defined in ironic words. This type of situation was called  “living widowhood.” The concubines lived as widows although their husband was still alive.

The “house of custody” (bêt mishmeret) prefigures the condition of righteous souls awaiting a resurrection. This type of “living widowhood” anticipates a coming resurrection, a hope for a time in which they can be changed, redeemed, and once again glorified and cared for by the King. These concubines of David represent many repentant souls who are awaiting the fullness of union at the second-coming. Their present bodies and souls have been tarnished by the wickedness of the world, and those sins have brought them to the grave. However, when Yeshua returns, He will bring resurrection and make them new again. 

In the coming Kingdom of God, if they were godly women, these same concubines will receive new and glorified bodies which are uncontaminated by the sins of this world and the ways of mankind. They will no longer be concubines, but cherished wives.   Yeshua has the power to make them holy again.

CONSEQUENCES OF SIN

This example from the life of David proves to us that repentance, though God grants forgiveness and spiritual renewal, does not always change the consequences of sin.  It only changes the heart of the sinner. The penalty of sin is always death. Even with forgivness and mercy, there is usually an earthly price to pay for sin. The sinner harms themselves as well as others in his pathway. 

One must die in order to be resurrected. However, after death comes the glory of resurrection. Those who follow Yeshua into relationship with a Holy God will resurrect into a brand new life. In the resurrection they will be spotless and clean, both physically and spiritually. There will be no more concubines.

God never leaves his people without hope. David’s wives are provided for; they are not abandoned.  Their suffering does not go unnoticed and unrewarded forever. For the present, they must live with the consequences of both David’s and Absalom’s sins. Yet, a new day is coming when they will live in complete fullness and joy. A more perfect Messiah will reign as King of all Kings.    

VERSE

2 Samuel 20:3:  When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.

PRAYER

Father, sometimes we are like David’s concubines. Many of us feel we are locked behind a wall and cast out of our royal heritage.  We feel left behind, abandoned, filled with the need to care for ourselves because the people we love are tending to others and other things. Sometimes we feel lonely and forgotten.

During long hard days we wait in anguish and hope no harm will come. Often we suffer from the sins of others who have shown no regard for who we are or what we could become. We wait silently and hidden because we feel ashamed. 

Yet, we know you look after even the smallest sparrow. Nothing is unknown to you O God. You see what has been hidden and covered up. The truth is always in your vision. Your mercy and goodness comes for those who have continued in hope for your return. Please heal our broken hearts. Show us your ways so that we may walk in them. Teach us how to be the cherished and pure wives of The King of all Kings. In your great compassion show us how to live again. Amen.

SONG

WHERE MY SOUL FINDS REST – Songs of Elohim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbbPndUTovA

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