“And it came to pass after this, that David
inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And
the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he
said, Unto Hebron. So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite. And his men that were with
him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the
cities of Hebron. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king
over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of
Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul. And David sent messengers unto the men
of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have
showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him. And
now the LORD show kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this
kindness, because ye have done this thing. Therefore now let your hands be
strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the
house of Judah have anointed me king over them” (2
Samuel 2:1-7).
Introduction
God had cleared
the way for David to ascend the throne of Israel. His years of persecution,
exile and wandering are now over. It had been approximately twelve years since
he left off looking after sheep to arrive at the point where he would lead
God’s people. This does not mean that he will not suffer further anguish and
sorrow though.
God’s
will
After a time of
mourning over the death of Saul and Jonathan, David prayed about God’s will
for his life. He realised that he needed direction and guidance after being a
fugitive for so long. This reveals that he was aiming at being wise throughout
his administration over Israel. Paul, in Ephesians 5:17, writes, “Wherefore
be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
Without seeking God first maybe David would have headed off to Jerusalem and
storming the gates of the palace to take his place on the throne.
It was revealed
to David that he should go into Hebron, and he did not delay in obeying the
Lord, taking everyone who was with him there. The majority of these people had
been ejected from Judah during Saul’s reign, but now in David they were
reunited with their family and friends. David had brought them back to the
Promised Land. “Hebron was the capital and centre of Judah, and one of the
Levitical cities; the inhabitants of which were strongly attached to him, both
from sympathy with his cause ever since the massacre at Nob” (Jamieson,
Fausset, Brown Bible Commentary). Hebron has always been
the place of blessings in Scripture. It is here that Abraham first set foot on
Israeli soil and where he was promised a miracle son in his old age. It is the
place where many of the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Bible are buried.
Joshua took possession of the Promised Land in Hebron. The significance of
Hebron is a Bible study all of its own.
God’s
king
We remember that
David had already been anointed as the future king of Israel twelve years
previously. “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in
the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that
day forward” (1 Samuel 16:13), but now he
would be revealed as God’s chosen king. David’s coronation would be in two
parts. The first of which appears to be a private coronation conducted by the
elders in the cities of Judah. Judah is the kingly tribe that would one day
produce the “King of kings”
who is the “Lion of the tribe Judah” (Revelation
19:16, 5:5). It would be another seven and a half years before David would reign
over all the tribes of Israel. We shall see that not everyone was in favour of
David’s kingship, and Saul’s cousin Abner would set up another king in
opposition to him. Maybe they had believed Saul’s lies about him.
After this
private anointing, David heard about how the men of Jabeshgilead had recovered
the bodies of Saul and his sons had buried them. “And when the
inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to
Saul; All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul
and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and
burnt them there. And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at
Jabesh, and fasted seven days” (1 Samuel
31:11-13). He praised them for their exploit and promised to bless and reward
them. This is David’s first royal commendation, and it reveals that he held no
bitterness in his heart over what Saul had done to him. He did not hide from
these followers of Saul that Judah had anointed him as their king. He did this
to encourage them rather than cause them any further grief. “Wherefore
lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” (Hebrews
12:12) … “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble
knees” (Isaiah 35:3). David did not want
them to “dote on the dead” (Matthew Henry), but to look forward to brighter
days. It is possible that they feared another attack from the Philistines
because of their retrieval of the bodies, but David reassures them that he will
protect them. “Be not afraid lest the Philistines should
punish you for this fact, but take good courage, I will defend you” (John
Wesley).
Conclusion
© 25/11/2009