2 Samuel 1 – Even after the ordeal Saul put David through, when news of Saul’s death reached David, he was grieved. Presumably he was especially grieved for Jonathan, his best friend, but in his lament, his words seem to honor both equally.
The Amalekite, who fled from the battle where Saul and Jonathan died, clearly was lying. He was probably expecting some kind of reward for killing Saul. Perhaps he witnessed the whole thing and was somehow able to claim Saul’s crown and band, but something in David’s heart didn’t feel right about the young man’s testimony. After initially grieving when he heard the news, the Amalekite got an unexpected reward for his lies – he lost his life. David was zealous for the LORD’s anointed, even to the end.
2 Samuel 2 – One could say that David is a good diplomat. I think he was just being himself. He immediately wins the hearts of the city of Jabesh-Gilead, which had been pro-Saul ever since Saul, in the early days of his reign, had come to their rescue when they were invaded by the Ammonites. By acknowledging and commending their kindness to Saul (see 1 Samuel 31:11-13), David was simply being genuine, but it had to make an impression on them.
Already we have some indication of the divisions that would lead to the future divided kingdom between Judah, the southern kingdom, and Israel, the northern kingdom. David was made king of Judah first. It remained to be seen what the other tribes of Israel would do. At first, Ishbosheth, Saul’s remaining son, became their king, with the support of Abner, Saul’s military captain. War broke out between David’s men and Ishbosheth’s, and David’s men gained the upper hand. An interesting incident happened after the battle. Asahel, brother of Joab (David’s military captain) was determined not to let Abner escape. Abner, however, was an honorable man. He didn’t want to shed Asahel’s blood, but he didn’t want to die either. When Asahel refused to stop chasing him, apparently Abner surprised him in some way, and Asahel’s own speed caused his death, as he impaled himself on the but end of Abner’s spear. Abner asked for, and received, a “cease-fire” from Joab, but Joab was looking for a chance to avenge his brother Asahel’s death.
2 Samuel 3 – As David’s house grew stronger and Saul’s grew weaker, God blessed David with many sons. Meanwhile, Abner had been becoming stronger himself. Ishbosheth interpreted that to mean that Abner wanted the kingship for himself, accusing him of sleeping with Saul’s concubine. In those days, sleeping with a former kings concubine was seen as laying claim to the throne. Abner, however, had been planning no such thing, but the insult to his integrity from Ishbosheth caused Abner to abruptly end his loyalty to Saul’s household and throw his hat in David’s ring.
Joab, of course, suspected a plot. He was furious that David had let Abner go, so he sent for Abner and unsuspectingly murdered him. Joab, as we will find, has a history of doing violent acts against David’s will. The people of Israel knew that David had nothing to do with Abner’s death, and that David was as grieved about it as they were, and so they accepted David as their king. Interestingly, though David says in verse 39 that “These sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me,” David accepted and used Joab’s unscrupulousness when he wanted to (as we will see in chapter 11).
2 Samuel 4 – David did not hesitate to carry out justice. When two men killed Ishbosheth in cold blood, he demanded of them what the law did – their life for his life.
2 Samuel 5 – At last, the Israelites remember the real David, and not the fabricated traitor of King Saul’s stories. They willingly made David their king.
There was one last fortress in the Promised Land that the Israelites had never been able to conquer – Jerusalem. But David conquered it, and made that fortress his capital city. There he built his palace and was established as king, taking more wives and concubines, and having more sons. Two of the sons mentioned in verses 14 and 15 are noteworthy – Nathan and Solomon. Solomon was the son of Bathsheba, for whom David committed the sins of adultery and murder. Yet he became king. The line of the Messiah passed through Solomon and ultimately to Joseph (see Matthew chapter 1). The line of Jesus mother Mary went through David’s son Nathan (See Luke chapter 3). Therefore, both Mary and Joseph were of the “house and lineage of David.”
This chapter ends with two anecdotal stories about David’s continuing victories over the powerful Philistines. Both show that David relied on God for direction, even to the point of getting battle strategy from God himself.
2 Samuel 6 – Now that David was thoroughly established as king, an important detail remained to be done. The ark of God needed to be restored to its rightful place – as focal point of the worship of Israel. Yet the appropriate caution was not taken to re-read the books of the law and see how the ark was to transported and handled. Unfortunately, Uzzah died as a result of touching the ark in a way that forgot that the Lord God almighty was enthroned upon it. David had a mixture of emotions. He was angry at God for this incident, but also afraid. Not knowing what to do with the ark, he sent it to a nearby household, and that household was very blessed.
Realizing that the Ark did bring blessing when handled properly, David brought it into Jerusalem, dancing in front of the whole city, much to the displeasure of his first wife, Michal, who was more concerned about her husbands dignity than giving praise to the LORD. David responded to her with a great thought for all lovers of God to hold close – “I will become even more undignified than this.” If praising God means that we are undignified before others, so be it.
2 Samuel 7 – In the course of time, David felt somewhat guilty that he had a nice, comfortable house of cedar in which to live, and the ark of the LORD was living in a tent. But it was not in God’s plans for David to build a house for Him. Instead, God would build a house for David. In this prophecy, delivered to David by the prophet Nathan, we have an example of many future events being wrapped up in one prophecy.
First of all, God promises David that his offspring would succeed him as king, and that he would establish his kingdom forever. The offspring God speaks of is Solomon, who would be the next king, but Solomon’s kingdom did not last forever. The kingdom of Solomon’s descendents didn’t last forever either, as the nation of Judah, and the Davidic line of kings, finally ceased to exist. But through Jesus Christ, David’s descendant, this kingdom would last forever. Yet, the though switches back once again to Solomon, who, “when he does wrong” would be punished by God (and the kings after him). Yet the type of punishment born sounds similar to the punishment of Jesus, who would receive the “floggings inflicted by men.” So though Solomon, and other kings who would do wrong in the future, would be punished, ultimately their brother and high king, Jesus, would bear the eternal punishment for them.
2 Samuel 8 – Details about David’s victories and officials are included in this chapter.
2 Samuel 9 – Way back in 1 Samuel 20:15 and 42, David promised Jonathan that he would show kindness to his descendants, which is precisely what he did for Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, who had been dropped by a nurse while trying to escape when the house of Saul was being overrun and was crippled in both feet. So David extended kindness to Mephibosheth and he ate at the king’s table all the days of his life.
2 Samuel 10 – David tried to show kindness to a variety of people, but sometimes they didn’t accept it very graciously, as is the case with Hanun of the Ammonites, who suspected a delegation David sent (to extend sympathies at Hanun’s father’s death) to be spies. He humiliated them and sent them away.
Hanun realized he had gotten on David’s bad side and hired soldiers from other nations. Yet this chapter shows that it didn’t matter how many soldiers were hired from where – God was with David and gave him victory over all of his foes. |
