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2 Samuel 2—24
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Scripture Reading: 2 Sam. 2; 2 Sam. 3
In this message we come to the second major section of the history concerning David (2 Sam. 2—24). This section covers the matter of David's being crowned by the people to be the king for the kingdom of God on the earth.
After David passed through all the trials and was approved by God, he was crowned by the tribe of Judah.
When David inquired of Jehovah whether he should go up into one of the cities of Judah, Jehovah told him to go up to Hebron. David went to Hebron, bringing up his men who were with him and their households. They dwelt in the cities of Hebron, and there in Hebron the men of Judah anointed David king over the house of Judah (2:1-4a).
According to 5:4 David was thirty years of age when he began to reign.
The house of Judah followed David, and he reigned over the house of Judah for seven and a half years (2:10b-11).
David gained the men of Jabesh-gilead who had buried Saul (vv. 4b-7). When David was informed concerning what they had done, he sent messengers to them, telling them that they were blessed of Jehovah for showing this kindness to Saul and promising to repay them for this good thing which they had done. In this way David gained these men of Jabesh-gilead.
In verses 8 through 10a we see that Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, at the age of forty rivaled David in the kingship. Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of Saul's army, helped Ish-bosheth to become king. Abner took him and made him king over all Israel, and Ish-bosheth reigned over Israel for two years.
Second Samuel 2:12—4:12 is a record of the war between the house of Saul and the house of David.
The servants of Ish-bosheth competed with the servants of David and were defeated by them (vv. 12-17). Verse 17 says, "The battle was very severe that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were routed before the servants of David."
Asahel, a servant of David, pursued after Abner, a servant of Ish-bosheth. Abner said to him, "Turn away from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to Joab your brother?" (vv. 18-22). Asahel refused, and he was killed by Abner (v. 23).
Abner appealed for peace, and Joab responded to him (vv. 24-29). Verse 28 says that Joab blew the trumpet and "all the people stood still; and they pursued after Israel no more, neither did they fight any more." There was peace for a period of time.
In this battle nineteen of David's servants plus Asahel were missing, and the servants of David killed 360 men of Ish-bosheth (vv. 30-32).
The war between the house of Saul and the house of David was long. The house of David became continually stronger, and the house of Saul became continually weaker (3:1).
David begot six sons of six wives, respectively, in Hebron (vv. 2-5).
While there was war between the house of David and the house of Saul, Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul. He went in to Saul's concubine, but he was checked by Ish-bosheth, and rebelled against him (vv. 6-11). Abner said to Ish-bosheth, "May God do so to Abner, and even more, if I do not do for David as Jehovah has sworn to him; to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba!" (vv. 9-10).
Abner appealed to David, asking him to make a covenant with him. David said that he would make a covenant with him, and then he requested Abner to bring Saul's daughter Michal his wife to him (vv. 12-16).
Abner persuaded the elders of Israel to take David as their king (vv. 17-21). He told them that Jehovah had spoken of David, saying, "By My servant David I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and out of the hand of all their enemies" (v. 18). David held a feast for Abner and for the men who were with him, and Abner said to David, "I will rise up and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you and that you may reign over all that your soul desires" (v. 21).
Joab did not agree with David concerning Abner's appeal to David. Joab killed Abner by plotting to avenge himself of Abner's killing his brother Asahel (vv. 22-27).
David regretted Abner's death, wept at Abner's grave, and lamented for him (vv. 28-39).
While all the events recorded in these chapters were taking place, God was present in His sovereignty behind the scene. After Saul's death only one tribe — Judah — was loyal to David. David was crowned by the tribe of Judah, but Ish-bosheth rivaled him in the kingship, and there was war between the house of David and the house of Saul. Everything that happened was in David's favor. He did not do anything; rather, he was simply the enjoyer on the throne.
I wish to emphasize the fact that behind all the details concerning the house of David and the house of Saul, God was there in His sovereignty. God was behind the scene to direct the situation so that it would turn out in favor of David.
God's intention was to terminate the house of Saul. Saul had four sons. Three went to the war with Saul and were killed with him in the battle. Ish-bosheth was spared, but he was killed within two years, ending Saul's family. When the nursing mother of Saul's grandson, Mephibosheth, heard the news that Saul and Jonathan were dead in the war, she ran with the little child in her bosom, and he fell down to the ground (4:4). As a result, he became crippled. Thus, in a short time God terminated the entire family of Saul, leaving just one crippled boy as an orphan under the loving care of David, who kept his covenant with Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:14-17; 2 Sam. 9:1-13). We all need to learn a lesson from these illustrations — to fear God and not play with Him.
