Lesson 34 – David Becomes
King
1.
Why do you
think David served as a unifying figure for the tribes of
2.
Who anointed
David as king?
3.
David is
introduced as a young boy “keeping the sheep” when Samuel selects him as the
next king (1 Samuel
What would it mean for David to be shepherd over
Why did the image of shepherd make a good metaphor for a leader?
What metaphors do we use for leaders today?
4.
For
generations, people looked back on the leadership of David with great
fondness. Paragraph 8 of the “Bible
Background” lists the qualities of leadership that belonged to David:
loyal friend
great warrior
fine judge of character
imaginative administrator
sought God’s guidance
respected religious tradition
retained loyalty of other leaders
Which of these leadership qualities do we value in leaders today?
The Lord said to
(David): It is you who shall be shepherd of my people
Bible Background
(taken
from Journey through the Bible, Christian
Board of Publications, 1995, p. 108)
Saul's
irrational pursuit of David and his conviction that he is no longer able to
function as king lead him to go against his own firm instructions to all the
people. Saul had forbidden anyone to have anything to do with witches and those
who dealt in any kind of magical practices. But he himself is finally driven by
his obsessions to go to a woman in the town of
2Saul's
great qualities show in this hour of trial. He is finally persuaded to take
some food, and he then goes out to lead the army of
3As
David returned from the battle in the southland he heard the news of the defeat
of
4Still,
despite David's sorrow, we know that the deaths of Saul and Jonathan worked out
to David's advantage. Clearly, there was no one who could deny that David was
the best person on the scene to succeed Saul. But if David had had a hand in Saul's
death, the tribes in the north and the tribe of
5As
it was, David moved to the capital town of
6The
time had now come for David to make some bold move to unite the people of
It was a
brilliant move, for now David had a headquarters that did not belong to the
territory claimed by Saul's tribe, Benjamin, or by David's tribe, Judah. It was
easily defended from all sides except the north, and with its dependable water supply
it could withstand siege for a long time.
8David
was an immensely gifted individual. He was a loyal friend, a great warrior, a
fine judge of character—at least in his early days—and an imaginative
administrator and leader. The storytellers stressed the fact that God was with
David, seeing to his needs, guarding him in times of danger, making things
come out right for David. And David for his part turned to God for guidance.
His respect for the religious traditions was great, and he knew how to keep the
loyalty of the priests. It was not until David had grown older and his family
began to be torn apart by jealousies and intrigues and actual crimes that David
found himself at odds with some of the priests. But
in his early years, this gifted shepherd from
1 Samuel 28:1 - 2 Samuel 5:25
CHAPTER 28
1 In those
days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against
2 David said
to Achish, "Very well, then you shall know what
your servant can do." Achish said to David,
"Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."
3 Now Samuel
had died, and all
4 The
Philistines assembled, and came and encamped at Shunem.
Saul gathered all
5 When Saul
saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled
greatly.
6 When Saul
inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, not by dreams, or by Urim (casting lots), or by prophets.
7 Then Saul
said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, so that I
may go to her and inquire of her." His servants said to him, "There
is a medium at Endor."
8 So Saul
disguised himself and put on other clothes and went there, he
and two men with him. They came to the woman by night. And he said,
"Consult a spirit for me, and bring up for me the one whom I name to
you."
9 The woman
said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the
mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my
life to bring about my death?"
10 But Saul
swore to her by the LORD, "As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come
upon you for this thing."
11 Then the
woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He answered, "Bring
up Samuel for me."
12 When the
woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul,
"Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
13 The king
said to her, "Have no fear; what do you see?" The woman said to Saul,
"I see a divine being coming up out of the ground."
14 He said to
her, "What is his appearance?" She said, "An old man is coming
up; he is wrapped in a robe." So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he
bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.
15 Then
Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?"
Saul answered, "I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring
against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by
prophets or by dreams; so I have summoned you to tell me what I should
do."
16 Samuel
said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and
become your enemy?
17 The LORD
has done to you just as he spoke by me; for the LORD has torn the kingdom out
of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, David.
18 Because
you did not obey the voice of the LORD, and did not carry out his fierce wrath
against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this
thing to you today.
19 Moreover
the LORD will give
20 Immediately
Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear
because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had
eaten nothing all day and all night.
21 The woman
came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, "Your
servant has listened to you; I have taken my life in my hand, and have listened
to what you have said to me.
22 Now
therefore, you also listen to your servant; let me set a morsel of bread before
you. Eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way."
23 He
refused, and said, "I will not eat." But his servants, together with
the woman, urged him; and he listened to their words. So he got up from the
ground and sat on the bed.
24 Now the
woman had a fatted calf in the house. She quickly slaughtered it, and she took
flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened cakes.
25 She put
them before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away
that night.
CHAPTER 29
1 Now the
Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, while
the Israelites were encamped by the fountain that is in Jezreel.
2 As the
lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and
David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish,
3 the
commanders of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing
here?" Achish said to the commanders of the
Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of King Saul of
4 But the
commanders of the Philistines were angry with him; and the commanders of the
Philistines said to him, "Send the man back, so that he may return to the
place that you have assigned to him; he shall not go down with us to battle, or
else he may become an adversary to us in the battle. For how could this fellow
reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men
here?
5 Is this not
David, of whom they sing to one another in dances, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"
6 Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the LORD
lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out
and in with me in the campaign; for I have found nothing wrong in you from the
day of your coming to me until today. Nevertheless the lords do not approve of
you.
7 So go back
now; and go peaceably; do nothing to displease the lords of the
Philistines."
8 David said
to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you
found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I
should not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
9 Achish replied to David, "I know that you are as
blameless in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless, the commanders of the
Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.'
10 Now then
rise early in the morning, you and the servants of your lord who came with you,
and go to the place that I appointed for you.
As for the evil report, do not take it to heart, for you have done well
before me. Start early in the morning, and leave as soon as you have
light."
11 So David
set out with his men early in the morning, to return to the land of the
Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
CHAPTER 30
1 Now when
David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day,
the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negeb and on Ziklag. They had
attacked Ziklag, burned it down,
2 and taken
captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great; they killed
none of them, but carried them off, and went their way.
3 When David
and his men came to the city, they found it burned down, and their wives and
sons and daughters taken captive.
4 Then David
and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept, until they had
no more strength to weep.
5 David's two
wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail the widow of Nabal
of Carmel.
6 David was
in great danger; for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people
were bitter in spirit for their sons and daughters. But David strengthened
himself in the LORD his God.
7 David said
to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech,
"Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought
the ephod to David.
8 David
inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake
them?" He answered him, "Pursue; for you shall surely overtake and
shall surely rescue."
9 So David
set out, he and the six hundred men who were with him. They came to the Wadi Besor, where those stayed
who were left behind.
10 But David
went on with the pursuit, he and four hundred men; two hundred stayed behind,
too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor.
11 In the
open country they found an Egyptian, and brought him to David. They gave him
bread and he ate, they gave him water to drink;
12 they also
gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten,
his spirit revived; for he had not eaten bread or drunk
water for three days and three nights.
13 Then David
said to him, "To whom do you belong? Where are you from?" He said,
"I am a young man of
14 We had
made a raid on the Negeb of the Cherethites
and on that which belongs to
15 David said
to him, "Will you take me down to this raiding party?" He said,
"Swear to me by God that you will not kill me, or hand me over to my
master, and I will take you down to them."
16 When he
had taken him down, they were spread out all over the ground, eating and
drinking and dancing, because of the great amount of spoil they had taken from
the land of the Philistines and from the
17 David
attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not one of them
escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.
18 David
recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and
David rescued his two wives.
19 Nothing
was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that
had been taken; David brought back everything.
20 David also
captured all the flocks and herds, which were driven ahead of the other cattle;
people said, "This is David's spoil."
21 Then David
came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who
had been left at the brook Besor. They went out to meet David and to meet the
people who were with him. When David
drew near to the people he saluted them.
22 Then all
the corrupt and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said,
"Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil
that we have recovered, except that each man may take his wife and children,
and leave."
23 But David
said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us;
he has preserved us and handed over to us the raiding party that attacked
us.
24 Who would
listen to you in this matter? For the share of the one who goes down into the
battle shall be the same as the share of the one who stays by the baggage; they
shall share alike."
25 From that
day forward he made it a statute and an ordinance for
26 When David
came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his
friends, the elders of
27 it was for
those in
28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa,
29 in Racal,
in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, in the towns of
the Kenites,
30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach,
31 in
CHAPTER 31
1 Now the
Philistines fought against
2 The
Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and
Abinadab and Malchishua,
the sons of Saul.
3 The battle
pressed hard upon Saul; the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by
them.
4 Then Saul
said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it,
so that these uncircumcised may not come and thrust me through, and make sport
of me." But his armor-bearer was unwilling; for he was terrified. So Saul
took his own sword and fell upon it.
5 When his
armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with
him.
6 So Saul and
his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together on the same
day.
7 When the
men of
8 The next
day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three
sons fallen on
9 They cut
off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land
of the Philistines to carry the good news to the houses of their idols and to
the people.
10 They put
his armor in the
11 But when
the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the
Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all the
valiant men set out, traveled all night long, and took the body of Saul and the
bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. They came to Jabesh
and burned them there.
13 Then they
took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh,
and fasted seven days.
II Samuel
CHAPTER
1
1 After the
death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites,
David remained two days in Ziklag.
2 On the
third day, a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his
head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obeisance.
3 David said
to him, "Where have you come from?" He said to him, "I have
escaped from the camp of
4 David said
to him, "How did things go? Tell me!" He answered, "The army
fled from the battle, but also many of the army fell and died; and Saul and his
son Jonathan also died."
5 Then David
asked the young man who was reporting to him, "How do you know that Saul
and his son Jonathan died?"
6 The young
man reporting to him said, "I happened to be on
7 When he
looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. I answered, 'Here sir.'
8 And he said
to me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'
9 He said to
me, 'Come, stand over me and kill me; for convulsions have seized me, and yet
my life still lingers.'
10 So I stood
over him, and killed him, for I knew that he could not live after he had
fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his
arm, and I have brought them here to my lord."
11 Then David
took hold of his clothes and tore them; and all the men who were with him did
the same.
12 They
mourned and wept, and fasted until evening for Saul and for his son Jonathan,
and for the army of the LORD and for the house of
13 David said
to the young man who had reported to him, "Where do you come from?"
He answered, "I am the son of a resident alien, an Amalekite."
14 David said
to him, "Were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord's
anointed?"
15 Then David
called one of the young men and said, "Come here and strike him
down." So he struck him down and he died.
16 David said
to him, "Your blood be on your head; for your own
mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's
anointed.'"
17 David
intoned this lamentation over Saul and his son Jonathan.
18 (He
ordered that The Song of the Bow be taught to the people of
19 Your
glory, O Israel, lies slain upon your high places! How the mighty have
fallen!
20 Tell it
not in
21 You
mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon
you, nor bounteous fields! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the
shield of Saul, anointed with oil no more.
22 From the
blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not
turn back, nor the sword of Saul return empty.
23 Saul and
Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided; they
were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24 O daughters
of
25 How the
mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your
high places.
26 I am
distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; greatly beloved were you to me; your
love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
27 How the
mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
CHAPTER 2
1 After this
David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of
2 So David
went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail the widow of Nabal
of Carmel.
3 David
brought up the men who were with him, every one with his household; and they
settled in the towns of
4 Then the
people of
5 David sent
messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead, and said
to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty
to Saul your lord, and buried him!
6 Now may the
LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you! And I too will reward you
because you have done this thing.
7 Therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul
your lord is dead, and the house of
8 But Abner son of Ner, commander of
Saul's army, had taken Ishbaal son of Saul, and
brought him over to Mahanaim.
9 He made him
king over
10 Ishbaal, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to
reign over
11 The time
that David was king in
12 Abner son of Ner, and the
servants of Ishbaal son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to
13 Joab son of Zeruiah, and the
servants of David, went out and met them at the pool of
14 Abner said to Joab, "Let the
young men come forward and have a contest before us." Joab
said, "Let them come forward."
15 So they
came forward and were counted as they passed by, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbaal son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of
David.
16 Each
grasped his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent's side;
so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,
which is at
17 The battle
was very fierce that day; and Abner and the men of
18 The three
sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab,
Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.
19 Asahel pursued Abner, turning
neither to the right nor to the left as he followed him.
20 Then Abner looked back and said, "Is it you, Asahel?" He answered, "Yes, it is."
21 Abner said to him, "Turn to your right or to your
left, and seize one of the young men, and take his spoil." But Asahel would not turn away from following him.
22 Abner said again to Asahel,
"Turn away from following me; why should I strike you to the ground? How
then could I show my face to your brother Joab?"
23 But he
refused to turn away. So Abner struck him in the
stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. He
fell there, and died where he lay. And all those who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. As the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on
the way to the wilderness of
25 The Benjaminites rallied around Abner
and formed a single band; they took their stand on the top of a hill.
26 Then Abner called to Joab, "Is
the sword to keep devouring forever? Do you not know that the end will be
bitter? How long will it be before you order your people to turn from the
pursuit of their kinsmen?"
27 Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, the
people would have continued to pursue their kinsmen, not stopping until
morning."
28 Joab sounded the trumpet and all the people stopped; they
no longer pursued
29 Abner and his men traveled all that night through the Arabah; they crossed the
30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner;
and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David's
servants nineteen men besides Asahel.
31 But the
servants of David had killed of Benjamin three hundred sixty of Abner's men.
32 They took
up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father,
which was at
CHAPTER 3
1 There was a
long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; David grew stronger
and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.
2 Sons were
born to David at
3 his second,
Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal
of Carmel; the third, Absalom son of Maacah, daughter
of King Talmai of Geshur;
4 the fourth,
Adonijah son of Haggith;
the fifth, Shephatiah son of Abital;
5 and the sixth, Ithream, of David's
wife Eglah. These were born to David in
6 While there
was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner
was making himself strong in the house of Saul.
7 Now Saul
had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And
Ishbaal said to Abner,
"Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"
8 The words
of Ishbaal made Abner very
angry; he said, "Am I a dog's head for
9 So may God
do to Abner and so may he add to it! For just what
the LORD has sworn to David, that will I accomplish for him,
10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up
the throne of David over
11 And Ishbaal could not answer Abner
another word, because he feared him.
12 Abner sent messengers to David at
13 He said,
"Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you:
you shall never appear in my presence unless you bring Saul's daughter Michal when you come to see me."
14 Then David
sent messengers to Saul's son Ishbaal, saying,
"Give me my wife Michal, to whom I became
engaged at the price of one hundred foreskins of the Philistines."
15 Ishbaal sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish.
16 But her
husband went with her, weeping as he walked behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him,
"Go back home!" So he went back.
17 Abner sent word to the elders of
18 Now then
bring it about; for the LORD has promised David: Through my servant David I
will save my people
19 Abner also spoke directly to the Benjaminites;
then Abner went to tell David at
20 When Abner came with twenty men to David at