2 Samuel 5:1—5
It was a great day for the nation of Israel when all the tribes gathered together at Hebron to make David king over them, a united people. He had been anointed king of the house of Judah, but now all Israel turned out to make David their leader. But it didn’t just happen by chance. Of course, the Lord had already chosen David to be Israel’s king long before this, but the crazy King Saul refused to step aside when God stripped the kingdom from him, and so he was allowed to just expire. It was really Abner’s wisdom and advocacy that caused this joyous day to occur:
Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. Now do it! For the LORD promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’ ” Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin wanted to do. (2 Samuel 3:17—19)
Even while Saul was occupying the throne in defiance of God, it was David who, in the main, was leading Israel militarily by faith.
This day was a long time in coming for David. There were many years, many challenges, many close calls, and some failures between God’s anointing of David and the realization of God’s promise to him. Sometimes this is case for believers; our lives unfold according to God’s will and according to God’s timetable, yet from our perspective it often appears as though God is slack in keeping His promises to us. But we need to be patient and faithfully trust in God; the person who is anointed with His Holy Spirit and who lives in faith will eventually see God’s glory manifested in their lives.
God’s Word is final; He promised the kingdom to David, and this day the kingdom was given to David. One day the kingdoms of this world will be given to our Anointed One, Jesus Christ when He is finally crowned King of all.
1. The confession, 5:1, 2
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.” In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’ ”
(a) A special bond
The KJV renders it much more poetically—
…we are thy bone and thy flesh.
The tribes of Israel were identifying themselves with David; they were essentially saying that he was one of them. But the reverse was true; to have a “flesh and bone” relationship with a king is surely a great privilege!
The elders of Israel were also declaring their loyalty to David. By pointing out the fact that he was a fellow Israelite, they were making a covenant agreement with him to be committed to him no matter what the circumstances may be.
Most of us are not directly related to earthly royalty, yet we are all related to heavenly royalty! Ephesians 5:30 says—
…for we are members of his body.
Because we have that kind of relationship with Him, we have this kind of relationship with each other in Him—
…so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:5)
This verse, perhaps more than any other, perfectly describes the bond—the covenant relationship—we have with each other. “Each member belongs to all the others,” expresses a relationship that transcends any earthly relationship we can have. The relationship we have as members of the Body of Christ is stronger, more profound, and more significant than any other relationship based on anything other than Christ. And with any covenant, each member has rights and obligations toward the others. For that matter, Christ has obligations to those He has called and saved; we have obligations to Him.
(b) A pathetic failure
There is a sense of disappointment when the elders of Israel mention Saul’s name—
In the past, while Saul was king over us (verse 2a)
Saul was manic; he was untrustworthy and unapproachable. He broke away from the Lord and committed wicked sins in his demented pursuit of David. He sought to halt God’s will by destroying God’s Anointed.
Can you imagine living under such a king as Saul? Can you imagine how hopeless and helpless the people were, knowing that Saul was their king and there was nothing they could do about it? What a perfect, yet sad picture of sinful man living under the dominion of the prince of this world, Satan! Satan, the one who promises so much good yet delivers only misery. People trapped in that kind of miserable bondage, God’s Anointed One came to set free.
(c) Amazing grace
…you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. (verse 2b)
Even though Saul was king, David was leading Israel in protecting them behind the scenes. Before David was king, his wisdom and skill were quietly leading them, unseen. It’s a fact that God guides this world providentially and will continue to do so until His Son, the Anointed King of Kings come to reign over it in Person.
On a personal note, how many of us can look back over our lives and see the unseen Hand of God, gently pushing us along? Even as sinners with no relationship with Him at all, God was moving on our behalf.
When the people wanted a king, they said this to Samuel—
Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” (1 Samuel 8:20)
To a limited extent, Saul was such a king, but David was supremely so! God granted their wishes before it became obvious to them. The role David assumed, in the background, reminds us that God often answers our prayers in ways we least expect, never dreamed of, and perhaps cannot see at the moment.
(d) An expression of faith
And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’ ” (verse 2b)
The elders discerned that David was to ascend to the throne of Israel. They clearly saw that he had been chosen and anointed of God, that he had already been leading Israel behind the scenes, and they saw in David the qualities they needed in a ruler: one who would shepherd them.
Here is an excellent lesson in how God works. When God chose David out of the all the sons of Jesse, it was not an arbitrary choice; God knew exactly what He was doing for David was perfectly suited to his calling. David was the best of his family and of his nation for the specific purpose to which God had called him. David’s gifts and talents were not given to him after the fact; he was born with them, and the people, specifically the elders here, saw them on display and they, by faith, believed David could what he was born to do. God is an expert at filling vacant positions with men and women of His choosing; people who otherwise might never realize their full potential. David expressed his faith in answering the call and the people expressed their faith by recognizing God’s call on David’s life.
Again, the KJV expresses the elder’s thoughts in a poetic, powerful manner—
Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.
In ancient Israel, civic leaders, not religious leaders, we called to shepherd the people. David, as king, would see that the physical needs of his people were met, and history indicates that he was as effective a king as he was a shepherd. The word “captain” (KJV), “ruler” (tNIV) is the Hebrew nagid, which does not refer to a military position, although that’s what it sounds like. Nagid, like “shepherd” refers to a civil leader. David had already proved that he was a good shepherd in his younger years, and he proved that he was a great military leader during Saul’s reign, now he was about to become the leader of a nation. In fact, he was already king in Judah, now the rest of the nation is expressing the faith in David that the people in Judah had.
Our Heavenly David, Jesus Christ, has proved Himself an able Savior at ever turn. God had commissioned His Son to care for His sheep and He has never failed in that commission. Jesus is the Bread of Heaven; He is the Living Bread that sustains us.
(e) Surrender
…you will become their ruler. (verse 2c)
What an attitude of complete subjection! This was not easy for Israel to do. Remember, it was Abner who encouraged the elders of Israel to make a compact or covenant with David. It was not their idea. It was Judah’s idea, but Israel had to be, more or less, talked into it. In fact, the same thing might be said of David; it seems like it took Abner to get David off the dime—
Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. (2 Samuel 3:21)
Who knows how long it would have taken both parties in this covenant to get their collective acts together, had it not been for the timely intervention of Abner. Both David and Israel surrendered ultimately to God’s will.
There has always been an Abner, by the way. In your life and mine, God places people to push us along the corridor of His will. It’s easy to get comfortable with the status quo; David had a great life as king of Judah but God had a higher calling for Him; he was to rule over a united nation. The early Church was very comfortable in Jerusalem with its Jewish converts, but it wasn’t God’s will for it to remain there. There is always an Abner, and sometimes he is mean and sometimes he is not, but it is God’s prerogative to use him to get us into the mainstream of God’s will.
2. The Covenant
When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. (verse 3)
The offer was made and accepted and both parties made a covenant that would last until the death of David’s son, Solomon.
Jesus wants to make a covenant with us; He is the prime mover, though, not us. He calls us to Himself. Jesus is perfectly suited in every way to care for us, to lead us, to protect us, and to bring us to everlasting life. But, unlike David who was never able to completely live up to God’s expectations and the demands of the covenant he made that day, Jesus can and does; Jesus meets and exceeds any and all demands placed on Him! Do you need to be saved? Jesus can accomplish that. Do you need healing? By His stripes you were healed! Do you need direction in life? Wisdom is yours for the asking. Are you lonely? Jesus is the Friend that sticks closer than a brother.
Jesus has what you need. Be willing to enter into a covenant relationship with Him; you’re life will never be the same!
(c) 2009 WitzEnd
