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DAVID ANOINTED KING. II Samuel 2:1-7. 11/08/20. #3
2 Samuel 2:1-7 [New King James Version]
1 It happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 And David brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. 4 Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.” 5 So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “You are blessed of the Lord, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. 6 And now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
- Now what?
- After the death of Saul and defeat of Israel, David did not know what to do next
- A descendent of Saul’s would normally reign
- David was anointed king, but was now the time
- No one from Israel had approached David yet
- David need to move from Ziklag to reenter the political life of Israel
- David inquired of the Lord as to the next move
- This was a wise move: as long as we seek and submit to the Lord’s will, we avoid sin and waste
- When we lose our sense of dependency on the Lord, we are sure to fall into sin
- God tells David to go back to Judah and settle around Hebron
- Hebron is 20 miles SW of Jerusalem on the road to Beersheba (one of oldest cities on earth)
- Hebron is the major city of south Judah
- David takes all his men and their families with him to Hebron
- His men have stayed loyal to David through exile
- Now, David is back in Judah and no longer pursued
- After the death of Saul and defeat of Israel, David did not know what to do next
- David takes office
- With David in Judah, he is where God needs him to be
- David waits upon Lord and doesn’t try to scheme
- Many faltered by running ahead of Lord
- Abraham took Hagar as his concubine
- Joshua prematurely attacked Ai
- Paul went to Jerusalem against God’s will
- The men of Judah came to David to anoint him as king
- Not wait for Saul’s successor to be crowned
- David had positioned himself for leadership
- He had defeated Goliath
- He had become a renowned warrior
- He was from the tribe of Judah
- He had returned to Judah the booty stolen by the Amalekites
- The kingdom now is split
- Only under three kings was the kingdom whole: Saul, David, and Solomon
- For seven years David would rule over Judah
- Judah was a separate entity in southern Israel
- The northern tribes were collectively, Israel
- Ephraim was the main tribe in the north
- With David in Judah, he is where God needs him to be
- Gratitude and concord
- The men of Judah knew of David’s lament for Saul
- They inform David that the men of Jabesh Gilead respectfully buried Saul and Jonathan’s bodies
- David shows gratitude to the men of Jabesh Gilead and obvious forgiveness for those who had betrayed him to Saul when David was fleeing for his life
- David sends a message of gratefulness to the men of Jabesh Gilead
- He commends and blesses them for their kindness
- He doesn’t disparage Saul, even though Saul tried to kill David
- By showing grace to their former king, David endears himself to Jabesh Gilead
- Securing the east side of Jordan R. will be important in establishing David’s reign
- Wisdom in leadership demands that respect, honor, and trust be fostered among those under your leadership
- David shows the finesse needed to build loyalty of subjects
- The men of Judah knew of David’s lament for Saul