Samuel Survey of the Old Testament: The Prophets Fall 2005

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[Previous: The Reign of King Saul]

The Reign of King David (2 Sam. 1 – 24)

David's Success (2 Sam. 1 – 10)

Civil War (2 Sam. 1 - 4)

When David heard of Saul and Jonathon's death, he grieved over the death of the king and his good friend. In fact, an Amalekite who delivered the news, boasting that he had killed Saul, was killed by David for killing the Lord's anointed. David then writes a song lamenting their death.

The tribe of Judah immediately crowns David as their king in Hebron. However, the other tribes of Israel crown Saul's son, Ishbosheth. This plunges Israel into a civil war. The civil war lasted 7 years, and David's household became stronger while Ishbosheth became weaker. Finally, two events brought an end to the war.

First, Joab, David's general, murders Ishosheth's general, Abner, out of revenge for the death of Joab's brother in battle. Joab's murder of Abner was not a justifiable homicide occurring in the heat of war [1]. This was premeditated and calculated. Furthermore, this took place in Hebron, a city of refuge, established in the law as a safe haven for the accused (Joshua 21:13). Joab did not recognize that he was bound by the law. While David does not punish his general, he does mourn the death of Abner.

Second, Rechab and Baanah kill Ishbosheth while he was asleep in his bed. These two brought the head of the now dead king to David. But David grew angry at Rechab and Baanah, for they had murdered the king in his sleep. So he had them killed.

With the death of Ishbosheth, the remaining tribes of Israel come to Hebron and crown David the king over all Israel.

These incidents show the humility of David. He grieves over the death of his enemies. He punishes those who kill in cold blood rather than in the field of battle. Even when he knows he should be king, he does not revel in the destruction of his enemies.

David's Greatness (2 Sam. 5 –1 0)

David's Conquests (2 Sam. 5, 8, 10)

As king, David is able to subdue all the nations in and around Israel. He starts with his conquest of Jerusalem, long held by the Jebusites. Then he defeats the Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Arameans. David brings peace to Israel by subduing all his neighbors.

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6)

After conquering Jerusalem, David moves his capital to this city. He first builds a beautiful palace in the city. Then he begins plans to build a temple to Yahweh in the city. But first he must move the Ark of the Covenant from the tabernacle and bring it into the city. However, David put the ark on a cart and had it hauled up. The law said that the ark should be carried on poles by the priests. When the ark begins to slip off the cart, a man named Uzzah reaches out to steady the ark, and is struck down by God for touching the holy object.

David needed to remember that, although he is the king, he is a sub-regent under the real king of Israel, Yahweh. God will enforce his law, and David is subject to that law [2]. David may decide to move the ark by cart, but the law says the priests are to carry it. David's disregard for the law cost a man his life.

After a time, they decided to again move the ark, this time in the appropriate manner. As the ark is moved, David is caught up in the worship of the Lord, dancing and leaping (much to the chagrin of his wife, Michal).

This story serves as a contrast to the beginning of the book when the ark is lost to the Philistines and the presence of the Lord leaves the nation. Now the ark is in David's capital city. We have gone from the low to the high point.

David's Compassion (2 Sam. 9)

After David has established his throne in Jerusalem, he remembers his vow with Jonathon to take care of his family. So David asks his advisors to search for any from Jonathon's family that might still be alive. A crippled young man named Mephiboseth is found. David invites him to live at the palace and to eat with the king. While most kings would have looked for rememants of the royal family and killed them to prevent rebellion, David remembers his vow and shows compassion on Saul's family.

The Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7)

God's Promise to David

Since the time of Moses, more than 400 year prior, the center of the worship of Yahweh was in a tent. Now David wanted to establish a permanent temple. The prophet Nathan, at first, thinks this is a good idea. But Nathan receives a vision from the Lord in which God tells Nathan that David is not to build a house for Him, but that He would build a house for David. However, this is not a physical house, but a family dynasty.

God is making an agreement with David and his family, called the Davidic covenant, where God promises: [3]

• David's name would be made great (7:9).
• There will be peace and rest for God's people (7:10-11).
• David would have a son who would receive the kingdom (7:12).
• That son (Solomon) would build the temple (7:13).
• Sin will bring judgment, but not removal of the Davidic line (7:14-15)
• The house of David will be an eternal dynasty (7:16).

David is overwhelmed by the unconditional grace of God. Here David wanted to do something great for God, and God responds by doing something great for him. David is overwhelmed and praises the Lord in prayer:

Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. (2 Samuel 7:18-19).

Christ as the Fulfillment

The Davidic covenant did not guarantee that there would always be a son of David on the throne, for the Babylonian exile will end the rule of the Davidic kings. However, the right to rule would remain with this family and will be eventually established for eternity in the coming of the Messiah [4].

The whole of Samuel shows a transition from the low point in Israel's history to its high point. Under David, Israel went from moral decay and anarchy to a re-established worship of God in Jerusalem and a strong centralized government. In so doing, David became the type of Christ. The Messiah will come one day to take a fractured nation and bring renewal to Israel and the entire world.

The line of David was to be the line through which the Lord established his sub-regent. Yahweh was still the true king of Israel, and the line of David was to be the family which would rule Israel as the representative of the true King. This would come to its greatest fulfillment, however, in the coming of Jesus Christ, when the line of David is no longer just a sub regent. For in Christ, Yahweh and the Son of David reign in the same person as king over Israel.

David's Failures (2 Sam. 11-19)

While the Davidic covenant affirms his approval by God, that does not mean that he is without his faults. In fact, David has some tremendous failures in life.

David & Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11 – 12)

David Commits Adultery (2 Sam. 11:1-5)

At the time when kings go to war, David sent his army to fight the Ammonites, while he stayed in his palace in Jerusalem. David is looking out over the city from his palace and sees a woman bathing in her house. He calls for the woman, named Bathsheba, to be brought to the palace, and he commits adultery with her. Later Bathsheba discovers that she is pregnant by David.

David Murders Uriah (2 Sam. 11:6 – 26)

Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, is part of David's army, fighting the Ammonites. Bathsheba's pregnancy will result in all kinds of questions and could lead back to David. So David recalls Uriah from the battle field under the guise of having him report on the progress of the war. After Uriah gives his report, David tells Uriah to go home and spend time with his wife. Uriah, however, has more integrity than that, for he says, if his comrades can't be home, he shouldn't be able to go home to his wife. So he spends the night in the palace, not at home.

David must come up with another plan. So he sends Uriah back to the battle field, with a written command for Joab, the general. Those instructions tell Joab to put Uriah in the front of the battle, and then to abandon him there so that he will be killed. The command is delivered by Uriah, and Joab carries them out. Uriah is killed in battle. David then takes Bathsheba as his wife.

David is guilty of adultery and murder. This was not just a personal moral failure. In this incident David had acted like any other king who saw himself above the law. David has abused his power as king in the commission of these crimes. He used his influence as king to lure Bathsheba. He used his authority as king to set up Uriah. David was acting as if he was above the law. He was acting like the kings in the neighboring nations, who believed they had absolute rule [5]. But the King of Israel was not above the law. The king of Israel was ruling as an administrator of the law under the authority of Yahweh, the true King of Israel.

Nathan's Confrontation (2 Sam. 12)

Part of the role of a prophet in Israel was to enforce the covenant between God and his people. The prophet served as the conscience of the king, and in the check and balances of the Israelite law, it is the prophet who holds the king to the law. So the prophet Nathan, comes to David to confront him.

David is a good and fair judge. So Nathan appeals to David's innate sense of justice when confronting him. He tells a hypothetical story of a rich man who steels a poor man's only lamb. David becomes outraged at the injustice of the rich man and orders him killed. Nathan then drops the bomb: “You are the man.”

David declares, “I have sinned against the Lord.” He is recognizing that he is under the authority of the Yahweh [6]. He is recognizing that he had placed himself above God and was ruling as an absolute monarch, rather than the representative of God.

While David truly repented and was forgiven by God, there were still consequences to his actions. Most immediately was the death of Bathsheba's baby. Longer lasting, however, was David's inability to control his own household.

Absalom's Rebellion (2 Sam. 13 – 19)

The Rape of Tamar (2 Sam. 13 - 14)

David had many wives and many children by these wives. Within his household then were a number of half-brothers and half-sisters. One of these sons of David, Amnon, had raped his half-sister, Tamar. This infuriated Tamar's full brother, Absalom, who then had Amnon killed.

When David had learned of the rape of Tamar, he grieved over it, but he took no action against Amnon. When David learned of the murder of Amnon, again he grieved, but he took no action against Absalom. David is aware of the sins of his sons, but like Eli, he is unable to control the situation. David has just been confronted with his own adultery and murder and can not bring himself to condemn his sons for the very same crimes.

Absalom's Rebellion (2 Sam. 15 – 19)

Absalom flees from his father out of concern that David might punish him for the murder of Amnon. But when David does not act, Absalom sees weakness in his father. Absalom mounts a rebellion against his father and wins the popular support. He mounts a movement and heads for Jerusalem to take the throne. David and his followers are forced to flee Jerusalem.

David does mount an army to fight the rebellion, and in a great civil war battle, 20,000 Israelites died. Among the dead was Absalom, the rebel and son of David. David sees Absalom's death as part of his punishment from his sin with Bathsheba [7]. As a result, David grieves over the loss of his son, for he sees the entire incident as the consequences of his sinful behavior.

David's grief over Absalom begins to affect the morale of David's troops. Finally, Joab confronts David and warns him that he had better get his act together and start acting like the king again or he would loose control of his followers. David has been paralyzed by his own personal failures and it affects his ability to provide decisive leadership for the nation. As a result, thousands of Israelites are killed and David looses two sons.

Contrast of David and Absalom

Absalom had fled the court of the king because he feared for his life, just as David had fled the court of the king for fear of his life. Absalom, as the eldest son of David, was the heir apparent to the throne, just as David was heir apparent to King Saul. But how Absalom responds to these circumstances is dramatically different than David's response.

Absalom sees a failure in David's leadership. As heir apparent, he doesn't respect the king's position but decides he can do better. He usurps the throne, because he thinks he will be a better king than his father. But this is not God's design for leadership. David respects Saul's position and does not kill the king, even when he has the chance. He humbly waits until the Lord lifts him up to the throne.

The story of Absalom takes us back to the song of Hannah and reminds us that it is humility which God honors, not arrogance. The humble are lifted up, but the arrogant are destroyed.

Last Days of David (2 Sam. 20 – 24)

After Absalom's rebellion, the king has to put down another rebellion by a “worthless fellow” named Sheba. David also faces a famine, which is caused because of Saul had broken a long standing treaty with the Gibeonites and killed most of them in battle. David allows the remaining Gibeonites to kill the rest of Saul's family, with the exception of Mephiboseth.

The Census

Except for these incidents, the remainder of David's reign was peaceful and prosperous. So much so, that by the end of David's life he starts becoming proud over all his accomplishments. To quantify these accomplishments, David takes a census of Israel. The results of the census are that there are 800,000 men who could draw the sword in Israel and 500,000 in Judah.

This show of arrogance, however, was a sin against the Lord. By checking to see the size of an army he could muster, he was showing that his confidence was in himself and in the might of Israel rather than in God. As a result, God punishes David by sending a plague in which 70,000 people are killed. David repents before the Lord and asks that his people be spared, for it was his sin, not the people's.

The Preparation for the Temple

The book of Samuel closes with a message from the prophet, Gad. David is to erect an altar on the threshing floor of Aranuah the Jebusite. David goes to purchase the land from Aranuah, but Aranuah offers to donate it to the king. The king insists, however, on purchasing it. David is recognizing that the king is not above the law, for he could have demanded the land himself. Instead he insists on purchasing it. There David builds and altar and prays to the Lord. The Lord is pleased by this sign of humility and the he stops the plague affecting Israel. This land will become the place where Solomon builds the temple to the Lord [8].

Conclusion

Throughout the book of Samuel, we see God takes the humble and lifts them to places of prominence. From Hannah, a poor peasant woman, comes Samuel, the greatest judge of Israel. From an obscure family in the smallest tribe comes Saul, the first king of Israel. From the youngest son of Jesse, a mere shepherd boy, David, comes a great warrior king. God gives his grace to the humble.

But God also opposes the proud, even when they are his anointed ones. Eli's sons are priests of God who are cut off from the priesthood due to their corruption. Saul's household is cut off from the throne due to his arrogant disobedience of God. Even David, the man after God's own heart, suffers violence and plague due after committing adultery and arrogantly admiring the census.

The LORD makes poor and rich;
He brings low, He also exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the ash heap
(1 Samuel 2:7)

Biblical leadership requires first and foremost humility. A true leader of God does not try to usurp the existing leadership, as did Absalom, but patiently waits upon the Lord to lift them up, as did David. A true leader of God recognizes their authority comes from God and that they are subject to Him and His law, as David did in his repentance after his sin with Bathsheba, but not as Saul did after his disobedience regarding the Amalekites. A true leader of God recognizes that their accomplishments come from God, unlike David who took a census to admire his reign.

With the exceptions noted above, David was this kind of leader. He exemplified biblical leadership. He also served as a type of one who would be the ultimate example of biblical leadership, that is, Christ. Jesus is the king who fulfills the Davidic covenant, ruling on an everlasting throne. But Jesus did not arrogantly take the authority for which he was appointed, but is waiting for his father to establish him (Philippians 2:8-9). Jesus did not wield his own authority, but recognized his authority comes from God (John 5:30). Jesus recognized that all he did came from the Father, not boasting of his own accomplishments (John 17:4).

As we serve God as leaders, let us never forget that:
Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered;
Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
And He will give strength to His king,
And will exalt the horn of His anointed.
(1 Samuel 2:10)

Footnotes

1. Baylis, 205.
2. Baylis, 197.
3. Barry Davis. “2 Samuel.” Genesis through Song of Solomon classnotes. (Multnomah Biblical Seminary, Fall 2003), 8.
4. Charles C. Ryrie. Ryrie Study Bible. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 488-489.
5. Baylis, 196.
6. Baylis, 198.
7. Baylis, 196.
8. Fee and Stuart, 84.

Bibliography

Baylis, Albert H. From Creation to the Cross . Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 1996.

Davis, Barry. “2 Samuel.” Genesis through Song of Solomon class notes. Multnomah Biblical Seminary, Fall 2003.

Fee, Gordon D. and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible Book by Book. Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan, 2002.

Merrill, Eugene H. “Judges.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary. John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck, ed. (Victor Books, 1997). Electronic edition STEP file.

Ryrie, Charles C. Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago: Moody Press, 1995.

Youngblood, Ronald F. “Judges.” Expositor's Bible Commentary . Frank E. Gaebelein, ed. Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan, 1998.

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