DAY THIRTY-FIVE: 

King David 

2 Samuel 5:1-7:29 

After Saul's death David returned to his home tribe of Judah. There the elders of Judah made him king over Judah, and he reigned in Hebron for seven years and six months. But what of the other eleven tribes? Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, inherited his father's throne. But Ish-Bosheth was a weak ruler, and would not have lasted long were it not for the support of Saul's general Abner. One day Ish-Bosheth made Abner angry and he stormed out, vowing to throw his support to David. He sent messengers to David to tell him of his intentions. David was delighted and invited Abner to come to Hebron. Joab, David's nephew and the commander of his army, didn't like what was happening. He bore a grudge against Abner because of his little brother Asahel, whom Abner killed in battle. More than that, Joab was fearful that David would promote Abner over him. Abner made a treaty with David and was on his way back to Israel to tell the elders what he had done. But Joab intercepted Abner and under the guise of friendship killed him and left him to die beside the road. David was furious. Abner was an honorable man, unlike Joab. David should have ordered Joab's execution, but he couldn't do it because of his family and political situation. Joab would prove to be a problem for David repeatedly. He said, "These men, the sons of Zeruiah [David's sister], are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!" (2 Samuel 3:39)

Two of Saul's officers saw where the wind was blowing and thought they thought they'd gain David's favor. They killed Ish-Bosheth in his bed and brought his head to David. David promptly had them executed. The process that Abner set in motion continued, and the elders of the other tribe came to David at Hebron and made him their king. What God had foretold through Samuel had finally come to pass: David was now King of Israel.

His first act was to capture Jerusalem from the Jebusites. It was an important city that the Israelites had not been able to take. Once inside its walls, David made it his capital. He ordered that the Ark of the Covenant be brought up to Jerusalem from the Tabernacle, which Saul had moved to his home town of Gibeah in Benjamin. The confusion and corruption of the time of the Judges came back to bite them. The priests and Levites had forgotten the Lord's instructions for moving the Ark. Instead of carrying it on poles rested on the shoulders of two priests, they put the Ark on an oxcart. At one point the oxen stumbled and it looked like the wagon was going to tip over. One of the priests, a man named Uzzah, put his hand on the Ark to steady it. The Lord struck him dead immediately. David was angry and fearful at the same time- angry that God had done this and fearful that the Ark's presence in Jerusalem might bring a curse. So he left it at the home of a Philistine by the name of Obed-Edom who had joined with Israel. Obed-Edom treated the Ark with the respect due to it and the Lord blessed him. Meanwhile David researched the matter and figured out where he had gone wrong. The priests carried the Ark into Jerusalem on their shoulders to a tent he had pitched for it. David led a joyful procession, dancing and singing all the way!

It bothered David that he lived in a beautiful house while the Ark was in a tent. The Lord had given him rest from his enemies, and he wanted to do something about it. He spoke to the Prophet Nathan that he had in mind to build a house of worship for God. Nathan told him to go for it. But that evening the Lord spoke to Nathan and said just a minute. It was good that this desire was on David's heart, but it wasn't time yet. God instead promised to build a house (dynasty) for David. He would not take the kingdom from David as He had from Saul. He would never lack a man to sit on the throne. If his descendants stepped out of line God would punish them, but not wipe them out completely. At the right time David's son who succeeded him would build the House of God.

What an amazing example of God's grace! David was overcome with gratitude and said, "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God!" (7:18-19)

In David we see yet another development in God's plan of the ages to set right what we messed up. We saw how God began to unfold His plan through Abraham, promising to make of him a great nation which would bless the entire world. Israel is now a great nation, and a great man is leading God's people. God told Samuel that in asking for a king Israel was not rejecting him but rather the Lord. Yet in His grace God brought good out of the peoples' sin. He will use King David's line to bring the King of kings and Lord of lords into the world. Jesus was a direct descendant of David and rightful ruler of Israel. His death on the cross frees us from our sins, and His resurrection from the dead is a foretaste of how it's going to be when God takes away the last vestiges of that terrible curse Adam and Eve brought upon us.

We'll look at a few of the Psalms in a couple of weeks, but I encourage you to read a few of them in advance. They reveal both David's heart and God's heart, and help us to express our hearts as well. Abraham believed God. Moses obeyed God. David LOVED God. We learn so much about how to worship God from David. All of David- heart, soul, mind and strength, went into his worship. I can't imagine that worship was dull in his day!

Lest we praise David too highly, let's remember that he was a man, and he had his flaws and his sins. We'll see that next week.

David will always be remembered for the 23rd Psalm. Here's a beautiful rendition by Keith Green. Listen and imagine yourself as a lamb nestling in the arms of the Good Shepherd.