We have seen it before, and are seeing it again: drama. The Old Testament has been divided into different sectioins of writing, and 2Samuel is still history. This means that what I'm reading isn't doctrine or holy thesis, but is about God dealing with men, men dealing with God, and men dealing with men. The latter gets the most messy.
For example, in 2Sam.3, we see bad things happen, sad things, that are messy and have no clear solution. Abner is accused by his king, which makes him turn to serve David; David wants his wife Michal back, who married him first but then was given to another man, and when she comes back: "her [second]husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned." (2Sam3:16); Joab kills Abner because he killed his brother, even though Abner was helping David become king of all Israel. See, messy. It is a part of the blood cycle, those who won't forgive and those who want revenge, all around in a circle that has no end.
David ends the chapter with what I call 'King David's Motto': "the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his own wickedness" (2Sam3:39). David says this a lot, especially to King Saul. It is very political, but based on doctrine all the same. This is David's way of saying, I don't want to deal with this, it's messy, everyone is wrong and right at the same time, I'll just let it be and if God wants to deal with it He can. So, yes, political, but also it always David to forgive others. In this there is at least some small recognition that he is no judge, the Lord is. It allows him to be merciful.
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