Jerusalem means “city of peace,” yet none has suffered more assaults. But wait till the King of Peace arrives. The taking of the Jebusite stronghold was no easy thing. It perched atop a hill surrounded by steep valleys—the Kidron Valley on the east, the King’s Dale on the north, and the Hinnom Valley on the […]
Read More… from December 22, 2023 — The Impossible Made Possible
There is no other city—not London or Rome, Beijing or Delhi—where God put His name. We now come to a pivot point in the story, introduced with an overview of David’s whole rule, though he was only at the seven-and-a-half-year point of his reign. “David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and […]
Prophets (1 Ki 19:16), priests (Ex 28:41), and kings (1 Sam 9:16) were anointed to serve. “Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron…And they anointed David king over Israel” (2 Sam 5:1, 3). This was David’s third anointing. He was anointed by Samuel at the Lord’s instructions (1 Sam 16:13); then […]
Mercy without justice can lead to lawlessness; justice without mercy results in inhumanity. Ishbosheth has been unceremoniously dispatched in his bed during his noontime siesta. Two brothers, “Rechab and Baanah” (2 Sam 4:5), not only killed the man, but beheaded him as well. “And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and […]
Read More… from December 19, 2023 — Justice Or Mercy To One’s Enemies?
“The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them” (Prov 11:3). In 2 Samuel 4, we see the drama of the final collapse of Saul’s house. It is written in three parts. First, “When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and […]
Read More… from December 18, 2023 — What’s Left Of Saul’s House?
The distance between our sin and God’s holiness is infinite, but between a sinner and Jesus is just one step. When David received news of the murder of Abner, he sent out the command: “Tear your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner” (2 Sam 3:31). How quickly the tide of history can […]
David was no weakling, but he confessed “the sons of Zeruiah are too harsh for me” (2 Sam 3:39). Abner quickly moved to realign the northern tribes under David’s rule: “In time past you were seeking for David to be king over you. Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, […]
It’s one thing to just choose the winning side; it’s quite another to bring both sides together. “Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker” (2 Sam 3:1). This was inevitable for […]