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Scripture Reading: 1 Sam. 24:1-6; 26:7-12; 2 Sam. 1:5-15; 2:1; 4:5—5:3; 6:16-23; 7:18; 15:19-20, 24-26; 16:5-14; 19:9-15
In the Old Testament David was the second king appointed by God. Before David there was Saul, who was also appointed by God. David was the up-to-date authority appointed by God; he was God’s present anointed one. Saul was God’s displaced authority; he was God’s previous anointed one. God’s Spirit left Saul, but he was still on the throne. David was already appointed the king, yet Saul would not step down. What should David do? Here we see how David submitted to authority and how he did not build up his own authority. David was a man according to God’s heart. He could be a deputy authority because he was a person who genuinely submitted to authority.
First Samuel 24 tells us of a story in the wilderness in Engedi. Saul was pursuing David. When David hid in a cave, Saul went into the same cave to cover his feet. David was hiding in the innermost part of the cave. He cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak, but later rebuked himself (vv. 4b-5). His conscience was very tender and keen. First Samuel 26 tells us of another opportunity that David had to kill Saul. This time, however, he only took his spear and water jug (v. 12a). David cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak and took something in his possession. This could have served very well as a basis for him to boast to Saul (vv. 17-20). But this would have been the way of a lawyer, not the way of a Christian. A lawyer is only concerned with reason and evidence. But a Christian is concerned with feeling; he is not concerned with reason. He is concerned with fact, not with evidence. David had the sense and feeling of a Christian. This is why he rebuked himself after he cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak. We should be those who are only concerned with facts before the Lord; we are not for politics. We should not pay attention merely to the procedures. Both in Shanghai and Foochow I have seen brothers who were concerned only with procedures and evidence. But here was a man who began to rebuke himself after he had only cut Saul’s cloak. A Christian is one who is concerned with inward feeling, not with proof of evidence. Those in the world are concerned with proof of evidence. A person may be able to cut the cloak of others, he may be able to take their spear and water jug, and he may be able to boast of it, but his heart will condemn him. David was a person who could submit to authority. He did not tear down Saul’s authority. Instead he waited for God to establish his authority. He was able to wait; he did not try to “help” God by hastening Saul’s death. A deputy authority of God must learn not to establish his own authority, but to build up the authority of those who are over him.
Second Samuel tells us of a person who came to David and reported that he had killed Saul. He thought that he would be rewarded, but David killed him instead. The man was wrong because he had annulled God’s authority (1:10-15). Although he had not annulled David, David felt that it was wrong that the man had annulled Saul’s authority. He judged any annulment of authority.
After Saul died, David asked God to which city he should go. At that time the palace was in Gibeah. Who among the Israelites did not know David? As soon as David knew of Saul’s death, he should have gone to the capital with his warriors. Humanly speaking, he should have hurried to Gibeah with his army. This was a golden moment. How could he let it slip away? As far as common sense goes, he should have gone up to Gibeah. It was good enough that he had been submissive. Who did not know that David was a warrior? But he acted strangely. He inquired of God, and God told him to go to Hebron (2:1). Hebron was a small city and an unimportant one. At that time some came from Judah and anointed him the king of Judah. This shows us that David did not try to seize authority by himself. He left it up to God’s people to anoint him (v. 4). When Samuel anointed him, it was a mark that God had chosen him. When the people anointed him, it was a mark that God’s people (a type of the church) had chosen him. David could not deny or reject the men of Judah’s anointing. He could not say, “Since I have God’s anointing already, why do I need your anointing?” It is one thing for God to anoint someone, and it is another thing for His people to anoint someone. A deputy authority must be not only God’s choice but the church’s choice as well. No one can impose his authority upon others. He must wait for God’s children to make their choice.
David did not go up to Gibeah. Rather, he waited for God’s people to come to him in Hebron. He waited for seven years and six months. Seven and a half years is not a short time. But David was not in any hurry. I have not seen one person who was full of self and desirous of self-glory who also was chosen by God to be an authority. God anointed David not only as the king of Judah but also as the king over the whole nation of Israel. Yet as long as God’s people did not acknowledge him, he would not come forward. When only the house of Judah anointed him, he was satisfied to just be the king of Judah. He was not in any haste. He could wait.
After seven and a half years, all the tribes of Israel came to Hebron and spoke to David, saying, “Here we are; we are your bone and your flesh. Even previously, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And Jehovah said to you, You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be ruler over Israel” (5:1-2). The tribe of Judah first acknowledged him as king in Hebron. After seven years and six months, the elders of the tribes of Israel anointed him as king, and then he reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-three years. In David we see that authority is not self-appointed. It is not imposed upon others. Authority is appointed by God and anointed by men. An authority does not proclaim himself the king, and he is not just appointed by God to be king. First, he is chosen by God, and then he is acknowledged by man. David was a real king. In the New Testament, when David is spoken of, he is addressed as “David the king” (Matt. 1:6), but Solomon is not addressed as a king. The New Testament gives special recognition to David’s kingship because he did not trust in himself. He had God’s anointing, and he waited for the anointing of His people, that is, the church.
We should have not only the Lord’s anointing but also the church’s anointing before we assume authority among His children. David waited from the age of thirty to thirty-seven. He did not doubt. He did not say, “What will happen if the children of Israel do not anoint me?” He was humbled under the hand of God. Everyone who knows God can wait. Those who know God do not need to move a finger to help themselves. If you are in the right condition, not only will the Lord acknowledge you as His representative; the church also will acknowledge you as God’s representative. I hope that you will have not only God’s anointing but the church’s anointing as well. You must never contend with your flesh or try to move your finger. The flesh has no place here. No one can stand up to proclaim, “I am God’s appointed authority. You must all obey me.” We must first learn to have a spiritual ministry before the Lord. We must wait for God’s time before we can serve Him among His children.
David waited in Hebron for seven and a half years because Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, continued to be king in Mahanaim after Saul’s death (2 Sam. 2:8-9). Later Ishbosheth was assassinated by Baanah and Rechab. They took his head to David in Hebron, thinking that they were bringing good tidings to David. But David killed them (4:5-12). He judged the rebellious ones. This shows that the more a person is an authority, the more he upholds authority. We cannot build up our own authority at the expense of others’ authority. The less a man seeks for authority, the more God gives him authority. The minute a person rebels against authority he should be judged, whether or not he is rebelling against your authority. When David did this, he gained the favor of God’s people. Consequently, 2 Samuel 5 says that the eleven tribes sent men to seek after David. A man who knows God’s authority is submissive to authority. Such a one is qualified to be an authority. You should not deal with anyone just because he has offended your authority. You have to wait for God’s children to anoint you as the authority. Before the children of God anoint you, it is wrong to harbor any complaints or murmurings.
Second Samuel 6 says that when David brought God’s ark back to the city of David, he danced before the ark with all his might. David was already king of the whole nation of Israel. When Michal the daughter of Saul saw this, she despised David (vv. 14-16). Michal thought that since David was the king, he should have sanctified himself in the eyes of the Israelites. Of course, it is right that a king should not be wild. But David was not wrong in what he saw. He saw that he had no authority before God, that he was lowly and worthless. Michal’s mistake was her father’s mistake. Saul kept the best of the cattle and the sheep; he disobeyed God’s commandment and was rejected by God. Yet he tried to save his face by asking Samuel to recommend him before the people of Israel (see 1 Sam. 15:1-30). The way Michal took was different from the way David took. God was pleased with David, and He judged Michal. Michal had no descendant until the day of her death (2 Sam. 6:23). This means that God cut off any continuation of such a person. He would not allow such a person to go on.
When David went before the Lord, he felt that he was as lowly as anyone else; he did not consider himself higher than others. A deputy authority should take a place before God that is as equally low and humble as all the people of God. He should not exalt himself or try to uphold his authority among men. On his throne David was the king, but before the ark he was the same as all the children of Israel. They were all God’s people and were all the same. Michal wanted to hold on to her way; she wanted David to be a king even before God. She could not stand David’s action, and said to him, “How the king of Israel has made himself honorable today!” (v. 20). But God accepted David’s way and judged Michal’s way. When Moses went before the Lord, he was the same as the people of Israel. When David went before the Lord, he was also the same as the people of Israel. We may be an authority in the church, but when we go before the Lord, we are the same as everyone else. This is the basis and secret of an authority — being the same as all the brothers when he goes before the Lord.
I am particularly fond of one sentence in 2 Samuel 7:18: “Then King David went and sat before Jehovah.” By then the temple was not yet built. The ark was in the tabernacle and David sat on the floor. God made a covenant with David, and David offered a wonderful prayer. Here we touch a pliable spirit, a sensitive spirit. Before David was king, he was a warrior, and no one was able to stand before him. Now that he had become king and his nation had become strong, he was meek enough to sit on the floor beside the ark. Here was a person who maintained his humility. He could pray in a very simple way. This is a picture of a deputy authority.
Michal, who was born in the palace, was concerned with pomp and majesty, like her father. She did not realize the difference between being sent by the Lord and entering into the presence of the Lord. When a man is sent by the Lord, he may have a certain degree of authority in speaking and acting on God’s behalf. But once he enters the presence of the Lord, he has to fall down before His feet; he has to know who he is. David was indeed a king appointed by the Lord; he was endowed with the God-given authority. If we count Saul out, David was the first king appointed by God. Christ is not only the descendant of Abraham but also the descendant of David. The last name recorded in the whole Bible is the name of David (Rev. 22:16). However, the amazing thing is that though David was king, he did not have the consciousness that he was king. He knew that he was nothing in the eyes of the Lord. If a man is always conscious of his authority, he is not qualified to be an authority. An authority must learn to know himself. The more a person is an authority, the less consciousness he should have about his authority. God’s deputy authority should have such a blessed ignorance — being an authority without having the consciousness of it.
Second Samuel 15 is a record of Absalom’s rebellion. This was a double rebellion. On the one hand, it was the rebellion of a son against his father. On the other hand, it was the rebellion of a people against their king. This was the greatest rebellion David experienced. His son was taking the lead in this rebellion. At that time, more and more people were following Absalom, and David had to flee from the capital. He was in need of followers. Ittai the Gittite wanted to follow him, but David was able to say to Ittai, “Return and abide with the king” (v. 19). David was truly meek. His spirit was truly keen. He did not say, “I am the king, and all of you should follow me.” Instead he told Ittai, “You can take your way. I have no intention to drag many people into my woes. Even if you choose to go to the new king, that is fine with me.” He was in the midst of his tribulation, yet he still would not take people along with him. It is not easy to know a person when he lives in the palace. But when he is in the midst of trials, his true personality is manifested. Here David was not rash or careless. He was still humble and submissive.
After he crossed the brook Kidron, he was about to turn to the wilderness. Zadok the high priest with all the priests and the Levites wanted to come with him, and they took the ark along with them. If the ark had left the city, many Israelites would have gone with it. Zadok and the Levites’ attitude was right: When rebellion broke out, they had to remove the ark. But at this juncture David did not say, “This is good. Do not leave the ark with the rebellious ones.” David thought that if the ark left Jerusalem, many of the people of Israel would be in turmoil. He was a person who had ascended to a great height. He would not allow the ark to go with him. He was willing to resign himself to God’s dealing. His attitude was the same as that of Moses, who was altogether humbled under the mighty hand of God. Both of them ascended to a height that was unmatched by their opposers. David said that if he should find favor in the sight of the Lord, He would bring him back again to see the ark and His habitation. If he did not find favor in God’s sight, it would have been useless even if the ark followed him. Therefore, he exhorted Zadok the high priest and the Levites who bore the ark to return (vv. 24-26). This was easy to say but difficult to do. There were not many people who escaped from Jerusalem, and the city was filled with rebellious ones. Now he had to send his good friends away. How pure was David’s spirit! He was still humbling himself meekly before the Lord, just as Moses did.
In verse 27 David said to Zadok that since he was a priest and a seer, he should take the lead to bring the priests and the ark back. At that word the group returned. In reading this passage, we have to touch David’s spirit. His spirit was saying, “Why do I have to fight with others? Whether or not I remain a king is God’s business. I do not need many people to follow me, and I do not need the ark to accompany me.” He realized that being an authority is God’s business and that no one needs to maintain his own authority. David went up to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up and with his head covered (v. 30). Here indeed was a meek and pliable man! This was what David did when he was offended. He did not hold on to his authority. This is the proper attitude of a God-appointed authority.
A rebellious spirit is contagious. Second Samuel 16 tells us that Shimei came forth along the way. He threw stones at David and cursed him, saying that he had shed the blood of the house of Saul. Even David’s followers suffered because of him. Nothing could be farther from the truth than Shimei’s accusation. If there was a person who had not shed the blood of Saul’s house, that person was David. Shimei could say that David had reigned in Saul’s stead and that David was running for his life. There was nothing wrong in saying that. But it was a gross lie to say that David had shed the blood of Saul’s house. Yet David did not argue. He did not vindicate himself or deny anything. David still had his mighty men with him, and it would have been easy for him to get rid of this man, but he would not do this. Shimei cursed as he went. Even David’s followers could not stand it. Yet David exhorted them not to kill. He said, “Leave him alone and let him curse, for Jehovah has told him to do so” (v. 11). He was truly a broken and pliable man. He was learning to submit to a higher authority. David said that it was God who had told Shimei to curse him. In reading this portion of the Bible, we have to touch David’s spirit. He was alone and an outcast. At least he could have taken out his frustration on Shimei and vindicated himself a little. However, he was an absolutely submissive person. He submitted absolutely to God and accepted everything that God had done to him.
Brothers and sisters, you must realize that God’s appointed authority is one who can take offenses. He is one who can be offended. If the authority that you have received cannot suffer any offense, you are not qualified to be an authority. Do not think that you can act as you please as long as you have been given authority. Only those who have learned the lesson of obedience are qualified to be an authority. Verse 13 says that Shimei continued to curse David, yet David was truly a submissive man. Only such a person is qualified to be an authority. Here was a man who was truly pliable before the Lord. David and his followers rested wearily at a place. Even while Absalom was rebelling, David still maintained a proper attitude. He was a man in the Old Testament, yet he was full of the grace of the New Testament. He was so broken that he was able to have such a spirit. This is indeed a person who was qualified to be an authority.
In 2 Samuel 19, after Absalom was defeated and killed, the Israelites heard that David was sitting in the city gate, and they all had fled to their own house (v. 8). David did not return with fanfare to his palace. Absalom had been anointed to be a king also. This was why David had to wait. The eleven tribes came and asked him to go back, but the tribe of Judah did not come along. David sent men to recover the tribe of Judah (vv. 9-12). David was of the tribe of Judah, and he was driven away by it. This was why he had to wait for the people to ask him back. He was God’s appointed authority, but during his trial, he learned to humble himself under the mighty hand of God. He did not try to build up his own authority. He accepted the arrangements in the environment and was humbled under the mighty hand of God. He was not in any haste. He was a warrior himself, but he did not fight for himself. All the battles were fought for the Lord’s people. In the past God’s people had anointed him to be the king. In order to return to his kingship, he had to wait for God’s people to anoint him once again.
All those whom God uses to be an authority should have the spirit of David. We should not say anything to defend ourselves. There is no need for us to say anything for ourselves. We should not act on our own. There is no need to move even a little finger to prove that we are chosen by God. We should trust, wait, and humble ourselves. We have to wait for God’s timing. God will surely accomplish what He has set out to accomplish. The more submissive we are, the more we will learn to be an authority. The more we prostrate ourselves before the Lord, the more God will vindicate us. But if we try to speak for ourselves, fight for ourselves, and complain, we will destroy God’s work. We have to learn to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. The more we try to be an authority in ourselves, the more we will walk down the wrong path. The way is clear before us. In the Old Testament the greatest authority was Moses, while among all the kings the greatest authority was David. Both behaved the same way in their capacity as deputy authorities. We have to touch these men’s spirits before we can maintain God’s authority.
