Lesson 2 - 2 Sam. 5:1-10 - DAVID KING OVER ALL ISRAEL
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in 2 Sam. 1:1, 22-27; 2:1-7, we came into the story of David just as he had received word that king Saul of Israel and three of his sons, including Jonathan, David's closest friend, had been killed in a battle against the Philistines at Gilboa, while David and his followers were 100 miles south defeating the Amalekites in a battle at Ziklag. In spite of the fact that King Saul considered David a threat and had made multiple attempts to track him down and kill him, David still remained loyal to him. As an expression of his feelings for Saul and his devoted relationship with Jonathan, Saul's son, he memorialized both of them with a heartfelt lament titled the "Song of the Bow," which he intended to be sung as a war song throughout Israel. At this point, David turned his attention to his homeland and prayed for God's guidance. God commanded him to go to the cities of Hebron, where the elders of Judah gathered and anointed him as their king; and he reigned as the king of Judah for seven years and six months.
In today's lesson, 2 Sam. 5:1-10, we come back into the story of David at a time when a power struggle is in the making. We'll skip chapters 2-4, but here's a summary: When Saul was killed it left a power vacuum in Israel. David filled part of it by becoming the king of Judah, the southern portion of the Promised Land (1 Sam. 2:1-7). Now, one of Saul's surviving sons, Ish-bosheth, has been appointed king of Israel, the northern portion of the original Promised Land (see map) by Abner, who had been Saul's leading general (2 Sam. 2:8-11). Soon afterward, this led to a battle between Israel, led by Abner, and Judah, led by Joab, David's chief general (1 Sam. 2:12-32). In that battle, Judah lost only 20 soldiers, while Israel lost 360-a clear victory for Judah. During the battle, Abner killed Asahel, Joab's brother. Following a dispute with Ish-bosheth, Abner defected to David and persuaded the elders of Israel to favor David over Ish-bosheth. (2 Sam. 3:1-21). However, Joab subsequently killed Abner to avenge the death of his brother. (2 Sam. 3:22-39). Finally, two people, Rechab and Baanah conspired to kill Ish-bosheth, thinking that they would incur David's favor, a big mistake, to which David responded by having both of them executed. This brings us up to today's lesson text.
Read 2 Sam. 5:1-2 - ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL CAME TO DAVID
1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. 2 Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the Lord said to you, 'You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a leader over Israel.'"
v. 1a: "Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said," - Hebron is David's capitol city. It has a rich history: Abraham made it his home after he separated from Lot, and when Sarah died, he buried her in a cave there (Gen. 13-23).
v. 1b: "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh." -The first appeal of the tribes of Israel, "we are your bone and your flesh," isn't strictly true because David is of the southern tribe of Judah, but he is their kinsman in the broader sense in that Israel and Judah are both descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their ancestors toiled side by side in slavery in Egypt and endured the 40-years of the wilderness wanderings. And now that they find themselves leaderless, they come to David.
v. 2a: "Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in." -This is the second appeal of the tribes. They tell David that, even though Saul had been their king, they all acknowledged that in times past, he had been their most successful and valiant military leader.
v. 2b: "And the Lord said to you, 'You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a leader over Israel.'" - This is their third and most important appeal-they saved the best for last: That the LORD has called David to be the "shepherd" of Israel. While David could conceivably ignore the first two appeals, he cannot ignore the LORD's call to him. As shepherds lead, protect, and provide for their flocks, kings and religious leaders are charged by God to provide trustworthy leadership and honest care for the people under their authority. The failure of kings and religious leaders to care for the common people is a dominant theme in OT prophecy (Jer. 10, 23 and 24; Ezek. 34; Zech. 10 and 11).
Read 2 Sam. 5:3 - THEY ANNOINTED DAVID KING OVER ISRAEL
3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the Lord in Hebron; then they anointed David king over Israel.
v. 3a: "So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron," -First the "tribes" of Israel came to David as a people and now, the "elders" come forward as the leaders and emissaries of these people.
v. 3b: "and King David made a covenant with them before the Lord in Hebron;" - A "covenant" is a binding legal agreement between consenting parties which specifies the respective rights and responsibilities of the parties to it. Moreover, a covenant made "before the LORD," made God a witness to the agreement, so that if either party failed to comply with any of the provisions in the agreement, they were, in effect, making God a liar. This is a very serious commitment.
v. 3c: "then they anointed David king over Israel." - As a young shepherd boy, David was first anointed by Samuel in secret, by which God revealed His plan for David's future (1 Sam. 16:1-13), and more recently, David had been anointed by the people of Judah as their king (2 Sam. 2:4). Now, these elders of Israel anoint David as king over all Israel, thereby bringing unity to the people of God under a common king.
2 Samuel 5:4-5 - HE REIGNED FOR FORTY YEARS
4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years. 5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
v. 4: "David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years." -Thus, David was relatively young when he assumed the throne. "Forty years" is OT shorthand for many years. And forty is a significant number in both OT and NT events: The great flood lasted 40 days and nights (Gen. 7:4), Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years (Ex. 16:35), Moses remained on Mt. Sinai for 40 days (Ex. 24:18), and Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days (Luke 4:2).
v. 5: "At Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah." -David ruled from Hebron for seven and a half years, then after conquering the Jebusites (see, vv.6-8. below), moved his capitol to Jerusalem and reigned there for thirty-three years.
Read 1 Sam. 5:6-8 - DAVID CAPTURED THE STONGHOLD OF ZION
6 Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; and they said to David, "You shall not come in here, but even those who are blind and those who limp will turn you away," thinking, "David cannot enter here." 7 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 8 And David said on that day, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites is to reach those who limp and those who are blind, who are hated by David's soul, through the water tunnel." For that reason, they say, "People who are blind and people who limp shall not come into the house."
v. 6a: "Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land;" - At this point in time, the site of Jerusalem on the northern border of Judah was controlled by pagan Canaanites known as Jebusites, who had renamed it Jebus. Much earlier, during the conquest of the Promised Land, Joshua deemed the city to be too well fortified to be conquered (Josh. 15:33) m and later attempts to dislodge them had been unsuccessful (Judg. 1:21). If David could take this city, it would eliminate the foreign-controlled wedge between the southern and northern tribes of Israel.
v. 6b: "and they said to David, "You shall not come in here, but even those who are blind and those who limp will turn you away," thinking, "David cannot enter here." - The city was strategically fortified because of its elevation and surrounding deep valleys, which made it defensible on three sides. The Jebusite defenders were so confident about their fortress-like city they boasted that even the "blind" and the "limp" (i.e., the crippled) would be able to defend it.
v. 7: "Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David." -This is a summary statement that omits the details of the military campaign.
v. 8a: "And David said on that day, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites is to reach those who limp and those who are blind, who are hated by David's soul, through the water tunnel." - You have to read this verse backwards. Scholars believe that David sent men led by Joab who waded through the "water tunnel," the city's main water source, which allowed them to infiltrate the city from the inside and establish strong-points on the heights. Once this was accomplished, the main body of David's attack force could scale the heights to attack the city en masse. The repeated terms "limp" and "blind" are derogatory metaphors for the Jebusites.
v. 8b: "For that reason they say, "People who are blind and people who limp shall not come into the house." -Although the defeated Jebusites would be allowed to remain in the city, they would not be granted status as citizens of David's kingdom. They would be outcasts.
Read 2 Samuel 5:9-10 - HE CALLED IT THE CITY OF DAVID
9 So David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. 10 David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was with him.
v. 9a: "So David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David." - David moved his entire household to Jerusalem and established it as the new capitol of the kingdom of Israel. This was a wise choice because (1) the city had no prior tribal association and could represent a unified Israel (much like our own Washington, D.C.) and (2) the geographic features of the city made it easy to defend against hostile armies. And after moving in, David named the city after himself.
v. 9b: "And David built all around from the Millo and inward.´ - Although the origin of the Hebrew word "Millo" is obscure, archeological evidence indicate that the Millo was a large stone terrace around the heights that was supported by stone retaining walls. Manned by archers and spearmen, it would have been formidable obstacle against any attempt to beseige the city. These fortifications would turn Jerusalem into a true military "stronghold" that was defensible against any kind of attack.
v. 10a: "David became greater and greater," - For David, achieving greatness didn't come easy or fast. In God's plan, there is always a hidden price of greatness. Those who become great among God's people are often required to experience much pain and hardship along the way, and David's life up to this point stands as a prime example. Now he is on his way to becoming the greatest king in Israel's history.
v. 10b: "for the Lord God of hosts was with him." - This statement indicates the real power behind David's success: YHWH sab-ay-oth, "the Lord God of hosts (or armies) was with him," which means that God commands the entire kingdom of heaven to accomplish His will. And David fully understood this truth, that everything he'd undergone was part of the Lord's training program: it was the Lord who had sent Samuel to anoint him the first time: it was the strength of the Lord that enabled him to defeat Goliath; it was the Lord who had protected him from all of Saul's attempts to eliminate him; and it was the Lord who brought him to the point of being the king of a unified Israel.
APPLICATION-Accepting the Will of God
1. The Israelite leaders acknowledged their kinship with David: "We are your bone and flesh" (v.1b). This was an important confession on the part of the Israelite elders. They acknowledged their essential unity, rooted in their common father, Jacob (whom God renamed Israel). They do not say to David, "You are one with us," but rather, "We are one with you." This is key to David's leadership of the whole nation. As believing Christians, we have "kinship" with other Christians the world over because "we are one" through the blood of Jesus Christ as our king (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 1:7; Rev. 1:5). In that sense, we have more kinship with our fellow Christians than with family members and friends who refuse to believe.
2. The elders of Israel submitted to the Word of God when they recognized David as God's choice for the next king of Israel (v. 3). Unlike Saul, David continually sought to do God's will and obey His commands. When David was wrong, he repented and endeavored to do what was right. While Saul failed to set an example of moral leadership over the nation, David succeeded. Over and over, David sets the moral and spiritual pace for Judah and the other tribes of Israel. If we are to sum up the entire 5th chapter of 2 Samuel, it's that unity can be achieved around one central theme: the response of people to God's king. In our text, unlike the people of Israel, the Jebusites opposed God's king, and because of this, God gave David-His king-victory over the Jebusites (vv. 6-10). As modern people, we are submitting to the Word of God when we accept Jesus Christ as our king (John 18:36; Eph. 1:20-21; Rev. 17:14). And as we see political leaders who are here today and gone tomorrow, we still have Jesus as our king always and forever.
