Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
No matter the organization, leadership transition almost always brings with it some turmoil, have you experienced that? As we’ve been following God’s’ Grand Narrative’ since August 1st, we’ve covered more than 1000 years of time from Abraham to David, and with each new generation in Israel the question of leadership was almost always a traumatic issue.
Yesterday we witnessed the death of Israel’s first human King, Saul, and immediately a leadership scramble occurred in Israel.
But wait a minute! Had not the prophet Samuel anointed young David to be Israel’s future King? (1 Samuel 16:1,13) And had not Saul himself several times acknowledged David would be his successor? (1 Samuel 24:20) And even Abigail, Nabal’s wife, had proclaimed God’s promise of David’s future kingship. (1 Samuel 25:28,30) So why the leadership scramble?
Well, after Saul’s death not everyone was ready to follow God’s leadership plan and certain men of Saul’s army raised up Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth to be their king. (2 Samuel 2:8.9) David, however, true to his humble, shepherd character, inquired of the LORD what he should do! (2 Samuel 2:1) The LORD instructed David to settle in the town of Hebron (2 Samuel 2:1) and unassumingly David began to lead Israel’s largest tribe Judah, based in that historic town, Hebron, where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives were buried. Remember? (Gen. 49:29-31)
Sadly, 2 Samuel 2,3,4 are chapters which describe the type of leadership transition turmoil we see all too often in our world. It happens when greedy, prideful, manipulative people seek power regardless of justice, social order or even God’s directions. Finally in 2 Samuel 5, elders from all the tribes of Israel gathered in Hebron and requested David to become their king.
They acknowledged David’s military heroic leadership of the past several years, but more importantly they acknowledged God Himself had selected David to lead His people, Israel. (1 Chronicles 11:2) That historic moment in God’s Grand Narrative is summarized with these words: “When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, David made a covenant with them before the LORD, and they anointed David king over ALL Israel. David was 30 years old when he became king and he reigned 40 years. In Hebron he reigned over the tribe of Judah for 7 years and six months, and in Jerusalem David reigned over all Israel for 33 years.” (2 Samuel 5:3-5)
The coronation process seems to have been a minor event without much fanfare. And we have no clear explanation as to WHY, but one of king David’s first major decisions was to move his leadership headquarters from the southern town of Hebron to the more central city of Jerusalem.
Scholars and historians suggest three primary reasons for this move:
* First, Jerusalem would be almost exactly centrally located in the nation of Israel and a neutral site since Jerusalem was actually not located in any of the tribal lands Joshua had distributed. (Joshua 15:63)
* Secondly, the small city of Jerusalem was built in a very strategic and almost impenetrable location nestled among the hills of Moriah and the jagged valleys of Ben-Hinnom and Kidron.
* Third, Jerusalem had ample water due to several freshwater springs in those hills and valleys. With no rivers or lakes nearby, freshwater springs were essential to life.
I’ve often wondered if another of David’s motivations may have been the ancient story of Abraham taking his son Isaac to Mount Moriah, in obedience to God’s shocking instruction that Abraham should prove his unwavering obedience to God by sacrificing his miracle son Isaac? That story is found in Genesis 22.
You may recall Abraham called that place “The LORD will Provide” as God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice when Abraham proved his total trust in God and full obedience. A new name for God was established in that experience: ‘Jehovah Jireh’… the LORD who provides! (Gen. 22:14) As David proclaimed to Goliath the giant, (1 Samuel 17:45-47)
David was confident of God’s protection and power in the face of any enemy, but leading a nation would require from David an unusual relationship with God. Samuel the prophet had died several years before (1 Samuel 25:1) so David needed God’s provision of wisdom and guidance for his leadership of Israel.
But a people called the Jebusites occupied Jerusalem in David’s time, and it was a well-fortified city. 2 Samuel 5:8 gives us a brief insight into the very unusual military strategy David used to conquer Jerusalem. He sent men up through the water channel which brought water from a spring outside the city.
Many years later King Hezekiah accomplished one of the greatest engineering feats of all time by his workmen cutting a tunnel shaft through solid rock, 1750 feet long, to divert the water channel David had used, thereby protecting Jerusalem from a similar invasion. (2 Kings 20:20) If you visit Jerusalem today you can actually wade through “Hezekiah’s Tunnel”!
2 Samuel 5:9,10 tells us: “David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces inward. David became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him.“ As you may know friends, that area is today, nearly 3000 years later, a very famous part of modern Jerusalem! It is still called ‘the City of David’ and is visited by thousands of Christian pilgrims from all around the world every month!
As you read the remainder of 2 Samuel 5, you’ll see David twice inquired of the LORD God before he engaged the enemy Philistines who were seeking to drive David out of the area. God responded to David both times giving David two different military strategies, both of which worked! David was learning to rely upon Abraham’s God, Jehovah Jireh, as he wisely led God’s people Israel from his new home, the “City of David”, nestled in the hills of Moriah!
Let’s pause right here, for this is a very significant, historic part of God’s Grand Narrative. Tomorrow we’ll see David’s next very important decision was to bring the Ark of the Covenant to be with him as he continued to seek God’s guidance.
Have we learned to seek God’s guidance in every aspect of our lives and especially all our decisions… the decisions which affect our families or those who look to us for leadership?
I’ve found a great worship song to help us express that to God and more notes and reflective questions are found in the Grand Narrative link below. And I’ll be waiting for you here with David tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: 2 Samuel 1-2.
Choose below to read or listen.
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2 Samuel 2
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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