The Life of David (pt.4): David Becomes King
CCEA
School of Discipleship
February
2, 2025
Introduction
Break into small groups of three or so, share one thing you learned from
McGee’s chapter 3, “Doing the right thing the wrong way”
Notes from McGee “Doing the right thing the wrong way”
Chapter 3 – Doing the right thing the wrong way
Moving the Ark (from 2Sam. 6)
David loving God with a whole heart
The Psalms written during this occasion (Ps.23, 24, 30…)
The ark on an oxcart
Things that are right that we do wrong: The way to be saved, the way to be
holy
Let’s stand and recite together Psalm 23:1-3
(Psalm 23:1–3 NKJV)
—1 The Lord is my
shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie
down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me
in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
There’s a new TV series that’s coming out February 27 on Prime Video, “The
House of David”. One of the main directors/writers is Jon Erwin, who directed
“Jesus Revolution”, and “I can only imagine”.
Play “House of David” trailer
The book of 1Samuel ended in tragedy.
Show map
While David was off chasing Amalekites and saving the inhabitants of Ziklag
in the south, King Saul was fighting a huge battle with the Philistines at
Mount Gilboa.
King Saul would die along with three of his sons
The Israelites living in the cities in the north fled their cities, most
likely fleeing east across the Jordan River.
The Philistines would cut off Saul’s head and fasten his body to the wall
of Beth Shan (or for those of you who’ve visited Israel, Beit She’an).
The people from Jabesh Gilead heard about Saul’s death and they would
travel all night to Beth Shan, remove Saul’s body, and take it back to Jabesh
Gilead.
Note: Jabesh Gilead had a connection with King Saul of the tribe of
Benjamin.
1. Back in the book of Judges, the tribe of Benjamin was almost completely
wiped out by the rest of Israel through a series of evil and tragic events
(Judges 19-20). In
order to allow the tribe to repopulate, the remaining men of Benjamin
were given wives from a couple of places, one of them being Jabesh Gilead.
Saul’s family may have had ancestors from Jabesh Gilead.
2. When Saul first became king, his first challenge came when the king of
the Ammonites laid siege to the city of Jabesh Gilead. Saul would organize his first army, defeat
the Ammonites, and save the city of Jabesh Gilead.
In other words, Jabesh Gilead cared a lot for King Saul.
David Becomes King
2Samuel 1
After David had rescued his city of Ziklag, a man shows up from the battle on
Mount Gilboa.
(2 Samuel
1:4 NKJV) Then David said to him, “How did the matter go?
Please tell me.”
And
he answered, “The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are
fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”
David wants to know how this man knows that Saul is dead, and he finds out
that this man claims to have found Saul wounded on the battlefield and that at
Saul’s request, he finished him off.
This man has now brought Saul’s crown to give to David.
(2 Samuel
1:12 NKJV) And they mourned and wept and fasted until
evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel,
because they had fallen by the sword.
David hasn’t lost his “love” for Saul or Jonathan.
And apparently neither has David’s men.
Sometimes we can harbor secret bitterness towards people who have hurt us,
and even though we tell others that we’ve forgiven them, everyone knows how
hurtful it has been and they too will hold grudges.
Not here with David and his men.
(2 Samuel
1:13 NKJV) Then David said to the young man who told him,
“Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.”
The irony here.
Saul had been commanded by God to wipe out the Amalekites (he didn’t)
David has just been chasing down and slaughtering Amalekites for capturing
Ziklag
Now Saul has been killed by an Amalekite.
(2 Samuel
1:14 NKJV) So David said to him, “How was it you were not
afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s
anointed?”
David has not lost his respect for the “anointing” on Saul, despite all
that Saul has done.
David will have the man executed because he admitted that he had killed
Saul, God’s anointed.
:14 to destroy the Lord’s anointed?
Lesson
Abusive Leadership
From time to time you may hear of a church leader
who is being criticized or accused of various things.
Within the more charismatic or Pentecostal churches you will sometimes hear
that leader proclaim…
“Don’t touch the Lord’s anointed”, or, don’t
criticize me
That phrase comes from
(Psalm
105:13–15 NKJV) —13 When they went from one nation to
another, From one kingdom to another people, 14 He permitted
no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, 15 Saying, “Do not
touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”
It’s also repeated in 1Chronicles 16:22.
David seemed to take this quite literally.
He put the man to death who claimed to have killed Saul.
BUT, don’t forget that David had plenty of
criticism of Saul, who was a deeply flawed man.
We saw last week how both David and Jonathan confronted Saul about his
baseless jealousy of David.
Several times David had an opportunity to kill Saul, but instead he decided
to use those opportunities to confront Saul.
It seems that Saul may have been impacted by David’s
criticisms, though I’m not sure he really changed.
My point is this, be careful when those in leadership start taking on the title
of some “anointed” person who can’t be criticized.
Leaders in the church need to live lives above reproach. Paul wrote,
(1
Timothy 3:2–3 NLT) —2 So a church leader must be a man
whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise
self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having
guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3 He must not
be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not
love money.
Paul also warns about not being quick to accuse leaders, but to be sure
there are multiple witnesses …
(1
Timothy 5:19–20 NLT) —19 Do not listen to an accusation
against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. 20 Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church;
this will serve as a strong warning to others.
When a leader falls, there should be a strong public rebuke.
After having this Amalekite killed, David will compose a song called “The
Song of the Bow”.
It was also supposedly recorded in “the Book of Jasher”, or “The Book of
the Upright”.
We don’t have this book. It didn’t
survive the last few thousand years.
The song was to remember how great Saul and Jonathan are.
There’s a line that shows up three times, “How the mighty have fallen!”
(vs. 19, 25, 27).
This is a phrase that you will hear in our English culture from time to
time, and this is where it comes from.
One line in the song raises some eyebrows…
(2 Samuel
1:26 NKJV) I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have
been very pleasant to me; Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women.
:26 Your love to me was wonderful
Lesson
The Bible and Homosexuality
David and Jonathan had a special relationship and they loved each other.
This isn’t the first time we are told about this love between Jonathan and
David.
(1 Samuel
18:3 NKJV) Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because
he loved him as his own soul.
(1 Samuel
20:17 NKJV) Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because
he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
Does this mean that David and Jonathan were gay? That’s quite a leap.
The Hebrew word used here (ahabah) is used
very much like our word for “love”.
I can say I “love” potato chips, I love studying my Bible, I love my sons, I
love my wife, and I love God.
Yet the idea in each of those uses are different.
As someone who studies languages, ahabah,
like our word “love”, carries a wide “Symantec range”, or a wide range of
meaning.
Ahabah is used to describe a “love” for
things, like Isaac’s love for “savory food” (Gen. 27:4) (all the verses will be
in my notes)
(Genesis
27:4 NKJV) And make me savory food, such as I love, and
bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”
It’s used for the psalmist’s love of God’s word (Ps. 119:47)
(Psalm 119:47 NKJV) And I will delight myself in Your
commandments, Which I
love.
The love of a father for a son (Gen. 22:2)
(Genesis 22:2 NKJV) Then He said, “Take now your son,
your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and
offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall
tell you.”
The love of a husband for his wife (1Samuel 1:5)
(1 Samuel 1:5 NKJV) But to Hannah he would give a double
portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord
had closed her womb.
We are commanded to “love God” (Deut. 6:5)
(Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJV) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, and with all your strength.
God loves us (Jeremiah 31:3)
(Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV) The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have
loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have
drawn you.
(Deuteronomy 4:37 NKJV) And because He loved your fathers,
therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of
Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power,
There is a form of the word (called a “piel
participle”) that is used for prostitution (Eze. 16:33)
(Ezekiel
16:33 NKJV) Men make payment to all harlots, but you made
your payments to all your lovers, and hired
them to come to you from all around for your harlotry.
But that’s NOT the form used in 1&2 Samuel.
Why is this important for us to talk about?
I would imagine that more than a few of you have friends or family members
who consider themselves gay.
How do you as a Christian interact with them?
David and Jonathan were not homosexuals.
They were two very good friends who loved each other (in a pure way)
We need friends in our lives.
God made it pretty clear in the Law of Moses that homosexuality was wrong.
(Leviticus
18:22 NKJV) You shall not lie with a male as with a woman.
It is an abomination.
Paul tells us that homosexuality comes about in a society when people stop
recognizing God as the Creator.
(Romans 1:26–27
NKJV) —26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their
women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned
in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and
receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Paul writes,
(1 Corinthians
6:9–11 NKJV) —9 Do you not know that the unrighteous
will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such
were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Paul’s Lessons?
1. Homosexuality is just as bad as theft or greed.
Don’t misunderstand.
Sin is still bad. But sometimes we make homosexuality out as the worst
of the worst when it’s just one among many.
In fact heterosexual sins are
listed before homosexual sin in Paul’s list.
2. God can forgive any sinner, even the homosexual.
Homosexuality is like any other sin.
Being tempted isn’t wrong, but committing a sin is wrong.
Having a “same-sex” attraction
isn’t a sin any more than having a heterosexual attraction. It’s what you do with it. God can forgive us. He can change us.
For those who struggle with same-sex attraction, God loves
you. He wants to help you. I’d like to encourage you to check out the
“Living Waters” ministry at Calvary East Anaheim. There are some fantastic people involved
there who can help you.
2Samuel 2
(2 Samuel 2:1 NKJV)
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.”
I love that David has a habit of “inquiring” of God. We’ll talk more about that at the end.
Why Hebron? (Besides God telling him so)
All the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) were buried there.
Caleb (from Judah) was the one who took Hebron from the Canaanites.
It was also known as Kiriath-arba (city of Arba).
Arba was one of the Anakim, giants who lived in Hebron. Caleb chased the giants
Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai out of Hebron (Josh. 15:14)
(Joshua 15:14 NKJV) Caleb drove out the three sons of
Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
It fits that David the giant killer would rule in Hebron
Hebron was also one of the six “cities of refuge” (Josh. 20:7).
These were cities where a person guilty of accidental manslaughter could
run to and hide from those who would want to avenge the death of the deceased.
Hebron was given specifically to the family of the high priest (Aaron, Josh.
21:13) and would serve as a place where the priests could decide difficult court
cases.
It’s kind of like the “county seat” for the tribe of Judah.
(2 Samuel 2:2 NKJV)
So
David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess,
and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.
We’ll talk about the wives in a minute.
(2 Samuel 2:4 NKJV)
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.”
David is finally king, but just king over the tribe of Judah.
When David is told how the men of Jabesh Gilead recaptured Saul’s body, he
sends his thanks and blessings.
(2 Samuel 2:8–9
NKJV) But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ishbosheth
the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 and he made
him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over
Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
Who is Abner?
Abner was Saul’s general, and he’s the real power behind Ishbosheth.
(1 Samuel 14:50
NKJV) The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz.
And the name of the commander of his army was Abner
the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.
He was of the tribe of Benjamin, and a cousin to King Saul.His
name is going to appear 63 times in the Hebrew text.
Mahanaim
See map
Mahanaim is located on the east of the Jordan river on the border of the
tribes of Gad and Manasseh. Pay attention to where the Jordan River is, Jabesh
Gilead, Gilboa, and Hebron.
We first see it mentioned when Jacob was returning with his wives and kids
from Uncle Laban. He named the place
“two camps” because not only was his family camped there, but there was also a
camp of “angels” (Gen. 32:2).
Abner will set up Ishbosheth’s capital there because:
1) It had a clear view of the plain that led up from the Jordan River.
2) It was a safe distance from David, who was settling in Hebron, and also a distance from the Philistines who had just beaten
Israel at Gilboa.
3) It was close to one of Saul’s closest allies, the men of Jabesh-Gilead.
4) Little known fact: It would give Ishbosheth control over the iron ore
industry located there, and cut off both David and the
Philistines from access to iron ore (good for making weapons).
Note: David will flee to Mahanaim when Absalom rebels
against him. One of David’s allies in
Mahanaim was named Barzillai, whose name means “man of iron”.
David’s going to rule in Hebron for 7 ½ years while Ishbosheth will rule
for 2 years.
(2 Samuel 2:11
NKJV) And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah
was seven years and six months.
Ishbosheth will rule most of the nation for a couple of years, and David
will rule only Judah.
2:12-32 “Contest” at Gibeon
Show map
Read…
(2 Samuel 2:12–14
NKJV) —12 Now Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of
Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out
and met them by the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down,
one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men now arise and compete
before us.” And Joab
said, “Let them arise.”
:14 Let the young men …compete
I wonder if they did something like the “American Ninja Warrior Junior”
contest –
Play American Ninja Warrior Junior video
But that’s not the kind of competition they had in mind. Their competition is a bit bloodier.
Their competition was twelve men vs. twelve men, all with swords.
The men from David’s army beat Abner’s men.
Then an all-out battle breaks out between the sides.
David’s three nephews, the sons of his sister Zeruiah,
Joab, Abishai, and Asahel are all there.
Asahel goes after Abner, but the older warrior kills
Asahel out of self-defense.
In the end, David’s forces lost 19 men, while Abner’s forces lost 360.
But Joab won’t forget what Abner did to his brother
Asahel.
This was the kind of death where those “cities of refuge”
to stop “revenge” killings might be helpful.
Abner and his men will retreat back
to Mahanaim while Joab and his men will go back to Hebron.
2Samuel 3
There will be a long civil war between Saul’s people and David’s people.
Meanwhile… (read)
(2 Samuel 3:2–5
NKJV) —2 Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon by
Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; the
third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; 4 the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the
son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s
wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.
:2-5 by Ahinoam … by Abigail … Maacah …
Lesson
Monogamy
I have to admit that for some, your spouse can
drive you crazy and maybe you wish you had another spouse…
Play Video: Emma Tablet Toilet Paper
But that’s no reason to have more than one spouse.
The issue of David and his wives came up briefly last week, but I thought
we’d deal with the issue here.
What’s with all the wives?
The Old Testament gets a little muddy when it talks about marriage. It is
not very clear as to monogamy vs. polygamy.
To be honest, while there are laws about adultery and divorce, the Old
Testament doesn’t give us a clear law about how many wives a man may have.
In the 1830s, Joseph Smith had been studying parts of the
Old Testament and decided that polygamy was a good thing. After all, didn’t the patriarchs do it (well
at least Jacob had four wives)? Joseph Smith would go on to have about 40
wives, and his successor Brigham Young had 55.
At one time they even went so far as to say that multiple wives were
necessary for salvation.
Finally in 1890, after great pressure from the U.S. government, the Mormons
had a convenient “revelation” and outlawed polygamy.
There was a law concerning kings and marriage.
(Deuteronomy
17:17 NKJV) Neither shall he multiply wives for himself,
lest his heart turn away…
There is no single passage about King Saul’s wives, but if
you dig a little, you will find he had at least one
wife and one concubine (I’ve got tons of references in my notes)
One wife named Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz and three or
four sons with her (1Samuel 14:50; 1Chronicles 8:33), and at least one
concubine named Rizpah who bore him at least two sons (2Samuel 3:7; 21:8)
(1
Samuel 14:49–50 NKJV) —49 The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui, and Malchishua. And the
names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab,
and the name of the younger Michal. 50 The name of
Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the
commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner,
Saul’s uncle.
(1 Chronicles 8:33 NKJV) Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and
Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and
Esh-Baal.
(2 Samuel 3:7 NKJV) And Saul had a concubine, whose name
was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ishbosheth said to Abner,
“Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”
(2 Samuel 21:8 NKJV) So the king took Armoni and
Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to
Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for
Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite;
We’ve seen that David had a few wives.
His first was Michal, Saul’s daughter (1Samuel 18:27), and
Saul would give her to another fellow after David began to run (1Samuel 25:44)
(1 Samuel 18:27 NKJV) therefore David arose and went, he
and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought
their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king,
that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.
We saw in 1Samuel 25 that David had two more wives,
Abigail the widow of Nabal, and Ahinoam of Jezreel (1Samuel 25:42-43)
(1
Samuel 25:42–43 NKJV) —42 So Abigail rose in haste and rode on
a donkey, attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of
David, and became his wife. 43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel,
and so both of them were his wives.
There are two Jezreels, one is a
small village in Judah (Josh. 15:56), the other was a valley in the land of
Issachar up north that runs east-west from Carmel to Galilee. This latter Jezreel is also known as the
Valley of Megiddo (Armageddon). There would also be a city of Jezreel where
King Ahab would have a palace.
Since David has been spending a lot of time in the land of
Judah, and since Abigail was from Maon, southern Judah, it would make sense
that Ahinoam was also from Judah.
In Hebron, David marries Maacah the daughter of Talmai king
of Geshur, Haggith, Abital, Eglah, and has six sons from these six wives
(2Samuel 3:2-5)
We now know where Geshur is. It was a city on the northeastern side of the
Sea of Galilee.
In Jesus’ day, the site of Geshur was occupied by the city
of Bethsaida, the home of Peter, Andrew, and Philip.
Keep Geshur in mind because it will come into play when we
begin reading more about Absalom.
When David gets to Jerusalem, he will marry even more
wives and concubines and have 11 more sons. (2Sam. 5:13-16)
(2
Samuel 5:13–16 NKJV) —13 And David took more concubines and
wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. Also
more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 Now these are
the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan,
Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama,
Eliada, and Eliphelet.
The most famous of these wives would be Bathsheba.
David’s son Solomon would have 700 wives and 300
concubines, and they turned his heart away from God. (1Ki. 11:3)
(1 Kings 11:3 NKJV) And he had seven hundred wives,
princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.
Why did these kings do this?
Perhaps it was cultural, as in “all kings do this…”
There are also political benefits to these marriages.
If you marry a princess from another country, her daddy is
less likely to invade you.
Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh.
One of David’s wives was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai,
king of Geshur.
Jesus is the one who clarified what man should have known all along.
When Jesus was asked about marriage and divorce…
(Matthew 19:4–6
NKJV) —4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who
made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore
what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Jesus took the issue of marriage back to the Garden of Eden, God’s original
design, and quotes from the book of Genesis.
The first marriage wasn’t between Adam and Steve.
It wasn’t between Adam, Eve, Barbara, and Edith.
He said marriage was about two becoming one.
One man. One woman.
Was David and the other people in the Old Testament wrong for taking more
than one wife? Yes. Was God merciful and
patient toward them? Yes.
3:6-21 Abner joins David
The head of Israel’s army, Saul’s cousin Abner, is accused by Ishbosheth of
having an affair with Saul’s concubine Rizpah.
Abner is offended at Ishbosheth’s accusation and he promises…
(2 Samuel 3:9–10
NKJV) —9 May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David
as the Lord has sworn to him—10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the
throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
Abner knew that David was supposed to be king all along.
Abner reaches out to David and suggests he will join him.
(2 Samuel
3:12 NKJV) Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to
David, saying, “Whose is the land?” saying also, “Make your
covenant with me, and indeed my hand shall be with you to bring all
Israel to you.”
David likes the idea of Abner joining him, but he has one condition…
He wants his wife Michal, the daughter of Saul, back
(2 Samuel 3:13–16
NKJV) —13 And David said, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. But
one thing I require of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring
Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” 14 So David
sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife
Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”
15 And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from
Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 Then her husband went along with her
to Bahurim, weeping behind her. So Abner said to him,
“Go, return!” And he returned.
Why does David want Michal back?
Maybe he loves her.
Maybe he wants to bring unity with the house of Saul.
It’s interesting that Ishbosheth helps out.
Abner reaches out to the leaders of the nation.
(2 Samuel 3:17–18
NKJV) —17 Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, “In
time past you were seeking for David to be king over you. 18 Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My
servant David, I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines
and the hand of all their enemies.’ ”
It seems the entire nation knew that God had chosen David.
(2 Samuel 3:20–21
NKJV) —20 So Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David
made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 Then Abner said to David, “I will arise and go, and gather all
Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that
you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So
David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
It’s looking good for David to finally become king of the entire nation.
When you are waiting for something promised to happen, it can get quite
excruciating each time something comes up that delays
it just a few days more…
It’s like that scene in “Star Wars” where they are sending
in the fighters to blow up the death star and one of the guys keeps saying…
Play “Almost There” video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAFM3P1Mt10
3:22-30 Joab and Abner
There’s only one small problem with what’s happening with Abner, and that’s
the grudge that Joab has against him for killing his brother Asahel at the pool
of Gibeon (ch. 2).
While David’s been meeting with Abner, Joab has been out raiding. When Joab
returns to Hebron, he finds out about David’s new pact with Abner.
Joab suggests that Abner was only spying on David before bringing back his
army to attack.
Joab sends messengers to Abner and brings him back to Hebron…
(2 Samuel
3:27 NKJV) Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took
him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the
stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.
:27 he died for the blood of Asahel his brother
Did you forget that bloody “contest” at the pool of Gibeon back in chapter
2? Neither has Joab.
Quiz Alert!! – Warning about the quiz.
You are going to want to fill in the blank with “Vengeance is mine”, but
I want you to write in …
Lesson
Vengeance is messy
We talked last week about how David had learned to leave “revenge” in God’s
hands.
(Romans
12:19 NKJV) Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather
give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”
says the Lord.
Now we see what happens when you don’t leave things in God’s hands.
It seems now that everyone has been wanting David to become king, but
Joab’s thirst for revenge seems about to upend all that.
Our desire for revenge affects those around us.
Joab has been carrying this hatred for Abner ever since Abner killed his
brother Asahel, and if you reread the passage, you will see that while Asahel
was out to kill Abner, Abner warned Asahel several times to leave him alone,
Asahel pursued Abner, and Abner had to kill him in self-defense.
(2
Samuel 2:22–23 NKJV) —22 So Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn
aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could
I face your brother Joab?” 23 However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the blunt end
of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell
down there and died on the spot…
It’s interesting that in our courts today, we might call this
“manslaughter”.
Abner didn’t want to kill Asahel but did so in
self-defense.
In the days of Moses, a law was given by God to establish “cities of
refuge” in the land of Israel so that if one man accidentally killed another,
he could flee there for safety. Blood
feuds were common in those days, and when one family member died accidentally,
the rest of the family felt an obligation to get revenge.
Theoretically this trouble between Abner and Joab could
have been ended if Abner could have only fled to one of those six cities of
refuge.
But wait. Wasn’t
Hebron one of those cities of refuge?
Yet it was.
And now Joab murders Abner in Hebron.
Don’t take revenge.
David is “this close” to becoming king with Abner’s help, and now Abner is
killed by one of David’s nephews.
That’s messy.
When you take revenge, you may feel justified, but you’ve
taken God out of the equation and you’ve taken matters
into your own hand.
God has a much better way of handling things. Let God handle it.
3:31-39 David mourns Abner
This whole mess could have gotten messier, but David responds with total
disgust at what Joab had done.
David encouraged all the people to weep for Abner. David fasts. David gives Abner a king’s
burial in Hebron.
And the nation realizes that David had nothing to do with Abner’s death.
2Samuel 4
Ishbosheth hears about Abner’s death and he’s more than a little concerned.
Circle the name Mephibosheth in verse 4. You’ll read about him this
week in your homework and we’ll talk more about him later.
Then Ishbosheth is killed by two his own captains, who take his head to
David, thinking they’re going to get a reward for killing Ishbosheth.
But if you know David, he doesn’t take kindly to people killing an
“anointed” of the Lord.
David will have these two assassins killed.
Ishbosheth’s head is buried with Abner in Hebron
2Samuel 5 David becomes king
The day has finally come. David
becomes king of all of Israel.
(2 Samuel 5:1–3
NKJV) —1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke,
saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. 2 Also, in
time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and
brought them in; and the Lord
said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over
Israel.’ ” 3 Therefore all the elders of Israel
came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron
before the Lord. And they
anointed David king over Israel.
David is now thirty years old.
It’s been about fifteen years since he was anointed by Samuel.
Sometimes the promises of God take time.
David will decide to move his capital from Hebron to Jerusalem, but first
Jerusalem needs to be conquered from the Jebusites.
David promises that whoever can climb into the walled city by way of the
“water shaft” will become “chief”, and 1Chronicles 11:6 tells us that Joab was
the one who did that.
When you visit Israel, be sure to visit “Hezekiah’s tunnel”. As you make
your way down to the tunnel, you will pass the “Jebusite water shaft”, also
known as Warren’s Shaft.
Play “Warren’s Shaft”. This is from 2011
Here’s a snippet of what Hezekiah’s tunnel is like…”
Play “Hezekiah’s tunnel”
Keep in mind that it takes about 45 minutes to walk the
tunnel, don’t do it if you are claustrophobic or afraid of the dark…
Hezekiah’s tunnel is a different story, built a few
hundred years later after the city had expanded and Hezekiah wanted water
brought into the city. This is also from
2011.
Hiram, king of Tyre (the Phoenicians) will build
a house for David, and…
(2 Samuel
5:12 NKJV) So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had
exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.
It’s interesting that David doesn’t “know” this after he’s anointed king,
but it takes some time for it all to settle in.
David has more wives and more kids, and then…
5:17-25 David fights the Philistines again
(2 Samuel 5:17–19
NKJV) —17 Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king
over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of
it and went down to the stronghold. 18 The
Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.
You may feel like you’ve “arrived” in life or ministry, but there’s always
another “battle” around the corner.
Note: The “Valley of Rephaim” means literally “Valley of the
Giants”.
David is a giant killer.
He was ruling from the city of Hebron, once ruled by the giants.
And now the Philistines attack in the valley of the giants.
What does David do? He asks God.
(2 Samuel 5:19
NKJV) So David inquired of the Lord,
saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my
hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will
doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
There will be a series of battles, all of which are directed by the Lord as
David asks God in each instance, “What shall I do?”
20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and
he said, “The Lord has broken
through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore
he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 21 And they
left their images there, and David and his men carried them away. 22 Then the
Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of
Rephaim. 23 Therefore David inquired of the Lord,
and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon
them in front of the mulberry trees. 24 And it shall
be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of
the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike
the camp of the Philistines.” 25 And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back
the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.
:23 Therefore David inquired of the Lord
Lesson
Inquiring minds
The Hebrew word for “inquire” is sha-al. King Saul’s name (sha’ul) is actually related
to this word (meaning “desired”).
In contrast, I couldn’t find a lot of examples of King Saul “inquiring” of
God. The only two examples of this particular word being used with Saul were used in that two
times he “inquired”, but God did not answer.
(1 Samuel 14:37 NKJV) So Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall
I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of
Israel?” But He did not answer him that day.
(1 Samuel 28:6 NKJV) And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by
the prophets.
One of the things I love about David is that David constantly “inquired” of
God for all sorts of things.
Perhaps this might be a bit behind that “man after God’s own heart” thing,
I’ll have a list of the verses where David “inquired” of
God in my notes.
In this chapter, I love that even when the Philistines attacked a second
time in the “Valley of Rephaim”, David didn’t assume God’s answer would be the
same.
He found out that God wanted to do something differently.
We make a mistake of not asking God for help, or perhaps maybe we just
think we don’t want to bother God with our requests. In the days of Joshua, the
nation made some significant mistakes when they didn’t ask God for direction
when they met the Gibeonites.
(Joshua 9:14 NKJV) Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did
not ask counsel of the Lord.
Here’s all the places where David “inquires of God”
(1 Samuel
22:10 NKJV) And he inquired of the Lord for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of
Goliath the Philistine.”
(1 Samuel
23:2 NKJV) Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack
these Philistines?” And the Lord said to
David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
(1 Samuel
23:4 NKJV) Then David inquired of the Lord once again. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go
down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
(1 Samuel
30:8 NKJV) So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake
them?” And He
answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without
fail recover all.”
(2 Samuel
2:1 NKJV) 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 Samuel
5:19 NKJV) So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will
You deliver them into my hand?” And the Lord said to
David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
(2 Samuel
5:23 NKJV) Therefore David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go
up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry
trees.
The Hebrew word is also found in two of David’s psalms, though it’s not
translated “inquire” but “desired” and “pray”:
(Psalm 122:6 NKJV) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
For David, “inquiring of the Lord” most likely meant asking one of the
priests to ask God for direction.
Some have suggested it involved the mysterious Urim and Thummim that the
high priest had in his breast piece.
The usual theory of the Urim and Thummim was getting a
“yes” or a “no” to your questions as you pulled either the white stone or the
black stone out of a pouch.
But God’s answers to David were often much more
complicated than just a “yes” or “no”. I would imagine
there was a measure of prophetic utterance involved as well.
How do we “inquire of the Lord”?
1. Put God first
Make Him your first priority.
Make sure your heart is right with Him.
David wrote,
(Psalm 27:4 NKJV) One thing I have desired
of the Lord, That will I
seek: That I may
dwell in the house of the Lord All the days
of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire
in His temple.
The word for “desired” is sha’al,
the same word for “inquire”.
Make sure He is more important in your heart than anything
you are asking for.
(Psalm 37:4 NKJV) Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of
your heart.
2. Ask God
Jeremiah wrote,
(Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV) ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
James said we “have not” because we “ask not” (James 4:2). So ask.
(James 4:2 NKJV) You lust and do not have. You murder
and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you
do not ask.
3. Scripture
This is the primary way God will speak to us.
Many times the answer we’re
looking for is right in Scripture. Be a person who makes a daily habit of
reading the Scripture.
(Psalm 119:105 NKJV) Your word is a lamp to my
feet And a light to my path.
Sometimes God will speak through a verse from your daily
reading.
Sometimes the answer is something you should already know.
If you are attracted to a non-believer and you wonder whether they are the one
you should marry, God already has the answer to that in His word. (2Cor. 6:14)
(2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV) Do not be unequally yoked together
with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And
what communion has light with darkness?
4. Ask advice
Ask a ministry leader or a pastor. Talk to them about what
you’ve been thinking.
(Proverbs 15:22 NKJV) Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the
multitude of counselors they are established.
If you wanted to learn to fly, wouldn’t you be careful who
you trained with?
Video on learning to fly
I think it’s wise to ask someone who is mature in the
Lord.
5. Listen and wait
My impatience is rarely a good thing. Stop, catch your
breath, and wait.
(Psalm 27:14 NKJV) Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
(Psalm 37:9 NKJV) For evildoers shall be cut off; But those
who wait on the Lord, They shall
inherit the earth.
Quiz
Fill in the blank:
From the lecture (7pts):
1. Vengeance is _________ (messy)
From Memorization (fill in the blank, 3pts)
2. He restores my _________ (soul)
Homework
Homework: Read McGee, chapter 5 – David befriends the son of Jonathan
Memorize Psalm 23:1-4
Blessing