Incredible triumph, devastating failure, and God's promise characterize David's reign.
We are reminded once again in 2 Samuel of the value of modesty, the peril of arrogance, and the reliability of God's promise. Beginning and ending with God's prophecy of a future monarch, we witness David's rise and fall as king.
The Rise and Fall of David
After the death of Saul, David unifies the twelve tribes as their king. In his new capital of Jerusalem, David desires to build God a house. Instead, God promises to build David an eternal house through a king from his lineage. This is a key moment in the book of 2 Samuel and in the Hebrew Scriptures that point us toward a messianic king who will come to fulfill the promise given to David and Abraham to bless all nations.
However, we soon discover that David is not that king. After failing spectacularly, the kingdom slowly unravels. The final chapters of 2 Samuel highlight moments of David’s weakness, showing us his own failure as similar to Saul’s, while promising another king who will come to fulfill God’s good purposes.
—Bible Project