The Anointed: When The King Returns

Previously:

David’s Judah and Absalom’s Israel Went to Battle and Absalom Died, Ending the Fighting

David Mourned His Victory Until Persuaded by Joab to Encourage His Men Who Risked Their Lives for His Safety

The 10 Tribes of Israel Decided to Welcome David Back Home as King Over Israel

David Rebukes Judah for Not Being the First to Recommend This

David Receives 3 Separate Visits at the Jordan River to Help Him Cross Over and Travel to Jerusalem

Shimei Shows Up to Apologize for Cursing David

He is Shown Mercy by David

Mephibosheth Shows Up Proving that He Had Lived in Exile with David in Spirit

Barzillai Shows Up to Help David One Last Time and Gives His Reward to Chimham

2 Samuel 19:40-43

All the People of Judah and Half of the People of Israel Accompanied David on His Journey Home

Then Those of Israel Begin to Fuss at Those of Judah

They Were Upset that Judah Had Brought the King to Jerusalem Without Waiting for Them to Assist and Celebrate with Them

Judah Replies by Boasting of Their Closer Familial Relationship with David

Israel Responded with, “Well We are 10 Tribes to Your 2, So We Have a Greater Claim on David than You. Plus, it was Our Idea First to Bring the King Back!”

And They Kept Bickering Back and Forth

2 Samuel 20

Then a “Worthless” Man Among the Benjamites Blew a Trumpet and Called All of Israel to Desert David and Return to Their Homes

All the People of Israel Did Exactly That, but All of Judah Escorted David Back to Jerusalem

Upon Reentering His Home, David Immediately Began Taking Care of the 10 Concubines He’d Left Behind Who Were Publicly Raped by Absalom

He Kept Them Under Guard and Provided Food for Them

He Would Never Again Be Intimate with Them

They Were to Live Out Their Lives as if They Were Widows

Then David Gets Amasa (Absalom’s Former Commander) to Round Up the Men of Judah for Him in 3 Days

For Some Reason it Took Him More than 3 Days, So David Sent Abishai After Sheba (Joab Went with Abishai)

2 Samuel 20:8–10 (NASB)

When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was dressed in his military attire, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; and as he went forward, it fell out. Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa was not on guard against the sword which was in Joab’s hand so he struck him in the belly with it and poured out his inward parts on the ground, and did not strike him again, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

Joab and Amasa are Both Nephews of David

The Sword of Violence Still Plagues His House

Obviously the Lesson Wasn’t Learned with Abner

Joab Doesn’t Like Competition or Anyone Taking His Job as Commander

All of the Men Now Followed Joab Instead of Amasa

They Went All Through the Tribes of Israel and Found Out that Sheba was in Abel Beth-Maacah

They Built a Siege Wall Around the City and Began Tearing Down the Wall

Then a “Wise Woman” Asked to Speak with Joab

She Tells Him that Abel is a Wise and Faithful City in Israel, and Asks Him Why He Would Seek to Destroy it?

Joab Tells Her that He Doesn’t Want to Destroy the City, He Just Wants the City to Hand Over Sheba

She Promises to Throw His Head Down to Joab from the Wall

The Wise Woman Informed the City of this and They Did Exactly as She had Said

Joab Blew the Trumpet and They All Wetn Home

Joab was Said to Now be Over the Army of Israel Again

2 Samuel 21

We are Now Leaving the Story of David’s Sin with Bathsheba and the Consequences that Followed

From Chapter 11-20, We’ve Been Slowly Moving Through that Particular Time in David’s Life

These Last Few Chapters Will Be Non-Chronological Events that Also Happened in David’s Life

We are Told that There was a 3 Year Famine in Israel and David Asked God Why

God Said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”

The Gibeonites Were the People Who Tricked Joshua and the Israelites in Joshua 9

They Claimed to be from a Far Away Place Wanting to Join the Israelites

They Were Actually Inhabitants of the Promised Land that Israel was to Drive Out

Israel Made a Covenant with Them to Let Them Live

2 Samuel 21:2 - “Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah”

Gibeonites Were Originally Supposed to be Wiped Out of the Land

Instead of Keeping the Covenant, Saul Wanted to Exterminate Them

God was Now Punishing Israel for Their Former King’s Sins

There Needed to be Justice

David Asked the Gibeonites How Israel Could Make it Up to Them

They Asked for the Lives of 7 of Saul’s Sons

David Gave Them 7 Sons to be Hanged at the Beginning of the Harvest Except He Spared Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s Son

2 of the Sons Were the Sons of Saul’s Wife, Rizpah

She Stayed with the Bodies of Her Sons Day and Night to Protect THem from Birds and Other Animals

David Heard of this and Felt Compassion

He Went and Brought Saul and Jonathan’s Bones from Jabesh-Gilead and the Bones of the 7 and Buried Them in the Grave of Saul’s Father, Kish

After Justice was Served, God Sent Rain

Then We’re Told of Another Story During David’s Reign

Israel and the Philistines Were at War Again

During the Battle, David Became Weary and a Giant Named Ishbi-Benob was Going to Kill Him

Then Abishai Showed Up and Killed the Giant

After This, David’s Men Didn’t Allow Him to Go Out to Battle with Them Anymore

And During Another Battle with the Philistines, Sibbecai the Hushathite Killed Another Giant Named Saph

And Again During Another Battle with the Philistines, Elhanan the Bethlehemite Killed a Giant Named Lahmi, Who was Goliath’s Brother (1 Chron. 20:5)

And Yet Again in a Battle with the Philistines, Jonathan, David’s Nephew Killed a Giant with 6 Fingers and 6 Toes on His Hands and Feet

All of These Giants Were Slain by David and His Men

Applications

In These 2 Chapters, 3 Major Things Happened

The Enemies of David Were Destroyed

Justice Was Brought to the Afflicted

David’s Allies Were Victorious Over Giants Just Like He First Was

David’s Return Gives Us a Picture of What Will Happen When Our King Returns

Jesus’ Enemies Will Be Destroyed Once and For All

Jesus Will Bring Justice to Those Who Were Afflicted in this Life

Jesus’ Allies Will Be Victorious Over the Powers that He Himself was First Victorious Over

2 Thessalonians 1:6–10 ESV

since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

Those Who are Afflicted Will Be Given Relief and Those Who are the Enemies Will Punished

1 Corinthians 15:20–26 (NASB)

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

1 Corinthians 15:50–57 (NASB)

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

When the King Returns, There Will Be:

Justice, Righteousness, Life, Joy, Victory

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NASB)

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.