“If we have any humanity in us, seeing men going to perdition, …ought we not be moved by pity, to rescue the poor souls from hell, and teach them the way of salvation? (from sermon 196 on Deut. 33:18-19;)

…nothing could be more inconsistent with the nature of faith than that deadness which would lead a man to disregard his brethren, and to keep the light of knowledge choked up within his own breast. (from commentary on Is. 2:3;)

When we know God to be our Father, should we not desire that he be known as such by all? And if we do not have this passion, that all creatures do him homage, is it not a sign that his glory means little to us? (from sermon 196 on Deut. 33:18-19; taken from Ref 21 article)

Since we do not know who belongs to the number of the predestined and who does not, it befits us so to feel as to wish that all be saved. So it will come about that, whoever we come across, we shall study to make him a sharer of peace . . . even severe rebuke will be administered like medicine, lest they should perish or cause others to perish. But it will be for God to make it effective in those whom He foreknew and predestined. 

DAVID TAKES JERUSALEM (AND MORE WIVES): 2 SAMUEL 5:6-16

 

David Takes Jerusalem

5:6-10; 1 Chronicles 11:4-9

2 Samuel 5 contains several stories of David’s life after he became king. They may not be in chronological order. 

The first story is a short rendition of David conquering Jerusalem and defeating the Jebusites that lived there. 

The Jebusites were Canaanites, descendants of Noah’s Grandson, Caanan. (Genesis 10:15-16)

Noah

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Jebusites

Jerusalem was an old city. It is believed to have been the “Salem” of Melchizedek. (Genesis 14:18) Psalm 76:2 says "God’s abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion”. 

The Jebusites took over the city around 1850 B.C. They built a wall around it and named the city Jebus.  It became a city state. It was influenced by Egypt and its leaders corresponded with Egyptian leaders. It is mentioned in some Egyptian texts that still exist.  

The Israelites had never driven the Jebusites out of the land as they were supposed to. Joshua 15:63 says the the people of Judah could not drive them out. The city was built on a mountain and was fortified by a wall. It was sometimes called the Fortress of Zion. The steepness of the hill and the strength of the wall had protected the people. Eventually, the Israelites left them alone.

However, David wanted the city for his capitol. It was a good political choice. The northern tribes would not have accepted Hebron as the capital. It was too far south and right in the middle of the territory of Judah.

Jerusalem was further north. It also had at times been considered to be in the territory of Benjamin. But, in reality, it did not belong to anyone in Israel because the Jebusites held it. 

So, David and his men went there to attack it. The Jebusites were confident their city could not be taken. They taunted David, saying he could not come in. They said even the blind and lame would defeat David. 

The city did have a weakness, however. There was a shaft that brought water from a spring into the city. 

David gave his men a challenge. Whoever was the first of the army to go up the water shaft and attack would become chief and commander of the army. Joab answered the challenge and went first. So, he became commander of the army of Israel. 

After conquering the stronghold, David moved in and made it his city. It was called the City of David. Joab repaired the damage caused by the attack. He built terraces on the slope to level it for houses and other buildings.  

David became greater and greater because the LORD was with him. 

Tyre Sends Gifts To David

5:11-12; 1 Chronicles 11:1-2

Hiram, who was king of Tyre, sent gifts to David to help him build a grand house. He sent cedar trees, carpenters, and stone masons. This is a foreign government acknowledging the new king and trying to obtain favor with its new king. So David knew the LORD established him as king and exalted his kingdom. 

But the exaltation was not for David’s benefit. It was for the benefit of the people of Israel, God’s people. David’s purpose was to take care of the people and lead them in obedience to God. 

It is the same with leaders in the church. They are not raised to leadership for their personal exaltation, but to take care of (shepherd) the people and lead them in obedience to God. 

David Collects Women and Children

5:13-16; 1 Chronicles 3:1-9

Once settled in Jerusalem, David began to collect wives and concubines. That was a customary thing for kings to do at the time. Deuteronomy 17:15-17 instructed kings not to take many wives. Certainly pagan wives could turn the king away from God to idols. 

These multiple wives produced multiple children for David. They are listed in verses14-16. Some of these may have been “treaty wives” who were the daughters of kings in other countries. The theory is a king would not attack a country if his daughter lived there as a wife of the king. 

 So David is acting as a king would, according to the standards of the world around him. Having many wives would show his wealth and success. Having many children would demonstrate his strength.

But, it is not what the Lord commanded. In this matter, David has succumbed to culture over command. It is the first stain on his reign. 

Now, back to the Jebusites! David’s defeat of the Jebusites fulfills another promise of God. God promised the territory of the Jebusites to Abraham. Read Genesis 14:18-21. It has been about 800 years, but God kept his promise and his word was proven true! 

Orthodox\Orthodoxy

 I sometimes use the word “orthodox” when referring to doctrine. For example, I may say this teaching is orthodox or is not orthodox. Or it is orthodoxy. I am not referring to the branch of Christianity which calls itself the Orthodox Church (Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox etc.) Instead, I mean this is the historically correct teaching or doctrine. 

The word orthodoxy is composed of two Greek words: “orthos” and “doxa”. Combined, they form the Greek word “orthodoxia”. We transliterate it into English as “orthodoxy”.

The word “orthos” literally means “straight”. That is why the study and practice of making your teeth straight is called orthodontics. 

The Greek writing theologians used the word “orthos” to describe teaching that is true.  English speaking people use the word orthodox for that same person. The idea that “straight” can mean “true” is carried over in the language where I grew up. We referred to someone who told the unvarnished truth as a straight talker. We said someone who lived a moral life walked the straight and narrow. You can probably think of others you have heard.

The Greek word “doxa” came to mean “teachings”. So, for Christians, the word orthodox or orthodoxy means Christian doctrine that is correct (straight) and does not change.

There is a constant, continuing battle between those who insist on standing for orthodoxy, or orthodox teaching, and those who want to redefine or eliminate the traditional truths taught by Jesus, the apostles, and the church. 

THE END OF THE HOUSE OF SAUL & DAVID BECOMES KING: 2 SAMUEL 4:1 - 5:5

The Effect of Abner’s Death

4:1

Chapter 3 related the story of Joab murdering Abner. David denied any connection to the murder and honored Abner with a burial at Hebron and a period of mourning. These actions pleased the people of Israel.

But, the death of Abner caused the people of Israel to be dismayed (“alarmed” in the New International Version). They knew Abner was the powerful leader of Israel even though he was not king. Without him, they did not have a real leader. 

Abner had also been working for reconciliation between Judah and Israel. Now that he was gone, would reconciliation fail? Would David try to take over by force? 

Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was also dismayed. His courage failed and he became afraid. He knew he was not strong enough to lead Israel without Abner. 

It does not affect our story, but the name of Saul’s son is interesting. He is always referred to by this name in 2 Samuel. “Ish-bosheth” means “Son of Shame”. However, in 1 Chronicles 8:30 and 9:39, he is called “Eshbaal”, which means “Baal exists”. 

Introducing Baanah and Rechab

4:2-3

There were two men in the army of Ish-bosheth who were captains over raiding bands. As David’s army raided the Amalekites and other non-Israelites, the army of Ish-bosheth seems to have done the same. The lineage of the men is given including the fact that they were actually from Beeroth. 

Beeroth was actually a town of the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites were the ones who tricked Joshua into making a treaty with them instead of destroying them. You can read about this in Joshua 9. But somewhere along the way these people were absorbed into the tribe of Benjamin. The writer mentions this so that we will know what happens is not the action of David’s people, but of the tribe or house of Saul.

Mephibosheth

4:4

As we often see in these stories, the writer interrupts the story to introduce the son of Jonathan named Mephibosheth. He was five only five years old when his father was killed. His nurse took him and fled. He fell and became lame. 

Mephibosheth would have been in line to be king if Ish-bosheth died without a male heir, but would not be considered because him was lame and powerless. So, the writer of the book portrays the house of Saul as weak. Both of his surviving heirs are weak. 

The Murder of Ish-bosheth

4:5-8a

Here the writer returns to the story of Rechab and Banal. They sneaked into the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day when everyone was resting. They found Ish-bosheth lying in bed and killed him there. They also beheaded him. 

Now there is no one left of the house of Saul to be king. His son was dead and his grandson was crippled. 

Rechab and Baanah Seek David’s Favor

4:5b-12

Rechab and Baanah took the head of Ish-bosheth and traveled all night to get to Hebron and present their trophy to David to gain his favor. They said here is the head of the son of your enemy, the one who sought your life. You are now avenged on Saul and his offspring. This is similar to what the Amalekite slave previously did with Saul’s crown and sword. Evidently the two men did not know that story.

But David told them the story and how he had the Amalekite killed for striking the Lord’s anointed. David said, if I did that for Saul, how much more will I do it to the who killed a righteous man, meaning Ish-bosheth, who was killed in his own house and on his own bed. 

David had the young men kill Rachab and Banal. They cut off their hands and feet and them hanged them. This was to show they were guilty of a crime punishable by death and cursed for their actions. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) It also made clear that David did not commission or approve of them. 

In contrast, David honored the House of Saul as he buried the head of Ish-bosheth in the tomb of Abner at Hebron. This would again show he was not responsible for the murder and that he paid honor to the family that had ruled Israel. His kingship would not, therefore, be tainted by the murder. 

The House of Saul having been destroyed, the stage is now set for David to become king of all Israel. 

David Made King Of Israel

5:1-5; 1 Chronicles 11:1-3

The tribes of Israel, other than Judah, sent representatives to David to indicate their desire to have David as their king. They gave three reasons.

First, they are all Hebrews. They had common ancestors. They are descended from the patriarchs Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. David is their kinsman even though descended from a different tribe (Judah). Although the tribes have been split, they now seek unity. 

Second, even while Saul was king, it was David who led them to their greatest victories. Since kings were expected to lead their people into battle, David had shown he was qualified and experienced. 

Third, and most important, they acknowledged that the LORD had declared that David would be king, both shepherd and prince over Israel. David’s response is not recorded, but it is clear he agreed to be their king. 

The elders of the tribes then came to David and entered into a covenant with him before the Lord. The New International Version says “compact”, but the Hebrew word “beriyt” is most commonly translated as covenant. David agreed to serve and lead as king and the tribes agreed to follow him. 

David reigned for a total of 40 years, beginning when he was 30 years old. 

Takeaways

God accomplished his will and his promise that David would become king. 

Sometimes sinful, even evil, people are part of accomplishing God’s will. 

But God does not tempt people to sin. (James 1:13-15)

(All Biblical quotes are from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.)