The Life of David: 2 Samuel 4-5

1 Chronicles 11:3 NKJV

3 Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.

1 Chronicles 11:1–3 NKJV

1 Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. 2 Also, in time past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over My people Israel.’ ” 3 Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.

2 Samuel 5:1-3

There is a card going around with two statements on it, place an X on the scale where you feel you fall. Toward the right is disagree to the left is agree. The two statements are: I believe God has a plan for my life and I am walking in the plan God has for my life.

How did you feel on the first day of your current job?

What situations happened that you didn’t expect?

Did you feel you were adequately trained?

In a an article entitled, Why your first job out of college really, really matters, the author discusses the importance of taking the right job

A 2018 survey found, “More than 40 percent of college graduates take positions out of school that don’t require a degree, the study found. And more than 1 in 5 college grads still aren’t working a degree-demanding job a decade after leaving school.”

A 2018 survey found, “More than 40 percent of college graduates take positions out of school that don’t require a degree, the study found. And more than 1 in 5 college grads still aren’t working a degree-demanding job a decade after leaving school.”

And more than 1 in 5 college grads still aren’t working a degree-demanding job a decade after leaving school.

A 2018 survey found, “:More than 40 percent of college graduates take positions out of school that don’t require a degree, the study found. And more than 1 in 5 college grads still aren’t working a degree-demanding job a decade after leaving school.”

Regardless of our training, either higher education or life experience, we are not fully trained and equipped to do all is expected of us.

There is a window between preparing for the destiny God has for us and walking in said destiny. In that period of time, we develop principles that will follow us throughout our lives.

Background

The writer of 1 and 2 Samuel focuses on over two decades of David’s life. God selected David to succeed Saul as king over Israel. However, Abner, the general of Israel’s army, placed Saul’s son king.

Ishbosheth was a weak leader who lost lost the confidence of Abner. Abner made an alliance with David, agreeing to bring the twelve tribes together under the leadership of King David.

However, Joab, David’s captain, killed Abner because Abner killed Joab’s brother. When Ishbosheth heard Abner died, he was worried and all of Israel began to have problems.

With the absence of strong leadership, people took matters into their own hands. To men, Rechab and Baanah, found Ishbosheth and killed him.

They told David, expecting to receive a reward. Instead of being happy, David sentenced these two men to death. These men were in a line of people who David had killed because of their attacks on Saul or his family.

What caused David to maintain such integrity, even defending his enemies after they died?

Story

After Ishbosheth died, the leaders of Israel realized they did not have a king. They went to David and groveled. They used the right words, but their flattery revealed much more.

They acknowledged even when Saul was king they knew David was God’s anointed. If this is the case, why did they choose Ishbosheth as king instead of David?

Whether their motives were based on self-interest or they felt they needed to stay loyal to Saul was beside the point for David. God called him to lead all of Israel, therefore, David forgave them and made a covenant with them.

Why was it important for David to not hold grudges?

2 Samuel 5:6–8 NKJV

6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” 7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). 8 Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be chief and captain.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”

Now that David is king, he faces the decision of choosing a capital city of Israel. When Saul reigned he reigned from Gibeah, in the tribe of Benjamin.

If David moved the capitol back there, it would take the minds of the people of Israel back to the days of Saul. However, he did not want to reign in Hebron, because Judah was not the epicenter of Israelite society.

Therefore, he decided on Jerusalem, which was controlled by the Jebusites. It belonged to the Israelites, but it was in the hands of their enemies.

Judges 1:21 NKJV

21 But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

David had to solve problems he did not create. When we begin to walk in our destiny, there are situations we have to fix that we did not start.